John Doolittle is a retired Navy SEAL Captain and the Director of the Florida Chamber Health Council. In this second conversation, we discuss hurricane response, Florida's Special Mission Unit, first responder mental health, the healing power of eTMS, Kaatsu and so much more.
"I grew up in Walnut Creek, California. While in school, I was a swimmer, surfer and skier. I was blessed with a family who valued getting out of our collective comfort zones. We were constantly on the move; a highlight was living in Tehran as the Iranian revolution began in late 1978… a story for another time.
In 1992, I graduatd from the U.S. Air Force Academy and was commissioned as an Ensign in the world’s finest Navy, not the Air Force… again, another story for another time. I earned a Master’s of Science in Defense Analysis, Special Operations Low-Intensity Conflict (SOLIC) from the Naval Postgraduate School in 2005.
After an inter-service transfer and cross-commissioning from the Air Force to the Navy in 1992, I transferred into the Navy and worked as a hard-hat salvage diver for three years, and eventually completed Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training as the Class Leader of Class 213.
From 1996 to 2017, I was assigned to various SEAL Teams and conducted multiple deployments throughout the European, African, Pacific, and Middle East theaters of operations. Most of my Navy career was focused on our military’s reaction to 9/11; a busy time for myself and my family.
My last duty station was at U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), where I led the Preservation of the Force and Family (POTFF) program, directly supporting the physical and psychological needs of the 73,000 personnel making up the USSOCOM enterprise.
While getting my Master’s degree, I completed a solo swim across the English Channel in memory of a fallen teammate & friend, Neil Roberts, the first SEAL to fall in combat after 9/11. I did this in order to raise awareness and money for the Navy SEAL Foundation.
After retiring from the Navy in 2017, I’ve continued to serve by helping wounded Veterans. As I travel around the country, I’ve been speaking to teams, schools, and corporations about the importance of resilience, leadership, and trust."
John’s Website: Click Here
eTMS Florida Website: Click Here