At the 2026 Military Influencer Conference in Tampa, Shannon Hough, founder of Shield of Sisters, had seven minutes to present the organization during the MIC Impact Awards. Sitting in the audience, the format reminded me a little of Shark Tank. What struck me just as much as the presentation itself was the community around her. Surrounded by supporters and survivors were women who understood exactly why the organization exists and why its work matters. Shield of Sisters went on to earn second place in the MIC Impact Awards, an impressive milestone for an organization only four years into its development.
I joined the Navy at 17 and found my way into Naval service at 18. That lived experience is part of why the work of Shield of Sisters resonates so deeply with me. I see value in helping women identify inappropriate behavior earlier, understand boundaries and healthy relationships, recognize inequity in the workplace, and build the confidence to advocate for themselves.
In the military, reporting inappropriate behavior can be complicated. Women often want to fit in, remain part of the team, and avoid being seen as the person who creates problems. That can make self-advocacy difficult, especially when the culture around you rewards toughness and discourages speaking up. For me, the deeper value is in giving women language, awareness, support, and tools that help them trust their own judgment and respond from a place of strength rather than silence.
And that is where the Shield of Sisters curriculum begins to matter. The retreat is built around more than gathering women together for a weekend. Over two and a half days, participants move through visualization exercises, small-group connection, creative activities, and practical tools intended to help women look at their experiences, relationships, and futures with greater awareness. Shield of Sisters describes the retreat as a way to develop a personal toolbox of coping skills while creating a new outlook on what comes next.
With my background as an APCC in California and my current specialization training in art therapy, I especially appreciated the level of personalization in the creative projects. The art awakened my connection with sharing activities alongside fellow women veterans of all ages. There is something different about sitting together and creating, each woman approaching the project in her own way while still sharing the experience with the group. It creates another avenue for reflection and connection that does not depend entirely on conversation. The creative projects also moved naturally between individual expression and collective community-building. We were given space to create something personally meaningful, and then opportunities to bring those individual efforts into a shared experience with the group.
The retreat experience varies by location, but may include equine activities, games, outdoor experiences, creative work, visualization, and group exercises. Those different elements create multiple ways for women to connect with the process. One woman may connect most strongly through art, another through the horses, another through movement, conversation, or reflection. What matters is that each retreat creates space for women to engage in what feels meaningful to them while being supported within a small group.
Shield of Sisters generally limits its Restoration Retreats to no more than ten women, which helps preserve the intimacy and connection of the experience. While, Battle Angels support the retreat through their participation as veteran peers who have already attended the program and are familiar with its format. Impacted in their own ways, they choose to support other participants and extend the sense of sisterhood beyond the two and a half days together.
For more information about Shield of Sisters, Restoration Retreats, the Battle Angels Network, or ways to support the organization, visit shieldofsisters.com.
