“I Needed To Reset My Life:” A Veteran Opens Up About The Challenges Of Adjusting To Civilian Life

Sergeant Alex Ortiz volunteers helping veterans in Puerto Rico adjust back to civilian life. He served in the Army himself, deploying to both Iraq and Afghanistan as a wheeled vehicle mechanic, before injuries forced him to retire in 2013. 

His wife Lixannie had never been close to a veteran before they met, and wasn’t always prepared for what their life together would be like.

Sergeant Alex Ortiz and Lixannie Ortiz with their sons, Roman Ortiz and Brian Cuadrado. Photo courtesy of the Ortiz family.

Top photo: Lixannie Ortiz and Sergeant Alex Ortiz at their StoryCorps interview in Mayagüez, PR on February 10, 2024. By Jo Corona for StoryCorps.

This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Originally aired Nov 8, 2024, on NPR’s Morning Edition.