I was born to be of service
Camp Lejeune just felt like home
I had honor, I found purpose
Sir, yes, sir, that's what I know
They sent us to a place
I'd never heard of weeks before
When you're 19 it ain't hard to sleep
In the desert on God's floor
Close your eyes, stop counting sheep
You ain't in boot camp anymore
We were taught to shoot our rifles
Men and women side by side
Thought we'd be met as liberators
In a thousand-year-old fight
I got this painful ringing in my ear
From an IED last night
But no lead-lined Humvee war machine
Could save my sergeant's life
Three more soldiers, six civilians
Need these words to come out right
God of mercy, God of light
Save your children from this life
Hear these words, this humble plea
For I have seen the suffering
And with this prayer I'm hoping
That we can be unbroken
It's eighteen months now I've been stateside
With this medal on my chest
But there are things I can't remember
And there are things I won't forget
I lie awake at night
With dreams the devil shouldn't see
I want to scream but I can't breathe
And, Christ, I'm sweating through these sheets
Where's my brothers? Where's my country?
Where's my how-things-used-to-be
God of mercy, God of light
Save your children from this life
Hear these words, this humble plea
For I have seen the suffering
And with this prayer I'm hoping
That we can be unbroken
My service dog's done more for me
Than the medication would
There ain't no angel that's coming to save me
But even if they could
Today twenty-two will die from suicide
Just like yesterday, they're gone
I live my life for each tomorrow
So their memories will live on
Once we were boys and we were strangers
Now we're brothers and we're men
Someday you'll ask me "Was it worth it
To be of service in the end?"
Well, the blessing and the curse is
Yeah, I'd do it all again
