He has a remarkable story that transfixed many of those in attendance. Owen grew up in remote Alaska and, after reading book on the Navy SEALs as a youth, he decided that was his singular goal. He made it through the brutal induction program (BUD/S training), describing in detail to my class the various challenges he faced. These included six months at the Naval Special Warfare Training Center in Coronado, California where SEAL classes test the men with extreme feats of mental and physical stamina. 

Owen showed incredible footage of himself and others parachuting out of a plane tethered to a 700-pound container that, on missions, would contain weapons and equipment. One clip showed a SEAL who got out of control on the drop, with the container swinging wildly and the person in danger of becoming tangled in the parachute lines. Owen said he lost three friends in this type of training.

Owen, as he describes in his book, served for 14 years and has been on more than a dozen deployments since 9/11. He shared with the students his motivations for staying in the Navy SEALs and how this changed over time with the loss of many friends and colleagues. I appreciated his professionalism and the fact that he did not glamorize conflict. He was direct about the ugliness of war and his role as a professional soldier.

Colorado Academy students had an opportunity to ask questions about his motives for publishing this book (which was controversial), how he copes with developing close friendships with people whom he knows could get killed or seriously injured, and the issues facing veterans when they return home.

He offered a number of leadership and life lessons from his experiences. Obviously, he modeled a high level of grit and determination. Just making it through the process of becoming a SEAL is amazing, much less serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. (His team also played a role in the rescue of Captain John Phillips from Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean.)

As the powers that be prepared Owen and his fellow sailors for life and death operations, they put these hopeful SEALs through physical and mental tests and that pushed them to the limit. In a world in which students often see examples when a person is able to pull strings to get his way, the world of the military is quite a different reality. When an order is given, one must follow it. At one point during the training, Mark and his cohorts refused to follow an order. As punishment, the instructors had the troops push a bus ten miles! If they wanted to achieve their goal of becoming a SEAL, these men had to follow orders - no matter if they were fair or not. It's about putting the team first and accepting life as it comes your way.

The high point of the talk was Owen explaining his role in the raid on bin Laden’s hideout in Abbottabad, Pakistan. This historic mission did not go as planned, and Owen offered some other lessons about dealing with challenging situations that come up, keeping one's head, and falling back on preparation and teamwork. He noted that the film Zero Dark Thirty is full of inaccuracies.

As a historian, it was amazing to hear his account of what happened that night. There were so many variables, and it is mind boggling to think about the pressure he and his team were under during the raid. Yet, he described it as a mission that was actually an easier mission than others he had been on! It is clear he has many more stories and lessons to offer, and I hope he can come back for a future class.

All in all, it was one of those great moments at Colorado Academy in which students, parents, and teachers each learned something new and looked at the world a bit differently. I am very appreciative of Owen’s willingness to come and share his story. I want to thank him and all of our service men and women for their service to our country.