.png)
TESTIMONIALS
I started my career as a first responder back in 2005, the day after I graduated high school. It was my first day with the US Forest Service as a wildland firefighter. My initial plan had been to use firefighting as a way to pay my way through college which I successfully did in less than 4 years. At that point, I had already been exposed to all the amazing specialties within wildland firefighting to include helicopter rappelling. This job is where I rappelled 250 feet out of a hovering helicopter to be inserted into remote wilderness fires or inaccessible portions of larger incidents for a variety of tasks. But most commonly to dig and cut fire lines and extinguish the blaze. I knew I wanted to count myself amongst the ranks prior to starting whatever other career I selected, so I applied and was offered a job with the Malheur Rappel Crew out of John Day, Oregon.
The people I met and the incidents I experienced in that role cemented my commitment to emergency medical response and my love for fighting fire. There wasn’t another career for me. I spent almost a decade in aviation between my rappel career and short haul career where instead of rappelling from the aircraft, I was suspended 250’ below the helicopter in flight to be inserted in remote areas when firefighters were catastrophically injured or ill to treat and extract them. Before experiencing a tremendous amount of burnout, I was working 1,000-1,200 hours of overtime between May and October resulting in spending less than 8 days at home for too many years. I knew I needed a little better work-life balance and the time to heal from some of the incidents I experienced and left unaddressed for years on end.
I found the perfect marriage of all my skills working as a firefighter for the Department of Defense. I now work as an all-hazard firefighter utilizing my skills as a Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician on a vast array of medical responses. These included responding to vehicle accidents, vehicle fires, structure fires, wildland fires, technical rescue incidents to include swift water rescue, confined space, low and high angle rope rescue, hazardous materials response, trench rescue, and much more both on the army installation as well as our surrounding communities and highways. It allows me to use my skills and still be more present for my family and friends in a way I wasn’t in the past decade.
Kari
"Places like the Bob Marshall Wilderness have a way of stripping a person down to their most core components and helping to rebuild some of the fractured or injured parts, all while adding strength and mettle to what remains. Spending time with the Mills family in such beautiful and difficult country helped me to recenter myself and heal some of the parts of me I’d been operating in less than ideal condition.
​
I’ll be forever grateful for the opportunity to be able to exist in that wild country, and even more so for being able to provide table fare for my loved ones. Blessed is an understatement; blessed for meeting Bre and being introduced to Montana Grit, blessed for the time to recenter myself, and blessed for the memories I’ll carry with me for the rest of my days. What Montana Grit Outdoors is doing is life altering for women first responders and veterans in the best possible ways."
Meghan
I enlisted in 2000 as a medic in the Army Reserves as a way to pay for college and build some skills for what I had hoped to be a firefighting career. I was working at my two week drill on September 11th, 2001 when we watched the planes hit the World Trade Towers. I submitted my request to transfer to active duty shortly thereafter. A year later, I was transferred to Germany, and in February of 2003, I found myself in Kuwait positioned to cross the border into Iraq a month later. I served as a medic in positions spanning from a low level combat medic, a member of a female engagement team to a Cultural Support Team member serving alongside Infantry and Special Forces units searching Iraqi and Afghan women for Suicide Vests.
I spent time working as a shift medic in the Emergency Room as well as part of the staff. I was lucky to have a very diverse career that also allowed me to serve in both support and operational positions within specialized units such as the Asymmetric Warfare Group and the United States Army Special Operations Command. I retired as a Master Sergeant in 2023 with over 22 active-duty years in service, eight combat deployments and a lifetime of experiences. Four of those combat deployments were completed before the ban on women in combat was lifted. I count myself privileged to have had the opportunity to serve alongside some of the most talented and motivated men and women in the world.
"This is one of the hardest things I've done since my last deployment."
​
Meghan is a very bold army veteran who attended the Bob Marshall Wilderness hunt. Even though she came out empty handed, she experienced 18 days total in the unforgiving backcountry of the Bob. The hunt itself lasts 9 days and after her first experience, she was not going to give up so she un-regrettably took a chance and tried again after only two days to recover.
​
Meghan went back in for an additional 9 days and left with a full cup knowing that she is worthy, capable, and developed a new sense of understanding about how valuable she is. She can now tend to her own needs without feeling the burden of guilt.
Tristan spent 6 years in the Montana army national guard, 6 years working in the emergency department for the Billings Clinic as a floor tech. She also spent time on the Laurel Montana volunteer ambulance, and two years as the Billings Clinic VA liaison.
Tristan
"This trip did so much for me. It pushed me out of my comfort zone, brought me closer to my daughter, and reminded me that life is bigger than the little corner I’ve been living in.
But most importantly, it reminded me that I deserve good things. Really good things — not just the bare minimum. It helped me break out of a mindset where I didn’t believe I could ever “win” anything exceptional.
It’s been ten years since my military trauma, and for the first time, I feel ready to take the steps I’ve avoided for so long, like pursuing my VA disability benefits. I finally feel like I’m worth the effort.
Trips like this create momentum for veterans, and I’m incredibly grateful for the fire it lit in my soul."
