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Courtesy Wounded Warrior Project

Mental health is one of the most critical concerns of active and returning military members across the U.S. Although health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression have been diagnosed to military veterans before, programs like Wounded Warrior Project help assist and raise awareness of the mental health and the impacts it can have in everyday life.

Importance of mental health

It’s reported that 6-out-of-10 registered members with Wounded Warrior Project live with mental health issues like PTSD and depression. However, mental health is not just a concern amongst military members, rather it’s a human issue not limited to anyone’s personal characteristics and can affect everyone in varying degrees.

According to reporting by the National Institute of Mental Health, men are less likely to receive mental health treatment and support compared to women. One of the hypothesized factors behind this is the stigmatism that seeking help for mental health is seen as weak or unmasculine. This inspired Atlanta Falcons defensive end Morgan Fox and his father Joe, an army veteran, to share the message “tough guys aren’t too tough to ask for help.”

Project Odyssey

Joe serves as the regional director for Project Odyssey at Wounded Warrior Project. The program is a free 12-week program focusing on mental health for veterans, employing adventure-based learning to support and treat warriors suffering from PTSD, anxiety, and depression. The goal of this program is to enhance members resiliency skills, manage and overcome their unseen wounds, and to empower each member to live fulling and productive lives.

Details of the interview

In a multichannel interview, Joe and Morgan join in a discussion about the importance of mental health. The father-son duo touches on the focal points of positive mental health support including topics of vulnerability, connection, and mental wellness. Leveraging the platform that Wounded Warrior Project provided at a recent mental health event, both Morgan and Joe have become advocates for positive mental health.

Wounded Warrior Project isn’t the only platform the father and son duo have advocated for. The NFL’s Salute to Service initiative is another key platform providing no-cost support programs for veterans and their families. Morgan a three-time nominee of the award and was inspired by his father’s military service. He says that inspiration continued into his professional career and led to him becoming an advocate for both the NFL’s Salute to Service and Project Odessey.

The interview continues to show some of the activities that program members participate in, such as paintball, campfires, and (most critically) providing an outlet for veterans to talk to one another in a welcoming and familiar environment. The message Joe and Morgan emphasize in the interview is speaking up shows strength, asking for help is brave, and healing is always possible.

Sources

1. Wounded Warrior Project and The NFL Team Up to Shine a Light on the Importance of Managing Mental Health Wounded Warrior Project August 1, 2025 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wounded-warrior-project-and-the-nfl-team-up-to-shine-a-light-on-the-importance-of-managing-mental-health-302519821.html
2. Joe and Morgan fox’s Multichannel Interview Video Wounded Warrior Project August 1, 2025 https://www.multivu.com/wounded-warrior-project/9198754-en-wounded-warrior-project-nfl-mental-health
3. Project Odyssey Wounded Warrior Project https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/programs/project-odyssey