Instagram story viewer> @operationvetnow> Posts

Operation Vet NOW Inc (OVN)

@operationvetnow

3.6K

followers

232

following

Connecting veterans to purpose through sport, music, and community.
Focused on prevention—before crisis.
Building The Next Mission for 2026.

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

NO NEUTRAL | Episode 9 – Zach Bennett: Strength Beyond the Weight

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2603288/episodes/19936145

What happens when a 15-year Army Veteran trades artillery for Atlas stones, 900-pound deadlifts, and the pursuit of becoming a professional strongman?

In Episode 9 of NO NEUTRAL – Veterans in Motion, host Taylor sits down with OVN Ambassador Athlete Zach Bennett, an Army Veteran, Iraq War Veteran, and United States Strongman National Champion.

Zach’s journey into strength sports wasn’t planned. After leaving military service, he stepped away from physical training and found himself struggling with the loss of routine, motivation, and the connections that had been part of his life for 15 years.

What started with a makeshift gym in the woods eventually led to his first strongman competition, a national championship, and an opportunity to compete for his professional status.

But this conversation goes well beyond lifting heavy weights.

Zach shares how strength training helped him rebuild purpose and improve his mental wellness, the importance of faith and family in his life, and how fellow Veterans and organizations stepped forward to support his journey.

From the battlefield to the competition floor, Zach’s story demonstrates that strength isn’t measured only by what you can lift. It’s also about finding your next challenge, building connections, and being there for others.

NO NEUTRAL is a podcast series by Operation Vet NOW (OVN), featuring Veteran athletes who use competitive sports to build connection, purpose, and community while advancing the mission of Veteran mental health and suicide prevention.

Be There for Our Veterans.

Learn more: www.OperationVetNOW.com by @operationvetnow

22

0

4 days ago

The OVN 5K is back, and we’re building toward something bigger.

On September 26, fellow Marines who served alongside **LCpl Abram L. Howard, USMC**, joined Veterans, families, friends, and the community in Monongahela, PA, to honor his life and sacrifice.

This year’s OVN 5K Remembrance Run, Walk & Ruck marked an important step in bringing this event back and building a foundation for its future. It’s about more than the miles covered. It’s about keeping the memory of our Fallen Heroes alive while creating connections among those who continue to carry their legacy forward.

A special thank-you to **Monongahela Mayor Greg Garry**, who performed the National Anthem, and **Police Chief Harris** for his involvement and support.

To everyone who participated, volunteered, sponsored, and helped make this event possible, thank you. Your commitment helped reignite this tradition and the mission of remembrance behind it. Now we build on that momentum, strengthen our community connections, and make this event even more meaningful in the years ahead.

We WIll Never Forget

#OperationVetNOW #OVN5K #HonorTheFallen taken in Chess Park by @operationvetnow

15

0

5 days ago

Cant take the 11 Bravos anywhere 🤪😂😂😂

We had a great day with the group at Combat Course golf page !!! by @operationvetnow

15

1

6 days ago

You can’t have everything, but 2 outta 3 is nothing to complain about! #runandgun #hotwife #cowboymountedshooting #shootandscoot #marriedup by @operationvetnow

1k

7

6 days ago

Please join us in welcoming our newest OVN Ambassador Athlete, Casey Vice, a United States Marine Corps Veteran** who served nine years as a Flight Equipment Technician (6048), with assignments across numerous European countries.

Casey has been involved in competitive sports throughout his life, earning honors in high school football and placing 4th in the state in powerlifting. Today, he’s back competing in motocross, where he has earned podium finishes in the American Heroes class and currently sits 3rd in points in his local state series.

But Casey’s return to motocross is about much more than race results.

After his time in the Marines, getting back on the bike gave him something familiar to pursue with an entirely new purpose.

As Casey shared:

“I’m returning to motocross with a new purpose and a renewed drive to compete. Motocross represents more than racing to me—it is a way to challenge myself, rebuild confidence, stay disciplined, and reconnect with the person I was before and during my time in the Marines.”

That connection between sport, identity, and purpose is a big part of why Casey wanted to become an OVN Ambassador Athlete.

He wants to use his own journey to encourage other Veterans to find an outlet, push through challenges, and discover what comes next.

“I want to represent OVN because I believe in being part of something bigger than myself. As a veteran returning to motocross, I want to inspire others to find purpose, push through challenges, and remember that their best days are still ahead.”

That’s what the OVN Ambassador Athlete Team is about. Sports can be the front door for Veterans facing isolation, struggling through transition, or searching for a renewed sense of direction. Being part of the team builds on that first connection through camaraderie, shared purpose, and Veterans supporting one another.

Welcome to the team, Casey! We’re proud to have you representing OVN and carrying the mission forward, one race and one Veteran connection at a time. taken in Mississippi by @operationvetnow

27

5

8 days ago

And that’s a wrap for the 1st go round here at the world finals! Took first tonight for the buckle an all the money!!! Only qualified ride of the night! All the glory to the good lord above!!!! Ready for tomorrow night and round 2!!!! taken in OSAGE County Fairgrounds by @operationvetnow

39

2

8 days ago

Event link for the Rogge family benefit shoot and silent auction to help after their house was hit by a #tornado in September. https://www.facebook.com/share/1C2RwQX3gj/?mibextid=wwXIfr #stjosephmo #kansascitymo #jessejames #cowboymountedshooting taken in Buchanan County MO Fairgrounds by @operationvetnow

134

1

8 days ago

It’s a healthy obsession though! #frontsightfocus #grind #obsession #cowboymountedshooting by @operationvetnow

414

9

10 days ago

Had a great time at the @sparc_series finale over in Price,UT! I surprised myself at quite a few stages and and also figured out where I need work but I had a blast as usual and also run a suppressor… be a good neighbor! @nextshotprecision

Reppin @operationvetnow out here! taken in Price, Utah by @operationvetnow

168

7

12 days ago

-B Ranch Rodeo in Easton Missouri was a blast! The crowd was huge and even 2nd place paid out big!!! #rodeo #howtobeacowboy #ranchlife taken in Buchanan County MO Fairgrounds by @operationvetnow

123

2

12 days ago

Huge congratulations and a quick recap from our OVN#bethereforourveterans #operationvetnow #ovnambassadorathlete #veterans teammate Chuck Lowe, Army, Veteran, and top 10 in the world’s best shotgun competitors! Congratulations Chuck an amazing accomplishment.
We are so proud of you!💪🇺🇸

Music Credits to our friends @hillbillyvegas taken in Corinth, Greece by @operationvetnow

24

3

12 days ago

For a long time, I felt like a frightened observer in my own life, carrying a quiet weight that seemed impossible to shift. I am not a musician in the traditional sense; I do not play the guitar, command the drums, or understand the complex architecture of music theory. Yet, every week, I get to step up to a microphone and front a rock band. Singing has become my anchor, my medicine, and my purpose. It is the avenue through which I heal my pain, and it has granted me a place in something far greater than myself, surrounded by a brotherhood of military veterans and first responders who became my lifeline.

There is a profound vulnerability in standing in front of a microphone with nothing but your own voice. Without an instrument to shield me, the lyrics become my raw truth. The pain I carried used to feel trapped, a heavy static in my chest that had nowhere to go. When I sing, that static turns into sound. The stage becomes a safe container for emotions that are otherwise too messy or difficult to articulate in daily conversation. Music possesses a unique, almost miraculous healing power. It takes the fragmented, hurting parts of a person and shapes them into harmony. Every note is a release, and every song is a step away from the dark and toward the light.

However, healing does not happen in isolation. The people backing me up are military veterans—individuals who understand sacrifice, trauma, and resilience on a level most civilians never will. They spent their lives being part of a mission bigger than themselves, and through this band, we have built a new mission. Even though our backgrounds differ, our rhythms match perfectly. When we play, the collective energy in the room shifts. I am no longer just an individual fighting my own battles; I am part of a cohesive unit. We lean on each other, moving through the noise together, creating art out of chaos. by @operationvetnow

23

0

13 days ago