Intense, Honest, and Driven

From military operations to high-risk rescue and humanitarian missions, David Burnell’s work spans the globe. His journey has taken him from war zones to disaster zones—from the chaos of conflict to the compassion of recovery.

In places like Haiti, Nicaragua, and Burma, David has faced danger head-on while delivering hope and aid to those in crisis. In these videos, he shares the most powerful and life-changing moments from the front lines—stories of courage, loss, resilience, and redemption.

These are more than missions. These are human stories that leave a mark.

Veteran

David Burnell is a decorated U.S. Air Force veteran with over a decade of honorable active-duty service. His military career included participation in dozens of joint-service operations across multiple continents, contributing to missions that demanded precision, adaptability, and leadership under pressure.

A graduate of an elite hostage rescue program in England, instructors recognized David as his class’s most unconventional and innovative thinker. He also served with distinction on the Blue Knights Rifle Drill Team and the Air Force Honor Guard, honoring military traditions with discipline and pride.

David was the top graduate of Leadership School, earning the prestigious John Levitow Award. He concluded his career with numerous accolades—including the Meritorious Service Medal—before receiving an honorable discharge.

His service legacy is marked by excellence, innovation, and a deep commitment to mission and team.

Speaker

David Burnell is a dynamic speaker who connects deeply with audiences of all ages, especially youth. Whether delivering keynote addresses, leading youth firesides, speaking at conferences, or hosting seminars, David brings an authentic and powerful presence to every stage.

With stories drawn from real-world missions across the globe, David shares a message rooted in resilience, service, love, and hope. His presentations are intense and heartwarming, filled with life lessons forged in adversity and triumph.

Whether facing personal obstacles or seeking renewed purpose, David will inspire you to rise, lead, and serve with courage.

Entrepreneur

David Burnell is a seasoned entrepreneur who has successfully built and sold three businesses from the ground up. With a deep understanding of personal and organizational growth, he brings a rare blend of strategic vision, grit, and real-world experience to every venture.

Known for his intensity, honesty, and relentless drive, David approaches business with the passion and resilience that defined his military service and global humanitarian missions. His sharp sense of humor and unconventional mindset are shaped by years of navigating high-stakes environments—from the boardroom to the battlefield to the front lines of rescue and recovery.

David doesn’t just talk business—he’s lived it, led it, and leveraged it to make a lasting impact.

Instructor

David Burnell is a nationally respected instructor who has trained thousands of military personnel, law enforcement officers, and federal agents in urban warfare, close-quarters combat, and tactical stress management. As the founder of the Urban Warfare Center, David led cutting-edge programs focused on defensive handgun tactics, close-quarters fighting, and mission-specific readiness.

His training programs were known for their intensity, realism, and focus on helping operators reduce the psychological and emotional toll of high-stress missions. Elite units and tactical teams across the U.S. and internationally have sought after David’s hands-on instruction.

In addition to tactical training, David designed and led high-impact corporate team-building experiences for major organizations such as Verizon, Novell, and other industry leaders. These programs combined the principles of mission-driven leadership, adaptability, and team cohesion, offering civilian teams a taste of the resilience and unity forged in the field.

Whether in uniform or the boardroom, David’s training empowers individuals and teams to perform purposefully, clearly, and courageously.

Search and Rescue (SAR)

David Burnell is a seasoned Search and Rescue (SAR) Instructor with hands-on experience in some of the planet’s most demanding and diverse rescue environments. For hundreds of missions, David has operated in air rescue, body recovery, cave and mine rescue, vehicle extrication, vertical and trench rescue, and fire support.

His deployments span both domestic and international disasters, including high-risk operations in Haiti, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Alabama, Thailand, Burma, and Japan following the catastrophic 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

David is a former Dive Rescue International (DRI) Public Safety SCUBA Instructor (PSSI) and has worked alongside federal dive teams, training personnel in underwater body recovery and critical SCUBA operations. He has also trained foreign Special Operations helicopter pilots in emergency water egress and survival tactics.

As Vice President of the Rapid City Dive Team, David served as an operational diver, participating in numerous body recoveries in extreme environments—including ice-covered lakes, fast-moving rivers, deep water, and black water (zero visibility) conditions. His experience includes recoveries from airplane crashes, sunken vehicles, recreational accidents, and animal rescue scenarios.

Forged in ice, darkness, and high-stakes operations, David’s SAR experience brings unmatched insight, calm, and precision to every mission—and every lesson.

Self-defense Instructor

David Burnell is a highly respected self-defense instructor with formal training in multiple martial arts disciplines and real-world combat experience. As a national taekwondo champion in forms and full-contact competition, David has developed and taught a unique, principle-based fighting system emphasizing simplicity, adaptability, and effectiveness under pressure.

His instruction has been sought after by U.S. Special Operations forces, federal agents, SWAT teams, and civilians, all of whom benefit from his straightforward, results-driven approach to personal defense. David’s system blends traditional martial arts discipline with the realities of modern threat environments, offering students a refined and practical method.

David has served as Chief of Security in post-earthquake Haiti and as Chief Bodyguard to a Task Force Commander, operating in high-risk zones where failure was not an option. A distinguished graduate of multiple tactical shooting and emergency response programs, he is also a Senior Instructor in both unarmed and armed combat, with mastery across a wide range of firearms and defensive tools.

David’s training empowers individuals with confidence, clarity, and the skills to survive—and overcome—violent encounters.

Founder of Urban Warfare Center

In response to the 9/11 attacks, David Burnell founded the groundbreaking Urban Warfare Center and its companion initiative, the Combat Stress Program. These programs became nationally recognized for their innovative approach to preparing military, federal, and law enforcement personnel for the realities of modern conflict.

Through his signature stress inoculation training, David trained thousands of soldiers, agents, and officers to perform under extreme pressure, sharpening decision-making, combat readiness, and resilience in high-threat environments.

According to senior military and law enforcement leaders, these programs enhanced operational performance and directly contributed to saving lives and reducing casualty rates in combat and tactical scenarios.

David’s vision redefined how warriors prepare for the fight, physically and mentally.

Bodyguard for High-risk Environments

David Burnell is a certified bodyguard for high-risk environments, trained through Crisis Response International (CRI), an elite Israeli-based counter-terrorism school. With a focus on operational protection in unstable and dangerous regions, David has served in both official and covert capacities across the globe.

His protective work includes anti-human trafficking missions and personal security operations for military commanders, executives, and private individuals in volatile regions.

In 2010, David was appointed Chief of Security for the Utah Hospital Task Force deployed to post-earthquake Haiti, the largest natural disaster in modern recorded history. He was tasked with protecting the Task Force Commander—a former advisor to President Reagan—as well as safeguarding over 120 doctors, nurses, and translators during a time of extreme civil unrest and humanitarian crisis.

David’s leadership and protection expertise in high-risk zones reflect his unwavering commitment to preserving life under the most challenging conditions.

Humanitarian

David Burnell founded numerous self-funded humanitarian missions, serving in some of the world’s most devastated and underserved regions. Driven by compassion and conviction, he has personally deployed to crisis zones in Haiti, Burma, Thailand, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and beyond—often bringing aid where few others would go.

His recent missions include working alongside the Karen Army in Burma, supporting the RAMA Indigenous people in Nicaragua, assisting in tsunami recovery operations in Japan, and delivering aid during the Alabama tornado relief efforts. David brings more than supplies to each mission—presence, leadership, and the will to act when it matters most.

These humanitarian efforts are an extension of David’s lifelong commitment to service, built not on applause but on action.

Movies and Film

David Burnell is a filmmaker and director passionate about storytelling that honors service, sacrifice, and real-world operations. He has produced and directed over 16 commercial films, including the acclaimed OPSWAR® series, Danger Calls, and mission-driven projects that blend cinematic quality with authentic tactical realism.

David’s expertise has also been sought behind the scenes, where he has consulted and trained actors to portray Special Operations personnel accurately in major film productions. His commitment to authenticity brings depth and credibility to military and tactical roles on screen.

In the full-length feature film The 11th Hour, David and his cadre trained the cast and then appeared in the film’s first 15 minutes, portraying Navy SEALs in a high-stakes hostage rescue mission in North Korea.

Through film, David continues his mission to inform, inspire, and bring the realities of global conflict and heroism to life.

Author and Writer

David Burnell is an author and writer whose work draws from a lifetime of service, sacrifice, and unshakable purpose. David shares powerful, often untold stories that span military service, rescue operations, humanitarian missions, and personal transformation through his books.

His writing is raw, reflective, and mission-driven—designed to inspire resilience, faith, and courage in the face of adversity. Whether recounting real-life experiences or offering insight into the warrior mindset, David writes with clarity, conviction, and a deep respect for those who stand in the gap.

His words are more than stories—they’re echoes of valor.