As the nation prepares to honor the resilience and sacrifice of military spouses on Military Spouse Appreciation Day, an new event is set to unfold near Fort Liberty, on May 2, 2024. The event, the largest of its kind, is expected to unite more than 400 military spouses in a paintball competition across 100 acres of playing field at Black Ops Paintball. Eight teams of 50 military spouses will each be led by professional paintball players from the Women’s National League (WNXL).
The event, organized by military spouse-owned Instant Teams and Twelve Million Plus, promises an experience that celebrates the contributions of military spouses with an added layer of fun, community, and connection.
Set against the backdrop of the 400-acre campus of veteran-owned BlackOps Paintball with teams outfitted by Empire Paintball, participants will engage in paintball matches with guidance from professional paintball players.
“As a military spouse-founded company committed to employment and quality of life for military spouses, we wanted to get outdoors and provide a unique experience. Whether Active Duty, Retiree, Veteran, Gold Star, National Guard, or Reserve Spouse - this day is for all military spouses,” said Erica McMannes, Chief People and Community Officer, Instant Teams in a press release. “Our goal is to offer instant connection with those who have walked in your shoes, breaking away from the rigor of day-to-day life and just having fun!”
The event is exclusively available to military spouses and is free of charge. Participants will have the opportunity to join a team of their choice and receive a complimentary jersey. Military-affiliated brands participating in the event include Empire Paintball, Team Red, White & Blue, Spouse-ly, Fort Liberty Military Spouse of the Year: Lexie Coppinger, Moore & Co., R.Riveter, Rick’s Place, National Van Lines, Kristen Moracco with Everything Pines Partners Real Estate, Sams’s Club Fayetteville, Tarheels Communications Solutions and BMW.
"Empire Paintball values the military community and we are excited to be part of such a groundbreaking event for spouses of service members. We realize that our servicemen and women depend on their families so much and can't wait to meet the women and men who come out to play," said John Rathbun of Empire Paintball in a press release.
Learn more about and register for the event here.
Learn about the businesses involved:
Women’s National League (WNXL)
To wrap up the first day, attendees were able to meet up for a social event at the Brad Halling American Whiskey Ko. in Southern Pines where a $10,000 check was presented to the Joint Special Operations Foundation for their scholarship fund. Photo pr
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