The Story of Corporal Tim Pereira

Tim Pereira is a young man who has paid a heavy price for doing his job.

Tim is a deeply private person but has given permission for his story to be made public. He hopes that this will help people become more aware of the ways in which the Commando Welfare Trust is supporting Special Operations Command (SOCOMD) soldiers and their families.

In 2012 on his second tour in Afghanistan, Tim, an Electronic Warfare Operator, was on a mission manning the rear gun in a Bushmaster Armoured Vehicle. Tim had just volunteered to stay on and cover the winter rotation instead of returning home with his platoon.

Bad weather had made conditions poor. The vehicle was involved in a collision and Tim was knocked unconscious.  When he came to, he realized he was paralysed from the neck down and was unable to breathe.  He thought he was going to die.  A medic travelling in the same  vehicle acted swiftly and kept him alive.  Tim would later learn that he had sustained a C4 burst fracture in his spine. He spent over 18 months in rehab, both overseas and back in Australia.  He worked tirelessly trying to regain as much movement as possible but remains paralysed and requires 24/7 support.

Medically discharged from the army in 2019, Tim used his compensation payout to assist in purchasing a house. However, he still needed a significant mortgage to secure the property and complete modifications works necessary to accommodate his special needs.  Tim’s care puts a significant strain on his military pension.

Tim has never asked for support from anyone. However, on hearing of his circumstances, the Commando Welfare Trust (CWT) is now funding Tim’s mortgage interest payments.  In addition, the Trustees have pledged to raise the funds necessary to pay off the mortgage completely.

Should you wish to support Tim Pereira, who has paid a massive price in the service of his country, please donate to this worthy cause.

To read more about Tim’s story please click here.

For more information about this story or the CWT please contact the CWT Executive Officer.

What is SOCOMD?

The Special Forces of the Australian Defence Force are grouped under the Special Operations Command (SOCOMD). Due to their specialist skills and training, special forces soldiers are often at the front line as they conduct and or support special operations in places such as East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan.  The job they perform is dangerous and often confronting and sadly many of those killed or wounded in recent combat operations are from the SOCOMD units and many of those who returned from duty suffer physical and mental illnesses related to their service in the military. ​SOCOMD units covered by the CWT include;​

• Special Operations Headquarters
• 1st Commando Regiment
• 2nd Commando Regiment
• Special Operations Engineer Regiment
• Special Operations Command Education & Training Centre (SOTEC)
• Parachute Training School and
• Special Operations Logistics Squadron.

​The Commando Welfare Trust was established to provide hardship support to these special forces soldiers and their families.
Members of the Special Air Service Regiment are covered by the Special Air Service Resources Trust Fund.
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