Combat to Connection: Veterans Grow Through Operation Elevation

Six Marines and two soldiers arrived at Los Sueños Resort in Costa Rica for Freedom Alliance’s event called “Operation Elevation”, a new event along the vein of the Offshore Experience – a model combining mountaintop experiences with a series of structured talks.

Once again, the generous community at Los Sueños opened it doors and hearts to support our warfighters through Freedom Alliance.  Four condos were donated for lodging by grateful Americans and the week’s meals were supported by the resort.  Grupo Montecristo donated use of four golf carts during the week and was financially supported by the Don and Patricia Altorfer.  Without financial or logistical stress, the group enjoyed fun adventures like hiking in the jungle, riding ATVs, and ziplining through the canopy.

But the week’s focus wasn’t about the adventures – that was icing on the cake.  The main focus was on personal growth…

Marine veteran Dimyas Perdue retired as a First Sergeant, after 22 years of service and knowingly selected for Sergeant Major – the highest rank in the enlisted pipeline.  He had served in combat in Iraq, ran the Marine Corps Martial Arts Center of Excellence at Marine Corps Base Quantico, and even was selected to create a new Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) called “Force Fitness”.  But God was calling him in a new direction and in obedience, he forfeited the promotion to Sergeant Major and retired the uniform.  Today, Dimyas is a transformational speaker and expert on emotional intelligence, hired by big corporations like AT&T.  He works under Eric Thomas, a world-renowned speaker and author.  When he attended the Freedom Alliance Mission in Costa Rica in 2024, he felt as if he was being called to serve more than companies – he wanted to serve his fellow brothers and sisters-in-arms. 

Dimyas is the author of the book Elevation Requires Change: The Journey Towards Purpose and Fulfillment.  He has started a non-profit organization that plays on this title, called “Operation Elevation” where he intends to use his gifts to help veterans in their personal growth journey.  Freedom Alliance gave him his first opportunity by partnering with him to run his program with this group of veterans.  Aided by his wife, Jaimie Perdue, who served 17 years in the Marine Corps and is a PhD candidate in Strategic Leadership, Dimyas put together a solid program for the week.

His dynamic energy and service record was easily acknowledged by the group of veterans, creating trust and group cohesion on day one.  The classroom setting was donated by Los Sueños Resort, giving us a sectioned-off part of their Lanterna Italian Restaurant, creating a safe and isolated space to hear the lessons and work on ourselves. 

The first session covered many of the issues veterans face: personal peace, avoidance, substance abuse, self-sabotage, and more.  He also allowed time for the veterans to share bits of their own life during an exercise that helped peal away the surface-level conversations to go one step deeper.  In a touching moment, Steve got up to speak and looked at the screen to relay the date in order to talk about the length of time he was on his healing journey, but was silenced when he realized the date…it was the anniversary of the day he was wounded.

Over the next few days, after spending the morning doing fun activities, we returned to the classroom for the next series of lessons.  Dimyas defined emotional intelligence as “the ability to recognize and understand emotions in yourself and others, and your ability to use that awareness to manage your thoughts and actions.”  The group took an assessment through his company to see where they stand as well as additional resources to help coax out improvement.  They will automatically be sent another assessment to see where they are improving. 

We explored situational themes veterans struggle against like identity confusion after service, physical trauma that alters brain function, when survival mode becomes the default setting (hypervigilance), emotional suppression, lack of safe spaces, moral injury, and more. 

Halfway through the week, the veterans got a chance to restore some spirit by continuing to serve, but in a different way.  Partnering with A Reel Difference, the veterans delivered a truck-bed of food and groceries to an impoverished community outside the resort.  37 families were blessed with a week’s worth of food.  The veterans helped by carrying the food bags to the homes. 

After the food drive, the group traveled to Finca de Esperanza (Farm of Hope).  The Farm is an addiction center where around 29 men are struggling to take back their lives and align their hearts towards God.  Willie gave his testimony of growing up in a hard part of town, lured by drugs and gangs, but ultimately giving his heart to Jesus and serving in the Marine Corps.  We heard the testimony of one of the center’s participants and then had a question-and-answer session where the Costa Ricans were able to ask the group about their time in war, their struggles with prescription drugs and alcohol abuse, and more.  It was very uplifting and encouraging for both parties.

On the penultimate day, we utilized one of our donated condos to slip out of the classroom setting into a more casual room.  By this time in the week, the group was very familiar with each other and the responses were instant, honest, and open.  The focus was on social awareness – how to read the room, not assume or jump to conclusions, and understand perceptions.  This involved discussions, scenarios, and situational games.  The session ended with a lesson and exercise in managing relationships. 

The final day, the group was treated to board Costa Cat Cruises, donated by Jim Kitchell, where they spent the day at Isla Tortuga – a beautiful white sand island.  The group participated in the snorkeling and hike, but many chose to relax, ponder, and enjoy each other’s company.  Just before departing the island, Dimyas led the group to open up their burden bag – a five-pound sack filled with sand and wrapped in duck tape, and they carried it with them every day to every place.  Inside was their bag was a note they had filled out on the first day where they were asked to write-down their burdens.  Dimyas asked the group to open the sacks and choose whether they would continue to carry them or leave them on the island.  Not one veteran held on to their burden sack and we pray that this exercise was more than symbolic. 

Now comes the important part – taking what they learned home to put into practice.

After returning home, we immediately heard from two of the participants.  A Marine from Virginia sent an email saying, “So very glad we had this group as I started seeing change in everyone to include myself.  By day four, there was a drastic change in all participants!  I think we will never allow this experience and brother/sisterhood, camaraderie and just allowing God to move, will never exit our minds.   It's ingrained in our hearts.  I'm sure you felt it also.”

One Marine posted on Greatnonprofits.org: “I have been invited to a number of Freedom Alliance events. I am a combat veteran. Freedom Alliance has done an exceptional job integrating and teaching life skills for combat Veterans to combat the hidden injuries of Post Traumatic Stress. While providing an uplifting outdoor adventure in Los Suenos, Costa Rica. Extremely grateful to the donors. Their hospitality was beyond compare. To Operation Elevation and Dimyas Perdue. Material and instruction were superb. Lastly and most importantly Freedom Alliance. Orchestrating and bringing everything together nothing short of magnificent. The week in Costa Rica was profound. Freedom Alliance doesn't just want to take you away for a week. They want to help combat Veterans for a lifetime.”