I Placed • The Havok Journal

Laughingly, I thought it was funny- the list of chicks the guys would bang downrange at the FOB until I saw my name on the bathroom wall.

What?

Arrogantly, I had thought I was different from the rest of the women deployed- “One of the guys,” if you would.

Shockingly, I was mistaken.

Humbled, I realized I hadn’t earned a place in their ranks, after all, just a place on a makeshift toilet stall.

HELMAND, Afghanistan (Aug. 2, 2010) Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Claire E. Ballante, left, assigned to the Female Engagement Team (FET), patrols with 1st Battalion 2d Marines in Musa Qa’leh, Afghanistan. Members of the FET are building relationships with Afghan citizens by providing health assistance, hygiene supplies, and a security presence to support of the International Security Assistance Force. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Lindsay L. Sayres/Released) Source.

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This first appeared in The Havok Journal on April 20, 2022.

Lori Butierriesis a full-time caregiver to two children with disabilities. She uses her life experiences and the medical knowledge she gained from serving as a Hospital Corpsman in the United States Navy to help others facing similar hardships. Lori is an author for The Havok Journal, an official columnist for AwareNow Magazine, and a contributor to The Mighty. Likewise, other news sites like MSN and Yahoo! News have also republished select articles Lori has written.

Lori’s writing extends to children’s literature. Her debut picture book, GIFT FROM GOD, was self-published at the beginning of 2021 and placed as a finalist in two categories in the 2021 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Lori’s long-term goals are to use her writing to educate others about, advocate for, and dismantle negative stereotypes regarding disability, mental health, and the military/veterans community.

As the Voice of the Veteran Community, The Havok Journal seeks to publish a variety of perspectives on a number of sensitive subjects. Unless specifically noted otherwise, nothing we publish is an official point of view of The Havok Journal or any part of the U.S. government.