Join FRCC on Veterans Day in honoring and thanking all American veterans for serving and protecting our country in times of war and peace.
Noah George came to Front Range Community College in the fall of 2023 to start a new chapter and career in forestry. But a field experience this semester for his fire ecology course with the nonprofit, Combat Recovery Foundation, opened his eyes to another possibility: working with veterans.
“Our class was doing a tree mortality lab with other military veteran volunteers to cut down trees burned in the Alexander Mountain Fire near Drake,” says Noah, a veteran of the US Marin Corps who is working toward an Associate of Applied Science degree in forestry technology at FRCC.
“I met another Marine who happened to be the founder and CEO of Combat Recovery Foundation,” he recalls. “We got to know each other, and I asked if I could help out more. I ended up spending a weekend with them continuing to mark trees and clear the land.”
Blending Two Passions
Before that experience, Noah’s plan was to finish his degree at FRCC and then transfer to Colorado State University. He wanted to pursue a Bachelor of Science in forest and rangeland stewardship, and then planned to apply to work for the US Forest Service.
But connecting with Combat Recovery Foundation (CRF) seemed meant to be, showing Noah the potential to blend his two passions: supporting other veterans and protecting the outdoors. The foundation’s goal is to prevent suicide among veterans and help them recover from other wounds of service like depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Through excursions, community-building events, restoration volunteer programs and other outdoor activities, CRF aims to promote mental well-being and foster a supportive community for veterans. The foundation also offers education and peer support programs. Its offerings are also open to trauma survivors and victims of assault.
That mission felt personal to Noah, who has lost Marine brothers to suicide. “A friend took his own life just a few months ago, which sent me into a downward spiral for a little while,” he says.
“Sadly, this happens on a regular basis with veterans. When I learned about what this organization does, I knew I wanted to help.”
A Path That Led Him to Colorado
Originally from Virginia, Noah served in the Marines from 2016 to 2020. He was stationed in North Carolina, but was deployed to Europe, East Asia and the Philippines for half of that time.
In the Marines, Noah made lifelong friends and discovered a sense of responsibility that he didn’t have when he enlisted at age 19. He returned to Virginia in late March 2020 in the wake of the declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic.
To clear his head, he set out to hike the 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail—the longest hiking-only footpath in the world. Noah also hiked part of the Pacific Crest Trail and the Colorado Trail that year, and he decided to move to northern Colorado.
He worked for two different companies that converted camper vans, then in 2023 he decided it was time to put his GI Bill educational benefits to use. Forestry was the one idea he kept returning to, and some research led him to Front Range’s forestry, wildlife and natural resources program. He enrolled in fall 2023 at FRCC’s Larimer Campus.
Inspired at FRCC
“Honestly, on my first day of classes at Front Range I knew I was in the right place,” Noah says. “The instructors are passionate people who love what they do, and they inspired me to keep going.”
“I’ve really liked the classes, and the instructors do a great job of giving students practical experience. I am someone who has always learned better by doing.”
Noah has taken advantage of FRCC’s career counseling, financial aid and other services for military veterans. “The veteran services staff are helpful and nice and made my transition back to school a lot easier,” he says.
“They have lunches and events so veteran students can get to know each other, which is really cool.”
A New Opportunity to Help Other Colorado Veterans
After volunteering with Combat Recovery Foundation, Noah was offered the opportunity to work for the organization part time. He’ll be researching grant funding options and coordinating logistics for backcountry restoration days like the one he participated in with his classmates at FRCC.
As he thinks about his future career path after he graduates from CSU in a few years, Noah is keeping an open mind. “I’m going to keep following opportunities as they arise, but it would be great to have a forestry career where I’m also making a difference,” says Noah.
“I never imagined I’d be doing forestry work with veterans, but this lined up perfectly. I love the outdoors and have used it as a place to heal, and I feel like so many issues could be solved if we all went outside more.”
