Covering those who serve and live in our city
By Todd Strain
NBC 7’s Todd Strain introduces us to a Marine who is pedaling to help other veterans find purpose in life outside of the service. (Published Wednesday, July 3, 2019)
There is a well-documented suicide epidemic amongst the veteran community.
One of the many challenges that veterans face coming home, in addition to physical injuries, PTSD, TBI, moral injury and other war inflicted damage, is the loss of a sense of purpose in their lives.
This loss is felt both on a day-to-day and more general level.
‘Why should I get up today? What is the point of it all? What is my mission now?’
To help escape the downward spiral that these feelings can lead to, sometimes some kind of a catalyst is needed, a new mission to accomplish that helps break the cycle of despair.
Retired Marine Corps Major Infantry Officer Doug Cullins of Carlsbad has started Patrol Forward to try to help military men and women deal with life on a day-to-day basis outside of the service.
The concept of Patrol Forward is to help provide that catalyst, to encourage veterans to get out on a patrol of their own making. To discover something new, to find the good in the world, and to rediscover themselves as they once were and might someday be again.
Cullins has embarked on his own “patrol.” He’s in the process of riding his mountain bike on the Great Continental Divide trail from Canada to New Mexico.
If you’re interested in supporting his cause, following his journey or just interested or in need of help, visit https://patrolforward.org
