One soldier’s fight didn’t end on the battlefield — it began there.
This is the raw, haunting memoir of war, shame, survival, and the search for redemption.
At just seventeen, Jason Gibney enlisted in the Australian Defence Force, full of vigour and a thirst for adventure. Over the next decade, he served in Iraq, Afghanistan’s deadly Chora Valley, and during the heartbreaking fall of Kabul in 2021. His missions included fierce firefights with the Taliban and a devastating role as an interpreter during the chaotic civilian evacuations. His final role in the evacuation of Kabul was to drag screaming, visa-denied Afghans to their fate, men he could understand, whose death sentences he could hear in their own words.
In this searing memoir, he relives the brutalities of combat and the invisible wounds that followed — panic attacks, flashbacks, and a crushing sense of guilt. Diagnosed with PTSD and discharged, his war didn’t end — it simply changed form. Scars of War charts his long, painful journey through trauma, shame, rage, and finally, the beginning of healing.
This isn’t a tale of heroism or closure. It’s about what happens when the medals don’t match the memories. When the politicians walk away, but you can’t. And when the only way out is through.
Brave, blisteringly honest, and heartbreakingly human, Scars of War is a call to understand what we ask of our soldiers — and what they carry home.
‘In that moment, I wasn’t a soldier — I was a monster dragging a man to his death.’
”Serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, Jason did his duty and served his nation. Years later, he returned to Afghanistan as an interpreter during the Kabul evacuation. This became his darkest war, witnessing the horror faced by those denied entry to Australia. We failed the people of Afghanistan, and a decent young man is left with a legacy of PTSD. Pay attention, Australia, the consequences are all around us.’ – Lieutenant General Peter Leahy, AC (Retd)
‘A true story of modern war like no other — honest, enraging, and unforgettable.’
Lieutenant Colonel Russell Linwood, ASM (Retd) – for Duty First Magazine –
You do not want to miss reading Scars of War. It is one of the best I have read which has been written by a field soldier of junior rank but superior intellect and devotion to duty. My encouragement to Jason is to present the public with another book. This one addresses the scars of the author’s personal war, scars similar to those carried by so many of his fellow veterans. And those of the innocents caught up in war. Readers from a wide range of persuasions are strongly recommended to read it. And for those with the power to deploy Australia’s young Service personnel, to better understand the consequences of deploying troops to ‘limited’ outcome operations. Fight to win, or not fight at all.
Kahlil Fegan DSC, AM – current Repatriation Commissioner –
I had the pleasure of serving with Jason in Afghanistan in 2012 as his Commanding Officer. We had a tough and challenging mission and despite the tragic outcome our small part in a big war was successful. It was successful because of the professionalism and dedication of men and women, like Jason, who served in the Mentoring Task Force.
His is a valuable story and honest perspective of life on the line as a soldier, during a period of particularly high operational tempo in some of the most complex and dangerous environments on earth. His honesty in sharing his observations, feelings and struggles probably demonstrate even greater bravery than that he displayed on operations. I am immensely proud of him, his family and thank him for his story and service.
David Savage AM –
Jason and I served together in Afghanistan in 2012 at FOB Mirwais, and his book powerfully captures not only that time but also his return during the dangerous and chaotic evacuation from Kabul in 2021. This is not just a “war book.” Jason writes with honesty and skill about the human cost of conflict — on those who serve, on their families, and on our broader community. His story is deeply personal, raw, and beautifully told.