When Emma’s husband, James, returned from Afghanistan, she noticed he was different in many ways. His fun loving, carefree temperament had changed to being short-tempered and very difficult to live with. He would isolate himself from his family and threw himself into work and surfing.
Things became difficult for Emma and James, and their marriage was suffering. He had visited one or two Army psychologists but walked out feeling angrier than when he went in. He refused to talk to Emma about his experiences.
After seeing a Soldier On Facebook post, Emma called the organisation in desperation. Soldier On and Emma arranged for James to meet another combat experienced and respected returned serviceman. After this meeting, Emma saw her husband smile for the first time in years, as if a load had been lifted from his shoulders. This was just the beginning in his journey towards recovery and reintegration.
Emma is passionate about supporting Soldier On so that they can continue to support future generations of returned servicemen and women, their partners and their families.