Martha is joined by retired Army Sergeant Dan Rose, as he discusses his upbringing in Wisconsin, what drew him to military service, and talks about his time in Afghanistan where he was paralyzed by a roadside improvised explosive device.
Dan explains the recovery process, how the injury impacted his life, and how the Soldier Strong organization helped him and other wounded veterans secure the technology to return to civilian life.
View the full write up on radio.foxnews.com.
By Chris Meek
September is National Suicide Prevention Month. Part of our mission at SoldierStrong is to deliver treatment to combat the devastating effects of post-traumatic stress (PTS) through the donation of BraveMind virtual reality systems to Veterans Affairs medical facilities across the country.
Because of the vast support from generous patriots from across the country, SoldierStrong has donated 30 BraveMind systems since the fall of 2019. However, there is still a long list of VA facilities nationwide that are waiting to have immediate access to this revolutionary technology.
Here is what we know: When National Suicide Prevention Month began twenty years ago the death by suicide rate was 30% lower than it is today. Even with a continued reduction in the stigma surrounding seeking mental health treatment and the allocation of $222 million by Congress to the VA to prevent suicide in the past decade, there are still 17 veteran suicides each day. Even just one veteran suicide a day is far too many.
The BraveMind system, developed by the University of Southern California’s Institute for Creative Technologies, safely enables veterans to relive and deconstruct traumatic memories from their service in a virtual reality headset while talking through the nuances of those memories with a licensed therapist in an evidence-based method known as prolonged-exposure therapy. The BraveMind system is so effective that 65% of veterans who have used it have significantly reduced or eliminated their PTS symptoms!
We’ve heard that veterans across the country have requested the BraveMind technology but are unable to access it through their local VA. That is why this month we have set a goal to raise $15,000 in order to donate another BraveMind system to a VA facility in desperate need. We can’t ensure that more veterans have access to this life-changing and more importantly life-saving technology without the support of our fellow Americans.
Here is what you are supporting when you contribute to our efforts to deploy the BraveMind system:
“I just talked about something that I’ve avoided and never talked about for ten years. Each time a little weight came off my shoulders. I was able to face my family and friends and be a bit more productive in society.”
This was the testimonial provided to us by Marine Sergeant Chris Merkle several years ago. Today, Chris has completed his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and will begin providing therapy to fellow veterans experiencing PTS at a VA facility in Southern California.
This is the type of transform that you can be a part of when you support SoldierStrong. Whether you can give $10, $25, $50, $100 or more, your support is critical to our efforts to deliver this type of revolutionary medical technology. We invite you to help SoldierStrong make a life-changing difference in the lives of America’s veterans this National Suicide Prevention Month.
Article by Brooke Parker | Link to full article
The Biloxi VA has partnered with SoldierStrong to create a new form of therapy.
Veterans will be able to work through trauma using virtual reality. This works as a form of exposure therapy that limits the body’s trauma response and is often used for post-traumatic stress disorder.
Veterans will work with trained psychologists who have the ability to place them at a scene, such as driving in Iraq. They’ll be hearing, seeing, and feeling the sensations of that day.
The treatment starts small and gradually increases until a patient no longer has a trauma response. Clinical Psychologist Todd Adamson said, “To really immerse that individual so they’re much less likely to avoid, gives them an opportunity to develop a different relationship to the past, to those traumatic experiences, and one where they’re in control, and the trauma is not controlling them.”
Innovation Specialist Elizabeth Williams said, “You know, veterans end up sharing things with their clinicians that they might not have otherwise shared with them, all due to the fact that they’re immersed in this virtual environment that really brings back memories that might not otherwise been present in their session with their clinicians.”
Psychologists are being trained at the moment and veterans will work with them to decide if virtual reality is right for them.
A U.S. Navy SEAL who will begin his studies this fall to earn a master’s degree from Georgetown University is the latest recipient of a SoldierScholar scholarship, Chris Meek, co-founder and chairman of the national nonprofit SoldierStrong, said today.
“Brian Fischer has gone far beyond the call of duty in his service to our country. He has endured the harshest conditions and most harrowing experiences in defense of our freedom,” Meek said. “He has had several friends who were severely injured and served with those who paid the ultimate sacrifice as he put his own life on the line. I can’t imagine anyone more worthy of receiving a SoldierScholar scholarship as he prepares to take his next steps forward in life.”
Meek noted that the Post-9/11 GI Bill honors the sacrifices of today’s veterans but it has funding gaps – such as failing to cover the cost of textbooks, classroom fees, transportation, technology, tutoring and similar expenses — that create added financial burdens on veterans pursuing higher education degrees. SoldierStrong, which primarily provides revolutionary medical technologies to Veterans Affairs medical centers across the country to help injured veterans lead full lives, has also awarded more than $500,000 through SoldierScholar since 2012.
Fischer is a Special Operations Chief responsible for the selection of future SEAL officer candidates, who joined the U.S. Navy at age 19 in 2006. He served as a hospital corpsman before completing the SEAL course in 2011. He also graduated from the Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL, Army Special Operations Combat Medic, Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Sniper and NSW Master Training Specialist schools. His service includes combat deployments in Iraq, Afghanistan and a non-combat deployment to the Indo-Pacom region.
He has earned a bachelor of science degree from Georgetown University in leadership for emergency action and disaster response. He will enter Georgetown’s master of finance degree program as he prepares for his eventual retirement from the military.
“I’m truly grateful for the bridge SoldierStrong provides to service members. For me, it will provide a great deal of financial relief as I continue to serve while my wife, Brittany, and I raise our three children,” Fischer said.
To learn more about the SoldierScholar initiative or to donate, please visit https://www.soldierstrong.org/scholarship.
SoldierStrong is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization whose mission is to provide revolutionary technology, innovative advancements and educational opportunities to veterans to better their lives and the lives of their families.
Combined Federal Campaign #59778
SoldierStrong
1127 High Ridge Road, #124
Stamford, Connecticut 06905
Contact us directly at 888.898.3235 or info@soldierstrong.org
