Soldier's time in Iraq followed him home

Soldier's time in Iraq followed him home
Evansville Courier & Press - Evansville,IN,USA
By Garret Mathews (Contact)
Sunday, January 4, 2009

A good day for Billy Sears is when he is left alone.

"The old me went to parties. The me that's now doesn't want to be bothered."


The 26-year-old man served with the Evansville-based 163rd Field Artillery, a National Guard unit whose members have been deployed to Iraq.

Sears was discharged in 2006 after being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. He says he is on five different medications to deal with the anxiety and depression.

"I was comfortable in Iraq even though I saw Humvees blowing up, and there were people shooting at us. I had no nerves when I left the base. It was a feeling of excitement. My life was all mapped out. I knew what to do at 2 and 4 and 6 o'clock. Now I don't know what to do, and that's the problem."

Sears sees a counselor once a week at the Evansville Veterans Center.

"It's a good deal. I want to get the word out to others who've come back from the war. I want them to know there's a place to go for help. I think a lot of guys are masking it. They might have the same symptoms as me, but not want to admit it."

The North High School graduate joined the National Guard in 2000.

"I volunteered to go back on the unit's last tour of Iraq. We were in Indianapolis getting checked out when they learned I was being treated for PTSD. They said I couldn't be in the military with the meds I was taking.
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