“You realize no one cares you served your country.  All that you fought for is now meaningless. To them it’s ancient history. Yet you never left.” – Operation Warrior Refuge

32 local tennis players braved the wind Sunday, March 15, for the second annual Aces for Warriors Tournament to raise money for Operation Warrior Refuge (OWR) an organization that specializes in helping veterans to overcome post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The mission of the OWR is “to [help] the Military, Veterans, and Fi¬rst responders with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and combat stress by giving them the tools and resources they need to cope with Symptoms of PTSD and combat stress using Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) Which is an on the ground, hands on approach to therapy using horses.”

The event went from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Great Mills High School.

Commissioner Todd Morgan was in attendance and said a few words about the cause.

There were eight teams consisting of four people each that participated in the event. Four of the teams consisted of high school students and the other four were adults.

Because of the high wind the American flag had not been hung on the flag pole that morning. Morgan went to his car and brought out a small flag to hold while the National Anthem was sung by a student from Leonardtown High School.

Despite the wind the teams all played through the tournament. Each team donated $80 to the OWR.

The OWR is a locally owned and operated small organization.

The following statement is on the OWR website:

The dedicated team at Operation Warrior Refuge (OWR) believes it is their duty to give back to the Warriors who put their lives on the line for others. Many Warriors – through combat or other traumatic events — have invisible wounds. Society may not recognize the hurt and pain that is a component of daily life for Veterans, often expressed as anxiety, depression, family trouble, and hopelessness.

The specialized team at OWR applies a unique, experience-based approach to therapy called Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP). By combining EAP with the Reboot, Retrain, Renew, and Sustain approach, OWR creates a community for Veterans, a refuge for Warriors: a place where horses help men and women heal by guiding them on a path to reclaim direction in their lives.