The chairman of the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Agricultural Appropriations is calling the hearing to order in Washington, D.C. Today this committee is learning about an innovative project which will help veterans and wounded warriors transition into healing careers in agriculture. A proposed location for this national model facility is in rural Kansas.
Gary LaGrange is president of Soldier Agricultural Vocational Education or SAVE for short. As a retired garrison commander at Fort Riley, Gary knows first-hand about the needs of soldiers and veterans.
Gary grew up on a farm in Iowa. He joined the Army, served in Viet Nam and worked his way up through the ranks. After multiple tours overseas, his final post before retiring was at Fort Riley. He found that he enjoyed beekeeping as a hobby, and he observed that soldiers who helped him seemed to benefit from the experience.
Gary’s daughter Shari is a clinical psychologist specializing in post traumatic stress disorder and brain injuries of wounded warriors. In 2012, she recommended that a training farm for veterans and transitioning soldiers would be of great value to them. Gary started to explore the idea, including therapy and clinical support.
