Neal served in the United States Navy from 1998 to 2002, reaching the rank of petty officer 3rd Class and was on board USS Cole, when it was suicide bombed on October 12, 2000. Neal has a tattoo on his right forearm of the initials of his best friend, who was killed in the attack. After the attack Neal was diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder and spent over a year on shore duty before finishing his four year stint with the Navy in 2002.