Together Marines, veterans and community volunteers developed the space into a center for Marine support, including a woodshop/storage area; a garden to produce vine ripened tomatoes, bell peppers and melons; and a blue-jean Recovery Quilt program.

    Many individual Marines and Marine couples spent time in therapeutic garden sessions. The results they reported were a significant change in their understanding of stress and PTSD. 94% reported an increase in their ability to self-regulate or control tension and anxiety associated with active duty, including intrusive thoughts, dreams and disturbing physical reactions to environmental triggers. Of the program’s participants, 68% had been deployed to Iraq at least once in the last five years.

 

The reported results were an increased ability to:

 

(a) develop the trust required for an effective therapeutic alliance.

(b) experience a sense of self-control by initiating their own therapeutic process.

(c) learn to self-regulate physical and mental function through education and experiential training.

(d) gain trust in their capacity to acknowledge and tolerate their feelings, emotions and thoughts.

 

    This included issues of chronic stress, panic, intrusive thoughts, anger, isolation, and suicide ideation for both individuals and couples.

    In addition, the program sold over 2,400 pounds of fresh tomatoes in the Oceanside Farmer’s Market; donated over 1,250 pounds of tomatoes and melons to Marine families on Camp Pendleton; produced and sold 30 blue jean quilts at auction; and delivered 30 fine quilts made by the Covenant Presbyterian Church Quilters to the Wounded Warrior Battalion at Balboa Hospital.

 

Conclusion

 

   The pilot program fulfilled its mission. It provided therapeutic service to Marines with a wide range of stress issues and generated very effective community participation. VONS Foundation, Mission Organics Farming Co., Morgan Stanley Financial, Sidney Stern Foundation and other private individuals provided financial funding. The farming community was generous in providing supplies. The importance of community involvement and its implied support of the sacrifices Marines make have significant benefits for enhancing Marine family strengths.

    It is recognized that the results are not scientifically valid, nor complete. The pilot project lacked the resources to track participants beyond the time spent in the garden and had no mechanism to commit participants to multiple visits. Most Marines were brought to the garden by their spouse and were sporadic in attendance due to Marine duties, and decreasing family tension after the initial visit.

    However, confidential interaction with active duty Marines did provide a unique perspective of the issues relating to Operational Stress and PTSD in Marine culture. Most importantly, the experience indicates extraordinary promise for resolving stress related issues for Marines and their families, suggesting that an expanded program with empiric assessment is in the best interest of both Marine and civilian communities.