Disabled veteran discusses life after the military

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class William O'Brien
  • 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  An Army Specialist at Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan, in 2006 was on a three-vehicle convoy operation when, out of nowhere came a white station wagon slammed into one of the convoy vehicle and exploded.

As if the vehicle-borne improvised explosive device wasn't enough, the convoy came under further attack almost immediately. Attackers were shooting his fellow soldiers as more explosions could be heard nearby. Former Specialist, Alvin Ramlu, called in a medical evacuation, saving the lives of his fellow Soldiers. For his actions, he was awarded the Combat Action Medal, but that wasn't the only thing he brought back with him when he returned from his deployment.

That day at a glance, he seemed lucky as it appeared he had only sustained a bloody nose from his head striking the seat in front of him. Otherwise there wasn't a scratch or cut to be seen. But what he would soon find out was that just because it doesn't bleed, it can still leave scars.

Shortly after he returned, Mr Ramlu was diagnosed with Traumatic Brain Injury, a condition caused by sudden head trauma that damages the brain. Soon after that he was also diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

The combination of the PTSD and TBI make it nearly impossible to stop thinking that day and comparing it to everyday situations back at home. For him, a task as simple as driving down the street has become a challenge. Not physically, but mentally.

"I am constantly thinking that someone around me is going blow up their car," said Mr. Ramlu. "At traffic lights, if someone crosses in the crosswalk I think they're going to blow themselves up."

That experience left him uneasy around strangers, but another experience from his deployment leaves him uneasy around his own family.

"I was working in the guard tower one morning and a little girl who looked about 10 to 12 years-old lined up with other workers outside the base waiting to be searched to come into the base," he recalled. "While (waiting), she exploded killing about 12 to 20 people."

The flashbacks from that even cause him to be on edge around all children; even his own sister.

"Now, I get flashbacks of that scene," he said. "When I am around my little sister or other children I feel nervous. I try to tell myself 'I'm not there anymore, I'm here.' I try to control it."

Mr. Ramlu said he doesn't blame the Army for his injuries. He said he appreciates what they did for him.

"I loved the Army," he said. "They treated me really good. They fed me, put clothes on my back. When my grandmother had a stroke they let me take emergency leave to go see her."

To his dismay, because of his disabilities, he was medically retired.

"I was heartbroken. I was doing a job I loved and worked with people who respected my abilities," he said. "But now I would have to start over."

Unsure where to turn and laden with his disability, Mr. Ramlu had difficulty finding a job.

"I was overwhelmed," he said. "I thought 'what am I supposed to do now?"

Through the AbilityOne Program, Mr. Ramlu was able to find a job. AbilityOne is a program designed to help people with disabilities,
including veterans, secure employment


"The AbilityOne Program hired me through Project HIRED," he said. "They allow me to work with few needed accommodations."

Though it doesn't heal any injuries, it offers disabled veterans the ability to work while they recover.

"I'm still going to therapy. And I still go to doctor's appointments," he said. "But I can also work and can be a productive member of society while I recover."

Mr. Ramlu is grateful for his job, and the AbilityOne program that makes it possible for him to keep working.

"I know that I'll be alright," he said. "As long as I can work and bring home a paycheck and the AbilityOne program makes that possible for me and thousands of others who desperately need it."

For more information about the AbilityOne Program, call (800) 999-5963.