My name is Matthew Alter, and service has shaped every chapter of my life.
I spent more than two decades in the United States Air Force, serving first as an enlisted Loadmaster and later earning a commission to serve as an officer and Special Agent. My wife, Amber, also proudly served and retired from the United States Air Force. Service has been a defining part of our family, and we understand firsthand both the rewards of military life and the challenges that can come after it.
The military gave me purpose, discipline, structure, and a mission larger than myself. But like many veterans, I learned that transitioning out of uniform can be one of the hardest missions of all.
When I retired in 2016, I quickly realized that leaving the military and learning how to truly live outside of it were two different things. It took me about a year to start finding my footing and understanding who I was beyond the uniform.
During that time, one of the greatest blessings in my life was being present for my family. Amber and I were able to focus on our children, and I had the opportunity to coach their sports teams, attend games, support them at tournaments, and be there for moments that military life often makes difficult to fully enjoy. That season gave me perspective and reminded me what mattered most.
Like many veterans, I also worked to find a new professional identity. Over the next several years, I explored different paths and roles, including substitute teaching, private investigations, roofing sales, and solar sales. Each step taught me something, but the process was not easy. Reintegration is rarely a straight line. For me, it was a six-year journey of growth, uncertainty, and learning how to build a new mission.
Along the way, the ocean became part of the answer.
Scuba diving gave me something I did not realize I was searching for: peace, focus, challenge, and community. Underwater, the noise fades. You are present, accountable, and connected to the world around you. Diving became more than recreation. It became healing.
That journey eventually led me to the WAVES Project, where I witnessed firsthand how adaptive diving, mentorship, and shared experiences can transform lives. I saw veterans reconnect with confidence, purpose, and each other. I also saw what becomes possible when people are given opportunity instead of limitation.
Those experiences inspired me to build 4VALOR.
4VALOR was founded to help veterans navigate life after service through mentorship, recreation, and meaningful community engagement. We believe healing does not always begin in a clinic. Sometimes it begins on a dive boat, on a hiking trail, in a gym, over coffee, or simply beside someone who understands.
Amber and I know what it feels like to serve, to transition, and to rebuild purpose in a new season of life. We also know how powerful it is when someone reaches back to help the next person forward.
That is why 4VALOR exists.
Welcome to the mission.
