#35 - The Overwatch Collective: Supporting First Responders with PTS, Suicidal Intentions & Mental Health Health Problems

Welcome back to The Iron Sights Podcast! In this Episode we sat down with the boys from The Overwatch Collective (TOC) Jesse & Greg. TOC is a non-profit support hub for first responders & veterans with the mission of paying and supporting traumatized service providers with therapy and resources to heal. The increasing rate of PTS, suicide & divorce is a serious issue our country needs to address and TOC’s primary goal is to address that problem. With an aligned purpose, it was an honor to sit down with Greg & Jesse for a long form discussion on the problems & solutions first responders face on a daily basis. Here’s a quick bio on Greg & Jesse from theoverwatchcollective.com

Jesse: I grew up in Sonoma, CA and played lacrosse and football all the way until college. After my first year in college I decided that I belonged with other people that only ate crayons and read picture books, so I ended up in the Marines in 2014. Probably took the wrong bus or something. I was an 0341 (Mortarman) stationed with 2 battalion 3rd Marines in Hawaii. I did 2 deployments to Okinawa. Our first one, I was lucky enough to get on ship and explore the South Pacific islands and train with multiple militaries. The second we spent most of our time on the DMZ in South Korea due to the high threats from North Korea at the time. I got out in 2018 and joined the Coast Guard in 2020 and I’m currently at PSU 312 as a Maritime Enforcement Specialist. Previously had been to FLETC (Federal law enforcement academy) in South Carolina. I'm currently a explosive detection canine handler for MSA Security in the Bay Area all while applying to PD’s in the local area. I’m looking forward to sharing stories from my time in the service, and to hear stories about everyone else’s experience.

Greg: I started my career in the United States Marine Corps Reserves in the Infantry. After a couple years, I became a Police Officer, which I am still to this day. I deployed to Okinawa Japan for a brief time. After the deployment, I joined the United States Coast Guard Port Security Unit, where I met Jesse. 

Sit back and enjoy these two warriors! We will be back Friday with another episode!

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

02:08 What Is The Overwatch Collective (TOC)

09:42 Joining The Marine Core & Coast Guard

20:04 Jesse’s Background

27:45 The Process of Joining The Coast Guard

34:40 Being A Police Officer

50:56 PTS & Suicide In First Responders

1:14:32 Relationships Challenges with First Responders

1:17:26 The Overwatch Collective’s Buddy Program

1:21:17 The Mental Health benefits of Working Out

1:25:52 Exercise & Sex

1:35:11 Balancing Mental & Physical Health

1:41:21 Current TOC Projects

Contact:
Website: theoverwatchcollective.com
Instagram: @theoverwatchcollective