LINDSY JONES

Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army
Bachelor of Science Psychology from University of Minnesota

As a regular church goer where her stepfather was a religious leader, Lindsy Jones felt called to serve God and country, enlisting in the Army as a Chaplain Assistant. After attending boot camp at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina, her first assignment was in South Korea, followed by a tour in Grafenwoehr, Germany. Feeling as if she had truly found her passion, she reenlisted. Unfortunately, two years later, while attending Warrior Leadership Course, she injured her spine during training. Despite receiving physical therapy, Lindsy continued to struggle with a degenerative disc condition throughout her remaining time of service and as a veteran.

Hopeful that her injuries would get better, Lindsy took another overseas assignment, this time to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii and, subsequently, deployed to Afghanistan. During this period, she was selected for WITA: Women in the Army program. Although in almost constant pain, she served as the first female Army Chaplain Assistant in a male unit, where she trained rigorously alongside Infantry Soldiers. She was able to finish her Army enlistment and relocated back to Tennessee to be with her family while completing one year in the Army Reserves and working towards her bachelor’s degree.

Lindsy relocated to Minneapolis and began attending the University of Minnesota to complete her bachelor’s degree while also receiving treatment at the Minneapolis VA for anxiety/depression and severe back pain. While attending school she learned about the Sentinels of Freedom from another veteran and was accepted in August 2017 for two years of financial assistance while she completed her undergraduate studies. With the support of SOF, Lindsy was able to secure stable housing after having previously moved 11 times in three years following her service in the Army. SOF also provided Lindsy with an art desk and chair to make the long hours of studying more comfortable for her injuries. In addition to graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Lindsy was able to achieve one of her life goals of becoming a certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach.

Lindsy relocated to Washington and is currently attending Antioch University for a master’s degree in art therapy. With the encouragement of SOF she has learned to step out of her comfort zone and has become an active volunteer in her new state. Through her studies she has found an interest in virtual reality and is discovering ways to implement the technology into art therapy to assist those suffering with mental and physical pain.

In her own words Lindsy shared, “I am still learning how to do life differently, how to adjust to my pain, and the way life affects me now. I have finally realized and accepted that I will never the same as I was before. I really needed the last two years as a Sentinel to take a time out, relax, and really listen to my body. I cannot imagine how I would have made it through this process without help from SOF. I am so much better than when I started.”