OUR FOUNDERS
Second Chance Outdoors - Our motivation to help
PASSIONATE ABOUT SERVICE
The Mission: Empower our nation's Veterans, First Responders and their families through the outdoors. To provide resources, education, and community.
We believe that through this mission we can impact our nations hero's lives in a life-changing way.
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Logan McKinney
President/Founder
After serving six years as an Air Force Security Forces member, I left active duty and pursued a career in Law Enforcement. I served in several different capacities during my time on the street. My transition from carrying a gun professionally was one of the most challenging experiences of my life. I felt empty. Alone. Like my purpose was over. I went on a turkey hunt in Southwest Colorado with a fellow Veteran, and there it was. The sense of purpose, camaraderie and the will to see another day. Several years later, here we are. My vision for S.C.O. is wellness as a whole, mental, physical, and spiritual wellness for our nation's peacekeepers.
Josh Anderson
Chief Operations Officer
Currently serving in the United States Air Force as a Senior Master Sergeant. I worked with Logan for over three years at Holloman A.F.B. We were a part of a specialized tactical team. Throughout my years of service, I have learned that the experiences both home and abroad mold and shape service members and first responders into our own breed. These experiences can make us feel like outsiders to the civilian world, especially in our transition from Active service. I came onboard with S.C.O. to join with others who have like experiences to build bonds, trust and community through shared outdoor adventures with our Veteran and First Responder Community. My goal with S.C.O. is to provide leadership and mentorship to our Active Duty services members and our Veteran brethren.
Nate Kehn
Chief Operations Officer
After 21 years as a Master Sergeant, I retired from the Air Force after multiple combat deployments. I love to hunt, fish and be in the woods. I joined SCO after I won a sheep hunt and saw first-hand the impact of the mission. The woods have always been a place of calm and recentering for me, and being able to share that with others is something that I genuinely believe in. With this organization, I have found a way to serve the Veteran and First Responder community by helping others connect to the outdoors. I aim to get more individuals out in the woods and build to have a further reach than just a few hunting and fishing trips. My goal for the organization is to fund and secure multiple big game hunts numerous times a year.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Recent media coverage has drawn attention to programs that facilitate hiking for veterans on national scenic trails, such as the Pacific Crest Trail or the Continental Divide Trail (Haskel 2014, Langley 2014). Accounts also cite the success of programs offering adventures for veterans such as river rafting or rock climbing (Siber 2019) or more contemplative activities such as fly-fishing (Adams 2019).
Second Chance Outdoors programs provide veterans and first responders with opportunities for outdoor recreation, outdoor leadership and employment skills, stewardship, mindfulness, wilderness therapy, and other opportunities.