Marine Veteran’s Transition Leads Him to Wounded Warrior Project
Desire to Lead, Resolve to Persevere
When Bradley Thomas joined the military, he knew he was in it for the long haul. So when an improvised explosive device (IED) put an end to his career, he said he was not quite ready for the transition to civilian life. Racked with the physical and emotional pain of a war he was not yet ready to stop fighting, Bradley found himself in a desolate place. But he said Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) was the hand that pulled him from the darkness and placed him on the road back to a life he could live on his own terms. Through his healing, he discovered he had not lost his ability to lead and inspire his brothers- and sisters-in-arms. Today, he continues to do so as a WWP staff member.
Traditional Beginnings
“Mine was a pretty typical American military story,” Bradley said. “My dad had been in the Navy for 24 years. Even in high school, I knew that I was more than likely going into the military. It was just a matter of deciding which branch.”
Bradley’s decision to join the Marine Corps was influenced largely by his older brother, who joined the Marines at 18.
“I saw a lot of positive changes in him,” he said. “He had a whole new level of dedication to this service, and I wanted to follow in his footsteps.”
Bradley enlisted in the Marine Corps with the intention of staying in until retirement. Even after the 2011 IED that left him with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and severe back problems, he stayed determined to see his mission through. Instead of joining the Warrior Transition Battalion, he was given a platoon of 35 – a situation he likened to Clint Eastwood’s role as Gunny Highway in the movie “Heartbreak Ridge.”
“It was mainly an administrative role, which dealt with lots of conflict resolution, to say it professionally,” Bradley said with a laugh. “It was a gang of troubled guys I had the privilege of leading and instilling in them some solid traits. It was truly an amazing way to end my military career.”
Though Bradley spent years trying to overcome his physical injuries to stay on active duty, a medical evaluation board retired him in April of 2016. The situation was not ideal, but he took comfort in knowing his final job had given guidance and leadership to a group of troubled Marines. He found exiting in that way to be humbling and therapeutic. He knew whatever career awaited him in the civilian world would scarcely compare to military life, but it was not until he hung up his uniform that he realized how much the transition would affect him.
Hazy Futures Beyond Service
“Post-traumatic stress disorder was my main issue, but not while I was still in the service,” Bradley said. “While I was in, the main problem was my back, and I just couldn’t overcome it. But when I was separated and lost that leadership role, all of the signs and symptoms flooded in overwhelmingly.”
Bradley could tell within weeks he was falling into a dark place – and the problem was easy to pinpoint.
“I had been at one of the highest places I could be at my rank of sergeant; I’d had 35 guys who looked to me for answers,” he said. “I was the knowledgeable guy; I was their leader. You go from being the go-to guy to nothing overnight. There’s no easing into it. One day you’re just a nobody, and nobody relies on you.”
But there were people still relying on Bradley – his wife and two children. Bogged down by his physical and mental issues, he chose isolation over cooperation. The rift he created between himself and the people around him became detrimental to his home and family life.
“I didn’t want my wife to know the things I was going through at the time, so I never explained it to her,” Bradley said. “I never asked her for help. And that ultimately led to our divorce. I felt so secluded and so different that I decided it was best for me just to move away. So I separated myself from my family completely and moved from North Carolina to Georgia.”
A Resolve to Heal
Moving into his parents’ Kings Bay home, Bradley resolved to put himself back together. He contacted his local Department of Veterans Affairs to make plans for back surgery, and he signed up for mental health services.
“I never attempted suicide,” he said. “But when you start to even consider it as you’re weighing your options, there is a serious issue to be dealt with.”
Still, there was something missing in his blueprint for recovery. When he left North Carolina, he separated himself from his veteran friends. The lack of connection left a void in the new life he was trying to build for himself.
“I wanted veteran-to-veteran peer support,” he said. “I wanted to see guys who had gone through what I had and came out thriving. I needed to talk to them and see what the secret was – the secret to being healed. So I reached out to Wounded Warrior Project. I had heard about them a lot while I was on active duty, and I contacted them after seeing an ad for the organization online.”
Bradley registered on the WWP website and attended a few connection events, the first being a Jacksonville Jaguars game.
“I had some interaction with other warriors, but at that point, I still didn’t really understand what Wounded Warrior Project was,” he said. “I was that guy on the outside going ‘what do they do?’ I knew they had these events, which were cool, but that was all.”
During an offshore fishing excursion to Orange Beach, Alabama, Bradley began to learn about WWP programs and services that empower injured veterans as they are healing.
“The staff were telling us about some programs, and the one that spoke volumes to me was Warriors to Work®,” he said. “I knew getting back to work and finding a sense of purpose and dedication would help me – but those things are unmatched in the military.”
Before reaching out to WWP, Bradley applied for jobs and found a reason to back out whenever a company made him an offer. His preemptive disappointment in civilian opportunities that didn’t parallel his military career was
sabotaging his future. After applying for the Warriors to Work program, a WWP staff member worked with him to gain a new perspective.
“She really drew the picture for me, explaining how my military skills could be translated to the civilian world,” Bradley said. “She helped me rewrite my resume and walked me through the networking process.”
One day, the WWP staff member assisting Bradley in his career search informed him that a position opened up that matched his skill set perfectly. The position was with Wounded Warrior Project.
“I remember hearing that and thinking there was no way it was going to happen,” Bradley said. “It seemed too good to be true. But a few months down the road, I got the job.”
Empowered to Serve
Today, Bradley uses the dedication and leadership skills he honed in the Marine Corps to serve injured veterans on their paths to recovery. As a warrior coordinator, he provides helpline assistance, referral services, and outreach to wounded warriors and their family members. In doing so, he finds a sense of fulfillment in his work that brings him back to his days of leading a wayward platoon.
“To say it’s a boost of confidence would be an understatement,” he said. “My skills are being used to help an organization that serves the community I have been passionate about since I was a kid. It has helped me make huge strides in my mental health. Even physically, I feel 10 times better than I did before I started working here.”
He measures his job not in paychecks, but number of impacts.
“Every single day I come to work, and I leave knowing that I’ve changed at least one person’s life,” he said. “That for me is a lifelong blessing, and I couldn’t imagine working anywhere else. If it weren’t for Wounded Warrior Project, I would probably still be sitting at home making excuses as to why I can’t accept job offers.”
The progress Bradley has made in his professional life has carried over into his personal life. He has moved into his own home, which he shares with his son. After improving his relationship with his ex-wife, she and their daughter will soon move to Georgia so the family can be closer together. He “100-percent” attributes his new sense of direction to Wounded Warrior Project, and he encourages fellow veterans to reach out to the organization.
“Stop being a tough guy – that’s what it boils down to,” he said. “It’s easy to sit at home and pity yourself and ignore the issues. It’s easy to point fingers and blame everyone else for what you’re going through. A real tough guy picks up a phone and says ‘hey, I know I have a problem. I know I need help and I am ready to deal with this.’ Getting reconnected to the community and finding a purpose did worlds of good for my mental health. You can have that help too; you never know what’s available until you ask.”
About Wounded Warrior Project
The mission of Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. The WWP purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public’s aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. To learn more about WWP and Warrior Care NetworkTM, visit woundedwarriorproject.org. (Photos courtesy WWP)
