I had two back to back tours in Iraq and am now 100% disabled from PTSD and nerve injuries to my back which requires leg braces to walk. I have to confess that the thought of suicide did cross my mind as a release from horrible memories and the pain of physical disabilities. Being exposed to the blood and guts of combat was bad enough but I still have nightmares at the sight of a woman holding her baby, both shot in the head with the infant having a pacifier in his mouth. This was in one of the mass graves South of Baghdad where tens of thousands of people were massacred. The two factors that kept me from taking my life was the love of my family and my belief in God.
Thank you for serving and for sharing.