Hero veteran who saved uk from serious 2012 olympic threat makes plea

VETERAN WARNS SOLDIERS TO 'GET HELP' WITH PTSD AFTER THE ARMY Kwesi Solomon, 35, served in the British army for a total of eight years, posted in Germany for six years and served

in Iraq as a dismount gunner and team medic. The veteran has demanded more be done in addressing mental health issues within the army, as he found himself homeless after struggling with

chronic complex PTSD once leaving the service. Mr Solomon claimed since leaving the army he has suffered from a “big ball of fire” in his head, and admitted with the stress he felt he could

have turned to gangs as a “trained killer”. In 2012, the veteran was awarded a commendation award by the Ministry of Defence for exemplary and dedicated service during the London Olympics

when he stepped in, recorded and reported an incident on a train in the capital. RELATED ARTICLES Speaking to Express.co.uk, he said: “I was on a DLR train and I heard this guy saying some

stuff that was supposed to be on a serious security level at least between the army and G4S. But then I thought I know how the Government operate with the security of their people. “So I

thought it was something for the army alone to know about. I thought – this doesn’t sound right. So I took a picture of the guy and put myself in the way videotaping him, which I think he

probably did realise afterwards because he was fidgeting with his phone in the last minute. “I took it back to IOC (International Olympics Committee) and they found it was something worth

taking it up higher than them. I gave another statement and that was it until after the Olympics when I went back to camp.” The veteran was told that after stepping in on a train, a police

raid was made on a house, and what they found posed a very serious threat to the Olympics. Mr Solomon claimed his service in Iraq had a massive impact on his mental health and also affected

his performance at work resulting in him being made redundant in 2013. Since then, the veteran has suffered with chronic complex PTSD while also facing uncertainty over where he was living,

with no way of supporting himself financially. Kwesi Solomon was awarded for his actions in the 2012 London Olympics (Image: EXPRESS•GETTY) Mr Solomon, was taken in by a homeless shelter in

Uxbridge before being provided with a home by his local council in Hillingdon, and has called for more to be done for those in need of help. He said: “When I came out of here and I had all

the stress, I could have ended up in a gang, because I was hungry, I had nothing, I had no one to turn to. I could have been some bad man or gangster as a trained killer. “I found myself

alone, no one, nothing, no food, money run out, no roof over my head. “From then to now, it has been a big ball of fire, here. Since 2013 to now. It’s like I’ve been accepting whatever. “The

only reason now it is getting a bit better is because I only started getting help recently when I was diagnosed with the sickness.” He added: “Most soldiers are not even checking on

themselves because you don’t feel this way until you stop active service. RELATED ARTICLES > I found myself alone, no one, nothing, no food, money run out, no > roof over my head >

  > Kwesi Solomon “You could go along feeling that way, but until you stop active service and you are out here on your own, then it starts building up. “I don’t even think they have

something in place, and I don’t think soldiers look before they come out because they are immune like a robot. They are immune to do what they have to do, do their best, don’t complain.

“There are people worse than me. Worst than me with no limbs, no hands, some of them no life. Some of them I cry for sometimes, even this morning I cried. “I would advise anyone who is

feeling funny. If you are over drinking, if you can’t sleep and all that s**t, don’t take it as normal. “Try and get help because in the long-term it will only mash you up. It will mash up

everyone around you and everyone you care about, because I have pushed away everyone because of this.” Mr Solomon was referred to charity Stoll by the NHS Veterans’ Mental Health Transition,

Intervention and Liaison (TIL) Service, and meets with a support worker regularly to manage the realities of living with PTSD. The veteran praised the charity, as he is visited by a support

worker who encourages him to get out of the house and travels with him to appointments. Mr Solomon hopes to work towards trying getting back into work as he continues with his recovery. Mr

Soloman also praised The Royal British Legion and TIL for their work in helping him. ARMY NEEDS TO IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES SAYS CHAMPION Former SAS veteran and author, Phil Campion,

claimed the army were trying to address the issues surrounding mental health, but were still “not getting it 100 percent right”. Mr Campion added they were now taking the issues “more

seriously”. He told Express.co.uk: “I don’t think they are getting it 100 percent right. But, I do think they are trying to address it. But its something they are learning as they go along.

“This has been a problem that goes way back, as long as there have been soldiers there have been people suffering with mental health issues afterwards. We are on the learning curve with the

whole thing. “It’s something they are taking more seriously, more openly talked about by the troops and something they are learning from every day it goes along.” He added: “It saddens me

that not more can be done straight away. It saddens me that has become an issue for anybody. “When you see a guy that has served his country and given it all and fought for his country and

now his country might not fight for him in many cases. Relying on charities, relying on hand-outs, relying on other people to recognise his signs and symptoms. That’s difficult. “That said

it is not everybody that ends up in this condition. There are a lot of people trying to help, a lot of people offering a hand.” The commendation Kwesi received in 2012 from the Ministry of

Defence (Image: NC) Mr Campion claimed “recruitment, retention and rehabilitation” were crucial to ensuring that veterans were settled back into society after serving, which he claimed

should begin as soon as you start the army. He also called for anyone who was struggling with mental health issues to “please stick your hand up”. He said: “For the Government and the rest

of people trying to get behind these, let’s not rely on charity. Let’s get formal recognised institutions that can deal with it and rehabilitate soldiers before they leave the military at

least, properly, and not just giving them a few courses, let’s start thinking about being a civilian before you get out.” In February this year, the Defence Select Committee found that a

“world-class centre for the treatment of mental injuries” suffered by Service personnel should be established in the next 12-18 months. The Committee is convinced of the need for a highly

specialised place of safety to which veterans can be sent as soon as they are diagnosed, in order to be stabilised and to begin receiving assistance. RELATED ARTICLES Mark Francois,

Conservative MP for Rayleigh and Wickford, who serves on the Defence Select Committee, insisted that more still needed to be done for the mental health of veterans. He said: “We have just

produced a report, ‘Mental Health and the Armed Forces, the Provision of Care’. Our physical care for the wounded is now pretty good, it compares well with what the American’s or what the

Israeli’s do. But, our mental care is not. “In a nutshell, what we want is far better mental health provisions for veterans who are meant to be prioritised under the armed forces covenant

but in reality, they are not because the NHS doesn’t really recognise the covenant. “And, what we want is there to be a national centre where veterans who are in crisis can go they are safe,

they can be assessed, they can be given treatment, medicine if necessary. They can begin a recovery process and then go back to where they live and then enter into a treatment programme.

MENTAL HEALTH: FRANCOIS CALLS FOR ‘BETTER PROVISIONS’ FOR VETERANS “The problem at the moment is, we are diagnosing these guys, it is mainly guys, maybe suffering from severe PTSD, we say

they need help, and then they wait up to a year for treatment. “Unfortunately in that intervening period, a number of them have taken their lives. These people have given everything for

their country and it’s about time their country did something for them.” A Government spokesperson said: “Veterans have spent their careers risking their lives to keep us safe - so we have a

special responsibility to provide them with the best possible care when they need it. “As part of our Long Term Plan for the NHS, every part of England now has a dedicated mental health

service for veterans. “We have also introduced a range of integrated care initiatives and continue to tackle any perceived stigma around veterans’ mental health.”