FRAUD OR FEMALE HERO? Former Navy SEAL Blasts Hype Surrounding Female ‘Poacher Hunter’

Interesting dilemma. What do you think of Army veteran Kinessa Johnson’s claims. What about what her critics say? Is she doing a good thing or getting in the way of those doing good things? Read on and make your own decision.

BY KATIE LAPOTIN
IJReview

An Army veteran from Western Washington has moved on from fighting the enemy on the battlefields in the Afghan desert to allegedly hunting animal poachers in the jungles of East Africa.

Kinessa Johnson now spends her days looking out for the safety of endangered species frequently hunted by poachers. She has caused an Internet sensation with evocative imagery of being an elite soldier out to protect helpless animals against poachers.

One ex-Navy SEAL isn’t exactly a fan of the routine, as can be told from his recent posts. WarriorScout.com reported on former Navy SEAL Craig “Sawman” Sawyer taking Johnson to task in a Facebook post:

WHAT?? “Poacher Hunter”? Really? While on one hand, this girl publicly admits to only being experienced as an Army motorpool mechanic, on the other hand, she’s giving interviews bragging about “doing anti-poaching” and “killing bad guys” in Africa. Why the compete contradiction? Why not just say what you are and work with that in an open and honest way?

Warrior Scout points out that Sawyer is a tactical trainer and consultant for the TV shows “Top Shot” and “Rhino Wars.” A Facebook post from Sawyer highlights his expertise is in this field:

A former anti-poaching team leader himself, Sawyer blasted the image campaign surrounding Johnson:

Look behind the facade. The actual counter-poachers in Africa are asking her and VETPAW to STOP the damage they’re doing to the real cause with such a self-serving and exaggerated campaign! It’s making a mockery of those actually fighting for the cause and is putting the animals and their defenders in jeopardy.

If people only understand one thing, that needs to be it.

Watch for what the most respected and dedicated counter-poaching names in all of Africa have to say on it, which is, “Please STOP the flamboyant buffoonery!”

Here’s an additional article that recently popped up: http://www.ijreview.com/…/289464-inspiring-story-army-vet-…/

Sawyer writes:

Here’s the problem with fraud:

Bravado from models bragging about “killing bad guys” in Africa is harming the actual counter-poaching cause! I’m getting bombed with emails from GOOD MEN who actually do the REAL thing, the biggest and most respected names in counter-poaching across Africa, telling me this recent brand of cheap “Ramboism” is crippling their ability to do their jobs.

All a publicity stunt like that does is cause the African politicians to make counter-poaching even MORE restrictive to avoid liability from such cowboys, or cowgirls! Please help pass the word to STOP the fumbling damage against the cause by fake ads and cheap gimmicks!

Too many Americans have shown their BS meters are COMPLETELY broken and just don’t get it. They think any awareness is good, but that’s only true in entertainment, NOT real-world operations where legitimacy and discretion are crucial. Please help those people out, It’s not about sexism, or jealously, or racism, or anything else. It’s about saving the animals and such cheap BS is harming the cause! Please share this!

According to KING-TV, Kinessa Johnson served four years in the Army as a weapons instructor and mechanic, including one tour abroad in Afghanistan. Last November, Johnson decided to join the Veterans Empowered to Protect African Wildlife (VETPAW) program as an anti-poaching advisor:

“VETPAW was searching for a female to train female park rangers so I applied and was selected.”

VETPAW is a nonprofit organization that works to help end the African wildlife poaching crisis by having skilled U.S. veterans help train park rangers and provide support for their communities.

The organization was founded by a former Marine Corp officer who wanted to help endangered wildlife, and thought that post-9/11 veterans might be perfect for the job:

About her colleagues at VETPAW, Johnson said:
“We work side by side with park rangers and it’s truly a learning experience for not only park rangers but also our team. Our intention is not to harm anyone; we’re here to train park rangers so they can track and detain poachers and ultimately prevent poaching.”

When a photo of Johnson holding a weapon made the rounds online and via social media, both supporters and opponents of Johnson’s project came out of the woodwork. She considers it to just be part of the mission:

And she remains focused on inspiring others, too:

“Find something you’re good at and think of a way you can benefit … “ Keep Reading the Rest at: ‘Here’s the Problem with Fraud’: Former Navy SEAL Blasts Hype Surrounding Female ‘Poacher Hunter’

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