How Rob O'Neill's Breakup Led Him To DEVGRU

About this video

Rob O’Neill recounts how a breakup led him to join the Navy instead of pursuing basketball and a brokerage career. O’Neill describes joining the Navy SEALs almost by accident when the Marine recruiter wasn’t available, then learning to swim from scratch in Montana. He shares stories from his time at SEAL Team 2 and 4, including training with Ukrainian special forces, and explains that his decision to screen for DEVGRU was motivated by a bearded operator giving him a harsh look at the Navy Exchange.

Key takeaways

• O’Neill says his breakup prompted him to leave Montana by joining the military; he originally wanted to be a Marine sniper but joined the Navy SEALs when the Marine recruiter was absent
• O’Neill recounts that he couldn’t swim when he enlisted and had to teach himself with help from a high school acquaintance who swam at Notre Dame
• O’Neill explains he decided to stay in the Navy and screen for SEAL Team Six after a bearded DEVGRU operator gave him a harsh look at the Navy Exchange, combined with his enjoyment of the SEAL teams
• O’Neill describes training with Ukrainian special forces in the late 1990s, characterizing them as extremely tough fighters who hated the Russians

Episode details: published October 26, 2025 · 11.6K views · 20:20 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.

← Previous: USAF PJ Rescue Mission Gone Terribly WRONG · Next: I Knew I’d Get KICKED OUT Of SWAT →

All Mike Ritland videos · Mike Ritland profile · Mike Drop (official site)