About

Our Origin

Operation 22 til Freedom was founded in 2019 by Justin Thompson. Justin enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2003 after graduating from Lewis Central. He served four years with the India Company 3/1 on the 3rd Platoon in Iraq.

Upon Justin’s return, he started searching for his new mission. After losing comrades from his Platoon to suicide, he decided to take his love for riding Harley’s and produce Operation 22 til Freedom’s first annual poker run – Operation 22 Til Freedom – A Ride to Prevent Veteran Suicide.

With the help of close friends and family, OTTF’s first ride was a success. So, Operation 22 Til Freedom decided to become a non-profit, raising awareness about veteran suicide and fundraising to help local and national veterans.

The 2019 ride allowed to support 22 Until None, in the amount of $15,500, to help veterans with PTSD. As well as, put a fund back to support local vets right here in the Heartland.

MISSION – VISION

OTTF’s mission is to help reduce the veteran suicide rate from an average of 22 a day to zero. Their mission is structured through three pillars of support.

Pillar One – Community Awareness. We attend many locally hosted events to educate the public about veteran suicide and how they can help.

Pillar Two – Veteran Outreach Programs. We have an emergency assistance fund for our veterans, a Christmas assistance fund, emergency counseling assistance. New for 2022 is Get Fit with OTTF and OTTF Veteran Family Nights.

Pillar Three – Fundraising Efforts. We hosts multiple fundraising events throughout the year to support veterans. We have several funding programs to assist both local and national veterans. Locally we partner with other nonprofit organizations with an interest in assisting veterans. We provide the said organization with organizational needs and veteran emergency assistance. A designated portion of proceeds is donated directly to charities with a substantial interest in assisting veterans.