Liberty University honors veteran, local nonprofit leader with annual George Rogers Champion of Freedom Award

During the halftime show of its annual Military Appreciation football game on Saturday, Liberty University presented the George Rogers Champion of Freedom Award to local veteran retired Army Maj. Gen. Bob Dees, who started the National Center for Healthy Veterans (NCHV) at Valor Farm. The annual award is a high honor recognizing individuals who went beyond the call of duty and continue to display dedication to their community.

Dees accepted the award alongside his wife, Kathleen.

“It’s nothing I ever expected,” Dees said. “We are just humbled and surprised at the honor, and we are grateful for it. And we join the ranks of some distinguished awardees of the past who we have great respect for.”

The award, announced in 2010, is named after the late WWII veteran George Rogers, who narrowly survived the Bataan Death March after being held captive as a prisoner of war by the Japanese. Rogers, a Purple Heart and Prisoner of War Medal recipient, went on to work for Liberty University in various roles, including CEO for the “Old Time Gospel Hour” and as vice president of finance and administration before retiring in 1999.

Dees served 31 years in the U.S. Army and has continued to make a difference following his retirement. He authored “The Resilience Trilogy (Resilient Warriors, Resilient Leaders, and Resilient Nations)” and worked at Liberty as Associate Vice President for Military Outreach, where he founded the university’s Institute for Military Resilience, a faith-driven program that provides education to service members, their families, pastors, and caregivers on the various challenges linked to the invisible scars of war.

Dees left Liberty in 2016 to serve as Ben Carson’s national security advisor for his presidential campaign and then as Carson’s campaign chairman. After the election cycle in 2020, he founded the NCHV, a faith-based, multi-faceted reentry program in Altavista, Va., less than 20 miles from campus, for struggling veterans and their families.

“America’s veterans are an untapped national treasure,” Dees said. “We are trying to help their full God-given potential resurface, get them healthy, and get them back out and do good things for America.”

Dees founded the NCHV because he recognized the foreboding struggles many veterans face following service, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injuries (TBI), and a swarm of financial, marital, and addiction struggles.

The nonprofit houses patriots for nine months while providing communal living to defeat feelings of isolation. The program offers hyperbaric oxygen therapy (which produces better circulation to the brain), dignified farm work, and a variety of faith-based programs that help veterans rediscover their God-given purpose.

Dees explained that the goal of this holistic approach is to provide a comprehensive, multi-faceted program that goes beyond what the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers, addressing the full spectrum of veterans’ critical needs.

“For whatever reason, the VA has not earned the trust of most veterans,” Dees said, noting that the VA only touches roughly 30% of the nation’s veteran population. “I say we’re a crockpot in a microwave society because a lot of short-term programs are great, but recidivism is a huge problem. So, in that nine-month period, we can help people lean in the right direction and develop the right reflexes to trauma and help them develop physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness, which is how we define healthy.”

The farm features community tiny homes, large garden spaces, and farm animals to care for. The environment gives veterans the chance to connect with God’s creation through meaningful work and the opportunity to sell their produce at the center’s community market.

The center is staffed with counselors, coaches, chaplains, and case managers who oversee new patriot referrals, as well as a dedicated team of volunteers who drive its mission forward. All staff members are required to meet a faith-based standard to maintain the center’s strong Christian culture.

“The at-risk veterans who come here may not have any faith; (they) may be agnostic or atheist. But the climate and environment are winsome and catching,” Dees said, noting that four patriots were baptized in 2024.

A few days before the center was to host a special Veterans Day ceremony, Dees and his team demonstrated resilience after a devastating fire engulfed the center’s primary building, which included a barn and office spaces. Two donkeys died as a result.

“The barn fire was disappointing and a setback, but we are moving on,” Dees said. “Our team is preaching a sermon. It’s not a sermon of words from a pulpit, but it’s a sermon of their personal example of faith and resilience that speaks louder than words could ever do as they walk through this crucible and illustrate the power of Christ. It’s a sad but also very exciting period of time.”

The center plans to rebuild the barn and continue operations as normal, which include the construction of the Healthy Veterans Lodge to accommodate veterans’ families, a women’s program, rooms for hyperbolic oxygen therapy, and a separate conference wing for educating and mobilizing other organizations, like churches, for the cause of veterans’ health.

“It was a privilege to serve the sons and daughters of America and to see their selfless sacrifices in so many ways,” Dees said. “It’s only our privilege to lead them in uniform and beyond and to do everything possible to honor their service, help them heal, and get them back out and doing good things for America.”

The award’s 2011 recipient Steve Bozeman, a Marine Corps veteran, said Dees was the perfect choice for this year’s recognition because of his continued service to veterans and their families.

“I’ve known Bob Dees for over four years, and he has a servant’s heart that goes above and beyond,” Bozeman said. “His drive and commitment to truly help veterans who are broken to become healthy veterans again is a testament of those who have graduated from Valor Farm. I personally met many of them, and their outlook on life is 100% better. Dees deserves this prestigious award, and I’m very happy he was selected.”

Liberty has a longstanding tradition of honoring the brave service of our nation’s military members and veterans each November during Military Appreciation Month. Saturday’s patriotic halftime show was just one of many events honoring those who have served this country both domestically and abroad.

>> The Office of Military Affairs offers various opportunities for the Liberty community to support and honor its military students, veterans, and their families. For more information on military benefits and resources for military students, visit Liberty.edu/Military. Liberty University is one of the largest supporters of military veteran post-secondary education in the nation and enrolls over 40,000 veterans, active military, and their military family members each year.