Lieutenant Colonel Joe Groff has spent nearly 14 years in the United States Air Force as a JAG officer — an attorney handling criminal prosecution and defense within the military justice system. In this episode of Forge The Man, Joe walks Paul through his path of resilience from UCLA history major and Bush campaign field director to law school, failing the notoriously difficult California bar exam twice before finally passing, and commissioning into the Air Force in 2012.

Joe gets candid about what actually separates officers who thrive from those who struggle (hint: preparation), and the real trade-offs of raising five kids across five moves in six years. The conversation closes on a reflective note about identity, public service, and the deep, lifelong friendships forged in the “crucible” of military life — including a friend who converted to Catholicism while deployed to Afghanistan.

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