Who is Jocko Willink? (BIOGRAPHY)
Name: Jocko Willink
Birthday: September 8, 1971
Age: 50 Years
Sun Sign: Virgo
Also Known As: John Gretton Willink Jr.
Born Country: United States
Born In: Torrington, Connecticut, United States
Famous As: Author
Jocko Willink is a retired Navy SEAL officer who is also an author, podcaster and co-founder of a leadership consulting firm. He spent two decades in the United States Navy SEAL Teams, beginning as an enlisted SEAL and eventually rising through the ranks to become a SEAL officer.
His military service includes fighting Iraqi insurgents as the commander of SEAL Team 3’s Task Unit Bruiser in Ramadi.
He received numerous awards for his military service, including the Silver Star and Bronze Star.
Following his retirement, he co-founded Echelon Front, a leadership and management consulting firm, with his SEAL teammate Leif Babin, and co-authored the bestselling books Extreme Ownership and The Dichotomy of Leadership with him.
He has also written numerous other books as an author, including adult nonfiction and the children’s book series Way of the Warrior Kid.
Willink is also a successful podcaster, with his Jocko Podcast ranking as one of iTunes’ most popular podcasts.
He is also a jiu-jitsu instructor and co-owner of a business that sells a lifestyle, apparel, and fitness products, among other things.
Personal and Early Life of Jocko Willink:
Jocko Gretton Willink, Jr. was born on September 8, 1971, in Torrington, Connecticut, United States, and grew up in the New England town where his father was a schoolteacher.
He had a rebellious nature as a child, and when he grew up, he joined the military to channel his headstrong personality.
Jocko Willink is married to Helen Louise Willink, a former flight attendant whom he met in Bahrain. They married in 1997 and have four children – three daughters and one son.
He possesses a black belt in jiu-jitsu.
Jocko Willink: Career
Jocko Willink’s career began with Navy recruit training and Radioman (RM) “A” School training.
Following that, he was assigned to the Naval Amphibious Base Coronado for Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training (BUD/S) and later completed the SEAL Tactical Training (STT). He received the NEC 5326 as a Combatant Swimmer after a six-month probation period (SEAL).
He served as an enlisted Navy SEAL for eight years with SEAL Team ONE and SEAL Team TWO. He was also a member of the SEAL team that intercepted the Russian tanker in the Gulf of Oman. Despite the United Nations’ economic embargo, the tanker was carrying Iraqi oil.
He then attended Officer Candidate School and received his commission as a platoon commander. His job took him to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
As the commander of SEAL Team Three’s Task Unit Bruiser in 2006, he oversaw SEAL operations against Iraqi insurgents in the war-torn city of Ramadi to restore peace and stability. His unit went on to become the most decorated Special Operations Unit of the Iraq War.
Jocko returned home after serving in Iraq to take over as Officer-in-Charge of training for all West Coast SEAL Teams. In this role, he was in charge of training the next generation of SEAL leaders.
He retired from the Navy in October 2010 after more than two decades of service. Throughout his distinguished career, he has been awarded the Silver Star Medal, the Bronze Star Medal with Valor, and the Meritorious Service Medal. In addition, he has received a slew of other personal and unit honours.
Following his retirement, he co-founded Echelon Front with another SEAL officer, Leif Babin. In this multimillion-dollar leadership and management consulting firm, he teaches the leadership principles he learned on the battlefield to help others lead and win.
Individuals, teams, and businesses from a variety of industries and fields are among the clients on the list.
Jocko Willink and Leif Babin also co-wrote the book Extreme Ownership: How US Navy Seals Lead and Win. They share their hard-hitting combat stories as Navy SEALs in it, which teach invaluable lessons for business and life. The book, which was released in 2015, quickly became a New York Times best-seller.
In the years since, he has written or co-written some best-selling books, including Discipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual(2017), The Dichotomy of Leadership: Balancing the Challenges of Extreme Ownership to Lead and Win(2018, with Leif Babin), Leadership Strategy and Tactics: Field Manual(2020), and The Code. The Assessment. The Protocols: Becoming an Eminently Qualified Human (2020, with Dave Berke and Sarah Armstrong).
He has also written children’s books such as Mikey and the Dragons (2018, with Jon Bozak) and the three books in the Way of the Warrior Kid series (2017–2019, with Jon Bozak).
Jocko Willink is the co-owner of Origin USA, a company that manufactures and sells products in the lifestyle apparel, nutrition supplements, and fitness equipment categories, in addition to running a leadership consulting firm, writing books, and hosting a podcast. Willink also teaches jiu-jitsu at Victory MMA & Fitness, a martial arts school in San Diego, California.