boots2boots
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I don’t really know where or how to begin this……. My Name is Michael. I am a US Army veteran with 3 tours (Kosovo, OIF and OEF) I come from a family of five. Three Sisters, One Brother and Me. As a child, I was always the one to push the limits, to take that extra step even when not knowing the outcome. At 19 yrs old.. I decided to join the Army.
My Army career brought me to the turned me into a man, in the way of responsibilities, morals, principles, etc. Uncle Sam became DAD. And to the rank and pay grade of E6/SSG. A Staff Sergeant, acting Platoon Sergeant. responsible for the lives and well being of 40 men. I like to believe that this is where I learned to be an honorable man.
In 1996 I began working as a correctional officer at the Delaware County Prison, ( Delaware County, Pennsylvania) became a Lieutenant after a period of time and ran the Emergency Response Team. In 2000 I got married to a woman who had 2 sons (ages 16 months and 3yrs old) Who lived in deplorable condition. In 2003 still working in corrections, I decided to pick up a very high paying contract with the Department of Defense in Kosovo. Stationed at Camp Monteith (Serbian Border) I returned in 2004 and began working in the cable TV industry as a lineman. Not being what I wanted,
In 2005 I was contacted by a source who offered me a position paying 6 figures, as a PSD (Protective Security Detail) Team Leader, in Iraq. In early 2006, I deployed for Iraq. I accepted the contract in Iraq because I wanted to buy a house for my wife and her children... In July 2006 I was returning from Taji, Iraq, we were in a 3 vehicle convoy, heading back to the baghdad hotel...our compound, ...we hit an IED. The explosion was comparable to that of a claymore mine. I was in the passenger seat, or shotgun seat of an armored GMC ...It was my vehicle that was hit. The explosion hit my door and window, and rocked the vehicle. . ...........that was a good day because nobody died.
Several weeks later August 6, 2006 at 1236 pm while driving down Sadoon st, downtown Baghdad, again in 3 GMC’s … I was in the rear vehicle. Escorting a client to the Al Sadeer hotel compound from the Baghdad hotel... what typically would be a 15 minute drive or so….turned into a nightmare. We just crossed over a roundabout and I noticed that the entire street on our side was empty...like a ghost town, no vehicles, no people walking .. and we were ambushed. hit by the Mahdi Army.. word is that they were holding up underneath of the 14th of July bridge.
When I returned from Iraq, hoping to see my sons at the airport waiting for me ……...When I walked off of the plane and into the terminal…..it was just her. no kids. We talked for awhile and i told her that since I bought the house that I was going to stay there until i found a new place to live. The rage and hurt and anguish that I had built up inside over the years, kept me warm at night and comfortable…. My life became a living hell, I cursed God and hated even myself. I couldn’t accomplish anything. I tried suicide twice. I tried to eat a bullet, drugs, and booze. I couldnt hold a job…I had family members, friends and neighbors telling me to “get over it”, “you are home now, let it go and move on”, “Did you kill anyone?”. “it is fucked up that our boys are there…..i dont support it at all” well as you can imagine..that messed my head up even more and eventually my wife didnt want to wait for me to find a place to live so kicked me out.
The next 4 years, I spent trying to figure my life out, no home, no job, no money, no nothing… In 2011, I then met a female friend, on facebook who I began talking to about everything, who has a special needs daughter, and she told me that the daughter was being sexually abused by her biological father. I felt a strong protective bonding connection with this young lady. They live in Canada. So I went to Canada, and my hopes were to protect this girl.and to free this girl. I realized that the mother needed money to obtain an attorney and to pay for evaluations, and other associated expenses… So, In 2011 I signed on with another contract but this one was in Afghanistan working a Static post at the NIU in Kabul. That contract ended in 2012… during my tour there… a pretty quiet one for the most part, I worked with the DEA, RCMP, AFGHAN POLICE, US Marshals, and DHS at the NIU Compound. When I returned from Afghanistan, I returned to Canada where she was….. I did not have a visa, no job.
In May of 2013 I returned to the USA to try to see my sons. Nowhere to go...i stayed with my father. That lasted for about 4 months and then I moved in with one of my sisters. Still could not find a job, could not earn my keep so I tried again to take my life...and failed ..and that made things for me worse because i felt like I was nothing but a failure…I even failed at giving up… pathetic!
I hear people tell their opinion of what they would do if they were in Iraq… that Killing a person is easy “fuck it, it is you or them”, they say. And then there are those that compare what I did and saw in Iraq …..to a car accident, and how someone died or how Rape is the same thing as being in Iraq ….they both cause PTSD… I hate myself and who I am., what I did and what I have become. The Nightmare and the face of a 14 yr old boy with an AK on saddoon st. on August 6th 2006 at 1236 pm appears to me every night...for the past 8 yrs… he makes me to shoot him in the head again and again. ALL of that….has tainted me and I have come to the realization that, I don't know what I am supposed to do with my life I dont feel like I belong anymore to anything.....I feel that I should have died in Iraq and sometime i wish i did. I decided to run with "boots2boots" because of the incidents in Iraq. I know there are people out there...to help… I had just lost all hope...literally, this journey has given me reason to want to not kill myself. This journey has given me a reason to help someone...even if just one person. And being that my faith in civilian life has dwindled away to nothing….. I guess maybe that is Gods way of showing me that their is a purpose for me. that is I why I am so passionate about this walk and pushing it like I do. This walk is beginning to restore my faith and my belief in human beings.
Twenty-five million living Americans have served in the US Armed forces. They represent a huge portion of the US population
U.S. Veteran Population
23 million veterans
20 million spouses
45 million siblings
55 million children
(as of January 10, 2014)
U.S. Service members Wounded in Action
Operation Iraqi Freedom 31,942
Operation New Dawn 295
Operation Enduring Freedom 19,572
Recession proof income & greater disposable income. Whether active, veteran, or retired they all share a common comradeship forged under the most challenging circumstances in their lives. Those insights are the most powerful bonds in their belief system and drive a devotion that shapes decisions in their daily lives. This insight is a core driver of the military veteran affinity group. Depending on the need, military veterans represent a powerful audience to drive client success.
My name is Michael "j0k3r" Roberts. US Army Veteran
I am NOT a non-profit business, I am just a guy who cares. A guy who will make that difference.
1984 - 1995 US Army,
2003 - 2004 Kosovo Force (KFOR),
2006 - 2007 Operation Iraqi Freedom,
2011 - 2012 Operation Enduring Freedom
In 2006, I experienced something that has changed my life.... When I look at a veteran who has lost limbs, when I look at amputee veterans.....I realize that, that could have been me. ...In July 2006 I was returning from Taji, Iraq, we were in a 3 vehicle convoy, heading back to the baghdad hotel...our compound, ...we hit an IED. The explosion was comparable to that of a claymore mine. I was in the passenger seat, or shotgun seat of an armored GMC ...It was my vehicle that was hit. The explosion hit my door and window, and rocked the vehicle.
...That was a good day because nobody died.
"……..and then the parade dust settles and the street clears, and the town goes home, ...but the life for these men and women, begins."
When Amputee Veterans return home after the War, almost a year later, their life is just beginning. Their life is filled with;
..Lost Dreams,
..Lost Hopes,
..Lost Faith,
Lost motivation to move forward. Their families pay for it, their children pay for it.....and more to the detriment, they pay for it.
The feeling of failure, the feeling of not belonging, not fitting in. A feeling that they were used abused and kicked to the curb....that feeling of abandonment, for US, from the Government. Some of these Men and Women become Homeless, Jobless, ...beggars for food and shelter.
The result is Crime, Drugs, Alcohol, Abuse, and in alot of cases...much worst, SUICIDE. I know this all too well, because I was there... Since I returned from Iraq in 2007, I tried to bite the bullet several times , I am currently jobless for the past few years, and as for a home? I live with people from time to time....I lost my home.
***********************************
Your help and support are critical to boots2boots mission with this worthy cause.
Contribute to boots2boots, and show Amputee Veterans that they have not been forgotten....that you do care, that they do matter...
If you would feel more comfortable, not donating money but would still wish to help, Help is needed by way of -
1. We need your help toy collection for children.
2. We need your help collecting supplies for homeless veterans.
3. Go to facebook boots 2 boots https://www.facebook.com/boot2boots and click "like" and "share" my page.
Help me get this word out. Be the voice the penetrates the world. Please contact me through my email at: [email redacted] (715) [phone redacted]
NOTE:
boots2boots is NOT a 501(c)(3) non-profit.
My Army career brought me to the turned me into a man, in the way of responsibilities, morals, principles, etc. Uncle Sam became DAD. And to the rank and pay grade of E6/SSG. A Staff Sergeant, acting Platoon Sergeant. responsible for the lives and well being of 40 men. I like to believe that this is where I learned to be an honorable man.
In 1996 I began working as a correctional officer at the Delaware County Prison, ( Delaware County, Pennsylvania) became a Lieutenant after a period of time and ran the Emergency Response Team. In 2000 I got married to a woman who had 2 sons (ages 16 months and 3yrs old) Who lived in deplorable condition. In 2003 still working in corrections, I decided to pick up a very high paying contract with the Department of Defense in Kosovo. Stationed at Camp Monteith (Serbian Border) I returned in 2004 and began working in the cable TV industry as a lineman. Not being what I wanted,
In 2005 I was contacted by a source who offered me a position paying 6 figures, as a PSD (Protective Security Detail) Team Leader, in Iraq. In early 2006, I deployed for Iraq. I accepted the contract in Iraq because I wanted to buy a house for my wife and her children... In July 2006 I was returning from Taji, Iraq, we were in a 3 vehicle convoy, heading back to the baghdad hotel...our compound, ...we hit an IED. The explosion was comparable to that of a claymore mine. I was in the passenger seat, or shotgun seat of an armored GMC ...It was my vehicle that was hit. The explosion hit my door and window, and rocked the vehicle. . ...........that was a good day because nobody died.
Several weeks later August 6, 2006 at 1236 pm while driving down Sadoon st, downtown Baghdad, again in 3 GMC’s … I was in the rear vehicle. Escorting a client to the Al Sadeer hotel compound from the Baghdad hotel... what typically would be a 15 minute drive or so….turned into a nightmare. We just crossed over a roundabout and I noticed that the entire street on our side was empty...like a ghost town, no vehicles, no people walking .. and we were ambushed. hit by the Mahdi Army.. word is that they were holding up underneath of the 14th of July bridge.
When I returned from Iraq, hoping to see my sons at the airport waiting for me ……...When I walked off of the plane and into the terminal…..it was just her. no kids. We talked for awhile and i told her that since I bought the house that I was going to stay there until i found a new place to live. The rage and hurt and anguish that I had built up inside over the years, kept me warm at night and comfortable…. My life became a living hell, I cursed God and hated even myself. I couldn’t accomplish anything. I tried suicide twice. I tried to eat a bullet, drugs, and booze. I couldnt hold a job…I had family members, friends and neighbors telling me to “get over it”, “you are home now, let it go and move on”, “Did you kill anyone?”. “it is fucked up that our boys are there…..i dont support it at all” well as you can imagine..that messed my head up even more and eventually my wife didnt want to wait for me to find a place to live so kicked me out.
The next 4 years, I spent trying to figure my life out, no home, no job, no money, no nothing… In 2011, I then met a female friend, on facebook who I began talking to about everything, who has a special needs daughter, and she told me that the daughter was being sexually abused by her biological father. I felt a strong protective bonding connection with this young lady. They live in Canada. So I went to Canada, and my hopes were to protect this girl.and to free this girl. I realized that the mother needed money to obtain an attorney and to pay for evaluations, and other associated expenses… So, In 2011 I signed on with another contract but this one was in Afghanistan working a Static post at the NIU in Kabul. That contract ended in 2012… during my tour there… a pretty quiet one for the most part, I worked with the DEA, RCMP, AFGHAN POLICE, US Marshals, and DHS at the NIU Compound. When I returned from Afghanistan, I returned to Canada where she was….. I did not have a visa, no job.
In May of 2013 I returned to the USA to try to see my sons. Nowhere to go...i stayed with my father. That lasted for about 4 months and then I moved in with one of my sisters. Still could not find a job, could not earn my keep so I tried again to take my life...and failed ..and that made things for me worse because i felt like I was nothing but a failure…I even failed at giving up… pathetic!
I hear people tell their opinion of what they would do if they were in Iraq… that Killing a person is easy “fuck it, it is you or them”, they say. And then there are those that compare what I did and saw in Iraq …..to a car accident, and how someone died or how Rape is the same thing as being in Iraq ….they both cause PTSD… I hate myself and who I am., what I did and what I have become. The Nightmare and the face of a 14 yr old boy with an AK on saddoon st. on August 6th 2006 at 1236 pm appears to me every night...for the past 8 yrs… he makes me to shoot him in the head again and again. ALL of that….has tainted me and I have come to the realization that, I don't know what I am supposed to do with my life I dont feel like I belong anymore to anything.....I feel that I should have died in Iraq and sometime i wish i did. I decided to run with "boots2boots" because of the incidents in Iraq. I know there are people out there...to help… I had just lost all hope...literally, this journey has given me reason to want to not kill myself. This journey has given me a reason to help someone...even if just one person. And being that my faith in civilian life has dwindled away to nothing….. I guess maybe that is Gods way of showing me that their is a purpose for me. that is I why I am so passionate about this walk and pushing it like I do. This walk is beginning to restore my faith and my belief in human beings.
Twenty-five million living Americans have served in the US Armed forces. They represent a huge portion of the US population
U.S. Veteran Population
23 million veterans
20 million spouses
45 million siblings
55 million children
(as of January 10, 2014)
U.S. Service members Wounded in Action
Operation Iraqi Freedom 31,942
Operation New Dawn 295
Operation Enduring Freedom 19,572
Recession proof income & greater disposable income. Whether active, veteran, or retired they all share a common comradeship forged under the most challenging circumstances in their lives. Those insights are the most powerful bonds in their belief system and drive a devotion that shapes decisions in their daily lives. This insight is a core driver of the military veteran affinity group. Depending on the need, military veterans represent a powerful audience to drive client success.
My name is Michael "j0k3r" Roberts. US Army Veteran
I am NOT a non-profit business, I am just a guy who cares. A guy who will make that difference.
1984 - 1995 US Army,
2003 - 2004 Kosovo Force (KFOR),
2006 - 2007 Operation Iraqi Freedom,
2011 - 2012 Operation Enduring Freedom
In 2006, I experienced something that has changed my life.... When I look at a veteran who has lost limbs, when I look at amputee veterans.....I realize that, that could have been me. ...In July 2006 I was returning from Taji, Iraq, we were in a 3 vehicle convoy, heading back to the baghdad hotel...our compound, ...we hit an IED. The explosion was comparable to that of a claymore mine. I was in the passenger seat, or shotgun seat of an armored GMC ...It was my vehicle that was hit. The explosion hit my door and window, and rocked the vehicle.
...That was a good day because nobody died.
"……..and then the parade dust settles and the street clears, and the town goes home, ...but the life for these men and women, begins."
When Amputee Veterans return home after the War, almost a year later, their life is just beginning. Their life is filled with;
..Lost Dreams,
..Lost Hopes,
..Lost Faith,
Lost motivation to move forward. Their families pay for it, their children pay for it.....and more to the detriment, they pay for it.
The feeling of failure, the feeling of not belonging, not fitting in. A feeling that they were used abused and kicked to the curb....that feeling of abandonment, for US, from the Government. Some of these Men and Women become Homeless, Jobless, ...beggars for food and shelter.
The result is Crime, Drugs, Alcohol, Abuse, and in alot of cases...much worst, SUICIDE. I know this all too well, because I was there... Since I returned from Iraq in 2007, I tried to bite the bullet several times , I am currently jobless for the past few years, and as for a home? I live with people from time to time....I lost my home.
***********************************
Your help and support are critical to boots2boots mission with this worthy cause.
Contribute to boots2boots, and show Amputee Veterans that they have not been forgotten....that you do care, that they do matter...
If you would feel more comfortable, not donating money but would still wish to help, Help is needed by way of -
1. We need your help toy collection for children.
2. We need your help collecting supplies for homeless veterans.
3. Go to facebook boots 2 boots https://www.facebook.com/boot2boots and click "like" and "share" my page.
Help me get this word out. Be the voice the penetrates the world. Please contact me through my email at: [email redacted] (715) [phone redacted]
NOTE:
boots2boots is NOT a 501(c)(3) non-profit.
Organizer
Michael Roberts
Organizer
Waupaca, WI
