53% of Active-Duty Service Members are Lonely. One Military RV Travel Group is Trying to Help

Few gatherings across the country bring together active-duty and veteran service members for travel and leisure activities centered around RV living.

But that’s exactly what the nonprofit military travel club SMART, or Special Military Active Recreational Travelers, prides itself on. Their efforts help combat the loneliness and isolation experienced by current and former service members.

Melody Thomas, former president of SMART, referred to it in an interview with Military.com as “SMART magic.”

“The biggest thing, what I call the special sauce for SMART, is the camaraderie,” Thomas said. “You get together with fellow military personnel to share war stories. We sit around the campfire. We talk about RVs. We help one another. It’s just so unique.”

Founded 40 Years Ago With a ‘Special Sauce’

Founded in 1982, SMART is an international club headquartered in Molino, Fla., with chapters throughout North America that hold musters or rallies primarily at RV campgrounds.

There are also regional musters and an annual national muster that brings the entire club together for a week of seminars, tours, classes, ceremonies, fun and fellowship.

“We really have a great time, but we’re also intentional about bridging the gap between veterans and active duty service members,” Thomas said. “Military service is such a special part of life. Once a service member, always a service member. It’s something we celebrate. It’s our special sauce.”

SMART was established at a time when RV use was on the rise as a form of national recreation and cross-country travel. Simultaneously, military service was on the decline.

Data from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Census Bureau and Pew Research Center show that the 1940s was the peak decade for military service in modern history, driven by the mobilization for World War II.

But since the U.S. transitioned to an all-volunteer military force in 1973, active-duty service members have consistently made up less than 1% of the total U.S. population.

Still, there’s a sizable population of veterans. The VA reports more than 18 million veterans live in the U.S., representing about 6% of the country’s adult population.

Thomas said the numbers mean SMART campers have a lot in common.

“The club grew at one point to almost 4,000 members in the ’80s. It’s now down to 600,” she said. “When we go on the road together, we’re not strangers. We’re service members who’ve formed this incredible bond that turns into lifelong friendships.”

Unofficial Therapy For Isolation, Loneliness

There’s also unofficial therapy.

In a 2022 study, the National Institutes of Health reportedly found that 53% of active-duty service members experience feelings of isolation during deployment or transition phases.

Separately, a 2023 VA study found that approximately 40% of veterans feel lonely.

Thomas said she’s seen firsthand through her touring experiences how activities—whether it’s building a campfire at night during SMART’s annual Fall Color Tour in Niagara Falls, or taking in the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta—can inspire even the most hardened military member to start talking and sharing the highs and lows of life.

“We’ve had veterans who say because of their involvement in the group, they feel better about their military service,” Thomas said. “There are some guys who come in pretty messed up. We’ve been able to help them heal through friendship and sharing our own stories.”

Helping Others Fight a Common Foe

Volunteerism is another aspect at the core of SMART’s mission.

Thomas said that trips provide opportunities for volunteers to assist others, citing how the U.S. surgeon general recommends volunteering as a way to combat loneliness and isolation.

“Volunteerism is one of the ways people can fight depression, by being involved and helping out,” she said.

SMART charges a nominal membership fee for veterans, spouses and supporters, while active-duty service members join for free. They are classified by region—East, Central, Midwest and West—as well as an at-large for nomads who consider themselves on the go.

“We have caravans of RVs that travel from region to region,” Thomas said. “We map the whole thing out, and people consistently sign up to join.

“We have all the campgrounds and the activities all pre-planned. So, it’s like many of the other commercial RV travel companies, except we offer the military connection—which is special.”

Thomas said organizers heavily promote participation and involvement, through games and other activities designed to get members to think about their military service with pride and nostalgia.

“At a recent muster, we asked everyone to bring a picture of themselves when they were in the service, and we put it up on a board,” she said. “Then, there was this great contest of trying to guess who is who.

“It’s those kinds of little things that make SMART so wonderful. It’s like being part of another family.”

You can find more information on SMART and its list of events and trips at this link.