Confessions....

This week one of my Peer-to-Peer Mentors stepped out of his comfort zone and posted this as his Facebook:
Been off-line for a while for some health issues. I feel that now the war is over I can come clean with problems that I have had because of the war. I never wanted to be taken out of the fight and when I finally was because of my drinking, I stuffed away all the other things that nobody knew about. To all my friends who were there with me I hope my words will help heal. To all of my friends who witnessed White 5 flash and blow apart I pray that some understanding comes from my words. I thank God every day I am here after that event. Nobody had lost legs or shrapnel wounds. We all know that was far to common and to not be among their numbers made me feel grateful. I have however over time had a deterioration of my left leg because of a small fracture between my L1 and S5 vertebrae. This was and still is hard for me to deal with as I was able to hide it and keep up with the platoon before however I am now starting to have to use a cane for balance. I won't let this issue stop me though, I just cannot hide it anymore. I am only putting all this out there all at once so I don't have to explain the retarded cane I am using for balance. It feels very uncomfortable when I get asked why I am using a cane when I am only 28 years old. That is the only secret that I have kept locked away since the beginning of my war. I got hurt.
This is far too common with our GWOT veterans.   One of the set questions that we ask during our initial assessment is "What do you want to be doing?  Where do you see yourself?"   They have all said that they want to be in combat with their units, their family.   I am blessed to be working along side and in the think of things with these young men and women.  But I have also been blessed to have the support of some equally amazing men and women from our Vietnam Era and War.   They have supported not just my passion for our military and veterans but have invested in my work with The Fight Continues.  They know that it was the hell that they went through that we have so many of our GWOT Veterans coming home today.   That is a blessing but for so many it is a mixed blessing.  They know that they are blessed to be with their families here but they feel as if they have abandoned their units, their military families for being here.   Then our military sends them out into the civilian world without support or transition assistance that is of any substance.   But at the same time, our civilian is not prepared either for the inundation we are started to experience and will continue to experience as the military downsizes.  As a whole, most have to admit that they do not understand what TBI even stands for let alone the impact it has on the individual, families, and potentially the community.   As a whole, most have to admit that they have no clue about PTSD beyond the stories that the media provides.  We have a society that is so, so sheltered.  I have seen the marriages and families that are being destroyed by the warrior's inability to accept that they still carry the horrors of war with them.   I have seen the wounded individuals that are afraid to go to sleep, afraid to go out into their communities, that are tired of answering the questions, tired of being stared at because they have had a limb amputated or three amputated or something like being 28 and needing a cane to keep their balance.   What this Marine has confessed is not isolated.   He is not the first and will not be the last.
What does our society need to do?   First, stop allowing the only knowledge you have of something be what the media chooses to let you see.   Not all homecomings are warm and fuzzy...most are not.   Education.   Start educating yourself about Combat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury due to multiple exposures to blasts/explosions.  Pressure on our elected officials.  Pressure?   Yes, remember that you as a constituency elected these individuals to do a job.  Hold them accountable for their decisions, their lack of decisions.  The vary individuals that have upheld the foundation of what our country was founded on, that pursuit of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness...are still waging battles but these are now battles that they are waging for their own freedom.   Freedom from horrors of war that do not share easily with others that have not walked in their shoes.   Freedom from the limitations that their physical wounds.   Freedom that we take for granite.