No One Comes Home the Same: Reintegration, Regulation, and the Life After Deployment
A year ago today, I was in the Middle East.
After nearly two years serving on full-time orders with the Wyoming Army National Guard — preparing soldiers for deployment, deploying alongside them, and supporting them through combat and operational stress — I’m finally ready to unpack what that experience did to me.
Because here’s the truth:
No one goes on deployment and comes home the same.
In this episode, I share:
- What it’s like to serve as a Behavioral Health Officer during deployment
- The emotional complexity of supporting soldiers while navigating your own stress
- The realities of reintegration (and why coming home can be harder than leaving)
- How my family, marriage, and business shifted while I was gone
- What I learned about nervous system regulation in high-stress environments
- Why nuance matters more than ever — in leadership, in the military, and in our conversations with each other
Reintegration is real.
Identity shifts are real.
And growth doesn’t happen without discomfort.
Identity shifts are real.
And growth doesn’t happen without discomfort.
I talk about the privilege and the hardship of deployment. I talk about grief. I talk about change. I talk about what it means to wear a uniform and still hold nuance. And I share where I feel deeply called next — helping people learn how to sit with themselves, regulate their nervous systems, and hold space without judgment.
After more than 20,000 one-on-one conversations with humans, I know this to be true:
We don’t often sit with ourselves.
And we don’t often have someone willing to simply sit with us.
And we don’t often have someone willing to simply sit with us.
That’s where I’m headed.
If you’ve ever:
- Walked through a major life transition
- Felt like you came home to a different life
- Navigated reintegration after deployment, divorce, graduation, or loss
- Or sensed that you no longer fit neatly into one box
This episode is for you.
Thank you for being here.
Thank you for staying.
Season 2 of Chitty Chats with Stacy begins now.
Thank you for staying.
Season 2 of Chitty Chats with Stacy begins now.
Creators and Guests
Host
Stacy G. Nation, LCSW
Stacy Nation, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker, educator, and military behavioral health leader who has spent two decades helping adults and children regulate, reconnect, and heal. As an early Phase 2 certified clinician in the Neurosequential Model, Stacy blends neuroscience, trauma-informed practice, and real-world classroom experience to help educators steady themselves before they steady their students.
