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At face value, Memorial Day is the last Monday of May on your calendar. Maybe it’s the peak of a furniture sale you’ve been eyeing. Perhaps it’s the last day of your long weekend spent at the campground, surrounded by burgers and beers. But for those who have a personal connection to the “holiday,” its true meaning is anything but lost, and the gratitude transcends well beyond May’s final Monday.
For Outdoor Driven founder Andrew Comtois, the sacrifices made by fellow service members stay with him every day of the year.
“It’s always a day that I treat like every other day. I don’t need one day to dedicate to my fallen brothers and sisters,” Comtois told Men’s Journal. “I live my life because they sacrificed theirs.”
The ‘Medicine’ That Finally Helped Comtois’ PTSD
The Marine Corps veteran served from 2005 to 2018, completing seven deployments, including tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. During his service, Comtois survived an IED explosion during his first deployment in Iraq, an experience that changed the course of his life.
Like many veterans and first responders, he later found himself battling PTSD and the invisible weight that follows people home long after the uniform comes off.
But healing didn’t happen through the medicine from the VA. For Comtois, it started outdoors. Fishing trips. Hunting. Time away from the noise to reflect on what he referred to as the “dead end road” his life was following. Comtois went on to explain that so many veterans and first responders grapple with PTSD and have trouble seeking help because their pride gets in the way, or they think no one will understand.
Andrew Comtois / Outdoor Driven
To help understand and support those dealing with PTSD, Comtois says, “The best medicine for that person is the buddy system. Get them in contact with someone that they served with or try to find someone that was in the same struggle as them so they have someone they can relate to.”
That idea eventually became the foundation for Outdoor Driven, a Michigan nonprofit dedicated to helping veterans, Gold Star families, firefighters, law enforcement officers, and EMS first responders reconnect through outdoor experiences and community.
The organization hosts hunting trips, fishing outings, ATV rides, climbing adventures, and other outdoor activities designed to give people a break from the stress and trauma they often carry in silence.
The Mission Behind Outdoor Driven
Comtois said nearly everyone who arrives at an Outdoor Driven outing comes carrying something heavy.
“Most of our veterans and first responders show up with heavy loads,” he said. “Our goal is to help lift that load with them and show them a great time with great camaraderie in the hopes of giving them an adventure that is aimed at lessening the impact of their everyday struggles.”
Sometimes the conversations happen naturally. Sometimes they don’t happen at all. Every experience is different depending on the person and the environment. But Comtois shared one moment that has stayed with him. During a deer hunting trip, a veteran opened up to him while the two sat together in a blind.
“At the end of that conversation he handed me a bullet that he said was chambered and ready to pull the trigger to take his life,” Comtois said. “He said he wanted me to have that bullet as a thank you for helping him realize that there is still hope out there.”
For Comtois, that moment reinforced exactly why Outdoor Driven exists.
Andrew Comtois / Outdoor Driven
“I’ve walked a mile in your shoes and then some,” he said of conversations he has with struggling veterans and first responders. “And I’ve had those same shoes resoled.”
The phrase reflects something deeply personal for him. While he still battles PTSD and difficult days of his own, he believes healing is possible.
“I still have my struggles every day with my PTSD and other issues,” he said. “But I’ve fixed what was truly broken in me and I’ve been able to move forward living the best life that I can.”
Ahead of Memorial Day, Comtois hopes people remember that honoring the fallen also means supporting those still carrying the weight of service long after coming home.
For those interested in supporting Outdoor Driven’s mission, donating, or learning more about upcoming events, visit Outdoor Driven’s official website.
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