I’m a medically retired E5 from the Army Military Police Corp. My story, like many of yours, is one of loss and hardship, so I’m not going to talk about that. I served my country in a time of war, saw more than my share of battle, and returned home to a completely different battlefield. In November of 2005, we shipped off to Ramadi, Iraq… By the time it was over… looking at the faces of my comrades… I noticed 2 things. 1. There was a lot fewer of us, and 2. We no longer had the look of young, excited kids anymore. I remember thinking we looked like my grandpa and his friends looked years later when they talk about the ‘good old days.
I’m a true believer now that if you look long enough into a person’s eyes, you can see where they’ve been. I have been blessed with a beautiful baby girl, and she is better than any therapy that the VA could offer to me. I am finally figuring out the roles that are important to me, a mother, a daughter, and a combat-proven bad a$$ female veteran, and I’m ok with that. I may never be the person I was before I joined, but I like to think that I am a better person because of what I’ve done, seen, lost, and been through. It’s all part of the journey-right!