By Kellie Speed
According to a recent study conducted by Duke University and the Department of Defense, over 44 veterans lose their lives to suicide each day. The impact of a veteran’s sudden suicide lingers, and U.S. Army veteran Cary Reichbach knows firsthand just how difficult it can be to attend another fellow Soldier’s funeral year after year.
As a result, Reichbach has dedicated his life to helping other veterans ease the burden of PTSD by founding the nonprofit, Grey Team.
Reichbach comes from a long line of service members who served in World War I, World War II and the Korean War. Following in his father’s footsteps, Reichbach joined the military right after high school while trying to figure out what he wanted to do with his life.
“I knew I wasn’t ready for college,” he said. “At the time, the Army was running those ‘Be All You Can Be’ ads, and it appealed to me as a chance to see the world. I think that resonates with a lot of other service members, wanting to break free and go out on their own.”
When Reichbach returned home after long combat tours overseas and made the transition from the military to civilian life, he encountered several unforeseen challenges.
“Everything is done for you in the military,” he said. “You leave your parents’ house and go to Uncle Sam’s house. You don’t really grow up, and when you finally leave the military, you’re still basically that high school kid. You turn into a trained warrior, but you’ve never had to worry about a roof over your head, medical bills or anything like that. It’s a very difficult transition.”
Reichbach noted another difficulty was having to give up the daily interaction with close friends who became his military family.
“That all disappears when you become a civilian and the transition is anything but easy,” he said. “In the civilian world, you have to take care of yourself and it’s daunting. So many veterans turn to drugs, alcohol or even suicide. I went through the same things, looking for the same adrenaline highs that wartime training and war provides.”
Reichbach continues, “One day, I had a friend refer a fellow warrior to me who was about to jump off a six-story garage. I spoke to him and managed to convince him to step down from the ledge.
“Afterwards, I spent time talking to him and learned he was a Marine Corps veteran who had recently returned from Afghanistan, where he served as a machine gunner for his squad. During his deployment, he sustained a cumulative traumatic brain injury that forever changed his life for the worse. He couldn’t concentrate, had constant headaches and could not pass his college classes. The VA wanted to treat him with pharmaceuticals,” he said.
“Together, we resolved to pursue two objectives: first, to seek alternative healing methods rather than merely masking symptoms with pharmacological drugs, which our VA providers continuously recommended but have mostly proved ineffective; and second, to create a pathway for other veterans to follow. This was the impetus for founding Grey Team,” Reichbach concludes.
Grey Team’s headquarters and one-of-a-kind wellness facility is located in Boca Raton, Florida, where they offer active duty, Reserve, National Guard and prior service members free wellness solutions. These solutions include one-on-one personal training, infrared detoxification therapy, low-level laser therapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy and much more, all at no cost to the service member or veteran.
“Since our founding, Grey Team has become a leader in holistic health and wellness, including space-age wellness technology commonly known as biohacking,” Reichbach said. “We are recognized by the State of Florida as one of the top military suicide prevention charities, with a 100% success rate. We have served over 820 current and prior service members from all over the United States and have never lost a veteran to suicide.”
He continues, “Due to our overwhelming success, the Department of Defense, Florida Army National Guard and several universities consult with us for best wellness practices [as well as] research and development strategies.”
Grey Team is the only privately-funded program proven to bring warriors back emotionally, mentally and physically from battle, according to Reichbach. Through the generous donations of private citizens, corporations, foundations and grants, Grey Team can continue to offer these therapeutic services to veterans and active-duty service members at no cost.
“Because we are not government-supported, we host two of America’s most popular galas to generate the revenue needed for our life-saving mission,” Reichbach said. “Our next event, the America First Gala, will be held on December 12, 2024, at Mar-a-Lago, followed by our signature event, the ‘They Are Not Bulletproof’ Gala, on April 5, 2025.
“These events are a labor of love and they always sell out quickly, with only 350 tickets available. They are very patriotic occasions, featuring active-duty Soldiers, Generals and a prestigious guest list, including VIPs like Lt. Col. Allen West, Major General Malcolm B. Frost, K. T. McFarland and many others.”
You can support Grey Team by visiting their website at greyteam.org and donating or by purchasing tickets and/or sponsoring their galas: America First Gala at americafirstgala.com and ‘They Are Not Bulletproof’ Gala at theyarenotbulletproof.com.
Read more articles for the veteran community here.
