About Shield Down

Shield Down was launched in the summer of 2024 by founder John Kelty and his brothers from the Crash & Salvage team of the USS Eisenhower—men who ran toward fire when others ran from it. They’ve traded their flight deck gear for something even heavier: walking with veterans and families of the fallen through the fight after the fight.

After the uniform comes a new battlefield—one that doesn't make headlines. Depression. Isolation. Financial stress. Identity loss. Kelty lived it. So did the men he served with. And too many don’t make it through. Shield Down was born from that shared grit, to stand in the gap when it feels like nobody will.

We believe in the Navy Crash Crew mantra of two-in, two-out—no one walks into the fire alone, and no one walks out alone either. That’s how they lived on the flight deck. That’s how they live now.

Shield Down is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit built by veterans, for veterans. We provide peer-to-peer coaching, resources and support to help warriors find purpose again—in work, in faith, in brotherhood. We support the widows and children of our fallen with one-time grants, resources and support—because their loss is our loss, and their loved one’s legacy deserves to breathe.

Our core values are simple and non-negotiable: Faith. Respect. Integrity. Courage.

This isn’t simply charity, it’s a calling. — Together we fight. Together we find hope.

While you’re here, consider donating today —every dollar helps carry someone out of the fire.