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TOP 10 THINGS COMBAT VETS WHANT YOU TO KNOW

Sat, 20 Oct 2012 10:01:57 -0400

1. He is addicted to war, although he loves you. War is horrible, but there is nothing like a life-and-death fight to make you feel truly alive. The adrenaline rush is tremendous, and can never be replaced. Succeeding in combat defines a warrior, places him in a brotherhood where he is always welcome and understood. The civilian world has its adrenaline junkies as well; just ask any retired firefighter, police officer, or emergency room staff if they miss it.

2. Living for you is harder. It would be easy for him to die for you because he loves you. Living for you, which is what you actually want, is harder for him. It is even harder for him if you are smart and do not need him to rescue you, since rescuing is something he does really well. If you are very competent at many things, he may at times question if you need him at all. He may not see that you stay with him as a conscious choice.

3. “The training kicks in” means something very different to him. It is direct battle doctrine that when ambushed by a superior force, the correct response is “Apply maximum firepower and break contact.” A warrior has to be able to respond to threat with minimal time pondering choices. While this is life-saving in combat, it is not helpful in the much slower-paced civilian world. A better rule in the civilian world would be to give a reaction proportionate to the provocation. Small provocation, small response (but this could get you killed on the battlefield). When the training becomes second nature, a warrior might take any adrenaline rush as a cue to “apply maximum firepower.” This can become particularly unfortunate if someone starts to cry. Tears are unbearable to him; they create explosive emotions in him that can be difficult for him to control. Unfortunately, that can lead to a warrior responding to strong waves of guilt by applying more “maximum firepower” on friends, family, or unfortunate strangers.

4. He is afraid to get attached to anyone because he has learned that the people you love get killed, and he cannot face that pain again. He may make an exception for his children (because they cannot divorce him), but that will be instinctual and he will probably not be able to explain his actions.

5. He knows the military exists for a reason. The sad fact is that a military exists ultimately to kill people and break things. This was true of our beloved “Greatest Generation” warriors of WWII, and it remains true to this day. Technically, your warrior may well be a killer, as are his friends. He may have a hard time seeing that this does not make him a murderer. Although they may look similar at first glance, he is a sheepdog protecting the herd, not a wolf trying to destroy it. The emotional side of killing in combat is complex. He may not know how to feel about what he’s seen or done, and he may not expect his feelings to change over time. Warriors can experiences moments of profound guilt, shame, and self-hatred. He may have experienced a momentary elation at “scoring one for the good guys,” then been horrified that he celebrated killing a human being. He may view himself as a monster for having those emotions, or for having gotten used to killing because it happened often. One of my Marines recommended On Killingby Dave Grossman, and I would pass that recommendation on.

6. He’s had to cultivate explosive anger in order to survive in combat. He may have grown up with explosive anger (violent alcoholic father?) as well.

7. He may have been only nineteen when he first had to make a life and death decision for someone else. What kind of skills does a nineteen-year-old have to deal with that kind of responsibility? One of my veterans put it this way: “You want to know what frightening is? It’s a nineteen-year-old boy who’s had a sip of that power over life and death that war gives you. It’s a boy who, despite all the things he’s been taught, knows that he likes it. It’s a nineteen-year-old who’s just lost a friend, and is angry and scared, and determined that some *%#& is gonna pay. To this day, the thought of that boy can wake me from a sound sleep and leave me staring at the ceiling.”

8. He may believe that he’s the only one who feels this way; eventually he may realize that at least other combat vets understand. On some level, he doesn’t want you to understand, because that would mean you had shared his most horrible experience, and he wants someone to remain innocent.

9. He doesn’t understand that you have a mama bear inside of you, that probably any of us could kill in defense of someone if we needed to. Imagine your reaction if someone pointed a weapon at your child. Would it change your reaction if a child pointed a weapon at your child?

10. When you don’t understand, he needs you to give him the benefit of the doubt. He needs you also to realize that his issues really aren’t about you, although you may step in them sometimes. Truly, the last thing he wants is for you to become a casualty of his war.

beardtoken: Alright, impromptu beardtoken giveaway. This is...

Fri, 05 Oct 2012 04:01:43 -0400

beardtoken:

Alright, impromptu beardtoken giveaway. This is that game where if you reblog this you’re automatically entered to win. I’ll give away one beardtoken coin, and one beardtoken keychain. I’ll announce the winners on Monday, Oct. 8th.

Cheap entertainment!

If you don’t know what a beard token is, click here.

Marc Retmier KIA Afghanistan 18jun08. You are missed bud and...

Mon, 18 Jun 2012 08:51:47 -0400

Marc Retmier KIA Afghanistan 18jun08. You are missed bud and will never be forgotten.

fuckyeahhockey: no limits broptimus: YES MY GOD YES Amazing

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 06:24:37 -0400

fuckyeahhockey:

no limits

broptimus:

YES MY GOD YES

Amazing

Haha

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:05:18 -0500

Haha

Even caps fans have to put on fake smiles for Christmas

Sun, 25 Dec 2011 09:00:58 -0500

Even caps fans have to put on fake smiles for Christmas

Twigs.....

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 06:53:39 -0500

Anyone that has broken hockey sticks or sticks they dont use anymore save them. Sooner or later im gonna try and make something out of sticks, picture frame, chair, bar something. Pass to your friends please.

Advice

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 13:48:30 -0500

Be polite to everyone you meet, but have a plan to kill them if the need arises………….bad advice.

Yeah, we laid there for awhile getting shot at…..i took a...

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 08:04:02 -0500

Yeah, we laid there for awhile getting shot at…..i took a nap.

Photo

Fri, 20 May 2011 10:06:47 -0400

Photo

Thu, 19 May 2011 07:03:37 -0400

Photo

Thu, 19 May 2011 06:54:29 -0400

Photo

Wed, 18 May 2011 15:48:57 -0400

project....

Wed, 18 May 2011 13:07:31 -0400

My new project is going to be posting a picture of every beer I try. I keep every bottle at home so ill start with the back log and keep it going. Ill also write if I liked it or not.

RIP christopher rangel

Fri, 06 May 2011 06:17:20 -0400

KIA May 6, 2010 Marjah, Afghanistan. Rest in peace chris, you will never be forgotten.

Video

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:16:11 -0400

Deployment.....

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 13:27:43 -0400

So the time has come for me to leave this wonderful place(side note……guy next to me just farted). I’ve had lots of good times and lots of not so good times. And I realized that these people here do not care. All they want to do is farm their fields no matter what. Even when there is a fire fight they are still out there farming. So I’m glad I am leaving this place, it smells, its dirty, and there is nothing good here. Here I come Omerica and here I come lovely wife Christina.

hey....

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 12:09:15 -0400

still doin good, minus the other day. but im heading back out as soon as i can catch a fflight. wish me more luck kids! miss you all.

Man Love....And Mom Love

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 07:41:20 -0500

Justin

hey baby

5:10pmErad

hey

5:10pmJustin

my mom jus told me she’s sending me like 6 hustler mags

5:11pmErad

nice, see if she can send me a pair of used under garments

5:11pmJustin

ha ha ha

My Best Friend

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 13:28:21 -0500

jonkross:

Dear Bradley,

                I write this now regretfully because of the situation that has been given to you where you will be in Afghanistan fighting alongside your marine division. They could not have a better corpsman, soldier, or friend with them for the next year. Bradley you have been my best friend for the past six to seven years. We have traveled the country, worked together, had the deepest of conversations, and have grown up together. When I think of our lives and the paths that they have crossed I am so grateful. You have really grown up so much. No one ever thought that the kid who used to eat blueberries in the closet because he was hiding from his brother’s chore list or the guy who had shown no and I mean absolutely no common sense would be the first of us to get married, buy a house, and settle into a lifelong career.

                I remember a friendship that started in a movie theatre between two employees who equally enjoyed kicking kids out for talking on their cell phones during movies and the countless bags of popcorn and candy that were left and needed two goofy bastards to clean it up. From the K10 crew going bowling at Brunswick to me trying to sell you my firebird for as I described it “one hell of a price” it was a good first year.

                Then came Cucina, and the nights in the back parking lot with nothing to do but play Frisbee, take pictures, and drink the coke products that were so readily available to us because of our skills to evade our boss. Fancy Fridays re-defined our pizza deliveries and occasionally brought in the big money tips. Nate joined the trio at this point and we spent countless nights at NIU to join up with lauri pat Tim and Tyler. The random road trips where we were able to just start driving and wind up in the most random of places, especially when you would not fill your gas tank leading to us pushing your truck miles upon miles in order to find the next fill up station or when you decide to drive through a snow bank that required all 3 of us to push out the S10. The first epic trip to Florida for your dad’s wedding. The nights in Orlando high-rises drinking in the same area as the police officers convention.

                Graduation and senior year prom were some good times that I will never forget. Prom night, cooking food on the pallets in my back yard during bonfires. The night before graduation when we could not think of anything better to do then drive to my cottage in Michigan just to see the beach and then drive back. And one of my favorite memories is when I received my diploma, confidently walked down the isle and you proceeded to stand up and tackle me right in the middle of the ceremony with both of us yelling, “SKIP!, BRADLEY! SKIP! BRADLEY!” the only thing comparable to that moment was driving away from that school windows down, hats and gowns blowing in the wind, and boys of summer blasting on the radio.

Then Nate was deployed and you soon after, but it wasn’t a quiet departure, I remember the parties at my house that led to all nighters, bon fires bigger then a car, and a hot tub filled waaaay past the overflow limit. We came to see you at Great Lakes and picked you up as much as possible. We did some crazy jeep riding with the top down and the highway open, we met castle and spent our days living for the weekends when you would come home on break. I remember hiding in the scariest house in aurora’s basement while the police officers unsuccessfully looked around for the underage kids that they knew were not far away.

Then we found ourselves making the second Florida trip to visit your dad, drive was good, stories kept flowing, and matt pollit made us welcome in his home. We ate, drove, and explored that entire state while finding that car submerged alongside the road, you quickly jumped into your role as a corpsman. Louisiana trip to visit Nate, So many Cajun mc’chickens and karaoke at BW3 (I don’t think were ever allowed back into that state after that night haha) once again, the drive, especially because it was in the Jag. Then was Bethesda Maryland to see your hospital and to meet Johnson. The trip was filled with abandoned houses, hospitals, asylums, breweries, and factories. So many good pictures and times.

Then you got married and I could not have been happier for you.

This is just a fraction of the times. Most of the good times fell onto summer nights, full tanks of gas, and a common goal to make the most of what we could. Enjoy every moment as much as possible. I am going to miss you buddy and I will keep you in my prayers, I just ask that you send as many letters as you can and keep us posted on what’s going on. Just remember your training, protect the guy next to you, keep your head low, and never forget that you have good friends and family that are patiently waiting for your homecoming. I love you buddy and I will be counting the days until you are back in the states.

Remember, “Stay True, Keep it Real, Always Live, Never Die”

                                                                Your friend,

                                                                                -Skip

thank you skip I will miss every single one of my family members and friends. I will update my page when I can and let you all know how we are doing. I will see you all when I get back much love honkies