Today we’d like to introduce you to Tanya Bailey.
Hi Tanya, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Purpose After the Battle
The Story of Tanya Bailey
Carolina Roots
Long before she became a veteran advocate, nonprofit leader, wife, mother, grandmother, and fighter for others, Tanya Bailey was a child growing up in North Carolina.
Life wasn’t always easy, but it taught her the values that would define her future: resilience, determination, compassion, and service. She learned early that strength is not about avoiding hardship. It is about getting back up when life knocks you down.
Those lessons would be tested many times throughout her life.
As the years passed, Tanya built a family, experienced life’s victories and challenges, and developed a deep understanding of what it meant to care for others. She could have chosen a comfortable path, but comfort was never what called her.
She was drawn toward service.
An Uncommon Beginning
Many people begin their military careers as young adults. Tanya’s journey was different.
At 32 years old, when many people are already settled into careers, she answered a call to serve her country. She stepped into military life with maturity, life experience, and a strong sense of purpose.
She understood sacrifice before she ever put on the uniform.
Military service challenged her physically, mentally, and emotionally. It demanded long hours, discipline, and commitment. Yet she embraced the mission because she believed in something larger than herself.
She became part of a community bound by service, duty, and sacrifice.
She was proud to wear the uniform.
The Wounds No One Sees
During her military service, Tanya suffered injuries that would ultimately change the course of her life.
Some injuries were visible.
Others were not.
After being injured, she was medically evacuated and began a difficult journey through treatment, recovery, and uncertainty. Eventually, she would be medically retired from the military she had worked so hard to join.
For many veterans, the end of military service can feel like losing a part of themselves.
But Tanya’s greatest battle was not simply physical injury.
Military Sexual Trauma became one of the defining challenges of her life.
The trauma left scars that could not be seen on an X-ray or MRI. It changed how she viewed the world, trust, and even herself.
Yet while trauma shaped her story, it did not define her future.
She refused to allow the worst thing that happened to her to become the only thing people remembered about her.
Instead, she chose healing.
Finding a Way Back
After leaving the military, Tanya faced a reality many disabled veterans know all too well.
Pain.
Appointments.
Medications.
Isolation.
The feeling that the life you once knew has disappeared.
There were moments when the future seemed uncertain.
But somewhere along the way, Tanya discovered something powerful:
Healing is not a destination.
It is a journey.
Through alternative approaches, whole-health practices, supportive communities, and a determination to reclaim her life, she began rebuilding.
Piece by piece.
Day by day.
She learned that wellness is more than treating symptoms. It is restoring purpose.
And purpose was exactly what she needed.
Building a Legacy in Florida
Many people survive hardship.
Fewer transform it into service.
Tanya chose service.
Rather than focusing only on her own recovery, she began fighting for other veterans.
She understood the struggles of disability, trauma, transition, and loss because she had lived them.
She became a voice for those who felt unheard.
An advocate for those who felt forgotten.
A source of hope for those who believed they were alone.
Her message was simple:
You still matter.
You still have purpose.
Your story is not over.
Family by Blood and by Choice
At the center of Tanya’s life is family.
Not just one kind of family.
All kinds.
Her family includes biological children, bonus children, and children placed in her life through faith, circumstance, and love.
She understands that family is not defined solely by DNA.
Family is built through commitment.
Through showing up.
Through choosing one another every day.
Her home became a place where people could belong, heal, and grow.
The love she poured into others created a legacy that extends far beyond herself.
And then came another title she treasures:
Grandma.
With four grandchildren, Tanya sees the future in their smiles. They remind her why every battle, every sacrifice, and every act of service matters.
GI Green a Veteran 501 C3
Out of struggle came vision.
Out of vision came action.
Tanya became involved in helping veterans discover new paths to healing, connection, and purpose. Through gardening, community, education, wellness, and peer support, she helped create opportunities for veterans to rebuild their lives.
She understood that healing often happens when people work together toward something meaningful.
A garden can grow vegetables.
But it can also grow hope.
A community can provide resources.
But it can also provide belonging.
Her work became proof that recovery is about more than surviving.
It is about thriving.
The Woman She Became
When people look at Tanya Bailey today, they may see an advocate.
A veteran.
A nonprofit leader.
A wife.
A mother.
A grandmother.
A fighter.
A traveler
A best friend
But those titles only tell part of the story.
The real story is about a woman who refused to surrender to circumstances.
A woman who turned pain into purpose.
A woman who transformed trauma into compassion.
A woman who continued serving long after her military career ended.
Her life demonstrates that strength is not measured by how much weight a person can carry.
Strength is measured by how many times a person chooses to stand back up.
The Mission Isn’t Over
Tanya Bailey’s story is still being written.
Every veteran she helps.
Every family she supports.
Every life she touches.
Every grandchild she inspires.
Adds another chapter.
Her journey reminds us that even when service ends, purpose remains.
And sometimes the greatest mission begins after the uniform comes off.
The injuries changed her life.
The trauma shaped her.
But her response to both became her legacy.
A legacy of courage.
A legacy of service.
A legacy of hope.
And the mission isn’t over.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Tanya withstood many obstacles. Facing potential challenges like addiction, becoming over prescribed medications, inability to function and losing her memory. From her TBI she suffered headaches and seizures. From her lungs exposed to “burn pits “ she developed asthma and COPD. Next came a lupus diagnosis and the list goes on. This is not including many other conditions.
One thing most remembered is how pitiful Tanya had become at one time. Medication compliance cost her more than her original health issues caused. Gaining weight uncontrollably she found herself in a wheelchair and using a walker. She couldn’t perform personal hygiene and at that point she had almost given up.
Another of the hardest things Tanya had to overcome is the harassment and abuse she endured in the military. It is with her family and friends in Ladies of Flagler County and Bold Ladies she learned to trust again.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about GI Green?
I want people to understand there are other options to pills. There are natural alternatives. Whole health to include mental health , Yoga, acupuncture, herbal supplements and Veteran fellowship. Veterans grow together is our motto and it’s important for Veterans to connect. You are not alone.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I want to eventually have chapters all over the US.
Pricing:
- We provide services free of charge.
- We help Veterans get a MMJ Dr appt and state fee paid free to Veteran. These are 1st time patients and case by case.
- We provide garden supplies all year.
- We work free and need volunteers!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://GIGreen.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1DejdD72wS/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/share/1CwqgkaP4T/?mibextid=wwXIfr
