erans Affairs.
“There is nothing sadder than to hear when
a man or woman returns home from war and
then – during peacetime – takes his or her own
life,” said Connors. “Those are our brothers and
sisters and our mothers and fathers.”
So, what is Save A Warrior? What is this
program that keeps this man traveling to California
every month and to Lexington, Ky. in the
summers for the past 3-and-a-half years on his
own dime?
Save A Warrior, a 501(c) (3) taxexempt
organization, is a one-week
long in residence war detox, or what is
coming to be known in certain circles
as a model reverse boot camp. It’s a resiliency
program specifically designed
for supporting our warriors to heal from
the devastating effects of war. Save A
Warrior is open to veterans, active duty
military, reservists, National Guardsman
and first responders who, on a regular
basis, have to deal with trauma.
“Save A Warrior is the last house on
the block,” said Connors. “Most who
come to this program have already taken
suicide attempts to end their lives and
make the pain go away.”
Connors has spent 3-and-a-half years
worth of volunteering almost 1,700 hours,
which translates to helping 444 warriors
take their lives back. He has had an effect
on 200 families.
“It makes me more humble every
time I’m given the honor to come
back and work with Save A Warrior,”
said Connors.
With Connors’ help, Save A
Warrior participants practice
meditation twice a day for 20
minutes, work with horses
and partake in equine-supported
learning, a ropes
course and team building
exercises that give participants
the tools to
take back their lives,
put the trauma in the
past – where it belongs.
What is unfortunate
is the num