I am still new to STEEM. This is only my second day on here. It is very easy for me to see the potential that it has though. My interests are cryptocurrency, silver gold and coins , prepping, hiking/camping/ backpacking and so on. There are plenty of categories on steem to satisfy my main interests. However, id like to see a new category that I think would be very popular but more than that would have the potential to really help people and connect people that can help each other. I am a combat veteran. I served four years in the United States Marine Corps as a rockets and demolitions specialist in the infantry. I did two combat tours in Iraq. My first tour was pretty tame and not that long. My second tour was very brutal. Upon return from deployment I was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder, like most others combat vets.
I wrote a story yesterday about some other traumatic events that happened to me after the military and I found it very therapeutic. It got me to thinking of the possibilities. Suffering combat veterans can anonymously discuss their symptoms and issues with other veterans suffering in silence from the same issues. Other Veterans that are recovering and dealing with their symptoms successfully can offer support and advice. Not to mention that people that have been so badly effected to where they cant work could at least earn a little extra cash while at the same time giving them a new sense of purpose now that their military mission is over.
In short I want to start a Veterans Support section or a Combat Veterans sections or something of that nature. I don't want to alienate or devalue service members that didn't see combat but the plain truth is that combat is an experience like no other. Nothing compares or equates to it and unless someone has experienced it , there is no way to relate. As a former Marine infantryman , I value everyone that supported our efforts. Our job couldn't be done without good logistics getting supplies from home to the front line. The medical personnel that keeps us healthy to get there and nurses us back to health when we get hurt. The administrative crews that keep the pay correct and flowing while we are thousands of miles away but still able to at least financially support our loved ones . The list goes on. They are all respected and appreciated , they just didn't have the same experiences.
What I'm really writing this for is to seek any and all advice about how to best accomplish this and do it successfully. I am also looking for as much support for this as I can get. I'm not sure if I just start writing and tagging it with the new section id like to get off the ground. I don't know how it would get any exposure by doing it this way.
Marines and soldiers fight to keep each other alive and safe during combat. This should not change just because we came home. The fight is often harder after returning because then we are fighting alone. It doesn't have to be that way. The suicide rate among US combat veterans is unbelievable. Our country should be embarrassed by how young men and women that risked everything are tossed away and forgotten about once their purpose has been served. We should at least always have each other to lean on. The hardest part of that is finding other vets. I am a member of the American Legion and VFW but these are not therapy groups. they are great organizations but, men and women suffering from PTSD, and the depression anxiety and all other behavioral disorders that come with it , probably shouldn't be surrounded by cheap alcohol when trying to cope with these issues. I cant stress enough that we need to look out for each other.
Anyone that would like to get involved with this idea or can give me solid advice on how to make this happen please reply with your thoughts or ideas on how to get this off the ground
Semper fi and semper steem