Do Women Belong in Special Forces?

About this video

Mike Ritland discusses his views on women in the military and special operations, individual liberty, and freedom of expression. Ritland argues that military standards should be blind and merit-based, and if women can meet the exact same standards as men, they should be allowed to serve. He shares his perspective on freedom as being about tolerating what others say and do, even when it’s deeply offensive, rather than about imposing one’s own views. Ritland reflects on how those who have witnessed the cost of war understand freedom differently than those who haven’t experienced that sacrifice.

Key takeaways

• Ritland advocates for blind, non-graduated standards in military occupations, stating that if a woman can meet the exact same standards as men, she should be allowed to serve in special operations
• Ritland suggests that in special operations, standards must be driven by operational demands overseas, not by a desire to achieve proper gender ratios, and training cannot accommodate special considerations because the enemy won’t care about them
• Ritland defines freedom as being about how much one can tolerate from others rather than what one can express or force others to do, even when their actions (like flag burning or kneeling during the anthem) are personally offensive to him

Episode details: published October 4, 2025 · 22.1K views · 11:32 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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