Jocko Willink | |
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| Birth name | John Gretton Willink, Jr. |
| Born | (1971-09-08)September 8, 1971 (age 53) Torrington, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1990–2010 |
| Rank |  Lieutenant commander |
| Unit | SEAL Team 1 SEAL Team 2 SEAL Team 3 |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Silver Star Bronze Star Medal Meritorious Service Medal |
| Alma mater | University of San Diego (BA) |
| Website | jockopodcast |
John Gretton "Jocko"Willink Jr. (born September 8, 1971)[1] is an American author,podcaster, and retiredUnited States Navy officer who served in theNavy SEALs and is a former member ofSEAL Team 3. He is also on the Board of Directors forSan Diego FC.
Willink's military service includes combat actions in theIraq War, where hecommandedSEAL Team 3's Task Unit Bruiser,[2] the unit that fought in thebattle against theIraqi insurgents inRamadi.[3] Willink was honored with theSilver Star andBronze Star Medal for his service.[4] He achieved the rank oflieutenant commander.[5]
Willink co-authored the booksExtreme Ownership andThe Dichotomy of Leadership (with fellow retired SEAL Leif Babin) and co-founded the management consulting firm Echelon Front, LLC.[5] Willink hosts a weeklypodcast withBrazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner Echo Charles, called theJocko Podcast.[5] He holds aB.A. in English from theUniversity of San Diego.[5]
John Gretton Willink Jr. was born on September 8, 1971, inTorrington, Connecticut.[6] He has two siblings.[7] Jocko played soccer in high school.[7]
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 toBasic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training (BUD/S) training atNaval 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 enlistedNavy SEAL with SEAL Team One and SEAL Team Two.
Willink was part of the SEAL team thatseized 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] Willinkearned his commission viaOfficer Candidate School and served as a platoon commander. Willink completed multiple deployments to Asia, the Middle East and Europe.[6]
DuringOperation Iraqi Freedom he deployed to the Iraqi city ofRamadi 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 andChris Kyle.[6]
Willink also served as a Navy SEAL instructor during his career. He retired in October 2010 after 20 years of service.[10]
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 manualExtreme 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 inSan Diego and co-owns Origin USA, a company based inFarmington, 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 inTim Ferriss' bookTools of Titans.
Willink started Brazilian jiu-jitsu underFabio Santos while in active service and continued training after retirement from the military. He obtained his black belt fromDean Lister.[16] Since then, Willink has been a prominent figure in the sport, has competed against big names such asJeff Monson and has taught many grapplers. Willink promoted his own daughter to blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu in September 2022.[17]
Willink has authored numerous fiction and nonfiction books. His 2015 bookExtreme Ownership has been onThe New York Times Best Seller List,[18] and was praised by critics.[19] The book teaches leadership lessons using examples of real-world missions and combat encounters.[20] In 2017, he publishedDiscipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual, which is a collection of healthy living routines and mindsets for productivity.[21]
He authored the children's book series theWay 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.[22] TheWay of the Warrior Kid is being adapted into a feature film starringChris Pratt and scripted byWill Staples.[23]
After appearing on thepodcasts ofTim Ferriss,Joe Rogan, andSam Harris to publicize his book, 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.[24][25] His YouTube channel currently has 1.8 million subscribers.[26] Willink films the podcast from his studio in San Diego.[27]
Jocko is married to Hellene Willink.[7] They have four children and live inSan Diego.[7] Willink is ofDutch descent.
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