The Veteran Mission
The Mission Continues.
When you hire Veteran Tree Care, you are not simply hiring a crew. You are helping put veterans to work.
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ISA
Board Certified Master Arborist
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ISA
Tree Risk Assessment Qualified
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ISA
Certified Arborist
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State of Louisiana
Licensed Arborist
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TCIA
Certified Tree Care Safety Professional
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TCIA
Plant Health Care Technician
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TCIA
Electrical Hazards Awareness
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Florida Chapter ISA
Prescription Pruning Qualified
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BBB
A+ Accredited Business
Veterans
Veteran Owned / Veteran Led
Not a marketing word
Why “Veteran” Is in Our Name.
Veteran Tree Care intentionally employs veterans. Many leave the service and lose the structure, camaraderie and sense of purpose that came with it. Hard, skilled, team-based work outdoors can give some of that back.
The company works to create leadership opportunities and real paths toward ownership. When a combat veteran needs work, the company has been known to find a place for them even without an open position. In hardship cases it has done free or heavily discounted work for disabled veterans, police and firefighters.
The long-term plan
Veterans in Leadership. Veterans in Ownership.
The longer-term concept is a network of branches in which veterans increasingly share in leadership and equity.
- 01
Employ veterans
Meaningful work, training and a team that understands where they came from.
- 02
Develop leaders
Veterans move into crew, operations and branch leadership roles.
- 03
Share ownership
Branch leaders earn a growing share of equity over time. Alpha Company in the Florida Keys was the first branch.
Service backgrounds
Veterans on the Team.
Portraits and service details are published with each individual’s approval.
Ricky Folse
Board Certified Master Arborist · Veteran advocate
Founder
Lori Williams
West Point graduate · Army Captain · Afghanistan veteran · Bronze Star
Owner / Director
Dustin Bergeron
Marine Corps veteran · Three tours in Iraq
Ground Operations Lead
Andrew Gomez
10 years U.S. Army, including an Iraq deployment · Arborist
Founder / Team Leader
Veteran Advocacy History
Service Didn’t Start With the Company Name.
This isn’t charity for show. It’s the record showing the mission existed long before the current branding.
- ATM
After the Mission
A Houma nonprofit Ricky helped create, with Lori as vice president. Its initiatives focused on homeless veterans, veterans dealing with PTSD and disabled first responders.
- 2021
The long-distance bicycle campaign
Roughly 2,400 miles from Louisiana to Key West and on to Washington, D.C., raising awareness and bringing direct help to homeless veterans and veterans with PTSD along the way.
- 2022
Fundraising & combat sports
Summer Salute, a veteran-focused combat-sports event in Houma, sent part of its proceeds to After the Mission and was featured on the official VFW podcast.
- 2022
Hurricane relief in Florida
After Hurricane Ian, Ricky returned to the Fort Myers veteran community with supplies, tree work and help for a veteran who had lost his home.
- 2024
Clearing roads for emergency access
After Hurricane Milton, crews cleared trees from roads in the middle of the night so emergency vehicles could get through.
- LA
Louisiana storm response
At home on the bayou, the same crews answer storm calls for neighbors, disabled veterans, police and firefighters, often at no cost or a steep discount in hardship cases.
As Featured In
Get started
Put Veterans to Work on Your Trees.
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Residential tree work
Pruning, removal, stump grinding and storm cleanup.
Request a free estimate -
Advanced arboriculture
Historic trees, risk assessments, legal or insurance questions, construction planning and commercial work.
Schedule an arborist consultation -
Emergencies
Trees on homes, cars, roads or lines. 24/7.
Call now -
Veterans
Structure, camaraderie, purpose and a path to leadership.
Continue your mission with us