An Open Door to Healing
When one door closes another one opens. At least that is what Craig experienced after he felt the door close on pursuing his passion of playing major league baseball in 1985. That closed door, however, led him to an open door…on a bus.
“I felt like I was out of choices and chances and two weeks later I thankfully boarded a bus for Chicago to begin basic training in the U.S. Navy. It was one of the best decisions of my life.”
Craig served as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Technician for the majority of his 35-year, “Mustang” military career, where he began as the lowest level enlisted Seaman and retired as a Commander. He deployed seven times, including combat deployments to Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan.
While he found fulfillment and purpose through his extensive military career, that all changed when he took his first step into civilian life in 2021.
“I struggled daily to make sense of my life and what was meant to be next for myself. The most simplistic things like having to choose something to wear every day made my head hurt. I had been in the military for so long that I didn’t know how to relax and just live life. I didn’t know what feeling good, mentally or physically meant anymore.”
“My brain and body had taken a beating throughout the EOD years, and I realized I needed help to fix or repair as much of myself as possible. I tried other programs and organizations without much success. Thankfully a friend talked me into reaching out to the Boot Campaign for help.”
After an assessment through our individualized Health & Wellness Program, it was clear Craig was struggling with four of the five invisible wounds of war – traumatic brain injury, posttraumatic stress disorder, insomnia and chronic pain. Craig then put in the work through the modalities outlined in his pipeline of care to take back his life. Today, he shares that he feels prepared to carry on this next phase of life alongside his family.
“I can’t say enough good things about what the Boot Campaign did for me, my well-being, and my family. They provided me with a path to recovery and a set of life tools I can use for the rest of this journey. I am forever grateful for my life experiences, with and through the Boot Campaign family.”
