Light & Life
DEFENSIVE FAMILY
Weíre exploring one of the forces shaping our future soldiers... and it may not be coming from where youíd expect!
DEFENSIVE FAMILY
LAUREN MARTIN: Itís a welcome sound for our Aussie troops ñ the sound of the Salvoís mobile ëHop Iní truckÖ where the soldiers can do just that ñ hop in for a cuppa and a chat. Itís so simple, yet so effective in picking up morale in the high tension situations that our troops face. Envoy Lyndley Fabre is a senior representative with The Salvation Armyís Red Shield Defence Services.
LYNDLEY FABRE: ìItís a four wheel drive vehicle that can cross all sorts of terrain and then the idea is when we get there weíve got light catering facilities. So we can give them hot and cold drinks, lollies and I carry Bibles and reading materials on the truck.î
LAUREN MARTIN: ìOne of those Bibles ended up in the hands of a Sergeant Medic about to land on the shores of East Timor during the conflict of 99.î
LYNDLEY FABRE: ìThe scene is they were boarding beach landing vessels to land in East Timor. Now youíve got to get the idea is they didnít know what they were going to confront, they didnít know if the Indonesians were friendly or foe so as they got into these landing vessels he always carries a little Bible one of our bibles that we give them and he decided to take out his bible and have a quick read of his bible and as heís turned around about 30 odd 40 soldiers saw the bible in his hand and all of a sudden they all just dropped to their knees and he couldnít believe it he thought maybe they thought he was a padre but he took the opportunity and he opened it up and read his favourite psalm to the guys and after he read it, it was business as usual, they all got up took their positions and were ready to face whatever was going to hit them on the beach.î
LAUREN MARTIN: Australian Salvoís have served in World War One, World War Two, Korea, South Vietnam, Cambodia, Somalia and East Timor. Envoy Fabre and his family are attached to the Duntroon Royal Military College in the nationís capital, Canberra. He says receiving the appointment three years ago was an honour.
LYNDLEY FABRE: ìI was excited because I knew I was coming to a college where people were coming to be trained to be future leaders in the army and officers so my whole aim was to have the opportunity to have input into their lives at that stage at a training level.î
LAUREN MARTIN: ìAnd what would you like to see them have in the foundations theyíre laying right now?î
LYDNLEY FABRE: ìFor me personally a spiritual aspect to what theyíre doing would be great. But also just an understanding of their role and the importance of their role and the importance of their role in regards to soldiers that theyíll be leading. Hopefully having an understanding that itís not necessarily about them. That their training is for them but itís for the fact that they can use it when theyíve got 30 soldiers under their command. So itís all about the welfare of others and not necessarily about themselves and thatís what I try and get across.î
LAUREN MARTIN: And while Lyndley works with the officers-in-training, his wife Clover tends to their families.
CLOVER FABRE: ìYou know itís just preparing them because theyíre going into a role as well. Their partners are going to become an officer and they take on a role even though theyíre not in an official role because part of the role of an officer is to look after his troop and the wellbeing of it which is the family as well which is quite often if theyíve gone away it can be the wives responsibility to look after the families that are left as well.î
LYNDLEY FABRE: ìThis is the hop in banner ñ this is the hop in banner that traditionally goes back to I think round about the Second World War they started using those outside the hope in huts.î
LAUREN MARTIN: Back at the truck Lyndley reflects on the men and women who have gone before him in his role.
LYNDLEY FABRE: ìWe have sent both chaplains and red shield welfare officers to all theatres of conflict. Technically weíre not soldiers weíre not military folk weíre still salvation army officers but they embrace us as their own and they embrace us as part of their unit and I think itís because weíre prepared to get down and dirty with them and be where they are and go where they go. Yeah.î
LAUREN MARTIN: ìAnd would you be prepared to go to the front line?î
LYNDLEY FABRE: ìAbsolutely. I suppose itís something you donít want to take lightly because you are going to be in a hostile zone and obviously people get killed in hostile zones. But in the end Iíve got to trust God. If this is where heís ëcalled me to be in the ministry I just trust that he will look after us.î
LAUREN MARTIN: ìAnd wherever he goes, the Salvoís ëHop in Truckí will go with him ñ that welcome site for weary soldiers. Iím Lauren Martin of The Salvation Army.î