Soldiers give sick teen a morale boost
A young aspiring Army officer was given a morale boost as he recovers from a health challenge when a group of infantry soldiers visited him on March 17.
CAPTION: Corporal Brenton Munro, left, from the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, talks with 14-year-old Knox Scott and his mother Lauren at Ronald McDonald House, South Brisbane. Photo by Corporal Nicole Dorrett.
Soldiers from the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR), surprised 14-year-old Knox Scott at Ronald McDonald House, South Brisbane.
They gave the young Army enthusiast a 6RAR unit hat, T-shirt, and the Officer Commanding Alpha Company’s green infantry beret to keep him motivated.
The group sat and chatted to Knox about life in the Army and the experiences soldiers have throughout their careers in the ADF.
Knox said after the visit he was excited and enthusiastic about his future, and could not wait until he recovered so he could start his training and preparation for enlistment.
“The soldiers basically spoke to me about their experiences and they told me to keep pushing and never give up,” he said.
“My first priority now is to join the cadets and work up from there.”
Corporal Brenton Munro was one of the soldiers who visited Knox at the hospital and said the experience was mutually beneficial for everyone involved.
“It was a humbling experience seeing Knox, a 14-year-old young man that is staring down a difficult road to recovery, but still has a positive and optimistic attitude,” Corporal Munro said.
“This kind of engagement with the community is extremely important as it helps young people and their families going through a tough time forget about their current problems, even if it’s for only five minutes.”
Corporal Munro said there was significant value in the hospital visit for the soldiers who attended, with young members of the battalion interacting with the community and speaking to people in tough circumstances.
“This is a great opportunity for any soldier to be reminded of the responsibility we carry when we pull on our uniform,” he said.
“Australian soldiers are role models in the community, and having a chat with one of us may help these kids going through rough times more than we know it.
“It’s a reminder for us to carry a sense of pride in everything that we do.”
The visit came about after Knox’s grandmother phoned the 6RAR guard room and told the duty officer her grandson was in the midst of a challenging recovery and could do with some extra motivation.
The battalion was happy to provide support.
CAPTION: Corporal Brenton Munro, back left, Private Shannon Ireland and Lieutenant Thomas West from the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, with Knox Scott and his mother Lauren, with some of the gifts he received at Ronald McDonald House, South Brisbane. Photo by Corporal Nicole Dorrett.
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