Charity Spotlight: An In-Depth Look at What Healing Looks Like Through Warriors & Quiet Waters
- The Fly Box LLC
- 8 hours ago
- 5 min read
This feature was written by The Fly Box and published in Casts That Care, our charity-driven fly fishing newsletter.
Casts That Care delivers real stories, deep dives, and the heart of the fly fishing world while donating 50% of all subscription fees to a different fishing-related nonprofit each month. This month it is Warriors & Quiet Waters
Use code “WQWF15” for 25% off your first month, and we’ll donate an extra 15% to support their mission.
In the mountains of Bozeman, Montana, small groups of veterans arrive carrying experiences most people around them will never fully understand. Some arrive dealing with chronic pain, anxiety, or isolation. Others arrive searching for structure and purpose after military service. And while the setting may look peaceful from the outside, the work being done at Warriors & Quiet Waters reaches far beyond a week of fly fishing.
Based in Bozeman, Montana, Warriors & Quiet Waters works with post-9/11 combat veterans through immersive outdoor programs centered on outdoor recreation like fly fishing, archery hunting, photography, and holistic wellness. Focused on guided discussions and long-term personal development. Veterans attend the program in small cohorts, spending a week together at the ranch while participating in outdoor activities, reflection exercises, wellness work, and conversations designed to help them reconnect with themselves and with others.
At first glance, many people see the rivers, the mountains, and the fly fishing and assume the program is simply a retreat. But those who participate in the Built For More Program quickly realize the experience is built around something much deeper.
More Than A Week Outdoors
One of the defining aspects of Warriors & Quiet Waters is that the experience does not end after a single week in Montana.
While the in-person week introduces veterans to fly fishing, outdoor recreation, wellness work, and guided discussions, participants also continue through what the organization calls its “Discovery Phase,” a nine-month period of continued personal development, and the defining of their purpose and path ahead.
During that time, veterans participate in one-on-one conversations, journaling exercises, wellness work, group discussions, and continued reflection designed to help them build structure and purpose long after they leave the ranch.
Eventually, participants return for a capstone experience before continuing into the organization’s alumni engagement network.
The larger goal is not simply to provide veterans with a temporary escape from daily life. Instead, Warriors & Quiet Waters focuses on helping veterans build tools, relationships, and support systems that continue long after the Built For More Program ends.
A Conversation With Ashlee Perry
As part of our Memorial Day coverage, we sat down with Warriors & Quiet Waters Annual Fund Manager and wellness coach Ashlee Perry to better understand the deeper mission behind the organization and why the work being done at the ranch resonates so strongly with veterans.
Perry joined the Army National Guard while still in high school before later serving during Hurricane Katrina relief efforts and eventually deploying to Iraq in 2006 as a military police officer stationed outside Baghdad.
After leaving the military in 2008, she said she largely disconnected from military life and struggled to find direction in the years that followed.
“I wish I knew of a program like Warriors & Quiet Waters back then, because I was just lost,” Perry said.
Over time, Perry found wellness and stability through the outdoors after moving to Montana, eventually becoming heavily involved in trail running and fitness.
When she later discovered Warriors & Quiet Waters, she said the organization’s mission immediately resonated with her because it reflected many of the same things that had helped her personally after service.
“It almost felt like my life was coming full circle,” Perry said.
Today, Perry works not only on the fundraising side of the organization, but also directly with veterans as one of the ranch’s wellness coaches, helping lead movement sessions, guided discussions, and wellness-focused programming throughout the week.
That perspective gave valuable insight into how Warriors & Quiet Waters approaches healing, connection, and life after service.
Why Fly Fishing Works
While fly fishing is one of the most visible parts of the program, the fishing itself is often simply the setting that allows deeper conversations and reflection to happen naturally.
The rhythm of casting, long stretches of quiet water, and time spent outdoors create an environment where veterans are able to slow down mentally and reconnect with themselves in ways many have not experienced for years.
Warriors & Quiet Waters offers Post 9-11 combat veterans the chance to engage with nature, rediscover purpose, and rebuild community through their long-term Built for More Program.
For some participants, simply being surrounded by other veterans becomes one of the most important aspects of the experience. There is less pressure to explain themselves, less need to over-describe experiences, and a greater sense of shared understanding.
Throughout the week-long experience in Montana and the guided 6-9 month virtual phase of the program, veterans are encouraged to participate in guided discussions, journaling prompts, and self-reflection exercises focused on identity, purpose, relationships, and life after military service.
“What you put into this is what you’re going to get out,” Perry explained while discussing the structure of the program.
The Wellness Side Of The Ranch
Another part of the Warriors & Quiet Waters experience that many people do not initially realize is the organization’s growing focus on holistic wellness. The ranch recently transformed an unused indoor pool space into a dedicated fitness and training facility where veterans can participate in movement and wellness-focused activities throughout the week.
Perry, who is also a certified personal trainer, now helps lead wellness sessions and structured workouts during the programs.
The focus is not on intense physical training or pushing veterans beyond their limits. Instead, the goal is to help participants reconnect with movement, confidence, and long-term wellness in a supportive environment.
“We want to give them the tools to figure out their next purpose in life,” Perry said while explaining the organization’s broader mission.
Big Takeaway for This Year
Recently, the VA Put together a report, which highlighted the main causes of veteran suicide. The main themes were; hopelessness, isolation, pain, and chronic inflammation. Perry said "we realized that our program basically addresses all of those things". This is an incredibly important focus, as the veteran suicide rate continues to climb year after year.
Built For More
Warriors & Quiet Waters is dedicated to helping veterans transition from military service by rediscovering purpose beyond their uniforms. The organization emphasizes healing and helping veterans realize they are "built for more."
Warriors and Quiet Waters Mission Statement
Warriors & Quiet Waters empowers post-9/11 combat veterans and their loved ones to thrive and live purpose-driven lives through peak experiences in nature and evidence-based programs that foster growth, discovery, connection, and community.
This mission permeates all activities, from guided discussions to quiet interactions in Montana rivers. While it may seem focused on outdoor recreation and fly fishing, the deeper goal is to reconnect veterans with purpose, confidence, and community. Healing often starts quietly, among those who understand the challenges veterans face.
This feature was written by The Fly Box and published in Casts That Care, our charity-driven fly fishing newsletter.
Casts That Care delivers real stories, deep dives, and the heart of the fly fishing world while donating 50% of all subscription fees to a different fishing-related nonprofit each month. This month it is Warriors & Quiet Waters
Use code “WQWF15” for 25% off your first month, and we’ll donate an extra 15% to support their mission.
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