Thousands of US service personnel have returned from the battlefield with career-ending wounds.  But many of them still have a sense of service and a lot of fight left in them.  Now, some of them are putting their skills to work chasing down people who abuse children.

Two dozen elite war veterans from the US Special Forces - whom the US military spent more than a million dollars each training to be physically and mentally exceptional - are now prepping for a new mission.

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"So the H.E.R.O. Corps being the unique program that it is, it gives a veteran the opportunity to not only take on a mission, but really, really go out and rescue children," said CEO J. Christian.

J. Christian, a highly decorated Army Ranger, is the leader of a non-profit called Protect. The group is partners with Homeland Security Investigations and US Special Operations Command - to train and place these veterans with law enforcement agencies around the country.

The H.E.R.O. Corps veterans share another trait. In order to qualify for the program, the veteran must have been wounded, ill or injured in service to their country.

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A Korean Air plane takes off from Incheon International Airport in South Korea on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. The plane is chartered to bring back Korean workers detained in an immigration raid in Georgia. (Yonhap via AP)

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In this file photo from October 2024, Atlanta Braves outfielder Jorge Soler and teammates react after losing to the San Diego Padres 5-4 in San Diego. The Braves and Soler, who now plays for the Los Angeles Angels, face a lawsuit by a fan injured at a 2021 World Series game at Truist Park in Atlanta. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com