Join the Shields & Stripes Mission
Restoring the lives of military members
and first responders
They Raised Their Hand and Pledged to Protect You.
Now, They Need Your Help.
Our nation’s Military Members and First Responders have a 5 x higher risk of experiencing mental health problems due to constant exposure to death and destruction.
Sadly, the current mental health system in America was unprepared for this reality, and today, those brave men and women need help to survive life.
Did You Know?
Between 17 and 44 veterans die by suicide daily?
The previous report of 17.2 a day reporting doesn’t account for accidents, undetermined, reported self-harm, or overdoses, resulting in undercounting errors.
In One Year, We Lost…
Firefighters
POLICE OFFICERS
VETERANS
Data reporting is conducted with the intent to raise awareness and has sourced several agencies to capture the most accurate data to reflect the problem we are trying help fix. If you feel the data does not reflect the current situation, please contact: contact@shieldsandstripes.org
Shields & Stripes Is Helping Our Heroes!
With a top-tier, 3-month intensive program led by the finest doctors, therapists, nutritionists, and trainers, Shields & Stripes is now providing the care our brave warriors, protectors, and servants deserve.
ZERO
Cost to attendees!
Trauma Focused Psychological Therapy
Physical
Therapy
Occupational
Therapy
Nutrition
Education
Meditation
and Yoga
You can help Shields & Stripes continue their mission of saving our brave men and women and getting them on the road to a healthy, peaceful life.
How Your Donations Make a Difference
Your contribution enables attendees, referred to as athletes, to benefit from comprehensive care, starting with 3 weeks of personalized in-person support, followed by 9 weeks of telehealth.
81.5%
Program Services
15.9%
Fundraising
2.5%
System Management
The Latest From Shields & Stripes
These Things We Do, That Others May Live
Shields & Stripes’ Co-Founder and Executive Director, Steven Nisbet, recently joined Fox News and Newsmax to provide context on the high-risk rescue of two downed American airmen. These interviews weren’t about one person; they were an opportunity to share the perspective only a veteran...
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Our programs are only as good as our people, and we are extremely thankful for all of them — our care team, our athletes, our athletes who come back to join the team on the other side and continue the mission.
Our donors, of course. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to continue providing the care we do.
If you are a part of community at all, if you have ever volunteered your time, talents, or money, if you have shown up to one of our events or been a part of one of our programs — thank you for choosing to be here.
We have some big events coming up in the next few months, and we are excited to not only share about them and continue fundraising for our next program but also see so many of you again in person.
It is with profound sadness and a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our alumni Ricardo Gaeta
Ricardo dedicated more than two decades of his life to the United States Marine Corps.
After being diagnosed with cancer in 2019 and retiring in 2021, he spent the years that followed courageously battling a disease that continued to return.
Ricardo joined the Shields & Stripes program in 2024, and anyone who had the privilege of spending time with him quickly learned what made him so special. Ricardo could talk to anyone. He was a genuine listener, a loyal friend, and a natural social butterfly with an energy that brought people together.
During his time with Shields & Stripes, he quickly became a unifying presence within his cohort and formed relationships that continued well beyond the program.
In the months that followed, Ricardo’s cancer continued to progress. Through every high and low, his wife, Tiffany, remained steadfastly by his side.
Ricardo passed away on August 25 after a long and incredibly courageous fight.
His loss will undoubtedly have a ripple effect throughout his family, friends, fellow Marines, his Shields & Stripes family, and everyone fortunate enough to have known him.
The best way we can honor Ricardo is by carrying forward what seemed to come so naturally to him: be a good person, show up for your people, make the memories, and take care of one another. That was Ricardo to his core.
Please keep Tiffany, his family, and all those who loved him in your thoughts and prayers as they navigate the days ahead. We were lucky to have Ricardo as part of the Shields & Stripes family, and even luckier to have known him.
He will be deeply missed.
There is still time to grab your tickets to the Veterans, Guns, & Cigars event benefiting #merritoriousfoundation x #shieldsandstripes!‼️🚨⬇️
On October 17, Shields & Stripes is joining the Meritorious Foundation at Oak Grove Technologies for an event built around something we believe in deeply: creating spaces where the military community can connect with the people, opportunities, and support that can make a difference to those who never hesitate to put their communities before themselves.
This year, every ticket helps move both of our missions forward.
Tickets available through the link in our bio.🔗
If you can’t find the strength to keep pushing, let us carry some of it with you.
And if you’ve already found your way to the other side, maybe now is your time to be that person for someone else.
Your support helps us give the next generation of military member, veterans, and first-responder athletes the opportunity to find their own way forward.
Donate to our programs and help us keep showing up for the people who need us at the link in our bio, or DM us to find out how you can get involved!💪🏽
TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW 🇺🇸
This year, Shields & Stripes is proud to join the Meritorious Foundation for Veterans, Guns & Cigars, bringing veterans, special operations, law enforcement, and supporters together for a day that blends networking, shooting sports competition, and outdoor stewardship.
All proceeds of this event will be split to support the missions of both organizations!
🇺🇸Oak Grove Technologies
🇺🇸October 17, 2026
Pictured left is where the Veterans, Guns & Cigars journey began in North Carolina five years ago, with active duty Air Force Pararescue Jumpers (PJs) joining the inaugural event, including Shields & Stripes Co-Founder and Executive Director, Steven Nisbet.
Grab your tickets at the link in our bio!
Full-spectrum recovery, without the financial burden. That’s what we’re constantly working toward and refining for the service members we serve.
Our Programs Offer
✅ Trauma-focused psychological therapy
✅ Physical therapy
✅ Occupational therapy
✅ Nutrition education
✅ Meditation and yoga
Your Donation Goes Toward
➡️ 81.5% Program services
➡️ 15.9% Fundraising
➡️ 2.5% System management
Every dollar helps make comprehensive recovery more accessible to the service members who need it!
This past week, our Co-Founder and Executive Director, Steven Nisbet, had the opportunity to join Kimberly Bottom on the Nonprofit Diaries podcast to talk about his experience building @shieldsandstripes and the work happening behind the scenes of our organization.
It’s always a privilege to have the opportunity to share more about the work that goes into building and growing Shields & Stripes, and the provide you all with the stories and lessons that continue to shape our mission.
We’re incredibly grateful to Kimberly and the Nonprofit Diaries team for giving us the opportunity to share more of our work and to everyone who has taken the time to listen, share, and help amplify our message.
Listen now at the link in our bio!🎧🔗
When you leave the military or step away from a career as a first responder, you leave behind more than a profession. You leave a team that became family. Reentering civilian life or adjusting to a new chapter can feel isolating when those around you don’t fully understand your experiences. Our hope is that every athlete finds a new unit here through fellow athletes, trainers, and doctors who see them, support them, and understand the road they’re on. Whether in person during those first few weeks or virtually in the months that follow.
SPONSORS
We’re grateful for our amazing sponsors who care about our first responders and veterans as much as we do!