O BETRAYED
ON THE EDGE
USING a paintbrush to clear away the soil, Major Owers exposes a lethal Taliban bomb.
This nerve-racking task was carried out by the officer and his team up to several times a day in Afghanistan.
But they didn’t always succeed – with devastating consequences.
Several of Major Owers’ comrades were killed and others maimed for life – while he fell victim to PTSD. The doctors said that I was making progress.”
Despite the illness he completed a second six-month tour in Afghanistan, managed the Defence Terrorist Bomb Disposal Training School and was responsible for over 120 bomb disposal troops covering a third of England
Major Owers said: “If I had kept my mouth shut I would still be serving. Promotion to lieutenant-colonel was a realistic prospect.
“What sort of message does that send out to soldiers who think they might have PTSD?
“If you ask for help for PTSD you’ll be thrown out of the Army.
“The idea that the MoD is serious about PTSD is nonsense.”
The hero’s wife Sukie, a primary school head, was offered no advice on how to help her husband. Major Owers said: “The treatment my wife received was disgusting. There was no support, no help and that is a clear breach of the Covenant.
“I was given a prescription for very strong anti-depressants. I was then told that I was being medically discharged and would receive just £6,000.”
Courage
Major Owers, from Leamington Spa, Warwicks, joined the Army as a private in 1990 and rose through the ranks before becoming an officer in 2006.
He got the Queens Commendation for Valuable Service after serving in the Iraq War, and the Queen’s Gallantry Medal and the MBE for two tours in Afghanistan.
Relying on his wits and courage, he defused 93 bombs. In 2009 one of his colleagues lost two legs and an arm in an explosion. Two months later another had his leg ripped open after stepping on a bomb.
In the same explosion Major Owers’ bodyguard lost his right eye and hearing in his right ear.
The major was with them but escaped without injury.
He said: “The day after that, Capt Dan Shepherd, a good friend, was killed. A few months later Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmid was killed.
“Whether you survived or not on a tour was just down to luck.
“The nightmares began after I returned home. e. There were images es of soldiers with gaping wounds and amputations I would wake up thrashing, screaming and soaked in sweat.” He added: “Last August I had to appear at a medical board. They agreed my condition had improved but still I was medically discharged. I was mortified.” Despite his ordeal, he has got his life back on track and is now a senior operations manager with logistics giant DHL, a leading employer of ex- military personnel. The brave veteran said: THE Military Covenant is supposed to protect our troops.
Introduced in 2000, it spells out the nation’s duties to those who put their lives on the line for us.
But in the case of Major Wayne Owers, the bond has been shattered. He earned the right to be treated as a hero. But he hasn’t been.
The horrors of tours in Afghanistan and Iraq left Maj Owers with PTSD.
He was discharged on medical grounds and given a measly amount of money but no support.
This is no way to treat a man decorated three times by the Queen during his service. He saved countless lives but his pleas to continue his career were rejected.
It is time the Government ordered MoD chiefs to start taking PTSD seriously. ““Despite everything I was one of the lucky ones. There are prob probably hundreds of others who have lo lost their careers struggling to survive without any support.”
Last night there were calls for an urgent probe into Maj Owers’ case.
Lawyer Hilary Meredith, whose firm represented 200 soldiers hounded by a disgraced inquiry into Iraq abuse fabrications, said: “A parliamentary inquiry would be a good starting point into the realities of the covenant.
“The reality is, once you’re out of the military you’ve got nothing.”
Former head of the Army, General the Lord Dannatt, said: “I worry that the MoD still does not fully understand the extent of the problem of mental health injuries.”