This week Country music artist and Army reservist, Craig Morgan, tells us about his time in the military and his decision to re-enlist after 17 years of serving, also touching on the importance of providing mental health outlets for our military families who have lost somebody while on active duty.

“Early on, even in high school,” Morgan says of his decision to join the military, “I thought that there had to be something that I could do that would be different than everything that I grew up in. I grew up in and around Nashville. My dad was a musician and, believe it or not, that wasn't in my future. I didn't see it as part of my future.”

“I thought I'd go in the military and get a college degree and go to work in law enforcement somewhere and retire as a sheriff in a little small town,” he explains.

“I tribute all of my success or, or the majority of my success in everything that I do to skill sets that I learned and experienced while serving in the Army,” Craig tells us. “Still to this day, you know, going back in the Reserve, I'm still learning, I'm learning new things and I get to experience different cultures and different characters. I think you learn things being in the Army that you cannot attain and you achieve certain levels of intellect that you cannot achieve in any other occupation in the world or any other form of education.”

Making the difficult transition back into civilian life, he says, is an ongoing process. “I'm still working on it,” he admits, acknowledging that his mental state while serving stayed healthy. “I had a different approach than some folks,” he says. “I know there are people that have struggles and deal with certain things in different ways, and we have resources for that. But for me personally, I never had any terrible issues, accepted things for what they were, understood that God was in charge and just kept moving.”

Deciding to re-enlist in the Army Reserve in 2023, he says, “I wanted that letter of retirement. I wanted a letter that said I served my country for 20 years. When I got out, I had 17.5 years at the time and they don't give you a letter that says, ‘Thank you for your 17.5 years of service.’ You don't get anything until 20 or more… unless they medically retire you out early, then you get that retirement or letter.  I didn't, I just left because of my music career and, at that time, I wasn't able to really fulfill both of them. After my career, now that I'm established, it's a little easier for me to attempt to do both.”

With May pulling double duty as Military Appreciation Month as well as Mental Health Awareness Month, Craig tells us how important and “life-saving” it can be to provide mental health outlets for military families who have lost loved ones on active duty. “When these service members and the families of fallen service members know that there's someone out there that is experiencing the same thing, or something similar, they, they have somebody they can communicate with. It's hard to discuss something like losing a child or losing a parent with someone who hasn't had that experience,” he adds. “There's just an emotional side of it that is only understood from those that have been in that position.”

May is Mental Health Month and Anthony is embarking on a journey called Miles for Mental Health. I'm pedaling as many miles as I can across Southern California to raise money for Project Sanctuary, a non-profit that helps out military families who have lost a loved one in the line of duty. If you'd like to contribute to Project Sanctuary and the Miles for Mental Health campaign, please click here and thank you for your support.

Audacy's I’m Listening initiative aims to encourage those who are dealing with mental health issues to understand they are not alone. If you or anyone you know is struggling with depression or anxiety, know that someone is always there. Additionally, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 988. Find a full list of additional resources here.