Charlie 22 Outdoors Laser-focused on Serving Those Who Served
Charlie 22 Outdoors Fast Facts
Team: Executive Director Scotty Hettinger; Assistant Candice Albertson; President AJ Stock; Vice President Russell Wicklund; Treasurer Kyle Hicks; Secretary Mark Costello; Board Members Brandon Chew, Aric Foster, Russ Ferguson and Phillip Wright
Mission: To provide outdoor activities to our nation’s veterans, and their families, with the goal of showing them there is hope, love and a personal meaning in God’s grace. Charlie 22 Outdoors was founded because of our passion to ‘serve those who have already served.’
Website: charlie22outdoors.com
Social Media: Facebook, Instagram and X
Phone Number: 417.437.7247
Email Address: Charlie22outdoors@gmail.com
Physical Address: Charlie 22 Outdoors, 115 N. Madison, Webb City, MO
Quotable: Scott says there are two reasons the name Charlie 22 Outdoors fits perfectly: “Number one, 22 symbolizes 22 a day (veteran suicides). Number two, my dad’s company 40-plus years ago when I was kid was Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade. When anybody in the military hears the name, they know immediately this is for the military. When a civilian hears the name, they ask why it’s called Charlie 22. I get to explain it to them and that’s a win-win.”
It isn’t surprising that Charlie 22 Outdoors Executive Director Scott Hettinger was diligent in developing an organization focused on giving back to and serving all those men and women, and their families, who sacrificed so much in service to our country considering his background.
It hasn’t yet been a full decade since Scott’s vision became a reality. Alongside a dedicated team and countless volunteers lending a hand to support those who served and are still serving, veterans and those in active duty are able to get back to nature with life-changing experiences.
Scott says, “This story goes back several years. I’m an Army brat. My dad, Jess Webster Hettinger III, was a career Army soldier. We moved a lot. I’ve always had a passion for the military from living in that environment.
“But my dad died when I was 15 years old. In the 1970s and ‘80s, my dad worked with chemicals as an engineer that led him to getting leukemia. He was medically released with the intention of rebounding from his health battles and going back into the military. He just didn’t recover from it.”
“My father left a legacy with me and the passion I have for the military, our government and our country.”
Fast forward about three decades when Scott and his wife, Barbara, were invited to become part of the Catch A Dream Foundation. “It’s basically Make A Wish Foundation but in the outdoor world, where they take kids with illnesses hunting and fishing, and so on. There’s a part of that program called The Hosts.
“What The Hosts do is go to these events throughout the country and help take care of the parents and their kid. This was in early 2017. There’s a lengthy process (to become hosts) because when you’re dealing with kids, you go through background checks and several different things, as it should be. By June, we’d gotten the approval.”
Things didn’t go according to that plan, though, as the Hettingers went through a whirlwind rollercoaster ride with Scott suffering a health scare.
“The doctors told me I was very sick, and that my body was dying, and I was dying.”
A medical team put a plan in place to get Scott through this life-threatening situation, and he says, “I knew immediately I was still alive for a reason.
“I didn’t know what God’s plans were and where he was going with this, but I knew there was a reason. I’ve always thought I was a good husband, father and grandfather, or tried to be, anyway. But there’s a bigger reason I’m alive.”
That reason finally came to mind, and Scott says, “I’m at home recovering and I keep getting this ‘nudge’ to veterans and to the military. I kept feeling God say ‘veterans’ to me. I didn’t know what He was trying to tell me, but I just knew I needed to work with veterans.
“So, we went to church Oct. 8, 2017. The pastor at our church preached on Joshua 1:9: ‘This is my command, be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.’ It became so vividly clear to me what I was going to do. I still didn’t know what it was going to look like or where it was going to be, but I knew it was going to be an outdoors military ministry.”
Scott remained firm in his faith and trust in God as the pieces fell into place. Longtime family friend JD Whitledge provided a picture-perfect location, Chigger Ridge, with about 200 acres to host outdoor events, and three more buddies volunteered to be part of this effort.
Soon after, Scott decided on the ideal name—Charlie 22 Outdoors—for the nonprofit, a website was developed, which includes a user-friendly event application form, and a charitable contribution of $7,000 was provided by Tri-States Truck Center that helped significantly with costs for the first-ever outdoor experience.
Scott recalls a conversation with an individual who benefitted greatly by attending an early Charlie 22 Outdoors event. Scott says, “A veteran pulled me aside and he said, ‘Scott, I retired after 33 years in the military. Every decision in my life’s been made for me.’
“I asked him what he meant. He said, ‘I never decided anything on my own and had no idea how to be a civilian. Honestly, I lost purpose. I didn’t know what was right, so I just lived. Until now. This weekend made me realize I still have a purpose, and I still have time to live.’”
It all goes back to the higher purpose of Charlie 22 Outdoors. Scott says, “It’s just to show hope, a love and a personal meaning in God’s grace. It’s not about hunting an animal or catching a fish. That’s the activity, yes. But why it’s successful is that our mission is the focus in everything we do.
“If we keep that in mind, it will continue to be successful because it’s not about my agenda, or the board’s agenda and supporting an agenda. It’s about God’s grace in all we’re doing. If we continue to do that, it’s going to continue to be successful.
“Every event we do now has a returning veteran from previous events coming back to be part of it. They want to help make sure whoever is there gets what they got out of it as well.
“That tells me what we’re doing is working, because if they’re coming back to be part of it again as a volunteer, they’re wanting to show what they received here helps.”
Perhaps most importantly, it’s about simply lending an ear. Scott says, “A former Marine colonel said to me, ‘Charlie 22 Outdoors is successful because they listen.’”
