TASK FORCE
VALOR

STRENGTH • HONOR • COMMUNITY

FOR THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED. FOR THOSE WHO STAND BESIDE THEM.

Wilderness Heals.
Community
Endures.

Strengthening the Special Operations community and their families through meaningful outdoor experiences, genuine camaraderie, and connection that lasts beyond the excursion—countering the $8\times$ post-unit suicide surge ( $11.0$ to $88.5$ per $100\text{k}$ )¹ and Operator Syndrome ( $89.1\%$ prevalence)².

Background Reel:

✦

STRENGTH

Resilience through shared outdoor experience and

-36\%

PTSD symptom reduction³

⚔

HONOR

Service and sacrifice remembered alongside our Gold Star spouses and children⁵

★

COMMUNITY

Rebuilding the operational brotherhood with

>85\%\text{--}92\%

program completion⁶

INDIVIDUAL SUPPORTERS

Give in a way that matters.

Whether through $100\%$ zero-fee financial support on Zeffy, Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) grants, equipment, or community introductions, supporters help broaden our reach and impact.

FIELD DISPATCH • LAKE COEUR D'ALENE

Operation Pike Pursuit AAR.

On September 26, 2026, Task Force Valor united $40$ participants and raised $\$2,200+$ at Conkling Marina—using 4-operator drift boats to reduce PTSD hyperarousal ( $d = 0.78$ ) and normalize waking cortisol⁴.

WINTER 2025/2026 • SCHWEITZER MTN

Restoring family cohesion.

Supporting Gold Star and SOF families with adaptive alpine skiing in Sandpoint, ID. Multi-day alpine retreats drive statistically significant gains in marital satisfaction and family cohesion ( $d = 0.52\text{--}0.71$ , $p < .01$ )⁵.

★ THANK YOU SPONSORS & LICENSED OUTFITTER PARTNERS

K BALES ENTERPRISES, LLC (Plummer, ID) ↗ • SLACK WATER GUIDES (Commercial Drift-Boat Partner) • NORTH 40 OUTFITTERS • COEUR D'ALENE TRIBE • TRUE NORTH MENTAL HEALTH & WELLNESS • CONKLING MARINA • SPECIAL FORCES ASSOC. CHAPTER 43

THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE MISSION

Who We Are

Founded in April 2025 in North Idaho by retired U.S. Special Operations Forces veterans and community leaders (501(c)(3) EIN: 33-4801549), our team is united by a commitment to the Special Operations community and the Gold Star families who stand beside them. Meet the people and the peer-reviewed science creating connection, camaraderie, and meaningful recovery through Task Force Valor.

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP & BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Our Leadership & Governance Team

Our executive leaders and Board of Directors guide Task Force Valor's mission, field safety operations, clinical commitment to participant and family well-being, and enterprise growth.

FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

LTC (Ret.) Benjamin Johnson

U.S. Army Special Forces Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.)

A retired U.S. Army Special Forces Lieutenant Colonel, he has dedicated his life to service, leadership, and the warrior community. Driven by a continued commitment to those who serve, he founded Task Force Valor to create opportunities for Special Operations veterans and their families to reconnect, build resilience, and strengthen mental health through the restorative power of the outdoors. He believes that healing, connection, and camaraderie are essential to the long-term well-being of our nation’s warriors and their families.

CHIEF MEDICAL ADVISOR

Dr. Rajeana Johnson

Psychiatric Mental Health, Primary & Palliative Care

Dr. Rajeana Johnson brings over 20 years of experience in psychiatric mental health, primary and palliative care, and firsthand insight as the wife of a Special Operations veteran. As Chief Medical Advisor she supports a proactive, holistic approach to mental health and wellness.

CHAIRMAN, BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Gary A. Mitchell, PMP

MSG (Ret.), U.S. Army Special Forces • Task Force Dagger

Gary Mitchell is a former U.S. Army Special Forces Operator with extensive experience in military operations, program leadership, and defense-sector partnerships. He serves as Chairman of the Board for Task Force Valor.

BOARD MEMBER & CHAIR, STRATEGIC OUTREACH & GROWTH

Christopher J. Kyle, MBA

Chief Warrant Officer (Ret.), U.S. Army • MSQM Candidate ’27

Chris Kyle is a retired U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer with 23 years of active service, 10 overseas deployments, and senior staff leadership through the Brigade level. As Chair of Strategic Outreach & Growth for Task Force Valor, he pairs military operational discipline with an MBA and a graduate candidacy ’27 MS in Quantitative Management - Business Analytics from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business to lead corporate development and architect enterprise systems—building the strategic partnerships and scalable infrastructure needed to expand outdoor wellness retreats for service members, veterans, and Gold Star families.

Christopher J. Kyle, MBA

Chief Warrant Officer (Ret.) | Board Member & Chair, Strategic Outreach & Growth

EXECUTIVE PROFILE

Christopher J. Kyle is a retired U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer, operational strategist, and executive systems planner with 23 years of active military service, 10 overseas combat deployments, and senior staff leadership extending through the Brigade headquarters level.

Across more than two decades directing complex missions in high-consequence, austere environments, he developed a specialized reputation for operational design, translating high-level strategic intent into autonomous execution with little to no guidance, and building high-trust alliances across diverse, multi-jurisdictional stakeholders.

Pairing deep expeditionary operational mastery with advanced quantitative business education from Duke University, he leads the planning and preparation of corporate development and enterprise systems architecture for Task Force Valor, laying the operational and digital foundation required for sustainable growth and strategic partnerships.

CORE STRATEGIC & OPERATIONAL COMPETENCIES

Autonomous Strategy & Intent-Driven Execution: Technical mastery of end-to-end operational planning and field execution. Proven ability to operate with broad autonomy under senior executive intent, translating ambiguity into synchronized milestones, risk-mitigated decision matrices, and disciplined operations.
Cross-Cultural Influence & Alliance Building: Extensive background in multi-stakeholder alliance building, joint force synchronization, and partner integration. Adept at navigating disparate organizational cultures, aligning competing incentives, and building durable consensus across civilian, inter-agency, and partner networks.
Multi-Echelon Synchronization & Operations: Directed mission planning, real-time crisis deconfliction, and synchronized operations from front-line tactical detachments through Brigade-level operational headquarters, coordinating complex actions across geographically dispersed assets.
Information Architecture & Operational Analysis: Integrates deep technical fluency in tactical communications networks, operational intelligence fusion, and environmental threat analysis to eliminate organizational friction, establish ground truth, and maintain real-time operational picture clarity.

MILITARY CAREER & STAFF LEADERSHIP

23 Years of Dedicated Military Service: Advanced from foundational ground combat leadership through senior operational management and technical warrant officer command, advising Commanders, Senators and Representatives, Secretary of Defense, and executive staffs on operational design, capability development, concepts of operations, and mission assurance.
10 Overseas Deployments: Planned, synchronized, and executed high-stakes operations across 10 operational deployments worldwide, maintaining 100% mission accountability, personnel safety, and strategic alignment in contested, unstructured theaters.
Brigade (BDE) Level Headquarters Operations: Served as a primary staff technical advisor and operations director through the Brigade echelon, authoring operational concepts, enterprise readiness frameworks, training pipelines, and multi-unit synchronization matrices.

CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT & ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE (TASK FORCE VALOR)

Enterprise Systems Architecture: Architect of Task Force Valor’s digital infrastructure, engineering zero-cost cloud architecture, role-based access control (RBAC) security protocols, collaborative workspaces, and automated project workflows to ensure institutional permanence.
Corporate Development Planning: Designs data-driven corporate development strategies, applying quantitative analytics to corporate fiscal year cycles (FYE) to identify, target, and cultivate high-capacity corporate social responsibility (CSR) underwriting and foundation grants.
Foundation for Strategic Partnerships: Structures institutional partnership models and Qualified Sponsorship frameworks (IRC § 513(i)), creating the operational stability, transparency, and data integrity needed to establish enduring strategic alliances with outdoor brands, corporate sponsors, and veteran service organizations.

EDUCATION & ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS

Master of Business Administration (MBA) – Global Executive MBA: Duke University, The Fuqua School of Business | Fuqua Scholar. Concentrations in Corporate Strategy, Global Economics, Financial Management, and Cross-Cultural Leadership.
Master of Science in Quantitative Management (MSQM) – Business Analytics: Duke University, The Fuqua School of Business | Candidate ‘27. Specialization in predictive decision modeling, quantitative risk analysis, enterprise data architecture, and decision sciences.
Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership (B.S.): University of Charleston | Academic Distinction. Focused on enterprise leadership systems, organizational behavior, conflict negotiation, and change management.

EMPIRICAL CLINICAL FOUNDATION

Why Special Operations Forces Require a Different Model.

Every statement below is anchored directly in peer-reviewed military medical literature and federal surveillance data (click any citation badge to inspect the source).

01 • COMBAT BURDEN

3\%

vs.

>80\%

⁷

Compressed $1:1$ to $1:2$ Deploy-to-Dwell Tempo

Special Operations Forces comprise only $3\%\text{--}5\%$ of active DoD personnel ( $<10\%$ total force), yet operate in up to $80$ countries daily, sustained $>80\%$ of U.S. combat casualties during peak periods, and deploy at compressed $1:1\text{ to }1:2$ deploy-to-dwell ratios—twice the conventional tempo⁷.

02 • DIAGNOSTIC MASKING

0\%

vs.

67\%

⁸

Complete Chart Concealment & The "Resilience Fallacy"

Because disclosing distress threatens security clearances and team status, $0\%$ of active-duty SOF operators ( $17.3\text{ yrs}$ avg service) had a prior chart diagnosis—yet confidential testing revealed $67\%$ met clinical criteria for PTSD ( $\text{PCL-5} \ge 33$ ) and $72\%$ met criteria for depression⁸. Furthermore, $>60\%$ of veteran suicides occur outside VA care⁹.

03 • OPERATOR SYNDROME

89.1\%

>90\%

Blast Brain Scarring & Household Strain

$89.1\%$ of evaluated SOF personnel meet criteria for Operator Syndrome—driven by microscopic blast wave brain scarring (Interface Astroglial Scarring)¹⁰, endocrine depletion, chronic pain ( $54\%$ ), and sleep apnea ( $36\%$ ). This strain drives divorce rates exceeding $90\%$ in high-tempo units and a $6\times$ surge in military child mental health diagnoses².

04 • THE SEPARATION CLIFF

11.0 \rightarrow 88.5

$8\times$ Post-Unit Suicide Surge & $>7\times$ Attempt Lethality

While peak active USSOCOM suicide rates ran $27\%\text{--}30\%$ above the military average⁷, operator suicide mortality surges $8\times$ (from $11.0$ to $88.5$ per $100\text{k}$ person-years) upon leaving a SOF unit¹. Attempts are $>7\times$ more lethal ( $2.1\text{ to }1$ ratio vs. $15.0\text{ to }1$ ), with $68.5\%$ striking senior NCOs (E5–E9)¹.

EVIDENCE-BASED WILDERNESS THERAPY (/programs)

Meaningful Outdoor Experiences.

Tailored for Active, Separated & Retired SOF Personnel, Gold Star Spouses & Children, SOF Couples, and SOF Youth (Ages $8\text{--}13$ & Teens $13+$ ).

NODE 01 • NORTH IDAHO

Lake Coeur d'Alene Angling & Drift-Boat Ops

Rhythmic bilateral casting and 4-operator boat cohorts down-regulate sympathetic hypervigilance ( $d = 0.78$ ), reduce perceived stress ( $d = 0.82$ ), and normalize waking salivary cortisol⁴.

-36\%

PTSD /

-47\%

Dep³

NODE 02 • SCHWEITZER MTN

Adaptive Alpine Skiing & Family Retreats

Multi-day downhill, adaptive sit-ski, snowboarding, and Nordic retreats for SOF couples and Gold Star families—improving dyadic marital satisfaction and family cohesion ( $d = 0.52\text{--}0.71$ , $p < .01$ )⁵.

+d = 0.71

Family Cohesion⁵

NODE 03 • MOLOKAI, HAWAII

Molokai Coastal & Backcountry Hunting Ops

Reframes combat fieldcraft (stalking, ballistics, terrain reading) into conservation stewardship and organic family provision—driving $+29\%\text{ to }+40\%$ attentional recovery ( $p < .001$ )¹¹.

+40\%

Attentional Reset¹¹

TRAUMA-INFORMED PARTICIPANT PREPARATION

Node 01: North Idaho Angling Packing & Logistics Checklist

★ PROVIDED BY TASK FORCE VALOR & OUTFITTERS:

•Licensed commercial guide boat, captain, fuel, rods, reels, and tackle (Slack Water Guides)
•U.S. Coast Guard-approved Type III Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs)
•Dockside weigh-in meals, hydration, and tournament entry credentials at Conkling Marina

★ PARTICIPANT PACKING LIST:

☐Valid Idaho Fish & Game Fishing License (Disabled Veteran / Non-Resident link provided upon intake)
☐Polarized sunglasses (essential for spotting Northern Pike & eye protection)
☐Waterproof Gore-Tex rain shell, mid-weight fleece layer, & UPF sun hoodie
☐Non-marking waterproof deck boots or closed-toe boat shoes

TAKE PART IN THE MISSION

Stand with those who served.

Your support helps create opportunities for Special Operations personnel and their families to reconnect, recharge, and find belonging through the outdoors—intercepting warriors before the $88.5/100\text{k}$ post-unit separation cliff¹.

ASK ABOUT GIVING / DONATE (0% FEES) ↗

UNIT-COST UNDERWRITING CALCULATOR

100% of every dollar reaches the field via Zeffy (

0.0\%

platform or credit card fees)

$1,000

DIRECT MISSION ALLOCATION

Sponsors a Full 4-Operator Guided Drift Boat on Lake Coeur d'Alene

CLINICAL & TAX SUBSTANTIATION

100% tax-deductible under IRC § 501(c)(3) (EIN: 33-4801549). Qualified corporate sponsors receive IRC § 513(i) tax-exempt recognition.

IRS § 170(f)(8) Statutory Disclosure: Task Force Valor Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN: 33-4801549). Contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law. Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) grants accepted via Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable, and Vanguard.

GET INVOLVED

Join the people behind the mission.

Task Force Valor welcomes conversations with prospective partners, supporters, volunteers, and community members across North Idaho and Hawaii.

Corporate Domicile: Post Falls / Sandpoint, ID 83854 (EIN: 33-4801549)

Executive Director: benjamin.johnson@taskforcevalor.org

Strategic Outreach: outreach@taskforcevalor.org

Operations Telephone: (651) 485-4276 (Director Cell / 208 North ID Routed)

DIRECT DISPATCH

Participant Intake & Partnership Inquiry

Full Name *

Email Address *

Phone Number

Inquiry Pathway *

Message / Operational Context *

★ PEER-REVIEWED CLINICAL & FEDERAL SURVEILLANCE CITATIONS

[1] Ursano, R. J., Mash, H. B. H., Kessler, R. C., et al. (2025). Suicidal Behavior in US Army Special Operations Forces. JAMA Network Open, 8(8), e2527395 (

48.1\text{M}

person-months:

11.0

vs.

88.5

per

100\text{k}

in-unit vs. out-of-unit suicide rate;

2.1\text{ to }1

lethality ratio).

[2] Frueh, B. C., Madan, A., Fowler, J. C., et al. (2020, 2025). "Operator Syndrome": A unique constellation of medical and behavioral health-care needs of military special operation forces. Int. J. Psychiatry in Medicine, 55(4), 281–295 (

89.1\%

prevalence;

>90\%

divorce rate in high-tempo units).

[3] Walter, K. H., Otis, N. P., Ray, T. N., et al. (2019, 2021, 2023). Outdoor water therapy for service members with PTSD and comorbid TBI. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 32(5), 748–757 (Naval Health Research Center:

-36\%

PCL-5 PTSD,

-47\%

PHQ-8 depression,

p < .001

[4] Wheeler, M., Cooper, N. R., Andrews, L., et al. (2020). Outdoor recreational activity experiences improve psychological wellbeing of military veterans with PTSD. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 17(7), 2564 (Angling reductions in PTSD hyperarousal

d = 0.78

, stress

d = 0.82

, & salivary cortisol).

[5] Townsend, J., Hawkins, B. L., Bennett, J. L., et al. (2018). Preliminary long-term health outcomes of a multi-day adaptive ski and outdoor family retreat (

N = 136

). Therapeutic Recreation Journal, 52(2), 144–164 (

d = 0.52\text{--}0.71

family cohesion gain,

p < .01

); Lundberg et al. (2011).

[6] Greer, N., & Vin-Raviv, N. (2019). Outdoor-based therapeutic recreation programs among military veterans with PTSD. Military Behavioral Health, 7(3), 286–298 (

>85\%\text{--}92\%

nature therapy completion vs.

30\%\text{--}50\%

VA clinic dropout).

[7] Rocklein Kemplin, K., et al. (2019, 2021). Resilience and Suicide in Special Operations Forces. Military Medicine, 31201752; USSOCOM (2016) Psychological Autopsy Study (

68.5\%

in senior NCO grades E5–E9); RAND (2023) Deploy-to-Dwell Analysis.

[8] Humphreys, K., et al. (2024). A retrospective chart review to assess the impact of alpha-guided rTMS in active-duty Special Operations Forces personnel. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 15, 1354763 (

0\%

prior chart Dx vs.

67\%

clinical PTSD and

72\%

clinical depression).

[9] U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). (2024, 2025). National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report (

>60\%

of veteran suicide decedents outside VHA care).

[10] Shively, S. B., Perl, D. P., et al. (2016). Characterisation of interface astroglial scarring in the human brain after blast exposure. The Lancet Neurology, 15(9), 944–953; Edlow et al. (2025) (

42.1\%

vs.

22.0\%

CSP midline brain tears,

p = 0.007

[11] Duvall, J., & Kaplan, R. (2014). Enhancing the well-being of veterans using extended group-based nature recreation experiences (

N = 98

). JRRD, 51(5), 685–696 (

+29\%\text{ to }+40\%

attentional recovery,

p < .001

); Poulsen et al. (2018).

[12] Bettmann, J. E., Prince, K. C., Ganesh, K., et al. (2021). Systematic review and meta-analysis of wilderness therapy for military veterans (

19

studies,

N > 1,100

). J. Adventure Ed. Outdoor Learning, 21(4), 305–322 (

g = 0.54\text{--}0.68

Wilderness Heals. Community Endures.

Give in a way that matters.

Operation Pike Pursuit AAR.

Restoring family cohesion.

Who We Are

Our Leadership & Governance Team

LTC (Ret.) Benjamin Johnson

Dr. Rajeana Johnson

Gary A. Mitchell, PMP

Christopher J. Kyle, MBA

Why Special Operations Forces Require a Different Model.

Compressed 1:11:11:1 to 1:21:21:2 Deploy-to-Dwell Tempo

Complete Chart Concealment & The "Resilience Fallacy"

Blast Brain Scarring & Household Strain

8×8\times8× Post-Unit Suicide Surge & >7×>7\times>7× Attempt Lethality

Meaningful Outdoor Experiences.

Lake Coeur d'Alene Angling & Drift-Boat Ops

Adaptive Alpine Skiing & Family Retreats

Molokai Coastal & Backcountry Hunting Ops

Node 01: North Idaho Angling Packing & Logistics Checklist

Stand with those who served.

Join the people behind the mission.

Participant Intake & Partnership Inquiry

Export Updated Palette Website Code

Wilderness Heals.
Community
Endures.

Compressed $1:1$ to $1:2$ Deploy-to-Dwell Tempo

$8\times$ Post-Unit Suicide Surge & $>7\times$ Attempt Lethality