MISSION

The mission of Alaska Adventure Project (AAP) is to confront the enduring impact of invisible wounds caused by Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) borne by veterans during their time on active duty. AAP is dedicated to delivering a top-tier healing experience characterized by adventure, camaraderie, and the restoration of lifelong bonds that may have been severed post-service. Our programs are specifically tailored for our nation's warriors and their families in need, by immersing them in the breathtaking landscapes of Alaska. AAP aims to provide a unique and therapeutic journey in the land of the midnight sun; the last frontier of our country. The State of Alaska.

Challenge

In 2012, the Department of Veterans Affairs’ study on veteran suicide concluded that 22 veterans a day take their own lives. That’s 8,030 veterans annually. This is a shocking number that many find hard to believe, but together we can help reduce veteran suicide.

If we are going to successfully stop veteran suicide we have to address the issues that are at the root of the problem.  These issues include:

• Depression

• Survivor’s guilt

• Self-blame for mission failure

• Impaired thinking caused by alcohol or substance abuse

• An Altered worldview due to PTSD and other severe injuries

• Traumatic brain injury
  

How we started

I Joined the marines in 2006 and became an Infantry Machine Gunner.  During my time in the Corps I went on multiple deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan most notable was the Sangin Valley in 2011.  I Guided Marines in a Combined Anti-Armor Team during combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. When I left the Corps I was looking for a new beginning something that I could look forward to.  In May of 2015 I took a job as a greenhorn deckhand on Tim Currall’s salmon seiner the Johnnie B., in Ketchikan Alaska. This is where I grew up and graduated high school. The town is very familiar to me but it had been such a long time since I had been home.  The job was something that I had never done before and I felt great about the the exciting challenge. 

I remember on one of our trips out to the fishing grounds we left a little later in the evening in order to arrive at our spot with plenty of time before fishing the next morning.  Leaving the Ketchikan harbor at sunset is one of the most beautiful sights you can see.  All of a sudden I started feeling like I was human again.  After that it became easier and easier to see and appreciate the beauty that was surrounding me.  I don’t think I had ever seen my hometown in such a profound way.  I started to think how the war had robbed me of my ability to see things that were beautiful, or feel anything for anyone close to me.  This magical place started to chip away at the armor I had built up for so many years.  I knew that this was my new purpose, my new challenge to all who have served and suffered. I was going to bring my brothers and sisters in arms, dealing with similar issues that I deal with, up to Alaska to share this experience.  My goal is to help break down barriers and allow our finest warriors to live life as it was intended.

-William Boulton

our mission