By Jessica Kenley | Monarch Media

October 31st, 2026

[Please scroll to the bottom to donate to the LEEK Preserve/SAVAW (Serving All Veterans All Wars)]

For David Connell, the four-hour drive from his home near Gettysburg to the LEEK Preserve in Potter County is more than a trip into the woods. It’s an opportunity to reconnect with friends, step away from the demands of everyday life, enjoy the outdoors, and spend a little time in a place that has come to feel like home.

A United States Navy veteran with nearly 20 years of military service, Connell has traveled much of the world during his career. His journey began shortly after September 11, 2001, when the events of that day helped motivate him to pursue military service. He was 21 when he attended boot camp.

“It definitely motivated me for sure,” he recalled.

Connell initially completed one tour before leaving the Navy for a couple of years. He subsequently applied for a commission and returned to service. He has now spent approximately 15 years as a commissioned officer.

Looking back, he describes his military career as an extraordinary experience.

“I think it’s been a great journey,” he said. “I’ve traveled the world. It’s been an honor. Got to do a lot.”

His travels have taken him throughout Europe, North Africa, Israel, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, and Wake Island. He was also stationed in Italy for a couple of years, although much of that time was spent deployed.

His wife, Kirsten, and their three children, Caleb, Claire, and Thomas, have shared in portions of that journey.

Today, when military responsibilities and family life allow, Connell makes time for something a little different: a trip north to the Pennsylvania Wilds.

Finding His Way to LEEK

Connell’s introduction to the LEEK Preserve came through a volunteer opportunity advertised while he was stationed at NAVSUP Weapon Systems Support in Mechanicsburg.

The organization was looking for volunteers to help staff its booth at a sportsman’s show. Connell volunteered, met the organization’s leadership, and began learning about the work being done to bring people together through hunting and outdoor recreation.

He eventually became involved in fundraising efforts and purchased a hunting opportunity auctioned through the Navy Supply Corps Foundation.

That first visit introduced him to the people and the property, and he began developing relationships that would bring him back.

He remembers hunting with Dan during his first visit, when he managed to bring home a small buck and a doe.

But the hunting was only part of the experience.

Connell subsequently volunteered at sportsman’s shows, sometimes bringing his children along to help raise money in support of LEEK. His military assignments occasionally took him elsewhere, including California, but when he returned to Pennsylvania, he reconnected with the organization.

The opportunity to participate in another auctioned hunt eventually brought him back to Potter County.

He also developed friendships with people in the surrounding community, including Sean Metcalf, whose property is nearby.

For Connell, those relationships have become an important reason to return.

The Value of Getting Away

When asked what he enjoys most about coming to the preserve, Connell didn’t hesitate to mention the people.

“I think the probably the people. I like that a lot, and then, you know, being out in the woods. I like getting out in the woods.”

He explained that he has a small piece of hunting property near his home in southern Pennsylvania, but the experience is different at LEEK.

Here, he can get away from the familiar surroundings and responsibilities of home.

“It’s nice. I can get up here, disconnect, and take some time off. Sort of refresh,” he explained.

There’s something meaningful about that simple opportunity to disconnect.

For someone whose military career has involved extensive travel, deployments, responsibilities, and time away from family, a few quiet days in the woods offer a different kind of escape.

It’s a chance to slow down, enjoy the company of friends, and return home feeling refreshed.

And if there’s a deer available to put some meat on the table, that’s certainly a welcome bonus.

Building Trust, One Visit at a Time

Connell’s experiences also offer a glimpse into the care taken by the people who operate the preserve.

He recalled that during his first visit, the organization’s leadership wasn’t yet familiar enough with him to feel comfortable sending him into the woods alone with a firearm.

As he explained, the people responsible for organizing hunts understand that every participant has different circumstances and needs.

The organization doesn’t simply send people out and hope for the best. Hunters are paired with guides, particularly when they’re new to the property or unfamiliar to the people overseeing the hunt.

On his second visit, Connell brought a friend and served as his hunting guide.

After getting to know him better, the Colonel eventually gave him the green light to hunt independently.

That small detail says something about the culture of the organization: relationships matter, trust matters, and people matter more than simply filling a hunting schedule.

More Than a Place to Hunt

The LEEK Preserve welcomes disabled veterans from all branches and eras of military service, as well as members of law enforcement, corrections, and other individuals who have served their communities and country.

But what happens there extends beyond hunting.

It’s about giving people an opportunity to share experiences, enjoy one another’s company, and develop friendships with people who understand the demands and sacrifices that can accompany a life of service.

Sometimes that means sitting around a table sharing a meal. Sometimes it means laughing about something completely unrelated to military service. Sometimes it’s a quiet morning in a hunting blind, waiting for wildlife to appear.

And sometimes it’s simply knowing that there are people who look forward to seeing you again.

For David Connell, the friendships and the opportunity to get away are reason enough to make the four-hour drive.

His story is one of many that demonstrate what the LEEK Preserve is building in Potter County: not merely a destination for hunters, but a community where service, friendship, fellowship, and a sense of belonging can continue long after the uniform comes off.

Because sometimes the most memorable part of a hunting trip isn’t what someone brings home.

It’s the people they meet along the way.

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