Veterans on Warrior Paddle expedition to stop in Vicksburg Sunday

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — The Southern Heritage Air Foundation is partnering for the third year with Warrior Expeditions to support veterans participating in the Warrior Paddle Program.

On Sunday, veterans Steve Chapman, a retired U.S. Air Force pilot, and Ken Singh, a former U.S. Marine Corps infantryman, are scheduled to arrive at the Vicksburg City Front between 2:30 and 3:30 p.m., depending on conditions. They will be greeted by Vicksburg resident Laura Callaway and hosted overnight at the Southern Heritage Air Foundation.

Chapman, of Vista, Calif., served in the Air Force from 1979 to 2014 with deployments to Saudi Arabia, Bosnia and Iraq. Singh, also from Vista, served in the Marine Corps from 2006 to 2014 with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Both men will continue their journey Monday as they near the end of their expedition.

The Warrior Paddle Program covers 2,300 miles along the Mississippi River from Minnesota to Louisiana each year from June through September. The program is designed to help combat veterans transition from wartime experiences through long-distance outdoor expeditions.

Warrior Expeditions was founded to provide opportunities for veterans to process their military service through extended hikes, bike rides and paddling trips. The program recognizes that while modern transportation brings service members home within days of combat, many have not fully transitioned from their experiences.

The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates up to 20 percent of post-9/11 veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Warrior Expeditions offers veterans who served in combat zones and received an honorable discharge the chance to apply for the program.