November 21, 2025
Partner Spotlight | Dr. Anthony Newkirk and Warriors Code
Walking the Path Toward Identity, Healing, and Connection
The Arizona Coalition for Military Families is proud to spotlight one of the extraordinary partners strengthening Arizona’s statewide ecosystem of support for service members, veterans, and their families. Warriors Code Inc., led by founder and CEO Dr. Anthony Newkirk, brings an uncommon blend of lived experience, cultural grounding, and authenticity to its mission, offering veterans not only services but a place to rediscover who they are and how to shape their journey ahead.
To understand Warriors Code, it helps to understand the journey that shaped it. Dr. Newkirk’s life story spans childhood adversity, military service, trauma, incarceration, cultural rediscovery, and academic excellence. He uses his journey to guide his fellow veterans, helping them discover their identity and chart their path forward.
Adversity and Cultural Discovery
Dr. Newkirk’s early life in Chicago was marked by instability as his parents separated. He would spend time with one parent, then another, but during this time, he never knew that both of his parents were Vietnam-era veterans. His parents’ service in the military, their family’s Native American and African American heritage, was not talked about. A lack of stability and coping with trauma led “Tony,” as he was known at the time, to lean on substances. When he graduated from high school, he decided to enlist in the military. “Joining the military was a relief,” reflects Dr. Newkirk. “The military changed my attitude, and I broke away from old habits and patterns.” It was this experience of joining the U.S. Air Force at the age of 17 that provided him with structure, an escape, and a sense of belonging he needed. The building blocks for forming his own, new adult identity fell in place, and now Tony became Anthony.
Anthony was very successful in the military. The structure, camaraderie, and sense of purpose helped him excel. From his first duty station in Denver to assignments in Germany and South Korea. During his decade of service as an ammunition specialist, he proved that he was great at his job. He was affectionately named “Ammo Ant” for his reliability and attention to detail. Dr. Newkirk also uncovered a love for martial arts. Along with his high-pressure role came exposure to drinking culture. Alcohol became a way to cope with what he didn’t yet have language for.
A series of DUIs and a three-year incarceration became a pivotal turning point that led to transformation. Soon, Anthony or “Ammo Ant” would transform yet again into the next version of his better self by pursuing education relentlessly. First, he earned a bachelor’s degree, then an MBA, a Ph.D. in Information Technology, and a Doctor of Healthcare Administration. Dr. Newkirk emerged, and during this journey, so did his journey of discovery and learning about his heritage. He reconnected with the Gila River Indian Community and his Akimel O’odham, Tohono O’odham, and Hopi lineage. Cultural grounding became a source of strength, clarity, and purpose.
This fusion of lived experience, cultural understanding, and academic rigor became the blueprint for Warriors Code.
A Safe Space
One of the most consistent things veterans say about Warriors Code is that they can feel the safety the moment they walk in. That safety comes from authenticity. Veterans sense immediately that Dr. Newkirk is not speaking from theory. He has survived trauma, navigated the justice system, battled addiction, and rebuilt his life with intention. That lived experience creates an environment where judgment falls away and honesty can begin.
At Warriors Code, safety looks like:
- Being greeted by someone who has walked a similar path
- Hearing stories told without shame or embellishment
- Knowing that setbacks are treated as chapters, not verdicts
- Feeling respected as a whole person, not a problem to solve
This foundation of trust opens the door for meaningful change.
Peer-Led Healing
Dr. Newkirk is passionate that the foundation of Warriors Code has been built on peer leadership because veterans trust authenticity before credentials. The philosophy is simple: healing is most effective when guided by someone who understands the terrain.
Veterans respond to:
- Shared experience rather than authority
- Sincerity rather than formality
- Accountability rather than judgment
- Encouragement from someone who rebuilt their own life
This peer-first approach is central to why Warriors Code reaches populations who may avoid traditional services, including those who are BIPOC, LGBTQ+, or justice-involved.
Cultural Traditions
In the same way that Dr. Newkirk went on his journey of discovering more about his heritage, he walks beside others to share these teachings with them. Indigenous teachings and cultural values are woven into Warriors Code’s programs in ways that feel natural and deeply resonant. These cultural practices ground the work and help veterans make sense of their experiences within a broader spiritual and historical context.
Helping Veterans Rediscover Identity and Belonging
A defining part of Warriors Code’s impact is how it helps veterans understand who they are beyond their service or the barriers they may be facing. Many participants arrive disconnected from their cultural roots, family history, or personal values. Dr. Newkirk’s journey of identity, Black, Native American, veteran, justice-involved citizen, scholar, leader, becomes a model of how discovery and healing can coexist. This identity work becomes the cornerstone of their journey.
Veterans build a sustainable way of living through:
- Life skills development
- Long-term coping strategies
- Wellness routines and self-care
- Grief support and trauma processing
- Reconnection with family and community
The goal is not rapid stabilization, but rather lasting transformation at their own pace. Participants are not patients; they are Warriors.
A Community That Extends Far Beyond the Program
Perhaps the most powerful legacy of Warriors Code is the community that forms organically. Veterans stay connected. They check on each other. They return as mentors. They build a new form of camaraderie rooted in shared experience and encouragement. “Once you take off the uniform, the mission doesn’t stop,” says Dr. Newkirk. “There’s more work to be done, there’s another mission to continue, there are reasons to serve and keep those boots laced up because there is someone who needs assistance.”
Arizona’s Ecosystem of Support
The Arizona Coalition for Military Families works to ensure every service member, veteran, and family member can access the right support at the right time. Warriors Code is a crucial partner in that effort.
Their approach aligns deeply with ACMF’s mission by:
- Reaching veterans who have felt unseen or underserved
- Providing culturally informed care
- Eliminating judgment-based barriers
- Offering support grounded in lived experience
- Building community connections that last
- Designing programs for long-term wellness, not short-term compliance
Warriors Code expands the reach and depth of the statewide ecosystem, ensuring more veterans can find a place where they feel understood, safe, and supported. We’re proud to partner with Dr. Newkirk, a man whose life embodies resilience, clarity, and the courage to walk through pain toward purpose. The Arizona Coalition for Military Families is honored to highlight Warriors Code and grateful for the impact it brings to Arizona’s military and veteran community.
