A navy clearance diver who served Australia in Afghanistan was left alone sobbing in his car after picking up a secret Defence report into his brother’s suicide, as allegations of serious failures in the ADF’s mental health culture continue to mount. Ex-diver John Armfield, testifying before the Royal Commission Into Defence and Veteran Suicide on Wednesday, said he found out about an internal inquiry into the 2011 death of his younger brother, RAAF Leading Aircraftman Andrew Armfield, ten years after the traumatic event. But when the report was made available to him, he told the commission how he drove to the post office to pick it up without any support in place to help him process the findings, which he said revealed serious failures in his brother’s care.
“I was sitting in my car, broken,” he said, with tears filling his eyes. Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion. “I’d loyally served my nation and this is how they’d given me the report on my little brother’s death.
” “I sat there and sobbed. I couldn’t take it home to my family.” Mr Armfield told the Commission the navy had apologised to him for the “failings” that may have led to Andrew’s tragic death.
“There were so many failings admitted to me,” Mr Armfield said. The contents of the report were not publicly aired during the testimony, but Mr Armfield said severe understaffing in mental health support was one factor that may have contribu.