‘Sip to Remember’: How Four Veterans Blend Bourbon With Military Sacrifice

From left to right are the Four Branches Bourbon founders RJ Casey (Special Forces) , Mike Trott (Air Force) , Rick Franco (Marine Corp) and Harold Underdown (Navy). (Four Branches Bourbon) Military.com | By Nick Mordowanec Published March 18, 2026 at 11:14am ET Rick Franco has worn many hats throughout his military career. But the loss of a once close friend catapulted him and three service member buddies to a new venture: making bourbon.

Franco, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, along with his friends RJ Casey (Special Forces), Mike Trott (Air Force) and Harold Underdown (Navy), started Four Branches Bourbon to provide active-duty service members and veterans with a product rooted in patriotism, friendship, service and entrepreneurship.

The brand, which launched in 2023 and has since helped raise more than $500,000 for veteran causes, has an emphasized impact on Franco. His post-service life harkens back to his early military days, namely one specific individual who changed Franco’s life in more ways than one.

He enlisted in the Marines and the Reserves in 1993, later commissioned as an infantry officer in 1995.

He got off active duty in 2002 and then out of the Reserves around 2005 before he began contracting for the CIA. For the past approximately 20 years, he’s had his hand in different ventures.

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Source: Military.com
Website: www.military.com