Modern Warriors

What does it mean to be a modern warrior in a divided and distracted world? In Modern Warriors, combat veteran and television host Pete Hegseth explores that question through the stories of fifteen men and women who wore the American uniform in the post-9/11 era. Each chapter profiles a service member—from Navy SEALs to Army Rangers, fighter pilots to marines—and reveals how the battlefield forged their principles, their leadership, and their perspective on life after war. Hegseth argues that modern warriors embody what America most needs today: courage, humility, purpose, and unity across difference.

Drawing on extensive interviews from his Fox Nation series, Hegseth lets these veterans speak in their own voices about what they saw, did, and learned. Their reflections are raw and unfiltered. They speak about the highs of brotherhood and the lows of loss, about guilt and grace, fear and fulfillment. As a reader, you are drawn into the living room or patrol base to hear stories that challenge simple political narratives about war. What emerges is not an argument for or against the wars the U.S. fought, but a meditation on service itself—why we fight, what we learn, and how we continue to serve afterward.

A Generation at War

Hegseth opens with his own experience of helplessness while watching ISIS retake Iraqi cities he had once patrolled. That moment, in 2014, became a call to preserve the legacy and lessons of the post-9/11 generation. These were men and women who volunteered during two decades of constant war, many knowing they would deploy repeatedly into combat. The book introduces readers to this small 1 percent of Americans who bore the burdens of war while the rest of the country moved on. Hegseth reminds us that their sacrifices—of body, mind, and family—purchased the freedoms civilians often take for granted.

From Army Sergeant Major Eric Geressy’s narrow survival in Baghdad to Navy SEAL Jocko Willink’s leadership lessons from Ramadi, these stories show different faces of courage. They also show that modern warfare does not end when the gunfire stops. Many warriors struggle to adapt to civilian life, and Hegseth’s project aims to bridge that growing divide between those who serve and those who are served. By sharing their voices, he hopes America will listen more deeply to the men and women who understand duty not as a slogan, but as daily discipline.

The Meaning of Brotherhood and Sacrifice

At the heart of Modern Warriors lies a paradox: war reveals humanity’s darkest instincts and its noblest virtues at once. In the accounts of the veterans, battle becomes both horrific and illuminating. It exposes what Jocko Willink calls the “dichotomy of war”—that combat can be the worst and best experience of one’s life. Sergeant Nick Irving, the Ranger sniper nicknamed “The Reaper,” describes the psychological burden of taking lives and the humility of leading teams built on total trust. Captain Sean Parnell recalls how his multicultural platoon’s brotherhood—of Black, white, Muslim, and Latino soldiers—was their most potent weapon in Afghanistan. These tales cut through the stereotypes of soldiers as machines or victims and instead portray complex people defined by choice, not circumstance.

Their tributes to fallen comrades, such as Jocko Willink standing beside the remains of his teammate Marc Lee or Chad Fleming describing the eerie déjà vu of returning to the city where he’d lost his leg, force readers to confront the cost of service. Yet these moments are not presented for pity; they show how pain transforms into purpose. For modern warriors, the death of friends does not end the mission—it deepens it.

From Battlefield Lessons to Civilian Life

Why does any of this matter to those who have never worn the uniform? Hegseth and the veterans insist that the lessons of war apply far beyond the military. The discipline to act under pressure, the humility to follow orders, the courage to speak truth to authority—these virtues are needed in every community. Lieutenant Morgan Luttrell, twin brother of Lone Survivor’s Marcus Luttrell, illustrates this principle through his recovery from a severe brain injury. His rehabilitation and later work in neuroscience research became his new “mission.” Likewise, Jocko Willink’s leadership company and podcast teach civilians how the same principles that guide special operations—ownership, decentralized command, humility—can improve business and family life (a theme also central to his book Extreme Ownership).

Ultimately, Modern Warriors argues that America’s warriors are not simply fighters—they are teachers. The moral and spiritual wisdom they earned under fire can guide a nation struggling with division, apathy, and entitlement. The book challenges you to ask: where in your own life can you show that sense of duty, integrity, and gratitude? In telling their stories, Hegseth gives readers a call to arms—not to take up rifles, but to live with the courage and clarity of those who have.

Pete Hegseth’s interviews reveal that courage is not confined to combat—it is the constant willingness to face fear, both on the battlefield and after. True courage, as demonstrated by soldiers like Staff Sergeant Jeremiah Workman and Staff Sergeant Johnny “Joey” Jones, involves confronting internal struggles with the same grit once applied to external threats. Their stories redefine bravery as a daily act of honesty and resilience.

Fighting the Invisible Battles

Workman earned the Navy Cross for pulling fellow marines to safety in Fallujah, but his hardest fight began when the gunfire stopped. Haunted by survivor’s guilt and PTSD, he wrestled with feelings of failure and isolation. His recovery hinged on speaking out—breaking the stigma by sharing his story publicly. He turned pain into service, helping other veterans navigate the VA system. In doing so, he embodied one of Hegseth’s main messages: that moral courage—the courage to be vulnerable—can save lives.

Joey Jones faced a different kind of reckoning. After an IED in Afghanistan took both his legs, he had to rebuild his life, literally from the ground up. His first thoughts weren’t about loss but about survival and responsibility. He recalls asking doctors not, “Why me?” but, “How soon can I walk again?” That question, and his relentless drive, became a metaphor for anyone struck by tragedy. Jones proves that courage is not the absence of fear but the decision to act despite it—what philosopher William James called “faith in the future.”

The Unseen Strength of Vulnerability

Many warriors in the book speak of the cultural taboo against admitting weakness. The marine ethos of “never quit” can clash with the emotional fallout of war. Workman and Jones show that acknowledging vulnerability is not weakness; it’s wisdom. Jones often tells audiences that perspective is the most powerful prosthetic: you can’t control life’s explosions, only your response. That message resonates not just with veterans but with anyone recovering from trauma or change.

Courage beyond the uniform means facing civilian life with the same grit once directed toward the enemy. It’s choosing to lead, to love, to be patient when the adrenaline fades. That is the harder battle—and perhaps the most heroic one.

Every veteran in Modern Warriors talks about brotherhood, the invisible glue that binds soldiers under fire. From Captain Sean Parnell’s diverse “Outlaw Platoon” to Sergeant Major Eric Geressy’s defenses of a Baghdad outpost, these bonds are forged not through ideology but necessity. They illustrate that unity transcends politics, race, or religion when survival depends on trust.

Unity Amid Diversity

Sean Parnell describes leading one of the most diverse infantry platoons in Afghanistan—men of every creed and color, including non-citizen soldiers from Haiti, Vietnam, and Russia. What united them was not ethnicity but mission: protecting one another. Parnell tells how this brotherhood allowed his men to endure over 4000 attacks in 16 months while taking 85 percent casualties. Their secret weapon, he insists, wasn’t superior technology but love. In his words, “We were all just Americans.”

This echoes historian Stephen Ambrose’s observation in Band of Brothers: camaraderie is the emotional armor that keeps soldiers sane amidst chaos. The Outlaws’ pact—never to yield an inch to the enemy—became an ethic of perseverance that carried Parnell through war and into politics. He later wrote that leadership, whether in a platoon or in Congress, means focusing on common purpose, not competing grievances. His story serves as a mirror for America itself, suggesting that the nation could relearn from its soldiers how to unify under shared ideals.

Brotherhood as Medicine

For many, that sense of brotherhood is what makes returning home so difficult. When the mission ends, the tribe dissolves. Scott Mann, the Green Beret who founded The Heroes Journey, describes this transition as “leaving the mountain for the valley.” His nonprofit helps veterans tell their stories as a way to reconnect. Storytelling, Mann argues, is the same tool Special Forces used to win hearts in Afghan villages—now turned inward to heal wounds at home.

Hegseth weaves these accounts together to show that combat bonds can—and should—be replicated in civilian life. When we build communities rooted in service, honesty, and purpose, we all become part of the same extended platoon. The brotherhood doesn’t end at the wire; it just changes form.

Lieutenant Commander Jocko Willink’s chapter stands out as a masterclass in leadership. A decorated Navy SEAL who led Task Unit Bruiser in the ferocious battles of Ramadi, Iraq, Jocko distills what he calls “extreme ownership”—the idea that leaders must take full responsibility for everything in their world. His lessons extend far beyond the military; businesses and families can benefit from the same mindset.

The Right Thing, the Hard Thing

As a young man, Jocko was rebellious and allergic to authority. Ironically, it was the military’s discipline that gave him freedom. He discovered that structure grants power, not limitation. “A warrior,” he says, “is someone who does the right thing, even when it’s the hard thing.” That principle guided his men through Ramadi’s labyrinth of danger and loss—especially the death of Marc Lee, the first SEAL killed in Iraq. Instead of freezing in grief, Jocko led by example: mourn, then mission. “Marc would have wanted us to get back in the fight,” he told his men. The next day they did exactly that.

Leading Without Fear

One of Willink’s core insights is that fear-based leadership fails. His best commanders were humble, calm, and approachable—the kind of leaders who’d take out the trash themselves and ask young sailors for input. By encouraging dissent and feedback, they avoided mistakes born of ego. This philosophy mirrors what Simon Sinek later popularized in Leaders Eat Last: leadership is not about authority but responsibility. Willink insists that true command means creating an environment where subordinates feel trusted enough to push back. In the SEAL teams, that could mean the difference between life and death; in a company, between success and collapse.

Discipline, he concludes, equals freedom. It’s a paradox that resonates in any field: the more rigorously you control your actions, the more options you earn. Whether training teenagers in jiu-jitsu or executives in teamwork, Jocko carries that battlefield wisdom into civilian life as both a coach and a conscience.

Every modern warrior faces a critical moment: what happens when the mission ends? The transition from soldier to civilian can feel like falling off a cliff. Several heroes in the book—Morgan Luttrell, Adam Kinzinger, and Jocko Willink—emphasize that survival depends on finding a new mission. Without purpose, discipline decays and despair grows. Hegseth calls this the veteran’s second call to service: not to fight, but to lead.

From Trauma to Transformation

Morgan Luttrell’s journey captures this transformation vividly. After a helicopter crash left him with severe back injuries and traumatic brain damage, he faced agonizing months of rehabilitation. Yet he refused to see himself as a victim. Pursuing a master’s degree in neuroscience, Luttrell dedicated himself to studying brain trauma—first for himself, then for other veterans. His work with the Boot Campaign and the Department of Energy now helps bridge neuroscience and veteran recovery, proving that post-injury life can produce new forms of service.

Redefining Service and Purpose

Similarly, Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Adam Kinzinger turned his sense of duty into political service. Having flown special operations missions in Iraq, he returned home disillusioned by partisan division and decided to run for Congress. His combat experience, he says, taught him perspective: “Fear operates best where purpose is absent.” Kinzinger’s mission is now to combat political fearmongering and remind Americans of shared values. His story reinforces that purpose is portable—you can carry your warrior ethos anywhere.

As Jocko Willink puts it, “Just because your service to the country ends doesn’t mean your service to the world does.” For veterans and civilians alike, the challenge is the same: identify a mission larger than yourself and execute relentlessly.

Underneath every battle story in Modern Warriors runs a deeper moral current: humility. Despite medals, scars, and fame, the veterans profiled here reject the title of “hero.” They insist they were simply doing their job. Paradoxically, that modesty is what elevates them. Their reflections offer a powerful corrective to a culture often obsessed with self-promotion and grievance.

Gratitude in the Face of Loss

John Wayne Walding, a Green Beret who lost his leg in Afghanistan’s Battle of Shok Valley, recalls waking up to find his amputation complete. His first instinct was despair—until he remembered his comrades who hadn’t survived. “If I don’t live well,” he says, “the guy that shot me wins.” Walding channels gratitude as resistance, choosing to “lean forward and fight hard.” His story mirrors Viktor Frankl’s insight from Man’s Search for Meaning: even when stripped of freedom, you can still choose your attitude.

Similarly, Medal of Honor recipient David Bellavia describes combat as both brutal and beautiful—a place where human sacrifice reveals divine grace. Watching chaplains comfort dying soldiers or medics risk their lives to save others showed him the sacred side of war. These moments, he insists, prove that goodness can persist even in hellish conditions. Gratitude, for him, is the only fitting response.

Humility as Strength

Many soldiers echo this ethos: the truest warriors are humble because they’ve confronted their limits. Jocko Willink praises the leaders who remain teachable no matter their rank. Caroline Johnson, one of the few female naval aviators to drop bombs on ISIS, attributes her success to mentors and teamwork, not individual prowess. She argues that humility in leadership is not deference—it’s awareness: knowing when to act and when to listen.

Together, these stories remind readers that greatness grows from gratitude, not ego. In a world that mistakes shouting for strength, the modern warrior shows that quiet resolve and humility are the ultimate marks of power.