PTSD Veterans Outdoors Adventures
Donation protected
About five to six years ago I had the idea of starting an outdoors adventures non-profit for veterans with PTSD. I received zero help or support for this. Since then I have been noticing these outdoor adventures groups popping up all over the nation and they are having tremendous success. Suffice it to say my idea must have been a good one.
Now, I am wondering if it might be time to try this again. There are still no such groups in Western Montana / Northern Idaho. My idea is a bit different than the others as I want to target and help veterans reintegrate back in to civilian society. A much needed program that the US military needs to be doing themselves yet, refuses to.
As a combat veteran with PTSD myself I am acutely aware that one of the primary issues that myself and others have is that we feel out of place with the civilian population. We don't belong. This is made apparent when all current organizations to help PTSD veterans is focused on trying to change the veteran and mold them into what society want's them to be. They hand out drugs to change who we are. They want to tell us that everything we have learned and done in the military is wrong and should be left in the past. This is bullshit. We care so much about this nation and feel so much that what we did is right that we put our very lives in danger for it. Don't tell us that we are nothing and must push aside the very core of who we are.
Keep in mind that as veterans we simply think and act differently than a civilian. Telling us that we are wrong and that we must be assimilated into the civilian masses just doesn't make sense. We need to find our place and continue to help. Our oath to serve never dies.
Now, my idea is to help with the most basic need that every veteran has. The feeling of belonging to something bigger than themselves and that they have others on each side of them that has their back. In the military you train with like-minded people whom you live with, sometimes for years. You eat, sleep, train and work with these brothers in arms. There is one thing that the majority of PTSD veterans have in common. They miss that brotherhood. They miss that trust. They miss the training and the excitement. They want to be whole again and they won't be whole until they have that trust that you can only get from being a part of a tight and squared away squad of like-minded veterans.
So, why don't we give that to them? I wouldn't dare put a gun in a PTSD veterans hands and call that therapy. That's a recipe for disaster. But, what's wrong with a hike? A camping trip? Helping a neighborhood clean up after a disaster? Patrolling our public lands for poachers and/or anything else that endangers our nations civilian populace? There are a ton of things that a group of PTSD veterans can do that I guarantee you will help them a ton more than handing them drugs and forcing them to sit and talk to councilors that are not veterans and will NEVER understand them.
Scared that putting a group of PTSD veterans together might be dangerous? I find that laughable. In my honest opinion, unless the person is a complete nutcase who enjoys training to kill and loves watching innocents get killed in firefights, every single person currently in active duty service and has seen combat does have PTSD. Only a psycho can go through a tour of duty in a warzone and not come away feeling a bit battle-shocked.
Guess what? These active duty people currently eat, sleep, work and play together without any problems at all. The problems start with PTSD veterans when we ETS and you put us with non veterans and expect us to drop all defenses and training that have become our armor. You're stripping us of everything that we know can keep us and our families safe and expecting us to do this without even so much as a battle-buddy to watch our six. Talk about high anxiety.
No, I propose we do something about this. It is my dream to have the land and resources to have a place where I can bring PTSD veterans together and show them that they still matter. That they have others who have their six. We need a 'Home Squad' in every county in every State.
Anyways, after typing this long post, I hope that others can see I am very passionate about this venture. I got extremely depressed when I received no help or support the last time I tried this. But, I was approached a couple of days ago by someone who heard my plea, and angst at nothing being done. I was encouraged to try again to make this happen.
I am not alone in this endeavor as I have at least one trained councelor who is currently working on their Masters in Psychology on my team. Also, there is the possibility of working alongside another well established local counceling business.
The need is there as we all know. I just need the funds to get started. Funds will be going toward rental office, office equipment, liability insurance, marketing and various outdoors equipment that will be needed.
I am planning on starting small and branching out from there. Long term plans include attaining land and equipment to start a small farm in which veterans can help work. Remember, the key to fighting PTSD with a veteran is keeping busy on a project in which they can work with others whom they can trust.
Thank you so very much for taking the time to read this. As a combat veteran with PTSD I can not stress enough how much something like this is needed. I assure you that if you can help in any way that your donation will be used for a very good cause.
~Tom E Mullen
(Prior service 1990-2005)
Now, I am wondering if it might be time to try this again. There are still no such groups in Western Montana / Northern Idaho. My idea is a bit different than the others as I want to target and help veterans reintegrate back in to civilian society. A much needed program that the US military needs to be doing themselves yet, refuses to.
As a combat veteran with PTSD myself I am acutely aware that one of the primary issues that myself and others have is that we feel out of place with the civilian population. We don't belong. This is made apparent when all current organizations to help PTSD veterans is focused on trying to change the veteran and mold them into what society want's them to be. They hand out drugs to change who we are. They want to tell us that everything we have learned and done in the military is wrong and should be left in the past. This is bullshit. We care so much about this nation and feel so much that what we did is right that we put our very lives in danger for it. Don't tell us that we are nothing and must push aside the very core of who we are.
Keep in mind that as veterans we simply think and act differently than a civilian. Telling us that we are wrong and that we must be assimilated into the civilian masses just doesn't make sense. We need to find our place and continue to help. Our oath to serve never dies.
Now, my idea is to help with the most basic need that every veteran has. The feeling of belonging to something bigger than themselves and that they have others on each side of them that has their back. In the military you train with like-minded people whom you live with, sometimes for years. You eat, sleep, train and work with these brothers in arms. There is one thing that the majority of PTSD veterans have in common. They miss that brotherhood. They miss that trust. They miss the training and the excitement. They want to be whole again and they won't be whole until they have that trust that you can only get from being a part of a tight and squared away squad of like-minded veterans.
So, why don't we give that to them? I wouldn't dare put a gun in a PTSD veterans hands and call that therapy. That's a recipe for disaster. But, what's wrong with a hike? A camping trip? Helping a neighborhood clean up after a disaster? Patrolling our public lands for poachers and/or anything else that endangers our nations civilian populace? There are a ton of things that a group of PTSD veterans can do that I guarantee you will help them a ton more than handing them drugs and forcing them to sit and talk to councilors that are not veterans and will NEVER understand them.
Scared that putting a group of PTSD veterans together might be dangerous? I find that laughable. In my honest opinion, unless the person is a complete nutcase who enjoys training to kill and loves watching innocents get killed in firefights, every single person currently in active duty service and has seen combat does have PTSD. Only a psycho can go through a tour of duty in a warzone and not come away feeling a bit battle-shocked.
Guess what? These active duty people currently eat, sleep, work and play together without any problems at all. The problems start with PTSD veterans when we ETS and you put us with non veterans and expect us to drop all defenses and training that have become our armor. You're stripping us of everything that we know can keep us and our families safe and expecting us to do this without even so much as a battle-buddy to watch our six. Talk about high anxiety.
No, I propose we do something about this. It is my dream to have the land and resources to have a place where I can bring PTSD veterans together and show them that they still matter. That they have others who have their six. We need a 'Home Squad' in every county in every State.
Anyways, after typing this long post, I hope that others can see I am very passionate about this venture. I got extremely depressed when I received no help or support the last time I tried this. But, I was approached a couple of days ago by someone who heard my plea, and angst at nothing being done. I was encouraged to try again to make this happen.
I am not alone in this endeavor as I have at least one trained councelor who is currently working on their Masters in Psychology on my team. Also, there is the possibility of working alongside another well established local counceling business.
The need is there as we all know. I just need the funds to get started. Funds will be going toward rental office, office equipment, liability insurance, marketing and various outdoors equipment that will be needed.
I am planning on starting small and branching out from there. Long term plans include attaining land and equipment to start a small farm in which veterans can help work. Remember, the key to fighting PTSD with a veteran is keeping busy on a project in which they can work with others whom they can trust.
Thank you so very much for taking the time to read this. As a combat veteran with PTSD I can not stress enough how much something like this is needed. I assure you that if you can help in any way that your donation will be used for a very good cause.
~Tom E Mullen
(Prior service 1990-2005)
Organizer
Tom Mullen
Organizer
Hamilton, MT
