The importance of veteran identity

Back in 2006 to 2009 I owned Ascot and Associates. Ascot and Associates commenced operations as a specialist talent acquisition firm to provide our corporate customer base with specialist military and law enforcement professionals for work in Intelligence, Investigations and Business Continuity fields with the aim to assist our clients achieve their social, legislative and corporate requirements. In short it was established to look after my ‘mates’ some of whom I didn’t even know that had or were transitioning from their military or law enforcement careers where their new employers could reap the benefits that would come from their specialised backgrounds and that the Veteran would be provided with a new mission and or identity to survive in the corporate jungle.

Looking after our ‘brothers and sisters’ is what we as Contemporary Veterans must do. You heard me — ‘MUST’ — It is our DUTY! We as Veterans cannot rely on the ‘State’ under the ‘Veteran Affairs’ banner to deliver us the product of ‘Identity After Care’. Whilst the Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA) in Australia and its peer agencies in other ‘Western’ Nations must guide and serve the Contemporary Veteran on healthcare, including reform and other essential services it is the subject of ‘Identity After Care’ to our brethren that is something that the ‘State’ will not be able or even capable to deliver on — nor should they.

This brings me to the unpalatable subject of Veterans suicide which is a prevalent cause of death amongst Veterans of western nations. I have no doubt that in my mind that the ‘Loss of Identity’ is a contributing factor to the decline of a Veterans mental state. I am not saying that each Veteran is a walking time bomb going for a stroll like a mindless zombie in a post-apocalyptic world. I am saying that the ‘Loss of Identity’ is a major contributing factor to a Veterans self-worth post service and this does has an impact to his or her mental health.

When as in the case of an Aussie Digger you March into Kapooka ‘Home of the Soldier’ you are in essence re-born. You will NEVER be the same person that you entered. Mummy and daddy’s’ little boy or girl will be transformed into something they did not ever perceive would be possible. Some will be proud — some not so! By end of Recruit Training each Soldier will have evolved into a Subject Matter Expert in all things ‘Government’ sanctioned ‘Business’ of the Profession of Arms! We as Soldiers are not ‘Boy or Girl Scouts’ — and we are not the pillars of society that the general public sometimes think of us even though we are in general an honourable bunch of professionals — We are engaged for a very serious business and we learn to deliver a service that hopefully we will not be called upon to do yet accept this duty as part of our Contract to our Nation. With this evolution there are scars including the identity of a service person that when separated from Military service are sometimes lost in translation.

This identity is something we have each held with extreme pride and as such questions of how do ‘I’ now identify in the so called real world un-affectionately called ‘Civvie Street’. Questions of ‘Who am I’. ‘Where do I fit in’? ‘Can I fit in’? Can I evolve — adapt and overcome’ are a constant reminder that ‘were not in Kansas anymore Toto!’.

We as Contemporary Veterans’ are the ones whose mission now is to deliver upon ‘Identity After Care’. We are part of a heritage of honours and traditions that the layperson will fail to understand. We value honour (I mean real honour) protocols and understand first hand sacrifice as we have each suffered it to one degree or another, and the ideal that we will not leave a brother or sister behind as it is simply not part of our genetic make-up to leave the fallen behind. Whilst I’m not talking about the battlefield casualty I am talking about our brethren who walk amongst us who suffer in silence and it is up to us to inspire the new ‘mission’ together.

In short we are like a football code — each a member of a unique club and as such as team mates we must look after ‘our’ players because they matter!

My point is that we must inspire each other to continue on with ‘our’ mission and that is to have each others Six post Service.

Adam Elm is a proud father of four and writes about life in general and Veterans Issues.

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