Mountaineering Leaderiship

Austin McCall, joined the Army in 2005 where he served 11 years. During this time he has had 13 consecutive combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan with 2nd Ranger Battalion. He is the recipient of a Purple Heart, Soldier's Medal, and four Bronze Star Medals. 

Stationed in WA, he fell in love with mountaineering and honed his skills and leadership as an instructor and battalion master climber. Since 2016, Austin has continued building small teams of capable veterans while planning, resourcing, and leading many successful climbs on Mount Rainier (WA), Mount Hood (OR), Denali (AK) and Aconcagua (ARG). When not actively planning future expeditions with VAG, he is improving his SkiMo skills via solo summits of Stratovolcanoes along with technical traverses across Colorado's many mountain ranges.

Austin can be found on Instagram: @regnar_mac or by email at austin.m@veteransadventuregroup.org 

Derek Roberts joined the Army in 2017. After completing RASP, he served for 5 years as a U.S. Army Ranger completing multiple combat deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria. With nine years of service on both active duty and National Guard, he brings the same grit and discipline forged in combat as a former team leader with the 1st Ranger Battalion to the mountains. 

As a mountaineering lead with Veterans Adventure Group, Derek has led and climbed on some of North America’s toughest peaks—including Mt. Baker, Mt. Hood, Mt. Rainier, and Denali. His goal: to help fellow veterans find purpose, resilience, and camaraderie in the high places of the world. When not actively planning alpine expeditions, he is pursuing his additional hobbies as an avid fly-fisherman and bow hunter. 

Follow his journey on Instagram: @d_robs12 or at  derek.r@veteransadventuregroup.org 

Raul Medina is a proud Latino from San Antonio, Texas, who served in the Marine Corps for nine years. . During his service, Raul was deployed multiple times to the Middle East and participated in humanitarian missions in South America.

His passion for adrenaline and the skills he gained at the Army’s Cold Weather Leaders Course in Alaska have driven him to pursue mountaineering. Raul has completed 23 of Colorado’s 58 peaks above 14,000 feet and continues to expand his knowledge of backcountry mountaineering. He has successfully summited Mount Hood and Mount Rainier with the Veterans Adventure Group, where he now assists with planning future expeditions. As a Latino, Raul is committed to being a role model for his community, demonstrating what can be achieved when you set ambitious goals and pursue your dreams.

Follow his journey on Instagram: @medina_treks or at  raul.m@veteransadventuregroup.org 

Casey is a Pacific Northwest native living just east of Seattle, Washington. Inspired by the events of September 11, 2001, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he specialized in communications and electronics. He was deployed multiple times to both Afghanistan and Iraq while assigned to an infantry battalion based out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

A lifelong outdoorsman, Casey embraces the rugged peaks of the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges as a second home. He has summited all five of Washington’s stratovolcanoes, including multiple ascents of Mount Rainier. In 2025, he reached the summit of Denali as part of the Veterans Adventure Group expedition team. Today, Casey continues to share his passion for the mountains as an instructor with a local mountaineering club and a trip leader for Veterans Adventure Group.

Casey can be found on Instagram: @vegasaint or by email at casey.a@veteransadventuregroup.org

Dustin Wintczak is a native Washingtonian raised in the Pacific Northwest. His love for the outdoors started with family camping trips and fishing, which evolved into hiking and climbing later in his life.

Since 2017, Dustin has served as a volunteer mountaineering school instructor for the Intermountain Alpine Club. In 2018, he was fortunate enough to partner with Veterans Adventure Group through a high school classmate and veteran who was invited to climb Mount Rainier. After a successful summit in 2018, he's returned each year to help the mountaineering program lead climbers up Mount Rainier and Mount Hood.

When he's not climbing, Dustin stays busy with his family; his partner Molly and their three children, Shaelyn, Hunter, and Thatcher.

Dustin can be found on Instagram: @sunny16_rule

Ross Erickson was raised in the Pacific Northwest. Less than a week out of high school, he joined the Marines and spent the entirety of his time stationed at 29 Palms, CA in the 3rd Battalion 7th Marine Division as a rifleman. He was deployed twice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Ross found his passion for the mountains while training to climb Denali. He spent several years training and taking courses to learn more about the sport of mountaineering and alpinism before he achieved his goal of summiting Denali with the Veterans Adventure Group in 2023. He loves the methodical nature of training programs, and spending time on the trails to prepare for his next big adventure.

Ross can be reached via email at ross.e@veteransadventuregroup.org