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August 20, 2025 49 mins

In this week's episode of Engage Your Destiny, host Ben Peterson speaks with Army aviator and Marine veteran Paul Jordan, whose journey takes us from a violent childhood, family trauma, and war-torn skies… to divine protection, spiritual awakening, and purpose.

Paul’s story is emotional, intense, and deeply human. Raised in chaos, marked by abuse, and haunted by false accusations as a child, Paul turned to violence and survival. He went on to serve 22 years in the military, flying over 600 combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, including rescuing elite operators under fire, and personally transporting Vice President Joe Biden.

Yet, it wasn't the battlefield that broke Paul—it was what came after. Confrontations at home, battles with fatherhood, and a desperate need for healing drove him to a final surrender… to Jesus Christ.


WATCH UNTIL THE END - this story could change how you see pain, purpose and the power of redemption. Engage Your Destiny (EYD) is a 501(c)3 on a mission to help combat the deadly epidemic of military suicide with faith. 


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Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro 

01:15 - Meet Paul Jordan: Marine & Black Hawk Pilot 

02:55 - 600+ Combat Missions, 1,000+ Combat Flight Hours 

04:00 - Childhood: Broken Home, Abuse, and Early Trauma 

07:00 - False Accusations & Church Hurt 

09:00 - Violence, Rage, and Emotional Isolation 

13:45 - Gunpoint Confrontation with His Own Father 

15:55 - Teenage Rebellion and Fighting 

17:15 - Football Injury 

18:50 - Joining the Marines & Getting Married 

20:45 - Wild Marine Corps Stories (Japan, Fights, and More) 

23:50 - Near-Fatal Car Crash & Hearing God's Voice 

25:50 - Desire to Fly, Applying for Army Warrant Officer 

31:30 - Black Hawk Flight School & Aircraft Selection 

35:00 - First Combat Deployment to Iraq 

38:10 - Dust Landings & Learning to Fly in Combat 

39:50 - First Time Getting Shot At 

41:00 - Miraculous Protection in Combat 

43:00 - First Air Assault Mission with Fifth Group 

44:00 - Flying Joe Biden & “Rick Flair” 

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