President's Corner - August 2022

Hey OEW family! It sure is hard to believe that August is already here. That means we are over halfway through the "Year of Empowerment" and I am proud to see you all taking charge of your year.

This morning finds me sitting on an airplane, high over Wisconsin, returning from an HHA USA: Veterans, LEO, and First Responder Archery Shoot. What

an amazing event and even better people all focused on serving those who serve us. The archery community and outdoor industry certainly has welcomed OEW and our Honorees with open arms and having the chance to spend a weekend building friendships and seeing folks knock down barriers is amazing.

This newsletter is an opportunity to share some very exciting news! The hallmark of OEW has always been how we care for our Honorees and how we execute events. We realize that not every event requires a Masked Athlete for support but, every event requires someone to take the lead, do the planning, and supervise the execution to make sure that our Honorees are successful. We are looking for motivated individuals who might not be interested or qualify as a MAT, but still want to be a leader in OEW. To ensure that we continue to support our mission, we are standing up the Operation Enduring Warrior Team Lead (OTL) program. We still have to work out a few details, but our intent is to empower OCAs who have the drive and desire to do more for OEW to apply for and complete a screening process, which will include a physical portion to qualify as an OTL. Once someone successfully passes the OTL screening, they will be provided with a uniform, get additional training, receive reimbursement for travel to events, and be a driving force to make sure our Honorees are successful. Stay tuned for more details but expect the first OTL screening to happen this fall.

I am also looking for your input on events that interest you. Traditionally, we have done a lot of OCRs and rucks but it seems that interest in doing those types of events has started to decline a bit. Archery has become a big hit among many of our Honorees but there has to be other ideas! Several of our Regional OCA leads have reached out requesting your input and I would appreciate hearing what types of things would get you out and involved. It doesn’t have to necessarily be super physical; it could be a retreat or a happy hour gathering. Nothing is off the table during this brainstorming period. I want to hear what you think! If you have ideas to share, please email me at info@enduringwarrior.org.

I hope you are looking forward to your next events. Don’t forget that WarX will go in October, and we are working hard on Gala planning for next year to honor 10 years of OEW. Keep an eye on the calendar and get out to events that interest you. Don’t let the opportunity to challenge yourself pass you by. Hope to see you soon.

Memento Mori-

Troy