JR Ovens’ Military Service and Family Challenges JR Ovens dedicated 20 years to the Army, joining in 1998 and eventually serving with the elite 5th Special Forces Group before closing out his career with the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC). With eight deployments—seven of them in combat—he carried away both visible and invisible […]
Date: January 22, 2024 Operation Healing Forces (OHF) announces its new partnership with HatchPath, an innovative personal wellness platform providing transformative experiences aimed at helping individuals unlock their full potential and achieve a balanced and fulfilling life. OHF is committed to serving the needs of the Special Operations Forces (SOF) community and providing meaningful, effective, […]
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Over the course of Andrew and Jessica Hoppe’s 13-year marriage, the couple has endured a demanding, fast-paced Special Operations Forces’ lifestyle that’s included numerous transfers and frequent separations due to Andrew’s many deployments and trainings. So, when all of the stars seemed to align for an escape to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, for an Operation […]
When Katie Calvillo of Florida set off for an Operation Healing Forces Spouse’s Retreat in Georgetown, SC, she was apprehensive. While she’d participated in a couples retreat with her husband Al, an Army major, she would go on her own this time. She wondered if it would be an awkward week of polite exchanges with […]
Alex Holt of Washington wasn’t thinking about himself when he heard about the Operation Healing Forces Couples Retreats. As a Battalion Command Sergeant Major in the Army’s Special Forces, he wondered how he could make the program accessible to his frequently deployed soldiers and their partners. When an opening came up for Alex and his […]
Sharing her time and expertise to help Special Operations Forces couples plan for retirement isone way Alex Valdes gives back to the military community. “Everybody has their different specialities. I speak the financial language, so that’s what I can share. They’re keeping our nation safe, and I’m helping them plan for their retirement,” says Valdes, […]
As an E-9 Pararescueman in the U.S. Air Force, Brendan DeLigio of Pinehurst, North Carolina is a true frequent flyer. But while his 23-year Special Operations career requires regular travel, Brendan and his wife of 22 years, Wendy, rarely have the chance to travel together. Until this April, neither one had ever visited Big Sky, […]
For Josh Vanderpool, a critical skills operator with the United States Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC), 2021 has been full of surprises. In March, he returned from a six month deployment in the Philippians, just in time to prepare for another adventure. In April, Josh and his wife Brianna attended a restorative OHF retreat […]
Chuck Wentzell, a longtime Special Operator with the Army, never expected to meet his spouse during a deployment. After joining the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Chuck deployed five times in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, and Operation Inherent Resolve. During one of those deployments in 2011, he connected with Christy, a […]
Operation Healing Forces is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to America’s Special Operations Forces who have served at the tip of the spear in our Nation’s battle to defeat violent extremists around the world. Our work focuses on helping to restore the relationships wounded by the call of duty faced by Special Operators.
