Rural life may be appealing for veterans for its tranquillity, isolation and privacy, wildlife, farming, and community camaraderie.   

 

But life remotely also has its challenges. Like most, Veterans have experienced health issues and trauma as a result of their service, nonetheless living the rural life means that you must travel long distances to get treatment, and access to appropriate benefits is a concern compared to city comrades, where Veterans Affairs centres and many ex-service organisations are located too far away.

 

Physical health, a sense of purpose, feeling connected with others (as Veterans did in service), and feeling safe and supported all play a key role both in the cities and rural regions. The bond shared by veterans, is, by all balances, a formidable force and it is important that we connect ALL Veterans.

 

Many Veterans will mention that “the camaraderie that you have with a fellow veteran, has a kind of unspoken words of ‘I’ve got your back, and we are the only ones that understand as it’s just the nature of the service we share.”   It’s this philosophy that Veterans exemplify every day, and it’s an enduring commitment to this philosophy that will be necessary to ensure all veterans have access to the quality of life they’ve more than earned.