I had learned to hunt on the fly while chasing rabbits and pheasants through the fields and by dropping squirrels from the plentiful oaks of my area. The ability to move quietly and swiftly through brush helped conserve the ammunition I’d worked hard to afford. It also set the stage for a career that seemed to propel me into jobs requiring woodsmanship. First as a paratrooper/scout and then for the bulk of my career as a Special Operations sniper, stealth became a mandate for survival whenever stepping away from the garrison world. What seemed strangely natural as a young trainee was second nature by the time I was thrust into the first of many combat zones at the age of 19.