SGPT Interviews Camp Patriot Founder Micah Clark

SGPT: Tell us about yourself?

MC: My name is Micah Clark and I’m the Founder and a Director of Camp Patriot.

SGPT: Can you tell us more about your Military Service?

MC: USN/USMC I was a Navy Corpsman. I spent my first two years at Camp Pendleton at the 52 Area BAS in support of MCT/SOI.

SGPT: Were you an athlete growing up? What do you do now to keep in shape?

MC: I played basketball & Track. Liked to distance run.

SGPT: How did the military prepare you for life?

MC: I think the amount of responsibility and accountability expected of you helps to mature you quickly or refine it! And I know that maturity developed applies to all aspects of your life once you get out.

SGPT: What other jobs did the military prepare you for?

MC: After coming out of the military I had the pleasure of working for three different Government agencies. Two of which overseas.

SGPT: Where did you get your firearms training?

MC: LOL not Navy boot camp! Think I just gained weight! ??

Initial firearms training as a Corpsman with the Marine Corp. After the military I went to work as a Federally commissioned officer with the Dept of Energy Special Response Team (SRT) member. We had a lot of shooting qualifications. This allowed us to shot a lot! I was also on the competition team for three years and that’s where I really learned to shoot! We’d get three weeks prep and between five guys we would shot 40k rounds in 9m and 40k in .223 during that three weeks of preparation for the national competition. Sure can’t afford that now! LOL!

SGPT: Years ago you founded a Veterans Camp (Camp Patriot at CampPatriot.org ). Can you tell us
what the Mission is of Camp Patriot? Where is it located? Who are some of it’s members?

MC: Our mission: Camp Patriot exists to take U.S. disabled Veterans on outdoor adventures.

Our Vision statement: To create relationships through outdoor adventures that will promote a positive life changing experiences.

We have done trips all over the country and in Canada.

Our Ranch is located in the NW corner of MT. About ten miles over the panhandle of ID and approx ten miles below the Canadian boarder. As I always say, “the only thing north of us are grizzly bears and Canadians!”

The purpose of the ranch was to create the Montana outdoor experience! We are remote, about 108 miles round trip to the nearest grocery store!

We take all generations of disabled Veterans. My first trip in 2005 was with a,”Bataan” death march survivor and two Vietnam veterans.

The ranch will support two missions: our adventure program (running now) which is typically 3-5 day trips! But we are slowly building up for our, “homestead” program. Our ranch is an old 1920 homestead. So, we are building up to have two vets at a time here for a month that will be here to get some skill set working and living on a ranch. While here I anticipate them learning to deal with our chickens, horses, bees and working the three acre garden/ orchard we are fencing now. Other skills can be learning to tie flies, get their HAM radio license, can food and maintain and build fence line. We just built a small medical building that houses our HAM (amateur radio) station and soon helo pad! Might try to get DZ established as well with small strip to get a plane in. Being remote we have many folks up here that use 2 meter to communicate daily! No cell! Your officially un-plugged!

SGPT: What has Camp Patriot been able to do over the last few years to help disabled Veterans?

MC: CP was the first non prof taking blind and disabled Veterans to the top of MT Rainier. We had seven successful years reaching the summit with these Veterans. And I believe we encouraged other groups to follow suit and take other veterans on big mountains. But our goal was to take disabled veterans on many kinds of outdoor adventures and that lead us down the path to eventually attaining and opening the Camp Patriot ranch.
In the winter we snowmobile, cross country ski, snow shoe, ice fish and hunt. Spring/ summer: ATV, horseback ride in mountains, fly fish, kayak,

Hike and mountain bike! Did I leave anything out! Oh ya, we are building our gun and archery ranges. As well we are building a big stage in our own amphitheater for concerts, mountain man rendezvous or to hold races of all kinds.

SGPT: Can you tell us more about some of your trips you have taken Veterans on?

MC: Other Extreme Trips: Bear hunting in Canada. We also took a SEAL (who lost his leg) and EOD tech who lost three limbs to Kodiak island for black tail deer hunt.

Used to do an annual pig and dove hunt in TX. Last year I teamed up with my good friend Ian Harrison (first Top Shot) winner and now runs RECOIL magazine. We put together an extreme Arctic Circle (self guided) Caribou hunt. We took a, “plank owner” of Dev Gru, Senior Chief R Peters, SMG T “Rocky” M of 75th Ranger Bat and a national guard soldier Nick, plus our camera man. It was the epic wild Alaska hunt adventure! Featured seven pages in RECOIL and filmed (17 min clip on our site) www.camppatriot.org

The boys all got nice big Caribou on the ground and had a great time!

SGPT: What is the most difficult part of preparing for some of these outdoor adventures?

MC: It’s always schedules! And after that, putting together the logistics for a successful trip for x amount of people! Rainier was always a big logistic adventure, and the last mentioned trip to the Arctic was even bigger tackle! I had to put together all the gear, food and transportation for six guys, fourteen days, dropped off 150 miles south of the Chukchi Sea! Lol! I should have been a logistics officer!

SGPT: Can you tell us a story of maybe one Veteran that you helped out and how Camp Patriot
was able to give him or her that recreational therapy and help they needed?

MC: There have been so many great disabled Veterans and great adventures! But one became one of my best friends! Ryan Job, SO2 Job of SEAL TM3.

While climbing MT Rainier (completely blind) Ryan told me that his LT. Lief Babin and he had been planning on going into the NW WA to hunt Elk. But after he was blinded on the roof top in Iraq they realized that dream had been dashed. After the climb I went back to work on a project we had been working on of building a rifle system that a blind hunter could use to hunt. After confirmation of it working I called Ryan to see if he’d be interested in going Elk hunting? There was a long pause and as if I had, “brain farted” and somehow forgotten he was now blind, said, “Micah, I’m blind” lol like I’d play some kind of cruel joke! Said, RGR- got it taken care of! And I explained the system to him! Without saying, it sent Ryan into orbit. But I had one question for him? I could be his eyes but thought it would be, “way” cooler if his LT Lief Babin would like to come and be his eyes. Kinda come, “full circle” on that dream they had together to go hunt Elk. Now Lief was very busy but being the humble and gracious leader he is, said yes! After flights into Spokane,WA we loaded in the bus and headed to the panhandle of Idaho for the hunt in a private ranch. Ryan and Lief realized their dream, albeit a little different and bagged a huge Elk that scored in 430’s! Huge! And the boys smiles were equally as big!

SGPT: Are you reading any good books now?

MC: THE BIBLE

And Extreme Ownership:

Lief Babin and Jacko Willink. I’m friends with Lief and know Jacko. These are two great warriors and leaders everyone should emulate if your in a leadership position. Please read BOTH!

SGPT: Is there anything else that you would like to tell our members?

MC: Well, first THANK YOU for reading what we have put together here!

Second: Thank you to Brad McLeod’s leadership and willingness to tell our story! Keep following his lead and you will be stronger physically and most importantly, “mentally!”

Third: Many thanks to Lance Groom(editor) for helping out in getting this together!

Fourth! Yes, I can count! I was attached to the Marines! Not one! Lol just kidding Marine brothers! Semper Fi! Nothing but love for ya! Now I’ll get hate mail for being a, “smart ass” Doc! Lol

SGPT: Once again if someone wanted to Donate to Camp Patriot what website(s) can they go to and how can they help?

MC: Yes, we need your help to continue the mission! If what you have heard hear resonates with your heart please join our, “friends of Camp Patriot”.

Even 5 dollars a month could help us tremendously! We are a small non prof! We have very little overhead except operating the ranch and paying for all expenses to get the disabled Veterans on the ranch and other adventure. It cost the Veterans nothing financially to attend and these trips/ airfare is very expensive.
Thank you & God Bless!

Website/donations:

www.camppatriot.org
Office 406.293.4376
Ranch 406.295.7162
mclark@camppatriot.org

SGPT: We want to thank you So MUCH Micah for your Military Service us overseas and being a faithful servant helping so many disabled Veterans. Thank you also for this SealgrinderPT Interview.
We really appreciate what you and your team have done.

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