‘Radio-Medicine‘ by GreenZone Hero. Every combat veteran has a story to tell, we want to hear it. Every combat veteran has unique capabilities, we want to utilize them. Every combat veteran has the ability to overcome disadvantages, we want to empower them. Every combat veteran has the power to heal, we want to educate others. All Music excerpts used by permission.
Episodes
Thursday Jan 24, 2019
Thursday Jan 24, 2019
Retired Army SFC Dan Jarvis was deployed to a combat zone in Afghanistan in 2011. Shortly after his arrival, he stepped on a pressure plate and detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) five feet from his position on the patrol. The IED inflicted a traumatic brain injury. He insisted on continuing to lead his troops on the battlefield instead of convalescing, however the Battalion surgeon ordered him out for a week before rejoining his Soldiers. After weeks of no sleep, as a result of the IED blast, he led his squad on a mission to escort an explosive team to defuse a bomb found by another Platoon. His role in the lead vehicle was to detect IEDs on the route, to ensure safe passage for the other vehicles in the convoy. An undetected IED exploded under the fourth vehicle in the convoy, taking the life of SPC Doug Cordo. Dan felt responsible for the loss of one of his Soldiers.
Near the end of his deployment, Dan received a Red Cross message informing him that his mother was deathly ill. He immediately left Afghanistan and headed to the United States in hopes of seeing his mom before she took her last breath. Unfortunately, he did not make it in time to say good-bye before she died, which weighed heavily on him. After her funeral, Dan returned to his assigned duty station in Fairbanks, Alaska. Burdened under the weight of such guilt and still unable to sleep, Dan self-medicated with alcohol, binge drinking each night until he feel asleep.
On the night of March 2, 2013, he contemplated suicide – eyeing the rifle in the corner and convincing himself that it would be easy to end the mental torture. Hearing the pitter-patter of little feet on the floor of the apartment above him, he realized he would potentially endanger those kids if a bullet was fired. Not long after, he passed out from the alcohol. He awoke the next morning to a call informing him that one of the soldiers from his former Platoon, SPC Corey Smathers, had shot and killed himself the night prior. Questioning how they missed the signs that Smathers was struggling, Dan realized that he too was masking the signs from those he knew and loved. Dan and the other men struggled emotionally as they grieved their fellow brother and Soldier. Watching the men struggle and worrying that he may “green light” one of them to do the same, Dan resolved that he would not take his own life. However, the mental torture remained as did the binge drinking each night.
Due to multiple combat injuries, Dan medically retired from the Army on September 11, 2014 and returned home to Winter Haven, Florida. He quickly busied himself by reentering the law enforcement profession. Mutual friends introduced Dan to his future wife in January 2015, whom he married in April 2016. All the while, he hid his struggles and the need to self-medicate. Unfortunately, his combat injuries forced his retirement from law enforcement in May of 2017.
With little to occupy his time, the weight of his military experiences, and transition out of service began to manifest more visibly in his drinking, depression, nightmares, night sweats, and negative outlook. His wife strongly encouraged him to seek help, and he contacted the local VA Office. The VA diagnosed Dan with Post Traumatic Stress and began to treat him with prolonged exposure therapy, which tormented him nearly as much as the trauma he had experienced. He opted not to continue this line of treatment.
Months later, Dan met Retired Army Lt. Colonel Scott Mann, who introduced him to professionals in alternative treatments, such as Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) and Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories (RTM) Protocol. Dan’s experience with alternative therapies was so life-changing that he was compelled to help others find the same relief from traumatic memories.