Colin Gibson on Military Contracting, PTSD & The Power of Being Yourself

Colin Gibson is an ex-soldier, military contractor, scuba-diver, and owner of Talon: a security training company based in Northern Ireland. He’s served in Iraq and Afghanistan, lived in Belize for 6+ years and has been on a rollercoaster journey of dealing with combat-induced PTSD and childhood trauma. In part one of this epic four-part special we talk about: The effects of growing up with an abusive father How violence dominated his early years Getting in trouble with the police The moment his life changed and all the anger disappeared Walking through fields barefoot in the rain The one positive male influence on his life Moving to Belize Scuba diving stories: manta-rays, blackness and pica-pica jellyfish Finding happiness for the first time And a few teasers to what you’ll hear in part two. In this part two we talk about: Getting his feet washed by an Iraqi driver Being challenged to a fist-fight by his girlfriend’s dad Getting thrown into a Belize prison cell with 20+ other people What led him away from Belize Why he ended up joining the military And a few stories from his deployment… In part three we talk about: The specific combat-event that “sent him down the rabbit-hole” Dealing with survivors guilt And battling with suicide. In part four we talk about: How his experiences affect his life today Why he’s thrown himself into serving others through his new teaching business (Talon Security Training) What he’s focused on Why he started opening up about his experiences And advice he’d give to an 18-year-old version of himself Check it out. https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/colin-gibson-talon-security