Rangers-Turned-Entrepreneurs Bring Jobs And Healing To War-Torn Communities

Whether it’s serving as a military officer or stepping up as a first responder, it takes a rare combination of dedication, resilience and heart to take on these roles. And for many of these individuals, that same drive carries over into life beyond the badge.

Patch has partnered with T-Mobile to spotlight active-duty military members, veterans and first responders who continue to lead, inspire and give back in meaningful ways across their communities.

Former Army Rangers Matthew Griffin and Donald Lee, who both served at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, are proving that "businesses are better than bullets" — a belief Griffin voiced during their pitch on Shark Tank, and one that still fuels their mission today. As reported by the U.S. Army website, the two co-founded Combat Flip Flops to manufacture flip flops, sarongs, jewelry and other gear in Afghanistan and other war-impacted regions, helping create sustainable jobs where they’re needed most.

Griffin, a veteran of multiple combat tours, was inspired to launch the company after visiting a combat boot factory in Kabul that was repurposing boot soles into flip flops for Afghan soldiers. Seeing the potential to “rebuild lives” through local factories, he and Lee started by hand-making thousands of pairs in Griffin’s garage in Issaquah. “We know our product down to the glue,” Griffin said.

Today, that same entrepreneurial grit fuels bigger goals. With support from investors like Mark Cuban, Combat Flip Flops has grown beyond shoes — expanding its impact by partnering with local makers, hiring more workers in conflict zones and supporting communities long after the cameras stopped rolling. Their charitable reach has included funding education for girls in Afghanistan and ongoing support for groups like One More Wave, which provides wounded veterans with customized surf gear and a healing community through surf therapy.

Want to learn more? Visit combatflipflops.com to support their mission or read the full U.S. Army interview.

This content is brought to our community by T-Mobile.