‘ Genuine bloke’ soldiers on
A TOWNSVILLE veteran is using the internet to continue serving the community after being medically discharged from the army.
Ken “Balding Phoenix” Fraser joined the army at 17 and was discharged with PTSD on Anzac Day this year.
Ken streams for six nights a week, six hours a day on Twitch and has been described by one of his admirers as a “really genuine bloke”.
“It’s a way I can continue to serve, because I served in the army for 20 years and then that was just taken,” he said.
The ex- serviceman was deployed four times, twice to Iraq, and once to Afghanistan and East Timor and still struggles with daily life.
“I’ll get very anxious, I can experience panic attacks while driving. My response to particular situations might be over the top,” Ken said.
“I’ve separated from my wife, lost my family from it.
“This gives me the ability to socialise and not be cut off from everything.”
His streams are seen by people from all over the world, and he says he tries to give socially awkward people a safe place to hang out.
It was during his eight months of leave before he was discharged, that he made the decision to stream.
“I can give them somewhere they can interact and hang out … we get people in the streaming world we call lurkers,” he said.
“They’re people who don’t interact at all, they just are there and you can see them if you want to look … but I guess it gives them a bit of company.”
Ken said he enjoys playing computer games to help connect himself to other people.
“I like playing computer games … mainly I’m just talking to people around the world about random stuff,” he said.
“I guess I’m very open on my channel about my personal struggles, and I have had people comment and send through ‘ thank you for giving me a place to chill out’.
“And they feel inspired that I’m doing this, regardless of the challenges and trials I’ve been through and I’m very regular with my streams.”