‘I failed at dying’: Local veteran turns his fight to survive into a mission to help other

CINCINNATI (WKRC) – Joseph Brooksbank survived two tours in Iraq and his own battles at home. Now, the Air Force veteran is using his story to help other veterans find hope and a reason to keep going.

“Let’s ride,” said Brooksbank.

That’s the motto Joseph Brooksbank lives by — both on his motorcycle and in life.

“Life is the victory, and living as long as you can to be here,” Brooksbank said.

Brooksbank is a medically retired staff sergeant in the United States Air Force and an active member of Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association Chapter OH 12-2, an organization dedicated to supporting veterans and their families. His commitment to veterans is rooted in his own military experience.

“So, my first Iraq deployment was in ’05. I was at Balad Air Base, which is just north of Baghdad along the Tigris River,” Brooksbank said.

It was a dangerous assignment.

“They call it Mortarville because literally every day, spaced out, it didn’t matter. We were getting hit by mortars and rockets nonstop,” he said.

Brooksbank completed two tours in Iraq as an intelligence analyst, but some of his most difficult battles came after his military service. Brooksbank openly talks about struggling with his mental health and reaching a point where he attempted suicide.

Joseph Brooksbank survived two tours in Iraq and his own battles at home. Now, the Air Force veteran is using his story to help other veterans find hope and a reason to keep going. (Provided)

“I actually had my first suicide attempt, unfortunately,” Brooksbank said. “And luckily, I was unsuccessful.”

Brooksbank said he would attempt suicide two more times.

After surviving, recovering, and working through some of his darkest thoughts, he decided to put his experience into words. He wrote I Failed at Dying: A Veteran’s Journey Through Pain, Purpose, and Survival.

“I failed at dying,” Brooksbank said. “But that was a good thing. And letting people know, you’re not alone when you think that way.”

Today, Brooksbank has turned his experiences into a mission to help others. In addition to his work with fellow veterans, he serves his community as an educator, coach, and mentor and advocates for mental health and suicide prevention.

His wife, Jennifer, nominated the husband and father of two for Local 12’s Home of the Brave.

“He’s our rock. He’s always been my hero, and I don’t know anyone else that’s more deserving,” she said.

Local 12 surprised Brooksbank by presenting him with a Home of the Brave challenge coin on behalf of Local 12 and Window World, recognizing his military service and his continued commitment to others.

Joseph Brooksbank survived two tours in Iraq and his own battles at home. Now, the Air Force veteran is using his story to help other veterans find hope and a reason to keep going. (WKRC)

“Thank you so much,” Brooksbank said.

And Brooksbank carries another reminder with him everywhere he goes. Tattooed on his forearm are three letters: DFQ.

“The politically correct term is ‘don’t freaking quit.’ So, DFQ,” Brooksbank said.

Joseph Brooksbank survived two tours in Iraq and his own battles at home. Now, the Air Force veteran is using his story to help other veterans find hope and a reason to keep going. (WKRC)

For Brooksbank, it’s more than a tattoo. It’s a reminder of the road he has already traveled — and his determination to keep riding forward.

Through his veteran advocacy, mental health and suicide prevention efforts and his book, Brooksbank is sharing the message he once needed himself: keep going. Or, as he puts it: don’t freaking quit.