Pinned to a Tree with One Shot

About this video

A former Navy SEAL recounts his experience passing BUD/S and Green Team on his first attempts, then describes combat deployments including five missions. He shares specific stories from sniper operations, including one where he pinned an enemy combatant to a tree with a single shot, and reflects on the psychological aspects of witnessing death in combat. The guest discusses how repeated exposure to violence becomes part of the job, though he acknowledges that during difficult mental periods, he imagines himself in the place of those he watched die.

Key takeaways

• The guest passed both BUD/S and Green Team training on his first attempts, which he describes as a significant accomplishment requiring mental toughness and resilience.
• The guest recounts using a .300 Win Mag rifle to shoot an enemy combatant who was launching mortar attacks, with the round pinning the target to a tree.
• The guest explains that while combat killing becomes part of the job and fighters don’t become emotionally numb, he admits that during poor mental health periods he imagines himself in the position of enemies he watched die.

Episode details: published June 3, 2025 · 8.2K views · 3:27 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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