By Mike CrooksFriday 12 Jul 2024NewsReading Time: 4 minutes
Warning: The following article contains mentions of suicide and content that some readers may find distressing. If you need support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit lifeline.org.au.
Thursday marked a special moment for Australian veterans who have served in the Middle East.
Key Points:
- The day was marked in services across Australia.
- The NSW Government drew attention to the “high number of veteran suicides” among those who returned from conflict.
- “This day will forever be enshrined in remembrance of these brave men and women,” Premier Minns said.
On the third anniversary that Australia officially finished its operations in Afghanistan, July 11 saw the first Middle East Area of Operation Commemorative Day.
The day honoured those Australians who have served in conflicts in the Middle East.
“Today we honour the immense contribution and sacrifice of our contemporary veterans in Middle East conflicts,” NSW Premier Chris Minns said.
“We recognise their courage and their service, as well as the ongoing toll of their experiences, both visible and invisible.”
Our longest war
The day was marked in services across Australia.
In Sydney, the inaugural day was commemorated at the Cenotaph in Martin Place.
The moment honoured the day that all Australian Defence Force personnel officially withdrew from Afghanistan.
The day was marked in services across Australia.
The conflicts there, and elsewhere in the Middle East, were in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the US, which claimed nearly 3,000 lives, including 10 Australians.
It was Australia’s longest-ever war involvement (2001 to 2021) and came with a terrible toll: 54 lives were lost in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait.
“Many returned with long-lasting physical and mental trauma,” an RSL statement read.
“Their service and sacrifice have helped to save Australian lives from terrorist attacks on our own soil.”
Ongoing pain
NSW Minister for Veterans David Harris said the day was to acknowledge the service of our contemporary veterans.
“These servicemen and servicewomen who have served in recent conflicts have made extraordinary sacrifices to continue the legacy of our Anzacs from the First World War,” he said.
“They have served our country with distinction but have also felt enormous loss as a result of conflicts.
“Many continue to wear this burden long after they departed the Middle East. I would like to thank them for their service, and also thank their families for supporting their loved ones.”
On the day, the NSW Government also announced a $2 million investment to build a new war memorial dedicated to “honour the service and sacrifice of those who served in the Middle East campaigns and their families, delivering on a key election commitment.”
Veteran suicides
The NSW Government also drew attention to the “high number of veteran suicides” among those who returned from the conflict in the Middle East, and other conflicts.
A 2023 report revealed there were at least 1,677 deaths by suicide between 1997 and 2021 “among serving, ex-serving and reservist Australian Defence Force personnel,” read the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report.
The NSW Government drew attention to the “high number of veteran suicides” among those who returned from conflict.
The Chair of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide Nick Kaldas said at the time that the data “reinforces that we are dealing with a national crisis.
“I urge the Government and its agencies to work with us to achieve better outcomes for serving and ex-serving ADF members, and their families.”
Of the recorded suicide deaths, 1,542 were men and 135 were women.
“Isolation is the demon”
During a commemoration in Dubbo on July 11, Afghanistan war veteran and Dubbo RSL president Shaun Graham said that many returned veterans face even tougher challenges in rural areas.
He told the ABC that he hopes the new commemorative day will bring together those people suffering in the country.
“Isolation is the demon, especially in the country where there’s big properties and people can hide themselves away,” said Mr Graham, who served two tours of Afghanistan in 2009 and 2011.
“It’s very hard for someone to come out of that hole once they put themselves into it and that’s why we really try and extend the hand of friendship to all those that serve, no matter the circumstance.
“We really try and engage and look after people.”
Seeking connections
Afghanistan veteran Nicholas Barber said that joining his local RSL in the country turned his life around.
“Getting involved in the sub-branch with a couple of the members specifically on days like Middle Eastern and Anzac days definitely does help a lot,” Mr Barber told the ABC.
“Considering all my old army mates are scattered around Australia now, it definitely helps.”
“This day will forever be enshrined in remembrance of these brave men and women,” Premier Minns said.
Mr Graham said that in Dubbo there are veterans in their 20s who have joined the local RSL.
“We all speak the same language and it’s actually a good place to come and offload those problems that guys and girls experience,” he said.
In honouring the veterans on the inaugural Middle East Area of Operation Commemorative Day, Premier Minns said that they “continue the proud tradition of our armed forces, serving abroad to protect the Australian way of life at home.
“This day will forever be enshrined in remembrance of these brave men and women.”
If you need support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit lifeline.org.au.
• Lifeline 13 11 14
• Suicide Line 1300 651 251
• Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636
If you are in an emergency, or at immediate risk of harm to yourself or others, please contact emergency services on 000.
Article supplied with thanks to Michael Crooks. Michael is a senior journalist and former news editor of Who magazine. His work has appeared in People, Marie Claire, The Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun, news.com.au, Qantas magazine, QantasLink Spirit, Who and The New Daily.
Feature image: Photo supplied by CanvaPro