Navy SEAL Reveals Why BUD/S Became the Most Costly Tour of His Career

About this video

Ritland’s guest Brad Gary, a former Navy SEAL officer, recounts his decision to return to SEAL training (BUD/S) as commanding officer after a fulfilling tour commanding SEAL Team 1. Gary describes the challenges he faced implementing changes to restore accountability standards, managing a new generation of tech-savvy candidates who had ‘hacked’ the curriculum, and navigating internal resistance from senior staff. He also discusses the high stakes of maintaining BUD/S standards and the tragedy that would later unfold during his command.

Key takeaways

• Gary attributes his decision to continue serving to his wife’s observation that he was at his best during his SEAL Team 1 command, leading him to accept the BUD/S commanding officer position when offered by a mentor
• According to Gary, he found that candidates had exploited predictable curriculum schedules and lenient accountability, prompting him to restore baseline standards by resequencing evolutions and empowering instructors to enforce requirements
• Gary recounts reinstating proper chain of command by returning senior GS-13 civilian staff to advisory roles rather than decision-making positions, a move he says created resentment that would later contribute to problems during his tour

Episode details: published October 3, 2026 · 45.4K views · 23:49 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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