I was prepared for war. I was not prepared for what came next. I joined the Army young. I found structure, purpose, and belonging. Like most lads, I thought the hard part would be the job itself. It was not.

Listen to this article

In 2001, during operations in Bosnia, the vehicle I was in hit an anti-personnel mine. I woke up in a German field hospital with a fractured spine. Paralysed from the waist down. I was 29.

That ended my career overnight.

What followed was something no one really talks about. You leave the Armed Forces and the message is clear. Get on with it. Do not complain. Crack on. That mindset is drilled into you. It does not switch off just........

© LBC