The WA branch of the Military Brotherhood Military Motorcycle Club (MBMMC) formed in September and has been meeting at the Quinns Rocks Sports Club.
President Shane ‘Big Rig’ Kempton, from Tapping, said the club looked after old and new veterans, and was working closely with the Returned Services League (RSL).
‘We are all ex-serving veterans,’ he said.
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READ NOW‘We do all our official stuff here at the RSL ” we meet once a month and have a mandatory ride once a month.’
Mr Kempton said the club members were training to provide advocacy and welfare services for veterans, and would help returning soldiers integrate back into society.
‘Part of our mandate is to provide those services to veterans,’ he said.
Quinns Rocks RSL sub-branch president Frank Baldry said while the RSL membership was ageing, there were many new veterans coming back from service.
‘They are a really cracking bunch of guys,’ Mr Baldry said.
‘A lot of these guys have done stints in Afghanistan and they know what it is like.’
Mr Baldry said the support for returning service men and women was critical, with more suicides in the UK and Australia than those killed in action.
‘We have seen it down at the office ” we nearly had three suicides in one week,’ he said.
‘The difficulty is the wounds that you can’t see.
‘They call it the old post-traumatic stress disorder.
‘I will take (the Military Brotherhood) down to one of our infirm members ” they can outreach better than we can.’
Mr Baldry said the RSL was open to anyone who served in the Australian defence forces during any conflict, with affiliate membership available for relatives and members of other service groups.
To join the Quinns Rocks RSL, call Frank on 9562 1720.
For more information on the Military Bortherhood MMC, visit www.military brotherhood.com.au.