Tommy Cooley grew up in Batesville and enlisted in the Army straight out of high school. He served in the US Army from 2002-2012 as a motorman in the infantry including three tours in Iraq.
He married in 2004 and had two daughters, ten and twelve years old from that marriage. His wife developed drug problems, and they eventually divorced.
A second marriage in 2010 resulted in his third daughter. Unfortunately, it also ended in divorce, this time because of his developing PTSD and alcohol-related issues.
After leaving the military, Mr. Cooley continued to battle his alcohol dependency, including going to treatment at Fort Roots three separate times. Unfortunately, behavioral issues related to his drinking caused him to be placed on probation in 2017 and eventually another alcohol-related problem resulted in a year in jail. Upon his release, Mr. Cooley came to St. Francis House.
“Going to prison got me sober. It was like a kick in the pants that showed me I had too much to lose. If someone is having problems, you’ve got to think about what you’re putting on the line.” Thank you for sharing your story with us Mr. Cooley. We’re glad you’re with us at St. Francis House and know you can do this!