Nate Self

Nate Self is a U.S. Army hero and the author of "Two Wars -- One Hero's Fight on Two Fronts Abroad and Within [1]" published by Tyndale Press in June 2008.

He graduated from West Point in 1998 as an Infantry officer and led soldiers in Kosovo before being selected to serve in the Army's elite 75th Ranger Regiment. As a platoon leader in the Rangers, he deployed to Afghanistan shortly after 9/11 as part of a Special Operations task force with a mission to kill or capture Taliban and al-Qaeda's top leaders. Once there, he led his Ranger platoon in the teeth of an al-Qaeda strong point to rescue a missing and captured Navy SEAL on top of Takur Ghar mountain, where he earned the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart. His soldier's story has been highlighted on television via Dateline NBC [2]and ESPN, and in print through the Washington Post and the New York Times. As a result of his actions in Afghanistan, he attended the 2003 State of the Union Address.

Following a tour in Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division, where he wrote and directed daily operations and trained Iraqi Security Forces, Nate commanded a rifle company before leaving the Army in 2004 in order to better care for his family. He continues to work with young officers in the Army, focusing on professional development through personal interaction and facilitation of learning via the Army's CompanyCommand and PlatoonLeader online professional forums, where he is able to share his experiences and lessons learned in a public venue.

He also spends time speaking to business and churches, interacting with Veterans dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Personal
Nate lives in Texas with his wife, Julie, and their three children, Caleb, Noah, and Elliot. A native of China Spring, Texas, Nate was a three-sport athlete and salutatorian. He was the winning pitcher as China Spring won the 1993 Class 2A baseball state championship.