Free outdoor excursions for Enduring and Iraqi Freedom veterans Published July 31, 2008 WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Outward Bound, an international non-profit outdoor education program, is offering fully funded outdoor adventure excursions to all Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans. It doesn't matter what your current military status is (active, inactive, discharged, retired) - you're eligible to attend as long as you deployed in support of OEF/OIF combat operations while in the military. These five-day excursions offer adventure activities such as backpacking, rock climbing, canyoneering, canoeing, and dog sledding in beautiful wilderness areas in Maine, Texas, Colorado, California, and Minnesota. Scheduled courses from Sep 08-Feb 09 are listed below, and future courses will be scheduled soon. All expedition costs for lodging, equipment, food, and instruction are completely funded by a multi-million dollar Sierra Club grant, including the participants' round-trip transportation between home and the wilderness site. The excursion is offered at no cost to the participant. Expeditions offered include: Leadville, Colorado: Backpacking and Rock Climbing in the Colorado Rockies * September 3-7, 2008 * October 4-8, 2008 Newry, Maine: Backpacking and Canoeing * October 7-11, 2008 * October 19-23, 2008 Big Bend, Texas: Back packing and Cayoneering * November 2-6, 2008 * November 15-19, 2008 Joshua Tree National Monument, California: Backpacking and Rock Climbing * December 3-7, 2008 * December 14-18, 2008 Ely, Minnesota: Dog Sledding * February 3-7, 2009 To learn more about the OEF/OIF program, visit the website at www.outwardboundwilderness.org/veterans.html. To sign up for one of the prescheduled courses, please contact Doug Hayward at 1-866-669-2362, ext. 8387, or via email at obvets@outwardbound.org.