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171. From MARSOC Raider to Deep End Fitness. A Marine's Trauma Journey After Transition

Don Tran

 

In this episode of the Transition Drill Podcast, Don Tran shares his incredible journey from a troubled youth in Southern California, to becoming a Marine, serving in MARSOC, and finding his purpose after transitioning out of the military. Don reflects on the challenges of growing up in a strict immigrant household, his rebellious teenage years, and the pivotal decision to enlist in the Marine Corps. He details his experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan, the loss of close friends, and the mental toll of combat. Don also opens up about the struggles of military transition, his battle with trauma, and the importance of addressing mental health within the veteran and first responder communities. Now an entrepreneur, Don discusses co-founding Deep End Fitness and the Underwater Torpedo League, initiatives that combine fitness, mental resilience, and community building to support military veterans, law enforcement, firefighters, EMS personnel, and athletes. His story is one of perseverance, growth, and a continued mission to serve others beyond the battlefield.


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Don was born and raised in Long Beach, California, to parents who had fled war-torn Vietnam. His upbringing was shaped by the values and hardships of an immigrant family trying to build a life in America. Living in a small house shared with multiple families, Don’s childhood was defined by poverty, discipline, and the expectations placed on him as the son of parents who had survived immense adversity. His father, a former South Vietnamese Navy sailor, worked as an engineer to support the family, while his mother held various jobs and ran the household. Despite their struggles, Don’s parents instilled in him the importance of hard work, responsibility, and family values.

 

While his two sisters excelled academically, going on to prestigious colleges and eventually landing jobs in Silicon Valley, Don took a different path. He often clashed with his parents’ strict rules, yearning for independence and an escape from the confines of his home life. During his teenage years, Don began to rebel. He found himself drawn to the rougher elements of Long Beach, seeking a sense of belonging in the wrong places. By high school, he was skipping classes, getting into fights, and hanging out with gang members. These choices led to multiple arrests, including shoplifting and car theft, and culminated in a 30-day stint in juvenile detention.

 

Despite his struggles, Don’s high school coaches recognized his potential and encouraged him to stay on the right path. They urged him to finish school and focus on his future. Though he returned to high school and earned his diploma, college wasn’t in his plans. He craved structure and purpose but wasn’t sure where to find it. As the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan dominated the news, the allure of transformation through service caught his attention, and he decided to enlist.

 

The decision wasn’t without resistance. Don’s father, who had experienced the horrors of war firsthand, tried to dissuade him. His entire extended family also intervened, pleading with him to choose a safer path. Despite their efforts, Don was resolute. At just 17 years old, he signed his enlistment papers with his father’s reluctant approval. He saw the Marines as the ultimate challenge and a way to leave behind his troubled past.


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n 2006, Don left for boot camp at MCRD San Diego. The experience was a complete culture shock. The rigid structure and intense physical demands were overwhelming, yet it was exactly what Don needed. Over the grueling three months of training, he developed a newfound sense of accountability and pride. For the first time in his life, he began to feel like he had accomplished something meaningful. When he marched across the parade deck at graduation, he realized the depth of his transformation.

 

This was just the beginning of Don’s journey. His path into the Marine Corps was shaped by personal challenges, family struggles, and a desire to redefine his life. His story speaks to the resilience required for military veterans, service members, and those seeking a fresh start. It also highlights the unique challenges faced by immigrants, military families, and young men looking for purpose in a chaotic world.

 

After the School of Infantry (SOI), Don was assigned the military occupational specialty (MOS) of mortarman. In December 2006, just months after joining his first unit, Don received the news that he would deploy to Iraq. By April 2007, he found himself in the desert terrain of Al-Qa’im, Iraq. The deployment was a crash course in the brutal realities of war. Don's team operated in austere conditions. The chaos and danger of their missions were unrelenting, ranging from combat patrols to encountering IEDs and ambushes. In one harrowing incident, Don’s unit lost a fellow Marine, Lance Corporal Jeremy Burris, to a secondary IED during a convoy operation. The tragedy left an indelible mark on Don, forcing him to confront the human cost of war and the mental toll it exacted on those who serve.

 

By the time Don returned home from that deployment, he experienced the strange dichotomy familiar to many combat veterans: overwhelming relief to be back on American soil yet haunted by memories of what he had witnessed. Still, there was no time to process or heal. Within months, he was preparing for his next deployment, this time to Fallujah. In 2008, Don deployed again, taking on the responsibilities of a squad leader in a dynamic and unpredictable environment. He led patrols through the city, coordinated missions, and provided mortar support during combat operations. Though less kinetic than his first deployment, this tour offered Don the chance to hone his leadership skills. For the first time, he was responsible not just for himself but for the lives of the Marines under his command. This responsibility gave him a sense of purpose and solidified his desire to continue serving.

 

After returning from Fallujah, Don felt a growing desire to challenge himself further. Seeking opportunities beyond the traditional infantry role, he set his sights on the Marine Corps’ Scout Sniper community. He successfully earned a spot in the battalion’s STA (Surveillance and Target Acquisition) Platoon. However, due to internal politics and seniority preferences, Don was denied the chance to attend the coveted sniper school. Frustrated but determined, he began exploring other avenues. It was then that he noticed a small trailer across the street from his unit’s headquarters. The trailer belonged to MARSOC (Marine Special Operations Command), that had been established just a few years prior.

 

Intrigued, Don learned about MARSOC’s mission to perform high-stakes, complex operations including foreign internal defense, direct action, and special reconnaissance. Eager to test his limits, he decided to apply. MARSOC’s selection process was notoriously grueling. It tested not just physical fitness but also mental resilience, teamwork, and problem-solving skills under extreme stress. Don endured the rigorous training pipeline, which included combat diving, close-quarters combat, advanced tactics, and leadership development. Out of an initial class of over 100 candidates, only 16—including Don—graduated.

 

Once assigned to 1st Raider Battalion, Don entered an entirely new world of military operations. His team’s missions were diverse and often shrouded in secrecy, ranging from partnering with foreign militaries to conducting counterterrorism operations. As a member of MARSOC, Don developed a deeper understanding of unconventional warfare and the importance of strategic thinking. He also became a Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC), a role that allowed him to coordinate precision airstrikes in support of ground operations.

However, life in special operations was not without its challenges. The relentless pace of deployments, high expectations, and constant need to perform at the highest level took a toll. Don described the transition into MARSOC as starting back at zero; despite all his previous accomplishments, he had to earn his place and prove himself once again. The constant demand to adapt, excel, and maintain readiness made the experience both rewarding and grueling.

 

Through his time in the Marine Corps, especially in MARSOC, Don discovered the true meaning of leadership, resilience, and sacrifice. His service not only shaped him as a Marine but also laid the groundwork for his next chapter in life—a journey of transition, healing, and finding purpose beyond the battlefield.

 

When Don made the decision to leave the Marine Corps in 2018, he entered a world far different from the structured and purpose-driven environment of the military. Like many military veterans, Don’s transition to civilian life was a complex and often painful process. After more than a decade of service, including deployments with MARSOC, he found himself grappling with the psychological toll of his experiences and the challenge of finding a new sense of purpose in life after service.

 

The shift from the high-tempo operations of special operations to the slower, less-defined pace of civilian life was jarring. Don struggled to process the trauma of combat, including the loss of close friends and the mental scars left by years of exposure to violence. Compounding this was the difficulty of adjusting to a world where his skills and leadership were not immediately valued in the same way they had been in the military. The sense of camaraderie and shared mission that had defined his life in the Marine Corps was suddenly absent, leaving Don to face a profound sense of isolation.

 

During this time, Don confronted some of the darkest moments of his life. He lost multiple friends to suicide, many of whom had also served in MARSOC or alongside him in Afghanistan and Iraq. Their deaths hit him hard, forcing him to reflect on his own struggles with mental health and the stigma around seeking help. Don described these moments as feeling like having “too many open tabs” in his mind, a weight that often led to overwhelming emotional pain. Despite these challenges, Don was determined to find a way forward—not just for himself but for others who might be battling similar demons.


Don began exploring various approaches to healing, including therapy, fitness, and alternative methods such as plant-based medicine. He discovered that physical activity and breathwork became crucial tools for managing stress, improving mental clarity, and regaining a sense of control. Inspired by the effectiveness of these practices, Along with his business partner and fellow Marine, Prime Hall, Don co-founded Deep End Fitness, a program designed to combine fitness training with mental resilience techniques. Drawing from the breathwork methods he had learned during his time in MARSOC and his own journey of healing, Deep End Fitness was built around the concept of training the body and mind simultaneously to manage stress and perform at one’s peak.

 

Through Deep End Fitness, Don found a way to give back to both the military and first responder communities. The program quickly grew in popularity, offering training for everyone from military veterans and active-duty service members to law enforcement, firefighters, EMS personnel, and even professional athletes. Don's philosophy is rooted in teaching others how to remain calm and focused under pressure, whether it’s during a firefight, a high-stakes rescue, or a critical play in a professional sports game. At the heart of the program is the belief that breathwork is a “remote control for the nervous system,” a tool that can help anyone navigate stress and trauma.

 

In addition to Deep End Fitness, Don co-created the Underwater Torpedo League (UTL), a unique sport that combines underwater agility and teamwork. What began as a way for Don and his fellow veterans to decompress and build camaraderie turned into a full-fledged league, offering both competition and a therapeutic outlet for its participants. These ventures not only gave Don a new purpose but also allowed him to continue serving a larger community, particularly those transitioning out of high-pressure careers like the military or law enforcement.

 

Don’s story is a powerful testament to the resilience of military veterans and the importance of finding purpose after leaving the service. His journey highlights the struggles many face during their military transition, from mental health challenges to the search for meaningful civilian careers. By sharing his experiences openly, Don hopes to break down the stigma surrounding mental health within the military and first responder communities. His work today not only provides tools for physical and mental fitness but also fosters a sense of belonging for those navigating life after service.

 

Through programs like Deep End Fitness and the Underwater Torpedo League, Don continues to make an impact. His dedication to helping military veterans, first responders, and others find strength and stability in their transitions serves as a reminder that life after the military, while challenging, can also be deeply fulfilling. Don Tran’s story is one of perseverance, innovation, and the enduring commitment to serve.

 

The Transition Drill Podcast is the best podcast for military veterans, police officers, firefighters, and first responders preparing for veteran transition and life after service. Helping you plan and implement strategies to prepare for your transition into civilian life. If this episode resonated with you, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast for more compelling stories of resilience, leadership, and transformation from veterans and first responders. Share Don’s journey with someone who could benefit from his wisdom—whether they’re preparing for life after service, seeking guidance during a career shift, or simply looking for motivation to tackle their next challenge. Together, we can empower others to navigate transitions with confidence and embrace their new beginnings.


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