Historic Warships Across America Are Hosting a New Mission for Veterans

Veterans struggling with anxiety often lack the ability to focus and complete tasks in a timely manner. Brazilian jiu-jitsu requires intense focus and mental stability to conquer an opponent.

Veterans from across the country had a rare opportunity to learn jiu-jitsu from some of the masters of the sport on the deck of the USS New Jersey June 19–20, part of the We Defy Foundation’s Warships Seminar Series at the Battleship New Jersey Museum & Memorial in Camden, New Jersey.

The event, sponsored by USAA and Face the Fight, an organization founded by USAA, Reach Resilience and the Humana Foundation, was created to promote veteran suicide awareness and break down stigmas surrounding suicide and depression in the veteran community.

Event organizers touted the physical and mental benefits of Jiu-Jitsu and its ability to provide a coping and healing aspect to veterans facing behavioral health issues and disabilities.

“Really, the general reaction is gratitude,” Kevin Linderman, executive director of We Defy Foundation, told Military.com. “For the athletes, it’s gratitude for the opportunity to take back control over their lives through Jiu-Jitsu. And for the instructors, it’s gratitude to be involved with such an important cause.”

Teaching, Learning and Focus

For Omar Feliciano, a Marine Corps and Army veteran who serves as a We Defy athlete and ambassador, competing in jiu-jitsu onboard a large aircraft carrier was an experience unlike anything else.

“It was a lot of fun, and being able to train in that environment made it something I’ll never forget,” Feliciano told Military.com.

Feliciano, who served in the Marine Corps from 2013-2017 and the Army from 2017-2019, said the instructors did a fine job teaching the intricacies of jiu-jitsu.

“Every technique was taught at a high level, which helped me understand the finer points of jiu-jitsu and improve my skills,” Feliciano said.

Like most martial arts, jiu-jitsu teaches participants to stay calm and think clearly under stressful circumstances.

It demands complete focus on the task in front of you. There’s nothing quite like the challenge of someone trying to choke you unconscious to remind you to stay composed, solve problems under pressure and keep moving forward, Feliciano said. Those lessons carry over into everyday life and have been incredibly beneficial for my mental health.

Linderman said Feliciano’s match displayed the power of martial arts in boosting confidence, erasing self-doubt and being in control, mentally and physically.

“The We Defy program offers veterans the chance to train in jiu-jitsu for a year. A year is a long time. It’s enough time to change your habits and ingrain more sustainable and healthier choices,” Linderman said. “The benefits of the We Defy program of community, health and service long outlast the yearlong scholarship itself. This truly empowers veterans and gives them confidence on the mat that translates to confidence off the mat.”

Next Stop: L.A.

The Jui-Jitsu event was the brainchild of Michael Bakaleinik, senior business development manager at Wargaming.net. He met Linderman at a conference in the fall of 2024 and pitched the far-flung idea of hosting seminars on docked battleship museums across the nation.

“At first, I was thinking this is a bit out of reach financially and difficult to pull off. But when we started talking, Michael pitched the USS Lexington in Corpus Christi (Texas) as a test balloon event. Corpus Christi presented its own challenges, particularly its distance from any major city in Texas. But Michael and his team helped us procure our mats and secure some initial sponsors for the event.

We sold out the event and executed it nearly flawlessly,” Linderman said. “Everyone had a great time; we covered our costs and we all looked at each other and realized what a powerful platform this was going to be to elevate the mission of the We Defy Foundation along with the brands that support our cause.”

The foundation began planning two events per year, a Friday seminar followed by a full slate of matches on Saturday, which drew more than 200 fans and featured 30 matches in New Jersey.

The foundation’s next seminar series will be right after Veterans Day, Nov. 13–14, on the deck of the USS Iowa in Los Angeles.

“This is going to be essentially a twice-a-year roadshow bouncing across the country to different docked ships along the coasts and potentially the Great Lakes as well,” Linderman said. “We are working to secure a roadmap into the future so that we can have plenty of runway for planning, brand awareness, amplification and execution.”

Chris Ford, Face the Fight lead at USAA, said veteran suicide prevention requires more than a single solution, making the seminar series another valuable outlet for veterans.

“It takes quality care, strong social support and communities that foster purpose and connection,” Ford told Military.com. “Coalition members like We Defy Foundation help advance that effort by creating opportunities for veterans to build camaraderie, resilience and belonging through shared experiences.”