Dustin “Cane” Canestorp

Experience

I am the Founder and Co-Founder of multiple businesses like Beer Army®, a nonprofit called Bravo Alpha® Foundation and life-long challenge seeker who has completed adventure races up to 225 miles in length, in extreme tropical heat eclipsing 115 degrees Fahrenheit (°F) and sub-zero temperatures plummeting past -20°F. I am also an avid beer enthusiast and Veteran who retired from the Marine Corps after 20 years of service in 2014.

I have lived and deployed to various foreign countries on 5 different continents on this rock we call earth in some of the most austere conditions known to human kind. I have multiple combat tours in Afghanistan, Iraq along with the wounds and scars that come with it.

Subject Matter Proficiency

My life experiences combine to provide me with a unique ability to communicate with your personnel or students on a wide range of topics including:

  • Team Building

  • Positive Thinking

  • Change Acceptance

  • Individual & Organizational Motivation

  • Post Traumatic Stress

  • Survivors Guilt

  • Suicide Awareness/Prevention

  • Moral Atonement Disruption

I am also open to discussing the creation of a special presentation designed to meet you and your organization's specific needs.

MILITARY CAREER

BACKGROUND

  • I enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in October 1994 with subsequent tours including Japan, Korea and Camp Pendleton, California.

  • In May 1998, I graduated from Park University while on active duty with a Bachelor of Science degree and I was accepted into the Meritorious Commissioning Program.

  • I completed Officer Candidate School in April of 1999, receiving a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant and officially became a Marine "Mustang" (a prior enlisted officer).

  • I reported in September 2000 to my first assignment as a Marine officer with 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines (3/6), Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. While at 3/6 I was promoted to 1st Lieutenant, deployed as Battalion Landing Team 3/6 as part of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), trained organically and with foreign militaries in Albania and Egypt, deployed as Task Force 58 which were the first forces into Afghanistan as part of Operation Swift Freedom* in response to the September 11th terrorist attacks and 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (Anti-Terrorism) which evolved into today’s Marine Special Operations Command. (*Operation Swift Freedom is the longest amphibious landing in military/human history, going over 700 miles from ship, to shore, to seizing key objectives in Afghanistan like Kandahar Airfield, re-opening the US Embassy in Kabul, etc.)

  • I was promoted to Captain shortly after returning from Afghanistan and executed orders to the National Capital Region in Northern Virginia in 2002. In May 2005, I graduated from Capitol Technology University while on active duty with a double Masters of Science degrees and subsequently attended Expeditionary Warfare School in Quantico, VA and graduated the following year in May.

  • In May 2006, I executed orders back to the Fleet Marine Force. Within months of my arrival, I received follow on orders and served as a Combat Advisor to the 1st Iraqi Army Division. For an entire year my team operated in the heart of what is called the "Sunni Triangle" and what Time Magazine referred to as the most deadliest place to be in the world that year.

  • In June 2008, I received orders and reported for duty as the Director for Marine Corps Water Survival School and was promoted to Major the following year in April. Major Canestorp or Major Cane as everyone called me due to the difficulties of pronouncing my last name, was responsible for ALL water survival instruction in the Marine Corps. During my tenure, I rewrote the Marine Corps Order on water survival and put into place an entirely new water survival program. I also deployed to Columbia, South America to advise the Columbian Marine Corps in the implementation of its own organic water survival program.

PERSONAL AWARDS

  • Meritorious Service Medal

  • Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal with the “V” combat distinguishing device* and two gold stars in lieu of third award (*distinguishes an award for heroism or valor in combat)

  • Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal

  • Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal

  • Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal

  • Combat Action Ribbon with gold star in lieu of second award

Professional Associations

  • Lifetime member of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV)

  • Member of the Marine Corps Mustang Association (MCMA)

  • Member of the Navy League - Coastal Carolina Council

  • Member of the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA)

  • Member of the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI)

  • Member of the Marine UltraRunners Club of America (MURCA)

  • Member of the Eastern Surf Association (ESA)

  • Member of the United States Parachuting Association (USPA)

Adventurist

  1. 2021 - Competed in a 225 mile adventure race between Virginia and North Carolina over 3 days in interesting weather that some would call unhospitable. It was a combination of rain, heavy winds and cold temps. I ended up placing 2nd overall in the men’s division

  2. 2020 Operation Run For Their Lives - Delta Lima Campaign. On 10 Nov 2020 at 0800 and ending at 1800 on 11 Nov 2020, Veterans Day, I started pulling a sled carrying a wooden coffin weighing 31.2 pounds which represented the number of Veterans killing themselves everyday. I ran a total of 75.18 miles.

  3. 2019 Operation Run For Their Lives 9-11 Campaign. On 11 Sep 2019 at 9:11 AM, I started running on a treadmill for the next 9 Hrs 11 Mins. I ran a total of 44 miles.

  4. 2016 - Established the Centurion Challenge and completed it in 51 Hrs 27 Mins 21 Secs - 162 Days overall.

  5. UltraSignup is considered a standard when it comes to managing, tracking and recording long distance running and racing. You can see the majority of adventure races I've completed and failed on my UltraSignup Profile.

  6. Fastest Know Time (FKT) is the standard when it comes to managing, tracking and recording world records on trails of various distances. You can see the complete list of my FKTs on my FKT Profile.

  7. Strava - You can follow my daily activities on Strava which is an online human performance and tracking platform.