A man willing to shed his blood to save others is a man worth listening to. Chad Robichaux's story is a must-read for every American. Chad Robichaux is one of the most honorable men I know; he is a perfect example of what a Marine truly is. His journey is a testament to his unwavering dedication to serving those in need.
USMC Recon sniper team
From Force Recon Marine to Advocate for Veterans
Chad Robichaux is a former Force Recon Marine and DoD Contractor who served on eight deployments to Afghanistan as part of a Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) Task Force. He joined the Marine Corps at age 17 and served eight tours in Afghanistan, where he earned a Medal of Valor for his bravery.
After overcoming personal battles with PTSD and nearly becoming a veteran suicide statistic, Chad founded Mighty Oaks, a leading non-profit serving the military and first responder communities with highly successful faith-based Resiliency and Recovery Programs. Through Chad’s work at Mighty Oaks, he has donated over 350,000 copies of his books to military and first responders during his resiliency speaking tours.
Overcoming Personal Battles
After the battlefields of combat Chad faced the battle at home and a war within, including the haunting specter of PTSD, anxiety, and depression nearly becoming another veteran suicide statistic. When he returned to the states in 2007, the PTSD came with him, along with anxiety and depression. "I sat in the closet with a pistol, on and off, for two weeks trying to work up the courage," he said. "Knowing the kids might find me."
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Yet, through the grace of God and amazing support of friends and family, Chad’s redemption led him to find restoration, hope, and new purpose. After several rocky years, Robichaux found a mentor-from his wife Kathy’s church-and he began the difficult process of recovery. “My failures and crashing allowed me to rebound,” says Robichaux. “I’m very grateful for that.” Robichaux is very aware of how dedication to helping others saved his own life. He also never forgets this statistic: Roughly 20 vets commit suicide every day. Mighty Oaks Warriors is trying to change that.
According to the Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Service Members, almost 25 percent of the nearly 5,500 active-duty, non-deployed Army Soldiers surveyed tested positive for a mental disorder of some kind. The Military Health System claims that about 20 percent of suicide deaths in the United States each year are military veterans.
In response to these alarming numbers, the military has taken the initiative to chip away at the stigma associated with asking for help and seeking behavioral health treatment. "Supportive units and leadership make it easier for Soldiers to get the help they need," explained Sgt. Timothy Wagner, a chaplain assistant assigned to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. By sharing his journey navigating the murky waters of his mind, Robichaux helps others make sense of an act that is, by definition, antithetical to everything that makes us human, and challenges our most basic survival instincts.
Suicide offers a permanent solution to what is, in grim retrospect, a temporary problem.
The Mighty Oaks Foundation
That purpose led to a deep burden on his heart to pay it forward, manifesting in the founding of the Mighty Oaks Foundation. This leading non-profit organization has become a beacon of hope, providing faith-based peer led resiliency and recovery programs to military and first responder communities worldwide. He has shared his insights and experiences with over 500,000 active-duty troops and led life-saving programs for over 5,000 active military and veterans at Mighty Oaks Ranches nationwide.
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As president and founder of the Mighty Oaks Foundation and Mighty Oaks Warrior Programs, Chad Robichaux travels the country holding workshops for veterans-particularly those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-and their families. An excerpt from the organization’s mission statement reads, “Through instructional sessions, camaraderie, and team-building activities, our programs teach Warriors to overcome the past experience and move forward into a life of purpose.” For Robichaux, that sentiment continues.
His expertise in solutions to both resiliency and PTSD is widely recognized, with Chad advising at the highest levels of government such as the former Presidential Administration, Congress, the VA, and the DoD. His devotion to the cause is further exemplified through his position as Chairman of a White House Veterans Coalition.
Chad Robichaux
Saving Aziz and the Afghanistan Evacuation
But Chad's compassion and willingness to serve knows no bounds. He is also the Co-Founder of multiple non-profit coalitions and organizations focused on evacuating and recovering Americans and vulnerable people groups.
Aziz was more than an interpreter for Force Recon Marine Chad Robichaux during Chad’s eight deployments to Afghanistan. He was a teammate, brother, and friend. More than once, Aziz saved Chad’s life. When President Joe Biden announced in April 2021 that the United States would be making a hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan, Chad knew he had to get Aziz and his family out before Taliban forces took over the country.
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In 2021, Chad notably led the effort to rescue Americans, our allies, and vulnerable individuals stranded during the US withdrawal of Afghanistan. What began as a personal quest to rescue a long-time friend and Afghan interpreter evolved into a full-fledged humanitarian operation. Under Chad's leadership, he and his team have successfully evacuated over 17,000 people from the hands of the Taliban.
Save Our Allies began with four friends focused on a common goal: To respond to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Chad Robichaux, Sarah Verardo, Nick Palmisciano, and Tim Kennedy watched in horror as the Taliban seized control of the country that had impacted the trajectory of their lives in an unspeakable way, and their response was urgent and immediate: We must save our allies trapped behind the borders.
Chad was spurred to action when he was contacted by his combat interpreter Aziz. During their eight deployments together Aziz saved Chad's life twice, now Aziz needed help. As Afghanistan fell, Aziz's life was threatened, and many of his fellow interpreters were killed by Taliban groups. Chad knew that he needed to rescue Aziz. He called his friends and got to work. Chad's friend Joe Robert had developed a relationship with a host country in the Middle East, and plans were born to evacuate American citizens, SIV holders, and Afghan Allies who the United States government had left behind.
Within 36 hours Nick and Tim were on their way to join forces with Chad oversees, while Sarah ran operations in America. What began as one man saving another rapidly grew into something even greater. Our hosts provided planes, while the United States Government gave the team a hangar, ramp, and an official designation. Within ten days, the Save Our Allies team, now numbering 12 people, had rescued 12,000 deserving people and given them a chance at a life of safety, security, and potential.
Saving Aziz is a story of war and rescue. It is a story of mission accomplished and work still to be done. Save Our Allies serves as an expeditionary “strike force” amongst non-profit organizations. Living up to the oaths that many of its members have taken, SOA is committed to showing up for those in need in the hours, days, and weeks before other resources and assets are able to support.
Save Our Allies Logo
Beyond the Battlefield
Beyond his military career, Chad has dedicated himself to safeguarding our nation as a Special Agent with the US Federal Air Marshal Service. He also lent his expertise to the US State Department, where he served as a Surveillance Detection Senior Program Manager. His actions during an on duty shooting in law enforcement led him to be awarded the Medal of Valor, an acknowledgment of his extraordinary bravery that exceeded the call of duty.
He holds an MBA from the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) and is currently completing a graduate program in nonprofit management at Harvard University, underscoring his dedication to excellence.
Chad is a former Professional MMA Champion and #6 World Ranked Fighter with an 18-2 professional record, 17 of his wins coming by way of submission. A lifelong martial artist, he holds black belts in multiple disciplines to include a 4th Degree Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under the legendary Carlson Gracie Jr. At the rank of black belt Chad still competes internationally and has won gold and silver medals at the IBJJF International Open, gold at the IBJJF American Nationals, and bronze at the IBJJF Pan Ams.
IN CHAD'S WORDS:
"I’ve learned so much through time of being a martial artist and even more so a competitor. I’ve often been asked how I feel about fighting as a Christian. I get the curiosity and conflict people see. After a life of seeing too much trauma I hate violence. YET, martial arts competition to me is a sport, like soccer to some, it is a fight by willing participants and most times rooted in the highest level of respect for your opponent (even if it’s hidden by unnecessary words or bravado). For me the fight was never against an opponent, thankfully I’ve never once had ill will towards a competitor, the fight was always against myself. In hard training or competition every day is a fight to challenge and push myself for growth in my mind, my body and in my soul. It is something I will always do and helps me to overcome the fight I face daily to become the man I was created to be.
Chad is a bestselling author and has written several books related to overcoming life’s challenges, his humanitarian work and will soon be releasing his first a military thriller fiction series. Chad is a Fox News Contributor as an Op-ed author and is regularly featured as a guest on a range of national media outlets and top podcasts.
Chad’s personal story was notably shared in two separate short films by I Am Second, as well as being featured in the documentaries: Never Fight Alone, Escape from Afghanistan, Send Me, and Black Rifle Coffee: Stories of Survival. Chad’s life story was notably shared in a short film by I Am Second, along with a sequel, and is the focus of the documentaries Never Fight Alone, Send Me, and Escape from Afghanistan. Currently, a motion picture movie is being produced based on Chad’s award-winning Wall Street Journal best-selling book, Saving Aziz. Chad is also the USA Today best-selling author of A Mission Without Borders, highlighting rescue efforts and humanitarian aid missions he led on ten trips to abroad since 2022.
Currently, his Wall Street Journal best-selling book, Saving Aziz, is being adapted into a motion picture. Additionally, he is the host of the upcoming investigative series Shadow Figures, where he leads teams of special operations veterans to explore the world’s most elusive unsolved mysteries.
Chad and his wife Kathy have been married for 30 years and have two sons, two daughters, and six grandchildren. In the Robichaux family, the legacy of the service runs over 80 years from WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and Afghanistan. Chad's father was the first Marine in the family, followed by Chad and his son's Hunter and Hayden who proudly continued the tradition as 3rd generation Marines, along with sharing Chad's lifelong dedication to martial arts.
His two sons, Hayden and Hunter, are both third-generation US Marines from the Robichaux family and share their father’s lifelong passion for martial arts. Chad is a fourth-degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Carlson Gracie Jr.
Chad is a devoted Christian and resides in Texas.
US soldiers in Afghanistan
Table: Chad Robichaux's Key Achievements and Contributions
| Area | Achievement/Contribution |
|---|---|
| Military Service | 8 deployments to Afghanistan as part of JSOC Task Force, Medal of Valor recipient |
| Non-Profit Leadership | Founder of Mighty Oaks Foundation, Co-Founder of Save Our Allies |
| Humanitarian Work | Led the evacuation of over 17,000 people from Afghanistan in 2021, humanitarian aid missions to Ukraine |
| Government Advisory | Advised Presidential Administrations, Congress, VA, and DoD, Chairman of a White House Veterans Coalition |
| Author | Wall Street Journal best-selling author of "Saving Aziz", USA Today best-selling author of "A Mission Without Borders" |
| Martial Arts | 4th-degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt, former Professional MMA Champion |
Speaker Chad Robichaux | Mighty Oaks Foundation
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