 [Washington Examiner] When two veteran organizations get together to do something helpful, it is bound to be purposeful and successful. That is exactly what is happening between the founders of Black Rifle Coffee and HunterSeven, who have joined forces to support and fund life-saving research for veterans who were exposed to toxic chemicals during their military service.
While they both approach their post-military posts very differently, their mission together makes sense.
Founded in 2014 by former U.S. Army Green Beret Evan Hafer and former U.S. Army Ranger Mat Best, Black Rifle Coffee Company was built upon a mission to serve coffee and culture to people who hold the love of country dear. Known for their unapologetic, in-your-face advertising, cheeky Instagram posts, and, most importantly, premier coffee, they have made their mark by all three driven by a mission that supports veterans, active-duty military, and first responders.
HunterSeven is less in your face.
The foundation, co-founded by Chelsey Simoni, a public health nurse and former member of the Rhode Island Army National Guard, researches military exposures and the impact they have on the health of the veterans who have been exposed to deadly chemicals.
“The foundation is named for the call sign of Sgt. Maj. Rob Bowman, who died after being exposed to toxic burn pits in Iraq,” she explained.
“I was seeing, over and over again, this pattern of otherwise very healthy veterans returning from deployment developing leukemia, cancer, and these chronic lung conditions, and I knew something wasn’t right,” said Simoni, who said that was research she was doing as part of her undergraduate work.
That research led her to review the health impact of burn pits in Iraq.
The results were startling. “Two weeks of research with over a hundred Iraq War veterans participating confirmed my theory there was a profound increase in these respiratory systems after they returned from deployment,” Simoni explained.
That led her to a new mission: getting veterans across the country tested so they could be treated before the problems progressed beyond help. Her challenge was that it was expensive, the Department of Veterans Affairs was slow-moving, and she needed money and a megaphone to help the nonprofit group complete its mission to provide post-9/11 veterans with information on the long- and short-term consequences of these exposures.
Chris Mondzelewski, the CEO of Black Rifle Coffee, said the partnership between the two organizations began in earnest last November ahead of Veterans Day when Black Rifle Coffee, along with the UFC, joined to raise money for HunterSeven. “Our Veterans Day event with the UFC and HunterSeven Foundation raised over $250,000 in one weekend for veterans battling cancer, and that is just the beginning,” Mondzelewski said.
Simoni said the numbers were staggering of her fellow warriors who were diagnosed with cancer during and after 9/11.
“It is over a half a million,” she said, growing quiet. “One in 7 or more than a half a million of fellow service members.”
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