Why I Started Aerial Resupply Coffee: ARC vs Black Rifle Coffee
I remember the day I decided to start Aerial Resupply Coffee. It wasn’t during some corporate strategy session or business seminar. It was after watching a Black Rifle Coffee ad and realizing something was missing—something big.
I respected what they’d built. They had energy, humor, and a bold message that veterans could be loud, proud, and caffeinated. But as I sat there, I realized something: nobody was speaking for the rest of us.
Not the Special Forces crowd. Not the sniper influencers. Not the podcast circuit warriors. The rest of us—the logistics guys, the fuelers, the maintainers, the unsung heroes who kept the mission moving—had no voice.
That’s when I decided to enter the ring.
Black Rifle Coffee Changed the Game — Then Became the Game
Let’s be honest—Black Rifle Coffee Company (BRCC) did something revolutionary. They proved that a veteran-owned business could compete with the giants. They gave vets a sense of pride. They brought military humor into the mainstream. I’ll always give them credit for that.
But here’s the truth nobody wants to say out loud: they sold out. BRCC isn’t veteran-owned anymore. They’re publicly traded, run by shareholders, and answer to corporate boards—not the community that built them.
Somewhere along the way, the mission turned into marketing. The stories got sanitized. The grit got polished. And what used to feel like a movement started to feel like a brand.
They lost their voice.
The Problem: The “SOF-Only” Coffee Culture
When I looked around the veteran coffee space, it was all the same archetype: special operations, guns, night vision, black-and-white flag logos. That’s fine—it sells. But it left an entire demographic behind.
Where were the coffee brands for the 88Ms, 92Fs, 92Ys, and 25Bs? Where were the roasters for the people in motor pools, supply rooms, and flight lines? The ones doing the unseen work that keeps everything functioning?
We don’t get statues. We get spreadsheets. We don’t get medals. We get 4AM trucks and coffee that tastes like jet fuel.
And yet, we’re the reason the mission happens. That’s not ego—it’s fact. Logistics Wins Wars.
So I created a coffee company that represents those of us who supported, supplied, and sustained the fight. Aerial Resupply Coffee isn’t about being the loudest. It’s about being the most dependable. The quiet professionals. The backbone of every operation.
The Birth of Aerial Resupply Coffee
After serving 20 years in the Army—supporting combat operations across the world—I retired in 2020. Like a lot of veterans, I was searching for purpose again.
One day I looked at the coffee shelf and saw every “veteran-owned” brand shouting about being tactical, aggressive, or extreme. None of them reflected the reality I knew. None of them represented the long hours, the busted knuckles, the camaraderie, the endless logistics planning, or the quiet pride in getting the job done right.
So I decided to build my own. Not for the elite few, but for the many. A brand that honors every veteran, every spouse, every first responder, and every person who still believes in showing up and doing the work.
That’s how Aerial Resupply Coffee was born.
What Makes ARC Different
1. No Politics. No Pandering.
We don’t need shock value to sell coffee. You won’t see political stunts or performative patriotism here. We let the mission speak for itself.
Our commitment is to those who serve, support, and sacrifice—without turning their service into marketing collateral.
2. Coffee That Performs
Every roast we craft is made with intention—bold enough to fuel long days, smooth enough to enjoy black. From Firewatch to 15W40, our lineup reflects purpose-built energy: coffee that powers people, not personas.
3. The Mission Over the Market
We’re not chasing stock prices or expansion deals. Our goal is simple: build community, honor service, and roast great coffee. That’s it. No suits. No boardroom strategy decks. Just caffeine, character, and cause.
ARC vs BRCC: The Split Screen
Here’s the real difference between Black Rifle Coffee Company and Aerial Resupply Coffee—and why this space needed someone new in the fight.
| Black Rifle Coffee | Aerial Resupply Coffee |
|---|---|
| Publicly traded, corporate-owned | Privately veteran-owned and operated |
| Built around Special Forces culture | Built around logistics, support, and sustainment |
| Celebrity endorsements and viral marketing | Word-of-mouth, community-first growth |
| Politics, pop culture, and brand optics | Service, purpose, and coffee that performs |
| Veteran aesthetic | Veteran authenticity |
They built a movement. We’re rebuilding meaning.
ARC Represents the Ones Who Keep Things Moving
If you’ve ever worked behind the scenes, you know what I mean. You’re the one up before dawn, making sure others have what they need. You’re the one pulling extra duty, ensuring the mission doesn’t stop. You’re the one whose name isn’t in the briefing, but without you—nothing happens.
Aerial Resupply Coffee is for you. The supply sergeant, the mechanic, the firefighter, the nurse, the teacher, the dispatcher. The people who make America work but rarely get the spotlight. We’re not the hero brand. We’re the hard hat brand.
Our Mission: Coffee With a Backbone
We roast in small batches, right here in America. We hire veterans and military spouses. We donate portions of proceeds to organizations that help service members and first responders transition, heal, and grow.
But above all—we keep our promise. To stay veteran-owned. To stay grounded. To never become another corporate machine pretending to remember where it came from.
The Reality of Competing in a BRCC World
I knew stepping into this space would be a fight. Competing with a multimillion-dollar brand that owns the market isn’t easy. But that’s never stopped any of us before.
ARC isn’t about chasing them—it’s about serving the community they forgot. Every day, we’re proving that small-batch, mission-driven, veteran-owned coffee can thrive without investors or IPOs. Just work ethic, passion, and purpose.
We may not have corporate funding—but we have something stronger: authenticity.
What Comes Next
The veteran coffee space is evolving. People are tired of brands that scream louder than they serve. They want honesty. Connection. Coffee with meaning.
That’s where Aerial Resupply Coffee will always stand apart. We’re not chasing clicks. We’re chasing community. Because this mission was never about building a brand—it was about building belonging.
If BRCC was the spark, ARC is the torch that keeps burning after the headlines fade.
Final Word
I started Aerial Resupply Coffee because I wanted to give a voice to the forgotten—the ones who kept the fuel flowing, the ammo stocked, the birds flying, and the mission alive.
Because not all heroes kick down doors. Some pack the pallets that make it possible. Some make sure the convoy rolls out on time. Some make coffee strong enough to keep it all running.
That’s what this brand stands for. Quiet professionals. Loud results.
Black Rifle built a movement. Aerial Resupply Coffee is building a legacy.
We’re not the next BRCC. We’re the antidote.
Shop the Lineup:
Firewatch • MOAB • 15W40 • Spectre • Lifeline
