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I felt like a fraud because of the guilt.

Will Florez (US Coast Guard, 1988-2010) shares how he struggled with guilt and feeling like a fraud because of painful experiences during his Coast Guard service.

Transcript

The way that this

affected my self-image was

by seeing me as a failure.

I had the privilege of going

from an E-1 to an E-8

with many

responsibilities at the end.

Being competent and capable,

but I didn't feel that way.

I felt like a fraud

because of the guilt that I felt

for those cases,

those situations that were

that did not turn out the

way we wanted them to.

We put a lot

of effort into getting

on scene,

doing the rescue.

But when that

rescue becomes a recovery,

it hits you and it's compounded

as it happens again and again.

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