About AJ Powell

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AJ is a Christian, a retired United States Army NonCommissioned Officer who served in both the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army, and he is a world-traveled American combat veteran. He is a fully qualified aircraft mechanic and technician, flight engineer, instructor, and pilot. He is also a professional/occupational scuba diver, exploration/expedition diver, technical rebreather diver, and certified dive instructor.

AJ is an author, published researcher, guest lecturer, and public speaker. He is a social and political advocate for the veteran’s community as a whole, men's social issues, leadership and growth mindsets, and enjoys opportunities to teach, coach, mentor, and guide others towards self-betterment and success. He is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University, and is published academically in the fields of sociology and leadership.

During his career, AJ has been blessed with opportunities to work at the local, joint, and multinational levels of operations, working closely with U.S. and allied forces, teams, and organizations, in conducting operations, training, development, and relations-building. This experience has given him valuable insights into cross-cultural relationships, their common difficulties, and what it takes to build successful teams in dynamic environments. AJ uses this knowledge to help and empower international teams to improve performance and achieve success.

Aside from his career, AJ has spent his entire adult life striving toward and living out every single childhood dream he can. He has achieved becoming a pilot, a diver, a writer and author, a scientist and researcher, a teacher and instructor, a biker, run marathons and competed in ultra-distance events, served his nation in uniform, he's a musician, a photographer, a martial artist, a snowboarder, adventure-seeker, and has traveled and lived around the world. He still has yet to make it to space... But maybe one day.

Today, AJ is the owner and chief instructor of Pinnacle Diving Company (operated by JDE), an American veteran-operated English-speaking professional diving service based in Kanagawa, Japan, where he puts his company's motto to work in "Growing the BEST divers on Earth!" PDC has been diving expeditiously since 2014, and today, offers education and training, sales and services, adventure opportunities, and an array of professional/occupational services to meet demanding industry needs anywhere in the world.

Finally, AJ believes “investing in experiences” and “investing in relationships” are keys to investing in your future. He is always seeking out new knowledge and new opportunities, firmly believes you should never peak in your lifetime, that there's always something more you can accomplish, and believes education and self-betterment are life-long endeavors, that combining those things with internalized motivation and an optimistic mindset, equals the secret to success.