The battle doesn’t end when you come home.
- @kniestedtfoundation
What began as one man’s vision to help the community around him has blossomed into a foundation committed to helping our nation’s heroes recognize and achieve their full potential as they return to civilian life. James Kniestedt, a Veteran of United States Army Special Forces, has gone through intense combat and has seen the sacrifice of our brave service men and women. Forced to retire due to combat related injuries, he has dedicated a large portion of his time to those who have and are currently serving our nation and their families overcome the challenges of everyday life.
Jim is a Veteran of United States Army Special Forces and founder of the Kniestedt Foundation. After being medically retired from the Army, Jim experienced many of the same seen and unseen challenges faced by fellow Veterans returning home from combat. Recognizing the healing power of the outdoors through his own journey, he founded the Kniestedt Foundation in April 2016 to provide Veterans with opportunities to reconnect, recover, and build lasting relationships through outdoor experiences. Jim is also the President and CEO of Gravick Group, a privately-held company that offers a suite of consulting and training programs, executive level risk mitigation training, tactical training, executive protection training, and solutions to both public and private sector.
USMC Veteran – Perryville, Missouri
Mark joined us on a turkey hunt back in 2022 and since becoming an alumni he has jumped at opportunities to assist with events in Colorado, Missouri and Wisconsin. He’s been a huge help lending a hand wherever he can, but most importantly making a connection with the Veterans on the events. Mark’s been there for a lot of good memories so far and we are looking for many more to come.
USMC Veteran – Conway, Arkansas
We first met Travis in 2021 and were immediately impressed by his genuine desire to serve his fellow brothers and sisters in the Veteran community. Since becoming a Kniestedt Foundation alum, Travis has been instrumental in annual Wisconsin Bear and Wyoming Pronghorn hunts. His versatility and willingness to serve wherever needed have made him an invaluable asset.
USMC Veteran – Perryville, Missouri
Joe has been helping out with Kniestedt Foundation events since the very first one in San Isidro, TX back in 2016. He’s filmed, guided turkey hunts, and been an extremely valuable piece on countless Wyoming hunts. Over the years his dedication to getting fellow Veterans outdoors has been a real inspiration to us and so many others.