OUTDOOR DRIVEN INC

Veterans Continuing to Serve…
The 501(c)(3) Nonprofit, Outdoor Driven Inc out of Michigan, is led by combat veterans from the United States Marine Corps and the United States Army (as well as some other kickass civilians!) who are passionate about serving ALL of America’s heroes. We know the sacrifices that are made every single day by our military members as well as our first responders. Because of our first-hand experiences, we truly do understand the mental health struggles that are being faced by our heroes all across the country. That is why we have made it our mission to continue to serve by providing them a mental break from their everyday lives.

We believe that spending time in the outdoors is a necessary escape and can be very healing for the mind, body and soul. Our hunting trips, fishing trips and other related activities are meant to do just that. Possibly even more importantly, our trips and activities help to connect our heroes with other like-minded individuals who get it.

“You don’t know what it’s like…”
“You weren’t there…”
“You haven’t seen what I’ve seen.”
“You haven’t experienced what I have…”
“You’ll never understand.”
We do understand. And if we don’t, exactly… We can bet that another veteran does, or another police officer does, another fire fighter does or another EMS first responder does. This is exactly why when we plan our trips, we try to make sure to group up our heroes accordingly; Meaning: veterans with veterans, law enforcement with law enforcement and so on.

USMC Veteran Andrew Comtois is a family man that lives and works in Bay City, Michigan. He is most passionate about hunting, fishing and spending time in the outdoors while continuing to serve his community. Andrew served in the United States Marine Corps from 2005 until 2018. He started off as a machine gunner and then went on to graduate from the Marine Corps Scout Sniper School. During his time in the USMC Andrew was deployed a total of 7 times while serving 3 tours in Iraq, 2 tours in Afghanistan and 2 Marine Expeditionary Units.

“During my first tour in Iraq my Humvee was blown up by an IED. My experiences in the military over the years from that point on definitely did change me, as they do to everyone that goes through similar situations. I’m currently going to the VA for PTSD among other things, but to be honest, the best treatment I’ve had is just being in the outdoors.

Back in 2014 when I was dating my now wife, something tragic happened, that I believe has led me to Outdoor Driven. My wife and my now mother-in-law began to tell me about my wife’s cousin, a fellow Marine. They repeatedly told me that I should connect with him, go fishing, go hunting, do something. He needed a friend. And he also loved the outdoors. They explained how much he had gone through and how much he needed someone to talk to. And to make a long-story short, I WAITED TOO LONG. And I will never forgive myself for it. Christopher lost his battle with the invisible enemy. What’s so hard is just feeling like I could have saved him, had we gotten the chance to take that trip. I hope he is up there in heaven fishing on a peaceful lake, with a good bite, and I hope he knows that his memory will live on in the hearts and minds of the friends and family that knew and loved him.

I know first-hand the healing powers that the outdoors has on veterans like me. And the connections made are even more powerful. That is what has ultimately led me to start my own nonprofit, Outdoor Driven Inc. But we need to think about ALL of our first responders that are dealing with this invisible enemy. Our law enforcement, our firefighters, our EMS first responders AND our military… they all need our help!“

-Andrew Comtois