The two men were both born and bred in Eastern Montana, and basically lead normal lives. Schweitzer moved to western Washington and started his own business. He had his first run-in with the government in 1977, when he argued with the IRS over supposedly unpaid taxes. Schweitzer began attending Posse Comitatus meetings, and meeting others in the far-right movement. In the mid 80s he moved back to Montana and stopped paying income taxes altogether. Rodney Skurdal began exchanging views with Schweitzer. Skurdal was a Montana native, and after graduating high school he joined the Marine Corps. He left the service in 1981 and moved back west. In 1983 he suffered a severe head injury while working. It was during this time that he started espousing far-right beliefs. In 1985 he sued the state, who paid his workman's compensation by check, he wanted it in gold and silver, claiming the government did not have the authority to print paper money. He moved back to Montana and fell in with Schweitzer. In September of 1992, Skurdal issued a document to the clerk of Musselshell County. It was a "Citizens Declaration of War," and said that he was separating from the government in order to, "honor my God and the laws of the Bible..
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