TUCSON, AZ — For Air Force security forces airman Joel Burdett, an invite from an elder veteran to go on a hunting trip in 2016 did more than fill a tag after a tough deployment. It eventually helped set the course for a new mission.
“He'll never know, you know, to what extent what, what that meant to me or what I needed at the time,” Burdett said. “I started at that moment understanding the joy I felt in being a part of creating opportunities for those that may not have had it otherwise.”
That realization led Burdett and a team of mostly combat veterans to launch Battlefield to Backwoods, Veteran Outdoors, a 501(c)(3) focused on providing free outdoor trips for active-duty troops, veterans and first responders.
“In November of 2024, we got our IRS determination letter for our 501c3 status, and we agreed that starting January 1st in 2025, we were going to hit the ground running, and we have,” Burdett said. “This year alone, with our current slotted events and scheduled events, we are going to get out 248 individuals, active-duty military, first responders, and veterans across 11 states.”
Burdett says the organization is on track to reach its goal of 250 participants across those 11 states. When ABC15’s Craig McKee, an Air Force veteran himself, caught up with Burdett to talk about the organization during one of his outings in Tucson, every seat was covered.
“Fortunately, we have a lot of community partners that support us,” he said. “With this one, every seat was funded … and then I worked out some community partners, 100% funded, within a matter of days.”
For Burdett, the experience is about more than the ride itself.
“What this is for many is that opportunity to take that tactical pause, reset, refocus, and be ready for the next day's daily stressors,” he said.
Burdett’s advice to other veterans is simple.
“I'd say do it, do it,” Burdett said. “For some, it's one of the hardest steps is to just say yes and do it, and then when you do it, pull your buddy, you know your battle buddy or whoever it is, right? Airman, sailor, whatever. It doesn't matter. Grab them and go do it again, and get them out because you need it. … They need it.”
Tyler Rivas, who spent 10 years in Air Force security forces, sees another benefit.
“To me, it's the camaraderie we get. We like to get people out, you know, and this is a great way for everybody to get out,” Rivas said. “Then you have some older people that can't get out as easily and still want to get out, and just it's a great opportunity for everybody to get out.”
Rivas says veterans don't have to face their struggles alone.
“Everybody struggles, right? So, everybody has a struggle, whether it be something small,” he said. “To get out in a group and just struggle together, that's what you need to do. That's what's good about this is it's a group, it's a family. Nobody's out there struggling alone.”
Sommer Noethlich, who just retired after 27 years in the Air Force, sees the outdoors as another way to reconnect.
“It's very important for just your mental health. I think nature itself does a lot for just your mental health and the way that you connect again with the earth and then doing it side by side with another vet to maybe going through the same thing,” Noethlich said. “You can just show them that, and you can experience it together instead of by yourself, and then you understand that camaraderie again.”
She brought her children on the off-road ride, hoping they see the bonds veterans share and how that connection extends into community work through groups like the American Legion.
Her advice to other veterans is simple:
“You never know until you try,” she said. “You have to step out of your comfort zone, and when you're in your comfort zone and you may be unhappy, there's a different zone to be in.”
But for veterans who want to take that first step, there can be another challenge: finding the opportunities.
Navy veteran Theresa Walters knows that firsthand.
Walters grew up in northern Minnesota and served as an aviation mechanic before beginning her search for outdoor programs she and her father could attend together.
“I lived the outdoors. I grew up in northern Minnesota. My dad was a huge advocate for vets and an avid outdoorsman, so it was natural for me to want to do outdoor activities after my service,” Walters said. “When I started looking, there was no central directory, and I thought, why isn't this in one spot for all these veterans to find open doors all at the same time?”
What started as a search for something she and her father could do together soon grew into something much larger.
“I started searching for a small list for me and my dad to do because he was a Vietnam veteran and just loved being outdoors,” she said. “And then it became something more when it became the list got to be so many, and we were over 100. And I just decided, you know, we got to get this online for other people.”
Walters went on to found US Vet Connect and what she calls the National Veterans Outdoor Resource Hub, an online directory of veteran-specific, free outdoor programs across the country.
“These activities are all over the United States, put on by very unique nonprofits and veteran organizations, just all over the United States, and they're veteran-specific, free for the veteran, and anything you can think of, from hiking and hunting and fishing and powered paragliding, and there's llama adventures,” Walters said. “It's amazing.”
Walters says the goal goes beyond simply filling a directory.
“Adventure leads to joy, and that's the main thing we're trying to get back to,” she said. “Is mental health is tough, but when a veteran can get outside and be outdoors and feel again, then that's the key.”
The hub now lists more than 270 organizations. Walters said donations help with annual hosting costs and technology upgrades so the directory can grow to more than 500 vetted groups, reducing the chance a veteran clicks on a dead link or an inactive program.
“We don't want any dead links on the site. We don't want any bad experiences to be had. We want the veterans to just have fun, and that's what it's all about: getting back out there and having fun and finding joy,” she said.
Burdett is creating those opportunities in the field. Walters is helping veterans find them. Together, their efforts are making it easier for veterans to say yes to an experience that might otherwise be out of reach.
If you’re a veteran or know a veteran who would be interested in finding out more about the National Veterans Outdoors Resource HUB check out their website.
