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Good gear disappears. Bad gear becomes the whole trip. We're deliberate about who we partner with — companies that build equipment good enough to trust in the field, so our veterans can stay focused on why they're out there.
Operation Wilderness brings together immersive wilderness experiences and licensed clinical partners to help those who serve and have served heal from PTSD and service-related trauma, and rediscover resilience, community, and purpose.
We envision a future where healing from service-related trauma isn't confined to a clinical setting — where the wilderness stands alongside licensed care as a trusted path for those who serve and have served to find their way back to purpose, resilience, and each other.
Operation Wilderness (Op. Wild) is a veteran-owned and operated non-profit organization dedicated to transforming the lives of active duty and veterans suffering from PTSD and service-related trauma through immersive wilderness programs.
Our field team is made up of combat veterans and experienced wilderness guides. Licensed clinicians — provided through our clinical partners, First Circle Medical Center and Generational Health — are present throughout the program, observing and facilitating alongside the group. This isn't office-based therapy with a referral out; the clinical support happens in the field, in real time.
Op Wild wasn't built from a theory. It was built by people who lived this problem — veterans, and the families of veterans, who found something in the wilderness that other settings never gave them. The research on nature-based healing backed up what they already knew. That combination — lived experience and real evidence — is what drives everything we do.
Every act of charity directly affects our ability to deliver profound services to those who selflessly serve and have served our country. Become a member of the Op Wild Mission Support Team.
We are accepting applications for our two transformative wilderness programs to help participants navigate the weight they carry. Choosing either our 3-day First Light Initiative or our immersive 7-day True North Initiative, you'll experience the healing power of nature combined with evidence-based therapy and support provided by licensed partners.
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In an increasingly digital world, nature serves as a powerful antidote to stress and disconnection. Research shows that time in wilderness environments reduces cortisol levels and improves immune function — measurable, physical changes, not just a feeling.
Research published in Military Medicine found that veterans participating in nature-based recreation programs showed significant improvements in PTSD symptoms, sleep quality, and overall well-being. The outdoors strips away the barriers people put up in everyday life, creating space for real connection through shared challenge. Vella, Milligan & Bennett, Military Medicine, 2013
Our programs are built around this evidence. We create the space for nature to do what it does best — restore, rebuild, and reconnect people to their sense of self and purpose.
Here are answers to some common questions about our programs and approach to healing through nature.
Every act of charity directly affects our ability to deliver profound services to those who selflessly serve and have served our country. Become a member of the Op Wild Mission Support Team.
