By Liv Stecker

In the spirit of holiday giving (and receiving, if you’ve been nice) it seems like an appropriate time of year to give a shout out to some of my favorite online veteran owned and operated companies. Whether you are shopping for the dad that has everything already or your spunky, gun-toting grandma, some of our former service members have settled into providing high quality, made-in-America goods for everybody in the family, which is a handy thing to know as the holidays overtake us.

Black Rifle Coffee Company

As a coffee lover, these guys are at the top of my list, because A) who doesn’t appreciate a 3 month subscription to THE BEST COFFEE EVER for Christmas and B) retired Army Ranger Mat Best and his cadre of semi-celebrity military vet comedians/actors/operators are hilarious. Sign me up! (subtle hint to my family a friends…) With a variety of coffee ordering options, clothing and gear, Black Rifle has been leading the pack of unapologetically patriotic veterans with a flair for the dramatic. Visit www.blackriflecoffee.com and check out all the great stuff, as well as their sister companies, Leadslinger Whiskey, Black Rifle Industries and Article 15 Clothing. While I can’t promise some of their products won’t offend you, I can promise that these guys do great work, employ veterans exclusively, and are making a big difference to vets transitioning into civilian life.

Bottle Breacher

Started by a Navy SEAL and his wife, these 50 caliber bottle openers and other novelty items are the stocking stuffers that EVERYBODY will be talking about. Crafted from dummy ammunition by military vets, Bottle Breachers should be showing up under everybody’s Christmas Tree this year. www.bottlebreacher.com

Peacemaker Trading Company

A retired US Army Special Forces Green Beret, Bert and his wife Candace launched Peacemaker Trading Company from their ranch in Texas on a mission to find and market the best t-shirt in the world. As an owner of two Peacemaker t-shirts, I can vouch for their favorite status in my wardrobe, as well as the quick and amazing customer service (my two orders came with personalized notes from Bert!) With a great collection of patriotic, historic tribute, and a few tongue-in-cheek options, there is a lot to love on the Peacemaker Trading Company Website. Did I mention that they do hats, tanks and hoodies too? www.peacemakertrading.com

Rollors

Fun for the whole family, Rollors is a yard game developed by Air Force Lt. Col. during his deployment in the middle east. A cross between bocce ball and horseshoes, it’s a great backyard BBQ competition that is getting rave reviews from even the surliest of vets… www.rollors.com

RATs Tourniquets

For the safety minded person on your shopping list, the Rapid Application Tourniquet (R.A.T.) is an innovative and inexpensive answer to costly traditional tourniquets. Invented by Master Sergeant Jeff Kirkham, still active in Army Special Forces, the RAT tourniquet is hands down the easiest and most practical TQ I have used in one handed/self application training. At $15.95 a pop, everybody should keep one of these in range bags, jump kits, hunting gear and more. www.ratsmedical.com

Combat Flip Flops

In addition to making pretty sweet sandals, the two Army Rangers behind Combat Flip Flops are after more than just a successful business. The proceeds from their products are specifically focused on change for good in the war torn places that these vets have seen first hand. From their website: “Every product Combat Flip Flops sells puts an Afghan girl into secondary school for a day. Each Peacemaker Bangle or coinwrap sold clears 3 square meters of Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) from a region rocked by long-term war - saving lives and providing economic opportunity.” Some of their products are made in the US while others are made overseas in shops that provide work for local women. Great products, great causes, great guys. www.combatflipflops.com

Sword and Plough

Sisters who grew up as army brats founded this company, creating boutique quality accessories, handbags and apparel (shop for your hipster friends and snobby sister here) out of recycled military surplus materials. Using the verse from Isaiah that references turning swords into ploughshares for inspiration, the sisters’ mission is to create an aesthetic, emotional and physical connection between service members and civilians. One of the sisters now serves as an officer in the US Army. The company is veteran owned, products are made in the USA and they give back in more ways than I could list here. Check it out for yourself: www.swordandplough.com

Here at The Big Voice, we’re all about supporting veteran owned and operated businesses, as well as giving back to the veteran community and the many great programs that are supporting our active and former service members. We’d love feedback from our readers about local veteran owned businesses so that we can get the word out! Email us at thebigvoice31@gmail.com or call 509-675-3504.