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Beth Bailey


NextImg:How this veteran overcame PTSD and helps others do the same

Retired Army Spc. Justin "JP" Lane has overcome the post-traumatic stress disorder that nearly caused him to end his life. But in order to help the 29% of veterans from the nation’s most recent conflicts who the Department of Veterans Affairs estimates will experience PTSD in their lifetimes, Lane revisits his struggles every month, traveling the country with support from the Semper Fi and America’s Fund to share the story of how he “dominate[d] his trauma.”

In honor of PTSD Awareness Month, Lane told the Washington Examiner his incredible story.

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In 2010, Lane was a combat engineer deployed to southern Afghanistan’s Kandahar province. In the course of his work clearing Taliban improvised explosive devices from routes used by both soldiers and civilians, Lane had already survived two explosions. On July 2, he volunteered for a mission that put him in the driver’s seat of an RG-31, a variety of mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicle that Lane said had never before been penetrated by an IED. Lane was bringing up the rear of his unit’s convoy when the enemy remote-detonated a 200-pound bomb beneath his truck.

As a combat engineer, Lane cleared routes to allow unimpeded travel for civilians and military personnel alike.

From the force of the explosion, Lane said the “truck flew up in the air and slammed down on the passenger side.” Both of Lane’s legs were amputated in the blast. Lane said this was “a blessing in disguise” because soldiers later found one of his boots and leg melted to the floor of the truck, where he believes he would have died if his legs had remained attached.

Lane’s body was severely damaged. His heart and left lung were the only organs to escape destruction. Lane’s spine was dislocated from his pelvis, which snapped in half along with his left femur and right arm. Part of his right middle finger was amputated, “probably from using it too much,” Lane added as he inventoried his injuries.

JP Lane recovers from his wounds in the aftermath of an IED attack.

Lane died twice as doctors opened his body to repair the vast damage. He was in a coma for a month and a half before he awoke in a hospital bed far from the battlefield. Recovering from his physical ailments became more difficult when his wife at the time was no longer able to handle his struggles. Before he finished his course of therapy, Lane was divorced.

PTSD had Lane firmly within its grips as he faced excruciating pain and mental anguish. He explained that the 20 different painkillers and medicines he was prescribed were “messing with [his] mind.” He felt convinced that he would never experience love again and certain that he had no reason to keep living because participating in physical activities he once loved was no longer possible. On 12 different occasions, Lane nearly committed suicide.

Ultimately Lane’s faith, and his desire to defy the litany of limitations doctors gave him, helped the veteran overcome the pull of PTSD, an acronym he has reframed as “post-traumatic successful domination.”

JP Lane says his visit to Afghanistan as part of “Operation Proper Exit” in 2018 allowed him to “face the tragedy” and “come back home being able to breathe again.”

After being told the burns and damage to his legs made the use of prosthetics impossible, Lane has walked with prosthetics for more than a decade. Though he was told that he would require dialysis and three of his prescribed medications for the rest of his life, Lane is currently medication-free. Lane was told that a tracheotomy would keep him from singing. Instead, singing has “changed [his] life forever.”

A talented singer and recording artist, Lane has performed at the inaugurations of former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump. He has also penned his own songs, including “13 Gone,” which honors U.S. service members killed during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

When he speaks to fellow veterans about overcoming his PTSD, Lane reminds audiences that “all of us have gone through something difficult.” He urges anyone in the throes of darkness and struggle not to “give up [and] let the enemy win.” Instead, he says, “live the best life you can … for our brothers and sisters in arms who gave the ultimate sacrifice.”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Beth Bailey (@BWBailey85) is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the co-host of The Afghanistan Project, which takes a deep dive into the tragedy wrought in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.