Provided
Neil Noakes
Retired Fort Worth Police Department Chief Neil Noakes has a new job.
The chief has joined the American Warrior Association as chief of strategic advancement, bringing his decades of frontline experience and leadership in public safety and officer wellness to advance the organization's R3: Respond, Restore, Resolve program.
"I know the toll this work can take on first responders and their families. When I retired from the FWPD, I hoped to continue serving the community and the profession that's given so much to me," Noakes said in a statement. "The R3 program is providing critically important awareness of first responder wellness and the effects of moral injury, while simultaneously breaking the stigma surrounding mental health in the first responder community."
Noakes brings unique perspective to his new role as the son of a firefighter with 25 years of service with the Fort Worth Police Department. During his tenure as chief, he led several wellness-focused initiatives, including launching the department's Wellness Unit and implementing the “checkpoint” system — a tool designed to monitor and support officer wellness. He was instrumental in launching the inaugural R3 program with both FWPD and Fort Worth Fire Department, the first partnership of its kind to recognize the urgency of addressing moral injury.
"Chief Noakes represents the heart of what AWA stands for — service, integrity, and action," said AWA Executive Director Anna Heil. "His firsthand experience and deep commitment to first responder wellness make him an extraordinary addition to our team. He's not just joining an organization — he's joining a movement to change how we care for those who serve."
Noakes holds a master’s degree in criminal justice and criminology from TCU, where he is a co-founder and instructor of the Leadership, Executive and Administrative Development (LEAD) Program. He is also a graduate of the Southern Police Institute's Administrative Officers Course.
The R3 program, launched in Fort Worth and powered by AWA, equips first responders with tools and resources to proactively address moral injury — a condition distinct from PTSD that occurs when individuals witness or participate in actions that violate their moral values. The program has been adopted by Fort Worth and Dallas Fire and Police Departments, DFW International Airport, and the Texas Tactical Police Officers Association, which represents approximately 5,500 individuals across 2,300 organizations.
Moral injury, a condition distinct from PTSD, and often considered its precursor, occurs when individuals witness, participate in, or fail to prevent actions that violate their moral values, leading to guilt, shame and moral distress.
The Texas House and Senate recently presented resolutions establishing the first Moral Injury Awareness Day in Texas, underscoring, officials in both bodies said, the state's commitment to raising awareness of the psychological and emotional toll faced by military members, veterans, first responders, frontline professionals and their families.