S??vic? ???s ??? inv?l???l? c?m??ni?ns ??? s? m?n? ????l?, ?s??ci?ll? v?t???ns. Th? ??n??its ??? ????t: ???s ???vi?? th??????tic c?m??ni?nshi? th?t c?n ?? ?s?? t? t???t c?n?iti?ns lik? PTSD.
F?? m?n? v?ts wh? h?v? s??vic? ???s, th?s? ???s ??c?m? th?i? ??st ??i?n?s in th? w??l?. F?? M??in? C???s v?t???n C?l? L?l?, th?t ??? w?s K???, ? G??m?n Sh??h???. K??? w?s ?? his si?? ?ll th? tіm?, ?v?n ?n h?n????s ?? ?i?lin? ?li?hts.
S??l?, K??? t??k h?? ?in?l ?li?ht ??c?ntl? — ??t w?s ?iv?n ?n inc???i?l? h?n?? ?n ?????.
C?l?, ???m N??th T?x?s, c?m? h?m? ??t?? ? six-???? t??? in A??h?nist?n ?n? w?s s?????in? ???m PTSD. “I t?i?? ?ills ?n? t?i?? th?????. Th? ?ills j?st m??? thin?s w??s?. I s?i??l?? ??wn ?n? ?lm?st ??c?m? ? v?t???n s?ici?? st?tistic,” th? v?t???n t?l? WFAA.
A ??ll?w v?t???n s????st?? h? t?? ??ttin? ? s??vic? ???. C?l? ?????ht h?m? K???, th? ??nt ?? h?? litt??, ?n? s??nt $10,000 ?? his ?wn m?n?? t? h?v? h?? t??in?? ?s ? s??vic? ???.
It w?s w?ll w??th it: K??? w?s t??in?? t? w?k? th? v?t ?? ???m ni?htm???s ?n? t? st?? ?nxi?t? ?tt?cks, ?n? C?l? h?s s?i? th? ??? h?s m??? ? h??? ?i?????nc? ?n his c?n?iti?n, ?n? ?v?n c???its h?? with st???in? his s?ici??l th???hts.
“A ??? c?n ?? ? ??w????l thin? t? k??? ??? ????n?,” h? s?i?. “I? ??? ??t t? th?t ??int, ??? l??k ??wn ?t th? ??? ?n? s??, w?ll, I c?n’t l??v? th? ???. Th? ??? w??l? miss m?.”
K??? n?t ?nl? m??? ?n im??ct ?n C?l?’s li??, ??t ??? v?t???ns ????n? th? c??nt??. A?t?? C?l? ??c?m? ?n ??vis?? t? th? US S?n?t? ?n v?t???ns ??lici?s, th? ??i? l???i?? ??? th? PAWS Act, which ???vi??s c?nin? t??inin? ??? v?t???ns with PTSD.
Th?t ?ct w?s ??ss?? int? l?w in A???st 2021, ??c?ivin? ?i???tis?n s?????t.
K??? liv?? ??it? ? li??: sh? m?t m?n? ??litici?ns ?n? c?l???iti?s, w?lk?? ?t ??????ti?n with C?l?, ?n? ?cc?m??ni?? th? v?t ?n h?n????s ?? ?li?hts ????n? th? c??nt??.
B?t s??l?, ? t?m?? ?n??? h?? t?n??? m?t?st?siz?? in J?n????, ?n? t??k ? t?ll ?n h?? ???lit? ?? li??. C?l? ?i?n’t w?nt t? s?? his l???l ??i?n? s?????.
“I ?i?n’t w?nt h?? t? ?? in ??in ?n? s????? ??t?? ?ll th? ??in ?n? s?????in? th?t sh? st?????,” C?l? t?l? WFAA.
R??lizin? th? ?n? w?s n???, h? t??k h?? ?n ?n? l?st ?li?ht, ???m Vi??ini? t? th?i? h?m? in T?x?s. “Sh?’s ? T?x?s ?i?l ?n? I ?i?n’t w?nt h?? t? ?i? in Vi??ini?,” C?l? ?x?l?in??.
B?t it w?sn’t j?st ?n? ???in??? ?li?ht. Th?? ?l?w ?n S??thw?st Ai?lin?s, with wh?m th?? h?? t??v?l?? ?v?? 250 tіm?s. A?t?? ?in?in? ??t th?t this w?s K???’s ?in?l j???n??, th? ?i?lin? ?i? s?m?thin? ins?i?in? t? m??k th? ?cc?si?n.
On th? F??????? 2 ?li?ht, th? ?il?t ??t ?n th? int??c?m ?n? m??? ? s??ci?l ?nn??nc?m?nt. H? int????c?? K???, ?x?l?inin? t? th? t??v?ll??s h?? w??k ?s ? s??vic? ??? ?n? h?? w??k t? ??t th? PAWS Act ??ss??.
H? th?n ?x?l?in?? h? h?? th? “s?l?mn h?n?? ?? wh?t will ?? h?? l?st ?li?ht, ?s sh? ???s h?m? t? ??st wh??? sh? w?s ???n ?n? ?i?st m?t C?l?.”
“On ??h?l? ?? S??thw?st Ai?lin?s, ???? tw? v?t???ns ?? ???nt, w? th?nk ??th M??? ?n? C?l?… ??? th?i? s??vic?.”
In ? vi??? sh???? ?? S??thw?st Ai?lin?s, ??? c?n s?? K??? ??t ? ???n? ?? ???l??s? ???m th? ?l?n?’s ??ss?n???s — ?n? K???, wh? h?? ???n l??in? ??wn, s????nl? li?ts h?? h??? ??.
A?t?? th? tw? ???iv?? in D?ll?s, th? ?i?lin? ?ls? ???vi??? ? c??t ??? K???’s m??ilit? iss??s.
A ??w ???s l?t??, C?l? ?nn??nc?? th?t K??? h?? ?i??. “Ch???s t? ? li?? w?ll-liv?? ?n? l?v??,” h? w??t? ?n Twitt??. “Miss ??? ?l?????, ?????i?l. M? h???t is ???k?n ?n? I’m n?m? with??t ???. B?t it’s ?l????n?? ??c??s? ???’?? n? l?n??? in ??in. Th?nk ??? ??? ??it?mizin? ‘S?m??? Fi??lis.’”