Kinessa Johnson spent four tours in the U.S. Army as a weapons instructor and mechanic and even served a tour in Afghanistan to protect the world from terrorists. Now, she’s working to protect the world from poachers in East Africa.
Following her military service, Johnson signed up for the Veterans Empowered to Protect African Wildlife (VETPAW) to help with their anti-poaching efforts to protect endangered animals from becoming extinct.
VETPAW is a nonprofit organization that uses post 9-11 U.S. veterans who have combat skills and are tasked with training Park Rangers to combat poaching on the ground in Africa. Their specialize counterinsurgency training allows train park rangers on how to identify, track, and arrest poachers and their leaders.
“We work side by side with park rangers and it’s truly a learning experience for not only park rangers but also our team,” Johnson told Alive 11. “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.”
Though the tattooed veteran from Washington often sports a gun while on the job, she says her job is to prevent a trigger from being pulled.
“I’m a technical adviser to anti-poaching rangers so I patrol routinely with them and also assist in intelligence operations,” she said. “Most of the item anyone that is in a reserve with a weapon is considered a threat and can be shot if rangers feel threatened. Our goal is to prevent trigger pulling through strategic movements and methods of prevention.”
She is not, by any means, a “poacher hunter.”
A photo of Johnson holding her giant gun went viral on the internet and caused some quite a stir from admirers like Ricky Gervais as well as the “haters,” but Johnson says it’s just part of the job.
“Find something you’re good at and think of a way you can benefit an organization assisting to protect and conserve wildlife,” she said.
Johnson says that there is less poaching activity when it is known that VETPAW is around.
Follow @VETPAW Army Veterans who protect African Wildlife from poachers. pic.twitter.com/7gXxNhAjDo
— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) April 15, 2015
“That’s why we have to be strategic,” she says. “Intel plays a huge role in what we do.”
Johnson says her job with VETPAW is just as important as her role in the U.S. military.
“Imagine one of your community’s most cherished assets disappearing forever,” she explains. “It impacts everything.”
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