Operation PTSD A Veteran's Group Inc.

                                                                                                                                              VETERAN OWNED AND OPERATED

Services

“The support I received from Operation PTSD was invaluable. Connecting with other Veterans who understood my experiences helped me Filing my Service connection Paperwork put me on my journey towards healing.

                                                                                                                                                        Jim Garza

In December of 2021 I had the pleasure of meeting Mark Aro at a 5k fundraiser in Laughlin, Nevada. It

was just a chance meeting and during our conversion I discovered that Mark was a facilitator for

Operation PTSD (Purpose, Teamwork, Service, and Dedication). I mentioned to him that I had a claim

pending that was subsided in October 2019. Mark told me that I could contact him with Questions and

he would also look into the status of my claim. I told him I would wait another couple of months to let

the system catches up on the backlog of claims due to the COVID pandemic and Agent Orange

submissions. Finally in July 2022 I contacted Mark. Within 24 hours I was contacted by one of his

colleagues. She was in constant contact with me either asking for additional information or providing

status updates. In December 2022 Mark called to inform me of a PACT (Promise to Address

Comprehensive Toxics) Event in San Diego. After attending the PACT event I learned that my claim was

under review. Shortly threader a decision was rendered that was very positive in my favor. It was

through Mark’s resources and willingness to help that lunately led me to the right point of contact. I

highly recommend the Operation PTSD Group and specially Mark Aro to anyone who needs to deal

with the Veteran’s Administration.

Ron Shinkle

  1. More about the business

Operation PTSD is a non-profit organization of combat and non-combat Veterans who volunteer to offer guidance, peer to peer counseling and support to other Veterans completely free of charge. By helping other Veterans, this helps us manage our own mental health issues and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms; this is our way of paying it forward.

We share our own experiences of the services offered within the Department of Veterans Affairs (Veterans Health Administration and Veterans Benefits Administration, herein referred to as VA) to provide first-hand knowledge of the help that is available to all Veterans. Some of these services include health benefits, service-connected benefits, health education, mental health treatment options, and even substance use treatment.

We attend many of the groups and programs offered within the VA and we have established a relationship with the staff who can assist other Veterans with a multitude of services and benefits they need or can benefit from. The VA is very large and hard to manage all the resources. Our accumulated experience with the VA system and how to navigate it has been, and continues to be, a much-needed source of information.

  1. What makes this business different

Operation PTSD is comprised of combat Veterans who volunteer their time to help other Veterans free of charge. We served our Country and have benefited from VA services. We continue to be of service to Veterans in need. This helps our mental health and PTSD issues, and it is our way of paying it forward.

  1. More about the services and why people should use it

We are a small group of Veterans with a common disorder: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). We have been coming to the VA for several years to work on our personal issues. During our time at the VA, we met each other from the same group meetings or other venues. Being at the VA is close to being back on base. We may be with other Veterans in different branches, but we know and understand each other in a way that is not easy to explain. I know my brothers-and-sisters-in-arms have my 6 and they know I have theirs. The idea of forming Operation PTSD was to provide a single-stop service for all Veterans; a way to help Veterans navigate the large and complex VA system in supportive way. We decided to use the acronym PTSD because of the familiarity of this acronym and the fact that we all are working on our own PTSD. Because we want to be of service PTSD in Operation PTSD stands for Purpose, Teamwork, Service and Dedication to all of our fellow Veterans.

We are familiar with services, benefits, the application process, classes, programs and treatments throughout the Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) and Veterans Health Administration (VHA) systems. Other Veteran affiliated organizations often charge for services or membership to help Veterans applying for a service connection pension, reconsideration, or benefits. Operation PTSD does not charge Veterans for anything. Operation PTSD has already assisted several Veterans with appointments, filing for reconsideration and increases in pensions, and filling out these government forms and submitting them to the correct location. Operation PTSD is responsible for working with Loews and Home Depot for the remodeling of the rec hall, acquiring new pergolas, new 

3.We offer support and information on the following services offered at the VA:

Telehealth, VVC online appointments, Health education, Diabetes classes, Nutrition, Anger management (no longer offered at the VA), PTSD support group, Mental health treatment, Psychiatry, Primary care, Social work, Substance use, Seeking Safety, Opiate treatment program, Alcoholics Anonymous, Smoking cessation, Domestic violence (no longer offered at the VA),Suboxone services, Methadone services, Detoxification services, Residential treatment, Housing, Benefits, Pensions.