About Today’s Guest
Harold F. Skelton III is the founder of Fishing For The Mission 22, a veteran-led nonprofit built on a simple belief: healing can begin on the water. For many veterans, a single day of fishing is the first step toward lasting support at the organization's community resource center in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts. There, veterans and their families find peer connection, behavioral health resources, transitional programming, scholarships to retrain for careers in the marine industry, and much more.
Harold grew up in Holyoke, Massachusetts, an old mill city known for its grit and its tradition of public service. The hardships of that community taught him that duty is personal, and he was raised to honor his legacy through action: showing up, doing the work, and lifting others as he climbs. He lives by the golden rule of his grandfather, a retired police chief and Korean War veteran: never look down on anyone unless you are lending them a hand up.
After earning a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, Harold enlisted in the United States Air Force in 2005. Stationed in Texas and Colorado Springs, he deployed to Iraq multiple times. Late in his service, he earned a master's degree and taught as adjunct faculty at Central Texas College while pursuing his doctorate and moving toward a position with the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Like many who have served in combat, Harold carried the hidden scars of war. After his final deployment in 2010, he was medically retired due to post-traumatic stress disorder and related conditions. The loss was profound: his identity, his career, his camaraderie, and his sense of purpose. He reached a crisis point that led to a suicide attempt and a three-day hospitalization. Recovery was neither quick nor easy, and it came after years of isolation and depression. During that time, Harold became a full-time single father to his two children, Harry and Daisy. In 2021, he moved his family to Cape Cod, where he had no friends or family, to build a better life for them and for himself, and to begin laying the groundwork for an organization dedicated to those who have served our nation and our communities.
Today, Harold is a 100% service-connected disabled veteran who turns his own experience with PTSD, depression, and isolation into a mission that saves lives: one conversation, one cast, and one day at a time. Through Fishing For The Mission 22, he has built a community where stories are safe, stigma is challenged, and healing is possible.
PsychArmor Resource of the Week
This week’s resource of the week is a course that is part of the Brain Health & Wellness Learning Series - Bolstering Resilience. The ability to overcome long-term adversity while maintaining personal well-being requires a holistic approach—one that is best cultivated through both mental and physical habits. In addition to maintaining strong community ties and developing key mindsets, there are several supporting factors proven to bolster resilience among military service members. This mini-course series on resilience, sponsored by Wounded Warrior Project, spotlights five of these supporting factors: SMART goals, mental health, nutrition, sleep, and exercise. Each element builds upon a warrior’s foundation and increases the ability to successfully cope with high levels of stress and pressure. You’ll learn why these supporting pillars are so important to overall well-being, their application in daily life, and how it’s never too late to make a lasting change.
You can find the resource here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/WWP-BHW-bolstering-resilience
Provide Support
Take a moment to turn your gratitude into action. For just $15, you can help provide military culture training to one person who supports veterans and their families, equipping them to respond with greater understanding, confidence, and care. GIVE HERE through our giving page at psycharmor.org.
Provide Feedback
As a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you. If you PsychArmor has helped you learn, grow, and support those who’ve served and those who care for them, we would appreciate hearing your story. Please follow this link to share how PsychArmor has helped you in your service journey Share PsychArmor Stories
Links Mentioned In This Episode
Fishing for the Mission 22 website
Fishing for the Mission 22 on Facebook
Theme Music
Our theme music Don’t Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities.
Episode Partner
Are you an organization that engages with or supports the military affiliated community? Would you like to partner with an engaged and dynamic audience of like-minded professionals? Reach out to Inquire about Partnership Opportunities
Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families. You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com