Marine Sent to Replace Drivers Being Killed by IEDs in Iraq

Marine veteran Peter Caro joined the U.S. Marine Corps expecting to become a mechanic. Instead, he was sent to Iraq as a Motor Transport operator during a time when IEDs were killing drivers across the battlefield.In this Urban Valor interview, Peter shares what it was like serving in Fallujah, driving dangerous roads in Iraq, surviving IED attacks, taking enemy fire, and dealing with the PTSD and survivor’s guilt that followed him home.Peter served in the Marines from 2004 to 2013 and completed multiple deployments to Iraq. During his service, he transported personnel and equipment, trained Iraqi police and military forces, and operated outside the wire in some of the most dangerous conditions of the Iraq War.He also opens up about the moments that stayed with him most — seeing Marines he knew listed as killed in action, watching a vehicle in front of him hit an IED, and struggling with the belief that other Marines deserved to come home more than he did.After leaving active duty, Peter began dealing with hypervigilance, panic attacks, isolation, drinking, and survivor’s guilt. His path to understanding PTSD eventually led him back to school, where he studied psychology and social work.Today, Peter works as a therapist helping other veterans navigate trauma, PTSD, depression, and the difficult transition from military to civilian life.Chapters: 00:00 Marine Boot Camp & Surviving an IED Attack01:00 Peter Caro’s Marine Corps Story01:50 Growing Up in a Mexican-American Family06:34 Why Pete Wanted to Become a Marine08:34 Watching 9/11 Change Everything11:31 Feeling Lost Before Joining the Marines13:44 Walking Into the Marine Recruiter’s Office16:33 The Reality of Marine Corps Boot Camp18:32 Choosing to Push Through19:01 A Recruit Tries to Escape Boot Camp23:39 The Reality of the Boot Camp Bathroom25:13 Pete’s Infamous Boot Camp Story27:00 Marine Corps Graduation & His Father’s Reaction31:51 Returning Home After Boot Camp32:59 Getting in Trouble on Recruiting Duty36:00 The Marine Corps Job He Didn’t Expect37:30 Joining 9th Communication Battalion40:02 When Pete’s Roommate Went UA43:55 Preparing to Deploy to Iraq45:31 “Dude, You’re Going to Die”47:00 Training for His First Iraq Deployment48:47 Accidentally Taking Night Vision Goggles Home51:58 Deploying to Fallujah, Iraq53:07 Training Marines & Iraqi Security Forces54:04 Carrying Iraqi Money Into a Combat Zone55:53 His First Experience Taking Enemy Fire56:41 Tracer Fire Over a Marine Convoy59:24 Becoming Desensitized to Combat1:00:50 Seeing Marines He Knew on the KIA Wall1:03:19 The Beginning of Survivor’s Guilt1:04:28 Secretly Getting Married Before Deployment1:08:55 Training Iraqi Police & Army1:10:25 Ambushed During a Convoy Mission1:15:43 Coming Home From Iraq1:18:35 Pete’s Second Iraq Deployment1:20:29 The “Code Brown” Convoy Story1:24:32 Incoming Fire Nearly Kills Pete1:28:12 The Mission That Changed Everything1:31:24 The Truck in Front of Him Hits an IED1:32:49 Thinking His Marines Were Dead1:35:00 Guilt After the IED Explosion1:36:45 Why Pete Decided to Leave Active Duty1:40:48 Life in the Marine Corps Reserve1:43:43 Being Reenlisted by R. Lee Ermey1:45:21 Returning to College After the Marines1:46:50 “I Hate the Fact That I Came Back Alive”1:48:46 How Combat Changed Him at Home1:50:54 Drinking, Isolation & Emotional Numbness1:51:32 Learning About PTSD in Psychology Class1:54:50 Refusing to Accept He Had PTSD1:56:11 The Panic Attack That Changed Everything1:57:44 His First Experience Seeking Help1:58:53 The Vietnam Veteran Who Changed His Life1:59:56 Finding a New Mission Through Social Work2:00:49 Becoming a Therapist for Veterans2:02:08 Why Transitioning Out Can Be So Difficult2:03:18 Why Pete Almost Didn’t Tell His Story2:05:54 What He Would Tell His Younger Self2:06:43 “You Are Enough”