What happened in this episode?
In this 20-minute episode of Mike Drop, host Mike Ritland speaks with a former SEAL Team 7 member about training, deployments and personal misconduct that intersected with his military career. The guest describes entering boot camp with a class of roughly 100 SEAL contract candidates, estimating about 40 ultimately reached BUD/S and saying only nine completed the pipeline. He recalls BUD/S being harder than expected and recounts seeking medical help for MRSA on his feet after advice from a class leader.
The conversation shifts to operational experience, including a Yemen deployment providing security for the US ambassador and working with a counter-terrorism unit. He then describes a 2015 Iraq deployment tied to preparations for the Mosul offensive, including linking up with displaced Sunni tribal fighters, taking indirect fire, and a near miss when he says rounds from a DShK heavy machine gun passed close enough for him to "felt that thing in my hat".
A major portion centres on the guest’s criminal case stemming from an alleged bar assault in Idaho. He says he faced a potential plea involving years in prison, was permitted by the court to deploy to Iraq while on bail, then later accepted a deal for two misdemeanours with restitution he puts at about $40,000, plus jail time served in Idaho while on leave. He also says the victim pursued a civil claim that was later reduced to a settlement arrangement.
Ritland and the guest also discuss perceived constraints on operations in Iraq; the guest says the unit felt “handcuffed”, morale was low, and many later left the service.
