Here’s how this Marine learned to cope with traumatic brain injury

"I learned about the Semper Fi Fund through a class I was in at Camp Pendleton, California, to learn more about traumatic brain injuries and how they affect you," says Sergeant Nora Mund, who was deployed to Afghanistan for seven months in 2010. "After being in that group for over a month, the Fund gave us iPads to help us organize our medical appointments and daily activities, and also to have apps to help improve memory."

Nora, a Colorado native, enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2006 – "mainly because I wanted to explore the world and knew that I needed more discipline in my life." She deployed in March 2010 to Afghanistan, where she remained until October of that year.

Also read: Rob Riggle doubled-down on his USMC service while clearing rubble at Ground Zero

"I was a squad and team leader in the Female Engagement Team (FET) assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Marines and 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines," she explains. "The FET team was designed specifically to interact with the local populace of Afghanistan and to assist the area commander on missions and community outreach."

Her job also put her in a position to witness firsthand the types of combat realities that can lead to PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and, in her specific case, TBI (traumatic brain injury).

"I remember walking alongside a road heading to our destination," she recalls, "and the next thing I know an explosion happens to my left and the dust that surrounded me is so thick I couldn't see more than a foot ahead of me.

"It wasn't until about six or seven months after my return home that I had a medical appointment and they told me I have a traumatic brain injury," Nora continues."They also discovered that I had herniated disks in my neck that causes a lot of pain in my back and numbness in my left arm. I had occupational therapy for almost a year working on my memory, plus physical therapy for my back and neck."

Today, Nora is a full-time student at the University of Colorado, where she is working to get her Bachelor's degree in psychology. "I'm also a research assistant for the Canines Providing Assistance to Wounded Warriors (C-PAWW) initiative, where we study the interaction between humans and their animals,"she says. "We hope to influence policy makers with hard science showing how service and companion animals help veterans and other vulnerable populations."

On May 21, 2014, Colorado Rep. Ed Perlmutter recognized Nora on the floor of the House of Representatives, saying (in part): "Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Sergeant Nora Mund for her service to our country. She was the first female assigned to serve as the senior armor / small arms repair technician for the Marine Corps Infantry Officer's Course, Quantico, Virginia. Sergeant Mund volunteered to deploy to Afghanistan with Operation Enduring Freedom and was selected to serve on the Marine Corps' first Female Engagement Team. Through her courageous service, Sergeant Mund charted the path for future generations of women to serve in the military. I extend my deepest appreciation to Sergeant Nora Mund for her dedication, integrity and outstanding service to the United States of America."

"I'm excited to take life on," says Nora. "When you're injured, you have a tendency to view the oncoming days in such a negative light, so when you learn that there are good days in your future, you have energy and excitement for the future."

"I think it's important to let this generation of veterans know that they may not know it now, but they have great futures ahead of them–if they only just believe in it."

We Are The Mighty is teaming up with Semper Fi Fund and comedian Rob Riggle to present the Rob Riggle InVETational Golf Classic. The veteran-celebrity golf tournament will raise money and awareness for Semper Fi Fund, one of our nation's most respected veteran nonprofit organizations, in support of wounded, critically ill and injured service members and their families. Learn more at InVETational.com.