Service to our country is a way of life for Jason, who served two years of combat duty in Iraq and deployed as a military contractor in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition, hunting and fishing were ingrained in him at a very young age. His stepfather started taking him hunting when he was six, and he enjoyed squirrel hunting with his .410 Pardner. As Jason grew up, he got a 20 gauge Remington youth shotgun for Christmas, and spent many happy hours in the field pursuing his passion for hunting, and learned to enjoy the sport.
Upon return to civilian life, Jason used the beauty and peace of outdoor recreation to balance the rigors faced while in service to our country. “Being out in nature is a huge thing for me, and when I heard about the group pheasant hunt for veterans, I wanted to participate.”
On a cold and misty Saturday morning, Jason and thirteen other veterans arrived in west-central Wisconsin for a group pheasant hunt headed up by Darrell Kauth, USSA’s veteran coordinator. Jason partnered with Brandon, an air force veteran and combat veteran, for what promised to be a fantastic hunt.
Jason said, “Brandon and I were hunting next to each other, and we did not let any birds getaway, and we took pride in that! Just being able to shoot my first bird and knock him down and have it fall right in front of me was cool. I took a picture of me holding it and sent it to my 2-year-old son. I called him out in the field when I shot it, and Jackson said, “Daddy got a bird!” 
“I plan to take my son hunting when he gets older. I want him to grow up in that same nature that I grew up in and be able to experience the beauty that God has given us on earth, and also to be able to reap the bounty of what God has given us.”
“It’s easy to hunt and communicate with the other veterans, and connecting with them is essential. Our stories are different, but aside from that, we are all veterans, and we all made that sacrifice to serve our country.”
Much gratitude to Darrell and USSA’s volunteers for their hard work and dedication to serving those who served for us! Congratulations to the veterans on their successful hunts and the delicious game birds they will enjoy with their families! Thank you for your service! God bless!