Meet Mike Petrone of Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Petrone.

Hi Mike, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Enlisted in the US Army at 18 years old. I Served two combat tours in Iraq, was wounded twice and received both the purple heart and army commendation medal with valor. After serving 5 years in the army, dealing with PTSD and the struggles of returning home from war, I began searching for a new purpose and passion. I began my search traveling the world. Teaching english as a foreign language, working in schools and orphanages and doing medical work in ambulances and emergency departments abroad. Having traveled to over 70 different countries and being apart of communities across the world, I ultimately settled in my passion for healthcare. Today, I currently work in EMS as an AEMT/Paramedic, a Tactical Medic and healthcare provider for the city of Atlanta, GA.

I am a strong advocate for Veteran Suicide having lost my father (also a combat veteran) to suicide in 2019 and represent an organization called Warriors For African Wildlife where I help assist African Park Rangers in their anit-poaching efforts by teaching first aid and life saving skills.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
They say “A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor” so of course, I welcome adversity but needless to say, the road has not been smooth.
Coming home from war presents new challenges that are hard to put into perspective unless you have experienced it first hand. Dealing with PTSD, Suicide, Anxiety, and still trying to function while continuously being in fight or flight mode becomes exhausting. At the same time, I come from a military family and I saw both sides of the war. I know what it was like to leave family and go to combat and then return home and watch my loved ones (both father and sister) be deployed to war. Then the repercussions that follow, having lost my father to suicide years later. The struggles of feeling lost and empty, purposeless and alone made the road unbearable at times. Yet, it is your reaction to adversity, not the adversity itself, that determines your character.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I work in EMS as an AEMT/Paramedic, a Tactical Medic and healthcare provider. Most days I work on an Ambulance and whether its a low acuity call like a simple sickness, to traumatic life and death situations, I love my work! It’s about being able to be there for people on their hardest days, showing support to my community through medicine, and being able to the person that shows up and gives empathy and compassion for someone in a time of need. It’s about saving lives one call at a time and handling hard, stressful situations that most people otherwise cannot. It’s also about teaching and educating. Being able to inform others on the importance of first aid and how to handle accidents appropriately. Volunteering with Warriors For African Wildlife has also brought a new passion to my purpose. Being apart of wildlife conservation through medicine and educating African Park Rangers on what to do in field emergencies brings that passion full circle where I can be apart of something bigger than myself.

What makes you happy?
The service for others. I believe in humanity and serving thy neighbor. It’s about being a voice for the voiceless and helping those that cannot otherwise help themselves. I got into medicine so I can physically be there for people but it goes beyond that. It’s about a life of serving and giving which in itself becomes fulfilling.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @MikePetrone