March 17, 2026 (Cape Cod, MA) – Heroes In Transition (HIT) is excited to welcome Owen Earl of Bourne, as its new Veteran Outreach Coordinator. Earl, who joined the Coast Guard in 2002 and will be retiring in June, started his full-time position at the beginning of this month.

“Because of how HIT has helped me on my path and journey to healing, I realize there are so many others who need the same support,” said Earl. “I want to be able to help others on their journeys as well. I think they all deserve it. For all the sacrifices they have made in their lives, they have earned the right to have a good, peaceful life.”

“Owen brings a contagious energy, enthusiasm, and passion for our work and for supporting his fellow veterans, service members, and their loved ones,” said HIT Executive Director Silene Gordon. “His military service and understanding of the need to assist those who are serving and have served our country makes him a perfect fit for this role. We look forward to Owen helping HIT expand our impact so we are able to serve more individuals in our community.”

In his capacity, Earl will be responsible for expanding HIT’s relationships and outreach with service members and veterans in the region. In doing so, he will use his experience and familiarity with HIT to help our military community navigate the various resources that are available through HIT, including its 15 individual programs. These programs are focused on building community, serving as a pathway to healing, and empowering individuals to move forward with their lives in a positive manner.

Last year, HIT assisted just over 2,300 individuals through its programs for veterans, service members, military couples, military spouses, and military families.

Among HIT’s services for veterans and service members are its equine therapy program; FIRM (Fitness In Real Motion), a physical fitness program; REBOOT and REGROUP, a health, wellness, and mindfulness program; Searching for Meaning which helps individuals develop a belief paradigm through the challenges and trauma they have endured due to military service; regular social outings held throughout the year; and direct financial assistance.

Since moving to Cape Cod with his wife April in 2023, Earl has benefited from several of HIT’s programs, including Searching for Meaning, REGROUP, FIRM, and social outings. He has also attended several events for military couples and military families.

“Having an organization like HIT on the Cape, they are bridging the gap to get military spouses, couples, and families out more and doing things where they get to spend quality time together,” Earl said. “This makes them feel more comfortable in the community, especially if their significant other is deployed and the spouse is alone. They can come to a HIT event with their family, not feel alone, and not be waiting at home counting the seconds on the clock until their spouse comes back from deployment.”

Earl, who grew up in West Milford, New Jersey, enlisted right after he graduated high school. He has been stationed throughout the country, including assignments in Oregon Inlet, North Carolina; Miami, Florida; Depoe Bay, Oregon; and onboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Farallon in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

He met April in 2014 while assigned to the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Wire in Saugerties, New York. The couple, who have four children, married in 2017.

In little more than two months, he will be retiring as a Chief Warrant Officer 3. “I loved the adventure, the opportunity to serve, and being able to travel all over the country and parts of the world,” said Earl about his career in the Coast Guard. “Some missions were very tough, but they were all incredibly rewarding, especially being in the service where you felt like you were making a difference and finding ways to help the country, whether it was saving lives or protecting our homeland. It always offered something new, different, and unique.”

He was eager to serve in a new way through his role at HIT, especially for those who may be facing significant life transitions like he is now. “HIT helped me as I started to look at the other side of being out of the military,” he said. “I was able to learn from others and understand what I needed to be the best father, husband, and overall person I could be once I left the service.”

To learn more about HIT’s Programs which are free and open to service members, veterans, military couples, military spouses, and military families, click this link.