The Two-Promises Podcast

How do you find your Identity and next purposeful mission after decades of service? In Part 1 of this four-part series, we sit down with former Navy SEAL Corpsman Aaron Peña to discuss his strategic career pivot from elite medic to successful real estate investor and advisor.

Aaron reveals why he made the tough decision to pull his Warrant Officer package and Surrender a 30-year career goal to prioritize his family's needs. He shares the foundational secrets to his financial growth, detailing exactly how he used the VA loan early in his career to convert his Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) from rent into income-producing assets. Getting a home in every port can be a life changer for service members!

This episode is a crucial roadmap for active duty and transitioning service members who want to move past the Failure of high dependency and achieve financial Resilience through real estate Achievement.

• The Transition Trap: Why the military uniform becomes tied to your identity, making the post-service transition feel like "learning a new language."

• The Calculated Surrender: Aaron's tough decision to pull his career package at the 18-year mark to address friction and absence affecting his family.

• VA Loan Looping: The specific strategy Aaron used to buy his first San Diego property, convert the VA loan to a conventional loan, and free up his VA entitlement to acquire a second property.

• Multi-Family Advantage: Why Aaron now advises young service members to skip single-family homes and use the VA loan for duplexes, triplexes, or quads for immediate cash flow.

• New Construction Leverage: How active duty personnel can combine the VA loan with builder incentives to cover closing costs, achieving a truly zero-money-down investment.

000:14 Preview Intro

01:08 Host introduction to Aaron Peña: Medic background, career shift to real estate investment.

02:08 The Shift: Why Aaron gave up his 30-year goal to retire early, prioritizing family over career commitment.

03:00 The Strategy: Starting real estate investments mid-career; leveraging the VA loan for zero down payment.

03:40 VA Loan Looping: How to convert a VA loan to a conventional loan to free up the VA entitlement for a second property.

04:20 Why Aaron became a realtor: Observing commissions and wanting to help service members.

04:40 Multi-Family Advice: Recommending duplexes/quads for better cash flow for young service members.

04:56 BAH as Investment Capital: Why pay rent when you can use your housing allowance to invest in yourself?

06:49 The Multi-Family Breakdown: Advantages of using the VA loan for 1–4 units for max cash flow (Case Study).

08:39 Using VA Loan Twice: Entitlement rules and why active duty members can buy a house everywhere they go.

09:15 Coastal Advantage: The value of Navy bases being in high-appreciation coastal areas.

10:29 New Construction Benefits: Combining the VA loan with builder incentives (3–5% for closing costs).

11:00 The Zero-Down Myth: Educating members that VA loans are zero down payment, but closing costs are still required.

12:50 Military Family Challenge: Being gone 85% of the year and being a "tourist" in your own home.

13:40 Navigating Friction: Advice to be patient and show grace to your spouse after long absences.

14:49 The Quarantine Reflection: 15 days of COVID quarantine provided the mental space to reassess life and mission.

15:30 Life on the Outside: Researching veterans who were thriving, confirming the decision to leave.

17:11 The Reward: Autonomy and control over time to attend all kids' events and prioritize family.

19:16 The Family Decision: Letting his wife choose their new home base in St. Augustine, Florida.

21:21 Being a Modern Father: The importance of presence, praying with kids, apologizing, and leading by example.

22:30 Surrender and Humility: Taking the armor off, being authentic, and asking questions (applied to real estate).

Aaron Peña is a former Navy SEAL Corpsman who has successfully transitioned his elite military discipline into the world of real estate. As an investor and realtor, he is purposefully focused on guiding active duty service members and veterans to leverage their VA loan and benefits into multi-family, income-producing assets, ensuring their financial resilience and achieving true financial achievement after service.

Connect with Aaron Peña:

What does it truly take to be a dedicated warrior in a world defined by chaos? This FullSend Friday episode features highly decorated retired Green Beret Master Sergeant, Geoff Dardia, founder of the Task Force Dagger Health Initiatives Program.

Geoff shares his searing journey—from an early medical discharge out of BUD/S due to medication side effects, to re-enlisting post-9/11 and facing a catastrophic breakdown from years of operational stress, blast exposure, and neurotoxicity (the "Operator Syndrome"). He recounts the betrayal he felt from a medical system that offered pills instead of looking for root causes, and how this initial struggle ignited his mission of reform.

This episode is a masterclass in applying military planning to personal health. Geoff details the comprehensive testing (including KXRF bone lead scans and gut scopes) that proved his symptoms were physical, not psychological. He offers a proven blueprint—built around accountability and repetition—for taking ownership of your health, becoming your own advocate, and turning personal struggle into global service.

• The Canary in the Coal Mine: Geoff's early medical setback in BUD/S that unintentionally prepared him for his later fight against Operator Syndrome

• The Betrayal and the Why: Why he faced resistance from the medical system and fought through the gaslighting

• Health as Mission Planning: IPB + Risk Management applied to personal wellness

• The Scientific Smoking Gun: Comprehensive testing that proved the true root causes

• The Off-Ramp Solution: The Fort Bragg MEDA transition initiative

• The Final Call to Action: Three steps to become the "CEO of your own health"

00:56 Introduction to Geoff Dardia and the critical role of Task Force Dagger

02:45 Geoff's background: outdoors, adrenaline, and BUD/S at 19

03:29 BUD/S failure: Medical discharge at 21; identity crisis

05:27 Reinvention: Rehabbing and rejoining the Army 18X program post-9/11

06:30 The Spiral: Continuous deployments, divorce, health decline, zero recovery

08:13 The Break/The Surrender: Becoming an instructor and recognizing the severity

10:15 Gaslighting: Being labeled "the canary in the coal mine"

11:33 Founding the SOF Health Initiatives program (2012)

12:10 Risk Management for Health: Applying IPB to self-protection

15:48 The Betrayal: Medical system resistance vs. SF leadership support

17:45 A new purpose: Bearing the "how" through a deeper "why"

21:59 Validation: Bone lead scans and labs proving physical causes

23:00 Campaign Strategy: Fighting back using a 7-phase UW campaign model

24:14 Moral Injury: Losing teammates to cancer and suicide

26:08 SGB as an IFAC: Rapid, low-cost crisis intervention

32:07 Humans vs. Hardware: The military ignores operator maintenance

36:21 HBOT: Treating TBI as a wound with oxygen

42:57 Host experience: Infectious disease + parasite treatment through Task Force Dagger

51:17 The MEDA Program: A proven 36-month transition model

59:00 Call to Action: Become the investor and defender of your own health

1:10:12 Host Debrief & Final CTA: "CEO of your health" action steps

Geoff Dardia is a highly decorated retired U.S. Army Master Sergeant and Green Beret (1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group). He is the founder and program director of the Task Force Dagger Health Initiatives Program, connecting warfighters and families to cutting-edge medical treatments often unavailable through the VA/DOD. His personal battle with neurotoxicity and TBI shapes his mission to reform warfighter health.

Connect with Geoff Dardia or Task Force Dagger:

In the conclusion of our two-part series, retired Green Beret Geoff Dardia of Task Force Dagger reveals the blueprint for systemic change in warfighter and community health.

Geoff lays out the actionable steps for those who feel broken or failed by the medical system, urging a disciplined approach where health becomes mission planning. He shares the proven success of the META model established on Fort Bragg — embedding medical and behavioral resources into the 36 months before one transitions out of the military.

This episode delivers a powerful message: the fight isn't about the "what" (the disease), but the "why" (lifestyle, environment, and stress). Geoff calls for a transformation from Disease Care to Functional Medicine and treating the root causes. Because true Service requires conviction — and empowered veterans become the future force multipliers of growth and reinvention within our communities.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Work-Life Harmony: Why "balance" is a myth and boundaries are essential to prevent burnout

• The 36-Month Rule: The required timeline for transition planning and healthcare approvals

• META: A zero-budget, repeatable model for proactive care and early intervention

• Functional Medicine vs. Disease Care: Addressing root cause dysfunction

• The Operator Manual Concept: Teaching warfighters to maintain the human weapon system

• The Force Multiplier Effect: Why healed individuals become powerful advocates for change

⏳ Timestamps

00:00 How can we rise up and advocate for positive change in the system?

01:11 Purpose Found: Turning personal struggle into a network of ambassadors

01:50 Work-Life Harmony: Observing trauma without absorbing it

03:13 Collaboration with organizations offering holistic therapies

04:19 The 36-Month Rule: Why planning must start early

05:35 VA Polytrauma Centers: Critical resources for warfighters

07:34 The Pandemic Analogy: A global "deployment" of fear

09:55 META Program: A repeatable model for proactive transition support

12:01 TAPS Myth: The real origin and why it fails high-op tempo careers

13:00 The Familiar Hell: Why stress-wired individuals choose service roles

14:26 First Responders Trauma: Lack of stress inoculation and recovery systems

16:15 The Maintenance Check: Scheduled full-system health assessments

17:35 The Call to Action: Invest in yourself like a high-performance vehicle

18:40 You Are a Vehicle: Performance depends on environment and maintenance

20:39 Fixing the Military: The toxic food environment issue

22:50 Advocating for Change: Focus on the why, not the what

24:00 Functional Medicine: The required shift to root-cause systems

27:09 Supporting the Mission: Funding and becoming a Force Multiplier

Geoff Dardia is a retired U.S. Army Master Sergeant and Green Beret. He leads the Task Force Dagger Health Initiatives Program, connecting warfighters and families to advanced medical treatments not readily accessible through the VA or DOD. His battle with neurotoxicity and TBI fuels his lifelong mission to ensure long-term health for the special operations community — a true example of Service and Reinvention.

Connect with Geoff Dardia or Task Force Dagger:

What does it mean to be a Committed, Disciplined warrior in a world defined by chaos? In Part 1 of this essential two-part series, we sit down with highly decorated retired Green Beret Master Sergeant, Geoff Dardia, who is now leading the fight for warfighter health as the founder of the Task Force Dagger Health Initiatives Program.

Geoff shares his searing journey of Resilience—from facing a medical discharge early in his career after a devastating injury in BUD/S (a massive blow to his Identity), to re-enlisting post-9/11 and experiencing a catastrophic breakdown from operational stress, neurotoxicity, and repeated blast exposure. He articulates the profound sense of betrayal he felt from a medical system that offered pills for pain instead of solutions for the root causes.

This episode is a masterclass in turning a health crisis and the body's Failure into far-reaching Service for those plagued by invisible wounds. Geoff provides a powerful framework for understanding Operator Syndrome, applying military planning (Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield and Risk Management practices) to self-protection, and the crucial distinction between disease care and true healthcare. This is essential listening for anyone who has struggled with PTSD, TBI, or the unseen costs of an elite life.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The Canary in the Coal Mine: Geoff's early medical setback in BUD/S that unexpectedly prepared him for his later fight with Operator Syndrome.

• The Betrayal and the Why: Why Geoff faced intense resistance from the medical system and how his Conviction allowed him to withstand gaslighting and advocate for change.

• The Scientific Smoking Gun: The comprehensive testing (including Walter Reed, Cleveland Clinic, and KXRF bone scans) that proved his symptoms were physical, not just psychological.

• Health as Mission Planning: How to apply Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield (IPB) and Risk Management to personal health, a principle of self-protection and scheduled maintenance the military often overlooks.

• Disease Care vs. Healthcare: Why the military model is can be effective at trauma response but fundamentally fails at providing preventative maintenance and addressing root causes like heavy metals and chronic conditions.

⏳ Timestamps

00:00 Episode Preview and Intro

01:18 Introduction to Geoff Dardia and the critical role of Task Force Dagger

02:45 Geoff's background: Outdoors, adrenaline, sense of service, beginning BUD/S at 19.

03:29 BUD/S Failure: Medical issues in Hell Week lead to discharge at 21; tying identity to the SEAL program.

05:27 Reinvention: Rehabbing, battling PTSD symptoms, and rejoining the Army 18X program post-9/11.

06:30 The Spiral: Back-to-back deployments, high-intensity training (SABOT, SFARTAEC), divorce, and health decline.

08:13 The Break: Becoming an instructor, realizing how bad his condition was, and being the last to notice.

09:00 The Self-Diagnosis: Homework points to TBI, neurotoxicity, and mitochondrial dysfunction.

10:15 Gaslighting: Initial resistance from providers who called him "the canary in the coal mine."

11:33 Founding the Program: Turning personal recovery into the SOF Health Initiatives program (2012).

12:10 Risk Management for Health: Applying IPB (Intelligence Preparation) principles to self-protection and wellness.

13:00 The Complexity vs. Simplicity: Recognizing chronic stress and toxic exposure as the root cause, not "shit genes."

15:48 The Betrayal: Feeling betrayed by the military medical system vs. SF leadership.

17:45 The Why to Live (Nietzsche): How a new purpose helped Geoff bear the "how" of the fight and put ego aside.

20:10 Growth through Suffering: The necessity of being uncomfortable for true maturity.

21:59 The Validation (Walter Reed/Cleveland Clinic): The heavy metal smoking gun that proved his case.

23:00 From Alarm Bell to Advisor: Overthrowing a non-serving system with solutions, not just problems.

24:14 Moral Injury: Losing friends to cancer and suicide—the trauma that kept him fighting.

25:30 The STAR Process: Seeking ketamine and psychotherapy to deal with accumulated stress.

26:08 Host's Story: Crisis, anger, and the need for simple, proven interventions like Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB).

28:20 Trauma is Physiological: Why pills and "talk therapy" fail when the nervous system is chronically stressed.

30:28 Hierarchical Stress: The psychological effects of powerlessness in the military context

32:29 The Program's Mission: Addressing root causes (infection, toxicity) vs. managing pain

33:55 Humans vs. Hardware: The military neglects maintenance checks for its most valuable asset.

36:21 HBOT Common Sense: TBI is a brain wound, and oxygen heals wounds—why the DOD/VA resistance is illogical.

38:45 The Payoff: The game-changing feeling of resolving lifelong, misdiagnosed issues

40:23 Self-Medication: The lack of an "operator manual" leads to drug/alcohol abuse and suicide.

42:02 The Campaign Success: The shift toward Precision Medicine is a victory for health advocacy.

42:35 Outro

About the Guest Geoff Dardia is a highly decorated retired U.S. Army Master Sergeant and Green Beret. He is the founder and program director of the Task Force Dagger Health Initiatives Program, which connects warfighters and their families to cutting-edge medical treatments (HBOT, IV ketamine, functional medicine) often unavailable through the VA/DOD. His personal battle against neurotoxicity and TBI led to his life's Purposeful mission of advocating for the lifelong health of the special operations community.

Connect with Task Force Dagger:

What does it truly take to achieve elite performance and maintain it for a career? This FullSend Friday combines all parts of our powerful conversation with former Navy SEAL and founder of The Warrior Calling, Josiah Kauffman.

Josiah shares his journey from facing Failure due to a devastating injury early in BUD/S (class 263/265) to becoming an operator in the high-stakes, hyper-professional SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV) community. He offers rare insights into a world defined by extreme OPSEC and the unique Conviction required to perform highly sensitive, clandestine deep-water missions.

This episode is essential listening for any high-achiever, as Josiah articulates the difference between having the Grit to finish selection and the Purpose needed to sustain a demanding operational career. He details his personal journey of Reinvention—quitting a corporate 9-to-5 to launch The Warrior Calling, and why his primary advice to the next generation centers on Discipline, Resilience, and the critical importance of self-care to avoid the high-performer burnout trap.

He also offers a veteran's candid perspective on the ethical line between Service and self-promotion in the age of the "SEAL influencer."

• The Unexpected Pivot: How a stress fracture during Hell Week led to a crucial class change and an early lesson in Failure and Resilience.

• SDV's Clandestine Culture: Why the SDV Teams operated at a higher, faster, and more intensely Disciplined level, and how this environment forced early Achievement.

• The Hidden Operational Grind: The challenge of maintaining Conviction and buy-in when your missions are highly classified and involve miserable, multi-hour deep-water diving profiles.

• The Burnout Warning: The trap of the Committed "Yes Man" mentality and why consistent self-care and rest days are non-negotiable for career longevity and avoiding Failure.

• Reinvention Through Purpose: The terrifying, but necessary, leap of Surrender and Reinvention required to leave a stable career and fully embrace his calling as a mentor.

• Grit vs. The "Why": Why this generation must have a profound reason for joining the military beyond simply seeking a "challenge," or they will inevitably tap out. (Applies to all areas of Growth).

⏳ Timestamps

00:00 Intro: US welcomes former SEAL, Josiah Kauffman, to the show

01:30 BUD/S Flashbacks: Rolling out of Hell Week (263) due to a femur stress fracture

04:30 The SEAL Identity: How combat-hardened instructors shattered the naive image of what a SEAL was

07:45 Professionalizing the Pipeline: The shift to structured mentorship and accountability in training

10:30 SDV Team 1 Transition: Showing up young and being immediately held to a hyper-professional standard

13:45 The Pucker Factor: The leader's art of handing off the mission to foster buy-in and elite performance

16:00 The SDV Grind: Maintaining Conviction during intense, clandestine missions that often involve miserable conditions

19:00 OPSEC Implications: Josiah's concern over media leaks and the compromise of special operator capabilities

22:20 The True Why: How the definition of Purpose deepens after earning the Trident—it's bigger than yourself

27:10 The High-Performer Burnout: Why constant "full tilt" is unsustainable and leads to career Failure

36:55 Launching The Warrior Calling: Quitting the 9-to-5—the scariest leap of his life

43:40 Gen Z & Distraction: The necessity of finding a deep Purpose in the current generation to withstand selection

50:30 Building Mental Toughness: Using physical challenges and "inner reflection" to tap into innate Grit

53:40 Perspective Shift: Using the endurance of the Greatest Generation to reframe modern struggles

58:30 Navigating Chaos: Advice for the next generation—control your internal storm before tackling the external world

01:12:20 The Final Word: Be selfish now, so you can be selfless later. Protect your time to maximize your capacity for Service

A huge thank you to Josiah Kauffman for sharing his wisdom, vulnerability, and incredible Grit. Find more about his mission at The Warrior Calling.

Josiah Kauffman is a former U.S. Navy SEAL and founder of The Warrior Calling, a coaching and mentorship program dedicated to preparing the next generation of warfighters, athletes, and high-performance individuals.

He served in the SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV) community, which specializes in clandestine underwater mobility missions. His life's work is driven by the Purposeful mission of translating elite operational concepts into tools for personal Growth and lasting success.