BIG SKY BRAVERY WOULDN'T BE WHAT IT IS TODAY WITHOUT THE HARD WORK AND DEDICATION OF OUR VOLUNTEERS. TO CELEBRATE THEIR GENEROSITY & INTRODUCE YOU TO SOME INCREDIBLE INDIVIDUALS, WE INVITE YOU TO READ OUR MONTHLY VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT!

This month’s volunteer: Ben Anderson

How long have you been volunteering for Big Sky Bravery?

I have been volunteering since 2018, participating in 8 Task Forces and lending a hand whenever asked to support events and programs in Big Sky year-round.

WHY DO YOU VOLUNTEER FOR BIG SKY BRAVERY?

I volunteer to give back as much as I can using my skillset to assist participants’ outdoor experience. It has been an honor to meet so many amazing individuals who serve our country. I never enlisted in the military. Showing those who have sacrificed so much to preserve and protect our American freedom a good time during their visits to Alaska and Montana is the least I can do. It’s cool to watch these recipients decompress and focus on themselves for a little while.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST IMPACTFUL MOMENT FOR YOU SINCE BEING INVOLVED WITH BIG SKY BRAVERY?

It’s the moment when recipients first arrive and there is a familiar look of hesitation on their faces, sort of a “what have I just signed up for” look. But it’s not long before they realize that the volunteers have been hand-selected to be like-minded individuals that want nothing more than to show them a good time. It usually only takes 30 minutes before the jokes start rolling and that barrier starts to come down. I call it “fun coaching”. Participants start to get lost in the week, focusing more on the moment and themselves, like they have rarely done since going into the military.

It’s the conversations that take place after, when they say how they went home a better father, husband, friend, or teammate.

It’s the lifelong friendships that are forged.

HOW DOES OUR MOTTO GIVE MORE THAN YOU TAKE APPLY TO YOUR LIFE?

GIVE MORE THAN YOU TAKE is a mindset of improvement on the places, things, and people around you. Without the previous generation making things better we wouldn’t be where we are today. We have an obligation to the next generation to do the same. These men and women have done more than their part already. It inspires me. Most of all them will continue impacting everything and everyone around them after their military career, because that is who they are to their core. I still have more work to do and will keep trying my best to give back as much as possible.

WHAT DO YOU NO LONGER TAKE FOR GRANTED AFTER SPENDING TIME WITH THE ACTIVE-DUTY SOF COMMUNITY WE SERVE?

I no longer take for granted the privilege to be an American. Without these people being on the frontline, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy the freedoms we have. I have met some of the highest-caliber people in my life on these programs. This has motivated me to be my best self in every aspect of my life and it has inspired me to help others do the same.

WHAT JOB TITLE DO YOU HOLD OUTSIDE OF BEING A BSB VOLUNTEER?

Part owner of SEABA Heli-skiing in Haines, Alaska.

FINISH THIS SENTENCE, “WHEN I’M NOT VOLUNTEERING WITH BIG SKY BRAVERY YOU’LL FIND ME…”

Hanging with my wife and daughter in the mountains surrounding Big Sky. Or out for a rip on the bike or sled!