MELROSE, Fla. — It’s a place for some of our nation’s heroes.
Soldiers Freedom Outdoors is a non-profit organization run completely by volunteers. Many veterans and active-duty military members say its Camp Freedom is a lifesaver.
“The Air Force was an opportunity to get out and see the world, and I did. My first tour was in Vietnam, and from there I went to the Philippines, South America, Europe, I was in Russia one time,” U.S. Air Force TSGT Benjamin Reichenbach (Ret.) said.
Reichenbach suffered in silence with physical issues, anxiety and PTSD after his service to the country.
“When I first got it was in 1982,” Reichenbach said. “We didn’t have anything as far as medical, like being able to go to a medical building and say you had PTSD and stuff like that. We took care of our own.”
That silence is now turned into a sense of family.
“Everybody who comes down here, we’re brothers or sisters,” Reichenbach said.
“We’re in Melrose, Florida at Soldier’s Freedom Outdoors. This is Camp Freedom. It’s our main station. We have a 350-acre ranch that’s dedicated to our veterans,” said Daniel DiMarco, CEO and founder of Soldiers Freedom Outdoors.
Veterans and active-duty military members can get away at the camp with weekend retreats and activities during the week.
Up to seven people stay in a farmhouse on the ranch totally free, service dogs are welcome, and the group works together to heal the invisible wounds of war.
“We have a lot of things to offer, such as fishing, hunting, hiking,” DiMarco said.
The biggest feature of Camp Freedom is its equine therapy program. Fifteen horses live in the ranch and help veterans not only reconnect with themselves but with each other in a way that only they can understand.
Our nation’s heroes can forget about their troubles and heal.
They go out for trail rides in the open fields of Bradford County. Another person who finds is open the equine therapy program therapeutic is U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Matthew Markel. He served the country in Afghanistan in the mid 2000s and is working to become a drill sergeant.
“As a veteran and military personnel, I know it’s not always easy to talk,” Markel said.
Markel volunteers his time at the camp.
“It doesn’t matter which branch you’re in. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been in, if it’s for two years or if it’s for 30 years, everybody is here to support,” Markel said. “It’s very welcoming. It really does feel like home.”
“That big ole couch that we were all sitting on, we’ll talk until two or three o’clock in the morning,” U.S. Army Specialist David Mullinix (Ret.) said.
Retired Specialist David Mullinix served in the U.S. Army for three years until he broke both legs in a training accident.
“This place is therapy for so many,” Mullinix said. “The guys and women that have a hard time, they can come out here for a day or during the week.”
“If they are struggling, I want to be able to see healing,” DiMarco said. “I want them to know that people care because sometimes it’s just enough to know someone is here that cares about you. We appreciate you. If you need something, we’re going to help you.”
The bonds of friendship and comradery mean so much to the group of veterans and service members who come to Camp Freedom. Reichenbach says it’s changed his life.
“It’s probably helped me more than I really realize,” Reichenbach said. “Like the other night, we were sitting out here, and we were discussing what we did while we were in the Far East, South America, or stuff like that. You talk about things. You get it off your chest.”
Soldiers Freedom Outdoors is looking for veterans and military personnel to attend the weekend retreats, volunteer to help on-site, as well as make donations to keep the program going. For more information, click here.