Photo By Spc. Tynisha Daniel | U.S. Army Veteran, Sgt. 1st. Class Fred Lewis of Lahaina, Hawaii, conducts...... read more read more
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Many service members have difficulty transitioning from a life in uniform, to a life without one. Whether it’s returning home from war or a lengthy deployment, the challenge of adjusting to civilian life can be both mentally and physically trying. U.S. Army Veteran Sgt. 1st. Class Fred Lewis, a member of the U.S. Special Operations Command team at this year’s Warrior Games, can attest to that.
On August 8, 2008, Lewis was wounded on the battlefield resulting in a series of injuries including hearing loss, seizures, migraines, tendonitis and post traumatic stress disorder. Shortly after receiving these injuries, he was discharged from active military service.
“I needed to find my purpose again,” said Lewis. “One day the Army was my entire life and the next I was out.”
His transition from military to civilian life was difficult, Lewis continued.
“When first discharged I turned into a hermit and basically went into hiding,” he said. “I just wanted to be away from everything.”
In effort to ease into civilian life, Lewis worked as a government-contracted instructor teaching at the United States Special Operations Combat Medic Course at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
“I loved the job but being around that environment was not conducive to my healing,” said Lewis.
Taking on the role of instructing Soldiers in his previous occupation in the military so soon after his injury and being in a military environment was stressful explained Lewis. After three years of teaching, he and his family picked up and moved to Hawaii and it was there that he found that purpose.
“I put myself in the best environment I could and tried to make sure I was healthy and happy by not being around negative energy and stress” said Lewis.
Although medication or adaptive sports like Warrior Games can play a big part in healing, there are other ways for personal healing and growth, according to Lewis.
“I enjoy hiking, stand-up paddleboarding, running and I grow my own food,” said Lewis. “I once had a garden the size of a football field.”
He considers all of these activities as ways of coping with his transition. In effort to raise awareness for wounded veterans and assist in their healing, Lewis and a team of seven other veterans established Vetscape in December 2015. Vetscape educates and trains veterans on ways to combat PTSD and disabilities through challenging mental and physical activities in a supportive environment. The non-profit organization aims to teach veterans how to take care of themselves and reintegrate into their communities.
“It’s all about helping to establish a purpose in life again, and teaching vets how to feel good about themselves,” said Lewis.
To learn more about USSOCOM’s Care Coalition transition programs, visit http://www.socom.mil/Care%20Coalition/Transition.aspx.
| Date Taken: | 06.13.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 06.13.2016 17:50 |
| Story ID: | 200969 |
| Location: | WEST POINT, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 100 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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