On Wednesday 28th August 2013 IHRC hosted an author evening with Joe Glenton, ex-soldier, writer and film maker to discuss his book ‘Soldier Box’.
In his book Glenton reveals why he left the army, and the personal war he faced fighting for his convictions. What he saw overseas in Afghanistan and Kenya left him disillusioned and he returned manifesting symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Refusing a second tour to Afghanistan, he went AWOL and left the country, but returned voluntarily to fight his case with the military accusing him of desertion. Despite being threatened with years in prison, he continued to speak out and won the support of many of his fellow soldiers. He was eventually incarcerated for five months.
Among the topics discussed Glenton touched upon his experiences in the military and his time in Afghanistan. The conversation generated great interest from the audience and led to a very interesting and fruitful Q&A session. Various issues were explored including British foreign policy, army recruitment and global policemen.
Now a writer and film maker, Glenton has covered the many angles of daily life in Iraq and Afghanistan; from veterans to the immediate family of those who were killed. His four part series named ‘The Soldier Myth’ can be watched on YouTube.
The video of the event is on the IHRCtv channel on YouTube.
Event report can be found here
