Meet the Founder
Dave Balsamo brings nearly three decades of experience across law enforcement and reserve military service. Throughout his career, he faced deadly force encounters, traumatic investigations, personal loss of colleagues, and the demands placed on those who spend their lives protecting others.
After surviving a widowmaker heart attack on the job, Dave took a much needed pause to confront the difficult truth that those who serve often carry more than anyone sees, and too many lose themselves along the way. That second chance led him to found Tactical Reset, helping first responders, military members, veterans, and their families address the personal cost of service and move forward with renewed purpose.
Dave also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and a Master of Arts in Public Policy from Liberty University. He is currently wrapping up a second master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at William & Mary.
“We signed up to serve, but we never signed up to lose ourselves in the process.”
I survived a widowmaker heart attack at work. In a matter of minutes, I went from being the person trained to respond to emergencies to the person whose life depended on others. The transition from protector to patient forced me to stop, reassess, and begin a personal reset.
My career taught me to stay composed, solve problems, and keep moving. Recovery required a different form of strength. I had to accept help, speak honestly about fear and exhaustion, and recognize the limits of carrying everything alone.
Years of cumulative trauma, moral injury, organizational stress, and emotional exhaustion do not stay at work. Service-related stress affected my family and followed me home. As a husband and father, I learned how silence and disconnection place weight on the people closest to us.
My Christian faith became central to my recovery. Faith gave me a foundation for facing uncertainty, rebuilding my identity, and understanding purpose beyond a badge, rank, title, or assignment.
Tactical Reset grew from my experience as a service member, law-enforcement officer, patient, husband, father, and student. I created it to give those who serve, their families, churches, and organizations practical education, peer-informed support, and a faith-centered path forward.
My goal is to help people understand the weight they carry, reconnect with their faith and families, and pursue a renewed purpose without losing themselves in the process.
Service and experience
