BELGRADE — Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001, a day many Americans remember vividly.
Big Sky Bravery, a local nonprofit, is honoring those lives lost and the service members who answered the call in the years that followed.
WATCH: 25 years later, Big Sky Bravery honors those lost and still serving
“I remember thinking ... it just got real,” said Jeremy Keller, chief program officer with Big Sky Bravery.
Like many people, Keller can recall exactly where he was when he learned about the attacks.
“I was in basic training during 9/11. When we got the notification that the towers had been struck,” Keller said.
For Keller, the attacks not only marked a moment he would never forget, but one that changed the course of his life.
“We were referred to as the GWOT babies in the military because we didn’t know anything else besides global terrorism after 9/11,” Keller said.
Keller joined the military at 17 while still in high school. He was in basic training when the attacks happened, and he said the events immediately changed the trajectory of his service.
“Everything shifted. We started pulling guard. You knew it wasn’t if, it was when you were deploying,” Keller said.
Despite the hardships, Keller stayed to serve a country that needed him more than ever. He served for 20 years and deployed 18 times.
“Afghanistan, Iraq. Making sure that we kept the fight overseas and not here on our home soil,” Keller said.
Keller retired in 2021, but said his mission continued through his work with Big Sky Bravery.
“I onboarded with Big Sky Bravery and have been able to give back to a community that was such a big part of me,” Keller said.
Big Sky Bravery provides free restorative programs in Montana for active-duty Special Operations Forces members and their families. The nonprofit has served more than 1,400 people.
“Giving back to them in a way to let them know they’re seen, heard, valued,” Keller said.
Now, Keller and Big Sky Bravery are asking the community to help support that mission through the “Now More Than Ever” campaign.
“The ‘Now More Than Ever’ campaign is kicking off because, though we pulled out of Afghanistan years ago, our folks are still actively in the fight,” Keller said.
Twenty-five years after the events of 9/11 changed what it means to serve in the United States military, Keller said the campaign is meant to bring people together.
“It’s a way to commemorate the lives lost on 9/11 and everybody that we’ve lost since then, currently serving. A way to unite the community, the nation,” Keller said.
Several events around the area will support the “Now More Than Ever” campaign.
On Sept. 11, community members can visit Madison River Brewing from 3 to 8 p.m. or Willie’s Distillery in Ennis from 5:30 to 8 p.m. for “Cocktails for a Cause,” benefiting Big Sky Bravery throughout the weekend.
To support the “Now More Than Ever” campaign, visit this link: https://www.bigskybravery.org/donate
