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Rob O'Neill is a retired Navy SEAL with more than 400 combat missions, deployments with SEAL Team Two and SEAL Team Six, and participation in some of the most high-profile special operations of the last two decades. He served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and has spent years navigating the complicated transition from service to public life. In this conversation, Rob joins me for an unfiltered, long-form discussion about his career, the brotherhood of the teams, and the personal cost that comes with telling parts of his story publicly.
We talk at length about Operation Neptune Spear, the mission to kill Osama bin Laden, and Rob's perspective on how the official debrief differs from his lived experience. Rob explains why he believes portions of the record are incomplete, discusses actions taken by members of the assault force after bin Laden was already dead, and why those details matter to him years later. These are Rob's firsthand accounts and interpretations, shared in full context and without editing for sound bites.
We also dig into Rob's ongoing $25 million defamation lawsuit, how it came about, and what it's like to defend your name after a lifetime spent operating in silence. This isn't a hit piece or a hero narrative—it's a three-hour conversation about memory, loyalty, accountability, and what happens when the story doesn't match the mission.
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In this episode, I sit down with Luke Urick, the Executive Director, and Bryon Gustafson, the Deputy Director of the Montana Veterans Project, a Great Falls–based nonprofit that helps veterans rediscover purpose, camaraderie, and resilience through veteran-led therapeutic adventure trips in the Montana backcountry. We explore how challenging wilderness experiences can help veterans reconnect with themselves, their fellow warriors, and the mission that doesn't simply end when military service does.
We dig into why traditional approaches sometimes fall short, and how shared physical challenge, communication, and hard work in nature can catalyze healing in ways that matter long after the trip ends. This is a conversation about more than PTSD or buzzwords — it's about purpose, belonging, and veterans building new life chapters with intention and grit.
Montana Vet Program - https://www.mtvetprogram.org
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In this episode, I sit down with Caitlin V, a sex educator and author whose work focuses on intimacy, communication, and long-term relationship dynamics. Caitlin has spent years helping individuals and couples better understand desire, connection, and the often-unspoken issues that quietly erode relationships over time. We discussed how communication breaks down, why people struggle to ask for what they want, and how unspoken expectations erode connection over time.
We also talk about common misconceptions around sex, the real value of intimacy in long-term relationships, and what actually helps couples reconnect—not in theory, but in practice. This conversation isn't about shock value or trends; it's about understanding ourselves better, communicating more clearly, and building relationships that don't slowly decay in silence.
Caitlin's New Book - Harder, Better, Stronger, Longer - https://www.amazon.com/Harder-Better-Longer-Stronger-Science/dp/1401998038
 
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In this episode I answer two listener-submitted questions that couldn't be more different. The first is a deep dive into immigration enforcement and the recent ICE-involved shooting in Minneapolis. I break down what authorities ICE agents actually have (and don't have), what likely happened tactically, and why this issue continues to expose just how divided the country is. No hot takes—just context, law, and reality as I see it.
The second question shifts gears to mindset and self-confidence heading into a military selection process. We talk about preparation beyond physical training, how confidence is built (not imagined), and how to show up ready when it actually counts. As always, these are my perspectives based on experience—not hype, not shortcuts.
Enjoy!
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In this episode, I sit down with former federal employee and rural Colorado Fire Chief Erik Holt, who says his career ended after he reported what he believed to be clear evidence of election misconduct.
After nearly two decades in federal service, he accepted a Fire Chief position in a small rural district, rebuilding the department from the ground up. Within a year, it grew from five personnel to more than sixty trained firefighters. By every measurable standard, the department was thriving. 
Then came the May 2023 election.
Following complaints from citizens, he reviewed surveillance footage from polling locations and says what he found raised serious legal concerns. Acting as a private citizen, and believing he had both a moral and legal obligation, he reported the findings to the District Attorney's Office.
What followed, according to him, was retaliation.
The newly elected board—some of whom were allegedly implicated—ordered him to delete surveillance footage. He refused. Bank accounts were frozen. Emergency services and payroll were disrupted. Days later, he was fired.
He filed a federal lawsuit asserting First Amendment protections, arguing that reporting election fraud should not cost a public servant their livelihood. While the court acknowledged misconduct, his case was dismissed without ever reaching a jury.
During the process, he says he uncovered troubling conflicts of interest inside the District Attorney's Office itself—raising serious questions about accountability, due process, and whether constitutional protections truly apply to those who speak up from inside government institutions.
He is now appealing his case to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals after exhausting more than $150,000 of personal funds.
Erik's GoFundMe Link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/free-speech-retaliation-and-the-cost-of-integrity
Today's Sponsors:
Montana Knife Company:
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David:
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