The transition from soldier to veteran is a delicate time for most who have served in the Armed Forces. Being on the battle lines can understandably change who a person is, and adjusting to civilian life can be a challenge. Yet some ex-soldiers are taking that challenge and flipping it on its head. Instead of fighting a war, these heroic vets are utilizing their training and experience to fight for causes they believe in.
Take for instance Noah Galloway, who lost both his left arm and leg from a roadside bomb during his service in Iraq, but now he’s fighting society’s perceptions of handicapped individuals and their capabilities.
Kinessa Johnson, a former Army veteran who spent four years in Afghanistan, is also using her training to stand up for a cause she is passionate about — wildlife preservation.
Kinessa’s new mission is in Tanzania, where she is working as an anti-poaching advisor for Veterans Empowered To Protect African Wildlife (VETPAW). The nonprofit organization recruits U.S. veterans to help preserve and protect African wildlife from illegal poaching.
After you learn more about Kinessa's story, please SHARE if you are as impressed with her as we are!
Kinessa says that she would have been a marine biologist if she'd never enlisted because she loves animals and had a strong desire to protect endangered species.
Africa, which is the frontline for endangered species, is also home to the world’s largest area for poaching.
A lot of the revenue from the poached animals is used to fuel war throughout Africa. Yet not all poachers kill for this particular reason.
“Many of them are uneducated and greedy with no genuine care for the wellbeing of their community,” said Kinessa on Reddit. “But some are just trying to get funding to provide for their families. It's tough, but I try not to generalize poachers.”
According to Kinessa, the African park rangers are in desperate need of their help. “They lost about 187 guys last year over trying to save rhinos and elephants,” she said.
Kinessa, along with a team of other VETPAW veterans, provides training for rangers in marksmanship, counter-intelligence, and field medicine. They also fight side-by-side with them.
Kinessa is aware that being perceived as professional poacher hunter sounds like it’s straight out of an action movie, but warns, “My job title is not ‘poacher hunter.’ I'm a technical advisor to anti-poaching rangers.”
“Anti-poaching may sound fun but there's a lot more that goes on than just going and hunting down poachers.”
She also asserts that, “We don’t operate with the intent to kill anyone.”
Kinessa with her team in Africa.
Though she seems fearless, she has had a few life-threatening experiences. “I got caught between two unhappy lionesses today,” she admitted on Reddit.
Yet she truly feels like the wildlife she protects is grateful for what she does: “Animals definitely know the difference between rangers and poachers. [It’s] sweet.”
And what’s Kinessa’s favorite animal to protect? “Elephants are badass!” she admits.
She believes that enforcing anti-poaching laws and educating locals is imperative in order to stop illegal poaching. But what can the average person do to help?
Kinessa with her team.
“Spreading the word about direct action anti-poaching organizations like VETPAW, IAPF and PAMS Foundation are key.”
You can help Kinessa and her team by donating to VETPAW.
To learn more about Kinessa and VETPAW, watch the video below, which mentions the filming of her mission for a Discovery Channel show (be warned, there is explicit language in this video).
Please SHARE their mission and help stop illegal poaching!
These stories are based on posts found on Reddit. Reddit is a user-generated social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website where registered members submit content to the site and can up- or down-vote the content. The accuracy and authenticity of each story cannot be confirmed by our staff.
