VETERAN RUN TRAINING FACILITY

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smeachq@smeac.org.au

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THE DILEMMA

Since 2001, 41 Australian soldiers have been killed during the conflict in the Middle East. However, during that same time, over 700 veterans have taken their own life. This is unacceptable.

Homelessness, family breakdowns, drug and alcohol abuse, self-harm, acts of violence, physical and mental injuries all take their toll on the individual, the family and friends, with a flow on effect cutting deep into the fabric of Australia’s society, costing the nation dearly.

At the same time we have serious issues affecting our youth. Issues like a lack of confidence or direction, low self esteem, vagrancy, abuse, domestic violence, drug and alcohol addiction, crime and incarceration. Youth are being left behind! There remains a need for a substantial shift to early intervention strategies to address the underlying causes and risk factors that lead young people to have contact with the justice system.

Finally, what about the return of investment once a service person leaves Defence? Millions of tax payer dollars are spent training servicemen and women while they are in uniform, however any form of return on investment ceases the moment the veteran is thrown to the scrapheap.

These problems just won’t go away and frankly ‘the system’ doesn’t know how to solve them. All the while we are losing the cream of Australia’s crop and failing our youth. If $350 million injected into the veteran budget in 2017 didn’t stop the suicides, then it’s time to change strategy.

SMEAC is like nothing that has gone before – no more fluff and bubbles, no more watching the usual organisations failing to solve the problem, no more talk…no more! It’s time for a grassroot, practical and tangible solution. Time for boots on the ground, time to re instate that sense of purpose…Time for SMEAC.

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Our Solution

SMEAC’s solution has two, interdependent tangents in order to tackle these two problems:

SMEAC Strategic Purpose for Veterans:

Reduce veteran suicide and make a significant and positive difference in the lives of veterans, those of their extended family and the community.

This will be achieved by;

Creating a means by which Veterans can transition from Defence, re-educate and continue to serve their country in a meaningful and challenging way, with other Vets in a service based environment.
The Key = giving veterans back their purpose…..their ‘WHY’

SMEAC Strategic Purpose for Youth:

To inspire and educate disadvantaged and at risk youth to strive toward their best life and thus reduce youth suicide, incarceration and crime.

This will be achieved by;

Utilising the skills and experience of those veterans noted above to then inspire, educate and encourage disadvantaged and at risk youth by providing diversion programs, support, education and employment pathways to help discover and follow their purpose….their ‘WHY’

Veterans need a similar sense of purpose to that which they had when they served. Not having that sense of purpose, their ‘why’, is at the core of their issues they experience in the months and years following their discharge from the Defence Force. A job in isolation doesn’t cut it – but a job where they can use many of the skills they learned in their military career, for the benefit of helping youth to improve their own lives gives veterans a real sense of purpose. Coupled with support programs, training and qualifications, a team environment, working with other veterans in an organisation that mirrors the structure and ethos of the military, veterans will have a far better chance of transitioning into civilian life and being a valuable and contributing member of society. .

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