Lt. Col. Dan Rooney is an Air Force fighter pilot, motivational speaker and bestselling author who has dedicated his life to meeting sacrifice with hope.

He’s achieved that goal through Folds of Honor, a nonprofit he founded that provides life-changing scholarships to the families of fallen or disabled service members. Since 2007, the foundation has given out more than 40,000 scholarships led by Lt. Col. Rooney’s drive to inspire and help people.

During his time in the Air Force, Lt. Col. Rooney flew three combat tours in Iraq and won the Top Gun competition twice. He’s also a Class A member of the Professional Golfers’ Association and founded two nationally ranked golf clubs.