Page 755 - Total War on PTSD

CHAPTER 4 - SELFLESS SERVICE
Bessie the Black Labrador and Truman the Mastiff/Boxer Mix - Brenda: I served in the U.S. Army in Fort Leonard Wood, MO from June 1993 to April 1994. I joined the military to see the world and I went from Montana to Missouri and then got medically discharged. I completed basic training but I was too injured to leave. I couldn't pass my final PT (fitness) test because of the stress fractures in my hips, and the dental unit wanted to take me and let me heal up and everything but the Company Commander had decided that I was a 'shitbag' by then and said, "as long as she's in this man's Army she'll never go any further." I had been working in the dental unit but had to come back to Basic Training every night. But when I got my papers, they stated that I had completed Basic Training. I was going to get medically boarded out. I had all of the related paperwork in my notebook. But my Company Commander threw a fit and the Drill Sergeant who was forcing me to have sex was still there, so I initially said yes and then I pulled it back and took a medical so I could just get out of there.
I actually left my duffel bag packed for the longest time because I really thought I was going to go back in. I was under that illusion that I was going to get better...and I didn't understand about the PTSD part at that point in time, especially since I was drinking pretty much every night. I started drinking pretty much right after the MST happened...and the first time I smoked pot
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