Back from the BRINK: Local veteran goes from homeless to hero for the cause

Throughout her nearly 20 year long career in the military, Laura Arms experienced her share of highs and lows. Things were good at first; she was raising a family with her husband Craig, and working as a nurse for the U.S. Air Force, where she flew on missions around the globe. She experienced the excitement of living all around the world from Germany to Las Vegas. Later on, she worked as an educator, teaching other military medical professionals while working her way up the ladder.

But all things that come up must come down, and Arms knows that as well as anyone. At her lowest point, Arms was medically retired from the military and suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that drove her to become suicidal. Not long after leaving the military, Arms was bankrupt, and her two homes were foreclosed on, leaving her and her husband virtually homeless.

But in that moment, Arms’ life changed forever in a way she could never expect. In what she calls a “God moment,” she and Craig ended up moving to Aplington, where she stumbled upon a Waterloo- based non-profit called “Americans for Independent Living,” an organization that provides transitional housing and supportive services to veterans experiencing homelessness in the Cedar Valley.

For the full story, see this week’s Eclipse News-Review. Subscribe by calling 319-346-1461 or by clicking here.