This week we are talking about the Air Force PJ leadership style. Leading a dynamic organization such as an office of emergency management can be challenging. I had the opportunity to Lt.Col Joseph Barnard who worked his way from enlisted to lead the highly trained Air Force Para Jumpers Rescue Team (PJ). The insights that Joseph shares with us in this interview will change your paradigm on leadership.

Guest Bio
Bio - Joe Barnard is a retired USAF Lt Colonel. His 33 year military career started in
1982 when he joined the Army as infantryman at the age of 17 from his parents
home in Pembroke Pines, FL. After his Army career, which included living in Vicenza
Italy for two years, Joe returned to South Florida and worked varying warehouse
and delivery driver jobs as well as being a lifeguard at
several South Florida beaches.

In 1988, Joe joined the USAF, 301 st Rescue Squadron at
Homestead AFB as a Pararescueman. He remained in
the 301 st through Hurricane Andrew, and helped
facilitate the unit’s move to Patrick AFB. Joe married
Meghan in 1991. With a one-year-old son and another
on the way, in 1997, he took a position as a Pararescue
Instructor at Kirtland AFB, NM. Joe was qualified to
teach and lead all blocks of instruction: Aircraft and Jump Ops, Weapons-Tactics,
Technical Rope, C2 and Dirt Medicine. He was also a member of the Special Tactics
and Recovery Specialist (STaRS) Parachute Demonstration Team.

With a stern push from a young wife who wanted a better life for her family, in 1998
Joe started college and received his bachelor’s degree in 2000 by attending classes
every weekend from 7-5 both Saturday and Sunday, ultimately leading to his
commission as an officer in February of 2001. Joe was selected out of OTS as the 4th
Combat Rescue Officer, a new career field the Air Force created to lead and
command Pararescueman and SERE specialist. Joe completes his masters degree in
2007.

His last 15 years as an officer were a blur except for those two tours in Hawaii. Lots
of surfing and SEA travel. When not in the Pacific, multiple deployments presented
complex leadership challenges which he took head on. Post 9/11 years were
bookend by death of teammates and success in harrowing missions. In the middle
was a tour as the first CRO to command the Pararescue School, where he was fired
after a year. That assignment is a book in itself.

During his entire career, Joe unapologetically took on the overwhelming briefcase
attitude of the conventional Air Force with his backpack mentality on behalf of his
mission and men. Ultimate career satisfaction came as Joe was selected for and had
two amazing years as the 38 th Rescue Squadron Commander. He and his team did it
right, pushing forward many progressive training methods that are still in place
today.

As Joe turned 52, and his youngest son was a year away from College. It was time.
He had done all he could do. Admittedly, he grew dissatisfied with DoD direction
and with the vice grip sequestration and continuing resolution put on the force. He
purposely retired without fan fair. Fully satisfied that he left it all on the table and
energized to be a capitalist in his next life. But first…

A sabbatical at the end of 2016 and throughout 2017 was well deserved. As Joe had
done with his oldest son, he taught his youngest son to skydive and they took a
couple of surf trips to Costa Rica and Baja. Once he was in in college, Meghan and Joe
put their household belongings in storage and traveled Southeast Asia – Singapore,
Bali and Thailand for four months.
Back in the states, his job search started in early 2018. “It was fun, I interviewed
them more than they interviewed me. I want my second life to be epic.”

Joe settled on a small company that installs wireless infrastructure for Verizon and
TMobile. He loves it, its complex. He has daily influence over 32m in revenue, as he
quickly took to running the sales pipeline, P&L of three divisions, HR, logistics and
all operations. Likely not Joe’s final resting place.
“I desire more responsibility, complexity and a more progressive executive team to
work with, but I started in a great place for my capitalistic journey. I validated that
my military leadership traits and problem solving abilities absolutely transfer to a

for profit organization. I love every minute of it. Meghan and I have big plans for our
future.”
Joe and Meghan reside in Neptune Beach, a costal community in Jacksonville FL.
Concerned by the high divorce rate and broken families a military life can create.
They are developing a program to help young married Special Operation couples not
only stay, but thrive together during and after their service to this great nation.

Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephbarnard/
Email: Joe.bd.33@gmail.com



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