"Do What Makes You Happy" with Dan Schilling, US Army/Air Force Special Operations Officer & Author

Dan Schilling is absolutely what you would call a Renaissance Man. One of his mantras is "Reinvent Yourself"--and that is exactly what Dan does.
You see, Dan is no ordinary person, at least to us (and thousands of others). At the beginning of his 30 year military career, Dan made the choice to join the US Army as an Infantryman. He then found out how cool "Pro Pay" was, along with just how much of a badass you get to be as an Air Force Special Operations Combat Controller, and then made the best decision of his life: to switch branches and join the US Air Force. Dan made it through the rigorous Combat Controller pipe-line and came out on the other side ready to take on the world. All that aside, Dan is one of the most humble and down to Earth people we've ever talked to. His words are rife with wisdom, intelligence, and humor.
Have you ever seen the movie "Black Hawk Down"? A lot of people have. Long story short, it chronicles the men on Operation Gothic Serpent, where multiple Black Hawk helicopters were downed in the Somalian city of Mogadishu, and a daring operation to tag a violent warlord became a thing of legend. Dan was there, as a US Air Force Special Tactics Officer (Combat Controller). And NO ONE on the field of battle, since the beginning of human warfare, is more lethal than a US Air Force Combat Controller.
Dan has also stood up multiple Special Operations Squadrons, commanded them, and retired as Lieutenant Colonel. This snapshot of Dan's military career, as he would say, are just "things I did, not who I am".
After reading a couple of his books and spending two hours talking with him, its easy to see what he means. As you may have guessed, Dan is also an author--and a damn good one. His most acclaimed book is "Alone At Dawn: Medal of Honor Recipient John Chapman and the Untold Story of the World's Deadliest Special Operations Force", a book detailing the life of Air Force Master Sergeant (MSgt) John Chapman, Medal of Honor Recipient and Hero and also the tale of the most unsung Special Operators ever. You can find "Alone At Dawn" and Dan's other books wherever books are sold. We cannot recommend them enough.
When Dan isn't absolutely hauling ass down the side of a mountain wearing a pair of skis and a parachute, he spends his time helping the military community understand what resilience looks like, is working on a screenplay, working towards making a movie about MSgt John Chapman, and coming on podcasts with a couple Air Force dudes (us, of course). Yes, you read that right too...skis and a parachute. Apparently, for Dan, sky-diving is too boring now. I guess when you're the World Record Holder for most base jumps, that makes sense. Dan won't admit it, but he is a giant amongst men and we will be forever grateful he decided to spend a couple hours talking to us on this episode. Don't miss this one...it really may change your life.
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