Mike

Mike Hilliard serves as the Program Director for Boulder Crest Mobile Training Team Bravo, which offers unique training focused on post-traumatic growth. He retired from the Army in 2013 due to wounds sustained during a deployment to Iraq in 2006. After separating from the military, Mike faced challenges in determining his next steps and ultimately chose to become a SCUBA diving instructor.

 

Upon completing his training, he accepted an offer from the Georgia Aquarium to join their dive team as a divemaster. It was during this time that he learned about the Veterans Immersion program. Working at the aquarium ignited his passion for helping the veteran community while also assisting him in processing his traumas from both his military and pre-military service.

 

In 2017, Mike left the aquarium to become a national outreach coordinator for the Shepherd Center SHARE Military Initiative, a brain injury clinic. This position was particularly meaningful to him because he had sustained a gunshot wound to his head. He not only represented the program but also shared his own experiences as someone living with a Traumatic Brain Injury. Although Mike dealt with symptoms from his injury, he often struggled silently.

 

In 2018, he was offered the program director position for Warrior PATHH, a partner organization, and embraced the opportunity. Accepting this role required him to participate in Warrior PATHH as a student, which led him to confront the pain he had been burying—from others and himself. This experience was transformative; he learned about the program and gained valuable insights into his identity and future.

 

Through Warrior PATHH, Mike developed a profound understanding of the importance of being open and honest. He strived to set new goals and improve himself daily. His growth was fueled by the education he received during Warrior PATHH and the courage he found by attending the SHARE Military Initiative as a client instead of an employee, allowing him to better understand the significance of his brain injury and establish wellness practices for his mental, emotional, and spiritual health.