Joe was born and raised in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota. He graduated from Simley High School in 2004, where he was an avid wrestler. He loved the outdoors and especially enjoyed snowboarding, rollerblading, biking, and motorcycling. Known for his adventurous spirit, he lived life to the fullest. After high school, he held various jobs, including deckhand, service runner at a car dealership, and terminal operator for Lafarge, where he developed his welding and fabrication skills.

In 2009, driven by a lifelong dream of military service, Joe enlisted in the U.S. Army. He completed basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia, then transferred to Camp McCall, North Carolina. He was later assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division at Fort Knox, Kentucky. In January 2011, his unit deployed to Afghanistan. On April 15, 2011, Joe was killed in Ghazni Province when enemy forces attacked his unit with small arms fire.

He is remembered by his family, friends, and fellow soldiers for his courage, spirit, and dedication.