Iraq War veteran uses art to cope with PTSD – Star Tribune
Jeffrey Stenbom smooths out an inch-wide piece of fabric sliced off his old Army uniform and attaches it to his loom. That strip of fabric he knots with another strip ripped off a different military uniform, then he weaves the fabric through the loom's warp thread, which is parachute cord.
Over and over, the Iraq War veteran and art instructor at Normandale Community College repeats the meditative motions of weaving. One strand of fabric is from a World War I uniform he bought off eBay; the next is from an Army combat uniform his grandfather wore during World War II in Europe; the next is from Air Force coveralls worn by his other grandfather, who served in the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
This will eventually become an American flag woven from uniforms from every military conflict the U.S. has engaged in since World War I. It's one of 10 pieces of art commissioned by USAA, the military-focused financial services company, which will be displayed at each of USAA's 10 regional offices.
But Stenbom's largest work a 25-by-12-foot American flag that took 1,200 hours to weave is already complete, displayed at the San Antonio International Airport for the next six months for USAA's 100th anniversary. It will then permanently move to USAA's San Antonio headquarters.
"So much history," Stenbom says, holding part of a World War I uniform. "There's so many stories, untold stories, with each of these uniforms."
You may assume Stenbom's story is a simple story of veteran patriotism.
That is partly true. The message of the "Freedom's Threads" flags he wove for USAA is straightforward: Stenbom wants to ensure the sacrifices of military veterans are not forgotten. There's symbolism in interlocking all these veterans' histories.
But look deeper and Stenbom's story is as tortured and complicated as his dark, powerful art.
The 44-year-old Apple Valley father of three is primarily a glass sculptor. One of his pieces is a glass replica of the combat boots he wore in Iraq, resting in a bed of 5.56-millimeter rifle casings. Another is a sculpture that mashes up a grenade and a human brain. Another is a display of 7,300 glass dog tags, the number of U.S. veteran suicides each year.
Stenbom's art lives in that darkness. His darkness stemmed from a harrowing deployment early in the Iraq War that left him with post-traumatic stress disorder.
"It's not just bringing awareness to the sacrifices," he said. "It's the aftermath of war, PTSD, veteran suicide. That stuff is not pretty. I'm not into making pretty artwork. I do a lot of stuff that talks about death. I was around it all the time. I do a lot of stuff with skulls. My fiancee and my parents, they're like, 'I know you made this stuff, but it's just so sad!' [But] I need to do this. It's part of helping me deal with the things I've gone through. Before I did art, I was lost."
He wants his art to cast light in the darkness, because that's what art did for him.
**
Stenbom was taking a break from college when 9/11 happened. Eight days later, he signed up for the Army. By the end of September, he was in basic training. He trained to be a cavalry scout, the eyes and ears of the Army: go out in your Humvee and track down the bad guys.
He was deployed to Kosovo in 2002, then in February 2004 went to Iraq as a squad leader with seven soldiers under him. He was just north of Samarra, living in old grain storage bins in the heart of the Sunni Triangle, when the insurgency heated up that spring. His base was hit by rockets and mortars almost daily.
"I remember the first time being shot at, and it was like, 'What the heck?' " he recalled. "Then it shifted. The days you didn't get shot at became the weird days. That was when you knew that things weren't right."
Soldiers struggled with heat and the lack of sleep, but the worst part was the uncertainty. Insurgents didn't wear uniforms. Americans never knew who the enemy was. Once, an improvised explosive device, or IED, exploded next to Stenbom's Humvee, lodging shrapnel in his hip. Another July day, a suicide bomber attacked a base where Stenbom had been the night before. Six U.S. soldiers died.
While he was in Iraq, Stenbom's first son was born. In August, he went on R&R to meet his son, and his sister died by suicide back home. All the emotions piled up and broke him. He was suicidal. He tore up an ER when military doctors told him he had to return to Iraq.
With assistance from military psychiatrists, he was sent back to the United States. He was filled with rage. Some of it was feeling duped by a war on false pretenses; some of it was transitioning from war zone to home front. Once, at his parents' house, he threw a table against the fireplace, shattering it. He didn't know why he did it. His grandfather took him for help.
Stenbom knew he wanted to go back to school. On a whim, he took a fused-glass art class at Normandale Community College. Spending hours fusing shards of glass together pushed war from his mind.
"This started giving me a passion and a drive and a focus, energizing me like hadn't happened since before the war," he said. "I got lucky. If it wasn't for this one class, I don't think I'd be here, man. I'm positive I'd be dead."
**
Now armed with a master's degree from Tulane University, Stenbom teaches the same class he credits with saving his life. At the beginning of every semester, he tells students about his path. He tells them he used to be a nontraditional student, like some in his class. And he talks about how art like these American flags woven from military uniforms saved his life.
"That isn't just fabric," said Taylor Clark, a retired Navy officer and the executive sponsor of USAA's 100th Anniversary. "Each one is a different story of commitment and honor and service."
The giant flag at San Antonio International Airport weighs 100 pounds. It includes 6,500 feet of parachute cord and fabric from 140 military uniforms of all six military branches.
"There is something sad about it," Stenbom said. "I'm deconstructing these uniforms pulling them apart, cutting them up and there's a lot of history in there."
Sometimes, when he tears off the pockets, things spill out. An N-95 mask. Tobacco that was never used. Grains of dirt or sand from a far-off land. Stenbom always wonders about the stories contained within, and how similar they are to his own.
"My mission is to bring awareness to the sacrifice," he said. "That's what my art is about making sure the message is being delivered. I want people to think about all these stories."
Link:
Iraq War veteran uses art to cope with PTSD - Star Tribune
- Iranian officer charged with orchestrating murder of US citizen in Iraq - ABC News - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- Murder and terrorism charges brought against Iranian officer in 2022 killing of American in Iraq - The Associated Press - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- Warfare': A Real-Time Iraq War Combat Film from a Navy SEAL and the Director of 'Civil War' - Military.com - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- BP, Iraq agree on technical terms to redevelop Kirkuk oil fields - Reuters - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- Iraq begins Gulf Cup 26 campaign with a victory over Yemen - Iraqi News - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- Pope Francis reveals two attempts on his life during 2021 visit to Iraq - CNN - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- First look at Warfare brings viewers into tenacity of Iraq War - Military Times - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- Pope reveals he was almost assassinated in Iraq in 2021 - POLITICO Europe - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- Pope Francis reveals he survived two assassination attempts during visit to Iraq - America: The Jesuit Review - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- Ibrahim Al-Sumaidaie, Advisor to Iraqi Prime Minister: Militias in Iraq Should Dismantle and Integrate into the Political System; Our Regime Is in... - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- Pope in autobiography reveals an apparent bombing plot during his 2021 visit to Iraq - The Associated Press - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- Pope Francis reveals he was nearly assassinated during historic Iraq trip - The Catholic Thing - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- Pope Francis reveals he survived two threats to his life in Iraq - Catholic News Agency - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- Suicide bombers 'planned to attack Pope Francis' on visit to Iraq - Sky News - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- First Warfare trailer paints a harrowing picture of Iraq War combat - Task & Purpose - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- Syrian rebel leader urges Iraq to keep Hashd al-Shaabi factions out of Syria - Reuters - December 5th, 2024 [December 5th, 2024]
- Trump selects a former soldier and Iraq War veteran to serve as Army secretary - The Associated Press - December 5th, 2024 [December 5th, 2024]
- Trump picks former soldier and Iraq War veteran to serve as Army secretary - Stars and Stripes - December 5th, 2024 [December 5th, 2024]
- 5,000-year-old artifacts in Iraq hint at mysterious collapse of one of the world's 1st governments - Yahoo! Voices - December 5th, 2024 [December 5th, 2024]
- Iraq PM denies wiretapping allegations as lie of the century - Arab News - December 5th, 2024 [December 5th, 2024]
- 5,000-year-old artifacts in Iraq hint at mysterious collapse of one of the world's 1st governments - Livescience.com - December 5th, 2024 [December 5th, 2024]
- Excavations uncover evidence for the emergence and rejection of the earliest state institutions in Iraq - Phys.org - December 5th, 2024 [December 5th, 2024]
- Leader Of Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) Signals Expansion Of Military Campaign To Homs; Assures Iraqi Government That War In Syria Will Not Spill Over... - December 5th, 2024 [December 5th, 2024]
- PMF head: Increased security readiness along Iraq-Syria border - Al Mayadeen English - December 5th, 2024 [December 5th, 2024]
- Trump selects a former soldier and Iraq War veteran to serve as Army secretary - Daily Journal - December 5th, 2024 [December 5th, 2024]
- Deep Dive: Why Trump II may be different for Iran, Iraq - Amwaj.media - December 5th, 2024 [December 5th, 2024]
- Iraq army spox threatens 'military intervention in Syria - The New Arab - December 5th, 2024 [December 5th, 2024]
- Syrian Rebel Leader Asks Iraq To Stay Out Of Conflict After Victory In Hama - The Times of India - December 5th, 2024 [December 5th, 2024]
- Iraqi Cleric Al-Sadr: Iraq Should Not Intervene In Syria - Middle East Media Research Institute - December 5th, 2024 [December 5th, 2024]
- Verdict in Iraq's $2.5bn 'heist of the century' - but where have the rest of the missing billions gone? - The National - December 5th, 2024 [December 5th, 2024]
- Pro-Iranian militias enter Syria from Iraq to aid beleaguered Syrian army - The Times of Israel - December 5th, 2024 [December 5th, 2024]
- 5,000-Year-Old Structures Discovered In Iraq Provide Evidence Of The First-Known Government Collapse In History - All That's Interesting - December 5th, 2024 [December 5th, 2024]
- Iraq Vows Active Role in Syria Amid Escalating Conflict - FingerLakes1.com - December 5th, 2024 [December 5th, 2024]
- Trumps pick for Army secretary served in Iraq and was law school classmate of Vance - Washington Times - December 5th, 2024 [December 5th, 2024]
- Is Trump Going To Turn The Screw On Iran's Key Criminal Accomplice Iraq - OilPrice.com - December 5th, 2024 [December 5th, 2024]
- War hero demands compensation for veterans falsely accused of Iraq atrocities - The Telegraph - November 30th, 2024 [November 30th, 2024]
- Navy intercepts drone apparently launched from Iraq - The Times of Israel - November 30th, 2024 [November 30th, 2024]
- "Iraq ready to respond to any terrorist threats" says Maj. Gen. Rasool - Kurdistan24 - November 30th, 2024 [November 30th, 2024]
- Iraq tries to stem influx of illegal foreign workers - Al-Monitor - November 30th, 2024 [November 30th, 2024]
- BEIT project set to drive decent work and affordable housing in Iraq - ILO - November 30th, 2024 [November 30th, 2024]
- Albares thanks Iraq for its mediation efforts to contain the regional escalation - The Diplomat in Spain - November 30th, 2024 [November 30th, 2024]
- WHO Iraq Gathers National Stakeholders to Develop Country Cooperation Strategy Aligned with Agenda 2030 [EN/AR] - ReliefWeb - November 30th, 2024 [November 30th, 2024]
- Military dog who served in Iraq reunited with former handler after more than 2 years apart - KFOX El Paso - November 30th, 2024 [November 30th, 2024]
- Iraq secures its borders with Syria against terrorist threats - Kurdistan24 - November 30th, 2024 [November 30th, 2024]
- Aim to contribute to building a unified Iraq where peace and development prevail: Head of the Religious Endowments - ina.iq - November 30th, 2024 [November 30th, 2024]
- American Humane Reunites Retired Military Working Dog and Hander who Worked Together in Iraq - American Humane - November 28th, 2024 [November 28th, 2024]
- Trade gap focus in first visit to Spain by Iraq PM - Al-Monitor - November 28th, 2024 [November 28th, 2024]
- Loved ones make annual trip to Arlington Cemetery grave of FDNY firefighter killed in Iraq - New York Daily News - November 28th, 2024 [November 28th, 2024]
- Snchez and Prime Minister of Iraq ask the parties to avoid an escalation in the Middle East - The Diplomat in Spain - November 28th, 2024 [November 28th, 2024]
- Iraq motivated to establish promising partnership with Spain - Iraqi News - November 28th, 2024 [November 28th, 2024]
- Turkish intelligence eliminates top PKK operative in Iraq | Daily Sabah - Daily Sabah - November 28th, 2024 [November 28th, 2024]
- Iraq to resume flights to Beirut next week - Rudaw Media Network - November 28th, 2024 [November 28th, 2024]
- UK and Iraq strike deal to tackle people smuggling and organised crime networks - The National - November 28th, 2024 [November 28th, 2024]
- Pete Hegseths Army unit in Iraq was rocked by a war-crimes case - The Washington Post - November 26th, 2024 [November 26th, 2024]
- Iraq, hacks and the Kingfish: The scandal that could bring down Prime Minister Sudani - Middle East Eye - November 26th, 2024 [November 26th, 2024]
- Jordan reach FIBA Asia Cup 2025 after Saudi Arabia comeback win over Iraq - FIBA - November 26th, 2024 [November 26th, 2024]
- UN in Iraq marks 16 Days of Activism to End Violence Against Women and Girls [EN/AR] - ReliefWeb - November 26th, 2024 [November 26th, 2024]
- Iraq's population grew to 45.4 million according to the first survey in decades - ABC News - November 26th, 2024 [November 26th, 2024]
- A Human Development Journey to the Heart of the Cradle of Civilization, Iraq - World Bank - November 26th, 2024 [November 26th, 2024]
- Why Did Iraq Suspend a $10 Billion Deal With China? - The Diplomat - November 26th, 2024 [November 26th, 2024]
- Alexander Novak paid a working visit to Iraq - - November 26th, 2024 [November 26th, 2024]
- ASIA/IRAQ - Patriarch Sako appeals to all the "heirs" of the Church of the East: "Unity is the only way to face the current... - November 26th, 2024 [November 26th, 2024]
- Iraq blocks IMDb website over 'immoral content' claims - bne IntelliNews - November 26th, 2024 [November 26th, 2024]
- Vacationing in Iraq, mysterious chemical in water, Jeeps downward spiral: Catch up on the days stories - CNN - November 26th, 2024 [November 26th, 2024]
- ADM makes second 2024 sale of U.S. rice to Iraq - Farm Progress - November 26th, 2024 [November 26th, 2024]
- Israeli strikes in Iraq could be imminent, US reportedly warns - JNS.org - November 26th, 2024 [November 26th, 2024]
- USAID commits investment of up to $20 Million with UNICEF to address water scarcity in Iraq and improve water and sanitation services [EN/AR] -... - November 26th, 2024 [November 26th, 2024]
- Will Trump reduce the US military presence in Syria and Iraq? - The New Arab - November 26th, 2024 [November 26th, 2024]
- Iraq bans alcohol in hotels and clubs, bringing country close to near-total ban - The Washington Post - November 26th, 2024 [November 26th, 2024]
- Iraq calls for pressure on Israel to halt possible strikes - The New Arab - November 26th, 2024 [November 26th, 2024]
- Ceremony held commemorating 20th anniversary of Green Bay Marine killed in Iraq - WBAY - November 26th, 2024 [November 26th, 2024]
- Navy veteran of Vietnam, Iraq wars sentenced to 3 years in prison for Capitol riot - WUSA9.com - November 26th, 2024 [November 26th, 2024]
- ILO and Ministry of Youth and Sport Launch Job Search Club National Program in Iraq [EN/AR] - ReliefWeb - November 26th, 2024 [November 26th, 2024]
- Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Russia reaffirm OPEC+ production cuts commitment - Arab News - November 26th, 2024 [November 26th, 2024]
- Iraq braces for most severe cold snap in 14 years - Kurdistan24 - November 26th, 2024 [November 26th, 2024]
- Iraq law could lower a girls age of consent as an adult from 18 to 9: it legalizes child rape - Fox News - November 12th, 2024 [November 12th, 2024]
- Five killed in Turkish drone strikes on PKK members in northern Iraq - Reuters - November 12th, 2024 [November 12th, 2024]
- Yemen missile interception sparks fire near Jerusalem; 4 drones launched from Iraq - The Times of Israel - November 12th, 2024 [November 12th, 2024]
- Drone launched from Iraq shot down before crossing into Israel overnight, IDF says - The Times of Israel - November 12th, 2024 [November 12th, 2024]
- Spy satellite images lead archeologists to the site of a historic battle in Iraq - The Associated Press - November 12th, 2024 [November 12th, 2024]