MORNING THERAPY FOR VETERANS

Well its been a calm yet extremly quiet few weeks on here maybe alot are on block leave well deserved for all. Any way I have been recieving numours e-mail and pm form many trying to understand where the main players that have keep us in the know are? Well my response to that, many of whom you ask of are ok which is priority 1, and yes I have talked to many of them by phone ,e-mail, just to ensure that they are all ok, now remember these individuals have taken a hell of a beating by being our voice on all matters relating, I have personally have had privy to see and hear some of that of what they have had to go threw not fun Vets. So here's how I can put a little perspective on it, there has been over 25,000 post by us VETS, so these individuals have taken what we have asked and have read all our concerns then condensed them then forwarded them to the appropriate personal on our behalf but remember they have to give there personal info ie email names in order to get a response putting themselfs out there and at times at a great personal exsepense to them all for us. So what I see is that we as a group have become so complacent and reliant on so few, that its time if we hope to keep this passage of info going, more of us out of the 7500 need to step up to the plate and relieve the pressure, or this may become a very dosal format as you see now many read but limited input. Remember this is not just about one recieving funds, there is so much more to this site its main purpose was to help one another in all aspects concering us as VETS, and when the legal battle and payments are done at the end of the day we will still need each other going forward and thats priceless. I hope this makes some sense, if not thats ok, but for myself I would feel like a hypocrite if I did not say thanks and what can I do to lessen the load. Also there may be many who just what to read and absorb an know one would have the right to judge one for that, as many of us are still just starting to see a little hope, a little lite, a little crack in the dome many of us live in, so other than our personal family, our VET family is all we really have, as know one else but us know us, so we all must stand up and help in what ever way best suits the VET. RUCKSACK 031 take care all, over but never out

out

"WAIT"
An endearing term used in the English language that symbolizes our many moods in this emotional SISIP roller coaster. Having said that, I feel more power in the term "wait" due to the fact I know it means "forth coming" and represents a "delay" in an emotion that is deserving of me. Sure "waiting" can be a proverbial pain in one's ass but life is about "the wait". If we look at our situation then we all know that we as former soldiers and now very experienced veterans have the ability to " wait", he'll we did it in the trenches, during fighting patrols, company attacks and recently while filling out forms and bending over or coughing for our doctors. A process far more depressing than "waiting" for our retro is doing all this paperwork to appease these organizations that figure they are doing us a favour and giving us our money. To hell with that troops you served, you honoured, you deserve your take, and while you forget these outstanding contributions and sacrifices you have made please remember "wait" is just a beautiful word that means you can and will enjoy the objective.

Well RR one can not get rid of a royal that easy still req this section, message from app try again next month no big deal half way through this tour, on the down slope, the best thing about this tour its on home soil with my Family and csat brothers@sisters were I belong, and for all of those processed this month I am extremly Happy for all of you and i hope this will bring you all a little peace of mind you deserve it. RUCKSACK031 over but never out

Thanks DavyBoy I plan on using a lot of what I have learned about real soldiers that post in here, very serious when I say I see a ton of bravery within CSAT.
Oh yeah anyone who wants or will allow me to use your posts let me know, I will not use names unless you give me permission. My book is almost ready for proofing, a few months away I hope, it has been the single most difficult thing I have ever achieved, and thanks to you veterans it now seems more real.

On Canada Day
What is it that makes us veterans?
I often wrestled with the notion that once I retired from the military I would go off and do greater things and achieve riches beyond my Canadian Forces days. I dreamed of a mercenary lifestyle because I knew my experience as a combat leader gave me an edge over most others applying for a position within this field. I had many ex-military friends inquire about my availability after my contract expired and I actually began taking steps in securing employment after the CF. Well unfortunately things did not work out as planed as my injuries made life and employment all but virtually unlikely but not entirely impossible. I was offered positions within Veterans Affairs and within DND moreover within the Operational Stress Injury Field as a Counselor. I was sought after due to my ability to communicate and produce very detailed paper reports, traits that elated many of my former Commanders, after all grunts are purportedly not capable of elegance or properly decipherable material. I fiddled with the idea of writing about my journey within the Canadian Forces and about my psychological injuries. I began to write about my journey into a society that warranted no quarter among the elite of all the soldiering world. I struggled daily reliving the guilt, shame and began to feel totally ostracized from everything I accomplished during my career. I continued to passionately log hours at my keyboard trying to beautify my legacy so that if healthy soldiers read my work they would feel the passion and somehow excuse my injuries as being justified by my character alone. I sold my injuries in order to be sympathetically accepted into a working world that deprived great men like me my proper place among soldiers because of my injuries. I became so incensed at how I hid behind my smiling lies that I hit rock-bottom and I saw no glorified reclamation of my identity until I began communicating with soldiers like myself. By definition being like me simply meant alienated from the most important place on earth, from themselves because of fear, shame and trying to sell to others the unreal persona within the damaged core of a real hero a. CANADIAN SOLDIER.
I put my self on clarity patrol and assumed the point position . I did not want to look back and slip into that dark place because I chose to hide behind an identity far removed from any current jump manifest or nominal role I chose to be injured and accept whatever came along regardless. Here in this living space is a society of veterans that need to be understood and need to allowed a place among warriors without fear of being bullied or called out for being real. Here, I am real, I am Veteran and I am just a guy that finds peace among heroes. I thank each and every one of you for allowing me to express myself god bless all of or veterans.
The answer to my initial question is very simple, it is the guts that drove us to succeed that define us as soldiers but it is the knowledge that we share that make us veterans.

Hey Steve ,

You make certain to add these 82 lines within the covers of that all important book on Combat Trauma & PTSD

Thank - you for believing in me ,

For Country
Retired Army Master Sniper
Dave Fitzpatrick
Family of ............7............still waiting ! 10 1/2 years now.......

Thanks Ghillie and Keith I am glad that my little stories reach somewhere deep within that warrior wall we all build. I write my stories in hopes that many if not all of us veteran soldiers may lift our heads hogher than those serving today because these young fellows need to see and hear how important physical and emotional sacrifice are all but the same. It is about dedication, honour, respect and simply putting on that Maple Leaf and being a super human member of our free society. I won't hang my head anymore and I refuse to let anyone tell me that they have been there done that, because if you had then I would be your equal and I would share your most brotherly thoughts and not dwell in the shame you feel I should. I hope and pray as god is my witness that someday I get to bring my wounded brothers and sisters on a parade that honours all soldiers as heroes. We as human beings are allowed to become casualties of peace just as we soldiers became casualties of war.

Oh Man missed that morning therapy. I too have never wanted to compete against my brothers or sisters, only with. I too feel the stygma of not succeeding, worst day of my life being released. Have always felt safe, welcomed and with family amongst my brethren and so grateful that I have words of presence, power, and motivation to see me through today. So true RR how a simple word or look can send you back to the gloom, and I for one will always come here to get my fighting words back. Ciao and thank you all been a bad couple of days and I needed that push today.

Dam brother I just read your thread on another post, I can dam well atest of what you went through as many of us grin@and bared it, so as not to have that stigma placed on us, some may say we were nuts to what we did, like yourself I wouldent change a dam thing. And you hit the nail on the head ( THE MEN WE ARE TODAY ) so as i strugle to post this as it draws at the heart Brother, Thank-you so much for for allowing us into just a small part of you, and in your sharing ,you and others are helping so many Vets, for I am one of those dam it, anyway FAIRWINDS RR. RUCKSACK031 over but never out

You are very welcome Dove

I just read Saturday morning's therapy.
Nicely said.
Thank you Robbie.

Why would I laugh at you, oh I know you love change lol

LOL TEEN your are correct, so much to read and learn, thanks for sending me on a route march funny you and RR must be having a good laugh. ps RR I e-mailed you brother not pm. rucksack031