Steve Cashen’s resume would induce awe from even its most seasoned readers. His path encapsulates everything the Fermata Insights Series strives to capture within the stories of others and stands as a testament and a celebration—not only of heroism in feat, but also in character.
In an age where self-promotion and the quest for validation have set a new collective standard, the art of the quiet homage has seemingly faded from view. In many respects, Cashen’s story is that of a clandestine artisan’s, whose larger-than-life performance and unwavering commitment to excellence serve as a reminder of the extraordinary, selfless and all too-often anonymous heroes who willingly put their lives on the line each day in the name of a cause they know to be infinitely larger than themselves.
Your career has spanned many different forms and facets of public service – Army Special Forces to medicine to becoming the CEO of a large foundation. How have you managed to carve such a path?
Well, I didn’t have a plan. Sometimes when you just follow your passion, that’s how the path gets carved. There’s a saying that people practice the ways to which they are inclined. Some people follow a path in music, poetry, medicine, the arts, or the military. There’s certainly a warrior path, and whether that’s the product of your upbringing – that’s really a nature or nurture question.
I grew up in a small town in Southeast Alaska, so early on, I developed a range of outdoor skills—hiking, climbing, hunting, scuba diving, you name it. My father was in the Marine Corps, post-Korea pre-Vietnam. I think that instilled within me a sense of service. What I remember distinctly when I was a kid, is that I had an uncle who came home from Vietnam and his leg had been blown off in the Battle of Khe Sanh. I remember him walking around literally on a wooden leg.
And then I had a very influential shop teacher, a very interesting guy, who advised me on different paths within the military. He was a Vietnam veteran with three tours in an elite unit (101st Airborne) called the LRRPs (Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol.) You would have never guessed it, because he was super quiet, kind of introverted guy…but boy, still water runs deep! He was hard core, and advised me to go into the Army Special Forces track instead of the Marine Corps or the Navy SEALs or something like that.
In the late 70s early 80s under the Carter Administration, the Army Special Forces had all but dried up. There was zero funding going into the ranks at that time, and then they realized what a deficit they were facing. In the old days, in order to even apply to the Army Special Forces, you had to be a second term enlistee (already having served four years), and you had to have achieved a minimum rank of Sergeant. So because of these requirements, they just weren’t getting enough numbers into the ranks.
In the early 80s there was a recruiting drive to bring individuals straight in, and I was one of those so was lucky to get a shot. We were called “SF babies”, which was pretty funny. Of course, that didn’t guarantee you would make it in, but it guaranteed you a pathway to try out for what is called the SFQC- the Q course.
I joined the army at 17 because I graduated from high school a year early. First, I went to Ft. Benning for Army Basic and Advanced Infantry training, then to Airborne School where you get your jump wings. Next, it was up to Ft, Bragg, NC straight into the Green Beret selection program. Lo and behold, I made it all the way through and after about one year of training I had become a Green Beret.
What initially compelled you to pursue medical training?
Within the Army Special Forces, you have a standard A-team, the ODA (operational detachment), which is a twelve-person team. Those teams can be split in half, so you have two, six-person teams. Everyone on that team has a minimum of one, ideally two, military occupational specialties.
I was a weapons specialist, initially. Everything from learning how to operate light and heavy weapons, machine guns, etcetera, all the way up to mortars and rocket launchers and things like that. Initially, I spent about two years on a mountain team because of my background in climbing and mountaineering that I brought to the service with me, and then I had the opportunity to both cross-train to obtain my second MOS, and transfer over to a SCUBA team.
And I did that through the Special Operations Medical Program, which at that time was called 300-F1 (this predated the 18 series MOS.) At that time, that course was the highest level of medical/combat trauma training available to lay practitioners in the military, really in the whole country. That was in the 80s. In today’s terms, it would have been equivalent to what is now a nationally registered paramedic or flight paramedic. The medical training was quite involved, and included LTT or live tissue training, which is now the de facto standard but at the time was quite cutting edge, and really unique to SF medic training.
After that, when I got back to my unit, I transitioned to what is known as a Underwater Operations team, aka combat dive team. It’s perhaps a lesser-known fact, because usually the Navy SEALs are known for their dive teams, but Army Special Forces also have combat divers who train in underwater infiltration tactics and things like that. I was also fortunate to become qualifies a DMT (dive medical technician) at that time.
How do you feel the skills you honed and refined through the lenses of medicine and operations, respectively, prepared you for the rest of your career?
Well, there are two things you can’t be in this business: a one-trick pony, or a dilettante. This is a very involved profession, and there is perhaps a misapprehension on the part of some people who are on the outside looking in, thinking: “Oh, that guy went into the army because he couldn’t do anything else.” Things like that. And I can tell you that the profession is quite cerebral, particularly in the Special Operations ranks. And particularly in this day and age, as the three, even four now, dimensional battle space has evolved, you have so many tools and enablers and things going on it’s extremely complex.
So, if you choose this as a profession, you really have to be dialed-in. You have to be on you’re A-game all the time; the training alone is extremely hazardous and there’s even a term for it: KIT, killed in training instead of killed in action! I used to hear people ask: “Where did you get your Master’s Degree?” and some guys would jokingly reply: “At the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center.” Because if you really look at people who have invested years in training, to the tune of millions of dollars of taxpayer money to support that training—I mean, these individuals receive the equivalent of a masters-level education in their chosen field; they are truly master-level operators. They all have a language qualification, for example. They have two military occupational specialties which can take years to obtain, and a lot of people wash out along the way. Many of these individuals are extremely complex thinkers, they become medics, radio operators (communications), or combat engineers (demolition experts). The training can be intense.
Can you speak to the level of mental fortitude that such rigorous training required of you at the time? How do you feel that has changed or evolved over time?
Well, when you are young, you are immature. At that time, I was in my 20s, and when I look back, I think: “Oh my God, I was such a little punk back then.” It takes time to gain experience and develop maturity.
When I first tried out for a Tier 1 Special Mission Unit, for example, I didn’t make the cut the first time—and it was because of that lack of maturity. Not only do you have to have the requisite physical attributes, which they test with a 40-mile march through the mountains with a 55 lb. rucksack on your back, with an unknown time limit, but once you make it through that, you have to go before a commander’s board where they interview you with a whole range of questions. So it’s not only a test of brawn, but of brain power, and it also speaks to character, judgement, and decision-making abilities.
So like I said, when I tried out the first time I was too young and immature, and I didn’t have the right stuff, what they were looking for. So, that was a real beat-down, like the biggest failure in my entire life to that point, so I had to do some real soul searching, grow a bit, before I could go back to try out again, and then I ultimately got selected. It was an incredible teaching point, which they knew it would be, and probably their plan all along because they knew I’d come back stronger!
How your view evolves is a function of the experiences you have accrued. If you’re faced with being in combat for example, and you’re concerned about whether you’re going to come out the back end of it alive—well there’s no time for that, but those types of engagements definitely bring up questions about your own mortality, and your perspective evolve over time.
What led to the founding of The Third Option Foundation and how did you become involved with the organization?
So, all of my Army Special Operations active duty time was pre-9/11, and after about 12 years I maxed out my fun meter and decided to get out – we didn’t have any behavioral health support or mental health support back then. We didn’t have any counseling against burnout. I think I was just a bit burned out, so I pivoted out of the military.
I got out and went back to school to pursue a pre-Med track to capitalize on my medical training. I thought about going to medical school at the time, until I realized it would take me more than a decade to become a doctor. I said, “I’m getting a little old for that…” – so I leveraged the medical training I already had and became a physician’s assistant.
I was working back home in Alaska in orthopedic and trauma surgery when 9/11 hit. I immediately got on the phone, called Fort Bragg to get back into my old outfit. I was in the recruiting pipeline to go back to active military service when I got picked up to come to work for the CIA. This was in early 2002 by then. Flash forward then about 12, 14 years, I had been deploying during that whole time in support of the GWOT (Global War on Terror), primarily doing counter-terrorism missions, going after the perpetrators of 9/11. Quite literally the job was all in support of hunting those perpetrators down.
And by that time, we (CIA) had entered the war theaters – Iraq, Afghanistan – where things were at a fever pitch, super high ops tempo, very kinetic and dangerous. And within our small outfit we’d lost about 15 guys at that point, and there was no support infrastructure to take care of our families of the fallen, referred to as our Gold Star Families. And so the founders [of the Third Option Foundation] said: “We’ve got to do better.” We need to have a private foundation that provides some, you know, supporting infrastructure to take care of the families of the fallen. That was the initial focus and remains a core pillar of our mission to this day.
Technically then, the Third Option Foundation was founded in 2013, when we first got our 501c3 status, and I was in the branch then, during this entire time. I knew, or knew of, all the guys who had been killed to date, had gone on operations with many of them, even on some of the operations when they were killed. So, the Foundation was born out of loss, tragedy, and a deep connection to the work; in a way and everyone who is involved then and now is similarly connected to the work. There are several pretty profound origin stories within there.
Given my medical background, and after I’d been in the branch for almost 15 years, I started gravitating more towards medical support operations, figuring out how we could ensure that the guys were being looked after medically. We were also at the time conducting more remote, austere environment operations, and being a PA in addition to everything else, I’d even pursued additional training, an advanced degree in tropical medicine and travel health, to prepare for this, because I was tasked with mission planning for these guys to support these remote and austere deployments.
Sadly, we’d lost a guy in the Horn of Africa due to an undiagnosed medical condition…it was simply what we call the terror of geography because we had a robust CASEVAC plan in place that executed perfectly. We just couldn’t get to him in time, and he died. Was a real gut punch. As a result, we were looking at ways to evolve the tools and things, figure out how we could have done better, so this kind of thing would never happen again.
At that time, the Third Option Foundation was looking at ways to take care better care of our wounded. I started out as the Medical Director for Third Option around 2016-17, advising on programs to take care of our wounded and sick operators. What we built and implemented then evolved over a couple of years, to when we got our full-scope medical program in place to support active-duty operators.
When did you become the CEO of Third Option?
In 2019, one of the founders—my boss at the time—said: “I’ve got a deal for you. Would you consider double the work for half the pay? We’d like you to apply to be the CEO of Third Option.”
I am the second CEO in the history of the organization, I’ve been in the seat for about 5 years now. And I can say that, in over 25 years of government service, I feel that not only is this a way for me to continue giving back to steward the needs of those we serve, but it’s honestly the most important work I’ve done, because it’s so impactful.
There’s a saying down at Fort Bragg. It’s above our memorial court etched in granite stone: “Who shall we send, and who shall go for us.” That’s the level of professional ethos; if not you, who? Who’s going to step up to the plate and take the job, because in this case, there’s not a lot of takes, and certainly no fanfare. There is a huge amount of personal pride that goes into your work, but that’s not why you are doing it. You are not doing it for the laurels, but rather out of a continued sense of duty and willingness to serve the community.
Even though I’m not in the ranks anymore, I feel this is has been my calling, my next ridge line of service, so to speak.
It seems that along your path, you have always managed to take things to that “next level.” Do you feel that the drive to do so is intrinsic to your personality, or was that something you consciously decided to do?
I don’t know. It’s probably equal measures innate, but there is also a conscious decision made, to commit to being the best at what you do, unquestioningly. You know, people (in these professions) are driven to perform, not to do things in half measure, you strive to be the best of the best, right?
There are a couple of sayings that I grew up with:
“Look yourself in the mirror and tell yourself: remember who you are and what you’re here for.” That just kind of reinforces for me the imperative of not just the mission, but really what the big picture is, why you are doing what you are doing in this moment.
Another precept is “try to make every step a positive step.” This is both figurative and literal, because there’s a physical training aspect here, too. If you are floundering around and not really fully engaged in what you’re doing, then it becomes this slippery slope type of thing where you might make two steps forward, but one backwards. You end up scuttling your own performance, so I think it’s important to be very intentional, be present, and stay focused and committed.
When you reflect upon the things you have learned and the skills you have developed on this path, how do you feel that those have influenced the leadership style you apply at the Third Option Foundation?
There is certainly a maturity aspect to it—humility. You have to check your ego at the door. No matter how good you think you are, there is always going to be someone better than you right around the corner, and you have to work off that principle. There is a principle in Bushido – I adhere to some aspects of Asian philosophy – based on this idea of “strengthening your own line.”
I think a lot of people, when they see someone who is outperforming them, who is better than them, there is this tendency to immediately perceive that as a threat. “Oh my God, that guy/gal is better than me. How do I bring them down to my level, so they’re not as good as me.” Well, that’s ridiculous in my opinion, but sadly how most people approach things. As my Dad would say, totally bassackwards! If you feel that someone is outperforming you, then that is on you, you have to find a way to strengthen your own line, you yourself have to become better. How you improve your own position also strengthens your team, rubs off on your teammates. The whole “rising tide lifts all boats” philosophy.
It is important to check your ego. It’s not about you. It’s about pulling on the oars together and driving people to achieve bigger things than that which they could achieve by themselves. Humility also goes hand in hand with the silent professional ethos, which you can’t just espouse, you have to adhere to it.
What would you say to the next generation, a young person that may be considering a career in service?
Well, I think that community service and public service, certainly national service, can come in a variety of shapes and forms. There are multiple pathways to giving back and becoming a productive citizen of this country.
I think this is something that has clearly been lost, and it needs to be espoused and promoted and celebrated. There are a number of ways we can get young people to serve—across the spectrum whether that be in state or federal government; in local services like fire, law enforcement, the military. I think it is imperative that we as a nation consider ways to promote national service models, expanding from purely military service but extending to the health service corps, incentivizing ways to get more nurses and doctors into the medical profession, and even a national teaching corps to provide pathways for our best and brightest to become teachers. A national mental health services corps! We as a nation should fully fund these professions and pathways and do all we can to recruit people into them.
In addition to serving in the military or intelligence communities, there are also the foreign service ranks and I would urge kids to consider serving our country there, in the State Department. If you have ever heard Director Burns speak, the man is brilliant, a consummate statesman and scholar with a deep record in terms of his 35+ years promoting U.S. interests overseas. We are so fortunate to have such talent on our bench. It gives you such a deep appreciation for the combined efforts of those who serve in the elite ranks of our foreign service, military, and intelligence communities. Everyone is putting it out there, working together, moving the needle together in support of U.S. National Security objectives. It takes commitment from all corners.
All these forms of selfless service can be hugely enriching, fulfilling, and beneficial—personally, and societally.
And then, for people who follow their paths and land in these elite organizations, I think it’s important that you don’t rest on your laurels and that you seek out new challenges, new ridgelines, more education. Learning is the gate, not the house, so don’t rest once you made it to the top. I can say that that does happen when you’re in elite tier special mission units, it becomes like a mutual admiration society.
Do you have a theme from your long and decorated career – or a specific moment that sticks in your mind – that you would like to share on?
There are several moments which stick out, but what I find really fascinating – is the singular moment when you recognize that you are literally standing at the intersection of history as it is happening. You often don’t recognize it until it’s a little bit in the rearview mirror, but there is such uniqueness of being at the forefront of things as they are happening, of knowing that you’re living history as it’s happening, as it’s being written.
In terms of being cognizant, being witness to what is happening just gives you a profound appreciation for what is also occurring behind the scenes. I can tell you that we would often be overseas, working out of what’s called the TOC (Tactical Operations Center) all hours of the day and night, you’re in there at midnight in a foreign country, when everyone back home is safe and blissfully unaware of what’s really going down on the world stage. And you would walk into this space, filled with tons of people – committed professionals just doing their job. And it looks like a NASA launch is about to happen, tons of moving parts, aircraft and things are stacked to run a big operation. It is just so impressive to see the capability and military might that America brings to the arena, and you’re like, “Wow—this is happening, this is getting ready to go down.”
It’s such a profound feeling to be part of something on that scale.
