Our Officers

Greetings, and thank you for checking out Combat Connect. I am an honorably discharged U.S. Air Force Reserve Veteran with ten years of service as a member of the incredible 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick AFB, FL where I served in the support group as an executive officer and cyber support officer.  I simultaneously served as a deputy sheriff in Orange County, FL, for nearly 15 years. Toward the end of my time with the Orange County Sheriff's Office, I realized that my calling in life is to provide mental health counseling to Veterans, emergency services personnel, and abused and mistreated children. In 2019, I restarted my education with Liberty University pursuing a degree in Christian Counseling.  

In June 2020, I was involved in a motor vehicle accident that changed my life forever.  By the grace of God, I didn't have any physical injuries.  However, shortly after that, I was diagnosed with PTSD and accompanying mental health challenges. I eventually suffered a mental health crisis without proper treatment and was medically retired from the Sheriff's Office.

Shortly into my recovery, I discovered how important it is to have a support system and re-engage in a righteous (not self-righteous) mission. My co-founders and I identified that our nation's heroes, our military and first responders, need new tasks to give their lives purpose when they leave service. It can be a hard transition from active service – from protecting, saving, and helping others to being unemployed or finding a new job.  We founded Combat Connect in December 2020 to support our servicemen and women not just through one challenging arena or another, but to holistically address all of the common life stressors:  mental, physical, and spiritual health; finances, career, education, obtaining services from the VA, and connecting our clients with organizations who share our similar values.  We do this with the ultimate goal of empowering our clients to achieve peace and prosperity and connecting our nation's heroes with opportunities.  

We are truly blessed to say that we are one of the quickest growing non-profits in the industry according to LinkedIn. We couldn't have gotten where we are without God's hand on our organization and the diligence and dedication of our team of over 60 talented and motivated coaches, specialists, and leaders who are professionals in their areas of expertise and are personally motivated to forge meaningful and lasting relationships with you and your families. Currently, 90 percent (dated 08/22) of Combat Connect's personnel are active duty and veteran military, public frontline servant warriors, or immediate family members. I intend to keep that number above 90% as we move forward. Additionally, 100% of the Board of Directors have provided public service, which is also in our legal bylaws. 

I will never allow Combat Connect to compromise your trust by inappropriately profiteering or not providing the highest quality support to those who need it the most, even if it is outside of what Combat Connect organically provides. It saddens me to see other non-profit organizations operate as competition with one another. We are patriots who will always place AMERICA'S HEROES FIRST!  If you are here for support, please reach out to us – we are here to help. 

In America's service and yours,

Chris Dougherty 

Founder