John Mayer announced on Friday he is launching The Heart and Armor Foundation, which will focus on protecting the health of veterans and help publicize the experience of those in the military. The goal of the foundation not only be to focus on research for continuing veteran support, but it will also help by “bringing military and veteran communities closer together with outreach, events and conversation.”
Mayer, whose father is a World War II veteran, has spent the past decade working with scientists, clinicians, and veterans themselves to help empower their lives. Mayer said he’s spent “a lot of time figuring out how to ‘support the troops’ with real action instead of platitudes.”
According to Mayer, the foundation “is the culmination of eight years of research, veteran conversations, and pilot work.” The Grammy-winning singer shared a heartfelt Instagram post last Veteran’s Day to commemorate veterans and their families, “Thinking today about the veterans who have given their lives, those who have returned, many of them to lives that are hard to transition back into.”
In a letter announcing the foundation, Mayer spoke about the burden that our troops carry after they return from service.
“I also hope this foundation helps people look a little closer; we can all do a better job of sharing the burden. Listening. Exploring. Risking. Participating. Serving one another, even when it’s inconvenient and tedious. Not getting overwhelmed or discouraged by our differences. Solving problems that we may not have had a hand in causing. Keeping our sense of humor while taking it all seriously.”
The Heart and Armor Foundation will also narrow their focus to the emerging needs of women veterans as well as veterans who experience post-traumatic stress disorder. The foundation has already released 10 publications that highlight research on exercises to cope with PTSD and created a nutritional screening tool for women to use while deployed.
Mayer hosted a live Q & A friday on the foundation’s Facebook page.
