TF156 | Big Sky, MT
A NOTE FROM THE TASK FORCE DIRECTOR…
BSB Supporters,
Thank you to all of the hard-working, dedicated, compassionate, selfless, and generous individuals behind the scenes, both in the office, at our fundraisers, and in our community, who make these weeklong Task Forces possible. You may never know the true effects of your efforts, but I can tell you firsthand they are life-changing.
I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to be a part of such an amazing organization and to participate in our programs on a yearly basis. These weeks are impactful and meaningful in a way that is difficult to describe. I honestly believe that there is no other program in existence that can transform the souls of strangers the way Big Sky Bravery does in a week.
This week was no different. Montana set the stage and opened her arms for us for a week of adventure, laughs, and fellowship. We started the week with a day on the lake, courtesy of two patriotic men from our Volunteer community who graciously invited us for a day of surfing and jet skiing. This was a first for all the recipients and they took to it like Kelly Slater at Pipeline. The smiles and laughs that day on the water were priceless. Big thanks to Mark and Wes for inviting us to your home and introducing us to Hammerschlagen!
Day two found us with the pedal to the metal as we flew up Bucks on side by sides and hiked the ridge for a once-in-a-lifetime view. After which we saddled up to watch some good ole Montana Rodeo compliments of the LMR, the same establishment where we dined the night before for an incredible (mostly steak) dinner. The following day, we jumped in some drift boats and floated the Madison, where rods were bent, lips were ripped, and scenery was soaked in with the sun for another epic day and another first for these men.
The last day, we headed out for some friendly shotgun competition at the Sporting Clays course, where the men were in their element. After a morning of dusting clays, we opened up the last day to the crew and let them choose their own adventure. We settled on lunch and a stroll through town, and then a brief introduction to Recurve Bow archery, followed by 9 holes in the rain at the golf course—an absolutely incredible day to end the week on.
Humbled again by the caliber and integrity of these 4 men and the lives they have chosen, I am grateful for the opportunity to have spent a week with them and been able to share our magnificent home of Montana. They all know they are welcome at my fire any time, and I only wish that the peace they found here echoes in their hearts for eternity. Special thanks to my incredible team, Marcus, Steel, and Riley. Thanks for another unforgettable week.
Blake Dobson
Task Force 156 Director
Volunteers to Thank:
Blake Dobson, Task Force Director
Steel Shaw, Assistant Task Force Director
Marcus Fay
Riley Slaughter
Patriots to Thank:
Mark Renner & Wes Sartain
Canyon Adventures
Lone Mountain Ranch
East Slope Outfitters
Moonlight Sporting Clays
Stone Glacier
The River’s Edge
Enterprise Rentals
Madison River Brewing
ANTHEM Snacks
Melissa Ferraro
Stone Glacier
FHF Gear
FlasKap
Graplrz
LMNT
onX
“Big Sky Bravery is an outstanding organization made up of incredible volunteers and great Americans who are truly dedicated to giving back to the active-duty Special Operations community.
My week in Big Sky, Montana, was nothing short of life-changing. It was filled with unique outdoor activities you can only find in Montana—things I would have never tried on my own, but now have sparked genuine new hobbies and interests.
The camaraderie built through shared adventures, great meals, and meaningful conversations created a strong and lasting bond within our Task Force.
A special thank you to Blake Dobson, Steel Shaw, Riley Slaughter, and Marcus Fay for sharing their piece of Montana with us—it made the experience even more meaningful.
Big Sky Bravery is not just an organization—it’s an experience that leaves you better, stronger, and deeply grateful.
I will carry the impact of that week with me for the rest of my life.”
-TF156 Recipient
“BSB afforded me dedicated time to unplug from the fast pace and stressors of work and my Unit, reflect on my career, and imagine a future with new inspiration. The events and guided questions fortified a sense of purpose and value to my life's work in the SOF community that is often eroded through the negative residue of deployments and institutional bureaucracy. I left reinvigorated for why I joined, inspired by the other participants' lives, and reminded of my loved ones' way of life I want to preserve with my career through the guides.
BSB is an unmatched program to let you pause and reflect on your ability to create a positive impact and legacy, leaving you reinspired to finish strong.”
-TF156 Recipient
“I'd heard about BSB for a while, as I work in the same office as the coordinator within my unit who arranges for BSB TF slots. He had to ask me several times before I finally relented and put my name in. Why did he have to work so hard to get me to volunteer? Several reasons.
First, I was too busy with my work duties, and it was difficult to justify stepping away. That issue was finally resolved by timing; having a BSB TF scheduled as I transitioned out of one job and into the next made it convenient for me to go.
Second. I've been away from my family frequently during my career, and it was difficult to justify taking a week just for myself, and leaving my poor wife saddled alone with the kids while doing so. This issue was resolved through discussing with a previous TF member I know well, who told me about the opportunities to get my wife on a spouse TF in the future, as well as alumni family opportunities through BSB. I don't think I would have ever signed up for a BSB TF if these downstream opportunities were not available.
Third, it's often difficult to put your name in for ‘wellness’ opportunities, because everyone in the military knows or has heard of multiple folks who have been through more than them, and could use the opportunity more. What got me over this hurdle was the frequency of BSB events. My unit's coordinator made it clear to me that we have more than enough slots for everyone who wants to go to do so when it fits their schedule, and so I took the plunge and put my name in.
And I'll be eternally grateful that I did. To really emphasize why, I'll talk about what's so different about BSB.
Everyone in the military is used to verbal support, the ubiquitous ‘thank you for your service,’ which, while meaningful and appreciated, also feels somewhat like a cultural imperative when someone learns of someone else's military service, kind of like saying ‘bless you’ when someone sneezes. Beyond that, there are the military discounts at many retailers, free meals at some restaurants on Veterans Day (often so crowded with veterans as to make the event not worth it, depending on whether you live in a military town), and more along those lines. Again, all these things are great and appreciated, but still ultimately feel culturally performative on some level. I often joke, without really joking, that the most tangible benefit of military service in our society is getting to board airline flights slightly early.
Here's the thing: I'm not one who feels like society should show more support to the military than this. Especially outside of wartime, I think there are multiple career fields, such as educators, that do more for the long-term benefit and survival of our nation than I do on a daily basis in the military. I think our society is already skewed toward excessive praise of military service, specifically. However, part of that feeling is likely because of how ubiquitous the support is, while simultaneously feeling shallow and impersonal.
THIS is where BSB was so different. While one has to be a member of not only the military writ large, but the Special Operations Community specifically, in order to even qualify for a TF, the emphasis throughout my week at BSB was never on our military careers and experiences at all. It was on us as individuals, getting to know each other holistically, discussing our overall life goals, struggles, aspirations, fears, loves. While military service was often central to these discussions, it was never the focal point. And the opportunity to go try a bunch of activities I'd never tried before, and likely never would have tried otherwise, was amazing. I was just a dude, out wake surfing, jet skiing, driving side-by-sides, fly fishing, and skeet shooting, all for the first time, all alongside other dudes from my walk of life AND locals who knew the ropes and were happy to show them to us, while also just being amazing to hang out with and get to know.
BSB is the difference between words and deeds, between telling and showing.
Without harping on anyone's gratitude toward myself and my other TF members, our BSB team showed us how much we were appreciated, as whole individuals rather than generic men in uniform. To have all airfare, all lodging, all meals (every one of them delicious, by the way), and all activities completely covered, no expense to us, no questions asked, was truly special, and I can't emphasize how unique it is, in my experience. Not to mention, all these activities took place in a location that is world-famous for these same activities. There is nowhere I can imagine that would work better than the Big Sky, Montana area for all the various activities offered by each BSB TF, whether centered around fishing in summer or skiing in winter, and I know conducting a single one of them is not cheap, let alone an entire week's worth.
If you are a contributor to BSB, thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
I can't overemphasize how much it means to be shown such gratitude for my service, rather than simply told, and treated as an individual, rather than as a generic soldier.
I can't overemphasize how meaningful it was to be treated, with no personal investment on my part aside from time, to such an amazing week, in an amazing place, with amazing activities, alongside such amazing people. I can't even imagine the amount of generosity it takes to make such an incredible week possible, week after week, TF after TF, for myself and the hundreds, soon hopefully thousands, of BSB beneficiaries. This program is truly unique, and is truly special.
It is infinitely more meaningful than any other gesture I've ever received as thanks for my service.
I hope I've adequately explained why. Either way, thank you, so much, for this true, tangible, meaningful show of support. It means the world to us, it really does.
If you're a servicemember considering attending a BSB TF, do it. I'm sure the obstacles I faced to putting my name in, which I laid out earlier, are common. I'm also sure they're surmountable for you, as they were for me. Odds are, you've contributed more to our national security in your career than I have, and I found that I felt myself ultimately deserving of my BSB TF experience. Therefore, you are definitely deserving of it, too. Your family will benefit exponentially from BSB alumni status.
Your work will still be there a week later. But you may never have a better opportunity to experience firsthand the frankly astounding levels of support and companionship you will receive from the true patriots and incredible Americans who make BSB a reality every day.
It is, in my experience, completely unique in terms of programs, private or public, offered to us as SOF servicemembers, and I implore you to partake of it.
Thank you,
-TF156 Recipient”
