Imagine being the Afghanistan Navy Seal that killed an 8-year-old carrying what looked like an IED or being the Army nurse that was raped by the very servicemembers she was protecting.

Does that sound like memories that just go away after one exits the military?

A combat veteran can still carry on the trauma, stress and negative perception amongst not only themselves, but also, with any friends or family they come in contact with.

The invisible wounds of war are near impossible to predict and can differ from servicemember to servicemember, regardless of if they served in the same battles at the same time.

Many times, these invisible wounds are still prevalent, even after many years of therapy.

No two servicemembers will truly view the same situation in the exact same ways; and that's where the Operation Veteran Freedom workshop is making their mark.

"I have been in therapy for seven years and nothing has made this kind of difference. This workshop has changed my life and I can now have a great marriage and a better life," said a former Afghanistan War Army Nurse.

"We're not here to tell them that they have disorders, problems or issues," said Vietnam veteran and Operation Veteran Freedom (OVF) creator and instructor, Jan McHenry.  "Our goal is to help them with evolving to feel free from their past."

It is important for all servicemembers dealing with any kind of trauma from service to take different perspectives of their plight.

Taking a different path towards the journey to freedom from their past service will always be a challenge, but with the OVF workshop, that journey is now easier and can be done side-by-side with those who are experiencing similar things.

The Operation Veteran Freedom workshop is specially designed for Combat/War Veterans by a Vietnam-era combat veteran and focuses on assisting attendees to discover new ways to look at themselves and the world (to include past and present circumstances).

"(This course) helped me to realize that some emotions/reactions I have may be linked to past experiences that are no longer relevant," said an Afghanistan and Iraq War Army veteran after taking the class, who prefers to remain anonymous.

Escaping these circumstances typically leads to freeing one's self from the binds of the past and opens a new perspective on how to feel, view and react.

"We do not come from ‘they are broken and need to be fixed'" said OVF Program Coordinator Rod Wittmier.  "We come from ... ‘they are whole and complete' and giving our veterans the tools to dismantle the things that are preventing them from experiencing life, being free and being happy."

The baggage that a combat veteran can carry with them, even years after serving, can become overwhelming and can easily lead to suicide.

"It leaves them at peace and finally at home (normal again) with the freedom to now create a life that they love," said Wittmier.

This freedom to let go of the past for the Navy Seal or Army nurse comes from opening up and stopping the enabling behavior of blaming and shaming one's self.

These veterans are not broken or damaged.

"Since what happened in the past is NOT happening now, they have the choice to move forward," said Wittmier.  "We teach them to become the author of their lives and realize that there are many more chapters to be written."

The National Alliance To End Veteran Suicide (NA2EVS) hosts these Operation Veteran Freedom Workshops free of charge to veterans everywhere that are in a disempowering context. Please visit www.na2evs.org/ovf for more information on Operation Veteran Freedom and contact rod.wittmier@na2evs.org to assist spreading the word on this workshop to more veterans.

"We believe that every veteran should be able to finally come home and finally have freedom in their life!"