Army Veteran strips in front of crowd to make point

Stationed all over the world over nearly a decade, Captain Blake Bourne, a US Army infantry officer who deployed to Iraq twice, had to transition into an unstructured civilian life… he did it with the help of a Charlotte, NC nonprofit.

Bourne said, with a baby on the way and a job offer for his wife in Charlotte, they decided to get out of military.

In a very humorous video showing the veteran gradually shedding layer upon layer of clothing he demonstrates in front of a roomful of people, quite effectively, how he made the transition from respected military officer, to stay-at-home dad… and finally to business professional.

He makes the point by tearing off his military uniform, revealing pajamas underneath to illustrate what his next role in life was – a stay-at-home dad who “didn’t know how to make friends or get a job.” Bourne said he was lost. He started sleeping in with his kids, and growing a beard.

Starting to feel overwhelmed Bourne said he didn’t’ know how to navigate what the city had to offer. Charlotte Bridge Home helped redefine him professionally and helped him regain that sense of purpose.

“They helped me find a social network to make our family a strong part of the fabric of this community,” he said.

Bourne is certainly not the only one struggling with this transition.  It’s a familiar pattern as the military downsizes and wars come to an end.

According to the Charlotte Observer, Charlotte is a magnet for veterans nationally, with about 10,000 moving there each year. The city is rapidly becoming a national model for how to help veterans.  The organization ‘Charlotte Bridge Home’ is helping to connect local veterans with the right jobs, with counseling, and much more.

The group’s efforts have increased dramatically in recent weeks, according to the Observer. After serving about 300 veterans all of last year, the organization has seen 150 in the past six weeks or so, the article said.

The entire video can be seen at the Charlotte Observer