The American Studies Institute will be hosting guest speaker Eric Greitens on Thursday, Nov. 13, at 7:30 p.m. in the Benson Auditorium. Greitens is a former Navy SEAL. He was deployed four times during the global war on terrorism, and his deployments took him to Afghanistan, Southeast Asia, the Horn of Africa and Iraq. After a close call with a truck bomb, Greitens said he felt that he should use this second chance at life for something good. He came back to the states and formed the nonprofit “The Mission Continues,” an organization that encourages veterans to serve in their communities when they return home.

Greitens has written three books. His latest book, “The Warrior’s Heart” has been recognized by Barnes and Noble as one of the best teen books. His second book, “The Heart and the Fist: The Education of a Humanitarian, the Making of a Navy SEAL,” was a New York Times bestseller, and his first book, “Strength and Compassion,” was named ForeWord Photography magazine’s book of the year.

“We felt that the ‘compassion’ aspect that Greitens brings to the table aligns with our mission at Harding and especially the medical missions that Harding is involved with,” ASI Associate Executive Director Dr. Bob Reely said.

Senior Cooper Thompson said he is looking forward to hearing Greiten’s story.

“I think I’m most looking forward to hearing about the former (Navy SEAL’s) internal battles he faced while carrying out the specific missions he was assigned and getting some advice on how to cope with these internal battles,” Thompson said.

All of Greiten’s experiences help him share the importance of being resilient, overcoming adversity and showing compassion in order to become a better leader. Upcoming speakers in the American Studies Institute’s Lecture Series include Archie Manning on Feb. 19, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. and Former Prime Minister of Greece, George Papandreou will speak on April 23 at 7:30 p.m.