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Today, I spoke with Robert Hartley, who is a former Australian Army Officer who served for 12 years in the Artillery Corps before transitioning to a civilian career in the technology sector. During his time in the military, Robert deployed on exchange with the British Army on Operation Herrick XII (12) to Helmand Province, Afghanistan in 2010. In his civilian life, Robert has worked for a number of technology companies, including Microsoft, before joining a start-up where he is an Executive Director.
Robert joins me today to discuss his life in the Army, how his deployment to Helmand resulted in a PTSD diagnosis, as well as his journey to recovery, which includes being part of the ketamine program that I discussed at length with Dr Alex Lim a few episodes ago.
Things we covered include:
Rob’s entry into the Army and the Artillery Corps
Rotation into Helmand with the British Army
The thrill of preparing for and going to war
Use of artillery as a direct-fire weapon
The reality of Helmand as the ‘kinetic province’
How the local population perceived the Coalition Forces
Dealing with numerous casualties
Reflecting on mateship, camaraderie, and sense of purpose
The process of desensitisation to war and combat
Reflection on the burden of command
The challenge of preserving one’s own moral compass
The struggle of upholding the delicate facade of morality in battle
The price of extreme compartmentalisation and rationalisation
Returning home, signs that things weren’t right and asking for help
Symptoms, PTSD diagnosis, and importance of command support
Short-term fixes but eventual relapse, downward spiral, and continual emotional compartmentalisation
The path to recovery and reconnecting to emotions
Joining Dr Alex Lim’s ketamine program, onboarding, and treatment initiation
A reflection on the ketamine treatment, its sensations, experiences, and insights
Why ketamine remains contentious
How the ketamine treatment affected Rob’s relationships with his wife and children
Why seeking help matters!

During this discussion, we referred to the following previous episodes:
Ashley Judd – On combat, mental health and the road to recovery
Dr Alex Lim - On veterans’ mental health: the good, the bad and the promising
Given the nature of this discussion, and the fact that many in our audience are veterans, there is a risk that elements of this episode might be difficult listening for some. If this is the case, I encourage you to seek help through one of the many channels nowadays available, some of which are listed below (Australian audiences only):
 
All-hours Support Line
(1800 628 036 / +612 9425 3878 if O/S)
 
Open Arms (VVCS)
1800 011 046
https://www.openarms.gov.au/
 
1800 IMSICK
(1800 624 608)
 
Defence Community Organisation (DCO)
Defence Family Helpline
1800 624 608
http://www.defence.gov.au/dco/
 
Lifeline
13 11 14
https://www.lifeline.org.au
 
Suicide Call back service
1300 659 467
https://www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au
 
Soldier On
1300 620 380
www.soldieron.org.au