Page 873 - Total War on PTSD

CHAPTER 17 - TOOLS OF WAR
Henry the Black Labrador - Jonathan: My U.S. Army military history of 17 years and nine months spans from August 1989 to May 2008 and includes a deployment to Farah, Afghanistan in 2007. My military service gave me the foundation to be who I am today by teaching me attention to detail and selflessness. The military taught me to be attentive in my environment and how to manage crisis. The experience also taught me to be aware of alternate means to a situation. This has, in turn, caused hypertension and anxiety. I am always on alert, always looking for a threat and surveying an escape route everywhere I go. The military also provided the framework of loyalty and dedication and taught me to never quit and to be proud of who I am. I would undoubtedly choose to serve again, if given the choice and opportunity. I was, and still am, concerned about the betterment of life of my countrymen and supporting our way of life and the country is dependent on people like me to make that happen. The experiences the military offers outweigh the sacrifices that one must make.
I started out as a Military Operational Specialties (MOS) Instructor and then moved on to being a Drill Instructor. After that came a change to Infantry, and then to Communications Repair/ Maintenance. I changed my MOS to Military Police, then to Signal, and then finally back to Infantry. I retired as a U.S. Army Sergeant.
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