Jesse Simpson and Dan Jarvis are both military veterans, retired first responders and members of the 22Zero team. We discuss their journeys into the tactical professions, their own mental health struggles, the incredible success of TRP, the 22Zero mission and much more. Shortly after his arrival, he stepped on a pressure plate and detonated an Improvised Explosive Device IED five feet from his position on the patrol.
The IED inflicted a traumatic brain injury. He insisted on continuing to lead his troops on the battlefield instead of taking a break, however, the Battalion surgeon ordered him out for a week before rejoining his Soldiers.
After weeks of no sleep, as a result of the IED blast, he led his squad on a mission to escort an explosive team to defuse a bomb found by another Platoon. His role in the lead vehicle as the truck commander TC was to detect IEDs on the route, to ensure safe passage for the other vehicles in the convoy.
Dan felt responsible for the losing Doug. Near the end of his deployment, Dan received a Red Cross message informing him that his mother was deathly ill. He immediately left Afghanistan and headed to the United States in hopes of seeing his mom before she took her last breath. Unfortunately, he did not make it in time to say good-bye before she died, which weighed heavily on him. After her funeral, Dan returned to his assigned duty station in Fairbanks, Alaska at Ft. Burdened under the weight of such guilt and still unable to sleep, Dan sought an escape by binge drinking each night until he fell asleep.
On the night of March 2, , he contemplated suicide β eyeing the rifle in the corner and convincing himself that it would be easy to end the mental torture. Hearing the pitter-patter of little feet on the floor of the apartment above him, he realized he would potentially endanger those kids if a bullet was fired. As usual, he passed out from the alcohol. He awoke the next morning to a call informing him that one of the soldiers from his former Platoon, SPC Corey Smathers, had shot and killed himself the night prior.
