Cheree unwraps the holiday season for veterans
For Cheree, the spouse of a Navy veteran, the holiday season helped to create life-long friendships and great memories in Australia and overseas during more than 14 years of service.
‘When my husband joined at the age of 31, we’d been married for 12 and a half years and had 2 kids,’ Cheree said. ‘He had waited nearly 2 years to join the RAAF, but when he was approached by the Navy, he was literally gone a month later to HMAS Cerberus in Melbourne. After 12 weeks, we moved down to be with him.
‘Over the next 14 and a half years, we were stationed in Perth, Cairns, Canberra, Hawaii and Sydney. He absolutely loved it. We loved it too – it’s definitely a lifestyle.’
While she has many wonderful memories, Cheree had to be very self-sufficient and accept her husband would be away for significant events, including the holidays.
‘We’d have one Christmas together and then he’d be shipped out for the next one,’ she said. ‘We had friends who would celebrate Christmas early so everyone would be together.
‘There was no rule book to living the Defence life. My husband wasn’t with me for the birth of our last child. I had to drop the kids at school and drive myself to hospital to have the baby. We were also on our own in Cairns during Cyclone Yasi in 2011, sheltering in a cupboard.’
Cheree, who describes herself an ‘introvert-extrovert’ always included her Defence family in holiday celebrations.
‘I would organise an orphan Christmas for those who didn’t have family with them – a lot of the single Defence people would come. In Hawaii, we once had 35 people over for Thanksgiving. I never wanted anyone to feel lonely or sad.’
Cheree now works with ADF Careers, where she gives potential recruits a first-hand account of the challenges and benefits of service, including travel, adventure and the wide variety of work opportunities available to them.
And she has some advice for veterans who may be separated from family and friends over Christmas and into the 2026 New Year celebrations.
‘If you are invited to go somewhere, make yourself go,’ she suggests. ‘Keep it casual, so it’s no big deal if you decide not to go at the last minute. We’ve all been to things where we didn’t want to actually go and end up having the most fantastic time.’
‘And reach out for help and support if you’re feeling overwhelmed.’