
Crowden hunts for ducks and geese in Colorado with his son, Skyler.
Josiah’s Journey: USA Firearm Winner Finds Solidarity Through Labor and the Outdoors
Josiah Crowden’s phone rang on his drive home from work last December. Not recognizing the number, he braced himself for a sales pitch from a telemarketer. However, his spirits lifted when the voice on the other line told him he had won a firearm from the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance’s 2-Guns-A-Week Sweepstakes.
A member of IBEW Local 111 in Denver, Colorado, Crowden is an avid hunter. He relies on game he harvests as a main source of meat to provide for his family. He was even more ecstatic when he discovered what firearm he won: an A400 Beretta Xplor Action.
“I literally started screaming like a little girl with excitement,” Crowden said about the gun, which is on his bucket list. “I was just freaking out at the fact that I had won that shotgun. I go running into the house, my wife and kids are sitting there at the table and I go, ‘babe, babe, babe!’ My wife thought someone died. Her face was completely flushed out. I go, ‘I won a shotgun!’”
Crowden had never won anything from a contest before. This marked a bright moment in his long journey. After serving as an Air Force crew chief with a fleet of C-130 aircraft, Crowden was discharged. He then navigated the challenges of transitioning from military to civilian life, struggling to find his purpose.
“You are surrounded by people [in the Air Force] that no matter what, they have your back,” he said. “We’re in this together no matter what it is. You become so intertwined with the people that you serve with. When you transition out and lose that, you literally cause a downward spiral.”
Crowden’s life changed when a friend, lineman, and fellow veteran introduced him to IBEW Local 111. Crowden found a path that gave him everything he longed for after the Air Force. He started working for a utility company and has spent four years as an IBEW member.
“It’s so hard to find your place,” Crowden said. “That’s where the union comes in. Now, I’m working in a small unit, and we’re out doing the job together. Everyone has their roles, and you help each other out to accomplish the mission. At the end of the day, you built something and were a part of something bigger and greater. That’s something to hang your hat on.”
Crowden still goes by “Chief”, a nickname he picked up in the Air Force. It has been over 20 years since he enlisted, and his passion continues to help him in roles such as the co-chair of IBEW Local 111’s military veterans group and spokesperson for IBEW international military. He travels all over the country sharing his story.

Crowden spends the opening day of duck season hunting in Greeley, Colo.
The USA caught Crowden’s attention at the 2023 SMART & Cigna Colorado Sporting Clays Shoot. Crowden was blown away by everything the shooting event had to offer, including the raffle drawing and the pin veterans received acknowledging their service. Even better, the date lined up right before duck hunting season.
When he looks at the USA logo, Crowden can’t help but think how the organization connects the dots in his life.
“Now, I get to intertwine two passions of being a part of my local and being a part of a sportsmen’s alliance with other unions,” he said. “We’re trades, we’re blue collar, we’re the backbone of this country. We’re the ones that keep it going and putting our boots on every morning, sleet or shine. We’re out there keeping America going and now we have other avenues where we can go connect with other brothers.”
The USA’s calendar program and 2-Guns-A-Week Sweepstakes offer participants a chance to support conservation efforts and enter into weekly firearm drawings throughout the year. Crowden ordered calendars through his local, registered for the sweepstakes and won.
Crowden didn’t waste any time to break in his new firearm.

Crowden goose hunts with his new Beretta A400 Shotgun in Ft. Morgan, Colo.
“Right after I got it, I took it out for a goose hunt,” he said. “I was out there in a pit when a juvenile snow goose came in. I took one shot at it, missed, but didn’t have to pump. I pulled the trigger again and smacked that sucker right out of the sky. He came falling down and was gray, beautiful, and the same colors as the surface of the moon. I named the gun Moonshot. She went out with me last weekend, too, and we got four geese and three ducks.”
Thanks to the union community, Crowden has purpose, connection, camaraderie, and a gun for life.