SeiteNeuWarriors At Ease-Supporting Those Who Serve & Sacrifce

I have been serving in the Army for the past 18 years.
I was born and raised in Puerto Rico until the age of 12
when my family moved to Worcester, MA. At 18, I
enlisted in the Army and graduated from Basic
Training. After seven years, I was accepted into the
“Green to Gold” Program where I earned both my
commission and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology.
I have supported several humanitarian missions and
deployed twice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom
(OIF) in Iraq and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF)
in Afghanistan. I am married and the proud father of 3
girls and 3 boys (ranging from ages to 10 to 26 years). I
met my wife, Joan, while stationed at Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM) in Washington. Joan also served
in the Army but was medically retired due to injuries sustained in Iraq.
Before joining the service, I had no understanding of the type of commitment, dedication and sacrifice it
takes to be a soldier and military family. My grandfather served during the Korean War but didn’t share
any of his experiences during that period of his life. He chose to bury those memories, and I respected his
wishes. War is a terrible ordeal and the scars sustained, whether visible or invisible, last a lifetime.
I joined the Army before the events of 9-11 unfolded. My second deployment to Afghanistan was a
transformational experience that changed me at my core, and I had a difficult time upon my
redeployment. The images in my mind were a constant presence. I struggled with anger issues and was
unable to maintain my emotional balance at times.
The mind and body connection is real. My lack of mental focus resulted in decreased physical
performance. I pushed my body so hard due to my early indoctrination from drill sergeants who
introduced me to mentality of “stop whining and drive on.” After the humanitarian missions and
deployments, I had several chronic conditions which I ignored for some time. My knees and back finally
started deteriorating to the point that I couldn’t run or bear any weight for almost 2.5 years. My wife
invited me to attend some yoga sessions that were helping her heal and grow. I initially declined, but
eventually decided to attend. After only a couple of classes, I started noticing that I was more flexible,
relaxed, and focused.
For the first time in years, I was able to successfully complete my physical fitness examination, including
the run with no issues because of yoga. In fact, I achieved the highest score ever in my 18 years of military
service. Yoga has been a tremendous source of strength to me. It has enabled me to obtain inner peace,
and control the memories which caused me anxiety for many years. I was once a skeptic, but now I’m
proof of its effectiveness and restorative properties.
Captain Enrique Incle, United States Army
Warriors at Ease Student
www.warriorsatease.org