Combat Wounded Coalition

Power Pillar – Combat Wounded Coalition seeks to demonstrate there are no boundaries or limitations by pushing warriors outside their comfort zones and showing them that this is where personal growth occurs. Combat Wounded Coalition's second program pillar, Power, is to take our combat wounded warriors and get them back out into society and past their wounds or loss. Our signature Power event is "Jumping for a Purpose" where we take combat wounded warriors, caregivers, and families of the fallen skydiving. Before every skydive, our founder, severely wounded Navy SEAL, Jason Redman talks to them about living greatly and overcoming adversity. He encourages them to understand that life did not end despite loss or injury and the only limitations we have in this life are the ones we place on ourselves. Jumping for a Purpose is an event open to the public and gives guests the opportunity to watch and cheer on our nation’s heroes. It is amazing to behold the long term impact Jumping for a Purpose has on severely wounded warriors and families of the fallen. Our motto for Jumping for a Purpose is that “We have banged up warriors jump out a perfectly good airplane”. Combat Wounded Coalition is currently conducting two Jumping for a Purpose events annually in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia but is beginning to look for additional locations across the country to host this amazing event. Our second social event is our black tie event, "Toast to the Heroes", where we bring our heroes and their immediate family members in for a weekend to meet, mingle, and have fellowship with other wounded warriors, patriotic Americans, fellow service members, and business leaders. In addition to Combat Wounded Coalition's two Power events, Combat Wounded Coalition continues to partner with proven and reputable non-profit organizations who specialize in additional activities that push our warriors outside their comfort zones and onto positive personal growth. Whether it is mountain climbing, scuba diving, hiking, surfing, kayaking or fishing, Combat Wounded Coalition wants to help our warriors find that activity that will once again help them find their Hero Within.

Purpose Pillar - Connects warriors to opportunities that provide tools needed to succeed in life. Combat Wounded Coalition's third program pillar takes the time to know each one of the combat wounded warriors that connects with us and gives the staff an opportunity to learn about the warrior’s individual interests so the Combat Wounded Coalition may help them find their new purpose in life. Every combat wounded warrior was part of a military unit focused on accomplishing a specific mission or task that contributed to the overall success of the military. There was tremendous pride and power for these warriors to be part of a unit with a specific purpose. In some cases, in a split second, an IED blast, gunshot, or traumatic event, causes an individual to be torn from their unit. This individual wakes up in a bed faced with the overwhelming task of overcoming their injuries. Often times this task is even more daunting as they face the prospect of having to be medically retired from the military and join the civilian work force. Combat Wounded Coalition believes the greatest gift we can give our warriors coming home is to help them find their new Purpose after military service and the impact of war. We accomplish this through our initial intake questionnaire as a program recipients. This is when registrant identify individual needs under our Purpose Pillar. Whether it is housing support, education support, employment, hobbies or activities, Combat Wounded Coalition will help make connections to properly vetted and proven for-profit and non-profit organizations that can assist in fulfilling these needs. This is where Combat Wounded Coalition separates itself from many other organizations. Any organization Combat Wounded Coalition partners with will have gone through an internal vetting process to ensure these organizations are indeed providing the services they advertise. If the partner is a non-profit organization, the organization will be vetted as a recognized 501c3 for at least 1 year, show financial transparency through Guidestar and/or Charity Navigator, and have positive reviews. Once these screening criteria are met, a Memorandum of Agreement is signed by both Combat Wounded Coalition and the partner organization so both organizations clearly understand their requirements for service, exactly who they serve, and how many warriors they can support in a given time frame. Combat Wounded Coalition takes this information and then can link wounded warriors to those resources as the needs arise. This formalized process ensures needs are met and reduces frustration with our warriors as they seek to excel and succeed. For-Profit organizations are vetted through meetings, proven results, and a Memorandum of Agreement on file with Combat Wounded Coalition so we clearly understand their requirements for service, exactly who they serve, and how many warriors they can support in a given time frame. In addition to these connections, Combat Wounded Coalition provides grants directly to organization partners directly assisting our wounded warriors.

Peace Pillar– Connects wounded warriors to services that can assist in healing the mind. This fourth program pillar is to take our combat wounded warriors and help them find peace from the impact of war. Combat Wounded Coalition fully recognizes some of the most devastating injuries from war are often those that are unseen. Currently we are losing 22 veterans a day to suicide. This is a national epidemic and Combat Wounded Coalition is committed to doing our part in reducing this rate by finding solutions through proven organizations and treatment programs. We also recognize our warriors cannot achieve purpose and success until they find peace and heal their minds from the impact of war. Through our database questionnaire, Combat Wounded Coalition identifies individuals looking for mental health support and connect them to counseling services and key national organizations that are providing ground breaking non-pharmacological treatments to help combat wounded warriors with Traumatic Brain Injuries and Post Traumatic Stress. The last component of the Peace Pillar is to track our warriors through our service pipeline for a minimum of five years by conducting follow-up communication with them, ensuring Combat Wounded Coalition is meeting the mark for its services and the partner organizations that warriors are referred to also fulfill their mission/s to the warriors. In the event a Pipeline warrior identifies additional or new needs during a follow up, we will look for new connections and make every attempt to ensure these needs are met. If a warrior reaches a point at the end of their five year period and feel they have achieved Pride, Power, Purpose, and Peace, Combat Wounded Coalition invites them to work as a warrior mentor, assisting other warriors going through the pipeline through their experience and success. We strive through this process to help as many combat wounded warriors as possible realize their full potential.

The Overcome Academy is a curriculum based program operated through Combat Wounded Coalition twice each year, teaching task, purpose, mission, leadership, and resiliency to combat wounded warriors. Additionally, it teaches wounded warriors how to speak and present their stories in a public forum, teaches them how to dress professionally, present themselves and interact with civilian companies for success. More than anything, the Overcome Academy will help warriors understand that they are a leader, can overcome and set the example as a leader within their family, their workplace and their communities.