CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Even from a young age, Jessie Arrowood knew he wanted to serve his country.
“Honestly, I remember when September 11 happened,” Arrowood said. “You know, I was in seventh grade and, just seeing that destruction, that really, really hit me hard. And I felt like from then I really had a calling.”
When he became of age, he joined the U.S. Army and served two tours in Afghanistan in 2009 and 2010.
While he said the Army physically prepared him well for his tours of duty, Arrowood says he, like many other veterans, struggled with his mental health.
What You Need To Know
Operation Resilience aims to help bring veterans together to combat mental health struggles
U.S. Army veteran Jessie Arrowood says without support and his faith, his mental health would have deteriorated
The event brings units together to help them reconnect and bond
“When I came back, I like to say that I kind of liked to suffer in silence, you know,” Arrowood said. “I’m southern-boy strong. I like fishing, hunting, I don’t need help from anyone. And I realized that although I could handle that, you know, the people around me couldn’t handle it. Because sometimes your behavior got out of hand.”
For Arrowood, he was able to find his purpose by going into law enforcement. But he says not every veteran finds a path as easily.
“The reality of it is that we’re still looking at 18 to 20 veterans a day that commit suicide,” Arrowood said. “So the majority of them don’t have that, they have not found or at a place in their life where they can find that joy, through different means.”
That’s where events like Operation Resilience come in. It’s a weekend-long event to help reunite military units and help them combat mental health struggles through peer support and community.
“You look at someone and if their arms are broken, you’re like, ‘hey, they need a sling. Their arms clearly are broken. They need something to fix it,’” Arrowood said. “But a lot of times, you know, our best asset, which is our mind, can also be our worst asset. That’s something that you just can’t simply see.”
This year, Arrowood’s Army unit was chosen.
“Showing up to this event and sitting there and watching some of these guys that I haven’t seen in 12, 13 years, it was a surreal experience,” Arrowood said. “You know, 13 years ago, it feels like it was yesterday, but it also feels like a lifetime.”
It gives them a safe space to remember those who they have lost, while offering them mental health support and a community for the future.
“I think sometimes surrounding yourself with other people who you know and who you appreciate can be some of the best medicine you can get,” Arrowood said. “The Independence Fund covers all of it so it’s a great opportunity for everybody.”
Operation Resilience is a project founded out of the Independence Fund.
This year’s event was hosted in the Charlotte area and was sponsored by Trulieve.
The weekend was free of charge for the veterans in attendance.
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