Jocko Willink

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Jocko Willink
Jocko-Willink-SEAL.jpg
Birth nameJohn Gretton Willink, Jr.
Born (1971-09-08) September 8, 1971 (age 54)
Torrington, Connecticut, U.S.
AllegianceUnited States
Branch United States Navy
Service years1990–2010
Rank US-Navy-O4-LCDR.svg Lieutenant commander
Unit SEAL Team 1
SEAL Team 2
SEAL Team 3
SEAL Team 7
Conflicts
Awards Silver Star
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal
Alma mater University of San Diego (BA)
Website jockopodcast.com

John Gretton "Jocko" Willink Jr. (born September 8, 1971) [1] is an American author, podcaster, and retired United States Navy officer who served in the Navy SEALs and is a former member of SEAL Team 3. He is also on the board of directors for the Major League Soccer club San Diego FC.

Contents

Willink's military service includes combat actions in the Iraq War, where he commanded SEAL Team 3's Task Unit Bruiser, [2] the unit that fought in the battle against the Iraqi insurgents in Ramadi. [3] Willink received the Silver Star and Bronze Star Medal for his service [4] and achieved the rank of lieutenant commander. [5]

Willink co-authored the books Extreme Ownership and The Dichotomy of Leadership (with fellow retired SEAL Leif Babin) and co-founded the management consulting firm Echelon Front, LLC. [5] Willink hosts a weekly podcast with Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner Echo Charles, called the Jocko Podcast. [5]

Early life

John Gretton Willink Jr. was born on September 8, 1971, in Torrington, Connecticut, [6] and is of Dutch descent.[ citation needed ] He has two siblings. [7] He played soccer in high school [7] and holds a B.A. in English from the University of San Diego. [5]

Military career

Jocko Willink and Thomas Dzieran after a boarding operation on Russian tanker Volga-Neft-147 Volga-Neft-147 Willink Dzieran.jpg
Jocko Willink and Thomas Dzieran after a boarding operation on Russian tanker Volga-Neft-147

Willink wanted to be in the military from an early age, and he enlisted in the United States Navy at the age of 19. [6] After Navy recruit training and Radioman (RM) "A" School training, Willink reported to Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training (BUD/S) training at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado. Willink graduated BUD/S class 177. [8] Following SEAL tactical training (STT) and completion of six-month probationary period, he received his trident insignia. Willink served eight years on active duty, as an enlisted Navy SEAL with SEAL Team ONE.

Willink earned his commission via Officer Candidate School and served with SEAL Team TWO and later SEAL Team SEVEN as a platoon commander. Willink earned a degree from University of San Diego in 2003. Willink completed multiple deployments to Asia, the Middle East and Europe. [6] Willink was part of the SEAL team that seized the Russian Tanker Volga-Neft-147 in the Gulf of Oman, which was carrying Iraqi oil in violation of a United Nations economic embargo. [9] [ failed verification ]

During Operation Iraqi Freedom he deployed to the Iraqi city of Ramadi in 2006 with SEAL Team Three as commander of Task Unit Bruiser, which included Leif Babin, Seth "Stoner" Stone, Marc Alan Lee, Michael Monsoor, Jonny Kim, Kevin Lacz, Ryan "Biggles" Job, JP Dinnell, Tony Eafrati, Jason Hogan and Chris Kyle. [6]

Willink also served as a Navy SEAL instructor during his career. He retired in October 2010 after 20 years of service. [10]

Post-Navy career

After retiring from the Navy, Willink co-founded the leadership consulting firm Echelon Front along with Leif Babin, who served with him in the SEAL Teams. [11] The firm hosts conferences and seminars to teach leadership skills. [12] He and Babin also co-authored the leadership manual Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy Seals Lead and Win. [13]

In addition to his work in consulting and authorship, Willink instructs jiu-jitsu at Victory MMA & Fitness in San Diego and co-owns Origin USA, a company based in Farmington, Maine, which produces lifestyle apparel, nutrition supplements, and fitness equipment, [14] as well as being one of the only manufacturers of jiu-jitsu gis in the United States. [15] Willink has a chapter giving advice in Tim Ferriss' book Tools of Titans .

Brazilian jiu-jitsu career

Willink started practicing Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Fabio Santos while in active service, and continued training after retirement from the military. He obtained his black belt from the well-known MMA fighter and grappler Dean Lister. [16] Since then, Willink has been a prominent figure in the sport, has competed against big names such as Jeff Monson and has taught many grapplers. Willink promoted his own daughter to blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu in September 2022. [17]

Writing

Willink has authored numerous[ clarification needed ] fiction and nonfiction books. His 2015 book Extreme Ownership reached #13 in the audio nonfiction category of the New York Times best-seller list. [18] The book describes leadership lessons using examples of real-world missions and combat encounters. [19] In 2017, he published Discipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual, a collection of healthy living routines and mindsets for productivity. [20]

He authored the children's book series the Way of the Warrior Kid, which is intended to present the life lessons Willink received from SEAL training in a way that is digestible and applicable for children. [21] As of April 2024, Way of the Warrior Kid was reportedly being adapted into a feature film starring Chris Pratt and scripted by Will Staples. [22]

Podcast

After appearing on the podcasts of Tim Ferriss, Joe Rogan, and Sam Harris to publicize one of his books, Willink decided to start his own weekly podcast, The Jocko Podcast. On December 28, 2015, Willink launched the podcast on YouTube, with an accompanying website. [23] [24] As of December 2025, his YouTube channel has about two million subscribers. [25] Willink films the podcast at the Victory MMA & Fitness studio in San Diego. [26]

Bibliography

Adult nonfiction

Adult fiction

Children's books

Way of the Warrior Kid (2017–22)

  1. The Way of the Warrior Kid (2017) ( ISBN   978-1-250-15107-0)
  2. Marc's Mission: Way of the Warrior Kid (2018) ( ISBN   978-1-250-15679-2)
  3. Way of the Warrior Kid 3: Where there's a Will... (2019) ( ISBN   978-1-942549-48-2)
  4. Way of the Warrior Kid 4: Field Manual (2020) ( ISBN   978-1942549666)
  5. Way of the Warrior Kid 5: Letters from Uncle Jake (2022) ( ISBN   978-0981618890)

Awards and decorations

United States Navy Special Warfare insignia.png
Silver Star Medal ribbon.svg Bronze Star Medal ribbon with "V" device, 1st award.svg Meritorious Service Medal ribbon.svg
Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal ribbon, 2nd award.svg Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal ribbon, 5th award.svg Combat Action Ribbon.svg
U.S. Navy Unit Commendation ribbon.svg Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.svg Battle Effectiveness Award ribbon, 1st award.svg
U.S. Navy Good Conduct Medal ribbon.svg Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg Navy Fleet Marine Force Service Ribbon.svg National Defense Service Medal ribbon, 2nd award.svg
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal ribbon.svg
Southwest Asia Service Medal ribbon (1991-2016), 1st award.svg Iraq Campaign Medal ribbon, 3rd award.svg
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal ribbon.svg Global War on Terrorism Service Medal ribbon.svg Humanitarian Service Medal ribbon.svg
Navy and Marine Corps Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.svg Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg United States Navy Rifle Marksmanship Ribbon with expert device.svg United States Navy Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon with expert device.svg
U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps Parachutist Insignia-redone.png
Badge Special Warfare insignia
1st row Silver Star Bronze Star
with "V" device 		Meritorious Service Medal
2nd row Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal
with 1 Gold 5/16-inch star 		Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal
with 4 Gold 5/16-inch stars 		Combat Action Ribbon
3rd row Navy Unit Commendation
with 2 Service stars 		Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation Battle Efficiency Award
4th row Navy Good Conduct Medal
with 2 Service stars 		Navy Fleet Marine Force Ribbon National Defense Service Medal
with 1 Service star
5th row Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
with 1 Service star 		Southwest Asia Service Medal
with 1 Service star 		Iraq Campaign Medal
with 3 Campaign stars
6th row Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Humanitarian Service Medal
7th row Navy and Marine Corps Sea Service Deployment Ribbon
with 4 Service stars 		Rifle Marksmanship Medal
with Expert Device 		Pistol Marksmanship Medal
with Expert Device
Badge Navy and Marine Corps Parachutist Badge

References

  1. ↑ Feloni, Myelle; Lansat, Richard. "A retired Navy SEAL says SEALs' blind obedience shown in books and movies isn't anything like real life". Business Insider. Retrieved 2022-08-09.
  2. ↑ Feloni, Richard. "A retired Navy SEAL commander explains 12 traits all effective leaders must have". Business Insider. Retrieved 2022-08-09.
  3. ↑ "Ex-Navy Seal calls for "rapid strike" missions to get weapons, allies out of Afghanistan". Newsweek. 2021-08-25. Retrieved 2022-08-09.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Gamers, Techie (2022-04-04). "Jocko Willink Net Worth 2022: How Rich Is the Motivational Figure?". Techie + Gamers. Retrieved 2022-08-09.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Sof, Eric (April 7, 2022). "Jocko Willink: Commander of famous Task Unit Bruiser". Washington. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  6. 1 2 Judd, Charles (September 3, 2023). "Jocko Willink Net Worth – Ex-Navy SEAL & Leadership Instructor". TechieGamers. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  7. ↑ V, Rob (2019-02-02). "20 Most Famous Navy SEALS Of All Time". Operation Military Kids. Retrieved 2022-08-09.
  8. ↑ "Russian Tanker Carried Iraqi Oil". apnews.com. 7 February 2000. Archived from the original on 17 October 2022.
  9. ↑ "These former Navy SEALS explain why you should wake up before dawn to win at life". maxim.com. Maxim. January 12, 2017. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Former Navy SEAL commanders explain why 'there are no bad teams, only bad leaders'". finance.yahoo.com. October 2016. Retrieved 2022-08-18.
  11. ↑ "A former Navy SEAL called me out for making excuses, and it changed the way I think about leadership". Business Insider.
  12. ↑ "Why this retired Navy SEAL commander has 3 alarm clocks and wakes up at 4:30 a.m." Business Insider. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
  13. ↑ Milliken, Maureen (August 24, 2017). "Origin USA plans to double workforce with new Farmington factory". Mainebix. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  14. ↑ "A Talk with Origin…. Pete Roberts, Dedeco, and Jocko". ROLLING TIMES MAGAZINE. 2022-03-22. Retrieved 2022-08-18.
  15. ↑ "Jocko Willink: BJJ Facts, Belt Rank, & Career". The MMA Guru. Archived from the original on 2022-08-21. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  16. ↑ Burne, Kathrine (3 September 2022). "Jocko Willink Promotes Daughter To BJJ Blue Belt". Jitsmagazine.com. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  17. ↑ "Audio Nonfiction". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2024-09-23.
  18. ↑ "The Year's Five Bestselling Leadership Books, And Why They're So Great". Forbes.
  19. ↑ "A retired Navy SEAL commander does 2 things every night before bed so he can attack the next day the minute he wakes up". Business Insider.
  20. ↑ "Making boys into men the Jocko Willink way". Smoky Mountain News.
  21. ↑ "Hot Cannes Package: Chris Pratt & McG Turn Jocko Willink Novel 'Way Of The Warrior Kid' Into Film". Deadline. 25 April 2024.
  22. ↑ "Jocko Podcast". jockopodcast.com.
  23. ↑ "Jocko Podcast". YouTube .
  24. ↑ "Jocko Podcast". YouTube .
  25. ↑ "Behind the Brand With Navy SEAL Jocko Willink". Inc.com.
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