President reflects on his military past

In the lead up to Remembrance Day, the AMA President reflects on his military service and acknowledges the many hundreds of doctors who have served in Australia’s armed forces.    

The reflections of Professor Steve Robson, a former Surgeon Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Australian Navy, were captured in an article entitled ‘the privilege of caring for those who have served’ . It was published by the Department of Veterans Affairs, reaching an armed services audience of over 20,000 people.

“Like many Australians I have had the tremendous honour of serving as a full-time member of our Defence Force,” Professor Robson said.

“I served in defence establishments around Australia, and at sea in HMA Ships as part of our fleet. I met and worked with members of all three Australian services, and with countless soldiers, sailors, marines, and air force personnel from many other countries.”

As a child, Professor Robson was fascinated with military service and hearing the tales and seeing mementos of family members had a profound impact on him.

“My uncle Eric was aboard HMAS Voyager when she was struck and sunk in the terrible disaster just off Jervis Bay. Another uncle, Roy, had been a pilot with the RAAF and lost his life when his Sabre came down during the Korean war in the 1950s. My grandparents’ home in Brisbane was dotted with mementos of my various uncles’ service years, including the US Air Medal awarded posthumously to Uncle Roy.

“I never had a sense that military service was anything other than risky. My own years in the Navy confirmed that. As a Medical Officer I had treated serving members who had suffered serious physical and emotional injuries. In some respects, the emotional injuries left mental scars that were more serious and disabling than most physical injuries. I had indeed seen this with my own uncles long before it was my term to serve.

“I was very fortunate to have avoided any physical injury during my time. I did, however, see serious harm occur to others in my establishments or ships. Each of us knew there were risks in our work, but training and precautions were rigorous and people approached tasks with their eyes open.”

Read the full article here.