⚓️ Full Send Friday: Navy SEAL Aaron Peña on Real Estate Investing, The VA Loan "System," and Healing Invisible Wounds
Release Date: 12/26/2025
🛡️ Anthony Rivera (Part 3): The Identity Bridge—Health Vaults, Financial Gains, and Serving Others
The Two-Promises Podcast
Is your identity tied to your uniform, or is the uniform just something you wore? In Part 3 of our series, Navy SEAL veteran Anthony Rivera breaks down the ultimate Immediate Action Drill for the veteran identity crisis. Anthony explains how Vetivize acts as a secure, HIPAA-compliant Health Vault, allowing veterans to track their conditions quarterly so they never have to rely on a hit-in-the-head memory during a VA exam. We dive into the massive financial impact of veteran benefits: how the average Vetivize user increases their annual income by $14,400 tax-free, and why savvy employers are...
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⚓ Anthony Rivera (Part 2): Cracking the VA Code—AI, Automation, and the 11-Day Disability Turnaround
The Two-Promises Podcast
Why does military transition feel like "learning a new language"? In Part 2 of our 4-part series, Navy SEAL veteran Anthony Rivera explains how he applied the "Plan Your Dive, Dive Your Plan" SEAL ethos to the complicated world of VA benefits. Anthony reveals how he went from receiving conflicting advice to reading the "root source" documents—the CFR 38—and successfully turned his VA claim around in just 11 days, compared to the national average of 181. We dive deep into his new platform, Vetivize, which uses proprietary AI and automation to act as a "Yelp for Heroes," centralizing the...
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Anthony Rivera (Part 1): Mastery of Chaos—From BUD/S Pool Comp Failures to the "Wild West" of Iraq
The Two-Promises Podcast
How do you transition from the "Fog of War" to the "Fog of Peace"? In the premiere of this 4-part series, Navy SEAL veteran Anthony Rivera joins his BUD/S Class 267 classmate to relive the high-stakes selection process that forges an elite warrior. Anthony shares a raw and often humorous look at the mastery of chaos, starting with his unexpected failure in BUD/S Second Phase Pool Comp under a "chill" instructor and the overconfidence that led to his setback. We dive into the physical toll of elite training, including a "lawn dart" injury on the obstacle course that nearly ended his career, and...
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⚓️ Full Send Friday: Navy SEAL Aaron Peña on Real Estate Investing, The VA Loan "System," and Healing Invisible Wounds
The Two-Promises Podcast
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
The Two-Promises Podcast
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
The Two-Promises Podcast
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
The Two-Promises Podcast
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
The Two-Promises Podcast
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
The Two-Promises Podcast
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_outlineTransitioning 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 battle with a life-threatening collapsed lung, the emotional toll of trauma in the Philippines, and his journey through the VA Renew Program. This is a masterclass in professional reinvention and personal resilience.
Key Topics
- The VA Loan wealth strategy and entitlement looping
- Transitioning from Navy SEAL Medic to real estate agent
- The four pillars of home inspection: roof, HVAC, plumbing, electrical
- Recovering from invisible wounds through the VA Renew Program
- Building a veteran community through a local FOB
- The all-in mentality and choosing family over rank progression
⏳ Timestamps
00:22 The identity crisis of transitioning out of uniform
02:57 Retiring at 20 years and the impact of absence on family
03:40 VA loan strategy and freeing up entitlement
04:58 House hacking using BAH instead of paying rent
06:50 Why VA loans work best on 1–4 unit properties
08:41 Using VA loan entitlement multiple times
11:00 New construction incentives and closing cost strategies
12:50 Feeling like a tourist at home after transition
15:30 Researching successful veterans before leaving service
21:21 Fatherhood, presence, prayer, and authenticity
24:50 The 9/11 catalyst and choosing the SEAL path
27:00 The undesignated grind before the pipeline
31:09 SOCM school and proving the instructors wrong
35:58 Combat medicine in the Philippines and mass casualty triage
46:51 Applying triage and SOPs to real estate
50:54 The BUD/S tread failure and composure under stress
63:22 Collaborating without ego while leading in Yemen
67:45 Mission over commission in real estate decisions
74:50 Building the FOB in St. Augustine, Florida
86:50 Processing the loss of a child casualty
89:13 The Renew Program and inpatient trauma recovery
93:33 The collapsed lung that nearly ended Aaron’s career
100:32 Burn the boats and committing to the next mission
About the Guest
Aaron Peña is a retired Navy SEAL Medic and First Phase Instructor who now serves as a Principal Real Estate Agent in Northeast Florida. He is the founder of the St. Augustine SEAL network (the FOB) and is dedicated to helping veterans and first responders leverage their benefits to achieve financial autonomy.
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/
If you are currently in a transition—whether it’s leaving the military or shifting your career—Aaron’s advice is simple: Commit without a plan B. Identify your next mission, find your community, and be humble enough to ask the questions that lead to growth.
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