About montana vet program
FOUNDED BY MARINES.
RUN BY VETERANS.
BUILT FOR THE MISSION.
Who We Are
We. Suffer. Well.
The mission of the Montana Vet Program is to provide Veteran Led Therapeutic Adventure Trips to our country's veterans promoting healing through camaraderie, physical activity, adventure, and tough-minded healing.
IN 2016, THREE MARINE SCOUT SNIPERS AND MOUNTAIN INSTRUCTORS LOOKED AT WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO VETERANS COMING HOME AND DECIDED THE ANSWER WASN’T ANOTHER PROGRAM. IT WAS MONTANA. TODAY, MVP IS A 501(C)(3) NONPROFIT BASED IN GREAT FALLS, MONTANA, TAKING VETERANS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY INTO THE MONTANA BACKCOUNTRY.
MVP EXISTS BECAUSE THE WILDERNESS DOES SOMETHING THAT NO OFFICE, NO COUCH, AND NO PRESCRIPTION CAN REPLICATE. WHEN YOU’RE MOVING THROUGH RUGGED TERRAIN WITH A HEAVY PACK, SLEEPING ON THE GROUND, DEALING WITH WEATHER AND WILDLIFE AND YOUR OWN LIMITS, THE NOISE STOPS. WHAT’S LEFT IS CLARITY, CAMARADERIE, AND THE KIND OF HARD-EARNED CONFIDENCE THAT ONLY COMES FROM DOING HARD THINGS ALONGSIDE PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND.
WE CARRY THE PIG EGG ON EVERY VLTAT. 75 POUNDS. 7,054 DOG TAGS, ONE FOR EVERY SERVICE MEMBER LOST IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN. IT’S NOT A PROP. IT’S A REMINDER OF WHY WE SHOW UP, AND WHO WE’RE SHOWING UP FOR.
EVERY TEAM LEADER IS A VETERAN. EVERY TRIP IS PLANNED, STAFFED, AND EXECUTED BY PEOPLE WHO’VE BEEN WHERE YOU’VE BEEN. WE DON’T TREAT VETERANS LIKE PATIENTS. WE TREAT THEM LIKE WARRIORS, BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT THEY ARE.
What we do
Veteran trips cost veterans nothing but the travel to Great Falls. We cover the rest.
For veterans
VLTAT
Float
Four days, three nights and 59 miles of the Smith River. Our team leaders row, and they'll teach you if you want to learn. See the float →
VLTAT
Hike
Four days in the Montana backcountry. 40 pound minimum pack, 2 to 8 miles a day. See the hike →
Veterans and their kids
Sportsman
Mentored hunts for veterans and their kids. A tradition worth passing down. See Sportsman →Fundraisers and conservation
Fundraiser
Montana Backcountry Immersion
Five days of survival training for civilians, taught by real survival experts. A fundraiser for veteran trips. See the event →
Fundraiser
All Valley Comp
A CrossFit fundraiser for coed teams of two, presented by Corvallis Athletics CrossFit. See the comp →
Conservation
Smith River
Partners with Montana FWP since 2019. We've done conservation work at all 52 boat camps on the Smith. See the Smith River →
OUR PHILOSOPHY
We are
- Small on purpose. 15 veterans per trip, two for every team leader.
- Fully covered. Gear, food, lodging and the ride to the trailhead or boat ramp.
- Trained for this. Our team leaders are PsychArmor certified to work with veterans.
- Open to veterans nationwide. Veterans come from across the country and meet us in Great Falls.
- Built for life after the trip. Veterans go home with physical, mental and social tools they use as parents, partners and coworkers.
We're not
- Therapy or counseling. Montana is our therapist.
- A vacation. You carry real weight, do real work and push your own limits.
- Suffering for the sake of it. We bring the right gear and food, so the hard parts are the ones that matter.
- A numbers game. We do not help the most veterans. We help veterans the most.
- A handout. We treat veterans as the capable people they are.
A diagnosis is not a life sentence. At MVP, we don't see broken men and women who need fixing. We see veterans who already know how to carry weight, lead a team, and push through hard terrain. Our trips aren't therapy dressed up as a hike. They're proof veterans are exactly as capable as they always were, done side by side with people who've carried the same weight.
How we got here
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Three Marine Scout Snipers and mountain instructors found Montana Vet Program in Great Falls. The first VLTAT is a backcountry hike. The Pig Egg is built.
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The partnership with Montana FWP on the Smith River begins.
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Sportsman begins with elk hunts for veterans and their kids.
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Montana Backcountry Immersion and All Valley Comp launch, raising money for veteran trips.
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On a single trip, MVP volunteers pull every pit latrine from the Smith River's 52 boat camps.
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FHF Gear rebuilds the Pig Egg.
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Governor Gianforte proclaims Pig Egg Day in Montana.
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Sportsman expands to bird hunts and big game. MVP moves into a new facility in Great Falls.
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Today
10 years. 30 missions. 241 veterans served.
The team behind the trips
Meet our partners →Questions about MVP
What is Montana Vet Program?
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Great Falls, Montana, founded in 2016 by three Marine Scout Snipers and mountain instructors. MVP runs Veteran Led Therapeutic Adventure Trips (VLTATs): four day float and hike trips in Montana for veterans from across the country.
Who runs MVP?
Veterans. MVP was founded by Luke Urick, Joe Miller and Scott Moss, three Marine Scout Snipers who served together. Luke serves as Executive Director. Every team leader is a veteran, and a board of directors oversees the organization. Meet the Squad →
Is MVP a registered nonprofit?
Yes. MVP is a 501(c)(3), EIN 86-2296172. Our Form 990 is public. See our financials →
What does a trip cost a veteran?
Nothing but the travel to Great Falls. We cover gear, food, lodging the night before and after, and the ride to the trailhead or boat ramp.
Is MVP therapy?
No. We don't offer counseling or clinical treatment. Montana is our therapist. Our team leaders are PsychArmor certified to work with veterans, and the rest comes from hard days outside with people who understand.
Where do trips happen?
Floats run the Smith River. Hikes go into the Montana backcountry. Every trip starts and ends in Great Falls.
How is MVP funded?
Individual donors, 26 partners who back us with gear and support, and two fundraisers: Montana Backcountry Immersion and All Valley Comp. It costs about $1,000 to send one veteran on a trip.
How can I help?
Donate, become a partner, or join a fundraiser. Donate → Partner with us →
