Marine Corporal Jason Hallett, a triple amputee, and his wife Rachel are each other's heroes and try to keep their relationship positive. When they needed encouragement, they found it through Operation Heal Our Patriots.
An improvised explosive device planted by Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan took Marine Corporal Jason Hallett’s legs, his right arm, and two fingers on his left hand. In the wake of his injuries, he plunged himself into drinking and overmedicating.
God used his wife Rachel to help him start over. Now he inspires her and many others.
“I think that Jason is the hardest worker I’ve ever met by far,” Rachel said. “He puts a hundred percent into everything that he does. He does his best to be a man of God, and he’s honest and funny and just incredibly positive. He inspires me all the time.”
Jason doesn’t allow himself to get mired in self-pity. He knows he can encourage others, including fellow service members who may be single or double amputees. He says he helps them see: “Hey, things aren’t that bad. We gotta keep pushing and just kinda figure out the best thing for us.”
Marine Corporal Jason Hallett and his wife Rachel smile in Alaska in 2015 after Jason took the polar plunge in Lake Clark.
Jason was not afraid to let God lead him in a different direction after the military and now holds a job in the financial services industry.
“You had that one path. It’s taken away, but God already knows your other path, and if that one doesn’t work, He already knows the path after that,” he said.
When Rachel and Jason needed time to focus on their relationship to God and each other, they found Operation Heal Our Patriots, a project of Samaritan’s Purse designed to strengthen the marriages of combat-wounded veterans and their spouses. Over the course of a week in Alaska, our chaplains led them through a series of eight Bible-based classes that bolstered their relationship.
“We met amazing people that I think will be lifelong friends, and I think we’ll always look back on that trip as our turning point,” Rachel said.
Samaritan’s Purse staff continue to keep up with the Halletts through our aftercare program. “They go to really deep levels to strengthen your marriage,” Rachel said.
More About Operation Heal Our Patriots
Samaritan’s Purse started the Operation Heal Our Patriots project in 2012 to strengthen the marriages of military personnel wounded in combat or combat-related activities after September 11, 2001. Couples, typically 10 at a time, are flown to Alaska for a week of marriage enrichment through the program. There, at our wilderness lodge, husbands and wives dig into a series of Bible-based marriage classes, listen to daily devotions, and are offered private spiritual counseling with our retired military chaplains. They also find physical refreshment by participating together in numerous outdoor activities, including kayaking, hiking, fishing, and wildlife viewing.
Since 2012, Samaritan’s Purse has welcomed about 600 couples into the project. We praise God that more than 200 individuals have made commitments to Jesus Christ, and 250 couples have publicly rededicated their marriages to the Lord.
Our ministry to these couples does not end in Alaska as we follow up with them over the long term through our aftercare program. Our staff engages them through regular personal contact (phone calls, emails, social media, visits) and encourages their involvement with a local church. Many of the couples also now support each other directly through networking and local gatherings. In addition, Operation Heal Our Patriots reunions and regional training events benefit couples by providing more Christian teaching and tools to enhance their marriage.
