On 9th March, the ABC’s Four Corners program ‘Bringing the War Home’ focussed on the scourge of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) amongst veterans who served in Afghanistan. During the 14 years since the invasion of Afghanistan, both Coalition and Labor leaders have been eager to wave ADF personnel off to combat in this foreign land. But these veterans’ homecoming has been a different story, an agonising one for many of them.
The program reported that apart from the 41 soldiers who lost their lives in Afghanistan, “many hundreds more are still reliving their nightmares years later. One stand-out condition they suffer is post-traumatic stress disorder, a very real and increasingly well-documented condition that can and does destroy lives.”
Furthermore the program noted that the “story of how well these veterans are now supported is shaping up as a national shame.” It is deplorable that the number of suicides related to PTSD is unknown because the Defence Department does not keep a formal count of suicides by servicemen and women who have left the Defence Forces, let alone why they suicided.
An estimated $325 million will be spent by Federal and State governments on the Anzac Centenary.* While it is fitting to commemorate the centenary of the First World War, this amount of money is double the United Kingdom’s centenary budget and nearly 20 times what New Zealand has allocated to its centenary commemorations.
It stands in stark contrast to the harsh austerity measures being implemented by so-called cash-strapped State and Federal governments.
This lavish centenary budget also stands in stark contrast with the underfunding of housing, medical and counselling services desperately needed by those young veterans suffering from PTSD and homelessness.
Hopefully this Four Corners program will help jolt both State and Federal governments into rectifying this lamentable record of neglect.
Update: Following the broadcast of ‘Bringing The War Home’, delegates at the Returned Services League (RSL) national conference in Hobart** pledged to raise $1 million to tackle homelessness among war veterans. In announcing the fundraising push at the National RSL Clubs Conference in Hobart, RSL & Services Clubs Association chief executive Garrie Gibson conceded that young veterans needed more support.
It is estimated that 3,000 returned soldiers sleep rough each night in Australia. The aim of the money pledged is to build a new crisis centre in Sydney providing accommodation and counselling for veterans suffering post-traumatic stress disorder.
The Four Corners program ‘Bringing the War Home’ can be seen on ABC iview or accessed via the Internet link here. A transcript of the program is also available via this link.
* Donations of a similar order are also being sought from the corporate sector. Media reports indicate that corporate donations have fallen short of expectations.
**The National RSL Clubs Conference was held in Hobart from 9 to 11 March.