The confidence in his voice, sharpened by the diamond clarity of his thoughts, pins your attention the moment he begins to speak. This is a man who knows exactly what he wants, without hesitation or doubt. In full gear, he looks like a stormtrooper straight from the golden age of action cinema – someone who belongs on a movie poster. But what surrounds him is not a film set. It is a real, full-scale war. And he is not playing a role — he is an active participant in the highest-risk combat missions.
Dan has been fighting in Ukraine since March 2022, when the war was at its most raw and chaotic. Since then, he has taken part in numerous combat missions across some of the most contested areas. In 2022, he helped push the russian occupiers out of the Chernihiv and Kharkiv regions. In 2023, his deployment shifted to Donbas – an area marked by a relentless need to hold the line under constant pressure. In 2024 and 2025, he continued to carry the experience from earlier campaigns into new rotations, missions, and risks in the Kharkiv region.
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For Dan, being a soldier is not a temporary role but a deliberate life choice. Long before joining the Armed Forces of Ukraine, he had already gained extensive military experience in the U.S. Army. He served as an infantryman in the 2nd Ranger Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment – one of the most demanding units in the U.S. military:
“I was part of a unit that specialized in assault and eliminating high-value targets,” Dan recalls. “We utilized helicopters, vehicles, and airplanes. But we were also taught to adapt – to use whatever tactics were necessary for the environment.”
The American could not remain on the sidelines in the face of the injustice and brutality inflicted by russia upon the Ukrainian people. What he saw was not just a war of territory, but a campaign of violence aimed at civilians and the Ukrainian identity itself:
“I joined to stop russian imperialism,” he says. “To prevent the rape and murder of Ukrainian civilians, and to stop the destruction of Ukrainian culture.”
Beyond the moral imperative, there was also a deeply personal reason behind his decision. Ukraine was no longer an abstract cause – it’s become his family, his home, his future:
“My wife is Ukrainian. My son is Ukrainian,” Dan explains. “I love this country, and I don’t want to watch it be treated the way russia has treated others before.”
While serving in an international unit, the US ranger has spent years fighting alongside Ukrainian soldiers. When we met him, he was attached to the 92nd Separate Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Ground Forces – a battle-hardened formation forged through constant frontline engagement:
“I really enjoy working with them,” Dan says. “There are a lot of experienced guys here, and those who are newer are trained well. The leadership is strong and supportive – they back us up, enable real cooperation, and make sure we have everything we need to accomplish the mission.”
What stands out to him is not rigid formality, but practical thinking – decisions driven by reality, not protocol:
“They have a very good grasp of common sense when it comes to planning,” he adds. “And they allow us to contribute input that helps us work in the most effective way possible.”
Talking about the future can feel futile when you are a soldier in a war of this scale. And yet, the ability to imagine what comes next is what keeps people human – it is a way to stay sane in a world that often feels as if it’s coming apart. Dan’s biggest dream is simple and peaceful: to remain in Ukraine and live in a country no longer defined by war:
“I live in Kyiv, and I’ll probably continue to live in Kyiv,” he says. “Maybe I’ll open a burrito truck in Khotynivka – a small village in the Chernihiv region. That’s the big dream. If not, I’ll stay in the Ukrainian Army until I can get my citizenship.”
The American warrior fights side by side with some of the finest sons of the Ukrainian land, as well as brave volunteers from all over the world. Together, they form a force bound not by nationality, but by shared resolve. Yet a war of this scale demands more than courage alone – it demands people, resources, and sustained commitment. For Dan, this has become the greatest challenge he has faced since 2022:
“The hardest problem is the lack of experienced soldiers who are still alive,” he says. “And the lack of funding from the United States and other countries. Over time, motivation to fund the war has declined because of war fatigue.”
For Dan, this reality is one of the war’s quiet truths: endurance is tested not only by the enemy, but by how long the world is willing to keep paying attention.
Foreign volunteers do help address the shortage of personnel. Their presence matters. But Dan is also clear that coming to Ukraine requires far more than physical readiness – it demands deep mental preparation and absolute honesty with oneself:
“Come with good intentions,” he says. “Don’t come to gain experience for contracting later. Come for this experience, and only this one. Don’t think about what comes after.”
In his view, divided motivation becomes a liability on the battlefield:
“If you come here thinking about other opportunities or future benefits, you’re going to fail at what you do here. And you’ll end up being nothing but a burden to the people around you.”
Dan stresses that the only people who truly belong are those willing to learn, adapt, and let go of ego:
“Don’t come unless you genuinely want to make a difference, and you’re motivated to learn. If you are willing to learn, if you can adapt, and if you keep an open mind, you can do a lot of good here. You can gain meaningful experience, and you can change people’s lives for the better – at least your own, by the end of the day.”
Above all, he rejects the idea of heroism:
“Don’t come to be a hero,” Dan says. “Come to do your part. And come to do something you believe is right.”
Learn more about foreign volunteers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, their Ukrainian brothers-in-arms, and how to join the brave and destroy the enemy personally on the official website: https://ildu.mil.gov.ua/
Text: Dmytro Tolkachov
Photo, video, editing: Volodymyr Patola
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