Corporal Adam Fry joined Defence 11 years ago and serves as a life support supervisor for 16 Aviation Support Battalion at RAAF Base Townsville, looking after all the gear that aircrew wear when flying or awaiting rescue after an accident.
"It's something I care deeply about, and I'm currently studying a Bachelor of Aviation Management online to extend my skills," Corporal Fry said.
At work, Corporal Fry experienced major issues with a supervisor.
"This had a massive impact on my career, my enjoyment, my family, my everything, and I went from being a very optimistic, positive person to being very depressed," he said.
"For the first half of 2025, my days often started with sitting on the side of my bed crying as I reflected on having to go to work as the sole income provider in my family."
While receiving treatment for his mental health, Corporal Fry came across a Defence email about the ADF ARRTS program, spoke to a doctor about it, and received strong support to take part.
ARRTS, which stands for Arts for Recovery, Resilience, Teamwork and Skills, is a four-week live-in program held twice a year at the University of Canberra. It involves experienced mentors teaching music, creative writing and visual art techniques to help participants discover new outlets and enhance their wellbeing.
'It's like you're [on] a retreat where you get to connect with yourself, hear other people's stories, realise that you've got common ground and aren't alone. You can cry and bleed together.'
Corporal Fry chose to hone his skills in creative writing.
"One of my passions outside work is role-playing games (RPGs), which often involve my three kids. These need to be underpinned by a story that describes the characters in the game, their skills and attributes, the world they live in, and the quests they can undertake," he said.
"I came to ARRTS intending to finish a novel based on an RPG and wrote 13,000 words."
When Corporal Fry asked one of his mentors, a multi-award-winning Australian author, if he could review 5000 words of his story, his mentor said he could only do the first 1000 words.
"On the next day, he entered the room pretending to be angry, saying 'I don't like you! Because I wanted to know what happened next, I've actually reviewed the whole 5000 words and they were fabulous'," Corporal Fry said.
Corporal Fry also wrote a dark version of Mary Had a Little Lamb, which he called Mary, and read it out at the celebration showcase that every ARRTS program culminates in.
"I was so nervous that my hands were shaking, but my voice was clear and I got a great reaction from the audience, which included my aunt and a work colleague," he said.
"My wife and three kids also watched online from Townsville, and that meant a lot."
'The best and hardest things were listening to people's stories about their lived experiences.'
Corporal Fry found the connections he formed with the other participants very special. A meaningful aspect of the community was everyone's willingness to share personal pain.
"The best and hardest things were listening to people's stories about their lived experiences," Corporal Fry said.
He said some of the other participants also went through what he did, which he described as bullying, but they had it worse.
"[Yet] they're still great humans, which really inspires me," he said.
Despite his experience, Corporal Fry plans to continue serving in Defence and build on what he learnt at ARRTS.
"I'd like to stay until retirement - I love my job and now feel so much better," he said.
"I've put up a huge plywood board in our DHA [Defence Housing Australia] house where I've been posting my writing along with novel ideas and proposals for new RPG worlds."
He recommends that other personnel also engage with ARRTS if they're facing challenges.
"It's like you're [on] a retreat where you get to connect with yourself, hear other people's stories, realise that you've got common ground and aren't alone. You can cry and bleed together."
The next ADF ARRTS program is running in Canberra from May 10 to June 5. Applications close April 6.
