Kelly: He got help when he needed it. Now Air Force vet helps wounded raptors — ‘nature’s air force’
Brooke Manes, left, who is the assistant manager of raptor rehabilitation, and volunteer Jeremiah Jones treat an eagle for lead poisoning at Raptor Recovery Nebraska on Wednesday, March 7, 2018, in Elmwood, Nebraska. Jones, who is an Air Force vet diagnosed with PTSD, volunteers at Fontenelle Forest with raptor recovery. Jones said that working with the birds has helped him with his recovery from PTSD.
RYAN SODERLIN/THE WORLD-HERALD
OWH
Latching on to fierce talons, the Air Force veteran firmly held down an injured bald eagle, which lay flat on its back.
“You’re OK, you’re OK,” Jeremiah Jones calmly cooed to the slightly struggling bird, a living symbol of the nation he served in tours of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Medically retired with post-traumatic stress disorder, the former tech sergeant, 31, knows how it feels to be laid flat, at least figuratively — in his case, with mental health issues…