Photo By Spc. Julia Dennard | A driver of an off-road vehicle makes his descent from the rocks of the Organ...... read more read more
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FORT BLISS, Texas -- Duane Shaw, co-founder of Ol’ Skool 4x4 Off-Road Adventures and retired veteran, is still serving the Army and the United States. Serving is his greatest passion and he wants nothing more than to give back to Soldiers. He knows firsthand the hardships soldiers endure and sacrifices they make.
His second passion is off-roading, going to the desert and the mountains in his modified off-road Jeep and hitting the trails. He loves it so much that for three years running he has invited the Warrior Transition Battalion to come join his club for a weekend of off-road riding, hiking, cook-outs, and camping.
“We want to give back to the soldiers,” said Shaw. “We show the Wounded Warriors their land. This is public land, and when they are out there fighting sometimes they forget what they are fighting for, and then they come out here and it’s like they are in their own backyard. They can set up a shooting range, fire weapons, camp, and enjoy it. When they have fun, I have fun.”
The weekend starts out with the guys hitting the trails in clouds of dust as the jeeps cant sharply. They jar left and right and pitch at angles that tempt the vehicles to roll as they traverse across the rocks and ditches.
The ride is broken up when it is time to hop out and tackle a hike up a rock formation that is amazingly steep. It is a trail Shaw affectionately calls Soldier Hill, “because usually only the soldiers have the courage to crawl up it”. However, everyone on this ride had the courage to take the challenge and Shaw is there to give a helping hand, literally, if one is needed.
Robert Hyde, co-founder of Ol’ Skool 4x4 and a retired veteran, leads the group back to level ground and it is time to hit the trails fast. Everyone is lined up single file in the canyon to race down the trails and give the off-roaders a chance to unleash some power as the tires grip and slide on the sand, fish-tail around rock formations and barrel through dusty, shrub-lined trails that obscure the path.
“It is all about helping the soldiers heal and get them out into the country for some fresh air and fun,” Hyde said. “We want to show the Soldier the respect they deserve. I love interacting with the Soldiers, sharing and comparing stories, and making new friends.”
Everyone hangs on tight as the race through the canyon leads to more hiking and lunch.
“When I heard about the offer to go out with the Jeepers I was so glad,” said Private William I. Geheb, a soldier in the WTB. “The offer for soldiers to get out of the barracks and have a good time is important. A lot of us don’t have vehicles and a lot of people can’t drive. We don’t get the opportunity to go outdoors. Especially four-wheeling.”
"I love being outdoors and I love trucks, I am a mechanic here after all. I think it’s great that Military Jeepers and Ol’ Skool 4x4 came together, helping us, and to put this weekend together.”
The Jeepers and Ol’ Skool donated their time and seats in their vehicles. Shaw knows how important the little things can be when one is serving in the military. He arranged for the Jeepers and Ol’ Skool to provide a meal the soldiers would really like. They made a barbeque brisket dinner complete with baked potatoes, sour cream, peach cobbler made in a dutch oven, and all served in front of a roaring campfire on a cold desert night. To boot, they made taquitos with chorizo for breakfast.
Sitting around the glow of the campfire under the pitch black of the night sky, Shaw sits back in his chair as he watches everyone telling stories, eating pie, laughing, and having a good time with a satisfied gaze. This is one of the most rewarding aspects of this weekend and of Shaw’s overall plan of giving back to the soldier.
“It’s all about supporting the Soldier,” said Shaw.
| Date Taken: | 11.06.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 11.23.2010 13:30 |
| Story ID: | 60727 |
| Location: | FORT BLISS, US |
| Web Views: | 95 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 4x4 Wounded Warriors Weekend, by SPC Julia Dennard, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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