What an honor of mine has it has been for me to meet Mr. Jeep Sullivan! Initially, I was invited to go on a turkey hunt with about 20 of my fellow 7th SFG(A) Alumni. However, upon receiving the invitation I was asked if I knew of any other veteran that would be interested in the fellowship and camaraderie.
Immediately I thought of my fellow co-worker and before you knew, we were off hunting turkeys just outside of Jackson, MS.
During this two-day event, I was able to catch up and reconnect with several of my friends from previous units. Although I’d been working within the SOF Community, I hadn’t seen many people from my Regiment simply due to proximity and timing. Seeing most of the guys kill turkeys was a blast.
However, the most impactful event was a deeply spiritual fire-side gathering shared by all. Each veteran present shared the floor and memorialized a Veteran no longer with us. Since the GWOT started up until the present day, I’ve seen several outfitting shows take many truly deserving Veterans on hunts.
Never did I think I’d be invited to participate in a destination hunt as a guest. Jeep has delivered sermons in traditional places of worship. Today, his ministry allows him to reach souls that may have never entered the church doors. If you want to know Jeep’s “why,” he’ll gladly tell you with zero hesitation, that he started his outdoor ministry as a tribute to honor his father-in-law, who was a Marine.
Participating in Jeep Sullivan’s Outdoor Adventures provides me a way to disconnect from technology and re-center my core. Whether I ever harvest an animal or not, being able to spend 48 to 96 hours in the mountains or timber is the hard rest my neurogenic system needs at times. I can not express enough what it’s meant to be apart of Jeep’s extended family. V/R Veteran Angelo