Aaron Cross is an Army veteran with tours of duty in both Afghanistan and Iraq. He started his career as a "grunt," (his words, not mine) and then became an airborne soldier and served with multiple units, to include the famed 101st Airborne Division. On his last tour in Afghanistan his vehicle was targeted by an IED, an incident for which he received the Purple Heart, and ultimately lead to the end of his military career.

Aaron has been very vocal and open about his struggles with PTS (Post Traumatic Stress), which is far less common than it should be from those in military circles. Since his separation, 11 of the men he served with have chosen to end their own lives, a statistic that is far too common, and speaks to the challenges of military service in active war zones.

War changes you, in my opinion, for both better and worse. You will come home a different person. You will see the world differently. You will struggle to find common ground. The journey is not the same for any two people. Hopefully someone listening to this is reassured on their own journey, and maintains the resolve to see their way through it.

Mayoral Candidates Have Just 6 Weeks to Win You Over