G'day listeners,

Welcome to our next podcast episode from TA20.

This time around we are chatting with Matt Wallace, who completed TA16 as a participant, and was kind enough to produce a video recording of the program which was made publicly available.

Matt shares his experiences learning the ropes of peer mentoring, and has a particularly special anecdote from his ice bath experience from TA20 ;)

Matt is a helicopter pilot by trade, and was in East Timor in 2001 flying choppers with the Australian Army. Nowadays he works for CASA with flight standards. He is keen to go back and show his daughters the country to pass on different perspectives. 

Our latest piecemeal chat with a 'mentee' from TA20.

Enjoy listeners

VCA Team

G'day Team,

Welcome back for our next podcast episode from TA20, which was a peer mentoring program on the Gold Coast.

Today we welcome back John White, who has already shared a number of insights in previous episodes and is back with us again to talk about peer mentoring.

John is largely drawn to contribute to the peer mentoring space as he knows all too many veterans of his generation who are not do ing so well and need help - the same goes for more contemporary veterans.

Sharing some great and hilarious anecdotes, John also looks through the lens of having been a business consultant in a former life and suggests some ways VCA could approach the peer mentoring arena, to be in it for the long game.

Thanks again John for your thoughts and insights.

Enjoy listeners

VCA Team

Greetings Listeners,

Welcome back to the VCA / TA podcasts.

We are kicking off the podcasts from TA20 with VCA President Padre Gary Stone.

Gary talks about how the Timor Awakening program has been redefined allowing 'mentees' to learn how to become peer mentors.

He talks about how peer mentors can be the absolute exponential factor in veteran health space, given how much veterans will open up to other veterans.

The purpose of the Timor Awakening program is and always has been to change the paradigm of veteran health from the sickness model that focuses on the problem, to a growth model focusing on health.

One of the key points is how peer mentors can focus on triage or conducting a quick assessment for a veteran, before referring them on to a specialist where required.

Looking ahead, Gary also touches on that is in the pipeline for 2022 programs in the second half of the year, as well as what is coming up in 2023.

Cheers for the updates Gary

Enjoy 

VCA Team

Hi Team,

Welcome to our next podcast episode. (We have now completed all podcasts from the TA18 program, more to follow...)

Our last interview is with Greg Lloyd, who served a fives years in total back in the 80s, as both an armoured Corps reservist and later a Signaller in the regular Army.

After becoming disenchanted with the Army and feeling held back, he decided to leave in search of other avenues in life.

He disengaged from anything Defence related for nearly 40 years, no ANZAC Day, no veterans organisations or community groups.

Post Defence he fulfilled careers as a computer programmer and later high school teacher, teaching computer science and mathematics.

Upon realising he had more work to do on himself than previously admitted, he found his way back to the ESO community, where a whole need journey has now embarked..

An interesting story of life in Defence, transition, isolation and re-connection.

Cheers Lloyd

Enjoy listeners

VCA Team

Hello Team,

For those not already aware the program has returned from another successful trip to Timor.

On the home front we are ready for our next podcast interview, from TA18.

Today we chat with Ben Smith, a contemporary veteran who served as an engineer with a deployment to Afghanistan.

Having joined in 2009, he completed a number of postings including 2CER and 6ESR, finishing up in 17 Construction Squadron.

He navigated transition with a reasonable degree of success, however had his fair share of battes with PTSD and depression.

After completing a trade, he later decided he wanted some more meaning in his life, and joined Open Arms, to help out other veterans.

Ben has some key insights and tips for those still in the throes of transition, and looks forwards to integrated what he learned on Timor Awakening with his own stable of veterans with whom interacts and takes care of.

Cheers for a great chat Ben, and enjoy listeners.

VCA Team

G'day Team,

As the in-country Timor contingent continues their mission abroad, we are pleased to keep to release our next podcast interview.

Craig Small was a Cavalrymen with 2 Cav and 2/14th from the mid 90s through to 2000, and completed a Rifle Company Butterworth trip, amongst many other adventures.

With a career that was souring, he was suddenly diagnosed with a heart condition at the peak of his fitness, and was soon to be medically discharged, with no direction and minimal assistance.

Slowly able to reinvent himself in the machinery and equipment hire space, he had his fair share of challenges re-integrating back into the civilian world.

He even recently found out he had been entitled to DVA support for 20 years and didn't know about it! - all the more reason to be across what veterans have access to..

Some great tips on education opportunities for Defence members, through initiatives such as Defence TAFE.

WIth some realisations that more work was needed on himself, he made his way to Open Arms and Veterans Care Association and became involved in the veterans space.

Cheers for your story and insights Craig.

Enjoy listeners

VCA Team

Team,

Welcome to our next podcast from TA18 - we are nearing the end of the podcasts captured from this program.

This time we gather yet another insightful perspective about life in Defence, operational service and adjusting after time away.

Kelly-Anne started her career in 97' as a reservist medical assistant in Mackay, while also working as a Jillaroo on massive acreage.

Multiple deployments, including to Banda Aceh following the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami, which had a lasting effect on Kelly, and took some months to process.

Stepping up as a female SNCO in a combat engineer unit, Kelly also had to navigate leadership in a male dominated Corps.

A current serving member, Kelly is an instructor at Canungra, and after having done Timor Awakening, sees the benefit programs like it could have on members prior to separation.

Great insights and shares indeed.

Many thanks Kelly

Enjoy listeners

VCA Team

G'day Team,

We are ready to kick off another podcast episode from the TA18 program.

Doing something a little different this time, we are doing our first interview with a non-Defence member, who served on operations.

Daniel McKenzie is a Nurse Practitioner who served under the UN in Timor Leste from 2007 - 2009 with the College of Surgeons, in Dili Hospital

And in 2010 - 2011 he also served in Afghanistan from an American base in Jalalabad.

No shortage of interesting stories shared by Daniel from those times, as well as how he adjusted back in Australia and currently manages personal health issues.

Interesting indeed to hear about military campaigns from the perspective of non-military folk.

Cheers Daniel for great shares.

Enjoy listeners

VCA Team

Ladies and Gents,

We hope everybody had an enjoyable ANZAC Day.

We are ready to kick off this week's Podcast Interview.

This week we chat with Joel Donkin, a Nursing Officer with an illustrious near-40 year career, whose done more operations than most have done Non-Techs.

Joel has been through some seriously tough times, losing his wife some years back, he learned how to get through each day, moment by moment and how to deal with regret.

A huge advocate for the Defence AARTS program, Joel learned to play the bass guitar, and soon wants to join a choir.

His key message is that we are not alone, and the importance of being humble enough to ask for help.

Many thanks for a great share Joel

Enjoy listeners.

VCA Team

G'day folks,

We hope everybody is gearing up for an exciting ANZAC Day on Monday.

Also, we are pleased to announce the release of the next TA18 podcast interview.

This week we chat with Alex Daly, former Armoured Corps soldier with multiple rotations to the Middle East under his belt.

Alex discusses his battle with anxiety both within the Defence Force and in the years that followed.

Seeking Psychiatric intervention and finding his own path through the haze for some years, Alex eventually found himself slipping back downhill again, at which point he started reaching out to the ex-serviceman space.

A successful businessman with a young family, Alex has some useful tips for those who are naturally driven but struggle to put the breaks on at times.

Cheers Alex, and enjoy listeners.

VCA Team