GUEST SPEAKER - Garry McNamara

I have had 4 careers
Left school at 14 yrs old
Wanted to be a jockey
Wanted then to be a horse trainer but got called up for National Service
Did training at Puckapunyal - 3 months
Wanted to be an Engineer but was denied - sent to Infantry
Then decided to do cooking for the after-army career prospects
When the training completed, we were offered to go on for two ears or be discharged
Then went back to the racehorses in Tasmania
KR Darling Downs got a job after marriage and a small daughter, then into the fertiliser section (good money)
Saw an ad in the paper to join the army again
Bypassed beginner training - got posted to Townsville as a cook and then the following:
Portsea with promotion
First Aviation regiment
Full corporal 42nd Transport Squadron
Promoted to Sargeant - Warangaroo (ammunition)
Army Base at Fortuna
Promoted to staff Sargent
Went into Defense Recruiting
Posted to Port Moresby in 1997 & 1998
Was meant to be posted to Canberra, however, was bumped by RAAF
Was posted to Darwin as a warrant officer
Was discharged in 2001
Then worked for the Defense as a civilian
Fourth career was when I moved to Numurkah
I joined every community group in town which was a bit overdone and so I am now currently President of Numurkah RSL
RSL looking for volunteers for office positions (President or Secretary have to be ex-service personnel)
A son and daughter in defense careers, son in law a Diplomat