Volunteers to Thank:

Sam Maschino, Task Force Director
Seth Thomas, Assistant Task Force Director
Travis Smith

Patriots to Thank:

Ascend Properties
Canyon Adventures
Lone Mountain Ranch
Rich Searle
Madison River Brewing
ANTHEM Snacks
Melissa Ferraro
Stone Glacier
FHF Gear
FlasKap
Graplrz
LMNT
onX

“To all the folks at Big Sky Bravery,

I wanted to take the chance to say thank you for an incredible opportunity and an amazing week. Prior to this week, I had not met anyone associated with BSB outside of Josh. I had expectations of BSB personnel from spending those few encounters with Josh - but Sam, Seth, and Travis far surpassed any preconceived notions. They were genuine, down to earth, and put on a week that rivals any decompressing and fulfilling week I can remember.

It was apparent that a great deal of thought and preparation had gone into the week - an example being the nightly questions - Sam or Seth would always dive in first and set the example/tone by giving their response in a deep, meaningful, and candidly open and vulnerable manner. This opened the door for all of us to do the same, which was something that certainly would not have happened otherwise, just by our nature.

Through the week of hiking, side by sides, camping overnight on the mountain, fly fishing, and golfing - Sam, Seth, and Travis became our brothers. Which is a rare thing to happen in such a short period of time. I am sure there are many special people that work/volunteer for BSB but those three made the trip so much more than just a decompressing week in Montana. When talking to teammates about the trip once I got back - I told them that if they get Sam, Seth, and Travis when they make it out to BSB they will have hit the lottery.

The week was incredible in terms of activities and spending time in the outdoors, but the leadership we had turned it into a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. They made the difference. Again, thank you for the opportunity and generosity in having us out for the week, and I have nothing but great things to say about my BSB experience.

Thank you all,
-TF159 Recipient”

“Thank you for the opportunity to participate in a Big Sky Bravery Task Force- it was incredible.

I have served in the Army for 21 years, and 14 of those years have been in Special Operations. The last two years have been significantly stressful. I deployed 8 times in two years, which took me away from home and kept me in challenging situations. That time, and the associated leadership dilemmas, caused me to become more insular and socially distant. It also put a strain on my wife and kids.

The Big Sky Bravery trip helped me connect (or reconnect) with some teammates and forge new friendships with the TFD and volunteers.

The time I spent with my Task Force helped me get back to my baseline- fun, jovial, caring, and supportive to my friends.

(I think so anyway, and there were no peer evals to tell me otherwise! Kidding, I hope…)

The time away from my family and the deep nightly discussions sparked an incredible desire to return home and rekindle the passion with my wife and forge stronger bonds with my kids. And I did and will continue to do so.

I am so grateful for the generosity of the donors who made this opportunity possible.

The opportunities you provided in Montana were once-in-a-lifetime events. Each day we joked that what we were doing that day was not real life, and questioned how we got so lucky to experience the day’s events. Every event was new to me, fun, and built camaraderie among my Task Force. They built strong memories about my Task Force, Big Sky Bravery, and Montana. I am eager for my wife to experience a spouse trip, because it would serve as a way to continue to demonstrate to her my appreciation for her resilience and support. I am appreciative to Big Sky Bravery for making the spouse trips possible.

I look forward to serving as an advocate for Big Sky Bravery.”

-TF159 Recipient

“I still think about the trip and the amazing time we had almost daily. I've always heard good things about BSB trips, but, to be honest, the testimonials I've heard undersold the experience. It was above and beyond what I expected, and I couldn't be a bigger proponent for BSB going forward.

All the activities during the trip were amazing: hiking with breathtaking views, driving side-by-sides, camping, fishing, golfing, rodeo, the MTN Tough workout, etc. However, the real differentiator and "secret sauce" that makes BSB unique are the hosts. Sam, Seth, and Travis truly made the week special, and you can tell they genuinely care about the BSB mission.

TF-159 was less than a whole week. Yet in that short amount of time, I got to know Sam, Seth, and Travis better than guys I've known for 20 years. I didn't know about the "Question of the Day" part of the trip. No one I know that went on a trip before mentioned it. All they talked about were the fun activities. The most memorable part of the trip for me are the deep conversations that were sparked by the "Question of the Day." Sam, Seth, and Travis always went first. They opened themselves up to four strangers and spilled their hearts out. I rarely see that type of vulnerability among men, especially among guys you just met. They set the example and made it comfortable for me and everyone else to talk openly about difficult subjects.

I can't express how much that has helped my mental health.

I know it doesn't work this way, but if I could, I'd ask that Sam, Seth, and Travis host all the guys that come to BSB Task Force trips from my Unit. There is a brotherhood amongst guys that serve together in the military. Sam, Seth, and Travis are now in the brotherhood with the four of us that were lucky enough to be part of TF-159. Thanks again!

Sincerely,

-TF159 Recipient”