As service members, we know how to unite around a shared mission. Whether you are an active-duty service member or a veteran navigating the civilian world, we know the immense power that lies in the strength of numbers.
If you’re looking to connect with fellow veterans and optimize resources available to you, here are five upcoming events and opportunities to keep on your radar:
1. Raise a racquet with fellow veterans. On any given Saturday morning (and Mondays and Wednesdays during lunch and after work) at Courts 3, 4, and 5 on Peterson Space Force Base, you’ll observe some trash-talking among veterans, you’ll definitely smell the stench of sweat from competition, and you’ll hear the noticeable explosion echoing as racquetball players crush a small purple ball past each other within the confines of the enclosed court.
We — you’ll find me there regularly — are a melting pot of service branches, ethnicities, ages and abilities. Our uniqueness ranges from a former Army chaplain to someone who worked in finance in the Air Force to a Navy phlebotomist in decades past, and a lot in between.
This group convenes several times each week to play a sport we love with our brothers and sisters with whom we served, albeit in various locations around the globe and during different eras.
That’s the uniqueness of the veteran experience. We come from all walks of life, yet we all walked a similar life of service.
If you want to join us, feel free to show up anytime. Better yet, check out the upcoming second Annual Worldwide Racquetball Day Shootout on Peterson SFB on Sept. 7. To register, visit https://r2sports.com, search Current Events in Colorado, and then racquetball tournaments. Be sure to read the fine print, as there are a lot of considerations to gain access to the gym on base.
That’s the first of five events for veterans in my column this week.
2. Support for military families. REBOOT Recovery exists to help people overcome trauma through faith-based, peer-led programs. Military REBOOT is a 12-week course for veterans and active-duty service members, and their families to heal from service-related trauma.
REBOOT is for the whole family — not just the military member — and aims to help reopen communication lines and experience healing together. At REBOOT courses across the country, military and veteran families are reconciling, divorce rates are dropping, medication abuse is decreasing and suicide numbers are falling. You can experience that same kind of breakthrough.
The program costs $25 per person and runs from Wednesday through Nov. 19 at New Life Church in Colorado Springs. Visit https://rebootrecovery.com/military to learn more.
3. Volunteer on Election Day. Behind Friendly Lines wants to ensure your voice matters during the general election on Nov. 5. In Colorado, early voting begins on Oct. 21. Do you want to help beyond casting your vote? Consider becoming a poll worker.
Vet the Vote is a national campaign to recruit veterans and their family members to become poll workers. On election day, volunteers set up and run more than 115,000 voting locations nationwide. It has become more difficult to recruit volunteers to serve in this critical capacity. You served the country in uniform; consider doing it again in November. Visit https://vetthe.vote for more information.
4. Learn how to support veteran mental health. Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center will host a Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Summit on Sept. 16. It begins with SAVE training, which will help anyone act with care and compassion if they encounter a Veteran who is in crisis or experiencing suicidal thoughts. The acronym SAVE helps include the important steps involved in suicide prevention: S, signs of suicidal thinking should be recognized; A, ask the most important question of all — “Are you thinking of killing yourself?”; V, validate the veterans' experience; and E, encourage treatment and expedite getting help.
The event will also include a Suicide Prevention Resource Fair for veterans, family members and supporters, offering a variety of information to improve mental health and well-being before a crisis evolves.
For more information, visit https://www.va.gov/eastern-colorado-health-care/events/.
5. RallyPoint peer support virtual event. Join fellow veterans Thursday 11 a.m.–noon MDT to participate in a National VeTALKX Q&A Chat on RallyPoint to gain access to veteran peer support resources. Connect with a veteran peer to help you navigate VA and community services. Post your questions (typed question and answer format; no audio/video) on how to get peer support now. Visit https://rallypoint.com to join the conversation.
If you’re not interested in the VETALKX Q&A Chat but want to join 2 million of your current and former service members on RallyPoint, connect with me at www.rallypoint.com/join/111137-ltc-jason-strickland.
Thanks for allowing me to walk alongside you behind friendly lines.
Victory!
