Las Vegas – Marine Corps veteran Adam Bautz has turned his battle with PTSD into a successful local enterprise. After serving four years and returning from Iraq in 2008, Bautz struggled with invisible wounds that left him feeling isolated.
In 2013, a fellow veteran introduced him to the nonprofit Semper Fi & Americas Fund, which provides resources to help service members transition to civilian life. Bautz found camaraderie through the organization’s activities and eventually joined its apprenticeship program.
That experience sparked the creation of Outdoor Travel Tours, a nearly ten‑year‑old business that offers guided trips to Nevada’s stunning Valley of Fire State Park. “I’ve turned my traumas into fuel to live a good life,” Bautz said, describing the park as his refuge and therapy.
Helping veterans and visitors alike
Through his tours, Bautz not only shares the natural beauty of the desert landscape with locals and tourists, but also provides a healing outlet for himself and other veterans. He emphasizes that while his trauma will always be part of his story, each tour reinforces his ongoing recovery.
His message to fellow veterans facing similar struggles is simple: confront your wounds, accept them, and learn to live with them so you can become a healthier, happier version of yourself.
Outdoor Travel Tours can be explored further on its website, and additional information about Semper Fi & Americas Fund is available through the nonprofit’s site.
Original reporting: KTNV 13 Action News Las Vegas (local) — read the source article.
