Veteran Helps Comrades “Walk off the War” With Hikes on Appalachian Trail [VIDEO]

I cannot imagine what veterans go through, especially when returning from a deployment. Or even after returning from deployment.

We've heard horror stories of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) affecting veterans, even permanently changing them. Of course, upon hearing horror stories from the frontlines you (better) understand.

But we've also heard horror stories of VA (Veterans Affairs) clinics, specifically the bureaucracy that overshadows the help that VA clinics offer.

Sean Gobin decided to take matters into his own hands.

Mr Gobin is a veteran of three deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. After leaving the service in 2012, Mr Gobin found himself still dealing with the memories and emotions of combat, so he set out to "walk off the war," which involved hiking all 2,200 miles of the Appalachian Trail.

About 2/3 through the hike, Mr Gobin realized that the hike was indeed therapeutic, and also realized that other veterans going through what he went through could also benefit from the long hike.

With that, Mr Gobin founded Warrior Hike, "a non-profit that provides equipment and supplies for veterans to make long distance hikes."

How long-distance? The hikes typically last two to six months. The gear and costs required for such extreme hikes typically stretch beyond a veteran's budget. Warrior Hike "provides food, camping gear, and all the other hiking essentials for vets to spend months on the trail."

Bless this guy, who is the subject of today's "Happy News Over Angry Music" story.

Watch the video below, which is about Mr Gobin's nomination for CNN's Hero of the Year.

H/T: CNN Heroes