The Olympia home of Bill and Domenica Campbell is truly a labor of love.

The couple's 14-acre farm, tucked deep into lush Capitol Forest off State Road 8 about 30 miles south of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, is more than just a place for them to call home - it's also an equestrian retreat for veterans and their families.

Dubbed the Wounded Warrior Ranch, tahe property provides a place for veterans to find solitude, go for a horseback ride or hike, garden, sit by the pond or just hang out.
Unlike some other programs, the Wounded Warrior Ranch doesn't have a set agenda.

"(Veterans) don't need to show up and be told what to do," said Bill, a former fish and wildlife biologist and National Guard Soldier who suffers from post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury and seizures following a 2004 deployment to Iraq with the 81st Brigade.  "We're open to whatever people like to do," added Domenica. "Just like you, we've been there, and we understand where you're coming from.  You don't have to explain anything to us, because we know."

The ranch, a nonprofit, registered state charity, has an open-door policy and is available to all veterans - of any age, any era and any service branch - as well as their spouses and children. "I want us to fill a gap or a need, not try and compete with anyone else," Domenica said. "(At the VFW) there's not much else to do but drink, and you can't really bring your kids. That fills a function, and we're not trying to replace that, but what we're trying to say is if you want to come get outdoors and be in a place where your family is welcome, where you can throw the Frisbee on the lawn or just hang out (come on over)."

The Campbells bought the ranch just last December and are quick to note that it is still a work in progress. In addition to a community room where veterans can watch a movie or read a book, the property offers miles of trails to explore on foot or horseback, an oxbow pond, and several arenas and paddocks in which to watch, groom or ride one of the couple's four horses. Domenica, who has decades of equestrian experience, will work with veterans or family members who are inexperienced or fearful of horses to show them the ropes.

"We want them to feel independent and whole," Bill said. "We're not gearing (the ranch) toward any type of disability - it's just a veteran community."

All of the activities at the Wounded Warrior Ranch are offered at no charge. Currently, the Campbells are funding all construction and maintenance costs out of pocket, and they welcome donations and assistance. A wish list of needed items is available at www.woundedwarriorranch.org.  "We want eventually to become so community based that (veterans) will want to keep the place going and up and running, and we'll all work together," Dominica said.

"I thought (the ranch) was a great idea," said Lonnie Lehr, a former National Guard Soldier who served alongside Bill in Iraq with the 81st Brigade. "It's done wonders for (Bill), and is a really therapeutic way to de-stress. It's so much better than medication."

Lehr, who has moderate PTSD and lives in Steilacoom with wife Kristen and children Lili, 5, and Lex, 3, has helped the Campbells with the community room and other projects around the ranch. "He really seems comfortable here," Kristen said. "Whenever we come, it feels like a home," Lonnie added.  "That's what I like about this place. It really feels like you're part of the family."

For more information, visit www.wounded warriorranch.org or call (360) 495-3434.