ENSURING A SAFE PASSAGE
Studies have indicated that around 17 to 22 veterans die by suicide on a daily basis. According to a recent piece in Military Times, “Veterans are 1.5 times more likely to die by suicide than Americans who never served in the military. For female veterans, the risk factor is 2.2 times more likely.” Think about that. As you read this almost two-dozen family members may have received a call today from someone who started off the conversation by saying, “We regret to inform you that …”
It seems like an almost insurmountable problem. That is, until you meet people like Brady Pesola who care enough to deal with it proactively. As a fellow veteran, he’s lived through it and seen his share of those in the armed forces who’ve fallen on hard times. Rather than just assume someone else will come up with an effective solution, he took it upon himself to found Triple B Adventures to help give his brothers and sisters, as well as their families, a safe path to escape the hopelessness many feel after they rotate out. And by that same token, their involvement has inspired them to pay it forward for others who may also be sitting around feeling unwanted and wondering if there’s any reason to keep going.
While there are lots of survival instructors out there, not many use that instruction as an opportunity to help those survive one of the darkest places they might ever find themselves — their own mind. What began as a simple passion for the outdoors and an understanding of how to navigate its dangers has blossomed into an effort to help veterans find a purpose again, build a community of like-minded individuals, and make peace with the trauma and isolation they’ve endured.
Brady isn’t a what’s-in-it-for-me kind of guy. He doesn’t expect to be famous, nor would he ever step on others to flog his own self-importance. His reward is in helping those who feel forgotten or helpless, and serving a purpose greater than himself. After all, that’s what being in the military is about.
RECOIL OFFGRID: How did your childhood influence your interest in teaching survival?
Brady Pesola: I grew up in the north woods of Minnesota. I learned how to hunt and spent a lot of time outdoors trying to make my own traps and shelters. For most kids growing up in that kind of place, the outdoor life is something you’re automatically a part of. They come into your school in the sixth grade and teach hunter safety. When you’re at home, you’re out in the woods running around with your friends building forts, shooting, fishing, and doing something outdoors. My dad taught me some common-sense things so he wouldn’t have to worry about me, like navigation, how to start a fire, and how to build shelters, which came from watching him build deer stands. I got pretty good at it, and it got to the point where he’d use what I made for hunting.
I always like being in the woods. Growing up, times weren’t easy, and I didn’t have a lot of friends in school, so I spent a lot of time in
