ROBERT “CUJO” TESCHNER: USAF Fighter Pilot, Sr Joint Staff Officer, 2x Bestselling Author @TeamNeverQuitPodcast

Uploaded April 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago

What a privilege it is to have the top graduate of the Air Force Top Gun School and retired U.S. Air Force F-22 and F-15 fighter pilot and squadron commander, Rob “Cujo” Teschner in the studio with Marcus for this week’s Team Never Quit Podcast. Listen in for an inspiring conversation with Cujo, whose life is an amazing success story, and whose life mission is to teach and inspire others, bridging the gap between the principles of high performance combat veterans and high performance business.

His fight with Colorectal Cancer is what prompted Cujo to retire from the Air Force early. Yet his ambition led to his path of entrepreneurship, leadership and team development. Cujo is the founder and CEO of VMax Group, an international leadership training company and he has authored several books, two of which went to #1 on the Amazon bestseller list.

In this episode you will hear:
• I loved being part of the Air Force family. We lived all over the place. (7:57)
• 1977 when Luke Skywalker wants to join some academy and then join the rebellion. That resonated with me. (9:49)
• As a kid, I felt like the military was my family. It’s what I knew. (10:50)
• I thought it was always cool to hop on an airplane to go someplace new. To meet new people along the way. (13:00)
• My letter – the one that says “thanks for applying” never said “try again”. (18:26)
• The more people told me it wasn’t gonna happen the more committed I was to proving them wrong. (20:47)
• I had never flown an airplane before I went to the Air Force Academy. (23:32)
• Isn’t that stunning how fast we accelerate leadership – how fast we accelerate somebody to realize their potential? (27:07)
• If there was a time period I could freeze it would be First Lieutenant to Captain, because that’s when I was out there doing the mission. (28:28)
• What we need is a constant stream of warriors who are ready to go forth and do. (35:18)
• The biggest honor of my military career was being called to be an instructor at our Fighter Weapons School, basically it’s the Air Force Top Gun Program. (36:49)
• You can beat people up and tell them how much they suck and they can learn from that, but another alternative might be Hey Cujo, we were 2 decisions from victory today. (43:55)
• I try to apply that to my kids. (44:46)
• One of the huge blessings of my life was being a part of teams that mattered. (48:09)
• Our family team got a whole heck of a lot better as a result of my failure with cancer. That caused us to focus where we needed to. I’m eternally grateful for it. (52:32)
• One of the best 4-star bosses I ever worked for would come in every month and ask us “Hey what are you doing for the home team?” (55:33)

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Support the Show
patreon.com/teamneverquit

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Special Thanks / Credits

Executive Producer & Artwork - Hunter Luttrell
Audio Engineer - Joey Garza
Video Editor - John Fritzsching

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About TNQ Podcast:
Each week join Retired Navy SEAL and Lone Survivor Marcus Luttrell, Morgan Luttrell, and Producer Andrew Brockenbush as they’ll take you into the “briefing room” to chat with incredible guests who share their greatest never quit stories. This humorous, heartfelt, and entertaining podcast is changing lives and has become a beacon of hope and resilience to those who are facing the impossible. One of the best ways we can support our community is to share their stories so that we might inspire others to Never Quit.

We’re bringing you real-life stories of men and women who took life’s toughest challenges and met them head-on, radically changing their own lives and inspiring others to do the same.

ROBERT “CUJO” TESCHNER: USAF Fighter Pilot, Sr Joint Staff Officer, 2x Bestselling Author

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I do a lot of hunting with wounded warriors and females from that group and do a lot of outdoor experiences for all associations here in Arizona. (7:44). • 50% of gun sales have been new gun sales to women. I think it’s fantastic, but you gotta get training, and once you get training, you can’t get stale, you have to keep training. (9:28) • When you [Melanie] and Deb and I started the She Never Quit down at your beautiful ranch in Texas, we had women who had never seen a gun. To teach them not only how to shoot, but the safety behind it is critically important. (9:43) • A woman came up and she says “We just have to get rid of all these guns in the world.” I said so what you’re saying is I don’t have the right to keep myself safe, is that what I’m hearing you say? “Well no, that’s not what I mean.” Well that’s what you’re saying when you say that. (12:03) • Some people will never have an open mind. 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One of the best ways we can support our community is to share their stories so that we might inspire others to Never Quit. We’re bringing you real-life stories of men and women who took life’s toughest challenges and met them head-on, radically changing their own lives and inspiring others to do the same.$ $ERIC BLEHM: NYT Best-Selling Author The Darkest White, Heroic Stories of Veterans Unveiling Stories of Courage and Adventure In this week’s Team Never Quit episode, Marcus and Melanie sit down with Eric Blehm, an acclaimed author whose storytelling prowess has carved a niche in the realms of adventure, courage, and the human spirit. With a track record that boasts New York Times bestsellers and accolades like the National Outdoor Book Award, Blehm’s narrative skills have captivated readers across the globe. A groundbreaking moment in his journalistic career was in 1999 when he became the first journalist to accompany and keep pace with an elite Army Ranger platoon, setting a milestone in American war journalism. His immersion with the Special Operations community led to gripping accounts, including the story of eleven Green Berets who changed the course of history in Taliban-held southern Afghanistan just weeks after 9/11 (The Only Thing Worth Dying For). Fearless and Beyond delves into the inspiring story of Naval Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Adam Brown, showcasing resilience in the face of addiction and devastating injuries. Eric’s storytelling prowess extends to Legend, an account of the U.S. Army’s 240th Assault Helicopter Company and Green Beret Medal of Honor recipient Staff Sergeant Roy Benavidez. In his latest work, The Darkest White, Blehm returns to his mountain roots to recount the life of snowboarding’s original superstar, Craig Kelly. The book explores Kelly’s journey from being the sport’s first true professional to his tragic end in the powdery backcountry that initially drew him to his calling. Both Fearless and Legend are currently in the process of being adapted for film by major Hollywood producers and studios, attesting to the cinematic appeal of Blehm’s storytelling. Join us for an episode filled with riveting tales of courage, adventure, and the human spirit as Eric Blehm takes us behind the scenes of his extraordinary storytelling career. Socials: – ericblehmofficial – https://www.ericblehm.com/ – team_neverquit , marcusluttrell , melanieluttrell , huntero13 Sponsors: – Navyfederal.org – usejoymode.com [TNQ] – Shopify.com/TNQ – Shhtape.com [TNQ] In this episode you will hear: • I want to not only hook a reader with something interesting, but I want to give them a reason to finish the book. (7:15) • I always try to get some sort of a cliffhanger, something early on that will keep someone reading. (7:20) • If someone comes back and asks me where this sentence came from, or where this quote from, • I want to have an answer. (9:18) • I would rather have a hole in my story than fill it with bullshit. (9:46) • Some stories that are very true cannot be told true, because certain people don’t want shit told. (11:01) • At some point in your life, you’re taken away by a story. (12:24) • I wanted to be a pro snow boarder in the 80s. (13:26) • I do not even know the whole story of how Lone Survivor came together. (23:44) • [Marcus] When it was time to do the movie, I got to live with [Director] Peter Berg. (26:41) • I was chatting with one of [Ted Nugent’s] bandmates. [I asked] Is it true that he will only shoot something he eats? And he said “It is absolutely true. Sometimes I wish he’d shoot a salad.” (34:57) • To die a hero [Adam Brown] with all those skeletons buried. (37:29) • People often ask if there’s a common thread to all these special ops or operators, and it seems to me that everybody has overcome something already. Someone once said: “Children of Adversity.” (37:40) • A woman will change a man’s religion and his politics. (39:58) • There’s 2 heroes in Fearless: Kelly Brown and Adam Brown. (41:13) • [Melanie] Now you get the Trident when you graduate BUDS. (44:05) • There’s a certain personality that the SEALs have. They are people people. It’s very much a mental game. (48:26) • There’s always a choice between making something “Wacky Hollywood” vs “This is what really happened.” (52:04) • Roy Benavidez was a real badass. He’s the one person I’d want beside me if I was surrounded by the enemy and running out of ammo. (53:04) • You {Marcus] are a household name, and people look to you as someone who stands for America. (95:39)— For More Fun, Follow: Team Never Quit Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/team_neverquit/ Marcus Luttrell Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcusluttrell/ Melanie Luttrell: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melanieluttrell Hunter Luttrell Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/huntero13 — Support the Show http://patreon.com/teamneverquit — Special Thanks / Credits Executive Producer & Artwork - Hunter Luttrell Audio Engineer - Joey Garza Video Editor - John Fritzsching$

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$STAFF SGT. SHILO HARRISSurviving an IED Explosion & His Incredible Road To Recovery This week’s Team Never Quit guest, Shilo Harris, has an amazing story to tell. He speaks with Marcus about the details of his second deployment with the U.S Army’s 10th Mountain Division near Baghdad. Shilo’s armored vehicle was struck by an IED, which killed three of his fellow soldiers, injured the driver, and burned a third of his body, causing the loss of his ears, the tip of his nose and three fingers. The explosion also fractured his left collarbone and C-7 vertebrae. As a result, he spent nearly three years recovering and undergoing intensive physical therapy at the burn unit of Brook Army Medical Center in San Antonio, TX. While there, he was the first soldier to participate in regenerative stem-cell research to regrow his fingers, and later received prosthetic ears, and he has a hilarious story to share about them. Today, Shilo is a motivational speaker, raising awareness for PTSD and serving as an inspiration to fellow soldiers. “Everything in life is a gift. Sometimes it may not be the gift you want, but you realize that your challenges are a new beginning.” In this episode you will hear: • I’ve been extremely blessed. (17:53) • Me being a burn guy, I have a hard time regulating my body temperature, because the scar tissue acts like wearing a jacket all the time. It just doesn’t breathe. (18:50) • [While shopping for a hat, the girl] like a good salesperson, figured she could just size me up. She set that hat on me and popped it down. When she did, both my ears popped off, and hit the floor, bouncing around. (20:06) • I was in a van one day, and there were several wounded warriors, and everybody was missing something. One of the guys looked around and said “Damn, all of us together make like one whole man, maybe two.” (24:47) • My dad, being a veteran, we spent a lot of time at the American Legion. The American Legion out there was kind of like a bar. (25:52) • I knew what I wanted. I wanted combat arms. (33:01) • [In Bagdad] every day, there was an IED that went off in our area somewhere. (39:30) • I could see that my face was charred black, my hair was gone, my ears were gone, my nose was gone, I had blood running out of everything, and I started panicking. (50:29) • I was thinking: “I better get a day off for this.” (51:02) • I spent 48 days in a medically induced coma. (52:51) • [I had given up] and my dad said, “Are you done, soldier?” And it just washed over me, thinking holy crap, I’m a quitter before I even tried to start the fight. Where did my pride go? (55:24) • When he walked out of the room, he [my dad] literally just looked at me and said “Then get your ass up and start doing the work.” And I did. (59:59) • I was actually one of the first individuals to attempt regenerative growth. (66:00) • Faith, regardless of what it is, can get you through your worst days, your darkest moments. (75:17) — For More Fun, Follow: Team Never Quit Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/team_neverquit/ Marcus Luttrell Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcusluttrell/ Melanie Luttrell: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melanieluttrell Hunter Luttrell Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/huntero13 — Support the Show http://patreon.com/teamneverquit — Special Thanks / Credits Executive Producer & Artwork - Hunter Luttrell Audio Engineer - Joey Garza Video Editor - John Fritzsching — About TNQ Podcast: Each week join Retired Navy SEAL and Lone Survivor Marcus Luttrell, Morgan Luttrell, and Producer Andrew Brockenbush as they’ll take you into the “briefing room” to chat with incredible guests who share their greatest never quit stories. This humorous, heartfelt, and entertaining podcast is changing lives and has become a beacon of hope and resilience to those who are facing the impossible. One of the best ways we can support our community is to share their stories so that we might inspire others to Never Quit. We’re bringing you real-life stories of men and women who took life’s toughest challenges and met them head-on, radically changing their own lives and inspiring others to do the same.$

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