RESTORING OUR HEROES
STRUGGLING WITH POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS and MORAL INJURIES
Why does Restoring Our Heroes do this?
The following is the heart felt quote from a New Hampshire State Trooper who attended our 2026 Retreat.
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"I don't know how to thank you for this past week. The Restoring Our Heroes staff was incredible. Their professionalism, compassion, and dedication to serving others were second to none. Michelle, in particular, gave me the tools to begin forgiving myself for the blame, guilt and weight I have carried for nearly 5 years following the death of a fellow trooper whom I could not save after a crash involving a tractor trailer. For the first time in five years, I have been able to smile and truly enjoy myself without being consumed by guilt and shame. I am excited to spend time with my wife and our girls and to be fully present with them. For the past five years, I have been physically present but emotionally absent. I haven't been able to enjoy life becasue of the guilt I was carrying. You and your staff have given me the tools to smile again, to enjoy life, and to truly live it. That is a gift I can never fully repay, but one I will carry with me for the rest of my life."
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Many of our heroes come with silent scars and invisible wounds. Understanding this is what ROH is there for. It presents sometimes as trauma, sometimes as grief and this ever moving target we call moral injury or organizational betrayal. Words are inadequate and often fail to describe what has been refered to as "the body keeps the score." First responders see hundreds of traumatic experiences where most people experience less than a handful in their lifetime and its toll is slow, cummulatvie and heavy. The mission of ROH is to help rewire pathways and create new meanings to things in their lives. It takes time to see these things didn't happen to them, but they (our Heroes) happened for them. Some of these things feel unfair and not right and those they must find a way to release, to set down. They did not cause the harm, they were just one of God's soldiers called to bear witness. There comes a point where these burdens were never theirs to carry and they can set them down not only for the people who love them but also for themselves. Just like the State Trooper above, with the help of ROH he came to this realization and left these burdens on the trails and valleys of Colorado! They were never his to carry, they never were.
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"There is a crack in everything, that's how the Light gets in."
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The above is a brief synopsis from the wisdom of Colonel John Monaghan, a member of the ROH team.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Restoring Our Heroes is proud to announce our new partnership with the Hero Down Foundation (herodownfoundation.org). This mutual collaboration will allow both organizations to expand and strengthen the programs we provide to veterans and first responders, helping us better serve those who served us.
Restoring Our Heroes is proud to announce that in 2027 we will conduct two Retreats.
We are especially proud to announce that for the first time we will provide a retreat for women who are veterans or first responders suffering the ill effects of career moral injuries.
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Lest We Forget
After attending one of our retreats as a special guest he had this comment:
"it looks like you are on to something special here!"
Commander Rorke Denver USN SEALS
author of two best selling books
actor in the movie "Act of Valor"
top motivational speaker
"In the discipline of law enforcement and the military, let us not forget that real bravery includes seeking help and prioritizing mental health; strength is not just in the mission we serve, but in the peace we cultivate within ourselves."
James Steinmetz USMC, State Trooper (ret)
Our Team
"Lest We Forget"
Restoring Our Heroes was founded by Dr. Bob Briggs. Blessed with the dedication, generosity, and commitment of our team below, all who have attended our RESTORING OUR HEROES RETREATS, we pledge to continue to grow the programs and offer healing opportunities to our Heroes. We Dare to Win!
Dr. Bob Briggs, DMD
Founder and President,
USAF Veteran
Laura Farley
Community Outreach Director
Nothing describes Laura more than her "infectious personality!"
Michelle Kaye, MA., LPC
Founder and Executive Director Operation Equine
Eagala Certified, Eagala-Approved Military Designated Provider, EGE
(Equine Guided Education)
Certified Facilitator
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John Monaghan, Retired Police Chief and State Trooper, Instructor on mental health, suicide prevention, and post traumatic growth, and a guide for the Boulder Crest Foundation Struggle Well Program.
Jamey Steinmetz, Vice President
USMC, Sgt New Hampshire State Police 26 yrs (ret), State Police peer support counselor, attendee Boulder Crest Struggle Well program
Francisco (Cisco) Vicente
Director of Strategic Planning, USMC sniper, State Trooper and former DEA task force officer
Our MISSION
Our veterans and first responders suffer trials that no one but those who have been through them can understand. As a result they are not the same person they were when they started their career, resulting in a struggle to reintegrate back into society. There comes a point in each veteran/first responders life when they must try to make sense of the darkness in their soul and reclaim their own humanity and re-engage with the humanity of others. Restoring Our Heroes offers a process through its
Retreats,where our Heroes can Reconnect with people dealing with similar issues, Reconcile with their past, Reload with advice and tools for the future, and finally be Restored as a productive member of society. These Retreats are interspersed with wellness training and post-traumaitc growth, where our heroes experience healing and transformation in their lives.
Camaraderie at its best!
"Restoring Our Heroes loaned us their spirit of community, of gratitude, and of belonging. They loaned us their soul and helped me remember where I had put mine"
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John Monaghan, retired Chief of Police
