Today I met a man who will be returning to Afghanistan in a few months, and, as with many of the veterans I’ve spoken to or otherwise communicated with, I learned a little more about the experience of being at war. This particular gentleman is on the front line, infantry. We started talking because I noticed his tattoo, which reads ‘STRENGTH.” He told me that he and his buddy got those prior to leaving for Afghanistan for the first time. I asked him if it was a reminder and he said “yeh” that he wanted that there as a reminder when he wanted to shoot something
“It’s like a mental game you have to play with yourself. Otherwise, you’ll go crazy.”