On the Line with Ted Shirley - Trauma on the Front Line and Beyond

The war in Afghanistan had grown to its most violent of times, and Helmand Province had made for some of the bloodiest battles. With their departure to the front lines fast approaching, a Welsh infantry battalion was in the process of selecting their very best men to be put forward for sniper training.

The young Welshmen selected grew to become the closest of friends as they navigated their way through the difficult sniper cadre. After losing one of their own to the Taliban shortly after the course, Ted and the rest of the lads deployed to Helmand Province and the raging war for the second time. Follow their journey as they take on the Taliban, from enemy snipers to Taliban leaders. Deploying on the biggest air assault operation since the Second World War, they made shots from a mile away and even took out two enemy fighters with one round. They were battle winners, and they earned their title of sniper, but it was not without cost.

As the tour in Afghanistan came to an end, Ted began to feel the effects of what will later be diagnosed as post-traumatic stress disorder, and it quickly took over his life, sending him on a downward spiral. This was a humbling, terrifying experience which lasted for over a decade, and very nearly took his life. With an uninspiring diagnosis of no known cure, Ted decides to take control of his life and find his own solutions, in this riveting story.

With detailed accounts of the unravelling of his mind and intricate insights into the taking of a life with the squeeze of a trigger, Afghanistan Sniper takes readers through a journey of the highest of highs and the lowest of lows known only to those who have been on that same journey.

About Ted

TED SHIRLEY is an author and former British Army sniper. He served two tours in Afghanistan, where he achieved remarkable feats, including shots from over a mile away. Despite these accomplishments, Ted faced a challenging battle with post-traumatic stress disorder upon his return home. The juxtaposition of life on the battlefield as a soldier to a small-town civilian brought new challenges as Ted watched many of his brothers taken by PTSD. Determined to heal and retake control of his life, Ted embarked on a global journey. He explored alternative healing methods and therapies, integrating these approaches with his military experiences and clinical therapies to aid in his recovery.

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