We say “thank you for your service,” but we rarely ask what that service has taken.
There’s a certain heaviness that lives in those who serve. It’s not just the badge, the uniform, or the mission — it’s the invisible weight that builds, quietly, over time.
I’ve worn several uniforms in my life and stood beside people I’ve known since childhood and others I met only once who are public servants. Every one of them carried something inside that most will never see.
I’m proud of that service. Proud of the call to something greater. But these jobs — the ones built on courage, protection, and sacrifice — are taking too many of our lives long after the shift ends. We survive the danger, but not always the aftermath.
We don’t talk about that enough.
We glorify the service but bury the scars.
We hold ceremonies for the fallen but ignore the unraveling of those still here.
We whisper about mental health when what we need are voices that shake the walls.
I’ve lost friends to tragedy, to time, and to the quiet wars they fought alone. Like so many others, I carried those losses in silence — telling myself to push through. But silence hasn’t saved us. It’s killing us.
Maybe the answer isn’t in hiding what this life does to us. Maybe it’s in telling the truth out loud. Not polished, not perfect — but real. Raw. Honest.
Someone out there needs to hear that they’re not the only one struggling to breathe under the weight of it all. They need to know they’re not broken — just human.
We have to stop waiting for permission to be real. Stop confusing silence for strength.
Because courage isn’t just running toward danger — it’s facing yourself when the noise stops. It’s choosing to live, even when surviving feels like a full-time job.
So talk. Share your story. Live out loud — before the next name is added to the list.
Service shouldn’t cost us our lives.
Not like this.
Be a voice that shakes the walls.
_______
About the Author: Chris Tetrault is a medically retired Minnesota Conservation Officer and veteran of the Minnesota National Guard. With over two decades of public service, he now leads Hometown Hero Outdoors, a national nonprofit supporting the mental health and well-being of veterans, military members, and first responders through outdoor experiences.
