American Veterans Archaeological Recovery

What American Veterans Archaeological Recovery does

American Veterans Archaeological Recovery (AVAR) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, administered by Operation Nightingale USA and co-founded in 2016 by Stephen Humphreys, that provides U.S. military veterans with paid archaeological fieldwork, structured training, mental health support, and career pathways into cultural resource management. The organization recruits honorably discharged and active-duty veterans from all U.S. military branches, including those with PTSD and physical disabilities, and embeds a full-time Mental Health Clinician (Alexis Duggan, CRC/LPC) into both community and commercial projects. AVAR's service portfolio comprises six core offerings: Commercial Archaeology (paid CRM subcontracting for firms such as SWCA Environmental Consultants, Pape-Dawson Engineers, Environmental Research Group LLC, and Integrated Environmental Solutions), DPAA Archaeology (international MIA recovery missions with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency in the UK, Italy, and Sicily), NPS Archaeology (battlefield preservation with the National Park Service across Saratoga, Minute Man, Fort Necessity, Richmond, and Colonial National Historical Parks), Research Archaeology Projects, Consulting Services in systematic metal detection, and the AVAR Conflict Archaeology School (ACAS), a four-week intensive field school launched in 2025 at Historic Camden, South Carolina.

AVAR's technical foundation rests on systematic metal detection surveys, Phase I & II archaeological excavation, geophysical surveys, GIS and spatial mapping, and artifact documentation, deployed using MineLab Manticore metal detectors considered among the most powerful and versatile in the field. Archaeological outputs include the Jumonville Glen munitions confirmation of the first shots of the French and Indian War and the Finding Medina Project's Season 3 discovery of 26 early-19th-century munitions validated by XRF analysis at Texas State University. The leadership team comprises CEO Stephen Humphreys (PhD in Archaeology from Durham University, former U.S. Air Force commissioned officer deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, National Geographic Explorer), Operations Manager Mackenze Burkhart (Registered Archaeologist, AMDA instructor, Mental Health First Aid certified, executor of sixteen AVAR projects including six international as of Spring 2025), and Mental Health Clinician Alexis Duggan.

AVAR's business model blends two revenue streams: (1) fee-for-service revenue from subcontracting under CRM firms and engineering companies to deliver systematic metal detection surveys and Phase I/II excavation, with veterans paid as professional field technicians, and (2) public donations channeled through four published tiers (Patriot $25/month or $300 one-time, Minuteman $50/month or $600 one-time, Sentinel $100/month or $1,200 one-time, Vanguard $250+/month or $3,000+ one-time) that fund career mentorship, field equipment, job-placement initiatives, and professional training. The organization has executed 16+ projects (six international) across the U.S., England, Italy, and Israel since founding, with a forward pipeline extending through Fall 2026, and distributes its mission through earned media (CNN, Fox News, National Geographic, Military Times, Haaretz), a content-rich Squarespace website, the 'Finding Medina' podcast, and word-of-mouth within veteran networks.

Name

American Veterans Archaeological Recovery

Legal name

American Veterans Archaeological Recovery

Website

https://americanveteransarchaeology.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

American Veterans Archaeological Recovery is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides U.S. military veterans with paid archaeological fieldwork, structured training, mental health support, and career pathways into cultural resource management across domestic and international projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: AVAR is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization administered by Operation Nightingale USA. The organization relies on public donations to fund archaeological field training, paid fieldwork opportunities, and career development programs. Donation tiers include Patriot ($25/month or $300 one-time), Minuteman ($50/month or $600 one-time), Sentinel ($100/month or $1,200 one-time), and Vanguard ($250+/month or $3,000+ one-time).
2. Commercial Archaeology Services: AVAR generates fee-for-service revenue by providing paid field technician positions to veterans on commercial archaeology projects. AVAR subcontracts under CRM firms and engineering companies to deliver systematic metal detection surveys and excavation services, with veterans paid as professional field technicians.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

AVAR delivers professional archaeological fieldwork services—systematic metal detection surveys, Phase I & II excavation, geophysical surveys, GIS mapping, and artifact documentation—performed by U.S. military veteran teams. It serves CRM firms, engineering companies, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), the National Park Service (NPS), and historical organizations, while providing veterans with paid employment, professional training, and career pathways into cultural resource management. The organization is supported by charitable donations and tiered giving programs.

Product overview

American Veterans Archaeological Recovery (AVAR) operates as a nonprofit service organization offering multiple interconnected programs rather than a unified software platform. The core offerings include Commercial Archaeology (paid CRM fieldwork), DPAA Archaeology (international MIA recovery missions), NPS Archaeology (National Park Service battlefield preservation), Research Archaeology Projects (volunteer projects), and Consulting Services (metal detection training). Supporting these is the AVAR Conflict Archaeology School (ACAS), a four-week field school providing professional training. The organization also integrates Mental Health Support Services and accepts Donations through tiered career mentorship programs. These programs collectively provide veterans with training, employment, and career pathways in archaeology while conducting archaeological fieldwork.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AVAR Conflict Archaeology School (ACAS): A field school program for veterans pursuing careers in archaeology and cultural resource management, located at Historic Camden, South Carolina.

Products and services

• Commercial Archaeology

Quantifiable outcome

• 16+ projects executed with 6 international, as of Spring 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAVAR closely collaborates with DPAA to conduct rigorous, volunteer-based archaeological excavations dedicated to locating, recovering, and repatriating missing American military personnel. Previous AVAR-DPAA missions include recovery operations of WWII aircrews in England and Italy, directly resulting in positive identifications. AVAR covers all international travel, accommodations, and meal costs for volunteer participants.
• National Park Service (NPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAVAR partners with the National Park Service to conduct battlefield research, artifact recovery, and cultural heritage preservation projects at iconic sites including Saratoga National Historical Park, Minute Man National Historical Park, Fort Necessity National Battlefield, Richmond National Battlefield Park, and Colonial National Historical Park. Projects are paid professional opportunities for veteran team members.
• SWCA Environmental ConsultantscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAVAR was subcontracted under SWCA Environmental Consultants to provide AVAR Field Technicians to a Phase II/III excavation project at Lake Ralph Hall near Ladonia, Texas. AVAR field technician crews cycled through the project for over two years, working alongside civilian archaeologists.
• Environmental Research Group, LLCminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAVAR was subcontracted under Environmental Research Group, LLC to assist with a systematic metal detection survey near Richmond, Virginia.
• Pape-Dawson EngineersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAVAR was subcontracted under Pape-Dawson Engineers to assist with a systematic metal detection survey and training on a site potentially associated with the Battle of Medina near San Antonio, Texas.
• Integrated Environmental SolutionsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAVAR was subcontracted under Integrated Environmental Solutions to lead a systematic metal detection survey on a unique WWI aerial gunnery target in Fort Worth, Texas.
• The Hebrew University of Jerusalem / Project Directors Dr. Oren Gutfeld and Michal HabercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAVAR participated as an integral part of the first scientific, academic excavation at the Hyrcania fortress in Israel's Judean Desert. The project was directed by Dr. Oren Gutfeld and Michal Haber from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, with logistical support from Israel Archaeological Services.
• Northeast Regional Archaeological Program (NPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAVAR's Jumonville Glen project at Fort Necessity National Battlefield was completed in conjunction with the National Park Service and the Northeast Regional Archaeological Program. The project was the first serious archaeological investigation of the site, confirming the location of the May 28, 1754 skirmish that marked the first shots of the French and Indian War.
• American Battlefield TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAVAR collaborated with the American Battlefield Trust and the National Park Service on the 2019 Saratoga Battlefield project. The Trust provided support, training, and co-promotion. AVAR's media page references multiple American Battlefield Trust articles about its projects, and Death Wish Coffee has featured the AVAR team.
• Texas Historical CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Texas Historical Commission supported the Finding Medina Project and has recognized the project's contributions to Texas history. The Commission is credited on the Finding Medina project page alongside Atascosa County.
• Atascosa County (Texas)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAtascosa County supported the Finding Medina battlefield search project, providing local institutional backing for the archaeological investigation of the 1813 Battle of Medina.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Team Rubicon: Team Rubicon is a veteran-led nonprofit that mobilizes military veterans for disaster response and community service. While not archaeological, it shares AVAR's veteran-nonprofit service-delivery model, federal/local government contracting, and earned-media-driven donor acquisition.
• PaleoWest Archaeology: PaleoWest is a CRM firm offering survey, excavation, and compliance archaeology services nationwide. It is a direct commercial peer competing for the same CRM subcontractor relationships and federal/state contracts that AVAR accesses, though without AVAR's veteran mission.
• American Battlefield Trust: American Battlefield Trust is a nonprofit dedicated to preserving U.S. battlefield lands and has co-executed projects with AVAR (e.g., Saratoga). It is a direct peer in battlefield-preservation mission, federal/state partnership ecosystem, and donor-driven funding model.
• History Flight: History Flight is a veteran-focused nonprofit that locates, recovers, and identifies American servicemen missing from past conflicts using archaeological methods. It is the closest direct peer to AVAR in mission (veteran + archaeology), nonprofit structure, and federal agency engagement (DPAA).
• Crow Canyon Archaeological Center: Crow Canyon is a nonprofit archaeological research and education center that runs field schools and public archaeology programs. Comparable to AVAR in nonprofit structure, field-school training model, and CRM-adjacent research output, though not veteran-focused.
• Archaeological Conservancy: The Archaeological Conservancy is a national nonprofit that preserves endangered archaeological sites across the U.S. It is a direct peer in nonprofit structure, preservation mission, and CRM-adjacent activity, though its focus is site acquisition rather than field services.

Broad incumbents

• SWCA Environmental Consultants: SWCA is one of the largest U.S. environmental and cultural resource consulting firms and a current AVAR subcontractor prime. It is a broad incumbent that competes with and channels work through AVAR, with overlapping CRM, NEPA, and federal-contract capabilities.
• Wounded Warrior Project: Wounded Warrior Project is one of the largest U.S. veteran-services nonprofits, focused on physical/mental wellness and career transition. Comparable to AVAR in veteran nonprofit mission and donor base, though with a broader services portfolio and substantially larger scale.
• Stantec Cultural Resources (formerly Cardno): Stantec's cultural resources practice (incorporating the former Cardno team) is a large-scale CRM provider serving federal, state, and private clients. Comparable to AVAR as a prime contractor on the types of projects AVAR supports as a subcontractor.

Emerging players

• Warrior Expeditions: Warrior Expeditions is a veteran nonprofit that uses outdoor/adventure experiences to support veteran reintegration. It is an emerging player with a comparable veteran-services + structured-program delivery model, though focused on wilderness rather than archaeology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/avarusa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about American Veterans Archaeological Recovery