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Refuge occupation's co-leader disillusioned by Iraq finds purpose in Bundys' cause
The man spearheading an armed occupation in defense of the rural lifestyle and values of eastern Oregon grew up in the urban sprawl of Southern California and honed his tactical skills as an Army scout.
Ryan Payne now defines himself as a Montana militiaman and anointed protector of the downtrodden ranchers who valiantly fight federal overreach on the West's vast stretches of shrub land.
He doesn't wear a cowboy hat like Ammon Bundy, his partner in the Jan. 2 takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge outside Burns, but Payne sounds every bit the sagebrush revolutionary when he speaks -- especially on his favorite topics, the U.S. Constitution and the powers it bestows to "We the People."
His journey to the refuge began in the stark desert landscapes of Southern California and Iraq, where he says three experiences shaped his worldview:
A botched mission during an Army tour in northern Iraq, a small business forced to close due to government regulation and service on the personal security detail of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, a man Payne compared to George Washington in a 2014 video.
Ryan Payne now defines himself as a Montana militiaman and anointed protector of the downtrodden ranchers who valiantly fight federal overreach on the West's vast stretches of shrub land.
He doesn't wear a cowboy hat like Ammon Bundy, his partner in the Jan. 2 takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge outside Burns, but Payne sounds every bit the sagebrush revolutionary when he speaks -- especially on his favorite topics, the U.S. Constitution and the powers it bestows to "We the People."
His journey to the refuge began in the stark desert landscapes of Southern California and Iraq, where he says three experiences shaped his worldview:
A botched mission during an Army tour in northern Iraq, a small business forced to close due to government regulation and service on the personal security detail of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, a man Payne compared to George Washington in a 2014 video.
http://www.oregonlive.com/oregon-standoff/2016/01/oregon_occupation_leader_ryan.html#incart_big-photo
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