I saw her in the pre-op holding area one day, and her usual composure was gone. “Are you OK?” I asked. She didn’t answer. She stared past Continue Reading
Veterans
Ride Along
By Evan Young Weaver A late 1960s, used, white-top, tan-bodied Toyota FJ Troopy. That’s what my dad drove. The dog was Hairy Ass Trueman by name Continue Reading
Lifting of the Veil: Existential Struggles of Combat Veterans
By Chris Frueh, PhD “Trying to fit all warriors into the typical DSM PTSD paradigm or blaming violence is totally out of touch with who we are. The Continue Reading
Misfire Procedures
I was tired. It was mid-morning January 3rd and all I could think about was getting back to bed when the day was over. My fourth or fifth mug of Continue Reading
One Step at a Time: Delayed-Onset PTSD
My terminally ill son brought back memories of the war in Afghanistan. For years, I kept quiet about my deployment and suppressed anything associated Continue Reading
The Journey of Transformation: From Civilian to Warrior, From Warrior to Citizen
There is a profound transformation that happens when an individual steps forward to serve. A civilian makes the choice to become a warrior—not simply Continue Reading
An Open Letter to the VA and the Trump Administration
By Dan Hollaway This originally published in Dan's Substack. There is a tendency in modern politics to talk about veterans as if they are a cost Continue Reading
Words Mean Things – Setting the Conditions Before and After Service
The military is very good at setting conditions. We set conditions for success before a mission ever begins, through planning, language, Continue Reading
Before the Cut
The dream is back. I’m an Operating Room (OR) nurse again. The dreams always return when I get too close to the years I’ve sealed away. I’m in a Continue Reading
You Sent Us to War Now Listen
My war has been over for nearly two decades. I took off the uniform, balled it up, and shoved it deep inside a musty green Army duffel bag. It now Continue Reading
Finding Fulfillment: “A Warriors Quest for Serenity”
By Chuck Ritter This first appeared in Objective Arete and is republished with permission. In your mind’s eye, travel far ahead into the Continue Reading
The Weight of It
“Thank goodness! That’s it?” The words left my mouth before I could stop them. The doctor’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “That’s not the response Continue Reading