Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
This episode of Transition Drill Podcast explores the path from uncertain beginnings to elite service for veterans and first responders navigating leadership, purpose, and life after high-intensity careers.
You’ll hear retired Navy SEAL David Swarts on becoming a SEAL during the height of the Global War on Terror and what it takes to grow from a young operator into a leader responsible for others.
David Swarts didn’t grow up with a clear plan. Raised near Cleveland, Ohio, he spent most of his early years focused on cars, restaurant work, and figuring out life as he went. After watching the direction many of his friends were heading, he made a sudden decision that would change everything. He joined the Navy.
Dave initially served as an aircraft mechanic attached to a carrier air wing. But the goal that stayed in the back of his mind was always the same. He wanted to become a SEAL. After completing his initial commitment, he fought through the long process of screening, training, and eventually entering BUD/S in 2003 during the height of wartime deployments.
In this conversation, Dave walks through the realities of SEAL training, setbacks during second phase, and the mental fight required to stay in the pipeline. He later completed the Special Forces medic course before reporting to SEAL Team 10.
From there the pace accelerated. Deployments to Iraq during the most active years of the war. Leadership roles inside a SEAL platoon. The shift from being a young operator to mentoring the next generation of team guys.
Dave also talks openly about the personal side of the career. Becoming a father while deploying. The pressures of leadership in combat units. And the challenges that came when operations overseas led to investigations and accusations that led to a Captain's Mast and later a Court Martial, which affected his career and his life.
This episode is a candid look at service, growth, leadership, and the lessons learned from life inside the SEAL teams.
CONNECT WITH THE PODCAST:
Instagram: instagram.com/paulpantani
WEBSITE: transitiondrillpodcast.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/paulpantani
SIGN-UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER:
transitiondrillpodcast.com/home#about
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS:
paul@transitiondrillpodcast.com
EPISODE BLOG PAGE AND CONNECT WITH DAVE
transitiondrillpodcast.com/post/transition-drill-podcast-exonerated-for-war-crimes-navy-seal-chief-ret-david-swarts
CHAPTERS
0:00:00 — Intro | Mentorship in the Teams
0:04:30 — Losing a Teammate Before Coming Home
0:10:23 — Growing Up in Cleveland
0:12:57 — Early Jobs, Cars, and Trouble
0:16:26 — Leaving Ohio and Joining the Navy
0:19:56 — Aviation Mechanic to 9/11
0:23:30 — Waiting for a BUD/S Slot
0:26:41 — Getting Rolled but Refusing to Quit
0:31:01 — Becoming a SEAL Medic
0:33:36 — Reporting to SEAL Team 10
0:35:41 — Fallujah and Early Deployments
0:37:57 — Green Team and DEVGRU Selection
0:41:10 — Leadership, Marriage, and LPO
0:44:35 — Fatherhood Changes Perspective
0:47:52 — Accused of War Crimes
0:54:00 — Clearing His Name
1:03:15 — The Career Fallout
1:06:45 - The War Crimes - A Second Go Round
1:12:30 — Leadership Lessons from the Teams
1:24:50 — Retirement Without a Plan
1:29:07 — The Texas Job That Fell Apart
1:31:56 — Finding Direction with The Honor Foundation
1:40:40 — Adjusting to Civilian Life
1:49:02 — Creating Redwatch Training Company
1:55:20 — Training, Readiness, and Reality
2:00:20 — Advice for Transitioning Veterans
SPONSORS:
GRND Collective
Get 15% off your purchase
Link: thegrndcollective.com
Promo Code: TRANSITION15
Blue Line Roasting
Get 10% off your purchase
Link: bluelineroasting.com
Promocode: Transition10
Frontline Optics
Get 10% off your purchase
Link: frontlineoptics.com
Promocode: Transition10
#transitiondrillpodcast #militarytransition #firstresponders
This episode of Transition Drill Podcast explores the path from uncertain beginnings to elite service for veterans and first responders navigating leadership, purpose, and life after high-intensity careers.
You’ll hear retired Navy SEAL David Swarts on becoming a SEAL during the height of the Global War on Terror and what it takes to grow from a young operator into a leader responsible for others.
David Swarts didn’t grow up with a clear plan. Raised near Cleveland, Ohio, he spent most of his early years focused on cars, restaurant work, and figuring out life as he went. After watching the direction many of his friends were heading, he made a sudden decision that would change everything. He joined the Navy.
Dave initially served as an aircraft mechanic attached to a carrier air wing. But the goal that stayed in the back of his mind was always the same. He wanted to become a SEAL. After completing his initial commitment, he fought through the long process of screening, training, and eventually entering BUD/S in 2003 during the height of wartime deployments.
In this conversation, Dave walks through the realities of SEAL training, setbacks during second phase, and the mental fight required to stay in the pipeline. He later completed the Special Forces medic course before reporting to SEAL Team 10.
From there the pace accelerated. Deployments to Iraq during the most active years of the war. Leadership roles inside a SEAL platoon. The shift from being a young operator to mentoring the next generation of team guys.
Dave also talks openly about the personal side of the career. Becoming a father while deploying. The pressures of leadership in combat units. And the challenges that came when operations overseas led to investigations and accusations that led to a Captain's Mast and later a Court Martial, which affected his career and his life.
This episode is a candid look at service, growth, leadership, and the lessons learned from life inside the SEAL teams.
CONNECT WITH THE PODCAST:
Instagram: instagram.com/paulpantani
WEBSITE: transitiondrillpodcast.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/paulpantani
SIGN-UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER:
transitiondrillpodcast.com/home#about
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS:
paul@transitiondrillpodcast.com
EPISODE BLOG PAGE AND CONNECT WITH DAVE
transitiondrillpodcast.com/post/transition-drill-podcast-exonerated-for-war-crimes-navy-seal-chief-ret-david-swarts
CHAPTERS
0:00:00 — Intro | Mentorship in the Teams
0:04:30 — Losing a Teammate Before Coming Home
0:10:23 — Growing Up in Cleveland
0:12:57 — Early Jobs, Cars, and Trouble
0:16:26 — Leaving Ohio and Joining the Navy
0:19:56 — Aviation Mechanic to 9/11
0:23:30 — Waiting for a BUD/S Slot
0:26:41 — Getting Rolled but Refusing to Quit
0:31:01 — Becoming a SEAL Medic
0:33:36 — Reporting to SEAL Team 10
0:35:41 — Fallujah and Early Deployments
0:37:57 — Green Team and DEVGRU Selection
0:41:10 — Leadership, Marriage, and LPO
0:44:35 — Fatherhood Changes Perspective
0:47:52 — Accused of War Crimes
0:54:00 — Clearing His Name
1:03:15 — The Career Fallout
1:06:45 - The War Crimes - A Second Go Round
1:12:30 — Leadership Lessons from the Teams
1:24:50 — Retirement Without a Plan
1:29:07 — The Texas Job That Fell Apart
1:31:56 — Finding Direction with The Honor Foundation
1:40:40 — Adjusting to Civilian Life
1:49:02 — Creating Redwatch Training Company
1:55:20 — Training, Readiness, and Reality
2:00:20 — Advice for Transitioning Veterans
SPONSORS:
GRND Collective
Get 15% off your purchase
Link: thegrndcollective.com
Promo Code: TRANSITION15
Blue Line Roasting
Get 10% off your purchase
Link: bluelineroasting.com
Promocode: Transition10
Frontline Optics
Get 10% off your purchase
Link: frontlineoptics.com
Promocode: Transition10
#transitiondrillpodcast #militarytransition #firstresponders
