Chad Fulkerson – From B-1 Bombers to Firehouse Subs
In this episode of the Mission Oriented Podcast, we meet Chad Fulkerson, a former Air Force weapons systems officer who transitioned from flying B-1 bombers to running multiple Firehouse Subs franchises in Texas.
Chad’s journey into the Air Force came later than most. At 28, he faced skepticism but leaned on determination: “I felt like a fish out of water… but that maturity helped me at officer training school and later in the cockpit.” For over a decade, Chad served as a B-1 WSO, mastering teamwork and decision-making under pressure.
When it came time to separate, he admits he didn’t have all the answers: “I had no clue what I was going to do on the outside.” But he and his wife agreed on one goal — to own their own business. After researching options, Firehouse Subs stood out. “Their morals and values couldn’t have been a better alignment… founded by firefighters, debt-free, with a mission I could believe in.”
Chad now applies his military discipline to running restaurants, though not without some adjustments. “The ‘work hard, play hard’ mentality didn’t quite transfer to the civilian workforce,” he laughed, noting lessons learned in adapting leadership styles.
The pandemic brought new challenges. Chad recalls: “I thought I was going to lose everything within about two weeks.” But thanks to proactive measures and Texas’ flexible restrictions, sales rebounded quickly.
Today, Chad not only runs successful franchises but also stays connected to the military community through local initiatives. His story underscores how veterans can transform service experiences into entrepreneurial success, reminding us that, as Chad put it, “the skills we learn in uniform transfer tenfold when applied the right way.”
Listen on Libsyn
Watch on YouTube
Learn More
Chad Fulkerson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-fulkerson-a8aa2891/
VeteranCrowd Network
Our “forever promise” is to build the veteran and military spouse community a place to connect and engage. VeteranCrowd is simply a national network of veterans, veteran led businesses and the resources they need to prosper. Subscribe to stay in touch.
by VeteranCrowd Network
Why do thousands of merchants put us through a bootcamp to join their loyalty program? Why do they make checkout an obstacle course?
It’s embarrassing. Time consuming. Intrusive. Cumbersome. Broken.
Why?
Because no one ever built a simple & secure way to validate our veteran status at checkout.
Until now.
Want to be recognized at select merchants simply by swiping your existing Visa card?
Join our waitlist and be one of the first veterans to have this power in your wallet.
About Your Host
Bob Louthan is a VMI Graduate, Army veteran, and executive with over 25 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions and private capital formation. He founded the VeteranCrowd Network to bring veterans and veteran-led businesses together with each other and the resources they need to prosper.