Emily Nunez and her sister have led military lives since birth.

Inspired by her father and uncle, Emily became a U.S. Army 1st Lieutenant in Fort Carson, Colorado. Another of her passions is the new company she co-founded with her sister Becky.

While attending a social entrepreneurship event as a senior in college, Emily realized that there were tons of surplus military gear being routinely thrown away that could be recycled into something reusable. She came up with the idea of turning tents, sleeping bags and parachutes into messenger bags.

The Sword & Plough, named for the biblical passage about turning swords into plough shares, is a win-win-win mission. Not only does the manufacturer divert tons of waste, they also give jobs to veterans. Every piece is made in America machine sewn by veterans or companies owned by veterans.

Because their bags are made from repurposed military gear, they are also water, fire and UV resistant. See their products at swordandplough.com.

(WATCH the video below)

Story tip from Joel Arellano