Welcome
Dear Friends of the National Center for Healthy Veterans (NCHV) at Valor Farm,
The last 12 months have been breathtaking, literally. An unexpected fire last November 10, tragic and destructive, took NCHV to its emotional knees. Then, resilience and perseverance, one boot in front of the other, rebuilding and believing, community outpouring of support, lots of prayer! Now, praise and gratitude, wonder at the awesome Spirit of Virginia Arena, hope for a reconstructed barn, and a keen sense of stewarding well all God has given us at Valor Farm.
Of equal importance, the referrals to our program have picked up considerably. As knowledge of NCHV becomes more widespread across the nation, this upswing in referrals will no doubt continue. In light of this, our Village 1 is now full and we are starting to place Veterans in a partially completed Village 2 out of necessity. Gratefully, we are also seeing an uptick in potential staff to accommodate our increased Veteran population.
Finally, Where would we be without our Veterans? Gratefully, we don’t have to ask. They have always been there for us! That is why we remain the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. See Diving Deeper for more on The Value of Veterans as we approach Veterans Day 2025.
Now for a few snapshots from a very dynamic and productive October at the National Center for Healthy Veterans:
Plays of the Day – 310 Ranch Life Roping Clinic, Village 2 Construction, Patriot Housewarming
Meet the Team — Bobby Caughey, Patriot Program Director
Diving Deeper – The Value of Veterans by NCHV CEO Bob Dees
In The Media – Cowboy Church, Roping Clinic Recap
Prayer Points – Join us in prayer as we continue to support and empower Veterans.
Thanks again for your encouragement, your volunteerism, your gifts-in-kind, your financial donations, your referrals of Veterans in need, and your prayers.
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
310 Ranch Life Roping Clinic – Valor Farm hosted the 310 Ranch Life Roping Clinic this month, bringing riders from across the region together for a day of western skill and community. The clinic marked the culmination of years of vision and hard work, proving that Valor Farm is ready to host high-level horsemanship events that also help sustain our mission.
Events like this not only bring people to the farm but also create lasting connections and financial support for our programs. Every participant, sponsor, and supporter played a part in helping NCHV continue “Returning Healthy Veterans to America.”
Village 2 Construction – It’s time for a long-overdue Village 2 update. The 10 single homes and 2 family homes are in the final stages, with towel bars, furnishings, and finishing touches underway. Insulation is complete, and sheetrock work in the community center is nearly finished.
Every board placed and wall painted moves us closer to providing more Veterans with safe, dignified housing and a true sense of community. These homes represent far more than shelter. They symbolize stability, hope, and a fresh start.
Patriot Housewarmings – This month we celebrated four new Patriot housewarmings, marking the completion of a full Veteran village at Valor Farm. Each dedication is a powerful reminder of what happens when faith, community, and perseverance come together.
Our Patriots are now settled into homes built with care, surrounded by neighbors and staff who believe in them. We’re deeply grateful to every donor, volunteer, and partner who helped make this milestone possible. Together, we are restoring lives, one home at a time.
Meet The Team
Bobby Caughey – Patriot Program Director
Bobby is a native of central Virginia, husband, and father to Courtney, Reese and Graham. Courtney was born in Ontario Canada and works as a NP with Centra Health Plastic Surgery. His children Reese age 11 and Graham age 5 attend LCA. Both kids enjoy playing sports and spending time with their family.
Bobby worked as a firefighter for the city of Roanoke and Lynchburg from 2006 – 2014. He was an ALS provider with certifications in leadership, officer, and instructor training. He took part in special operations rescue, working out of multiple fire stations. Bobby attend Jefferson Collage of Health Sciences in 2014, received an associate degree and began working as a Physical Therapist Assistant in 2016. He currently works part-time, as a home health PTA, and spends most of the week as the Program Director at NCHV.
Bobby has been a part of NCHV and Valor farm since 2023 but decided to take on a full-time position when he realized the calling God had placed before him. He leads the core curriculum taught at NCHV, consisting of RGS, and Reboot. He handles the organization and implementation of offsite Patriot events, including giveback days and recreational fun days. Bobby enjoys horsemanship, and the livestock on Valor farm where he works in continual pursuit of his skill set of horsemanship and farming. Away from Valor Farm Bobby likes to play golf, fish and spend time with friends and family. He attends and serves at Waymaker Church. Bobby is proud to be a part of NCHV at Valor Farm and values the relationships and opportunities he has in his role.
Diving Deeper
The Value of Veterans
by Bob Dees
On this Veterans Day 2025, we must ask ourselves a very important question: “Where would we be without our Veterans?” What if they had concluded it was too windy, too wet, and too uncomfortable to venture onto the beaches of Normandy in June 1944? Gratefully, they didn’t ask such a self-serving question — they were there, they went across the beaches, and they unhinged an entire continent from an evil empire. They were “all in” on behalf of future generations. As a result of their efforts, and the continuing efforts of our troops and families of today, we are the Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave. America will remain this Land of the Free because of our brave veterans, as well as our military who today selflessly serve at home and abroad.
From the great Roman orator Cicero,
“Poor is the nation that has no heroes, but poorer still is the nation that having heroes fails to remember and honor them.”
May we honor those who fight, bleed, and often die for us and future generations. Our nation is at true peril when we fail to remember those who have made it all possible.
Jesus likewise commended the service and faith of the Roman Centurion, observing “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.”
The message on Veterans Day 2025 is simple: We honor those military members who serve at home and abroad today. As well, we honor their families— the great stroller brigades and the priceless sprint into the waiting arms of a returning military member. We as a nation also honor those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf.
Most of all, on this particular day, we honor America’s veterans of every age and generation, every branch of the military, and every time and place of service to the nation. May God Bless Them!
We restate the question “Where would we be without our Veterans?”
Gratefully, we don’t have to ask that question.
They have always been there for us.
Calendar
- Thursdays at 4:00 p.m. Scheduled Tourscontact@healthyveterans.org if interested.
- First Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. Community Campfire at Valor Farm
Come join us for fellowship!
- Volunteer Saturday – November 8th
- Annual Veterans Day Commemoration at Valor Farm Arena – November 11th at 4:00 pm
https://secure.qgiv.com/for/nationalcenterforhealthyveterans/event/6thannualveteransdaycommemoration/ - New York Fundraiser – November 13th
https://secure.qgiv.com/for/nationalcenterforhealthyveterans/event/4thannualfundraisingevent/ - NCHV @ Liberty University MURPH Challenge – November 15th
- Murph Challenge Afterparty @ Spirit of VA Arena – November 15th
https://secure.qgiv.com/for/nationalcenterforhealthyveterans/event/murphafterparty/ - Williamsburg Fundraiser – November 20th
https://secure.qgiv.com/for/nationalcenterforhealthyveterans/event/5thannualwilliamsburgveteransappreciationdinner/
- The Christmas List at Bedford Oaks – December 12,13, 14 https://cedaroaksfarm.com/tickets
- Volunteer Appreciation Dinner – April 18th, 2026. Details to come
Prayer Points
- Pray for leadership in Washington D.C., and for national security at home and abroad.
- 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.
- Pray that the work of the National Center for Healthy Veterans would rapidly advance to provide help, hope, and healing for our nation’s Veterans and their families.
