Established as a 501c3 nonprofit organization in 2016, FORCE BLUE seeks to address two seemingly unrelated problems — the rapidly declining health of our planet’s marine resources and the difficulty returning combat veterans have in adjusting to civilian life — through one, mission-focused program. By uniting the community of Special Operations veterans with the world of marine science and conservation, FORCE BLUE has created a multifaceted model of caring, cooperation and positive change with the power to restore lives and restore the planet.

The idea for FORCE BLUE grew out of a dive trip co-founders Jim Ritterhoff and Rudy Reyes took to the Cayman Islands in Summer 2015 to meet up with their friend, Keith Sahm, General Manager of Sunset House, the oldest continuously operated dive resort in the Caribbean.

For Ritterhoff and Sahm, experienced recreational divers who’d been reef diving for decades, this was just another week in paradise. But for Reyes, a former Recon Marine who had struggled with PTS and depression since returning home from multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, the experience was nothing short of life changing. For him, like most special operations force veterans, diving had never been about exploration or enjoyment. To him diving meant hauling 200 lbs. of gear underwater to destroy some potentially dangerous target in the dead of night. What Cayman offered was transformative.

Reyes immediately proposed scheduling another trip so that he could bring down more of his Recon brothers to experience what he just had. But after a few hours of discussion, the three men hatched a different plan. One that would include combat divers from all branches of service, along with marine scientists, conservationists and journalists. “We saw it as the ultimate win-win,” says Sahm. “An opportunity to do some good, not only for our veterans, but for the planet as well.”

To learn more, or to make a donation to this amazing organization, visit the Force Blue website.