Operation Outreach doesn’t just hit big cities; teams scour the county to find warriors in their home communities, even in towns in rural America. And just as the troops overseas have their mission, the troops of Operation Outreach are charged with a mission of awareness, friendship, and family.

In this episode, the Operation Outreach teams visit Oklahoma and Pennsylvania, where talk turns to the psychological effects of war and the personal challenges wounded warriors face as they return home.

The second half of the story is the most moving video to date from Operation Outreach, and it doesn’t star any of the Outreach staff. Instead, a retired medic named Alan Babin takes the spotlight and shares his story of adaptation and survivability with members of the team. While his mother shares some of the horrific details of Alan’s injuries and his recovery, Alan, with his amazing smile, tells everyone there is more to live for, and a whole lot to give up, by quitting. The last frame of Alan, hand in the air, eyes focused, saying, “never give up,” emotionally parts the waters between where a person was before they saw this piece and where they are now.

With the same tenacious, bare-knuckled dedication they had in the United States Armed Forces, the guys and gals of Operation Outreach take these last moments to stage for the most recent part of their own recovery as wounded warriors – reaching out to fellow veterans who don’t know there are organizations standing ready to provide assistance. Reaching out is just the first step, and inspiration is at the very first stop on the long summer road ahead. It’s vets helping vets, and the power of community and shared experiences that keep the tires turning.