“My first tour in Iraq was nuts. Constant gunfights and mortar attacks. We were right on the Syrian border and it made for a lot of action. Some of the attacks were also really sophisticated. There was one where they created three vehicle-borne improvised explosives (VBIDs). They put them in a fire truck, concrete truck, and SUV to try to force their way onto our base. The attack failed but it was a wild forty-five minutes after those blew up.

I have an 80 percent disabled rating due to PTSD and TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) from my time as a Marine. I volunteer with AMVETS and have since 2004. It’s right in the area I grew up in and is part of the local community.

Being part of the early stages of the war and as an infantryman, I wish the VA had been more prepared to help guys like me transition. There are not a lot of tangible skills to take from the infantry to the civilian world. But no matter what, my mantra in life is still to adapt and overcome. Whether you have small issues or big issues, you need to figure out how to deal with them. You need to solve them to move on. You need to be able to make it work.”