Bradley Geary & JD Donaldson: Talking BUD/s & Team Guy Chaos - A Tribute To Danny Dietz

From the Mountains to the Mission: Commander J.D. Donaldson & Captain Bradley Geary’s Journey of Service and Sacrifice

This week, Marcus and Melanie welcome Commander Jed “J.D.” Donaldson, and Captain Bradley Geary to the Team Never Quit Podcast. J.D Donaldson, a West Virginia native whose journey from small-town athlete to elite Navy SEAL leader is nothing short of remarkable. Raised in Hedgesville and shaped by strong family values and athletic discipline, J.D. earned a U.S. Naval Academy appointment and went on to win two national boxing championships before graduating with a degree in Physics (Oceanography).
Selected for SEAL training alongside a small group of peers, J.D. would go on to serve in multiple SEAL Teams across global deployments, holding command positions at SEAL Team Eight and SEAL Team Four, and leading strategic operations in Africa with Special Operations Command. His time at the elite Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU) marks the pinnacle of a career defined by leadership, courage, and brotherhood.
Now, as Training and Facilities Manager at GBRS Group, J.D. continues to serve the veteran and first responder community, equipping them with the tools and training to thrive. In this episode, we explore how his experiences shaped his approach to leadership, resilience, family, and life after service.
Captain Bradley Geary is a retired Navy SEAL officer with 24 years of distinguished service in Naval Special Warfare. A 2000 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and SEAL Qualification Training Class 234, he led elite teams across the globe—from SEAL Team Four to commanding SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team One. He most recently served as Commanding Officer of Naval Special Warfare Basic Training Command. Captain Geary holds a master’s in Defense Analysis and has spent his career training, leading, and mentoring some of the most elite warriors in the world.

In This Episode You Will Hear:
• I was first chair trumpet in high school. Muscular lips. (22:38)
• One of the psych’s did a study of all the attributes access the teams to find out what’s consistent across all the force. The only attribute he could find consistent with 100% of us the sense of levity – humor. (32:12)
• In the darkest moments of our careers, you’ll find the funniest things (33:20)
• There’s this one young officer standing there, smiling ear to ear. I said “Yo dude, I just cancelled your Christmas break, they got you wet and sandy. Why are you smiling? [His response was] “This is everything I was waiting for, and everything I hoped it would be.” (35:59)
• Press into the suffering. All of a sudden, it’s not enjoyable, but it changes your mindset. (36:47)
• [Marcus] McGraw had more fractures than he had legs. No quit in this dude. (47:18)
• The guy next to me, Greg Klein, a huge Green Beret and Marine Force Recon. The instructor says “Klein, what’re you doing here? You’re Army Green Beret; you’re Marine Force Recon. He’s like “I thought I’d take a break.” (48:07)
• Danny [Dietz] was probably the best pilot I’ve ever seen. He was amazing. (68:31)
• We were in Chesapeake Bay, and I’m looking at the bearings. All of a sudden, I’m like “Hey! Danny! We’re like 90 degrees off course. What are you doing? Next thing I know, we bounce off the bottom. He had fallen asleep driving the STD. We had been out there so long that night. (68:52)
• It comes back to Who’s under the boat? Who’s carrying their weight? Who’s sacrificing for their teammates? And Danny [Dietz] was always that guy. (79:32)
• [Danny Dietz is the] most selfless dude I’ve ever met. (79:58)
• Whatever he [Danny Dietz] did, he did with excellence. He just owned it. (80:25)
• It was the first time that I’d lost anybody close, and I walked out to the gravel, looked up to the heavens and I got to thinking. He was probably one of the key elements of my success in my entire career. I looked up to the stars and thought: “Alright Lord, If I was up there and Mike was down here, what would I say to him?” I’d say: “Think well of me and get back to work.” 120:54)
• I hadn’t brushed my teeth in like 84 hours. (121:53)
• Leonidus didn’t choose the 300 [Spartans] because they were the best warriors. He chose them because they had the best women. (139:21)
• Suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, character produces hope. All the answers are right in this book. (143:18)

dannydietzmemorial.com

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