Narrator: Imagine being pinned down by enemy fire, the air thick with dust and the crack of bullets. You look down and see your own leg, nearly severed from your body. In that moment of unimaginable pain and terror, what do you do? For Green Beret John Wayne Walding, the answer was to apply his own tourniquet, grab his rifle, and continue to fight. He refused to let the enemy win, declaring, "Man, I’m just living the great American one-legged dream. If I don’t, the guy that shot me wins; and he ain’t gonna win." This raw, unflinching will to survive and serve is at the very heart of the stories presented in Pete Hegseth's book, Modern Warriors: Real Stories from Real Heroes. The book moves beyond headlines and political debates to provide a privileged, intimate glimpse into the minds of the men and women who have fought America's wars in the post-9/11 era, sharing their accounts of sacrifice, courage, and the long road home.

Narrator: The stories in Modern Warriors are defined by an almost superhuman resilience, a refusal to be broken by circumstances that would shatter most people. This is not just about enduring hardship, but about actively choosing to overcome it and return to the fight, often with a renewed sense of purpose.

Consider the story of Army Ranger Chad Fleming. During the surge in Iraq, an enemy grenade detonated inside his vehicle, shredding his leg. After twenty-three surgeries, his leg was amputated. For most, this would be the end of a military career. For Fleming, it was a temporary setback. He not only recovered but went on to serve five additional deployments as an amputee. His return to active duty sent a powerful message to his fellow soldiers: it was possible to overcome even the most devastating injuries and continue to contribute. He embodied his personal motto, "Not every day’s a good day, but there’s good in every day," choosing to find strength in hardship rather than allowing himself to become a victim.

This same spirit is seen in John Wayne Walding. After losing his leg in the brutal Battle of Shok Valley, he didn't just recover; he set a new, audacious goal. He decided to attend the Special Forces Sniper Course, a grueling program even for able-bodied soldiers. Without any special treatment, he pushed through the pain and skepticism, ultimately becoming the first amputee to ever graduate as a Green Beret sniper. These accounts reveal that for modern warriors, resilience is not a passive quality but an active, defiant choice to redefine their limits.

Narrator: The book pulls back the curtain on the sanitized, Hollywood version of war and exposes its brutal and morally complex reality. It explores the psychological toll of combat, where decisions are made in fractions of a second and the consequences last a lifetime. Navy SEAL Jocko Willink describes combat as a dual-edged sword, a nightmare that also reveals the best of humanity. He notes that the greatest burden of leadership is accepting the reality of loss and guiding your team through fear and uncertainty.

This complexity is powerfully illustrated by Lieutenant Commander Caroline Johnson, a Navy weapon systems officer. Flying missions over Iraq, she watched in frustration as ISIS fighters committed atrocities against Yazidi civilians on Mount Sinjar. Due to restrictive rules of engagement, she was powerless to intervene. She recalls the moral injury of being trained to protect human life but being forced to stand by, a conflict that she says was "really hard." When she was finally "cleared hot" to engage, the result was a "righteous kill," a moment where skill, teamwork, and timing aligned to neutralize the threat. Yet, even in victory, the scene of destruction left an indelible mark.

Similarly, Army sniper Nick “The Reaper” Irving provides a rare look into the sniper’s psyche. He explains the necessity of compartmentalization, of disconnecting from the human aspect of the target to be effective. He describes the act of taking a life as feeling like losing "a piece of my soul." These stories reveal that the weight of war is carried not just in physical scars, but in the moral and psychological burdens that warriors carry long after the guns fall silent.

Narrator: For many warriors, the most challenging battle begins after they return home. The book dedicates significant attention to the struggles of transitioning to civilian life and confronting the invisible wounds of war, such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

Marine Staff Sergeant Jeremiah Workman earned the Navy Cross for his heroism in Fallujah, but he returned home with deep psychological scars and survivor's guilt over the men he lost. He emphasizes that PTSD is not something to be ashamed of, but a manageable condition that requires raising your hand and asking for help. His journey was aided by a mentor, Sergeant Major Carlton Kent, who told him, "You’re not broken. You’re dealing with things that humans deal with when they’ve been through the shit you’ve been through."

Navy SEAL Morgan Luttrell’s story sheds light on the often-misunderstood issue of TBI. After a catastrophic helicopter crash during a training exercise broke his back and caused a severe TBI, he found his cognitive abilities compromised. He realized that many veterans diagnosed with PTSD might actually be suffering from undiagnosed brain injuries. This led him to study neuroscience and advocate for better diagnosis and treatment, stressing that you cannot effectively treat the psychological symptoms without first addressing the underlying physical injury to the brain. These accounts underscore that the path to healing is complex and requires a strong support system, accurate medical care, and a willingness to confront the pain.

Narrator: A central theme of Modern Warriors is that the call to serve does not end when a soldier leaves the military. The book is filled with stories of veterans who have channeled their skills, discipline, and leadership into new missions in civilian life, continuing to make a profound impact on their communities and the nation.

After retiring, Green Beret Lieutenant Colonel Scott Mann struggled with a loss of identity and purpose. He found a new calling in storytelling, creating the play Last Out: Elegy of a Green Beret to help veterans find their voice and heal. He believes that for warriors to thrive, they must "rediscover their voice and tell their story." Army Ranger Mat Best, co-founder of Black Rifle Coffee Company, uses his platform to change the narrative around veterans, challenging the stereotype of the "broken" soldier and highlighting the immense value and skill they bring to the workforce.

Others, like Navy SEAL Dan Crenshaw and Air Force pilot Adam Kinzinger, have taken their commitment to service into the political arena, running for Congress to shape national policy. They carry the lessons of the battlefield—of leadership, accountability, and unity—into a different kind of fight. Captain Sean Parnell, leader of the famed "Outlaw Platoon," argues that it is a veteran's duty to educate society about the realities of war. These warriors demonstrate that service is a lifelong ethos, a commitment to leadership and contribution that transcends the battlefield.

Narrator: The single most important takeaway from Modern Warriors is that the warrior ethos is not defined solely by courage under fire, but by a profound and enduring commitment to service, resilience, and leadership in every facet of life. The book reveals that the same principles that enable soldiers to survive an ambush in Afghanistan or clear a building in Fallujah are the ones that empower them to overcome devastating injuries, build successful businesses, lead communities, and heal the invisible wounds of war.

It challenges us to look beyond the uniform and see the human beings who carry the weight of our nation's conflicts. As the stories reveal, less than one percent of the population has served during this longest period of war in American history, creating a vast gap in understanding between civilians and the military. The final, lingering question the book leaves with its audience is this: How can we, the beneficiaries of their sacrifice, better understand their journey and apply their hard-won lessons of leadership, unity, and unwavering purpose to our own lives and to the challenges facing our nation?