ISA Operator Joe England on Failure, Flight School Rejection & Starting Over

About this video

Joe England, a former ISA operator, recounts his transition to Army aviation after special operations. England describes experiencing severe depression and suicidal ideation when he simultaneously lost his business during COVID, faced his father’s and sister’s deaths, and nearly got kicked out of flight school over a parking dispute he believes was retaliation from an instructor. He credits stoicism and his dog for helping him recover from what he calls rock bottom, later launching his YouTube channel ‘The Stoic Viking’ to help others discuss topics like mental health that remain taboo in military culture.

Key takeaways

• England recounts that his financial collapse, family deaths, and flight school troubles happened simultaneously, leading him to plan suicide—stopped only by thoughts of abandoning his dog
• England argues that he had never truly failed before these events, and claims that real success is built on failure rather than unbroken achievement
• England states that seeking mental health help in special operations or aviation was ‘a death sentence for your career,’ motivating him to create content addressing topics the military avoids discussing
• England believes Iran’s Islamic Republic poses a generational threat but argues that U.S. boots on the ground would be politically unsustainable and would delegitimize any new Iranian regime

Episode details: published May 18, 2026 · 3.7K views · 25:27 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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