As military members, spouses, and veterans, you’ve all known the feelings of loneliness and the uncertainty that comes with moving to a new duty station. How do you make this new place a home after just getting comfortable in your old one? How do you start building a new community, finding new favorite places, and having new adventures? Is the military lifestyle supposed to be this isolating?
THE ORIGINS OF MILITARY WILD
These are the questions we asked ourselves, and the ones Military Wild was born out of. The next question we asked was: “Hey, does anyone else want to get out and go hiking?” From that simple post, enough of us stepped out of our comfort zone and took a chance. The rest is history!
Our first few group hikes were small; we chatted lightly about our military lifestyles and walked easy trails we already knew. Just a few months later we were crashing through unknown jungles, laughing and crying our way up mountaintops, facing our fears in deep caves, and sharing the best and worst parts of ourselves.
Our community continued to grow and as it goes in the military way of life, friends began moving on to the next chapters in their adventures. But we knew we’d discovered something crazy special—Military Wild was the community and lifestyle of adventure that every military family deserves. So, we brought it with us.
WHERE WE ARE TODAY
Today, almost four years after that initial Facebook post, we have established chapters across the country and around the world. From untamed Pacific jungles, to rolling Blue Ridge mountains, to craggy desert mesas, we’re here to share the highs and lows in your life and in the wild places you adventure.
Now with twelve chapters and counting, we inspire thousands of military spouses, retirees, active duty members, and reservists to get outside and explore! From easy, moderate, and challenging hikes, to paddle boarding and kayaking, urban strolls, volunteer events and even educational opportunities, every chapter—just like every duty station—has so much to offer. You just need to go out and find it, and our Ambassadors help you do that. During all of our events we embrace comradery by starting as a team and finishing as a team; we help each other out and push one another to achieve our common goal. Join your local chapter today to experience it firsthand:
Military Wild | Kansas & Missouri
Our chapters are constantly changing and growing so make sure to join the Military Wild Outdoor Community to get organization-wide updates, like our soon to be California chapter! It’s also a great group to share your personal adventures, product recommendations, or tips and tricks about getting outside.
Don’t see a chapter at your duty station? Love encouraging others to get out and explore? Learn more about our Ambassador program and join the fam! We are always looking for individuals who want to volunteer their time and skills and to share their passion for their community.
WHY WE DO IT
Military Wild was created with the goal of connecting military families to each other and to the wild places we get to call home. We’ve achieved this by building on a foundation of outdoor recreation, community involvement, and environmental stewardship. We strive to welcome all ages and abilities and hope to provide an environment where our members can feel supported to step out of their comfort zones.
We can’t promise to cure all the heartaches of the military lifestyle, but we can promise post-hike tacos. We can promise birthdays celebrated with donuts on the trail, cake in caves, and beers on summits. We can promise a helping hand and occasionally some type two fun.
So, come join us outside. Have an adventure, meet new people, and try something new. We welcome you into our fold as friends and family. No matter where you end up, with Military Wild you will always have a network of new friends who share a common love for the great outdoors.
See you on the trail.
ABOUT JENNIFER
Jennifer Everhart is a Navy wife and founder and president of Military Wild. She is currently living the island life in Hawaii while her spouse is stationed on Oahu. She is originally from Ontario, Canada and has now lived all over since joining her husband on his crazy Navy journey!
Mountain hikes aren’t her favorite, but she loves the payoff, so she still does them. Waterfalls are the best (especially when she can scramble up them), and she will never have qualms about wading through deep water on a hike. Bandanas are the best trail accessory and if she sees a big rock she has to climb it! Traveling and exploring are her top hobbies and she is always down for sharing stories over post-hike tacos and beer!
CONNECT WITH JENNIFER
Follow her adventures on Instagram @_now_and_jen_ and don’t forget to follow Military Wild while you are there!
