HONOLULU (Tribune News Service) — A local veteran is trying to spread the word about mental health and living better through a weekly podcast.

Danny Mayberry, a Navy veteran who served combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, launched the podcast “1 Mile 1 Veteran“ in September 2022. Episodes explore practical tips on nutrition, exercise routines, mindfulness techniques and holistic approaches to improve overall wellness.

Mayberry said he was spurred into action through his experiences fighting his own demons, and wants to use his experiences to help others.

“Back in 2011 I sought help for PTSD and alcohol dependence while I was in the military, and gave over to the treatment protocols,“ he said. “They did a great job of taking care of me, making sure that I was a part of my own treatment plan. And it was successful. I celebrated 12 years of recovery this past year.”

But while Mayberry said it was a success, the road also has been windy. He said that 10 years into his recovery, he found himself once again exploring dark thoughts.

“I was working a full-time job running my business and pursuing a master’s degree. Life was going pretty good. It was reasonably balanced,“ he recalled. “And just one evening I had a near-suicide attempt. So I used all the tools that I knew that I had learned from military medicine, the nonprofit organizations that I was a part of and the VA. I put them into practice that weekend and eventually got to the point where I was able to tell my wife what was going on, and we averted a crisis in our home.”

In 2004, two years into his Navy career, Mayberry decided to become a corpsman—a navy medic. A billet opened up with the Marines in Hawaii, and 30 days after checking in on Oahu, he deployed to Afghanistan on Nov. 6, 2004, for his first deployment.

After returning he soon deployed again in 2005, this time to Iraq as part of a 12-man “military transition team“ tasked with training Iraqi army soldiers.

He deployed as sectarian violence in Iraq was on the rise and casualties were mounting. His team operated in the town of Haditha, site of a bloody massacre committed by U.S. Marines in which they killed 24 Iraqi civilians — considered by some the worst war crime committed by U.S. service members during the conflict.

“We were the unit that relieved the unit that was a part of that whole event,“ said Mayberry. “Operations had just started to kick up a bit, and the way that the Iraqi army was trained, they don’t have training grounds that they necessarily go to. So we would patrol with them for 16 hours a day looking for opportunities to engage with the enemy. And that’s kind of where the majority of my trauma comes from.”

He returned from that deployment and became an instructor teaching fellow service members combat medicine before deploying again to Afghanistan in 2010.

“It was after that deployment that I started having severe flashbacks for the first time,“ he said.

He said that in February 2020, with his wife’s support, he decided he wanted to focus his life on helping fellow veterans. By that time he was working in communications and decided that sharing his story—and the stories of others—was the best way he could help.

“Podcasts were on the rise. We were planning this during the pandemic,“ he said. “So we wanted to put something into action as quickly as possible while we planned it, and that led us towards the podcast format of 20-to 24-minute episodes, which is the average time it takes to walk a mile.”

At the end of episodes, Mayberry encourages listeners to reach out to their friends and talk to them, regardless of how they’re feeling. He said that maintaining relationships is key to maintaining sanity and feeling a sense of connection.

“Because when the dark days come — and they come for all of us — you have somebody that you’re accustomed to talking to,“ he said.

In just over a year, the podcast has grown in listenership and reach. National nonprofit Wreaths Across America Radio now airs episodes of the podcast on Thursdays and Saturdays. The podcast also has received support Semper Fi & America’s Fund, which put Mayberry through its apprenticeship program and provided funding for equipment and conferences for networking.

“I really want people to know that there are amazing people in organizations out there that are willing to help,“ said Mayberry. “We sold our home, we quit both of our jobs and we committed to doing this for two years.”

Through the growing community, “1 Mile 1 Veteran“ also hosts walking groups locally and virtually to allow veterans to connect and talk while exercising and being in nature together.

“I just really want people to know and have the hope that they can get the help that they need,“ said Mayberry. “They just have to know where to look out, and our show really does help connect people to the resources that they would need in a time of crisis.”

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