Vietnam veteran Gary Treeve said the federal government’s Vietnam Veterans Family Study raised concerns such as post-traumatic stress disorder and parenting along military lines.

“What I found with the study, I believe it went far too long, there was too much red tape and … it was far too late,” he said.

“There’s similar issues with our current serving and ex-serving members, from Iraq, Afghanistan, East Timor, and people like that.”

The government, in its response last month to the research, said tackling the mental health challenges facing veterans and their families would be a key priority.

More than 27,000 people took part in the project, which examined the physical, mental and social health of Vietnam veterans and their families.

It found most sons and daughters of Vietnam veterans led healthy and productive lives.

But analysis indicated these families were more likely to have significant emotional, physical and social problems when compared to families of those who served  in that era but did not go to Vietnam.

Mr Treeve hoped the results would help the Departments of Defence and Veterans’ Affairs co-ordinate more in areas like counselling before and after deployment.

“I think it’s a little bit late for Vietnam veterans but hopefully they can change the lifestyle and the marriage situations and the family situations of some of our younger veterans at the moment, who are probably coming back with fairly high levels of PTSD,” he said.

“They’ve got young families and they’re having issues; I think they’re the ones we should be focusing on.” 

Hume Veterans’ Information Centre chairman Kevyn Williams said service personnel never forgot the experiences of overseas postings.

“It’s something that stays in your brain for ever, you never, ever lose it,” he said.

And this had an impact on a veteran’s spouse.

“She’s got to deal with his mood changes, his inability to accept things and do things,” Mr Williams said.

People often found it hard to leave behind the disciplined military life.

“Some of these standards are taken home to the family and the kids seem to be the ones who feel the brunt of it at times,” he said.

Baranduda veteran Dennis Ramsay, who left the army in 2014 after 25 years, said civilian life contrasted with Defence Force structure.

“Everybody knows where they are in the zoo, you know who the bosses are and you know where you sit,” Mr Ramsay said. “You want to hold on to that group and teamwork that you work with, it’s a family.”

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