“All roads lead to service for me,” says Army combat veteran Joshua Thurston Stevens (JT).

A bigtime Beatles fan and vinyl records collector, JT’s “Long and Winding Road” took him to dangerous and deadly locales like Iraq, Afghanistan, Haiti and others, but eventually that road led to Combat Recovery Foundation (CRF), where his interests and skillsets have been a perfect match for opportunities to serve fellow vets and others who deal with trauma.

And we can thank a DUI that helped him cross paths with CRF. But before we go there, let’s look at a few of his “Yesterday(s).”

JT is a native of Maine and grew up the oldest of six kids in a shipbuilding family with a Navy dad and uncle who served in Vietnam. At 17-years-old JT enlisted in the Army as an infantryman. “At the time I felt rudderless” (an apt description for someone raised in a  shipbuilding culture) “and the Army sounded like an adventure.” Um, it was.

For 24 years JT served in the infantry and special ops. And he has the “wounds” to prove it.

“HELTER SKELTER” (Beatles)

“I was blown up four times by Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and underwent two significant cervical spinal-cord surgeries to repair those war wounds,” JT says matter-of-factly. The first surgery took place at Walter Reed Medical Center in 2008 and the second at Womack Army Medical Center in 2011.

“The carnage and chaos of my wartime battle scenes were severe, getting messed up and one time having blood coming out of my ears and mouth while lying at the bottom of an 8-foot ditch.” He earned over time two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart (or what he not-so-affectionately calls “The Enemy Marksmanship Award”).

Of course, those kinds of events often occur when your work itinerary takes you to, among other places, three tours in Iraq (2004-2005, 2007, and 2008). “In my first Iraqi tour of duty we saw a rise of insurgency after our initial success in 2003. When I came back to Iraq in 2007 I found the most intense ground combat of my career.” And enemies came from all sides, representing many factions, such as Sunni insurgents and foreign fighters – Al-Qaeda and Shia populations in Iraq along with their associated foreign support from Iran (Jaish al-Mahdi and Special Groups with direct ties to Iranian Intelligence and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps).

Among other things, Iraq had developed 500-pound, deep-buried IEDs capable of nearly entirely destroying most armored vehicles in the Army inventory, causing mass casualties. To counteract those beasts, the U.S. had to manufacture bigger protective vehicles, though you could still end up in the bottom of a ditch.

To deal with his pain JT took opioids starting in 2005. He struggled for several years with a growing addiction to opioids and alcohol. But he got clean in 2013, about the time he left the military, thanks in large part to becoming a mountain climber and avid competitive runner in ultra-marathons that sometimes covered 100 miles or more and lasted 24 hours or more.

Remember JT’s quotation at the top of this profile: “All roads lead to service for me.” For example, in 2020 the northern Colorado resident – who is 55-years-old, single with three kids –  ran for nearly 24 hours, “A Hard Day’s Night,” around Lake Estes (in Estes Park, Colorado) multiple times in an effort that totaled 100 miles in support of Wings for Life, a Red Bull-sponsored non-profit that funds and supports worldwide research and treatment for severe spinal-cord injuries.

Though a person can “get clean,” it’s wise to keep a bar of soap handy. JT got a DUI in 2024. The punishment included 60 hours of community service. His first thought was to put in his time for some friends who worked at the YMCA of the Rockies near Estes Park. But then he saw CRF on the list of potential organizations. As a longtime vet he found the description intriguing. He met with CRF Founder Marshall Spring and quickly believed it was time to “Come Together” (Beatles) with the organization and the people it serves.

“WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS” (Beatles)

Putting their heads together, Marshall and JT agreed on ways the Army vet could “Help!” fellow vets and others who deal with trauma. “Every Little Thing” (Beatles) they came up with turns out to be potential big ways that JT can have a big impact on CRF participants who seek to thrive in their post-military lives.

JT is working off those 60 hours and plans to bust through that mark and continue to work on important CRF projects. “It Won’t Be Long” (Beatles) before the fruit of his efforts on three initiatives becomes evident. His current tasks are to: 

1.    Develop a climbing program that will include peer-to-peer mentoring.
   
   
2.    Put together a local 10-person CRF squad of talented and dedicated athletes to compete this autumn against other national teams in The Veterans Games in Brisbane, Australia. “We’re going there to win,” he says with a grin. He notes that these first two initiatives fit well with veterans’ mindsets since both demand hard work to achieve clear missions.
   
   
3.    He also has joined a support team for the Larimer County Veterans Treatment Court, a special program that helps “Carry That Weight” (Beatles) for veterans through the perplexing judicial system. “I believe I can help these vets navigate the legal process while they also struggle with reintegration into society and possibly addiction,” JT states.
   
   

“We are ultimately responsible for our own growth and development,” JT says. “It’s up to each of us to figure that out. CRF and other organizations offer valuable resources, but at the end of the day they are not responsible for our stories. We have to own our choices and behavior and tap into these incredible organization and resources.”

JT’s life has been a “Magical Mystery Tour” that now intersects with the mission, participants, volunteers and leaders of CRF.

If interested, you have “A Ticket to Ride” to join JT and others on this CRF venture.