CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 15,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Five years since their first
reunion, Army Veterans of Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 508th
Parachute Infantry Regiment, will reunite again with The
Independence Fund to strengthen their connection and prevent
Veteran suicide.
While deploying to Afghanistan
in 2010, B Co 2-508 suffered significant loss and experienced
traumatic events, including losing the lives of three service
members in action and sending 24 more home as casualties. In the
years following, two additional B Co 2-508 service members
lost their lives to suicide.
To reunite these Veterans, strengthen the bonds of brotherhood,
and prevent further loss, The Independence Fund invited the company
to attend the inaugural Operation Resilience retreat in 2019. The
retreat proved to be a success, reuniting these Veterans and
providing them the space to heal the invisible wounds of war. The
retreat proved to be a place to strengthen the intangible bond
created while serving together. The success of the first Operation
Resilience retreat served as the catalyst for The Independence Fund
to host several more retreats with other units in the years since.
Now, the Veterans of B Co. 2-508 will return for their second
Operation Resilience retreat to continue their healing journey
together.
"In the years since starting Operation Resilience, we have
realized the need to continue bringing these Veterans together,"
said Sarah Verardo, Chief Executive
Officer of The Independence Fund and wife of a catastrophically
wounded member of B Co. 2-508, SGT Michael
Verardo. "The program encourages the company to reunite and
work through their trauma together, rather than isolating, but that
work is continuous for the rest of their lives. We are glad to help
facilitate this reunion for them."
On June 20, The Independence Fund
will host the group again for a weekend filled with expertly
planned activities meant to strengthen their bonds and ensure no
one fights their battle alone.
Members of B Co. 2-508 and the leadership of The Independence
Fund are available to discuss this program's success and impact. To
schedule interviews or coverage, please contact Katie Armstrong at
k.armstrong.ctr@independencefund.org.
ABOUT THE INDEPENDENCE FUND:
Founded in the halls of Walter Reed National Military Medical
Center, The Independence Fund was born to care for our nation's
most catastrophically wounded surviving service members from the
Global War on Terror. With an expansion to caring for the
warfighter's family and all generations of wounded, ill, and
injured heroes. The Independence Fund stands in the gap to help
combat Veterans, active military, and wartime Allies with unmet
needs. By restoring independence to those who sacrificed their
independence so that we can remain a nation of freedom, The
Independence Fund deploys tangible programs to restore our
Veterans' and families' physical, spiritual, and emotional health.
Known for the hallmark all-terrain track wheelchair program, The
Independence Fund has provided over 2,600 trackchairs to severely
wounded American heroes.
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SOURCE The Independence Fund