Meet Chris Beach, WQW Built for More program alum. Chris shares the story of his service, the struggles he faced after separating from the military, and how finding the Built for More program has truly changed his life.
I vividly remember the earth-shattering explosion that pierced the crisp early morning air. It was sunrise in the southern tip of Afghanistan and my platoon consisting of a group of 16 U.S. Navy SEALs was conducting a mission as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Every movement had been calculated with the utmost precision and expertise. Yet, no matter how well practiced and equipped we were, the improvised explosive devices (IEDs) hidden inches below the surface of the ground were beyond our control. Immediately following the explosion, the air surrounding me became so thick with dust that I could barely see my hand in front of my face. My head and ears were ringing from the violent jarring of the blast, yet I cared only for the screams and cries of the critically wounded soldiers around me.
Despite the ensuing chaos and surges of adrenaline sending shivers down my spine, I relied on my training and galvanized myself with the necessary calm and efficiency to directly interact with and treat the wounded soldiers. I quickly identified multiple severely wounded soldiers and triaged them for priority of care. Although some couldn't speak, I could see in their eyes that they took comfort in knowing that I was right there with them. This experience, although very emotionally trying, reminded me of how much I value the ability to help others.
My pursuit of a career focused of helping others started when I was 16 years old serving as an EMT and Ocean Lifeguard in Virginia Beach. After college, I became a full-time Marine Rescue Officer in my local Florida Fire Department and yet I still felt the calling to provide help on a larger scale by serving my country. At age 24, I became a U.S. Navy SEAL and a Special Operations Combat Medic. During a 9-month combat deployment to Afghanistan, I provided more medical care than I ever expected, said countless prayers for lost Warriors, survived a CH47 helicopter crash, and witnessed a Blackhawk helicopter filled with some of my best friends get shot down. My return home was filled with funerals, memorial services, and time spent trying to help support the families and friends of our Warriors who were gone too soon.
When I separated from the military in 2013, I set my mind on yet another career path that fueled my innate desire to help others. I attended the Duke University Physician Assistant (PA) program and have spent the past 7 years serving patients in the Emergency Department - recently stepping into a leadership role as the Lead PA for over 90 Emergency Department PAs. While I love this new career path, I didn’t realize the profound impact that leaving the SEAL teams would have on me. I left a community that I trusted and an environment I felt safe and secure in. I didn’t understand at the time of separation how much I relied on the support and connection from my teammates who had been through the same traumatic experiences. I began to accept the sense of loss and abandonment as my new normal. I learned to live with the nightmares. I struggled to find connections in the civilian world and felt like I had to hide my “scars of war” to fit in with what society considers “normal”.
Little did I know then that over a decade after ending my time in service, I would be on the receiving end of help, relying on the WQW Built for More program to provide me with an unspoken comfort.
When I applied to the program, I thought it was just a “good deal” fishing trip to help clear my mind. As soon as I stepped foot on Quiet Waters Ranch, I could feel that this was going to be something so much more. My time with WQW has reminded me that I am not alone, and that it is okay to lean on others for help. The time I spent at Quiet Waters Ranch, in the backcountry of MT, and on the rivers fishing, was the first time since my Afghanistan deployment that I felt truly at peace and that I could be myself in a safe environment.
All 6 of the Warriors in my cohort were deployed around the same time as me and had similar traumatic experiences. We had all buried the pain of what we had been through and adopted the mindset that if we didn’t talk about it, then it wasn’t really there. However, being at the Ranch and completing the Built for More program provided me with a level of comfort to finally open up and try to put myself back together in a way that I didn’t realize was even possible. I made more of a connection with those 6 individuals in a week than I have with anyone else over the past 12 years since separating from the Naval Special Warfare community. I have made more progress in my mental health journey and healing in the past 8 months of being part of the Built for More program than I have in over a decade of professional therapy.
My cohort has become my new team. They keep me accountable. They keep me honest. They keep me humble. But most importantly, I now know that I am not alone and that I don’t have to just “bury the darkness inside.” Before WQW, I didn’t realize how much I needed to be on the receiving end of help instead of just in the role of being a provider. The Warriors & Quiet Waters Built for More program has changed my life forever. My hope is that other veterans will have the opportunity to accept the help they need by receiving the gift of community and support in a safe, secure environment that feels like home.
