Dave’s Story

Based on an interview with WI-HER’s Julie Wheeler

I was Dave’s supervisor for 2 years. Dave is a former combat Corpsman who served in Iraq from Feb 2009 to Sep 2009. His primary duties included providing medical support to a logistics battalion, which included going on Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) convoys in response to Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) on convoy routes. Additionally, he accompanied logistical support convoys, providing much-needed supplies to villages and other forward observation bases (FOB). He often encountered suspicious individuals and felt on edge the entire time he was in Iraq, especially after several convoys were bombed during his deployment. This trauma followed him back to the US, and he experiences anxiety, hypervigilance, and insomnia related to his PTSD.

Dave has been using the VA system since 2012. He has had an arduous journey to find a provider that understands his PTSD, “Most of the providers I had did not have combat experience. That’s what I love about this new provider I have. He is retired from the Army and understands what I went through.”  

Dave kindly shared his story with WI-HER’s Julie Wheeler as part of the blog post, “Reaching the Unreachable: Strengthening Mental Health Care Services for Veterans.”