Graham Justin - Afghanistan War Veteran
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- Опубликовано: 6 сен 2024
- Afghanistan War Veteran Justin Graham was interviewed in Charleston, South Carolina on November 5, 2016. SSG Graham was a paratrooper with the 508 P.I.R. of the 82nd Airborne while serving in Afghanistan. @MakingHistoryProject
Hello to all; hopefully everyone is well. I post this comment as both context for the video and an update on me and my career to date. It humorously surprised me to find that this was on RUclips, but I really don't mind. I would like to add a little context first. When the video was made, I was at a 1-508 PIR reunion(my regimental Battalion) in South Carolina, and got to meet some of our great Heroes and Veterans, including Rock Merritt. In addition to meeting this great man from the greatest generation in person, I was touched by the video we watched of him from the Making History Project. My late Grandfather fought in WWII and was in the Battle of the Bulge. I wish I had documented his stories, his triumphs, and the things that he went through and how it affected him the rest of his life. It is important that we save these cherished tales, and in doing so we can learn what our soldiers and their families go through. I agreed to do this video mainly to discuss the road soldiers travel in today's wars, as well as to show the toll of that journey can have on our lives. The easiest way for me to do that with was to sit down and be interviewed, with a special emphasis on PTSD. I only discussed things like my schools and accomplishments in order to give my humility about PTSD more weight, as well as to show that these things don't only affect the weak, but the strong as well. That being said, I was coming down with the flu, so sorry for repeatedly coughing and looking teary eyed through most of the video.
As an update: After the 1-508 PIR, I got orders to Fort Benning, Georgia, as a Ranger School Instructor, and after two years I submitted my Warrant Officer Packet to be a pilot and was selected. I am now a Warrant Officer and in the Aviation Course at Fort Rucker, AL. I finished the primary course in the UH-72 Lakota helicopter, and am now training to be a fixed wing C-12 Pilot. I should graduate as a Rated Aviator sometime at end of August. My plan is to do 10 years as a Warrant Officer and a Pilot, and then retire at 25 years and maybe fly you people around for the airlines if I am blessed with the opportunity.
I appreciate the support that you all have for the soldiers of the past, as well as the present. God speed and God Bless!
Justin my man! You are back! Glad you are part of the thread. As you can see, a lot of people appreciate your story and contribution. Let me know if there is anything else I can do. Stay well.
Thank you for your service and being open. God is with you, stay strong Justin.
Thank you for this I know it probably wasn't your favorite thing to do. The SF guys I know never want to toot their own horns. The real value of this in my opinion is for the future. Similar interviews like this with Vets of other conflicts are in my opinion invaluable.
Good for you man, keep it up! I would be honored to fly or even have coffee with you. Your dedication to the service is not a small thing. You are a hero
Where there any national guard soldiers in country when you where there? If so, did they get hit just as hard as active duty? Also, thank you for your service!
I honestly believe, these man to man, soldier to soldier, talks, save lives, marriages, families ect.
If that's what it takes to help these men who protect our Freedom.. I'm All for it..
Thanks for your service. Ohio proud here. You guys gave me freedom and I'm forever grateful and in debt. Dating a girl who lost her first husband in iraq. My cousin was usmc and got killed by an ied. Long story short; cant say thanks enough on today's date; Thanksgiving.
RIP Lance Corporal TMB.
Your welcome; thank you for your support. I am sorry to hear that, however *fistbump* you have my respect. It takes a good man to date and love a woman who lost part of her heart in Iraq. Takes a certain level of character, patience, and humility. As a soldier who has lost many friends and have seen their wives absolutely crushed and feeling like they can never move on, I appreciate you and everything you are doing in her life. Take care my friend, and may your cousins memory be cherished, and his sacrifice never forgotten.
Justin, it takes time to eventually make peace with what you experienced. I know what you're talking about. I did 3-tours in Vietnam in the Marines on the DMZ. Keep talking about it, it takes a lot of steam out of it. You're going to be ok.
Thank you for your service Henry. Vietnam and Afghanistan are two totally unequal experiences. I don't think I had it as rough lol. I salute you my friend.
Your willingness to pass along what you have learned to those who desperately need to hear it even if it hurts you is very Honorable! Please do what you can to help these people.
Thank you for your service...
the Afghanistan and Iraqi vets, at least have ptsd recognised early, all thanks to what the Vietnam Vets experienced and continue to carry...unfairly
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Respect from the UK. Look after yourself mate. You look troubled in this film, perfectly understandably; I can't imagine how all of that must have felt. Please have help if you're having PTSD. And thank you for your service.
Thank you Jonathan for your kind words and your support. Respect from your bigger little brother in 'Merca.
My heart aches seeing the pain still left inside him. This is a very helpful video for those who really want to understand the things the military personnel go though.
Thank you for that feedback. This was the point and I am glad that you were able to see what I saw.
Thank you for your service and sacrifices. JAD 11H2P Airborne 2/504
Thank you James. To you as well.
This man and many like him should be honored nowadays... They go through hell for us. It's sad and sucks, I wish we weren't in these wars, but I respect anyone who would protect my country...
Thank you for your comment, it means a lot to the Veterans.
Thank you for your support my friend.
Welcome Home Justin , thanks for sharing .
Justin, my deep respect what you have been through as a paratrooper. Also respect for your brothers in arms. Hope that you find a way to live a good life and can carry the traumas. Greet from Holland
Thank you my friend.
Thank you for your service. These stories were really moving. I hope you’re doing well Justin.
Thank you, I dropped an update in a comment up top also. Hopefully more young guys do these. I think it will help, especially with people not really all that familiar with the military. Maybe it will help humanize us so we don't look so scary to some of the anti-military and anti-gun people in the inner cities.
I wish you many nights of peaceful sleep. Thanks for your service
Thank you.
I was thinking of you today. I googled you and here you are. It's been 2 years since this video was made, I hope you're doing well ❤
Ali!!!! Small world! Yeah I didn't know this was on RUclips until a guy at work googled me bored. Text me we need to catch up!!!
Hey. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING
we will not forget🍁
Hey. I appreciate that. Thank you for your support. It's needed today more than ever.
A reef aquarium. Bless his heart. Thank you for your service. You truly deserve so much.
Yeah some of us are pretty nerdy. We had a couple guys go get jacked at the gym, make fun of each other for not getting "x" amount on their lift, then sit down in the tent and play Magic the Gathering (think dungeons and dragons). We all have our passions. Thank you for your support.
Justin thank you for sharing, you really helped me understand things differently.
You are very welcome Kyle. I appreciate the Making History Project making these videos, I think they will help going forward.
I love this guy. Thank you
Thank you for your support!
Thank you for your service and bravery. You are strong, you will move forward with your life.
Thank you Gregory. I'm just seeing this, but I appreciate your support and your words of encouragement.
Thank you so much for what you done for us an r still dealing with god bless you. Love it or leave it 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 YOU ARE A HERO
Thank you for your support my friend.
Justin thanks for the update. I just watched your interview. Your dedication to your fellow soldiers and country is inspirational. I hope you have a great time flying both while serving your country and in retirement. Thank you sir.
Good guy and I'm sure a very good Ranger. All the best to him
Thank you for your support!
He’s not a Ranger. He just went to Ranger school. It’s not that special. If that is even true.
@@justingraham5 why are you embellishing your military career? Your interview makes no sense.
@@nathanocasio5758 obviously making these comments was important to you as you made 3 different ones. I took the time out of my morning to respond thoroughly (in Germany and it's morning here) and you'll find my response in the more substantial comment you made above on the video itself. Thank you.
Gawd damn brother awesome to see you were still in. FURY FROM THE SKY! AIRBORNE ALL THE WAY!
Linares!! Small world. Fury from the sky! yeah I'm a Warrant now training to Fly airplanes at Rucker. Time for a more cush life. . . . .lol. I hope you're crushing it out there.
Thank you for this interview! God bless you
damn you can see the pain in his face from what he's gone through, wish him the best.
Thank you for noticing that detail.
Good stuff Justin, hope your doing well...
Thank you Rob.
Every single American citizen needs to watch this to get a taste of what our military SACRIFICES in order to afford us the FREEDOMS we enjoy.
Thank you so much for your sevice! I'm praying for you.
Well I mean I don’t think they have a reason to be over there in the first place but I mean I understand ig
@@Rentfree180 Better to take the fight to them...as opposed to waiting for another 9/11 or worse.
LunkerMack I can see ya perspective ... but do think us being over there provokes them to want to attack us?
You are welcome! Yes agreed most of the public doesn't really know what guys and girls in the military sacrifice. The children's births, the birthdays, anniversaries, first steps, first days of school, etc. We appreciate your support and words of encouragement. And thank you for your prayers especially.
@@Rentfree180 I wanted to say that although you may disagree with the reason we are over there, I really appreciate you trying to be understanding. Regardless of why the country is there, our guys on the ground just want to get ourselves and all our fellow soldiers home to our families at the end.
The deep freezer story really hits that is not a fun day be any means
God Bless our military. They don't deserve to come home to the hell they left.
I love being a Deplorable its the governments fault
To be like that warrior!
Thank you
Stay motivated, Airborne!!!
Sorry, Dude. I don't buy it. You speak about what you went through as though it is not that big of a deal. But it is a big deal. And you got through it all!
Major respect. And thank you for your service, man.
Feet knees together airborn
I went through in 09 and thank god they didn't have stress cards when I was there lol.
Respect.
Appreciated. Thank you for your support.
Peace to you
and upon you be peace!
Stair way to heavam lol yeah it's not the biggest hill. In Benning? All infantry guys do that at the end of the 12 mile but that's not after gling through ranger school.
Yeah in Dahlonega GA in Ranger School I thought that mountain was going to kill me. . .. then I realized that was the warm-up hill. That was a pretty good life lesson. What seems insurmountable now may just be a stepping stone to something greater. Or more painful. Or both. YOLO.
The thing about the "stress card" isn't true. Yes, there was a card which existed, however it was *NOT* something a recruit could whip out if he felt "offended" from being yelled at to make the Drill Sergeant(s) leave him alone. No, the 'stress card' was a card which simply contained information on what a recruit could do if the various stresses of basic training made them start feeling discouraged like perhaps they weren't meant to join the military afterall, depression, homesickness, etc. For many young recruits basic training is literally the first time they've ever been away from home, I don't give a shit how "tough" a guy pretends to be, you don't know ANYONE, you're trying to sleep in a strange place surrounded by a bunch of loud snoring farting motherfuckers, you feel lethargic because you've been without sleep for the first ~72 hours during the whole arrival process that the service does intentionally to "break you down so they can rebuild you over again". It's a stressful time for anyone and if you say it's not you're lying.
The card laid out various resources a recruit could turn to if they needed such as chaplain services and other people they could talk to. It originated because of the number of suicide attempts which had been occurring in basic (that isn't a new phenomenon either).
It's a total urban legend which gets propagated by older guys who think the younger generation has it so much easier than they did. Guys who brag about how hard of a time they had making it thru basic & how "kids these days" are all just soft pussies who require safe spaces. If you genuinely whipped out a little piece of paper as if it were some kind of "get out of jail free card" while your DS was yelling at you...dear god he'd PT you until you fucking died.
I could always be wrong, but I went through basic at the end of 2005/ beginning of 2006 and we actually got an in-brief by the Commander and 1SG about the other company being part of a test cycle for the stress cards. We were told if we saw anyone off to the side of the formation while everyone else was being smoked to ignore them and not talk to them, and that it was a trial to see how to implement the stress cards or if they would be implemented at all. I am assuming like many things in the army they test them out in different areas and in different formats, to see what works best. A good example of his is the new ACFT. At first the push-ups were close hand release push-ups and you just had to lift your hands off the ground and then continue. Then they started testing it out in a different unit where you have to release your hands and also fully extend them laterally. Now my understanding is that the latter is the form of push-up they are going with. So maybe we both are correct. Maybe they tried implementing it as a test where they would remove the soldier from the stressful situation when he presented the stress card to the drill sergeant, and that was his get out of jail free card for the day or the week or whatever, but maybe they didn't like the result so they went with the stress card scenario you discussed in you comment. I will say, however, that I literally witnessed a guy from that company whip that card out while he was getting screamed at by 3 drill sergeants and they said "are you F$%^ing kidding me!" to him and sent him to a corner of the common area alone and stopped yelling at him immediately, so Idk maybe it was just an odd coincidence. Either way its no skin off my back.
Yes it was stressful at times. I just had heard so many horror stories that when I actually went through it I was like "meh, this isn't really that hard." I'm sure it was to some people. And yes there was a kid that jumped to his death from a 3rd story only a week before we got there, and another kid blew his own head off at the range a few weeks into it in another company so not everyone handles stress the same.
Thanks for your service 3 deployments wow
Thank you for sharing your story. So grateful for your service...i jind if like the stress card idea. I would prefer not getting screamed at.
Trying to toughen up people with screaming? Okay.....SEAR School.
Ah....I heard.
Thank you for your comment
Thank you for your service.
Thank you for your support
VIDEO with lyrics about the anguish and horrors of war. Dedicated to those who sacrificed in the War in Afghanistan. By Dogz Oz Zeus. @dogzofzeus
I'm sorry!!
The least we could do is get this vet’ a glass of milk 🥛
Stress cards WTF are we doing now dam I went threw in 1990 and thought it was easy we better tighten up
Hang tough bro...if you still want to come down to Florida look me up... I'm right by swamp phase.
I wanted to go to FL as an R.I, but got good old Darby Phase. Thanks for the invite though!
@@justingraham5 Was there any way the US could have been successful in Afghanistan? It seems the Afghans were never going to stop fighting and the only real solution would be to you know finish them all making it essentially an impossible task
@reway8750 I don't know what you mean by finishing them all, but I'll assume you meant only the Taliban. I am still in the Army, so I have to be reserved with any criticism of specific people or administrations. I will say, however, that we were always going to mostly withdraw from Afghanistan, but I was under the understanding that we would keep a foothold and deterrent presence at the Airfield in Bagram, similar to Germany and South Korea. What we did in Afghanistan recently would be like us leaving Asia completely at the end of the Korean War and letting North Korea invade and takeover the South after everything we did there and and with American lives lost. The goal was to keep the Afghani Democracy in charge of their government and minimize our presence while deterring the Taliban from doing exactly what happened. In my opinion, the way forward was by maintaining the air base in Bagram with the explicit promise that if the Taliban started trying to militarily take back Afghanistan, it would trigger the US pouring 100k more troops into the country and wiping them out(adequate deterrent). My understanding was that this was the plan, but then administration's changed, decisions changed, and the rest is history. There are good people in Afghanistan, and I personally know an interpreter that has 4 teenage daughters that are most likely now sold off as slave wives to Taliban and he is most likely dead for working with Americans. It would have been nice for his generation to have been able to grow up and raise the next generation to throw off the shackles of radical thought that Taliban had spread. Here's to hoping for an in country revolution for them to take their country back because now that's the only way that will happen.
@@justingraham5 I see, but the fact that they were able to sustain an insurgency for 20 years with constant recruits is shocking.
Also in your opinion do you think the rumours of Pakistan's support to the Taliban have any truth to them? Because right now they have their own taliban they're dealing with too so it wouldn't make much sense to accept one right next door with a porous border.
I'd be to embarrassed to pull out a stress card
It's funny how soilders talk about PTSD how about growing up As a Black man in the inner city and then talk to me about PTSD. That shit is second nature
How about doing what you can to get out of there?
Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to better your situation.
@@toynazi I'm already out and no where in my comment did it state I was even in that situation anymore it was a general statement Mr. Liver you read it with the intentions to respond and not understand...Try again
@@KingEst87 Try what again exactly?
I simply made a general statement to you trying to compare deploying to a war zone to living in the hood.
@@toynazi You got what i was Trying to say , Go on about your day Keith
I do not think your experience in the inner city diminishes that which Justin as a soldier went through. Likewise, I do not think that Justin's experience as a soldier diminishes your experience. The point of these video is empathy and understanding.
Stress card wtf
Not sure what you mean. Care to explain?
One hell of a interview. On the other note.. Its just war. Sh*t happens. Tired of seeing these troops come home depressed like do you not understand what you're getting into when you sign up? Its like half these men wake up one day and just join without even looking at what they're doing. Makes me want to rethink joining simply due to the fact that all these soldiers comming home act like its the worst thing ever happen to them. Dont fking join if you know you wont be able to handle blood n guts ect. You have to be heartless on deployment and treat it like the job it is. You cant get emotionally attached to something that has a high chance of going wrong/dying. Makes 0 sense. "Oh hey that deer over there lets go make best friends with it and get emotionally attatched to it even though i know its hunting season" You have to be ignorant as hell to do that. No wonder all these men have problems now. They got too caught up in their emotions instead of just doing the job.
Hi Blake, Thanks for your comments on Memorial Day. I would, however, suggest that the issue of combat trauma is a little deeper than you suggest. This has been an ongoing problem since WWI and I am sure they all went to war to do their job. If you are interested in learning more, check out "Understanding Combat-Related PTSD" by McDermott.
Oh whatever mate, Justin would eat you and your kin for breakfast
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Each of the wars had their brotherhood, and specific nightmares to that location.
You live in a constant state of heightened awareness, that the training teaches you to control, and you can do the job, but, the senses dont forget....
The mind is powerful...
especially when you see chaos of 10 lifetimes all right before you....
Our mission is to preserve life, at any cost so war is an internal battle....
even for vastly trained soldiers....
Thankfully PTSD is being recognised and treated early...
but it never fully goes away....
Sometimes its manageable...other times help is required...
Bless your ongoing endeavours, may you have inner peace, and Thank You For Your Service...
💞✌️🙏