Why We Never Trained the Mind: A Soldier’s Reality

Over the course of nearly two decades of service, I have trained for almost any scenario imaginable. Weapons qualification,
room clearing, land navigation, convoy security, and countless field exercises. But one critical
battlefield was never addressed in any of our training manuals: the human mind.

Not once in basic training, pre-deployment, or even post-deployment were we taught how to manage the invisible war
that happens inside our heads. We weren’t trained to handle the emotional weight of losing a brother,
the guilt of surviving, or the fear that grips you in silence after the smoke clears.

Mental health in the military has been treated as a reactive issue. You don’t go to “see psych” unless something is
wrong, and once you do, you’re labeled. Broken, Weak, Unfit.

Meanwhile, the world’s top athletes —from NFL quarterbacks to Olympic gymnasts — train their minds as intensely as their bodies. They
visualize success. Practice breathing to regulate stress. Use performance coaches to develop focus,
resilience, and confidence. The companies treated their athletes as investments.  They invested in their success.  Why didn’t we? The truth is, we trained for war, but we never trained for the
aftermath.  We put a dollar amount on our warriors.  The military works to mitigate risk; however, one of the key factors is financial resources.

It doesn’t have to be that way. Mental readiness isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity. If we had
embedded mental skills training into our combat prep the same way we taught weapons handling or
first aid, we could’ve saved lives — not just on the battlefield, but long after the war ends. This blog is
the beginning of a mission: to redefine warrior training and bring mental fitness to the forefront.
Because no one should have to fight their hardest battles alone — especially not after the uniform
comes off when we know their is proven ways to reduce it.

When the governments says we can’t afford it, I say how can we not!