TASF: Steelheader.net- Steelhead, Salmon and trout fishing

Alaska e-Post online

Anglers, businessmen get Soldiers hooked on fishing

John Pennell
Fort Richardson PAO

Spc. Brad Urban empties water from his hip boot after stepping in a little too deep.With the rapid pace of operations since the start of the Global War on Terrorism, many Soldiers assigned to Alaska spend the majority of their time training or deployed. They don’t always get a chance to enjoy activities most Alaskans take for granted – like fishing.

But thanks to a few local anglers and businessmen, the opportunities are slowly growing; not only in number, but also in affordability.

In one such case, five single Soldiers were treated to a day of guided salmon fishing Aug. 5 on the Little Susitna River by Fisherman’s Choice Charters in conjunction with Fort Richardson’s Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers program.

While the trip happened because of dedicated volunteer work, it had its genesis with a program conceived by a dedicated Soldier-fisherman in Texas – Staff Sgt. Mike Nashif, Headquarters Service Battery, 2nd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, at Fort Hood.

The program is a nationwide department of Combat Warrior Crisis Network, an official Affiliate Subordinate Ministry legally operating under the group exemption of Chaplain Fellowship Ministries International Inc., a legally incorporated 501 (c) 3 Federal Tax Exempt Non-Profit Public Charity.

The Alaska trip, one of several Fisherman’s Choice and other individual anglers have offered, started when Nashif introduced his TASF program to state anglers via the Internet and the Alaska Outdoors Directory’s Alaska Fishing Forum located at forums.outdoorsdirectory.com.

After seeing a couple of Nashif’s posts on the forum, local carpenter and avid angler Ron Miller of Wasilla decided to get involved with the program.

“I got involved when I saw Mike Nashif had asked for volunteers on the AOD forum,” Miller explained. “The last time I e-mailed Mike and asked him if he had any volunteers yet. Mike said he had not, so I volunteered.
“It seemed easy enough to get some Soldiers on boats, and, for the most part, it has been,” Miller said.

One of the first trips he set up was on his own boat.

“(The Soldier) had asked about TASF and told me he was moving out of state after serving for nine years and three deployments,” Miller said. “Jason had about a two-week window to fish and had not been able to fish in Alaska for five years. It was short notice, and I did not have any boats to put him on, so I took him on my boat.”

Guide/owner Ray Blodgett maneuvers his boat on the Little Susitna River as Sgt. Jason Tempke, left, and Spc. Brian Mohler angle for fresh silver salmon. Both Tempke and Mohler are assigned to Fort Richardson's Warrior Transition Unit.Miller said his motivation for volunteering is simple.

“I felt someone needed to be taking Alaska Soldiers out,” he said. “I know fishing in Alaska can be tough to learn in the short time that the Soldiers are in the state. I feel it is a shame to have service members missing out on the great fishing that can be had in this state if someone could just show them. I feel the service members deserve a thank you in whatever way a person can show it.”

Tech. Sgt. Gary Keller also started offering fishing trips to Seward on his boat through Outdoordirectory.com.

“As a service man myself, I know what military men and women go through, so I decided to give back a little bit,” he said. “It’s my community service to all military members and their families.”

He said the service members he’s introduced to ocean fishing have been happy for the experience and a little surprised to find out they have military service in common with their benefactor.

“Out of the 10 I have taken this season, I would say two were new to fishing, and four had never seen the ocean before,” Keller said. “They are very thankful. Some have been real shocked to find out that I’m in the military still.”

Keller, besides being a director for the Alaska Bowhunters Association, is a full-time correctional officer for Alaska Department of Corrections and is also in the Alaska Air National Guard working in security forces at Kulis Air National Guard Base in Anchorage.

The five Soldier anglers show off the results of a successful day on the Little Susitna River. (Left to right) Spc. Brian Mohler, Spc. Jason Biggs, Spc. Brad Urban, Sgt. Jason Tempke and Spc. Gary Lingo.At Fisherman’s Choice, office manager and guide Terri Studnicka said the business also decided to volunteer spaces on their boats after reading one of Nashif’s postings.

“The service members not only bust their humps, but they put their lives on the line for our freedom,” she said. “Without them, where would we be?

“The service members love to be able to get away from their combat boots and put on some wading boots, not only to catch fish, but to get away and soak up a little R&R, fun and see things only seen on the Alaskan rivers,” she said.

Charter owner Ray Blodgett took the most recent group of Soldiers fishing for silver salmon on the popular, but sometimes hard to fish, Little Susitna, with the group of five anglers bringing home six fish.

The excursion was Sgt. Jason Tempke’s third fishing trip in six months of being stationed in Alaska. Tempke is assigned to Fort Richardson’s Warrior Transition Unit and said he enjoyed the offer of free fishing.

“It’s awesome. I had a great time,” he said. “It’s beautiful out here; I love getting out here.”

For Spc. Brad Urban of the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, the trip gave him something he probably wouldn’t have given himself – a true taste of the Alaska experience.

“For a guy living in the barracks, who has a car payment and insurance and (a) cell phone payment and whatever other payments they’ve got, it’s a godsend,” he said. “Number one, it gets them out of the barracks and gives them a day off from work during the week. I’ve experienced a good part of Alaska, but I’ve never experienced this.

“I’ve never caught a silver,” he said. “I had a great experience today. When you get to fish in Alaska, it heightens your experience. When you’re up here in the barracks, the best part is getting out and doing stuff.”

For Spc. Jason Biggs, also from the 1-501st, his first time fishing in Alaska came at the end of his assignment and his active-duty Army career. He is set to return to Florida, where he plans to join the National Guard.

“It was really nice that they could help us out and hook us up with this,” Biggs said. “It’s good that they look out for the Soldiers.

“This was a great trip,” he continued. “I’ve been up here for four-and-a-half years, and this is my first time fishing up here. I had a blast.”

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