About us

About Nautical Salute

Why Nautical Salute?

The journey home from military service is often far harder than the journey into it. For many veterans, the battles don't end when they leave the field. They continue in the mind and spirit. The uniforms are stored away and the medals sit on shelves, but the invisible wounds of war (PTSD, depression, anxiety and a deep sense of isolation) can linger for years.

Navigating civilian life after service can feel like being adrift at sea with no clear course. Nautical Salute offers a compass back to peace, connection and purpose.

Meet Shawn Hibbard

At the heart of Nautical Salute is Shawn Hibbard, an Army combat veteran who knows these struggles firsthand. Shawn deployed to Afghanistan twice, in 2004–2005 and again in 2009, and later served a six-month assignment at the Pentagon. He completed SWAT and Sniper School in 2003, earned the Bronze Star Medal with Valor for his actions in Afghanistan in 2009, and was selected as a Hero Soldier for the U.S. Army All-American Football Team in 2012. He retired in 2018 after 22 years of honorable service.

Coming home, Shawn faced PTSD and the isolation that often comes with it. Therapy helped, but something was missing. He found it on the water. That's where Nautical Salute began.

What we do

Through relaxed boat excursions, Shawn and his team give veterans a chance to step away from daily pressure and spend time in a place that encourages calm, camaraderie and reflection. We fish, we eat, we talk, and sometimes we just sit. Nobody has to perform. You can take part or just watch.

Shawn also writes free books and audiobooks for veterans and their families on PTSD, isolation, relationships and finding purpose after service.

Join us

We can't do this alone. Nautical Salute needs volunteers and financial support to keep the local program moving forward, and to help other communities start their own Nautical Salute chapters. Let's talk on the phone or over coffee or lunch. Together, we can make a difference for our heroes.