The Irreverent Warriors Silkies hikes are a series of events across the nation that brings veterans together using humor and camaraderie to heal the mental wounds of war, through therapeutic events and entertainment, in order to reduce PTSD and prevent veteran suicide.
PLEASE DON’T SIGN UP UNLESS YOU ARE CERTAIN THAT YOU’RE COMING!
Also, this event costs over $5,000 and it’s only possible through donations, so please, if you can, make a donation so that we can continue hosting these events all over the country! Thank you!
Sponsors and Donations:
https://www.gofundme.com/tucsonsilkieshike
Facebook invite:
https://www.facebook.com/events/285500618584950/?ti=icl
The mission of the Silkies Hike is to bring veterans together with laughter and camaraderie, create a support network for veterans and provide a day of therapy in order to prevent veteran suicide. These hikes support and spread our bottom line: “put the gun back in the safe, put it back on the nightstand and stick around a bit longer.
The hike provides the therapy and treatment for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress and other stressors to effectively prevent suicide by using humor and camaraderie to heal mental wounds.
Details: (more info. will be provided that morning)
What:
A 22km VETERANS hike and “H2O Crawl” (pub crawl-optional) with 22kg in your packs (weight is not required) through Tucson, AZ area.
Why:
RAISE AWARENESS: To get our veterans together, to put weight on our backs and feel nostalgic, to laugh, to drink, to party, and to remind us that our camaraderie and brotherhood and sisterhood will never die. When we get together to support each other, we can keep each other alive.
When:
0600 on Saturday October 21st
Start:
0600: 1912 Brewing Co. (2045 N Forbes Blvd Ste 105)
0800: Step off
1000: Tumamoc Hill (Up/Down) 3.4 miles (Supporters Welcomed)
1200: Ermanos craft beer and wine bar
1300: Step off
1400: University of Arizona
1500: Trident Grill
1700: Step off
1830: 1912 Brewing Co. (2045 N Forbes Blvd Ste 105)
**details on more bars and food will be provided that morning.
U.S. Marines – green SILKIES, body/face paint, desert/combat boots.
U.S. Navy – green/blue/black SILKIES, body/face paint,
desert/combat boots. Corpsman, bring IVs filled with vodka/red bull.
U.S. Army – green/black SILKIES, body/face paint, banana hammocks, body/face paint, desert/combat boots you can put a lot of weight and miles on, you can leave the awesome reflective army belts at home.
U.S. Air Force – green/blue/black/pink SILKIES, body/face paint, desert/combat boots…remember there is no air conditioning during the march because it’s happening “outside” lol.
U.S. Coast Guard – turqoise/aquamarine/pink SILKIES with dolphin caricatures, body/face paint, desert/combat boots, prepare to hear Coastie jokes from your Navy brethren for the entirety of the march.
JK.. ALL BRANCHES are encouraged to join and make fun of each other and enjoy some good ol fun and bring awareness bc we all served and sacrificed!
CIVILIANS – Please meet us for the initial festivities and also advance to the locations if you’d like to receive your veterans with cheers, hugs, kisses, photos, videos, screaming, yelling and excessive PDA.
Gear List:
Silkies or PT shorts
Boots (Not Required), tennis shoes or shower shoes
Extra socks
Backpack- 22kg (optional) please pack 1 motto shirt for required entry into some businesses.
Camelback with water
Sunscreen
Snack – nuts, bars, for that will fuel you throughout the day
Headgear – hat, kevlar, stetson, beret
Eye Pro – Sunglasses, goggles
Vaseline and mulskin
WHAT TO BRING:
ID – we will be checking IDs **In order to be served at bats you MUST be wearing the Irreverent Warrior wrist bracelet that you will be provided upon registration – this includes volunteers and drivers as well as participants.
* No police escort is requested unless required. Let us know if you want to volunteer to post as a road guard.
WATER – we will have water on our support vehicles but you are encouraged to bring your own.
CASH – we are asking everyone to pay cash at the stops – this will help get faster service and one of the conditions we’ve arranged the drink specials.
TRANSPORTATION AND SAFETY: Drive yourself in, but we recommend you get home if you have been drinking, there will be lots of it.
LEGAL STUFF: No open containers and don’t be “that guy”
RULES:
No weapons, weapon accessories, magazines, ammo, flash bangs, WMDs, grenades, nuclear devices or other illegal arms (nunchucks and/or a bo staff are acceptable). We will be going into bars and consuming alcohol.
No drinking open containers in public.
No conversations about politics with strangers.
No engaging anyone who makes negative comments to us.
If there are any PTSD or emotional episodes everyone must rally to control the situation, help our bro, and protect the group from an early night.
No getting so drunk that you lose your shit (just be cool bro).
Do have your cash ready
Do “check-in” on Facebook as we progress through the hike
Do FLIRT with girls and invite them to party at final location later that night.
Do whatever it takes to help a bro out
Do mumble the words “I love you” to a bunch of dudes you’ve never met.
Do bring CASH for drinks to help expedite each stop.
**DO BRING MOTO SHIRTS AND EVERYTHING YOU OWN THAT IS RED,WHITE AND BLUE!!!**
Recommendations:
For machine gunners – Make something that mimics the weight of a 240 golf on your back and we’ll pass it around.
For Corpsman and Medics – rig an IV bag with a beverage you can pass around.
Plenty of water,
Ibuprofen
Bring your guidons, American Flags, Marine Corps, Other Service Flags or banners and voice for cadences.
Any motto gear
Anyone with motto voice to call cadence please identify yourself.
MORE ABOUT US:
The Silkies Hike is not about awareness, it’s about prevention because the connections and bond that we make during the hike will become our support network for the rest of our lives. in order to prevent suicides we have to support each other. This hike facilitates veterans bonding, connecting and support each other.
If you would like to help us prevent veteran suicides through our veteran therapeutic events and entertainment, please donate to the non-profit, Irreverent Warriors Inc. via www.irreverentwarriors/donate to donate using PayPal. We are incredibly grateful for our donations and support and we will express our gratitude by using your money to keep veterans alive and well. They are a California based public charity, with 501(C)3 tax exemption. Your donation are tax deductible and tha tax ID number is 47-4789126.
Semper Fi Marines, Soldiers, Sailors & Airmen
Luis Vasquez (Veteran/USMC)