Page 448 - Total War on PTSD

Josh Kuehl is the founder and executive director of Task Force: ISO.
I had an interest in the service from an early age, joining the civil air patrol in junior
high. Though my sights were on academy attendance, I didn’t have the grades to qualify. So, right after high school I enlisted in the Army as a light infantryman and ended up as a mortar man. During my tour, I heard about the West Point Prep School, which helps you get your grades up before applying to West Point. I got accepted and then applied to West Point as a soldier, with the help and support of my company commander.
After graduating from West Point, I knew I didn’t want to return as an infantryman and through dumb luck was picked for the cavalry. Different from a regular Army unit, cavalry focuses on reconnaissance — spreading out and covering massive distances. Our most important weapon was the radio — reporting back on everything from enemy positions and geography and calling in air support. The tempo was intense. We were always leading and often with vague and incomplete instructions. On average, I moved
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