Award winning artist and retired Army Lieutenant Colonel, Craig “Jake” Jachens, lives in Havre de Grace, Maryland and works at Aberdeen Proving Ground.

Following in the footsteps of his Grandfather and Father, who were both nationally celebrated photographers, Jake has continued their work for over 40 years capturing images of all types from his extensive travels around the world. His recent works concentrate on birds, specifically bald eagles which he photographs at the Conowingo Dam in Darlington, Maryland on the Susquehanna River.

The bald eagle was adopted as the symbol of the United States because of its spectacular strength and boundless resolve. One of the largest birds found in North America, bald eagles stand about 30 inches tall, sport a wingspan of 6 to 7 feet, and weigh between 8 and 14 pounds.

The eagle represents unlimited freedom as they fly from the tops of lofty mountains and heights of up to 10,000 feet to dive as fast as 100 mph to the streams and rivers in valleys below. This majestic bird has an extremely long life span living an average of 20 years but can live in the wild for more than 30 years. Bald eagles are also extremely loyal, keeping their mates for life and return to their original nest to share parenting duties in raising their young eaglets.

Truly an All-American bird, North America is the only place it can be found in the entire world. This steely-eyed raptor with its constant look of determination and strength is the perfect symbol of our great nation! Hooah!