Jennifer M. TorresFlorida Today
Oct. 26, 2026, 5:04 a.m. ET
- Retired Army Maj. Gen. Gregg F. Martin will share his personal battle with mental illness at an upcoming event in Rockledge.
- The event, “Resilience: From Service to Strength,” aims to encourage mental health conversations for military personnel, veterans, and first responders.
- The free event will include a panel of local mental health professionals and highlight available resources in Central Florida.
Military personnel, veterans and first responders dedicate their careers to protecting and serving others. Yet when it comes to their own mental health, asking for help can be one of the hardest challenges they face.
But as retired Army Maj. Gen. Gregg F. Martin knows firsthand, even the <a But they are not the same — one thing does not equal the other.”
Despite a distinguished military career, Martin said he was fighting a personal battle that threatened both his professional accomplishments and his life.
“My service and performance were exemplary, while at the same time, my mental health was unraveling and my resilience was being depleted,” he said. “Mental illness devastated my career and life. I am fortunate to be alive.”
Drawing from his own <a And then, embrace the diagnosis, learn all about the condition, develop a strategy to get well, build a daily and weekly battle plan, and then work hard every day to regain your health, happiness and purpose. The alternative is decline and devastation.”
The free event will feature strategies for building resilience, an audience Q&A session, a complimentary breakfast and a book signing.
A panel discussion with local mental health professionals will include Miguel Fernandez, a licensed clinical social worker with Palm Point Behavioral Health; Mike Ronsisvalle, a licensed clinical psychologist and founder and CEO of LiveWell Behavioral Health; and Amanda Packal, a representative of Oak Ridge Treatment’s Hero’s Mile program in Deland, which provides specialized mental health and addiction treatment for veterans and first responders.
Packal said one of the primary goals of the event is to address the fear of judgement that can prevent military personnel and first responders from seeking mental health care, while highlighting the re
“Support is not only available, but accessible right here in Brevard and Central Florida,” she said.
The hope, she added, is that the event will help foster a community where those who dedicate their lives to helping others feel comfortable seeking help themselves.
“Resilience doesn’t mean never struggling — it means having the support, red. “It is imperative that, as a community, we continue expanding access to mental health reation.”
“Resilience: From Service to Strength” will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, Oct. 27 at the Space Coast Health Foundation’s Center for Collaboration, 1100 Rockledge Blvd. in Rockledge. The event is free, but advance registration is required. To reserve a spot, email Amanda Packal at apackal@oakridgetreatment.com.
This reporting is supported by a Journalism Funding Partners grant. Mental Health Reporter Jennifer Torres can be reached at JMTorres@gannett.com
