Iraq War Veteran: ‘Troops in Iran Conflict Will Come Home Changed’

Jeremy Harrell knows the costs of war firsthand. 

Harrell, a U.S. Army veteran, was deployed to the Iraq War during its early stages in 2003-2004. Overall, he served as a non-commissioned officer for nine years. As he watches the war against Iran unfold, he can feel the burden of the conflict, decades removed from his own deployment. 

Harrell is proud of his service but realizes it came with a price.

“It was always an honorable profession, but with that came a lot of challenges,” Harrell told LEX 18 in Kentucky. 

To help veterans navigate those obstacles, Harrell formed Veteran’s Club in 2017, a nonprofit organization based out of Louisville, Kentucky, that provides mental health assistance for veterans and family members. The program’s mission is to offer connection, healing, recovery, housing assistance, and vocational training to both veterans and first responders. 

War in Iran Hits Home 

The images of bombings, huge fireballs and clouds of thick, heavy smoke are no strangers to Harrell. Spending months in a war zone can form distinct, unshakable memories. 

“There is a lot of destruction, a lot of violence, and a lot of misunderstanding when we’re deployed,” he said. “And these days deployments last much long then they have in the past.” 

During his time in Iraq, Harrell kept thinking, Will I come home? 

“There is always that uncertainty,” Harrell said.

These days, as he watches another U.S. military conflict in the Middle East, he thinks about the troops serving halfway around the world. 

“For our brothers and sisters in Iran. We need to pray for them and be ready to help them when they come home,” Harrell said.

Community support for veterans and active-duty personnel can be vital during a time of conflict and uncertainty. 

“Oftentimes, the community rallies around veterans in times like this, where there is an active conflict. And we love in this state and this country that there are a lot of patriots who care about veterans,” Harrell said.

He believes a strong community to lean on is needed because, thinking back to his combat experience, troops currently fighting in the Middle East will not be the same when they return.   

“And when they come home, they’re trying to redeem all that time, but they typically come home changed,” Harrell said.

Veterans Talking to Veterans 

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects deployed veterans three times more than non-deployed veterans, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Harrell is one to know. He still faces mental health hurdles, but has sought help through treatment. 

“When they come home, you’re trying to process all that. That’s what led to some of the mental health issues we have,” Harrell said. “So, they carry around all this residual from the negative experience they had. We can work through the experience we witness, but we can’t erase the memories.” 

There is hope. Through Veteran’s Club, Harrell helps veterans connect with other veterans, sharing stories and experiences, which can serve as a path to heal old wounds.  

“The veteran-on-veteran connection is powerful,” Harrell said.

However long the war in Iran continues, Harrell will be there, ready and waiting to embrace future veterans, providing a strong support system, fueled by former servicemembers. 

Resources are also available through the VA. 

In addition, the Veteran’s Club has a list of upcoming events on its website.