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Grey Bull Rescue at SOF Week 2026 — We Were Impossible to Ignore.

Grey Bull Rescue at SOF Week 2026 — We Were Impossible to Ignore.

With two booths at the world's top Special Operations conference, a special visit from the Commander of USSOCOM, Admiral Bradley, and winning "Best Booth in Zone", Grey Bull Rescue was hard to miss.

Olivia Smith
May 26, 2026

If SOF Week 2026 proved anything, it's this: Grey Bull Rescue is impossible to ignore.

From the moment we hit the floor (both inside and outside), our presence was felt. Our calendar was packed from open to close with meetings with leaders, businesses, and donors. Our booth was never empty. Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley, Commander of USSOCOM, made a point to stop and spend time with our team. One of our booths was awarded “Best Booth in Zone.” Our Mission Partner, MANTECH, hosted a fundraiser on the water. And throughout it all, a steady stream of leaders, operators, industry professionals, and first-time supporters walked away understanding exactly who we are and what we're built for: to save lives at the SPEED OF NEED.

To every new supporter who found us this week and is reading this for the first time: Welcome. You found us at the right time.

Admiral Bradley, Commander of United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), made a special point to visit the Grey Bull Rescue booth during SOF Week

Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley met with some of our Operators, Case Managers, HQ staff, and even several individuals we have rescued from war zones and hostage situations. Admiral Bradley conveyed how impressed he was with our team and acknowledged the strategic impact Grey Bull Rescue has had filling critical gaps to save Americans globally — noting that he has been personally tracking many of our missions with great interest and enthusiasm.

Our Chairman, Bryan Stern, presented Admiral Bradley with a serialized Grey Bull Rescue challenge coin (#179) representing the Commander’s BUD/S class… a token that carried significant meaning for everyone present.

Also accompanying Admiral Bradley was Ms. Melissa Johnson (MoJo), Acquisition Executive, USSOCOM, who conveyed her appreciation directly to our team and recognized our contributions.

This engagement reflects the deep and close relationship Grey Bull Rescue has with SOCOM, the Department of War, the Intelligence Community, and the rest of the Interagency. While we are not government nor contractors, we ARE patriots with 100% aligned goals of our SOF colleagues... operating in the same battle space, addressing the same threats, supporting the same national security priorities, and sharing the same commitment to bringing Americans home.

Your support allows Grey Bull Rescue to save lives at the SPEED OF NEED when time and options have run out. You can choose to live by our ethos, “Don’t be a spectator.”

Mayor Jane Castor stopped by to thank the Grey Bull Rescue team for all we do

On Day 2 of SOF Week, our team watched the capabilities demonstration up close — observing tactics that many of Grey Bull Rescue’s Special Operations and Intelligence Community veterans have executed while conducting real-world operations, saving lives in the world’s most dangerous environments via sea, air, and land.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor approached the Grey Bull Rescue team personally to thank us for what we do and to reaffirm her support for our mission. It was a meaningful moment that speaks to the relationships GBR has built — not just in the SOF community, but right here at home in Tampa.

We co-exhibited with our Mission Partner, Endurion, and won “BEST BOOTH IN ZONE”

Grey Bull Rescue co-exhibited alongside our Mission Partner Endurion, who provides our technology backbone for intelligence and planning. Together, we took home the 2026 Best Booth in Zone Award.

Our booth featured our Orange County Choppers SPEED OF NEED bike, a strong GBR presence, and a show of force by our team that made it impossible to miss. The energy was high from day one and never let up. Our bike is as cool as our mission.

A huge thank you to the Endurion team for making this possible. This partnership runs deeper than a shared booth... it is a shared mission.

MANTECH hosted a fundraiser for Grey Bull Rescue on Tuesday night

On Tuesday night, our Mission Partner, MANTECH, hosted a fundraiser aboard Yacht Starship to raise funds for future Grey Bull Rescue denied-area rescue missions and critical technology needs.

As day 1 of SOF Week came to a close, we kept the energy going with a boat full of SOF and defense community leaders with a common goal to support Grey Bull Rescue’s mission to save American lives at the SPEED OF NEED.

To everyone who joined us aboard Yacht Starship on Tuesday night — thank you. And to the MANTECH team: we are deeply grateful. The relationship between our organizations goes beyond a partnership on paper.

The Week Didn't End at SOF Week…

We went straight from the SOF Week floor to Orlando for the UFL Orlando Storm Hats Off to Heroes Fan Fest on May 22nd — and it did not disappoint.

The night's standout moment: Mike Murphy and his family presented a $22,000 check to Grey Bull Rescue on behalf of Murphy Auto Group, joined by his wife and children whose lives we saved during Hurricane Helene. Mike is a donor, a supporter, and an evacuee family — someone who knows this mission personally. That kind of generosity stops us in our tracks every time.

To Mike, his family, Murphy Auto Group, and the Orlando Storm organization — thank you. Every dollar goes directly to the mission.

A WEEK OF MEETINGS, MOMENTUM & NEW SUPPORTERS

The recognition we received this week — from the highest levels of the Special Operations community to the supporters who found us for the first time — is proof that our mission is growing and so is the need ... FAST.

The relationships built, the conversations had, and the doors opened at SOF Week 2026 will shape what Grey Bull Rescue looks like for years to come.

810 missions later…Grey Bull Rescue is just getting started.

How You Can Support The Mission 💸

No matter how you choose to give, every gift goes directly to rescue operations funding rescues, extractions, evacuations, MEDEVACs, emergency care, and the tools our teams need to move fast and save lives. Your support fuels operations at the SPEED OF NEED — and there are multiple ways to give that fit your preferences and goals.