CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — For Marine Corps veteran and Purple Heart recipient Skyler Barker, learning how to slow down after years of high-intensity service has been just as challenging as the missions he once carried out in uniform.
“Our warriors are very good at being in the red, operating in the red, but you can’t live in the red,” Barker said.
Barker currently works for the Corpus Christi Police Department. He also served in the Marine Corps and also worked as a wildland firefighter in Washington state and said he spent years in high-stress environments that left him conditioned to stay constantly alert.
“I’ve just always been in the space of needing that switch on,” he said.
Barker is now the commander of Military Order of the Purple Heart 598, a congressionally chartered veterans service organization made up exclusively of combat-wounded service members. According to the organization, it was formed in 1932 to support recipients of the Purple Heart medal, which is awarded to U.S. service members wounded or killed in action against an enemy.
The organization also runs advocacy, volunteer, and veteran support programs nationwide, including efforts focused on suicide awareness, homelessness prevention and legislative advocacy for veterans.
STRESS, RECOVERY AND A DIFFERENT KIND OF TOOL
Barker said many veterans, first responders and combat-wounded service members return home still operating in a heightened state of awareness while also trying to resume normal life.
“We ask them to go out there and lead, make decisions, carry trauma, and then come back and be a wife, be a husband, be a father, be a community member, and don’t really have a tool for the mind to reset and recover,” he said.
That challenge is what led Barker to NuCalm, a commercial wellness app that offers audio-based sessions designed to promote relaxation, sleep and recovery. The company describes its technology as being based on neuroscience research and designed to reduce stress and support focus and performance through guided audio programs. NuCalm also states on its website that its system is used in a variety of settings, including wellness and performance recovery environments.
Barker said his first experience with the app came during a particularly stressful week and the results for him were unexpectedly immediate.
“It was almost instantaneously… I just felt planted,” he said. “For the first time in a long time, that switch finally turned off.”
He said the experience changed how he approaches recovery.
“It helps me get re-centered so that I’m able to respond to the things around me and not react out of fatigue or a stressful day,” Barker said.
PARTNERSHIP WITH VETERAN ORGANIZATION
Barker said the Military Order of the Purple Heart has partnered with NuCalm to offer discounted access to the app for eligible members, including Purple Heart recipients and their families, through a dedicated program link or going to nucalm.co/mophtx
Click here to access the link.
According to the organization, subscriptions purchased through the partnership contribute a portion of proceeds back to support veteran-focused programs and community initiatives. The program also includes a seven-day free trial for new users and is eligible for Health Savings Account (HSA) reimbursement, according to the company.
Barker said the structure allows veterans to access the tool while also supporting broader community programs funded through the organization.
“We’re able to give it to our communities’ veterans and Purple Heart recipients at a reduced cost, but also giving us another opportunity for that to come back around and then go right back out into the community,” he said.
A TOOL FOR MORE THAN VETERANS
While the partnership and program is focused on veterans and combat-wounded service members, Barker said he believes stress management tools are relevant beyond the military community.
“The brain doesn’t understand the difference between perceived stress and perceived threats,” he said. “It doesn’t distinguish the difference.”
He said that includes first responders, healthcare workers, athletes and others exposed to high-stress environments.
LOOKING AHEAD
Barker said experiences with tools like NuCalm vary from person to person, but he hopes veterans will continue exploring different ways to manage stress and prioritize recovery after service.
For him, the goal is not a single solution, but more options.
“While experiences vary from person to person, I hope this gives veterans another option to explore as they look for ways to manage stress and prioritize recovery,” he said.
More Veterans In Focus stories are available here, along with resources for local veterans.
Contact Veterans In Focus reporter Michelle Hofmann at michelle.lorenzo@kristv.com
