Paul Shirey is an Army infantry veteran living in Eagle River, Alaska who was inspired to join the Army after 9/11 and did tours in Afghanistan and Iraq.
In this compelling and honest Veteran Spotlight interview, Paul recounts his experiences while serving with the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division based at Fort Richardson. Paul served in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan from 2003 to 2004 and served in Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2006 to 2008. Though he has now been home in Alaska for years, Shirey still struggles with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) every day.
“You have a whole new generation of soldiers who are going to be affected by the things they have seen and done,” said Shirey. “Any time I have a down day, I think about the fallen, and I think about what they would be doing with their lives right now. There is not a day that goes by that I do not think about them. I live my life for them, and it helps me appreciate what I have.”
Senator Lisa Murkowski is the first Alaskan-born Senator and only the sixth United States Senator to serve the state. The state’s senior senator, Lisa is a third-generation Alaskan, born in Ketchikan and raised in towns across the state: Wrangell, Juneau, Fairbanks and Anchorage.
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