Sun Valley Adaptive Sports and Mountain Home Air Force Base are making friends the old fashioned way.
Out of a daylong visit and a comfortable brainstorm session, the Ketchum-based nonprofit organization and the base have agreed to a partnership that will include creating a model program to open bases for wounded veterans and disabled children. Adaptive Sports Executive Director Tom Iselin visited Mountain Home a few months ago.
"I was out there actively advocating for service members wounded in the war," Iselin said. "The Air Force have suffered few fatalities and injuries, so I let them know what's going on as it relates to wounded service members and the need for therapeutic rehabilitation."
Iselin met with Col. Tony Rock, the 366th Fighter Wing Commander, and other officials, who are anxious to encourage wounded vets to use the facilities.
"The quality of their facilities is amazing," Iselin said. "Their fitness center rivals the most prestigious health club, and their youth center is the best I've ever seen."
The base has an award-winning youth center, fitness center and an outdoor recreational center. There are also dozens of other sports and activities—including a 32-lane bowling alley and a movie theater.
Participants in Adaptive Sports' Higher Ground program will also be able to use the facilities. The program provides sports and recreation activities as a means of therapeutic recreation for those who have been wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition, the Air Force base and Sun Valley Adaptive Sports will promote programs specifically for the disabled children, teens and adults who participate in Adaptive Sports programs in the valley. In particular, children will be able to interact with able-bodied children who live on the base.
"Our partnership with Sun Valley Adaptive Sports is a terrific way for the Air Force is give back to the community and to those who have honorably served our country," Rock said. "We have a beautiful facility here, and we'd like to share it. I would like to see Mountain Home Air Force Base become a leader in this concept of integrating children with disabilities with able-bodied children living on Air Force bases, and I would like to champion this idea to other bases around the country."
Iselin is clearly excited about the partnership.
"Col. Rock is working on this as a model of the adaptive program and will promote this nationwide," he said. "Once we work it out, he'll go champion it around the country. We hope to see it replicated at other bases.
"I know our children will have the time of their lives when they get to meet new children, try on flight suits, and watch from the control tower as fighter jets take off and land."
Photo courtesy SVAS
Touring the control tower at Mountain Home are, from left to right, Command Chief Master Sergeant Al Niksich, Sun Valley Adaptive Sports staffer Cara Barrett, Senior Master Sergeant Sean Billett, and Jessie Guilmette.
