Fred Sminklemeyer of In Iraq for 365 has a blog that's well worth your time (Hat Tip: reader Mike Daley). He talks about the aftermath of his recent Iraq experiences in Mosul, from his "Collection of Memories (final Iraq post)" back in January to "So Nobody Has To" about his speaking experiences (highly recommended), "The Weird Stuff in Iraq," a post about The Nightmare that made him seek help, and "Girls and Counselling" about his counselling sessions.
Readjustment is something every soldier goes through after being in a combat zone. It's a story as old as war itself, and Smink is giving us a real-time view of his personal experiences. Two quotes worth highlighting:
"I’ve never been to a shrink before, but I’m not ashamed or afraid. I just don’t want to deal with it 10 years from now. I survived a war, and I’m going to make damn sure I survive peace."
Correct attitude. And...
"After one presentation, a person told me that it was great, but it was kind of depressing. I asked... well, what the hell do you think war is? It’s not something in a book or a movie; it’s real and real people live through it. They don’t pick the cause... they just fight it, so you can enjoy an education, the freedom of speech, the freedom of religion and enjoy that beautiful flag."
Looks like "Desert Smink" is gonna be fine. Thanks for doing it, dude - then, and now.
Guy is smart.
I kept Vietnam bottled up inside me to over twenty years before I figured out how to declare peace.
Glad I finally got around to it, though.