Fort Bragg is the largest United States Army base by population, serving a population of 48,775 active-duty soldiers, 3,597 reserve components and temporary duty students, 17,345 civilian employees and contractors and 70,109 active-duty family members according to Military One Source.

“Blue Star Families launched the Greater Fayetteville Region Chapter in April 2025,” said Tate Johnson, executive director. “Since launching, we have focused on helping military families feel connected to their communities through programs centered on wellness, belonging, food security, and family resilence.”

The grant they received has gone into the Greater Fayetteville Region (GFR) Outdoors Programming, which is one of their fastest-growing initatives.

The opportunity provides free, family centered outdoor experiences for military members living throughout Cumberland, Sampson, Harnett, Bladen and surrounding counties.

“These experiences are intentionally designed to bring military families together outside of the day-to-day stressors of military life,” said Johnson.

“For families navigating deployments, permanent change of station, or PCS moves, and time away from support networks, GFR Outdoors creates opportunities to build friendships, strengthen family bonds, improve wellness, and feel a greater sense of belonging in the communities they call home.”
Outdoor programming for this year will and has included:

• ziplining adventures at ZipQuest;
• a family kayaking experience;
• a river tubing excursion;
• a family fishing day and outdoor education is scheduled for September; and
• a military family trip to the North Carolina Zoo is set for November.

Opportunities like this allow military families to engage with their local communities to address the challenges found in the Blue Star Families Military Family Lifestyle Survey.

“The survey found that only 39% of active-duty family respondents report feeling a strong sense of belonging in their local civilian community,” said Johnson. “It has also identified persistent challenges, including military spouse unemployment, food insecurity, and social isolation—all of which can affect a family’s overall well-being and readiness.”

Therefore, creating opportunities for them to engage with their local communities helps address these challenges and builds a stronger community overall.

Whether families kayak together, attend community festivals, participate in food distributions, explore local attractions, or network at career events, they develop relationships that strengthen both military and civilian communities alike.

Furthermore, experiences like this reduce isolation, introduce families to local resources, support military spouse employment through expanded networks, and foster a greater sense of belonging.

Even better, once a military family settles into a community, a service member is able to focus on missions knowing their family has support, and that works for everyone.