I enlisted in the military in November of 1998 as a 19D Cavalry Scout. The job of a scout was to do recon missions and route/zone/area clearing, in other words go out and see if the enemy is in an area and report back to the commander. I was deployed to Iraq in 2004-2005 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. While deployed I was on various missions daily, I was injured by a VBIED (Car Bomb) on Christmas night. I was sent home so that I could have shrapnel removed from my left sinus cavity and the hole in my right arm could close. I left active duty in 2006 after 8 years and joined the Army Reserve, where I was an ROTC Instructor. We trained college ROTC Cadets basic Army fundamentals during the summer. I left military duty December of 2012 with 14 years of service.
I have PTSD and TBI as well as anxiety and depression. Golf has been a therapeutic outlet for me as it allows me to turn my brain off and focus on the game and not what happened to me while deployed in combat. I was working at Chambers Bay Golf Course when Ryan Young told me about the PGA HOPE program and how it helps veterans with the same disabilities as myself to get out and socialize with one another while enjoying the game of golf.
The PGA HOPE program has helped me and fellow veterans by allowing us to get out of the house and away from our civilian work and be able to “be ourselves” without having to explain ourselves to civilians. I have met numerous golfing veterans since I graduated from the PGA HOPE program in 2018 and we have all become good friends over the last 4 years because of the program. I believe that if not for the PGA HOPE program and the opportunities that it has provided me I would not be the same person I am today.
I look forward to being the PGA HOPE Ambassador for the Pacific Northwest Section and helping other veterans get the same assistance that I got through the game of golf. I cannot wait to meet other PGA Professionals in the section and create more places for veterans to pick up the game of golf and have fun while learning.
– Jeff Bojanowski