Dave Berke is a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer, fighter pilot, ground-combat leader, and Chief Officer of Development and Curriculum at Echelon Front, whose leadership was forged under the pressure of the cockpit and the stakes of the battlefield.
Dave built his career as a fighter pilot, flying the F/A-18 Hornet on two deployments aboard aircraft carriers in support of combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. He went on to serve three years as an Instructor Pilot at TOPGUN, where he became qualified in the F-16 Fighting Falcon and was later selected as Training Officer, the senior staff pilot responsible for the conduct of the entire TOPGUN course. He was the only Marine ever to fly the F-22 Raptor, having served as an exchange officer at the Air Force’s 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron as the Division Commander. Dave became the first operational pilot ever to fly and be qualified in the F-35B, serving as the Commanding Officer of the Marine Corps’ first F-35 squadron from 2012-2014.
Dave's leadership was tested on the ground as well as in the air. He served as an ANGLICO Forward Air Controller during the 2006 Battle of Ramadi, leading a team to support the Army’s 1st Armored Division in one of the most dangerous combat zones of the Iraq War. Working alongside Jocko Willink, Leif Babin, and the SEALs of Task Unit Bruiser on virtually every major mission, Dave saw firsthand the results Extreme Ownership produced under the most extreme pressure.
After leaving active duty, Dave earned a Master's in International Public Policy and an MBA from The Johns Hopkins University before joining Jocko Willink and Leif Babin to help build Echelon Front.
As Chief Officer of Development and Curriculum and a leadership instructor at Echelon Front, Dave advises, speaks, and instructs organizations across industries, translating combat leadership principles into practical lessons that instill ownership in teams and deliver effective results at every level. Dave is the author of the national best-seller, The Need to Lead, which distills his lessons from TOPGUN and the battlefield into actionable leadership skills for any team willing to do the work.