TROOPER Andrew Russell and Army Reservist Ben Clifton covered Sunday’s Fed Hill course carrying heavy loads – and it wasn’t the 25kg army backpack they each lugged around the 10km circuit in less than two hours.
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Both are part of the 4th/19th Prince of Wales's Light Horse Regiment and used the fun run to raise awareness of veterans suicide.
“Since 2009 we have lost 43 Australian soldiers from enemy action, but 98 have taken their own lives due to our lack of action and support,” Mr Clifton said.
“In defence we’re all working together … when you get out you don’t have your ‘battle pair’ or your team there, you may feel isolated.
“So the more we can talk about it the more someone can say ‘righto what I’m feeling now is quite normal and there’s others out there feeling the same’.”
Trooper Russell has transferred from the Army Reserve back into the regular Army. He previously served in Border Security as part of Operation Resolute.
Mr Clifton, who served in East Timor during seven years in the regular Army before transferring to the Reserves, is part of RAR OVERWATCH on Facebook so returned servicemen and women can easily be in contact with each other.
Post traumatic stress disorder, once called shell shock and now re-defined as adjustment disorder, has long been a concern.
Organisations such as Soldier On, Wounded Warrior Project and Walking Wounded also offer help.
“Our defence personnel put their hand up to serve the nation, when they come home we, as a society, need to stand up for them, and reach out to them,” Mr Clifton said, “… because the Department of Veterans’ Affairs has really dropped the ball on this.”
