Travis Gribble grew up in Michigan where he could usually be found on a football field or baseball field. A prominent role model for him as a teenager was a police officer who lived nearby. It was only natural that it became his goal to become a police officer after this strong influence. After receiving his degree in Criminal Justice and graduating from the police academy, he became a police officer in 1996. His dedication to the profession became a way of life for him and his chosen speciality was SWAT, which he remained committed to for his entire 24 year career. As for so many in the law enforcement profession, the difficult days were never talked about, as it was thought to be a weakness if you did. Unfortunately, he, like many others, turned to unhealthy coping mechanisms, slowly destroying the person he once was.
He worked as a Deputy and Deputy Sergeant in Michigan for a smaller agency for the first part of his career, but always had a dream of working for a large city. In 2008 he pursued that dream and moved across the country to work for the Mesa Police Department in Arizona, going from a 20 person agency to a 900 person agency. As his speciality in Michigan was SWAT, so was it in Arizona, making it on to the full time SWAT team. Everything was going great professionally, but personally he was not well and refused to ask for help, because the culture was not supportive of doing so. Whether not being the father or husband he vowed to be, dealing with depression, having unexplained rage, abusing alcohol, or having suicidal ideations, his mind was crushing him.
In March of 2021, he was the Team Leader on a Hostage Rescue call that did not go well, and two of the three hostages did not survive. This night was a hard breaking point for him and it ended up being the last call of his career, ultimately retiring about a year later. He went through intense therapy and even though things were “better”, many days were still filled with undeniable depression and anger. In 2024 he attended a Warrior PATHH program with other first responders, after being introduced to a Boulder Crest employee. This training was the missing link, teaching him how to take control of his life, in ways never presented to him before. Finally, he had truly gained a new perspective of all the trauma he experienced, both personally and professionally. He began to thrive in life again and no longer lived under a diagnosis that had been given to him. While struggles still present themselves, his commitment to the practices and mindset give him a roadmap for success.
In October of 2024 Travis became a contractor for Boulder Crest and in November of 2025 he became a full time PATHH Guide for Boulder Crest. He lives in Winchester, VA with his wife Emily, his dog Gus, and has two adult sons who live in Arizona. He enjoys the outdoors, cooking, reading, and shoots pistol and rifle competitively.
