Shownotes Transcript
Fabulous Noosa is our outdoor destination to meet with Craig Ball ex-Commando and Signaler, now Mental Health Speaker and facilitator of a Mens Health Transformation page. In his mid twenties and working in hospitality as a Bartender at Kings Cross, Craig is considered a late starter to a military career signing up at 26 for the reserves at first. His sense of adventure was spiked by the hard hitting stories of his ex-Vietnam veteran bar colleagues and rubbing shoulders with retired CIA, amongst other colourful characters. Two colleagues in particular, best mates in One Commando Regiment, shared their stories of crazy adventure, hard physical endurance and larrikinism in their missions. It contrasted greatly with the drunks of Craig’s normal indoor tame working environment. We touched on his early experience of High School bullying, and the strategies he used for freedom and peace in spite of his stressors by becoming an excellent skateboarder.
After joining the reservists at Sydney University Regiment for Officer training the challenge of hard physical military endurance combined with extreme adventure led Craig to signing up with One Commando Regiment in 2000. Craig considers mastering the selection process difficult while dealing with personal issues but also acknowledges ”Flia” an inspirational high functioning Veteran that had an impact on his life. He was taught the difference between set backs vs failure, initiative and opportunity no matter how small in military context which he now uses on a personal level to uplift others.
Passing selection and waiting for his Green Beret ceremony, one night Craig was approached by an entrepreneur to become a professional speaker. Out of that grew his passion today helping people deal with the hardest of life experiences, workplace challenges and projects by managing their psychology . But more of that subject-in Part2.
Back to selection. After 18 months at “School of signals” he went straight to the unit in 2008 then onto Alpha Company 2009 to train up for deployment to Afghanistan the following year. An introduction to some scary things he found it a crazy build up and soon found himself in a CQB (close quarter battle), an acutely difficult event, the first exposure tending to be raw panic.
In part 2 we explore Craig’s deployment in 2009 in more detail including the re-emergence of bullying in a war zone, the loss of Mason Edwards in a training incident and his experience of that difficult space of holding on day by day in a war zone, despite the mental toll.
Contact - Craig BallEmail - [email protected]: www.changeseminars.comPrograms - Change seminarsWho is it for? Veterans & First Responders & their familiesHelp Lines Open Arms (VVCS)) | Lifeline) | RedSix app)"RESPECT, NO POLITICS, WE'RE VOLUNTEERS"Disclaimer: The accounts and stories are "Real lived experiences" of our guests some of the content may trigger Post Traumatic Stress (PTS) symptoms in some of our audience. Feedback regarding other organisations, courses and initiatives remains largely unsensored. Whether its good or bad they remain the OPINION of our guests and their experiences it is important in building an accurate statistic on what really happens. During the course of our conversations sometimes sensitive information may be accidentally mentioned, as such, Invisible Injuries respects the law and sensors any information that may breach Operational Security OPSEC
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