Task Force Valor giving veterans a chance to reset

Marine Corps veteran David Romero arrived at Task Force Valor’s “Operation Pike Pursuit” on Sept. 26, well before sunrise, ready to catch some pike.  

Being out on Lake Coeur d’Alene was a newfound calming experience for him.

“I’d never been on the lake before and thought, ‘Wow, this is beautiful,’” Romero said. “Once all the guys showed up, everybody was happy to be there, and we got to head out and go to different spots.”

Task Force Valor is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in April 2025 dedicated to supporting special operations veterans and their families. Operation Pike Pursuit was their latest fundraising event promoting mental health and wellness through outdoor activities. The event raised $2,200, more than any other event to date, according to Task Force Valor’s Founder and Executive Director Ben Johnson.

“No nonprofit can succeed without having the support of the local community,” Johnson said. “A lot of people paid their entry fee and then donated a little bit more on top for the cause. To get people breaking bread together after an awesome day on the water, hearing people laugh and talk and telling fishing stories, that's all part of the fun.”

Operation Pike Pursuit brought out veterans, their families and people looking to support the cause.

“The event took people that might not normally go fishing and got them out of their comfort zone,” Romero said. “I have a wife and two kids. The whole day out there on the lake, I was thinking, ‘Man, I need to share and give this to my family.”'

Johnson, an Army veteran, started Task Force Valor after he lost multiple members of his battalion to suicide after leaving the military four years ago.

“North Idaho has one of the highest percentages of veterans in the entire United States,” Johnson said. “Getting out (of the military) and not having that high-paced life, people struggle with that because they lose a sense of purpose.”

For veterans like Romero, the outdoor activity proved to be a welcome opportunity to connect with like-minded people.

“I was on a boat with another Marine Corps veteran and it was his first time out fishing like that too,” Romero said. “It was all new to us. I think that was something good about the event itself. I was happy to participate.”

Time out in nature, Johnson says, is one of the best spiritual cures.

“The outdoors heals in a different way,” Johnson said. “It's a sustainable way for you to reset. Reconnecting with nature is what I’m really trying to foster with the nonprofit.”

Next year’s edition of the event isn’t scheduled yet, but the outpouring of support from those who attended has convinced Johnson it needs to stick around.

“Having 40 people for our first ever fishing derby was awesome,” Johnson said. “I got overwhelming remarks about having a second annual event. This is the start of something that could be really good.”

Johnson and Romero want those hesitant to seek help through Task Force Valor to remember the “real mission” is taking care of yourself and your family while not hesitating to ask for help.

“There's a stigma attached to seeking mental health advice and we just want to say it's all right,” Johnson said. “I would hope that somebody will pick up the phone and reach out before they do something to hurt themselves.”

    David Romero holds a pike caught early in the morning during Task Force Valor's "Operation Pike Pursuit."