This Christmas thousands of troops deployed overseas will miss out on celebrating Christmas with their families and friends.
But the RSL is bringing a little bit of Christmas cheer into their lives with a batch of Care Parcels that have been delivered just in time for Christmas morning.
Featuring an array of delicious treats, the packages are a welcome gift for those who are spending the festive season away from the ones they love.
In East Timor 400 of these Care Parcels organised by the RSL have been an unexpected surprise for the troops deployed in the region.
For many the RSL Care Parcels are the only package some troops will be receiving over the festive season.
While 19 year old SIG Tamara Jesenkovic received other goodies from home this Christmas, it still doesn’t mean she wasn’t excited and appreciative when her parcel from the RSL was delivered.
Any other year, Tamara normally spends Christmas on the beach relaxing with her family; a far cry from the East Timorese village where she is deployed with the International Stabilisation Force.
After joining the Army straight from school at 17, this is Tamara’s first deployment, and first Christmas away from family.
The RSL Care Parcels give our troops a touch of home, with ANZAC biscuits, brochures, peanuts, lollies, Mentos, fruit bars, and a personal favourite of Tamara’s; Fruit Tingles.
“It’s really good to know that there are people who are supporting what we are doing over here in Timor. Some people don’t get packages from their family, or as many as other people,” Tamara said.
The RSL Care Parcels are designed to show our troops that home is thinking of them, especially at Christmas.
“It’s a morale booster, getting a parcel, especially with a variety of stuff, it’s really special,” she said. “Especially for the infantry guys; to get this package along with all of their other parcels when they come off patrol is really good.”
Tamara said she also surprised that they received the parcels from The RSL.
“I didn’t realise that The RSL sent packages over to East Timor, I knew that they help out with troops in Australia, but I didn’t know they did that for us over here, it’s great that they do,” she said.
The RSL Care Parcels are part of what will be a different Christmas for troops in East Timor, with what Tamara describes as her big family overseas.
Around 40 orphans from the local orphanage will be spending their Christmas with the troops, celebrating with some games and lunch.
The celebrations will be topped off with some Christmas carols sung by the orphans after being taught English from the Aussie Diggers.
The RSL Care Parcels are just another way that the RSL is assisting current serving Australian Defence Force personnel.
Other ways include a Pensions, Advocacy and Welfare Service for all members of the RSL, veterans, and the currently serving.