Can you describe how you felt coming home from a deployment or combat?

After coming home it was hard, cause everyone had grownup moved away or gone their separate ways. Adjusting to civilian life was nerve racking not knowing the resources out there for veterans. But now I try to help family members who come back even older family members learn about the resources out there for veterans.

A sense of relief and a greatly reduced tolerance for garrison BS.

Happy to be returning to my family, but disappointed in returning to my country. I was returning from Vietnam, and was told to be cautious while in the airport in uniform because someone may throw things on me. After I got home I avoided any conversation that would inform others where I had been. Never really got over the feeling of being rejected until the recent changes in how those serving are viewed. All is well God is good.

To be honest, I was happy to return back safe, but was never whole. I left a piece of me there that even to this day so many years later I have never found. It was not the same when I returned, and I wish someone had been there to help me deal with that missing part. Now almost 30 years later, I have finally started down that road. I encourage those coming back to see that help to heal from whatever the brought back home. I know this is deep, but this is my prayer every time I read or hear about our troops being deployed

I deployed 2006-2007 to Afghanistan. While deployed we kind of got used to spending nights in the bunkers due to constantly being attacked, having lights out on missions due to the need for protection, having to walk a mile to pee or shower, and having lack of communication with family at home, among other things. Somehow we got complacent and these things became the norm. Coming home was thought to be a relief, but I did not realize how to let my guard down. Reacting to mufflers, fireworks, and nearly collapsing I saw folded flags. My great uncle who was a Veteran passed a few months after I returned home. His funeral was a military funeral and I almost did not make it. Coming home was more complicated than I anticipated and I really didn't have anyone to talk about it with. Not everyone I deployed with shared my experiences and some never faced any combat, been near bombings, or had a true sense of fear exposure. Being a female, I got brushed off due to not being in certain MOS's but that did not take away how I felt. After deployment, I was working mob and demob for others going on or returning from deployment. Somehow at the end of my year in that position, I felt more relief.

It has changed quite a bit since I was enlisted but I remember there being no one to greet me but my significant other. I had no idea that there wouldn't even be a military liaison to get me to the correct parties...

I remember coming home and it just wasn't the same. I came home a completely different person and felt like a stranger in my own house and around my wife. Needless to say I didn't seek help for mental health issues until like 10 years later.

Coming home from a deployment, and a remote tour, I felt nervous, like the first date. But once home for a week it was back to life as usual.

It was a swirl of emotions. I was nervous, excited, and concerned a bit. Concerned that I would have to reintegrate with a new normal. You almost feel like a visitor for a bit

Mixed emotions -- Great to be back home with family, but the stand-down, and not flying for a while was disconcerting.