GREEN COVE SPRINGS — Retired Capt. Anthony "Tony" Storey is not one to shy away from trauma.

In fact, he's keen on using it as a stepping stone to better things. Visions of abuse as a child morphed into visions of war as an adult. Fighting his inner demons was a life battle. But he credits his faith for carrying him through.

"When you experience childhood trauma, and you don't learn how to cope with that, then it's harder to cope with things later traumatically," he said.

The Army veteran's journey of triumph began when he was just 4 years old. Raised by a single mother after the death of his father, his first encounter with trauma came just three years later, when a family member sexually abused him until he was 11.

"That ended pretty violently. At first, there were a lot of threats to keep me from saying anything as I was starting to come of age, where I knew something was going on," Storey said. 

That experience was a catalyst for a downward spiral he would later partake in. Storey said he turned to alcohol and substances to numb the pain. And by 15, he had moved out and was living on his own.

"It seemed, at the time, the hardest way to live life. Just because of all that unresolved pain, it was just anger."

He hung with the wrong crowds and indulged in the wrong activities. Storey said his love for sports, especially football, and his gifted learning ability were the only things that truly kept him grounded.

"I picked up on things so naturally. So that's really what probably kept me going in that way," he said. "I think that came from my mom."

His football coaches were his mentors and father figures. At 17, he was on track to be a college football player. Until it all came crashing down. In a fight to defend a fellow teammate and friend, Storey tore his meniscus.

"[I] lost all the letters, scholarships and all that for football. I'm 17 now, and I'm still wanting to do college and try to find my way back to football."

Storey decided to join the Army in a delayed entry program. As soon as he graduated, he was shipped off to basic training in 2005. Passing his tests with the highest marks, Storey did everything he could to overachieve.

"But I'm still drinking and everything like that. Still hanging around crowds that I probably shouldn't have been around because we're all bad influences on each other," he said.

He said it was almost like living a double life. During his 15-year Army career, he rose to the rank of sergeant and officer. Managing his soldiers and dealing with their emotional distress only added to his own.

"Just seeing the dark side of humanity, because you're in charge of so many people and there's so much going on," he said. "It's crazy because all these people have their own stories of why they're getting all messed up for different reasons."

Storey was caught in deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan, war, explosions and indirect fires. But he ultimately came back mostly unscathed. He said, in a way, the adrenaline rush overshadowed the inner turmoil he was facing. But he still drank every night.

Head injuries eventually caused him post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries and migraines. Storey said he also tried to commit suicide.

The turnaround...his faith.

When Storey joined True Life Church, it wasn't his first encounter with God, but a reminder of what he'd always known.

Storey reminisces about his all-time low at 19. While at a revival in Iraq, he recalled a day when the inside was filled with worship, while the outside was flooded with bombs and explosions.

"Everybody's got a smile on their face," he said. "And everybody's still thanking God and singing and all that despite an actual war happening right outside the walls.

"There was nowhere we could go, but in that moment, we had joy."

While Storey's experience will always be one of hard lessons, that doesn't mean he's not overcoming them. Now married with children, life continues to be on the up for Storey. Positive coping mechanisms have taken the place of alcohol and substances. In addition to being a musician, Storey owns his own business, Tony’s Helping Hands LLC, and is a superintendent with Trademark Concrete LLC.

And he credits his faith for carrying him through.

"I just love my family. My kids, my wife, my dogs, my cats. We make our time intentional when we have it."

For those going through the same thing, Storey said it's crucial to find ways to connect with others. Keeping it to yourself is never the answer. 

"In reality, if you don't talk through something, think out loud and hear yourself saying it, those tears may never come. And if they don't ever come, growth will never come either."