BILLINGS, Mont. -- A group of veterans are flying into Billings Airport today to join Montana Warriors on the Water on a week-long fishing and hunting trip.

Montana Warriors on the Water is a nonprofit organization made up of sports men and women from the U.S. Military. Their goal is provide an experience for veterans to enjoy the outdoors and connect with fellow military personnel from all over the country.

This year, the Montana Warriors are traveling to Fort Peck Lake for one week with a class of nineteen veterans, the largest Montana Warriors class to date.

Jon Morford, Executive Director of Montana Warriors, tells us why these trips are so meaningful.

"This is our way of giving back to these guys for all the sacrifices they've made for our country. There's a lot of these guys that have never been to Montana. Even if they have, they've probably never been on a fishing trip like we offer. We have great volunteers that donate their boats and take these guys out all day long fishing. It's amazing how many people in this part of Montana especially that will come up to these guys, shake their hand, look them in the eye, and say thank you for your service."

The 2019 Montana Warriors class says they are most looking forward to the camaraderie and meeting other veterans from different branches.

The application process starts in January and is open to any veteran in the United States. This year they had about seventy applications.