Scars of War

One soldier’s fight didn’t end on the battlefield — it began there.
This is the raw, haunting memoir of war, shame, survival, and the search for redemption.
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At just seventeen, Jason Gibney enlisted in the Australian Defence Force, full of vigour and a thirst for adventure. Over the next decade, he served in Iraq, Afghanistan’s deadly Chora Valley, and during the heartbreaking fall of Kabul in 2021. His missions included fierce firefights with the Taliban and a devastating role as an interpreter during the chaotic civilian evacuations. His final role in the evacuation of Kabul was to drag screaming, visa-denied Afghans to their fate, men he could understand, whose death sentences he could hear in their own words.

In this searing memoir, he relives the brutalities of combat and the invisible wounds that followed — panic attacks, flashbacks, and a crushing sense of guilt. Diagnosed with PTSD and discharged, his war didn’t end — it simply changed form. Scars of War charts his long, painful journey through trauma, shame, rage, and finally, the beginning of healing.

This isn’t a tale of heroism or closure. It’s about what happens when the medals don’t match the memories. When the politicians walk away, but you can’t. And when the only way out is through.

Brave, blisteringly honest, and heartbreakingly human, Scars of War is a call to understand what we ask of our soldiers — and what they carry home.

‘“In that moment, I wasn’t a soldier — I was a monster dragging a man to his death.”

“A true story of modern war like no other — honest, enraging, and unforgettable.

About the Author

Jason Gibney was born into a military family and enlisted in the Australian Army as a rifleman at just seventeen. Over a 16-year career, he served in Iraq, Afghanistan, Malaysia, and Kabul during its chaotic fall in 2021. Trained as both a soldier and Persian-language interpreter, Jason undertook some of Australia’s most demanding military deployments, including combat operations and civilian evacuation missions. His distinguished service earned him multiple honours, including the Infantry Combat Badge and five operational medals. Following his medical discharge with PTSD in 2023, Jason turned to writing as a form of healing. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English literature and philosophy and lives on the Sunshine Coast with his wife and daughter. Scars of War is his first book — a powerful memoir of war, trauma, and the lifelong road to recovery.