Inside an SBS Hostage Rescue Operation You’ve Never Heard About

About this video

Ritland interviews a former British Special Boat Service (SBS) operator who recounts his military career and transition to private security. The guest describes hostage rescue operations in Somalia, cross-training with U.S. DEVGRU and Australian SAS, and a career-ending parachuting accident that led to medical retirement. He then details building a private security business focused on crisis management and evacuations in Libya and other high-risk countries, including evacuating the Canadian embassy during the 2014 Tripoli civil war.

Key takeaways

• The guest recounts SBS cross-training with DEVGRU and Australian SAS allowed units to understand each other’s tactics for joint operations, citing a hostage rescue mission in Somalia that was ultimately called off for political reasons
• According to the guest, a parachuting accident in Oman resulted in severe knee injuries, and delays in medical care (including lost MRI scans and 44 weeks to receive surgery) led to his medical retirement and a tribunal dispute with the Ministry of Defence
• The guest describes building a security company by pre-positioning weapons and establishing safe houses across Libya, then using relationship-building with tribal elders and fixers rather than force to successfully evacuate clients during civil conflict

Episode details: published December 5, 2025 · 191.5K views · 30:42 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: The Leadership Lesson That Defined Jocko Willink’s Career · Next: Shawn Ryan Nearly Died Running a Coke Network in Colombia →

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