Interview with Graham on Operation recovery
October 7 marked a year since the start of IVAW's Operation Recovery Campaign. And for the past five months, we've had a team of organizers at Fort Hood, Texas, the largest military base in the United States, home to 50,000 soldiers and their families and a huge epidemic of untreated war trauma. Graham Clumpner is a member of that team. Make a donation in support of Graham's work.
Graham knows the challenges of untreated trauma first-hand
Graham served two tours with the Army Rangers, an elite group in the US Army who went after "high-value targets" in Afghanistan. "When I joined, I had a lot of illusions about how the military worked. I thought we were supposed to be a force for good and save other people. But my actual experience was a daily chipping away at those beliefs. I saw there was this culture of lying."
Graham describes the members of his squad kicking in the doors of families -- supposed terrorists -- and when there was no evidence of wrongdoing to be found, planting "drop weapons" -- weapons they planted on the scene to make it look like the inhabitants had been armed. He began to ask himself, "Why are we kicking cuffed detainees? Why are we setting innocent detainees free 50km away from their homes with no transportation?"
This culture of covering up the truth, plus the overwhelming loss he experienced took its toll. "I lost five of my friends - one to suicide, one in a training accident, three others were killed in action."
When he returned home, Graham -- like many veterans -- enrolled in college and tried to block out his violent memories and the emotional turmoil by drinking a lot, but his Post Traumatic Stress got the upper hand. "I was Ok for about eight months. Then I went into a spiral of depression and anger." He formed a relationship with a Vietnam vet who seemed to know exactly what Graham was going through and provided a lot of support.
After being in school for two years, Graham was faced with a hard choice when he received military recall orders to return to duty. He was on IRR status, effectively done with the military and trying to move forward with his life. He also knew that psychologically, he couldn't go back to military life. He changed his name and went underground, all the while working with doctors in the Veterans Administration to file a disability claim. Eventually, he received a formal diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress and Traumatic Brain Injury, exempting him from further military service.
In September, Graham moved from Denver to join the Operation Recovery campaign team in Killeen, Texas, where he is organizing active duty troops to stand up for their right to heal from war.
"I was raised by my parents to leave the world a better place than how I left it," says Graham, which is why he now finds himself organizing active duty soldiers at Fort Hood.
Building a community of healing and resistance at Fort Hood
As an organizer with IVAW's Operation Recovery, Graham is involved in regular outreach to soldiers at Fort Hood as well as providing information and training sessions. He helps staff Under the Hood cafe in the evenings. He also has the special responsibility of walking people through the process of applying for veteran benefits, and he personally escorts them to the local VA hospital.
Graham has seen an increase in the numbers of soldiers becoming involved in the Operation Recovery campaign, thanks to regular events providing critical support and information for the military community in and around Fort Hood. Operation Recovery holds GI rights trainings every Thursday; last week's topic was the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell. Community meetings happen on Tuesdays bringing together active duty soldiers, supporters and veterans to develop plans for the campaign work. There's also a poetry slam and a creative writing workshop every other week, plus a monthly women's-only night.
"So many people are alone, lost, confused, violated, and have no one to talk to. We are building a caring community -- something that many people have never had. With Operation Recovery, people are now building relationships with each other," says Graham.
But as a veteran himself, he admits the work is not always easy. "Hearing people's stories is hard sometimes. It brings up my own stories and experiences and my Post Traumatic Stress. Also knowing that this is gonna be a long-term problem that I don't have the ability to change by myself. Sometimes I feel helpless. A lot of the people we see are really fucked up. They may not have tried suicide in the direct way people think, but they put themselves in dangerous situations, like drinking and driving recklessly, for example."
Graham was initially surprised at just how many soldiers were already aware of the extent of the problems with untreated trauma. "They know that the system is fucked up and their commanders don't care," says Graham. "But part of the process of being a good soldier is sucking it up and not complaining. So people are already in line with us about what we're doing with Operation Recovery, they're already there. It's convincing them to take that extra step to do something about it. But I've found that all it takes is an hour-long conversation with them about what they can do to help themselves."
Graham says organizing at Fort Hood is tough, but very inspiring. "People come in to an Operation Recovery community meeting, they see
how we treat each other, that we are good people. They want to come back and learn more. . . . We check on people when they're not doing well. We hug people when they leave. It's specific and individual, the caring about each other. We've created a place where it's ok to show emotion and express yourself instead of always having to be a tough soldier. This is part of our larger strategy, and these relationships will last way beyond what we are doing here right now."
To make a donation in support of Graham Clumpner's work at Fort Hood, click here.
Thank You,
Iraq Veterans Against the War
