(Annapolis, MD)- War veterans of all
stripes all around the world in the Navy, Army, Marines, Air Force face
countless struggles in life. Sailing provides an amazing platform for “team building”, “team recognition”, “love & friendship”.
In the UK, there are examples like the RAF Benevolent Fund Sailing
Program- its most visible programs being the J/109 and J/70 programs-
like
Simon Ling’s J/70 RAF SPITFIRE program. Or, the
J/111 BRITISH SOLDIER program.
Then, there are great Police and Navy programs in Chile, Peru,
Argentina, Brazil, France, Italy, Spain and Germany, to name a few, that
are sailing on J/24, J/80s and J/105s. Have you ever visited
Antarctica via Porto Williams, Chile or Ushuaia, Argentina? Chances are
your “safety officers” and “coast guard” are none other than Chilean/
Argentinean navy officers that have trained in J/24s as part of learning
“the sea”!!
In the USA, there are a number of such programs, including the
Warrior Sailing Program and others. Here is another one to consider. . .
Veterans find camaraderie at Annapolis Sailing Clinic— When
Marine Corps veteran Hector Cardona heard
about a sailing clinic designed to assist veterans as they transition
to civilian life, he said he couldn’t sign up quickly enough, even
though he had never sailed.
Cardona was among eight veterans, transitioning service members and
wounded warriors who participated in the nonprofit Valhalla Sailing
Project’s first two-day clinic to teach veterans the fundamentals of
sailing and racing, held on the Chesapeake Bay here June 25-26.
“I’ve lost a lot of friends to suicide,” Cardona said, explaining that
he came to the sailing clinic in his quest to find activities veterans
can learn to do together.
It’s difficult for veterans to re-enter the civilian sector when the one
relationship they crave is missing: the brotherhood of their battle
buddies, said Marine Corps combat veteran Mike Wood, Valhalla’s
executive director.
Valhalla assists military veterans by filling the need for a squad
atmosphere through formations of four-person crews to sail and race as
teams, Wood said, noting the organization is operated by combat veterans
who are sailboat racers.
Wood said he believes the veteran suicide rate is a reflection of that
missing squad system. “We hope to get them back in a core group,” he
said of Valhalla’s goal to put veterans in the integrated teamwork and
social atmosphere of sailing.
Learning to sail and race as a crew member, Wood said, prompts similar
emotions service members experience as members of the military’s
brotherhood in arms. “You rely on each other [in battle],” he said.
“With sailing, everyone has a job … and you have to know everyone’s job
if you have to step in as needed. And you learn to excel.”
And as with military missions, sailing success is based on communication
and being able to predict each crew member’s actions to “execute the
job successfully, which almost mirrors a squad,” he said.
“It also gives them names in their Rolodex to call” when something in
life goes awry, Wood added. The organization, he said, is developing
crews to keep veterans together to build the core structure and
camaraderie they’re so used to relying upon.
As new members are introduced to the clinic, Wood said, the
veteran-sailor crews will mentor the new recruits. Sailing is a
year-round activity, and racing begins in the fall when the wind picks
up, he added.
“With repetition come the pursuit of perfection,” Wood said. “Service
members are dialed into perfection. They figure out what went wrong and
fix the problem for the next mission.”
Cardona said he related to feeling alone without his squad, and he, too,
emphasized the importance of “knowing your role so you do it
automatically and successfully.”
After a brief introductory classroom session, the veterans gathered into
two groups of four-person crews, and with an instructor on both
sailboats, all eight veterans -- experienced or not -- took the helm
while their new crewmates fell into position and assumed other duties in
first morning session.
Following a barbecue social with 30 volunteers and Valhalla staff, the
crews gathered for more class instruction and were back on the water,
honing skills quickly.
“By the end of the clinic, it was like these vets have been sailing
together for years,” Wood said in a Facebook post. “The bonding,
camaraderie and skill they displayed was astounding. To top it off, some
of the vets have secured spots on race boats in Annapolis!” Wood said
he was proud of what the veterans accomplished in just two days.
“And, I am beyond excited to hear that they all want to continue
building their skills and become one of the premier racing crews in the
area,” he added.
Thanks for the contribution from Terri Moon Cronk
The Warrior Sailing organization has steadily expanded over time to better serve the needs of America's war veterans. It is a noble effort to get those veterans an on-the-water experience that helps them better cope with both themselves and a team of people. A large part of the Warrior Sailing experience makes use of standard J/22s and handicap-equipped J/22s at various sailing organizations across the USA. From the West to the East and the Great Lakes to Florida, thousands of war veterans have had the opportunity to learn more about the benefits of sailing on J/22s everywhere. Here is the current Warrior Sailing schedule for 2020: 
The
program offers the Basic Training Camp at no cost to participants. They
come from all branches of the military and have varying injuries that
range from limb loss, traumatic brain injuries and Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder, to name a few.
Sailing
is the platform to help these wounded veterans reunite with their
fellow service members, feel the camaraderie, and help with integration
into civilian life. 