Military Ocean Therapy
A unique, ocean-based alternative therapy protocol to help military members who are wounded, ill and injured.
Military/Veterans Ocean Therapy Program
A unique, ocean-based alternative therapy protocol to help military members who are wounded, ill and injured.
JMMF’s Military/Veterans Ocean Therapy Program offers a unique, ocean-based alternative therapy protocol to treat military members who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) as well as anxiety, depression, alcoholism and addiction as a result of mental and physical trauma suffered during their service.
“When you are surfing, you are in the moment. There is no anguish about the past, no stress about the future.” Col Greg Martin (ret) – First Commanding Officer, Wounded Warrior Battalion – West
We currently work with:
Active Duty Military
Since 2007, JMMF has been serving the active duty Marines from the Wounded Warrior Battalion-West (WWB-West) stationed at Camp Pendleton. We meet at Del Mar Beach on base. For security reasons, in order to volunteer at these sessions, you need a background clearance with at least seven days advance notice and either register for a Volunteer Pass or coordinate an escort on base. Our Program Manager will assist in this process. In early 2025, we expanded our program to include the WWB-West Hawaii detachment stationed at the Marine Corps base on Oahu and invited Navy Wounded Warriors from Balboa/Coronado CA to participate in these sessions.
Veterans
We serve veterans from all branches of the military at various locations on the California coast and now at White Plains (Kalaeloa Beach Park) on Oahu. We meet on the second Saturday of each month at a designated location in San Diego. These sessions are led by Nick Borrelli, a former Marine infantry officer (two tours in Iraq) who is now a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) that came through Camp Pendleton and learned about Ocean Therapy during his internship with the Wounded Warrior Battalion-West. This group of veterans have suffered some form of mental/psychological trauma and/or physical injury and are transitioning out of the military and into civilian life. If you are veteran or would like to join us in serving veterans, please register via the link below.
We also work with Vet Centers in San Diego, Orange County, Los Angeles and Ventura counties to offer regular Ocean Therapy sessions throughout the year.
Veterans in Recovery
We partner with the Greater Los Angeles Veterans Administration (GLAVA) to serve veterans living in “the Dom” (domiciliary) in West LA and offer 4-6 sessions per year in El Porto from April through October of each year. We also offer 4-6 sessions in San Diego and host veterans from the San Diego VA Domiciliary (also known as Aspire Center) and various veterans organizations in the area. These sessions provide care for those struggling with addiction, alcoholism and homelessness with the goal to assist them in their recovery and successful transition back into their communities.
Veterans Village San Diego
Greater LA Veterans Association
Wounded Warrior Battalion West
Veterans Benefits Guide
