Healthy Veteran Highlights • January 2025

By Bob Dees 

Trauma is a reality in life; anyone’s life.  Jesus said it clearly in John 16:33a, “In the world you WILL have tribulation (trauma, setbacks, “hard things,” opposition, “body slams”). Hence, if we know we will all experience trauma at one or multiple times in life, it makes perfect sense to get ready for it.  We know from empirical studies following Vietnam (eg- Tedeschi & Calhoun, UNC, 1980) that “resilience building” prior to a traumatic event results in more positive life outcomes (including “post-traumatic growth”) after the trauma.  Hence, a critical life skill from cradle to grave is how to prepare for and navigate adversity and trauma.  This skill is RESILIENCE.

We also know empirically and from personal experience that “faith in the foxholes of life makes a significant difference in lasting outcomes,” often providing hope instead of despair, life versus death, light in the midst of darkness. Many resilience programs skirt the relevance of faith and spirituality, simply asking people to run faster, jump higher, try harder without the motivation and support from a higher power who provides comfort and wisdom through the traumas of life.

Conversely, the National Center for Healthy Veterans (NCHV) fully integrates Biblical principles and Christian worldview in a holistic program of proven best practices that addresses Physical (P), Mental (M), Spiritual (S), Emotional (E), and Relational (R) wellness.  We call this “PMSER” which leads to health and comprehensive fitness.  While there is no faith criteria for Veterans coming to NCHV, we find that many find a new faith footing or return to faith which equips them with new tools to prepare for and navigate trauma.  This leads to changed lives and new futures for our NCHV Patriots. No doubt many of you have seen these life impacts on the NCHV Facebook page. 

The NCHV Resilience Curriculum, called “Resilience God Style,” lays out a Before-During-After model (see diagram above), highlighting how to get ready for the storms of life, how to navigate the storms, and how to “bounce back” without getting stuck in toxic emotions of guilt, false guilt, anger, and bitterness. Each of these phases has a number of key resilience builders which are discussed and practiced to assist restoration from past traumas and minimization of future ones.

As I mentioned in our last newsletter, our recent tragic barn fire was a cleverly disguised opportunity to “practice what we preach” at Valor Farm. Let’s use this NCHV body slam as an illustration of the value of Resilience God Style precepts in a very real, visceral, and painful loss.  

BEFORE: When a trauma occurs (auto wreck, diagnosis, betrayal, death or destruction), it is too late to prepare.  This before phase sets the conditions for best possible responses to trauma.  The NCHV culture promotes faith-filled living with spiritual integration into every area of life at Valor Farm, both for our staff and our residential Patriots. This focus on spiritual fitness including study of God’s Word, morning devotions, noontime fellowship gatherings, faith-based resilience classes, and relevant application to the challenges of life develops “resilience reflexes” which serve us well individually and collectively when the unexpected arrives on our doorstep – such as a disastrous barn fire.  Jesus exhortation “The one who is faithful in a very little thing is also faithful in much…” (Luke 6:10) is important guidance.  Faithfulness in daily disciplines which build PMSER resilience is an intentional process, paying big dividends when “the big one” happens. 

DURING: The first key step when a body slam occurs to us or others is to “Call 911,” not just referring to calling emergency services, but also an immediate vertical call to God in prayer and a horizontal call to “911 Friends” and others who can help and comfort. Perhaps you read Caitlin Hamm’s powerful and inspiring description of those first moments when she discovered the raging fire and “called 911” in her shock and pain. This was quickly followed by the comfort of many and a rapid return from helplessness to hope to comforting others. A key event the next day (Veterans Day morning) was a collective worship and sharing service at “ground zero” which allowed us to focus on God’s goodness, remember our calling to “Return Healthy Veterans to America,” begin grieving the loss together, and draw strength from one another. This was an incredibly powerful time, assuring all that “God’s got this. It’s going to be OK.”  Gratefully, the Virginia Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears then spent five hours with us on Veterans Day, such encouragement in our time of need. From the moment of crisis, we received a flood of support and tangible gifts from near and afar, a generosity which humbles our grateful hearts. 

AFTER: After the shock turned to hard reality, individual staff and Patriots began to “bounce back” without getting stuck in toxic emotions such as guilt, false guilt, anger, and bitterness. This is the hardest part of the journey. Sensitive to “guarding primary relationships,” the staff grew closer rather than allowing the trauma to divide. Rapid refocus on Patriot care reminded all regarding the primary mission. This included a powerful new approach of pairing our Patriots with individual horses for mutual care, a benefit resulting from the tragedy.  Soon our staff and Patriots found the need to “comfort others with that which they had been comforted,” particularly hard-working volunteers who encountered the barn destruction for their first time. As well, the Brubaker “parents” of the beloved donkeys who perished turned their pain into purpose by donating many copies of “The Donkey who carried a King,” by RC Sproul. In the vein of “singing a new song,” the staff quickly meshed gears to begin the barn rebuilding process, made rapid progress on Village 2 construction, and continued with Patriot graduations, a New Year Day baptism, and reception of a new cohort of Patriots.  

Gratefully, the tragic barn fire has in many ways increased our staff cohesion and led to enhanced program effectiveness.  While the trauma could have put us on our knees in despair, it actually put us on our knees in prayer and has allowed us to rise with new strength, commitment, and resilience.  None of this is the result of our own “goodness;” rather it is from our Loving and Sovreign God.  “Not by power or by might, but by My Spirit saith the Lord!” (Zechariah 4:6) 

We are grateful to God and to so many of you for your friendship and support.  Together we have a noble purpose to Return Healthy Veterans to America. This mission continues!