Hello! My name is Chris Crawford, a Marine Corps veteran from Dallas, Texas

currently residing in Portland, Oregon. As long as I can remember I was

fascinated with how mechanical objects operated. I became particularly

interested in aviation due to the amount of exposure I had growing up

around my grandfather. Prior to my eighteenth birthday I made the decision

to enlist in the aviation side of the Marine Corps. My enlistment began in

2006 with excitement and ended proudly with an honorable discharge a few

months after returning home from Afghanistan in 2011. Inspired my active

duty experience in the Corps, I made the decision to become a certified

Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) mechanic immediately afterwards. Within a

few short years I graduated with both an AS in Aviation Maintenance

Technology and an A&P license/certificate.

 

Although I was very proud of my accomplishments and the hard work that went into all of the school, within a year I still felt like I wasn’t where I needed to be; the desire to achieve more was still burning. As a result, I transitioned away from a maintenance role into aviation logistics. This is where I realized my passion for the business operations aspect of the industry. A few years into my career, I felt it was important to go back to school to complete my bachelor’s degree as a full-time student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach. Within two years this became a reality and is one of the accomplishments I am most proud of. Not only did I earn my BS in Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis on Communication, International

Relations and Business, I gained a great deal of entrepreneurial experience in

the space industry which helped pave the path for opportunities including

the current job I have in Oregon.

 

Going back to school was undoubtedly the key that led my life down the path I always wanted for myself. What I did not realize at the time was the tremendous personal and professional value of the amazing relationships I would make along the way. It also provided the opportunity to become a part of great networks with my fellow veterans. James Maxwell and Dan McCabe are two of those relationships that I speak of. We met initially in the Student Veterans Organization at ERAU. Together we helped to further develop the SVU into an organization recognized by all who attend school there, the graduates and more. The SVU is where Dan and I learned about James’ passionate mission with Dive Therapy. And the more we learned about James and his vision for Dive Therapy, the more we wanted to get involved. As you can imagine, James was seeking dedicated people to bring into the organization that could help him develop what he had worked so hard to create. He found that both Dan and I were great candidates who were passionate about helping Dive Therapy become successful. The opportunity has arrived, and I look forward to adding my passion and my best efforts to help my fellow veterans on what is now our joint mission to end veteran suicide.