I knew from the start of the war that I wanted to go and soon was on my way to Iraq. I was thrilled, after all, as I thought I was on my way to find these “weapons of mass destruction”. I felt like this would let me give back to my country and defend it against evil. We went there on a mission and I was determined to do good for all. I never knew the price I would pay.

On February 18, 2004, I heard mortar fire. I grabbed my gear and ran out to check on a soldier manning the radio. Right then, a mortar landed 5 feet in front of me blowing me 20 feet into the wall. My legs crumpled beneath me fracturing both femurs. Due to my brain shifting on impact, I suffer from traumatic brain injury, too. Couple this with my post-concussive syndrome and PTSD, and I have paid a lot for defending our nation under a misleading guise. I will never walk ‘right’ again, my leg will never bend completely, I can’t play with my son in the way I wanted, and I can’t enjoy as many things with my wife. My life changed forever because of the quandary we are in by putting our noses where they don’t belong and acting as global police. When we mind our own business, we protect our own. We aren’t fighting the war we originally set out for. We are fighting someone else’s war.