Duty, Sacrifice, and Character: The Unshakable Resolve of LTC Daniel Gade

This week’s Team Never Quit guest, Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Gade, brings us a story of courage, sacrifice, and resilience that will leave you deeply inspired. A two-time Purple Heart recipient, LTC Gade served with distinction in Iraq, where he led soldiers in some of the most hostile environments and endured life-altering injuries in the line of duty. But as you’ll hear, his story didn’t end in combat—it began a new chapter of leadership, healing, and purpose.
Born on a North Dakota farm and raised with a strong sense of patriotism, Daniel always knew he was destined to serve. After graduating from West Point, he rose through the ranks as an armored officer, company commander, and eventually a wounded warrior whose leg injury nearly claimed his life. Through a long and painful recovery, his faith, family, and unrelenting grit propelled him to become a policy expert, White House veteran, Ph.D. holder, and educator at the very academy that shaped him.
This conversation goes beyond the battlefield to explore themes of honor, duty, and the character that defines true greatness. Whether you're in the military or not, Daniel’s story will challenge you to reflect on your own purpose and what you’re willing to sacrifice for it.

In This Episode You Will Hear:
• I worry about whether the wars that we fought in – were they the right thing to do? I wonder if our national leadership is courageous enough to understand that these young men and women - their blood should not be sacrificed in vain. (9:53)
• I hope our generation will do a better job of deciding when and where to go to war. (10:59)
• I graduated West Point in ’97 (13:47)
• [Marcus – On 9/11] They sat us down. They hey had all the TVs on the wall. As we were watching it, the second one [plane] hit. (18:46)
• My tank was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade on November 10th, and it killed the soldier next to me and wounded me mildly. (23:35)
• I remember looking at him and the next day was veteran’s day. And I remember thinking: “I know he’s dead, but his parents don’t know he’s dead yet. And they’re gonna find out on Veteran’s Day.” (25:53)
• At 26:25 Daniel recalls the experience of being hit by an IED.
• It’s a miracle that I’m alive, honestly. (28:41)
• I end up spending a year in the hospital. (28:57)
• People ask me if I have PTSD and I don’t, but when I was unconscious, I had horrible, horrible dreams. (30:55)
• I went from user-level wounded warrior, just a guy in a hospital bed, to being the guy whose office is overlooking the west wing from across the street. (38:05)
• The book is called “Wounding Warriors”. It’s on Amazon. (43:4)
• The generosity that we do have for veterans is actually too much and in the wrong direction because it incentivizes all the wrong behaviors. (44:18)
• The system itself disincentivizes wellness and positivity. It causes people to quit and to disengage from society. (48:08)
• The whole system is basically welfare. (50:24)
• What we need to do is re-orient the system towards employment and thriving, and towards changing goals from seeing how much money people can get to seeing how good an outcome they can get. (55:06)
• We ought not label someone disabled until they’ve gone through the full rehabilitation process. (55:28)
• If you want more of something, incentivize it. If you want less of something, tax it. (56:15)
There’s 6million people getting disability compensation, and 3.2 million of them are getting it for Tinnitus – ringing of the ears. (58:40)
• We should take care of veterans the right way. Not turn them into welfare queens. (64:41)

Support Dainel
  - Buy his book here ---> https://a.co/d/5XJ9UAM

Support TNQ
  - IG: team_neverquit , marcusluttrell , melanieluttrell , huntero13
  -  https://www.patreon.com/teamneverquit

Sponsors:
  -  cargurus.com/TNQ
   - armslist.com/TNQ
  - partnersinbuilding.com

- Navyfederal.org       
-    - You can find Cremo's new line of antiperspirants and deodorants at Target or Target.com

   - WARFARE IN THEATERS APRIL 11th
Watch Trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JER0Fkyy3tw
First Look Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3DWuqiAUKg&t=3s

   -   - PXGapparel.com/TNQ
  - bruntworkwear.com/TNQ

   - Selectquote.com/TNQ
   - Groundnews.com/TNQ
   - You can find Cremo's new line of antiperspirants and deodorants at Target or Target.com

   - shipsticks.com/TNQ
   - Robinhood.com/gold

   - strawberry.me/TNQ
   - stopboxusa.com {TNQ}
   - ghostbed.com/TNQ [TNQ]

  -  kalshi.com/TNQ
  -  joinbilt.com/TNQ

   - Tonal.com [TNQ]
  - greenlight.com/TNQ

  - PDSDebt.com/TNQ
  - drinkAG1.com/TNQ

  - Shadyrays.com [TNQ]
  - qualialife.com/TNQ [TNQ]
  - Hims.com/TNQ
  - Shopify.com/TNQ

  - Aura.com/TNQ
  - Policygenius.com
  - TAKELEAN.com [TNQ]
  - usejoymode.com [TNQ]