I don't hang out with many veterans, but when I do see them, I get along really well with them because I was a team player. I loved the army, but honestly, I don't hang out with enough veterans. I'm going to join the Royal Canadian Legion. Lately, I've reconnected with a lot of people across the country that I had lost touch with for 10, 15, or 20 years.
I don't know if I'm answering your question properly, but basically, when you “break down”, as happened to me and my buddies who went to Afghanistan, you feel bad.
I don't want to insult veterans from other missions. Other veterans have experienced horrors elsewhere. It wasn't only in Afghanistan that it was hard. I wouldn't have wanted to go to Somalia. I didn't go, and I'm glad I didn't. Every mission has its own unique characteristics. We mustn't forget the veterans who were taken prisoner in Bosnia.
In my opinion, veterans shouldn't isolate themselves. That's the mistake I made, and it almost killed me.