Request for help: friend having a hard time. (former USAR SOCOM)

[Juliet Delta]

Hello, I hope this is the appropriate place for this...I just want the right person to see this.

Up front, I'm a civi, shipping 18X in May. I have a good friend at work, who was a shooter stationed at Bragg. Made 18B, got his Presidents Hundred Tab, then went on to pass another selection course. Other than that, I haven't been given details, but I have a feeling you guys have a decent idea of what he did.


My friend was banged up kinda bad, and medically retired (not what he wanted). As I understand it (2nd hand info, didn't want to pry it out of him), he had also been on a mission where he was the only member of his team who survived.

He lost his job with the start of the housing market failing, and that's when I came to meet him.

My friends home life is a mess for him, he's fighting a battle with his injuries/ pain meds.....and just has his head in a bad place. He's gonna loose his job with me at work, if he doesn't get his head together.

I know you all take care of your own, and I'm hoping that someone might know of a way to help my friend get his head back together. I would think only those who've lived that life can really relate to what he might be going through.

I owe it to my friend to do what I can for him. I don't know how to relate and identify with what he's going through, and I'm hoping someone here might. I've heard that life can be difficult to leave (especially when you don't want to, and it's something your good at) and I thought someone here might have seen others go through it.

If anyone has any ideas/ suggestions/ words of wisdom/ etc....I'll take what I can get. You all probably know better than I, how these guys tick... I just want to help my friend get his head back together and his life on the right track. Right now, he's pretty much in self-destruct mode.

My direct email is : synergy303@gmail.com
PM's are welcome, I'll be checking them frequently.

Again, sorry if this is not the right place for this, I don't know where better to post it, or who better to ask.

Thank you, all.

[Eagle5US]

My friend was banged up kinda bad, and medically retired (not what he wanted). As I understand it (2nd hand info, didn't want to pry it out of him), he had also been on a mission where he was the only member of his team who survived.

.
While your motives seem well placed, the bolded statement raises some serious questions as missions have been FEW AND FAR BETWEEN where there was a sole survivor. Even then, these generate much attention at all levels of media and service. The last THREE people I personally knew who claimed this status were all busted a fakes, and I helped take down the biggest one who had built his 18 year DOD career off of this lie.
That being said...
Have your friend seek assistance with the clergy, VA, or even invite him here. We can easily get him vetted and we do have a number of subject matter experts on the board in almost every field.
If not the exact person, there is someone here who KNOWS the right person.

Eagle

[Guy]

You may want to PM a MOD first...

"With the number of posers out there nowadays, trust ain't one of our strong points."

Stay safe.

[Juliet Delta]

While your motives seem well placed, the bolded statement raises some serious questions as missions have been FEW AND FAR BETWEEN where there was a sole survivor. Even then, these generate much attention at all levels of media and service. The last THREE people I personally knew who claimed this status were all busted a fakes, and I helped take down the biggest one who had built his 18 year DOD career off of this lie.
That being said...
Have your friend seek assistance with the clergy, VA, or even invite him here. We can easily get him vetted and we do have a number of subject matter experts on the board in almost every field.
If not the exact person, there is someone here who KNOWS the right person.

Eagle

I understand the apprehension....and I don't know the details. Rough story (heard from mutual friend, could have been misinterpreted) was he and his peers were caught in someone's scope, he took a hit from a 7.62 dragonov...that scar I've seen. No idea where it occurred or when, how many peers he was with at the time, etc....like I said, I didn't want to pry. I took it at face value, and thought it would be rude to ask him to retell something something like that.

He won't give me the specifics of what he did, or what unit he worked for. Just says he was stationed at Bragg, and made it to group...then was asked to go to another selection course again, and passed that one. And apparently had to go through SERE, again.

I've known a few guys who've gone SF...and I've done a lot of research of my own trying to understand what I'm getting into. He knows the answers to the questions I can come up with (which match what I've found from alternative sources)...and I've seen a pic of him in uniform w/ tabs. I have no reason to doubt him, and it's not my business to pry. He doesn't brag about any of it, just knows my goals, and talks with me about it when I ask.


Regarding his reaching out to other sources, that's what I'm having trouble getting him to do. I'm always inviting him to come shooting with my friends and I (and get away from home), the other guys at work do the same...it's just like he's lost his will to help himself...he's down, and not looking up. I don't know if he's religious or not. Re: the VA, I know his pain meds are getting cut off now, and that's amplifying things. I would doubt that he took it upon himself, right now, to ask to talk to someone.

If verified QP's here who traveled in the circles it sounds like my friend did (med retired I think ~3 years ago), I'll pass on a enough details for you to know who he is....I doubt many guys match his description.

Again, thank you.

[Juliet Delta]

You may want to PM a MOD first...

"With the number of posers out there nowadays, trust ain't one of our strong points."

Stay safe.

I thought about that, but I do not know the mods any better than the other members here, and I don't know who best to contact among the staff.

I thought that those who traveled in those circles and were willing to help might contact me and I could provide the details they seek.

If a member of the staff wishes to sniff things out and give my request a thumbs up/ down, I'll communicate the info they require, provided PERSEC remains respected.

[Kyobanim]

Every Admin is a QP on this site.

Members on the site with QP or Quiet Professional under their name are QPs that has been vetted by the Admins of this site. Send a PM to one of these guys.

[blue02hd]

I understand the apprehension.... ( No Juliet Delta, you don't ) and I don't know the details. ( Then why are you posting?) Rough story (heard from mutual friend, could have been misinterpreted) was he and his peers were caught in someone's scope, he took a hit from a 7.62 dragonov... (Is this a new round?) I took it at face value, and thought it would be rude to ask him to retell something something like that. ( It's ok to be rude in this case prior to sharing his story on the internet,)

He won't give me the specifics of what he did, or what unit he worked for. Just says he was stationed at Bragg, and made it to group...then was asked ( no one is asked, ,,) to go to another selection course again,
I doubt many guys match his description. (You are correct)



You also mentioned that he was selected to recieve the Presidents 100? You have described an individual that would easily stand out amoungst this crowd, and I will start waving the BS flag right now. Please before you proceed here and post more contact an ADMIN as you were instructed to before and have this individual vetted before you either dig a bigger hole, or spread more disinformation about a possible QP. On the remote (because anything is possible, but not likely) chance this is true, this is not the way to garner assistance for a wounded soldier. That being said, most of the brothers I know that have recieved combat wounds and required additional medical treatment after retirement were ALL well versed in the channels they had to go through.

You say you have researched 'SF"? I think you have some more reading to do,,,,

[Juliet Delta]

You also mentioned that he was selected to recieve the Presidents 100? You have described an individual that would easily stand out amoungst this crowd, and I will start waving the BS flag right now. Please before you proceed here and post more contact an ADMIN as you were instructed to before and have this individual vetted before you either dig a bigger hole, or spread more disinformation about a possible QP. On the remote (because anything is possible, but not likely) chance this is true, this is not the way to garner assistance for a wounded soldier. That being said, most of the brothers I know that have recieved combat wounds and required additional medical treatment after retirement were ALL well versed in the channels they had to go through.

You say you have researched 'SF"? I think you have some more reading to do,,,,

As I said, I believed he isn't taking action himself, hence my request. If that's too much to ask/ inappropriate, I hope someone can just delete the thread.

Thanks, I'll try the mods.

[Team Sergeant]

What a few are attempting to say is there's not a whole bunch of "sole" survivors in Special Forces.

This thread is closed.

Now you can deal with me.

Team Sergeant