Guest Blog: Encouragement & Inspiration - Robert B.

Connected Warrior Foundation is pleased to have as a guest warrior blogger wounded veteran Robert B.  In sharing his own experience, he provides encouragement and inspiration for fellow vets to get back out thereand get involved.   

Guest Blog: Robert B.

I was born and raised on the eastern shore of Maryland. I joined the Army Reserves shortly after graduating high school in December 2000 and later joined Active Army in 2004. I felt it was my civic duty to serve my country, but there were other reasons I joined as well: I was able-bodied, had always idolized an uncle who fought three tours in Vietnam, and figured it would provide me with the discipline I lacked without a father figure growing up. Not to mention there was a GI Bill involved that would provide me with the funding to obtain a college degree—something no one in my immediate family possessed. 

I transitioned from civilian to soldier via Fort Knox, Kentucky in 2000. While this transition—from 18 year old boy into man—seemed significant and difficult, it was the transition back into a civilian in December 2007 that would prove the most challenging. I was deployed to Afghanistan as a scout with 3-71 CAV (RSTA), 10th Mountain for approximately 18 months, from 2006-2007. We experienced a great deal of combat in the Nuristan province, from Chowkay to the Korengal and ultimately Kamdesh. Many of the men in my unit were wounded or killed by enemy fire, shrapnel or helicopter crashes,  among other things. I myself was one of the few who got hurt another way...the clumsy way. During a combat patrol in the Nuristan province I lost my footing and fell down one of the steep mountains. While I stayed with my unit through the rest of the deployment, I was in constant pain—Toradol shots and Ibuprofen 800mg became a staple for me. 

We redeployed to Fort Drum in June 2007 and I was then off to Reserve Officer Training Corp with the University of North Carolina Charlotte. By December 2007, ROTC leadership determined I was unfit for duty - because of my back injury and the medicine I was taking for PTSD. I was released from ROTC and my future in the Army was over. Not sure what I was going to do, I decided to stay in college which kept me somewhat sane, but I was no longer an active participant in society. I put on a lot of weight, started drinking and found every excuse in the world not to be involved with life. 

I stopped exercising or even being outside as often - which is bizarre because I loved the outdoors. I stopped going to events with friends because the crowds bothered me; I basically shut down in many ways. I stayed in touch with a few of my old comrades but most of them deployed over and over again, and we lost touch. Some never made it home and others ended up at Walter Reed. I found myself preferring to be alone, which my neither civilian friends or my family understood. I missed the camaraderie experienced only in the military—especially with my brothers in combat. 

In 2011 I heard about the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) and realized I was eligible for some of the events. It took me awhile to get signed up and scheduled for an event, but by November 2012 I participated in my first Soldier Ride with WWP. I would have to say this was the most uplifting experience for me since leaving the military—I didn't know anyone when I arrived at the airport but by the end of the first night I felt like I was right at home. Over the course of the three-day bike ride we traded war stories and cracked jokes, had some amazing meals and—most importantly—learned we weren't alone. That was key.
 

To others who asked about my experience, it was hard to explain that perhaps to them it was just a bike ride but to me it was so much more. When I finally arrived home, my wife knew something had changed: I was no longer numb, I felt joy and excitement. I was rejuvenated. 

Since the Soldier Ride with WWP, I have made a conscious effort to stay involved and become active in society once more. I have signed up for two more Soldier Rides and signed up for a 5K marathon on my 31st birthday. I have stayed in touch with several of the guys at Soldier Ride and now have a road bike that I will use when the weather warms up. While life will admittedly never be the same, it has definitely improved. It may sound absurd to say a three-day bike ride changed me this much—but it did. Perhaps it was all I needed…just a little push. 

I have reached out to former military team members to urge them to get back out there and become involved—with WWP or other volunteering organizations for veterans. Being surrounded by others who have experienced similar situations comes with a sense of purpose and peace: It’s as simple as knowing the man or woman to the left or right of you has been through similar situations. They understand. It's therapeutic.

I passionately urge all veterans to get off the couch and get back out there. Become an active member of society with fellow brothers and sisters in arms. 

- Robert B.