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Monday 14th February marks National Servicemen’s Day when we honour the hundreds of thousands of young Australian men who served our nation through compulsory military service after the Second World War.

Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Personnel Andrew Gee said it was important to recognise those who stood up when called upon to defend our country.

“Australia’s ‘Nashos’, as they are affectionately nicknamed, made a significant contribution to our nation’s defence forces and rightfully wear the title with pride,” Minister Gee said.

“I encourage all Australians to take time to reflect on the service and sacrifice of these men and ensure they continue to be appropriately remembered.

“The idea of compulsory military service would seem foreign to many Australians, particularly younger generations, but between 1951 and 1959, and again between 1964 and 1972, it was a reality for many young Aussie men.

“Around 227,000 men completed the compulsory six months’ recruit training during 1951-1959, but it was in the second period from 1964 when ‘Nashos’ were deployed in significant numbers.

“More than 804,000 men registered between 1964 and 1972, with more than 63,000 called up to serve.

“Of these, nearly 19,500 served in Borneo and Vietnam and the remainder in support units in Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and Australia.

“More than 15,000 served in the Vietnam War, where some 200 died and over 1,200 were wounded.

“It is a little-known fact that from 1966 Australian infantry battalions in Vietnam were typically comprised of an equal mix of regular soldiers and National Servicemen.

“At the time, most 20-year-old Australian men were required to register and were then selected for National Service through the infamous ‘birthday ballot’, in which they were randomly selected by their date of birth.

“My uncle Geoff was a Nasho, who served his country at Nui Dat in 1967. My family and I are incredibly proud of his service, as all Australians should be very proud of our ‘Nashos’ who answered the call to serve their nation. They personify our Australian value of service above self.”

For ex-Navy veteran Mark, landing his dream job was an achievement he was not confident he’d ever see after being administratively discharged in 2017.

Mark decided to reach out to RSLWA Employment Officer, Sherry Baxter, where he received help to develop his resume and some career development opportunities which lead to some referrals to various short-term positions.

The last was a short-term contract role at the State Health Incident Control Centre (SHICC), which greatly boosted his confidence before Sherry helped Mark land his dream job in September last year in a search and rescue role at Cobham Aviation.

Sherry was so excited to receive Mark’s message about his successful interview.

“I just wanted to let you know that I have been offered the Search and Rescue role with Cobham Aviation,” Mark wrote.

“It was a long drawn out process due to my police check, but for the first time ever a company asked questions about it, asked for my story and to put it all in context for them to make a more informed decision.

“It seems the RSL, and you in particular, are my little guardian angel. Without you I wouldn’t have got this role with the Health Department and now this one with Cobham.

“Thank you so much for all your help and persisting with me, even though I am sure I ignored a bunch of emails from you back in the beginning.”

Sherry said Mark had struggled with the potential negative implications his discharge may have had on finding suitable employment.

“It is just so wonderful to get news like Mark’s. It is so rewarding to help people like Mark overcome barriers and transition from defence back into the workforce,” she said.