Guest Post: Battle Wounds by Ronie Kendig
This summer I've been blessed to meet author Ronie Kendig through Twitter and blogging. As the author of two published novels, Dead Reckoning and Nightshade, a part of a new series from Barbour books as well as the upcoming release, Digitalis, she has done tons of research and you can tell she knows her stuff!
Her latest series, Discarded Heroes, features Nightshade, a black ops group comprised of former military men. Max, the leader of the team suffers from post traumatic stress disorder. Ronie was kind enough to offer this small piece on the reality of PTSD and some things we can do to help those who have to live with it.
Please join me in welcoming Ronie and feel free to post any questions you may have for Ronie about her research on PTSD, her books or just stop and say Hi!!!
Battle Wounds By Ronie Kendig
In a world of compromising values and weakening morals, a rare few take up the cause of those unable to defend themselves. Soldiers across the globe are returning home to families after brutal tours of duty. Having endured the trauma of war, these brave souls often find they are not the same as when they kissed their loved one goodbye to fight for freedom abroad.
We call them heroes, but we don’t give them the support, encouragement, and acceptance they need to find help and healing. For many soldiers, they believe the mental anguish makes them weak. A lesser soldier. The truth is, they are hurting and broken—they need help. Coupled with physical and emotional healing, these soldiers need a deep, spiritual healing to accept the unique calling God has placed on their lives.
Jose Narosky said, “In war, there are no unwounded soldiers.” I have that quote up on the website for the Discarded Heroes, my military thriller series through Barbour Publishing. The theme of the series is the brutal reality of combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the effects it has on our heroes.
The character of a soldier is made of a strong mettle. So, when these men and women—those we’ve deemed heroes—return home traumatized and psychologically affected, we do not know how to handle this. The stigma of being weak or the probability of losing their jobs/careers if diagnosed with PTSD or a similar disorder, prevents many of our war-time heroes from seeking the proper medical and psychiatric help needed.
With roughly a quarter million soldiers serving in a war theater, our society must be prepared to receive these brave men and women back home. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Americans have little idea of the psychological affect war has on our heroes. We are ill-prepared to assist and support these soldiers as they deal with the traumas of war. In speaking and writing articles and blog posts, the question that I’m asked the most is, what can I do? Thus, I’ve prepped a list of simple ideas:
1. CONTACT your representatives in Washington and encourage them to get funding passed for the VA. Would you believe that in the last year, some in DC were asking for those funds to be REDUCED? At a time when we’re about to bring our heroes home, now is not the time to gyp this endeavor.
2. VOLUNTEER at a VA hospital or center. What better way is there to impact lives than to assist our wounded warriors.
3. DONATE to an organization that benefits our soldiers and vets. A few I’m aware of that I (at the time of this article) believe are reputable are listed below:
*****The Wounded Warrior Project - truly inspiring!
*****Forgotten Soldiers – amazing site!
*****Any Soldier - started by a soldier
*****U.S. Troop Care Package
4. PRAY. It might sound cliché, but it’s a powerful tool. And since we’re just sitting at home, spending time on the Internet while our heroes are putting their lives on the line. . .praying is a small sacrifice with a huge benefit.
Ronie Kendig grew up an Army brat, married a veteran, and they now have four children and a Golden Retriever. She has a BS in Psychology, speaks to various groups, volunteers with the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), and mentors new writers. Her novels include Dead Reckoning and Nightshade (July 2010, Barbour Publishing), Discarded Heroes Book #1.
Ronie can be found at http://www.roniekendig.com/ or http://www.discardedheroes.com/.
We call them heroes, but we don’t give them the support, encouragement, and acceptance they need to find help and healing. For many soldiers, they believe the mental anguish makes them weak. A lesser soldier. The truth is, they are hurting and broken—they need help. Coupled with physical and emotional healing, these soldiers need a deep, spiritual healing to accept the unique calling God has placed on their lives.
Jose Narosky said, “In war, there are no unwounded soldiers.” I have that quote up on the website for the Discarded Heroes, my military thriller series through Barbour Publishing. The theme of the series is the brutal reality of combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the effects it has on our heroes.
The character of a soldier is made of a strong mettle. So, when these men and women—those we’ve deemed heroes—return home traumatized and psychologically affected, we do not know how to handle this. The stigma of being weak or the probability of losing their jobs/careers if diagnosed with PTSD or a similar disorder, prevents many of our war-time heroes from seeking the proper medical and psychiatric help needed.
With roughly a quarter million soldiers serving in a war theater, our society must be prepared to receive these brave men and women back home. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Americans have little idea of the psychological affect war has on our heroes. We are ill-prepared to assist and support these soldiers as they deal with the traumas of war. In speaking and writing articles and blog posts, the question that I’m asked the most is, what can I do? Thus, I’ve prepped a list of simple ideas:
1. CONTACT your representatives in Washington and encourage them to get funding passed for the VA. Would you believe that in the last year, some in DC were asking for those funds to be REDUCED? At a time when we’re about to bring our heroes home, now is not the time to gyp this endeavor.
2. VOLUNTEER at a VA hospital or center. What better way is there to impact lives than to assist our wounded warriors.
3. DONATE to an organization that benefits our soldiers and vets. A few I’m aware of that I (at the time of this article) believe are reputable are listed below:
*****The Wounded Warrior Project - truly inspiring!
*****Forgotten Soldiers – amazing site!
*****Any Soldier - started by a soldier
*****U.S. Troop Care Package
4. PRAY. It might sound cliché, but it’s a powerful tool. And since we’re just sitting at home, spending time on the Internet while our heroes are putting their lives on the line. . .praying is a small sacrifice with a huge benefit.
**************************
Ronie Kendig grew up an Army brat, married a veteran, and they now have four children and a Golden Retriever. She has a BS in Psychology, speaks to various groups, volunteers with the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), and mentors new writers. Her novels include Dead Reckoning and Nightshade (July 2010, Barbour Publishing), Discarded Heroes Book #1.
Ronie can be found at http://www.roniekendig.com/ or http://www.discardedheroes.com/.
Great post, gals :)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Renee, for letting me share from my heart and spread the word to help our heroes!
ReplyDeleteRonie's excellent novel puts PTSD into perspective. Nightshade could bring help and healing to many "Discarded Heroes" and their families.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post, Renee and Ronie. I have family that I have seen go through this so it hits close to home and is helpful information to know.
ReplyDelete