In February of this year I had the privilege to follow a few hunters around an Eastern North Carolina marsh in the pre-dawn hours in search of waterfowl with camera in hand. I was invited to participate in a program called the Armed Forces Initiative through the Fort Bragg chapter of the Backcountry Hunters and Anglers conservation organization. This even was one part waterfowl hunt and one part a clinic for new hunters on the ins and outs of waterfowl hunting. Having never really hunted outside of the rogue squirrel hunt and failed deer hunt as a kid this was all new territory for me. Since I love the outdoors and conservation I thought this was a good opportunity to get my feet wet so to speak. The calibre of people I met at this event was second to none. Some truly great American heroes were among those in attendance. The Armed Forces Initiative aims to get more veterans and military personnel engaged in the outdoors and offers the training and mentorship to make sure it’s done right. Backcountry Hunters and Anglers does a great job raising awareness for conservation issues and mobilizing their base to put their money where their mouth is, so to speak, to assure public lands stay public for future generations. Two of my photos from that event in February made their way into the Fall 2021 “Backcountry Journal", a publication through Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. I couldn’t be more stoked!