Chasing Parallels

Two veterans find purpose in raising cattle.

By Megan Silveira, Angus Journal Managing Editor

July 1, 2025

Stationed in Hawaii, former Navy SEALs Greg Putnam and Tim Sheehy built a friendship on a foundation of shared interests. But there was one constant drumbeat to their conversations: a plan for postmilitary life. Both were driven to find careers that offered the same sense of purpose they experienced during their service.

They met in 2012, and while neither came from traditional production agriculture backgrounds, they discovered they both had a dream of one day owning cattle.

“We were both interested in that kind of work,” Putnam explains. “It came up a lot while we were deployed or out on training.”

While they both spent time in Montana previously and hoped to relocate there, Putnam says it was more than the lifestyle that drew him to the beef industry.

“Tim and I have served in the military, and we’ve come to see a strong connection between national security and food security,” he says.

little belt family — From their time in Hawaii to the cattle operation in Montana, Greg Putnam says its not just he and Tim Sheehy that are close — their wives and children enjoy spending time together, too.

A shared vision

From the emphasis on specialized skills to completed work with a deeper purpose in mind, Putnam and Sheehy were ready to dive into the industry headfirst nearly five years ago, and Little Belt Cattle Company was born.

“Some people say ‘Don’t do business with your friends,’” Putnam laughs, “but I can’t think of anybody else I want to do business with.”

The operation is a fully integrated, Montana-based supply chain producing 100% Angus beef from start to finish. The herd was sourced from local seedstock producers, and today the two founders see the results of their original vision brought to life.

“Providing people with healthy, high-quality, nutrient-dense beef is something we really value,” Putnam says. “We’re proud to play even a small role in that — just as we were proud to serve in the military.”

Though today Putnam wears the title “cattleman” with pride, he says it wasn’t easy to break into the business with no family ties. He thanks his service background for giving him the tenacity he needed to succeed.

“I think one of the big things with completing SEAL training or any of those special operations selection-type courses is, it really sets you up well to have the courage to try new things and the capacity to learn new things,” Putnam says.

Like many of his peers, he came out of his years of military service looking for the right fit. Though he and Sheehy were able to carve a space for themselves and their families in the industry, they’re eager to make that process easier for the next group of veterans.

Through an internship with Little Belt Cattle Company, veterans can gain a baseline understanding of what seasonal work with livestock requires. Putnam hopes the experience empowers them with enough knowledge that they can come to call the ag industry home full-time. In his mind, it’s a win-win scenario.

“I just see this great fit where here’s an industry that needs good people, and there’s a whole other industry that has good people coming out of it looking for opportunities,” he says. “I really see for myself all the positive things that this industry has brought me as a veteran. I’d love to see more people get a similar shot, because I think they would see on both sides, it would be very mutually beneficial.”