I've always loved writing because I learn something new each and every time I tackle a story.
One of my recent assignments expanded my world in ways I couldn't imagine. I had the honor of doing a feature on the Fregoso Outdoor Foundation (http://www.fregosofoundation.org/), a California-based nonprofit that takes combat veterans from around the country on outdoor excursions and hunting trips as a way to help them heal and provide them with a well-deserved pat on the back. With no hunting background and little experience with combat veterans, I had much to learn.
For perspective, I interviewed Brett Miller, an Army Sergeant and Purple Heart recipient who was seriously injured in Iraq in August 2005 when a roadside bomb exploded six feet from his vehicle. Like many combat veterans, Brett sustained substantial injuries and was diagnosed with PTSD. He's a remarkable guy with an inspiration journey toward recovery.
Because I was writing for a general interest, family-oriented publication, I couldn't include some of our conversation, but wish I could have. It's important for civilians -- and more importantly our government -- to understand what our heroes go through upon their return and how much they and their families need and deserve every ounce of support we can provide. Here is some additional insight from Brett:
"When you're in Iraq for such a long time, you become used to a certain level of endorphins, whether it's from a random bullet zinging past your head or you're clearing rooms or finding landmines. Every combat veteran is an adrenaline junkie."
"Most veterans, including myself, had to get into this mindset once you got over there and make yourself realize you're already dead. You're not coming home alive. Then you can do your tasks and complete your goals in a feverish manner. You're not thinking about anything else."
"Then when they do come home alive, there's something missing, and they try and fill that void with risky activities, or drugs and alcohol. There are two kinds of injured veterans who arrive home. There are those who are going to wrap themselves around a telephone pole, and those who are never going to leave the house."
"That's why a lot of vets like to hunt. They are away from people and in a familiar environment. It sounds stupid to a civilian, but when you're a combat veteran, any time you have a weapon in your hands, it's like a pacifier. It's not about the killing. When we're sitting in the woods with a weapon in our lap...that's when we can finally relax."
"A lot of people have never actually met a combat veteran. Trips like these provide a chance for civilians to sit down with vets and actually hear their stories and understand what they are going through. It's beneficial for us vets, too. We get to hear their heartfelt gratitude and what’s on their mind. It means much more than just a handshake in a bar, or at the airport."
