Arizona Archives - The Link-Up

Combat Warriors Inc.

Bob Bowden on July 3, 2023

WE MEET THIS CHALLENGE BY PROVIDING OUR VETERANS WITH QUALITY OUTDOOR EXPERIENCES THEY WILL NEVER FORGET, AND BY REACHING OUT TO OUR VETERANS TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE WILL NEVER FAIL TO TREASURE.

WE UNDERSTAND THAT THESE SOLDIERS LIVE AT THE POINT OF THE SWORD, WITH A TOLL MEASURED BY BOTH BODY AND SOUL. WE EMBRACE THE REALITY THAT NO CIVILIAN CAN FULLY UNDERSTAND THE TRIALS AND DIFFICULTIES FACED BY OUR SOLDIERS. BUT WE KNOW OF THE HEALING POWER OF A SUNRISE OVER PAMLICO SOUND, AND A TURKEY’S WILD HYMN TO THE SPRINGTIME WOODS. AND WE COMMIT TO OUR VETERANS OUR TIME AND TALENTS AND PASSIONS, TO SHARE IN SILENCE OR WILD, HEARTFELT, HEALING LAUGHTER.

American Heroes in Action

The Link-Up on March 20, 2023

The mission of American Heroes In Action is to provide therapeutic outdoor adventures to American heroes including combat wounded veterans, injured firefighters and injured members of law enforcement.

Wounded Warrior Outdoors

The Link-Up on March 20, 2023

Wounded Warrior Outdoors, Inc. is a non-profit organization exclusively founded to provide wounded servicemen and women with therapeutic outdoor adventures across North America. WWO gives deserving Active Duty Warriors in transition the opportunity of a lifetime in the wilderness location of their choice. We call them “Adventures Enabled.” Their adventure could take them bear hunting in the mountains of British Columbia, Canada, on alligator hunts or fishing excursions in the Gulf Coast region of Florida or deer hunting in Texas. During their experience, they will participate in therapeutic activities such as backpacking, trail expeditions and numerous social interactions.

Wounded Warrior Outdoors provides this all-inclusive adventure at absolutely no cost to the servicemen and women, their families or the government. Transportation, lodging, meals and documentation of the adventure is provided free of charge. It is because of this arrangement that Wounded Warrior Outdoors relies entirely on private donations. Administration, general offices and personnel services are donated.

In order to maintain this highly effective organization, we need the support of private individuals and corporations. At Wounded Warrior Outdoors, over ninety percent of all donations directly benefit these Active Duty Warriors in transition.

Fifty wounded, but active, members of the military are selected to participate each year. Our host facilities are of the highest quality and offer all the comforts of home. WWO also provides complete outfitting including gear, clothing and field transport. Even taxidermy services are provided at no charge.

Most important to the program, Active Duty Warriors in transition are provided with all the accessibility and equipment necessary to make it an adventure that is truly memorable and one in which they can participate fully. No matter the individual’s disability, our focus in on ability and making sure their adventure becomes the memory of a lifetime.

All military branches have participated in our program and we have many relationships with military hospitals that help us facilitate our programs.

Wounded Heroes Hunting Camp

The Link-Up on March 19, 2023

A Service for Our Military Service Members

Offering our wounded veterans the opportunity to get outdoors and enjoy a hunting or fishing trip with all expenses paid, our group focuses on uniting fellow Wounded Heroes on our outdoor adventures. On our trips, our Heroes create memories and friendships that will last a lifetime. Wounded Heroes Hunting Camp is here for our Heroes, and we hope that you will share in our passion and commitment to do what we can for the brave men and women who have sacrificed to protect our freedoms. We believe that healing begins on the hunt!

Veterans Sportsmen Alliance

The Link-Up on March 18, 2023

The primary mission of VSA is to get injured and disabled Veterans out of the house and hospital, and into the therapeutic surroundings of nature and outdoor adventure.

VSA has enabled our heroes that have suffered double and triple amputations to experience outdoor adventures they most likely would not be capable of doing on their own.

VSA has sponsored deer and hog hunts, as well as tuna, bass, and salmon fishing trips.

VSA is currently organizing kayaking, hiking, and golf trips as well. Even more exciting, the VSA & Hot Rod Service Company have been working on a Mustang Project and will soon be scheduling “Track Day Events,” and putting our Veterans behind the wheel at race tracks across America.

Outdoor Experience for All

The Link-Up on March 16, 2023

The concept for The Outdoor Experience 4 All was conceived in late 2007. Although there are charitable organizations whose focus is offering hunts to terminally ill children, they tend to focus on hunts that require extensive travel and time commitments. We recognized that there were many families of children with life-threatening illnesses who could not take an extended hunt. Many of these families have other children, and long for an experience that could involve the entire household or even extended family. Due to the prohibitive cost and time involved with interstate travel, we realized that our focused needed to be on Arizona families.

After many months of planning we were able to put our first hunt together in September of 2008. Not knowing how it would go we decided for our first hunt to call on a youth we already knew who would qualify for a big game tag transfer. We had hunted with Thomas Widenhofer during a 2007 elk hunt and we had a strong relationship with his family so he was a natural choice. Thomas agreed to be our first hunter and with many months of planning he arrived with the hopes of harvesting an Arizona antelope. Within the first hour of the hunt Thomas had harvested a nice antelope that measured 84 4/8. The sense of accomplishment felt by everyone involved lit a fire and The Outdoor Experience 4 All was off and running!

From September of 2008 till the end of the year we were able to do one antelope hunt, four deer hunts, and five elk hunts, and took two children with autism fishing. After the fishing trip we realized that we should not limit this organization just to youths who have been diagnosed with a life threatening illness, but also offer an outdoor experience to those who have disabilities, non-life threatening illnesses, and the children of our fallen heroes. So in the fall of 2008 we became officially incorporated as a non-profit 501(c)3.

The mission of the Outdoor Experience 4 All (OE4A) is to change lives one adventure at a time. Everyone who participates in an OE4A adventure, including volunteers, sponsors, parents, and siblings leaves camp with a new outlook on life!

Arizona Elk Society (Heroes Rising Outdoors)

The Link-Up on March 7, 2023

HEROES RISING OUTDOORS Hunts For Heroes was formed to provide residents of the State of Arizona, who are severely injured service personnel the chance to get out and participate in activities that they may have felt that they would never be able to do again due to their disabilities. We focus solely on putting these wounded Veterans in a beautiful outdoor setting and giving them the opportunity to heal while enjoying the Hunt. Arizona’s great outdoors is some of the best therapy these warriors will find.

Project Healing Waters

The Link-Up on February 4, 2023

Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc. is dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military service personnel and disabled veterans through fly fishing and associated activities including education and outings.

Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing (PHWFF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization incorporated in the State of Maryland. PHWFF receives no government funding and is dependent on tax-deductible, charitable donations and the help of numerous volunteers to meet the educational, equipment, transportation, and related needs of its participants.

Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc. strives to effectively serve the deserving past and present members of our armed forces who have made great sacrifices in the service of our nation.

A Service for Our Military Service Members

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