Joshua Derden is a veteran of the United States Army Special Operations Command, serving in various roles inside the 75th Ranger Regiment. During his time as a Ranger, Josh lead fire teams, and eventually the sniper section of his company. Josh deployed six times, in support of Operation Enduring & Iraqi Freedom.

Shortly after leaving the military, Josh returned to the Middle East, serving as a Private Military Contractor in support of the US Department of State. Over the next seven years, he led security teams all over Iraq for Blackwater Securities, an American private security company, and later EODT in Afghanistan.

Once Josh returned home, it quickly became evident that many of his brothers that returned home, did not make it home complete. The daily struggle of failure to assimilate to civilian life became overwhelming for many. The battle scars are not always physically apparent, and often illustrated through addictions, anger, and violence. Several men from his unit, and contracting companies, lost the battle to PTSD and took their own lives. In February of 2016, during a time of extreme difficulty in his own life, Josh was invited to a hunt in South Texas, with several of his Special Operations brothers. Those conversations around the fire, and experiences hunting fueled a passion that directly impacts VXA veterans today.

VXA believes that through adventure, comradery and therapy, we can make a significant impact in the veteran community. We understand the extreme difficulty veterans endure to re-integrate into American society, after leaving the structured life of the military. We feel that there is a lack of resources for this group of ‘forgotten veterans’ once they make the shift from solider to civilian.
VXA embraces the “no man left behind” model, even after soldiers leave the military. Since Josh became a pillar of VXA in 2016, he has helped evolve VXA into an organization that places emphasis on building a support system surrounding each veteran vs providing a one-time handout. In 2019 alone, VXA has been able to impact the lives of over 30 combat veterans, (many of whom are purple heart recipients) by providing them with therapy, jobs, and drug and alcohol addiction rehabilitation.

Learn more about their upcoming Fundraising event this Sunday Nov 10th.