In this powerful episode of MAX Afterburner, Kentucky native and retired U.S. Army veteran Derek R. Poor shares his deeply personal journey from the high-stakes world of Special Operations to profound healing and transformation. Derek served over two decades in uniform, beginning as an Aircraft Armament Repairman and Missile Systems Maintainer for the OH-58D Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter before being selected for the elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), the legendary “Night Stalkers.” Providing critical ground support for America’s most sensitive missions, Derek carried the weight of years of service, leadership, and sacrifice, along with the invisible wounds of a traumatic brain injury sustained in the line of duty.
Like too many of his brothers-in-arms, Derek faced the crushing reality of TBI symptoms, PTSD, and the devastating loss of friends to suicide, including one the day after he returned from his first ibogaine journey. Determined to find a path forward, Derek turned to powerful entheogenic sacraments: ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT. These sacred medicines not only brought him profound personal healing, but also transformed the life of his wife, Jennifer, who had battled debilitating autoimmune conditions for years.
In this conversation, Derek opens up about his service with the Night Stalkers, the toll of TBI, and the healing potential of sacred plant medicines. He shares lessons learned from both the battlefield and his journey home, along with his mission to help other veterans struggling in silence. Derek’s story is one of courage, resilience, and hope - proof that there is a way through the darkness, and that no warrior has to walk that path alone.
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