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Thousands of post-9/11 veterans are dealing
with the letdown that can happen
after returning home from active duty.
Your mission is over, and your service seems no longer needed.
But a veteran service organization is changing that.
The Mission Continues has found new ways for veterans
to engage with their communities and to continue serving.
- Army veteran Nicholas Illanes
turned to the bottle when he came home from Iraq.
- I did drink a lot for about a year and a half
after discharge,
and it was bad, where I would be drinking
from 10:00 in the morning until whenever I'd go to sleep.
- Not only was he coping with a traumatic brain injury
resulting from an IED blast,
he also struggled with depression
and feeling worthless.
- I was stuck in this, you know--my shell.
I felt safe there. There was no reason to leave.
I was comfortable, but it wasn't healthy.
It was a really sad existence.
I never left the house unless it was to get something to eat
or to buy more alcohol.
[Radio transmissions]
- Then Nicholas heard about The Mission Continues--
a non-profit organization aimed at post-9/11 veterans,
like himself.
- They train. They deploy. They fight. They come home.
And when they do, The Mission Continues offers
them a challenge...
- As I saw the commercial--
and the commercial was just cool enough to where I was like,
"All right. I'll look it up."
- The organization was founded in 2007.
Inspired by wounded veterans who voiced a strong desire
to continue serving,
it provides 6-month community service fellowships to help
post-9/11 veterans find the same sense of purpose
they found in the military.
- And then, Team 3, you're gonna be with Aaron...
- Aaron Scheinberg, himself an Iraq War veteran,
says meaningful service is the key.
- When you come back home as a veteran,
we're looking for new ways to get that feeling,
to be part of something bigger,
to serve with other veterans.
And The Mission Continues has found a way to do that.
And that's through service together as civilians.
- For Nicholas, a mixed martial arts expert
and former judo champion,
that service is sharing his passion for martial arts.
- That was good. That was good...
- I'm a gladiator. I was born to fight.
I don't mean like in a sense to hurt people.
But, I mean, in a competitive way, I think that's what I was
born to do is to fight.
When I'm putting on my equipment, I honestly feel
like I'm putting on my Kevlar and putting on the boots.
For me, I'm just strapping up and going into battle.
And I come in here and I'm comfortable, I'm calm.
There's no fear. There's no nerves.
- Through the fellowship, Nicholas receives
a monthly stipend that enables him to teach at-risk kids
at the non-profit Black Mat Mixed Martial Arts studio
in Whittier, California.
- My mission today is
mostly about teaching these kids the self-confidence they need,
the social skills, and getting them to exercise.
Go.
Good.
There. Look at that power.
When I'm teaching, I couldn't be more proud.
Just watching them put into practice the techniques
that you've just taught them.
And a lot of these kids are, like, five, six years old.
And to me I'm like, Man, I wish I would have had
this kind of training, you know, that young.
Good job!
- He's really cool.
He doesn't really force it on you to learn really fast.
He gives you time to actually learn it.
- He makes learning this really fun for us.
- He's a good coach. And he helps us learn new things.
- Across the country, dozens of other Mission Continues
fellows are also reporting to duty to serve their communities.
In New York City, several took part in the group's
9/11 Day of Service.
They joined families of 9/11 victims and community volunteers
to refurbish the New York Fire Department Training Academy.
Marine veteran German Bayas says the confidence he gained
from his fellowship helping low-income families has
jump-started a new career.
- The Mission Continues has given me that motivation
that I needed that I was missing for so many years.
And it is with a great sense of pride that I can say
that I will be able to accomplish this goal
of going to law school.
- They feel like they are reenergized, rejuvenated.
They feel like they're needed again.
And so that's what we do at The Mission Continues.
We let veterans know that we still need them in the community
and it's been shown to work.
- Now 60 pounds lighter and with a renewed sense of purpose,
Nicholas has transformed.
- You'll start to feel that sense of worth again,
and you won't need to drink that much.
You won't need to bury your sorrow.
You won't need to numb yourself out
because you'll have something that you have to give.
You'll feel like you're needed somewhere.
1, 2, 3. Your turn.
- More than 700 post-9/11 veterans
have received fellowships.
Information about the application process is
available at MissionContinues.org.
As for Nicholas, he's planning to finish up
his bachelor's degree and open his own gym next year
in Oregon, where he'll offer free martial arts training
to kids.