WE HAVE WATCHED THESE VETERANS COME TOGETHER IN LESS THAN A WEEK AS A GROUP AND FIND MUTUAL SUPPORT AND TRUST AMONGST ONE ANOTHER. WE HAVE SEEN HOW THIS NEW TRIBE WILL LIFT EACH OTHER UP AS THEY STRUGGLE AND HAVE THEIR BROTHER’S SIX. AS WE CONTINUE TO EXPAND OUR REACH, THERE HAVE BEEN OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTICIPANTS FROM DIFFERENT OPERATIONAL YEARS TO MEET AND EXPAND THEIR SUPPORT SYSTEM. SHARED EXPERIENCES BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER IN ALL WALKS OF LIFE AND SHARED HEALING IS A POWERFUL FORCE. EACH YEAR, THESE VETERAN’S STORIES POWER US THROUGH AS WE FUNDRAISE AND PREPARE FOR THE NEXT GROUP, THEY ARE OUR REASON FOR CONTINUING. HAVING TWO RETREATS NEARLY BACK-TO-BACK THIS SUMMER WAS ALMOST OVERWHELMING AND FUELS AN EVEN GREATER DRIVE TO EXPAND OUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE THESE PROGRAMS. THIS YEAR WE ALSO HAD A NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS THAT HAVE SERVED IN FIRST RESPONDER ROLES AFTER THEIR TIME IN SERVICE AND APPROACHED THE IDEA OF LAUNCHING A PROGRAM WITH COUNSELING MORE TARGETED TO THE TRAUMA OF THEIR JOBS AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WHERE THOSE CONVERSATIONS MAY LEAD US IN THE FUTURE. BUT FOR NOW, HERE ARE SOME RAW NUMBERS OF OUR SECOND WEEK AT SEA TO REFLECT UPON:
ONE WEEK AGO, 18 VETERANS AND THE WIFE OF SQUIRREL TRAVELED FROM ACROSS THE US TO THE BAHAMAS FOR A WEEK OF FRIENDSHIP AND FELLOWSHIP. DURING THIS TIME, MORE THAN 230 CUMULATIVE HOURS OF COUNSELING AND DEVOTIONS WERE CONDUCTED, 250 COMBINED DIVES RESULTED IN A TOTAL COMBINED DEPTH OF 8,341 FEET OR 1.5 MILES (1.37 NAUTICAL MILES). WE HAD A TOTAL BOTTOM TIME OF 10,091 MINUTES OR 168 HOURS WHICH EQUATES TO 7 DAYS UNDERWATER. WE CONSUMED 138 CYLINDERS WHICH IS 11,093 CUBIC FEET OR 416,004 POUNDS OF AIR WHILE TRAVELING MORE THAN 88 NAUTICAL MILES. WE REPRESENT MORE THAN 230 YEARS OF COMBINED SERVICE AND NEARLY 40 YEARS DEPLOYED. WHILE THIS CHAPTER, LIKE MANY OTHERS, COMES TO A CLOSE, WE KNOW THAT THESE MEN AND WOMEN ARE BETTER PREPARED TO CONTINUE WRITING THEIR NEXT CHAPTER WHICH IS THEIR BEST SELLER – THEY HAVE SURVIVED AND WILL THRIVE.
ON BEHALF OF THE VETERANS WE SERVE, WE ONCE AGAIN OFFER OUR SINCERE THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS WHO MAKE THESE COUNSELING RETREATS POSSIBLE. WHETHER CORPORATE OR INDIVIDUAL, THIS PROGRAM COULD NOT SUCCEED WITHOUT YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND COMMITMENT. WE ARE HUMBLED EACH AND EVERY YEAR BY THE VETERANS THAT PLACE THEIR TRUST IN US, BECOMING MEMBERS OF OUR OWN TRIBE AND WHO INSPIRE US TO FIND WAYS TO GIVE EVEN MORE.
