by CJ Vetter
BUDA – Local veteran Greg Miller is partnering with the Warriors Journey to help with the crisis in Ukraine. Once there, Miller will connect with other members of the organization to help deliver supplies, provide medical help and training, and set up distribution points.
Greg Miller, 57, is a retired special forces medic, who served 22 years in Afghanistan and is a purple heart recipient. He lives in New Braunfels and has family in Hays County, and operates Re-UP men’s clinic located in Schertz. On Feb. 22, Russia invaded Ukraine under false peace-keeping pretenses. Hundreds of Americans felt the call to action, and Miller was one of them. After consideration with his long-time friend Tyler Schmidt, Miller decided to travel to Ukraine and help in the humanitarian effort along with Schmidt.
“I’ve been watching the situation for a while, and I called my brother, and he said we should be going over there. We picked a date, and decided to be back by July 4,” Miller said. “My friend and myself, that was Tyler Schmidt, decided to do this ourself; we were going one way or not.”
To fund their travel, Schmidt started a fundraiser on the website Gofundme.com where people could donate to their mission; Miller and Schmidt were then approached by the Warriors Journey non-profit organization after their story was told by a Colorado newspaper. Warriors Journey volunteer Patrick Brennan partnered with the pair and helped them organize how they would be reaching Ukraine, as well as help fine-tune the details of their mission.
“It’s evolved into TWJF or The Warriors Journey Forward; Utilizing veteran skillsets, specifically special operation veterans, we ask how do you plug them into humanitarian assistance, disaster response while giving a sense of purpose as part of the Warriors Journey?” Brennan said.
The Warriors Journey is a 501 nonprofit organization that was founded in 2016 and is based on helping veterans transition from life in the military to life as a civilian. So far, they have helped over 10,000 soldiers during their operations. They also offer resources and support to both veterans and active-duty soldiers struggling with emotional, social, and spiritual difficulties. While having started in Springfield, MI, it has quickly grown beyond that state. Founding TWJ member Daniel Bell has been one of the people who have helped organize Miller’s mission to Ukraine.
“We have a liaison in Poland and a team that’s in Ukraine in Lviv, there are 11 special forces veterans already there, and they’re working on three things; transporting supplies to people, providing prehospital care and training, and setting up distribution points,” Bell said.
Miller left the U.S. on April 8 and hopes to return by July 4. As a former special operations soldier, Miller chose to volunteer out of a sense of duty and a call to action. He has left behind his family, as well as his business, to help. Although putting his life on pause, he isn’t afraid of the mission ahead, only ‘cautiously apprehensive’. Once in Ukraine, Miller will work with fellow veterans who have joined the TWJ, and begin to help in the humanitarian crisis by providing medical care and distributing medical supplies.
“We see everyone support Ukraine, but I’m not seeing anything that’s helping; I had to do more than talk,” Miller said. “If there’s only one fear, it’s that I won’t get to see my grandkids grow up, I won’t see them again.”
For those wishing to support Miller’s mission to Ukraine, you can visit WarriorsJourney.org, or you can directly donate to Miller’s travel funds at www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-help-the-people-of-ukraine.
