About:

After serving 10 years as a Reconnaissance Team Leader in the U.S. Marine Corps and medically retiring in 2017, Dustin Davis discovered there were limited resources to assist combat veterans and their families with assimilating into civilian life. His transition experience helped him appreciate that assistance is especially necessary for veterans suffering from the physical and mental scars of combat — whether from today’s Longest Wars or the battles of decades past.

Turning to brothers-in-arms who intimately understood the challenges brought on by enduring military service in combat, Dustin learned that productive time spent together in the outdoors — reminiscing, encouraging, and being encouraged — served as a beacon to guide him and his family through their biggest transition yet: returning home from war.

In 2017, Dustin founded Out Beside You, a veteran-operated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization devoted to supporting active and transitioning military members, their families, and former and retired veterans of all generations with their transition from military service to civilian life.

Out Beside You works closely with military units and veteran organizations to identify warriors who can benefit from the opportunity to reconnect with a team, and provides them the context to do so: coming together for guided outdoor events such as fishing and hunting.

Our Story:

Out Beside You Founder & President Dustin Davis met his wife Lindsey while home on leave from U.S. Marine Corps boot camp in 2007. When this short respite ended, Dustin departed for further training and Lindsey pressed forward to complete her first of three college degrees.

While training to receive his infantry and Reconnaissance Military Occupational Specialties, Dustin met fellow Marines Jon Crozier and Evan Gibson. The Reconnaissance Marines became fast friends, building a brotherhood while enduring a combat deployment to Now Zad, Afghanistan in 2009. Forging an unbreakable bond, the brothers devoted themselves to each other through adjustments in wills, guardianship of children, and foundation of family ties. There wasn’t a time in their young lives where memories didn’t involve this friendship.

Despite changes in duty stations, jobs, and family life, Dustin and Lindsey nurtured their bond with Jon and Evan, hosting them for home cooked meals, late night parties, and the stand-in brother moments to which oft-deploying Marines become accustomed. The Marines’ brotherhood grew into a close friendship among the four and, today, extends to their families.

This experience taught them that the grit and closeness that manifests between men who have shared the true burden of combat builds a brotherhood in arms, yet this bond is painfully perishable if the connection is lost. Their friendship showed them the value of staying connected with brothers who understand, and motivated them to help others re-establish and maintain this connection.

In 2017, Dustin, Lindsey, Jon, and Evan banded together to form Out Beside You. Their mission: to serve active and transitioning military members, their families, and former and retired veterans of all generations through guided outdoor events, providing patriots who have lived through war with a cathartic connection to nature and each other through fishing and hunting.

Board Members:

Founder & President

Dustin Davis is the Founder & President of Out Beside You and Owner/Operator of Hank & Yards Creative Co. LLC, a provider of farm-to-table meat and reclaimed wood products. He served 10 years as a Reconnaissance Team Leader in the U.S. Marine Corps before being medically separated in 2017. Dustin resides in Blair, Nebraska with his wife Lindsey and their two sons.

Vice President
 

Jon Crozier is the Vice President of Out Beside You and an active duty U.S. Marine serving as a platoon sergeant with 1st Force Recon Company. He resides in California with his wife and their two daughters.

Treasurer

Evan Gibson is the Treasurer of Out Beside You and a Vice President at Merchants Capital, a financial services company based in Indiana where he is responsible for debt strategy, capital markets, investment advisory. Following his service as a Reconnaissance Marine, Evan earned a B.A. in Mathematics from the University of Washington in Seattle in 2014. He resides in New York City with his family.

Secretary

Lindsey Davis is the Secretary of Out Beside You and a manager in Nebraska’s premier healthcare organization. While her husband Dustin served 10 years as Reconnaissance Marine (2007-2017), Lindsey balanced a professional career and earned two Master's degrees in healthcare. She also serves as the co-chair for the leading healthcare organization’s Emerging Professionals Program. Lindsey resides in Blair, Nebraska with her husband Dustin and their two sons.

Operations Chief

Alan Schwedhelm is the Operations Chief of Out Beside You and a registered nurse of 30 years, he oversees the Emergency Room at Nebraska's Fremont Health Medical Center.  Alan resides in Kennard, Nebraska with his wife Shari and their large extended family.