SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — He was on the frontlines of battle, but now he’s fighting a different enemy.
In the late '90s, Chris Snyder joined the United States Army as an infantry man, he was deployed with NATO forces to end the conflict in the central European country of Kosovo. After leaving the military in 2011, Chris found himself in a similar position as many vets.
"It was a pretty prototypical story," said Snyder. "I just felt like I didn't know I didn't have a place. I didn't know where to go. I didn't know what to do with the skills that I'd been given."
It wasn’t until later that his brother pushed him into healthcare that Snyder found his true calling.
As a traveling surgical tech, he’s been on the frontlines in San Diego during a pandemic. His years in the military have taught him to keep cool under extreme circumstances.
"Most of my time has been working in trauma hospitals and I’ve seen some really, really tough injuries," said Snyder. "That all came from the military, that all came from that discipline that I was given…having somebody yell at you in the middle of this chaos and not take it personally to have that thick skin to focus."
However, Snyder’s story is not unique. A 2016 report found that healthcare was the third most common occupation among male veterans. In a mostly female-dominated field, male veterans outnumber female ones nearly 70-30%.
"We all kind of know we all try to have that look and understand where we're coming from, " said Snyder.
So, on this Veterans Day, salute those who have served, but give extra thanks to the brave men and women who are keeping America healthy on the Homefront.
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