July is National Park and Recreation Month Published July 22, 2015 By Airman 1st Class Kiana Brothers 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs 7/23/2015 - SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- -- July is National Park and Recreation Month and Scott's Outdoor Recreation is hosting a fun experience each week to show support. Experiences range from hot air balloon trips and zip-lining, to parasailing in Granite City. "Outdoor Recreation is a very popular place at Scott, and we like to say that we are 'the fun part of the Air Force,'" said Garry Green, Outdoor Adventure Program Coordinator. This year will be the 30th year Park and Recreation Month will be celebrated. Parks were created to serve the people and to give them a place to exercise, socialize and appreciate nature. Like parks and recreation, Scott's Outdoor Recreation and Outdoor Adventure Program provides a stress relief outlet for Airmen and their families. Outdoor Recreation offers a wide variety of activities such as swimming pool parties, paintball, archery tournaments, horseback riding and bike trips. The Outdoor Adventure Program offers more physical activities such as rock climbing, hiking, backpacking, sky diving, snowboarding, and a unique, one of a kind underground kayaking experience. Green said that it has been proven that recreation, including high adventure activities, similar to what the Outdoor Adventure Program offers, can be beneficial to the mental, emotional, and physical well-being of military members, particularly after deployments. These activities can also provide a unique family bonding experience for families that have been separated for lengthy periods of time. Airman 1st Class Anthony Johnson-Wilson said, "Outdoor Recreation is one of the best organizations I've been able to be a part of and work with since I've been at Scott." Johnson-Wilson is a frequent customer of ODR and member of the 437th Supply Chain Operation Squadron. "The trips we take are always well planned out, and it's a great avenue to escape and try something new. Garry is so awesome in helping with that." During the past five years since founding the Outdoor Adventure Program, ODR has served several hundred Airmen and their families and have been in full support of a number of Air Force quality of life initiatives such as Recharge for Resiliency, RecOn and the Single Airman's Initiative. Before marrying into the Air Force, Green owned a specialty outdoor shop in North Carolina guiding everything from rock climbing and backpacking trips to multi-day sea kayak trips along the coast. "My entire life has been spent in the pursuit of wilderness adventure," Green said. "I am from Western North Carolina and grew up hiking, climbing, and backpacking the mountains there. "I am proud and honored to serve those who serve and their families," he said. "The experience has been one of the most richly rewarding of my life. I am able to experience first-hand the stress that military members and their families are under and the healing that providing a quality outdoor experience can bring." Outdoor recreation has received positive feedback which stems from the quality of the preparation, forethought, and planning that goes into each and every program they offer. Air Force Times named Scott the "Best Base for Airmen" in a recent article and specifically mentioned their Outdoor Adventure Program as one of the considerations for the ranking. "Outdoor Recreation is part of the fabric of Air Force life and an integral part of mission support," Green said. "As our commander used to say, 'Without support, no force,' so I would like to see ODR and OAP maintain the level of quality and commitment that the base has become accustomed to. I think that providing such continuity has a positive effect on our total force including family members and subsequently provides support for the mission as a whole."