He who dares wins is the SAS motto. Well, Jason Pore dared, but he didn't win,... BOOM! ...put his life on the line for his country,... How about if I called his treatment 'the menu of embarrassment'? > ...one of our bravest, one of our finest. They shat on him. He lost a leg. It finished his career. I've been kicked in the guts a few times. The unfathomable fall of a war hero. BANG! Copyright Able 2013 Kia ora. I'm Miriama Kamo. Jason Pore was sent overseas on a high-risk, high-security mission, An SAS soldier in an elite combat unit, one of our bravest and best. So you would think, wouldn't you, that when Jason was blown up by a Taliban landmine, he'd be looked after. Not so. He lost a leg, ended his career and now will lose his home. How could things turn so bad? Here's Peter Cronshaw. CHOPPER BLADES WHIRR For more than a decade, the SAS's involvement in Afghanistan has been shrouded in secrecy. Now, for the first time, one of the regiment's elite is telling his story. I think I probably would have been one of the first,... uh, casualties, if you look at it. Jason Pore's life was changed forever in 2002. When deep in Taliban territory, his vehicle hit a landmine just like this. BOOM! When the accident happened, the most impact came on my side. I pretty much got knocked out. My dog tags came up off my chest and went down my throat. Um, one of the lads, uh, pulled those dog tags out and I, sort of, started breathing. All right, and I can remember that time. I just told him, 'Man, I'm on fire. 'All right, just get the, uh, flames and metal out of me.' CRASHING The mine destroyed the front end of Jason's vehicle. I was actually quite fortunate, cos I had about six 40-mil grenade launcher rounds attached to my left leg. And I was quite lucky that those didn't go off at the time. It would take a rescue helicopter eight hours to get to Jason's aid. I was going in and out of consciousness. We used up all our IVs, all our morphine at the time. The blast shredded his left foot and badly damaged his right leg. I can remember actually waking up in the helicopter, all right, and the guys got a bit of a fright and hit me with some more morphine and then I went back to sleep. And the next thing I remember, I was in some, uh... like, a MASH unit in the middle of nowhere. I can remember waking up again and there were two people beside me. Then I got knocked out and I woke up again, and I was the only one left there, so the other two in that unit had died. Jason survived the bomb blast, but it would prove the death of his military career. Are you angry? > Are you angry? > Yeah, pretty much. How's that feel? How's that feel? Good. Surgeons managed to save Jason's right foot. So, is it in here that you're feeling a bit of the pain? A lot of the pain is up through here where the plates are on both sides of my leg. But there was little they could do for the left, which was amputated below the knee. Um, everyone has asked, um, 'Have you had phantom pains?' I mean, I think I must be quite fortunate ` not once, yeah. Right from day one, Jason and his wife, Simone, have been philosophical about his horrendous injuries. I knew that he had some damage to the legs and whatnot, and I just, sort of, lifted the bed sheet. The jewels were good, so I was happy. (LAUGHS) But the couple have always struggled with the army's treatment of Jason and the fact that he received no compensation from the NZ Defence Force. I'm not angry at the guys,... (SIGHS) I mean, cos they` they're awesome ` you know, the guys supported me; I'm just a bit, um... a bit pissed about the actual system of the, uh, defence force and, yeah, how they, um, treat one of their, um... their wounded soldiers, I suppose. He still won't say that the army betrayed him. I think they let him down. In the days that followed the accident, there was no shortage of high-powered sympathy. The prime minister, Helen Clark, wrote and thanked Jason for his sacrifices. The minister of defence, Mark Burton, promised he would receive the rehabilitation support he needs. And the governor general, Silvia Cartwright, assured Simone, 'Everything possible will be done to assist Jason.' But they would prove hollow words. We received letters from the prime minister and the governor general, in writing, saying that we would do what we can to support you. Hmm. There wasn't much support. In the war against terror, Jason was NZ's first serious casualty. That mine changed Jason's life forever? No doubt about that, uh, and it really forced us to have a look at the way we train our forces, at the way we protect our forces. Brigadier Peter Kelly is the NZ Army's deputy chief. In terms of his treatment post-accident, I've heard the word 'deplorable' used. Yeah, well, it's not a word that I would use to describe it. How about if I called his treatment 'an embarrassing menu'? How about if I called his treatment 'an embarrassing menu'? No, I would take exception to that. Jason first and foremost is a member of the NZ SAS. And with regards to how the NZSAS looks after its soldiers, I can tell you that is not a word that we would use. Well, I can tell you that is a phrase you have used. These internal military documents obtained by Sunday clearly spell out the Jason Pore story was a skeleton in the army's closet that they hoped would never get out. READS: 'From an NZDF, army and unit perspective, it has the potential to become an embarrassing menu 'should a national magazine or newspaper obtain knowledge of this matter.' An embarrassing menu. > Yeah, um... Yeah, um... That's not my words; that's the army's. Yeah, and the fact is, uh, and I... I know the commander who wrote that, and, um, we are compelled by the legislation of the time, and that has not changed. Is it 'an embarrassing menu'? Is it 'an embarrassing menu'? No, it's not. No, absolutely not. I, uh... I do feel for Jason. I would say that, uh, had he stayed in, he could have had a good career with the SAS. They were going to look after him, without a word of doubt. But these documents tell a different story. They reveal Jason was struggling financially, in need of welfare assistance and feeling increasingly demoralised. MAN: READS: 'Lance Cpl Pore's rehabilitation and employment is not the issue here. '...which has impacted on his personal life and subsequently his relationship with his wife...' Anyone would expect, you have an accident, um, you're covered, they will make sure that you're pretty comfortable. Were you ever told or led to believe that Jason was insured? Yes. Yes, we were. I attended the meeting. What meeting? What meeting? A briefing before they were deployed to Afghanistan. And, um, one of the, um, guys' wives asked about insurance and said... you know, asked if we were insured, if they were insured, and the answer was yes. In a written statement to Sunday, the NZ Defence Force seemed to intimate Jason was the master of his own misfortune because he chose not to buy into the army's insurance scheme. He had no army group life insurance: that's a voluntary scheme that people can opt into or not. That's not true. Jason was a member ` that statement is wrong. Can I have a look at that? Can I have a look at that? Yeah. Cos... 'Military records show Jason was paying $16.20 a fortnight for his army cover.' Why has the NZ Defence Force misled me? Look, I haven't seen that particular form you are referring to, but if Jason did have army group life insurance, it might not alter the fact that he won't get any more compensation from them, because they'll make the determination based on the level of disability. I would have thought one lost leg and another full of tin would be a significant disability. In fact, his commanders called it a permanent disability. In Jason's case they determined that the level of disability with losing his left leg, the impairment from that wouldn't prevent him from finding a full-time employment. At the end of the day, a disability pension and ACC were the only compensation available to Jason ` something that irked the army's senior commanders, including its then chief, Jerry Mateparae, who said,... POIGNANT MUSIC I fell under ACC, which is, um, pretty much a car accident on a motorway in Auckland. That was pretty much it. That was pretty much it. Did you get any compensation from the army? Nothing. Nothing. No compensation? No, nothing at all. No, nothing at all. Are you bitter? No, nothing at all. Are you bitter? Yeah, I am sort of bitter. Afghanistan changed Jason's life forever. The blast left him a broken man, and it seemed to him the army had no place for an broken warrior. How do you tell a SAS man you're no good to them any more, they don't want you any more? It's hard. After the break ` what becomes of an amputee soldier, and why is the government chasing him for half a million dollars? The system here has shafted him. 1 Tougher, stronger, faster ` the NZ SAS live by the motto 'Who dares wins'. They are human assault machines, and there is no room for broken warriors. BOOM! It felt like, you know, they didn't really care about us; you know, we didn't mean anything to them. And J at the time ` you know, he felt like he wasn't worth anything. The Defence Force insists Jason was treated fairly and equitably and there always was a place for him in the military. But rising through the ranks isn't easy for a one-legged soldier. In order to obtain career advancement, you had to pass further courses? Further courses, yep. Further courses, yep. Which involved fitness? Yep, and physical activity, including, um, maybe a couple of weeks out in the field, carrying packs, um, equipment. carrying packs, um, equipment. Was that a realistic expectation? Um, at that time, no. Um, at that time, no. So there was no way you could pass? No, and I expressed my concerns. No, and I expressed my concerns. And what did the army say? Basically, they didn't have an answer. I pretty much got placed in a, uh, training room office and I was a, uh, secretary. But Jason didn't join the army to become a secretary, and these confidential documents show his career fears were well founded. READS: 'As a career soldier, he had the potential to be a senior non-commissioned officer 'or possibly a warrant officer within the unit, and this has been... '...but due to the nature of his employment at the time.' We did look after Jason. You know, I disagree with some of your comments. You know, Jason could've had a job for life with the SAS. But they aren't my comments ` they're recorded in here, in your own documentation. I still disagree with those comments. Crippled physically and financially, Jason says he had no option but to leave the army. They didn't know how to deal with someone, OK, and, uh, with a disability all that. Um, yeah, they... there's no development plan, there was no future ` there was nothing. The government, in terms of the army, they shat on him. You know, I feel they... they... And he... he just said, 'OK, Simone, let's get up and let's go.' And he did. He said to me, 'We've got to let this go. You know, we've got to move forward.' And, you know, I just... I was so angry at that time, and he just said, 'Come on ` let's move forward.' For Jason, moving forward meant putting his life on the line in Iraq, doing security work. There was a big drive to get as many security guys over into Iraq, and the special forces were top of the list. In his eyes and in mine, you know,... that's what he needed to do to bring money in for our family. Ironically, the Defence Force now sees that as vindication for not paying disability compensation. When he left the unit, he gained really good employment and did a great job overseas. Yeah, that's all credit to Jason,... not the army. Admittedly, he's had good training, but it's testament to his never-say-die attitude. Which is a testament ` you're right ` to him, but also the fact that physically, he was able to overcome that impairment. So when we talk about the permanent disability that Jase had, he was able to, sort of, manage that and get full-time employment. In Iraq, long trousers concealed the fact Jason was an amputee. For two years, this hostile country was effectively his home and place of work. The money was good initially. The money was good initially. How much were you earning? The money was good initially. How much were you earning? About 500 bucks a day. That is good money. That is good money. Yeah, it's really good money. But life was about to throw Jason another curve ball. His employment contract clearly stated he would be subject to Iraqi tax laws, but unbeknown to him at the time, no tax was paid. And because he owned a house in NZ, supported family here and came back on a regular basis for medical treatment, Inland Revenue said he had an enduring relationship with NZ and hit him with a $125,000 tax bill. What was your reaction? You've got to be kidding me. You've got to be kidding me. You know, my initial thought was, 'Oh, this is just... this is ridiculous. You know?' We had the piece of paper saying that we were paying taxes, and that was OK. But what got me was, 'We want it now.' You didn't compensate Jase at all, and you've got the audacity as a government department to turn up on our doorstep and say, 'We want $120,000 out of you.' With Jason still working overseas, Simone says she was forced to acknowledge the debt as power of attorney. < Why did you sign? Because they threatened me with prison and said that if I didn't sign it, I'd go to jail. And, you know, I was, like, you've got to be kidding. Could you pay? Could you pay? No. No, we couldn't pay. (LAUGHS) We didn't have $120,000 sitting in the bank. From the moment the debt was acknowledged, penalties and interest were applied every month. Jason and his wife were now on the fast track to financial ruin. Is Jason a tax dodger? Not at all. Not at all. He's... He has always paid his taxes. By the time accountant Charles Fletcher took over the file, the debt had nearly doubled. So he wrote to IRD, asking for the case to be reviewed on compassionate grounds. It would take IRD a year to respond to that letter. So let me get this straight. When you took over the file,... So let me get this straight. When you took over the file,... Yes. ...you wrote to inland revenue,... ...you wrote to inland revenue,... Yes. ...you wrote to inland revenue,... Yes. ...outlining your concerns,... Yes. Yes. ...asking for a review and a settlement. Yes. Yes. And it took them a year to respond? Yes. Yes. And during that time they continued to add penalties? Oh, yes. Oh, yes. More interest? Oh, yes. More interest? Yes. Yes. Every day. Is that fair? Is that fair? It's disgusting. It's disgraceful. Right from the outset, Jason has acknowledged the debt. I'm willing to pay it back. I'm not hiding anything. I just want to just continue with my life. But to continue with his life and get the IRD off his back, Jason now has to find nearly half a million dollars. I just won't be able to manage that. He's offered the IRD his war pension and tried to borrow against his house. But he can't do that, because the IRD have taken a judgement against him, affecting his credit rating. The system here has shafted him. You really believe that? You really believe that? Yeah, totally. Totally. Unable to pay the IRD nearly half a million dollars, Jason is resigned to the fact that he will almost certainly lose his house and face bankruptcy. It's more than a house. All right, it's a place where we all come together as a family. So am I gonna lose the house? Probably, yeah. I'm pretty bitter about that, but at the end of the day, you know, a house is just a material. All right? Um,... you've still got your family. OK, that's the most important ` OK, family and friends. Once a proud member of the army's elite, Jason's one hope is that his story will encourage the military to take better care of its wounded and broken soldiers. The insurance has been addressed because we now have a compulsory scheme where everyone is covered. So the minute they go on operations, if they are killed on operations, they will be paid three to four times the salary. Yeah, but forget death ` what would a soldier get if they lost a leg, just like Jason? They will receive a payment, but it probably isn't the equivalent of someone who is killed in operations. What sort of payment, how much are we talking? > Uh, well, in the ballpark figure, if a deceased soldier is killed in operations, then the compensation, the insurance will be three to four times their salary ` it's sort of in that price range. it's sort of in that price range. Losing a leg, though? it's sort of in that price range. Losing a leg, though? I couldn't tell you. Do you think Jason should have been better compensated? Do you think Jason should have been better compensated? Um, well, it's not for me to say. After the break ` the man who is about to lose it all is giving his all for those less fortunate. Whoo-hoo! (CHUCKLES) That could be a simple mistake. Or a deliberate move for a long-term advantage. Or a deliberate move for a long-term advantage. Perhaps. But, no, you're someone who plans ahead. I'm thinking you don't make a move unless you've thought things through. And if you don't have an answer, you'll find someone who does. Make the right move. Ask how the ANZ KiwiSaver scheme can help you achieve your long-term goals. Nice move. So, Jason Pore, an elite soldier whose career was ended by a Taliban bomb and driven to the wall by a tax debt. But he's still fighting. INSPIRING MUSIC Jason Pore is not your average Kiwi bloke. MAN: Now, today, all know the road ahead of us is long. We caught up with him on a 200km bike race in Perth, Australia,... Whoo-hoo! ...raising money for cancer victims. You can either back down and, um, moan about the whole world,... Day one of this epic journey. I think I'm about, uh, 95 K into it. Feeling good. Feeling good. ...or you get off your feet, make something out of your life, all right, and keep moving forwards. Jason's life has had more twists and turns than a bike race. How many times have you cheated death? How many times have you cheated death? Obviously, Afghanistan... and in Iraq. Um, yeah,... Africa ` probably about half a dozen times there. So you've cheated death, but you can't beat the taxman? So you've cheated death, but you can't beat the taxman? Yeah, pretty much. The military left him physically disabled, the IRD have left him financially crippled, but that SAS motto 'Who dares wins' is deeply ingrained. I went to Iraq to try and make a future, make some money, all right, to support us. The option was there. That was the only place where I could go to at that time cos of my skill factor, all right, still half injured, and I took the risk and I went there. Now I've gone back, I suppose, 10 years and gone back to rock bottom, and, you know, I'll just start again. You go and get 'em, Jason. You're doing really well. Keep going. There is no way Jason can ever pay his half-million-dollar tax bill, but it is testimony to the character of the man that he's determined to help others. I've been kicked in the guts a few times. You know, I've gone down and I got back up. Are you getting sick of getting kicked in the guts? Are you getting sick of getting kicked in the guts? Yeah, pretty much, um,... but I don't wanna give up. We've just gotta keep trying. You like a challenge, don't you? You like a challenge, don't you? Yeah. Yep. Always like a challenge. You've got to. (CHUCKLES) Yeah! 20 K to go. Whoo-hoo! On this day, Jason the wounded warrior helped raise $126,000 for cancer victims. MAN: Well done, Jason. Welcome home. He's broken and broke, but determined to fight on for those who can't fight for themselves. I'm here. Made it. Epic journey. I think, uh, without a challenge, I don't know ` you might fall over and die. Can't do that. Now, in the last couple of days, Sunday got an email from the Defence Force. It says, 'The NZ Defence Force understands no insurance claim has been made to date. 'However, we are working with the insurance company to understand if there is a scope for any payment 'under the insurance policy that covered Mr Pore at the time of his release from the NZ Defence Force.' Why has it taken 11 years? Well, we'll keep an eye on it for you. Thanks for joining us. We'll see you next week. Po marie.