Paul says, “The best briefing I know about the culture that defines the aviator specifically, but in many ways the high performing service member broadly. These are the things that keep us high performing in a sustained way…but it is at a cost. And when they fail it can be catastrophic for the service members and especially for their relationships and family. It’s funny, really funny, except it’s not. Once I heard it, and then when Betsy heard it, we both realized this has in many ways defined our relationship and our family dynamics for over 30 years.

- Must be in control

- Distant emotional male female relationships

- Mission-Oriented compartmentalizer

- Predictable and checklist driven”

I was honored to serve as guest editor of this special edition of the Air University Press’ flagship presentation dedicated to invisible injuries including moral injury. With a forward by CMSAF JoAnne Bass.

Each article provides the academic foundations to discuss what many of us now believe may be one of the significant sources of stress for both veterans and also their families. While some cases of moral injury exist from traumatic events such as in combat, we think the more common and silent problem is the feeling of institutional betrayal that many felt post service. Military members are not unique in this respect. The same thing is happening in medicine, where we are running out of doctors and nurses to take care of our nation.

I really like the little book by my former neighbor, mentor, fellow medic, and friend, CMSgt (ret) Dave Nordel. Writing it was a labor of love and allowed him to process his experiences, put them together to make sense out of them, and pay them forward to others. It’s a nice little quick read broken into snackable little bites of a few pages.

We are proud that Dave now serves on the Board of Directors for the Mission-Next Foundation. He is also building out “Vet Ready” to help employers meet our Vets in transition in the middle so that the transitions are better for both parties. Everyone wins. He, along with good friends Col (ret) Dr Kathy Amyot and MSgt (ret) Ed Scherzer, are heading up the vets and families in transitions work by the Foundation. I’ve asked them to share a bit of the work they are doing today, and where they are taking this important work.