This Free Memorial May Event in Billings Could Be the Most Meaningful Morning of Your Year

Some organizations leave a mark that actually lasts. Warriors & Quiet Waters is one of them. Since 2007, the Montana-based nonprofit has been working with post-9/11 combat veterans, not to hand them a resource and move on, but to walk alongside them through the harder, slower work of figuring out what life looks like now.

Coming home doesn’t automatically mean things feel okay. For many veterans, the transition back to civilian life is disorienting in ways that are hard to explain to those who weren’t there. The structure disappears, the sense of purpose gets murky, and the people around, even the ones who love you, don’t always know what to do with that.

How This Montana Nonprofit Is Helping Veterans Find Their Footing After Service

Warriors & Quiet Waters was built around a straightforward idea: get veterans out of their normal environment, put them in the Montana wilderness with people who’ve been through something similar, and let what happens next happen. Fly fishing is the most well-known entry point, but the organization also runs archery hunts, photography expeditions, and programs for couples and caregivers. The activity almost doesn’t matter. That first week is about proximity: being around a small group of people who don’t need everything explained to them.

Why Warriors & Quiet Waters Doesn’t Stop After One Week in the Wilderness

Many programs for veterans offer a meaningful experience, then send people home. Warriors & Quiet Waters deliberately built against that model.

After that initial week, participants move into a nine-month program called Built for More, cohort-based and structured around personal growth, relationships, and figuring out what direction looks like now. It wraps with an in-person capstone experience.

That timeline is intentional. A single week can crack something open, but it rarely closes the loop. The nine-month structure gives veterans a place to keep going after the initial momentum fades.

Getting through one hard season is one thing, but knowing what to do next is another. The Alumni Engagement Program exists for exactly that: keeping veterans connected long after the formal program wraps up.

Through alumni meetups, regional events, and ongoing opportunities to stay engaged, participants keep building on what they started. The program ends, but the community doesn’t.

The goal is to help veterans figure out who they are on the other side of service, and give them the support they need to get there. The organization partners with the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University to track outcomes and make sure it’s actually working. The results aren’t just anecdotal; they’re documented.

Billings Has a Chance to Honor Veterans This May

This spring, Billings has a concrete way to show up for our local veterans. Warriors & Quiet Waters is partnering with Carry the Load, a national nonprofit that honors the sacrifices of military members, veterans, first responders, and their families. Together, they’re bringing the Memorial May Ruck to Billings on May 30. The event is free, open to everyone, and the point is straightforward: show up and make sure the people in our community who served know that they’re not carrying it alone.

What to Know About the Memorial May Ruck Coming to Billings on May 30

The Memorial May Ruck is Saturday, May 30, at Rocky Mountain College. Free, open to everyone; ruck, run, walk, or just come out and show your support and gratitude.

The morning begins at 9:30 a.m. with the national anthem and speakers, followed by the 5K and 5-mile walks at 10 a.m. Afterward, stick around for a gathering to honor the men and women of our community who served.

The event is free to attend and participate in. If you’d like to register as a participant or make a donation, you can do both here. Every dollar goes toward honoring the men and women who sacrificed for this country.

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You Don’t Have to Have Served to Be There

This one matters: you don’t have to have served to be there. You don’t even have to know what to say. Showing up is the thing. May 30 is a chance to do that.

If you’re a business or organization that would like to help spread the word about the Memorial May Ruck or support the event, you’re encouraged to connect with Ashlee at Warriors & Quiet Waters by email here.