What drives a decorated Special Operations pilot to unload his weapon - not in fear of the enemy, but of himself?

In this Urban Valor Podcast interview, Army veteran and Night Stalker pilot Nick O’Kelly reveals the mental battle he faced during deployment in Afghanistan. A former Green Beret turned elite helicopter pilot, Nick opens up about the hidden war inside his head — a war with depression, PTSD, and suicidal thoughts that nearly claimed his life.

While flying missions in an active combat zone, Nick reached a breaking point. Fearing he might harm himself, he made the chilling decision to empty his pistol and carry it unloaded for the remainder of the deployment. This episode dives deep into the culture of military mental health, the silent suffering many combat veterans endure, and what it means to survive not just physically, but emotionally!

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Video chapters: 
00:00 – Meet Nick O’Kelly
02:45 – Special Forces Beginnings
07:30 – Transition to Aviation
11:05 – Deployment to Afghanistan
14:10 – The Toxic Command & Losing Purpose
18:30 – The Day He Unloaded His Pistol
25:15 – Living in Fear of His Own Thoughts
30:00 – Hiding Depression in the Ranks
38:20 – Finding Help and Climbing Back
44:10 – Life After the Military & Lessons Learned

Check out https://thenickokelly.com/stigma to follow Nick’s work. 

#military #warstories #urbanvalor #usarmy  #warstories