Army officer Shaun Graham shares a part of his life as a soldier

While addressing students at the Macquarie Anglican Grammar School about the significance of Remembrance Day, he spoke as a patriot telling them the freedom Australians enjoy today came from the sacrifices of his mates.

Now 52, Mr Graham, an army officer who led several overseas operations, said he is like any soldier who feels fortunate to make it home while beating "culture shock coming back into civilian life".

He agrees he had come home broken in some ways, and not spared by physical and mental injuries after fighting bloody conflicts for his country and allies of the western world.

But "I don't have regrets about it", he insisted.

He was an officer with the Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery deployed across Southeast Asia, East Timor, and the Middle East such as Afghanistan and Iraq.

"It's something you will never forget. It was a different army from what it is today because we had a strong influence from Vietnam veterans who were still serving.

"My first six years were hardest spending a lot of time away from family and friends, at least nine months away dozens of times."

The regimen continued until he was medically discharged in 2015, and said," It's all part of the past since I signed the dotted line or the blank cheque ... It's up to the Commonwealth what they do with us."

Life in the army took a toll on his family which is why he permanently moved to Dubbo after leaving ADF and being divorced from his wife, was to be near his son, William, now nine years old.

He is now the vice president of the Dubbo RSL sub-branch and dedicates his time as a welfare and advocacy officer facilitating support services for his fellow veterans' needs, especially those newly discharged from service.

Mr Graham said many veterans live in the western NSW region, mostly below age 40 and the youngest are in their 20s they require immediate support from the Department of Veterans Affairs at state and federal levels.

But from their experience, Mr Graham said, the department needed to hasten its delivery of vital services for veterans in regional areas as many are struggling.

"It's by no means a criticism of the department because they are working within their means, but getting better with timing with services would help particularly in regions," Mr Graham said.

"There needs to be better coordination of services for veterans in regional areas because not everyone lives in metropolitan areas."

The NSW veterans affairs department, for instance, has created an employment program and given jobs to 2,450 ex-servicemen and women since 2016 to help in their smooth transition to civilian life.

"Service life is like nothing else that you can experience. it's unique, very demanding, and time-consuming and it's not a job, it's a lifestyle.

"But when you leave and left to your own devices as opposed to being part of the machinery, it can be daunting to many people.

"They struggle to fit into society because military life is different."

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Today, when Mr Graham speaks to young people about serving their country as a soldier, he tells them to follow what their hearts tells them.

"If there are young men and women considering the service as a careers, we will certainly pass on our experiences to them so they can make an informed decision about what they would like to do ... It's a life you've got to want for yourself," Mr Graham said.

In his lifetime in the army, Mr Graham said, he had been honoured to lead troops consisting of young recruits going to their first overseas postings.

"It meant so much to me. I was personally responsible for their lives. It was a huge responsibility and a huge honour at the same time," he said.

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