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War veterans in dire need

Jon BassettMelville Gazette

"I know in the past two or three months of at least a dozen guys who are sleeping in their cars near beaches in the metropolitan area, or have gone to the regions," Daniel Fogarty, manager of Applecross-based charity Soldier On, said.

Mr Fogarty, a former Army medic who served in Timor, visits the men to offer help from the organisation to address mental health, financial and employment needs.

"It's a combination of the beach providing some"peace and quiet" and it also being a place of last resort," he said.

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Fremantle, western and northern suburbs' beaches are favoured locations.

"Some have just gotten to the end of the line where they've lost their job, the money has dried up and there's been relationship breakdowns," Mr Fogarty said.

In 2008, before most soldiers returned from recent Middle East wars, it was estimated up to 3000 veterans of all conflicts were homeless across Australia each night.

A former combat engineer in his early 30s who did two Afghanistan War deployments has now lived in his car beside western suburbs' beaches for five months.

"He came back and said he was a changed person, increased his alcohol intake, got angry, lashed out and his relationship with his family broke down," Mr Fogarty said.

Soldier On has connected the former engineer with the RSL, Legacy and other ex-|service organisations.

"He appreciates the help, but the funny thing is that, like most ex-servicemen, they always say there's someone who's worse off than them and they point you over to them," Mr Fogarty said.

Solutions to veteran homelessness are complex, but include early intervention and education about the mental health effects of multiple overseas deployments, including tours conducted by special forces' members, including Swanbourne's SAS.

Mr Fogarty said $300 million for national mental health care announced by Federal Government last week could have an effect if it reached the departments of Veteran's Affairs or Defence which have responsibility for ex-soldiers' mental care.

n Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service: 1800 011 046.