The Third Phase

Think back to boot camp for a moment. Were you scared the first time that you met your instructors? Were you intimidated, being awakened by clanging trash can lids as cymbals and intense screaming? Were you worried to jump in the water with 50lbs of gear and a rifle? Did the gas chamber instill considerable fear in you?

Of course you were scared, but you kicked ass and made it through. You didn’t have a choice.

Now think forward a bit to the time you were at war: did the nightmare of falling mortars keep you awake at night, ready to snap alert at the sound of any blast? Did you watch roof tops and windows, waiting for the sniper bullet that might slice through your head? Did you fear the piles of trash and the bombs that hid beneath them? Did your training save you?

Maybe you experienced all those things. They’re common experiences of the contemporary wars. And unlike at basic training, the result of those very real situations damaged us -- some mentally, some physically, some with death. But we made it through. The skills we learned before the fighting allowed us to implement our training to be proficient in war.

Maybe you called in an air strike. Maybe you charged room to room. Maybe you consoled a dying man. Maybe you wore his blood.

But what about after the war?

There are thousands of circumstances we’ve been through, and unlimited reactions to these challenges.

There’s no predicting the permutations concerning our psychology and spirit that no one’s trained us for after the fighting.

You’ve learned the skills of combat. You’ve survived the war. You’d be mistaken to think that your education is over.

You’ve got to learn how to be a healthy person again. No one else can do that for you, but there are millions of us – fellow veterans, proud Americans, family members and friends --who want to help your achieve this personal growth. For that purpose, this is why this website exists. I don’t want this to become a cliché but it’s true. Here, you are not alone.

As always, please join the conversation. What have you learned after the war?

Next week I will be posting a practical field guide for coming home. I’m not a master of anything, but I’ve learned a lot in my life, especially after returning from Iraq. I would be honored if you would listen.

Connect with Dario online:

Personal Website (Free Writing, Podcast, Dario in the Media, Biography, Books, Blogs)

20 Something Magazine (Editor-in-Chief, Creator)

JMWW Literary Journal (Senior Nonfiction Editor)

The Veterans Writing Project (Instructor, Nonfiction Editor)

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