Erik and Tiffany Olson’s ‘Warrior Summit Outdoors’ show focused on helping wounded veterans -...

After spending the majority of five years in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, followed by two years recovering from injuries in a military hospital outside of Washington D.C., SSG Erik Olson (Ret.) sat in a deer stand and found heaven.

Three tours and 42 months in combat earned Olson two purple hearts and the bronze star with valor, among other commendations. But it also presented him with a challenge faced by many combat veterans when they return home: assimilating back into civilian life.

“When you spend so many years in combat, what is perceived as normal life becomes alien,” said Olson, who resides in the Hazleton area. “In combat, staying alive and accomplishing the mission becomes your life. When you come back home, it’s like hitting a wall and your body can’t process that. All of a sudden you go from kicking in doors to opening a door for a doctor appointment.”