Supporting the soldier recovery centres
27 May 2026 3:39 PMTo support diggers who had been physically and psychologically injured through service, operational deployments, and exposure to traumatic environments was something that changed me forever.
One of the greatest honours of my career has been working within the Soldier Recovery Centres (SRC) in Brisbane and Darwin.
To support diggers who had been physically and psychologically injured through service, operational deployments, and exposure to traumatic environments was something that changed me forever.
What struck me most was not weakness — it was courage.
Many of these men and women had seen things no human being should ever have to witness. Yet despite the injuries, despite the trauma, despite the sleepless nights and internal battles, so many of them still fought with everything they had to get back to their battalions, their mates, and their sense of purpose.
The trust they placed in me was humbling.
To sit with someone while they shared their deepest fears, grief, guilt, or exposure was eye-opening. These conversations often happened quietly, behind closed doors, away from public view. They reminded me that mental health injuries are every bit as real as physical injuries.
Just because you cannot see a bandage does not mean someone is not bleeding internally.
Over the years, one of the hardest things was seeing some veterans end up isolated, living in cars, disconnected from systems they no longer trusted. That reality is heartbreaking. Often, all it took was someone listening without judgement, helping them find a safe bed, a pathway forward, or simply restoring some belief that they still mattered.
The gratitude many showed after receiving even the smallest support was overwhelming.
But the truth is, I probably gained more from them than they ever gained from me.
They taught me about resilience.
About loyalty.
About suffering quietly.
About courage under pressure.
And about the deep human need for connection, trust, and purpose.
I will never forget them.
And I genuinely believe Australia needs to continue having far more honest conversations around veteran mental health, trauma, transition, and the importance of rebuilding trust before people fall through the cracks.