“In times of war or uncertainty there is a special breed of warrior ready to answer our nation’s call. A common man with uncommon desire to succeed… I am that man.”

–U.S. Navy SEAL Code

A Note

Writing about the military – especially those who served our nation in the U.S. Armed Forces – is something I consider to be an honor, and it’s a responsibility I take seriously. The risk of sensationalizing or exploiting veteran experiences for media or corporate gain is too great and happens too frequently to leave that acknowledgement unstated. My respect for and personal relationships with the military population sometimes leads me to be overly cautious in my approach to these subjects to protect the privacy of the individuals or the institutions with which they are affiliated. Some experiences are off the record, and that is okay. The spirit of the story remains.

I also want to acknowledge that discussions of military history can be divisive. I am a U.S.…