Matt and K-9 Sue

I grew up in a small Iowa town. I always wanted to join the military, it was always in me. At least that is what my dad told me. I was always reaching up over the post office counter and grabbing the recruiters brochures off the counter whenever I went there to get the mail with my parents. As I got older it just seemed like it was my calling and when I graduated high school I joined the Marines.
I spent my first 4 years in the military in the Marine Corps Infantry with the 3rd Battalion 4th Marines. I was very proud of my Marine service. I thought at the time I only wanted to do the 4 years and be done with the military. So, I got out and started going back to school in 2000. I joined the guard unit in Mankato as a infantry scout when 9/11 happened, so I stopped going to school and had orders cut to go back to active duty. I ended up going to 1st battalion 12 cavalry regiment, 1st Cavalry Division at Ft. Hood. We deployed in March of 2004. I was deployed for a year in the Sadr City sector of Baghdad. My MOS in the Army was a Cav Scout. We essentially did mounted infantry patrols half the time and recon patrols the other half of the time. Like most of in Iraq during this time we encountered ambushes, IEDs, RPGS, conducted raids, etc...the other part of the deployment I was in the headquarters platoon. I monitored patrols from the radio room and coordinated with battalion HQ and the QRF to the combat Patrols.
When I came home I had to deal with problems from being in a combat environment, being on patrol, what happened out on patrols and what I could not control when I was not out there anymore. I then came home to a sick daughter that need a liver transplant and wife that was planning leaving me, but didn't know when. Over the years my daughter had to not have one liver transplant, but two transplants which was not only tough on me and my family it was extremely tough on her. Seeing her go through that pain made me feel even more helpless than I already felt at the time. I also went through a second divorce.
My daughter is doing better now, but struggles with her own medical stuff. She is 20 years old now and has come a long way. I have come a long way but I still struggle socially, mentally, and now physically. I go to work and come home and just spend time with my dog. I go in spirts with my anxiety. This past year hasn't been the greatest, but I am hoping with the training I will get for my dog Sue I can get myself out again and she can get me around people again.