Ssgt (fmr.) Shane S. Jelsma (b. Englewood, Colorado) is a veteran of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, where he served in the United States Marine Corps. Shane deployed to Afghanistan as a member of the United States Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC), as a Special Operations Capabilities Specialist (SOCS), Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician, with 2D Marine Raider Battalion. Prior to this, Shane deployed to Iraq with Third Battalion, Fifth Marines, as an Infantry Assaultman. Shane served in multiple positions and capabilities during his 9 year Marine career, including assignments to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit in the Philippines, Japan, Australia, and Thailand. With over 16 professional military schools and courses, Shane has been trained in full-spectrum Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE), Sensitive Site Exploitation, the Operator Advanced Course, Forensics, and the Naval Parachute Course.

During his service in the US Marine Corps, Shane was called upon to instruct or mentor Special Operations and Counter I.E.D. (Improvised Explosive Devices) courses to multinational and coalition forces, as part of a 49 nation coalition. These extensive and highly specialized courses covered various tactics, techniques and procedures with subject matters including: Explosive Ordnance Disposal, US and foreign weapons systems, small squad tactics, dynamic breaching, Counter-Improvised Explosive Devices, explosive incident assessment and investigation, defensive and offensive methodologies, suspect searches, armed and unarmed response, escalation of force, and situational awareness. He has worked hand-in-hand with some of the world’s best and foremost instructors and operators to develop educational curricula, materials, and drills.

In December 2014, he was medically retired due to injuries incurred while serving in Afghanistan. After his retirement, Shane, his wife Patty, and son Garrett moved to Missouri. In his post-military life, Shane has been pleased to get back to one of his first loves, the outdoors. Excited to have time to fish and hunt again after almost a decade of military service, Shane is looking forward to passing on firearm safety, the joys of responsible hunting and fishing, and the love for the outdoors to his son.

Growing up, Shane spent hours riding horses, fishing, and hunting. Shane’s love of the outdoors began at a young age, as he started hunting with his father, a former police officer, when he was 12. Having hunted rabbits, grouse, goose, duck, dove, pheasants, coyote, fox, raccoons, deer (both whitetail and Muley) and elk, Shane is an avid bow, muzzle-loader, and rifle hunter. No stranger to the rod and reel, Shane has fished in Canada, Alaska and all over America, from alpine lakes, streams, to the waters of either coast. Shane also finds joy backpacking, hiking, and kayaking. A mentor in spirit, Shane has taught many friends the ways of the outdoors, from hunting and tracking, to how to process and cook wild game.

Prior to joining the Marine Corps, Shane had spent his time in the backcountry of the Colorado mountains, and on the plains of Nebraska, always seeking knowledge, and responsible balance of nature.  From the intercoastal waters of North Carolina on his kayak, to the beach in Florida, or whether casting a line off the pier in California, to hiking in the mountains of Colorado, Shane feels most at peace when he is in the wilderness.

These life experiences, from his time as a volunteer fireman outside Denver, to his time with the Special Operations community, from the wilderness of Colorado, the deserts of Iraq, to the hills and mountains of Afghanistan, have shaped Shane into the man he is today.