Welcome
Dear Friends of the National Center for Healthy Veterans (NCHV) at Valor Farm,
Most of us in America have navigated a challenging winter. This was certainly true with the National Center for Healthy Veterans (NCHV) at Valor Farm. Yet now we are experiencing the miracle of NEW LIFE—birds returning, buds blooming, green grass, and many other signs of Spring. This NEW LIFE is equally evident as our Patriots continue to learn, grow, and blossom. This newsletter will highlight some of the 10+ graduations we witnessed this month, along with house warmings for new Patriots. This month we brought on a NEW cohort of 5 Patriots (self-named “Agape Armada”) who are in the early days of their journey. Our referrals are averaging one per day, allowing our case managers to triage and assist many Veteran scenarios, and begin due diligence to determine if the referral is invited to become a Patriot. Exciting times which are stretching our staff and infrastructure in NEW ways!
A passage of Scripture which has motivated us in this NEW Year is from Jeremiah 29:5-7:
5 BUILD HOUSES and live in them; and PLANT GARDENS and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and father sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may give birth to sons and daughters; and grow in numbers there and do not decrease. 7 SEEK THE PROSPERITY OF THE CITY where I have sent you into exile and pray to the Lord in its behalf; for in its prosperity will be your prosperity.’
As we are in planting season, and as we continue to build houses, and as we expand our outreach to the local community and beyond; this passage has strong parallels to life at Valor Farm. Regarding outreach to the local community, our Patriots and Staff serve in many ways ranging from firewood for elderly Veterans to protein sources for our high school football team in need of nutrition in an impoverished locale. It is powerful to see our Patriots start to give back again.
May you enjoy this newsletter. As you appreciate, our increased tempo and staffing needs also increase our need for resources. We pray that God will grant many of you “the joy of generous giving” as you assist NCHV. We are extremely thankful for your encouragement, volunteerism, gifts-in-kind, financial donations, referrals of Veterans in need, and your prayers. Together we are “Returning Healthy Veterans to America.”
Blessings and gratitude to each of you,
Robert F. Dees
Major General, U.S. Army, Retired
President and CEO, National Center for Healthy Veterans
YOUR encouragement and generosity
have made these amazing things happen at Valor Farm. We certainly welcome and need your further support on behalf of Returning Healthy Veterans to America!
Join our Healthy Veterans Community!
Plays of the Day
New Cohort/Housewarming – This month we welcomed a new cohort of Patriots to Valor Farm. As part of their arrival, the men are oriented to the program and welcomed into the homes that will be theirs for the next nine months. With this group, we are officially housing the most Patriots we have ever had at one time. It is so exciting to see the growth of this mission and the number of Veterans choosing to step into restoration. And we are just getting started. As Village 2 is completed and Village 3 begins construction later this year, even more men will have the opportunity to rebuild their lives here at Valor Farm.
Graduation – Every three months, Patriots gather for course and program graduation. This time marks the transition from one trimester to the next and gives the men an opportunity to reflect on what they have learned over the past three months while looking ahead to the next phase of growth. This graduation was especially meaningful as we celebrated one Patriot completing the entire program. He shared how his life has changed during his time at Valor Farm and spoke about the next steps ahead of him. Congratulations, Patriots. We are proud of the work you are doing and the lives you are rebuilding.
Valor Farm Ranch Horse Show Series #1 – This past weekend we hosted our first ever Valor Farm Ranch Horse Show, the first event in a three-show buckle series. The next shows will take place on March 8 and March 28. For many of us, this show represented a dream that was years in the making. Seeing the Spirit of Virginia Arena filled with riders, horses, and community was a powerful reminder of how far the farm has come. We had 26 participants in the show and many more spectators who came out to support the event. It was a great start to the series, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back for the next two shows.
A Look Inside the Life of a Patriot at the
National Center for Healthy Veterans at Valor Farm
What does it look like to begin again?
At the National Center for Healthy Veterans (NCHV) at Valor Farm, it looks like courage, commitment, community—and a whole lot of grace.
The First Step: A Referral and a Yes
Every Patriot’s journey begins with a referral. That referral may come from a family member, a trusted friend, or a partnering organization. Many Veterans also take the brave step of self-referring.
Once a referral is received, it is submitted to the NCHV Veterans Care Team for review. This team, made up of NCHV leadership, carefully considers each applicant. The process includes either an in-person or virtual interview to better understand the Veteran’s story, needs, and readiness for the program.
When a Veteran is accepted, the Care Team coordinates every detail to bring the new Patriot to Valor Farm. From that moment forward, they are no longer walking alone.
Arrival Day: Welcome Home
When a Patriot arrives on property, the intake and onboarding process begins—but it’s more than paperwork.
It begins with a housewarming.
Each new Patriot is welcomed to their very own tiny home on the farm. They are presented with a Bible for guidance, wrapped in a handmade quilt crafted by loving NCHV supporters, and prayed over by staff. It is a powerful moment. A sacred moment.
They are told something we mean with our whole hearts:
“You are family now.”
The Nine-Month Journey
The NCHV program is a nine-month, faith-based, best-practice, holistic journey to healing. It is intentionally structured into three eleven-week trimesters, each building upon the last.
First Trimester: Building Resilience
During the first eleven weeks, Patriots attend classroom training on Tuesdays and Thursdays called Resilience God Style.
This course equips veterans with practical tools to navigate life’s storms—to bend without breaking. Instead of shattering under pressure, they learn how to bounce back with renewed strength and clarity.
At the same time, they begin building routines of physical fitness, group devotionals, journaling, and dignified work on the farm.
Second Trimester: Trauma Recovery
The second trimester focuses on deep healing through the 11-week Reboot trauma recovery program.
Here, Patriots confront the hurts, habits, and hang-ups rooted in past trauma. With the support of clinical staff and peer mentors, they begin processing experiences that may have shaped their lives for years.
This is often the most challenging trimester—but also the most transformative.
Third Trimester: Leadership and Launch
The final trimester shifts toward preparation and purpose.
Patriots complete the 11-week Resilient Leader course and begin leadership development. They prepare for internships either at Valor Farm or off-campus with local businesses.
During this time, they:
- Build and refine resumes
- Participate in mock interviews
- Develop workplace communication skills
- Explore future employment pathways
This trimester is about stepping forward—with confidence.
Healing Beyond the Classroom
While classroom instruction forms an important foundation, healing at NCHV is holistic and ongoing.
Equine Therapy & Horsemanship
Throughout their stay, Patriots participate in equine therapy alongside staff and our equine partners at Valor Farm. Horses have a unique way of helping Veterans process trauma, build trust, and regulate emotions.
Twice a week, Patriots also engage in horsemanship training—learning to care for, handle, and ride horses. Responsibility and connection go hand in hand.
One-on-One Counseling & Specialized Classes
Each Patriot receives routine individual counseling and participates in targeted programming such as:
- Financial literacy
- Fatherhood
- Addiction recovery
- Life skills mini-classes
These are led by clinical staff and peer mentors who walk shoulder-to-shoulder with each Patriot.
Dignified Work at Valor Farm
On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Patriots engage in what we call dignified work under the supervision of a Valor Farm line leader.
They learn to:
- Operate equipment
- Manage livestock
- Grow produce
- Maintain and improve the farm grounds
This work builds teamwork, responsibility, and pride. It reinforces the truth that meaningful contribution is part of healing.
Weekends: Rest, Relationship, and Renewal
Weekends provide space to breathe.
Patriots attend church services on Sundays, receive visitors, and enjoy set-apart time with family and friends. Trips into town allow them to gather personal supplies and practice life skills in everyday settings.
There are also recreational outings—ballgames, local events, and community activities—coordinated by staff.
Many Saturdays are dedicated to “Give Back Days,” where Patriots serve the surrounding community. Service restores purpose.
A Family That Defeats Isolation
From morning physical fitness to evening devotionals, from classroom learning to farm labor, everything at NCHV is done in community.
Isolation is replaced with brotherhood.
Suspicion is replaced with trust.
Hopelessness is replaced with direction.
Peer mentors and staff foster an environment where relationships are built on authenticity and accountability.
Patriots are encouraged to journal from the moment they arrive—documenting struggles, victories, prayers, and growth. Over nine months, those pages become a testimony of transformation.
Celebrating Milestones
Throughout the program, we celebrate three course graduations and one final program graduation. These ceremonies honor the hard work, perseverance, and growth of each Patriot.
They are powerful reminders: healing is possible.
The Mission in Motion
Every detail of a Patriot’s experience at the National Center for Healthy Veterans is prayerfully and strategically designed to promote growth and restoration.
Our goal is clear:
To help return healed men to their families, their communities, and their country—stronger, steadier, and equipped for the road ahead.
At Valor Farm, being a new Patriot means stepping into a process of faith, structure, brotherhood, and hard-earned hope.
And it all begins with one brave step forward.
NCHV Commercial
February Housewarming
Calendar
Weekly NCHV Schedule
March 2026:
April 2026:
May 2026:
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Prayer Points
Pray for leadership in Washington D.C., and for national security at home and abroad. Protect our deployed military personnel and comfort their families who wait in uncertainty.
Pray for safety and success of ongoing military operations, as well as comfort to the families whose loved ones have paid the ultimate sacrifice.
- We give thanks for the visible and invisible signs of healing and restoration in the lives of our Veterans. May these transformations continue to blossom, a testament to Your love and the dedication of those who serve them. Amen.
- Without mentioning specifics, pray for the many Veterans and their families in our midst who have financial issues, health crises, relational dysfunction, and suffer from mental and emotional challenges. May God bring wellness to Veterans throughout the land. May we together, “Return Healthy Veterans to America”.
- Join us in praising God for the beauty of His Creation — horses, rivers, cattle, valleys, chickens, the fruit of the land, the beauty of the fields, the wonder of His Creation.
