Mick Birtles is a recently retired Army Officer now living in Nambucca Heads. During his 36-year career, Birtles served in Bougainville, East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for command and leadership. Here he shares his interest in the welfare and well-being of veterans in the Mid North Coast.
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Mother Nature has assured that the Mid North Coast is the perfect place to live. Our diverse community consists of longtime locals and ‘new-comers’ from various backgrounds. Included in this community you will find many veterans. So, what is a Veteran?
In November 2017, a ministerial round table, chaired by the then Minister for Veterans Affairs, The Hon Dan Tehan MP, declared that a veteran is ‘a person who is serving or has served in the Australian Defence Force (ADF)’. This definition was overdue recognition that our men and women in the ADF face unique circumstances and challenges whether or not they are deployed on active service.
I look at veterans issues from varied perspectives, as the son of a veteran, a veteran and as a father. I have recently concluded a 36 year military career where I saw operational service in Bougainville, East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan. I have a son, two son-in-laws and a daughter in-law who are veterans and and some of those are still serving. There are many mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters grandparents, aunties and uncles of veterans in the Mid North Coast.
Over the last 15 years many ‘Veterans Support Organisations’ have sprung up in this country due to the growing number of veterans and the perceived need for support. In upcoming articles I will touch on some of those organisations and discuss long standing organisations such as the RSL and Legacy. The NSW RSL has been in the news for all the wrong reasons however, the trouble is centred on the NSW State Branch, not regional RSL Sub Branches.
Although recent Government initiatives aimed at assisting veterans and their families are welcomed, they only touch on providing resolution to the complex issues affecting our veterans. Many of our Viet Nam Veterans and their families still suffer and now we have new generations of veterans in our community. Since the Viet Nam War ADF personal have served in Namibia, Rwanda, Somalia, Solomon Islands, East Timor, Iraq, Afghanistan and many other conflict zones. In addition to ‘traditional’ military operations the ADF is central to the provision of humanitarian assistance at home and abroad. Currently there are approximately 2,500 ADF personnel serving on military operations across the globe.
This column is intended to be an information resource, not just to for veterans, but to for their families, friends and the broader community. It is also intended to highlight the proud military history of the Mid North Coast and over time we will hear from locals who have family members past and present that have served this country. Remembering our Mid North Coast fore-bearers is particularly important this year as 2018 is the Centenary of the Armistice, the day the guns fell silent at the end of World War 1. On November 11 this year, Macksville will host the major commemoration event for the Nambucca Valley. More information on this will feature in future articles.
What this article will not do is glorify conflict. The notion that commemoration glorifies war is insulting to veterans and to the memory of the fallen. We commemorate to remember the sacrifice and hardship endured by our service men and women, their families and the nation.
Your local RSL Sub Branch is a great place to start if you are looking for information, guidance on dealing with the the Department of Veterans Affairs or even just asking what grandad’s medals actually mean.
Dates and times of the RSL Sub Branch Monthly meetings in your area:
- Nambucca Heads RSL Sub Branch is trialing evening meetings (from Thurday, June 21) at 7.30pm on the third Thursday of each month at the RSL Club.
- Macksville RSL Sub Branch meet at 4pm on the 2nd Friday of each month at the Macksville Ex-Services Club.
- Bowraville RSL Sub Branch meet at 10am on the second Tuesday of each month at the Bowraville Ex-Services Club.
- Stuarts Point RSL Sub-Branch meet at 7pm on the first Monday of each month (except January and July) at the Stuarts Point Bowling Club.
- Taylors Arm RSL Sub-Branch meet at 6.30pm on the second Wednesday of each month at the Pub With No Beer, Taylors Arm.