Supply Crate – Joshua

Marine Corps Veteran Joshua requested a Supply Crate for his mental health after being diagnosed with PTSD and he hopes gaming will help him when things get tough coping with all he went through during his service.

Before we get into this Supply Crate recipient's request, we want to note that we redacted some parts for length and details. Joshua wrote us a very long request that the sponsor has seen.

[Redacted for length and details.] In 2004 I went to the recruiting office and wanted to join the Marine Corps. I was supposed to leave three weeks later for MEPS, oh, that stands for Military Entrance Processing Station. The night before, I called the recruiter and said I changed my mind, I was not enlisting. Instead, I went to work for a window factory. I made good money at the time but was miserable in that job and was treated terribly by my co-workers. A year of this was all I could take. So, I decided to go back to the recruiter’s office. I was shocked when I walked in to see the same recruiter still there. I really had to convince him this time I was serious about enlisting. [Redacted for length and details.] Two days later there I was, in Louisville Kentucky for MEPS. Two weeks later, I was standing on the yellow footprints at the Marine Corps recruit depot on Paris Island, South Carolina. After a couple of confusing and sleepless nights and days, I was sitting on the floor as my new United States Marine Corps drill instructors were introduced. I was also quietly celebrating my 21st birthday, then chaos ensued. My first duty station was Camp Lejeune with the 2nd Military Police Battalion. When I checked in, my company had just returned from a rough deployment to Iraq, boy, I was immediately overwhelmed and amazed by their stories, their purple hearts, and especially their sense of brotherhood. At that point, I knew I had a lot to live up to. We deployed to Fallujah, Iraq March 2006. My squad was attached to an EOD team, and that stands for Explosive Ordinance Disposal. We provided their security while they dismantled and destroyed IED’s. I also did a lot of route reconnaissance and foot patrols looking for IED’s. All together we conducted nearly 500 missions from March to September. My Squad consisted of four Humvees, three Marines per vehicle. Our EOD team with the three Marines and one Navy Corpsman or Doc on board rode in their own fancy Military vehicle, it was the newly distributed Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Tactical Vehicle- MRAP for short.

At the time the EOD teams were the only ones who had those. They were and still are pretty badass vehicles. They have saved a lot of lives for sure. One night, early March, while returning from a 9-line mission (Ordinance support Request). I was driving our Humvee, we were number 3 in the patrol of 5 vehicles returning to Camp Fallujah from a small nearby village. I was suddenly blinded by a huge flashing light and loud explosion. [Redacted for length and details.]

This was our first IED strike but wouldn’t be our last. My Humvee was targeted and hit by 6 or more IED’s throughout the next few months. Somehow, myself and the 2 other Marines who I rode with were never seriously injured. A lot to handle for a 22 year old. [Redacted for length and details.] Well fast forward to October 2007, I was back in Iraq. [Redacted for length and details.]

I returned from this deployment in March of 2008. I only had limited time left in the Marines, so once I knew I would not be deploying again, my wife and I planned to have a “regular” wedding in our hometown and she would move to North Carolina with me. [Redacted for length and details.]

I left active duty in 2010 and began working as a civilian Police Officer for the Marine Corps in North Carolina. My wife and I were ready for a change of scenery and were wanting to get closer to our home state of Kentucky. After a lot of job searching we decided to move to Chattanooga Tennessee. I took a job as a VA Police Officer at the Chattanooga Clinic in 2016. I enjoyed it but it was just not what I wanted to be doing. I heard about the Volunteer Services Department and felt this was where I was being led. I knew this was what I wanted to do and was hoping it would work out for me one day. Sure enough, the job opened up and was posted for the VA Volunteer Coordinator. I applied and got it, I was eager to start. I can say this has been one of the most rewarding and fulfilling experiences of my life. Amongst my team of volunteers, we have many Veterans , non-Veterans, and spouses of Veterans. We even have a couple of husband and wife volunteers. Some days it can be like herding cats in the volunteer office, with my little old volunteers running around all over the place, but honestly I’m not sure I would want it any other way. I love their enthusiasm to come in for free and not get paid just to give of their time for our Veterans. Although, I enjoy my career and the people I am with, I still find myself trying to hide in the shadows and deal with my own issues. A few years ago, I was diagnosed with severe PTSD, along with severe anxiety and depression. Its easy for me to do things for others and help others but I suffer and neglect my own personal health and wellness. I feel like gaming and videos would be relaxing and a way to decompress and escape certain thoughts and ideas which I am prone to allowing to run wild in my mind. I am humbly a putting in a request for myself. I feel like I could make connections and help others with similar personal struggles by using a gaming platform and sharing my own story. Thank you. Semper Fidelis.

From what Joshua told us, he went through quite a lot during his service that involved seeing his fellow servicemembers seriously injured and managed to get through more dangerous situations than most 20-something-year-olds ever see in a lifetime. Once he completed his service, he found other ways to serve and has struggled with his mental health even as he has done his best to not let it show. We hope with a PlayStation 5 he can find plenty of connection with other Veterans who also game.

Dear Stack Up Team,

I am writing to express my heartfelt gratitude for the incredible supply crate you sent me. This generous gift has arrived at an extremely difficult time in my life, and I cannot begin to tell you how much it means to me.

The PlayStation 5 will not only provide me with much-needed personal comfort and entertainment but also serve as a fantastic way to connect with other Veterans in my area. I plan to use it as a tool to build camaraderie and create a network of support for fellow Veterans who, like me, can benefit from the sense of community that gaming offers.

Thank you once again for your kindness and support. Your efforts make a significant difference in the lives of Veterans, and I am truly grateful.

Semper Fidelis,

Joshua

You are welcome, Joshua.

KoinwithaK sponsored Joshua's Supply Crate. KoinwithaK is Stack Up's Community Manager! She was a member of our Influencer Relations Team and decided to go for the job when it came up and now she's the person our volunteers and community members go to for anything involving Stack Up's Overwatch and Stacks Programs and handles our community Discord. She's also a streamer and can be found on her Twitch channel: Twitch.tv/koinwithak

This Memorial Day, you can support Veterans like Joshua with their mental health through gaming by fundraising with or donating to Stack Up. We're currently holding a fundraising giveaway until Friday, May 29 where anyone who raises $50+ through a Stack Up Tiltify campaign will get a chance at winning a PlayStation 4 Destiny bundle with lots of collectible goods. Hit the button below to learn more.