Female Army vet From NW helps fight poachers in Africa

A U.S. Army veteran from Western Washington is now helping in the fight against wildlife poachers in East Africa. Kinessa Johnson, whose home is in Yelm in Thurston County, served four years in the Army as a weapons instructor and mechanic, and served a tour in Afghanistan. Last November she decided to join Veterans Empowered to Protect African Wildlife (VETPAW) as an anti-poaching advisor. “(VETPAW) was searching for a female to train female park rangers so I applied and was selected,” she said. VETPAW is a nonprofit organization that works to help end the African wildlife poaching crisis by utilizing the skills of U.S. veterans to train park rangers and support their communities.