Rocco Besednjak
Rocco Besednjak is a retired Navy veteran, former police officer, and nationally recognized advocate for mental health support among veterans and first responders. He is the founder of Camp Hero, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to providing free therapeutic retreats and peer support through its signature Nature Immersion Mental Health Maintenance Program — and a 2025 inductee into the Kentucky Veterans Hall of Fame.
Rocco's life of service began at 17, when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy's Electronic Warfare program. Assigned to the USS John Paul Jones (DDG-53), he served as the command Intelligence Officer and a member of the ship's Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS) Team. During a 1999–2000 Middle East deployment in support of Operation Southern Watch, he conducted numerous compliant and non-compliant boardings enforcing UN sanctions on Iraq — until a January 2000 boarding operation in the Northern Arabian Gulf left him critically injured and medically retired.
Determined to continue serving, Rocco transitioned to law enforcement and joined the Shepherdsville Police Department in 2009. He quickly earned multiple Meritorious Service Awards for saving lives and Governor's Awards for impaired driving enforcement. On July 3, 2016, a routine traffic stop turned catastrophic when a fleeing suspect dragged him and ran over his legs, resulting in severe spinal injuries. After eight spinal surgeries and a second medical retirement, Rocco now manages daily chronic pain with the aid of a pain pump, spinal cord stimulator, and bladder stimulator.
Rather than surrender to his injuries, Rocco channeled his experience with PTSD, depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation into a mission to help others. In 2019, he and his wife Lauren purchased 160 acres in the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky and founded Camp Hero — "Heroes Helping Heroes Heal." The all-volunteer organization provides free 3–4 day retreats combining outdoor adventure, skills training, and structured mental health discussions to build confidence, resilience, and lasting coping strategies.
Camp Hero has directly served over 500 veterans and first responders and more than 200 at-risk youth, with participants traveling from across the nation. The organization also mobilized volunteers to assist over 650 first responders and healthcare workers with emergency transportation during severe winter weather events — a testament to Rocco's belief that service never stops. Camp Hero's impact has been recognized with a $25,000 grant from the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs and featured by LEX18, WDRB, Lane Report, and other media outlets.
Rocco speaks from lived experience on both sides of the badge and the battlefield. His presentations on peer support, mental health resilience, post-traumatic growth, and suicide prevention challenge stigma head-on and offer actionable strategies for agencies and individuals alike. Audiences across the public safety community connect with his authenticity, his refusal to be defined by adversity, and his unwavering message: recovery is possible, and no one has to fight alone.