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Brian Scott Ostrom cups his hand over his mouth as he tries to calm a panic attack at his apartment in Boulder on May 2, 2011. Scott says it's been hard to find meaning in his life since 2007, when he was honorably discharged from the United States Marine Corps. After serving four years as a reconnaissance man and deploying twice to Iraq, Scott returned home to the U.S. with a severe case of post-traumatic stress disorder. "The most important part of my life already happened. The most devastating. The chance to come home in a box. Nothing is ever going to compare to what I've done, so I'm struggling to be at peace with that," Scott said. He attributes his PTSD to his second deployment to Iraq, where he served seven months in Fallujah with the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion. "It was the most brutal time of my life," he said. "I didnÕt realize it because I was living it. It was a part of me." Since his discharge, Scott has struggled with daily life, from finding and keeping employment to maintaining healthy relationships. But most of all, he's struggled to overcome his brutal and haunting memories of Iraq. Nearly five years later, Scott remains conflicted by the war. Though he is proud of his service and cares greatly for his fellow Marines, he still carries guilt for things he did -- and didn't do -- fighting a war he no longer believes in.
Brian Scott Ostrom cups his hand over his mouth as he tries to calm a panic attack at his apartment in Boulder on May 2, 2011. Scott says it’s been hard to find meaning in his life since 2007, when he was honorably discharged from the United States Marine Corps. After serving four years as a reconnaissance man and deploying twice to Iraq, Scott returned home to the U.S. with a severe case of post-traumatic stress disorder. “The most important part of my life already happened. The most devastating. The chance to come home in a box. Nothing is ever going to compare to what I’ve done, so I’m struggling to be at peace with that,” Scott said. He attributes his PTSD to his second deployment to Iraq, where he served seven months in Fallujah with the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion. “It was the most brutal time of my life,” he said. “I didnÕt realize it because I was living it. It was a part of me.” Since his discharge, Scott has struggled with daily life, from finding and keeping employment to maintaining healthy relationships. But most of all, he’s struggled to overcome his brutal and haunting memories of Iraq. Nearly five years later, Scott remains conflicted by the war. Though he is proud of his service and cares greatly for his fellow Marines, he still carries guilt for things he did — and didn’t do — fighting a war he no longer believes in.
By | newsroom@denverpost.com | The Denver Post
PUBLISHED: | UPDATED:
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After deploying twice to Iraq, Brian Scott Ostrom, now 27, returned home to Colorado with severe post-traumatic stress disorder. He attributes his PTSD to his second deployment, when he served seven months in Fallujah. “It was the most brutal time of my life,” he said. “I didn’t realize it because I was living it. It was a part of me.” Since his discharge, Scott has struggled with daily life, from finding and keeping employment to maintaining healthy relationships. But most of all, he has struggled to overcome his violent and haunting memories of Iraq.

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