Executive Director David Maulsby and founder Gene Birdwell sit in front of Camp Hope’s newest residence.[/caption]Randy Starry joined the military to escape the difficult family life he knew as a child. His mother left when he was four years old, his father died five years later, and he was left with a physically abusive stepfather.
Once he returned from Iraq, Starry started experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. At night, he had trouble sleeping without violent flashbacks, and during the day he was hyper-vigilant. Dealing with these issues led to the loss of his business, his wife, his house and his car.
After turning to alcohol and prescription drugs as a coping mechanism, Starry attempted to take his own life. When he thought he had reached rock bottom, he found Camp Hope.
Camp Hope is a faith-based nonprofit organization that mentors military combat veterans dealing with PTSD. Founder Gene Birdwell opened the Houston residential campus in May 2012, and today about 60 veterans from all over the U.S. live there at no cost. It costs Camp Hope about $100 per resident to fund daily operations, and the foundation runs solely on donations.
“Many of them came in with nothing—not a toothbrush, not a clean pair of socks, no family, no home,” Executive Director David Maulsby said. “When they leave here we want them to have a job or go back to school, [have] a place to live and transportation.”
When entering the program, veterans go through a 30-day blackout period with no internet, phone or family contact. During this time, they work to become mentally stable before starting to deal with other issues, Maulsby said.
After that, family members can attend support groups and visitation days. Camp Hope is one of the few organizations in the U.S. that helps families understand why their loved ones are so different after returning from combat.
Peer-to-peer mentorship from other veterans who have been through the program takes place for about six months while veterans attend classes on anger management, substance abuse and basic life skills.
Maulsby said PTSD has been around for hundreds of years. In the past, the disorder has been referred to as battle fatigue, shell shock and the thousand-yard stare.
Birdwell said he learned about the horrors of PTSD in 2000 from a retired major general at his church. He calls it the “deadliest wounds of war.”
“PTSD is not a mental illness,” he said. “It’s a normal reaction to an abnormal situation.”
Those who suffer from combat- related PTSD have a difficult time learning how to cope when they return to civilian life, Maulsby said.
“Many of them have an endless loop running in their mind—what they lost, what they saw, what they smelled,” he said. “They don’t know how to shut it down, so they might turn to alcohol, drugs or suicide to make it stop.”
While military are trained for months before heading overseas, returning to civilian life entails a one-day course, which Starry said is not enough. After being taught to shut down his emotions, coming home to see his family and work as a civilian was difficult.
At Camp Hope, Starry has found a relationship with God and a support system he never had before. His once broken marriage is being restored, and he serves on staff as the campus chef.
“I’m trying to give back what was given to me,” he said. “I owe Camp Hope my life.”
PTSD Foundation of America’s Camp Hope
9724 Derrington Road, Houston
832-912-4429
www.ptsdusa.org
