A Marine Sniper's Identity Reset | Dagan Van Oosten Tells All

May 06, 2026
00:00 01:00:26
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What happens when the uniform comes off and the identity you built underneath it goes with it?

Marine Scout Sniper Dagan Van Oosten sat down with Jeremy Stalnecker, his platoon commander from the 2003 push into Iraq, and opened up about the moment a counselor asked him a question that hit "like a bolt of lightning"

"If you died tomorrow, what would your tombstone say?"

In this episode of The March or Die Show, Dagan walks through his journey as a Marine sniper in 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, three-plus years instructing at Quantico Sniper School, 14 years in federal contracting, training the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team, and the painful realization that the institution he'd given everything to was never going to love him back the way he loved it.

He gets honest about the marriage he almost wrecked chasing the mission, the brother-in-law (Justice Bartelt) the family lost in Afghanistan, the fear of leaving the uniform behind, and what it took to reset his identity around three words: husband, father, friend.

Whether you're an active-duty service member, a first responder, a veteran in transition, or anyone whose job has become their identity, this conversation will give you a roadmap for the chapter after the chapter you can't imagine ending.

Connect with Dagan Van Oosten:
Nomadic Research: https://nomadicresearch.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/@daganvanoosten

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Meet Your Host
Jeremy Stalnecker seeks to help others answer one of the toughest questions we all face, “How do I move forward when my world is falling apart?” Jeremy is the CEO of the Mighty Oaks Foundation, dedicated to helping America’s military warriors and their families who are suffering from the unseen wounds of combat, such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

In addition to his current role, Jeremy has served as a Marine Corps Infantry Officer, and as a Senior Pastor. He is an accomplished author, inspirational speaker, and frequent guest on some of America's most prominent news networks.
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