Darius Johnson

U.S. Army Veteran

"The program gave me the tools to accept that what happened wasn’t my fault, it was beyond my control."

In 2011, during combat in Afghanistan, U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Darius Johnson was severely wounded when his squad was ambushed by gunfire. After the detonation of an improvised explosive device, Darius suffered burns to 30 percent of his body, a traumatic brain injury, a punctured lung, broken jaw, and an injury to his arm that resulted in an amputation at the shoulder. For Darius, the wounds of war were not just physical, but emotional. Despite his uncommon strength, he found himself grappling with PTSD. 

In 2017, Operation Mend, referred to him by a friend, became the lifeline that Darius so desperately needed to heal his soul. He and his mother, who had become his caregiver, entered and completed Operation Mend’s Intensive Treatment Program for Post-Traumatic Stress. Darius returned to Operation Mend to seek care for his physical injuries as well, undergoing a series of procedures to address his physical pain. He was treated by Operation Mend surgeons for some of his physical injuries. Darius has said that Operation Mend has helped him restart his life.

“The program gave me the tools to accept that what happened wasn’t my fault, it was beyond my control. You can’t do this stuff on your own, and you can’t do it half-way. Once I realized all this, change kind of happened all at once. My mom and I went back to South Carolina. I got my bachelor’s degree, and she completed her doctorate. I got married and I just started a master’s program in business and leadership.”  

Operation Mend’s intensive treatment program helped Darius understand that he was not defined by his past, but by the boundless potential of his future. Darius Johnson is more than just a tale of survival, it is a story of triumph, about the ability to endure, to heal, and to emerge stronger than ever before. In the embrace of Operation Mend, Darius found not just a program, but a family, a sanctuary, and a second chance at life, reminding us that even during the darkest times, there is always hope.