What began as a powerful and effective ministry to US troops in southern California (highlighted here last year) has now begun to spread. Soul Survivor Outdoor, which seeks to minister to US troops by providing “soul care,” has expanded to Texas, where it recently served the troops at Fort Hood following a redeployment. As reported in an official Army release:

Chaplain Karen Moore, battalion chaplain for 7th Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment…organized for members of her battalion to participate and interact with SSO. She also helped assist sister battalion, 1st battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, become involved with the program as well.

In the end, 55 US troops participated in the event on horseback, which

is not a retreat, it is actual training. The program is designed for participation, with group discussions and testimonies led by members within Soul Survivor Outdoor…

The program removes military members from the work environment for a day, and engages them with people who have “been there before” for support.

While there are a variety of organizations that support veterans’ needs, SSO is specifically geared only for active duty US troops, with the goal of “early intervention.” By hosting activities that engage military members, SSO is able to minister to them in a way that others can’t, and demonstrate Christ to them in the process.

“In our case, we are aircraft mechanics and this allows us to put the wrench down, put the toolbox away, hop on a horse, go for a ride and then sit and do something different to connect with each other while trying to build a relationship and talk about something that’s pretty important to all of us,” [1SG Brandon] Casey said.

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