Veterans, we need to talk. I know some of this will fall on deaf ears, because the allure of being an “influencer”, or the next big podcast is too much for some. But is it worth losing another Veteran to suicide, or making someone relive a traumatic experience worth it?
The recent wave of veteran-on-veteran attacks is tearing our community apart. We're supposed to be a brotherhood, a sisterhood, a family bound by common experiences and sacrifices. Yet, here we are, attacking each other, sowing division and chaos where there should be unity and support. For what?? Clicks and followers on Social Media? If you have beef or an axe to grind with about Vet, go to them privately. Don’t drag it into the public forcing people to choose sides and attack each other.
I remember when I first came back from deployment, feeling lost and disconnected. It was another veteran who reached out to me, not with judgment, but with understanding. He didn't know me from Adam, but he saw the look in my eyes - that same haunted look he once had. Instead of critiquing how I was handling my transition, he offered me advice, shared his story, and helped me find local resources. That act of kindness from one veteran to another made all the difference in my journey back to civilian life.
We've all been through enough. We've faced the trials of service, the hardships of combat, and the challenges of returning to civilian life. We know the pain of feeling misunderstood, isolated, or judged by those who haven't walked in our boots. Shouldn't we, of all people, understand the need for camaraderie and support?
It's time we stop this infighting. Every attack from within our ranks only adds to the burden we already carry. We get enough criticism, misunderstanding, and sometimes outright hostility from outside our community. Why add to it by turning on each other?
Let's redirect our energy. Instead of tearing each other down, let's lift each other up. If you see a fellow veteran struggling, reach out with a hand, not a fist. Share resources, tell your stories, listen to theirs. We need to foster an environment where every veteran feels supported, valued, and part of something larger than our individual struggles.
Together, we can be stronger. Together, we can heal, grow, and advocate for change. Let's show the world—and remind ourselves—that veterans stand together, not apart.
Let's focus on healing, not hurting. The battles we fight should be for our rights, our health, our futures—not against each other.
Everyone else with a time machine: let's eliminate Hitler, stop 9/11, give automatic weapons to the colonists in 1776.
Me with a time machine: (August 2014 in California) "robin Williams something tells me you need someone to talk to"