In my days I’m lucky enough to hear and share stories from people across our community. Moving through defence life can come with sense of loneliness as we often move around, but it just means we end up with multiple villages across the globe. Grab your cuppa and come and meet a friend of mine.
This woman inspires me to step outside my comfort zone; I’m incredibly fortunate to call her my friend; and I’d love you to meet this powerhouse of a human – Charlotte.
How long have you been involved in the defence community, and in what capacity?
I started out in the Defence community in 2014 when I meant my now ex-husband and became a Defence Partner. He was in the Army and I was a single mother with two babies. My role within the Defence community pivoted slightly in January 2021 when I became an Army Reservist at the ripe old age of 35 (what was I thinking!). At the end of that year we posted to Wagga Wagga and I took on the job as Riverina Veteran Wellbeing Centre Manager, so my roles in the Defence community have varied over the years from Spouse to Defence Member and now I also advocate on behalf of the Defence and veteran community.
If you had a friend come to you and say their partner is joining the ADF, what advice would you give them?
I would say to throw any pre-conceived ideas out the window. Whatever you think you know, trust me you don’t! Some parts are amazing, some parts are really sad, some parts are so lonely your heart breaks and some parts are frustrating and infuriating. At the end of the day you and your family will have some amazing adventures and learn resilience you never knew you were capable of.
What is your favourite selfcare activity, and why?
Honestly as silly as it sounds, I would probably have to say my favourite selfcare activity would be when I go and get my hair done once a month. I spend my days taking care of my children and my work life taking care of others, so to have that time when it is just about me is pretty amazing I wont lie!
You’re in an incredible role, supporting members in different chapters of their defence journey. What is your favourite part of your day?
My favourite part of my day would have to be when we have a team de-brief at the end of the day and we get to celebrate our wins. In the Veteran and family space, you are privy to people’s stories and experiences and you encounter a lot of people when they are at their lowest. When we get wins and amazing outcomes for them, which thankfully happen every day, we take the time to celebrate these and celebrate what this means for those we are helping and its unbelievably humbling and mind blowing at the same time and an absolute honour to be a part of.
Who do you look up to for inspiration, and what do you think their biggest strength is?
I would have to say that I definitely look up to my friend and mentor Cath. The way she conducts herself calmly and professionally in this space is something I really aspire to be able to do. She is absolutely passionate about the work we do and her ability to step back from a conversation, look at it not only emphatically but strategically and then completely change the narrative and direction of the conversation in a way that calms people and brings them clarity is astounding and so fascinating to watch – totally want to be her when I grow up!
Thank you for joining us!
