The Battle that Never Ends – War Veteran Pushes for PTSD Help. Article by Cydonne Mardon Illawarra Mercury 26 March 2015
Iraq war veteran Aaron Gray often finds himself looking out for dead bodies on the side of the road and has to pinch himself to get back to reality.
A traffic jam can send the 33-year-old into a state of severe agitation because he can’t find an escape route.
Seventeen months on the front line seeing mates brutally killed, battling insurgents and witnessing the stoning death of an Iraqi woman he tried to save, have all chipped away at the Nowra man’s psyche.
Given his fragile state of mind, it’s not surprising that Mr Gray has taken exception to ”dismissive comments” by the head of defence health about post-traumatic stress disorder.
The comments that have infuriated Mr Gray were made by Rear-Admiral Robyn Walker, Commander Joint Health and Surgeon General Australian Defence Force.
“I FEEL MORE AT HOME ON A BATTLEFIELD, I FEEL COMPLETELY LOST HERE, OUT OF PLACE.” – AARON GRAY