{"id":59377,"date":"2020-02-04T10:00:52","date_gmt":"2020-02-04T10:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/02\/04\/how-this-writing-and-arts-program-is-helping-veterans-with-ptsd-heal\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T02:55:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T02:55:11","slug":"how-this-writing-and-arts-program-is-helping-veterans-with-ptsd-heal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/2020\/02\/04\/how-this-writing-and-arts-program-is-helping-veterans-with-ptsd-heal\/","title":{"rendered":"Commander of ill-fated Fitzgerald among veterans with PTSD helped by innovative writing and arts program"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Walking up to the microphone to share two, original poems on Thursday night at the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, Virginia, was an important milestone in the healing process for retired U.S. Navy Cmdr. Bryce Benson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nearly three years ago, a 30,000-pound container ship, the Philippine-flagged MV ACX Crystal, had smashed into Benson\u2019s sleeping quarters aboard the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer Fitzgerald where he was commanding officer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Benson was found clinging to the damaged hull of the ship after sailors forced their way into his room to rescue him. He suffered \u201csevere traumatic brain injury&#8221; in a collision that claimed the lives of seven sailors \u2013 and has left numerous others, including Benson, with PTSD and other injuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later, Benson faced court-martial for dereliction in the performance of duties through negligence resulting in death and improper hazarding of a vessel. The Navy had initially sought a charge of negligent homicide against him. The charges were dropped, and Benson was allowed to medically retire.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/ship-collisions\/2018\/06\/17\/the-crew-is-still-hurting-one-year-later-some-fitzgerald-shipmates-struggle-to-go-forward\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"157\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/CROP-babbitt-Fitz-1.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">\u2018The crew is still hurting\u2019: One year later, some Fitzgerald shipmates struggle to go forward<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">One year after losing seven of their shipmates when the Fitz collided with a merchant vessel, some crew say they remain traumatized and wonder if they are ready to get underway again.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But finding his career over and dealing with worsening post-traumatic stress exacerbated by the Navy\u2019s legal crusade against him, Benson joined a writing program for active-duty service members and veterans sponsored by <a href=\"https:\/\/communitybuildingartworks.org\/\">Community Building Art Works (CBAW)<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere\u2019s no judgement, and there\u2019s acceptance and encouragement along the way,&#8221; Benson said. \u201cAnd when you\u2019re looking for healing, those components just go a long way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">CBAW is the outgrowth of a successful \u201cmulti-hospital arts program\u201d implemented at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, and Fort Belvoir, Virginia, under the tutelage of Seema Reza, chair and executive director.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reza, a poet, essayist and published author, sought to leverage art and writing to help heal the invisible wounds of war. CBAW hosts monthly and weekly writing workshops at military hospitals, online writing sessions and service member art exhibits and live performances, like Thursday night\u2019s gathering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The prose and poetry reading session accompanied the debut of an exhibition titled, <a href=\"http:\/\/torpedofactory.org\/event\/internal-dialogue-representing-selves\/\">\u201cInternal Dialogue: Representing Selves,\u201d<\/a> a collection of portraits \u201cof and by post-9\/11 veterans\u201d on themes of military service, trauma and healing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cInternal dialogue is about the sort of relationships between parts of ourselves. There\u2019s a version of a veteran or a service member that exists in the American imagination,&#8221; Reza said. \u201cThat\u2019s usually pretty far from the actual experience of service and the varied experience of service.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cInternal dialogue is about creating space for different selves to exist. The self you were before you joined the service, during your service, and your transition [out],&#8221; Reza added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2137\" height=\"1603\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_5049.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-66827\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_5049.jpg.jpg 2137w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_5049.jpg.jpg?resize=300,225 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_5049.jpg.jpg?resize=768,576 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_5049.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,768 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_5049.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1152 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_5049.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1536 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2137px) 100vw, 2137px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Seema Reza, chair and executive director of Community Building Art Works, opens the &#8220;Internal Dialogue: Representing Selves&#8221; performance session for veterans and active-duty service members at the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, Virginia, on Jan. 30, 2020. (Photo by Dylan Gresik)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Benson, CBAW\u2019s programs provide &#8220;a very safe place for active duty and veterans to share very personal things.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOnce you break down the barriers that there is no spectrum to trauma and recovery, then the healing process can begin. Seema facilitates that through art,&#8221; Benson added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTwo ships silently approach. Peace and violence meeting on the high seas while I slept, unaware of the danger. The quiet calm and the gentle sway ended with a 30,000-pound ship puncturing a pitch-black cabin. Steel shattered. Debris became weightless. An aluminum bookshelf rested on my chest.\u201d &#8211; Cmdr. (Ret.) Bryce Benson, U.S. Navy<\/p>\n\n<cite>Cmdr. (Ret.) Bryce Benson, U.S. Navy<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rina Shah, a retired U.S. Army captain and founding board member of CBAW, emphasized the importance of their programming before kicking off the evening as the first presenter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPeople have these preconceived notions of what veterans are and what civilians are. Events like these help keep dialogue open and let people talk about their experience,\u201d Shah said. \u201cI think for veterans who are struggling, for them to see other veterans who have struggled to kind of move past the struggle and be able to have meaningful lives, is important.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shah shared a prose reflection on living with grief and accepting circumstances beyond her control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Other participants included U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Stephen Rask, who shared three original poems for the first time \u2013 \u201cAbandoned Youth,\u201d \u201cBlue,\u201d and \u201cLeadership.\u201d Zachary Herrick, a retired Army sergeant, shared a narrative called, \u201cCatfish,\u201d which tied memories of his childhood to being wounded in an ambush in Afghanistan in 2011.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019m helpless. I let my brothers down. I\u2019m embarrassed I\u2019ve been shot. There\u2019s no rational thinking behind this. It wasn\u2019t my fault. It\u2019s not my fault.\u201d &#8211; Sgt. (Ret.) Zachary Herrick, U.S. Army<\/p>\n\n<cite>Sgt. (Ret.) Zachary Herrick, U.S. Army<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rene Vincit, a retired Fleet Marine Force corpsman, approached the \u201cInternal Dialogue\u201d theme by sharing entries from his personal journal. The entries broached ideas of self-consciousness, interpersonal connections, daily highs and lows, and feelings of fear, anxiety and loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Timothy Brown, a retired staff sergeant in the Marine Corps, spoke about his love for photography \u2013 and the challenges he faces after his injuries as an explosive ordinance disposal technician.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Feb. 3 is his \u201cAlive Day.\u201d It has been nine years since an improvised explosive device took his legs and right arm. Reza\u2019s program allowed him to capture the experiences of his fellow veterans as they participated in the writing program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3248\" height=\"2248\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_5045.jpg-rotated.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-66829\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_5045.jpg-rotated.jpg 3248w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_5045.jpg-rotated.jpg?resize=300,208 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_5045.jpg-rotated.jpg?resize=768,532 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_5045.jpg-rotated.jpg?resize=1024,709 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_5045.jpg-rotated.jpg?resize=1536,1063 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_5045.jpg-rotated.jpg?resize=2048,1417 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3248px) 100vw, 3248px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photograph of Joe Merritt, retired U.S. Marine Corps sergeant, by fellow retired Marine Timothy Brown, as part of the &#8220;Internal Dialogue: Representing Selves&#8221; exhibit, sponsored by Community Building Art Works.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anne Barlieb, a retired Army major who piloted helicopters in Iraq, said programs like Community Building Art Works create \u201csafe spaces where people can authentically explore\u201d challenging memories and situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI was very reluctant or resistant to doing it,\u201d Barlieb said. \u201cFinding my internal dialogue and getting acquainted with it \u2014 not really with judgement or with any kind of critique. Finding out what\u2019s going on in my head, what I was really telling myself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barlieb shared the story of her suicide attempt five years ago and her journey toward healing. She discussed moments of serendipity, reconnecting with her family background and connecting with other veterans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Retired Army Sgt. Vainuupo Avegalio \u2013 who goes by \u201cAV\u201d \u2014 shared two, original poems for the performance, in addition to having several pieces of artwork featured in the exhibition component.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His first piece, \u201cI Am A Sergeant,\u201d discussed the mindset and emotions of a sergeant leading his soldiers. AV\u2019s second poem, \u201cMy Kids,\u201d described his struggle with PTSD, related to an incident where he made a judgement call to fire on a bus suspected of being a vehicle born IED.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The bus had ignored warning shots and had blown through an Afghan National Army checkpoint, closing in on the Americans\u2019 positions. Avegalio later boarded the bus to find 13 deceased kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThese are the two kids that I see every night. It\u2019s been 8 years. Every time I go to my house, those two kids are still there. They don\u2019t say anything. They just stand\u2026and yell sometimes. I don\u2019t know how to get rid of them. I do know that I can acknowledge them because all I can do is say sorry every time.\u201d &#8211; Sgt. (Ret.) Vainuupo Avegalio, U.S. Army<\/p>\n\n<cite>Sgt. (Ret.) Vainuupo Avegalio, U.S. Army<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Avegalio, his journey with visual and written storytelling did not begin voluntarily, but he has found healing and a community in the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere\u2019s power in telling the story. Not only is it keeping you from having to shoulder that burden by yourself and holding in all that pain,\u201d he said about Reza\u2019s writing programs. \u201cIt\u2019s not easy, but every time you tell your story \u2013 getting up and telling it, or poetry, or paintings and photography \u2013 that\u2019s a little bit of stress that is alleviated from you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2873\" height=\"2425\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_5040.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-66832\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_5040.jpg.jpg 2873w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_5040.jpg.jpg?resize=300,253 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_5040.jpg.jpg?resize=768,648 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_5040.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,864 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_5040.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1296 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_5040.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1729 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2873px) 100vw, 2873px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8220;Where is Here?&#8221; (2018), graphite and ink on handmade paper, illustration by Vainuupo Avegalio as part of<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhen you have a community, whatever that community is, if that community enables you, empowers you to be a better person, to be stronger every day, to get up and do whatever the things are that you want to do,\u201d Avegalio said. \u201cBe a part of that community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2018, Avegalio, Barlieb and other veterans with CBAW were featured in the HBO <a href=\"http:\/\/wearenotdoneyetfilm.com\/\">documentary<\/a>, <i>We Are Not Done Yet<\/i>. The film highlights the journey from writing poetry and prose to performing the shared project in front of a live audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For veterans like Benson, Reza\u2019s writing program has allowed them to find a meaningful outlet for grief, trauma and pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe all came in as a volunteer and figuratively sign that blank check up to and including our lives, and a lot of us came very close to cashing that check,\u201d Benson said. \u201c[Here], there\u2019s an immediate understanding of what the value of our service is. It\u2019s one of those barriers that is broken down.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI think the thing that keeps us from saying these things and expressing ourselves is this fear that we won\u2019t be accepted,\u201d Reza said about the live performance. \u201cAnd when you come to the place where you are willing to say it in front of a group of people, you\u2019ve come to a place where you trust enough in other people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It has almost been a year since Community Building Art Works left Defense Department funding, making the nonprofit\u2019s financial footing less certain. But Reza said that the community has stepped up to support these programs, and she continues to look for new veterans to <a href=\"mailto:info@cbaw.org\" target=_blank>join <\/a>her online or in-person workshops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe importance of creating spaces for active duty service members to tell their truth without censorship, maybe isn\u2019t the best place under federal money,\u201d Reza said. \u201cMaybe it\u2019s the responsibility of the American people and foundations and organizations that are committed to the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The exhibition, \u201cInternal Dialogue: Representing Selves,\u201d will run through March 15 at the Torpedo Factory Art Center.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cThere\u2019s power in telling the story. Not only is it keeping you from having to shoulder that burden by yourself and holding in all that pain. It\u2019s not easy, but every time you tell your story&#8230;that\u2019s a little bit of stress that is alleviated from you.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":66824,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":15,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[221,29,116,103,15,18,25],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3261],"class_list":["post-59377","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-care","category-home","category-left-column","category-military-benefits","category-news","category-pay-benefits","category-veterans"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"WRICRFWREJHULMVB4E77LVCZOA","arc_canonical_url":"\/veterans\/2020\/02\/04\/how-this-writing-and-arts-program-is-helping-veterans-with-ptsd-heal\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Commander of ill-fated Fitzgerald among veterans with PTSD helped by innovative writing and arts program - Military Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"\u201cThere\u2019s power in telling the story. Not only is it keeping you from having to shoulder that burden by yourself and holding in all that pain. It\u2019s not easy, but every time you tell your story...that\u2019s a little bit of stress that is alleviated from you.\u201d\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Commander of ill-fated Fitzgerald among veterans with PTSD helped by innovative writing and arts program\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cThere\u2019s power in telling the story. Not only is it keeping you from having to shoulder that burden by yourself and holding in all that pain. 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