An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir November 2019 www.dfmagazine.ie 18 | BY BRIG GEN COLM CAMPBELL RET'D, CHAIRPERSON BOARD OF DIRECTORS ONE T he role of Óglaigh Náisiúnta na hÉireann / Organisation of National Ex-Service Personnel (ONE) can be summarised in four words: support, comradeship, advocacy, remembrance. Examining these words will help in understanding how ONE de- rives its aims of funding hostels for homeless veterans; putting in place preventative measures to avert homelessness; and providing other support services for Defence Forces' veterans. Support: Support takes many forms, ranging from a warm greeting to a former comrade to a bed for a homeless veteran, and everything in between. With 35 branches and three area councils, ONE is well positioned to provide this support. We currently have hostels for homeless veterans in Athlone, Dublin and Letterkenny, and we are in the process of developing a small hostel and veteran support centre (VSC) in Cobh. We are also developing 15 VSCs nationwide with the support of the Depart- ment of Defence and the Defence Forces. VSCs, which can be described as a cross between advice centres and men's/women's sheds, are now located in Athlone, Casement Aerodrome, Cavan, the Curragh, Dundalk, Galway, Kilkenny, and Limerick, with a temporary facility in Collins Bks, Cork. Further VSCs will be established in Athy Collins Bks and Cobh (Cork), Cathal Brugha Bks and McKee Bks (Dublin), Finner Camp (Done- gal), and Wexford Town. We provide over 16,000 bed nights every year in our hostels and approximately 900 homeless veterans have availed of our services to date, with the majority of these moving on to permanent hous- ing. These people, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters, volunteered to serve their country; nobody volunteers to become homeless. Comradeship: We use the term 'comradeship' deliberately because it evokes a sense of shared experience, a shared culture, a shared set of values, and a willingness to serve. Being part of a vet- erans association (I include all associations) helps preserve a sense of identity and a sense of belonging. It should also evoke a sense of shared responsibility for those less fortunate than us. The Defence family, like any true community, is not just an organisation; rather it is an organism made up of smaller parts working together. Homeless veterans are part of that family and they cannot be left behind. There can be a tendency to blame the victim when things go wrong or to say that caring for veterans is the responsibility of other agencies. However, when a former soldier, sailor, or airman or women is involved, we believe that it is our responsibility to help. This spirit of comradeship is exemplified in the outstanding sup- port received from the Defence Forces, other veterans associations, and individual serving and retired members of the DF. The Swan- batt Gala Ball and the Gala Concert organised by 6 Inf Bn in Athlone are recent examples of that support. Units of the Defence Forces and students on courses routinely fundraise on behalf of their less fortunate comrades and ONE also acknowledges the voluntary contributions made by serving personnel and veterans, and the donations received from other associations and groups. Advocacy: ONE unashamedly advocates in support of vet- erans, particularly on behalf of those who are less fortunate. The majority of veterans, irrespective of length of service, are very successful in new careers or happy in retirement. However, there are quite a number who need help from time to time. There is a dual challenge in providing this help: ignorance of the issue and ignoring the issue. Both of these have to be addressed. The Sleep- ing Flags Awareness Campaign, launched in February of this year, was aimed at those who were ignorant of the plight of some our veterans and we are also working very hard on ensuring that those who now know about it don't just ignore it. Advocacy on veterans' issues must remain constant. Support: Pictured in 2018 at the opening of a new Veteran Support Centre (VSC) in the Curragh Camp is GOC DFTC Brig Gen Joe Mulligan (now retired), ONE's National President Tom James, National Chairman Brig Gen Colm Campbell Ret'd along with members of St Conleth's Branch ONE and other veterans' associations. Comradeship: Pictured at the 2016 Veterans' Day parade in McKee Bks are L/R: ONE member Patrick Flavin, St Conleth's Branch (Newbridge), IUNVA member Tony Grant, Post 24 (Clonmel) and Vice President of ARCO Col George Kerton (retd).

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