O p e r a t i o n   CHARLIE  BRAVO

JASON ZAIDEMAN

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR / CEO

FOUNDER / PROGRAM Director 

US ARMY 12B COMBAT ENGINEER VETeran

​Operation Joint Endeavor (OJE) Bosnia-Herzegovina

​HOT ROD guru / Veteran Mentor / Janitor

​The adjustment for veterans going back to civilian life is a battle often unseen which can then lead to a destructive path. Preventing suicide and homelessness by helping veterans find a new path is Jason Zaideman’s mission. Operation Charlie Bravo was founded back in 2015, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit with National Headquarters in Crown Point, Indiana. Additional chapters in Alabama, California, Illinois, and Kentucky. Jason developed and personally administers 7 different programs specifically targeted to provide relief to common veteran crisis issues that arise. With a personal hands-on mixed method approach veterans are never left behind and are motivated by a massive team of other veterans to help each other become better versions of themselves. Plan – Attack – Repeat and we never give up on each other. For almost 9 years OCB has held a 100% success rate in preventing suicide and homelessness. Every veteran participating in our 7 unique programs holds a healthy moderated happiness level and in a much better place, mentally, physically, and in most cases financially. A true return on investment. We as veterans may be disabled but we’re still able.

Background:

Jason was born and raised in Southern California until he joined the US Army in 1996. His father, a United States Marine Corps Vietnam Veteran, made a huge impact on who he would become.  Jason is a disabled veteran who prides himself on continuing his service to his country and community. He joined the US Army in 1996 as a 12 Bravo - Comat Engineer and served active duty for 4 years in Ft. Riley, KS. Since exiting the military in 2000, Jason has 10 years on several Board of Directors development and management experience. He has been serving as a Lake County Commissioner on the Veteran Memorial Parkway Commission since 2014. 35 years in business ownership, development, management, policy creation, and marketing psychology. 40 years of marketing, branding, graphic design, automotive paint, airbrush custom paint, fabrication, and design experience born and raised in a commercial sign & hot rod shop. He is certified in Mental Health First Aid and a certified QPR Pathfinder in suicide prevention. 10 years in public speaking, motivational speaking, mentorship, behavioral psychology study, counseling psychology study, and military psychology study. We are also published and partnered with Indiana University School of Medicine and currently conducting several mixed method studies on our programs and how they help veterans thrive. Partnered with the Lake County Veteran Treatment Court where he is also a mentor for more than 12 veterans participating in the LCVTC program. Jason is also skilled in multiple trades including electrician, PLC and solid-state device programming, carpenter, concrete, vault making, finished roads, asphalt paving, heavy equipment operator, plumbing, tile, window glazing, certified MIG / stick / pulse welder, woodworking, epoxy, and fine finishing of all substrates. Jason is proficient in all construction, industrial, and automotive trades. A true renaissance man with a photographic memory and it would seem, the energy of the sun. He prides himself on his drive to never stop learning or making a better version of himself and always strives to improve his surroundings in all of nature. Jason now teaches these lifelong learned skill sets to veterans. Sharing his recipe so to speak.  Plan – Attack – Repeat. 

LEADERSHIP

The U.S. Army Engineer Regimental motto is Essayons! It is French for, “Let us try”. This isn’t a sympathetic, half-hearted try. It’s a statement of confidence as almost if to say, where others failed, we will succeed. I wanted to be an Engineer because I wanted to succeed where others hadn’t yet. I wanted a diverse mission set that required me to be physically fit and mentally sharp. The Engineer Corps offered it all.