(NewsNation) — Cody Heard was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army in 2018, but has decided that the skills he learned as a soldier could be put to good use helping the Ukrainian people fight back against the Russian invasion.

Cody and his wife, Amanda, joined “Morning in America” Friday from their home in Arkansas to talk about Cody’s decision to join the fight.

Cody said that when he was in the Army, one of his fellow soldiers was from Ukraine. He knew the man had gone home to Ukraine and enlisted in the army there, and when he saw the invasion beginning and discovered there was a way he could help, “That’s when my mission started.”

He reached out to fellow veterans on social media and gathered a group together to make the long flight to fight for Ukraine.

Amanda at first didn’t believe Cody really planned to go until she saw him getting on FaceTime with other vets and making detailed plans. She’s nervous, but having been with him for six of the eight years he was in the Army, she backs his plan even though it will mean him being gone from her and their two children.

Cody’s initial plan is to stay in Ukraine for a month. Depending on his ability to provide for his family back home, he may stay longer.