Contributed
A weekly group for veterans has begun meeting every Wednesday from 2-4 p.m. at the Moore County Senior Enrichment center.
This group meeting is free, but attendees must be 50 or older and a Moore County resident.
Veterans to Veterans is a program that is a dual credentialed program with the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaches and International Coaching Federation.
The VTTV (Veteran Talking to Veterans) trains Veterans to become Coaches with skills to facilitate one-on-one sessions and group coaching sessions. Doug Null is a Certified VTTV trauma-informed coach, trained in a variety of techniques to help others. One of these is assisting in uncovering “shadow stories,” those moments when you don’t understand the feelings, emotions, or perceptions affecting your decisions. Shadow stories exist in our unconscious. We all have them. They are not bad or good, but they affect how we live our day-to-day lives.
Null is a retired member of the United States Air Force, where he served for more than 35 years before retiring as a Senior Master Sergeant. During his career, he was deployed multiple times to operations OIF, OEF, as well as four expeditionary actions and four humanitarian actions. He served as active-duty Air Force and in the Wyoming Air National Guard. During his deployments, he enjoyed the camaraderie and dedication to the “mission” instilled in the people and organization that they serve.
Answering the Call to Action can be exciting, challenging, rewarding, and fulfilling. Also, serving your country at times may have its pitfalls. Seeing the world around you in turmoil and devastation or personal events in our lives may leave us confused, changed, or even emotionally scarred. Doug recognized this in himself and witnessed it in others and stepped up to answer the Call to Action. He agreed to help support those who have been through these unfortunate pitfalls.
The Wyoming Veterans’ Commission and the State of Wyoming asked for volunteers to help with a new program for the veteran community. The new program was targeted at reducing the suicide rate in Wyoming. Mentor Agility along with the Wyoming Veterans’ Commission and the State of Wyoming, joined together to build a program and train a group of Coaches who would integrate their skills into their communities.
Doug and his wife recently moved to Moore County and in less than a week, Doug was involved in the Veterans Resource Fair at the Agricultural Center in Carthage.
Lynne Drinkwater, SEC Program Coordinator said, “Doug was at the table next to me and once we began speaking, I thought this sounded like a wonderful program to have at the SEC.”
With his training, Doug will help navigate and direct your path, for it is your path and nobody else’s. He won’t tell you what to do or how to change. He will help you find it yourself. Veterans and First Responders are invited to join Doug at his next group meeting.
One of Doug’s favorite quotes is from Joseph Campbell: “You enter the forest at its darkest point where there is no path. Where there is a way, or a path is someone else’s path. You are not on your own path. If you follow someone else’s way, you are not going to realize your own potential.”
Call (910) 947-4483 to register to attend. The Moore County Senior Enrichment Center is located at 8040 HWY 15-501 in Carthage, about two miles north of the Pinehurst Traffic Circle.
