Meet Krista Fee of Battle2BE

Today we’d like to introduce you to Krista Fee.

Hi Krista, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story. 
My story is a long and winding one; as a throwaway child of human trafficking, a survivor of childhood and adult abuse, and a survivor of cancer, my home burning to the ground, and an auto accident that left me with chronic pain and TBI. I have learned the importance of overcoming the obstacles that are put in front of us. I am a lifelong learner with a fascination with how trauma affects us in multi-layered ways, from our relationships to our nervous systems and physical health. This fascination has led me to obtain a traditional M.A. in Trauma and Military Psychology as well as over 60 certifications in various mental health and wellness modalities. I have worked in the Emergency room, tissue recovery, human trafficking, and forensic investigations, done crimes against children task force work, and ultimately founded a 501C3 non-profit that builds trust, safety, and relationships for Military and 1st Responders and the communities they serve for effective responses in times of crisis. Through this work, we reduce suicide, domestic violence, divorce, and addiction in 1st responder and military families, as well as reduce the incidence and severity of community crises such as bullying, teen suicide, missing persons, etc., through our education and crisis response team. We understand this is huge work, and we are the first agency to be working the gap between responders and communities to better serve both populations. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As mentioned previously, my path has been one rich with challenges. However, I believe the impact we make is direct result of our efforts, and to fully grasp the suffering of others, we must suffer ourselves. We cannot fully appreciate what we have not experienced. There is a difference between theory and application. Knowledge is invaluable, but alone it isn’t enough to overcome the most challenging problems our societies are facing today. 

We’ve been impressed with Battle2BE, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Battle2BE is a stopgap organization building bridges between the Military, 1st Responders, and the communities they serve. In this way, we inspire a realization they are us; we are them, and together we are unstoppable. We focus on trauma and crisis protection, prevention, preparation, response, and recovery from the bottom up and inside out. Our Ferryman Project focuses on humanizing the uniform, reminding the community these are real men and women, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons’ daughters… with hopes, dreams, and desires, and their lives are valuable. We provide a “Ride 2 Remember,” a custom one-of-a-kind plaque for the family, online memorials, 10:42 posts, and “Ripples” memorial stones that travel all across the United States. We have created “Phoenix,” the memorial jeep which carries the names of over 500 fallen heroes with us as we travel, speaking, educating, responding to crises, and delivering plaques to families. Every activity we participate in is a “Layers of Love” effort, ensuring the most impact for the dollars spent. We are one of a kind! We have a comfort K-9 program wherein we take a specially trained Boston Terrier (Buddy) to visit the children of suicide, LOD, or other tragedy so we can provide debriefing, mental health first aid, and connect our families with ongoing support. We also provide training and program development for organizations looking to support healthy employees at every level of their high-stress careers, from cradle to grave, hire to retire, and beyond. 

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
We can’t do this work without the communities we serve supporting us. You are an integral part of the solution, and its small grassroots efforts that break through the red tape and lead the way to a bright future where statistics actually are changing, and lives are not only saved, but the quality is greatly improved, leading to healthy responders, marriages, families, organizations and communities. A single ripple can become a tidal wave when enough momentum is behind it. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.Battle2be.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/battle2be_phoenix
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/battle2be
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristafeebattle2be

Image Credits
Matthew’s Memorial photograph