What No One Tells You About Joining DEVGRU | Ep. 274
Mike Ritland sits down with former Navy SEAL Eric Frohardt for a raw and revealing conversation. Eric takes us from his upbringing on an Iowa farm to the pinnacle of special operations, detailing the intense focus of SEAL Team 5 and the elite world of DEVGRU. He opens up about the medical crisis—the loss of a kidney—that shadowed his career, the weight of constant deployments, and the profound challenge of finding a new identity after an unexpected medical retirement. This is a deep dive into resilience, the hidden costs of service, and the relentless pursuit of purpose beyond the Teams.
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CHAPTERS
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:02:25 - Losing a Kidney
00:09:29 - Medical Retirement
00:12:25 - Leaving the Navy
00:16:03 - Valley Fever
00:20:06 - Sniper School Struggles
00:23:49 - Life with One Kidney
00:25:59 - Childhood in Iowa
00:28:44 - Hard Work on Farm
00:34:52 - High School & Football
00:37:44 - Path to the Military
00:40:34 - GI Jane Inspiration
00:43:52 - BUD/S Experience
00:46:32 - Checking into Team Five
00:51:58 - First Deployments
00:55:02 - Screening for Dev Group
01:02:03 - CQB & Selection
01:06:49 - Performance Pressure
01:08:10 - Becoming a Climber
01:19:04 - Dev Group Work-up
01:22:05 - First CQC at Gold
01:27:34 - First Dev Group Deployment
01:29:08 - Iraq vs Afghanistan
01:33:20 - Questioning the Wars
01:36:29 - The Family Farm
01:41:36 - Ukraine Discussion
01:47:09 - Memorable Operation
01:50:45 - Successful Capture
01:56:48 - Current Role
01:59:04 - "Beware, Navy SEALs Do Not All"
02:05:11 - Secretary of War
02:11:42 - Cartel Discussion
02:14:13 - Border & Sovereignty
02:18:51 - Chief Standards Officer
02:20:07 - Kilimanjaro Charity Climb
02:25:01 - West Africa Work
02:31:36 - Training for Kili
02:34:32 - Fundraising Model
02:37:45 - Ross Martin Firearms
02:40:48 - Post-Military Struggle
02:43:52 - Faith & Routine
02:44:30 - Reading the Bible
02:47:20 - Regret with Teammate
02:48:55 - Morning Prayer
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