THE RESILIENT WARRIOR: Joey Hahn's Journey From Foster Care To Frogman @TeamNeverQuitPodcast

Uploaded February 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago

Welcome back, loyal listeners to another episode of the Team Never Quit Podcast! Join us as Marcus and Melanie sit down for a conversation with wounded warrior and U.S. Navy SEAL, Joey Hahn.Having lost his mother at 4 years of age to cervical cancer, his father was unable to care for him and his two siblings, and they were placed in foster care where they lived in dozens of homes across Texas until he graduated high school.
Despite the turmoil in his life, Joe graduated third in his high school class, earning multiple scholarships to attend Texas A&M University to pursue a Biomedical Science Degree. Joe was attending college when the 9/11 attacks occurred. He enlisted and spent 13 years in the United States Navy as a Special Operator First Class (SEAL). He deployed multiple times in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and he then deployed three more times to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and to other undisclosed locations worldwide.
During two separate freefall workups for specific missions and deployments, Joey was catastrophically injured, shattering his left and right legs individually. Each injury required several surgeries and months of recovery time before he was able to return to his unit. After two more deployments, the extent of his injuries was discovered, requiring more surgeries. Unable to fully recover and having sustained several TBI’s from explosions and IED’s while overseas, Joseph Hahn was medically retired in 2017.
Joey currently subcontracts with various entities conducting training, personal security, and consulting while continuing to pursue his degree.
Tune in and be inspired. Until next time, NEVER QUIT!

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In this episode you will hear:
• I can remember the day I got picked up [by CPS Foster Care]. I was in Kindergarten. (9:20)
• The foster home that took me in was my baseball coach. (18:02)
• I was constantly the new kid. My average stay at a home was 6 months. (20:38)
• The whole image of 9-11 and the invasion of Iraq was all over the TV. Stuff like that ate at me, especially being young, able-bodied, male Texan. I kept thinking to myself I need to do something now if I’m gonna do it because I’m physically capable now. (26:36)
• What attracted me to the whole community was combat diving. I loved water growing up. You couldn’t keep me out of a body of water: lake, pond, tank, trough. I was always trying to find a way to get wet. (32:02)
• Growing up as a child, I didn’t have any connections to anybody. I rarely saw my actual brother. There was no consistency as far as people in my life until the very end of my foster kid career. (73:51)
• I never really bonded with anybody until I went to BUDS. I can tell you everybody I went to BUDS with. They made a lifelong imprint on my life. (74:15)
• The only way to survive this situation [in battle] is to be with your brothers, and be ready for it, but accept that death is a possibility. (76:15)
• Instructors were telling us, “You’ve gotta be prepared to shoot somebody in the face. If you’re not mentally prepared for that, you’re in the wrong line of work. (78:28)—
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Marcus Luttrell
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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.

THE RESILIENT WARRIOR: Joey Hahns Journey From Foster Care To Frogman

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She shares insights into her personal journey and the milestones that led her to become a prominent figure in the outdoor media landscape. Martha Petrie Sue’s journey is a testament to the transformative power of passion and perseverance. As the Chair of WOMA, she continues to inspire and empower women to embrace their love for the outdoors and make their mark in the world of media. Join us for a riveting conversation that explores the intersection of adventure, advocacy, and media with the remarkable Martha Petrie Sue. Tune in and be inspired! In this episode you will hear: • I had a practice husband for 11 years. (4:50) • 31 years later [in my marriage] here I am Commissioner for Arizona Game & Fish; sitting on the executive committee of NRA Women’s Leadership Forum; I sit on the Arizona Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation Board, I’m involved with the Women’s Outdoor Media Association, supporting foundation for women warriors. 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. (16:12) • There’s some people that just will not, and won’t know, and don’t know how to listen. (16:23) • {Marcus] “You know how bad I wanna fly the space Shuttle?” (17:01) • You teach the woman, you teach the family (18:40) • Kids don’t understand the consequence of doing something anymore. And there’s no core of morality it seems to me. (22:08) • [Melanie] Our leaders act like divorced husband and wife; they argue in front of us, whether that’s our President or Congress. (23:14) • How do you teach the parents and the teachers how they’re basically ruining these kids’ lives? Where do we start? (24:34) • We make contracts through Arizona Game & Fish with the ranchers, and we will go out and take out the barbed wire on the fence and put in smooth wire 18” high because the Pronghorn actually go under a fence. They rarely will go over a fence. (27:35) • [Marcus] Humans, by nature, like to see things get destroyed & beat up. (37:44) — 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.$ $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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