A former navy clearance diver was left "broken" after receiving a report from the military about the details of his brother's suicide at a post office.
Royal Australian Air Force Leading Aircraftman Andrew Armfield took his own life in 2011, but it took a decade before his family was given an internal report by the Australian Defence Force.
Adding to their heartbreak, LAC Armfield's brother only found out about the report's existence after the ADF told him it would be given to an inquiry into veteran suicide prevention.
John Armfield was highly commended by the navy for his service, and held back tears as he gave evidence at the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide on Wednesday.
The former petty officer placed a photo of his brother as a child on the witness box, before detailing how the military's treatment of him exacerbated his anguish.
Mr Armfield had not known the report was contained in a package sent by the ADF in August 2021, which he had to pick up at a post office.
"I was sitting in my car broken," he said.
"I'd loyally served my nation, I'd recruited for my nation, and this is how they were giving me the report into my little brother's death.
"They left me on my own ... to deal with this. I sat there and sobbed. I couldn't take it home to my family."
Mr Armfield spoke about the guilt he felt, after having moved into a recruitment role for the military to encourage other people to join.
"I felt so many emotions of culpability myself for recruiting into this organisation," he said.
Mr Armfield said when he tried to raise issues of accountability, he was shut down by senior people in the ADF.
Accusing the military of a "cover up" he said there was a two-tiered culture, with one set of rules for the officers and another for the enlisted.
Mr Armfield left the navy after a 20-year career.
At the closing of his evidence, inquiry chair Nick Kaldas thanked the veteran for his courage in speaking up.
"The most concerning aspect was that these events took place while the royal commission was sitting," he said.
"All the things that we've heard about today and that are included in your statement were carried out by people ... with I have to say an air of impunity, from senior people within the ADF and those above them have done nothing to hold anyone to account."
The royal commission will hand down its final report in early September, after a three-month extension was granted.
An interim report was released in August 2022 and made 13 urgent recommendations for the federal government.
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