The Modern Mann

The British Army is recruiting gamers, 'phone zombies', and 'selfie addicts' as it broadens its skills for modern military ops. But who are the young men getting these jobs, and what impact does it have on their lives?  Former Grenadier Guardsman Julian Perreira served as a J-TAC (Joint Terminal Attack Controller) in Afghanistan. As he monitored a 60-inch TV screen relaying live feeds from surveillance balloons and drones, it was his job to decide when and where to deploy ‘kinetic effects’ that could, and did, kill people.  It was, he tells Olly, ‘a bit like playing a computer game’. The experience inflicted lasting damage on his mental health; now treated with CBT only thanks to the philanthropy of a fellow veteran.  --- Julian is now a journalist who blogs at jakbrew.co.uk, where he has also established an outdoor drinkware company. If YOU have a story you’d like to share with Olly and our listeners, we’d love to hear from you: please reach out using the Feedback form on our website, modernmann.co.uk.