MANY of us identify with veterans usually being found among the senior citizen element of our communities however, in reality the majority of veterans among us are between the ages of 25 and 69.
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NSW Government figures tell us last year alone nearly 360 Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel, most with families, settled on the Central and North Coast of NSW on separation from the ADF. It would be logical to conclude those figures would be consistent for several years previously and for some years to come.
Add those who move to this region in the years following their service or on retirement from their 'post military' careers and you would find the 'younger' veteran population in the region is likely to be high.
Most of these men and women are still in the workforce, raising families, and are not likely to yet find the time or the inclination to join veteran service organisations such as the RSL.
During the week I spoke with one such young veteran, a local businessman and former member of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Dean Welsh.
Born and raised in Macksville, Dean initially worked for his parents in the transport industry when he left school.
Although Dean had his heart set on being a helicopter technician in the Army, the waiting time for a position in that trade was several years. Not wanting to wait that long, Dean was advised that he could go into the Navy as an electronics technician so in 2003 he left the Nambucca Valley and began the journey that would result in, as Dean describes it, the best job he ever had.
Dean spent a year-and-a-half at HMAS Cerberus in Victoria, learning how to be a sailor in the RAN and picking up the fundamentals of his trade. It was then to Sydney for electronic warfare training followed by joining the ship's company of the guided missile frigate HMAS Newcastle.
It was straight into the deep end for Dean as no sooner had he joined HMAS Newcastle, the ship began 'work up' training in readiness for a 2005 deployment to the Persian Gulf on Operation Catalyst.
HMAS Newcastle was an integral part of Australia's commitment to multinational efforts to develop a secure and stable environment in post-Saddam Iraq. This required HMAS Newcastle to perform roles such as oil rig security operations and boarding vessels in the region suspected of smuggling cash and other contraband.
Dean reflects the training he received before joining HMAS Newcastle had prepared him well for his role on the ship. And the long hard hours during the seven years he had worked in the transport industry before joining the Navy had set him up well to cope with the rigours of the pre-deployment training and subsequent tour of duty in the Persian Gulf.
Shortly after returning to Australia, Dean was selected for further technical training in the United States where he would spend three months at the US Naval Base, Norfolk Virginia. Unfortunately Dean's family circumstances drastically changed and, for the sake of his children, he gave up the career that he loved and was clearly excelling in.
In 2007 the young man who had achieved so much in four years with the RAN, including active duty in the Middle East, returned to the Nambucca Valley.
With a high level of technical expertise behind him and never losing the work ethic he picked up while working for his folks, Dean bought a business known as OZ Antennas and went to work for himself.
Rapidly establishing a reputation for his work, Dean put his Navy technical training to good use, expanded beyond antennas, and has branched out to include security systems, data systems and a broad range of other technical work.
OZ Antennas is one of the increasing number of veteran-owned businesses here on the Mid North Coast.
Dean says he loved his time in the RAN and misses the lifestyle however has a great affection for the Nambucca Valley and admits it was a great place to come home to.
In his line of work he sees first hand the amount of development going on here and knows the area is going forward and it is a region of opportunity.
It is young veterans like Dean who are the changing face of the veterans community.
In a short space of time Dean provided service to his country while learning a trade then settled into the Nambucca Valley, establishing himself in business. I thank Dean for his service and wish him well with his family and business into the future.
