HUNTING, HEALING, RECOVERING

Traumatized Veterans Find The Outdoors Provide Comfort

By Chris Cocoles own on his luck. Thats how Adam Aragon, Iraq veteran and future Purple Heart winner, felt about where his life was. Or wasnt. And there are so many veterans like him who were wounded in action, the physical injuries in many instances nowhere near as devastating as the mental and emotional scars that accompany them when back in the civilian world. Aragon, a New Mexico native once stationed at Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks and now settled down in Alaska,
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eventually volunteered with a nonprofit organization, Alaskas Healing Hearts. He is an experienced hunting guide who was once part of the organizations pro staff team and is now a full board member. He supervises, among other events, wild Alaskan bear trips for fellow wounded warriors. Theyre chasing bruins but, at the same time, being chased by their demons. Ive been in combat, and now Im a civilian with my fellow veterans, Aragon says. So Ive been on both sides of the curtain. For me to be a part of something like this really helps. Ive been where theyre at, and Ive been able to tell them that its going to be OK.

That good things can happen. A lot of men had the same fear I did. What do I do next? What am I going to do now? Aragon stresses its about so much more than harvesting bears on these trips. Even if its an unsuccessful hunt in that context, you put out an effort, you breathe fresh air, you win by motivating yourself to get out and do something, anything, to remind that you have a goal. We get together, he says, we laugh, we tell stories. Some of the stories tend to break your heart, and thats the whole point.

Alaskas Healing Hearts pro staff member and dog sled racier Rick Casillo and combat veteran C.J. Dugan of Fort Bragg, N.C. make for a patriotic pair in snowy Alaska.
(ALASKAS HEALING HEARTS)

FIRST THINGS FIRST: The apostrophe means everything. As cofounder James Hastings points out, its not Alaska Healing Hearts. The s to make it Alaskas Healing Hearts is about Alaskas ability to heal. The state is as much a part of the process of using its outdoor resources to give hope to those veterans struggling to get back on track. Alaska is, if you want to, and thats the possessive, said Hastings, now retired after a 22-year Army career and who in 2010 helped start the nonprofit organization along with cofounder Ken Onion. We want to make sure that we utilize that Alaska in itself is therapy. Thats what we try to showcase. Alaskas Healing Hearts specializes primarily in hunting, trail running in the snow and horse and rodeo-related events. Its about helping veterans who have been through something traumatic, like Adam Aragon. I had just gone through a few surgeries and I was down on my luck. I had just found out I was going to be medically retired. So there were a lot of things really important to me, my dreams and stuff such as that, pretty much were shattered, Aragon says. And then I found this organization, and they all pulled me in, a lot of other veterans themselves. And they showed me that there is a different world besides the military. Still, it can be a tortuous transition after experiencing the horrors and atrocities of battle. Its a far cry from being expected to live civilian existence after

suffering serious injuries, inflicting mass casualties or simply being overcome by emotion if not bloodshed. But Hastings knows that its more difficult than that, overcoming the anxiety of being out of the military, eventually finding a job and perhaps even settling down in Alaska. Our mission is to ensure that while in Alaska, they have a great time, Hastings says. They fall in love with the place and with the things to do here. And then we transition that into employment, which means they stay here and are able to contribute to the growth of our state. But it can also be a complex and trying process. Many wounded warriors Hastings and Aragon have encountered felt lost, bitter, detached from their families, wondering if they could live a normal life again. If they come from the battlefield and feel a little bit broke and a little lost, it can be a hard transition from a uniform to wearing civilian clothes again, Hastings says. And sometimes you question your abilities. Going out and making a successful harvest on a hunting or fishing trip, or driving a sled dog across a glacier, gives you a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. Some of the simplest activities include harmless snowball fights to lighten the mood. But there are also more serious moments like gathering in a circle, holding hands and bearing our souls to each other, Hastings says. But opening up to strangers is not something these proud men and women are always willing to do. Thats part of the challenges the staff faces on an everyday basis, and how a chance to go on a bear hunt, ride a horse, operate a sled is not a guaranteed cure for depression, confusion or isolation. In the short term, accomplishing those goals can take precedence over bearing your soul. We have to explain to them I dont care what you did; I dont care if you dont want to talk about it. I know it sucks for you. So lets do something different, Hastings says. If you want to talk, well talk later. Were moving on. Whats next? Were trying to give them the tools
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to communicate, try to get them to disassociate. I can sit back and worry about my friend that I lost, or I can go and experience the wonder of nature. Some veterans ask for help and some direction. Others are sought out by the organization in an attempt to help someone who might not necessarily be willing to ask for help. Hastings recalled one visitor in the spring who spent 18 years as a Delta Force operator and served the amount of dangerous missions usually reserved for dramatized movie roles. But this was real. At the end of the third day we had a big circle. We had a local tribal elder, we had kahunas from Hawaii, we had a faith healer, and we had a preacher. We just told our stories to each other, Hastings says. At the end of it, heres this guy, as tough as Uncle Sam creates, in tears. He said If I go home tomorrow, this will have helped me recapture what I have lost. Tough love is a frequent phrase when rehabilitating an ex-soldier who survived a near-death experience. But it can apply to the military men and women who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, even if they never were fired on by the enemy. This condition doesnt

A frequent training tool used by the organization is to gather everyone in a circle with hands held. Veterans then are asked to open up about their feelings. (ALASKAS HEALING HEARTS)

discriminate. Were asking these people to be able to do stuff that 1 percent of Americans are doing, Hastings says. If you were force the other 99 percent (to try what they have done), 89 percent couldnt handle it.

WHEN ASKED IF HES heard stories from

fellow vets that shocked even him, Aragon says hed like to think otherwise. But there are no rules against it, either. There was a bear hunt where he chatted up one man who was shot in the head by a sniper and didnt expect hed pull through. That stuck with Aragon. Something like that, youre just thinking Wow, hats off to this individual. Surprise I guess is hearing something where this guy probably should have died. That always comes as a shock to anybody, he says. But Aragon himself has one of those How did he pull through that? tales of heroism, perseverance and the aftermath such a toll can take. He enlisted in the Army in 2001 when he was 17, right around the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He spent the next five years serving, eventually in Iraq, and rising to the rank of sergeant first class. In 2006, Aragons unit, the 172nd Stryker Brigade, was on combat patrol. An improvised explosive device detonated and seriously injured both Aragon and the units gunner. He was actually hurt more than I was, Aragon says of his fellow soldier.

Board member and former hunting pro staffer Adam Aragon received a Purple Heart for injuries sustained by a roadside bomb attack in Iraq in 2006. He says the help he received from volunteering with Alaskas Healing Hearts played a significant role in his recovery process. (ALASKAS HEALING HEARTS)

He got a lot of shrapnel to the left side of his face and paralyzed him. Aragon was luckier, but as his injuries and ensuing operations eventually forced him out of active duty and into life as a civilian. The emotions of giving up the only career hed ever known tormented the 20-something. The extent of his injuries should have instantly earned him the Purple Heart, but his paperwork was lost due to a clerical error. Aragon never seeked the medal himself despite waiting seven years to receive it. But famed author and hunter Jim Zumbo, Alaskas Healing Hearts current president, arranged for the ceremony to happen. Aragon finally was awarded his prestigious honor in a ceremony last May at Fort Wainwright. The Purple Heart is literally a badge of honor Aragon is proud to be a part of, but he is too humble to simply accept that he was wounded in battle, like so many of his brothers. Being in combat, everybodys had their own war. Theyve all seen something or gone through something, being away from their families. And that can be a real hardship. For someone to sit there and open to me, I understand them, because Ive been there, Aragon says. Its a little different than a warrior rehashing his story to someone who wasnt part of an assault on the enemy, or who hasnt been hit by snipers in a faraway desert. How could anyone who hasnt ex-

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Horses play a crucial role in the rehabilitation process for veterans. Alaskas Healing Hearts routinely stages rodeos and horse-related events for wounded warriors to participate in. (ALASKAS HEALING HEARTS)

Alaskas Healing Hearts specializes in Alaskan bear hunts for veterans.

(ALASKAS HEALING HEARTS)

perienced it truly grasp what it was like? But to sit there and talk to a fellow veteran, someone whos been there and done that, and someone that you can see this person is doing something and is OK, it gives the other person hope, Aragon says. When I go to bear camps, I dont hunt. I go to help support. I just want to be a part of an organization with vets helping vets. And theres something cathartic about, not just harvesting bears, but being outside. Imagine drawing the claustrophobic picture of a struggling veteran cooped up on a couch at home, searching for answers but dogged by questions of doubt and confusion. Thats the last place anyone wants them. And there were more who needed to do what Aragon did, move on. He got married and has three children. Hes been a volunteer hunter education instructor and bow certification instructor for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Ive found just being outside very therapeutic. You just couldnt be happier out

there, Aragon said. It takes your mind off a lot of stuff. When youre stuck in an apartment, you have lots of time, and lots of time to feel sorry for yourself. Its just drowning your sorrows. Thats what I did. For essentially his entire adult life, well into his mid- to late 20s, Aragon only knew the army. And like that, it was gone. Alaskas Healing Hearts helped bring him back. Now he, Hastings, Onion, the other members of the groups board members, and more than a dozen pro staff members who run various outdoor activities, just want to help these heroes find some peace. You still have your brothers in arms, Aragon says. Thats why I enjoy being a part of (Alaskas Healing Hearts). Anytime James or someone tells me Adam, we need something, or Adam, can you do this for us, I see what theyve done for me. And if I have the time, or the money, or the effort to do it, I always give it up for them. ASJ Editors note: For more information or donate to Alaskas Healing Hearts, call (907) 2321527, or log on to alaskashealinghearts.com.

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PURPLE HEART WINNER FINDS PEACE IN SNOW

In 2008, former Army Reserve wounded vet Charlie Potter convinced James Hastings, who was his recruiter and at that time recruiting for the Army National Guard in Alaska, to join him on a grueling adventure. By then, at age 24, Potter had already been through a lot in his young life. He was a member of the 793rd Engineering Detachment that was deployed to Iraq in 2004 as a combat engineer. In July 2005, specialist Potter was in the units Humvee and at his post on the vehicles .50-caliber machine gun when a rocket-propelled grenade was launched from a nearby building and struck the guns turret. Potters injuries from the attack included a shattered left arm. Shrapnel flew into and sliced up Potters face and head, requiring reconstructive surgery. He also had a titanium rod attached into his injured upper arm. He was awarded two Purple Heart medals due to his injuries that required multiple surgeries, and upon his return to his native Alaska (he grew up in Wasilla), Potter vowed to go back to his pre-military service passion or riding snowmobiles in competitive events. Its not easy, after being wounded, for a soldier to get back in the game, Potter said in an interview with AMERICAN SNOWMOBILER magazine. They just have to do it. Dont say you cant do something unless youve tried to do it. If youve tried it and still cant do it, try again. Potter teamed with Hastings for the Iron Dog Classic snowmobile race in 2008. This is not for the faint of heart. Its a five-day, 1,970-mile ride from Wasilla to Nome, then continuing on to the finish line in Fairbanks. One of their snowmobiles had mechanical issues and they were forced to withdrawal, but it was another significant step for Potter, who went to work for his old sergeant, Hastings in the National Guard. In 2010, Hastings cofounded Alaskas Healing Hearts, the nonprofit organization that uses Alaskas vast outdoor opportunities to help troubled former warriors adapt to civilian life again. Potter is now a member of the organizations pro staff. He is as active as ever in the Alaskan backcountry. He has lead Team Wounded Warrior in the last six Iron Dog races, and last winter partnered with the U.S. Paralympic Adaptive ski team and participated in the Arctic Man Ski and Sno-Go Classic, a ski/snowmobile team race held every spring. Potters teammate was a parapelgic skier, Andrew Kurka. The duo finished in second in the adaptive ski class. Potter realizes how important it is to stay busy after everything hes endured. Im an active person, I had to be out there doing stuff, Potter told AMERICAN SNOWMOBILER. I couldnt imagine just sitting around, playing on the computer all day when I could be out tearing it up on a snowmobile or doing something else I enjoy. CC

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