Zach Wigham

I served in the MA Air National Guard from 2006-2012 as an Emergency Management Journeyman (3E9X1). During my enlistment I encountered, and simply became more cognizant of, the overt or inherent racism utilized by my leadership to justify the conflict, the lack of concern for the mental health needs of veterans by the military, and the general political circumstances of our continued actions overseas. After experiencing my own losses and witnessing those of veterans around me, I became urgently aware of the need for a push-back from those who were most directly affected - the peoples of Iraq, Afghanistan (and countries around the world who have been subject to force during GWOT), and veterans themselves. I currently am earning a Master of Social Work degree, focusing on clinical and wilderness therapy work with veteran sufferers and survivors of PTSD, MST, and Moral Injury.