The Unending War

The Unending War

There are often stories in the news of soldiers retuning from combat injured, but sometimes the injury is not a visible one. Many of the men and women in our armed forces suffer from the memories of pain and anguish they endured during combat. This dibiltating disorder is refered to as PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and i know first hand how serious it can be. Being diagnosed with the disorder while still in combat had made the remainder of my tour even more stressful, and then bringing the fight home has hindered my daily life almost to the breaking point at times. Also the way that i have been treated differently by friends and family is a daily reminder of what caused my disorder in the first place. Fighting with my own PTSD has made my life increasingly difficult.

It was during my tour to the war torn country of Iraq that i was first diagnosed with my disorder. My tour to Iraq with the United States Army began in August of 2006, and was to last a full fifteen months. I spent my time in a place affectionately know as the "Triangle Of Death", the area around Mahmudiyah in the southern provinces. Daily small arms fire and indirect fire was an almost expected background noise. The event that has been linked to myself having this disorder was the day i was shot for the first time. I sustained no permanent bodily harm, as the bullet had hit my body armor. What had followed afterwards would be as permanent in my mind as anything could be, as i watched one of my friends gunned down by the very people we were there to protect. Following that day my view on the war had changed, it had become my personal war. Controlling my own mind and trying to continue on routine missions proved to be the hardest thing i have ever had to do.

The long term affects of having Post Traumatic Stress Disorder have proven themselves very difficult to live with. While still in the service, thise who i worked and lived with helped more than they knew simply by not bringing...

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