Veterans hike for mental health awareness

REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. - The first ever hike of its kind took place in Rehoboth Beach today. The hike was lead by the group Irreverent Warriors who got their name from their mission of using humor and togetherness to heal.

A large crowd of 83 veterans and active duty military came together to continue a different kind of fight, the fight for mental health.

Steve Stabley, one of the organizers of the hike said maintaining mental health is huge for veterans. 

"There is a large issue as far as veterans suicide in our nation, the national average for a long time was 22 veterans committing suicide a day," Stabley said.

These hikes happen all around the country as veteran support for all branches of the military.

At these Irreverent Warriors hikes you can see the signature silkies shorts, veterans hiking in combat boots and bright colored hiking tags with names of cities to commemorate hikes completed.

One U.S. Army veteran, Nikki Tracht said she loves coming to these hikes. "I've met many people on these hikes, these hikes are a saving grace for them," Tracht said.

This event is a means of unity for all military and the connection they all share. "I believe there's a bit of sibling rivalry that happens between different branches," Stabley said. "All the different branches work together when we go to war, now we're just going to have to fight against combating mental health and suicide prevention together."

For Maurice Matthews, a United States Marine Corps veteran, he said these hikes give him a chance to wear some of his clothes from his military days. 

"I wear my original boots that I got when I enlisted back in 2004," Matthews said. "I still got my original dog tags and it's just a comfort thing for me to wear them here."

Tracht said these hikes are a way for veterans to keep connecting for years to come. 

"A lot of people who get out don't realize what they're missing and sometimes it feels like something is lacking," Tracht said. "Sometimes getting together with your brothers and sisters makes you feel whole again."

The next Irreverent Warriors hike will be next week in New York City. Although the hikes are only for veterans to walk in, they are always looking for volunteers to help with the event. 

One of our own Jason Lee who hosts Outdoors Delmarva took part in the hike and we are very proud of his efforts.