About

The Bravo Alpha® Foundation is a 501 (C) (3) nonprofit Veteran and First Responder outreach organization.

Mission

Our mission is to support Veterans and First Responders in their efforts to recover from Post Traumatic Stress (PTS) and prevent Self Destructive Actions (SDA) by providing a minimum of 10 scholarships per calendar year for programs that have been identified as preventative, proactive and educational in an effort to reduce the suicide rates in these two population groups.

Vision

Our vision is to educate Veteran and First Responders on the effects of Post Traumatic Stress (PTS), Self Destructive Actions (SDA) and provide education, training and outreach to them while bringing awareness of the issue to the general public.

5Ws

Our names are Mary and Dustin Canestorp.

During Dustin’s last deployment, he, along with a small group of Marines served as combat advisors to the 1st Iraqi Army Division. The stress and hardship was immense. 

The catalyst for creating the Bravo Alpha® Foundation happened on 16 February 2007 when friend and fellow Marine, Captain Todd Siebert, was killed in action when the vehicle he was in took a direct hit from an enemy 82 millimeter mortar while conducting combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq. His loss left a significant impact on Dustin’s psyche. He can’t explain why it was so instrumental as he had lost friends to combat before and after Todd’s death in Afghanistan, Iraq and other countries around the world.

Perhaps it was because they had many things in common. They both came up through the enlisted ranks, then switched over to become Mustangs in the officer corps, 2001 they were assigned to the same unit and were the first ground forces in Afghanistan while serving with 3rd Battalion 6th Marines. They both were married with children, went to Expeditionary Warfare School together and their paths crossed again as Todd’s infantry battalion was Dustin’s partner coalition unit while serving as a combat advisor for the 1st Iraqi Army Division. Regardless, his loss was the key reason for starting the Bravo Alpha® Foundation.

The importance of the picture titled, “Shark Fin” below - this is the actual moment in time captured in this photo when Dustin made the decision on starting the Bravo Alpha® Foundation. Mind you, he didn’t have it all flushed out, he just knew that he was ready to move on from the Marine Corps and do something in the beer industry while supporting charitable causes.

This photo was taken (then) by Corporal Ryan Lekosky, the turret gunner in Dustin’s vehicle on 26 February 2007, exactly 10 days after Todd’s death. They were conducting combat operations in an area that called the “Shark Fin” which was east of Habbaniyah, Iraq. This photo was taken just south of that. Dustin still had very mixed emotions with processing and compartmentalizing the recent loss of Todd.

Here we have Dustin’s Iraqi interpreter, “Jaguar” on the left asking him (on the right) after they finished their operation and walking back to their vehicle, to help him get to the United States to pursue the American Dream. Dustin doesn’t recall his exact response but he does recall what he was thinking, it was time for him to pursue his American Dream which encompassed entrepreneurship and the lovely liquid that we call beer.

The friendships that were forged on the advisor team were stronger than most families. After Dustin’s last combat tour, his brothers in arms would get together monthly to play poker and to drink beer that he brewed at home. Dustin knew that they would be brutally honest on what they liked and disliked about his beer. That honesty made him a better brewer and he started calling this group, the Beer Army®.

Almost a decade later in 2017, the need was identified and a name change to our organization was in order. We transitioned from Beer Army® Foundation to Bravo Alpha® Foundation. The term Bravo Alpha®, is the military phonetic alphabet initials of the words Beer Army® as we felt it was important to pay tribute to our humble beginnings. Additionally, it symbolizes what we have personally gone through and how Dustin, Mary and his family as a whole have changed over his multiple combat tours. I.E. Bravo Alpha® is synonymous to Before After. We think we as human beings we are always in a constant state of change whether we realize it or not and when you look back, you will always find an embarkation line of sorts where a key moment or specific period in your life changes you and how you look at things good or bad.

We have been educating our communities as a whole since 2008 when we made our formal presence known by launching our initial website. Since 2010 we have hosted many fundraisers, festivals and other large public events. During that time we have donated tens-of-thousands of dollars to numerous charities, provided hundreds-of-thousands of dollars in economic impact to the communities that support us and impacted Veterans and First Responders in a way that simply can’t be quantified all because of YOU! With a humble heart, we thank you.

Poto Cervesia,

Mary and Dustin Canestorp

FOOTNOTE: Sergeant Lekosky is shown third from the right in the picture titled, “The Crew” and Dustin is on the far left sitting. Sergeant Lekosky was an outstanding Marine and we are forever indebted to him for capturing this pivotal moment in time with a photograph (picture titled, "Shark Fin"). Dustin and Sgt “Ski” chewed a lot of dirt together in Iraq and he feels extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to serve with him in combat and call him a friend. Unfortunately, Sgt Ski was stabbed to death in his dress blue uniform on 31 October 2010 while escorting his wife in the French Quarter of New Orleans from the Marine Corps Ball. God bless him, Todd and all service members who have paid the ultimate sacrifice while defending our country. The Bravo Alpha® Foundation is a living memorial and tribute to them.