GIVING BACK: The Battle Within
BlogNovember 25, 2024
Each issue, the editorial staff of Military Embedded Systems will highlight a different organization that benefits the military, veterans, and their families. We are honored to cover the technology that protects those who protect us every day.
This issue we are highlighting The Battle Within, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that was inspired by U.S. Army veteran and Purple Heart recipient Justin Hoover. Hoover returned from a deployment in Iraq after being injured in combat. As he returned home to a new career and caring for family, unresolved traumas eventually resurfaced, catalyzing a pivotal journey towards healing, guided by the support of his family.
The organization was eventually founded in 2018 by Hoover and more than 100 fellow veterans, first responders, and community leaders with the stated mission of helping military personnel, veterans, and first responders deal with the psychological challenges of their past service and professions.
The Battle Within – with headquarters in Kansas but serving the entire U.S. – offers a number of services and outreach opportunities. An initial contact may be what it calls the “Revenant Journey,” which is a free five-day program designed to give participants a way to identify their burdens, confront them in a secure environment, and obtain the necessary tools to overcome them, with the result that they can acquire new skills and start to work on long-term healing. The organization also offers structured therapy support and immediate access to behavioral and mental-health resources.
One of the Battle Within’s major programs is Dogs 4 Valor, which pairs retired veterans and first responders with service dogs; the organization says that the service-dog program focuses on partnership and a way out of isolation for the returning serviceperson.
For additional information, visit https://www.thebattlewithin.org/.
