I came home from Iraq a different person. After being wounded in combat, I was left with scars both visible and invisible, 32 surgeries, chronic pain, and an addiction to opioids that nearly ended my life. Like so many veterans, I lost my sense of identity and purpose. I was homeless, hopeless, and convinced my story was over.

But it wasn’t.

Recovery came slowly, through community, treatment and purpose. Today, I’m honored to work with justice-involved veterans in our local Veterans Treatment Court (VTC), men and women who have also lost everything in the chaos of post-combat life. Many struggle with housing, health, isolation, and often their will to keep going. It’s an honor to walk alongside them as they rebuild their lives.

My journey to healing deepened when I connected with a remarkable resource: the United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund. This fund, established by the U.S. government, offers compensation to veterans like me who were wounded or lost loved ones due to attacks sponsored by foreign governments, such as Iran’s deadly assaults on U.S. personnel in Iraq.

The USVSST Fund isn’t widely known, but it should be. This fund specifically covers veterans injured in attacks linked to state-sponsored terrorism during our deployments in Iraq, Afghanistan and other War on Terror operations. If you were wounded by an improvised explosive device, rocket attack, or other assault where intelligence later traced the weapons or funding back to Iran or other state sponsors, you may be eligible. The fund recognizes that many of our injuries weren’t just random acts of war; they were deliberate attacks funded by foreign governments.

At first, I was skeptical. I had been buried in paperwork and broken promises before. But this was different.

It took seven years from start to finish, but it was painless. More importantly, it was worth it. The USVSST Fund isn’t just about compensation, though that stability has made a huge impact on my life. It’s about acknowledgment. It’s about knowing that the country sees what we’ve endured and sacrificed, and believes we’re entitled to more than just survival. We deserve to be heard, valued and supported.

Through this process, I found a community of veterans who shared my pain and resilience. That connection was powerful. It reminded me I wasn’t alone, and neither are the veterans I now support in court.

Thousands of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan operations may be eligible for the USVSST Fund, yet many have never heard of it. The fund has already distributed hundreds of millions of dollars to veterans and families, but too many of us are still unaware this resource exists. Given how many of our injuries can be traced back to Iranian-funded militias, IEDs, and other state-sponsored attacks, this fund represents justice that’s long overdue.

For those in the VTC, and for the countless veterans out there who feel forgotten or discarded, I want to be clear: The USVSST Fund is another resource you are entitled to. Just like housing, counseling and recovery services, this fund exists because your life matters, and because the cost of war doesn’t end when you come home.

If you’re a veteran who was wounded in combat, lost brothers or sisters in that same attack, and have struggled to find solid ground since, don’t let the fear of this process hold you back. The hard part will be handled for you. Filing the USVSST Fund claim helped me reclaim my story. Now, I’m doing the same for others.

Kevin Rumley is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Marine Corps veteran who received a Purple Heart for injuries sustained in combat.