I was raised in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. I was naturally restless and tried whatever interested me. I worked as a butcher, music teacher, painter, door-to-door salesman, and even a makeover artist. I lived from one coast of the United States to the other and even spent a few years living off the grid. This diversity in my life blessed me with a broad understanding of many different viewpoints, opinions and people.

After 9-11, I made up my mind to serve my country. I deployed 3 times with the US Army both as a helicopter mechanic and pilot. Later I became an airline pilot and helped found RTAG, the largest veteran to aviation charity in the world. Additionally, I am a managing partner of Icarus Devices, an advanced flight training technology company. I love working with service members and helping businesses reap huge professional and financial benefits through the hiring of our nation’s veterans.

My life experiences also led me to find an outlet in writing and film. My work has appeared in Business Insider, Task & Purpose, We Are the Mighty, The Goodmen Project, and Newsweek. I authored the #1 Amazon bestselling book, Dustoff 7-3 – Saving Livings Under Fire in Afghanistan. I’ve worked as a technical advisor and co-producer on four award winning documentaries and have several projects in development. I also serve on the San Diego Film Festival’s Military Advisory Board.

In my free time I travel the country speaking to businesses and organziations about teamwork, sacrifice, motivation and service. If you’d like to have me come speak at your event, please contact me below.