Episode Player
Courage is Cultivated, Not Spontaneous
Your Lot and Parcel
Your Lot and Parcel
Courage is Cultivated, Not Spontaneous
May 11, 2026
Benjamin Diaz/Jack Ratliff, Author, Lawyer, Professor, and Retired Navy SEAL Lieutenant Commander
A retired U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander, Ratliff served aboard destroyers and with Underwater Demolition Team 11—the elite unit that paved the way for today’s Navy SEALs. In Riding the White Bull, he provides a rare insider’s perspective on how SEAL-level discipline, resilience, and judgment are forged long before combat, shaped by rigorous training, failure, fear, and responsibility. Jack details the relentless physical and psychological preparation that enables young men to operate under fear, exhaustion, cold, uncertainty, and risk—well before they ever face real-world missions.
He is the author of "Riding the White Bull: The Making of a Navy SEAL."
