Donor funding from Birds Eye View Project’s War Feather program was critical to supporting an intensive weeklong retreat with the psychedelic plant medicine ayahuasca spanning the 25th anniversary of 9/11, in partnership with The Coming Home Project
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., Sept. 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Birds Eye View Project provided cornerstone funding for a private healing retreat for 47 U.S. combat veterans and first responders, delivered in partnership with The Coming Home Project. The week was held September 5 to 12, 2026, spanning the 25th anniversary of September 11. The intensive weeklong program included four nights of ayahuasca, which has demonstrated effectiveness as a treatment for PTSD, TBI, anxiety, and substance use disorders.
The Coming Home Project served as specialist healing partner. The veteran-founded and veteran-led organization was established in 2021 to address the high rate of veteran suicide by providing access to lifesaving psychedelic therapy. According to Coming Home Project Board Member Brett Odom, “Veteran suicide is a national crisis, and current options are failing veterans. VA and Operation Deep Dive statistics indicate up to 44 veterans die every day from suicide and self-injury. Since 9/11 twice as many veterans have died from suicide as all military losses. Veterans are twice as likely to kill themselves, and 2.3 times as likely to have PTSD, compared to the general population. Over 60% of participants in ‘gold standard’ treatment programs drop out, and for those who stay, less than 50% find relief. Meanwhile more than two decades of research have proven the effectiveness of psychedelic treatments, with more than 80% of participants finding relief. Providing access to this healing in a safe, secure, and professional environment should be a national priority.”
During the seven-day program, participants attended classes, received ayahuasca within a supervised ceremonial setting, and participated in integration events at Rythmia Life Advancement Center in Costa Rica, which was closed to the public for the event. Rythmia, the only facility in the world medically licensed to administer the psychedelic plant medicine ayahuasca, operates under the regulatory oversight of Costa Rica’s Ministry of Health. Rythmia’s multidisciplinary medical, facilitation, and integration team, led by Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jeff McNairy, Psy.D., M.P.H., collaborated closely with Coming Home Project coaches.
The group included participants from Birds Eye View Project’s inaugural War Feather Program. War Feather is the organization’s flagship initiative, providing a comprehensive six-month reintegration program designed to help selected veterans rebuild structure, identity, and direction after the trauma of war. The week at Rythmia served as the program’s dedicated therapy phase. War Feather members will now go on to complete remaining program phases targeting health, nutrition, biomarkers, and sleep. They are required to abstain from alcohol, wear a health tracking device, and participate in a medically supervised program of blood panels, peptides, and hormone therapy during the program.
Birds Eye View Project provided most of the week’s funding through donor support generated by its signature experiential events, grants, and corporate sponsorships. War Feather costs between $15,000 and $20,000 per participant over six months. Participants pay nothing.
“We don’t fund things from a distance and hope they work. We chose The Coming Home Project because they have a proven track record of guiding veterans through this entire process, from preparation through treatment and long-term integration. They understand that the week itself is only one part of the journey. We wanted our War Feather team in the safest, most credible setting we could identify, even if that meant going to Costa Rica, and with a partner who would still be there when they came home.”
Ryan “Birdman” Parrott, Founder, Birds Eye View Project, and former U.S. Navy SEAL
According to Coming Home Project leadership, this inaugural veteran event at Rythmia marks a pivotal new chapter in mental health treatment options for America’s veterans and first responders. After this successful pilot event the group has plans to conduct at least four more retreats in 2027 as it seeks to continue expanding access to the veteran community.
“There are people who believe in a mission, and then there are people who step up and make the mission possible. Birds Eye View Project did that for us. This week would not have happened at this level without their funding. They understand this isn’t about sending somebody away for a week and hoping they come home fixed. It’s about walking beside them before, during, and long after the retreat has concluded. Our mission is to end veteran suicide, and we expect this ongoing effort between Birds Eye View, Rythmia, and Coming Home Project to become a powerful tool for healing within our community.”
Nate Brown, Founder and Executive Director, The Coming Home Project; former U.S. Navy SEAL and retired firefighter/paramedic
Since 2015, Birds Eye View Project has raised more than $6 million through experiential fundraising to support partner-led programs. Each War Feather team serves up to 50 veterans and first responders. Donors who want to support future War Feather teams can learn more at birdseyeviewproject.org.
John Moore, Getty Images special correspondent and senior staff photographer, documented the week. His honors include the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography for coverage of the Iraq War. Moore is producing a photo essay on the participants’ journeys. The Coming Home Project also captured first-person interviews with participants. Ryan “Birdman” Parrott, Nate Brown, Brett Odom, and select participants are available for media interviews.
ABOUT BIRDS EYE VIEW PROJECT
Birds Eye View Project is a Texas-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting veterans and first responders through action-based programs and experiential fundraising. Founded in 2015 by former U.S. Navy SEAL Ryan “Birdman” Parrott, a survivor of a 2005 IED attack in Iraq, the organization has raised more than $6 million through skydive fundraisers, expeditions, and performance challenges to fund partner-led programs. Its flagship initiative, War Feather, is a six-month reintegration program that guides up to 50 veterans and first responders through seven phases (Selection, Therapy, Biomarkers, Gut Biome Testing and Supplementation, Human Performance, The Gathering, and Recruit Others) at zero cost to participants. Learn more at birdseyeviewproject.org.
ABOUT THE COMING HOME PROJECT
The Coming Home Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2021 with a mission to end suicide among veterans and first responders by providing access to life-saving psychedelic plant medicines for treatment of PTSD, TBI, and substance use disorders. Led by Founder and Executive Director Nate Brown, a former U.S. Navy SEAL and retired firefighter/paramedic, the organization helps combat veterans and first responders access psychedelic-assisted healing in jurisdictions where such treatment is legally available. It provides preparation, coaching, travel assistance, integration, and a long-term support community designed to help veterans, their families, and communities heal over time in line with its motto: Heal the Warrior, Heal the Tribe, Heal the World. Learn more at thecominghomeproject.org.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Birds Eye View Project: Ryan Parrott, info@birdseyeviewproject.org
The Coming Home Project: Nate Brown, info@thecominghomeproject.org
SOURCES (selected)
Veteran Suicide and Self-Injury: VA National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report; National Center for PTSD; SAMHSA; Brown University Costs of War Project; America’s Warrior Partnership, Operation Deep Dive™ Summary of Interim Report. Estimate includes suicide and self-injury mortality.
Veteran Combat Exposure, PTSD, TBI Incidence: National Center for Veteran Analysis and Statistics; Office of Personnel Management; Pew Research Center; National Center for PTSD; Karr et al., “Traumatic Brain Injury in US Veterans” (2024).
Ineffectiveness of Current Treatments: Schein et al., Current Medical Research and Opinion, 2021; Penix-Smith & Swift, Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 2025; Lehavot et al., American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2018.
Effectiveness of Ayahuasca and Psychedelic Therapies: Calnan et al. (Brain and Behavior, 2025); Inserra (Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2018); Weiss et al. (Psychological Trauma, 2023); White et al. (International Journal of Toxicology, 2024); Wsol (Pharmacological Reports, 2023); Brunt (Addiction, 2026); Villa (Journal of Psychedelic Studies, 2023); Oregon Health Authority; Colorado Department of Natural Medicine; Rythmia sourcing and licensing documentation. Scale ratings reflect CHP’s operational assessment.
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
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