Celebrating with consideration—veterans and fireworks

Americans have celebrated the birth of the nation with fireworks since 1777, the first anniversary of the Continental Congress's Declaration of Independence.

However, for some of our neighbors, the flashes, loud booms, and pops can be traumatizing.

Nearly one in four veterans reported that fireworks have personally triggered negative experiences, ranging from feeling jumpy to full panic attacks, according to a survey conducted by Combat Stress and Help for Heroes.

Broken Arrow resident Mike Sturgill served 10 years in the U.S. Navy Reserve and earned a Purple Heart. He now serves on the Broken Arrow Veterans Center Board and knows firsthand how Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can have a lasting impact on veterans after they return home.

"With me, I had issues with a couple of IED explosions, so sudden loud noises tend to make me a little uneasy," Sturgill said. "For some veterans, the unexpected noise, or the flashes that can mimic the battlefield very, very closely, can cause light nervousness, hypervigilance, all the way up to and including somebody having a flashback where they feel like they're back in that place at that time."

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs National Center for PTSD, approximately seven percent of veterans will experience PTSD in their lifetime.

"Rates are significantly higher for those who serve in specific conflicts, ranging from 10 percent to 30 percent for veterans of Vietnam, the Gulf War, and Operations Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom," Sturgill said. "That means roughly 10 million veterans from these areas are alive today, and as many as 1 to 3 million may struggle with PTSD at some point."

How each person reacts depends on what the veteran has experienced, what trauma they've endured, and how closely that trauma mirrors what they've experienced.

Though it can be challenging at times, Sturgill says he still enjoys celebrating the Fourth of July with his friends and family, and he's loved fireworks since childhood.

"It's basically the start of our wonderful country, it's when we broke away from England, and we won independence," Sturgill said. "So, I've always been a patriotic person, and I love my country. That's why I went into the military."

Fireworks affect some veterans, but not all. Sturgill says that being mindful and courteous goes a long way.

"I definitely don't want to take away from anybody's celebrations, but one thing that can help is just a little common courtesy," he said. "If you keep within the times the city has set aside, that makes it more manageable. The veteran can plan ahead and know, from this time to that time, what to expect-the explosions, bright colors, stuff like that. They're not going to be taken by surprise by anything. Nothing is going to be jarring or things like that."

He recommends that if you have a neighbor you know is a combat veteran, reach out to them and say, 'Hey, we're going to be next door doing fireworks.' Basically, just be polite and follow the rules, and it will make a huge difference.

As this year's holiday approaches, Sturgill will prepare himself mentally and plan for the noise.

"The issue I've always had is unexpected explosions," Sturgill said. "Stuff like that has bothered me because of some of the experiences I had overseas, so I just prep myself. You know this is coming."

It also helps him to go to a planned event. "That way, I know when it is starting, when it is stopping. Then, at the house, I'll watch TV, put the volume up, and try to tone some of that stuff down."

Over the years, Sturgill has learned a variety of coping strategies.

"I do my grounding techniques, which is good for veterans to do to prepare for it," Sturgill said. "The VA [Veteran's Administration] also has a smartphone app called PTSD Coach. There's always good information there, good training techniques, breathing techniques, things like that. And then, professional help, the VA offers doctors who actually help with coping mechanisms for some of those triggers."