When I secured the job to work within the military welfare environment, in April 2009, my friends thought I was mad. At the time, I was giving up an exciting well-paid job working for top CEOs in television news media and publishing to live 'the military way of life' by moving around the country on military bases.  

Contrary to my friends' concerns, I was inspired by the young men and women I met.  They continually earned my admiration and paved a new path for me.  While observing their commitment to change, their enthusiasm to embrace new challenges and determination to live a life battling for others, they showed me a thing or two about life at the sharp end. 

The road their lives had taken to get to the point of 'no return', found me in a position of admiration for their sheer grit and determination to change their lives.  So, I honoured their approach and took the time to invest in learning more - and earned a degree along the way.   

Most people who choose to live the military life have struggled.  Most of those who came across my path had chosen the military as a way of leaving their environment of addictions, financial issues, criminal activities and the harshest of abuse (mental, physical and emotional), behind them.  It was my job to help them in this transition by assisting them reframe their thoughts, rewind their memories and restart their lives.

Many people are afraid of the people in this world, but I can tell you from experience the majority of people I have met (and that has been a huge variety from all walks of life!), have been good, kind folk - with an interesting tale to tell along the way.