BLUE SEPTEMBER NEWS

Top Brass Gets Blue

Last Updated: Monday 20th of September 2010 at 05:29:05 PM

Top Brass Gets Blue

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Australia’s top ten Generals, including Chief of the Army Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie and Vice Chief of the Defence Force Lieutenant General David Hurley, made a statement as emphatic as it might seem surprising, painting their faces blue on Friday to help raise awareness about men’s cancers. It was all part of Blue September, a national campaign encouraging people to ‘face up to men’s cancers’.

The combined might of Australia’s armed forces all donned blue face paint, speaking about the need for men to be moreaware of their cancer risk, providing an example not only for the troops under their command, but also for all Australian men and their families.

“Through a little bit of fun and some silliness this morning, we are trying to draw to the attention of men the threat of cancer in our community," said Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie.  "The statistics say to us that by the age of 80, 1 in 2 men are going to have had a cancer experience. But you don't have to reach 80; in this group, almost 50 per cent have had a cancer experience."

Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie went on to talk about the elevated cancer risk within men compared to women, who remain more likely to raise the topic of cancer in conversation and are consequently catching cancer early at a much higher rate. Every year over 22,000 men die from cancer. Over a third of those deaths are preventable with early detection and a change in lifestyle.

"I can say to people that if you get into this early and look for the signs early, you can intervene early and the outcome is excellent. I stand here 18 months after having my prostate removed, with a fair sized cancer in it, and I am the picture of health."

Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie last year overcame his own battle with prostate cancer, having his prostate swiftly removed after discovering that it had become cancerous. He now lives unhindered by the disease, and is also a Bowel Cancer Australia Ambassador, using his own firsthand experience with cancer as an example for all men to be vigilant of their cancer risk and get age-appropriate health checks.

 

The idea behind the blue paint, which at times can look a little silly and  uncomfortable to put on, is to promote men getting out of their comfort zones by making a radical change to the way they deal with cancer. Men remain more than twice as likely to die from preventable cancers as women, a statistic that the top Generals in attendance on Friday hoped to use their influence to change.

 The Generals in attendance getting blue included:

1. Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie AO, DSC, CSC - Chief of Army
2. Vice Chief of the Defence Forces, Lieutenant General David Hurley AC, DSC
3. Major General Paul Symon AO - Deputy Chief of Army
4. Major General John Calligari DSC, AM - Head Modernisation and Strategic Planning
5. Major General Michael Slater DSC, AM, CSC - Commander 1st Division
6. Major General David Morrison AO - Commander Forces Command
7. Major General Timothy McOwan DSC, CSM - Special Operations Commander Australia
8. Major General Grant Cavenagh, AM - Head Land Systems Division, DMO
9. Brigadier David Mulhall - Chief of Staff, Army Head Quarters
10. Brigadier Gerard Fogarty - Director General Personnel
11. Warrant Officer Class One Stephen Ward OAM - Regimental Sargent Major
12. Mr Adam Culley - Director General Resource Management Army

Blue September is a national fundraising and awareness initiative, proudly supporting the Australian Cancer Research Foundation and Bowel Cancer Australia. The goal is to raise funds for cancer research, as well as helping men reduce the risk of cancer by making healthy lifestyle choices.