Chairborne — Ben Hofmeister

I’m drowning. Well, not literally. I’ve never even come close to actually drowning — not even with last year’s pneumonia and the occasional aspiration of liquids. I’m just using it as a metaphor because it seems fitting and I know how much everyone likes metaphors. It may be a…

Contrary to popular belief, I did not attend this year’s Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) annual meeting just for the buffets and to loot the vendors. I was there mainly to represent the Paralyzed Veterans of America’s multiple sclerosis (MS) committee and raise awareness of its role…

Following every training exercise and mission I was ever a part of in the military, participants gathered to conduct an After-Action Review (AAR). Although the process has been formalized in the U.S. military, soldiers have probably been doing something similar for millennia, and it’s certainly not limited to that profession.

It’s been my routine over the last decade to have blood panels drawn about four times a year. Each time, I’m warned just before the needle enters my arm that I’m about to be stuck. Occasionally, though, the warning is framed as an analogy. A common one is to compare…

I didn’t see the movie “Aliens” when it came out in theaters 40 years ago because it was rated R and I was only 11. When I finally did see it, it became one of my favorite science fiction films, and I still occasionally watch it. With the plot, action,…

I underwent cognitive testing in May, and it was extremely thorough and more involved than I expected. I saw the notes on the Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare website soon after, but the psychologist called me to discuss them in depth last month. I breathed a sigh of relief when…

As my disability from multiple sclerosis (MS) increases, so does my reliance on tools to assist me. Some are relatively simple mechanical devices like adaptive silverware, gloves that help me straighten my fingers, and a bed rail that eases transfers. Others are a bit more complicated, like the powered…

On June 17, 2006 — 20 years ago yesterday — I had my closest call as a Special Forces medic, and the first mass casualty situation I was ever involved in. Sometime afterward, a teammate observed, “You didn’t even hesitate! You just ran out on the street and did first-aid…

Many people tend to associate post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with military service. While the military may provide ample opportunities for exposure to a traumatic event, it by no means has a monopoly on the disorder. Trauma can be caused by many other situations, including terrifying or stressful medical experiences. Examples…

I am attending the annual meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) this week, my second time here. Like my first time, in 2024, I’m going as a member of the multiple sclerosis (MS) committee of the Paralyzed Veterans of America. Back then, I thought all…

In a column I wrote a couple years ago, I noted that, despite my fascination with the subject of psychology, I have only an amateur understanding of it. We can add artificial intelligence (AI) to the long list of things I’m not an expert on. I know what it is…

I have a bad habit. OK, several, but I’m only going to address one of them today. I tend to have a lot of imaginary debates or arguments in my head where I anticipate another person’s points, counterpoints, and questions to craft a perfect response. It isn’t an entirely bad…

Between my tours with the Army, a new course was added to the curriculum for me to teach — a two-week basic combat skills course for support personnel. The logic was that if a mechanic or cook attached to a special forces team overseas ever had to do something outside…

I was supposed to have my first colonoscopy this week. I’m at that age when it’s recommended that you have one regularly, so it wasn’t like I didn’t know it was coming. Prepared doesn’t mean excited, though, so I can’t say that I was too upset when it was…

When I began this column about living with multiple sclerosis (MS) nearly four years ago, I worried about sharing good things in my life and about comparing my situation with that of others. It made me feel guilty. After writing about it, though, the feedback I received from…

I would say that no one grows up telling themselves that they can’t wait to get their first minivan, but that’s probably just my opinion. I will allow for the possibility that some people have thought that exact thing, but I never did. As I imagine is the case for…

I had the recent honor of attending our nephew’s graduation from Marine Corps basic training. The ceremony on the parade field, along with the events of the previous day, were as stirring as one might imagine, but I think what struck me most was the changes I saw in my…

Not long ago, while the family was all together in the car, a squirrel ran into the road in front of us. It froze for a couple seconds, then darted one way, and then another, before finally choosing a direction. Fortunately, it turned out to be the right direction. Watching…

It’s definitely dark and maybe even disturbing, but a book I have always enjoyed is Thomas Harris’ “The Silence of the Lambs.” If you’re unfamiliar with either the book or the movie, you’ve either been living a sheltered life or you need to find someone whose birth year starts with…