Suffering doesn’t happen to you; it happens for you. For Navy SEAL Bradley Geary and his wife, Amy, this was the hallmark of a quarter-century in the military.
In Hard Mind, Soft Heart, this faith-filled, unyieldingly strong couple share the struggles, failures, sacrifices, and growth that shaped their journey from the start of SEAL training through senior levels of naval leadership. War, separation, adversity, and loss provoked suffering that produced character in ways they never anticipated. From the depths of the sea to the summits of Afghanistan, their experiences built resiliency they would need for their biggest battle yet: an unexpected ethical and legal fight against the very institution that forged them.
Their faith taught them love. The navy instilled a sense of duty to country. The SEAL Teams fomented a relentless fighting spirit. They would need all three for the conflict they would face—and win—as a family.
This is a story of what happens when the lessons learned in war are tested in a different arena and when a family chooses to stand together against insurmountable odds, regardless of the cost. In it, those who suffer will find solidarity. Leaders will find hard-earned lessons. Families will find love, resilience, and hope. And truth-seekers will find Jesus.
Don’t waste your suffering.
*Per Department of War, cover image photos have been blurred until pre-publication approval.
*Books will be printed and shipped as soon the Department of War concludes their required pre-publication security review and releases the manuscript. Estimated early 2027.
Bradley Geary is a retired US Navy SEAL captain whose twenty-five-year career in Naval Special Warfare forged his conviction that ethics-based leadership is the foundation for enduring success. Today, he is an award-winning leadership expert and professional speaker who draws on his faith, fatherhood, combat experience, organizational leadership, and decades of mentoring future generations of warriors. His message centers on principles, people, and culture—and on helping leaders cultivate resilience, trust, accountability, and moral clarity in the face of adversity.
In recognition of his leadership, Bradley received the Vice Admiral James B. Stockdale Award for Inspirational Leadership, the US Navy’s most prestigious leadership honor, and was named the Naval Special Warfare recipient of the USO Metro Salute to USSOCOM Award. He accomplished none of it alone. His wife, Amy, and their children were steadfast partners throughout every chapter of his career.
Brad and Amy have been married for twenty-six years, beginning their journey the week after Brad graduated from the US Naval Academy in 2000. They drove from Florida to California, where Brad began SEAL training with BUD/S Class 234, a class famously filmed by the Discovery Channel. By the grace of God, their family navigated twenty-five years of leadership, sacrifice, and service in some of the world’s most complex and high-stakes environments. Their journey as a US Navy family included nine cross-country moves, deployments to nearly every continent, and four children born in different corners of America. Their two oldest spent their entire childhoods knowing only the military lifestyle. It was demanding, but it cultivated resilience, adaptability, and a sense of purpose that continues to shape their family today. Along the way, Brad and Amy discovered something that challenged conventional wisdom: Work-life balance is a myth. Parenthood and leadership are not competing roles; rather, they can be mutually reinforcing, each teaching lessons that strengthen the other.
Bradley’s insights on faith, ethics, and leadership have been featured on The Shawn Ryan Show, The Resilient Show, and other national platforms. Amy joins him whenever possible, bringing a complementary perspective shaped by years of marriage, motherhood, and life alongside a Navy SEAL. Together, Brad and Amy offer a perspective forged not only on the battlefield and in the boardroom but around the dinner table and through the challenges of raising a family. Their shared mission remains simple: to serve others, strengthen families and leaders, and leave a legacy of faith and impact.
Keynote and Leadership Consulting: www.thekeynoteagency.com