COUNTRY STAR MARK WILLS LAUNCHES CRAZYBEINGHOME.COM
AS PART OF PTSD/TBI AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
Making The Kick-Start Official At MilBlog Conference
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (May 5, 2011)—Multi-platinum country music artist Mark Wills, in alliance with USA Cares (a non-profit national military assistance charity founded to assist post-9/11 military families in emotional health and recovery, and bearing the burdens of service with financial and advocacy support), officiated theWarrior Treatment Today “Crazy Being Home”campaign last week at the 6th Annual National MilBlog Conference, presented by Military.com, at the Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Friday, April 29,2011.In an initiative with USA Cares to introduce the Warrior Treatment Today “Crazy Being Home” national awareness campaign surrounding the severity of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Wills performed the campaign theme song for the first time as the official spokesperson and USA Cares “voice” before conference attendees. The lyrics are poignant: “…It’s right to fight for what you love, but his young eyes have seen too much. Until you’ve been where he’s been, you wouldn’t understand…”
The campaign and corresponding web site (www.crazybeinghome.com) is an outreach to encourage and support America’s post-9/11 veterans, assist in raising funds for the PTSD and TBI programs and to serve as an outlet for those who suffer to share their mutual stories.
Recorded by Wills as a tribute to our brothers and sisters in service, “Crazy Being Home” is featured on his forthcoming album, due in June. Having traveled to visit the troops on many occasions, it is a heart-song for Wills.
"The first time I made a trip to visit our troops, I was amazed at their dedication. When I returned home, I was surprised to find myself overcome with emotion every time I tried to speak of my experiences,” Wills said. “Each time I tried to recount the stories to my family, friends and strangers alike, I could not get through my thoughts without becoming emotional...and I was only gone ten days and kept out of harm's way. It’s hard to imagine what these men and women
go through to try to get back to ‘life’ as we all know it.”
Written by Chris Lindsey, Brad Warren, Bret Warren and Robin Lindsey, the song hits heart and soul--touching many. CrazyBeingHome.com early postings:
“I wonder what makes someone pick sandstorms over fresh country air? Why is she [my sister] happier in places where flak vests are required? Why isn't being home with us enough? The scariest question - what if over there is home, and not here with us? ...I heard your song…it answered the questions my sister couldn't.”
“My son, a former Marine SGT, is truly living the song ‘Crazy Being Home.’ Five years later, and two tours in Iraq, my son decided to leave his military life and give ‘being a civilian’ a try again. He’s fallen into my lap in tears, crying for help…begging me to help him to ‘just be ok.’ He asks me what’s wrong with him. These invisible wounds of war are real. I listen to Mark’s song and am brought to tears. Perhaps removing the stigma will help many of our young military personnel get the help they need, my son included.”
In existence for the past two years, the publicly funded USA Cares Warrior Treatment Today program has summoned over $800,000 enabling more than 500 OIF/OEF veterans residential treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
Visitors of CrazyBeingHome.com may offer financial assistance as well as emotional support to share their personal stories with folks who care. “The goal behind the ‘Crazy Being Home’ program is two-fold: to elevate the success of USA Cares Warrior Treatment Today program and, more importantly, to just ‘be there’ to listen and to say ‘it’s gonna be okay,’” Wills closed.
His new CD, entitled LOOKING FOR AMERICA (featuring both the title cut that is currently receiving applause by radio and its listeners and the USA Cares Warrior Treatment Today campaign song, “Crazy Being Home”), will be available June 21, 2011.
For more information on Mark Wills and the “Crazy Being Home” Campaign, visit: www.markwills.com/or/ www.crazybeinghome.com. For more information on the USA Cares Warrior Treatment Todayprogram visit: http://www.usacares.org.
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About USA Cares
USA Cares is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that helps post-9/11 military families bear the burdens of service with financial and advocacy support. Its mission: To help with basic needs during financial crisis, to assist combat injured Veterans and their families and to prevent private military home foreclosures and evictions. In almost eight years, USA Cares has received more than 27,500 requests and distributed more than $7.7 million in grants. Military families anywhere in America can apply for assistance through the USA Cares web site, http://www.usacares.org / or/ by calling 1-800-773-0387. For more information on USA Cares contact John Revell, jrevell@usacares.org or (270) 352-5451.
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