Fox Bravo Overland (FBO) is an off-road/overland adventure team consisting of U.S. military and law enforcement veterans who aggressively tackle long distance off-road challenges in their four-wheel drive vehicles. A $5,000 grant provided by the Overland Expo Foundation helped enable 26 veterans and first responders to participate in team based overland travel and adventure while re-engaging with other veterans, experiencing camaraderie, teamwork, mission focus, mental and physical challenges.
Operation Southwestern Spirit
Fox Bravo Overland recently returned from Operation Southwestern Spirit, a 10-day overland adventure in New Mexico and Colorado. Operation Southwestern Spirit consisted of military veterans/first responders from the US Army, Navy and Marine Corps, federal law enforcement, the fire service, the New Zealand Army, the British Army and British law enforcement. Many suffer from Post Traumatic Stress (PTS); many have physical disabilities due to their service. After leaving service, either voluntarily or due to injury or illness, many do not reconnect with their community. FBO reaches out and encourages teammates to participate in their trips to help re-establish community and hope.
"It was a fantastic trip for me. It happened at one of the darkest times of my life, and the compassion I felt and the ability to be around so many people with such great histories and stories and have them willing to share them made all the difference for me. This program is amazing and needs to continue."
Campfire Stories and Healing
Each evening around the fire participants are encouraged to discuss how the day went, what went well and what they would like to improve on. It’s also a time to swap stories and talk about the past. By the end of the trip, they were no longer a group of strangers, but rather a family.
On September 11, one of our teammates presented a hand-crafted plaque with the team logo and US, UK and NZ flags, inscribed “In memory of those lives lost on 9/11/2001 and those who lost their lives since in the pursuit of justice.” The team then shared experiences of where they were on 9/11 and how the event changed their life’s trajectory.
On September 12, 2006, Ben Parkinson, a UK Army veteran, lost both his legs and suffered permanent motor skill damage while on patrol in Afghanistan.
The team celebrated his incredible journey and his “Alive Day” with a cake at the campfire. After hearing about the reason behind the cake, the shop owner donated the cake to help with the celebration.
Positive Impact
FBO conducted a pre and post trip survey to measure mental health status. The survey results show that the trip had a positive impact, especially in terms of maintaining or boosting mood, increasing energy levels, enhancing connections, and fostering a sense of optimism about the future. Stress levels remained manageable, with some participants even experiencing a reduction. This reinforces the value of such trips for veteran well-being and community building, and it highlights the effectiveness of overland travel as mental health therapy.
One of the teammates expressed that he was planning to drop out just prior to the trip due to anxiety and fear. He then related how glad he was that he was on the team, that he had previously attempted suicide twice in the past two years and that this trip has opened his eyes again. He thought he was alone, but now realizes a lot of others are like him and can support him and he them.
Another teammate with serious physical disabilities said the trip is one of the only places where the disabled veteran feels like he’s back on the team: where nobody feels sorry for him or looks down on him-he’s just one of the guys.
Get Involved
For more information about Heroes Night Out and Fox Bravo Overland and their programs that aim to promote post-traumatic growth and healing for military veterans and former first responders, visit their website: https://heroesnightout.org/outdoors-fbo
*All photos curtesy of Fox Bravo Overland