Be aware, Be vigilant, Be responsible

Many who may read this are already aware of my background, but for those of you who are not, let me start this blog with a little history lesson. I was a broadcasting student at Temple University for 3 years. Though I did not finish my degree, it gave me a basis of where I thought I wanted my life to go. After trying and failing to get a job that could provide for me and my family, wife(girlfriend at the time), son, and daughter on the way, I decided to make a life choice and join the Army. Now with my background already in broadcasting, being a broadcast journalist in the Army only seemed like a perfect match. Little did i know that broadcasters often got stationed with infantry units since the air force got all of the nice studio jobs. This is where my brief personal bio will end for now.

After spending 3 years with an infantry unit that was constantly deploying whether it be Iraq or Afghanistan, I got used to friends not coming home. It's not an easy thing to become accustomed to, but eventually the memorial services and the names coming across the wire become just another part of the job, especially as a reporter. My problem began when I was medically retired from the Army and as I left to restart my civilian life, my unit was again leaving for deployment. I found myself everyday looking at the press releases and reading names of friends that were not coming home. This became increasingly more frequent, and with every name I read, I felt not just sadness, but guilt. I felt like i abandoned my friends. I felt like i belonged over there with them instead of safely stateside in my house with my family. The names kept piling up, sometimes just acquaintances, sometimes close friends, but everytime, a brother in arms.

Then, before I knew it, a year had passed and my unit came home, a few soldiers lighter than when they left, but with another tour under their belt. This is where everyone else comes in. Many of these soldiers come home wounded and scarred, and they need help whether they seek it or not. It's not just the physical toll of war, but the psycological damage that we all need to be made aware of. Much has been discovered about the mental damage fighting a war can do, but too little is being done to combat these issues when soldiers redeploy to the states. Many are let out of the Army with very little in the way of help, usually because they withheld information during testing. This is no excuse. We must be more vigilant as a society when it comes to noticing and treating PTSD in soldiers as well as in civilians who suffer through trauma. It is our responsibility as a developed people to take a stand and get these heros the treatment they need so they can live a fruitful life.

I say all this on the heels of news that I never wanted to hear. One of my first friends in the Army from training, after two tours of duty in a combat zone, came home 6 months ago, and before I got a chance to speak to him again, he took his own life. He hid his problems from the Army because, from what I can only guess, he didn't want to appear weak. Because of his deception, and the lack of proper testing, this brave young man is not longer with us. It is a loss on many levels, one very personal to me, and one that should have been prevented. He is not the first, and he most certainly will not be the last soldier to succumb to the war, even after he managed to survive the combat zone. So I say to anyone who has a loved one in this time of war who may be in need of help, BE AWARE. BE VIGILANT. AND BE RESPONSIBLE. It is our duty as Americans.

R.I.P. SPC Frank Tillis (1985-2010)