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Our Mission

Heal Our Warriors Foundation (HOW) is a non-profit dedicated to integrating, healing and supporting the men and women returning from war or military operations experiencing combat stress or post traumatic stress.

Our History

Randal Newbold served as a Marine First Lieutenant Infantry Platoon Commander who led his men on the front lines during the First Gulf War.  He created the Heal Our Warriors Foundation in 2007, to support the men and women returning from war to decompress, reintegrate and heal from the silent epidemic that we now know as post traumatic stress or combat stress. He has committed to further support and honor his fellow service men and women by creating an organization and gathering the healers to help support and facilitate the recovery process of our warriors.

The Silent Epidemic

In the June 2007 “An Achievable Vision: Report of the Department of Defense Task Force on Mental Health”, data from the Post-Deployment Health Re-Assessment, found that 38% of soldiers, 31% of marines, 49% of national guard members and 43% of marine reservists showed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder or other psychological problems within three months of returning from active duty.  This report also noted inadequate mental healthcare and facilities, and prejudice over mental health problems. They have also found that the families and children of these troops are becoming effected from these stresses and are developing mental health problems.

Returning service men and women experience nightmares, fear of what sleep will bring, depression and heightened irritability, sudden outbursts of anger at loved ones or complete numbness and detachment towards them.  These are only some of the signs that the war is still raging on for these returning fathers, wives, uncles, nieces . . . neighbors and friends.  This silent war, referred to as combat stress or post traumatic stress, has now reached epidemic proportions.

In an LA Times article Esther Schrader quotes the Alexandria, VA veterans clinic director Jerry Clark stating, “"When we missed the boat with the Vietnam vets, we didn't get another chance. When they left the service, they went away not for a month or two but for 10 years. And they came back addicted, incarcerated and all these things. We can't miss the boat again [with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan]. It is imperative" (November 14, 2004).

In the article “VA May Be Unable to Meet Treatment Needs” by Kate Mulligan in Psychiatry News, members of the Special Committee on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, all of whom are VA employees alleged, “VA must meet the needs of new combat veterans while still providing for veterans of past wars. Unfortunately, VA does not have sufficient capacity to do this. VA PTSD services had been steadily losing capacity even before [the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan] began" (March 18, 2005).

HOW can we help these men and women who looked out for US?