Guest speaker Adam Kent spoke about his active service, the challenges faced by return service personnel and the role of RSL Active.
In introducing Adam Kent, Rtn Tim McLeod noted that Adam had completed five years active service with the Army, including tours of duty in Timor Leste and the Middle East. Since leaving the army he had completed 14 years as a Reservist.
Adam spoke about some of the challenges faced by soldiers moving from active service back into the civilian community including marital breakdown, alcoholism and difficulty relating to children. He suggested that the first step in putting things right was to accept that the person needed help. He was initially embarrassed because he realised he needed help but is now proud that he had the strength to make the decision.
Increasing avenues of assistance are available and Adam is grateful that he has been able to facilitate some of this through RSL Active and more recently Legacy. He commented that all you hear are the bad stories, but there are many good stories out there as well.
Tim thanked Adam for his presentation. Adam assigned his $25 to Merri River School.