As we kick off our new initiative to find and recognize local people who have demonstrated a commitment to supporting their communities through selfless acts of service, we awarded Ian Schinelli, retired U.S. Navy SEAL operator, as the very first Luminox Everyday Hero recognition.

Luminox: Tell us about yourself. Who are you, what do you want us to know about you? Where are you from/do you currently live? How do you spend your free time?
Ian: I grew up in a military family. My father was in the Air Force. I moved around a lot as a kid and used sports as my outlet to make friends. My formidable years were spent in the suburbs outside of Chicago. I ended up going to school in Nashville before leaving for the Navy. After I left active duty, I moved back to Nashville. 

Luminox: What branch of the military did you serve and what was your role?
Ian: I was in the United States Navy and I was a SEAL my entire career. 

Luminox: What inspired you to join the military?
Ian: There were a few underlying factors that contributed to me wanting to be a SEAL. After doing Accounting for a little bit, I realized at 21 years old I couldn’t settle for that for the rest of my life. I also needed something that was a challenge. I went to school on a soccer scholarship (and played tennis my senior year). I had a buddy in college who had met with a SEAL recruiter and that’s when the interest sparked. It was the hardest thing I could think of to do, that I had to work my ass off and no one could just give me the opportunity. 

Luminox: Summarize your career, how it started, where you are now, and in what capacity you continue to serve your community.
Ian:

• 3 deployments overseas (Middle East, Africa, Asia)
• BUD/s Instructor (2nd Phase)
• Military Olympic Soccer Team (South Korea)
• Military World Cup Soccer Team (Azerbaijan)

To this day I continue to serve the community by working with NSF to help promote recognition for the SEAL community, raise money for families and support those that have defended our nation. Every year for the past 4 years, I have helped raise money and participated in the New York City Navy SEAL swim. This swim was designed in part to not only honor our brothers that we’ve lost in the SEAL teams and the impact it’s placed on the families, but to honor those of 9/11 and Extortion 17, which was the greatest loss of life in the SEAL community. 

I have worked with The Warrior Calling as a mentor and coach for the past several years as a way to guide those who are trying to get into the special operations community. It’s a way to continue to instill the values that have been prevalent in the community for decades and keep the next generation pushing forward. I was a BUD/s instructor along side Joe Kauffman (owner of the Warrior Calling) so it was a natural fit to work with him in his efforts to provide value for those who are attempting the same line of work we did.

This year I will be participating in the New York City Marathon as a member of the Navy SEAL Foundation Team. This was a wonderful opportunity to not only continue to raise money for the SEAL Foundation, but a great opportunity to continue to address the need to support SEALs and their families and the impact the NSF has on providing for the fallen.

Luminox: Can you share a particular moment or experience during your service that positively impacted you?
Ian: I was in the Middle East working with a Chief from SEAL Team 6 who was deployed with us. I had been working with some of his guys in the gym and training them in some mobility work and Olympic lifting. Outside of that I was running CQC drills with them daily. The Chief I had become close with pulled me aside and asked me if I had any intention of joining his guys. While at the time I didn’t, he let me know that he would personally recommend me to screen and mentor me if I decided to move in that direction. While my life went in a different direction and I made a choice that didn’t lead me down that path, I was extremely grateful that my hard work and dedication had been recognized by someone I so highly respected and someone that was revered within our community. 

Luminox: How has your military experience shaped your perspective on life and the world around you?
Ian: “It can always be harder” those words resonate for me every day. No matter what the situation may be, mental/physical/emotional…it can always be harder or more difficult. There isn’t a job that has higher highs and lower lows than the SEAL Teams. (Or any special operations community for that matter). It allows you to take a step back in any situation, analyze it much more efficiently and figure out a way to solve what’s in front of you with greater ease. 

Luminox: What are some of the most rewarding aspects of your service
Ian: For me, when I had the opportunity to go back to the training command and be an instructor at BUD/s, being able to give back to the community, to train the next generation of candidates to be SEALs, to prepare young men for the opportunity to work alongside the same guys I had to the opportunity to work alongside with and deploy with. 

Along with that, after service, over the last couple of years, it’s been rewarding to have some of my students reach out to me and thank me for teaching them and training them when I was an instructor. Some are now out, some are still in, but to be recognized by them later on is something I never expected to happen, and it is quite honestly a very endearing feeling. 

Luminox: What do you hope people will understand or appreciate about your experience through the story we plan to highlight about you?
Ian: Looking back on how I got into it, what was happening in my life, the other opportunities I had…I would want people to know that when you devote yourself to something you want to do, something that feeds your soul and lights a fire inside, if you get rid of all outside noise and truly focus on what you want for yourself and in your life, you can and will make it happen. 

Luminox: Are there any causes, organizations, charities you support or feel strongly about that you would like us to highlight in your story?
Ian:

• Aerial Recovery (They work in 3 Pillars: Disaster Response, Anti-Human Trafficking, Heal The Heros)
• Navy SEAL Foundation 

Luminox: How do you feel about being recognized by Luminox for your service?
Ian: I really do feel honored and privileged to be a part of this initiative. I usually try and pass off opportunities like this for someone else that I feel is more deserving, so it’s really special to be recognized by Luminox. 

Luminox: We believe that every second counts, how do you make every second in your life and of those around you count?
Ian: I don’t waste my time with people or activities that don’t positively have an impact on my life. I prioritize my time with my daughter and give her my attention when I’m with her. I prioritize my time in the gym and training for multiple events. Relationships, my seconds and minutes are devoted to that time with those people, because I respect their time as much as my own. When I’m training, I look to make the time I have available count, every second and every minute is an opportunity to get better.

To recognize Ian’s work in his community and say thank you for his commitment to supporting people, we gifted Ian with the latest Navy SEAL Original 3001.H.SET. Check out the watch here.