BUD/S vs Army Airborne: Which is Harder?

About this video

A former Air Force Pararescueman (PJ) recounts getting kicked out of Army Airborne School after going onto the girls’ floor at the dorms, where sexual assault allegations arose against his friend. He describes the unique experience of having his father as his roommate during PJ training after his parents divorced and his dad re-enlisted at age 41. The guest also discusses the challenges of the EMT paramedic course, which he failed twice before passing, and his eventual deployment preparation in Tucson.

Key takeaways

• The guest was kicked out of Army Airborne School after going onto a restricted girls’ floor to retrieve his friend, where false sexual assault allegations were filed, though he was later allowed to return after his chief intervened
• The guest failed the EMT paramedic national registry test twice, requiring extended study periods on ’the island’ before passing on his third attempt, teaching him study discipline he lacked from his athletic-focused college years
• The guest’s father divorced his mother and re-enlisted in the Air Force as a PJ at age 41, becoming the guest’s roommate during the 6-month pararescue apprentice course when the guest was 21, creating an unusual father-son dynamic they navigated by focusing on training rather than addressing the divorce

Episode details: published March 29, 2026 · 30.4K views · 20:48 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Stories told by Mike Ritland’s podcast guests are the guests’ own accounts, attributed to them — not independently verified. Commentary is Ritland’s, presented as his analysis.

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