We're going back for every last one.
Welcome to One Battle, Inc., a veteran run organization that will leave no one behind.
Our Story
After serving two tours in Iraq with the armed services, David Carlson was diagnosed with combat PTSD. He was in and out of treatment facilities and dual-diagnosis programs for veterans with PTSD and substance addiction, and struggled to find stable housing and employment. It was winter in Madison when he broke into someone’s home for supplies, which sparked his incarceration. Fast forward a few years, where Carlson is in a cell at Waukesha County jail, watching a fellow combat veteran sleep under the metal staircase because the facility was over capacity. Alone, afraid, exposed, and forgotten, despite their service to our nation. Carlson founded One Battle in 2024 to ensure that no 'battle buddy' is left behind or forgotten, which can only be accomplished by going back to get those still 'behind enemy lines.'
Vision | One Battle strives to create a supportive network of military veterans who have the lived experience necessary to form meaningful relationships with other veterans, or the family members of veterans. Through these relationships, One Battle team members willl walk with individuals and support them in advocating for themselves, creating healthy routines that will promote sustainable recovery, and will use a trauma-informed perspectives to re-center duty and mission in the lives of veterans. In the first year, One Battle will directly serve 100 veterans and their families. Within 5 years, One Battle will strive to have solidified itself as a leader in creating innovative and accessible opportunities for supportive housing, peer support, adventure therapy, and veteran workforce development.
"War does not determine who is right - only who is left."
- Bertrand Russell
The mission of One Battle
One Battle empowers veterans by offering supportive services, employment opportunities, and by instilling a mission-driven focus on mental health and recovery. By engaging veterans in meaningful efforts to address housing insecurity, mental health issues, and substance use and addiction, it will rekindle a sense of duty and belonging to one another and the broader community.
Statistics don't define us.
As a military veteran, the founder of One Battle chose to defy the narrative that veterans are so often confronted with -- the narrative that portrays our opportunities in life as limited after our service. One Battle's founder came from a traumatic childhood and saw the military as a route to earning his way into the mainstream success that the United States has to offer. This is the story of so many veterans. Upon returning to the United States after his second tour in Iraq, One Battle's founder was confronted with the reality that society had pidgeonholed him into the category of mentally damaged and functionally inhibited. One Battle's founder refused to accept that for himself and he refuses to accept that for any veteran. Service members are set apart from others in society by our willingness to sacrifice all for each other and for our country. One Battle strives to provide the example to veterans on how to now live for one another and for this country, one battle buddy at a time.
The Conversation Should Begin With Our Success
Veteran Owned Businesses in Wisconsin
Wisconsin veteran owned businesses generate around $12 billion annually and employ roughly 68,000 employees, 2.6% of the state's workforce. The State of Veterans in Wisconsin.
Veteran Representatives in Wisconson
In Wisconsin in 2021 there were 9 military veterans in the Wisconsin Assembly and 7 veterans in the Wisconsin Senate for a total of 16 veteran elected representatives out of a total of 132. That's 12.12% representation even though veterans only make up 7.4% of the Wisconsin population. National Conference of State Legislatures.
Veteran Home Ownership
Roughly 76% of veterans in Wisconsin own their homes which is approximately 8 percentage points greater than their non-veteran counterparts. The State of Veterans in Wisconsin.
Every Battle Counts
-
There are approximately 1500 veterans incarcerated in the Wisconsin correctional system at any given point in time.
-
Veterans made up 16.5% of all suicides in Wisconsin in 2020 even though veterans only made up approx. 6% of the population at that time.
-
At least 300 veterans were homeless in Wisconsin in 2022.
Our Services
At One Battle, we view lived experience as our greatest strength and driver of success. Our services are conducted through a trauma informed lens that relies on the strenth of our relationships with our fellow battles to produce intended outcomes in the lives of those we serve.
Physical Fitness
Emotional Regulation
Independent living skills development
Family Re-unification
Adventure Therapy
Advocacy for Veterans' Issues
Veteran Workforce Development
Donate to One Battle
Red Arrow 39, Charlie Mike
Red Arrow 39 was David Carlson's call sign as convoy commander while on his second deployment to Iraq. Nicknamed "Les Terribles," the Red Arrow is the insignia of the 32nd Infantry Brigade of the Wisconsin Army National Guard. Red Arrow 39 is now the call sign that will bring immediate support to any battle buddy in distress. Your donations will make this mission possible and will directly support the empowerment and recovery of veterans.
Frequency
One time
Monthly
Amount
$1
$10
$20
$50
$100
$250
$500
$1,000
$2,500
$5,000
$10,000
Other
0/100
Comment (optional)
