Photo above: VS4L founder Jim Osterman hugs veteran Josh Schultz after presenting his challenge coin.
On Saturday, August 27, Wisconsin Skydiving Center in Jefferson hosted the 4th Annual Veterans Wind Therapy event. The annual event started in 2019 as a way of showing veterans a taste of the sky and life. Veterans Skydive 4 Life, a 501c(3) nonprofit organization, funded 100% of the event. This year, three veterans—Patrick Binder and Josh Shultz (both veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan) and Ben Kohen (a Cold War vet) enjoyed tandem skydives with video out of WSC’s Cessna 182. All three said the experience was life-changing.
Jumper and veteran Jim Osterman founded VS4L, bringing fellow skydiving veterans Ross Nunn and Andy VanHandel on as board members, two years after making a cross-country motorcycle trip to drop zones, where he jumped with other veterans, some of whom were struggling with life. To date, VS4L has provided tandem skydives to 15 veterans, mostly at Wind Therapy events.
DZOs Bo Babovic and Alex Kolacio were very welcoming at the August 27 event. As each of the three veterans landed, the drop zone read a short bio about their service over the public address system. Then, each of the veterans received a challenge coin (individually numbered in the order that they jumped with the organization) during a short ceremony. Wind Therapy alumni Nick Simon and John Wichgers, both whom say the skydive changed their life, attended to show support. Plans are already in the works for a 2023 Veterans Wind Therapy Event.
Andy VanHandel | D-24545
Menasha, Wisconsin