co-chair of The Big Event, 402.340.0394
In October of 2004, Amber McCrory was sent to Iraq to serve the nation in an increasingly debated war. McCrory, formerly of Amherst, served for 11 months in Iraq with the 313th Medical Company. While there, she saw things that many could never imagine.
When she arrived home in November of 2005, things were different for this veteran. Understandably, the experiences that she had while in Iraq had affected her; there was no way to forget everything that she had seen.
Now a student at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, McCrory has made great strides to re-acclimate herself with being home. Perhaps one of the greatest discoveries that McCrory made after coming home from Iraq was to learn of a condition that she had–post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
It was after learning about having PTSD that McCrory began attending counseling sessions. In these sessions, McCrory realized the reactions she was having were very normal and not her fault. Her doctor described them as normal reactions to an abnormal situation.
Now the president of UNK’s Collegiate Veterans Organization, McCrory has made the decision that all veterans need to be aware of the repercussions being a soldier can entail. To help spread her message, McCrory and the Collegiate Veterans Organization are hosting a panel of experts to discuss PTSD.
“I know how essential it is for veterans to get the help they need,” McCrory said.
The event will take place Thursday, Nov. 8, at 6 p.m. in Copeland Hall, Room # 142. Speakers for the event include: Dr. John Fisher, a Vietnam veteran; Dr. Jerry Bockoven, professor and chair of the Department of Psychology at Nebraska Wesleyan; and Roy Schoen, a Licensed Mental Health Practitioner, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor. The event is free and open to the public, as well as to family, friends and teachers of veterans.
