Skip to main content (Press Enter).
Toggle navigation
U.S. Army Reserve
Official Website
U.S. Army Reserve
Search the Army Reserve site:
Search
Search
Search the Army Reserve site:
Search
Home
About Us
Army Reserve History
Disaster Response
Immediate Response
Leadership
Commanding General
Cmd Sergeant Major
Cmd Chief Warrant Officer
Senior Staff
Assistant Chief of Army Reserve
Deputy Chief of Army Reserve
Deputy Commanding General
U.S. Army Reserve Command Chief of Staff
Commands
Office of the Chief of Army Reserve
U.S. Army Reserve Command
Geographic
1st MSC
7th MSC
COVID-19
510th
361st
221st
9th MSC
63rd Readiness Division
Directory
COVID-19
81st Readiness Division
88th Readiness Division
88th RD SHARP
99th Readiness Division
Functional
3rd MCDS
75th Innovation CMD
76th ORC
79th TSC
103rd ESC
311th ESC
364th ESC
451st ESC
80th TNG CMD
94th TD (FS)
100th TD (LD)
83rd USARRTC
97th BDE (CGSOC/ILE)
102nd TD (MS)
84th TNG CMD
78th TNG DIV
86th TNG DIV
87th TNG DIV
91st TNG DIV
85th USAR SPT CMD
108th TNG CMD
95th TNG DIV
98th TNG DIV
104th TNG DIV
200th MP CMD
335th SC
377th TSC
4th ESC
143rd ESC
310th ESC
316th ESC
3rd TBX
ARSC
DSC
412th TEC
416th TEC
807th MCDS
USARSCFA
Aviation Command
11th ECAB
244th ECAB
Aviation Accessions
ARCG
ARMEDCOM
MRTC
Legal Command
MIRC
USACAPOC
151st TIOG
350th CACOM
351st CACOM
352nd CACOM
353rd CACOM
2nd POG
7th POG
Featured
Ambassador Program
Find an Ambassador
Army Reserve Best Squad
Army Reserve Birthday
Army Reserve Marksmanship
COVID-19
Family Programs
History and Heritage Observances
African-American Heritage
Asian-American & Pacific Islander Heritage
Hispanic Heritage
Native American Heritage
Women in the Army
Private Public Partnership
Year In Photos 2021
Resources
Army Combat Fitness Test
Army Reserve Pay
Chaplain
CPIO
DHAP
Educational Benefits
GRFD Scholarship Minuteman Campaign
EEO Office
Equal Opportunity
FAQ: Personnel Programs
Health & Wellness
Comprehensive Soldier Fitness
DCOE TBI
Master Resilience Training
Medical Management Center
Organization Chart
FAQ's
Resources and Regulations
Psychological Health Program
TRICARE Reserve
Traumatic Brain Injury
Warrior Transition Program
Inspector General
IPPS-A
OSJA
Retirement
Safety
SHARP
Soldier Deployability
Suicide Prevention
Sustainment and Resiliency Division
U.S. Army Reserve Incentives Program
News
Brumfield Competition
Images
Infographics
Podcast
Publications
Social Media
Videos
Locate a Reserve Unit
Reserve Unit Locations
How to Join
FAQs
Chief of Army Reserve
IN THE NEWS
PHOTO INFORMATION
Download
Details
Share
“Bee” cause team work helps soldiers
Lt. Col. Tim Doherty shows the progress of new bees in his colony. (Photo by MaryTherese Griffin)
PHOTO INFORMATION
Download
Details
Share
“Bee” cause team work helps soldiers
Lt. Col. Tim Doherty explains what Soldiers receive in his bee keeping program at his apiary in Dunwoody, Georgia. (Photo by MaryTherese Griffin)
PHOTO INFORMATION
Download
Details
Share
“Bee” cause team work helps soldiers
The first graduating class of Veterans in Doc’s Healing Hives in April 2018. (Courtesy Photo Tim Doherty)
NEWS
| June 28, 2018
“Bee” cause team work helps soldiers
By MaryTherese Griffin
U.S. Army Warrior Care and Transition
ARLINGTON, Va. –
U.S. Army Reserve Lt. Col. Tim Doherty has seen his share of action. The G-9 for the
3rd Medical Command (Deployment Support)
not only helps injured Soldiers — he was one. Over a 30 year career, Doherty has worked as a medical evacuation helicopter pilot in either the Army Reserve or Army
National Guard
, completed two deployments: Iraq in 2006-2007 as an Aeromedical Evacuation Officer for the 3rd Medical Command, and Afghanistan in 2015 - 2016 as the Deputy Surgeon for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Special Operations Component Command.
During a deployment while assisting a medical evacuation, Doherty tore his bicep and damaged a rotator cuff. The injury occurred in August, but Doherty did not want to leave theater. He soldiered on in pain until the following April when his replacement arrived which compounded the injury. Doherty had surgery after returning from deployment and was assigned to the Fort Stewart Warrior Transition Battalion for four months. His time to focus on his recovery at the WTB afforded him the opportunity to visit his sister. It’s a visit that was life changing.
“While on my first leave, I visited my sister’s farm where she kept bees and after working them one time I knew I wanted to keep honeybees,” said Doherty.
His new found purpose, beekeeping, helped him through his surgery and with his transition from active duty. Beekeeping became such a passion of his that he created a non- profit on his property in Dunwoody, Georgia.
“I spent the next year building Doc's Healing Hives and raising money to help other veterans learn the craft of beekeeping. I purchased my first hive in September 2016, incorporated Doc's in January 2017 and conducted Doc's first all veteran beekeeping course in April of 2018,” Doherty said. This timeframe allowed him to establish Doc’s Healing Hives and its mission to help Soldiers and veterans overcome physical and mental challenges and help them reintegrate into their communities with purpose.
U.S. Army veteran Chris Dorsey, who served in the Army from July 2001 to February 2005 and is working on handling his post-traumatic stress, graduated from the course at Doc’s Healing Hives. Dorsey says he was pleasantly surprised how beekeeping has helped his recovery.
Dorsey, who opened his own farm not too far from Doherty’s called Warrior Farms, says sharing beekeeping with other Soldiers in recovery and seeing them walk away with a purpose is worth it. “For me I’m more of an animal person as opposed to insects, but when Tim introduced me to the bees, the bees have become one of my favorite parts of the farm,” Dorsey said.
Doherty, who suits up in old out of service military uniforms to look more like nature to his bees, tells his students if you care for your bees they will care for you by providing you with up to 100 lbs. of honey. It can take up to two years and there is a 50 percent chance your bee colony will collapse. You have to know how to deal with pests, diseases, swarms and low food source for the bees.
“It isn't like you just get the bees and then get honey, it takes time, patience and effort. Each veteran who has completed the program I know is up for the task, the comments and pictures they share are amazing. The goal is not only to teach them how to be a beekeeper, but help them transition back into their own community through their local beekeeping association and even create a new network of friends,” said Doherty.
Doherty hopes to expand his farm beyond Georgia and help more wounded, ill and injured Soldiers and Veterans learn beekeeping. “The most rewarding moments for me is handing the veterans the certificates when they complete the course, handing them their bees and watching them interact with each other and their own families around their bee hives,” Doherty said. “I know that what we are doing is having a meaningful and sometimes life changing impact on a veteran and their family. In a perfect world I wish I had the ability to replicate the Surgeon General's 1917 beekeeping course for every veteran who wanted it, but until then we will keep working hard to support as many as we can,” he added.
Doherty still serves in the Army Reserve and as an Assistant Principal at Riverwood International Charter School in Sandy Springs, Georgia. His true passion is for the Soldiers and his bees and he hopes his passion will colonize with the masses.
“It costs $500 per hive that is given to each veteran, it is a tremendous gift, but pales in comparison to giving the veteran a new purpose, hope or a vocation that they can use to help support themselves or their family.”
SHARE
PRINT
medical
Warrior Transition Battalion
3rd Medical Command (Deployment Support)
beekeeping
insects
recovery
Keyword:
Type:
Select a Category
100th Training Division (LD)
102nd Training Division
103rd ESC
104th Training Division (Leader Training)
108th Training Command (IET)
11th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade
143rd ESC
1st Mission Support Command
200th Military Police Command
201 PCH
205 PCH
244th Aviation Brigade
310 ESC
311th ESC
311th Expeditionary Sustainment Command
314 PCH
316th ESC
318 PCH
335th Signal Command (Theater)
361 PCH
364 PCH
364th Expeditionary Sustainment Command
377th Theater Sustainment Command
3rd Medical Command (Deployment Support)
3rd TBX
412th Theater Engineer Command
415th CBRN
416th Theater Engineer Command
451st Expeditionary Sustainment Command
4th Expeditionary Sustainment Command
63rd Readiness Division
75th Innovation Command
76th Operational Response Command
79th Theater Sustainment Command
7th Mission Support Command
807th Medical Command (Deployment Support)
80th Training Command (TASS)
81st Readiness Division
83rd USARRTC
84th Training Command
85th Support Command
86th Training
87th Support Command
88th Readiness Division
91st Training Division
94th Training Division
95th Training Division (Initial Entry Training)
97th Training Brigade (CGSOC)
98th Training Division (Initial Entry Training)
99th Readiness Division
9th Mission Support Command
ACFT
African American
Ambassador
American Indian Heritage
ARMU
Army Combat Fitness Test
Army Reserve Careers Division
Army Reserve Headquarters-Fort Bragg
Army Reserve Marksmanship
Army Reserve Medical Command
Army Reserve Staff-Fort Belvoir
Army Reserve Staff-Fort Knox
Army Reserve Women
Asian Pacific Heritage
Aviation
Best Warrior Competition
Birthday111
Capable
Career Management
Chief of Army Reserve
Civilian Employment
Cold Steel
Combat-Ready
COVID19
Double Eagle
Earthquake Response
Earthquake Response - Puerto Rico
Education
EO
Exchange Program
Exercise Anakonda
Family & Employees
Family Programs
First Army Division East
Fort Dix
Fort Hunter Liggett
Fort McCoy
Fort Parks
Globally Engaged
Health Care
Hispanic Heritage
Hurricane Dorian
Hurricane Florence
Hurricane Harvey
Hurricane Irma
Hurricane Maria
Hurricane Michael
IPPS-A
Lethal
Manning
Medical
MIRC
MREP
OCAR
Operation News Day
Pay and Benefits
Readiness
Sam Kendricks
Sustainability
Total Force
Training
U.S. Army Reserve Aviation Command
United States Army Reserve Support Command, First Army (USARSCFA)
USACAPOC
USAR Birthday
USAR Legal Command
USARC
USARSCFA
World War I
WWI
Sort:
Recent
Oldest
Title A > Z
Title Z > A
Year
Select a Year
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2006
2000
News Archive
2022 (188)
2021 (575)
2020 (548)
2019 (496)
2018 (432)
2017 (601)
2016 (825)
2015 (277)
2014 (19)
2013 (7)
2012 (9)
2011 (2)
2010 (1)
2006 (1)
2000 (1)