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An Iraq Veteran Adapting to Help Vets in Need
| By: Raychel Harvey-jones |
After the successful launch of a new album featuring veteran and singer John Preston joins forces with Adapt- A Vet®.
Adapt- A-Vet works with local community groups and veterans to create and modify homes for veterans to ensure they can live an independent and safe lifestyle. Tactical WorkoutsPreston said, "I am honored to be part of such a worthy organization. I am a celebrity ambassador. I will be playing shows and be making appearances with them and helping raise more attention to their non-profit. I join a list of other notable representatives." "Making sure veterans are cared for mentally and physically is my mission through my music or working with groups like Adapt-A-Vet. I am a vet who knows the importance of helping others. When a vet returns home with a disability it is crucial they are comfortable in their homes. Each home is different, it may need entry and exit ramps if a vet is wheelchair bound, doors may need to be widened, changing the height of kitchen surface areas to make a vet more self-sufficient is huge to aid their well-being." says Preston. Preston recently appeared at the second annual operation "Freedom Under the Stars event in Texas. "I was initially just invited as a guest, but I ended up taking the stage and playing "Superman Falls" before country music star Aaron Tippin played, it was a great evening," adds Preston. Preston recently released a new album called Battle Cry: Songs of America’s Heroes under the Pacific Records label as part of a collaboration with the Valkyrie Institute. His single "Superman Falls" was one of the songs chosen to appear on the album with other well-known singers such as the Scooter Brown Band, and Dee Rock. Preston started penning songs while in Iraq back in 2004; he wrote: "Good Good America" which led to a record deal with Pacific Records. An Iraq veteran and now full-time firefighter Preston is on a mission to ensure no veteran suffers alone with Post-traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD) and that coming home for injured vets is getting back to as normal a life as is possible. "Adapt-a-Vet has now partnered with Boot Campaign and former U.S. Navy Seal Morgan Lutrell and will now also focus on the veteran’s mental health which has been my primary focus with my music the last three years, said Preston." The Boot Campaign mission is to promote patriotism for America and our military community; raise awareness of the unique challenges service members to face during and post-service; and provide assistance to military personnel, past and present, and their families. Preston knows better than most the importance of keeping both the body and mind healthy after serving your country. Preston’s brother took his life back in 2016, a victim of PTSD. "I used my music to get me out of over a decade of suffering from PTSD, I was lucky my body physically was not affected by war but for those who are not as lucky Adapt-A-Vet is an incredible asset." "They fought for freedom; now we need to make sure that they feel free in their homes." |
| About Me: Raychel Harvey-Jones is a British born journalist now living the American dream. As a writer and producer Raychel has worked for NBC, Bloomberg, Accuweather, ABC News Now and more recently NBC in Washington DC. She is a contributor to the Neotrope® News Network and is now a contributor to California Newswire® , Buzzfeed, Curvy Magazine, Patch.com and The Baltimore Sun. |
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