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U.S. Marine Corps logistics officer, Maj. Lee Stuckey suffered a
TBI from an improvised explosive device (IED) during combat
operations in Iraq in 2007. The physical effects of the blast were
already hard enough to deal with, but the psychological effects –
the nightmares and stress – almost led to his death.
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U.S. Marine Corps logistics officer, Maj. Lee Stuckey, practices his
archery skills in preparation for competition at the 2016 DoD
Warrior Games at the United States Military Academy, West Point,
N.Y., June 13, 2016. Stuckey, who is recovering from a shoulder
injury, had to adapt to his respective sport by making adjustments
to his compound bow. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Brandon L. Rizzo)
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“After over two years of combat... you're going to come
back with problems,” said Stuckey. “I didn't necessarily
deal with them the right way when I came back, and I didn't
want to tell anyone that I was having issues.”
“I
didn't want to reach out to my brothers and sisters and say
'Hey, I'm having problems, are you having the same?' I
consider myself an alpha male, I didn't want to be seen as
weak.”
Then one day in 2009, the combat-hardened
Marine began to crumble. After years of destroying the enemy
and repelling attacks, he prepared to take one of his own
bullets. He pressed the cold, steel barrel of his pistol
against his head.
“My mom called my cell phone as I
was pulling the trigger, and she saved my life,” said
Stuckey, who said he immediately put the pistol down when he
saw the name “Mom” displayed on his cell phone. “She called
me randomly every two weeks, but this wasn't random. She
saved my life with one call on a cell phone.”
This
event however, was not the only sign for Stuckey to seek
treatment.
“I equate my story to never changing my oil,” he said. “Over a
17-year period, I never changed my oil as a Marine. And if you don't
change your oil on a car, your engine finally blows up. Well, my
engine finally blew up, and one day I was sitting in the office, and
I had blood coming out of my ears. That was a sign that I needed to
change my oil.”
Stuckey said his command staff was very
supportive, and they told him he needed to transfer to the U.S.
Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment.
The physical effects
of his brain injury were the catalyst for his transfer to the
regiment, but the total treatment he received there aided greatly in
his psychological recovery as well.
“I realized after getting
therapy for myself and getting myself back on my feet that I wasn't
weak: I was human. I was having problems with things that happen in
combat,” he said.
During his time with the regiment, Stuckey
also found out about the Marine Corps trials for the 2016 DoD
Warrior Games. A long-time hunter and archer, he decided to try out
for the team.
“I'm from Alabama, so archery and shooting,
that's kind of what we're born to do,” he said. “We grow up in
Alabama with a bow in our hands, and when I got to the Wounded
Warrior East, they asked me what I'd like to compete in. That was
kind of a no-brainer.”
Stuckey is competing in archery,
shooting and is trying out for cycling. He said that being at the
DoD Warrior Games is a great opportunity to reset and spend time
with people who are going through the same issues.
His
experience with combat-related conditions and the excellent
treatment he received at the Wounded Warrior Regiment inspired him
to reach out and try to help other veterans who are experiencing
combat-related trauma.
He founded a non-profit organization
called America's Heroes Enjoying Recreation Outdoors (AHEROUSA),
which connects veterans with patriotic members of local communities
by organizing outdoor events and social activities.
According
to the organization's mission statement, their goal is to heal the
physical and psychological wounds of war and military service by
developing a support network for veterans that introduces them to
available resources and programs that can improve their overall
quality of life.
“That's what we're doing at AHERO,” said
Stuckey. “We bring these veterans in and assess them. I find out
what issues they're going through... and then I link them with
different organizations and the CEOs of different foundations to get
that equipment so when they leave on Sunday, their quality of life
has improved dramatically.”
“They have a will to live. That's
what it's about – if you have a will to live and a purpose, you're
not going to take your own life.”
According to Stuckey, the
DoD Warrior Games is a chance to create a network of like-minded
individuals, which allows them to reach out and call each other and
help each other in the future.
“What a great venue to reach
out to our brothers and sisters and let them know they're not the
only ones dealing with this stuff,” he said.
According to
Stuckey, in over 15 years of combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, there's
been over 6,800 combat-related deaths. During that same time frame,
there has been over 100,000 veteran suicides.
“It was 22 a
day, and now it's 29 a day,” said Stuckey. “You're talking ten times
the numbers [of combat deaths]. The biggest thing I can tell anyone
is reach out to somebody who was in combat with you, reach out to
someone who is acting a little different.”
“Maybe they're not
getting enough sleep... their work performance is going down. Find
out what's really going on, find out if they're OK and be their
phone call like my mom was the phone call for me.”
By U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Jefferson VanWey
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2016
The U.S. Marines
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