Our Team
Eric Pressley
The President of Battlefront Outdoors and a dedicated servant leader with more than a decade of military experience
Eric joined the Air Force Reserves in 2012 as a KC-135 crew chief at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina. After a civilian job relocation to Covington, Georgia, he transferred to the Alabama Air National Guard in Birmingham. A few years later, Eric married his wife, Emily, and eventually moved to Savannah, Georgia, where he transferred to the Georgia Air National Guard.
Eric currently serves as the First Sergeant of the Civil Engineering Squadron, a role that reflects his deep commitment to mentorship, leadership, and taking care of Airmen. While continuing his military service, Eric now resides in Orangeburg, South Carolina, where he and Emily are raising their three children — Sallie, Beau, and Noah — with a strong appreciation for faith, family, and the outdoors.
A passionate outdoorsman, Eric spends his time deer, turkey, and duck hunting, fishing, and running coon hounds for raccoon hunting and competition. Most importantly, he is driven by a calling to introduce veterans, first responders, and heroes to the outdoors, using shared experiences in nature to build connection, purpose, and healing.
Through Battlefront Outdoors, Eric leads by example — creating opportunities for others to step outside, slow down, and rediscover the peace that the outdoors can provide.
President
Joshua Cleavland
Joshua Cleveland US Army, Afghanistan war veteran and Purple Heart Recipient. Father of 2 amazing sons!!
Avid outdoors man. Owner of woodlands clearing and grading. One of the founders of battlefront outdoors almost 10 years in the non profit world putting veterans/ hero’s in the woods and on the water I have hosted over 100 trips and more than 200 veterans/hero’s in the woods and water!
Vice President
Sean (aka BeefnChedda on Facebook) served in the United States Air Force as an Airborne Surveillance Technician aboard the E-3 AWACS aircraft. After leaving the Air Force, Sean began a career in law enforcement and joined the Hartsville Police Department in South Carolina. Sean also worked for the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department in South Carolina before moving to Southern California. In California, Sean continued his Law Enforcement career and worked for the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department as a Lead Investigator IV and specialized as a gang enforcement officer, a sexual assault and child abuse investigator and a homicide investigator. In 2016 Sean lateraled to the Riverside County District Attorneys Office before retiring as a Senior Investigator II.
Sean is married to Crystal Freeman, a retired Deputy Sheriff and now Christian Preschool Director. They have two adult children. Sean currently serves as BattleFront Outdoors’ Sergeant at Arms and Law Enforcement liaison.
Sergeant at ArmsSean Freeman
Ken Whitaker’s journey of service began in 1990 as a newly married husband, father, and homeowner after moving from North Augusta to Beech Island, South Carolina. Reconnecting with old friends led him to join the local Volunteer Fire Department, where he quickly earned recognition as Most Improved Firefighter.
When Operation Desert Storm began, Ken and two fellow firefighters discussed joining the South Carolina Army National Guard. Two made it to MEPS, and Ken raised his right hand at just 22 years old, beginning what would become a 29-year military career. After completing Basic Training and AIT at Fort Leonard Wood as a 12B Combat Engineer, Ken returned home to balance full-time work, volunteer service, and monthly drills. In 2003, Ken deployed to Iraq with the 122nd Engineer Battalion. The experience was truly “Wild West,” where adaptability and ingenuity were essential. Like many Soldiers at the time, the unit relied on what they jokingly called “hillbilly armor,” fabricating doors for 5-ton dump trucks and HUMVEEs to increase protection.
Following the deployment and the Army’s restructuring of the Corps of Engineers, Ken transitioned to a Vertical Construction unit, later moving to Battalion Headquarters and eventually to McCrady Training Center. In 2013, when the 122nd Engineer Battalion Headquarters and Forward Support Company were activated for Afghanistan, Ken volunteered to deploy once again if needed. At the time, he was on annual training orders at McCrady Training Center and pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Business Management at Southern Wesleyan University. When his Sergeant Major called and informed him the deployment was just two weeks away, Ken accepted without hesitation. He completed a statistics course under intense pressure and withdrew from school until his return. On December 13, 2014, he proudly walked across the stage to receive his diploma.
In 2016, Ken founded Whitaker Pest Solutions, and in 2020, he officially retired from military service after nearly three decades of dedication. Today, Ken is passionate about sharing outdoor experiences with veterans and first responders. His love for the outdoors was instilled early through family camping, fishing, and hunting trips—experiences that laid the foundation for his continued service beyond the uniform. Having lost a close friend and fellow firefighter to suicide—someone with whom he shared many hunting and fishing memories—Ken is deeply committed to helping prevent others from facing the same tragedy. Ken remains happily married to his beautiful wife Dana. His warm heart, genuine smile, and unwavering desire to serve continue to motivate him as he gives back through Battlefront Outdoors as the Georgia State Lead.
Georgia State Lead
Ken Whitaker
Patrick Hooper
I enlisted in the United States Army in 1997 following my graduation from high school, motivated by a strong sense of service and commitment to others. After completing basic training, I attended Airborne School and earned my parachutist qualification. I was subsequently assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC), 82nd Airborne Division. During my service, I held the military occupational specialty (MOS) 63B, Light Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic, where I was responsible for the maintenance and repair of light wheeled tactical vehicles essential to operational readiness and the safety of fellow service members.
Following my military service, I experienced significant challenges transitioning to civilian life, including struggles with depression and alcoholism. These experiences underscored the difficulties many veterans face after service and reinforced the importance of accessible, meaningful support systems. My recovery and personal growth were made possible through involvement with nonprofit organizations and the rediscovery of the outdoors as a constructive and therapeutic outlet.
Hunting and fishing became integral to restoring balance, purpose, and resilience in my life. These experiences, combined with my nonprofit involvement, ultimately led to my commitment to Battlefront Outdoors. Through its mission, Battlefront Outdoors provides veterans, first responders, and others impacted by trauma with opportunities for healing, connection, and renewed purpose through outdoor experiences. I remain dedicated to advancing this mission and supporting individuals as they navigate their own paths toward recovery and well-being
Secretary 
Zach Adams
Zack Adams serves as the Staff Manager for Battlefront Outdoors, bringing a strong military background and a deep appreciation for the outdoors to the organization.
Originally from Fort Stewart, Georgia, Zack grew up as an Army brat, shaped by a life of service from an early age. His father served on active duty as an Army Engineer, and his stepfather served as an active duty Infantryman. Growing up in a military household instilled in Zack the values of discipline, teamwork, and service that continue to guide him today.
In 2014, immediately after graduating high school, Zack enlisted in the South Carolina Army National Guard as a Military Police Soldier. That same year, he was introduced to hunting — an experience that quickly became a lifelong passion. Since then, Zack has spent his time in the field pursuing deer, ducks, turkeys, and hogs whenever his Army commitments allow.
For Zack, the outdoors represents more than just a pastime. It is a place to reset, refocus, and reconnect — values that closely align with the mission of Battlefront Outdoors. His military upbringing, service in the Guard, and personal connection to hunting make him a natural fit for supporting veterans and first responders through shared outdoor experiences.
Staff Manager
Amber Martin serves as the Marketing Director for Battlefront Outdoors, bringing both professional expertise and lived experience to the mission.
An Air Force veteran, Amber served as an Air Traffic Controller, a role that demanded constant focus, high-stakes decision-making, and the ability to perform under intense pressure. Like many veterans and first responders, she learned that the noise of that responsibility doesn’t always fade when the uniform comes off.
After her military service, Amber pursued nursing, working bedside for several years before transitioning into healthcare administration and utilization management. Throughout every chapter of her career — military, clinical, and administrative — one thing remained constant: caring for others, often while carrying more than she realized herself.
It wasn’t until she found the outdoors that Amber truly understood how loud her own mind had been. Hunting, fishing, hiking, kayaking, and simply sitting in nature gave her something she didn’t even know she was missing — quiet. In those moments, the racing thoughts slowed, the weight lifted, and she could finally just be present. That peace is what drew Amber so deeply to Battlefront Outdoors.
As a mother of three, a veteran, and an outdoor enthusiast, Amber is passionate about sharing the healing power of the outdoors with fellow veterans and first responders. She believes that while the outdoors may not fix everything, it provides space to breathe, to heal, and to reconnect with who we are beyond the uniform.
Amber is invested in this mission because she knows firsthand what those quiet moments can mean for someone who has lived in survival mode for too long. At Battlefront Outdoors, she helps tell the stories, spread the mission, and remind others that out here, we don’t have to be “on” — we just get to be
Marketing Director