In Heartwarming Story, Former Army Ranger Shares How The Honor Foundation Helped Him Transition Back To Civilian Life

A former U.S. Army Ranger was interviewed over the weekend and discussed the profound effects on his life that The Honor Foundation has had, believing that it would not be “an overstatement to say that it changed my life.”

The Honor Foundation works to help former soldiers transition their careers away from the armed forces and into the private sector of work. Their website states that the organization “provide[s] a clear process for professional development and a diverse ecosystem of world-class support and technology. Every step is dedicated to preparing these outstanding men and women to continue to realize their maximum potential during and after their service career.”

One such former Army Ranger, Yuma Barnett, spoke in an interview with Fox News on the immense positives that the program had and how it changed the course of his life. Barnett first learned of the program through colleagues that were going through the transition like himself.

The Honor Foundation works exclusively with former members of the U.S. Special Operation community which has over 60,000 individuals throughout the country. The organization keeps it limited to the U.S. Special Operations to better train them on their unique set of skills and how it could be applied to the private sector of business.

Barnett first tried to transition without support back in 2004 but ended up returning after what he called “a terrible transition.” When he decided to reattempt transitioning out, Barnett “knew that the second time, I had to do something more to be successful on the other side of the uniform.”

Before joining Special Operations, Barnett lived in New Mexico “on a cattle ranch in the middle of nowhere.” He would then immediately join the Army after high school and was in it for more than 20 years. 

Last year, Barnett left the military and it hit him hard. “It just ended,” the former Special Operations member said. “I was no longer part of a team anymore.”

“When you leave the Special Operation world, they take your badge away, you leave and you walk out the door – you can’t even get back in the building anymore,” he added, emphasizing how alone he felt. 

“I wanted to go through The Honor Foundation’s program so that I could set myself up for greater success this time,” Barnett stated, adding once he entered into the program he was able to see “what it was all about – it’s not an overstatement to say it changed my life.”

Barnett took well to The Honor Foundation, becoming not just a former U.S. Army Ranger and father of four, but now also an entrepreneur of his own business. Barnett owns Barnett Multimedia which offers photography, videography, custom art, and live streaming for a wide array of clientele. 

He noted how The Honor Foundation “helped me understand that I could share my story, share the stories of my service — and that these stories and experiences had value if I knew how to share them with potential civilian employers and apply them to my resume and on job interviews.”

Every year, tens of thousands of former service members struggle to reintegrate into civilian life upon leaving the armed forces. Many struggle, many never find the help they need, and many fall into dark places that no former service member ever deserves to be. It’s good to see that there are those ready and willing to help the very people who serve and protect our country succeed.