Couple Things with Shawn and Andrew - everything you didn't know about our special forces experience

Episode Date: October 8, 2026

we're back with even MORE special forces stories... and this time, we're hearing them straight from our instructor! 😂 today we're sitting down with Jovon "Q" Quarles (aka DS Q), our former directing staff instructor from special forces: world's toughest test, and our longtime friend Ian Schinelli, a former navy SEAL who actually went through BUD/S training alongside Q! this was our first time seeing Q since filming in Morocco, and it's safe to say it's a VERY different experience sitting across from him when he's not yelling at us. we're getting into all the behind-the-scenes moments you didn't see on TV, which contestants Q thought would make it to the end, stories from some of our toughest challenges, and how our special forces experience actually compares to real navy SEAL training. 😂 Q and Ian also share some pretty unbelievable stories from their own time in the military, what it really takes to survive BUD/S and hell week, and why mental toughness is so much more than physical strength. we also dive into life after serving, finding purpose outside of the military, and what happens when you step away from something that has defined so much of your life. between the hilarious stories, special forces memories, and some really meaningful conversations, this one was so much fun. we hope you enjoy it! thank you to our sponsors! → branch basics: get 15% off the home essentials kit with code EASTFAM at https://branchbasics.com → betterhelp: sign up and get 10% off at https://betterhelp.com/eastfam → lola blankets: get 40% off select products with code EASTFAM at https://lolablankets.com → pave america: we're building our backyard court with america's sports construction, a division of pave america! learn more about bringing your own sports space to life at https://americasportsconstruction.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's up, everybody? Welcome back to a couple things. With Sean and Andrew. Special Forces series. Okay, so this interview that we did, we actually did it last year after our Special Forces. But then things just got crazy, and so we held it for this season because it's so cool.

Wing-Havon Chorus, DSU, the one and only DSU, who we need to bring him back again, especially after this season because there's more to talk about, especially with Summer Affairs, Mr. DSTU, respect. Just respect. I'm so glad you said it, and we didn't, but I'm so glad you said it.

Let's just say this most recent season is a good one, and you all should tune in. But we got to ask DSQ all the questions that we wanted to ask while he was yelling at us in Morocco. And we also sat down with during this interview someone who he has known since 2009, and I have known since about 2019, Ian Chenelli, who is a fellow Navy SEAL. actually did buds training together. And it is so fun to hear about what it took them to make it through buds. Their actual Navy SEALs, we played pretend for about 10 days. And we had a phenomenal conversation.

We're so grateful for their time. We hope you enjoy this one. It gets pretty cheeky. And I also feel like it was pretty informative. Yeah. It shows you the real side, not as much the simulation side of what it's like to actually go through buds and what it is they're creating for the show. That's right. And if you want to find out more about these two, we'll link their information down below.

But without further ado, DSQ and Ian Chenelli. To be honest with you, I'm nervous for this conversation for a couple different reasons. One, like, having these two in the room is humbling in many different ways. But two, this is the first time we've seen Q since we're in Morocco. And it's almost, it feels like when you have, like, Coach Franklin, my college football coach, you're like, okay, he's, he's my authority figure, right? and then you get them outside of that context like we are now

and you're like I don't know what to do bro you're smiling I'm like I'm like what is this I've never seen you know what I'm saying this is so different we had that same feeling

as instructors yeah that was our that was our thing with the instructors you were Chief Stark yes I remember I saw him maybe five or six years later and I was like he's like what's up Ian

I was like I don't know I'm sorry I'm sorry we cool yeah he's in that robotic phase like he's the guy above me. I still did what he says. I worked

you probably did too. I worked with and deployed with some of my instructors. I was just like, what do I do right now? Do I call him instructor still or not? It's so ingrained in your head. So, okay, so two Navy SEALs here. You guys haven't seen each other since 2009, so that's 17 years. That's pretty cool. Or so they say. I don't believe anything. We link up once here.

What is the background of your relationship? Maybe it would be a good place to start? Q is our LPO the whole time or no? No, no, some people got, you know, quick. Well, for me, he was my LPO. What does that mean? Yeah, acronyms. Leading petty officer, lead petty officer.

So he was like the highest enlisted guy for all the enlisted people and then you have your officers. And then we have our OIC. And I don't, we probably had two or three OICs at that time. But he's rolled through. He's our LPO, honor man of our class. Wow. Yeah.

Cute. Which, didn't you know a bunch of instructors? I did because I had deployed with them. That's what I thought. Okay, yeah. Yeah, yeah. And they gave me hail. Because when I got the LPO, like you said, we lost a few guys.

Because to get the LPO and Buzz is about who's the highest ranking student. So you're enlisted and an active officer and then you try to go for C. No, no, no. Then you have officers as well. Before you go through Buds. No, no. What was your job before? Okay.

Yeah, I was CB. CBS, right? So I was doing a construction support for the CIL teams at the time. And I definitely deployed a bunch of them. And that's when I don't think you knew. that I already went through Buzz before. At the time, I didn't know that. Yeah.

And when I, when I was trying hard to come back, I got to deploy with Silting 5, and they had me doing a lot of stuff with them out there. I mean, I was like the driver on their operations and stuff like they were so cool. And we had that kind of relationship, and they knew my personality, so they really was helping me try to get back to Buzz.

And the Master Chief, Master Chief, Coal Pepper. Oh, yeah, yeah. He had to re-sign my request because it was denied initially. I went to him like, oh, actually they denied my request to go back to Buzzbee. He was like, I got you. He made a call.

A week later, I had orders. And that was that way. So you had to get orders to go to Butts? Yes, especially when your prior or like prior fleet. So he was already in, had done it. You go to a different command or go paint ship, ships, whatever. And your command has said, hey, you're qualified to go back. You've proven yourself as like a regular sailor kind of thing.

or right when I got in, I thought when I was getting in, you had to go two years to the Navy, and then you got your orders. And right when I was getting in, it might have been six, seven months, they said you can get direct orders

to go to Buds. And so I went through boot camp right now. And that was like your first thing in the Navy was to go to Buzz. I was like my first real job, honestly. Wow. I was a lifeguard once,

but that was about it. So then the dynamic is, the going through training is, is authority, like, instructor, and then recruit type dynamic. and then you're saying on deployment, it's more of a, hey, we're all a team now as opposed to... You still have your authority, your higher-ups, but it's more of like a camaraderie team type thing.

Like the lowest-ranking dude can have a good idea. And they're like, oh, that actually makes sense. In buds, there's no, oh, that makes sense. Just do what your toll. Like, he would corral us all together, all us, you know, fresh in the military. Like, guys had to come back as the highest-ranking guy and be like, hey, this is what we're going to do today. Execute that plan. Don't mess it up.

Yeah. Is Bud's basic underwater demolition? Yes, but I say this very lately. Similar to the dynamic of the show that you put on. Yeah, because it's all selection. Don't say this, babe.

The show is actually harder. I'm going to roast in my ear. On the title of selection, that's about as close as you can really get to it because, I mean, we try as hard as we can to make it as realistic as we can.

But we can give it, but it's the hardest thing to make. Then to try to make it something new or every single time is also hard. And then it's parameters, right? Because like when we have you guys doing a hostage rescue, you can't even carry a weapon, which is weird. We don't know why they want to let the recruits carry weapons. On true?

Yeah. So hostage rescue. I'm like, now we have to jump through hoops and make it a different, like, scenario. Yeah. But. In all the seasons that you've done, what's maybe, like, one challenge that you've hosted, put on that,

felt, I don't want to say real, but like intensity level close to what you did. Season two in New Zealand, right? Yeah. We went through training in the code and we had the boats, the zodiacs for the first time. Yeah. So, and he knew what the boats is like. So there was a scenario where we made them have to carry the boats. Yep.

From one point, from point A to point B. But we made them like do zigzags, go up and down hills, back across. And these people. On their heads? No, we didn't, they wouldn't, they would not allow us to put them on the head. So they just had to carry them. But we let them put them up. It's almost worse than putting it on your head.

Trying to carry. No. That's the show. Sean's going to find out what it's like. No, no, no, no, no, no. I mean, they had to put them to hold it on their hand a little bit, but we couldn't let them put it down on their head. I'll say it's terrible. Okay.

But on your head is, I mean, guys lose hair. Like, yeah. Oh, my God. Wow. You get bald. Like, you'll get a line across. your head. Cue's still

bold from from butts but the boat but the boat rubs in your head because it's so heavy that it's just bounce on your neck so imagine Andrew

just hitting your head all day on top of your head and it's like did you get did you have anything because I had to take antibiotics

oh yeah because it rubbed it raw it like great it really like you just said it really got the sand yeah that's really just dug

into my scalp and I had to take a medication because my whole top was just like like a little It's like sandpaper and just rubs on your head, but then you're getting compression on your neck and your spine. You're like, man, this is the worst.

Was that the one with Jojo? Yeah. Bodie Miller was on it. And Bodie. Now, she had a good boat crew that time. Me and Billy. And for those watching, like, Kelly, she was on her, who was on our boat crew? We had Tyler Cameron, he was in the boat crew, and, you know, the one that everybody hated.

The guy. The guy. Sandoval. Yeah. Who? Sanneval. You know, he was the one who cheated on, he was on that one show.

He cheated on Ariana Maddox. Yeah. Vanderpump rules. It's like a Bravo show. There you go. Yeah, he cheated on his girl with another girl on the show, bro. And then didn't apologize for. But isn't that what the shows are for?

How are the TV, dude? It was wild. It was wild. I guess he was able to play it off for like a year or something almost or whatever. I don't even know how I was. So when he came on that show, he was still just like not really holding himself accountable to that. Not at all.

So it was just, you know, Kelly and, man, Kelly went through it on that show. So if you see that scene, I mean, it was a long way. Like, Jojo's boat crew was gone. They all started together and then she just, her crew just kept drifting away. And the next thing, you know, we was down there forever. And it was terrible. That really gave me an idea, that's how bad it was. Like, somewhat.

They added on in your hand for civilians to see what like. Did you watch the show? Yeah, a few episodes. What'd you think? I walked in for Saturday after. First of all, my rib was jank for like three months, bro. After tackling Randall, he, F in the murder ball, whatever. Annie went head to my nose.

Anyway, I was beat up for. That was like a Friday of buds or a Friday at other TV. That was fun. Anyway, Ian just come. No, I hated that one. I hated that. That was fun. Ian came out to me.

He was like, thank you for a service. I was like, dude, I'm never going to live with that. Oh, man, but I don't know. There's two Navy Seals of Datter days now. Oh, my gosh. Because people get, what, broken ankles, broken necks, collar bones and all that stuff with the boats, logs.

Oh, yeah. Yeah, there's so many injuries that have them. But the show is serious, too, bro, because there's real injury. I know it's not butts. Yeah, yeah. I know it's not. Injury perspective, I would imagine,

especially since none of you were training to do it. I will say, the only thing that shocked me about the show, injury-wise, coming from athletics, is like we, having been in the athletic world, I was so aware of injury, but having people who have never been in a gym, running down the side of a mountain with a burgonaut, I was like, they're going to die. They're literally going to fall off a cliff. Well, it's also the, you guys did the dunker. Yeah.

What's that? Which I could not figure out why people got so confused on it. Oh, yeah. Oh, sorry, the plane, or whatever it was. in the water, and then just go out the door. I was really shocked. I didn't understand why I saw somebody do it again, and they did the same thing wrong.

I'm like, it's just right there. Just go right there. Yeah, you can see. No, I totally get it. It was wild and it sounds like, man. But it just goes to show that the common person just cannot understand how to be calm and relax and see the bigger picture and just have your eyes open.

It's kind of like sky down for the first time for me. when I did it, it was like tunnel vision. I couldn't see nothing the first time. And then the second time, then I was like open my eyes and relaxed. But these people in civilians... It looks like CQC too. Yeah.

You're like this and all of a sudden it just keeps going. The water was really clear though. Oh, no, no. Again, which is why I didn't understand why nobody just got out of their chair and went left. Well, there's a whole sequence of things. This is how I described that one, because that was harder than I thought it would be. Like, the tunnel thing for me was the worst. That was the one.

That was like, I had blinders on. By the way, yeah, I can't wait to debrief that. But like... That was good, though. We made that, that was fun, bro. Because we were making it, we was like, oh, yeah, it's going to be good. No, even when that was done, you looked at us, you're like, all right, that was pretty serious. I don't think you did that serious.

That was realistic because we made it so chaos. And then it was so tight and we knew it would get you somewhat, you know, claustrophobic. And just really start getting to a point where, man, it's hard to breathe. And then you got to still be calm and think. Yeah. Oh, man, it was going to be chaos. The amount of dirt just deep down in my esophagus was brutal. But on the show, there's like a couple different dynamics.

One, you're like trying to respect the, like the DS. Which is also shocking how many people are incapable of doing that. Yeah. Like respecting authority. I was really, I was really blown by. Well, I like the dynamics because all these grown adults where you're like, I don't know. I was like, did you not understand what you signed up for? Yeah.

But then you have the cameras and then you're like not in control of anything. So like the pace of dissent. When you're dipping yourself in a pool, you know when to take a breath. But that one I actually got effed up because I took a breath too soon. And then like, I was like, oh, shoot, I took it too soon. And then you're in your head and you're like, and it wasn't that big a deal, but you also were trying to remember the sequence of, all right, she gets tapped on the shoulder. And then I have to go, they gave you a certain order of events.

And so you're like trying to balance a couple of different things. And it's like, whatever, 30 seconds to hold your breath underwater. So it's not overwhelming, but everything combined. You're like, it's just not normal. You know? That's second phase. Yeah. I was just about the same thing.

I taught second phase. Yeah. What is that? Second phase is pool comp. So like you learn everything underwater, but what you do is you take these kids with like scuba tanks, twin 80s, and they breathe through their tubes, but then you tie knots in them or you flip them around. So it's like you're going to be in the ocean and the surf. And so I taught that for two years. So when I was watching, I was like, this isn't that hard, but it's the same thing because a lot of students get in there.

Everything on land is like, how well can you work out and how well can you stay on your feet and how good are you at eating? Because that's pretty much first phase of butts. Yeah. Second phase, being underwater is not natural. Yeah. So all of a sudden, you've got to do it above. you, me or Q or somebody just peering down on you, like, I'm going to get closer driving on you. That's when the tunnel vision sets in. It's like, they can't just put a strap in,

tighten it up, and then check their hoses. Like, everything goes out of the window there. And so I was like, all right, I get it a little bit when people, their livelihoods on the line for buds. For you guys, like, just go out the door. This is what you were going to do with us. Yeah. So. A little bit. The cost of what he's saying is what we was trying to do when you say it with the

instruction, trying to make them have instruction. They got to do certain things so you got to think initially. That way, when you get to the actual pass or fail piece, you know, you're kind of, like, your mind is kind of chaotic now because you had to remember to go through these procedures before you actually can pass. So that was the reason why we made people do that and make you think initially to see if you could still remember the procedures and also still pass the test. This episode is sponsored by Branch Basics. I realized our cleaning supplies had become a scavenger hunt and the bathroom spray was upstairs, the glass cleaner was in the kitchen, and the thing I really needed was always in the room I had just left. Which is a problem when three kids can create three completely different

messes at the same time. Amen. Exactly. Which is why branch basics has simplified the whole system for us. Their plant and mineral-based concentrate mixes with water in different refillable bottles. So the same concentrate can handle countertops, bathrooms, glass, and so much more, even things like vegetables. Clutch. And I like that it clears out the a cabinet too. Instead of buying a different product for every surface, we have one system that we understand and use. Their home essentials kit also includes laundry detergent and dishwasher tablets. Everything is fragrance-free, every ingredient is listed, and it gives me peace of mind, using it around the places our kids and our pets live constantly every day.

Branch Basics is available at Target, Target.com, Amazon, and branchbasics.com. For the Home Essentials kit, get 15% off at branchbasics.com with code. That's branch basics.com. Code Eastfam for 15% off, the Home Essentials kit. And when they ask where you heard about them, please mention our show. I was really shocked, though,

because people did it over and over and over again. And they got like a second chance. I saw somebody volunteer, I think, to do it again. And then did it wrong again. I was like, yeah. That was a judge.

That was just a lot. Yeah. So bean line passing, too. I mean, he was gone. But that's also where Eva did the shallow water. Blackout. Yeah. Oh yeah, those are.

That was real, bro. Those are scary. She came out, man, because yeah, dude. I'd never seen one. It's worse. I don't see you think it was worse as an instructor to watch kids do it than to be a student and potentially go. I never had one. But when you're in charge of a kid who are like, you want him to pass or whatever, but he starts doing things wrong.

He's about to black out. Like, you know what's coming. Oh. And what causes it? Usually hypoxia. So here's a situation for those listening that are not familiar with what we're talking about. So we're doing this challenge underwater. You had to hold your breath for 30.

seconds, you get to the surface, you hold your thumbs up. Eva did this challenge, completed it. Did the thumbs up, and then all of a sudden, everyone's yelling, and she sinks underwater. And I'm like, what, she gave the thumbs up, she was good to go. And then we found out as a shallow water blackout, which I'd never heard of. Yeah, well, like you said, the hypoxia piece of it, right? So she came out just, after holding your breath for so long, then she comes out and just overexerts herself.

Because when she said I did it, she's just screamed and screamed. Oh, shoot. I'm so excited and didn't really take any kind of. of recovery breath or whatever, just calm down and it just hit her like that. And she just, like a robot just turned him stale and just eyes wide open and start floating away. So it's almost like if, if like you're lifting heavy weight and you hold your breath and you just like your head. Interesting. That's terrifying. Yeah. Terrifying. Especially in water. Oh yeah. Yeah. It's not natural. It happens a lot with a 50 meter under swim.

So we do a 50 meter underwater swim. But a lot of guys, you technically fail if you make it to the wall, but pass out, which happens quite often. 50 meters underwater. You swim underwater. You jump in. You got to do a forward roll or fun flip in the water. Can't push off the wall, but then you got to swim to one side of the pool.

You can push off the other side. And then once you get to about 35, 40, it's kind of like, maybe they're going to make it or I'm not. It's like, hopefully you can make it. And when guys get to there, you have to come out and say, I feel fine. And then usually that's when guys are like, not blackout.

Oh, dang. I think I failed it. The first time when we did it in 280, because it was so cold up there. I feel like it was super cold. It snowed in. Yeah. It snowed in Coronado.

Yeah. Oh my gosh. During our second phase. And I got on the side of the pool and I remember getting on the side of the pool and we're freezing because we're staying on. And that pool deck is freezing. Like this. Oh my. No.

No. I mean, we get to a phone. We was like, how we were doing to stay warm? We would, you know, pee on ourselves just to like. I still pee myself. If I'm in a wet suit, I pee myself. It's like ingrained and if I put a wetsuit on. It's like it's the only way to stay warm and just kind of floats around.

Well, it's crazy. So we're all shoulder to shoulder Jackhammering on the pool deck and then you just see puddles of piss everywhere everywhere. You get that 30 second of heat and you're like, oh. Every two miles swim was like that, dude. So I get to the edge of the pool

and I'm still jackhammering, right? And then they say, jump in or whatever they say, I forgot what the phrase is. The phrase and then I... Pared it into the water. Pray it in the water. And you just step in and then say, you chose to get a breath.

And then you chose to get a breath. And I was jacking. Camasso hard I couldn't get a breath. It was like, I hit the water. I didn't even do a flip. I came right now. It was like, you got to go back. And I came up, it was the funniest thing, right?

So then I had to do it the next morning, which was worse. And now the instructors are pissed because they got to get up so hard. And I crushed it. But that first time, just standing on a pool deck, just jackhammer like that, I couldn't even get a breath. How many chances do you get, are you allowed to fail in Bud's a challenge? I don't know what you would call it. So there's administrative roles.

It's like if somebody in your family like dies or something like that or like you're having a kid, you know, you can get rolled back to the previous class. So when they get to where you're at, you can kind of go. And there's stages. Like if you pass hell week, you're not going to do hell week again. You'll start when the next class finishes hell week or like pool comp. If you pass pool comp, but then you got hurt for some reason, you'll go back to the next class when they get past pool comp. So you'll just kind of be like an administrative guy the entire time run around and, you know, whatever. But like this one thing where the 50 meters.

It's like pool comp. Yeah. If you fail pool comp, you get rolled to the next class or you get dropped on the program. If you fail 50 meter underwater swim, I think it might be two times or three times. I'm not sure. I think you only get chance to fail once, right? Fail one time. If you don't, you can get rolled back and they're like, he's a good dude.

Like you just mess this up or what it might be. Or they're like, you're not even close. Like you failed other things. You failed to swim, failed to no course. Previously, you're not up to speed, like go to the fleet for a while and maybe you'll come back. No way. Yeah. I remember when we sat on to the show.

Yeah. I was freaking out as to how to train for this. Uh-huh. And so we called Ian, and he tried to find a deep pool, and he was going to do this to us. Oh, the drown proofing? I don't know. I don't know what you were going to do, but I was like, I still want to do. To get you more comfortable in the water, yeah, because we definitely going to put you in the water.

Because water is the only thing that I was somewhat nervous about, but then that one was fine. This is what I've been pleasantly surprised by after the show. There's been a lot of veterans who have approached me and said, that was actually, like, you know, a good reflection of stuff that we go through, even Sears training at the end, which I just got demolished by, even Ian, so this was, Ian years ago told me, he's like,

dude, physically you'd have no problem. Even like, the show was a conversation, but I was like, you think I can make it through buds? He was like, yeah, physically you're fine. Yeah. He's like, it's the mental thing that you don't know. That's the killer, man. And it was so fat, on that show,

it was like having all the backgrounds of like actors, actresses, athletes, whatever. Yeah. It was really interesting to see, I think the athletes did well physically, but then the reality TV stars did really well with like the other dynamics. They're like, you know what I'm saying? I feel like in certain ways they were better equipped for certain things than the other people. Yeah.

Like Gia, the way she handled the question and the interrogation was like, yeah, she knows how to, she knows how to deal with that stuff. I think athletes are used to like shut in their mouth, though. Like when you actually ask us to talk, I'm like, I don't know what to say. Right, right. Yeah, that's how it is. You could just kind of just do, like, robotic stuff. And you accept the challenge of, you know, pushing yourself more for athletes,

especially when you get to the level of pros and Olympians and all that stuff. For the reality, reality, yeah. They're, like you say, they're not physically fit at all, but they have this thing about the mentality of it. They just can't, they just don't stop, right? But they struggle, like up and down with the physical. piece of it. I mean, we try to break them all the time just to see, you know, what they can do

and what they really made of, but they, like, Teresa, like, I think Teresa would have stayed, honestly, if she didn't have to see her daughter get, and get fight for her fighting and all that stuff, but you know, Gia, I give her Gia credit because she physically was

terrible. I think we had, we talked about it, me, Billy Foxy, like when we all, when you all started the first day and we had back an hour little tent. I said, do you put bets on who's going to make it? We do. Not Money best, but we're just like, all right, let's see who you think going to make it. I'm like, we kind of like mark it on that little paper we have. So we do.

First day, I have to ask. First day, first impression of like the two teams. Who did you guys call? I was like, we don't even have to put it if there's like people you thought we're going to make it. We always thought all the athletes would at least go to a point. Get to a point. And that's how it always happens. Athletes get to a point.

They get tired and they're like, oh, you know, I'm over it like, like Rob. Yeah. You know, so I will say for you two, and that's not even just saying it because I'm on the show right now with you guys, we knew y'all would get to a certain point. We felt you would probably get to the very end. That's my girl. We definitely felt you would get to the very end. Being Olympian, people we've already had Olympians on the show, women, y'all just come with a different breed mindset mentally wise, right? Because physically, yeah, you can do that.

Gia, Teresa, we definitely didn't think they'll make it. Bree, definitely anything that'd be there. Oh, my gosh. She did well, though. She did shockingly well for being so tiny and just carrying everything and just shocking and surprising. She did. We just definitely think she would make it ever. Didn't think she would be there.

Oh, the Decker's. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We looked at them like, okay. And I even told him, I said Eric might be, because I watched them football like crazy. I said, Eric might be the lead, the dog of the men there because he was, you know, I think he was a football champion at the time. Right. He won one of football.

I think you at least went to one. He went the one with Manning, right? I think so. And I was like, oh, yeah, he's going to be. And I'm telling Brits, the Brits, that, you know, he might be the leader because this is his mindset, right? And he was shocking to me that he was very quiet. He's very reserved. Yeah.

So it was like, well, who's going to be the guy? Who's going to be the guy to, like, really step out and just be the voice and the loudmouth and all that? So we was looking for it. And then you tried to do it when I jumped on you. Oh, my gosh, dude. But it was good to see, man. Yeah. So it was one of those things.

But I will say, Andrew trying to be the loudmouthed, is that even possible? He tried to like step out. He's always the entertainer, that's for sure. Yeah, yeah, he tried to step out, you know, because, you know, in Buzz, we just listen to the instructors and what they say is what they say. So he tried to, like,

oh, we can go down this way. And I was like, you know, hold on the end up. First of all. He tried to tell everybody else what to do. I'm running this. I run this. You shut up.

I'm running this. They cut this, what's the, what's it? Directing staff. Yeah. They cut this whole day out. And Q, dude, Q tore into me, because we're walking down this, this, uh, this canyon face.

We had to do the, and he says, you don't have to follow me. You could take your own way. And so, so, yes, dude. And like 10 minutes later. 10 minutes later, they're like, this easy path. And I was like, and it was Gia.

And she was freaking out. And I was like, hey, Gia, Q said, you don't have to take your own, you don't have to follow him. You can take your own way. And then Q freaking flips, dude. And then, I said that to you, not her.

Oh, bro. And then he lined, do you remember this? You lined everyone up and you had to see, what, I don't know, you hold the bags over our head, do like lunges, whatever. While you watched and we all, we all had to be like, I love you, honey, honey, man. Oh, yeah. I love me. I was like, cute, bro, you said this. I was remind me everybody.

I was like, Andrew's literally the golden retriever here. That was the moment I got on his skin. Uh-huh. Because I was punishing her. You know what I mean? And that's one of the things we wanted to see the dynamic, too. How we can pitch out of his time. Yeah. He's still traumatized about dunking me, which is such a

It was nothing the whole serious thing which is was crazy. Oh, yeah, but he left at the end because he was drowning her at the very end You know what do you mean drown her? Like a hell under water I was here and with delirious and you had to go through all of waterboarding Yeah, yeah, oh so yeah he was pushing her down bro. He was pushing his own wipe out You know He's pushing his own white down You know, he was so gone. He was like, baby, forget this.

You're done. I was watching. I was like, dang. You could tell you the lyrics, though, because we had to go through that. Remember when you were like, when they capture you and then you're getting interrogated and you don't eat, you don't drink? Remember they had us in the box? Oh, I love the box. You're the one that told us just to fall asleep.

Is that whatever happened? Yeah, if you can. It's tough. Like, for me, I couldn't stand up, but I couldn't sit down. Yeah, yeah. And then some of the smaller guys, I remember, went in, like, a box on the ground. Yeah.

I never went in there. You don't get in there? No, I never went in there. They, I think they forgot about me for a while, but I remember one time I figured out how to unlock the thing we're in. Yeah. Something was janky with it. And so when somebody was coming around, I just got butt-ass naked.

And when they opened the door, I was just standing there naked. Yeah, it was me. That was right. I just stood there naked. They were like, come on, dude. They should they do it. I remember what the instructor was. So this is what.

But this is a note that Ian told me, like, time and time again, as we've been talking about his experience, he's like, it's not all about listening to authority and, like, directly doing what they do. It's, there's a bit of scrappiness, I feel like, where you're like, hey, don't do form pushups. Like, if they're having you do pushups, you got to, like, work the edges a little bit. You got to play the game a little bit. Yeah. The thing is, you're also never going to win. That's also so counterintuitive to athletes. Yeah.

Oh, yeah. Which is very hard. For you, form is everything. For us, it's like, it's just survival. My survival is form. And it's otherwise I get killed. It's that like craftiness, the molding of like, hey, it's just about getting through this. It's not about like doing 50 great pushups or whatever it is.

You know what I'm saying? Like that I just couldn't wrap my mind. Most guys get in their head that they can do everything perfectly or the perfect form. It's like, you'll never. Dude, we did a thousand burpees one day in a row on the island. Uh-huh. It was 500. And then they gave us some water and then we did 500 more on the back on the back deck in front of the instructors while they sat in the office just

Eaton wow and we had a count out loud of everything. I mean that third phase is Third phase is rough and that's the phase where you think you know you you you've you made it somewhat and you think it's gonna be a little easier But no man they take you back to like day one we were still together in their first oh yeah yeah yeah yeah Were you part of camp stupid? So somebody no somebody failed something yeah yeah I was yeah we remember Corey Pullman Yeah, yeah. He was my root, but he was a part of it, and I wasn't. And they had to go hit the surf every hour on the hour for 12 hours through the night. While we slept, like the other group outside on the beach tonight.

What does that mean hit the surf? Go in the ocean. But like, go in the ocean. Yeah, go get wet, go get sandy. And then they had to sleep on the beach. And the instructors were sent off like a horn in the middle of the night. And they would just rotate because, you know, you think there's one instructor or there's seven. You're like, all right, well, they just keep multiplying.

But they would just send off an horn. And it's like, you could be asleep in two minutes. and then 58 minutes later, like on the hour, go get wet and get Sandy again, and then just sleep out on the bench because they failed something so bad that the rest of us were sleeping in our beds. I'm curious.

We were. There wasn't that time that we all had to sleep outside, though. It wasn't? I forgot what it was. I felt like we did. We got beat bad on the island. We didn't even get a party. Oh, yeah.

And we didn't get a party. It's normally when you're about to graduate in the third phase, like you have a party with the instructor's finally. Like how you felt sitting here with me And I'm now, I'm like smiling and we're all cool. When you're there, you're in it. They weren't cool.

Yeah, no, they were cool at all, bro. I forgot, we got in trouble because we had a guy. It was like weapons or something. It was weapons. Yeah. Right. Because everybody has a job, right? Everyone has attached to your leaders of certain things.

So we had an armory guy or whatever his job was over the guns, weapons. And we supposedly cleaned all the weapons. He told me, as I'm the LPO at the time. And I gave the word to the instructor staff, all weapons are clean. So the instructors are going test and just check. They ain't there on their own. getting ready to kind of go have a party, have some drinks.

We're done. We're about to graduate. He comes back and opens up a whole box of weapons that were dirty or whatever that we didn't clean that. We didn't even touch. We got our A's beat. No drinking, no party. He made us feel bad, bro.

It was just the worst. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Do you ever have a conversation that is technically about one tiny thing, but you can tell there are about 12 other things sitting underneath it? Yes. Somebody asks, did you move the long? laundry, and suddenly you realize the real subject is stress, the calendar, sleep, and feeling like you're caring too much.

Are you saying that somebody's stressed? Uh, not me. And that's why having a dedicated place to slow down and sort through what's actually going on can really make a difference and matter. Therapy can help you notice patterns, name what you're feeling, and respond with more intention instead of letting the loudest thought run the whole conversation. Better help makes getting started online feel straightforward. You answer a few questions.

They match you with a licensed therapist based on your needs. And if the fit is not right, you can switch therapists at any time. Because better is personal. It might mean communicating more clearly, setting a boundary without guilt, or simply being more present with the people you love. BetterHelp serves millions of members across more than 100 countries with thousands of therapists. Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com slash EastFam. That's BetterHelp, B-E-T-T-E-L-H-E-L-P.com.

slash EastFam. Okay, so I have a broader question of, I feel like our culture romanticizes seals, like, you know, movies, books. There's something so admirable about it. I'm curious the take that you guys have and why that might be, but I think part of it is, like, what effect does going through something like buds where you're just getting beat down time and time again? you're like getting put in your place. What does that have and why is it good? Like,

because part of our dynamic, our relationship always will have been you or the DS on that show. Right. And I was like, it's like, Q's kind of a dick to me. But it's not,

it's not that, it's more of like a respect because I'm like, right. But why, how does that pan out like that? Like when you go through a process like that of being humbled,

why is that a necessity to join such an elite crew of, operators like you guys have done. You know what I'm saying? Well, it's the same as you two. You play at the highest level. It's the same thing. You guys get this reverence that comes with playing in the NFL or being Olympian

and it's like that's what it is for the military. There's Delta Force or seals or anything like that or Rangers. It's PJs. It's the same thing. It's like the common suffering that you have with the people that are above you. So for us like you might you get humbled quickly and you're like, man, that guy's been through some shit before. Okay, I'm going to listen to what he says.

Like your coaches, your coaches is the same thing, same principle. And so I think the reverence that comes with it is just knowing that there's a, as a extreme suffering to get to an elite level within your branch. So maybe your Air Force or Marines or anything like that, Army. But yeah, I mean, I think the idea behind it is putting you up against yourself, right? So you can see who you are. That's why we kind of beat you no matter what's going on. We make you feel like you've got good enough to see where your mindset would be

to allow you to understand that you are good enough. You are worthy. You can get through this. So when we get your. out there if you make it and you get out there at a regular sale team and now you're in something you can always reflect back and say man i've been through hell i can do this i got my teammate here i got my teammate here my teammate here so you you do it for the next man a woman beside you of course like you having you sports or whatever but yeah i think it's all of this a just to make sure you understand

that mentally you can get through anything no matter how hard i get on you or the structures get on you or whatever it is break you down mentally emotionally because i even got to a point sometimes I wanted to quit when I was in buzz. You know, my instructors made me feel like I couldn't do this. I didn't belong. I shouldn't be here. I'm the weaker league in my boat crew or my law crew or whatever. And that was a piece I had to get through, right?

So how do you get through something like that? Outside of my stuff. I started thinking about you. I can do this. I'm here for you. I don't want to quit on you, right? I didn't want to quit on him, right? We team and all that stuff.

So for me, I always thought outside of me, okay, I don't want to leave. Because I had that issue. Remember, the first time I quit. Right. That's the one thing I talk about in a lot of my, my podcast that I've had interviews with. The first time I quit, it was all about me, right? I got to the same point in Hell Week. I can see across the harbor, you can see the Navy ships like 2 a.m. on Tuesday or whatever was, and I was just, I was in pain. I was tired. I was weak, and then I was feeling like I wasn't strong enough. I was the weak link in my boat crew or whatever, and I just thought, you know what? I can least say that it's okay to quit and just go and do something regularly in the military, and that should be okay, right?

I can at least say, I justify it in my own head that this is okay. I did it, I tried, I can go off and do something else and quit. As soon as I run that bell, it just hit me like that. Why? All the pain, all the suffering, all the weakness, all the tired. My mindset was all clear like, I was clearly able to see like, man, I could have did this. Why did I quit? Instantly.

So when I came back the second time, I made me think more about my teammate under the boat with me, you, her, no matter what the instructor said to me to make me feel like I wanted to break. So when I got to that same point at midnight or midrets or whatever it was, same thing. But I'm like, no, I'm here for you. I'm here for you. I'm here to make this thing happen. So it's a mental thing. We all going to do this together.

We all went through the same suffering just like what Ian said, you know, and we keep moving. That's their job, too, as instructors. To break you down. To break you down mentally. Physically, they're obviously going to break you down. You can't physically do everything they ask of you. You can do well, but you're not going to do. do it to the level that you think you can. Their job is to break you down. I remember my first

hell week that I was an instructor. I didn't know really what to do at first. And so I literally honed in on one kid until he quit. Because I could see the, I could see the weakness. I can see like the doubt. And I was like, all right, I'm just going to follow this kid around for a full day. And I did until he quit. And then I was like, all right, next one. And I just found the next kid. And I was like, there's no way he's going to make it because he second guesses himself on everything. The issue with that is that you don't want them to second guess on deployment or in the teams. So you have to find the kids that are mentally weak and sorry for whoever that was. But that's the point of instructors.

Like to see how mentally strong you are, the majority of buds is or any ranger or greenberry or anything like that is mental. The guys that go in are physically capable of doing it. A lot of people are physically capable of doing special operations, special forces. Mentally, like, this sucks. I don't want to be here. And that's where you get a little bit of doubt, you're done. Every time. We've talked about this on Sam's podcast before, but you guys and the ones who make it through and become seals.

Yeah. You, Sean. What? You are. Yeah. You are capable and have an ability to reach a different level than 99.9% of the population. You tap into not the same level. It's different. Too much respect.

But like what you guys are able to endure, the sacrifice, the service, what you see, how you're able to, like, train your minds for such a long period of time. When you retire, where does it go? Because we've talked about this in a very small capacity in athletics, Olympians in particular. And a lot of times NFL and like professional athletes, they crumble when they retire. depression, addiction. Same. For sure. But it's because that obsessiveness and that ability to compartmentalize and like you have a different

skill set than the average person that's not a cool, like you don't need it for everyday life. So where does it go and how? You got to repurpose yourself. Yeah. It took me a long time to figure that out because right when I got out, I went back into accounting. I was like, I was an accountant. I had to do this. Just go back to numbers.

I was like, man, this is terrible. Like one month into doing it. I was like, this is awful. Then it's like, you really got to figure out who you are and repurpose yourself. And it's like, okay, I could be a really good dad, right? Like, how good of a dad can I be? It's like, how good of a seal can be? How good of a green break can I be kind of thing?

It's like, how good of a dad can I be? All right, I'm going to put all my focus into that stuff. It's like, how good can I be at whatever your job might be if you're hosting a podcast or you're running a new company or whatever you want to do? how good at that can I be and then take those principles and shift it over. And it's like, yes, the excitement, not even close. Is it fun to be a dad? It's the best.

But you're not jumping out of planes every day or diving in the water or shooting guns. So it's like, all right, you kind of just got to shift your mindset a little bit. But at the same time, your mindset's the whole thing to get through anything, any kind of training like that. So it's like, all right, well, how do I shift my mindset to be really good at those things so that I don't get into this like downfall of addiction? and depression and all that kind of stuff. And so it's not easy. You know, high-level athletes obviously go through the same stuff, and I'm sure you guys have gone to the same thing.

But it's like, all right, well, what can I be really good at? And can I put all my focus and attention into? And then you reshifted and repurpose. Yeah, I mean, did you go into a depression? Because I went to a little depression initially. Depressed every day. No, I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding.

No, I mean, there's definitely a little bit because you're like, man, what I'm not. It's not. It's not that exciting today. Yeah. I fell in that, I tried for a few months when I first got out, right?

Yeah. Because remember, I did 22 years, you know, total. And it's from 18 to 22 years in my life, I always had something going on.

I was always being told or had some orders or instruction or whatever. So when I got out, I thought I still knew it. Mentally was, I thought I had an idea, but I didn't.

So I was stuck in my house. I moved to Las Vegas. I didn't come out of my house for a few months. I had to talk to one and my other seal buddies. And he kind of, kind of helped me go through what he went through to get out of it to reinvent yourself,

just like he said. So I had to reinvent myself and find out what was a purpose for me now, right? Because my purpose in the SEAL teams, I'm sure like every other SEAL too as well, was we're going out here to help, you know, help people in their community all over the world feel safe to go out and, you know, like when you were in Iraq, right? We know the parents in Iraq, their fear is going to the local markets that they may get blown up or get shot. get killed or whatever. So when we go out there and we do those kind of missions

and we're taking out bad guys, we're like, okay, we're helping a portion of the world, right? We're saving something. We're giving back to the world. So when I got out, I thought I knew what I was doing, but I didn't have any purposes. So he chose to go into his kids, honorable thing. For me, I was trying to find what that was.

How can I impact the world? So then eventually it turned in for me that I got into personal training. I started going back to the gym again, the Dragons Layer Out in Las Vegas, awesome gym. And then it took me some time. then I say, okay, I'm going to start being a personal trainer to help people understand how to be

more confident in their own skin. We got a lot of obesity in America. People who struggle with body perception and all that stuff. So that helped me get out of it, and I repurpose myself or created this elite still fit program. I was teaching online and in person, and that kind of helped me

start to get out of that depression that I fell into. It gave me that repurpose now, because I'm helping something, I'm helping people, men and women. And then from there, that's when a TV show came. it is interesting because it became clear to me that it is such a heightened very clear mission. Like when you're out in the field and you're like there's a tangible

objective or mission. You know, based off my experience on 10 days of the show. But it's like, okay, sweet, you got to do that thing. Great. That's awesome. And like real life, it's a little more blurry. Like it's not as, it's not as, it's not as exciting, right?

For one, and it's also not as clear. So I could see like that fight or flight engagement that you have where you're fully immersed in the mission. In some ways, it's not like appropriate to carry that over into civilian life. And so I think there is some gap there where it's like, ah, you feel alien in this scenario. You feel ill-equipped.

I just like have empathy for, you know, having transition out of the NFL, I feel like there's maybe like a little bit of overlap there where like, man, I don't have my nutrition, my training, my teammate, my any, like, what do I do? I just go out and now you're telling me to, I could do it on my own. Yeah. Yeah. And it's which the thought of it when you're in that scenario, like when I'm playing

football was so, I wanted that. I want to do it on my own. Like, I'm sick and tired of having someone tell me what to do. But then like you don't have someone telling you what to do and you don't know what to do. This episode is sponsored by Lola Blubel I have a new rule for gifts. If it is going to become something somebody has to store, I do not want to give it. So the goal is give a gift that gets used before the thank you text is even sent. Exactly.

And that is why Lola Blankets have become the easiest answer. They are made with ultra soft luxury faux fur. I mean, you guys, the softest. It's very soft. And they have a signature four-way stretch so you understand the obsession. the second you unfold one. It's thoughtful for weddings, housewarmings, baby showers, or graduations, but it's not a special occasion-only gift. It becomes the blanket on the couch, the movie night blanket, or the one

everyone tries to claim. They are also machine washable, double hemmed, and made to stay beautiful without shedding or pilling. Trust me, all of my kids have one. They have tested it to the limit, and they still look brand new. With different sizes, colors, and designs, you can choose one. That feels personal. More than 20,000 five-star reviews tell you it's not just us.

For a limited time, get 40% off select Lola Blanket products with code EastFam at LolaBlankets.com. Again, that's LolaBlankets.com code EastFam for 40% off selected products. When they ask, please tell them, we sent you. I don't know if this is like a good thing to say on behalf of the show, maybe because it's like we're in the thick of it with three little kids and like we run our own business and like we have to make every decision every day. but there was something so nice about showing up to the show and just being told what to do. I was like, this is great.

I don't have to make a decision. No decisions, yeah. You just, like, turn your brain off and go into robot mode. It's kind of a mental break. I think a lot of people feel that way. Yeah. I mean, who we had on the show, we called him Miss Captain America. Christy Rampeon.

Oh, Chrissy Ramon. Yeah, she's a peace. Yeah, she's a singer player. Oh, she's terrifying. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. She is a peace out there.

She was definitely like, she was like Captain America. We called a Miss Captain America. You, you, you, I don't know if you were a part of this, but it like haunts me in my dreams sometimes. When you made us fight, when you had his fight. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. I will never forget, Foxy was up top and he was talking to Billy and trying to like match people up. Yep. And I was like last to go.

And he calls my number. And then I see him mouth to Billy. Christy's number? I was like, I'm going to die. I'm actually going to die. She is, she's large and she is so strong. and she's got like She's a dog

She's got like a chip under Yeah I mean on her shoulder Because I was like I'm gonna die I'm literally gonna die And then you see Foxy go Maybe not

Maybe not But she goes What you said though About you know It was a thing about Just being there And just being told what to do And just being immersed

In the program right Like any processes That you go into That's what people I think lack They just don't just accept it all And just be in that That thing Whatever you're trying to achieve

So she felt the exact same way Right, just to get away and just be told about it And she was like all in Yeah So when she got out there with you and the murder bowl All that stuff she was like the beast She's the one that gave me the concussion in a murder ball Oh really?

Yeah, she kicked the crap out of my head I mean An Olympic soccer player Yeah Y'all after the murder ball Dude she went every single time Chrisie Oh dude

Oh I can't remember You guys call their number every round And again you're sucking in dirt So that's why everyone got that desert cough She was an animal out there man She was something That's a real cough That's a real call.

The only thing I kind of took away is I really need to learn how to fight. Can't fight. I got my face beaten. That whole idea is just to see, just to get you to understand, just keep going. You're always in the fight. Just to keep going and keep going. We had that same attitude in the military. And the still teams anyway, right?

Like ever, no matter what, when you're out there in a fight. You can go, you know, no matter even though you're taking these blows, but you just keep going. I was like, you paired me against a five, ten girl? Yeah. There's a couple interesting concepts that you talked about with the authority. That's an interesting dynamic where me as a recruit, I trust my instructor. But the instructor might not think that I'm cut out. You know what I'm saying?

So then it's like, is there a personal vendetta or is it the instructor just being the filter to, you know, trusting that this team is made up of a certain type of person? And so like you cutting those people, it's like, no, you just didn't have it, which is either extremely fair or savage, one of the two. Is that a first impression or is that like made over time? It depends. So like as a second phase instructor, you kind of get this profile of the person and you, you see who they are and how well they've done in first phase. And so when they come to second phase,

like I kind of have this background of who they are and they go through some interview processes when they get to second phase and then when they leave second phase. But when I went to Hell Week, I literally just, I walk over to first phase and like, all right, you're on shift from, you know,

for these eight hours. I'm like, all right, cool. I'm like, yeah that kid not just pick them out like I don't know because you could see it

and is it like no they're just not cut from the same cloth or is it they're not ready yet like is you know what I'm saying is it they could be there or it's tough but if you see somebody second guessing themselves right away they're not ready

they're not ready and I don't know if they'll ever be ready because if you second guess yourself what's it going to take if he's 17 years old coming out of high school early application in or is he 25

there's one guy put through that was I think he was like 28 he was an NYPD cop. And he failed something. I was like, bro, like get it together. Yeah.

I know you can do this. Oh, really? And it wasn't even a mental thing. It was just a physical thing that he messed up. And I was like, don't, don't do that again. And it never failed anything after that.

There's no personal relationships, but there's guys who are like, you would be an asset to the teams. So I'm going to tell you, just straight up, have a conversation. Like, you guys have a conversation with Q and it's like,

just don't do that again. It was like, all right, I got it. And then they're fine. They're fixed. I felt a little bit of that on the show where like days, day six, there was a change, there was a tone shift of like, hey, you're not good enough to more of a friendly, like, hey, let's go, guys. Yeah, yeah, I mean, like you said.

Cues soft. No, he was a flick to him. The whole time. He was out for Andrew. I love it. I will say, though, it is funny. Even, you were out for him, which I. personally love to see.

Kew would go around everybody. We would have a good time. High fives and smiles. So much. So y'all be challenging each other like crazy. Oh, we challenge each other like crazy. That's why it is funny, like, looking back on the whole drowning scene. Yeah.

Because, like, I would have been pissed if he didn't do it. Oh. Bro. She's, you better be on point then. But that's also, like, in the moment of the whatever you guys were, the mental game you're playing. Right. That felt so much safer than any of those other guys out there. Yeah.

So it's almost like when you told him, I was like, yeah, absolutely. Dunk me now. Like, I didn't care. Yeah. It was just weird. And Gia felt the same way. She's like, I would much rather Andrew be dunking me and drowning me than the scary people. Yeah.

Yeah, I should say him, he was zoned out, though. He was so gone. That me, because he was so super-fied. Yeah, he was lost. Bro, I was effed up. He couldn't open your eye on. I was really not a good spot. But I want to say what he was talking about with, you know, because in Buzz as an instructor, they are the gatekeepers to what we want in the community, right?

So we're the ones, he's the first line of defense to make sure we're not getting, you know, pieces of S-H-I-T into the program, right? I mean, now, we're still every now and again have a fool or whatever make it through, and then all of a sudden he's a piece of crap in the steel teams. You can still get kicked out. I was saying, can you get kicked out? Yeah. Oh, yeah. One of the guys that I, or one of the guys that graduated after me but came to my platoon, he got kicked out. within like five or six months and you can be kicked out for any reason technically

administrative stuff or just like you can get to the teams and the thing is it doesn't slow down it just gets a lot faster it's like if you can't keep up in the teams then yeah like your safety hazard like we can't have you around this is a somber topic but you got me thinking cue like because one it's kind of a cool uh something stoic about hey i don't care what the instructor's saying i know he's ripping into me telling me I don't have enough and it's I have to find my my own inner motivation and belief that I do have what it takes despite what they're telling me and then the game becomes like show up another day just keep going don't quit keep going but it is like you know we've done some work with special forces charitable trust and like that the the stats of special forces seals

the people who operate at such an elite level, as you all have done, that it's like humbling, all like the divorce rates, the family statistics, even like the suicide rates. And it's like that just keep going another day. I wonder what the, like,

what's the disconnect there? You know what I'm saying? Like, why is it because I'm in the teams, I'm just continuing to go and it's such a clear route that I just have to like make it to the finish of this? and then you don't have that structure at the end, like we were kind of talking about earlier.

What do you attribute that to? Are you saying when you get out? Yeah. Oh. I mean, it happens a lot in, too. It happens a lot in? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Really?

Absolutely. And why? I mean, I'm not that you have the answer. I don't know. No, I've always said that any high-performing military unit is very selfish. Not necessarily in a bad way. It's just a selfish thing to endure because that comes first. You have to.

right it's like the guys that that quit because they second guess something it's like okay well seals come first unfortunately before your family a lot of the time because you end up knowing more about the guys that you're with in your platoon than you do about your family because you're gone

so much again like any high level athlete you're gone so much but it's not like a quick phone call home like you're gone for weeks in Hawaii or Montana or Indiana or whatever might be Texas to go train not always able to like call back home and all that kind of stuff then

then you deploy. So you're gone, you know, 270 days a year roughly on average. And so that equates to when you come back, it's like you're, you're now paired with, say you're married with somebody that, well, I don't know if I'm still compatible with this person because I'm, I'm doing this and I don't know what they're doing all day for the most probably, you know, and it takes a very strong-willed spouse. I will say there's females that are in certain occupations in military that might have a husband and home or fiancé or boyfriend or might be that could be in the same position, but for the most part, for us, it's like, you're on a different path. And when you come back home, can you reconvene and reconnect or not? And that's usually where it comes

down. It's like, a lot of the women, a lot of buddies in mind that got divorced in the teams, a lot of their wives are like, well, I really didn't realize how long you'd be gone. It's like, I don't know what would you sign up for. Like, this is, you're gone all the time. Like, there's no, you can't, well, I'm going to take a break from this training. I'm going to go spend some time with my wife. Like, that doesn't happen. You can't do that. And so that's, where a lot of it comes down to, it's just very hard to figure that out in the heat of the moment. Like,

you meet somebody, great, this is awesome. Love it. I'll see it in a little bit. You know, like, we're dating,

whatever I'd be. And then you get married. It's like, well, you're not helping with anything at home. Well, there's nothing I can do. Yeah.

I'm training 20 hours a day a lot of the time, or you're out until three, four o'clock in the morning on boats in the middle of the ocean. You come back home. And it's like, well, I'm back up at seven to go clean weapons and go clean the boats and do it all over again. Just note,

there's no help at home. So it just becomes a very like a lot of conflict that goes on. Yeah. Stuff. Very strong. This sounds comedic. So I know this is going to sound ridiculous. But we actually, it sparked a conversation with us feeling for you guys and like the situation having spouses at home and just like families with the show.

It was interesting how we got to do it together, obviously. And Jesse and Eric got to do it together. And then you had Randall Cobb and Ida, his wife, who didn't get to do it together. who didn't get to do it together, but there was, you know, Ida was at home. And it was fascinating

to see Randall tried to explain it to his wife versus us having experienced it together and seeing almost the bond then that we had with Randall and Jesse and Eric and seeing Ida almost feel like

I just, I can't understand. She's isolated. And it was the tiniest glimpse into I cannot even fathom. We were gone for what, 10 days? Yeah. 270 or 100 at a time or 60 at a time where you're only home for a small period time, then you go back out.

Yeah. And being able to return to those people who know you on such a level, like your guys and your team, the dynamics are, I mean, I just can't imagine trying to blend those worlds together. The level of understanding, like you guys saying, he had to hit the surf every hour on the hour. Like that means something totally different to you two who have done that than us and like you know what happened that Sean's describing is we're trying to tell Ida you know we had an army crawl at like 11 o'clock and like to us you're freaking feeling the rocks and I know when she says army crawl it's like I'm like there's like there's freaking sketchy's all get out and you're in pain and you're shivering like you all these assumptions are the fine little details that we all experience you just can't. capture it all with someone who wasn't there. But you guys have a common suffering now that you can share. 100%.

That's what we have. Which is amazing. The people who are at home, you're right. Because you can't always explain all that it's like, I don't, I don't really want to. And a lot of times you don't want to.

Yeah. I don't want to relive this. Especially when you know that person isn't going to clearly understand. At all. Like now you're just wasting your breath and they're just looking at you like a deer in head lights. Yeah.

So when y'all having this conversation with Randall's wife, she just, huh? Yeah. You know what I mean? And she feels bad and you probably feel bad trying to explain it and she doesn't get it. And it's just, that's why we have so many divorce reasons. She's probably like, oh, that sounds tough. Yeah.

It is. I mean, we have suicide. Yeah. Well, you know, I think just a couple years ago, my ex from Siltene 1, Lieutenant Commander, you know, killed himself. I was San Diego. It's just guys struggle to assimilate back to the family. Right? When they come on from deployment, you know, the wives and the commanders, they're really doing a lot.

They're overseeing all of everything and training and everything. It's so much responsibility is put on them. So we can see where they're coming from. You know what I mean? And then you've got to go home. You've got a wife and kids. And you're trying to be there for the wife. And it's probably hard to really assembly back to wife and the kids and help with that.

And she's getting frustrated with you because, well, and you know, you just see it happening all the time. So it's a struggle in the relationship. This episode is sponsored by Pave America. When you picture a backyard court, you picture the finished lines, the first sir. and somebody arguing about whether the ball was in or not. You do not picture drainage, the base underneath, the measurements, the materials, or the decisions that help a court play well for years. Building ours has shown us how much expertise sits below the surface.

America's sports construction is a division of Pave America and is guiding our project from design all the way through construction and every step has a reason. What I love is that they are not just pouring a slap. They are really thinking about how our family actually uses the space. Our kids, our friends, competitive games, and the memories we hope will happen here over years to come. They bring that same attention to athletic facilities and sports spaces across the country. The craftsmanship matters because the space is meant to last. So if you look at an empty space and think, hmm, there could be something special here.

Start with people who know how to build it right. Head to AmericaSportsconstruction.com to get started. You can also follow at American. Sports Construction on Instagram or use the link in our show notes to follow the bill. When you retire as a seal, are you allowed to go back or do you have to start over? Can you come out of retirement? No. If I get called back to the military, is that what you mean?

Can you go back and be a seal again? Yeah. I think it would depend on age. I didn't know if it was like a common. I don't actually know. I know guys that have left to go do four years of school. Yeah. And go through undergrad and then become all.

and then go back. I had a guy in my SQT that did that. She's, I mean, from an athlete's perspective, it's like, Tom Brady retires from the Patriots and then like,

oh. Yeah, I actually, I don't know, but I think if you went in for, if you were, say, 17 and went in for 10 years, you're 27.

Like, surely if you went out for two. Actually, you know what? I do know somebody. Did he retire? Did he do 20 years? He didn't do 20 years.

So if you do 20 years, they're not going to be like, you're probably old. There's no point. Like, you're not a benefit to the SEAL team. Right. So they wouldn't bring my 40-year-olds back in. But he got out and then all of his buddies, he was the East Coast guy.

All of his buddies were on Red Wing. And so I think right after that he immediately went back in. They took him. I think he was still in his 20s, maybe super early 30s. And he got to go back in. That's the only person I know of, but you'd have to be a benefit in some capacity. I ask because it's really common for athletes, professional athletes, to like retire and get lost and go through their depression and stuff. And instead of dealing with life, they go back.

And you'll see them just like do this cycle trying to figure out how to assimilate back into like normal life. And they can't. So they just keep going back to what's comfortable. Yeah. Can't find purpose for themselves. Yeah. No, no, we can't do it. Yeah, 20 years, like you said, 20 years for me, yeah, they wouldn't come.

You're not going to go back now. They got love for reserves and all that stuff. They can handle that stuff. But, you know, at these 45-year-old knees, not this one. So on a lighter note, you're both engaged. Oh, that's right. Hey, cheers, brother. Congratulations.

Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. How is that? You are no longer spinning 270 days. For me, I say it's fun right now.

Because at the end of the day, you've got to find the right one that makes it right. Yep. Because I've been through two divorces already. So I already kind of, kind of already been there and understand the situation, bump my head twice. And because of military life, right? It's just one of those things. But because I found the right one who's super supportive, super supportive, completely understands and, you know, she just all about me.

Loves me like crazy. You know, I didn't get that kind of, I guess you would say, attitude towards me back then as all the time. So I couldn't understand, hey, I got to do this. She's coming. I completely get it. You got to do what you got to do. So it's all about the person too.

So I enjoy it. I'm loving it. You know, I don't know what you got. He's probably doing the same thing because I said one of the same thing. because I see him on his social media, he's all happy. He's on her podcast, talking, and he's doing all kinds of stuff. So I know he's happy as all. She lets me follow her around.

So that's what he's going to do. No, it's been great. And it truly is the, I'm envious in a way of people that find the right person the first time. It's like, man, that's. And then being able to work with her. I will say from my standpoint, maybe yours, I also didn't give back the same way that I realize now that I could have until after. and I'm like, but I wasn't in that mindset. I was like, I wanted to be a seal.

It's just, that's what I wanted to do. I didn't really care about anything else. And so, but being out and then having the person that I've found now, it's like, she wishes she was a part of that. I'm like, I'd probably still be in if it was her back then. If it was my mindset now when I was 20 getting ready to go in, I'd still be in. Because I had the person, I have the person now that is beyond supportive of anything I want to do.

And I'm like, man, that would have been a different life. We'd be being a different place now. But yeah, it's finding the right person. I think I felt the same way before as far as, like, I wish she was with me doing that time. So she can experience that when we come home, you know, you got your spouses and all these spouses waiting for you on the flight line, you know, all that stuff.

She even said, I wish I would be able to see that we're coming off. She tells me that too. It's hard, man, with that year and everybody's waiting for you, signs and all that stuff, which is a great feeling, you know what I mean? And I wish, just like you, that we can go back and say she can be a part of that and feel that. Like even now, she wants me to put on my uniform just so she can kind of get out.

Dude, she just asked me like two days ago. I said I was going to do a night right on the house. I had my nods on. She's like, all right. Just so they can see it and be a part of that, right? It is a cool thing. There's a lot of value to that piece. And I hate that that I gave that to someone else

who didn't really deserve it, who shouldn't have been there with me. That was a lesson to learn, you know. But man, we are definitely with the right one now And I wish I can give her every bit of that And we'll figure out a way to kind of put the uniform on And do something Maybe we might do a raid or something

We'll make one up and train it And have them out there on the airport or something I just turn all the power off in the house I'm like, oh my gosh She'll see his lasers coming in Oh man She'll see two of you She'll say I didn't ask for that

You want the experience? We won't give it to you. All right, my last question is Do you think Navy SEALs are born or are they made? Is it like nature or nurture? Are you just cut of the cloth of a Navy SEAL or did you learn this? You know what I'm saying? I'll say for me, right? Because I grew up, you know, watching way back in the day the Navy SEAL Charlie Sheen movie.

And I thought it was cool. But it never dawned on me about I can possibly be a Navy SEAL at all from where I grew up in in D.C. and all that stuff. It was not a thing for my background, you know, my family set up, right? I didn't have mom and dad who really grew me into understanding what life. what could be or what I should go into. It was just fun for me. So I never even dawned on even when I joined the military because I had kids in high school.

So my grandmother kind of like all that drama I had. She was like going here. But the mindset for me grew when I understood that I wanted to, I guess, make, when I talk about outside of myself, right? Because the first time it was all about me. But when I understood that this is bigger than me, right? This whole thing about being the still is bigger than me.

not just for the country, but also for my kids, for my grandmother who raised me, who was sick, who passed away before I graduated at SQT, and all that stuff. So I wanted to make sure that I made them, like, proud of me. I was inspired for them. So it changed my mindset. So I would say it's a mindset that you have to grow into.

I don't think you could be born into this. I mean, people are athletic freaks, but mentally you got to want this. You got to really want this. this. I can't just say, I'm just going to get this shot in this. You got to have some pride behind it. You've got to have some significance in you. Is it bigger than you? Do you really

want to serve? Do you want to give back? Are you looking on that level? For me, that's where I think it's from. Yeah, that's kind of the same thing. Actually, I didn't know your was your grandma died for us or PT? My grandfather died in boot camp. Oh, damn. Did you leave for your funeral? I did. They let me leave for

like two or eight because I tried to stay. Yeah. When they called because I knew my grandmother would prefer me to finish because I didn't want to stay above because I was like, you know what I'm going to stay. But I had to leave the second time my aunt called because they said she made me her beneficiary. So I had to sign everything,

I had to see the body and all that stuff. And it was just shocking because she had nine kids. So then I had to talk to the instructors like, I got to go. But I said, look, just go. Handler left first and we'll see what happened when you get back. And it was on my birthday. I left in August

We had her ceremony August 14th, 13th Because I was born on the 14th It was a big thing And I came back and luckily the instructor They let me finish out with SQ2 Yeah, they gave me the option too They're like, you can leave now

But you're gonna get rolled back And boot camp to the next class And I was like, there's no way My grandfather wanted me to do that And so, and I was the ARPox So I was like, I was in control Yeah, I was in the office like And I'm crying

I'm like, this is terrible But I was like, he's not gonna let me leave Or he would not want me to leave And so family took care of it all And I think to your question, I don't think you can create any operator at any level in any branch. Some of the best guys I know are like country boys who didn't grow up with much. And it could be D.C. and not country, but a lot of the country boys are just like hard work. It's like it's just a mindset, right?

Like you are just, you're kind of the way you were raised in a way is what's going to dictate that. to his point, there's a lot of athletic freaks that come through and other Olympians that come through and do buzzes. Like, this is terrible. Like, I don't like this. Some of my best friends are not athletic and not physical specimens and just too dumb to quit. It's like that mindset right there was truly what I saw was like there's a huge dichotomy of like you can be athletic and superior to pretty much everybody else or you can just be too dumb to quit. You're like, yeah, it sucks, but I'm not going to go anywhere. It's like, yeah, you really just have to have that in you. Like, yeah, I understand this is terrible. But like, I'm just going to get.

keep going because I can't win, but I'll do it. I'm kind of bored with that. I admire both of you guys. What a fun role, each of you I feel like plays in my life. I've always said, Ian, I've been in locker rooms with Adrian Peterson, Khalil Mack, Todd Gurley, Travis Kelsey. Ian is the most. If we're going to do like some unnamed athletic event, I'm picking Ian over any of them.

Too dumb to quit. You're going to talk to you about the race I signed you guys up for. Still one of the best memories of my life. Yeah, so many laughs. But then, Q, like, I can't tell you, even though it was 10 days and it seems silly, that show had such an impact on my life and our marriage in the sense that, like, I'd never seen Sean in her element like that. Like, she has this intensity that in some ways around home, you're like, let's just chill out a little bit. But then on that show, you're like, oh, you were made for this, you know, and I missed her whole gymnastics career, so I didn't see it applied like that. And it was just so cool to understand her differently because of that.

And, you know, obviously it's like endless memories and so many stories. And it's been amazing. So I'm grateful to know both of you. That had to be awesome for you then, right? Because like you said, you didn't get to see the Olympic side of her, but you got to see this piece. Like, man, I got to go through this with my wife. The seal side of her. Yeah.

The killer side. The killer instinct that came out of her. I had to be cool, though. I would think that would be awesome to be that, you know, which you're wonderful. You know what I mean? It was fun. And she's no joke. I mean, we, she was just giggle and laugh

a lot of certain things. I think it kind of caught up to you a little bit towards the end. I think your knee started having issues, all right? Yeah. Yeah, that was. It was just all of it. She was a G though, bro.

She was still going. The hardest part for me, and I think we, I learned this talking to my teammates who had been on the show because you had Jordan Weber and he had Nostia Luka was like, gymnastics is just dirty. I told you this.

Gymnastics. We, they put you through absolute hell and they do it when you're a kid and there's no mercy and so you get out of that involuntarily showing up to the show towards the end i was like why am i doing this i did this for 16 years and i was never going to quit but i was just like what the why why am i doing this again so that's why i got caught up i got or it got cut up with me and that one freaking mountain with 180 pounds I was like, I weigh 160 pounds.

I can't carry this. I was so pissed. You did that, though. That was awesome to see, though. And you're right. Yeah, y'all had some internal challenging and competition going. I think it was awesome.

It was great to see you guys. It really was, and I'm not saying that just because of one way on your show now. No, no. It was a gift. It was so fun. I love that kind of stuff.

We jump out of planes. You're trying to jump out of planes. I've been trying to let him fly me fly. He's a pilot. He's a pilot. So I've been trying to let him, let me jump. jump out of his plane, he won't do it.

Oh, man, that'd be cool, bro. You shouldn't have to do that, man. He even pulls me aside one morning. He's like, hey, when can I jump out of your plane? Dead serious. Freakiness, freaking nice smile. And I was like, I laughed. I was like, you're crazy.

This dude would do him, man. This dude is an extreme sport type of guy. He would be the guy that you would see swimming across Alaskan waters and all that stuff, get out and, you know, hike up some mountain. This guy was going to get him eventually. He's going to give in. This is what scares me about Vegas. So they're supposed to go on his bachelor party, and I was like,

Oh, what was my invite? Dude, we didn't get to go. None of the stuff, but you're going to go at some point, I'm sure. But none of the stuff scares me. But I'm like, Ian's going to throw you out of a plane. And he's going to be like, I'll catch you in how many 100 yards was at the shoot. I'm just, that. The full Travis Prasana style.

Truly, though. Thank you, guys. Yeah, I appreciate it. One thing I like to say real quick. Oh, no, no, this is not good. So when you get some more people starting to ask you about coming on the show, people that you, that meet, Because people are going to reach out to you. Other celebrities are going on.

Don't give them all the beans yet. Just tell them it's up to them. They've got to experience with themselves. For sure. I mean, that's what I'll tell guys who want to go to buzz. It's no way to explain it. You got to go through it, but you got to mentally be ready for it. You got to, like, prepare yourself mindset.

You can train all day long all you want. But if you ain't there mentally, if it ain't there outside of you that you really want to be there, you're going to fold. I am really curious if the person who called us is going to do it. But I feel, I feel fine. sharing stuff about it though like without spoiling it because you're like yeah because it's for yeah it's hard because like you and you don't know if you can actually do it until you show up

yeah definitely do it again Andrew no the last day aft me up wow I did not like that I started getting so pissed I'm like oh dude we're doing this for freaking show we got bag over our head why am I doing a stupid stress position what the freak is happening dude sleep the pride didn't eat well Q Ian thank you for giving us your time This is fun. For those listening, they want to find out what these two are up to. We'll link their information down below. But this is fun.

Thanks, I appreciate. My palms are sweating the whole time because I was so nervous. Both do you make me nervous. Appreciate it. Thanks.