Episode 9: Warren Loudon - His Experience in War Torn Afghanistan, Insights into PTSD and the Challenges of Adjusting to Life as a Civilian

Warren is a financial planner with his own business in Sydney, Loudon & Vaughan Private Wealth. He was previously in the Australian Defence Force and served three tours of Afghanistan with the 2nd Commando Regiment, a special forces unit. Warren says, “My experiences in Afghanistan taught me that a life must be lived for a purpose, it must be appreciated and it must be lived for the betterment of others. War is vicious in that it takes the finest men first, and so it was in Afghanistan. The men we lost were the bravest, smartest, and noblest of all of us. Everyday of my life I strive to be the best that I can be in honour of those men who are no longer with us.” In this podcast, Warren talks about his time in Afghanistan and what it was like living in stressful and dangerous conditions with the others in his section. He also shares his thoughts on why some soldiers are affected by post-traumatic stress disorder and others are not and the challenges many soldiers face when leaving the army and readjusting to civilian life. Warren applies many of the beliefs and attitudes he developed during his time in the ADF to his work today. He says, “My every interaction with clients is undertaken with the belief that I will put the clients’ interest before mine because it is the right thing to do (I believed this before it was legislated). My goal is to improve the lives of every one of my clients through the application of my knowledge and energy.”