Joe Rogan has never been shy about his affection for the military and for Navy SEALs, having had quite a few of them on his legendary JRE podcast.
The JRE episodes featuring Navy SEALs are the best ones. Perhaps, because of their amazing stories, their leadership insights, and their commitment to a lifestyle of discipline, work ethic, and integrity.
Of course, there have been guys from the other branches too – Army, Marines, and Air Force. Guys like Tim Kennedy (Army Ranger), Dakota Meyer, Tulsi Gabbard, Pat McNamara, Evan Hafer, and Mat Best, have all been on the podcast – but were not Navy SEALs.
Even one guy, playboy Dan Bilzerian, tried out for the SEALs and made it through BUD/S training twice. Allegedly, he didn’t graduate and because of a safety violation.
In addition to having military members on his podcast, Rogan also supports some private endeavors by Navy SEALs. The energy drink company Kill Cliff was founded by former SEAL Todd Ehrlich. Rogan can often be seen drinking it on his Instagram and giving shout-outs whenever he can.
Another company – Black Rifle Coffee Company – is a favorite of Rogan, which is a veteran owned company, run by Army veterans Evan Hafer and Mat Best.
***Also see: Will David Goggins and Jocko Willink Ever Do Podcast Together?
#1 – Andy Stumpf
SEAL Teams: 3, 5, 6 – BUD/s Class: 212
On JRE episodes: 720, 1047, 1247, 1445, 1771, 1885, 1996
Website: andystumpf.com
Stumpf, known globally as a top leadership and motivation expert, is a former Navy SEAL and JRE guest. As a reoccurring guest on JRE, you can always count on Stumpf to tell some entertaining stories about his time as a SEAL.
After 10 years working as an active duty SEAL, Stumpf returned to the home base to become a Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) instructor.
Stumpf worked for CrossFit in the early days, as the successful brand rapidly grew to it’s peak. He’s also set numerous wing-suit world records, skydiving from 36,500 feet.
Post military, Stumpf has become a globally recognized keynote speaker, talking about decision making, mental toughness, resiliency, high performance, and contingency planning.
***Also see: Andy Stumpf’s Amazing Life: From Navy SEAL to Business Leader
#2 – Dan Crenshaw
SEAL Team: 3 – BUD/s Class: 264
On JRE episodes: 1337, 1454, 1630
Website: crenshaw.house.gov
Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL and now working as a politician, is the kind of politician that Joe Rogan has said he would definitely vote for.
Crenshaw is a Republican in the United States House, representing the Houston, Texas area and was reelected in 2020. Interestingly, Rogan now lives in Texas and may get the chance to vote for him, if Crenshaw ever decides to run for Senate or Governor.
Crenshaw lost his right eye in the Afghanistan war from an improvised explosive device (IED) and now wears a pirate-looking eye patch.
#3 – David Goggins
SEAL Team: 5 – BUD/s Class: 235
On JRE episodes: 1080, 1212, 1906
Website: davidgoggins.com
Goggins, nicknamed “the baddest man on the planet,” is also one of the most famous Navy SEALs on the planet. He is the only man ever to become both a Navy SEAL and an Army Ranger, in addition to graduating from the Air Force’s Tactical Air Controller training.
Some of his most impressive accomplishments:
- Pull-up record for most in 24 hours (4030)
- Dropped 100 pounds in a few months to qualify for SEAL training
- Ran the MOAB 240 Mile race
Although his pull-up record was later broken by Truett Hanes, Cameron Hanes son, who did 4100 in under 18 hours (YouTube).
Just listening to Goggins speak will fire you up and make you want to join the SEALs. In fact, part of his duties in the SEALs were to travel around the country as a special ops recruiter.
***Also see: The David Goggins Diet: Eating For High Performance
#4 – Jack Carr
SEAL Team: 5 – BUD/s Class: 212
On JRE episodes: 1467, 1634, 1820, 1986
Website: officialjackcarr.com
Jack Carr was an officer in Naval Special Warfare for 20 years and was a Navy SEAL sniper. In episode 1467, he talked with Rogan about his journey from Navy SEAL to bestselling author.
He has written many successful fiction books, mostly about military, war, and heroes, and plans to continue writing more. His books have become instant bestsellers. In May 2020, Rogan said that he went on a binge, listening to three of Carr’s book via the audio versions in just one month.
- True Believer
- The Terminal List
- Savage Son
- The Devil’s Hand
- In The Blood
Carr’s bestselling book, The Terminal List, was turned into a show series featuring Chris Pratt.
***Also see: 15 Awesome Book Recommendations From Joe Rogan.
#5 – Jesse Ventura
SEAL Team(s): Underwater Demolition Team (UDT)-12 – BUD/s Class: 58
On JRE episode: 858
Twitter: Jesse Ventura
Similar to Rogan, Ventura has had an extremely successful career in multiple different fields. So much, that people often forget the fact that he was a former Navy SEAL.
Ventura list of accomplishments:
- WWE Hall of Fame (class of 2004)
- Governor of Minnesota
- Successful Actor in movies
- Predator
- The Running Man
- Batman and Robin
On the JRE episode #858, Ventura talked with Rogan about his defamation lawsuit against SEAL Chris Kyle, the “American Sniper.”
#6 – Jocko Willink
SEAL Teams: 1, 2, 3 – BUD/s Class: 177
On JRE episodes: 729, 962, 1391, 1492, 1740
Website: jockopodcast.com
Jocko is perhaps the most famous Navy SEAL in the world today. His appearances on the JRE podcast have been fantastic, so much so that he created his own podcast – Jocko Podcast.
In episode #1492, Jocko appeared with presidential candidate and former military woman Tulsi Gabbard to talk about current affairs.
Jocko is an unbreakable man, the #1 guy you would want “watching your 6” in the heat of battle. Like Rogan, Jocko is a frequent practitioner in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and even incorporated it into the training of his SEAL teams when he was their commander.
***Also see: Former SEAL Jocko Willink: Why He Wakes Up So Early
#7 – Marcus Luttrell
SEAL Team: SDVT-1, 5, 10 – BUD/s Class: 226
On JRE episode: 1622
Instagram: @marcusluttrell
Famously, Marcus Luttrell received a Navy Cross and Purple Heart for his actions in Operation Red Wings when he was the lone survivor of SEAL team 10. His heroic actions in the event led to his story being turned into a movie, The Lone Survivor, with Luttrell’s role being played by Mark Wahlberg.
On JRE episode 1622, Luttrell reflected about his real life “lone survivor” story, going back into combat after almost dying, and what it is like having a movie made about you.
#8 – Trevor Thompson
SEAL Team: SDVT-1 – BUD/s Class: 272
On JRE episode: 1434
Website: thompsonparasports.org
Trevor Thompson, appearing on the JRE podcast in episode #1434, is a former Navy SEAL. Like a swiss army knife, Trevor is very talented a wide array of specializations.
In the SEALs, he worked on the SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team, riding torpedo looking underwater vehicles. He’s also developed a passion for BASE jumping, and he performs instructional jumps, as well as professional stunts. Another passion of his is public speaking to large groups of people.
On the podcast with Rogan, he shared some very interesting SEAL experiences, including underwater training, dealing with combat stress, and his experience with bear hunting.
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