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Mike Drop

DEVGRU Insider: Unpredictable Selection, High-Altitude Missions & Multi-Nation Raids | Ep. 274 | Pt. 2

Mike Drop

Mike Ritland

News, Society & Culture, Politics, Personal Journals

4.96.3K Ratings

🗓️ 15 January 2026

⏱️ 60 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Listeners will get an inside look at the unpredictable nature of BUD/S and Green Team selection, the intense reality of life at DEVGRU's Gold Squadron, high-stakes deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, unexpected big-wall climbing adventures (including a multi-day ascent of El Capitan with minimal prior experience), leadership in multi-national operations, and the profound challenges of transitioning out of the military — including loss of identity, purpose, and the lingering questions about the true cost and meaning of those wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Olivia Culpo here to tell you all about the launch of the new Abercrombie spring denim collection,

0:05.5

made the way denim should feel. Their denim has always been a staple in my wardrobe and has a wide range of fits,

0:11.4

styles, and washes. Every jean is available in both their classic fit and viral curve love.

0:17.5

Shop in the app, online, and in stores.

0:28.7

Yeah.

0:30.4

It seems to be a recurring theme.

0:35.7

Similarly, I remember being at Team 3 and doing platoons with guys that went and made it.

0:36.3

And I was like, how the fuck did that guy make it? Yeah. You know, I mean, not that they were shitty guys. It's just, I was like, of all of the guys, like I would not have expected, you know, but on the other side, there were guys that's like, do that guy's going to go there and smoke it? And they don't make it. You know, it's such a weird mix Well, I mean, and it's a lesson you learn in buds.

0:56.7

Like, I mean, my memory is kind of shady on this.

1:01.1

But like, I want to say we had around, for some reason, the number 187 stands out.

1:07.4

Like, we started with that or somewhere around, let's call it 190.

1:14.6

And then you just kind of look at like around and you're like gosh that guy is jacked or that guy is so fast or this guy is

1:21.8

such a good swimmer and like two weeks in if you like took a photo of everyone, like a pan around,

1:29.4

you, like, circle the people you think are going to make it.

1:32.6

Like, you'd almost always be wrong.

1:34.4

Like, I know for sure, like, if you looked at my class, and we graduated with 22,

1:42.2

like 19 of which were from the original 190-ish, right?

1:46.3

So that's 10% from that.

1:50.6

You would have never circled me or most of the people that made it through.

1:56.0

You know what I mean?

1:56.6

Like just kind of hard to judge a book you know by book by its cover judged by appearances

2:04.0

or even like sometimes pedigree and whatever you know i agree to me the and i mean i never went

...

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