Aaron’s time in the marines left him struggling with his mental health and entertaining suicidal thoughts. He found that other veterans often felt the same way...

After discovering that the brain stops logical functioning during a mental health crisis, Aaron began wondering how specific grounding techniques from his military training background could help do a “function check” of the brain, similar to the weapons check he learned  in the military when his weapons were not working properly.

Aaron connected this concept with the term “popping smoke” used in the military when someone is requesting help from their squad. These became the inspiration for “Operation Popping Smoke” (a veterans’ support group founded by Aaron) and the genesis of the QActual app.

This unique app serves as your own personal and confidential emergency response team with your most trusted peers — your “Team.” With a simple push of a button, your whole team is notified when you’re in trouble. The app also allows confidential texting and gives your team your exact GPS coordinates in live time so they can find you in your moment of need.