What the 13-year-old Scone lad did not anticipate was that he would be actually taking part in a nine-day military-style boot camp to help him build resilience, discipline and leadership skills, all while staying in a remote corner of the Gold Coast hinterland. 

The intensive program involves teens and tweens getting back to nature and learning how to communicate without any technology, all while pushing their personal limits. 

It is the brainchild of Veteran Mentors, a group of ex-servicemen and women who wanted to use their combat experience and military training to help children who are facing a range of issues such as technology addiction, bullying and low self-esteem. 

Toby said he had been having difficulty controlling his temper and respecting his parents prior to coming on the camp.

“I thought it was going to be good but it is quite hard,” he said.

“At home I would not always control my anger and I would get in trouble from my parents. 

“I need to work on my respect for other people.”

Even after five days with the Veteran Mentors team, he said he felt “a lot better” than he did at the start of the program.

“Being here has made me feel sorry for my family and how I treat them,” Toby said.

“I want to start working on improving my attitude.” 

Toby said when he returned home, he would be more focused on helping his parents. 

“When I get home, I will do more chores at home and complain less when I am asked to do something,” he explained.

“I am feeling more grateful for what my parents do for me.”

Former Australian Army Combat Engineer and now director of Veteran Mentors Troy Methorst said he and the other military veterans were all about helping kids, just like Toby, become accountable for their behaviour and decisions. 

“A group of us put our heads together and realised that we had knowledge and experience that could really help the younger generation,” said Mr Methorst, who served in Afghanistan and East Timor. 

“Our programs are ideal for 12 to 17-year-old children demonstrating poor behaviours, low self-esteem, lack of respect, addiction to technology, issues with drugs and alcohol, or simply to propel them to reach their fullest potential. 

“It can also help those who are anxious and struggling to find their place in this busy world. 

“Some of the children who come on the program are facing difficulties at home – often with separated, divorced or seriously ill parents.” 

He said the Veteran Mentors taught the children strategies and skills including mental and physical resilience, effective communication, conflict resolution and how to manage fear and stress. 

“The experiences I gained from most during my operations were the sharing of a mission, achieving goals and bonding as a team,” Mr Methorst added.

“We are now focused on passing on those skills to the kids. 

“We give these young people challenges that they must get through together as a team, helping them form cohesion among one another. 

“Obviously we don’t teach them the combat skills - we replace those with other important skills such as how to deal with conflict and situations that are outside of their comfort zone.” 

Mr Methorst said the Veteran Mentors April program was a huge success, with 40 participants.

“We saw a significant difference in each individual by the end of the program,” he admitted.

“And, our follow-ups have proved that the program is genuinely transforming lives. 

“This time we have 60 on the program and most of the sign-ups have come from word of mouth referrals – parents and carers telling others about the positive changes they are seeing every day in their children.” 

The Veteran Mentors also do motivational speaking and smaller team building sessions at schools, as well as parent workshops. 

The next program is set to run from September 29 to October 7.