Eric Estenzo was finishing up his tour of Iraq when he had a non-combat injury. He was told that if he reported it now he would remain in Iraq when his unit went home or be flown to Germany. The medical treatment he received was sufficient, and Estenzo was pleased. When he was discharged from the military in 2005, his medical records were transferred to the VA, where they would take over care for his back injury. In the Long Beach VA System, however, Estenzo realized how broken the VA health care system really is. Three years later, Estenzo is still in the first stages of getting his back assessed by the VA, which only hinders his disability claim.

Going to school full-time with a back injury, it was difficult for Eric to have a physical job and that is why his disability was so important.

Eric never thought that it would be so difficult to reintegrate into civilian life. After leaving college and looking for a job, he finally felt like he had walked in the shoes of Vietnam veterans in the 70s and 80s. Even with $17,000 saved up when he got out of the military, Eric found himself broke and eating at a homeless shelter before he even knew it. The epiphany came at Eric so hard and fast that he became suicidal; he was humiliated and ashamed. He lost his relationship with his girlfriend, and felt like he had hit bottom.

It was then that he found Iraq Veterans Against the War. The other IVAW members convinced Eric to go back to the VA about his disability, and he did, but now he is at square one again.