McChord Airmen swim to raise PTSD awareness

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Katie Jackson
  • 62nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. --  At age 14, Josh Fueston, a Bellingham Bay, Wash., resident, decided to complete an eight-mile swim in the bay to raise awareness for those who lost their lives due to a lack of basic swimming skills.

Fueston swam four miles in four hours before he was pulled from the water. He was hypothermic and his body temperature was measured at 93 degrees Fahrenheit. He would spend the next week in bed due to muscle discomfort.

Fueston enlisted in the U.S. Army on his 18th birthday in 2007 and less than a year later, in September of 2008, he was deployed to Iraq.

It was after that deployment, that Fueston's family noticed a change.

"While home on leave, he was markedly changed. He was extremely restless and short tempered," said Laurie Fueston, Josh's mother. "He couldn't stand being touched; a simple gesture of a hand on his shoulder was too overwhelming for him."

Fueston was later diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, PTSD can be deadly. Between 11-20 percent of Veterans who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom have PTSD, and symptoms may be delayed for several months.

Josh lost his battle with PTSD, Sept. 13, 2009 and committed suicide.

"As a child, he had extraordinary compassion for people that led him to accomplish one goal in his life: to make a difference in one person's life - thereby making the lives of many better," said Laurie.

She is now taking his lead and making a difference by raising awareness of PTSD and founded the Josh Fueston Memorial Foundation and the annual Swim-to-Live relay event.

The purpose of the four mile Swim-to-Live relay event is to raise awareness of and educate communities on the causes and effects of military PTSD, to pay tribute to the military members who lost their lives due to PTSD and to give military members an opportunity to face their own personal challenges while honoring their lost comrades.

Eight swimmers took turns to complete the four mile swim, Aug. 24, in Bellingham Bay, Wash, the same bay Josh Fueston swam in 2003. 

The swimmers included Master Sgt. Jason Schieble, 627th Security Forces Squadron provost marshal NCO, Staff Sgt. Vanessa Kunz, 627th Logistics Readiness Squadron deployment logistics planner NCO in charge, Staff Sgt. Katie Jackson, 62nd Airlift Wing public affairs community relations NCO in charge, Senior Airman Zavki Omonov, 627 SFS command support staff, Senior Airman David Knutson, 627 Communication Squadron commander's executive assistant, Petty Officer 3rd Class Justine Mims, U.S. Coast Guard Station Bellingham boatswain's mate, William Jones, retired Army soldier and OIF and OEF veteran, and Amy Sothman, a civilian who lives in the Bellingham, Wash., area.

For Omonov, Knutson, Jones and Sothman, this year marks their second Swim-to-Live event.

Each swimmer swam until exhaustion or the cold was too much then they were pulled aboard a boat from the U.S. Coast Guard Station Bellingham while the next swimmer prepared for their turn.

"We have the ability to help the victims," said Knutson. "The swim was a long distance in deep, cold, dark water. Waves made it hard to see the finish line but if you keep your mind focused, one will complete anything."

All eight swimmers jumped in to complete the last mile of the swim together.

Morale was high so rather than stopping at the four mile marker buoy, every swimmer continued to the dock. Family members, friends, and onlookers cheered the swimmers to the finish from the shoreline.

"Doing good in one's life is never finished, there is always one more thing you can do," Josh Fueston used to say. It was a phrase he lived by.

After the swim, the U.S. Coast Guard Station Bellingham members conducted a flag folding ceremony and the folded flags were presented to the family members of service members who have lost their battles with PTSD.

After the swimmers got a chance to refuel, rest, and rinse off the salt water, they attended a banquet where they were recognized for their participation.

Guest speaker Jessica Magee, a U.S. Army Veteran, was a good friend of Josh's. She is a Josh Fueston Memorial Foundation board member and has participated in the event four years in a row.

"It's not day-to-day; sometimes it's not even hour-to-hour, it is second-to-second," said Magee. "What I've tried to incorporate in my life since dealing with PTSD and seeing so many of my brothers and sisters deal with PTSD is to make a two second improvement in your Veteran's life.

"For example, let your Veteran pick where they sit in a restaurant, because having their back to the wall is important sometimes.

"That's what this swim has taught me - two seconds can save a Veteran's life, because that may be the two seconds they need. It could be the two seconds that saves their life."

For more information on PTSD, visit www.ptsd.va.gov.