FORT RUCKER, Ala. -- Soldiers, veterans and families are invited to share their stories and lay their mental burdens down during "Engage Your Destiny" at Wings Chapel Aug. 13 at 10:45 a.m.
During the event, hosted by the Fort Rucker Religious Services Office, speaker Ben Peterson, an Army veteran, will share stories from his time in the military and his struggles with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after returning home from Iraq.
"I very openly and candidly tell the very good parts and the very dark parts of my story," he said. "And then we do something very unique, where we invite them, during the event, to reflect on what they've been through. We're not in any hurry. There is no objective, no mission to go conquer. We invite them to just reflect on their burden.
"Not everyone I speak in front of has combat experience," he added. "There are families in that room. There are people who have served, but have never been in combat. This event is about [the Fort Rucker community members] and whatever their burden is. Each one of these people who attend the event have a burden that they're carrying and we want to give them an opportunity to lay that down. I have a pack that's filled with burdens and stories, things that people have laid down, that I carry with me everywhere I go."
Peterson served in the Army from 2004-2012. A large portion of his time was served with an Army Aviation brigade and as a chaplain's assistant.
"I went to Iraq in 2008-2009 with an Army Aviation brigade," he said. "I had a lot of experiences with faith and tough times -- mountains and valleys and everything you can imagine. When I came home from Iraq, I was 22 years old. I was dealing with a lot of pain. We lost seven guys while we were over there. We dealt with a suicide, as well, while in country.
"I came home really hurt and angry," he added. "I felt like God had done such an amazing thing in my life before I left and then I felt like he had just abandoned me. I came home and was dealing with bad dreams, and a lot of probably what would be described as PTSD. I was having a really tough time and, honestly, it was a local church that surrounded me, loved me, talked to me, prayed with me and really carried me through that tough time."
That welcoming sense of community and sharing is what Peterson hopes the event will inspire at Fort Rucker.
"I was able to recover and heal," he said. "I was honestly protected from a lot more that I would have gone through if I had been on my own.
"The military, as we all know, is a community," he added. "It's a brotherhood. When you come home, and the deployment is over, everything changes. Everything really changes when you get out of the military. The church has been a constant for me. It has provided a sense of community and support."
Chaplain (Maj.) Collie Foster, Wings Crossroads Chapel senior pastor, echoed Peterson's desire to invite healing through community and sharing.
"We are seeing such a high rate of suicide among our Soldiers and veterans, statistics state as much as 20 a day," he said. "We have so many Soldiers and veterans who are struggling with depression because of the things they've experienced or seen. We want to be a resource for them to turn to for guidance and community."
Although the event is Christian-based, Foster urges Soldiers, veterans and families of all walks of life to walk through the chapel doors and lay their burdens down.
"No matter your faith, you are welcome to come," he said.
And for those who might be hesitant to attend a faith-based event?
"You don't know what something is until you see it, taste it and feel it for yourself," Peterson said. "The only way to know if something is really for you is to take a chance, take a step and take a leap of faith. If you are a person who is connected to the military, then this event is for you."
For more information, visit www.engageyourdestiny.com or call 255-2989.
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