About Second Mission

“Service didn’t end. It changed. Second Mission is where I learned that my next mission was healing."

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Second Mission was born from the hard truth that coming home doesn’t mean the battle is over. Founder Kristina Truluck deployed to the Kandahar region of Afghanistan in 2011–2012 and returned to a world that felt foreign. The uniform came off, but the weight stayed. She drifted - disconnected, exhausted, and searching for a reason to keep moving forward.

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She found it in an unexpected place: a horse rescue full of abused and neglected animals. In their quiet strength and unspoken understanding, she saw pieces of herself. When a medical retirement in 2017 stripped away her career and identity, horses became a lifeline. Joining an equine therapy program in 2019, and later volunteering with another in late  2019, gave her tools to face her PTSD and begin rebuilding from the inside out.

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Kristina made herself a promise: no veteran should have to walk that road alone. Second Mission exists so that service doesn’t have to end - it can change. Through the raw, grounding power of working with horses and a community that’s got your six, we help veterans find purpose, healing, and connection after service.