For his trip, expected to take two-and-a-half months, Cook will use a custom-built, self-contained 17-foot dory. His diet will consist primarily of freeze-dried meals and he will sleep on the deck of the expedition vessel.

"The purpose of this trip is to raise public awareness of the challenges wounded and disabled veterans face after they leave the hospital," says Cook, founder and executive director of Rivers of Recovery (ROR), an organization that offers rehabilitative fishing trips to disabled veterans and their families.

In just its first year, ROR has helped veterans afflicted with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, disabilities and other combat-related injuries.

Cook will begin his journey in Three Forks, Montana, at Missouri Headwaters State Park and conclude in the Gulf of Mexico. The trip will be fraught with challenges, including rowing across 900 miles of reservoirs and facing unpredictable river and wind conditions.

It will be a test of will and endurance, one that Cook says pales in comparison to the challenges faced by America's wounded warriors.

A special Web site will allow visitors to track the adventure in real-time and view live Web cam updates. Cameras will be mounted at various locations on the vessel, giving an interactive perspective of the journey.

Cook has previously rowed his dory more than 4,500 miles on rivers in Alaska and across the western US. This trip, however, will be unique.

"Many people forget that such an epic adventure still exists in the United States. It will be a daunting, physical challenge," notes Cook.

Cook's organization has been featured in several national media outlets, including The NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, and his around-the-world fly fishing expedition was chronicled in leading outdoor-interest publications.

Info: www.riversofrecovery.org