“How do you feel valued?” It’s one of the first questions women hear when they arrive at a Reveille & Retreat Project gathering. For many participants, it’s also one they’ve never been asked. The responses are the foundation for a nurturing, respectful and empowering space in which female veterans can tell their stories.
Army Captain Kim Liszka and Army National Guard Captain Dakota Olson-Harris are the founders of Bend-based Reveille & Retreat Project. This is a local no-cost healing retreat for women veterans. The first Reveille & Retreat Project multi-day retreat was in 2022, and since then, the organization has held over 25 events, welcoming more than 80 participants. They also host monthly outreach at Central Oregon Community College.
Healing Retreats for Women Veterans in Central Oregon
Liszka and Olson-Harris bring their vast experience in nursing and counseling to designing and incorporating various therapeutic modalities across a variety of settings. Reveille means a morning wake-up signal, such as a bugle call or trumpet tone, and is a nod to their time in the military as well as new beginnings. Retreats combine outdoor adventure with therapeutic practices, from equestrian activities at Healing Reins and fly fishing to yoga, breathwork and healing circles. The goal is to create a space where women veterans can feel vulnerable, safe and heard.
Creating a Safe Space for Women Veterans to Share Their Stories
“There is a lot of anxiety in opening a wound again,” Liszka explained. In the predominantly male military, female veterans frequently fight to “belong with the boys.” Many Reveille & Retreat Project participants share stories of assault. Last year, the Department of Defense released a report citing more than 8,000 incidents of sexual assault in the military in 2024, and many cases go unreported. Reveille & Retreat Project participants describe seeking help in the wake of an assault, being told it was their fault, and having their cases dismissed. Those reassigned to other bases found that their assault accusations followed them, and they were shunned. The ones who stayed were often ostracized. Many describe burying their emotions, vowing never to speak of what happened. “It is okay to be vulnerable, to find support and love,” Liszka said of the retreat participants. Bringing feelings to the surface instead of feeling ashamed, she added, is the first step in healing.
Sisters resident Trish Escalante served seven years as a hospital corpsman in the Navy. She describes Reveille & Retreat Project’s welcoming and accepting community as a “come as you are” group, with zero expectations. After the competitive environment of the male-dominated military, she was surprised to experience the retreat’s warmth and responded to the call of “getting in touch with your femininity and finding ways to relax in a crazy world.” She left her first retreat and promptly began considering how she could come back and help. One of the organization’s goals is to empower female veterans and ask them to return to facilitate future retreats.
Building Community and Support for Military Women
The Reveille & Retreat Project community is now stepping up to support Olson-Harris, who deployed in August with the National Guard to serve one year as a public information officer. It will be the longest time she has spent away from her two-year-old daughter. While she welcomes the challenges of her deployment, she says it is difficult to be away from her family. Knowing she has the support of women who understand the sacrifices of military motherhood makes the separation just a little bit easier.
Expanding Veterans Retreats Beyond Oregon
Interest has grown beyond Oregon, with organizations in other states reaching out about partnerships and future retreats. Reveille & Retreat Project’s goal is to create a healing center in Central Oregon and provide a retreat experience to every woman who has served in the U.S. military. The organization’s next event is an obstacle course challenge in Washington state sponsored by Spartan Race, Sept. 18-20. Liszka, who also hosts a podcast, Dog Tag Diaries, plans to bring a large contingent of female veterans together as a team to find strength, build community and remember that no matter what they are facing, they are never alone.
Learn more about the Reveille & Retreat Project and discover ways to support women veterans at reveilleandretreatproject.org.
