Healing Through Faith: Eric Brew on Overcoming Personal Battles and Advocating for Veterans

What happens when a veteran's fight is no longer on the battlefield but within themselves? Join us as we uncover the inspiring journey of Eric Brew from Warriors Set Free, a veteran service organization dedicated to supporting those grappling with PTS, TBI, and alcoholism. Eric candidly shares his transition from serving in the Marine Corps and the Army to civilian life, marked by identity struggles he dubs the "matching clothes syndrome" and the personal upheaval of a second divorce. His story takes a transformative turn through a pivotal four-day men's event at Warriors Set Free, where he found healing and a renewed purpose in veteran advocacy alongside his veteran father and son.

Warriors Set Free offers more than just support; it provides a spiritual refuge for veterans and first responders navigating internal battles and past traumas. Central to their mission is the "freedom appointment," an intensive spiritual journey that seeks to cleanse personal guilt and shame. We discuss the profound impact of childhood trauma on veterans and the societal expectation for men to remain silent. By embracing a faith-based approach, Warriors Set Free encourages veterans to lay down their burdens and redefine their identity beyond military service. Discover how community and spiritual support can lead to healing and hope for those who have sacrificed so much.

Chapters

• 0:00 Veteran Advocacy and Transition Services
• 7:13 Healing for Military and First Responders
• 16:37 Unpacking Trauma and Finding Healing

Transcript

Larry Zilliox: 0:15

Good morning. I'm your host, Larry Zilliox, Director of Culinary Services here at the Warrior Retreat at Bull Run, and this week our guest is Eric Brew. He's with the Georgia branch of Warriors Set Free, and this is an organization that helps veterans who have issues with PTS, tbi, alcoholism. They're struggling and I wanted to have Eric on to talk about this organization, their ministry and just the services that they offer. So, eric, welcome to the podcast. Thank you, larry. It's an honor to be here. So if we could tell us a little bit about your background, your prior service and what got you into working with a veteran service organization?

Eric Brew: 1:04

Oh, my goodness. Okay, I didn't know you had that much time on your podcast, so we'll get started. I served in both the Marine Corps and the United States Army. I served four years in the Marine Corps back in the 90s and things were a little boring back then, and so I got out. I served my first tour and got out, and then, uh, when 9-11 happened, um, I attempted to go back into the military, uh, back into the Marine Corps, and a Marine Corps recruiter told me that they don't take quitters, um, and so I felt a little dejected. Um, I was a pretty decent Marine. I'd like to think that they would have gotten a good one back, but at any rate, he did not want me back, and so I walked out of his office. I turned a hard left down the hallway, walked into an Army recruiter's office and told them who I was, and they accepted me ASVAB. But that is a joke. My Marine Corps brothers are highly intelligent and my sisters are highly intelligent. At any rate, I served for the next 20, almost 21 years in the Army, so I retired in 2020 after just about 25 years in service.

Eric Brew: 2:10

During that time, I got to do a lot of really cool things. I often say that I did a lot of weird things in weird places with weird people, and I enjoyed it. One thing that I love about where I am today, larry, is that I have a God who is so much bigger than my war stories that he has healed me from having to be the guy that tells war stories. So I don't feel a need to do that measuring contest anymore, but I did. I got to do some really cool stuff.

Eric Brew: 2:33

At any rate, when I retired, I had a really rough transition. My retirement actually was probably one of the darkest times in my life. I didn't know who I was supposed to be. I have since started calling some of my struggles. I had this picture of what my struggles looked like and I called it the matching clothes syndrome, and what that meant to me was everywhere I went for nearly 25 years, nearly a quarter of a century. Everyone I met, everyone I was around, everyone I encountered. We had either served together previously, we shared the same job titles, we were in some of the same places, we knew some of the same people, and even if I had nothing in common with the people around us or with the people around me, we all wore matching clothes, and so I always felt comfortable in that environment. I always had something in common with everyone I was around, and when I stepped out of service, I quickly realized I didn't match anyone anymore and I had some other things going on.

Eric Brew: 3:34

I was in the process of my second divorce and trying to separate from service, separate from marriage, and it was a really dark spot, and so my transition was tough, and so that led me to a heart to help others find a way through transition that maybe wasn't as dark and maybe wasn't as difficult as mine was, and so I went into veteran advocacy and started working in the transition and employment space, worked for a couple of great nonprofits, helping them build programs and grow programs that would reach more veterans, more transition service members to provide assistance in the specifically in the employment area, and so I worked. I worked in that in that environment for for several years, and then, about a year and a half ago, I I took a position with warriors set free steve cranes is our national director and steve prince and I met back in 2021 when I went through a four-day men's event and I went through this thing called a freedom appointment and um, because I needed it because because I was, because I was in a really dark space steve steve was there and steve walked me through my freedom appointment and and Steve and I built, began to build and cultivate a relationship and a friendship. And Steve kept telling me that that he had a space for me and I I I had a really good Heisman pose right, so I had a really good stiff arm for him. I kind of kept him at catch fit arms length because I had some worth issues that I was dealing with. I had some worth issues that I was dealing with. I had some self-worth issues dealing with those. I don't think I realized how much my Heavenly Father loved me and so I couldn't really receive that.

Eric Brew: 5:04

But that all led me to this past April so April of 2023, where Steve and the team came down to Georgia and they were going to do this pilot four-day men's program and I have a son who's active duty. I have two sons that are dude, but my youngest son that is active duty is in a, having some struggles, was in a pretty dark spot, had had just figured out who god was and was trying to navigate that. So I asked him if he would attend this four-day thing. He said yes, and I called steve and I said, hey, I know I've kind of been ducking you, but I'd really like it if my son could attend this thing and I'd really like it if I could serve. I'd already attended my event and once we attend those events then we can come back and serve as volunteer staff. Steve agreed, so not only did I get to serve, my dad got to serve, because my dad is also a veteran and has also been through the program. And so here now at this event the singular event I have my son who's participating, my dad and myself who are serving, and I got to watch from a very personal front row seat what God can do in the life of someone I love. And I got a really up close and personal view of that.

Eric Brew: 6:11

And Steve and I and Dean Vandermeer and Dean is the founder of Set Free Dean founded Set Free 29 years ago, but Dean was there.

Eric Brew: 6:20

And so Dean and I and Steve had a great conversation and Steve asked me again you know, eric, we really think you'd be the guy that you're going to be, the guy that's going to lead this Georgia expansion and I kind of I kind of balked again and Dean stepped forward and made eye contact with me and he said, son, the Holy Spirit's getting really tired of you being disobedient. And that leveled me. He said, son, the Holy Spirit's getting really tired of you being disobedient. And that leveled me. And so I felt the conviction at that point. There was no good stiff arm for that one. I felt the conviction, and so we talked some more and we started having more conversations after the event, and so in July of this last year, we launched the Georgia expansion. There had been some good groundwork done, but there was no true expansion launched, and so we launched the expansion in July, and so I've been in the seat as the Georgia director since July. So that's a 30,000 foot view as to how I got here, I suppose.

Larry Zilliox: 7:14

Tell us about the program and what it is, what it involves, who's eligible.

Eric Brew: 7:20

Absolutely so. Warrior, Set Free truthfully, is just on a mission to bring hope, healing and spiritual strength to our military, veteran and first responder communities. That's who we serve the active duty military, the veteran and the first responder, Understanding that the battles that they face truthfully are not just from the front lines but they're also battles that they face within themselves and battles that they face from their past. So our ministry provides a path to freedom in Christ by guiding individuals and to kind of combat the enduring effects of PTS and then combat the tragic epidemic of suicide within not just the veteran community but also the first responder community. And so that's kind of that's our purpose and our mission. We want to get in the ring and fight and work alongside our brothers and our sisters as they deal with and have to look their trauma in the ring, and fight and work alongside our brothers and our sisters as they deal with and have to look their trauma in the face. And so we do that by a couple of different methodologies. At the core, at the center of our program, at the center of our ministry, is what we call a freedom appointment. And a freedom appointment really is this it is a one-day intensive spiritual house cleaning. It is an opportunity for a participant to sit down with what we call an encourager, so someone like myself would be the encourager, and we also bring a prayer partner because we believe in what the Bible says, and the Bible says that Christ sent us out two by two. So we don't do ministry alone, Right? So we bring two, so we have an encourager and then we have a prayer partner. But really throughout that day, the encourager and the prayer partner are going to set a table for the participant to be able to sit and have an opportunity to do some real work and to do business with the father. And so we're going to look at seven different areas of our lives. There are going to be areas that we have been the problem right, Things that we've done wrong, that we have plagued ourselves. We're going to look at areas that others have plagued us, where others have wronged us. We're going to look at areas of our lives where the enemy has absolutely tricked and swayed us into doing things we shouldn't have done. But we're going to look at those areas. We're going to take a hard, deep dive into what that looks like and how to do business with Father.

Eric Brew: 9:34

What does the Bible say is required to deal with this. It's really very simple, right. It's acknowledging that I did it because sin is sin and it's repenting and trying to move away from right. Repentance just means to turn a 180. It needs to turn your direction, and so we'll. We.

Eric Brew: 9:51

We spend this time and it is. It is an all day thing. It is a spiritual butt kicking I. This is that. I'll tell you. This is, this is the worst sales pitch in the world for anything when it comes to trying to navigate, finding healing, and that is this is going to suck. It is not fun, right. When we, when we have to look our trauma in the face and when we have to do business with the father, it is really, really hard.

Eric Brew: 10:16

However, the freedom that can makes it all so worth it, it's freedom. It's freedom from our guilt and our shame. It's freedom from the hurt. It's freedom from the pain. It is freedom from ourselves and the way we would want to do things. Right. I tell people all the time there's lots of stuff in the Bible I wish God wouldn't have written. It would make my life so much easier. I would love to be able to hate my enemies, but that's not what I'm called to do. I would love to be more world-like, but I'm called to be set apart from the world, to be different, not better than just different, and so doing that work and getting that place is really, really difficult. But I would tell anyone listening that I am walking, talking, breathing proof of what happens when God restores a dumpster fire and puts him back into a place where he's got purpose and he's got joy and he's got hope. So that freedom appointment really is at the core of what we do, and we've got some other things that we've got going on too.

Larry Zilliox: 11:16

The program is open to all veterans or just post 9-11?

Eric Brew: 11:20

No we are. As a matter of fact, this program, this entire, the freedom ministry that we do in Set Free so Set Free again started 29 years ago. It started with a Vietnam veteran. So, no, we are open to all eras of veteran. We are open to any form of first responder ER, nurse, to police officer, to SWAT, to fire EMT or to I don't EMT we want. What we want is we want to find people who are out here trying to serve our country or serve our community, who are hurting, right, to help them find freedom.

Eric Brew: 11:53

Because and this is just, I'll just speak, let's just talk law enforcement for a second we have got such a mistrust in our law enforcement in this country, right as a grand scope not maybe not each individual, but as a grand scope. And we've got this thing in this world we call sin, and it is my humble opinion, we're just not going to eradicate sin. Sin is always going to be here. Until Christ comes back and sets up a new world, this sin is going to be here. So if I can't get away from sin in the world, then I want to at least be a part of healing the people who have to combat it. So that's where we step in and want to deal with our first responders, our policemen and policewomen, so that they can be a better healed version of themselves, so that when they have to deal with the stuff in this world, they're better equipped.

Larry Zilliox: 12:38

And this program takes place at your offices there. Is it more than one day, or is that all that's? The main program is a one day counseling.

Eric Brew: 12:50

So, like I said, at the core of our program is the one day spiritual house cleaning, and that can be done both in person here, if you're in the Columbus Georgia area that can be done here in person, or we can do it virtually. I have done lots and lots of freedom appointments virtually, so really we can help anyone anywhere, but that's only one of the things. The other thing that we offer and this is new ish, new ish, We've done four now is we took that test, that test four day men's event, and we created a permanent four day men's event. So now what we have is what we call the warriors battle, which is a four day men's event. We've got a couple of different locations here in Georgia that we use.

Eric Brew: 13:27

I spent 25 years as an infantryman, so I'm not sleeping outside on the ground anymore. So we have beds and cabins and we have industrial kitchens that we use. I've even got a retired firefighter and a retired Army cook that run our kitchen. Nice, so we eat well. We eat really, really well. Now, Chef, I've never had your stuff, but I'm sure it's very good. But I'm telling you, man, a firefighter and an old army cook can really kill it. They are doing a heck of a job. Sure, so we have our four-day men's event, which is similar there's some similar things in there to the freedom of movement, but really what it is is it's more group work, more sitting down with brothers so that we can look around to our left and our right and go, wow, so I'm not the only one struggling with that.

Larry Zilliox: 14:13

Huh, Sure sure, and how large is the group usually? What typically makes up the group?

Eric Brew: 14:20

Right now our last. We just finished our last battle. Our last battle was just last week. Actually, that battle had 22 participants and we have visions of larger. We have, we have a way to build a staff. Our staff are going to be mostly volunteer staff, but for this last warriors battle we had staff that came from five different States. So we have volunteers taking PTO, paying for their own transportation and getting themselves to the location to volunteer to help other men get to where they're at.

Larry Zilliox: 14:49

And is it co-ed? Is it both male and female warriors or only male group?

Eric Brew: 14:55

Nope, we keep our cohorts are going to be gender specific, okay, and so it's going to be just the guys, and that's very simple. Men and women have completely different trauma experiences sometimes, and what we want to create is an environment where both our ladies and our men get an opportunity to deal with the things that they have to deal with specifically that might be specific to what's going on in their life. Right, our ladies events, our ladies events, right now are being run in Michigan. That's where our headquarters is at. So our national headquarters is in the state of Michigan and, like I said, it was in Michigan for almost 30 years until now in Georgia. So we're working on this model of expansion, what this looks like, what the right way forward is, how do we grow it respectfully and responsibly, how do we obey God and what he wants us to do right. And once we get that kind of figured out, then it'll be looking on to the next state and then we'll be able to start replicating this in other states.

Larry Zilliox: 15:54

The upper management at headquarters is sitting around and said, hey, we've got to expand this thing. How do they choose Georgia?

Eric Brew: 16:03

They feel like the veteran population in Georgia, in addition to the number of active duty bases that are here, led them to recognizing Georgia as a state that has a large population of the us's of the world. It was super convenient that I live right outside of Fort Moore, so I retired from what used to be Fort Benny is now Fort Moore. I live right outside of Fort more and so I have access to Fort more, and my wife is from Savannah so I've got access to Fort Stewart, and so Georgia Georgia was a was was there. Was there choice based on the veteran population right.

Larry Zilliox: 16:38

What do you see as the number one issue that your group participants are bringing to the group? What are they dealing with the most?

Eric Brew: 16:53

Well, I'll tell you, larry, that's an interesting conversation because the numbers and I don't have them, I'm not going to make numbers up, but they're staggering the numbers of people who have joined the military, who suffered childhood trauma are staggering, absolutely staggering. And so what we're seeing is that we talk about combat stuff and a lot of people want to talk about some of this PTS and combat stuff, but really what we're learning is that the combat stuff is exasperating existing trauma. Sure, exasperating existing trauma, sure, and so we deal with oh gosh, we deal with so much hurt from a parent, or hurt from an upbringing, or hurt from a failure on the behalf of someone in their life, and so that's what we're seeing the most of. We're seeing the most of people who are just are broken because they've been broken and they just didn't know what to do with it. And, truthfully, the the world, the world, especially us guys my wife is also a veteran, so I'm very careful with how I say this, right, because I don't want to get in trouble when I get home especially us guys.

Eric Brew: 17:55

We have this world that has created this space where we've told ourselves not only are we supposed to carry our trauma, but we're not supposed to talk about it. And the more we carry, the tougher we are. And that is ruining men and as it's ruining men, it's ruining men in homes and as it's ruining men in homes, it's ruining families and as it's ruining families, it's ruining children and we're seeing a domino effect Because you told men you're supposed to. Right, yeah, absolutely, yeah, absolutely. So when we start unpacking with these guys I don't know, I don't have the number, but it would it would blow our, I think it would blow my mind if I realized how many of those guys would be went back to no father in the home, or an absent father, or an abusive father or an abusive mother, right, but like it goes back to childhood stuff.

Larry Zilliox: 18:44

Well, you know, I've always believed for some time. You know, I went in in 77. So up until that time it was a big period where young people would get in trouble and they would be offered the chance to join the army or go to jail, you know. So you know they were coming in with all sorts of problems and part of the issue was that the military or the various branches, I think they knew to a certain extent that they were getting a lot of recruits that had issues, but they excused away those issues with this thought process that well, we're going to tear that recruit down and remake them in the image of the Marine Corps or the Army or the Navy, and so their other problems will just go away.

Larry Zilliox: 19:37

And unfortunately that's just not the way it works and it's not what happened. And their issues stayed with them and got compounded by all sorts of things, whether they were in combat or not, just the rigorous discipline of the branch and being away and being sent to very remote places, and there's just all sorts of reasons that exacerbate these underlying issues that they had for many years. And we see it as well at the retreat and you know any kind of counseling that they can get. I think you know they're always going to be better off for it, and anything we can do to put a pause in the process of veteran suicide is so important. As we kind of wrap up here, what's the one thing you want our listeners to know about Warriors Set Free and what it will do for them?

Eric Brew: 20:37

Oh man, just one, huh. Okay, warriors Set Free is built and ran by veterans who have walked the same ground. A lot of you are walking. We've chewed the dirt, we've been in those dark places and we have been shown and learned how to grow and cultivate a relationship with our heavenly father, who loves us more than anything, and we've learned that there's a place where we can take that rucksack full of crap and we can lay it at the foot of the cross and we can actually walk away from it.

Eric Brew: 21:09

I've read the Bible. Nowhere in the Bible does it tell me I have to continue to carry all of the hurt, pain, guilt and shame from my past. Specifically, what it tells me to do is lay at the foot of the cross. It tells me to trade yokes with Christ because his burden is easy and light.

Eric Brew: 21:25

And far too often we veterans, we used to have our identity wrapped up in the military and what we did, because we were performance-minded and the military stokes that.

Eric Brew: 21:36

And then, when we get out, I think this world has started to create this idea of an identity of the broken veteran, and then we keep us in groups and in therapies that last for years and years and years, as we continue to navigate and as we continue to work the churn of the trauma, when, truthfully, what we are called to do biblically is to lay at the foot of the cross and walk away from it. And I'm going to tell everyone that's listening you can lay everything you've got at the foot of the cross and you have a father who loves you so much he will never pick it up and put it back in your rucksack. So you also have a father that's given you free will and if you choose to go back to the cross, pick it up because it's the comfortable trauma, pick it up because it's the known pain, pick it up because it's the identity that you want to cling to, and you put it back in your ruck. That's not God's fault, you don't have to carry it.

Larry Zilliox: 22:27

The webpage is warriorsetfreeorg. That's correct. Yep, reach out to them, take a look at the programs. I know that Eric's contact information is on there. If you're not sure, give them a call, send them an email, but really take a look at this program and I have no doubt that it will help you. So, eric, thanks much for coming on and and just telling us all about or you're set free yeah, it's been an honor.

Eric Brew: 22:56

I am again. I am. I am not just a leader or or or a director in this organization. I've been through this, this program. I I'm here because I lived it and it fundamentally changed who I am and what my identity is. So and Larry, you said it best, please reach out to us If you are hurting or you want a better relationship with your father or you want to understand how to let go of some of the crap you're carrying. Reach out to us. I don't. I know trust comes at a premium, and so I ask everyone give me just a, give me just an ounce of trust and I will earn the rest. My team will earn the rest.

Larry Zilliox: 23:33

Well, and I think the other thing that people need to understand, our listeners need to understand you can reach out to Eric, you can participate in this program and it can't hurt you. Yeah, there's no downside to this. You may walk away and say, you know, it wasn't for me and okay, I'm just going to look for something else, but it's not going to hurt you. Chances are it's going to help you. So you know, reach out and really explore all the possibilities. It's warriorsetfreeorg, Eric. Thank you again for joining us.

Eric Brew: 24:14

Thank you, larry, and don't forget everyone. Our next Warriors Battle is in March, so if you're interested in that, our next one is in March, so reach out to us, great.

Larry Zilliox: 24:22

Well for our listeners. We'll have another episode next Monday morning at 0500. If you have any questions or suggestions, you can reach us at podcastatwillingwarriorsorg.