Captain Dan Feehan

Dan Feehan says he never felt as nervous as he did on his first day of Ranger School and never as confident as he did on his last day. The statement represents a remarkable transformation from a second grader who was regularly bullied at school to an emerging leader.

He was a freshman at Georgetown University in 2001 when the 9/11 attacks brought back memories of being bullied as a child. The difference? This time he felt empowered to do something about it.

When he completed his studies at Georgetown, he enlisted in the Army with the desire to make a difference. Dan’s decision has made everything else in his life possible and inspired in him the confidence to lead others.

He says the most important lesson he learned was the meaning of the sacrifice of a fallen comrade. He now wears the KIA memorial bracelet of a mentor every day to remember to live his life with the same honor and integrity.

After graduating, he plans to work for the Department of Veterans Affairs on veterans’ poverty issues such as homelessness and unemployment. His long-term career goal is run for elected federal office in his home state of Illinois.