Moving Forward: A Veteran's Story with Anthony Anderson

Few can understand what happens in a war unless you’ve been in the middle of one. Often the lessons that come after the homecoming are some of the toughest to learn. The moral injuries that our veterans face often go unnoticed and untreated. That’s what sparked Sgt. Anthony Anderson’s walk from Wisconsin to California featured in the Almost Sunrise Documentary.  In this episode of the Revenue Builders podcast, Anthony talks about his own lessons learned and how those leading companies can support veterans re-entering civilian life. Anthony’s experience is also a great testament to what it takes to be a great leader.  

HIGHLIGHTS

• Why Anthony joined the military
• Lessons learned while volunteering to serve in Iraq twice
• War has no peer
• Combat and survival instincts change you
• Reintegration after service comes with its own issues
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder vs Moral Injury
• Walking from Milwaukee to California to raise awareness
• The families of veterans need help too
• Donate your time, not just your money

QUOTES

Anthony: "Some of the things that I took away, certainly in the first time, much earlier in the war with different kind of mission, how much chaos is surrounding you and how little control you have over these things, but how ultimately you have to make decision."

Anthony: "I learned very early that people want to be understood in one way and seen in one light, but they also don't want to let on what actually allows people to get to know them." 

Anthony: "Some of the chaos in war is not just what's happening outside, it's what's happening in your heart and in your mind." 

Anthony: "Wars may end when peace treaties are signed. But wars don't end in you."  

Anthony: "When the drumbeat for war is beating louder, and everybody starts to put into to context the need to go to war, and how much it's gonna cost, and how quickly we'll do it, etc…. We need to put decision makers accountable for things like, how many doctors, how many nurses, how many psychiatrists psychologists, peer mentors etcetera do we need to have in place, and will they be in place before the first shot is fired, and if not, when will they be there." 

Additional Resources:

• Almost Sunrise: http://sunrisedocumentary.com/
• LiT Beard CO: https://litbeardco.com/
• Project Welcome Home Troops: https://projectwelcomehometroops.org/
• American Corporate Partners: https://www.acp-usa.org/
• OJAI Earth Yoga: https://www.ojai.earth/mission
• More About the Episode: https://forc.mx/3Ks0vOj

Connect with Anthony via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-anderson-441177129/