Afghanistan veteran and double amputee Damien Thomlinson backs Save Our Heroes Summit
Former commando Damien Thomlinson knows how hard it is to switch from a highly structured military career to civilian life but, in the “dark days” after losing both his legs in a Taliban bomb blast, he found light again through sport.
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- Daily Telegraph announces Save Our Heroes Summit
- Dad takes his own life after defence rejects pleas for help
Former commando Damien Thomlinson knows how hard it is to switch from a highly structured military career to civilian life.
In the “dark days” after losing both his legs in a Taliban bomb blast, Mr Thomlinson found light again through sport.
Now the father of one, Mr Thomlinson, 39, has thrown his support behind The Daily Telegraph’s Save Our Heroes summit which will shine a light on veteran suicides and what more is needed to be done to prevent them.
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The Afghanistan veteran lost his legs when a Taliban-planted device exploded while he was on night patrol in 2009. Medics said it was a miracle he wasn’t killed and there were times they didn’t think he would survive.
“The real battle was past the initial recovery stage and grasping what would happen to me and once I started to feel normal, things then became abnormal,” Mr Thomlinson said.
While he has regained his emotional and physical strength through sport, Mr Thomlinson has felt the pain of veteran suicides personally — with two friends from his commando unit taking their lives.
The need for ongoing support for soldiers is one reason Mr Thomlinson supports next week’s summit, which will give a voice to the mothers of five veterans who have suicided after leaving the defence force.
“The summit will be a good conversation to have and everyone needs to listen to what these mothers have to say — the first step is to understand the problem so we can solve the problem,” he said. “We have more suicides of veterans than those who have died in conflict. We need to assess exactly where are going wrong.”
Mr Thomlinson has no memory of when the vehicle he was in ran over an improvised explosive device and he suffered horrific injuries — both his legs had to be amputated, both hands and wrists were broken.
Since learning to walk on prosthetic legs, Mr Thomlinson has trekked the Kokoda Track, competes in para-snowboarding and also played wheelchair rugby and basketball in the Invictus Games, the Olympics for injured veterans.
“Invictus Games are phenomenal with the impact they make, it changed my perspective and … its public recognition and huge level of appreciation,” he said.
“It put some real light on those horribly dark days and showed that what you did mattered. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for sport.”
Mr Thomlinson is also a motivational speaker, author and Australian Survivor competitor.
DIGGERS’ WELLBEING RIGHTLY IN SPOTLIGHT
It is just as important as ever to fully support our returned servicemen and women, NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Veterans James Griffin said yesterday.
While there was a “far better appreciation” of veterans’ needs today, those needs still had to be met — and initiatives such as the Save Our Heroes summit were vital, he said.
Both Mr Griffin’s parents served in the army, and his brother-in-law recently returned from service in Afghanistan. “Not every veteran has a health problem and not every veteran needs support as they transition from the defence force,” Mr Griffin said.
“However, in the modern era we have a far better appreciation of the need to look after our health and wellbeing — especially for former defence personnel.
“As we turn the chapter on the Centenary of Anzac, we must consider our younger veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.”
Mr Griffin will attend The Daily Telegraph’s Save Our Heroes Summit, which will give voice to the mothers of five veterans who have suicided after leaving the defence force. “The Summit is incredibly important and the government and a lot of veterans’ services organisation will get a lot from it in understanding how we can better assist younger veterans coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan,” he said.
Also amid Veterans’ Health Week, Manly MP Mr Griffin backed initiatives such as the partnership between Harbord Diggers and the local RSL sub-branch to provide a series of activities to encourage veterans and their families to share their experiences and access much-needed services.
Harbord Diggers is also giving veterans free access to its GFitness gym this week. “The Diggers and RSL sub-branch provide a contemporary approach to health and wellbeing, GFitness is one example of an outstanding asset for young Diggers,” Mr Griffin said.