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Among those outfitted is a man a little too happy for an outdoor ruck in 16-degree weather. Bryan Watson, a purple heart recipient, and former Army Sergeant, is impressed by the turnout of fellow comrades and concerned civilians as he helps spearhead an organization intent on drawing awareness to the number of veteran suicides and providing aid to veterans in dire need.
Watson began his career in the military in 1998 as a motor transport operator for the 298th Transportation Company, out of Franklin, Pennsylvania. The 298th was then a subordinate unit within the 99th Regional Support Command.
Watson received the Purple Heart on a tour in Baghdad, Iraq in 2004. His celebratory return home was short-lived when one of his fellow soldiers committed suicide.
“It hits home when you have someone who’s close to you go through that,” Watson said. He wanted to do more and he wanted to know how to make people more aware of the battle servicemember’s face when they come home. Watson’s personal experiences were a large precipitator for him wanting to continue to feel dedicated not to just to the military service, but those service members still serving as well.
So in 2016 he decided to give more of his time and sought to find a place on a board in his community. Other boards he knew in his network asked him to join but he eventually found himself involved with an organization that seemed the closest to his heart.
Bill Knichel, a fellow veteran involved with Defenders of Freedom, reached out to Watson to get him involved. They met on business while Knichel was looking for a bank to provide startup costs for his transportation business. Watson happened to work at the bank Knichel chose.
“I felt that he was of the same character that was needed to help support a group like this,” Knichel said. “His commitment to everything he does is one hundred percent.” Knichel feels Defenders of Freedom needs people like Watson. He understands the problems returning veterans face in transitioning back into society.
“I knew Bryan would be the perfect choice,” Knichel said. “I recommended him to them as a potential board member.”
Knichel sees Defenders of Freedom as a brotherhood. “When you meet someone who served in any capacity, there’s a connection,” he said. It provides a further understanding of the difficulties other veterans have to overcome.
Watson took up Knichels’ offer and participated in a golf outing fundraiser for the Defenders of Freedom. This was his first taste of working directly for an organization that raised funds for veterans.
“I saw what was going on; I saw the veterans these guys were helping,” Watson said. “The light went on and I said you know what, I think this is the organization I want to put my heart into.”
Through Defenders of Freedom, Watson met many veterans, but one specifically touched him deeply. This veteran had attended the golf outing and spoke to the attendees over dinner. He suffered from severe PTSD resulting from a number of traumatic events that occurred while serving in Afghanistan. He struggled with easing back into the civilian life and considered suicide on many occasions. This soldier was referred to DOF through a resource in his community and funds were provided to help this veteran get the medical treatments that eventually saved his life. Watson was able to see the man open up and share his trials and tribulations. This was an eye-opener for Watson, as the veteran explained the chain of events that led to his mental struggles and the various organizations that stepped in to help change his life.
“That really was a heartfelt Ah-ha moment for me,” Watson recalled.
“I’m fortunate that I have served this country and came home able to handle the transition,” Watson said. “I had support from my family, friends, and employer while deployed in Iraq as well as my transition back home. I experienced war firsthand and I can’t explain why some people can ease back into civilian life, while others struggle. It’s simply how each individual copes with a traumatic event.”
However, the hard reality is that lots of veterans don’t have strong family ties or come home and face challenges both mentally and financially. For Watson, the work he and his board do is important because they get to help veterans who are experiencing some unfortunate circumstances. Veterans are trained to be strong-willed and typically don’t ask for help unless the situation is dire.
"We get referrals in from different veteran support organizations and it’s usually the eleventh hour in terms of needing to react quickly," Watson said. "Our mission is to provide emergency financial assistance to post 9/11 veterans who have been deployed to a combat area and have received an honorable or medical discharge. It’s important that we don’t forget those that have served and protected our freedoms."
In the ceremonial opening to the 22K ruck march, Watson addressed the small crowd of devoted supporters who eagerly awaited to begin their half-marathon rucking journey. Initially, he thanked them for their service to veterans and specifically the cause to lower the number of suicides. Next, he pitched the Defenders of Freedom, saying, “There is help out there; we can get them back on their feet. If the Defenders of Freedom can’t do it directly, we know a lot of other organizations out there that may help them in that situation.”
Finally, he grabbed the American Flag and led the first six-mile lap around the North Park Lake, leading the charge against suicide and representing the vast number of Americans working to support the veterans who have returned home.
| Date Taken: | 11.11.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 11.28.2017 10:42 |
| Story ID: | 256636 |
| Location: | PITTSBURGH AIRPORT AIR RESERVE STATION, PA, US |
| Web Views: | 62 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Committed: Purple Heart Recipient Continues Service by Helping Veterans in Need, by SPC John Irish, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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