I served 34 years in the United States Army. I led soldiers through combat, through loss, and through the kind of experiences that don’t leave you when you take off the uniform.
Those words were like a knife to my heart. My wife had never said those words to me before, and it was a wake-up call to stop ignoring what I had been ignoring for 18 years. It was time to admit I had issues and I needed help.
Fortunately for me, I was stationed at MacDill AFB, and the doctors there treated me differently than previous Army doctors had. I’m not saying Army doctors are bad — the Air Force just does it differently. My doctor recommended me for the VA’s PREP program, which treats Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) and the comorbidities that come with it — PTSD, memory issues, balance problems, vision problems, and more.
I was enrolled in the three-week program. Halfway through, the doctors came to me and asked me to stay a total of nine weeks. They told me I was the “whackadoodliest of the whackadoodles” they’d seen in a while — a very complex medical term. The diagnosis, in plain language, was this:
- Mild TBI with severe PTSD
- Vestibular issues from blast trauma (inner ear, causing stumbling)
- Double vision in left eye from blast trauma
- Memory issues associated with PTSD
- Nightmares & trouble sleeping
- Sleep apnea
- Depression
Being part of the PREP program showed me that what I was experiencing was real, and that what was going on with me was a natural byproduct of war. It didn’t mean I was weak. It meant I was injured, and I needed treatment.
The PREP program inspired me to reach out to other veterans and first responders and let them know there are others out there just like them, and that it’s okay to seek help. I started the nonprofit Eagle 6 Adventures as a way to provide a place where veterans, first responders, and their families could come and forget about their troubles for a time — while experiencing the healing power of saltwater, fishing, and recreation. I will help any veteran or first responder who seeks it.
I’m not the only one who’s found this. Marine biologist and conservationist Wallace J. Nichols spent years studying the science behind the human-water connection. People who live near the coast measure as more than 5% happier than people living inland, and his research points to something physical happening, not just a feeling: dopamine is released when we’re in proximity to water. Being near, in, under, or on the water benefits us across nearly every part of life — physical health, mental health, even our careers.
“People with PTSD, anxiety, depression — they feel alone. They feel like they’re the only one who knows what they’re experiencing. They know inherently that that’s not true, but that’s what they feel. So when we can put a group of individuals together that were all in the military and are all experiencing similar symptoms, they can talk about it. They can give each other advice, realize that they’re not alone and that they’ve got this group of people that know what they feel.”
— Jessie Bennett, Assistant Professor, University of New HampshireThat’s what Eagle 6 Adventures is built on. Not a brochure. Not a pamphlet. A boat, a rod, open water, and people who understand — because they’ve carried the same weight.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”Matthew 11:28–29 (NIV)
Founder & President — Eagle 6 Adventures
34 Years of Service · Combat Veteran