Dear USO Supporter,

At first, an eight-month deployment doesn't sound that bad. After all, some soldiers are gone for 18 months at a time.

But soon, those eight months becomes 240 days of waiting anxiously for my husband to come home from war. Two hundred and forty nights lying in bed, not knowing where he's sleeping or if he's alive. Two hundred and forty mornings hearing news about the war on terror and the rising death toll. Two hundred and forty days, but only five total phone calls to hear my husband's voice.

After 240 days, he finally comes home. Safe, seemingly unharmed. But in time, the invisible wounds emerge, leading to unbearable struggles. No more cute couple trips to the grocery or hardware store because there are too many places for an enemy to hide.

No more attending events like picnics or our children's birthday parties because there are too many people and too much noise.

No more cooking with timers or allowing the microwave to count down to zero, because those beeps trigger something that mentally takes my husband back to a place where that noise meant life or death. And getting lost in that space is all too real for him.

I'm sharing my story with you this PTSD Awareness Day because for so many service members and their loved ones, life after deployment is never the same.

Slowly, it's getting better, and the USO's work to address the mental health crisis in our military through USO Warrior Centers, the USO Canine Program and other services is making a difference. They go wherever our service members go, and as a military spouse, it's a huge relief to know the USO is there with a word of comfort when my husband needs it most.

Your support makes this possible, and today, I'm asking you to please make a donation to help the USO continue providing critical programs and support to service members like my husband.

Thank you for reading my story and for supporting military families like mine — it means a lot to know you're with us.

Sincerely,

Rachel
Military Spouse & USO Supporter

P.S. Together we can shed light on these invisible wounds. Please consider a gift to the USO today to support programs and services such as USO Warrior Centers, the USO Canine Program and more.