Afghan War Veteran Stephen the Infantryman talks Army, Trauma, Disciple, Healing and Hope

Send us Fan MailWhat's up exquisite people!Hope y'all are hanging in there. Much love always, beaming out from the hot and sunny Sonoran desert to wherever you may be. Thank you for tuning in and supporting the BNP.This episode it's an honor to introduce y'all to Afghan War combat veteran Stephen the Infantryman. Stephen served as an Army Infantryman in Kandahar Province in Afghanistan, during the Obama surge in 2008-2009. He deployed for 13 months. About 7 months into his deployment, Stephen's platoon was hit by a suicide bomber while they were on foot patrol at a bazaar outside Kandahar. Stephen lost friends, and witnessed horrific injuries to his fellow soldiers and Afghan civilians alike, including children. I wanted to bring Stephen on the pod to speak about what he saw and experienced in the Army and in Afghanistan, and to track his journey, physically and psychologically, from being an 18 year old young man eager to see action, to a combat veteran back in the U.S., trying to reintegrate into American civilian society and thrive, while dealing with trauma and unanswered questions from the war. I also wanted to have him on so he could help educate and explain, in his own words, to civilian and veteran civilian listeners alike about how best to support veterans who are returning home from deployments abroad, and especially how best to be consciously receptive when a veteran opens up about trauma experienced on deployment and throughout their time in the military. I'm very thankful to Stephen for taking the time to come on the BNP and share with us his stories and experiences serving in the Army, and being deployed in Afghanistan.A couple housecleaning items:I have a new, more easily memorable website URL now: barbarian.buzzsprout.com.We're still on Instagram @conantanner.Email the pod at [email protected]'m in the process of upgrading my audio equipment, and I could really use your financial support at www.patreon.com/noetics. I know it's a lot to ask right now- but even $1/month is incredibly helpful to help me offset the costs of researching, hosting, creating and improving the quality of the pod. You can also cancel at any time. Please spread the word, tell a friend, and don't forget that RRS action (rate, review, subscribe). You all make it possible for me to expand the podcast, reach more people, find more inspiring and compelling guests like Stephen, and build our tribe of philosopher-barbarians. So, thank you all! You are appreciated. TRACK LIST FOR THIS EPISODE Corvid Crunk (Official Intro Track to the BNP)Pandrezz x Nymano - You Should Have KnownMindful Vibes - Episode 29Mindful Vibes - Episode 11Tupac - Better Days (Pandrezz Remix)Kendrick Lamar - The Recipe (feat. Dr. Dre)Support the showTip me in Solana:Address: 9XPHpqH7GawTGtPgZAzfXFU6oPWTpSua1QXwRYAWVh9y Find me on IG: barbarian_noetics Direct Donate on PayPal @[email protected] Cash App@ $BarbarianRavenbuymeacoffee.com/noetics.Spread the word and tell a friend. Remember to set the BNP on Auto Download after you subscribe. I appreciate you all. Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976 allows for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, education and research.