Marine Sent to Replace Drivers Being Killed by IEDs in Iraq

Marine veteran Peter Caro joined the U.S. Marine Corps expecting to become a mechanic. Instead, he was sent to Iraq as a Motor Transport operator during a time when IEDs were killing drivers across the battlefield.

In this Urban Valor interview, Peter shares what it was like serving in Fallujah, driving dangerous roads in Iraq, surviving IED attacks, taking enemy fire, and dealing with the PTSD and survivor’s guilt that followed him home.

Peter served in the Marines from 2004 to 2013 and completed multiple deployments to Iraq. During his service, he transported personnel and equipment, trained Iraqi police and military forces, and operated outside the wire in some of the most dangerous conditions of the Iraq War.

He also opens up about the moments that stayed with him most — seeing Marines he knew listed as killed in action, watching a vehicle in front of him hit an IED, and struggling with the belief that other Marines deserved to come home more than he did.

After leaving active duty, Peter began dealing with hypervigilance, panic attacks, isolation, drinking, and survivor’s guilt. His path to understanding PTSD eventually led him back to school, where he studied psychology and social work.

Today, Peter works as a therapist helping other veterans navigate trauma, PTSD, depression, and the difficult transition from military to civilian life.

Chapters: 
00:00 Marine Boot Camp & Surviving an IED Attack
01:00 Peter Caro’s Marine Corps Story
01:50 Growing Up in a Mexican-American Family
06:34 Why Pete Wanted to Become a Marine
08:34 Watching 9/11 Change Everything
11:31 Feeling Lost Before Joining the Marines
13:44 Walking Into the Marine Recruiter’s Office
16:33 The Reality of Marine Corps Boot Camp
18:32 Choosing to Push Through
19:01 A Recruit Tries to Escape Boot Camp
23:39 The Reality of the Boot Camp Bathroom
25:13 Pete’s Infamous Boot Camp Story
27:00 Marine Corps Graduation & His Father’s Reaction
31:51 Returning Home After Boot Camp
32:59 Getting in Trouble on Recruiting Duty
36:00 The Marine Corps Job He Didn’t Expect
37:30 Joining 9th Communication Battalion
40:02 When Pete’s Roommate Went UA
43:55 Preparing to Deploy to Iraq
45:31 “Dude, You’re Going to Die”
47:00 Training for His First Iraq Deployment
48:47 Accidentally Taking Night Vision Goggles Home
51:58 Deploying to Fallujah, Iraq
53:07 Training Marines & Iraqi Security Forces
54:04 Carrying Iraqi Money Into a Combat Zone
55:53 His First Experience Taking Enemy Fire
56:41 Tracer Fire Over a Marine Convoy
59:24 Becoming Desensitized to Combat
1:00:50 Seeing Marines He Knew on the KIA Wall
1:03:19 The Beginning of Survivor’s Guilt
1:04:28 Secretly Getting Married Before Deployment
1:08:55 Training Iraqi Police & Army
1:10:25 Ambushed During a Convoy Mission
1:15:43 Coming Home From Iraq
1:18:35 Pete’s Second Iraq Deployment
1:20:29 The “Code Brown” Convoy Story
1:24:32 Incoming Fire Nearly Kills Pete
1:28:12 The Mission That Changed Everything
1:31:24 The Truck in Front of Him Hits an IED
1:32:49 Thinking His Marines Were Dead
1:35:00 Guilt After the IED Explosion
1:36:45 Why Pete Decided to Leave Active Duty
1:40:48 Life in the Marine Corps Reserve
1:43:43 Being Reenlisted by R. Lee Ermey
1:45:21 Returning to College After the Marines
1:46:50 “I Hate the Fact That I Came Back Alive”
1:48:46 How Combat Changed Him at Home
1:50:54 Drinking, Isolation & Emotional Numbness
1:51:32 Learning About PTSD in Psychology Class
1:54:50 Refusing to Accept He Had PTSD
1:56:11 The Panic Attack That Changed Everything
1:57:44 His First Experience Seeking Help
1:58:53 The Vietnam Veteran Who Changed His Life
1:59:56 Finding a New Mission Through Social Work
2:00:49 Becoming a Therapist for Veterans
2:02:08 Why Transitioning Out Can Be So Difficult
2:03:18 Why Pete Almost Didn’t Tell His Story
2:05:54 What He Would Tell His Younger Self
2:06:43 “You Are Enough”