Montana Men's Retreat
May 26 - 30, 2025
Please read the entire page before applying for this event. Take the cost of transportation to and from the event location into consideration before you apply.
TAPS, in partnership with the Arthur Blank Family Foundation, invites you to join with other men who are more than six months from their loss for five days at West Creek Ranch in Emigrant, Montana. This will be a time of fellowship, adventure, and connecting with the outdoors.
OVERVIEW
At TAPS, we recognize that men's grief is different. Whether it means you've been showing up as a caregiver or a fixer for others, trying to push through when it's just you, or when it's too overwhelming, not showing up at all, you're not alone. At West Creek Ranch, we'll be present for each other as we start to unpack some of the ways we feel angry, sad, regretful, shame, betrayed - and also some of the ways we are still proud, grateful, and inspired. Our men's experiences will give you the freedom to go at your own pace with a combination of activities that center around doing and experiencing, and we'll use these as the basis for talking and sharing.
Who should attend? Due to the unique nature of this event, this TAPS Men's Retreat is intended for surviving men (loss of child, brother, spouse, father, sibling, battle buddy, etc.) whose loss occurred more than six months ago. If you are within the first six months following your loss, we encourage you to attend a TAPS Togethers, Regional Seminar and/or the National Military Survivor Seminar.
SCHEDULE
Monday, May 26: The first day is set aside as a travel day. Everyone should arrive at West Creek Ranch before 5 p.m. TAPS staff will be there to greet you and get you checked in. We'll have an opportunity to get settled in, meet fellow survivors, enjoy dinner together, get an overview of what to expect, and relax.
Tuesday, May 27 to Thursday, May 29: As we soak in the grandeur of Big Sky Country, we will have many opportunities to connect with each other and the healing power of nature. Every day we will engage in a variety of outdoor activities such as spending time with horses, challenge course, hiking, archery, and more. There will be time together to reflect on our new connections and our next journeys ahead.
Friday, May 30: We will say our final goodbyes and depart from each other. Airport shuttles will be scheduled based on individual flight departure times.
ADVENTURE LEVEL
This retreat is rated as a moderate-intensity adventure. We'll be active and everyone will have an opportunity to challenge themselves. Activities will involve moderate physical exertion. Much of our time will be spent outdoors. There will also be time to relax and connect with one another.
EVENT FEES
All trip fees from arrival to departure, via the airport, are covered by our generous donor, West Creek Ranch.
Trip fees not noted above are your pre/post retreat transportation costs, meals outside of events, etc.
LODGING AND TRANSPORTATION
Thanks to our generous donor, lodging will be provided at West Creek Ranch for all attendees from check-in on Monday, May 26, through check-out on Friday, May 30, 2025. You will have your own room and may share a cabin with other surviving men.
Please note buildings at this location are smoke-free and no alcohol will be served. All meals are included and prepared onsite.
You'll need to cover the cost of your transportation to and from Emigrant, Montana, as well as lodging outside of the dates which TAPS provides. The closest airport is the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN). Complimentary shuttle transportation to and from the Bozeman airport will be provided by West Creek Ranch. Please do not make travel arrangements until you receive an approval welcome email after registering.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Before you submit your application, we encourage you to take time to review potential travel (air and vehicle) costs, possible time off work, child care, and so on.
Meals: All Executive Chef prepared meals are included while at the event. Accommodations can be made for food allergies and dietary requirements.
Animals: West Creek Ranch is not suitable for service or emotional support animals. If you have any questions, please contact adultprograms@taps.org.
APPLICATION DETAILS
Applications will open on March 21, 2025 (look for the blue button at the top of this page) and will close March 27, 2025.
TAPS will review applications, giving first consideration for those who have never attended this or any other TAPS retreat, in order for the greatest number of survivors to have an opportunity to attend. Thank you for your understanding.
Applicants will be notified of approval to attend or waitlist status in mid-March. Applicants not initially selected to attend will be placed on a waitlist and notified as space becomes available.
If you have any questions, please email adultprograms@taps.org or call 800-959-TAPS (8277).
Retreat Facilitators
Jon Ganues
Jon is Manager of TAPS Men's Program, managing all aspects of event planning and coordination. Jon provides a safe space for grieving men to share their stories, connect and support each other, and find ways forward in their unique journeys, building relationships among the surviving community to deepen the foundation of support for male military survivors. Jon serves on the Virginia Military Advisory Council, exploring issues impacting quality of life for service members and their families, relations between the installations and surrounding civilian communities, as well as effects of encroachment. Jon served on the Department of the Air Force 2022 to 2024 Survivor Advocacy Council, which served as a forum for the Air Force and Space Force to champion survivor programs. He is a former TAPS Peer Mentor and was the 2019 Peer Mentor of the Year. Jon is a retired U.S. Army Warrant Officer with 21 years of active-duty service, with experience in logistics and information technology. He is a lifetime member of the U.S. Army Warrant Officers Association, and he is a lifetime honorary member of the Board of Directors for Henrico County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). Jon holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with information and technology from Colorado Technical University. Through his work at TAPS, Jon honors the memory of his son, Airman First Class Jon Wesley Ganues, Jr., U.S. Air Force, who died by suicide on June 2, 2009.
Rich Cliff
Rich is a TAPS Survivor Care Team Associate and provides outreach to surviving military family members as a peer professional. He is a survivor’s initial line of support, providing a link to the resources and care TAPS has to offer since May 2019. Rich is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York and served for five years as a U.S. Army officer, including one year with the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam. He then spent 32 years as a technology sales professional in Charleston, South Carolina, and earned his MBA from The Citadel. His son Richie was a U.S. Army Special Forces Captain who was killed along with two of his teammates by an IED in September, 2008 in Afghanistan.