Name: Joshua Burch

Where were you born and raised?
The Great State of Tennessee – Volunteer State

What’s a short story around the biggest transition you’ve faced in life?
After 25+ years of service, I elected to retire from active duty.  I’ve always considered myself a planner and felt that I had a good handle on the retirement process; in fact my wife and I had been financially preparing for at least 6 years.  However, the financial readiness didn’t require me to apply much thought towards one aspect – What’s next?  Early in the process when someone would ask me, I would always say – You’ll be able to find me somewhere staring at the end of a fishing pole, hunting gobblers in the spring, or in a duck blind somewhere in West-TN.  However, I felt a huge void inside with that answer as the time to action on those statements came closer.  That void was PURPOSE… I’d spent my entire adult life in service to greater cause, with a purpose; to ensure that future generations of this Great Nation would enjoy the liberty and freedom we all enjoy today.  The Honor Foundation helped me realize that this sense of purpose wasn’t just a calling to the soldier I once was – it is part of who I am, it is my motivator in life; to have a positive impact for a greater good.

What’s the one piece of advice you’d give a younger you?
The most valuable resource you have is – Time.  You’ll never know how much or little you have, so control with whom, where and how you use it.

Your Personal Why?
I forge a life worthy of story, to inspire others or at least provide a good laugh.

How does your Why drive you to be a part of the THF Ecosystem?
I don’t want to look back someday and recount a boring life wasted on efforts of little to no value; I want to share stories about the meaningful relationships that I fostered, the positive-joyful impact I made on those around me, and tales of almost unbelievable adventures along the way. The Honor Foundation affords me a continued PURPOSE and the opportunity to apply my strengths to something greater than myself, while caring for the Special Operations community that helped shape me into the man I am today.

Military Connection or Why do you respect Special Operators?
Why do I have respect for this community? Well, I’m a U.S. Army Special Forces Green Beret, Chief Warrant Officer 4 (Retired), with 20 of 26 years in SOF. I’m just a normal guy, nothing like what we are portrayed in the movies and I’ve noticed throughout my time in SOF that for the most part we all are… just normal folks, who are driven by a deep dedication to a greater cause, which enables us to overcome unimaginable obstacles, fear, and physical hardship to accomplish unimaginable tasks.

Favorite THF Value, and why?
Value #1 Exemplify Trust – Trust is built over time and is the easiest to lose.

Area/Industry of expertise?
People/Change Influencer & Coach

Contact Josh directly at josh@honor.org.