Why I Started Covenant of Courage” — A Founder’s Story

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I joined the United States Marine Corps as an Aircraft Rescue Firefighter, ready to serve with strength, courage, and commitment. For years, I trained and fought alongside some of the bravest people I’ve ever known—men and women who put everything on the line to protect others. My dream was to rise through the ranks and become a Staff Sergeant, to lead and give back to the Corps that gave me purpose.

But that dream was cut short.

After sustaining medical complications, I was medically discharged. Suddenly, I wasn’t in uniform—I was in waiting rooms. I was fighting a different kind of battle: one for recognition, for benefits, for dignity. I found myself in a maze of paperwork, red tape, and silence. I saw fellow veterans fall through the cracks—some ended up homeless, some hopeless. And it wasn’t just veterans. Youth in my community were drifting without guidance. Families in crisis had nowhere to turn.

That’s why I founded Covenant of Courage—a promise to never leave anyone behind.

We exist to stand in the gap for those who served, for those who are lost, and for those who need someone to believe in them. Whether it’s connecting veterans to housing and benefits, guiding young people into disciplined leadership programs like the JLBC Cadet Corps, or stepping up for communities in crisis, we are boots on the ground—driven by experience, powered by purpose.

This isn’t charity. It’s personal. It’s a covenant.

Will you stand with us?