The Mission Is You
Julian:
The mission is no longer counterterrorism. The mission's you and your rehab.
Kionte:
I've done all these things that I never would've thought have been possible. We were clearing out a building, and there was an IED in the doorway, and I think out of 13 people, I was the last guy that walked into the building, and I stepped on that IED going off.
Julian:
So I'm just looking down, and I remember the light from the energy of the blast.
Kionte:
I awoken in the hospital where my left leg was fully wrapped. My right leg was gone completely.
Julian:
The first 12 months of rehab were dark, man. Looking back now, there were indicators for me that I was depressed. I went from 100% being independent, top of my game, to asking for help from my wife to take me off the toilet.
Kionte:
I think the biggest issue that I ever dealt with was the depression side of everything, to where I just looked at myself, and I was just like, this is not me. This is not who I am, and this is not the road I want to go down and become this person.
Julian:
I saw what was coming and I was like, you got to stop.
Kionte:
And that's pretty much what led to going to talk to a therapist. She would ask very basic questions and allow me to talk, and after a certain while, I would just open up, and I would just talk and talk and talk. And she would just listen.
Julian:
To be able to pinpoint like this is what's really going on. And let's talk about what's really going on. This was powerful stuff, man. You know how to make a mission, you know how to give orders, you know how to receive orders. So give yourself an order. Draft up a mission. Create a training model for your life.
