Webinar - Returning Warriors: Using Outdoor Recreation for Restoration & Resilience

A recent presentation of the Department of Defense/ Department of Agriculture partnership's  Military Families Learning Network  Family Transitions concentration area described the benefits of using nature contact/outdoor recreation with Service members. These benefits are becoming well documented, including contemplative, recreational, and hands-on habitat restoration activities. This webinar was designed to help military service providers identify the value of  transitioning service members’ participation in outdoor recreation;  analyze research related to using outdoor recreation; become familiar with formal and informal opportunities; and prepare to refer Service members to  recreational/outdoor opportunities.

For more information, see the Cooperative Extension System LearnEvent here, or explore the powerpoint below,

Returning Warriors: Using Outdoor Recreation for Restoration & Resilience from milfamln

Finding Refuge in Wilderness

Full Ruck -- A Veteran in the Wilderness

An inspirational story about the healing power of wilderness. When Veteran Josh Brandon was a Company Commander, he and his lieutenants taught themselves to climb and found it to be better than any kind of medication or therapy they were getting at the time. Since then, the mountains have become a new home for Josh, who now runs the Sierra Club's Military Outdoors program. A film by Brian Mockenhaupt shot during a recent Adventure Film School. "Too many people pity vets-- or feel bad that they went through combat, and a lot of vets suck that right up... and bullshit! What made you great and what we're supposed to honor you for what you've done should be the same attitude that you have back in the Unites States; so if you were a leader and a warrior in combat, you should be a leader and a warrior here. You don't need help from society, society needs help from you."