(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Governor Jared Polis is attending the private ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the new Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Red Rock on Tuesday, Nov. 29.
Gov. Polis is joining Medal of Honor recipient Ryan Pitts for the ceremony. Pitts served in the Army from 2003 to 2009 and deployed twice to Afghanistan. He will be speaking on the importance of mental health care and what that has meant in his life. Pitts will also highlight the benefits the new clinic will have for the military, veterans, and military families in the Colorado Springs area.
Pictured here is Staff Sergeant Ryan Pitts, April 2014. (Courtesy: Office of the Chief of Public Affairs, U.S. Army) 
Pictured here in Nashua, N.H., in April 2014, is Ryan Pitts, holding an American flag flown by his grandfather, Frank Krypel, throughout Chosen Company’s 15-month deployment to Afghanistan. Krypel brought the flag down only once, when Ryan returned home. (Courtesy: Office of the Chief of Public Affairs, U.S. Army) 
Pictured here are members of 1st Platoon, Chosen Company, who came to aid 2nd platoon during the battle for Vehicle Patrol Base Kahler, Afghanistan. Here, they are at Forward Operating Base Blessing, Nangalam, Afghanistan. (Courtesy: Office of the Chief of Public Affairs, U.S. Army) 
Picture here is 2nd Platoon, Chosen Company, at Forward Operating Base Blessing, Nangalam, Afghanistan. Pictured are: (left to right/back row) Staff Sgt. Sam Miller, Pfc. Nick Murray, Cpl. Pruitt Rainey, Spc. Laquan Borden, Sgt. Mike Santiago, Spc. Ryan Schwartz, Spc. Tyler Stafford, Spc. John Hayes, Staff Sgt. Jonathan Benton, Cpl. Matthew Phillips, Spc. Adam Hamby, Spc. Reid Grapes, Spc. Tarien Lister, Spc. Jeff Molnar, Spc. Jacob Sones, Spc. Richard Ingledue, Spc. Tyler Hanson, Sgt. Ryan Pitts, Pfc. Joseph Latulippe, (left to right/front row) Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Kahler, Sgt. Brian Hissong, Sgt. Dylan Meyer, Staff Sgt. Lucas Gonzalez, Sgt. Adam Delaney, Sgt. Matthew Gobble, Sgt. Israel Garcia, Staff Sgt. Sean Samaroo, Spc. James Schmidt, Pfc. Ian Eads, Spc. Jacob Walker, Cpl. Gunnar Zwilling, Spc. Michael Denton, Spc. Nathan Wright, Cpl. Jason Hovater, Spc. Francisco Rodriquez, Spc. Joshua Sowells and 1st Lt. Devin George. (Courtesy: Office of the Chief of Public Affairs, U.S. Army) 
Sgt. Ryan Pitts holds a bracelet he wears that commemorates the late Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Kahler, former platoon sergeant of 2nd platoon, which is taped over another bracelet (not visible) the commemorates the fallen of 1st Platoon, Chosen Company, who were killed Nov. 9, 2007, in an ambush. Commemorated on the second bracelet are: Capt. Matthew Ferrara, Spc. Joseph Lancour, Cpl. Lester Roque, Cpl. Sean Langevin and Sgt. Jeffrey Mersman. This bracelet prevented shrapnel from penetrating Pitts’ wrist. (Courtesy: Office of the Chief of Public Affairs, U.S. Army) 
Staff Sgt. Lucas Gonzalez and Sgt. Ryan Pitts pay their respects to former platoon sergeant Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Kahler, during a memorial ceremony at Combat Outpost Bella, Afghanistan, January 2008. Kahler was killed during a patrol to visit guard stations near COP Bella. (Courtesy: Office of the Chief of Public Affairs, U.S. Army) 
Cpl. Jason M. Bogar interacts with Afghan children during a community engagement mission, in spring 2008. (Courtesy: Office of the Chief of Public Affairs, U.S. Army) 
Sgt. Ryan Pitts and Sgt. Israel Garcia patrol the area near the village of Rechalam, Afghanistan, which is west of Forward Operating Base Blessing, Nangalam, Afghanistan, in the summer of 2007. (Courtesy: Office of the Chief of Public Affairs, U.S. Army)
Pitts was awarded his Medal of Honor “for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty” according to the Army profile of his award. Though he was already critically wounded, Pitts fought enemy combatants until support arrived and assisted in holding a crucial position at the time.
The clinic is a part of the Cohen Veterans Network (CVN), of which Pitts is an ambassador. The network of mental health clinics began in 2016 when Steven A. Cohen made a $275 million commitment to serve veterans and their families. Cohen has a personal connection to the military as his son served in the United States Marine Corps.
“CVN’s focus today is on post-9/11 veterans, active duty, and families, in order to get ahead of transition challenges before they become chronic or acute. Each Cohen Clinic will assess all veterans based on their specific needs, and we will make every effort to see pre-9/11 veterans based on clinician availability,” according to CVN’s website.
Located at 1915 Aerotech Drive, Suite 112 in Colorado Springs, the clinic will host a variety of services focusing on mental health. For more information check out CVN’s website.
