Beer Army

My name is Dustin Canestorp, I am the Founder and General of the Beer Army®. I am also an avid beer enthusiast and veteran that retired from the Marine Corps after 20 years of service in 2014.

During my last deployment, I, along with a small group of Marines served as combat advisors to the 1st Iraqi Army Division. The stress and hardship was immense. 

The catalyst for creating Beer Army® happened on 16 February 2007 when friend and fellow Marine, Captain Todd Siebert, was killed in action when the vehicle he was in took a direct hit from an enemy 82 millimeter mortar while conducting combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq. His loss left a significant impact on my psyche. I can’t explain why it was so instrumental as I have lost friends to combat before and after Todd’s death in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The photo titled “Shark Fin” was taken by then Corporal Ryan Lekosky, the turret gunner in my vehicle on 26 February 2007, exactly 10 days after Todd’s death. We were conducting combat operations in an area that we called the “Shark Fin” which was east of Habbaniyah, Iraq. This photo was taken just south of that. I still had very mixed emotions with processing and compartmentalizing the loss of Todd.