Kapooka commandant delivers Wagga Anzac Day address

In his Anzac Day address, the Commandant of the Army Recruit Training Centre at Kapooka, Colonel Steve Jobson CSC, spoke of heroic feats, military disasters and victories against the odds from Gallipoli through to Afghanistan.

“For 100 years our fellow Australians have selflessly sacrificed themselves for us, so that we can live and prosper,” Colonel Jobson said.

“They have held a mirror to us and shown us what it is that we are capable of as Australian citizens.

“Let us live those values in our lives.

“Let’s be courageous, help others to be resilient, value and be there for our mates, take initiative for those in need, be determined as communities in hard times to overcome adversity and respect all those around us regardless of their differences or abilities.”

Colonel Jobson spoke of the good that came out of unspeakable bad at Gallipoli, a disastrous military campaign that cost the lives of more than 130,000 Turkish and Allied soldiers, including more than 8700 Australians.

“Yet from this cauldron of fire, broken limbs, suffering, terror and death came an awakening, a national awakening,” he said.

“This, without doubt, was the greatest tragedy to unfold in the short history of the young nation of Australia, yet it was also proving to be our greatest ever victory of Australian spirit over adversity, a spirit that became known as the Anzac spirit, a spirit of courage, resilience, mateship, initiative, determination and respect.

“Suddenly, as a nation we realised our enormous capacity for selflessness, sacrifice and service.”

Colonel Jobson urged Australians never to forget the original Anzacs.

“We have remembered them for 100 years, and we should be determined to remember them for the next 100 years, too,” he said.