PHASE 1: THE TARGET PACKAGE

Participant Identification and Selection

Our mission begins by identifying individuals who stand to benefit most from the experience.

Ideal candidates:

1. Law Enforcement Special Teams: Current or former officers with specialized tactical training and operational experience.

2. Military Combat Arms Veterans: Veterans whose military service involved combat arms, reconnaissance, or other operational roles.

3. Limited Hunting Experience: Individuals with little to no hunting experience who are interested in developing the knowledge and skills required to become capable, independent hunters.

4. A Renewed Sense of Purpose: Individuals who would benefit physically and mentally from an outlet that allows them to apply their previous training, discipline, and operational experience to new challenges.

End State: Identify two deserving participants who are motivated to learn, willing to be challenged, and prepared to commit to the entire process.

PHASE 2: WARNING ORDER (WARNO)

Mission Assignment and Initial Planning

Once our participants have been selected, we begin the mission planning process.

1. Assign an experienced hunting team leader to each participant.

2. Identify the specific hunting opportunity, including species, location, season, and hunt parameters.

3. Conduct an initial video conference with both teams to establish expectations, discuss equipment requirements, and outline the mission.

4. Establish the specifications and requirements for each participant's rifle system.

5. Analyze the environment, terrain, weather, and anticipated conditions of the hunt.

6. Review each equipment category and determine the appropriate gear based on the operational environment and mission requirements.

7. Establish the total budget for training, equipment, travel, logistics, and hunt execution.

End State: Both teams understand their assigned mission, the operational environment, available resources, and expectations moving forward.

PHASE 3: THREE-DAY BOOT CAMP

Training, Equipment Integration, and Mission Preparation

Both teams travel to Texas for an intensive, three-day training event designed to establish the foundation for their upcoming hunt.

The objective is not simply to issue equipment and teach marksmanship. It is to immerse participants in the planning, preparation, discipline, and teamwork required to execute a successful backcountry hunting operation.

DAY 1 — EQUIPMENT AND FOUNDATIONS

Focus: Familiarization, Equipment Integration, and Fundamental Skills

1. Arrival of both teams in Texas.

2. Initial briefing, introductions, and training objectives.

3. Issue equipment individually, explaining the purpose, function, and application of each item.

4. Review and develop mission-specific packing lists.

5. Issue and familiarize participants with their rifle systems.

6. Conduct a ballistics and external ballistics fundamentals class.

7. Review rifle setup, safe handling, and positional shooting fundamentals.

8. Zero rifles and verify equipment functionality.

9. Conduct introductory range drills.

End State: Each participant understands their equipment, rifle system, and the foundational skills required for the next phase of training.

DAY 2 — APPLICATION AND PERFORMANCE

Focus: Marksmanship, Fieldcraft, and Practical Exercises

1. Conduct positional shooting drills.

2. Complete progressive range exercises.

3. Conduct long-range marksmanship training.

4. Introduce practical field shooting scenarios.

5. Complete untimed stages emphasizing fundamentals and sound decision-making.

6. Progress to timed stages under controlled conditions.

7. Conduct physical training and movement exercises.

8. Introduce fieldcraft, terrain analysis, and hunt-planning fundamentals.

9. Review environmental considerations, target identification, and ethical shot selection.

10. Conduct a daily after-action review.

End State: Participants demonstrate measurable progress in marksmanship, field skills, equipment proficiency, and decision-making.

DAY 3 — VALIDATION AND COMPETITION

Focus: Performance Under Pressure and Mission Readiness

1. Conduct pre-combat checks and pre-combat inspections (PCC/PCI).

2. Complete advanced field shooting scenarios.

3. Conduct untimed validation stages.

4. Complete timed performance stages.

5. Execute a five-stage, head-to-head shooting competition between the two teams.

6. Evaluate performance based on accuracy, safety, sound judgment, and execution.

7. Conduct a comprehensive fieldcraft and hunt-planning session.

8. Finalize packing lists and equipment configurations.

9. Pack, inspect, and stage equipment for the upcoming mission.

10. Conclude with a team dinner, informal fellowship, and a comprehensive hotwash.

End State: Both teams leave Texas equipped, trained, and prepared to begin independently planning their hunting operations.

PHASE 4: THE OPERATION ORDER (OPORD)

Planning, Leadership, and Mission Development

Each participant will be paired with a seasoned hunter who serves as their team leader and mentor.

Together, they will develop a comprehensive Operation Order (OPORD) within the parameters established by The Sierra Zulu Foundation.

Over the following months, the teams will research, prepare, rehearse, and refine their plans. Foundation staff will provide guidance, mentorship, and resources while allowing the teams to take ownership of their missions.

This phase is designed to create a two-way learning experience.

The experienced hunters will learn to apply structured military mission-planning principles to backcountry hunting.

Our veterans and first responders will learn to incorporate hunting-specific intelligence, fieldcraft, and environmental considerations into a planning process they already understand.

Before the hunt, each team will formally brief its OPORD to foundation leadership and the production team. These briefings will also be shared with the audience as part of the documentary experience.

THE FIVE-PARAGRAPH OPORD

1. SITUATION

Describe the operational environment and the conditions that may influence mission success.

• Area of Interest / Area of Operations: Geographic boundaries, access points, hunting units, and relevant surrounding areas.

• Terrain and Weather: Elevation, vegetation, water sources, anticipated weather, and terrain challenges.

• Target Species: Animal behavior, movement patterns, habitat preferences, and anticipated locations.

• Friendly Forces: Team members, supporting personnel, and available resources.

• Attachments and Detachments: Guides, support personnel, or other individuals assisting with the operation.

2. MISSION

Develop a clear, concise mission statement addressing the five Ws:

• Who is conducting the operation?

• What is the objective?

• When will the operation take place?

• Where will the operation occur?

• Why is the mission being conducted?

The mission statement will be delivered twice during the formal OPORD briefing, reinforcing clarity and shared understanding.

3. EXECUTION

Describe how the team intends to accomplish its mission.

• Commander's Intent: Define the purpose, key tasks, and desired end state.

• Concept of Operations: Outline the overall hunting strategy, movement plan, and intended approach.

• Team Responsibilities: Assign specific duties to each team member.

• Coordinating Instructions: Establish timelines, movement routes, rally points, contingencies, rehearsal requirements, and decision points.

• Ethical Harvest Criteria: Establish acceptable shooting conditions, individual capabilities, and clear go/no-go criteria.

4. SUSTAINMENT (SERVICE AND SUPPORT)

Establish the logistical plan required to sustain the team throughout the operation.

• Logistics: Food, water, ammunition, equipment, transportation, and resupply considerations.

• Personnel and Support: Team responsibilities, external support, and emergency contacts.

• Medical: First-aid capabilities, emergency procedures, and medical evacuation plans.

• Contingencies: Equipment failures, weather delays, injuries, and unexpected changes in the operational environment.

5. COMMAND AND SIGNAL

Define leadership responsibilities and communication procedures.

• Command: Establish team leadership, responsibilities, decision-making authority, and succession of command.

• Signal: Identify communication methods, frequencies where applicable, check-in procedures, and emergency communications.

• PACE Plan: Develop Primary, Alternate, Contingency, and Emergency communication plans.

End State: Each team produces and briefs a complete, executable hunting operation order, demonstrating ownership of its mission and readiness to execute.

PHASE 5: EXECUTION

The Hunt, The Competition, and The Mission

This is where months of preparation become reality.

Both teams have completed their training, developed their OPORDs, and formally briefed their missions.

Now it's time to execute.

This phase introduces an element of friendly competition, but the larger purpose remains unchanged: demonstrate that hunting is an accessible, challenging, and rewarding pursuit that veterans and first responders can continue independently long after their Sierra Zulu experience ends.

THE OPERATION

1. Establish the Base of Operations

Both teams will rendezvous at a common staging location.

Accommodations will be intentionally practical and accessible—whether that's a modest rental house, wall tent, or truck camp.

The objective is to demonstrate that meaningful hunting experiences don't require luxury accommodations, expensive outfitters, or extraordinary resources.

2. Execute the Mission

Each team departs the staging area and executes its OPORD.

From this point forward, participants take ownership of their operations, making decisions, adapting to changing conditions, and applying the skills developed throughout the program.

3. Document the Entire Experience

A dedicated production team will follow each hunting team, documenting the experience from beginning to end.

The cameras will capture the planning, challenges, setbacks, decisions, teamwork, and moments of success that define the mission.

The objective is to tell the complete story—not simply produce another hunting video.

4. Success Is Not Measured by the Harvest

Whether a team successfully harvests an animal is not the determining factor in mission success.

The true measure is how effectively the participants prepare, adapt, execute, and demonstrate the skills and values emphasized throughout the program.

A successful hunt does not always end with a harvested animal.

5. The Recovery and Pack-Out

If an animal is harvested, the team will conduct a responsible recovery, field care, and pack-out in accordance with ethical hunting practices and applicable regulations.

If no animal is harvested, the team's experience and execution remain equally important to the story.

6. The Campfire Debrief

At the conclusion of the hunt, both teams reunite for a final after-action review.

Around the campfire, participants will discuss what went right, what went wrong, what they learned, and what they would do differently.

This is an opportunity to reflect on the mission, share experiences, and reinforce the relationships built throughout the process.

By following both teams through every phase—from initial selection to the final campfire debrief—the audience becomes invested in the participants, their development, and their missions.

End State: Both participants complete a meaningful hunting experience, develop the confidence and skills to continue hunting independently, and demonstrate that the discipline and capabilities developed during a life of service remain valuable long after that service ends.

THE BIGGER MISSION

The Sierra Zulu Foundation isn't simply taking veterans and first responders hunting.

We're giving them a mission to plan, a challenge to prepare for, a team to work alongside, and the opportunity to rediscover the satisfaction that comes from accomplishing something difficult.

We want every participant to leave with more than memories, equipment, or a successful hunt.

We want them to leave with the knowledge, confidence, and motivation to plan the next mission themselves.

Because the missions haven't stopped.

This is just a new theater of operations.

And you've been promoted.

Now it's your turn to plan the missions.