RSL reaches out to Afghanistan veterans in Australia
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Bellinger River RSL in New South Wales, Australia, is working to connect with veterans who served in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The sub-branch noticed a gap in support for younger veterans, whose average age is now 43, as they balance family and work commitments with the challenges of transitioning to civilian life. This effort comes 25 years after Australia first deployed soldiers to the Middle East, marking the country’s longest conflict.
Josh Donnelly, a veteran medically discharged with PTSD after serving in Afghanistan from 2012 to 2013, experiences the difficulty of living with the condition while raising a family. Emma Palmer, the Bellinger River RSL sub-branch president and a former nurse deployed to Uruzgan, Afghanistan, understands these struggles firsthand, receiving a PTSD diagnosis herself last year. She found that colleagues struggled to understand the changes in her demeanor after returning from deployment.
To address the need for connection, the RSL is hosting a retreat this weekend on a property called “Chora Valley Resort” in the Bellinger Valley. Veterans like Matt Foster, who served in Afghanistan in 2009, will camp and fish with their families, hoping to rebuild the camaraderie they experienced during deployment. Organizers also emphasize the importance of including veterans’ families, acknowledging their unique experiences supporting a loved one through service and its aftermath.
