Private Tom Halloran sent a final message to his parents moments before he died at Darwin's Robertson Barracks in April this year, a week before his 22nd birthday.
He was in "constant pain" and had been sucked into a whirlpool of self-medicating, bullying, boredom and isolation.
Almost six months to the day since he took his own life, John and Robyn Halloran have shared their son's story at the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, hoping it will help fix a "broken" system.
"He was fearless, just fearless," John Halloran said.
"[He was] one of those boys that will try anything, he could sing, he could play instruments.
"He was very gifted when it came to sports – the more dangerous the sport, the better it was."
Tom Halloran spent his childhood travelling with his family, Mr Halloran told the commission, including 11 years in Dubai, making friends wherever he went.
"His friends — there was probably not one of them the same colour, and probably one or two of them would speak English as fluently as he did, and that was his pack," Mr Halloran said.
At 19, Tom joined the army, as his grandfather had done decades earlier.
Tom was "always fascinated by his Poppy", Mr Halloran said, and "used to get a massive thrill from listening to [his grandfather's] stories and what he did."
As Tom began his training and started his new career, Mr and Mrs Halloran were confident their "bullet-proof" son would be safe.
Soldier hid serious injury because of army's 'punitive culture'
Tom's parents said they had been in close contact with many of his fellow soldiers and friends in the six months following his death.
Mr Halloran told the commission many agreed there was a pervasive "punitive culture" where soldiers would hide injuries to avoid being put on lighter duties.
"If something happens to you, you are basically taken out of the system while all of your friends are doing exactly what they want to do," he said.
"They see that as a punishment."
It was that "punitive culture", Tom's parents said, which led him to hide a serious back injury early on in his time in the army.
He suffered for more than a year before an MRI revealed the injury was serious enough to potentially compromise his service.
He was placed on lighter duties.
Tom admitted to his parents he had been self-medicating with painkillers and "a few beers" to help him sleep at night.
Missed opportunity to stop 'whirlpool' of struggle
In the months before his death, Tom was disciplined following several incidents where he "just didn't get up in the morning" – something his parents only learned about after he died.
Mr Halloran said he understood those warnings should have triggered a psych consult, but that didn't happen.
"That could have been the point at which they caught it," Mr Halloran said.
"It becomes a bit of a whirlpool at that point, because you're doing less, so you are less stimulated, you get more time to sit with your pain."
It was around that time, Mr Halloran said, that the bullying began.
"I could hear the pain in his voice when he talked about that," Mr Halloran said.
Fellow soldiers had labelled Tom a "linger" — a reference to malingering, and the accusation that someone was pretending to be sick to avoid doing work.
Mr Halloran said it was a common army slur but one Tom found particularly hurtful.
"I said 'can you do anything about it?' and he said 'It just goes with what is happening, Dad, I'm not well and I can't do it and that's what happens'."
On April 26, 2022, the Hallorans received the WhatsApp message from their son describing the "constant pain" he was in.
By the time they received the message, it was too late.
Young soldiers unaware of support systems, parents say
Mr and Mrs Halloran have called for changes to improve support for injured young soldiers and ensure they have people to turn to when they are not coping.
Mr Halloran said young soldiers such as his son were unaware of available support systems, which meant injured soldiers suffered alone.
"We really do think this is the part that was very broken for us."
But Mr Halloran praised the "empathy" and "respect" shown from the army following his son's death, especially during his funeral in Brisbane.
"There was a hundred soldiers standing out in the rain and they carried him on to the gun carriage, and there was a salute, it was done in pouring rain and not one person flinched," he said.
"It was something we will never see or feel in our lifetime again.
"If Tom had seen it, he would have been proud too."
