John Bale was 17 when he and schoolmate Michael Fussell joined the army. Now, four years after Captain Bale lost his Armidale mate - killed by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan - his dreams for a permanent support centre for those who return has been realised.
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The co-founder of Soldier On will be joined by military and political figures in Braddon on Thursday for the opening of the Robert Poate Centre, linking the memory of Lieutenant Fussell with that of the Canberra-born Private Poate, also killed in Afghanistan serving his nation.
Mr Bale said the centre - the first full-time Soldier On facility in the nation - would fill a much-needed gap in the reintegration and recovery of soldiers left with physical and mental wounds. "We want to be a one-stop shop for Australia's wounded and their families, collaborating with organisations to ensure they have the world's best care available," he said.
"I asked myself what would have Mick wanted from his death - there's got to be a positive - and helping his mates is one of the best things you can do."
Shown around the Torrens Street centre for the first time on Wednesday, Hugh and Janny Poate said it had an atmosphere that matched their selfless son's attitude. "Robbie was the kind of fella who would help his mates, and it's just that - warm and comfortable," Mrs Poate said.
Mr Poate said the centre - which includes a peaceful rear courtyard, complete with a barbecue - "would have been him to a T".
"He was known as the BBQ king," he said. "He was a very popular soldier, because he was able to lift morale when things were low."
The centre will offer drop-in services and, initially, referrals for psychological assistance, plus community events such as personal training sessions, coffee catch-ups and family events.
Mr Bale, the charity's chief executive, said one Soldier On gathering of service families on the coast had led to a soldier telling his wife for the first time about the battle that caused his post-traumatic stress disorder.
"He felt comfortable [talking] with people who got it," he said.
"For her, it was a realisation, and now she has a network she can talk with when he's having a rough day."
The Poates will be joined at the opening by Assistant Defence Minister Stuart Robert, Soldier On chairman Peter Leahy and the charity's patron-in-chief Corporal Mark Donaldson VC.
Mr Bale said he expected 50 to 100 servicemen and women to visit the centre in its first year.
