Life of a soldier with PTSD part 3

Posted to 1 Troop B Sqn First Arourmed Regiment was very exciting and also scary. Playing with the big boys now. Soon reality hits home with the servicing regime and field comittments.

Along with all the real soldiering comes the drinking. As for me I took it way to far. I drank copious amounts and for want of a better term I suppose I became an alcholic. Didn't happen overnight but over a few years I just drank more and more. How I was able to function on a daily basis I don't know. Soon I was being charged with all sorts of offences like awol, conduct unbecoming of a soldier, destruction on government property and other alchole related offences. Lucky for me I was a bloody good soldier and people around me saw potential to do a hell of a lot better and that I had leadership abilty. It was after a three week stay in our jail that the commanding officer had me in his office and gave me an altimatum, either shape up and do what I was capable of doing or he would recomend that I discharge from the army and get rid of me. Well I didn't want to go, I was scared of the outside world. I didn't stop drinking but i cut it down buy at least 80%, starting getting super fit again and things started to fall into place. Got put on a promotion course for corpral and was promoted soon after that. So things where now super and then I, along with a couple of others from the Regiment in 1993 where hand picked to be deployed overseas with the Australian contingent to UNTAC in Cambodia. (United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia). What can I say what an honour to be picked and go do what a soldier is supposed to do soldier. We were soon up in Sydney doing our pre-deployment training. Training over a plane load of Aussie soldiers where soon on our way to Cambodia for an exciting and unknown deployment.

Life of a soldier with PTSD part2

Well i finally made it into the army and arrive at Kapooka for basic training. Recruit training is to go on for about 12 weeks. When we arrived its all go, yelling & shouting do this and do that so funny when I look back on it. But even then I enjoyed that atmosphere. Over the next 12 weeks we where to learn lots. Marching, Drill, weapons drill, first aid, navigation, field skills and much much more. Again I meet a lot of great blokes and become great mates with them. We form a very strong bond, especially with my section. For me the 12 weeks goes by very quickly. During the course of our training we get to pick what corps we want to go to. I chose Armoured corp and in particular 1st Armoured Regiment (Tank). But I wont talk to much about my time there as it really has nothing to do with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Moving on, I finnished my basic and then went to the School of Amour at Puckapunyal to begin my trade training with the Leopard tank. Again this was to take about 12 weeks. After the employment training its off to 1st Armoured Regiment and a place in the real army

The begining

This being my first ever blog I will start from the beginning. I was born in Melbourne Australia in 1969 and was promptly put up for adoption. I was picked out by Jack and Helga Albers because they saw me sitting in the corner with a crust of bread in one hand, both immigrated from Germany. Jack was a Builder and Helga at that time was a house wife. She later went on to become a nurse. I ended up becoming an only child and was treated very well, plenty of love and affection. I grew up in a small country town call Warracknabeal and had plenty of friends then when I was about 13 we moved to the coast and I quickly got involved in the surf culture and again made lots of good friends. Funny even as far as I can remember I always wanted to join the Australian Army. My Dad on the other hand wanted me to go on to University but that just wasn't me. Then he tried to get me into a trade, either with him or as an electrician but no, I was pretty stubborn and one eyed. I did work with an electrician for a couple of years but my mind was made up. I was goning to be a soldier no matter what. All I needed was my Dad to sign the papers. After weeks of hounding him he finally caved in. Thats it for now next time I will talk about the early years in the army. Bye