Page 35 - The Sandbag Times Issue No:53

Veterans Breakfast Clubs

ALL ARMS FESTIVAL

On 14th to 16th June 2019 the inaugural All Arms Festival
(AAF) will be held in the Yorkshire Wartime Experience
grounds on Hunsworth Lane at BD19 4DT

The AAF format is based on the Company/Squadron/Ship
smoker. You will meet up with old friends and make many
new ones. Those stories that you have from your service-life
did not stop when you left, you will make new ones at these
fests. Bring your camper, caravan, tent, basha or jack up
together with your mates. You can either bring everything you
need, or use the catering and bar provided. There will be a www.allarmsfest.com
bar, bands, toilets and general National Lampoon-ism. Bring
a flag showing your unit(s) and wear all your old unit’s Early bird until end Feb - £40
sweatshirts with pride. Berets and military headdress are Ticket in Advance - £45
encouraged but blazers and ties are not. They are a bitch to Ticket on the gate - £55
clean when you fall face down on the grass. Fancy dress is
Friday night and sometimes Saturday as well. (Go wild with No dogs or civilians allowed due to their mess getting into
it.) your tent on your footwear.

This is like the Army v Navy rugby but… for the whole Gates open 1200hrs Fri and close on Sunday when you all
weekend and much much cheaper! We have been running leave. (Get a Halfords Alcohol test kit for Sunday)
these fests since 2012 so hopefully by now we may know Start packing your G1098, put your leave request into your
what we are doing. This will be the weekend that you will look better half now (unless they served in which case bring them)
forward to for the entire year because it will allow you to be and book early.
that 21 year old serviceman again in a field with like-minded
veterans. THE WEEKEND YOU NEVER KNEW YOU NEEDED

RALEIGH NC are both fighting Veteran suicide on both sides of the pond.
There are thousands of 'suicide prevention' programs in the
US and thousands in the UK. None have worked. So, I asked
Zoe, "what is working over there?". She said "one thing,
Breakfast Clubs". Not connected with any government agen-
cy, not connected with any non-profit, no money involved.
Just Veterans eating breakfast together, fellowshipping,
"returning to their Tribes". So simple and yet so brilliant. And
guess what? We have nothing else like this. We started the
very first Breakfast Club in the US on 6 Feb 2019 in Raleigh,
NC. 13 of us. Most had never met. After two hours together,
no one wanted to leave. This was our Tribe. Vietnam Vets,
younger Vets, male, female, a Marine, Sailors, an Airman, a
few Soldiers. We had so much in common, the struggles,
how we coped with life, what we had experienced, what we
could never forget. Everyone at that table got it. And we all
As a clinical social worker, I've worked for many years to help realized - we needed each other and we had nothing else like
combat depression, anxiety, PTSD and suicide. I did this for this. All you have to do is sit down with your Tribe, enjoy a
years as an active duty Navy social worker. I've done this for meal - and then you get it. A light goes off. So simple. And
years as a civilian. I'm one that always asks questions. I'm no amount of money or number of programs can replicate
passionately curious. I was stationed 3x in Okinawa - and the this. It's about relationships.
Okinawans live longer than anyone in the world.
Jim Condon
A few weeks ago - I was talking with a colleague over in the
UK - Zoe Warner. We share the same passion for people. We Raleigh (USA) AFVBC.

SEND YOUR AFVBC NEWS & ARTICLES TO MEDIA@AFVBC.NET

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