On Oct. 29, 2011, I was serving in Kabul, Afghanistan, when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device struck a coalition Rhino armored bus. Thirteen members of our coalition were killed, along with Afghan civilians. Among those we lost was Sgt. Carlo F. Eugenio, a soldier whose memory I continue to carry.
But the mission did not stop.
In the days that followed, soldiers still had to put on their gear, climb back into vehicles and go outside the wire. As a leader, there was little time to process what had happened. There were missions to accomplish and soldiers who needed leadership.
Years later, I realized that coming home did not necessarily mean leaving the war behind.
After 20 years of Army service, including deployments to Afghanistan in 2011–2012 and 2017–2018 and service at Guantanamo Bay in 2020–2021, I eventually retired as a major. I returned to another calling that has shaped much of my life: education.
But one question continued to follow me:
“Since I lived, how will I live?”
That question became the heart of "SOLDIER ON: An Afghanistan War Memoir of Leadership, Loss, Faith, and the Long Road Home."
I did not write "SOLDIER ON" simply to tell my own story. I wrote it to preserve the names and experiences of the men and women with whom I served, to honor those who did not come home, and to speak honestly about what can happen after the uniform comes off.
The book explores combat, leadership, grief, survivor guilt, faith, mistakes, healing and the search for purpose after military service. It is also about something I believe many veterans understand: sometimes continuing the mission means learning how to live again.
As Oct. 29, 2026, marks 15 years since the Kabul attack, I find myself thinking less about what I accomplished in uniform and more about the people who stood beside me.
Their stories deserve to be remembered.
"SOLDIER ON" is one way I can continue that responsibility.
For veterans carrying their own memories long after coming home, my hope is simple: keep moving forward. Your story is not finished.
Soldier on.
