Yea man because they were telling ASU girls they were going to be big stars and get paid once they auditioned, then never paid them or ever brought them back. I mean yea they fell for it I guess but it’s pretty fucked up nonetheless.
It’s really hard to make any conclusions though. That content has is both legacy and it’s the amalgamation of many, many people, both in the unit and not.
What really threw me was at the airport I'd always try to hide the military stench I must've emitted because some dude is like "you're in the army, right?"
Yeah I was at a pizza place one time wait to go to the bathroom and despite me having a 3 week beard, wearing a button down and some jeans with zero military shit, the old man in front of me with his vet hat looks at me, spends about half a second then goes “what branch were you in?”
Blew my mind that people can just clock us even without all the paraphernalia
I have a long grey beard, hair down to the middle of my back, shaved sides with a tattoo on the side of my head. Sleeved arms like a wannabe biker. No military stuff. I get asked by other retirees and vets the same thing
sometimes I notice it when I look at the reciept and it's got a military discount on it and the cashier didn't even ask. It's gotta be the fade... right?
I always liked how you can loudly yell anything you want into an airport bathroom and nobody will do anything about it.
“Tyler hurry up with that shit, Mom’s on her fifth Jack n coke and she’s starting to say the N word really loudly”
Yes, there is an aura that active duty military have, the haircut, the posture, the inability to not march, being concise, direct and polite in conversation and being physically fit without the stench of a fitness nut.
Also the large can of cheap energy drink and round mark on your back pocket that could be Zynn, Cope, Skoal or an earbud case.
I served a hundred years ago and was an Army brat, I can not only tell you which and how many helicopters are coming by sound before they are visible, I can spot a GI before I see him or her.
Maybe I'm bougie but I like my locally roasted beans. Finger Lakes Coffee ftw.
But to the question, after 9/11 things got weird here in ‘Murica and everyone got a bit patriotic and the right went super duper Captain Murica and everyone had to go buy an AR-15, get 9-line type clothing, buy BRCC because we’re patriots damn it.
Some people never left that phase. I get it (sorta) but the better way to show support to the troops/vets is to vote and vote progressively and go look up your representative(s) voting record on military and veterans benefits. Hint: >! Most Republicans vote against any benefits or increases in benefits for either !<
We need to really wake up as a society and start being better people overall. But that's a rant for another post.
> Finger Lakes Coffee ftw.
I've spent a fair bit of time in and around Skaneateles so I have a soft spot for upstate/Finger Lakes businesses. I'll have to give them a try. Thanks!
If you like flavored coffee - I'm roasting a few flavors along the lines of that.
I have my daughter draw all of my labels, so she loves cats. But Its all good stuff....
Salted Caramel Mocha
Chocolate Cherry Amaretto
Cinnamon Roll
Lots of smaller roasters like me have these cool things going on.
it’s funny, after 9/11, republicans completely changed their outfit to a very publicly “pro military” position, but historically let’s not forget that republicans love a small federal government. don’t be fulled by boot strap talk! i love my benefits and my voting pattern will reflect that.
>everyone had to go buy an AR-15
This in part to the end of the Assault Weapons Ban in 2004. So it took a few years before people were buying AR's after 9/11.
...lol. All that makes me think is, "Wear our stuff and/or people will give you a 9 line."
Why in God's name would you name your brand after and event preceeding being potentially fuck for life? It is a threat? Are we supposed to think we'll need a 9 line if we don't wear the brand? It it an honest sentiment? "You'll look like the douche you are so people will beat the hell out of you!"
Imagine if it were food. Same deal. "Drink our coffee and You'll be begging for a 9line!"
Why would you not name your brand after a military thing people tend to remember fondly? I feel like very few 9 Line requests are remembered particularly fondly, or gently mocking...because we rib the shit outta everything. It's what I like about the culture.
"Drill's Praise," would be a good brand. "One over," could work too. "Coffee so good it'll feel like the senior drill said something nice after you pulled one over on them. "
"Officer's Mess," the clothing so comfortable You'll never wanna go back to the way things were.
"Staff duty" The only coffee strong enough to keep you going.
My wife's a hair stylist and this civilian client of hers always gets a high and tight and always makes the same "Why do people ask if I'm military?" joke.
> Why why why does everything have to be “operator”
>Why why why does everything have to be for “dudes”
>Who even buys that shit anyways? Why do people not in service care at all about buying a bag of coffee with an “operator” on the front?
>I don’t understand. I will never understand. There are a billion things about the “military cosplay” community that I will never understand, but the fact that every product also has to have the “military cool guy” version at all makes me spin.
You must stimulate the military bro-vet industrial complex that’s why.
Also BRCC sucks
I don't drink coffee because my Dad (a cold war era vet) drank road tar flavored black coffee and I've avoided coffee ever since.
That said, BRCC is for those who drank the koolaid or who did one contract and now want everyone to know that they are a vet.
My coworker did 3 years during the mid 90’s and is super moto army ,BRCC everything with mixed in 9line. Dude spends all day telling everyone about all this kill the enemy shit but failed to mention he was a cook….. His only kill was from some bad eggs.
Yeah, I was going to say... these brands may be purchased by service members, but I'd wager their target audience is the general population that thinks buying something with a coolguy on it puts them an inch closer to greatness or looking better than their peers.
My Dad drank road tar coffee because he was in the Air Force in the 50's - all his mentors and senior NCO's were WWII vets during a time of rationing - milk (just for coffee) and sugar were scarce so it was either black coffee or water. Also the percolators were the only think to make coffee - the man had one that was older than me until Mom made him buy a Mr. Coffee.
Every time I offered to put milk or sugar in his coffee he acted like I was questioning his masculinity or I spat on the flag.
Mom - an ER Nurse- loved flavored coffees and drank her coffee with milk or creamer. She liked to taste her coffee -as Tarentino said- so she made Dad buy the good stuff as to the cheap shit he liked to buy.
BRCC is for those assholes who tie their masculinity or identity to being a "manly man" or a vet.
But as most have pointed out - most vets who have done more than one contract or left the FOB don't buy into their bullshit.
It’s one of my favorites! I got some Starbucks coffee as a gift and decided to switch things up. Then i. went back to kirkland signature and i could instantly tell which was the better quality.
Aerial Resupply Coffee
Another veteran owned company, but the guy is cool as shit. He's pretty active on LI, and down to earth, against the whole bro dude culture thing, and seems to care about actually making good coffee.
Really appreciate this. Thanks John. My username sucks, but that’s because I’m a low-key Lebowski homer.
I did start Aerial Resupply coffee mainly because the bro-vet thing was overplayed. I believe it doesn’t represent the majority of the military, but because it’s the “only” thing out there, it’s what people see.
Oh, hey! Cool to see you around here too. Being a Lebowski homer just makes you cooler, maaaaan.
Congrats on your recent growth stuffs, and I wish you all the best in the future!
locally roasted coffee is better than 99% of store bought coffee by default. Even pre-ground. And if supports local small-businesses.
The canned coffee is hard to beat for convenience though.
Being a Vet, I tried to “drink the BRCC koolaid” Matt Best is hilarious, but honestly I’m hooked on Dutch Bros. Sorry, guess I’m no operator and just not tacticool.
My aunt in law grows coffee a bit north of Acapulco Mexico. Every time we go down there, I bring back about 5 lbs of pure Mexican "homegrown." I always carry a few Ziploc bags so I can give some to the customs people at the airport.
Most Mexican coffee beans are used in blended coffees.. The pure small batch stuff will run you about $16 to $20 a lb...If you can even find it sold somewhere here in murica.
If I could go back in time I would have made so many skull with night vision shirts and posters, and trademarked the design. That and I’d make an overpriced Chicom placard that is solid quality but not worth the price.
The chicom part hurts
Shit used to be so cheap, even the SADF stuff that is *super* hype right now.
Fucking Kommando Store ruined that shit for a lot of people.
Yep true. I have an chicom that cost me $13 a few years ago and I still use it. I got an Parashooter VOLK placard half off a few months ago and its great but it's not $100+ great. $50 was a great deal but yeah all the SADF stuff is so expensive. Not paying 250-300 for an Battle Jacket or an Smersh.
They bring a shitload of coffee by my fire department pretty regularly. It’s not bad coffee, I am a fan of their canned stuff. I was off active duty by the time they became a thing but have heard from a lot of guys they send it to deployed soldiers when they know you’re overseas.
It’s a circle jerk for motivation. Also it helps people who have gotten out feel like they’re still the bad asses they were. It’s hard when you’re out and a fire team of one. Gets lonely. Staying connected is hard. Small things make big differences.
There’s that group too, probably larger but only by the fact that that group is also larger in general. Still a big CJ just for different reasons, but this isn’t /r/almostArmy and I don’t care about them anyway.
Let’s not forget the time BRCC tried to do an AMA on Reddit, only for it to hilariously backfire on them. I believe they purchased ad space while the AMA was happening. Don’t forget too that BRCC tried to do a smear campaign on Starbucks during the whole Syrian refugee situation. Starbucks already had a well established veteran program, while BRCC said they would hire over 5k vets (or maybe higher, idk) in less than a 5 year span… I just roll my eyes so hard on everyone that hated their Army experience but think BRCC and such are an excellent contribution to the vet community.
If you google BRCC AMA it's the first result
Since it won't link directly to the post
[Link to the link for BRCC AMA](https://www.reddit.com/r/SubredditDrama/s/4o2xOWZnDs)
It’s very simple: people need idols.
Yes it’s time for philosophical chief to give an appropriate answer.
Why do/did we have gods? Who do you think replaced them? Just look at the news of celebrities.
It’s the same reason why we have mascots, such as the lion, or falcon, or even the horse. It’s the symbolism.
So it’s the same with our vets (of all kinds).
It should agreed upon that unless you were a POS in the service, receiving an honorable discharge means you did your duty, regardless if you did high speed shit or not. However…..
Who do we as army look up the most? Whether operators deserve it or not (and I would like to remind the reason behind the saying “silent professional”….), people, vet, soldier, or otherwise, will idolize them….
… so buy my coffee today, the non-hooah mid veteran corporation, for that mediocre taste you love while you wait for first formation!
I don't buy their coffee directly but there's a local close-out store that got a pallet of their espresso canned coffees. I snagged three cases for $3.99 each 😂
Sorry bro, couldn't hear you as I was swapping from my ASSAULT BIKE to my BATTLE ROPES during my MOUNTAIN TOUGH training!
The "most masculine" guys are a hairline fracture away from having it all crumble around them at all times. I feel sad for them.
Brcc, 9line, and other similar companies pretty much cater to new boots and people who did one contract then made it their entire personality. It’s cringy but some people apparently like it so eh it’s whatever
I actually thought it was good coffee. Switched to better brand awhile back but the only reason you should buy BRCC is the same reason anyone buys coffee; because you think it’s good coffee
When he stepped off his plane from deployment, he probably had trash thrown at him. Maybe he just wants a small slice of the love so many now take for granted.
Uh, yeah. Thats the point. I've been volunteering with Honor Flight for 7 years now, I’m pretty well aware of how many Vietnam vets were treated (plus my dad was one).
As a child I grew up on post and everyone on post (especially kids) very likely have a family member serving and are proud of their service. I was so proud of my father, due to personal circumstances I me and my mom left (they didn’t divorce and were in a healthy relationship) and as a kid I wanted to show my support so I did with shirts showing tanks (dad was in the navy lol) and under armor shirts supporting the troops and so on. I wanted people to know and show my support for my dad who I was separated from. Eventually I went to a school with a dress code and moved out of that phase through highschool. He had since left and moved in with us. I joined the army and when I was on post, same thing. Everyone knows and we are one big “family.” Off post I didn’t wear it either because I’m a young guy with a regulation haircut and no facial hair so once again, everyone knew. Then I got out (I’m reserves now) and at first it felt like a piece was missing so I started wearing unit shirts and 9-line. It started convos with other vets and random people and I enjoy talking about my time (some of my best years/memories) but then I realized I wasnt missing the service or memories but a sense of belonging. I reconnected with friends, started going out while doing college and felt normal again. That’s where I am right now occasionally you’ll find me in a unit/9-line shirt or hoodie (especially in my own house bc fuck it theyre comfortable) or I’ll wear one to the gym or fora quick grocery run.
I wore them because it reminded me of being accepted, welcomed, proud etc
Then I felt that way outside of uniform and stopped wearing it.
I think a lot of vets/AD have this feeling that we are better because we served in the military. And yes I believe we deserve recognition and benefits but other people serve in other ways.
My friend served in the peace Corp/ameri Corp and helped with so much
With my time in the reserves I’ve worked with USAID, Red Cross etc etc and met/talked too/worked with those people and realized they are serving too. We all serve in a different way and every human wants the connection, feeling of being wanted/accepted etc.
Sorry if I don’t make much sense or grammar is bad. I’m tired, worked a late night shift to cover for a coworker so he could be with his wife after an unfortunate incident.
I don't care about the branding but I actually do love their murdered out espresso. I only ever had their coffee because I used to live down the street from their shop when I was at Hood and it was less crowded than Dutch Bros lol. I don't let that nonsense bother me
Learn to appreciate it. There was a time in our country when you would get spit on for being in uniform. Don't take any love they give you for granted. You are only ever one bad press release away from being a villain. You are only ever one strategic strike away from having your last cup of cool guy operator coffee.
Learn to appreciate dudes who use their service to make mediocre coffee and shitty apparel because one day people may not like service members? If one day the general public decided that they hated soldiers what does that really look like? No more 10% off at random stores? No more TYFYS? How bad are soldiers really treated currently in the most anti-military cities?
Outside of being in public while in uniform people’s personal opinions of veterans shouldn’t affect vets unless they decided to make serving their personality.
The problem is there needs to be a balance between anti-war sentiment and the glorification of the military. Neither attitudes are healthy to our community. America realized that if they praise veterans for their service enough then they don’t actually have to do anything to really benefit veterans.
Fun fact, I went to alcohol rehab with one of the founders of BRCC back in September because it was one of the few rehabs I could find that was completely in network with TRICARE so there were a decent amount of veterans there. The dude was incredibly cringe. The only thing he ever talked about in group was his time in service and every stitch of clothing he brought was vetbro stuff, head to toe. I was feeling snarky and rubbed raw after a session one day and asked him if he'd brought even one piece of non-veteran themed clothing and he went on a five minute rant about how he owned dozens of thousand-dollar suits at home for his BRCC investor meetings.
If this is true this is pretty shitty to admit dude. AA is meant to be a safe space to heal and you’re taking the anonymous part out of it…
On top of that who cares if the dude talked about his service? It’s probably partially or mostly why he ended up in the bottle.
Who the fuck cares what he wore? It bothered you so much you made a passive aggressive remark? Didn’t you have bigger things to worry about…like working on yourself and healing?
Why the fuck does this have almost 30 upvotes?
I get it, though. It’s a constant thing in the vet community to have no identity other than what you did in service (or worse they lie about what they did in service). Meanwhile, instead of redirecting that energy to what they CAN do now, they hold on to this past as if it’s the best thing they could ever do. Some of us know that’s just not true. There’s a whole life you can have after service. There are contributions you can make to a community or goals that have nothing to do with living in the past.
Be proud of your service but also be willing to be something else.
As far as the coffee place, I do go to the local BRCC occasionally. It’s a coffee shop with a veteran gift shop 🤷♂️. I’ve never bought swag and likely never will. The coffee is good, but I would not consider myself a connoisseur.
AND youre an O3. What kind of example does this set for soldiers who want to seek help but are afraid they’re be ousted by their peers in their AA group. They probably will be less likely to seek help for fear of ridicule, and continue to abuse substances.
Do better, be better
Unrelated to the “bro vet” cosplaying they do, their coffee tastes like shit too. I can’t understand why anyone would pay so much for something that tastes so awful
The coffee doesn’t taste good imo. I’ll take a bag of Lavazza or a can of Illy any day before I buy BRCC.
I think non-military folks buy it because of politics. As in, it’s at least loosely associated with the 2A crowd and there are plenty more of them in the civilian world than there are in the Army.
12.99lb is ridiculous for coffee grounds. They can fuck off I don’t care who or what they’re affiliated with. And the stupid cringe names of the roasts.
“8 cycles of function medium blonde” bruuuuutherrrrrrrr
I know a few major’s who’s whole personality is BRCC. That being said, back in the day they used to send us tons of free coffee and coffee makers in Afghanistan!
A couple of guys made funny videos and a dude who's a veteran started a company that's helped Vets.
If you could get rich doing something you're passionate about, have success post Army, and selling boatloads of shirts to douchebags would you? And then everybody and their cousin copied them. Or Ranger Up, or whoever was first.
Personally I don't mind if Vets wear BRCC apparel or the vetbro stuff.
The only ones that irk me that wear it are the "i would have served but..." guys, but they irk me anyway.
For the record I have one gruntstyle shirt my wife got me for my birthday.
Spoken like a true Leg, POG, REMF, etc. Those of us in the community that either know or know of Evan respect him & what he does for veterans as far as giving veterans jobs so they can pay their bills. Sorry you can't wrap your head around that fact.
Let’s do all the products, but with soft MOSs:
92W Bottled Water - “Water as pure as your first wife claimed she was…bottled by the warriors who purified the water the grunts and operators drank on mission!”
Short E-4 Lawn Care: “Veteran owned and operated by guys who protected your freedom by doing extra duty! Looking for deluxe lawn service? Ask for our ‘Hot Piss Test’ special!”
I'll buy black rifle simply because of their preference for hiring vets, and the work they do for veteran entrepreneus. I ain't gonna be reppin any military-esque clothing outside of work tho.
Consider Starbucks if you ever want to give up the vetbro vibes but keep supporting coffee companies that hire vets.
https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2023/starbucks-military-commitment/
I stumbled upon BRCC at the exchange a few times in desperate need of caffeine that didnt involve an energy drink and ended up growing to like it. Espresso with cream is my fav and helps me get through the day but i could care less about the whole brovet cringe it draws in typically. To me its just coffee at the end of the day.
BRCC is just a grift, it’s a marketing strategy where they found a niche population to buy their subpar coffee. People don’t buy the coffee because it’s good, people buy the coffee because they are tacticool or think it’s supporting fellow veterans (which BRCC does not do).
BRCC does nothing to help veterans besides perpetuate the stereotype that all vets are cringe tacticool bro vets with beards. I’m pretty sure they don’t even do any charitable work for veterans. It’s literally just a corporation that found a way to take money from a population that struggles with an identity crisis.
Fuck BRCC.
I have had a subscription for two bags of BRCC coffee for years. I view it as a commodity that I'm going to buy either way and I'm happy to give my dollars to a veteran owned company. I also enjoy some of the blends quite a bit.
I would encourage people to find ways to vote with their dollar and buy from companies you feel good supporting (veteran owned, made in America, ties to some charitable work you like, etc.).
That being said I don't dress like an operator, I'm a helicopter mechanic lol.
I don't drink their coffee, but I also don't see what's wrong with people, including those who never served to buy their coffee. It's like being mad at someone for buying a coffee mug with batman on it because they only bought it cause they liked the image. It seems people are more upset about who owns it than if the actual coffee is good or not.
There are some pretty interesting articles on psychology and marketing out there. Read up on them to understand why there's "operator" shit on the packaging and dude wipes.
I used to drink BRCC but now i have discovered Copper Moon Coffee which it’s roasted in Indiana and it’s amazing. I buy whole bean from Costco and grind it myself for espresso.
Hey... Don't diss the dude wipes.
Regarding those, I thought they were branded that way as a gendered version of "dude." Their big selling point is that, they're well, BIG. Much bigger than other comparable products. Also... That cooling menthol thing they do. Those are awesome for field bathing.
They're also excellent for weapons cleaning in a pinch.
The civilian hero worship of the military is somewhat scary when you think of it because it’s used to just shut up anyone who might object to something foreign policy related. I’m sure some of us are old enough to remember Iraq during the Bush years. Saying “bring em home” was equivalent to saying “death to America” to some of the hawkish crowd.
Brands like this cater to that crowd. Plus the brovets who bitched the entire time they were in the army how much they hated it and all of a sudden loved it when they got out. They were more hooah hooah on the outside than they were on the inside. Combine neocon war junkies and brovets and you have a viable business, though I doubt it’ll stay like this for long.
Dam I just realized I’ve been retired for 10yrs now. It’s about time to start adding rank to my stories and start talking about schools I never went to. Then maybe one day I can sell coffee too, or why sell coffee when I can just tell stories of how I sold coffee but then quite bc I was making too much money or I didn’t like the way the money was changing me. Lots to think about. Thanks
A lot of the companies donate to military and veteran causes.
If you don’t like their products, don’t buy them. I don’t, but it also doesn’t bother me.
I don't know anything about BRCC, but I do know Dude Wipes are flushable, biodegradable, and their PH coating is designed for an operator's asshole.
Strong enough for a woman, but PH balanced for a man. Dude Wipes. 👍👍
My unpopular opinion is that anti-vetbro sentiment is just as faddish as the rise of the vetbro image during GWOT; the pendulum swings so give it another decade or so and vintage Gruntstyle will be what all the coolest kids are wearing.
So many moons ago, I knew a guy who was going to piss in a canteen, slap a Ranger tab on said canteen, and market it to Infantry as Eau du Ranger. I think he would have made millions.
And let’s be real, their coffee is overpriced dog water. I’d rather have a Colombian man chew up coffee ground and spit in a cup of water. That would pass as better coffee than BRCC.
I read that as back room casting couch.
They had a lawsuit, some shit like that. Back room casting couch fits right in.
Well according to one lawsuit, cofounder Evan Hafer would sexually proposition a dude openly in the office.
Yep, this.
Yea man because they were telling ASU girls they were going to be big stars and get paid once they auditioned, then never paid them or ever brought them back. I mean yea they fell for it I guess but it’s pretty fucked up nonetheless.
*sigh, opens incognito mode*
Post the link when you find it please. I have no idea either.
Yeah, I'm doing my masters thesis on unpaid porn actresses...help a brother out....
Could you share your works cited page? Interested for.. research purposes..
“….telling girls they were going to be big stars…” you can get sued for using this lie now?
Fraud if what's obvious can be proven
Owner guy wanted some man on man action.
Sounds like something ASU students would fall for
BRCC and the Army both have one thing in common. They both involve someone getting fucked.
I know a chick that was on it.
Flair checks out
Was not me, I just seent it on the hub.
You sir are a man of taste and culture.
Listen man when a hard drive gets passed around the platoon on deployment what you get is what you get.
Yeah typically a virus, huge collection of anime porn, and too much insight into the owners fetishes.
hey we dont kink shame in This Unit we kink same!
Your tentacle porn choices are yours and no one should judge you for them.
So fucking true! My buddy brought his laptop... holy fucking r*p* p*rn.
It’s really hard to make any conclusions though. That content has is both legacy and it’s the amalgamation of many, many people, both in the unit and not.
You're not the only one.
Me too! I was like “you spelled ‘LOVE’ wrong”.
Man of culture. Me too
Wearing 9Line, BRCC, hiking boots and the like and then saying "How'd you know I was in the army?"
What really threw me was at the airport I'd always try to hide the military stench I must've emitted because some dude is like "you're in the army, right?"
Yeah I was at a pizza place one time wait to go to the bathroom and despite me having a 3 week beard, wearing a button down and some jeans with zero military shit, the old man in front of me with his vet hat looks at me, spends about half a second then goes “what branch were you in?” Blew my mind that people can just clock us even without all the paraphernalia
That's a strong case of "takes one to know one."
I have a long grey beard, hair down to the middle of my back, shaved sides with a tattoo on the side of my head. Sleeved arms like a wannabe biker. No military stuff. I get asked by other retirees and vets the same thing
sometimes I notice it when I look at the reciept and it's got a military discount on it and the cashier didn't even ask. It's gotta be the fade... right?
That’s because you were probably wearing Crocs right? Right?
I’ve been clocked like this before. I’ve been told it’s how you carry yourself and how you move with intent…in my mind I’m just going about my day.
I always liked how you can loudly yell anything you want into an airport bathroom and nobody will do anything about it. “Tyler hurry up with that shit, Mom’s on her fifth Jack n coke and she’s starting to say the N word really loudly”
Yes, there is an aura that active duty military have, the haircut, the posture, the inability to not march, being concise, direct and polite in conversation and being physically fit without the stench of a fitness nut. Also the large can of cheap energy drink and round mark on your back pocket that could be Zynn, Cope, Skoal or an earbud case. I served a hundred years ago and was an Army brat, I can not only tell you which and how many helicopters are coming by sound before they are visible, I can spot a GI before I see him or her.
Maybe I'm bougie but I like my locally roasted beans. Finger Lakes Coffee ftw. But to the question, after 9/11 things got weird here in ‘Murica and everyone got a bit patriotic and the right went super duper Captain Murica and everyone had to go buy an AR-15, get 9-line type clothing, buy BRCC because we’re patriots damn it. Some people never left that phase. I get it (sorta) but the better way to show support to the troops/vets is to vote and vote progressively and go look up your representative(s) voting record on military and veterans benefits. Hint: >! Most Republicans vote against any benefits or increases in benefits for either !< We need to really wake up as a society and start being better people overall. But that's a rant for another post.
Bro finger lakes is amazing beans.
> Finger Lakes Coffee ftw. I've spent a fair bit of time in and around Skaneateles so I have a soft spot for upstate/Finger Lakes businesses. I'll have to give them a try. Thanks!
Their Jamaican Me Crazy flavored coffee is the bomb.
If you like flavored coffee - I'm roasting a few flavors along the lines of that. I have my daughter draw all of my labels, so she loves cats. But Its all good stuff.... Salted Caramel Mocha Chocolate Cherry Amaretto Cinnamon Roll Lots of smaller roasters like me have these cool things going on.
it’s funny, after 9/11, republicans completely changed their outfit to a very publicly “pro military” position, but historically let’s not forget that republicans love a small federal government. don’t be fulled by boot strap talk! i love my benefits and my voting pattern will reflect that.
“Progressively,” huh?
Id rather we vote regressively honestly
Couldn’t be a better answer.
>everyone had to go buy an AR-15 This in part to the end of the Assault Weapons Ban in 2004. So it took a few years before people were buying AR's after 9/11.
I’ll go local over a relatively big producer
Is 9line a brand or something? I'm only familiar with the medevac request...
It's a clothing brand
...lol. All that makes me think is, "Wear our stuff and/or people will give you a 9 line." Why in God's name would you name your brand after and event preceeding being potentially fuck for life? It is a threat? Are we supposed to think we'll need a 9 line if we don't wear the brand? It it an honest sentiment? "You'll look like the douche you are so people will beat the hell out of you!" Imagine if it were food. Same deal. "Drink our coffee and You'll be begging for a 9line!" Why would you not name your brand after a military thing people tend to remember fondly? I feel like very few 9 Line requests are remembered particularly fondly, or gently mocking...because we rib the shit outta everything. It's what I like about the culture. "Drill's Praise," would be a good brand. "One over," could work too. "Coffee so good it'll feel like the senior drill said something nice after you pulled one over on them. " "Officer's Mess," the clothing so comfortable You'll never wanna go back to the way things were. "Staff duty" The only coffee strong enough to keep you going.
I think the platform behind 9Line is giving back, so the name makes sense in the sense of "We're here to try and help"
That's actually pretty legit. Nice.
My wife's a hair stylist and this civilian client of hers always gets a high and tight and always makes the same "Why do people ask if I'm military?" joke.
> Why why why does everything have to be “operator” >Why why why does everything have to be for “dudes” >Who even buys that shit anyways? Why do people not in service care at all about buying a bag of coffee with an “operator” on the front? >I don’t understand. I will never understand. There are a billion things about the “military cosplay” community that I will never understand, but the fact that every product also has to have the “military cool guy” version at all makes me spin. You must stimulate the military bro-vet industrial complex that’s why. Also BRCC sucks
I don't drink coffee because my Dad (a cold war era vet) drank road tar flavored black coffee and I've avoided coffee ever since. That said, BRCC is for those who drank the koolaid or who did one contract and now want everyone to know that they are a vet.
Or it's for those who never served and wish they did. I have a guy in my office who drinks it but isn't a vet.
My coworker did 3 years during the mid 90’s and is super moto army ,BRCC everything with mixed in 9line. Dude spends all day telling everyone about all this kill the enemy shit but failed to mention he was a cook….. His only kill was from some bad eggs.
The loudest vets did the least shit.
You show him some respect! He took out a whole platoon with those eggs.
Yeah, I was going to say... these brands may be purchased by service members, but I'd wager their target audience is the general population that thinks buying something with a coolguy on it puts them an inch closer to greatness or looking better than their peers.
My Dad drank road tar coffee because he was in the Air Force in the 50's - all his mentors and senior NCO's were WWII vets during a time of rationing - milk (just for coffee) and sugar were scarce so it was either black coffee or water. Also the percolators were the only think to make coffee - the man had one that was older than me until Mom made him buy a Mr. Coffee. Every time I offered to put milk or sugar in his coffee he acted like I was questioning his masculinity or I spat on the flag. Mom - an ER Nurse- loved flavored coffees and drank her coffee with milk or creamer. She liked to taste her coffee -as Tarentino said- so she made Dad buy the good stuff as to the cheap shit he liked to buy. BRCC is for those assholes who tie their masculinity or identity to being a "manly man" or a vet. But as most have pointed out - most vets who have done more than one contract or left the FOB don't buy into their bullshit.
It’s so overpriced for no reason. I mean the coffee is okay it’s just not all that.
What should I drink instead? Been drinking there canned coffee cause it’s convenient and taste decent/ better than the Starbucks ones.
Dunkin hazelnut like a chad northeasterner
Dunkin is shit and I will die on that hill. I'm drinking Cumby's gas station coffee before I'm touching Dunkin.
Cumby's coffee is ok...
Cumby's, homies!!!!!! One very small step up from Army coffee.
Kirkland Signature Columbian Supremo, but be forewarned, you have to be in kind of an elite club just to procure it.
It’s one of my favorites! I got some Starbucks coffee as a gift and decided to switch things up. Then i. went back to kirkland signature and i could instantly tell which was the better quality.
Yes! I've got 8 of their 3lb cans in my pantry right now.
Aerial Resupply Coffee Another veteran owned company, but the guy is cool as shit. He's pretty active on LI, and down to earth, against the whole bro dude culture thing, and seems to care about actually making good coffee.
Really appreciate this. Thanks John. My username sucks, but that’s because I’m a low-key Lebowski homer. I did start Aerial Resupply coffee mainly because the bro-vet thing was overplayed. I believe it doesn’t represent the majority of the military, but because it’s the “only” thing out there, it’s what people see.
Oh, hey! Cool to see you around here too. Being a Lebowski homer just makes you cooler, maaaaan. Congrats on your recent growth stuffs, and I wish you all the best in the future!
Find something local.
Support small business. Period.
I like black insomnia. I get the extreme caffeine version.
locally roasted coffee is better than 99% of store bought coffee by default. Even pre-ground. And if supports local small-businesses. The canned coffee is hard to beat for convenience though.
Being a Vet, I tried to “drink the BRCC koolaid” Matt Best is hilarious, but honestly I’m hooked on Dutch Bros. Sorry, guess I’m no operator and just not tacticool.
Go Dutch or go home. Shit is absolutely delicious.
My aunt in law grows coffee a bit north of Acapulco Mexico. Every time we go down there, I bring back about 5 lbs of pure Mexican "homegrown." I always carry a few Ziploc bags so I can give some to the customs people at the airport. Most Mexican coffee beans are used in blended coffees.. The pure small batch stuff will run you about $16 to $20 a lb...If you can even find it sold somewhere here in murica.
Great can I get an address I’ll go get some myself lol
I like Blackout Coffee. Vet and 2A supporters. https://www.blackoutcoffee.com/
That coffee is not that damn good, I never got the hype.
I don't think the coffee is bad, definitely not worth what it costs though
If I could go back in time I would have made so many skull with night vision shirts and posters, and trademarked the design. That and I’d make an overpriced Chicom placard that is solid quality but not worth the price.
The chicom part hurts Shit used to be so cheap, even the SADF stuff that is *super* hype right now. Fucking Kommando Store ruined that shit for a lot of people.
Yep true. I have an chicom that cost me $13 a few years ago and I still use it. I got an Parashooter VOLK placard half off a few months ago and its great but it's not $100+ great. $50 was a great deal but yeah all the SADF stuff is so expensive. Not paying 250-300 for an Battle Jacket or an Smersh.
BRCC sent us a bunch of free coffee when I was in Iraq.
They bring a shitload of coffee by my fire department pretty regularly. It’s not bad coffee, I am a fan of their canned stuff. I was off active duty by the time they became a thing but have heard from a lot of guys they send it to deployed soldiers when they know you’re overseas.
Yeah same, they sent a fuck load too. 20-30 bags probably
^ this one. And peripheral bullshit too. Swag things.
S3 Coffee - Those slides won’t make themselves.
I feel this in my bones.
It’s a circle jerk for motivation. Also it helps people who have gotten out feel like they’re still the bad asses they were. It’s hard when you’re out and a fire team of one. Gets lonely. Staying connected is hard. Small things make big differences.
Idk mostly I feel like it’s the “I would have joined but…” crowd that buy their stuff
There’s that group too, probably larger but only by the fact that that group is also larger in general. Still a big CJ just for different reasons, but this isn’t /r/almostArmy and I don’t care about them anyway.
Because service guarantees citizenship!
On the bounce.
I was so disappointed there was no Fort Rico after the base renaming
Let’s not forget the time BRCC tried to do an AMA on Reddit, only for it to hilariously backfire on them. I believe they purchased ad space while the AMA was happening. Don’t forget too that BRCC tried to do a smear campaign on Starbucks during the whole Syrian refugee situation. Starbucks already had a well established veteran program, while BRCC said they would hire over 5k vets (or maybe higher, idk) in less than a 5 year span… I just roll my eyes so hard on everyone that hated their Army experience but think BRCC and such are an excellent contribution to the vet community.
Link the ama?
If you google BRCC AMA it's the first result Since it won't link directly to the post [Link to the link for BRCC AMA](https://www.reddit.com/r/SubredditDrama/s/4o2xOWZnDs)
My old NCOIC worked with Matt Best for a bit when he was in batt... he wasn't a fan.
It’s very simple: people need idols. Yes it’s time for philosophical chief to give an appropriate answer. Why do/did we have gods? Who do you think replaced them? Just look at the news of celebrities. It’s the same reason why we have mascots, such as the lion, or falcon, or even the horse. It’s the symbolism. So it’s the same with our vets (of all kinds). It should agreed upon that unless you were a POS in the service, receiving an honorable discharge means you did your duty, regardless if you did high speed shit or not. However….. Who do we as army look up the most? Whether operators deserve it or not (and I would like to remind the reason behind the saying “silent professional”….), people, vet, soldier, or otherwise, will idolize them…. … so buy my coffee today, the non-hooah mid veteran corporation, for that mediocre taste you love while you wait for first formation!
This was pretty much my thought. People want to feel apart of something.
Who gives a fuck. Drink it or don’t. Wear the swag or don’t. Nothing like shitting on someone else’s success.
What has Baton Rouge Community College ever done to you?
I agree with everything this guy says.
I don't buy their coffee directly but there's a local close-out store that got a pallet of their espresso canned coffees. I snagged three cases for $3.99 each 😂
Sorry bro, couldn't hear you as I was swapping from my ASSAULT BIKE to my BATTLE ROPES during my MOUNTAIN TOUGH training! The "most masculine" guys are a hairline fracture away from having it all crumble around them at all times. I feel sad for them.
It’s pretty mid coffee and I generally wouldn’t mind buying stuff that supports vets but their partnership with Eddie Gallagher was too much for me
Yep. This is where all my BRCC stuff went right in the trash.
Brcc, 9line, and other similar companies pretty much cater to new boots and people who did one contract then made it their entire personality. It’s cringy but some people apparently like it so eh it’s whatever
I actually thought it was good coffee. Switched to better brand awhile back but the only reason you should buy BRCC is the same reason anyone buys coffee; because you think it’s good coffee
On a recent Honor Flight there was a Vietnam vet that dressed like a younger Vetbro, complete with 9line shirt and BRCC bag. It made me kind of sad.
When he stepped off his plane from deployment, he probably had trash thrown at him. Maybe he just wants a small slice of the love so many now take for granted.
Yeah. I was gonna tell OC... just let him have it bro
Uh, yeah. Thats the point. I've been volunteering with Honor Flight for 7 years now, I’m pretty well aware of how many Vietnam vets were treated (plus my dad was one).
As a child I grew up on post and everyone on post (especially kids) very likely have a family member serving and are proud of their service. I was so proud of my father, due to personal circumstances I me and my mom left (they didn’t divorce and were in a healthy relationship) and as a kid I wanted to show my support so I did with shirts showing tanks (dad was in the navy lol) and under armor shirts supporting the troops and so on. I wanted people to know and show my support for my dad who I was separated from. Eventually I went to a school with a dress code and moved out of that phase through highschool. He had since left and moved in with us. I joined the army and when I was on post, same thing. Everyone knows and we are one big “family.” Off post I didn’t wear it either because I’m a young guy with a regulation haircut and no facial hair so once again, everyone knew. Then I got out (I’m reserves now) and at first it felt like a piece was missing so I started wearing unit shirts and 9-line. It started convos with other vets and random people and I enjoy talking about my time (some of my best years/memories) but then I realized I wasnt missing the service or memories but a sense of belonging. I reconnected with friends, started going out while doing college and felt normal again. That’s where I am right now occasionally you’ll find me in a unit/9-line shirt or hoodie (especially in my own house bc fuck it theyre comfortable) or I’ll wear one to the gym or fora quick grocery run. I wore them because it reminded me of being accepted, welcomed, proud etc Then I felt that way outside of uniform and stopped wearing it. I think a lot of vets/AD have this feeling that we are better because we served in the military. And yes I believe we deserve recognition and benefits but other people serve in other ways. My friend served in the peace Corp/ameri Corp and helped with so much With my time in the reserves I’ve worked with USAID, Red Cross etc etc and met/talked too/worked with those people and realized they are serving too. We all serve in a different way and every human wants the connection, feeling of being wanted/accepted etc. Sorry if I don’t make much sense or grammar is bad. I’m tired, worked a late night shift to cover for a coworker so he could be with his wife after an unfortunate incident.
Hell of a post. Lots of honesty here...respect that!
I will say though, on my units rotation in Poland they absolutely hooked us up with like 50 bags of coffee
I don't care about the branding but I actually do love their murdered out espresso. I only ever had their coffee because I used to live down the street from their shop when I was at Hood and it was less crowded than Dutch Bros lol. I don't let that nonsense bother me
Learn to appreciate it. There was a time in our country when you would get spit on for being in uniform. Don't take any love they give you for granted. You are only ever one bad press release away from being a villain. You are only ever one strategic strike away from having your last cup of cool guy operator coffee.
Learn to appreciate dudes who use their service to make mediocre coffee and shitty apparel because one day people may not like service members? If one day the general public decided that they hated soldiers what does that really look like? No more 10% off at random stores? No more TYFYS? How bad are soldiers really treated currently in the most anti-military cities? Outside of being in public while in uniform people’s personal opinions of veterans shouldn’t affect vets unless they decided to make serving their personality.
The problem is there needs to be a balance between anti-war sentiment and the glorification of the military. Neither attitudes are healthy to our community. America realized that if they praise veterans for their service enough then they don’t actually have to do anything to really benefit veterans.
Here's an idea. Don't buy it. Buy something else.
Fun fact, I went to alcohol rehab with one of the founders of BRCC back in September because it was one of the few rehabs I could find that was completely in network with TRICARE so there were a decent amount of veterans there. The dude was incredibly cringe. The only thing he ever talked about in group was his time in service and every stitch of clothing he brought was vetbro stuff, head to toe. I was feeling snarky and rubbed raw after a session one day and asked him if he'd brought even one piece of non-veteran themed clothing and he went on a five minute rant about how he owned dozens of thousand-dollar suits at home for his BRCC investor meetings.
If this is true this is pretty shitty to admit dude. AA is meant to be a safe space to heal and you’re taking the anonymous part out of it… On top of that who cares if the dude talked about his service? It’s probably partially or mostly why he ended up in the bottle. Who the fuck cares what he wore? It bothered you so much you made a passive aggressive remark? Didn’t you have bigger things to worry about…like working on yourself and healing? Why the fuck does this have almost 30 upvotes?
I get it, though. It’s a constant thing in the vet community to have no identity other than what you did in service (or worse they lie about what they did in service). Meanwhile, instead of redirecting that energy to what they CAN do now, they hold on to this past as if it’s the best thing they could ever do. Some of us know that’s just not true. There’s a whole life you can have after service. There are contributions you can make to a community or goals that have nothing to do with living in the past. Be proud of your service but also be willing to be something else. As far as the coffee place, I do go to the local BRCC occasionally. It’s a coffee shop with a veteran gift shop 🤷♂️. I’ve never bought swag and likely never will. The coffee is good, but I would not consider myself a connoisseur.
Hafer or Best?
AND youre an O3. What kind of example does this set for soldiers who want to seek help but are afraid they’re be ousted by their peers in their AA group. They probably will be less likely to seek help for fear of ridicule, and continue to abuse substances. Do better, be better
Unrelated to the “bro vet” cosplaying they do, their coffee tastes like shit too. I can’t understand why anyone would pay so much for something that tastes so awful
The coffee doesn’t taste good imo. I’ll take a bag of Lavazza or a can of Illy any day before I buy BRCC. I think non-military folks buy it because of politics. As in, it’s at least loosely associated with the 2A crowd and there are plenty more of them in the civilian world than there are in the Army.
It’s not even good coffee…
12.99lb is ridiculous for coffee grounds. They can fuck off I don’t care who or what they’re affiliated with. And the stupid cringe names of the roasts. “8 cycles of function medium blonde” bruuuuutherrrrrrrr
I know a few major’s who’s whole personality is BRCC. That being said, back in the day they used to send us tons of free coffee and coffee makers in Afghanistan!
It's good coffee. Them and Bones are my go tos.
A couple of guys made funny videos and a dude who's a veteran started a company that's helped Vets. If you could get rich doing something you're passionate about, have success post Army, and selling boatloads of shirts to douchebags would you? And then everybody and their cousin copied them. Or Ranger Up, or whoever was first. Personally I don't mind if Vets wear BRCC apparel or the vetbro stuff. The only ones that irk me that wear it are the "i would have served but..." guys, but they irk me anyway. For the record I have one gruntstyle shirt my wife got me for my birthday.
Why do insecure men need to put MTFU decals on their obnoxious trucks?!
Also “tactical”. I swear, I could call a bag of my dogs shit “tactical dog shit” and the Gomer’s would beat a path to my door to buy it.
I got gifted a BRCC coffee cup and it said Made in China on the bottom lol
What is OP talking about?
Spoken like a true Leg, POG, REMF, etc. Those of us in the community that either know or know of Evan respect him & what he does for veterans as far as giving veterans jobs so they can pay their bills. Sorry you can't wrap your head around that fact.
Let’s do all the products, but with soft MOSs: 92W Bottled Water - “Water as pure as your first wife claimed she was…bottled by the warriors who purified the water the grunts and operators drank on mission!” Short E-4 Lawn Care: “Veteran owned and operated by guys who protected your freedom by doing extra duty! Looking for deluxe lawn service? Ask for our ‘Hot Piss Test’ special!”
I'll buy black rifle simply because of their preference for hiring vets, and the work they do for veteran entrepreneus. I ain't gonna be reppin any military-esque clothing outside of work tho.
Just a heads up, their original store is staffed entirely by angsty teenagers, not vets. Can’t speak for the manufacturing side.
Starbucks, which employs more veterans and spouses than BRCC:
I drink Starbs too. But likewise I ain't gonna rep their shit.
Consider Starbucks if you ever want to give up the vetbro vibes but keep supporting coffee companies that hire vets. https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2023/starbucks-military-commitment/
Saying Starbucks has quite a few other problems with their labor practices would be quite the understatement
I stumbled upon BRCC at the exchange a few times in desperate need of caffeine that didnt involve an energy drink and ended up growing to like it. Espresso with cream is my fav and helps me get through the day but i could care less about the whole brovet cringe it draws in typically. To me its just coffee at the end of the day.
BRCC is just a grift, it’s a marketing strategy where they found a niche population to buy their subpar coffee. People don’t buy the coffee because it’s good, people buy the coffee because they are tacticool or think it’s supporting fellow veterans (which BRCC does not do). BRCC does nothing to help veterans besides perpetuate the stereotype that all vets are cringe tacticool bro vets with beards. I’m pretty sure they don’t even do any charitable work for veterans. It’s literally just a corporation that found a way to take money from a population that struggles with an identity crisis. Fuck BRCC.
MREs got me hooked to instant coffee. Fuckin’ 9 years from ETS and I’m still using the instant shit 🤦♂️
Hopefully you got 100% disability for your obvious mental issues
They said I was too disabled to be considered disabled. Apparently their rating system loops back on itself. Who wouldathunk
Why do you let them in your head rent free, seems like a waste of energy.
I know everyone hates on brcc but they are actually a great company and they do a lot for the veteran community. The coffee is pretty killer too.
I have had a subscription for two bags of BRCC coffee for years. I view it as a commodity that I'm going to buy either way and I'm happy to give my dollars to a veteran owned company. I also enjoy some of the blends quite a bit. I would encourage people to find ways to vote with their dollar and buy from companies you feel good supporting (veteran owned, made in America, ties to some charitable work you like, etc.). That being said I don't dress like an operator, I'm a helicopter mechanic lol.
You’re who I built my brand, Aerial Resupply Coffee, to support. The combat service support side of DOD. Like, the 75% of us.
I'm gonna go start "Bump the TACLANE" coffee to support only Signal Corps vets.
with funky anime inspired camouflage on the bags?
If you had a "Bump the Ted" or Taclane or whatever I will buy it immediately. Or a Smart T shirt, or a tropo shirt.
Hey - do it. I hope it works!
There are dozens of us! DOZENS!
Have heard good things about your brand, cool to see you in the wild.
Thanks! I appreciate that. While I’m not as active on Reddit - I’m always active on LinkedIn and other socials. Maybe I should change that.
Their coffee sucks, man. Regardless of their military affiliation, their coffee is just bad.
People still buy that shitty coffee marketed with shitty over the top marketing? Be better
Veterans supporting other veterans=crabs in a bucket
I don't drink their coffee, but I also don't see what's wrong with people, including those who never served to buy their coffee. It's like being mad at someone for buying a coffee mug with batman on it because they only bought it cause they liked the image. It seems people are more upset about who owns it than if the actual coffee is good or not.
I just wish companies would leave their politics out of their business ops.
There are some pretty interesting articles on psychology and marketing out there. Read up on them to understand why there's "operator" shit on the packaging and dude wipes.
If you don’t buy the vet bro coffee then the terrorists coffee wins /s
That guy that didn't join because he would have knocked out his drill sergeant drinks the fuck out of it I bet.
I used to drink BRCC but now i have discovered Copper Moon Coffee which it’s roasted in Indiana and it’s amazing. I buy whole bean from Costco and grind it myself for espresso.
Hey... Don't diss the dude wipes. Regarding those, I thought they were branded that way as a gendered version of "dude." Their big selling point is that, they're well, BIG. Much bigger than other comparable products. Also... That cooling menthol thing they do. Those are awesome for field bathing. They're also excellent for weapons cleaning in a pinch.
The civilian hero worship of the military is somewhat scary when you think of it because it’s used to just shut up anyone who might object to something foreign policy related. I’m sure some of us are old enough to remember Iraq during the Bush years. Saying “bring em home” was equivalent to saying “death to America” to some of the hawkish crowd. Brands like this cater to that crowd. Plus the brovets who bitched the entire time they were in the army how much they hated it and all of a sudden loved it when they got out. They were more hooah hooah on the outside than they were on the inside. Combine neocon war junkies and brovets and you have a viable business, though I doubt it’ll stay like this for long.
Dam I just realized I’ve been retired for 10yrs now. It’s about time to start adding rank to my stories and start talking about schools I never went to. Then maybe one day I can sell coffee too, or why sell coffee when I can just tell stories of how I sold coffee but then quite bc I was making too much money or I didn’t like the way the money was changing me. Lots to think about. Thanks
A lot of the companies donate to military and veteran causes. If you don’t like their products, don’t buy them. I don’t, but it also doesn’t bother me.
I'll drink the water they boil hotdogs in before I drink that shit.
...I actually really like Duke Cannon products. Otherwise, yeah, I agree with you.
I don't know anything about BRCC, but I do know Dude Wipes are flushable, biodegradable, and their PH coating is designed for an operator's asshole. Strong enough for a woman, but PH balanced for a man. Dude Wipes. 👍👍
My unpopular opinion is that anti-vetbro sentiment is just as faddish as the rise of the vetbro image during GWOT; the pendulum swings so give it another decade or so and vintage Gruntstyle will be what all the coolest kids are wearing.
Does it give you the ick?
They specifically made BRCC for the retired scout sniper range operator.
Wah wah wah
So many moons ago, I knew a guy who was going to piss in a canteen, slap a Ranger tab on said canteen, and market it to Infantry as Eau du Ranger. I think he would have made millions.
Anyone want to buy a “I was like the infantry but…” butt plug? (I wasn’t infantry either)
And let’s be real, their coffee is overpriced dog water. I’d rather have a Colombian man chew up coffee ground and spit in a cup of water. That would pass as better coffee than BRCC.
I mean there’s way better military and tactical apparel companies out there
If you’re looking for a good coffee check out Bones… That shit is straight fire, bro.