Welcome

Everyone is invited to contribute their thoughts and experiences to this weblog. We recognize the tremendous sacrifice our Warriors have made in the service of their coutry, and we know the sometimes horrific toll it takes on body, mind and spirit.

In ancient, as well as in many current indigenous tribal cultures, when Warriors returned from battle they were not allowed to re-enter the tribe immediately. The War Chief first led his Warriors into the wilderness for days, weeks or months of cleansing. Through bathing, burial, and other shamanic ritual practices, the "burning blood" was dissipated and the Warrior Spirit calmed.

Only then were the Warriors allowed to return to the tranquility of the tribe.

Our culture has no such ritual, no such process for our Returning Warriors. Since our earliest wars, we have simply sent our soldiers home after conflict to resume their "normal" lives as though nothing had ever happened. The result of this oversight has been massive trauma to both the individual and the community. Left to themselves, even with current post trauma psychological support, our Returning Warriors are unprepared to reconstruct their lives and rediscover who they were before the War.

Many World Wars I and II veterans simply do not speak of their war experiences at all, and veterans of conflicts since also are scarred by the post traumatic stress. The result of returning our soldiers directly back to their families, communities and society without the opportunity to release the Warrior Spirit has been horrifying.

Broken lives, broken families, broken minds.

And today, the reported incidence of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among our soldiers returning from Iraq, in particular, is appearing more quickly, more severely than ever before.

If you are a Returning Warrior or you want to express your support and understanding, you are invited to participate. The more we know, the better we will all be able to close the circle and help in the transition.