HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah -- Meet TJay Wells, a senior contract manager with the 309th Maintenance Support Group at Hill Air Force Base. TJay has been with the Ogden Air Logistic Complex for eight years. His story encompasses more than building documentation for contracting officers to support the acquisition of high-priced parts and equipment for work centers at Hill Air Force Base. He has a compelling recovery from a childhood trauma, and has worked with his wife and sons to become entrepreneurs.
TJay grew up in West Point and now lives in West Haven with his wife Miriam and six kids, ranging in ages from 11 to 21. When he met his current wife, they each had three children. They soon blended nicely.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better blending of a family,” he said. “Now, my family motivates me to wake up every morning in hopes of providing them everything they need and deserve.”
TJay's motto in life is resilience, something he began to develop at a young age. When TJay was just 8 years old, he was the sole survivor of a tragic car accident when a drunk driver hit his mom and stepdad's car. After the accident, he went to live with his dad and stepmom. Though his family was loving and supportive through this terrible time, he had difficulty dealing with the traumatic event. Unable to express himself, he slowly shut down, becoming more and more distant. This continued through his teen years and into adulthood, which led to depression.
As an adult, he tried different modes of therapy and medication to help cope with his feelings; however, none of them seemed to work. Now, at 40 years old, he has discovered a new form of therapy called somatic breathwork. This practice has helped him safely identify and address undigested emotions and physical tension lying dormant in the body. This practice helped him re-live the traumatic event like it was happening today, allowing him to feel and heal the emotions he’s held onto for all these years, including being able to forgive the drunk driver.
These healing experiences helped him find a love for his life, something that was missing. TJay is now able to find peace in nature through mountain biking, hiking, paddle boarding, and walking four miles daily. TJay said he hasn’t missed a single day of walking in nearly two years. He is excited to celebrate his two-year anniversary in November.
He also spends time working his side hustle, Snack-Attack Vending with his family. This business started when TJay and his wife started seeing posts on Facebook from a group called "You Know You’re from Ogden If." An outside business posted on the page how they couldn't find a vending company willing to distribute snacks due to a shortage in staffing.
This is when TJay and his family took initiative and installed two vending machines inside the company. After that, Snack-Attack Vending was born. TJay described how this taught his sons the value of hard work and the discipline of earning a dollar. This was something he didn’t experience as a young boy.
TJay is also planning to become a certified breathwork practitioner to help others who may be dealing with similar traumas. He plans to focus on helping men work through overcoming stereotypes that could impact mental health, such as having to be strong, not showing emotions, and refraining from crying.
“As men, we also have wounds and emotions that need to be tended to,” he said.
He hopes these groups and retreats will better accommodate this type of healing to allow men to express emotions to become stronger.
When asked about his greatest accomplishment, TJay expressed that his greatest achievements are being a husband and a parent.