“You go through life and you learn from your experiences and you learn from the experiences of others. You take those on hopefully to your own benefit to learn and not make the same mistakes that somebody else did as they were passing through those gates.”
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Why Listen:
Special thanks to Steve Bane for making this interview happen. My guest today, Justin LeHew, is many things. He earned the Navy Cross for his heroic actions in Iraq in 2003, he has an obstacle at Parris Island named after him: LeHew's Challenge, he achieved the rank of Sergeant Major in the Marine Corps. Yet its not merely these accomplishments that set him apart - it is the way that he focuses on others rather than broadcasting his significant achievements. We talk a lot about that in this interview, as well as his work at History Flight, a private MIA search and recovery organization, responsible for locating and repatriating over 365 missing American servicemen to date.
About Justin LeHew
Justin LeHew is the Chief Operating Officer at History Flight, the world's most successful, private MIA search and recovery organization, responsible for locating and repatriating 365 missing American servicemen to date. Justin has his own Wikipedia page, so here are a few highlights:
He served in the Marine Corps for over 25 years, achieving the rank of Sergeant Major
Parris Island has an obstacle named in his honor. "LeHew's Challenge" is an 8 ft high suspended log supported by two pedestals that is part of the famed 54-hour crucible event which culminates the basic training of a United States Marine
He was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroic actions in Iraq in March of 2003
Most notably, none of this information you'll find on his LinkedIn Page, and I'm guessing none of it would come up if you were at a bar with Justin. We traded emails about this, but I wanted to start off our conversation here - in an era where self-promotion is at an all-time high, Justin is an example of someone who is not broadcasting his merits and is not touting the unbelievable achievements he’s accomplished.
Selected Resources:
Transcript & Time Stamps:
1:35
Joining me today from Fredericksburg, VA is Justin LaHew.
You’re extremely humble. Can you explain why it’s important to you to stay that way?
As you go through life, you learn from your own experience as well as the experience of others. Hopefully you learn from those and don’t make the same mistakes that others have.
From the time I was a child, I was inspired by people in my community that had served in the military. But when you met them, they didn’t bring up their heroic acts in conversation. They were very humble. Oftentimes, people died before I really realized all that they had accomplished in their life. The way those people lived their lives was an inspiration for me in how I should live my own life.
9:45
You allow your work ethic to speak for itself rather than job titles or awards. Can you speak more about that?
I think tangible things like an award or job title can be helpful in that they allow you to point to who you were at a certain point in your career.
I remember a time in my life when I was going through a middle management course in the Marines. It was a staff NCO course. I realized in that course that using job responsibilities, titles, and where someone was at in a particular moment in their life, you can understand more about who they are today.
Everybody’s circumstances are different. At a younger age, I would jot down notes that kept me in check. I knew that as I grew, my perspective would evolve. I would refer back to notes I had written previously so that I could understand more about who I was in that moment. Those notes have helped me understand people that have worked for me. I understand more about what people’s mentalities are at various points in their career. That has really helped me build quality relationships and better understand those around me.
16:00
Do you journal or write on a regular basis?
When I was thirteen years old, my father passed away. My mother passed away in the 90s as well as my two older sisters.
My father was drafted into the Army in 1944 at age 28. He went on to serve a 20 year career in the Air Force into the mid-1960s. But that was never mentioned in our house growing up. My father was 55 years old when I was born. I know I was very loved but I don’t remember a lot of day to day interaction or mentorship from my father. My mother was really the one raising us. But I did know I was loved. I saw how hard my dad worked and I wanted to model my work ethic off of that. But he had already passed away by the time I entered the Marines. So I missed out on all the lessons he had learned from his time in the Air Force. That’s what inspired me to write to my mom and write journals as much as I could describing my experiences in the military.
Every Marine squad leader has a notepad with them and is required to take notes throughout the day. So I got into the habit of just jotting notes throughout that day. Those notes compounded over time into valuable information that allowed me to be a better leader.
28:48
How would you explain your current role as COO of History Flight?
History Flight is a private Missing in Action organization that augments the Department of Defense in accounting for the nearly 81,000 missing service members since WWII.
My generation grew up on the adage “We don’t leave our dead and wounded behind.” I believe that I am a brother to my fellow service members no matter what race or religion they may be. I grew up in a military where service to others comes before service to self.
In the US archives, you can find family letters and telegrams that speak about missing service members. It’s very moving to see how much it can mean to a family to finally bring them closure after their family member has been missing for so long. There’s no monetary value that can be placed on that.
I was excited to take on the role of COO because it allowed me to continue serving the military even after I had left the Marines. Those 81,000 men and women each have a story and it’s important to me to honor those stories.
44:00
What would you share with listeners as they think about excelling in their post-military career?
Don’t be afraid to chase your passion versus just working a job. No matter how long you served for, the military has given you tangible skills that will allow you to succeed. You don’t have to do exactly what you were doing in the military. No matter what job you go into, you have valuable knowledge and skills to bring to that job.
You should have two different resumes prepared for your job search - a federal resume and a non-government resume. Depending on what you’re applying for, you will need to tailor a resume to that specific job. You don’t want the resume to be too long. It should be very concise and shaped to the exact role you want to apply for. When I was transitioning out of the Marines, I hired a resume writer to help me craft my resumes. It really wasn’t helpful in the end. You can do a much better job writing your own resume.