“I joined because of 9/11. I lived in Jersey City, on Garfield Ave., where my childhood view was the World Trade Center and the Statue of Liberty.

After separating from the Army, I started Comfort Farms. My Ranger buddy, Kyle Comfort, was KIA in 2010. I had this thought: “Kyle was such a cool guy and ‘Comfort Farms’ is a great name,” and the farm was born. We’re committed to helping veterans heal through learning to farm. The name can be misleading; we’re not here to be comfortable. You can only grow in discomfort. We have a total farm, complete with a farmer’s market. We’re totally self-funded through what we produce.

Separating is tough. You aren’t deploying, you feel like you’ve lost your edge. I went through some real serious depression … almost committed suicide. When I clawed my way out and survived it, I felt like there’s nothing I couldn’t do. You’re only as good as your support. If I look like a rockstar, it’s because of my family and the veterans I work with all supporting me. You need your tribe. It’s never just about you!”