“I deployed as a corpsman with an infantry battalion in 2012. The training up to that point was phenomenal. Within my first 2 weeks, I saw a man exposed to an IED. He had no legs from the knees down and part of his left hand was missing. I looked directly at him and thought it wasn’t real. The most significant thing I remember about him was his balls were the size of softballs which left his dick not viewable.

This became a normal experience for me as I tried to make trauma a normal thing. I worked mainly on afghans that were either tali or civilians that were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Plus the Marines were really good at killing mother fu*kers so less people for me to treat.

I would say my biggest struggle and still over 10 years later is knowing the dudes I helped save are probably dead. Especially that little boy with no legs. It haunts me knowing that he is probably out there in a country ran by some of the worst humans I have ever experienced.
– Anonymous Navy Corpsman. 2/5 Marines Afghanistan 2012
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This story was documented by Battles and Beers. Every soldier has a story, and every story deserves to be told.