I take my wife and 5 kids with me to war zones as a crisis volunteer. People think I'm crazy, but we work as a family.

• Daniel Beiler, an EMT, has volunteered in multiple war zones, including Iraq and Ukraine.
• He left an Amish community to travel and aid crises, driven by compassion and duty.
• His family joins him, adapting to life in conflict zones.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Daniel Beiler, 33, an emergency medical technician who has volunteered in multiple war zones with his wife and children in tow.

The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I grew up with this deep, deep desire to travel, to see the world, and to do big things.

I grew up in a Pennsylvania Amish community, and one reason I left was because of my desire to travel.