My name is Cecilia Garcia. I’m a wife, mother, combat veteran, and Purple Heart recipient. I also write the fictional series Always Forward based on my combat experiences. Originally, I wrote for me, to process my trauma, but I’ve discovered that veterans and civilians alike find solace in how the cast of characters deal with their mental health.
I joined the Army at 17. (My parents had to sign away custodial rights to the U.S. government for me to serve!) After completing basic training and graduating Advanced Individual Training second in my class, I was assigned as a Petroleum Supply Specialist. I could set up a gas station in the middle of nowhere, refuel aircraft, drive tankers, and conduct a hot refuel on helicopters while the rotors were moving (my favorite!).
I met my husband at my first active-duty station and after I’d completed my contract, we moved to Michigan. I immediately missed the Army and decided to join the Michigan Army National Guard. My paperwork was approved on our first wedding anniversary…9/11/01.
At my first drill weekend, I learned I would be retrained as an 88M truck driver with eventual deployment to the Middle East. In September 2003, another Michigan guard unit, short on drivers, was activated to support Operation Iraqi Freedom. We had just bought our first home, and our daughter was just shy of turning three. It was a tough decision, but ultimately, I was called to serve my country. I volunteered.
We were told that our routes were quiet. No hostile encounters. No need for body armor.
On our initial convoy, we received multiple attacks. Nothing catastrophic, but we had several non-life-threatening injured soldiers along that first drive. We continued to be under direct threat for the rest of our tour. Insurgents quickly identified truck drivers as the best targets because we were carrying mission essential items. I still recall the feeling of a bullet flying directly in front of my face!
May 25, 2004
We were on a routine mission with convoy orders to detour through Baghdad International Airport due to hostile activity. Our convoy commander decided not to follow these orders. Shortly after a routine stop for a potential IED, an explosion hit our vehicle, blinding me and cutting off my hearing. After the smoke cleared, I drove until the engine died, my battle buddy collapsed into my lap bleeding profusely. I maneuvered my truck to the side so the rest of the convoy could pass, standard operating procedure. I determined his right eye had been blown out of the socket and he had severe head trauma.
I did not know I was injured until later when a medic demanded to check me. I incurred shrapnel wounds to my neck, ear, and side of my face. I was given the option to return home but chose to stay. The next IED attack, which left no physical injuries, beat up my mental state.
I returned home in March 2005. When my commitment was up in September 2006, I gladly accepted my honorable discharge. For the next 15 years I struggled with what I went through in Iraq. I did everything to avoid dealing with what I’d endured, but it was being a spokesperson for veterans that helped me to begin to talk about my combat experiences.
It wasn’t until 2019 I decided to face my demons honestly. The storyline for the Always Forward series had been in my head since being in Iraq. The character Sgt. Emily Sanders is a P.O.W., and although that never happened to me, I was a prisoner of my own mind. It was in writing her story I realized I needed mental health treatment. Going to therapy and addressing what happened to me on May 25th was pivotal in not only my life, but in writing the series.
Although our military does a great job getting us ready for war, they’re not great at preparing us for life after war. My goal is to continue to be an advocate for other veterans and their families. My series opens dialogue so veterans do not have to be ashamed or embarrassed to discuss what they have been through in combat.
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If you need to talk, please don’t hesitate to reach for help. http://www.988lifeline.org/
If you are a Veteran, dial 988- option 1, OR
text 838255 to the Veteran’s Crisis Line.
