By Michael Sullivan
Embracing the Next Mission
A week ago today, I had an amazing opportunity to participate in “The Next Mission Summit.” Standing on the stage of the historic Sanders Theater at Harvard University – a venue graced by the voices of Martin Luther King Jr. and Winston Churchill – I found myself humbled by the weight of history and inspired by the chance to continue shaping our veteran community’s future.
The summit wasn’t just another event; it was a rallying cry—a call to redefine the veteran narrative and seize the opportunity to lead a health and wellness revolution. As I stood in that room, looking out at a sea of dedicated individuals, I posed two questions that resonated deeply: “Do you want a good life? Do you want to be the best version of yourself today?”
These weren’t rhetorical questions. They were an invitation to reflect, to act, and to embrace accountability. For too long, many veterans have conflated “wanting a good life” with “deserving it.” But the truth is, wanting something requires commitment and effort, while deserving implies passivity – waiting for others to act on your behalf. It’s time for veterans to take the tools, lessons, and resilience forged in service and apply them to achieve the fulfilling lives we deserve.
The Growing Health and Wellness Crisis
For the first time in U.S. history, veterans are less healthy than their civilian counterparts—a stark statistic that underscores the importance of change. Yet, the silver lining lies in recognizing that our service didn’t break us—it prepared us. The strength, resilience, and determination we developed are still within us, waiting to be reignited.
Organizations like Team Red, White & Blue (Team RWB), where I am honored to work, are proving this through data-driven solutions. Last year, we conducted a groundbreaking study to assess the impact of our programs on veterans’ physical and mental health. The results were remarkable:
41% reduced their at-risk biomarkers
80% improved their mental health scores
68% improved their BMI, with an average reduction of 2%
Sleep efficiency increased by 45.8%
These statistics are not the numbers of a broken population; they are the proof of warriors adapting, overcoming, and thriving.
A New Mission: Leading by Example
The message I shared at “The Next Mission Summit” was simple yet profound: Our service did not damage us—it prepared us. It equipped us with unparalleled tools for navigating challenges and fostering leadership. As veterans, we are uniquely qualified to inspire others and redefine the narrative—for ourselves and our communities. We can lead by showing “what right looks like” and encouraging all Americans to participate in this journey of hard work and self-improvement.
Our next mission requires us to embrace a mindset of empowerment, adaptability, and perseverance. It means building strong communities, prioritizing holistic health practices, and working together toward a better future. And as we learned in service, we don’t have to go alone. Together, we can rise, lead, and persevere—turning challenges into opportunities and inspiring those around us to do the same.
The Movie Moment
In closing, I borrowed a poignant thought from the movie “Coach Carter”: Coach asks, “What’s your deepest fear?” My answer,
“Our deepest fear is not that our service left us broken, damaged, or wounded. Our greatest fear is that the strength we forged—the resilience we earned—might go unrecognized, even by ourselves.”
Living as victims dims the light of our potential, but stepping into the empowerment narrative unleashes our true power. When we embrace the truth—that our service sharpened us, not dulled (damaged) us—we give ourselves and others permission to strive for greatness.
We owe it to ourselves to lead a health and wellness revolution. Our battles, whether external or internal, have prepared us to rise above adversity, lead, and thrive. And I believe, now more than ever, we are the best ones to lead the way.
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Bio:
Mike “Sully” Sullivan is a retired Special Forces Colonel who served 30 years in the United States Army. Sully first joined Team RWB in early 2011 as the founding member of the Team RWB Fayetteville Chapter.
Sully is a 1994 graduate of Claremont McKenna College, where he was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army. He became a Green Beret in 2001 and served 23 years in the U.S. Army’s Special Forces. He deployed multiple times to include six combat tours in Afghanistan, a year as the Special Operations Commander in Lebanon, and multiple training deployments across the African continent in both the 3rd Special Forces Group and the 2nd Security Forces Assistance Brigade. Sully commanded the U.S. Army’s and Joint Special Operations’ most elite from Captain to Colonel.
Sully’s military service heritage can be traced back to his great-grandfather, a WWI veteran, who volunteered as a medic and later commissioned as a doctor in the Army Medical Corp, through his grandfathers’ Naval and Army Air Force service in WWII, to his father’s Army service in Vietnam. The “Family Business” now continues with his twins; U.S. Army Captains Samantha and Jackson Sullivan. He lives in North Carolina with his wife, Cindy. Cindy is a career high school math teacher, and they have three amazing children. Ryan, a North Carolina fitness Trainer and Meal-Prep Chef; Jackson, a Ranger-qualified Infantry officer serving in Hawai’i; and Sammy, an Army world-class athlete who won a Women’s Sevens Rugby Bronze Medal at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
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