Melissa Kithas is the Executive Director of the Airpower Foundation. She leads programs and partnerships focused on honoring, supporting, and empowering military service members, veterans, and their families through innovative solutions, strategic collaborations, and meaningful community engagement. A passionate advocate for veterans, military families, and those who serve, Melissa is dedicated to creating meaningful experiences that unite communities and ensure the sacrifices of our nation’s heroes are honored and never forgotten.

Through her leadership, Airpower Foundation thrives. Airpower provides a number of services for veterans and their families, including providing service dogs for veterans, equine-assisted therapy, and offering programs that help veterans successfully transition from military service to meaningful civilian careers. They do this by providing access to career development resources, professional training, mentorship, and employment opportunities:

• Veteran Workforce Development Program
  The Airpower Foundation Veteran Workforce Development Program in collaboration with the Four Sixes Ranch, Pitchfork Ranch, Lazy E Arena, Lazy E Ranch, Reliance Ranches, Texas A&M Agrilife Extension, and the Texas Veterans Commission to be able to place Veterans with meaningful employment at Ranches and Farms across the nation. Veterans take skills they learned in the military and are empowered by the ability to apply them into their new chapter. These Veterans will have served our country by protecting her citizens and continue their service by feeding them.
• Service Dog Program
  The Airpower Foundation’s Service Dog program is partnered with Hiatus K9 to train and place certified service dogs with Veterans. Our focus is on trained Service dogs that provide life-changing physical and psychological benefits for veterans, including significantly reduced PTSD symptom severity, lower anxiety and depression, fewer nightmares, and enhanced daily independence. These working dogs help Veterans show up every day for themselves and for their families.
• The Airpower Foundation’s Equine Therapy and Retreat Program
  The Airpower Foundation is partnering with Rush Creek Sanctuary and Retreat Center to provide Veterans and their families with a mental health retreat that is focused on healing, support, and empowerment through equine therapy. There will be individual therapy for Veterans coping with Post Traumatic Stress, Traumatic Brain Injury, and more. Couples and family therapy for Veteran marriages to make sure that there is whole family healing, bonding, and growth. Equine therapy offers veterans a powerful, hands-on way to reduce PTSD symptoms, lower anxiety, and build emotional regulation. By interacting with horses—which are sensitive animals that mirror human moods—veterans learn real-time mindfulness, rebuild trust, and improve communication without the pressure of traditional talk therapy.