Military &

First Responder

Liaison

“Thank you for your service,” takes a different meaning at Out of the Woods. We recognize that all those who answer the call to serve in our communities and abroad, are often left standing alone if and when they seek help after repeatedly experiencing the most traumatic events known to man; we aim to change that.

Our Military & First Responder Liaison acts as the go-between for all those who have served and the mental health world. By providing assistance and support to you directly as well as providing consultation with staff and building community connections, this role helps to create a more culturally-sound environment to better serve those who have served.

Aaron Dugan, BSHCM

Aaron is a USMC Combat Veteran who served as an 0341 Infantry Mortarman with the 2/8 weapons company from 2006-2010. Aaron deployed to Ramadi, Iraq in 2007 and subsequently deployed to Southern Helmand, Afghanistan in 2009 as the point of the invading Marine Brigade that was able to successfully take and hold that territory for the first time in our nation’s long history of involvement there.

After his time enlisted, Aaron served his local community as a volunteer EMT working his way to the position of 1st Lieutenant within that department. During that time, he also worked as an LNA in the Neuro Special Care Unit at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. Aaron later used his GI Bill to get his bachelor’s in healthcare management from Colby-Sawyer College.

Aaron currently serves as the NH Chapter President for Fishing for the Mission ‘22, a nonprofit organization focused on providing a therapeutic approach to help heal veterans through fishing. The organization also aims to raise awareness about the alarming statistic of 22 or more veterans lost to suicide each day in the United States.