🏠Aaron Peña (Part 1): Going from the Trident to Deeds—Leveraging the VA Loan for Financial Reinvention
Release Date: 12/01/2025
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⚓️ Full Send Friday: Navy SEAL Aaron Peña on Real Estate Investing, The VA Loan "System," and Healing Invisible Wounds
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Transitioning out of the elite special operations community is like "learning a new language." In this comprehensive Full Send episode, former Navy SEAL Medic Aaron Peña joins the show to share his blueprint for a successful post-service life. Aaron breaks down the exact system he used to turn his Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) into a real estate portfolio using the VA Loan. We dive deep into the technical side of property acquisition—including house hacking multi-family units and VA loan entitlement—before shifting to the raw, personal reality of service. Aaron opens up about his...
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⚓ Aaron Peña (Part 4): Building the FOB—Brotherhood, Invisible Wounds, and the Power of Surrender
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What does it mean to be a committed leader when the mission shifts from the battlefield to the home front? In the final chapter of this four-part series, former Navy SEAL Aaron Peña gets vulnerable about the Invisible Wounds of a 20-year career. Aaron discusses the deep sense of loneliness that often follows a military transition and how he took purposeful action to build a Forward Operating Base (FOB) for SEALs in Northeast Florida. From managing the “rabid spider monkey” energy of community service to the harrowing story of a life-threatening spontaneous pneumothorax as a new guy,...
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🏠Aaron Peña (Part 3): Triage in Real Estate—Translating SEAL Team Discipline to Negotiations and Risk Assessment
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How does the intense triage mindset of a combat medic translate directly to managing complex, costly civilian transactions? In Part 3 of this four-part series, former Navy SEAL Corpsman Aaron Peña shares his approach to applying the high-stakes discipline of the SEAL teams to real estate sales and negotiations. Aaron discusses why real estate deals are "not high stakes" compared to the battlefield, detailing his Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for client management that instill Confidence and eliminate chaos. In a moment of levity, Aaron recounts a classic Failure and Resilience story...
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🩺 Aaron Peña (Part 2): Triage Under Fire—How a SEAL Medic's Grit Translates to Complex Real Estate Deals
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How does the grit, urgency, and disciplined focus of a combat medic translate into the world of real estate? In Part 2 of this four-part series, former Navy SEAL Corpsman Aaron Peña shares the story of his military identity—how he became a healer in a community of warriors—and how those high-pressure skills now shape the way he navigates complex real estate deals. Aaron talks about the academic firehose of the Joint Special Operations Combat Medic (JSOCM) course, the struggle to prove wrong those who said he couldn’t pass without a college degree, and the kinetic learning style that...
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🏠Aaron Peña (Part 1): Going from the Trident to Deeds—Leveraging the VA Loan for Financial Reinvention
The Two-Promises Podcast
How do you find your Identity and next purposeful mission after decades of service? In Part 1 of this four-part series, we sit down with former Navy SEAL Corpsman Aaron Peña to discuss his strategic career pivot from elite medic to successful real estate investor and advisor. Aaron reveals why he made the tough decision to pull his Warrant Officer package and Surrender a 30-year career goal to prioritize his family's needs. He shares the foundational secrets to his financial growth, detailing exactly how he used the VA loan early in his career to convert his Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH)...
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Full Send Friday: The Canary in the Coal Mine: Green Beret Geoff Dardia on Reinvention and Fighting for Warfighter Health
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What does it truly take to be a dedicated warrior in a world defined by chaos? This FullSend Friday episode features highly decorated retired Green Beret Master Sergeant, Geoff Dardia, founder of the Task Force Dagger Health Initiatives Program. Geoff shares his searing journey—from an early medical discharge out of BUD/S due to medication side effects, to re-enlisting post-9/11 and facing a catastrophic breakdown from years of operational stress, blast exposure, and neurotoxicity (the "Operator Syndrome"). He recounts the betrayal he felt from a medical system that offered pills instead of...
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The Operator Manual – Fighting for Systemic Change with Geoff Dardia
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In the conclusion of our two-part series, retired Green Beret Geoff Dardia of Task Force Dagger reveals the blueprint for systemic change in warfighter and community health. Geoff lays out the actionable steps for those who feel broken or failed by the medical system, urging a disciplined approach where health becomes mission planning. He shares the proven success of the META model established on Fort Bragg — embedding medical and behavioral resources into the 36 months before one transitions out of the military. This episode delivers a powerful message: the fight isn’t about the...
info_outlineHow do you find your Identity and next purposeful mission after decades of service? In Part 1 of this four-part series, we sit down with former Navy SEAL Corpsman Aaron Peña to discuss his strategic career pivot from elite medic to successful real estate investor and advisor.
Aaron reveals why he made the tough decision to pull his Warrant Officer package and Surrender a 30-year career goal to prioritize his family's needs. He shares the foundational secrets to his financial growth, detailing exactly how he used the VA loan early in his career to convert his Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) from rent into income-producing assets. Getting a home in every port can be a life changer for service members!
This episode is a crucial roadmap for active duty and transitioning service members who want to move past the Failure of high dependency and achieve financial Resilience through real estate Achievement.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
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The Transition Trap: Why the military uniform becomes tied to your identity, making the post-service transition feel like "learning a new language."
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The Calculated Surrender: Aaron's tough decision to pull his career package at the 18-year mark to address friction and absence affecting his family.
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VA Loan Looping: The specific strategy Aaron used to buy his first San Diego property, convert the VA loan to a conventional loan, and free up his VA entitlement to acquire a second property.
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Multi-Family Advantage: Why Aaron now advises young service members to skip single-family homes and use the VA loan for duplexes, triplexes, or quads for immediate cash flow.
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New Construction Leverage: How active duty personnel can combine the VA loan with builder incentives to cover closing costs, achieving a truly zero-money-down investment.
⏳ Timestamps
000:14 Preview Intro
01:08 Host introduction to Aaron Peña: Medic background, career shift to real estate investment.
02:08 The Shift: Why Aaron gave up his 30-year goal to retire early, prioritizing family over career commitment.
03:00 The Strategy: Starting real estate investments mid-career; leveraging the VA loan for zero down payment.
03:40 VA Loan Looping: How to convert a VA loan to a conventional loan to free up the VA entitlement for a second property.
04:20 Why Aaron became a realtor: Observing commissions and wanting to help service members.
04:40 Multi-Family Advice: Recommending duplexes/quads for better cash flow for young service members.
04:56 BAH as Investment Capital: Why pay rent when you can use your housing allowance to invest in yourself?
06:49 The Multi-Family Breakdown: Advantages of using the VA loan for 1–4 units for max cash flow (Case Study).
08:39 Using VA Loan Twice: Entitlement rules and why active duty members can buy a house everywhere they go.
09:15 Coastal Advantage: The value of Navy bases being in high-appreciation coastal areas.
10:29 New Construction Benefits: Combining the VA loan with builder incentives (3–5% for closing costs).
11:00 The Zero-Down Myth: Educating members that VA loans are zero down payment, but closing costs are still required.
12:50 Military Family Challenge: Being gone 85% of the year and being a "tourist" in your own home.
13:40 Navigating Friction: Advice to be patient and show grace to your spouse after long absences.
14:49 The Quarantine Reflection: 15 days of COVID quarantine provided the mental space to reassess life and mission.
15:30 Life on the Outside: Researching veterans who were thriving, confirming the decision to leave.
17:11 The Reward: Autonomy and control over time to attend all kids' events and prioritize family.
19:16 The Family Decision: Letting his wife choose their new home base in St. Augustine, Florida.
21:21 Being a Modern Father: The importance of presence, praying with kids, apologizing, and leading by example.
22:30 Surrender and Humility: Taking the armor off, being authentic, and asking questions (applied to real estate).
About the Guest
Aaron Peña is a former Navy SEAL Corpsman who has successfully transitioned his elite military discipline into the world of real estate. As an investor and realtor, he is purposefully focused on guiding active duty service members and veterans to leverage their VA loan and benefits into multi-family, income-producing assets, ensuring their financial resilience and achieving true financial achievement after service.
Connect with Aaron Peña:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-pena73/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aaron.pena.863363/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aaron_pena7/
Compass: https://www.compass.com/agents/aaron-pena/
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This is just Part 1 of 4! Subscribe now to catch the rest of Aaron Peña's conversation, where he dives deeper into investment strategies, property management, and building wealth through Disciplined real estate acquisition.
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