Giving back

U.S. Army SSG, retired, Travis Mills, of The Travis Mills Foundation, left, talks with Lanny Helton, a U.S. Air Force veteran who served from 1954-1962, right, as Mills visits with the Veterans Helping Veterans USA organization at the Veterans Resource Center on East Silver Springs Boulevard in Ocala, Fla. on Friday, Sept. 12, 2025. Mills and the Travis Mills Foundation will be hosting the 5th-annual “Never Give Up On Country” concert in Ocala early next year. U.S. Army SSG Travis Mills of the 82nd Airborne was critically injured on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan by an IED while on patrol and lost portions of both legs and both arms. He started the Travis Mills Foundation, a veteran support organization that emphasizes the term “Never Give Up Never Quit.” Hundreds of people attended last year’s “Never Give Up On Country” concert in Marion County. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2025.

Travis Mills lost both arms and legs as the result of an IED explosion while on patrol during his third deployment to Afghanistan on April 10, 2012. He was so severely injured that parts of his body were secured by duct tape for transport.

Mills was “one of only five quadruple amputees from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to survive,” according to the Travis Mills Foundation website.

Mills decided that rather than asking “Why me?” or feeling bitter, he wanted to give back to injured or “recalibrated” veterans.

Mills, whose motto is “never give up, never quit,” and his wife, Kelsey, founded the nonprofit Travis Mills Foundation in September of 2013 to help post-9/11 veterans “injured in active duty or as a result of their service to our nation” and their families.

He had attended an adaptive sports camp after his recovery and said he recognized the need for facilities where veterans and families could recharge. He later opened a veterans’ retreat in Maine.

Mills, 38, visited the Marion County Veterans Resource Center in Ocala on Sept. 12 to meet with Marion County Veterans Helping Veterans USA leaders and discuss his foundation and the Never Give Up On Country benefit concert set to be held in Ocala on Feb. 6, 2026. The concert, presented by JP Morgan Chase, will feature country music star Chris Janson and 12/OC, a band that includes two brothers from Maine.

The Travis Mills Foundation has hosted four previous Never Give Up On Country concerts in Ocala, at locations including the World Equestrian Center, Silver Springs State Park and Sheltair Aviation, where the next event also will take place.

Molly Lovell-Kelley, TMF communications and marketing manager, stated in an email that the foundation is building a connection to Marion County.

“I think from year one of the concerts, we’ve been working our way to becoming a true part of the communities within Marion County. Now that we have Florida resident Brooke Jones-Chinetti on the TMF board, I think TMFs true service to Florida veterans and first responders is beginning,” Lovell-Keely stated.

Jones-Chinetti is a six-year Army veteran who served two deployments, former vice president with JP Morgan Chase and talent manger with Haskell of Jacksonville, a team of architects, construction professionals and engineers.

“The benefit concert has grown stronger every year we’ve held it down here in Ocala and it’s always well received. People in the audience seek out our staff when they learn what TMF is about,” Lovell-Kelley wrote.

Lovell-Kelley said concert attendees often want to know more about the foundation “or even share a personal story about a veteran or first responder in their life. Sometimes it’s simply to say thank you.”

The foundation offers seven veteran and family programs at its Veterans Retreat facility and Kelly McGaughey Roseberry Health & Wellness Center in Rome, Maine, where veterans can relax and reboot at no cost.

Progressive and Alternate Training for Helping Heroes, or PATHH, is one of the programs offered by the foundation at the Maine facility, as a partner with the program developer, the Virginia-based nonprofit Boulder Crest Foundation.

Tim Arnold, the TMF assistant program director for the PATHH program, said the Travis Mills Foundation is one of 11 organizations that meets the “stringent requirements” and offers the Boulder Crest model Warrior PATHH 90-day program at no cost to first responders and veterans, with seven days in-person.

Women of Valor, for female veterans, is another of the TMF programs.

The Travis Mills Foundation has helped at least 2,329 veterans and their families from 48 states over the last 19 years.

Mills’ recent visit to Ocala included a tour of the Veterans Helping Veterans offices and a chance to talk and share experiences with Global War on Terrorism veterans including Myles McConico, VHV Outreach; Travis Gaffey, VHV Operations; and Berny Medina, VHV Operations.

Todd Belknap, VHV Executive Director, said he “looks forward to collaboration” with the Travis Mills Foundation and McConico said the two organizations have a “shared mission” to serve veterans.

Eric Dean, a U.S. Army veteran who was touring the VHV facility, also met with Mills.

Mills, a native of Michigan whose father is an Army veteran, said he joined the Army and served in the 82nd Airborne with a military occupation of infantry. Mills, a staff sergeant, served as a jumpmaster. He is the recipient of the Purple Heart and Combat Infantryman Badge.

Mills met Kelsey during his 2008 deployment. The couple were married in 2011 and Mills’ father-in-law, Craig Buck, was a staunch supporter during his long recovery. Buck continues to serve as vice president of the foundation’s board of directors. Travis’ family also was very supportive during his recovery.

Mills spoke about being active with his son, Dax, 8, who was born after the injury and was named in honor of the medics, Daniel and Alexander, who saved his life, and daughter, Chloe, 13. He also discussed his life filled with activities like driving and his work with the foundation. He has written two books, “Tough as They Come” (2015) and “Bounce Back: 12 Warrior Principles to Reclaim and Recalibrate Your Life” (2023).

Mills’ 19-month recovery at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center included taking his first steps with prosthetic legs when then 6-month-old Chloe “inspired him” by taking her first steps along with him.

Mills displayed his trademark sense of humor while visiting Veterans Helping Veterans and joked about “getting through airport security” with his metal prosthetics on his travels to Ocala.

For more information on the Travis Mills Foundation, go to travismillsfoundation.org

For details about the next Never Give Up on Country concert, visit allevents.in/ocala/never-give-up-on-country-benefit-concert/100001345787158619

Travis Mills Visits With Veterans Helping Veterans USA

7 photos