Numbugga’s Michelle De Friskbom knows only too well the need for the dependents of deceased Australian service men and women to have access to care and support.
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Ms De Friskbom has lost two of her close friends to suicide during her time in the armed services, leading her to dedicate her time to the Legacy Australia cause.
This week is Legacy Week, the annual national appeal raising awareness and much needed funds for families of incapacitated and deceased veterans.
“Forty-one Australian veterans have committed suicide this year alone which is just as many that have died in the whole war in Afghanistan,” Ms De Friskbom said.
By February 2014, 262 members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) have been wounded in Afghanistan and 40 killed in action.
Ms De Friskbom has been taking part in Mission 22, an initiative to raise public awareness surrounding the issue of veteran suicide by completing push ups each day for 22 days and posting her efforts on social media.
“You are supposed to do 22 each day out of respect for the 22 US veterans who take their lives each day, but I do 24 to remember my friends as well,” she said.
South Coast Anglican College Year 9 students Alleesha Dummett and Emily Smith volunteered on Thursday to help raise money for Legacy by selling their now iconic badges.
Alleesha’s sister Kristina has just joined the Royal Australian Navy.
“She’s going to Darwin in a month before she goes to the Middle East,” she said.
“My grandfather Podge Tyrrell also served in World War 2 and I know a lot of other people serving now as well.”
According to Legacy Australia, it is the only organisation of its type in the world, relying on volunteers known as Legatees, many of which are returned servicemen and women.
“Whether on deployment, peacekeeping, peace enforcing or disaster relief, the bottom line is when a soldier goes to work, there is always a real risk they may not return, and if they do, it may not be in the same state as when they left,” Legacy Australia chairman Tony Ralph said.
The last Australian soldier killed in Afghanistan was Corporal Cameron Baird of the 2nd Commando Regiment who according to the ADF was killed by small arms fire during an engagement with insurgents in Urozgan Provinve on June 22 2013.