Milspo Project is a 501(c)-3 non-profit organization founded in 2014. We are on a mission to help 10,001 military spouses start sustainable businesses by 2024, but we can't do it without your help. Learn more about the many ways you can support our military spouse community.
A Milspo Project collaboration with Badass Backpacks and, artist, Bergen DeLeeuw
This bag is a tribute to the voices of U.S. military spouses at every station, in every season. Spouses who carry the honor and weight of supporting their service member and family wherever military life may take them, while also maintaining their own identity and success. Spouses who carry themselves with determination, grit, poise, and caution.
Who are military spouses? What does a military spouse need for her military journey? What obstacles does she encounter on the way? What's unique about her story? Okay, maybe more than a few questions, but we were curious. And so we began our journey to share the collective voice of the modern military spouse with you.
We had an idea, and we knew we wanted to share the story of military spouses in a special way, but we needed help. Enter Badass Backpacks, a collaborative art company based in Austin, Texas.
Rusty and Adam (aka team Badass Backpacks) were the guys for the job. They're dedicated to self expression and creating connection through conversations around their art-inspired bags and work. So, energized by their mission, and fueled by our own passion for the military community, we were ready to explore the possibilities of creating a backpack that speaks to the journeys and adventures of military spouses today.
But the crew wasn't yet complete; we needed artwork for our backpack. In late 2017, Milspo Project's team put out a call for artists. We were looking for someone who wanted to use their medium to convey an amazing and emotional story, had a sincere desire to align with a good cause, and was intimately familiar with military life. Bergen DeLeeuw answered that call.
"Life is cause for rejoicing! Through my work I seek to bring nature’s small intricacies to the forefront. Through layering different consistencies and blending softness with bold strokes, I create works that give cause to pause and experience a thankfulness that emanates through slowing down to see the little things, the simple things.
Nature inspires my art, with water and plants being cornerstones. I seek to develop a hunt for wanderlust and continual discovery in my paintings. Through the use of acrylic and watercolor, I celebrate life with the use of both rich and serene colors. My work evokes a joyful peace while celebrating God’s beauty in the infinitely vast creation being discovered. " -Bergen DeLeeuw
The story of Amaryllis
The amaryllis flower is forced into bloom. During the cold and barren, winter months, one can often see the striking blooms radiating beauty against the winter white landscape. The stalks are thick, forming a support system for the delicate, yet hardy blooms.
Military spouses are part of a vast and deeply rooted network of some of the strongest individuals I know. We do what we need to do without complaint, and often without thanks. Persevering through tying circumstances daily is part of who we are, regardless of whether or not we think ourselves capable. There was a time not so long ago that I hoped I could be the strong, independent woman I so aspired to be. Day in and day out, the culmination of a thousand tiny things, like pulling weeds at our house when my hubby is away, dragging the trash out to the curb on Sunday nights, and being there to kiss my little guy’s scraped knees, have caused me to see that I am made for this role. All the small, sometimes seemingly insignificant pieces of our lives form us, refine us, and define us. I am far from perfect, but at the same time, I can be a rock of security, joy, and belonging for our little boy; I can be a force of love, encouragement, and faithful commitment to my husband, who is leagues away from here, on his deployment with the MEU. I think each and every one of us is capable of more than we give ourselves credit for, and this painting celebrates that quiet beauty and strength.
In seeking to build bridges, Badass Backpacks guided our team in incorporating the military spouse experience in a bag that is worthy of starting a conversation—one that invites our community to share their stories.
Our team worked remotely on the project, meeting virtually each week to get inspired and ask ourselves: "What if?", as well as discuss progress and next steps.
We found inspiration in the oldest Revolutionary War widow. "To Valerie, best of wives and best of women." -Alexander Hamilton
Paul Weeks / Opal Weeks, 1940
Paul Lemmon / Billie Lemmon 1942
"Memories of my grandmother, Lilly (Billie) Lemmon rocketed to the forefront of my mind. She was a military spouse who showed me grit. We talked about poise. Memories of my grandmother, Opal Weeks, and her elegance came rushing in, because her poise shined in how she lived her life. Both of my grandfathers were veterans of World War II. Both of my grandmothers were military spouses." -Adam Lemmon
A collection of short stories by novelist Tim O’Brien gut-punched the team when referenced during a virtual check-in. The short story The Things They Carried, even though originally written about a fictional on-the-ground platoon in Vietnam, gave serious inspiration to the team when viewed through the lens of a military spouse. Its title, and O'Brien's lists of the tangible and intangible, will serve as the basis for our #whatwecarry campaign, where military spouses will share the physical and mental inventory they carry on their journeys.
“In 2017, Elizabeth Boardman invited me to join an adventure. The question at hand: how can we create a backpack that highlights the beauty inherent in the journey of a military spouse? We wanted to create a bag that would symbolize the Truth. The Truth that the journey of this tribe (all military spouses) is fraught with challenges, and the Truth, that those challenges do not determine who the members of this tribe might become. In our very first conversation, Elizabeth gifted us a focus: we are here to talk about military spouses thriving, not surviving.
Our work together has been full of conversations - resilience, dignity, identity, and emotional labor. Big questions, questions that sometimes have answers, and other big questions that do not. Walking with the resolved, and the unresolved — this adventure continues moving forward. I hope you will smile with us and enjoy what we’ve created together so far. The Amaryllis backpack is a beautiful symbol of exploration. This is a reminder that we can choose what we carry with us. This is a reminder that military spouses are thriving.
Badass Backpacks’ work with the Milspo Project is not yet done; we have more work to do. But having the first Amaryllis backpacks in our hands gives me pause. Seeing Bergen’s gorgeous artwork on the bag, and knowing all that this bag represents, I am full of gratitude. Gratitude for all of the work that the Milspo Project team has put into this, gratitude for Bergen’s artwork, and gratitudes of the highest order to all of the military spouses, “spouses who carry the honor and weight of supporting their service member and family, wherever military life may take them, while also maintaining their own identity and success.” Thank you and ever onward!
”
Where are these bags made?
The Amaryllis bag is made in the USA. The printed fabric is a special synthetic polyester manufactured in Illinois by Aurora Textiles. From Illinois, it is shipped to Chattanooga, Tennessee, where the dye sublimation printing is completed by Hampton Prints. From there, it heads over to Garland, Texas to be cut by the amazing team at Cut Form. It’s next stop is Vancouver, Washington, where Last US Bag Co sews the bags together. Next, the bags make their way to Badass Backpacks in Austin, Texas for Adam and Rusty do the final QA and wrap up the bags—ready to ship to you. The bag’s final destination is of course, always up to you.
One hundred percent of the proceeds directly support Milspo Project's mission of helping 10,001 military spouses launch sustainable businesses by 2024. Milspo Project was started to help ease the high levels of unemployment and underemployment in the military spouses community (currently four times the national average). Learn more about our mission here.
It's your turn. As an owner of this bag, you will not only carry our voices and stories with you, but ensure more military spouse voices are heard and supported.
