bingham's blog

June 27 marks Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day, a day meant to stimulate discussion and promote understanding for an affliction that affects 20% of our returning veterans.  And yet despite its prevalence among those who saw combat, it is often a misunderstood condition among the general public. Commonly stereotyped as being weak, unstable or prone to violence, many veterans suffering from PTSD must contend with stigma as well as trauma.   

I served as an intelligence officer in the United States Marine Corps, during which time I was trained in the art of stealing secrets, and the discipline of keeping them.  Other than the operators with whom I served, I refrained from openly discussing my job or my missions in Iraq with anyone.