Wounded Warrior Hunt 2018 Published Dec. 7, 2018 By Senior Airman Stuart Bright 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- Hunting season is in full swing at Barksdale, and for the seventh year in a row it was kicked off with the Wounded Warrior Hunt. Seven wounded former Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians from across all military branches, recently enjoyed a weekend of camaraderie and hunting here Nov. 2 through4. The Barksdale Wounded Warrior Hunt was put together to provide a stress-free, relaxing weekend through friendship and rehabilitation. Seven years ago Bill Lee, Barksdale Wounded Warrior Association event coordinator, and several other retired military personnel that loved being outdoors got together to create the hunt. “We all felt like being outdoors was therapeutic,” Lee said. “A lot of folks we got came straight out of the hospital to come here. To get them out of the hospital and into the woods to enjoy life, we thought the hunt would be good for them.” One of the hunters, retired Technical Sgt. Daniel Reese Hines, came all the way from Alaska for his third Wounded Warrior Hunt on Barksdale. During a tour to Afghanistan in 2003, Hines lost feeling in one of his hands, a finger and an eye due to an explosion. “The first trip was more about hunting,” Hines said. “Now it is less about hunting and more about maintaining connections that weren’t solely [built] because of something I did in the military.” A dinner banquet was also held in honor of the EOD technicians the night before the hunt. Attendees included: Col. Michael Miller, 2nd Bomb Wing commander, Col. Rob Makros, 2nd BW vice commander, Chief Master Sgt. Joshua Swanger, 2nd BW command chief, and other Team Barksdale and local community members. After two days, a total of six deer and three pigs were brought back, once again completing a successful hunt leaving participants already looking forward to next years hunt.