"He told me he was trying to get help and trying to get housing but nothing was available to him and when it was there was a big waiting list," he said. "In my eyes the system has failed him and we need more help for veterans when they have mental health problems. "When they leave war zones and decide to leave it's just, 'See you later, mate', and it shouldn't be like that."
"Discussing the walk, Mr Pallett said the entire journey would total 117 miles (188km) with the group aiming to walk about 27 miles (43km) most days. 'Going into London, hopefully there's going to be a few people that will meet us to join the march and then we will be going to 10 Downing Street to deliver this letter so something gets done,' he said. 'This will not stop until we see some sort of change.'"
Four veterans will walk from Bromsgrove, Worcestershire to Downing Street in London, covering 117 miles over about four days, to hand-deliver a letter calling for more mental health support for ex-military personnel. The action follows the August suicide of 35-year-old Rob Homans from Bromsgrove, whose mother Dawn Turner wrote the letter and believes her son was failed by the government and Ministry of Defence. Campaigners say Homans struggled for years after leaving the army, faced long waits for housing and support, and recalled horrific memories from a ten-year career. The Ministry of Defence states it has invested over £25m in specialist veteran mental health support. Participants call for better reintegration into civilian life and faster access to care and intend to keep campaigning until policy change is achieved.
Read at www.bbc.com
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