OPINION — Some people describe military deployments like scenes from an action movie. Hollywood tends to glorify war and service. That was never my experience serving in the Middle East.
When we volunteer to serve our country, we understand there are risks. What many of us did not understand were the hidden dangers we would carry home long after our deployments ended. I remember the massive garbage dump on base where everything was thrown and constantly burned.
Most days there was no wind, and the smoke rose straight into the sky. But when the wind shifted, thick black smoke covered the entire base. Your eyes burned. Your nose stung. Your lungs felt like they were on fire. At the time, none of us understood what those toxic chemicals were doing to our bodies or what they would eventually cost so many veterans and their families.
