This post will cover the design inspiration behind the Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Never Forgotten t-shirt. I will likely have more blogs in the future that discuss my experiences in greater detail. I’d love to hear your thoughts after reading this. I’d like to know what else you want me to write about and if you are enjoying the blogs at all. Are they adding value to the art that I produce? I would hate to be wasting my time and yours. So, please leave a comment, send me an email, or message me on Instagram or FaceBook messenger.
My small part in OEF
For nearly a decade, I would live my life thinking about nothing but the war in Afghanistan. I joined the Air Force in 2003 and served on active duty as a Signals Intelligence analyst until 2007. I would get out and continue supporting the military intelligence community as a defense contractor for many years thereafter. During this time, I was part of setting up a shop for studying Taliban and Al’Qaeda networks in both Afghanistan and Iraq, tracking down Improvised Explosive Device (IED) makers and facilitators, and supporting troops on the ground with real time intelligence reporting. I made friends from all branches of the military and all perspectives on the war; including veterans who had served on some of the most dangerous and remote outposts in Afghanistan. I would support key operations over the years and I would even spend a year there myself as a defense contractor working alongside marines and soldiers.
Never Forgotten t-shirt design
The inspiration behind the design can be attributed to the persona I feel most represents what I witnessed for my part in the in Afghanistan—soldiers, airmen, marines, sailors, and civilians who were constantly burnt out. We were almost always left with no clear direction, no clear strategy, and no guidance. We also had almost no training or understanding of the history and culture of the Afghan or Iraqi people. There was no handbook for how exactly to fight against the myriad of disparate extremist organizations that operated within these two countries and often outside of these countries where we could not pursue them. I believe our sense of purpose was eroded rather quickly within the first few years as mission creep and the scope of the Global War on Terror (GWOT) grew.
The soldiers appearance in the drawing can be perceived as undead, a skeleton, or a zombie because that’s how I felt as an airman—doing what I was told, stressed to the max, and trying to find a purpose in the chaos. The soldier is a smoker because so many of the military members that I knew at the time were smokers, drinkers, energy drink junkies and junk food aficionados. These were coping mechanisms and masking agents for dealing with the stress of long hours, high operations tempos, and the multiple combat deployments that so many experienced.
Lastly, the soldiers name and rank visible on his uniform is Staff Sergeant Oldschool. Staff Sergeant Oldschool is a fictitious character that we in the military would often reference when telling tall tales of the older, rougher generation of warriors from yesteryear. Oldschool military members were “known” to have thicker skin, swore more frequently, smoked indoors, were more physically and mentally tough, and had higher standards. Some of this may have been tall tales to keep us younger members feeling like we were inferior. But, some of it was true, too. I feel that we—the veterans of the OEF / OIF era—are now that generation.
Conclusion
I won’t always create t-shirts exclusively themed for veterans. But, this one really felt important to me. Especially as we’ve just surpassed two years from our epically catastrophic departure from Afghanistan. It hit me hard to watch the last plane leaving from Hamid Karzai International Airport (HKIA), knowing that everything I had worked to support for a decade of my life now felt so meaningless. That’s what the shirt is about to me, anyway. It is about what so many of us gave for so long a period of time. It’s to remind those that weren’t there that 20 years of war happened. It’s about never forgetting those we lost and the parts of ourselves we left over there—our hearts and minds.
New Zip Hoodie Release
After writing this post, I also decided to make available two special addition zip hoodies with the design on the back. One is for OEF Veterans and the other for OIF Veterans. Both designs include a map outline of the country on the front for those who were there.
Comments