It was during peacetime, our barracks were bombed by terrorists. We had over 400 people injured and we lost 19. It's a night that I will never forget.
My name is Jo, I served in the Air Force from 1991 to 2018. I was an aeromedical evacuation technician. We pick up the wounded and injured when we go into the war zones in the darkness of night. Well, during my first deployment, which was in Saudi Arabia, so we didn't expect a whole lot. Sometime during mid deployment, our barracks were bombed by terrorists. Where we had over 400 people injured and we lost 19. It's a night that I will never forget.
I didn't have my team. I looked around, I was it. So I was in charge of my triage area. I took care of hundreds of people through the night before I saw another medical person from my team. It made me angry, and it made me stay. It really solidified my career because now I found my purpose, and there was a lot more to do. So I ended up staying a little over 26 years. Coming out of the military, it's a big change because now you're home, now you're ready to participate in different family events. However, your family sometimes is so used to not having you there, they forget you're there, or they don't see you the same. They don't understand your experiences, what you've been through or why maybe you're so hyper vigilant. You don't go to certain places certain times, or sit in a certain way. It's just going to be different or it's going to trigger me in some way. Took me ten years before I went into the big, scary VA. That's how I felt it was at the time, very intimidating and very scary to go in.
Once I enrolled, I felt very confident because I requested to see female providers and that really helped for me to continue my visits. I have PTSD. I do have a mild TBI, but right now I'm still struggling with that service connection. And I also got into a female Veteran group. We had similar interests, and similar experiences. Although we were of different eras and different services, sharing our stories with other people and giving them hope is actually also therapeutic and helpful. I do receive treatment as needed. I don't go as often. It's a continuous thing, you just continually heal. When I came out, I was a little more isolated. If things were happening or if it was the anniversary of the date that I was injured or I lost so many people, I would actually spend that day by myself, maybe not get out of bed, but now I get up, I do journal, I post. I honor the fallen. I really benefit from my quiet time. I like to sit by the beach and watch the waves and soak in the sun. I like to walk in nature. I met my husband through the service at March Air Force Base. Through the years, I thought, ‘I'm going to keep this guy.’ He listens and he's very respectful. Through seeking help, you also gain a village of friends that will always lift you up. I think other Veterans might find your story inspirational or helpful to them.
