Home From Front, Vet Continues to Serve

OSHKOSH, Wis., March 10, 2009 -- Iraq War veteran Shawn Monroe doesn't need to read the newspapers or watch the evening news to know the effects of war.

The 30-year-old Oshkosh, Wis., man has the constant ringing in his ears and the pounding headaches as permanent reminders.

Four years ago, while patrolling in Baghdad, Monroe suffered an injury caused by an IED or improvised explosive device that exploded 10 feet away from him. At that time, he was a sergeant with the HHC 3-156 infantry regiment of the Louisiana National guard, based out of Lafayette.

Life Away From War Zone

Now Monroe, who served in Iraq from 2004 until 2005, is using his experience to help other soldiers returning from war readjust to life away from the war zone.

"We are there to advocate for these Iraq and Afghanistan guys that are having a little bit of a hard time reintegrating into civilian life," said Monroe, who is training as a peer counselor for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. He helps veterans at two community-based outpatient clinics in Green Bay and Appleton, Wis.

Monroe understands fully what these returning soldiers are going through.

"A lot of people ask stupid questions like, 'did you kill anybody?'" Monroe said. "You don't want to hear those kinds of questions and you don't want to talk about it."

Ten years ago, Monroe, then 20, transferred from another university to the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and enlisted in the National Guard. Two years later on Sept. 11, 2001, Monroe stopped going to class. He anticipated the abrupt call to go to the Middle East and he wanted to be ready.

Eyes of Artillery Unit

But Monroe never received that call. Tired of waiting, he volunteered in 2004. Monroe served as a forward observer, acting as the eyes of the artillery unit. His position put him deep into enemy territory, within sight of the target. He then would relay enemy locations to the soldiers firing the cannons. Monroe was honorably discharged in September 2007.

"When I returned, there was no one assigned to help veterans through the system," he said. "I basically found my own way through."

As a peer counselor, Monroe will help returning soldiers navigate through the complex VA system. He will also run support groups for veterans, whom he encourages to either give higher education a chance or to return to it for their degrees.

"We're there to help the guys that need a little extra help," he said.

Dennis Thompson, Monroe's VA supervisor, said peer counselors play an important role in the re-acclimation of returning soldiers to civilian life.

Been There, Done That

"Shawn has been there and worked through this, and can speak to veterans in a different way," said Thompson, the mental health programmer for the VA office in Milwaukee. "Veterans like Shawn have a better sense of what is going on internally in these guys."

Monroe knows that some veterans may be reluctant to speak to those who have no clue about what they've experienced.

"You can see your psychologist and tell them everything, but your psychologist, unless he or she has been there, is never going to be able to say 'I understand what you're going through and it makes total sense to me,'" he said.

Monroe can. He's been there.

Traumatic Brain Injury

In his tour of Iraq, Monroe saw extensive action and was involved in heavy combat, including an encounter with an IED that led to a traumatic brain injury.

The injury Monroe sustained prompted a ringing in his ears that has yet to cease, as well as many headaches that still plague. The side effects led Monroe to the VA program, where he sought help with re-integration into society.

Returning to a routine, day-to-day life after being on the front lines is not easy, Monroe said.

"You've seen the bad side -- the dark side of humanity -- so you've seen what other people are capable of doing and what you're capable of doing," Monroe said. "It changes the world from a rainbow and sunshine world to something a little bit darker."

The world has not been completely dark for Monroe since he's returned from Iraq, however. He met Jennifer, 22, a recent graduate of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, the same university from which Monroe graduated with a degree in geography and international studies in January 2008.

The two have been married for 10 months and just welcomed their first child, Molly, Feb. 24.

Jennifer knows that the war has changed her husband and that his working with the VA has helped.

"I think working with vets is therapeutic for Shawn," she said. "He knows from experience that it can sometimes be uncomfortable talking to someone who can't relate, and being in a peer support position he cannot only relate, but help, too."

Constantly Checking Locks

Monroe acknowledges that he is still affected by the time he spent in Iraq. Even in the sanctity of his home, he constantly checks his locks and scans the streets for strangers.

"You're always aware of who is where in relation to your house. If someone is parking in front of the house, you are always thinking this is going to be a situation where you are going to have to react."

"My wife definitely gets annoyed by it."

Monroe is able to share such insight with veterans to help their transition.

"I talk about what worked for me and what didn't," Monroe said. "Some veterans feel the need to talk about their story and we are there to listen. However, I try to focus on the 'here and now,' and what we can do to help the veteran live and achieve a high quality of life after the war."