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By Dale Hartt, former U.S. Navy and UFC fighter
I grew up on a farm in Dixmont, Maine, in the 1980s. Dixmont had a population of 800 people and lots of trees. My parents were often at work or traveling. Fortunately, I wasn’t the only kid in the neighborhood left unsupervised. We had a great group of kids that all loved to play rough. Many of the kids I played with were 4 years older than me and much further along in puberty-sadly. Since most of our games were outside and involved battling; I took frequent and hardy beatings. I was lucky to have them as friends, and they prepared me well for the military.
At 19, my grandfather David was diagnosed with lung cancer. He was my patron saint. When he died, I felt very alone in a scary world. A few days later, my friend Tom and I were watching a Discovery Channel special about BUD/S class 234. Ten minutes into the episode I decided it looked like so much fun, I was going to join the military. I looked at Tom and told him I was going to go blow some shit up.
Three weeks later, I was flying to Chicago for Navy bootcamp.
The Navy gave me a crash course in being an adult. I loved the pushups but hated:
Sleep deprivation.
Showering with 89 men with only 30 shower heads. After 3 minutes, the water would shut off. Sometimes when the drill sergeants were mad at us, they shut off the hot water.
Having 4 toilets and zero stall walls. I hated trying to poop with some dude letting it rip next to me. I would have almost preferred someone pulled my fingernails out with pliers.
Being a good soldier is often about embracing the suck.
I got in trouble at the end of advanced training and was sent to the fleet. Instead of heading to BUD/S, a school to become a Navy SEAL, I was stationed on the USS Gettysburg. Being in the fleet on a Navy ship was much safer/better than what most soldiers got. Forward-deployed Marines spent 3 months in hell-zones in Iraq, Afghanistan, Haiti, Syria. Many of those Marines were in near-constant harm. People shot bullets, rockets, and mortars at them constantly. Some were being threatened with chemical weapons. Many Americans don’t understand just how bad some places in the world are. Our military is often asked to go to the most dangerous environments on the planet.
The Penobscot natives give people a new name when they come back from war because they are now a new person. One of my dearest friends was a forward-deployed Marine stationed in Iraq and Haiti. He commonly has shortness of breath, severe anxiety, and goes running out of places randomly. We were watching Indian Jones once, and he told me he was going to the bathroom. Instead of going to the bathroom, he sprinted home. It was not easy for him to get his head right. It was not easy for many of us.
What do those service members get for their sacrifice? They give America a chance to be great. They give us a chance to be safe and prosperous. The world is full of nasty people that will kill to take our stuff and freedoms. All the things I love most - our safety, property rights, free markets, and the opportunities to live a great life, are all possible because of soldiers. I thank every American troop I see, and you should too.
P.S. - One of the ways I say thank you is by supporting Beyond the Brotherhood [ [link removed] ], [ [link removed] ]a charity supporting Navy SEAL veterans. Many special operations soldiers do incredible and dangerous stuff, often at great cost to themselves and family, for America. Beyond the Brotherhood empowers Navy SEALs transitioning to civilian life “Empowering Navy SEALs to CONTINUE leveraging their skills FOR GOOD”.
I love what Jimmy May, and his team are doing. Check them out and donate if you can at: www.beyondthebrotherhood.org/ [ [link removed] ]
Dale served as an interior communications man in the U.S. Navy for 4 years and was deployed on the USS Gettysburg. Afterwards, he began a professional MMA fighting career which lead him to the UFC.
Help our Navy SEALS reenter society: Beyond the Brotherhood
Navy SEALs have a vast array of marketable skillsets and expertise, there is little to no guidance, support or network [ [link removed] ] when they transition out of the SEAL Teams and into the private sector.
For SEALs with entrepreneurial aspirations, there is even less guidance. The operational tempo and clandestine nature of their work prevents them from building the social fabric that most of the world enjoys.
Navy SEALs are forged in a crucible of service, their exceptional skills honed for a unique mission. As they transition to civilian life, a new chapter beckons – a chance to leverage their strengths in a supportive community.
Through personalized career guidance and mentorship, we help SEALs [ [link removed] ] translate their remarkable experiences into fulfilling goals. BTB empowers them to find purpose and camaraderie beyond the battlefield.
Even a small donation goes a long way to helping those who gave everything for us.

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