The Fallen Outdoors is proud to be staffed solely by volunteer Veterans. Outside of those listed on this page, each state has their own leads and staff to ensure that Veterans get the best experience possible.
Eric Bakken was born and raised in Minnesota and joined the United States Army at 20 years old. He has a wonderful wife named Nikki and a beautiful daughter named Finnley who is named after his best friend (Eric Finniginamm) who was killed in Afghanistan during their first tour in 2009. He served in the army for almost 8 years as a 11B infantry. During that time, he deployed several times for operation Enduring Freedom along with attending school and holding most leadership positions in an infantry line platoon. He left the Army in 2015 to pursue my dream of growing The Fallen Outdoors to its full potential. Eric has been an avid outdoors-man his whole life. From fishing to big game and everything in between with a preference for waterfowl hunting.
“One thing I wanted to strive for when I built TFO was that I wanted it to be open to all veterans of all branches and backgrounds. I have seen too many great men and women left behind because they didn’t meet a certain criteria and I will not follow suit. If you served honorably you are my brother and sister. I do not care how long you served, what branch, what job, combat or garrison. Wounded or untouched. The Fallen Outdoors is here for you and I am here for you!” – Eric Bakken
Mike hails from the flat state of Kansas. He began his Army career at the age of 17 and has been stationed all across the U.S. The events of 9/11, which will forever shape our great country, led him to deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan. He just retired with 20 years of active duty service as a Criminal Investigator and now lives the retired life in Missouri with his wife and three daughters. He grew up with an obsession with hunting and fishing, though, his family wasn’t into it. My grandfather showed me the ways of western Kansas upland bird hunting when he was the mayor of Greensburg, I still to this day hunt there in memory of him. It wasn’t until 2008 that he began deer hunting which soon became his passion. Mike also is a predator hunter and loves to chase them year-round. He has a passion for being on the water as well as hunting. He has been an avid kayak angler for more than 12 years and runs a kayak fishing series for The Fallen Outdoors.
To me, The Fallen Outdoors is a way for me to share my passion and knowledge of the outdoors with other veterans in hopes of creating passions for them. I love to kayak fish, and kayak fish competitively, deer, turkey, and predator hunt, but anything outdoors is what I do. I firmly believe that TFO has saved many lives by the large network of like-minded outdoorsmen and women we are. By connecting with other Veterans and listening and sharing stories, it gives you hope for the future. The way TFO shares its experiences and dedicates its time to Veterans in the outdoors is what keeps me involved. There is no better feeling than helping a fellow brother or sister that needs some healing by showing them the way of the Outdoors. It is key to allow our families and our children to be involved as well. This allows them to see the special bond that we Veterans have and also gives us a great opportunity to teach them about the conservation of our natural resources. It is them who will replace us in the woods or on the water when we pass.
Robert was born in Astoria, Oregon while his father was stationed at Coast Guard Air Station Astoria. He grew up on the move living in California, Florida, Virginia and finally back to Florida. He joined the Marine Corps in 1993 at the age of 20 and served as an Infantry Marine. He retired from the Marine Corps in 2017 after 24yrs of service that included deployments to over 20 countries to include combat deployments to both Iraq & Afghanistan. His father introduced him to the outdoors while chasing bass around the South during his childhood, but it was an invitation to go deer hunting during his assignment at the School of Infantry in North Carolina that got him hooked on chasing the elusive whitetail.
He is married to his amazing wife Jaclyn, and he has three children Mason, Jenna, and Lexie. The military and family are very intertwined in his life. His father retired from the Coast Guard, his brother retired from the Army, his wife served in the Marine Corps and his son is currently serving in the Air Force. The other family that he holds close to him are his brothers and sisters in arms. His love for the outdoors and his devotion to those that serve or have served this country is where The Fallen Outdoors becomes a mainstay in his life.
“The Fallen Outdoors has become a huge part of my life ever since I met Eric Bakken on a fishing trip in Montana back in 2015. The outdoors became therapy for me when I saw firsthand the impact it had on my mental and physical health following my retirement from the Marine Corps. I found that camaraderie that I was missing when I connected with fellow veterans on many events with The Fallen Outdoors. I knew that the outdoors could do for so many, what it had done for me. We all would like to catch a limit of fish, or have a successful hunt anytime we go out, but these events with the Fallen Outdoors are about so much more. It provides a way for our service members to get into the outdoors while also being among fellow brothers and sisters in arms. Lifelong friendships are being made while we are also creating lifelong memories.”
The Fallen Outdoors is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering veterans by connecting them to the therapeutic benefits of the great outdoors.
The Fallen Outdoors | Designed by Best Coast Creative | Powered by Choren Consulting
Copyright © 2025. All Rights Reserved.
