Afghan War Veteran Stephen the Infantryman talks Army, Trauma, Disciple, Healing and Hope

What's up exquisite people!

Hope y'all are hanging in there. Much love always, beaming out from the hot and sunny Sonoran desert to wherever you may be. Thank you for tuning in and supporting the BNP.

This episode it's an honor to introduce y'all to Afghan War combat veteran Stephen the Infantryman. Stephen served as an Army Infantryman in Kandahar Province in Afghanistan, during the Obama surge in 2008-2009. He deployed for 13 months. 

About 7 months into his deployment, Stephen's platoon was hit by a suicide bomber while they were on foot patrol at a bazaar outside Kandahar. Stephen lost friends, and witnessed horrific injuries to his fellow soldiers and Afghan civilians alike, including children. 

I wanted to bring Stephen on the pod to speak about what he saw and experienced in the Army and in Afghanistan, and to track his journey, physically and psychologically, from being an 18 year old young man eager to see action, to a combat veteran back in the U.S., trying to reintegrate into American civilian society and thrive, while dealing with trauma and unanswered questions from the war. 

I also wanted to have him on so he could help educate and explain, in his own words, to civilian and veteran civilian listeners alike about how best to support veterans who are returning home from deployments abroad, and especially how best to be consciously receptive when a veteran opens up about trauma experienced on deployment and throughout their time in the military. 

I'm very thankful to Stephen for taking the time to come on the BNP and share with us his stories and experiences serving in the Army, and being deployed in Afghanistan.

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