I think this is what I planned on doing a lot more of, and this was the mental preparation that I did before going over to Iraq, especially in the 'closing down' period. I can't say we did very much of this, although it did happen. But to cover my bases, it was a very different experience than I would thought it was going to be. Lots of ups and downs, too many expectations and the build up did not match the actual event nearly enough to compensate for the varied experiences that have caused a traumatic return home.
