Military Career & Early Challenges

• 💡 Nick O'Kelly began his military journey as an 18X-ray in the Special Forces, serving with the 1st Special Forces Group in Okinawa.
• ✈️ After deployments to Nepal and the Philippines, he transitioned to Army Aviation, attending flight school.
• ⚠️ During flight school, he experienced his first suicidal ideation, marking the beginning of a long struggle with mental health challenges.

Flight School & Mental Health Struggles

• 🧠 O'Kelly initially sought help from a chaplain and behavioral health, but the experience was terrifying and unhelpful, leading him to mask his struggles.
• 🚁 Despite internal turmoil, he excelled, graduating as a distinguished honor graduate in flight school, highlighting the ability to mask mental health issues.
• 🚫 His mental health struggles, including dizzy spells (later identified as panic attacks), persisted through his deployment to Afghanistan as a Blackhawk pilot.

Joining the 160th SOAR & Misdiagnosis

• 🚀 Driven by a desire for more challenging missions, O'Kelly successfully assessed for the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR), known as the Night Stalkers.
• 🤕 A knee injury led to a temporary grounding, providing an opportunity to address his persistent dizzy spells without fear of career repercussions.
• 🩺 He was initially misdiagnosed with narcolepsy by a civilian doctor, leading to a permanent grounding from flight status, despite the Army's subsequent sleep study finding no such condition.

Healing and Advocacy

• ✅ O'Kelly eventually received a proper diagnosis of panic disorder after consulting with a psychologist and psychiatrist within the 160th SOAR.
• 💊 Medication and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) provided the necessary space and tools for him to heal and manage his condition.
• 📖 Now medically retired, he works as a financial planner for veterans and has authored a book titled "Stigma," aiming to break down mental health stigmas and lower suicide rates in the military community.
• 🤝 He also supports the Ark Health Foundation, a non-profit focused on non-medicinal brain health for veterans and active duty personnel.