Wellness and transition camp to be built to help veterans returning from combat

[Graybeard]

https://www.foxnews.com/us/wellness-and-transition-camp-to-be-built-to-help-veterans-returning-from-combat-keep-from-committing-suicide

By Frank Miles | Fox News

Army veteran Matt Hesse, the CEO of Performix, is going next level to help veterans returning from combat and keep them from committing suicide.

FitOps, sponsored through Performix, the brand known for premium sports nutrition products, helps veterans find new purpose as personal trainers. Hesse’s nonprofit organization is dedicated to helping former active duty members apply the skills they learned in the military in civilian life.

Hesse’s next step is building a full-time permanent veterans’ wellness and transition camp, tentatively in Northwest Arkansas, offering training, education, counseling, support and mentorship.


The cost of opening the doors for the initial camp will be approximately $3 million. Hesse said his goal is to open the doors to FitOps Home Base in January 2021. (FitOps)

“We believe the loss of purpose is the primary driver or catalyst for veteran suicide,” he said about the need for the center.

The cost of opening the doors for the initial camp will be approximately $3 million. Hesse said his goal is to open the doors to FitOps Home Base in January 2021.

“The health and transition camp will be a full time dedicated space and staff which will allow us to expand and accommodate the thousands who are waiting for a slot,” he said.


The center will help vets deal with a loss of sense of purpose and mission, daily drive, routine and being part of a larger mission and team.

“When a soldier leaves the military, they often not only lose their ability to serve, but they also lose the power of comradery,” he told Fox News via email Monday afternoon.

He said vets feel that leaving the service is like “losing their family.”

He added: “It’s less about one family member they served with and more the sudden and complete loss of family, support, structure, and the fabric that ties the family together, that fabric is ‘serving.’”


Hesse said his mission is “to build community” once vets are back in civilian life allowing them “to serve again, this time not on the battlefield but in the battle of life, where their skills of accountability, leadership, and physicality play a great role in transforming someone’s life.”

Hesse opened Performix House in New York City in February 2018. It’s an elite fitness gym that caters to military and professional athletes.

He is excited to take his idea for his next space and bring it to fruition.


“We are in the process of developing our permanent facilities and headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas. Having a permanent home for our foundation will allow us to focus our time and money on improving the program and quality of experience for our veterans,” he said.

He added: “Having a fulltime operation in our own facilities will open the door to support a full time roster of three-week long camps per year, graduating nearly 300 veterans annually. Once established, our operation will grow to four, modular, concurrent operations that will support four times that number or 1,200 per year.”


He said one of the main goals is to help the emotional wellbeing of vets, “helping them reorient to civilian life by creating a space to share, open up and eventually let go of the things that they may be holding post inside service.”

He added: “These things can often sabotage other things in your life.”


Frank Miles is a reporter and editor covering geopolitics, military, crime, technology and sports for FoxNews.com. His email is Frank.Miles@foxnews.com.

[Argent 88]

I wonder if Gary Sinise is in on this also? He goes around doing things like this for veterans.
And he has the Lt. Dan band they play at some VA hospitals.

[JeffG]

There is no maybe. We must as a country take care of our vets. Awesome to see this type of action going on.

[goodshot]

I know locally we are VERY short of volunteers to drive veterans to medical appointments, all the VA facilities I know of could us more volunteers. Glad i started when I did.
 You have to jump through a lot of hoops, background, blood test, etc. but the fine citizens here at GBO would pass I am sure.
blessings

[Argent 88]

I know locally we are VERY short of volunteers to drive veterans to medical appointments, all the VA facilities I know of could us more volunteers. Glad i started when I did.
 You have to jump through a lot of hoops, background, blood test, etc. but the fine citizens here at GBO would pass I am sure.
blessings

Many of us here are veterans.