Brossard, Fort Bridger resident, received ‘keys to a new ride’ through Progressive’s Key to Progress®

“…always enjoyed the patriotic side”

By VIRGINIA GIORGIS Pioneer Editor vgiorgis@bridgervalleypioneer.com
Posted 11/22/22

Fort Bridger veteran received new car through Progressive program

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Brossard, Fort Bridger resident, received ‘keys to a new ride’ through Progressive’s Key to Progress®

“…always enjoyed the patriotic side”

Posted

MAYFIELD VILLAGE, Ohio — Fort Bridger’s Natasia Brossard joins more than 100 veterans and their families who were given a vehicle on the very same day, Nov. 10, from Progressive Insurance® with the help of Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

This year’s 10th annual giveaway brings the cumulative number of vehicles donated through the program to over 900 to-date.

Brossard serves in the US Army Reserve. She joined the service when she was 17 and is now 19. Brossard was the veteran selected as this year’s Wyoming recipient. The presentation to Brossard was made recently in Casper.

Brossard said she entered the competition for Progressive’s Key to Progress program because of being told about it by the Military Assistance Unit in Millcreek.

Coming from a military family, Brossard said her dad, Zachery Brossard, “served in the Army for 13 years, and I always looked up to him…and always enjoyed the patriotic side.” She currently claims Fort Bridger as her home and lives with her dad and his wife, Sarah Brossard, and the family.

Brossard grew up in California, but after graduating from high school she moved to Fort Bridger so she could be with her dad. On Tuesday, Nov. 15, Brossard said she wanted to be able “to do my own thing” and didn’t want to burden her dad with the financial responsibility of paying for her college and looked at the advantages of joining the military so she enlisted.

Brossard said she completed her basic training and her advanced individualized training in April 2022. As part of the US Army Reserve, Brossard said she spends one weekend every month with her unit, which is in Millcreek, Utah. The rest of the time, Brossard said she is attending the University of Utah and studying for her bachelor in human resources. Upon her graduation in 2026, Brossard said she would enter the U.S. Army as an officer.

One of the reasons Brossard said she is getting the degree in human resources is to “help veterans who have kids…so I can help them.”

As for the good and the bad of things happening in the U.S. Brossard said she doesn’t understand the why of what some of the things going on in the nation now.

“I have witnessed it. There is quite a bit of it going on in the country,” Brossard said. “It is kind of sad.”

She said at one event, there was a flag with the U.S. flag on one side and a camo flag on the other. Someone put graffiti on the U.S. flag and so she cleaned the graffiti off of the flag before the event got started.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, approximately 40 percent of veterans live in rural areas where affordable transportation options are limited, and where it’s necessary for them to travel great distances to receive medical care, reach employment centers, and access other services – demonstrating the vital nature of the Progressive Keys to Progress program.

In this year’s program, 100 veterans and military-related organizations across the country received the keys to vehicles that will provide reliable transportation, helping them and the veterans they serve get back on the road and move forward in life.

Progressive worked with Enterprise Rent-A-Car to locate certified vehicles from Enterprise's U.S. fleet of high-quality, late-model used cars, vans and SUVs that could be purchased and given away with funds provided by Progressive. The vehicles, with six months insurance paid for by Enterprise, were delivered to veterans, bringing the total number of donated vehicles through the Keys to Progress program to more than 900 since 2013.

"As we celebrate this 10-year milestone, it is humbling to see the impact this program has made since its inception," said Tricia Griffith, CEO at Progressive. "Our Keys to Progress vehicle giveaway program is just one way we celebrate our nation's veterans at Progressive, and we are so proud to be able to help veterans who have given so much for this country. We look forward to continuing to do this program for many years to support our commitment to our service men and women."

Interested in applying to be a future recipient? Veterans need to be sponsored by a veteran-friendly, non-profit organization to submit their request. If unfamiliar with an organization, veterans can visit VA.gov to find a local veteran office or contact their local VFW post. Applications are reviewed starting in May of each program year. For more information on the Keys to Progress veteran vehicle giveaway program, visit KeysToProgress.com or search #KeysToProgress on social media.