Many men and women who serve our country in the United States Military find themselves staring down the barrel (sometimes literally) of some of the worst things the human race is capable of. Of course, most of them return stateside and begin new lives, some desperate to forget the places they left behind and move on with their lives. However, a small group of veterans has begun changing how we see the places our men and women are deployed to by electing to use entrepreneurship to help the people instead of the might of the United States Military. Combat Flip Flops is using business, not bullets, to lift the people left behind by the horrors of war. While the company’s name may make you think they only sell flip-flops, it is more about changing the mindset around how to help others, and they offer many men’s wardrobe essentials and accessories.
Drop tacos, not bombs
The men who began this company are not simple soldiers; they served on the front lines in Special Operations and saw firsthand what war can do. In an effort to give back in other ways, their scarves are made in a woman-owned factory in Afghanistan, and other products are made in places like Bogota and Laos—wartorn areas around the world that need the jobs and the support. Their attention isn’t solely overseas, either. They know better than anyone the struggles veterans face when they return to a home that no longer looks or feels the same. That is why they support veteran communities and organizations like One More Wave, offering surf gear to wounded vets.
