A Little About Me

Hi,

My name is Becky and I am active duty Air Force in the midst of a (preventable) medical retirement-- but the preventable part will be for another day. I am currently stationed in New Mexico, for the second time in my career.

I bought 160 acres, sight unseen I might add, in Montana-- true military fashion. I knew I needed to do something. Something that would keep me busy as I figure out how to navigate this whole PTSD/ TBI thing, which, when you live it every day, you don't notice how bad it's getting, you rely solely on others to tell you something isn't right. It's the worst.

Needing schedules, calendars, alarms, for everything, to include the basics like "eat a snack" or "drink some water" was what woke me up that things were not ok. I had always wanted to run a business and help others, the idea has been there for over a decade, but the ability to do anything about it only recently became available when I was told I was being retired.

In true "me" fashion, I had already run a million scenarios in my head for all the what ifs, all the potential failures and came up with working solutions for all possible outcomes (hypervigilance is one of the side effects to brain injury- I think it's good, but its definitely exhausting). But I had been searching in Montana because ever since I lived here the first time when I was 23 working for the Montana Sports Network, this place had been calling me back.

I narrowed my search to Whitehall because it was close enough to Bozeman (and Costco), Butte, HWY 90, Yellowstone and the largest airport in Montana (only 45 min from the property). I wanted to be close enough to the things I am used to, but far enough away for me to be left alone. With this headspace, I knew I wasn't alone... and that's when The Bramble and Ridge Foundation idea was born.

I want to help veterans and active duty BEFORE they get to my situation.

If I can help someone on the verge of burnout or help them calm down before all the negative side effects, then I think we are on to something. I cannot be the only one that needed this, so I am building it. From scratch. And distance at the moment. It's decided.

I closed on the property June 12th. Got the 501(c)(3) two days later. It's been eight days. I hope you follow along as I try to figure out what I am doing and how to make this happen.

Off to make a topo map now, apparently all the contractors need that and a site map to give me quotes so I can decide that I can probably just build most of this myself (with my family's help of course).

I'll be sure to keep those interested posted! Stay tuned.