‘Saving a Warrior’ fighting PTSD in the Bluegrass

VERSAILLES, Ky. (WTVQ) – One in five veterans, from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, suffers from posttraumatic stress, according to the RAND Corporation, an armed forces think tank.

Some are calling it the signature wound of the war and the Veteran’s Administration says nearly 22 veterans take their lives each day because of PTSD.

But now, when warriors are at the end of the road, a program is rescuing them and for the first time, it is coming to the Bluegrass.

The program is called Save a Warrior and it was started three years ago in Malibu, Calif. to help active duty military, veterans and first responders dealing with posttraumatic stress.

They call the five-day program a "war detox,” and show them that there is a way to live again, Jake Clark, the founder of Save a Warrior says. They’ve innovated a method of healing that focuses on well-being and include things like equine therapy, meditation, as well as physically and emotionally demanding trust exercises to help warriors get back on their feet.

“Thus far, we’ve put 250 active duty and returning warriors through Save a Warrior to date we’ve not lost a warrior to PTS related suicide,” Clark says.

The program is coming to the Life Adventure Center in Versailles and it’s here to stay, Bryon Marlowe, Life Adventure Center’s Program Director says.

“Kentucky has two of the largest military bases in the United States,” Marlowe says. “We have a lot of veterans here that are really struggling from post traumatic stress disorder.”

“It’s not medication, it fixes your mind and your heart,” says Jason Miller, a US Air Force Veteran who went through the program a few years back. “It gives you the tools to survive.”

More information about Save a Warrior can be found at their website.