Marine TOW Gunner Survives Iraq But Can’t Escape Scars of War

Marine Corps boot camp, combat in Haditha, Iraq, and the chaos, comedy, and cost of it all. Austin Hancock’s story is wild, hilarious, and at times heavy — this episode dives into all of it. We start today's episode of Urban Valor with boot camp madness: grown men in whitey-tighties doing squats, drill instructors weaponizing humor like it’s their MOS, and the kind of military hazing that only makes sense once you’ve been there. But underneath the laughs? IED-ridden convoys, combat stress, and the mental weight that doesn’t go away once the uniform does. Austin gets real about what it's like to go from the gunner's seat in Iraq to trying to figure out life back home — and how brotherhood, dark humor, and a lot of inner work helped him through. 👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation. 🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well! ✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday! Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories. Video chapters: 0:00 – Boot camp stories & drill instructor comedy 5:00 – Life as a Marine tail gunner (MOS 0352) 20:00 – Convoy missions in Iraq & dealing with IED threats 30:00 – Brotherhood, fights, and coping with combat stress 40:00 – Coming home & the struggle of reintegration #military #warstories #urbanvalor #marines #warstories