Small Groups of Veterans
The ideal candidate for this event is a veteran or active military person who has engaged in combat overseas and now struggles because of it. Some candidates will have Purple Heart medals, signifying that they were physically wounded; some of these may even be missing limbs. Other candidates will be physically whole but have a PTSD and/or TBI diagnosis. Others may have multiple deployments with high kinetic action and shun society. Our applications ask the candidate to list the burdens they bear. Here are a few examples: physical disability, pain, avoidance, sleeplessness, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, survivor’s guilt, and more. Those selected for these events will have more than one of the issues listed above.
For those that experience war trauma, relationships have deeper meaning and authenticity is key. The Veterans Administration (VA) addresses veteran issues in a systemic and programmatic way, as a bureaucracy must.It is a leading cause for why veterans dislike and avoid the VA. What gives our programs power as a charity is our flexibility to look at individuals as such, individuals, and not generalize the struggles they face. The larger the group, the less personable the experience. Our goal is to form genuine relationships and address the human elements within each veteran’s struggle.
Mountaintop Experience
Authors Chip and Dan Heath, brothers who teach business strategy at the collegiate level, outlined an approach to making lasting impressions in their book The Power of Moments. They say, “Our lives are measured in moments, and defining moments are the ones that endure in our memories.” That is what we are after: a more lasting impact. They continue that defining moments can be orchestrated by using one or more of the following elements:
Elevation: Moments of elevation are created by “breaking the script” of everyday routines to heighten sensory appeal. We conduct this program at one of the most beautiful places on earth: Los Sueños Resort & Marina in Costa Rica.
Insight: Moments of insight are created by having the participant “trip over the truth” in a way that “rewire our understanding of the world and ourselves.”
Pride: Moments of pride are created by recognizing and commemorating people’s achievements.
Connection: Moments of connection are created when people “struggle together toward a meaningful goal” in a social setting or in a manner where we share the moment with others.
Structured Seminars
Dr. Edward Tick is a psychotherapist who has spent over 40 years working with veterans of this and previous generations, and studies warrior cultures of different times and places. His approach is holistic, and we agree with his statement, “Our goals in healing veterans must not be limited to symptom management, stress reduction, altering brain chemistry, or learning body–mind cooperation.” He is one of the few expert voices that argue against a pharmaceutical answer to those suffering from the effects of war. Keeping the status quo “leads to chronic disability, social invisibility, betrayal, and alienation between warriors, civilians, and society,” says Dr. Tick. His work incorporates the methods used for millennia by warrior cultures around the world to instill pride, virtue, and fulfillment. By challenging the norms (norms that have sterilized war and its effects), we can inspire veterans to change their outlook on their life and role in society after war.
These talks are not limited to the participating veterans but include civilian supporters (donors) who can affirm their willingness to share the responsibility and burden of our nation’s wars. At one of Dr. Tick’s retreats, a civilian emphasized to a veteran that “You pulled the trigger but I bought the bullets and sent you there.” This kind of transfer of responsibility can help the veteran understand that he/she is not expected to carry the war burden alone.
Outcomes
We continue to see positive outcomes in the participants of our program. Below is a list of qualitative data that has been expressed after attending the Offshore Experience:
veteran accepts personal responsibility (no blame shift)
substance abuse decreases
family relationship improve (amount of time with family increases)
new and more frequent associations are made with both other veterans and civilians
watching military themed movies, or tv; seeing a friend previously avoided
feeling control/purpose in life
In addition to seeing improvement with the military participants, we want to foster a desire for our civilian supporters to engage with our veteran population. We intend to educate our donors of the war experiences of our participants through personal interaction. One of our main goals is to create a movement to lessen the gap between civilians in society and their protectors.