Warriors & Quiet Waters: Building Resilience in the Backcountry

Mental-health awareness has experienced a wave of enlightenment over the past decade, but certain segments of the population have been a little harder to crack. Some cultures, such as that of the U.S. Armed Forces, emphasize self-sufficiency and personal strength. So, service members are often reluctant to seek help. Fortunately, there are organizations that fill this need.

Warriors & Quiet Waters (WQW, a 501(c)(3) Veterans Impact Organization) of Bozeman, Mont., for example, champions the healing power of nature — the confidence and resilience that comes from pursuing fish and game in the wilderness — and couples it with in-depth, long-term programs that offer veterans a path to a better, more meaningful life. WQW’s mission is “to empower post-9/11 combat veterans and their loved ones to thrive and live purpose-driven lives through peak experiences in nature and evidence-based programs that foster growth, discovery, connection, and community.”

WQW was started in 2007 by 34-year Marine Corps veteran Eric Hastings, who found healing in outdoor pursuits. Since its inception, WQW has hosted thousands of “Warriors” (the veterans in the programs), introducing many to bowhunting, fly fishing and photography while also providing hope, healing, and emotional grit.

One such Warrior is Larry Weidinger, Command Sergeant Major, U.S. Army (Retired), who returned from his three Middle East deployments feeling a bit lost. He faced many life changes at the same time, and although he’d successfully transitioned to a good job in the private sector, he knew he needed something else. So, he signed up for a WQW program designed to help combat veterans “rediscover purpose, rebuild community, and redefine their mission.”

It was a good move.

“It was hugely instrumental at the time,” said Weidinger, who is now “deployed” as a Program Facilitator with WQW.

Creating Bonds

“When I applied for this program, I was navigating a lot of mental health issues,” said Paul Pleiman, a Warrior in the 2025 “Built for More” Hunting Track. “Depression, PTSD and anxiety, which I still deal with. But this program has changed me and helped me learn to manage these challenges. I’ve been able to dive deep into my psyche and start to identify and address sources of my personal pain and struggles.”

Members agreed that while most veteran-service organizations are well-meaning and do great work, WQW’s program is a cut above. WQW, they said, takes the time to make sure things are done correctly and professionally, follows through after the program ends and aids in creating lifelong connections.

Pleiman, a retired Air Force Vehicle Operations Specialist who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, noted that relationships made during the program have been crucial in his journey. “The friendships we’re making here, not just with the cohort, but with partners, are relationships we couldn’t even have imagined before,” he said.

No alcohol or drugs are allowed in the programs, which allows for the development of healthy coping skills.

“It put me on the right track,” Built for More alum and current volunteer Shaun Tichenor said. “I wasn’t on a great path. And coming up next month I’ll be a year sober. And it cleaned up my nutrition, too.”

Boots on the Ground

Warriors begin the nine-month Built for More program with online introductions and planning for their in-person experience in Montana. This is called “The Preparation Phase.”

Following the Preparation Phase, a “cohort” of Warriors will spend a week in Bozeman at the Quiet Waters Ranch (called the “Initial Experience”), where they get outfitted by local pro shop Straight 6 Archery and Bozeman-based Sitka Gear. The pros at Straight 6 explain the ins and outs of compound bows and set the Warriors up at their indoor range. Folks from Sitka explain the pros and cons of their different lines of backcountry gear. The cohort also receives inspiration and insights from folks such as noted bowhunter and public-lands advocate Randy Newberg, who spoke when I attended and shared a wealth of wilderness wisdom. Every day, meals and general support are provided by WQW’s amazing “moms” (more on the moms later).

Following the Initial Experience, Warriors begin the Discovery Phase of the program, where they start the self-work of mapping their purpose-driven path, all while continuing to build camaraderie amongst their cohort. About four months after their initial experience, Warriors return to Montana with their cohort. Activities such as workouts at a specialized gym called MTNTOUGH that offers training for backcountry hunting, and archery practice at WQW’s Legacy Ranch, challenge the Warriors physically and mentally. During one “stress test,” Warriors run a timed course where they shoot at 3D targets of the animals they’ve got tags for — all while Weidinger grills them — to show how challenging conditions can affect mental acuity.

Come hunting season, the cohort returns for the “Capstone Experience,” when they head afield in pursuit of game.

Secret Sauce

The program’s real glue, or the “secret sauce” as it was described to me, is the amazing team of “moms.” These are the maternal caretakers who provide nutritious, home-cooked meals, give abundant hugs and provide the safe space for Warriors to open up and be vulnerable. This is a crucial part of the healing.

Staff such as Katie Megahee, DPT, U.S. Army Veteran, and Weidinger, both Program Facilitators and Built for More alumni, are also instrumental, in part because they speak the language and know the military mindset. Megahee is also a Wellness Coach, teaching about how nutrition can affect mental health (and vice versa). It’s all part of WQW’s holistic approach to recovery.

Photographer Mike Macleod, a former wildlife biologist who enlisted at age 39 after 9/11, provides the Warriors with stories through his photography. “Mac,” as he’s affectionately known, captures hundreds of stunning photos of each program he attends. Warriors can reflect on these images at challenging moments back home and relive the laughs and camaraderie they shared in Montana.

WQW wants the Warriors to be able to continue using their time outdoors for deep reflection and quieting of the mind, both for themselves and their tribes at home.

“We work on making sure this experience isn’t necessarily about any particular week,” said Director of Program Operations Jesse LeNeve, “but how to take it home and apply it there.”

Pragmatic Optimism

A major theme of the program is resilience, which can mean many things and come in many forms. WQW Chief Executive Officer Brian Gilman, Colonel, USMC (Retired), himself a post-9/11 combat veteran and former Chief of Staff of the Marine Corps Special Operations Command, emphasizes “anti-fragility.”

“Anti-fragility starts with the mindset that life is going to be full of adversity, but we can control how we respond to that and find strength, growth, and meaning in that adversity,” said Gilman, who returned from Iraq with his own struggles and traumas and is very open with sharing his experiences with fellow veterans.

“Adversity is a significant part of the human experience,” Gilman told the cohort of Warriors. “Bad things happen to good people all the time. We have no control over what happens to us. What matters most is how we respond to what happens to us.

“What I fear today is that the responses to adversity that many of our institutions, journalists, and thought leaders idolize today are the wrong choices. I know it, because combat veterans going through our WQW programs have told me that the therapists and clinical providers they’re seeing for post-traumatic stress have told them that they will need therapy and medication for the rest of their lives because of the trauma they experienced in combat. In effect, these therapists are telling combat veterans that they’re broken for life. I refuse to believe that.”

WQW’s Capstone Experience (the final, week-long visit where Warriors put what they’ve learned to the test during a multi-day, backcountry hunt) draws strong connections to the “anti-fragility” theme.

“I spend a lot of time in Montana’s backcountry,” Gilman said, “and when I think of something that’s anti-fragile, I think of the pine trees growing on high alpine ridges. There’s almost always a strong wind blowing in these places, and the trees have adapted to the environment by growing abnormally large trunks and root systems, and their branches grow in the direction of the prevailing winds. They grow to become stronger because of the daily adversity they face.”

“Pragmatic optimism” is another strong WQW theme. “Put simply, it’s accepting the world for what it is and acknowledging the challenges that we face,” Gilman said. “Being honest with ourselves about our expectations of life’s ups and downs but expecting progress through hard work and perseverance. And remembering that humans are social animals, and our tribe is here for us. Focusing on the importance of taking care of ourselves, spiritually, physically and socially. We’re not as fragile as much of society would have us believe.”

Gilman hopes to share that message with every Warrior who comes through the Built for More program, which costs roughly $18,000 per participant but is completely free to qualifying Warriors. If you or someone you know could benefit from WQW’s Built for More program, check out the information available online at warriorsandquietwaters.org, where veterans can add their name to the waitlist. Due to space limitations, WQW prioritizes post-9/11 veterans who feel stuck and are motivated to “redefine their sense of purpose,” who are ready to join a supportive community, and who appreciate the outdoors.

The author, Josh Bergan, lives in Belgrade, Mont., and is a digital editor for Outdoor Sportsman Group.

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