Veteran Alex Othmer’s story is like so many others from the front lines: A Navy SEAL, he served for nine years, but when he transitioned out of the military (in 2019), he came home without a mission and with a palpable loss of purpose. “I suffered from mental health issues and had thoughts of suicide at one point,” the lifelong Carmel resident admits.
Having grown up with a dad who was a NYC firefighter during 9/11, Othmer was all too familiar with the signs and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. “PTSD was alive and well in my house when I was a kid,” he says. And although an invisible war was raging within him, Othmer took decisive steps to help himself. “I got a dog right away, I started going hiking with friends and then other vets, and I picked up the guitar.” While the pooch and the hikes eased his feelings of isolation and lack of connection, the instrument offered this former ukulele player an added level of healing. “There’s magic behind music.”
Othmer got himself to a good place, mentally, and began to envision an organization that could support the mental health and overall well-being of fellow veterans and other front-liners who are exposed to mental and physical trauma and stress, including active military, veterans, first responders, law enforcement, EMS workers, fire and rescue, corrections officers, and federal agents. “These individuals are our nation’s guardians,” he says. “There are about 50 million of them in the U.S., and more of them die by suicide every day than in the line of duty.”
Hoping to make a dent in those numbers, Othmer founded Guardian Revival, a nonprofit based in Beacon that aims to bolster mental health, prevent suicide, and create community among guardians and their families through outdoor adventures, companion dogs, in-studio music making, peer-to-peer support, and fun family gatherings—which mirror the activities that revived Othmer when he was at his lowest point. And all of it is free to participants.
For example, the Another Summit program provides nature walks, hikes, fly-fishing, paddling excursions, and multi-day backpacking and camping trips for guardians and their families (of all ages and abilities, including those with accessibility needs), which helps to reduce loneliness and foster feelings of belonging. “When you transition out of uniform, you have to find another summit, which is a metaphor for life,” explains Othmer.
Boots & Paws gifts companion dogs to guardians, along with a year’s worth of food, accessories, vet and trainer fees, insurance, and reimbursement for travel expenses. “The dogs provide comfort, commitment to routine, and a sense of purpose and accomplishment,” he says.
And at the headquarters in Beacon, a “full-on music studio” is the home of Encore, a program that offers guardians online lessons (beginner to advanced) in guitar, bass, piano, and ukulele, along with music therapy, songwriting and jam sessions, and the opportunity to record and release music on the Guardian Revival Records label. “We push their songs on Spotify too,” says Othmer.
Peer-to-peer services run the gamut from private and group support sessions to community-building gatherings and events, as well as a 24/7 phone line operated by guardians for guardians. “This is not a crisis hotline,” he explains, “just a way to connect with someone anytime, from anywhere.”
Since kicking off program activities in 2022, Othmer and his staff have served over 10,000 guardians throughout the Hudson Valley and across the country. And not a day has gone by that he hasn’t been keenly aware of how this mission continues to support his own healing journey. “Waking up with purpose every day, having a passion,” he says, “it’s like taking medication.” And for guardians like himself, the prescription is priceless.
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