Killin, Death, and Suffering.

The worst part about killin is the suffering. You may get used to it, but it's always there.

Killin is death. We all die but death is quick. One moment, then nothing.

I never fired my weapon in Iraq. Raised it once, but never needed to use it.

During a training exercise before the deployment a female Op4 in hajib drew on me from under her garment, my first reaction was .....safety off......2 shots -- center mass.... look for cover.

I felt prepared for down range. I felt prepared for Killin, but the suffering......that's some darker, 0330 wide awake shit.

Being around killin is being around suffering. Just different forms.

At home I've noticed suffering too, same kind I saw in Iraq. Can you imagine the kinda suffering someone must be under to put up with the type of side effects most prescription drugs cause.

Suffering changes you in what ever form it comes in. A women I know suffering from breast cancer is armored up and ready to take this cancer down.

Nothing makes me cheer the human spirit more than the will to adjust and drive on.

I remember noticing when I returned home that I could relate my experience to people with emotions. I can relate to that woman....her suffering.

Being around Killin is suffering. Winston Churchill once said " if your walking through hell, don't stop.

The trick is to walk it in a way that's sustainable. For me the opposite of suffering was pleasure. What I came to learn is that you can live the legend for a while but it's unsustainable as a lifestyle.

Depending on how far down the path you've been is how much you'll need to armor down during your transition.