VIGILANT TORCH FOUNDATION

SCHOLARSHIPS: THE TORCH SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM IS A MERIT-BASED PROGRAM THAT SUPPORTS THE EDUCATIONAL ADVANCEMENT OF VIGILANT TORCH MEMBERS AND THEIR IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBERS, INCLUDING GRANDCHILDREN. SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS MAY BE APPLIED TOWARD HIGHER EDUCATION, VOCATIONAL TRAINING, OR PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS. AWARD AMOUNTS ARE DETERMINED THROUGH A COMPETITIVE REVIEW PROCESS AND ARE CONTINGENT ON AVAILABLE RESOURCES AND THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS. IN 2025, WE RECEIVED 80 APPLICATIONS AND AWARDED SCHOLARSHIPS TO 65 RECIPIENTS, DISTRIBUTING $151,000 IN TOTAL. TOP SCORERS IN EACH EDUCATION CATEGORY (HIGH SCHOOL, UNDERGRADUATE, AND GRADUATE) RECEIVED $10,000, AND OUR HIGHEST OVERALL SCORER RECEIVED AN ADDITIONAL $5,000 MERIT AWARD. SINCE 2015, WE HAVE AWARDED 464 SCHOLARSHIPS TOTALING $830,000, AND BY REDUCING FINANCIAL BARRIERS TO EDUCATION AND TRAINING, THE TORCH SCHOLARSHIP CONTINUES TO INVEST IN LONG-TERM PROFESSIONAL GROWTH AND STABILITY ACROSS THE VIGILANT TORCH COMMUNITY.

PHILO PROJECT: MEMBERS OF THE SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMUNITY FACE ELEVATED CANCER RISK DUE TO MISSION-RELATED ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURES. THE PHILO PROJECT ADDRESSES THIS BY PROVIDING ELIGIBLE HIGH-RISK INDIVIDUALS WITH ACCESS TO A FREE, FULL-BODY MRI. THESE SCANS SCREEN FOR MORE THAN 50 TYPES OF CANCER AND OVER 300 ADDITIONAL MEDICAL CONDITIONS, MANY OF WHICH ARE ASYMPTOMATIC IN EARLY STAGES. BECAUSE THESE SCANS ARE NOT AVAILABLE THROUGH DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE OR VETERANS AFFAIRS FACILITIES AND ARE NOT COVERED BY INSURANCE, THIS PROGRAM FILLS A CRITICAL GAP. THE IMAGING ENABLES EARLY IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL HEALTH CONCERNS, LEADING TO INFORMED DECISIONS ABOUT FOLLOW-UP CARE AND IMPROVING LONG-TERM HEALTH OUTCOMES AND PEACE OF MIND. IN 2025, WE FUNDED 265 SCANS, AND 20% OF THOSE SCANNED HAD UNDETECTED ISSUES THAT WERE IDENTIFIED. SINCE THE PROGRAM BEGAN, 403 SCANS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED, EACH ONE A STEP TOWARD EARLIER DETECTION AND BETTER OUTCOMES FOR THOSE WHO HAVE GIVEN SO MUCH IN SERVICE TO THIS NATION.