In 2005, U.S. Army Ranger Chase Rowan jumped out of a plane over Iraq and landed with more than just an injury. The fall left him with a traumatic brain injury, and the pills prescribed to dull the pain began a 17-year spiral into opioid addiction.
In 2022, fentanyl nearly killed him. Rowan overdosed while driving down a highway in Arlington. Three months later, he crashed again and decided to change his life.
Stories of Honor is a Fort Worth Report weekly series spotlighting 12 Tarrant County veterans who are serving beyond the uniform.
We also are highlighting nonprofits recommended by the veterans.
In November, the veterans will gather for a luncheon where the Report will honor their service at the National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington.
On March 2, 2023, he marked his sober date, one he has fought to protect every day since.
He credits two things with keeping him alive: ibogaine, a plant-based medicine that shows promise in treating opioid addiction and PTSD, and Marine veteran Bill Arnold’s Blue Diamond Recreation, a nonprofit that provides no-cost peer support retreats for veterans and their families.
Rowan first heard about ibogaine, a psychoactive compound derived from the African iboga plant, through the Texas Ibogaine Initiative, which advocates for clinical trials.
Backed by former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and the REID Foundation, the effort secured $100 million in state funding this year. Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 2308 in June, allowing Texas to partner with universities and hospitals to study the treatment under Food and Drug Administration oversight.
“This medicine completely changed my life,” Rowan said.
But medicine alone wasn’t enough. He needed something else. Something outdoors and someone to show up for him.
That’s when Arnold entered his life. Arnold would drive more than 30 minutes to pick Rowan up for long walks, listening without judgment. Over time, the two men introduced their families and built a bond that filled a void Rowan had carried since his father’s death when he was 12.
Marine veteran Bill Arnold and Army Ranger Chase Rowan pose together at a Blue Diamond Recreation retreat. Arnold has dedicated himself to veteran support since 2021. (Courtesy photo | Bill Arnold)
“Ibogaine fixed a lot of things within me, but Bill has been a rock in my life,” Rowan said. “He’s the father I’ve never had.”
Arnold, a retired Marine and former teacher, found his calling in 2021 after attending the funeral of a Marine he once commanded. Driving home, he questioned whether he had done enough for veterans still struggling long after service. That moment led him to retire from teaching and devote himself entirely to veteran support.
In 2022, he founded Blue Diamond Recreation and started holding retreats across the state, Georgia and Massachusetts. Veterans participate in outdoor activities like hiking, hunting and parachute jumps with open, judgment-free conversations in tranquil outdoor settings.
“Whether it’s a good story or a bad story, everyone’s free from judgment,” Arnold said.
For veterans who cannot travel, Blue Diamond offers companionship, weekly check-ins, and help navigating Veterans Affairs services. So far, the organization has served 39 veterans and family members.
For Rowan, those retreats have been life-changing.
Veterans find healing and judgment-free companionship at a Blue Diamond Recreation retreat in Georgia. The nonprofit offers free peer support retreats for veterans and their families. (Courtesy photo | Bill Arnold)
“You get to hunt, but that’s the smallest part,” Rowan said. “The biggest part is sitting around a fire with people who are struggling and talking. That’s the greatest therapy I’ve had.”
He said the experience has helped repair his relationship with his wife and children, giving him the tools and support to stay sober for more than two years.
“I’ve lost nine friends to suicide — all Army Rangers,” Rowan said. “Arnold is a jewel in this world to help us heal. He cares so much about the veteran community, and he understands that we’re all struggling in some way.”
Veterans often hesitate to share their experiences, fearing it could change their relationship with loved ones, so they live in silence, repressing their stories, Arnold said.
“When we go out on our peer support retreats, almost 100% of people will unburden themselves,” Arnold said. “The tears, the love, the hugs — it just naturally comes out.”
Retired Col. Mike Shupp, who has watched Arnold’s work, said sometimes the most important gift is as simple as staying in touch.
Just the basic outreach of tackling isolation and letting them know people are grateful for their service is essential, Shupp said.
For Rowan, it all started with a walk, and someone willing to take it with him.
Orlando Torres is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report.
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