DECLINED FURTHER COMMENT. YOU CAN FIND THE ENTIRE 71 PAGE LAWSUITS ON NEWS4JAX.COM.
>>MELANIE LAWSON: THIS MORNING
WE’RE DIGGING DEEPER INTO
BETTER AND MENTAL HEALTH AND
POST TRAUMATIC STRESS
DISORDER. ACCORDING TO THE
WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT,
NEARLY ONE IN 5 WARRIORS
REPORT DIFFICULTY OR PUTTING
OFF ALTOGETHER GETTING CARE
FOR THEIR MENTAL HEALTH OF
THEM. 2 OUT OF 3 FEEL
EMBARRASSED OR TOO ASHAMED TO
GET THE TREATMENT THEY NEED.
JUNE IS PTSD AWARENESS MONTH.
SO RYAN COOLS A NEW LAW TO
PULL YARD. JOINING US THIS
MORNING AND YOLANDA IS AN ARMY
VET. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
YOUR SERVICE. RYAN IS THE
DIRECTOR OF PROJECT ODYSSEY
FOR THE WOUNDED WARRIOR
PROJECT’S. A GOOD MORNING TO
BOTH OF YOU. GOOD MORNING. THE
LAW THAT I WOULD LIKE TO START
WITH YOU AND AGAIN, THANK YOU
FOR YOUR BRAVERY FOR SHARING
YOUR STORY BECAUSE IT
CERTAINLY MAKES OTHERS FEEL
MORE COMFORTABLE TO DO SO AS
WELL.
>>MELANIE LAWSON: BUT PLEASE
SHARE SOME OF YOUR EXPERIENCES
WHILE YOU’RE ON DEPLOYMENT.
AND AT WHAT POINT DID YOU KNOW
YOU ARE STRUGGLING WITH PTSD
AND YOU NEEDED TO GET SOME
HELP.
>> WELL, WHY WAS ON MY FIRST
DEPLOYMENT WAS TO TO IRAQ. I
WAS A COMPANY COMMANDER IN A
COMMUNICATION. WE STAY THE
APPROXIMATELY 8 MONTHS. IT WAS
A VERY CHALLENGING DEPLOYMENT
BECAUSE DOING THAT THE PLAN
AND I WAS ASSAULTED. AND ONCE
I CAME BACK HOME. I JUST
DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH
THAT. I JUST LEFT. I WAS JUST
THERE AND IT WENT ON FOR YEARS
AND YEARS AND I DIDN’T DO
ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I JUST PUT
IT AWAY IN THE CLOSET. AND
THEN FINALLY. I HAD ANOTHER
DEPLOYMENT TO AFGHANISTAN AND
THAT DEPLOYMENT WAS WHERE I
WORKED WITH WOMEN. I WORK IN
THE COMMUNITY AND IN
AFGHANISTAN AND WE DID SEVERAL
DIFFERENT THINGS TO HELP OUT
THE AFGHANS. AND WE WOULD ALSO
GO TO DIFFERENT SCHOOLS
BECAUSE WE WAS LOCATED IN AN
AREA CAUSE OF BULL, 5 SMART
AND ONE OF MAIN THINGS WAS TO
HELP NEXT. AT A SCHOOL. AND
GET GOOD BOOKS AND HELP THE
YOUNG LADIES OUT. AND I COULD
RECALL WE WAS ALL GETTING
READY TO TRANSITION AND WE
HAVE ONE MORE OUT INTO THE
SCHOOL AND THAT DAY I WAS I
WAS NOT THERE. AND WE GOT
ATTACKED. I WAS SO JUST GOT
ATTACKED AND WE LOST 3
SOLDIERS AND THAT WAS IT WAS
JUST VERY DIFFICULT TO DEAL
WITH IT BECAUSE AT SOME POINT
I FELT GUILTY BECAUSE I WAS IN
THERE. AND ONCE I CAME BACK
HOME. THAT OUT OF THE
MILITARY. IT WAS A STRUGGLE
BECAUSE LIKE I ALWAYS SAY, THE
ARMY MAYBE INTO A WARRIOR.
YEAH. I SOLDIERS IN THE MIDST
OF BATTLES WE’VE PLAYED
TOGETHER FOREIGN LANDS. BUT I
KNEW. I WAS IN THERE. I KNEW
IT WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH ME
AND I JUST I JUST DIDN’T KNOW
HOW TO DEAL WITH IT. YOLANDA
AND I RECEIVED THE PHONE CALL
FROM.
>> LOOK, I DON’T WE DON’T HAVE
A TON OF TIME. BUT I FIRST I
WANT TO COMMEND YOU FOR YOUR
STORY AND I WANT TO THANK YOU
FOR WHAT YOU DEALT WITH. AND
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE
MOMENTS WHERE YOU’RE ABLE TO
LIFT OTHER PEOPLE UP. BUT THEN
YOU JUST KEPT GETTING HIT AND
GETTING HIT JUST QUICKLY. GOT
RUN OUT OF TIME. GIVEN THE
TIMES. BUT WHEN YOU KNEW THAT
YOU NEEDED HELP, HOW DID YOU
GET THAT HELP AND HOW? HOW?
AND I CAN TELL JUST BY YOUR
STORY THAT YOU’RE SHARING NOW,
YOU’RE STILL WORKING THROUGH
THIS.
>> YES, I AM. AND THANKS TO
WARRIOR CARE NETWORK THAT I
GOT THAT WHY YOU CAN NETWORK
WAS THERE FOR ME. SENT ME OUT
TO ONE DAY FOR LOCATION. I WAS
STAYING AT U C L A THEY DID A
COMPLETE EXAM. THEY LOOKED AT
ME MAN TO PHYSICALLY AND I WAS
ACCEPTED INTO THE PROGRAM. IS
THAT AN INPATIENT OUTPATIENT
PROGRAM THAT HELPS WEEK THAT
HELP ME HOW TO DEAL WITH IT
AND HOW TO LIVE AGAIN.
>>MELANIE LAWSON: ALL RIGHT.
WELL, MY PRESSURE YOU TO TO
CONTINUE DOWN THAT ROAD, YOU
KNOW, RIOT, WANT TO BRING YOU
INTO THIS CONVERSATION.
PROJECT ODYSSEY IS ANOTHER
OPTION FOR WARRIORS. AND AS
YOU HEAR LOT OF STORY, YOU
KNOW, THAT SHE NEEDED THAT
HELP AND SHE CERTAINLY IS
CLIMBING OUT OF SOMETHING THAT
WAS SO DARK THAT SHE’S GETTING
THE HELP THAT SHE NEEDS TO BE
ON THIS OTHER SIDE.
>> WITH WINTER WEAR PRADA, WE
HOST VARIETY OF DIFFERENT
PROGRAMS. SOME FOLKS ON MENTAL
HOW SOME FOCUS ON PHYSICAL
HEALTH ON SOME FOCUS ON JUST
GETTING FOLKS OUT OF THEIR
HOUSES AND BACK CONNECTING
WITH EACH OTHER. AND WE FIND
THAT ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS. I
WORKED TOGETHER HOLISTICALLY
TO MAKE SURE THAT WEARS AFTER
THEY COME BACK FROM AT THE
PRIMARY COME BACK FROM
MILITARY SERVICE. HAVE THAT
OPPORTUNITY TO HEAL AND MOVE
FORWARD POSITIVELY WITH THEIR
LIVES.
>>MELANIE LAWSON: ALL RIGHT.
SO RYAN, YOLANDA, THANK YOU
ALL FOR SHARING YOUR STORY. I
KNOW YOU INSPIRED SOMEONE TO
GET THE HELP THAT THEY NEED
AND IT’S OUT THERE. THOSE
RESOURCES ARE THEY ARE AND YOU
CAN DO IT PRIVATELY AND YOU
CAN START TO BE ON THIS OTHER
SIDE WITH HEALING. THANK YOU
SO MUCH. SO IF YOU OR SOMEONE
YOU KNOW, IS ACTIVE OR RETIRED
MILITARY AND NEED HELP, YOU
NEED SOMEONE TO TALK WITH LONG
TERM SHORT TERM. IT IS OUT
THERE. YOU CAN CONTACT THE
WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT TO
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SERVICES.
IT PROVIDES YOU. SEARCH
ONLINE, WOUNDED WARRIOR
PROJECT. DOT ORG SL