Air Force Fighter Pilot Hopes to Change Nicotine Habits with New Product

Being a fighter pilot in the Air Force, Josh Gunderson was familiar with high-stress situations. 

To stay alert and sharp, Gunderson would rely on tobacco for the nicotine kick and a way to wind down. Eventually, he quit tobacco products and began using nicotine pouches to stem his cravings. He knew this wasn’t a healthy alternative. 

But he also realized there were other people, whether they were active-duty military members, veterans, first responders, and law enforcement officers, who also struggle with nicotine addiction. That’s why earlier this year, Gunderson launched GTG Energy, a nootropic pouch designed to replace the harmful effects of nicotine with a healthier, plant-based alternative. 

The product is American-made, manufactured in California, which was important to Gunderson. 

“I really wanted a good, quality product,” Gunderson told Military.com. “And I think that resonates with the audience of people who currently use tobacco and nicotine products. It was important that we didn’t manufacture in Sweden or overseas somewhere, like many of the other manufacturers do. Even though it costs us a little more money, from a brand perspective, that’s more important to me rather than the dollars it takes to make it here.” 

While he hopes GTG Energy helps anyone wanting to quit nicotine, Gunderson, who still serves part-time in the Air Force, is specifically targeting groups with high-stress occupations.  

“We’re absolutely going to help out the veteran and military communities as much as possible, and I’ve grouped that community into first responders, firefighters, police officers and healthcare professionals who are working 12-hour shifts at the hospital at night,” Gunderson said. “Those are demographics of people I’ve been working with my entire life.” 

A Nicotine-Filled Environment 

Whether it was playing baseball at a high level as a kid or his time in the Air Force flying jets, tobacco and nicotine were ever-present. As he was thinking about creating GTG Energy, Gunderson dove into research, discovering some eye-opening health effects for men hooked on nicotine, from endocrine disruption to low testosterone production. 

“All these things are negatively impacting men, and it can lead to decreased recovery time in terms of muscle fatigue, and it can also lead to testosterone impacts that can lead to fertility issues,” Gunderson said. “All of this is impacting the people I served with, so I wanted to create something that was not only going to help me but was going to help them too.” 

Gunderson also studied the nicotine pouch market, examining companies like Zyn and Velo, noticing their vast consumer base, from college students studying for exams to long-haul truckers trying to deliver products coast-to-coast.

“Professional athletes even use nicotine and tobacco products,” Gunderson said. “So, I want to be very honest and say, ‘Yes, I’m from a military background and I want to use this product to help them specifically,’ but I do think this product is more widely applicable to many different groups. 

When you look at the nicotine pouch market, like Zyn and Velo, they’ve really expanded how much people use nicotine. There’s a much larger program now than the era of Skoal and Copenhagen, less people use that percentagewise than nicotine pouches.” 

Gunderson chewed tobacco for years until switching to pouches. With GTG Energy, Gunderson feels he’s created a substance that’s healthy and gives uses a boost without the effects of nicotine and tobacco. 

He said GTG Energy has less than a milligram of caffeine per pouch, whereas some nicotine alternative pouches carry as much as 200 milligrams. Some energy drinks have 300 milligrams. 

“Our product doesn’t have nearly the amount of caffeine, but people are feeling a lot better. They feel this is actually working for them,” Gunderson said. “I think the health benefits this provides could really help people.” 

How the Idea Came About 

Gunderson’s idea to develop the pouch began about five years ago. He realized there was a market for functional mushrooms and other healthier nicotine alternatives. He believed an easy-to-use pouch could be beneficial because the nicotine market is vast. 

“I told my wife about my idea about a year and a half ago, and she didn’t realize how widespread this is and how many people use nicotine,” Gunderson said. “Well, within two weeks, just from talking to her friends, she was amazed by how many use nicotine pouches. She was like, ‘This is insane. I had no idea.’” The feedback we’ve gotten so far has been so encouraging from people who’ve improved their energy levels, and it’s really helped them in how they approach their day.” 

Looking ahead, Gunderson hopes to expand his reach to include others who value high performance, including athletes, entrepreneurs, business owners, and college students. 

“All the people who currently rely on nicotine and suffer the downsides of it, which includes spikes in focused energy because it’s spiking your cortisol, so it’s elevating your stress response for your body, making you alert but then you crash once nicotine wears off. You’re going through these peaks and valleys and having long-term health effects,” Gunderson said. “My grand vision in the next 5-10 years is that we dramatically impact the tobacco and nicotine market, and we replace those ingredients with brain-healthy, high-performance ingredients to help people perform at their best.” 

Serving in the Air Force and being around high performers, Gunderson saw the effects of nicotine dependence up close. The drug allowed him to stay focused, but he had to keep using it to fight the effects of the constant spike and crash rollercoaster. 

“We would be on 10 to 12-hour missions in a fighter jet flying over the Middle East, and you relied upon things that could keep you alert,” Gunderson said. “I was stationed in Alaska for a few years, and we would sit in the equivalent of a firehouse, and firefighters would be just sitting there waiting for a phone call to respond to a fire, so you have to be alert and vigilant for a long period of time.” 

‘Amazing’ Opportunities in the Air Force 

Gunderson’s family immigrated to the U.S. from Cuba after Communist forces took over the island nation. Baseball is hugely popular in Cuba, and the sport became his family’s pastime. One of his uncles even played professionally.

Gunderson enjoyed playing baseball from a young age, but his true passion lay in the skies – he wanted to be a fighter pilot. 

“I couldn’t even tell you about a time when I didn’t want to fly jets,” Gunderson said. “My mom was really supportive of it, and it allowed me to get accepted into the Air Force Academy after high school.” 

Upon graduating in 2008, Gunderson became a commissioned officer and headed off to pilot training in Texas. From there, he flew F-15s for about four years in Oregon and Okinawa, Japan, before flying the F-22 Raptor for nearly 10 years in Florida, Alaska and Virginia. 

In Virginia, he became the commanding pilot for the F-22 Demo Team, traveling across the world to demonstrate the capabilities of the high-powered fighter jet. 

“I did that for three years, and it was an amazing opportunity to lead a team of 14 folks around the globe, putting on air shows, talking to students at different schools and interacting with the community,” Gunderson said. “Really, our job was to help recruit for the Air Force and help retain good people in the military to really say, ‘Hey, this is what an elite team can accomplish and if we’re all rolling in the same direction, we can accomplish amazing things.’” 

He said the air show demos were also a way to inspire the American public, showcasing not only the might of U.S. defense forces, but also the value of leadership and teamwork. 

“I also enjoyed being an ambassador for America and showing that we have a melting pot of all these amazing backgrounds,” Gunderson said. “To be able to do that and represent that on a global scale was such an amazing honor.”