Why I Started Operation Coffee: A Veteran’s Journey from Pain to Purpose

After I left the military, I brought some battles home with me — ones you can’t see. PTSD. Alcohol. Isolation. There were days where getting out of bed felt like a mission in itself.

I tried everything. Counseling, medication, even silence. But it wasn’t until I started roasting coffee that I felt something shift. There was something about the process — the hands-on work, the smell of the roast, the simplicity of it all — that helped me begin to heal.

Operation Coffee started as a way to help myself, but it quickly became something bigger.

I realized that coffee could open doors to real conversations — not small talk, but the kind of honest, life-saving talks that veterans, addicts, and struggling people don’t often get. It became my way of showing up for others the way I wish someone had shown up for me.

This company is rooted in faith. Not just belief, but trust — trust that God can use our brokenness to bring hope. That every battle, if we face it, can be a battle won.

We roast our coffee in small batches in Wisconsin. Every bag we sell supports our mission to raise awareness around veteran suicide, addiction, and mental health. Whether it’s a cup in your kitchen or a can of our upcoming oat latte, our goal is the same: to serve more than coffee — to serve hope.

If you’re carrying something heavy, you’re not alone. You’re seen. And you’re welcome here.

— Sam

Founder, Operation Coffee