Hey there just caught this, I was there in 2015, it will get better with time and doing normal stuff, just be aware of what you are getting into, fireworks are a trigger, backfires or loud clacks like a dump truck and graphic content in movies an even regular TV. I was injured in Bagram, that place changed me, glad you are out brother.

you're the first person i've heard speak about working there as a contractor that sums up what it's like to try and adjust to normal life, while recognising it's not the same as a combat soldier, but it's definitely something, i was in Iraq Jan 2004-Aug 2005 and Afghanistan Jan 2007- May 2014, mostly in Helmand but the last 2 years in and around Kabul as a UK electrician and comms contractor, even though i lost 6 mates over the years you can easily feel you're being trivial or melodramatic by speaking about it, much respect to you for explaining it so well

Wow, when I left at the end of 2013 I felt much the same. How we kept dragging on, no idea. Things drew down so fast that we couldn't get supplies, so thanks for the metal roofing we grabbed off your abandoned huts at the north end of Shank. (Saw your other video from 2012)

We want more! We want more! We want more!

Your a good man. Thank you for sharing your life with us. Hard to believe how much different things were 2 years ago. Hopefully 2021 is a good year for you.

As a NYer who is of the generation who fortunately missed war, I'm fascinated by someone younger than myself sharing so openly and thoughtfully about where you've been and where you are. Thanks. Considering moving to Ecuador. My wife is Ecuadorean-born, and much family in Quito. My Spanish is very good. The questions center around being able to continue doing my business remotely there, Earthquakes, rain, and Montanas (Quito, Otavalo, or Cuenca) versus say, Manta or somewhere else on the coast. I know all the variables.

As an Afghan I am thankfull for doing great job in our country.

Yep, thunder storm got me also, relaxing, soaking in the tub, thunder clap over top my house, I jumped out and went prone.

Beautifully done, your honesty will most certainly help others!

Loving the more frequent uploads, keep it up brother!

Just applied to do my first contract. Didn't really want to see this lol but i guess i need to know what im getting into. Thanks for the vid!

Great video on demob. Transition is real. Please do another video in a month or so. We all cope different ways.

I am sure it is great to be back at home, thanks for the video 👍

Safe travels.

I'm going to miss your contracting videos but I'm glad you made it home for good. Cheers.

I'm glad you're back home safely.

I spent two years in that shithole (Kandahar) It was like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders when DFS went wheels up.

I left Kandahar back in Nov of 2017 and DFS back then was Fly Dubai . I've used the Snooze Cube multiple times and they are clean, quiet, and only $10 an hour.

I'm glad you traveled safely.Never been to combat zone but have seen some ugly shit go down......Your self awareness will def help you move forward.Keep posting Bro

I’m so happy to see you safe.

Volunteered to be part of the Civilian Expiditionary Workforce. Just got my paperwork started. If you or anyone else has insights into the GS side of things, I'd love to hear it. Want to go in both eyes open. Glad you're home safe!!

Armies can be defeated. Ideals cannot.

USA, Chicago. I was in Afghan working for contractor. Yeah, felt the same. Takes some readjustment time. Sometimes, I hear loud plane or helicopter and it takes me back. It was quite the experience.

Hi! I hope you are back to ”normal” now. I would say that your experience of coming out have a chance of 99% to disappear by it self, by time. I have been on a couple of combat tours. You share the same feeling a lot of persons in the same situation feels after coming home. Thanks for nice videos. Found your channel recently. Greetings to your family!

Hey man love the great vibes keep up the videos!New sub .

I wish you all the best take care

For ptsd: have a note pad and pen by the bed, when you wake in the middle of the night from nightmares write them down, dont bother with spelling or understanding its your brain working things thru. Once you do this you can go back to sleep, if not youll have a tough time going back to sleep. Also you can tear up the note the next day. Its just your brain and body working things out.

Good luck man

I noticed I was very easily agitated at the littlest things, constant noise being a major factor. I felt like I was literally floating for the first three weeks after coming home, what really helped me was going on a road trip, fortunately for me it was for a job where we drove from L.A. all the way up to Eugene OR which gave me a lot of time to reflect and "zen out". For me it's not the pops and bangs around celebration times but the deep booms that always make me uneasy, lol one time I heard someone's phone go off with an alarm sound and I swear it was the incoming alarm . Constantly watching people and what they're doing, it's almost like a depressurization from always being on edge.

I was in Afghan land back in 2012-13 as a soldier. readjusting back to normal life was rough. I felt similar to how you feel. In time it gets better but still on edge I think about that place at least once everyday. Great video by the way!

Nice bro!!!!

My stereo helps me alot with the PTSD . I know it sounds silly , but I dont watch the news just listen to music with candles. It really improves my condition. Maybe this helps .

hey buddy great videos. about the ptsd im a firefighter. it helps a ton to talk about it with people you trust. also general self care, meditation phisical fitness yoga eating healthy watch tabaco alcohol.

First off, congratulations for surviving. Your one mentally and physically tough hombre. PTSD sucks, not only limited to military ops. I have worked on seismic exploration crews for 25 plus years, it’s a really fast paced ever changing dynamic with long stretches apart from all you work and strive for. I’m a Canadian that lives in Peru, we’re not so different. Ceviche is better here, look me up and swing by, first leche de Tigre is on me!

I did 3 combat deployment in the USMC, what you’re going through is normal. The fact that you see it shows it won’t be a problem. After decompressing you will be back to normal. Read or audiobook “Tribe” by Sebastian Junger. Really helps organize your thoughts!

I found the rain showers did more, and still do, have a calming effect on the soul. Odd you mentioned the altitude as Bagram was around 8k feet itself.

that was good!!

Great to see your in one piece. Maybe being out there has just made a lot more alert and aware to things......maybe sometimes it might trigger panic attacks or similar, it was a very difficult time for working in a war zone, not many folks would do it for any amount of money....it was a sacrifice in itself. You'll pull through. On another note, just back from Vegas & Seattle, only got to Kells and The 5 Points for beers. Needed the last offering of Vitamin D the Sun could give in Vegas before Winter.....nothing compared to the Winter I feel coming this year.....and the rest, while we head into a Maunder type Minimum, low sunspot count etc

I dont know if you check this still but I am currently going through the process of deploying to afganistan to do contract work at the Kabul U.S Embassy. I've been watching your videos a lot lately and I have a lot of respect for you and how you got started. I am concerned about the safety and the mental toll it will inevitably take. I have never gone to Afganistan and would have never imagined even thinking this would be my reality. But here I am doing the paperwork and getting ready to go. I try to focus on what I can control and I know nobody can outright say your safety is ensured so I am more wondering about the people. I can put up with a lot but if the people are negative and doom and gloom it can make a situation like this unbearable in my opinion. So my question to you is have you found the people to be uplifting? Not every person obviously buy just generally speaking.

John Scalzi was prescient when he wrote “The Forever War”... we will probably stuck in Afghanistan for who knows how long.

I know that feeling. I've learned to cope with those crazy changes. Persian Gulf War and other hot spots, being on edge, stressed out, coming back to the states and fealing like I lost touch of reality. Drinking at bars were my best friend. I'm still always in my own thoughts and in my own world. I don't go out like I used to because married life changed all that now. Get yourself some good rest and enjoy Quito. Great city to chill out. I would do more Antarctica and less war zones, especially with a family.

The change of schedule is what got me. I went from working 6 10 hour shifts a week to basically not having to do a thing. And that can mess you up. That's what got me when I came back. Almost fell into depression because of it, and had to get a new job after a month of being back.

Basically another variation on the South Vietnam theme.

Working with the Afgans was scary, They would look at me with the most hate, I never turned my back on them.

I was in Iraq from 2007 until 2011, really miss the work, have felt flat ever since I returned to the Uk 🇬🇧

I found myself saying the same thing. I don't want to call it PTSD because well I'm not a Solider and I wasn't kicking down doors. However, it is a high stress environment. Everyone handles it differently, I have a few friends that have really struggled with life at home. What I say now when ppl ask me about it is, “Don’t think you going to spend 5 years in a war zone and walk out the same person you were when you got there.”

Combat fatigue, Combat stress, PTSD... Your body is stuck on fight or flight just standing in front of the pharmaceutical isle. Byron Katie has a life changing, easy method of learning how to question stressful thoughts. You can go from despair to joy in a few minutes.

I'll be sure to carry on your legacy here at BAF. Without getting into to much detail, this past year was probably one of the most active I have seen in 5. Enjoy your freedom and liberties!

Which union local sends you into a war zone? And do you get any bonuses for this?

Very right about how things change once being in a war zone and going back to normal life. My first R & R coming out of Iraq in 2004, my wife picked me up at the airport and I started to drive home, without realizing it I was doing the back and forth going near overpass like I had got used to in Iraq, to say the least, I had to pull over and let me wife drive. Then there is the effect of just the sound of loud cracks which in theater (usually followed by Big Voice yell Incoming Incoming take Cover) that threw me off more than once and still gets me when fireworks go off, worse was when I was visiting Gettysburg with wife and laws once while on R&R from Iraq, some reenactors where doing there demostration which including musket loading and firing and I was not payin attention, when the first shot went of I immediately started to go to ground, to say the least embarassed, but my wife over of 40 years calmly said I had just came out of Iraq, then you get of thank you for your service which I alwasy reply no need to I went there as a contractor and could leave at any time, thank GI Joe and Jane who did not have that choice, nor made the money I was making for allot less danger. Understand about the PTSD and would be lying to saying nearly 8 years in theater did not leave me with some things I would rather not had, for me luckily I have good friends that I stay in touch with that were with me on a few of the adeventure and in particular a few of my PSD and CBP teams that have become life long friends that we stay in touch with and some of them have had really bad issues due to their line of work combined with their previous service in the military.

I am on edge like that without ever being a soldier and in your defense telling those annoying those women to shut the hell up is totally normal

Military vet here. The feelings you're having will subside. The time it takes is different from person-to-person of course, but it will eventually go away. I know that may not help you at the present time and I'm sure you probably feel like it will last forever, but I'm here to tell you that it doesn't. It will subside with time. I assure you.

The reason why the Taliban hasn’t been defeat is because they retreat to Pakistan where cross border ops are forbidden.

Worked all over, served all over. It changes you , all there is to it.

Hello Sir, I would like to know the procedure to quit the job in Bagram Airbase , Do they ask deployed employees to pay for their quitting? And also do they ask to pay for deployed employees flight tickets ?

I believe 3 soldiers and 1 contractor were killed in a bomb explosion last week up at Bagram.

Would you go back there for work? Or what are your plans now?

Hey bud thanks for the Info! I’m looking into going to Bagram for work, is there an email or something I can ask you more questions?

US did a great job in Afghanistan. As an Afghan I am very thankful

i was one of the first 150 cvilians with KBR there july 2003------sept 2004.....i believe Fluor out of Greenville SC has the contract now......kbr was a crap company to work for.....cut throats all way too the top management.......would not recomend kbr too anyone.........

What the hell kind of stress do the afghan civilians deal with? Sheez.

Do you get screwed on Afghan Taxes. I signed a tentative offer for $350/day doing security. Any help is appreciated.

healthy relationships socalization. a lot of people use religon.

Did you meet your wife after this?

💯

Journaling helps ALOT.

how did you get property in Ecuador?

Hey man, thank you for making your videos. I was wondering if you had any leads for any IT positions, I'm also a career Army Flight Paramedic-still credentialed. I retire from Active service in July and I am going through a transitioning program offered to Service members and mine is a complete training program starting me off in IT. Enjoy your time back home and thank you again.

Not making light of a serious problem after being in a war zone....but having two women yap behind you incessantly on a long flight, any man would want to tell them to shut the hell up. Don't be tough on yourself.

Time to shut down the 750 bases the MIC has. Then we'll have a lot more peace.

vietnam same thing , so history repeats...

Hey sir, try yoga and meditation. I hope you are doing great now

Fighting, booze, dope dont help, holding it in dont help...talking to other vets does help!😌

Jesus said, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28 (KJV) I was a Navy Hospital Corpsman with the 3rd Marine Division in Vietnam way back in 1969. I had put my trust in Jesus Christ back in high school, and he has held me in good stead my entire life. Now, as an old man with many chronic health issues, I still look forward to incredible things because Jesus loves me and I'll be with him one day.

why does the military need to be such a pain in the ass?

You are making more money but those places are depressing for someone. Look at your eyes and how miserable they are. I deployed two years to Afghanistan and my face was terrible. I am older now and better looking....hahaha

Military industrial complex makes a lot of $ on a "forever war". Case in point: cold war 1945-1991, viet nam 1957-1973/75, afghanastan 2001....🐍