At Fort Hood, death strikes again

I was sitting at the computer writing a column yesterday on the 10th anniversary of my time in the in Iraq. During a break, I took time to scan the headlines on the Internet. My heart stopped when I read the lines about a shooting at Fort Hood.

Again?

I sat back shaking my head. Another one — that makes three now; one off base in Killeen and now two on the base. Another mass shooting, more lives lost in senseless violence. So I scrapped the column I was working on and began work on this one. This was more important and needs to be addressed.

I hurts me because I was stationed there at the end of my first enlistment back in 1983. Heck, I got married there in Blackhorse Chapel. I have some fond memories of the place. I don’t miss the heat, but I did have some good times flying there and working on Huey helicopters with my unit, D Company 502 CAB of the 2nd Armored Division.

That unit, and even the division, no longer exist, except in pictures buried in an old footlocker at the foot of my bed here at home. So when I hear of this kind of madness, I can only shake my head and ask why? Can anyone tell me that?

The shooter was a soldier who did some time in Iraq. From what I have been hearing, he only served part of one overseas tour of duty. As the media report on this the terms “traumatic brain injury,” “post-traumatic stress disorder” and other mental health illness associated with veterans have been popping up. Sadly, this will reinforce the false stigma that many veterans are ticking time bombs just waiting to explode.

I don’t want to bore you with numbers and statistics. Rather, I want to speak to you from my heart as a veteran who has PTSD like so many others returning home from the wars.

We are not ticking time bombs or mental whack jobs. What you are seeing plastered all over the news is an exception. A fluke. Most veterans I know lead lives that do not include going out shooting people. Yes, we have our problems and personal demons related to our time in service and war. Most of us are trying to live honest lives. But when people see things like this latest mass shooting, many falsely think it applies to all of us GIs. And frankly, that isn’t the truth. Not by a long shot.

We are not trigger-happy monsters or walking basket cases. We are people with gifts and faults just like anyone else, people who survived the most horrifying of human conditions — war. Some lost limbs, or worse, from wounds sustained in combat. Some have lost friends by mortars, rockets, bullets and IEDs. We were all affected in some way and yet we survived, and that says something.

This tragedy at my old post shouldn’t be used as an excuse not to hire a returning soldier out of false fears. Hire one and chances are good you get an exceptional employee. We should look at what really went wrong with this soldier who did the shooting. Why did he do this and why did he take his life in the end? Identify the problem or problems, then focus on prevention. Whether it is better access to treatment, counseling or medications, we must find the answers and take action.

Veterans who have PTSD and other wounds of war can learn to live with it. For me, I rely on my family, friends, fellow GIs, my faith, and writing and talking about my experience on the radio and in print. I have found that sharing my story helps me process it. Others find ways of coping through art, music and sport along with the medical and mental treatment. Our mission is not mere survival, but to live again.

If you are a soldier suffering with from toll of war, know that it is helpful to the healing process to have the courage to speak out about it. I am concerned many people will be afraid to admit they need a hand out of fear they will appear weak or be wrongly judged by what happened at places like Fort Hood. Most of all, know that you are not alone.

Let’s not forget the families of the victims and all of those serving at Fort Hood, Texas. Even something as simple as a prayer can go a long way for them to find healing and closure.

Wasilla resident Daniel D. Grota retired from the U.S. Army after more than 21 years of service.