When Jeremy Stalnecker fulfilled his childhood dream of joining the Marines he thought he had it made. He had grown up in southern California into a Christian family and his father was a pastor. Despite an early biblical grounding he did not see ministry as part of his future.

After he joined the Marines Corps he served in the first invasion of Iraq - Operation Iraqi Freedom - first as a rifle platoon commander in a helicopter company and then as the platoon commander.

But when he returned home he became aware he was suffering from trauma and was diagnosed with PTSD. He soon realised he wasn't the only one.

He felt a call to the ministry and like his father he went on to become a pastor. He now runs the Mighty Oaks Foundation which help men and women who have served in the military deal and ultimately recover from experiences that have led them to suffer with PTSD themselves.

In this episode of The Profile he talks to Premier Christianity Magazine Editor Sam Hailes about trauma and what it can do to the body as well as the mind, whether, even in war, it's ever ok to take a life if you're a Christian and the healing that can come from having a life tied to Jesus no matter what you've been through.

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Released on 28 Aug 2025