Lornett Vestal

How one US Navy veteran found nature while serving in Kuwait—and harnessed it to heal himself afterward

The faces of several teens were beaming with accomplishment. The pride made sense. They had just hiked 10 miles up the side of a mountain.

Sierra Club Military Outdoors has undergone many evolutions, leading to this point where we are utilizing our most incredible resource, the Sierra Club chapters.

Thanks to the hard work of the Sierra Club chapters, volunteers, staff, and participants nationwide, we have expanded and Military Outdoors has become an integral part of 12 local communities. In 2024, Sierra Club Military Outdoors directly and positively affected 5,000 veterans, service members, and military families.

Our nation's veterans and service members are directly connected to the nation's public lands. It’s a legacy tied to the Buffalo Soldiers’ struggle for inclusivity over a century ago. 

This is what’s at stake as the Trump administration tries to erase the histories of service members