Ret. U.S. Navy SEALs and Legacy Expeditions co-founders Andy Stumpf and Michael Sarraille spoke with 'Fox News Digital' about their transition to civilian life and entrepreneurship.before it becomes a society of mediocrity while honoring fallen service members. , a unique group that puts Americans outside their mental and physical comfort zones with challenging adventures to honor fallen Marines, soldiers, sailors, and airmen who gave their lives defending the nation.
"Most people who go into the SEAL community consider that occupation to be the apex of what they're going to do in their life. But let's say you join the military, you're 18 years old like I did… military retirement in the U.S. is 20 years and a wakeup call. So, if you join at 18, you do 20 years, you're 38 years old. You have so much of your life in front of you," Stumpf told Fox News Digital."I want to make a f-----g difference.
Legacy Expeditions is certainly making a difference, as it"partners with the Special Operations Warrior Foundation and Folds of Honor, nonprofits that provide financial support to help the children of fallen Special Operations soldiers and first responders get an education." The group has raised nearly $500,000 toward its $7 million goal and both Sarraille and Stumpf prefer to focus on reaching the target than reminiscing about the past.
"I'm incredibly proud of what I was able to accomplish [as a SEAL], but I'm already past it by a decade. I don't want to be 50 talking about what I did in the early 2000s," Stumpf said."What I find is by focusing on what we used to do, it robs you of what you still are capable of doing in the future, and that doesn't diminish what people think of it. You just have to remember it is an occupation. It's not who you are. It's what you did.
Legacy Expeditions has arranged a seven-day skydiving adventure across seven continents to raise scholarships for 1,400 family members of fallen or disabled service members, a Mt. Everest skydiving expedition honoring the fallen warriors of the 2011 Extortion 17 tragedy in Afghanistan, along with other excursions designed to raise money and awareness.