HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — As a United States Marine serving in Iraq, retired Cpl. Chris Harmon’s life was at risk every day.

“Just a lot of staying low,” Harmon said, “breathing in a lot of dirt and making sure your fellow man or woman to the right or left made it back safely along with you.”

When he came home, though, getting back to a normal life was easier said than done. 

“I was lost. I was lost and unfortunately alcohol became my drug of choice,” Harmon said.

He ended up in front of a judge at the Hillsborough County Courthouse charged with DUI. That seemed to be the end of the road but ended up being the start of a new beginning. 

“For some people, that’s a mental-health issue,” Assistant State Attorney Catherine Toledo said. “For some people, that’s substance abuse. So the Veteran Treatment Court is designed really to address underlying problems that veterans specifically address either post-combat or just in the service.”

Instead of a conviction, veterans who commit certain nonviolent crimes are given counseling and a chance to fix what combat had broken in them. 

“They have sacrificed themselves for the country,” Toledo said. “They’ve put the country first, so we owe it to them to return the favor.”

That favor changed Chris’ life, giving him a purpose now greater than he could’ve imagined. 

“ I feel like Veterans’ Court has brought me to a point where I can make more out of myself by helping others make more of themselves as well,” Harmon said, “And being able to give back to my fellow veterans, that is something that I will always be blessed to cherish in my life.” Florida lawmakers passed a bill that will take effect July 1 that will serve as a blueprint for other county courts to offer similar programs to veterans.