The After

<p>When Michael Ramos enlisted in the Navy and was assigned to serve as a chaplain’s bodyguard thirteen days before 9/11 he had no idea he would soon be sent to Iraq. But he embraced the posting combat service and career for a decade until at age thirty-four the military told him his skill set was no longer relevant. Through divorce and remarriage his son’s choice to enlist in the Marines the loss of friends to war and suicide and his inability to sleep or rest Michael struggled with the return to civilian life and particularly with civilian attitudes toward veterans.<br/><br/>In twenty-four concussive embodied and nonlinear essays Michael creates a challenging and complex portrait of what it means to be a warrior civilian veteran father husband and teacher—for he ultimately uses the skills he developed in the military to help others find meaning in their lives. While this may sound like a redemption story it is instead a brutally honest portrayal that refuses easy answers and seeks to help other war veterans realize they're not alone as they search for their place in the world.</p>