Share Your Experience Step 1 of 4 25% Your experience matters Military service and sacrifice affect more than the person who served. Loss, combat injury, caregiving, friendship, family, recovery, struggle, purpose, and resilience can continue shaping lives long after the event itself. This project seeks to better understand those experiences by listening to the people who lived them. Your responses may help us preserve an important part of our nation's military history, identify lessons from lived experience, and contribute to a broader national conversation about the lasting human consequences of military service and sacrifice. There are no right or wrong answers We are not looking for a particular kind of story or trying to prove a conclusion already reached. We want to understand what happened to you. Share only what you are comfortable sharing. You may skip questions or stop at any time. Before we begin(Required)Please review the Participation Consent and Release below. I have read and understand the Participation Consent and Release and agree to participate. Which best describes your experienceSelect the experience that most closely reflects the story you would like to share. I Lost Someone - I am a family member, friend, loved one, or fellow service member of someone who died as a result of military service. I Was Wounded or Injured - I am a service member or veteran living with wounds, injuries, or lasting effects resulting from my military service. I Supported Someone - I am or have been a caregiver, family member, friend, or other person supporting a wounded or injured service member or veteran. More Than One Describes Me - My experience crosses more than one of these paths. Loss Experience QuestionnaireBEFORECan you briefly share who your loved one was and your relationship with them?Can you walk me through the day you learned about the loss or injury—from beginning to end?AFTERWARDBefore the loss or injury, how would you describe your life and your relationship with them?What details from that day remain especially vivid to you now?What emotions did you experience in the days and weeks that followed?WHAT HAPPENEDWere there things you learned later that changed how you understood what happened?In what ways did your daily life—such as sleep, health, or routines—change after the loss or injury?What kinds of support helped you the most during that time?How has this experience changed you as a person?LOOKING BACKWere there moments where support felt lacking or disappointing? What stood out?Has your worldview or sense of purpose shifted? If so, how?What do you think your loved one would notice most about who you’ve become since then?What has helped you rebuild—or redefine—a meaningful life?How do you keep their memory present in your life today?If you could speak to them today, what would you want them to know?What do you wish others truly understood about living with this kind of loss?What advice would you offer someone who has just experienced a similar loss?What do you hope your loved one’s story—and your experience—can contribute to others?What would you want policymakers, leaders, or the public to better understand?Is There Something We Didn't Ask?Sometimes the most important part of a person's experience is the question we didn't know to ask. Please share anything else you believe is important for us to understand.
