Warriors of Camp Southern Ground

JOSH BAILEY

Josh is a U.S. Army veteran and Warrior PATHH alum. This is his story.

Josh grew up in the small rural town of Raymond, New Hampshire, and entered the U.S. Army at 19, first serving as an Airborne Infantry Paratrooper before becoming a Green Beret. Over the course of a 30-year military career, he held 10 different ranks, from Private (PV2) to Sergeant First Class (SFC) and from Warrant Officer 1 (WO1) to Chief Warrant Officer 4 (CW4). Josh’s service took him across five continents and 41 countries, as well as nearly every U.S. state. After recently retiring from the Army, he attended Warrior PATHH while still on active duty.

I attended UNC’s THRIVE assessment program as I began my retirement from the Army after 30 years of service. Warrior PATHH was recommended by the staff as something I might benefit from while I was there. I had been grinding through my own mental health the past few years, with a lot of progress, but I had still more to go. During the THRIVE assessment, I spoke with the lead Doc, and we talked using a football metaphor. On my own and with the help of my family and a wonderful therapist, I had reached the 5-yard line and was so very close to where I wanted to be. UNC’s Doc thought that Warrior PATHH might be what I was missing. He wasn’t wrong. What I needed was a physical ritual, teammates, and a good guide. That’s what I found at Camp Southern Ground.

I knew CSG was a different one once I arrived; the campus was beautiful and peaceful. It had a sense of welcome and healing that is hard to put into words. And that feeling only intensified as we met the guides for the week. My mindset when I arrived was to go all in and trust the process. So I did. I think the most transformational moment for me was during a part of the training when you were asked to leave something behind that was holding you back from growth. I won’t go into the details of this portion because I do not want to spoil it for future attendees. Suffice to say, those who have gone through the program will know what I’m talking about. I left the old Josh, who I needed to get me through the dark times, but no longer needed. For me, it allowed me to grieve that man who did his best, but also to say goodbye.

The impact was first on me and then on my family. Life is continued growth (for those who are doing it right). My family got back a calmer, more present father, husband, and friend. My relationships, already healing from mental health investment, grew deeper in strength and fullness. Almost 90 days later, they continue to grow and deepen, proving the post-traumatic growth model and the magic found at CSG.

My advice to anyone considering Camp Southern Ground would be to stop thinking about it and go. Go all in, do the work, enjoy the time, be present with the program, and trust the process.

I think we all have our own story to live. There are some good parts and some parts we might want to forget. Warrior PATHH and CSG allowed me to merge my story in a way that I can learn from the dark times and celebrate the good ones. All the while realizing that both components are needed to live the fullness of my personal story. I am forever grateful for the experience, and I pay forward the lessons I learned there every day.