War Stories From The Surge

We sit down with Juan, a combat veteran who served with the 126th Infantry (Blue Spaders) during the Iraq War Surge. Born in Nicaragua and raised in Oakland during the crack era, Juan shares his journey from teenage troublemaker to decorated infantryman.

• From stealing cars in Oakland to being sent to live on an active volcano in Nicaragua as punishment
• Joining the Army after 9/11 and deploying to Baghdad during the height of sectarian violence in 2006
• Experiencing the deadly evolution of enemy tactics, including EFPs that could penetrate Bradley armor
• Surviving constant rocket attacks, sniper ambushes, and IEDs in Eastern Baghdad
• Making the mental decision to accept death in combat and how it transformed his confidence
• Transitioning from military to entrepreneurship by helping immigrants and developing land in Nicaragua
• Seeking help for PTSD and finding ways to value life after experiencing so much death

"I think combat is like sex. You can describe it to somebody, but when you feel it, it's just different and you expect it to be a certain way. But it's different, especially in the type of fight we were in. We were basically waiting to get killed the majority of the time."