As the sun rose over the swampy brown waters of B.A. Steinhagen Lake on Sept. 13, four veterans and their support crews loaded boats in anticipation of a weekend filled with adrenaline, camaraderie and conservation. The 12th annual Veterans Alligator Hunt held Sept. 12–14, took place on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land in partnership with the Piney Woods Service Association and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
This year’s hunters included U.S. Navy veteran Sarah Stewart; U.S. Army and Air Force veteran Teresa Clickener; and Air Force veterans Christie Van Aken and Megan Moseley.
In a twist of fate, the four women discovered they had all been stationed at Fort Sam Houston in 2011. Stewart was a Navy Corpsman student, while the others were instructors. “We were all in the same buildings at the same time,” Stewart said. “It’s the biggest small world.”
A Weekend of Connection and Camaraderie
For Stewart, the hunt was more than a first-time gator harvest, it was a return to a community she’s come to cherish. “The camaraderie that happens when a group of military veterans get together, you don’t get that as much out in the civilian world,” said Stewart. “It’s nice to have this to come back to.”
Stewart’s husband first participated in the gator hunt in 2016, and now the couple plans to make it an annual volunteer tradition. “It’s right near our anniversary,” she said. “It gives us an excuse to get out and do something different.”
Megan Moseley, who helped Stewart land her gator, called her “a great battle buddy” and said the experience forged lifelong friendships. “New friends, new sisters-in-arms,” Moseley said. “Most people never get to experience something like this.”
The TPWD-permitted harvest promotes sustainable wildlife management while honoring those who served.
Each veteran received one TPWD alligator hunting tag, with three alligators harvested in total. The largest was a little over eight feet and 104 pounds. On hand to teach the veterans how to skin alligators was Jason Nauert, from the Outdoor Channel’s Jason the Butcher TV show.
Building a Legacy for Veterans
This year’s hunt also marked the near-completion of a new multi-use facility on Corps-managed land, the result of a year of design, planning, and construction effort led by PWSA leadership under a Challenge Partnership Agreement with the Corps of Engineers.
According to Floyd Boyett, lake manager at B.A. Steinhagen, the Challenge Partnership Program is authorized by Public Law 102-580 in the Water Resources Development Act of 1992. The program is a way for non-federal public and private groups, as well as individuals, to contribute to, and participate in the operation and management of recreation facilities and natural resources at water resource development projects.
“I feel that the enthusiastic support of Col. Kroeger, the Fort Worth District commander, who had participated in the last two gator hunts in the tent at the boat ramp parking lot, was instrumental in getting this effort underway so quickly,” Boyett said. “He signed the partnership at last year’s event, along with PWSA President Mitchell Holland, and by February 2025 the concrete slab had already been poured. From there, momentum took off.”
A Community United
The facility, built with support from the Lower Neches Valley Authority and a host of community donors, will serve as a hub for future veteran events, educational programs, and conservation outreach. Plans include additional camping facilities, a walkway lined with commemorative veteran bricks leading to a fishing pier, and the possibility of a military equipment display.
With the B.A. Steinhagen team clearing hurdles and PWSA galvanizing support, the building is expected to be completed by 2026. At that time, PWSA will formally hand it over to the Corps, which will operate and maintain it as a public-use facility listed on www.Recreation.gov.
Cody Hammer, USACE regional geographic information systems specialist, as well as a PWSA volunteer, recalled the humble beginnings.
“We used to set up a circus tent at the ramp,” Hammer said. “When the old building was repurposed by the state park, our association president said, ‘We’re going to build our own.’ I didn’t believe it could happen in a year, but with support from the lake manager, Floyd Boyett, and folks like Justin Shelby handling the partnership paperwork, it did.”
Hammer, a Marine Corps veteran himself, emphasized that the Piney Woods Service Association’s impact goes far beyond recreation.
“They’ve helped veterans with housing, car repairs, and even built a deck for a disabled vet,” he said. “One guy went from living in his car to having a job and being back in his daughter’s life. For all of us, it’s not just about doing hunts, it’s about helping veterans with real change.”
Stewardship and Service
A program that started 14 years ago as a simple cookout has created lasting memories for more than 190 veterans, according to Mitchell Holland, the PWSA president. “This building is a symbol of what happens when you ask, ‘What more can we do?’ and USACE said, ‘Let’s make it happen.’”
The Corps of Engineers’ Fort Worth District has partnered with PWSA and the TPWD for more than a decade to host sustainable hunting and fishing events for veterans. These include managed deer hunts, bass fishing tournaments, and the annual alligator harvest — all conducted under strict ecological guidelines.
“This is our way of saying thank you,” said Cody Turner, a USACE environmental specialist. “We get to see the joy these veterans experience, and we’re proud to provide a space where they can reconnect with nature and each other.”
Community Support
The 2025 hunt drew support from dozens of volunteers, local businesses, with many working on their own time to help build the facility, guide hunts, donate their airboats and drivers, and prepare meals. “There were 68 people here last night,” said Holland. “It was our largest turnout ever.”
At the end of a successful and safe weekend hunt, the Army Corps of Engineers team at B.A. Steinhagen Lake, along with partners in the Piney Woods region, reaffirmed their mission: to serve the nation by managing public lands responsibly while creating opportunities for veterans to heal, connect and thrive.