With the announcement of Australia's 39th Solider killed in Afghanistan - the seventh Australian solider this year - concern over the mental and physical wellbeing for returning soldiers resonates louder than ever.
Prime Minster Julia Gillard gave her condolences and warned that while the mission in Afghanistan is on track, there is no way of being there without risk.
Defence force chief David Hurley explained the soldier was clearing a compound when an IED detonated, killing him instantly.
While the pain of war may seem unsummountable for a fallen solider's grieving family and friends, returning soldiers also suffer long after they are back on Australian soil.
One of the most common issues returning soldiers face is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
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Some soldiers and mental health experts say the intensity and volatility of the Afghanistan conflict is making PTSD more acute and more prevalent than ever before.
Adding to this problem is the fact that there is still a huge stigma around mental illness in the Australian Defence Force. Many soldiers are reluctant to seek help in an organisation where strength and toughness are revered.
PTSD symptoms can take months or years to surface and can be severe: hyper-vigilance, nightmares, sleeplessness, explosive anger.
Captain Ash Judd says he can't escape the reoccurring imagery from his time overseas.
“I'd be driving my car to work and look in the rear vision mirror and see this man I shot and killed, sitting in the backseat of my car. I'd go to pieces.”
In tonight's episode of Insight, current and former soldiers break their silence to reveal how they're dealing with the after-effects of serving in Afghanistan.
Catch Insight tonight at 8:30pm on SBS One.
