Stephen is an Army combat veteran of five and a half years, during which time he was deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq as a Blackhawk crew chief. His story is the familiar one: a young man who truly wanted to serve others offers his life to protect our country and then he was processed out of the service in a single day, with no guidance, no resources, no place to live, and no job. All of this prior to some of the programs offered now, to help veterans acclimate to civilian life.

He felt the need personally and floundered, as anyone would. It took years for him to find his balance. After a string of dissatisfying jobs, he found himself in Nicaragua on a mission trip, where the dream was born: a place where veterans can go for community, a place to learn skills to apply not to only surviving reentry mentally and physically, but to apply in the professional world.

Stephen the heart of G.I. Garage. He prefers listening to talking. Like in his own life, he takes a while to get his bearings about a person too. He won't say much at first and he may not smile for a while, but he warms up, never losing the quality of active, effective listening, responding with both profound emotional intelligence and logic. The heart, the ideas, the sense of community, and his mechanical knowledge make him remarkable n their combination.

Aside from his wife and daughter and his gentle, abiding faith, his mission at G.I. Garage is where his passion lies, evident in the absolute excitement when he speaks of or to the success stories of the project.

Micheal served in the Marine Corps from 2004-2008 as an air frame mechanic. His story is familiar one; a young man given few prospects and no real support system weighs the options and enlists. Ever resourceful and heedless of boundaries, he managed to make the system work for him when he left service and is an example for self-advocating on exit. His out-processing took about a month as a result, giving him more time than most.

Like so many others, he saw first-hand the gap left between service and civilian life. He's one of the first success stories at G.I. Garage, finding a home and the brotherhood promised but not delivered by the government. With support, acceptance, and time, he's grown into a remarkable example of what happens when you have a family you can depend on.

He joined G.I. Garage on the business and the nonprofit sides, certainly not understanding what he had walked into. Never one to back down, he embraced his role, proving a good student and a quick study. Micheal is an asset to anything where he wants to be involved.

Inherently gentle with childlike enthusiasm, he's a magnetic personality from the outset. He's not a smooth talker, but he's got a way of encouraging others to talk with his charm and evident interest. These are the qualities that brought the ends at G.I. Garage together logistically.

Wearer of many hats, these days, Micheal is a devoted father of three, a fitness enthusiast, working nights and weekends. He’s adept at implementing his interpersonal skills and sharp mind in whatever capacity he's most useful, up to and including literal dumpster fires.

Cody came to G.I. Garage not as a veteran, but by being exactly because of the way other people describe him: one of the kindest and most genuine people they know.

Cody isn’t a military veteran, he’s a firefighter. It’s not hard to make the leap from one to the other in a civilian mind from service to service. He hopes to be the bridge between military service and first responders at G.I. Garage.

A friend in the civilian world to co-founder, Micheal Olson, he was onboarded on both sides of the organization in his capacity as CFO at G.I. Garage. He offers little else in the way of explanation. It's no challenge to understand why the heart or the brain is interested.

Cody is quiet. These gentlemen all possess a great quality for listening and observing. Prompted to tell the story of how he got here, Cody asked for clarification. He wants precision and order and a clear direction in most situations. He's the one to ask the questions that gives the dream an anchor. Dreams don't get far without capital and someone to tie the two together.

He says that when he’s “not doing firefighter stuff” you’ll find him at G.I. Garage, maybe sitting at his desk and harassing anyone who passes in the most good-natured and brotherly fashion while he works on the financials. His brand of humor, his cool analytical mind, and his big heart round out the dynamic here.