Rick is a retired veteran with 21 years of combined service. He joined the Army in 1999, and served as a paratrooper in Alaska. Upon leaving active duty in 2003, he enlisted with the Maine National Guard where he served in Mosul, Iraq, graduated from US Army Ranger School, and earned his Bachelor’s degree in Natural & Applied Science from the University of Southern Maine. In 2010, Rick transferred to the Massachusetts National Guard after successfully trying out for 20th Special Forces Group. He earned his Green Beret in 2013, and would go on to serve in Kuwait, Bahrain, Paraguay, Belize, Hungary, and Lebanon, before retiring in 2020.
Rick has always been deeply fascinated by the underwater world, but that curiosity became a full-blown obsession when he took SCUBA lessons while on assignment in Kuwait. Over the next few years, his military service provided the opportunity to dive throughout the Arabian Gulf, the Caribbean, and the Mediterranean. As he neared retirement, Rick became involved with the local Massachusetts diving community, and now enjoys year-round diving in the brisk New England waters.
Rick is currently an Advanced Open Water diver and is working toward earning his Dive Master certification. He originally joined the TRP as a means of connecting with other divers; but quickly discovered a newfound a sense of community and common purpose that he’d been missing since leaving the military. He sees the value of the TRP in what it’s able to offer: whether it’s finding tranquility beneath the waves, the satisfaction of learning a new skill, the comforting voice of someone who’s been there, or just a barbeque on the beach with friends. Reintegration is a lifelong process, and just like diving, you shouldn’t do it alone.