RSL Queensland is marking the 25th anniversary of the International Force East Timor (INTERFET) deployment to Timor-Leste with Bundaberg navy veteran Dannielle Brearley looking back at her time in service.
From 1999 to 2013, some 18,800 Australian military and police personnel and additional civilians served in Timor-Leste as part of a number of peacemaking, peacekeeping, humanitarian and other operations.
Among these was the INTERFET peace enforcement operation, which deployed to Timor-Leste from 20 September 1999 to 28 February 2000.
INTERFET’s mission included restoring peace and security and facilitating humanitarian assistance operations, in response to attacks by pro-Indonesia militias on Timorese civilians.
Dannielle, who joined the Navy straight after school in 1996, was deployed to Timor-Leste at just 20 years old.
“When I arrived, the situation was already peaceful; the guerillas were out and the UN forces were in place,” Dannielle said.
“I’d never left home or anything like that prior to joining the Navy, so leaving was a whole new experience for me in itself.
“When we arrived on the shores of Timor-Leste and began our peacekeeping duties, it was confronting to see what the community had gone through.
“While we hadn’t served on the frontline, witnessing the aftermath was still incredibly eye-opening for me.
“Some scenes have never left my memory.”
Dannielle was involved in peacekeeping operatoins which included rebuilding schools and buildings, helping the community and socialising with the local children.
“It was wonderful to be able to meet the local kids; they ran at us like we were celebrities and would always give us the biggest smiles.
“After everything they had gone through, everything they had lost, it was inspiring and heartwarming to see them so appreciative of us just being there.”
Now as a mother herself, Dannielle said she wished she could go back and tell her younger self how honourable her role in Timor-Leste was and how significant her service was to those families.
“I was so young at the time; I didn’t fully understand the significance of what we were doing over there – how important it was to the Timorese that we were there for them,” she said.
“When you join the military as an 18-year-old you can’t quite comprehend the bigger picture.
“You’re instead focusing on getting up every day as per your routine, passing a fitness test and things like that.
“Then when you’re deployed, you just focus on completing your operation; you never fully step back to understand the important opportunity you’ve been given to serve your country and be a part of Australia’s military history.”
Bundaberg RSL Sub Branch
Dannielle discharged in 2002 and joined the Bundaberg RSL Sub Branch in 2018 as an admin assistant.
As a younger veteran herself, she is passionate about inspiring the next generations of veterans to reach out and get involved with the RSL, whether it be utilising the services available or simply enjoying the camaraderie at their local Sub Branch.
“Having the time to join and visit an RSL Sub Branch is definitely a barrier of entry for most younger veterans,” Dannielle said.
“Like myself, they struggle with the fact that they’re busy with their lives and work.
“But, by the same token, we want to encourage the younger veterans in our area to come through our doors, to assure them that they are not alone and that there are services available that they might not have known they needed.”
The Bundaberg RSL Sub Branch offers a variety of services for all veterans, as well as a veteran support centre.
“We offer financial assistance, counselling services, wellbeing services … we also run a veteran support centre, which has an open-door policy,” Danielle said.
“If they want to call in to just sit down, enjoy a cuppa and be left alone, they’re more than welcome to.
“It’s all about finding the need, meeting it, and providing a place that they can all come together.”
