Civilian soldiers suffer PTSD in Sydney too

Dark reality for troops caught up in conflict
Sydney Morning Herald
Frank Walker
April 23, 2013

Every serviceman knows the moment they go to a defence force psychologist their military career is over, says Afghanistan veteran Geoff Evans.

"It shouldn't be that way, and Defence has worked hard to turn this attitude around, but it's the reality," said Mr Evans, who was medically discharged after being wounded during his second tour in 2011.

Mr Evans has post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a mental illness brought on by exposure to trauma and stress. It came from seeing two of his mates killed in front of him. Lieutenant Michael Fussell stepped on a mine and Private Greg Sher was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade just a few metres from him.

He has physical wounds from being blown into the air when his Bushmaster-armoured vehicle ran over a road mine. His brain suffered a severe traumatic injury from his head being violently shaken. It led him to be medically discharged - the day after he was promoted to lieutenant.

Mr Evans now realises he went on his second tour to Afghanistan already suffering PTSD. As a civilian, he was a fireman but when his reservist unit, the First Commando Regiment, was sent for a second tour in 2011 he went without hesitation. He even gave up his spot in officer school to go as a corporal and stay with his mates.

"I didn't admit it to anyone but when I returned from that first tour of Afghanistan I was a mess," he said in his eastern Sydney home - his wife Lisa and children Emily, 9, and Monash, 6, in another room.
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