Daniel Elkins | Founder Special Operations Association of America on The Grit Mindset

From boy scout to Green Beret, Daniel Elkins has dedicated his life to service. As the Founder and President of the Special Operations Association of America (SOAA), Daniel created the organization to fill a critical gap—advocating for Special Operations Forces (SOF) and their families in the halls of power on Capitol Hill.
In this conversation with host Matt Rosen, Daniel opens up about:
-The unique challenges he faced as a Green Beret and why SOAA was born to give SOF veterans a voice in policy and legislation.
-His early dream of military service and path through the National Guard.
-The fall of Afghanistan, his first combat experiences, and the life-changing moment when he thought his career might be over.
-The impact of watching a fellow soldier survive being shot, and the mindset shift that led him to adopt his “be a shark, keep moving forward” mantra.
-What grit truly means to him—from combat zones to tough advocacy decisions, including the harrowing moment of helping choose who would live and who would die during interpreter evacuations.
-The challenges of transitioning from military life and why building SOAA was essential for the future of the SOF community.

👉 Watch as Daniel shares his story of resilience, leadership, and grit—on and off the battlefield.

🔗 Learn more about Daniel and SOAA: soaa.org
Timecodes:
00:10- 4:30: Special Operations Association started by Daniel Elkins, Daniel Elkins is the Founder and President of SOAA, He is a Green Beret and has served in Special Operations roles
When he became a green beret he shares unique challenges he had on advocacy for veterans
There was a huge gap under represented, SOAA was created to give a voice to Special Operations Forces (SOF) in the domain of policy and legislative affairs
4:30 Daniel shares as a young boy he wanted to be in the military and why he chose the national guard. He was in boy scouts and loved being in the woods and ultimately he wanted to serve his country.
8:30 Host Matt Rosen asks Daniel about challenging times he has endured in his life as a green beret. Daniel shares about the fall of Afghanistan and his first real experience in combat
12:14 Daniel shares when he thought his career was over and had a difficult decision to make to talk to his Sergeant.
14:09 Daniel shares the rest of his deployment and the repercussions he faced
15:00 Daniel shares when his friend was shot in the face and survived and how it effected Daniel with how to have a mantra and mindset of being a shark and not being a failure and moving forward
16:30 Matt asks what does grit mean to Daniel
20:00 Daniel shares remembering getting a call from a prominent member from Capitol Hill crying with the interpreters and making decisions for who would live and who would die
23:00 Host Matt Rosen asks what the challenges have been for Daniel starting Special Operations Association, he shares the day you take your uniform off what happens after a military career

https://soaa.org/team/daniel-elkins/
Daniel is the Founder and President of the Special Operations Association of America (SOAA), a Green Beret, a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and a member of the Atlantic Council’s Counterterrorism Project.