Gold Coast veterans grappling with reality of life beyond combat
The Gold Coast has high veteran suicide rates and homelessness rates eclipsing anywhere else in Australia.
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AS a professional judo fighter and frontline combat veteran who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, Scott Steer is used to fighting for something.
But this Remembrance Day his battle is for the lives of the 30,000 other returned service men and women, who live on the Gold Coast.
With high suicide rates, and veteran homelessness figures double that of anywhere else in the country, Mr Steer said a connection and better understanding of the defence force among the civilian population is needed on the Coast.
“Just on the Gold Coast there are 30,000 veterans, but only 10,000 are involved in anything in the veteran community,” the founder of Veteran Grappling, a physical and mental health services for health reponders said.
“We also know one in 10 homeless people are veterans in Australia, but on the Gold Coast that number is one in five.
“So many veterans are still afraid to come out and say they are veterans – it is a stigma we are trying to break down slowly because it prevents people from getting help they need.
“There is still a perception there, particularly given recent coverage about special forces, that can be damaging.
“Just last week one of our veterans was asked how many people did you kill – at a BBQ.
“There is no malice but there is a clear lack of knowledge.
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“We seem to do very well when it comes to our military history up until a point.
“We have been in Afghanistan longer than any other war but there isn’t much known about our work.
“There is public perception that we are World War II-type soldiers, not people there making the life better for communities.”
Having joined the defence force at 24, Mr Steer still speaks of his time in service as a duty where he believes he worked to make a positive impact on the communities he protected.
“We hear a lot about the civilian population pushing to have the troops home, but in my experience it was the opposite.
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“You worked hard and trained, it is difficult being away but it is like the sporting team training for the grand final, it is why you developed your skills.
“While there is combat, I think people aren’t aware that a lot of our missions are about hearts and minds, we are involved around construction, building up communities, welding, hospitals, schools, doing security for engineers working in these area.”
Mr Steer said he believes the current generation of veterans don’t expect to be thanked, but would appreciate an understanding.
“We aren’t looking to make things like America where people are thanked everywhere they go, we just want a better understanding of our job and what we actually do.
“A connected community and network of mates is absolutely essential to good mental health.”
Veteran Grappling will be hosting A BBQ To Remember today at Broadwater Parklands from 9am.
To learn more about Veteran Grappling go to www.veterangrappling.com.
Originally published as Gold Coast veterans grappling with reality of life beyond combat