Born in Columbus, Ohio but raised in Boulder, Colorado, Cade spent most of his young adult life in the outdoors. Upon graduation from the University of San Diego, he was immediately commissioned as an officer in the United States Navy and began Navy SEAL Training (BUD/S). After several intense tours as a Platoon Commander that had him operating around the world, Cade decided to leave the SEAL teams to pursue other challenges. A chance phone call from Producer Mark Burnett followed by an invitation to appear on a new TV series Combat Missions (2002) launched his next career in show business.
