Sgt. Jeff Barillaro was an NCO and gunner for M1A2 Abrams tank. He enlisted in the Army upon graduation from High School. After four years, he left Army.
Following the September 11 attacks, Operation Enduring Freedom began, followed by Operation Iraqi Freedom. At the height of the Global War on Terror, a sense of duty returned to Barillaro. He re-enlisted. In no time he was deployed to Iraq with his original MOS as an Armor crewman. He led convoys and Barillaro saw his share of ambushes and gun battles.
Later, with 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Barillaro deployed to Kosovo for a NATO led peacekeeping mission with Kosovo Force (KFOR). Before he was discharged honorably.
As a result of his deployments, Barillaro was diagnosed with PTSD.
During his service, Barillaro discovered something that helped him cope with his PTSD was music and he was began writing, mostly hip hop and rap songs. After he completed his time in the Army, he founded Redcon-1 Music Group with main objective of using music to spread the awareness of PTSD and to help veterans struggling with PTSD.
Here is the ACU uniform set belonging to Barillaro. He had worn it in Iraq and then Kosovo. On it is a unofficial/unauthorized Kosovo deployment patch from his unit. It has the Combat Action Badge and Combat patch he earned in Iraq. There are also a few of his desert patches fixed on velcro for his modified Desert Combat Uniforms also worn in Iraq just before the transition to the new ACU. Note the helmet cat eye elastic band that he has taken off from his issued ACH.
GWOT museum 