Warfigter Ranch, Inc.

Someone took the lead! Please help me out with your vote! "Fighting The Dragon"!
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Thank you all so much for your kind words and love! God bless you all! May God keep you safe and give you peace! 🙏 ❤️

I am going to start a 3x a week (M,W,F) aqua'arobics class starting this Wednesday at 11 am for women. Easy, fun, and safe! Please let me know if you would like to join me. Also, my "God's Love Connection" podcast starts on Sept. 7th. SO EXCITED! I pray you all join me online for that! God bless you all.

🚨WARNING🚨
This YouTube Channel is Warfighter Family friendly! And it costs absolutely nothing to Like, Share, and SUBSCRIBE! Please feel free to share!
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CHECK US OUT! ALL CLEAN MATERIAL FOR THE WARFIGHTER NATION!

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We have over 920 videos on our YouTube Channel for your viewing pleasure! And ALL are focused on our Warfighter Family AND being Warfighter Family friendly! Please give us a Like, Share, and SUBSCRIBE in order to stay up-to-date with all things Warfighter Ranch, the Isaiah 6:8 Military Outreach Ministry, and !
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Isaiah68Actual The Outreach arm of Warfighter Ranch! www.warfighterranch.org

A pipe burst in one of the bedrooms walls in the middle of the night. Pray for us! God bless you all!

Thank you all so much for the wonderful birthday wishes! God bless you all! ❤️

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DAY 5 - 40-DAY PRAYER JOURNEY - Turn Our Hearts — Carla McDougal DAY 5: "If My People" - Turn Our Hearts Bible Prep: Acts 1-2 THE SECOND GREAT AWAKENING The Second Great Awakening was a Christian revival movement during the early nineteenth century in the United States. It began around 1800 and gained momentum by 1820. The movement expressed a theol

We operate a 501 (c)(3) non-profit called Warfighter Ranch. We live in Glendale, Arizona for now, however we hope to move to Prescott, AZ when we can either purchase or receive a donated ranch property in the area. Our intent is fairly simple; to heal our Warfighter family together, the Warrior and the family members, in Christ first.

We'll add in assistance from other nonprofits in our network as well as eventually provide Equine Therapy, and other non-traditional therapies such as things that the VA may not show interest in. We're looking to "bridge the gap" with Spiritual Resiliency. It's things like this that make us very different than other such "Hug Me" or "Band-Aid programs.

Currently we're hosting Combat Trauma Healing Groups for Combat Veterans as well as First Responders- AND ARE INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL! We count Warfighters from Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, Somalia, and Desert Storm among our ranks, and have witnessed the healing of our brothers and sisters and the invisible wounds of war!

Please feel free to check out our website where you can see our mission statement, find out a little bit about Helen, and even download our family's five books FREE as a .pdf! Thanks in advance for your support, and please feel free to contact us at any time.

Ron Breland
University of Mogadishu, Class of '93
Isaiah 6:8 Military Outreach Ministry
www.warfighterranch.org

Ron Breland - Ret. Soldier / Warfighter Nation Chaplain

U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Ron Breland (Ret.) served in the United States Army from 1990 to 2005 as a DoD Certified Firefighter and a Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Specialist. As a third generation firefighter, Ron realized early on that his destiny was to serve.

In 1993, Breland volunteered for the humanitarian-turned-combat mission in Mogadishu, Somalia where he engaged the enemy on their own ground. Unbeknownst to Breland at the time, he suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury after a truck explosion. He was also a Quick Reaction Force Member at Swordbase, and assisted in thwarting a surprise attack on his basecamp by two Somali insurgents, which he quickly dispatched during the evening of October 3rd.

A tour to the war torn region of Kosovo would come later, in 1999, where then Sergeant Breland was hand-picked by the XVIII Airborne Corps Command Staff and named the Task Force Falcon Fire Chief, serving under then Brigadier General Carlos Sanchez. Breland successfully ran fire stations on three base camps in two countries while forging mutual aid agreements between the United States and other Balkan nations. During this tour, Breland’s specialized team responded to a Special Forces Team that was killed after driving over an anti-tank mine, which seriously affected Breland’s morale. Ron would not be diagnosed with PTSD until 2001, just before 9-11-01.

As a Squad Leader serving in Ar Ramadi, Iraq from 2003 through 2004, Breland led his Quick Reaction Force Squad on over 300 missions outside the wire during their tenure in the Sunni Triangle. His Battalion, having taken heavy casualties throughout the year; the most of any single Battalion level unit at that time during OIF, Breland sank deeper into his PTS symptoms and depression.

SSG Breland was medically retired in July of 2005. The experiences and positions held both in the Fire Service and as a combat-proven leader would serve the nation’s First Responders well as he transitioned into the next phase of his professional life.

After medically retiring from the United States Army in 2005, Ron Breland served as the New Mexico State Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Coordinator, a division of the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. There, Breland also served as the Program Manager of New Mexico Task Force-1, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) National Task Force under the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Emergency Support Function - 9, and personally trained thousands of Military and First Responders in the fields of Incident Command (ICS), Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), Vehicle-Borne IEDs, and Su***de Bomber Prevention Training in only two years.

Breland was also selected as a member of the Department of Homeland Security's focus group to examine and establish response actions of First Responders; a cumulative report which directly served in the development of Homeland Security Presidential Directive-19 (Combating Terrorist Use of Explosives in the United States). This elite group was derived from an International community of Bomb Squad Commanders, Hazardous Materials professionals, and other response personnel. Ron also taught Counter-Terrorism Courses for the Department of Homeland Security’s Center for Domestic Preparedness, New Mexico Tech, and the Nevada Test Site; all members of the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium.

Ron now serves as a Chaplain through a unique Military Outreach Ministry; his wife’s 501 (c)(3) - Warfighter Ranch. This organization exists to help heal the invisible wounds of the heart, mind, and soul through Jesus Christ! A unique Military Artist, Ron uses parachute cord to reach out to over 20,000 Warfighters individually over the last 13 years.

Ron believes each and every piece is "a sermon for one".

Ron is the author of four books; most notably ”Ghost Nation – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Society”, which he co-wrote with his wife, Helen, to offer different vantage points of PTSD and to help others understand this debilitating condition. The Breland's currently reside in Glendale, Arizona, have 5 children and 5 grandchildren!

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Please stop by and give our page a Like and help grow this amazing Military Outreach Ministry - Warfighter Ranch!

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And the Outreach arm of Warfighter Ranch - the Isaiah 6:8 Military Outreach Ministry!

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Warfighter Ranch Warfighter Ranch's Mission, through the spirit of God, holistic means, faith-based teachings, the heart of community, and the empowerment of oneself we are helping to heal the hearts, minds, and souls of Warfighters and their families. 

Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's getting it done this year! We salute you!
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We could use your prayers please.
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This past Friday afternoon was life changing.

Admittedly, my heart rate climbed just a tad when the Caller ID popped up as the "Phoenix VA", but I intentionally focused on my breathing to stay leveled out.

With time hopefully comes wisdom.

And when I got off the phone my thoughts were scattered, but relieved in a sense. The emotional tension that mounted within me was cut loose all at once.

I couldn't think of anything to say but "Thank you, Lord!". Thank you, indeed.

It's taken me a long time to get to this place in my faith.

But I specifically didn't want to ask for anything - not in this moment. It did not feel immediately natural, which is precisely why I pressed forward with it. It's been said that courage is defined not as the absence of fear but the willingness to move forward in spite of it. I don't know if that's so much what it was, but it felt strangely similar to that first exit down at Airborne School. It was a mixture of fear, excitement, and a sense of purpose and focus.

In 142 Airborne Operations I've never once been a 'Jump Refusal', and I wasn't about to start now.

While in Ramadi, our unit, the Devil Brigade - had a motto: " You bet your soul on what you believe. You bet your life on what you know." Besides Jesus Himself, no truer words were ever spoken.

Thank you God for giving me everything that I have, everything that I am, and for every blessing I was ever forgetful of. Everything.

Thank you for choosing me and sending me. Thank you for weaving me in my mother's womb and creating me with intention and purpose within Your Divine Plan.

Thank You for the blessings. Thank You for the trials and experiences; all of which have left me not weaker, but more resilient, more humble, and permanently changed with an attitude of gratitude as opposed to an aptitude for platitudes. Quality over quantity. Thank you for stretching my humanity out to receive more than I could have ever imagined, or had the courage to do on my own.

Thank you for living, dying, and rising up again for me, and for all who would accept the eternal gift of salvation from. A loving and living God.

That being said, living with things like compounded past trauma, abuse, 3 combat tours, surviving a heart attack, COVID-19, and once upon a time even marrying.....and inevitably divorcing - a First Sergeant's daughter - (PAUSE) - I've preached over and over again about James, Chapter 1 - or the Biblical lesson of "Embracing The Suck". Of course we find this in James 1:2-4.

‭Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, [3] for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. [4] And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Then while I do practice what I preach, I never said it would be easy. Many of you have heard my testimony and know that I have realized the true value of this - but I've found it's not just healthy but pragmatic to open your journey up to others. This is not a moment of pride or boastfulness, but one of accountability and faith to my God. It is an answer to what God has called my family and I to face in this particular season.

Faith, like love - is a choice.

An intentional choice.

Every day.

Sometimes multiple times per day, hour, or minute.

Whatever it takes.

Maybe have that one friend or even are that one friend whom everyone calls for advice or information.

But when you call them and get all the information, The second you hang up you think of another question. So you call them back. And this process repeats over and over again. If you're blessed enough to have a friend like that here on earth like I do - then CONGRATULATIONS! You're definitely in the vast minority and are truly blessed.

Maybe if you don't have someone like that here on earth because honestly that's not for everyone. Not everyone has that level of patience. There is another source that knows you better than anyone. I'm walking on this rock and who never mind you coming back again and again. It's not about just coming back to God every time, it's about trusting Jesus enough to believe, to truly believe in His sacrifice - in His salvation.

It's about leaning in, moving forward towards the storm with boldness and intent. It's about knowing that if we're serving intentionally with our hearts turned towards Him - then no matter how fierce the waves, how loud the thunder is, or how bright the lightning strike - we have to look past it, through it, and keep moving forward without fear, because we will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

NOTE TO SELF: The enemy doesn't have those same Divine protections we do!

I know. In the world we currently live in, it doesn't even seem to make sense. But for those of us who grow up as wild, free, and feral children in the 70's and 80's - we know what true freedom looks like, and what it can be. We truly speak freely. Especially those of us who grew up around that time, then joined and retired from the military, thus protecting said freedom while simultaneously stifling our own, (Yes, the military is an enigma.) - and regaining it all back all at once again if we lived long enough to retire.

To be honest, it was a little overwhelming at first. But here I seem to have completely transformed into my old man and yelling at the TV during the news. But as the times change as they always do one thing remains the same. Time eventually comes for us all, Warfighter Nation, and only God knows when that is.
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But this was probably the first time I was seriously not looking forward to getting this call back from the VA. They opened up a shiny new clinic in downtown Phoenix and I had an entirely new medical team. So of course everybody wanted a new battery of tests and blood work, done and in my case a CT scan as well from my lumbar up to my skull. It was all relatively harmless until that phone call.

I had received a message telling them.I needed to call them back. Of course we were in the midst of a game of phone tag for the last twelve hours - potentially twelve of the longest hours of my life.

Apparently my new medical team has no issue working in double time and and the results from my CT scan came back only 48 afterwards.

VA: Is this Mr. Breland?

ME: Yes Ma'am, how can I help you?

So she verifies that it's me and then asks me right out the gate. "Has anyone from your medical team informed you that we found a mass on your lung?"

ME: Um, no Ma'am. This is the first I'm hearing of this. ...

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They found a nodule on my lung.

It didn't take me completely by surprise as I have many types of l cancer and heart disease in my family, And like an idiot as a young Joe and started smoking for 35 years - even though I quit almost 2 years ago. Consequences.

So I have my first of many appointments next week to discuss treatment options and start monthly scans.

That's pretty much it for now. We'll know more soon.

But certainly does put things in perspective. Quite honestly, it lit a fire under my ass and put a stopwatch in my ear.

So I'm asking first and foremost for your prayers. But I'm also seeking help in fundraising for Warfighter Ranch. We really do need help with this. We haven't had a recurring monthly donor in over a year now. We're going on my retirement at this point.

The Warfighter Nation has never needed this more, and the sooner we can get to Texas and establish the Ranch itself, well - I will not rest.

Our families, friends and loved ones are truly what really matters in this life, and we are seeking to help improve those relationships and the lives of others by helping to heal the invisible wounds of the heart, mind, and soul through Christ. This can truly help save marriages, families, and souls!

This. Warfighter Ranch is what God put on our hearts, and my medical stuff changes nothing as far as that goes. Warfighter Ranch is bigger than this, bigger than me, bigger than any illness - bigger than all of us.

Please help support us in our mission to bring Warfighter Ranch to fruition.

I love you all.

Ron Breland

Outreach Chaplain, Warfighter Ranch
20662 N. 42nd Avenue
Glendale, Arizona 85308

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by Jeff Struecker
January 17, 2024

We’ve all heard the phrase “turn the other cheek.” Most of us do not want to let someone who has done us wrong off the hook. Turning the other cheek feels like opening the door to being hurt or abused in the future.

It gets even more challenging for the few people who want to practice these words when someone has already hurt you and shows no genuine remorse.

I wonder if his audience understood how difficult this challenge was when Jesus called them to turn the other cheek in his famous Sermon on the Mount. He literally challenged his audience to offer the left cheek for abuse after someone slaps you on the right cheek.

My recent Unbeatable interview with Ron Breland sounded like a modern example of what it looks like to put this ancient principle into practice. Warning: there’s nothing easy about this challenge. Most people with an intense desire for self-protection will view this statement as utter nonsense. I recognize this concept is so foreign that some of you will stop reading here.

With the rest of this article, I want to explore the courage it takes to turn the other cheek without letting the abuse turn into a severe condition like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). For those of you with the courage to confront your trauma rather than run from it, read on…

Finding the courage to confront abuse

Ron grew up in an incredibly abusive family. Dropped from a roof as an infant, chased from the mafia as a toddler, and abused by his father as a teenager, Ron’s life was nothing but pain and trauma. This kind of tragic childhood would quickly turn anyone into a savage.

Rather than run away from it, Ron leaned into his pain. In a strange way, all of the childhood difficulties that Ron went through prepared him for the hardships of serving in the US military. He could handle some of the horrors of war because he confronted his past rather than run from it. He was able to get back in the saddle after the trauma of combat because of the difficulties he learned to overcome as a child.

A first responder responds to trauma

Your greatest strength always comes from the inside. It doesn’t matter how much weight you can throw up at the gym; it takes far more strength to confront abuse and move on from it than the people who run from their past. It takes a strong heart to turn the left cheek when the right cheek still stings from the past.

Ron had to learn how to overcome his trauma to be successful in the military and combat. Ron’s faith gave him the strength to do what others run from. Eventually, as a military firefighter, Ron found the strength to face the kind of personal trauma that most people can’t. Both emotionally and physically, Ron showed friends how to run into the types of places and spaces that most others were running out of.

Wounds that are worse than war

What happens inside is far more painful and lasts far longer than outside. The human reaction to physical pain is to pull away immediately. This is a natural and healthy survival mechanism. However, running from emotional or relational pain is not always easy… nor is it productive. This is the point when someone doesn’t return (all the way) home from war.

Ron learned that psychological trauma is always far more difficult to confront than physical pain. Emotional scars always take longer to heal than physical scars. There are perfectly normal people at work with you who have deep, festering wounds in their hearts. These people appear normal until they get in a situation where they are about to be slapped on the left cheek. You can tell from their reaction that they’ve never worked through the pain of being hit on the right cheek in the past.

The only path out of the pain

Just like a healthy body must heal and restore itself after physical trauma, so must the heart heal itself after emotional trauma. The only way to heal is to go through difficult memories and relationships.

There’s only one path through heart pain. Don’t let society deceive you; there’s no path around the pain or shortcut. You must deal with the source of your pain if you’re going to get healthy on the other side of it. And in many cases, that requires confronting the person or circumstance that caused the pain in the first place.

Fight your feelings, not the person

It’s easy to see why pain can turn us into a savage. When experiencing a painful circumstance, the natural human reaction is to build up a protective wall so that you don’t have to go through that situation again.

This is a natural reaction but not a helpful reaction.

I have great respect for people like Ron who haven’t become debilitated by their past and also haven’t let it turn them into a savage . He is an excellent example of learning from painful experiences without becoming closed off from the rest of the world.

I hope this article has challenged you to get healthy after the hurt of your past. If you’re willing to live up to Jesus’s challenge to turn the other cheek, it won’t be easy, but it might be the best thing that happens to you this year. If you’re struggling to move on from the trauma that you’ve experienced in the past, here is an article I wrote with three essential steps to beat trauma without letting it beat you.

You can also listen to my whole interview with Ron HERE.

https://jeffstruecker.com/podcast/ep-122-ron-breland-a-military-firefighter-heals-warriors-hidden-wounds/