Small business ownership offers opportunities

  • Published
  • By Chris McCann
  • JBER PAO
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  Transitioning out of the military is tough, and the longer you've been in the tougher it gets.

There's a whole new life to plan for, and while it can feel liberating, it can also be scary. For a wounded warrior, there are additional worries - not the least of which is a job "on the outside."

One option is to start a small business.

Air Force Master Sgt. Kevin McDonald, an anti-terrorism specialist with the 673d Security Forces Squadron, is transitioning out of the Air Force after being wounded in Afghanistan.

He has been building up a business using his passion for the art of taxidermy since his last duty station at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., and has been passing on not only taxidermy skills but encouragement to other wounded warriors.

"I want to let them know we're still productive members of society. We can't let injuries hold us back," McDonald said. "I've been there, I've been messed up - and here I am, making something. Find something you enjoy, and it can occupy your time so you're not thinking about the past."

McDonald was part of a scheduled block of training held March 10 by the Soldier and Family Assistance Program which offered wounded warriors a forum to talk with small-business owners and a representative from the Alaska Small Business Development Council.

Jessica Gahan, who runs Bait 'Em 907, started her bear-bait business in 2008 after her child had a traumatic brain injury and she was unable to work outside the home.

Gahan spoke to the gathered service members and spouses about the struggles she faced and the work she does with and for wounded veterans, donating bear bait and sponsoring hunts.

"It's about finding that smile again, after you've lost it for so long," Gahan wrote on her business' website. "The best part is being able to pay it forward."

McDonald also hosted a clinic at the Warrior Transition Unit building on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, at which he brought a whole bear and showed the gathered veterans how to skin it for taxidermy.

Sgt. Jason Turner of Company A, Warrior Transition Battalion, an avid outdoorsman and hunter, went to the clinic in anticipation of an upcoming hunt.

Although Turner doesn't plan to become a taxidermist himself, he said the class offered good skills that will come in useful for him.

"I'm going on a 20-day bear hunt next month, so obviously it's a great skill to come and learn about - (I got) some fine tips on skinning a bear, little things I need to know so I don't mess up on my bear and it's in good shape when I take it to the taxidermist."
McDonald said he is only too happy to share his knowledge.

"I guess I was blessed with a talent," he said, "And who better to share it with than other wounded warriors transitioning out of the military?"

"Being able to start a business, working your own hours, fulfilling your passion - that's priceless."