Aaron Hale's story is about what comes next after tragedy strikes. After serving as a Navy cook, he switched to the Army to become an explosive ordnance disposal tech, leading teams through dangerous missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. A blast left him blind, and years later, meningitis took his hearing. Instead of giving up, Aaron focused on how to move forward. He learned new ways to live, connected with other veterans who had faced similar losses, and found purpose in helping others do the same. This episode is a conversation about persistence, service, and learning to build a new life one step at a time. Timestamps:

• 00:08:11 - From Navy kitchens to Afghanistan's front lines
• 00:17:49 - The meaning of "initial success or total failure"
• 00:27:42 - The explosion that changed everything
• 00:33:30 - Finding mentors and new purpose
• 00:45:12 - Turning his story into strength for others

Links & Resources

• Veteran Suicide & Crisis Line: Dial 988, then press 1
• Website: https://www.pointofimpactpod.com/
• Follow Aaron Hale on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aclayhale
• Follow Aaron Hale on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aclayhale/
• Follow Aaron Hale on Twitter/X: https://x.com/aclayhale
• Follow Aaron Hale on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-hale-1861477/
• Eod fudge: https://eodfudge.com/

Transcript

View the transcript for this episode.