Briefly describe the trauma experienced by the survivor in the video you selected. Using the Triage Assessment Form as a guide, explain the affective, behavioral, and cognitive responses of the survivor on the video that you selected. Apply the developmen

PSYCH 16740 Disaster, Crisis and Trauma Week 3 – One Person's Trauma Story

Gina – An Operation Iraqi Freedom Veteran Page 1

Winged Words Transcription ∞ http://dropbox.yousendit.com/wingedwords

GINA: I'm a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and I'm very proud of my military service. What I experienced in Iraq was beyond anything I would have imagined. I served a 15-month tour with my unit as an MP, mostly running security and convoy missions into Tikrit and some other villages near there. I felt well trained and prepared for combat but the insurgency is unpredictable and it can get overwhelming at times. It was hard to adjust to the heat and to always being on edge. I mean every single day in Iraq was difficult. Our primary mission was to run convoys and I drove one of our armored Humvees. Our convoy would go past this one stretch of road all the time and the locals would try to get us to buy stuff from their market shops. At the end of June of last year, we were on a routine mission from our base camp taking some supplies to an FOB, that's a forward operating base. It's about; it was three miles away from us. And, we took our usual route along the Tigris into Crete through that marketplace. And there was an armored Hummer that was in front providing some security to the convoy. And when we were in the middle of that marketplace, an IED detonated underneath the truck in front of me. And, that explosion sent shrapnel everywhere and I saw body parts flying through the air. And, later we found out that that attack was coordinated by Sunni insurgents, but at that time, you know in the middle of all that black smoke and chaos, I just felt shocked and I didn't know what to do. I don't even remember what happened too clearly. I do remember my platoon sergeant's voice coming in over my radio. He told us to keep driving forward, no matter who or what got in the way. And, so, I drove. I couldn't really see anything too clearly and suddenly I felt this thud of something hitting my Hummer. I can still remember that sound really clearly. And, for a second, I felt paralyzed but I had to go on because we had our procedures and we had to follow them. And, when we got to the FOB, my gunner told me that I had hit a little kid.

PSYCH 16740 Disaster, Crisis and Trauma Week 3 – One Person's Trauma Story

Gina – An Operation Iraqi Freedom Veteran Page 2

Winged Words Transcription ∞ http://dropbox.yousendit.com/wingedwords

And, at that point, I guess I just lost it. I was released from my driving assignment a month before my tour was over. And back on the base, I tried not to think about the kid that I hit and I tried not to think about my two friends who got killed that day. I just starting holing up and drinking all this liquor just to try to numb it. My squad kept telling me that I was acting like a zombie but I guess somehow I managed to suck it up and finish my tour. But, I still can't get that attack off my mind. No matter what I try, the memories just keep coming back. And I've been thinking about some other things, too, that have nothing to do with Iraq. I had been remembering some violent stuff from my childhood. The first time I remember my father beating Momma, I was about four and my brother, Jeremy, must have been one. I just remember it being really confusing and I was real fearful. I don't remember any details of the violence until the second grade. And by then, Momma had gotten a broken jawbone and I think some cracked ribs and more bruises and cuts than I can even remember. I tried to keep me and Jeremy out of the way of my dad's bad temper, but sometimes I would go and I would get in the way of those blows just to try to protect Momma. When I was about eight, my dad started leaving for days at a time. And, pretty soon after that, we just never saw him again. I guess these things probably shaped me. Like I have a hard time trusting men and I get overly protective of people and then I just get mad. The way I see it, I've been through war at home and I've been through war in the world. And, sometimes it gets really bad and I wonder if life is really worth it. I mean I would never do anything to myself because I couldn't, I just couldn't do that to Momma and Jeremy. And I don't want to give up. I mean I have my whole life ahead of me. And when I – when I'm ready, I do want to try to work though this.