We want to recreate the “deployment cycle” for veterans so they have a sense of familiarity, but instead of going to combat, they give smiles to children's faces.

Phase 1: The volunteers will meet at our PFW Headquarters in the States and start the deployment training workup. We introduce them to the country and culture they are traveling to, assign them specific tasks they are responsible for overseeing during their deployment, and create a team bond that only deployed servicemembers share.

Phase 2: Once we "deploy" to the country we will be serving, the first thing we do is conduct Reception, Staging, Onward Movement, and Integration (RSO&I), just as they would have done on previous deployments while they were in service.

This time period is designed to give the participates a chance to adapt and acclimatize to the new culture and climate they will be living in.

Phase 3: From there, we move forward to our “base of operations” in the village we have adopted, conducting mission briefs each morning and debriefs at the end of each day covering the tasks completed, what went well, and what could be improved on tomorrow.

Just like on deployment, evening meals will be shared together, stories told, cards played, and all of the other bonding experiences we’ve shared during deployments, minus the violence. Each deployment ends with a celebration with our host village, enjoying the company of those we set out to help, and ending the deployment with the chance to see the full scope of positivity achieved during their time spent on location.

The goal of these deployments is to reframe the way servicemembers brains relate to their previous deployment experiences by completely recreating the process of those experiences in their entirety with a positive outcome.