Empowering defence women
A CAIRNS Gulf War veteran and three defence spouses have been recognised for their support of the defence and exservice community.
Lucy Cahill, Hannah Lowes and Joanna Minuzzo have won the Defence Family category at Cairns RSL Sub Branch’s inaugural International Women’s Day Awards, while Sarah Turner won the Ex-Serving Member category.
A former Royal Australian Navy officer, Ms Turner has battled PTSD, anxiety, depression and alcohol abuse and now shares her experiences and knowledge to help others.
Ms Cahill, Ms Lowes and Ms Minuzzo started up the Cairns Defence Community Support group to better support Defence families.
“When my family posted to Cairns with 12 weeks’ notice, we arrived not knowing anyone or anything about Cairns, after living on a base for six years and being part of a strong defence community for all those years,” Ms Cahill said.
“I found it extremely difficult not having the support of the defence community here in Cairns. I never want anyone to feel as lonely or as isolated as I did when we arrived in Cairns,” Ms Cahill said.
Ms Minuzzo said being a defence spouse was challenging and could be isolating.
“I took on the task of the group because I needed it as much as the community did. I’m so glad I did,” she said.
A third-generation veteran, Ms Turner’s father served in Vietnam and her grandfather was in WWII.
She joined the Royal Australian Navy at 17, graduated from the Australian Defence Force Academy and by 21 was a qualified warfare officer and Gulf War veteran.
At 23, she was one of the youngest ever qualified female navigators and became a hydrographic surveyor after post graduate studies in England.
Ms Turner held leadership positions, including co-ordinating international deployments and leading Australian border force and search and rescue operations. But by 30, anxiety and intergenerational trauma from her father and grandfather impacted her life.
No longer able to hide behind her “mask of perfection” she was medically discharged from the military in 2010 and deteriorated further as she battled shame, redundancy, addiction and anxiety.
“I am so passionate about helping veterans and other PTSD survivors heal because I know what it feels like to feel unworthy and be at the mercy of your inner critic,” she said.
“I am determined to be a voice of change in how we discuss mental health. We need to empower each other and remove the stigma.”