Outside The Wire

10/24/2026

We are so happy to celebrate our friend Tyrone Stinson for reaching 100%! Tyrone is an incredible person and a well-deserving retired veteran who has earned his benefits through his service, just like every other veteran. At Outside the Wire, we are proud to stand with veterans as they navigate the VA process and fight for the benefits they have earned. Your service matters.

10/22/2026

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🇺🇸 TEACHING TUESDAY: Who is eligible for military funeral honors?

Every veteran’s family deserves to understand the honors their loved one may be eligible for.

Today’s graphic explains eligibility for retired service members, those who die while serving, and other eligible veterans. Military funeral honors are provided at no cost to the family, and families can ask their funeral director to help arrange them.

Behind every folded flag is a life of service—and a family who will treasure that final tribute.

Operation Honor Guard helps equip volunteer honor guards with the uniforms and equipment they need to carry on this sacred responsibility… along with recruitment and education.

Share this post to help a veteran’s family know what to ask for. ❤️🤍💙

Stand Tall. Honor All.

10/20/2026

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Join CCMHC on November 6 for a free Veterans’ Day celebration with lunch, local veterans and information about support available.

10/16/2026

A huge thank you to all of our sponsors, including Immanuel Lutheran Church, for supporting Outside the Wire Veterans Foundation! Your generosity helps us continue bringing veterans and their families together and making a difference in their lives. We truly appreciate your support and belief in our mission! 🇺🇸❤️

10/14/2026

10/01/2026

Last but certainly not least, a very special thank you to Sorell, owner of The Honey Pitt, for opening their doors and hosting Outside the Wire for our 3rd Annual Veterans Retreat! ❤️🇺🇸

We truly couldn’t have asked for a better place to bring our veterans and their families together. We are incredibly grateful for the kindness, hospitality, and support shown to us throughout the entire weekend.

Thank you, Megan and The Honey Pitt, for helping make this retreat so special and memorable for everyone who attended!

If you’re looking for a great place to stay, be sure to check out The Honey Pitt on Airbnb! 🏡

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1430608003550939419?unique_share_id=55037bf4-0ceb-4ec3-92e3-20cfa378d711&viralityEntryPoint=1&s=76

10/01/2026

📸 RETREAT PHOTO DUMP! 🇺🇸

It’s hard to put this weekend into words, but these pictures tell a pretty good story.

From welcome dinners and BBQs, to quite possibly the best gumbo in Southeast Kansas and Southwest Missouri, (Thank you, Brandon Smith) to big breakfasts (thank you Girard American Legion Post 494 and Perla Vanessa) and late-night conversations around the fire… this weekend had a little bit of everything.

There were tears. There was a whole lot of laughter. There was camaraderie. There were tents being popped up, veterans sleeping outside (except our Air Force princess, Marcus P. Tolbert) while the fall rain came down, kids running around and fishing, s’mores by the fire, art activities, and memories being made everywhere you looked.

But there were also moments when we stopped and remembered why gatherings like this matter.

We remembered our fallen, those who never made it home and those who made it home but later lost their battle. We spent time visiting veterans in a local nursing home (Thank you, Tyrone Stinson for cooking for them), listening to stories and honoring the generations who came before us.

And somewhere in between all of that, veterans and their families simply got to be together.

No titles. No expectations. Just veterans, families, friends, kids, volunteers, good food, conversations, laughter, healing, and connection.

As we say “see you later” to our 3rd Annual Outside the Wire Veterans Retreat, we can confidently say this was one of our best retreats yet. ❤️

We are incredibly grateful for every veteran and family who trusted us enough to spend the weekend with us, every volunteer who jumped in wherever they were needed, and every donor, friend, business, and community member who continues to believe in what we are building.

Outside the Wire continues to grow because of you.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your support, your involvement, and most importantly, for continuing to show up for our veterans and their families.

Here’s to more memories, more healing, more camaraderie, and many more retreats to come. 🇺🇸

The Honey Pitt was the perfect spot to build lasting memories. Don’t forget to check them out on Airbnb

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1430608003550939419?unique_share_id=55037bf4-0ceb-4ec3-92e3-20cfa378d711&viralityEntryPoint=1&s=76

With gratitude,
The Outside the Wire Team ❤️

09/28/2026

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A new $3.06 million Department of Defense-funded study will examine how menopause affects women veterans’ physical and mental health.

Researchers at Ohio State will follow 125 women veterans ages 45–55 over one year, measuring hormone changes alongside mood, cognition, sleep, pain, stress, inflammation, and changes in the gut and vaginal microbiomes.

The research is especially significant because prior studies suggest women veterans may experience menopause earlier than civilian women, potentially increasing the years they live with associated cardiovascular, cognitive, metabolic, sleep, and mental-health risks.

The goal: better understand the biology behind these changes and identify more effective ways to support women veterans through menopause.

09/26/2026

Day Two of our 3rd Annual Outside the Wire Veterans Retreat. 🇺🇸

Yesterday, we shared the signs of those who are no longer with us, the veterans we lost in service and those we lost after they came home.

Today, we honor those who are still here.

Nearly 50+ signs. Nearly 50+ veterans. Different branches, different ranks, different generations, different stories, but all connected by service.

Some are still wearing the uniform and continuing to serve our country. Others have retired or completed their military service and have gone on to serve their families, professions, communities, and fellow veterans in countless other ways.

Every sign represents more than a rank, a branch, or a military occupation. It represents a person who raised their hand and said, “I will serve.”

One of the most important parts of Outside the Wire is reminding veterans that their story does not end when they take off the uniform. The friendships, sense of purpose, camaraderie, and commitment to one another can continue long after military service ends.

These signs represent the veterans who are still here to tell their stories, make new memories, mentor the next generation, and stand beside their brothers and sisters.

And that is something worth celebrating.

Today, as we continue our retreat-fishing, laughing, sharing meals, sitting around the fire, watching our families spend time together, and reconnecting with one another, we honor you.

To every veteran whose face appears on one of these signs, and to every veteran spending this weekend with us:

We see you. We appreciate you. We are proud to stand beside you. And we are grateful you are still here.

This is what Outside the Wire is all about.

Service brought us together. Brotherhood and sisterhood keep us together. 🇺🇸