Shawn Ryan Show #242: Pete Scobell – SEAL Team 6 Operator Breaks Down the Hostage Rescue of Captain Phillips

Episode Date: October 6, 2025
Host: Shawn Ryan
Guest: Pete Scobell

Episode Overview

In this powerful and deeply introspective episode, former SEAL Team 6 operator Pete Scobell joins Shawn Ryan to share an unfiltered account of his life, from a traumatic childhood marked by profound loss, through an elite military career—including his pivotal role in the Captain Phillips hostage rescue—to his battles with traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and eventual healing. The conversation is a journey through pain, resilience, faith, family, and the power of redemption. Pete also discusses the unique challenges of high-level special operations, fatherhood, and guiding his son Walker’s unexpected rise as a Hollywood star.

Key Topics & Insights

Foundations of Truth and Faith

• Opening Reflection & Prayer ([00:06]–[08:21])

  • Pete and Shawn discuss their intentions to bring clarity amid today’s “noise,” reflecting on the importance of authentic, unvarnished storytelling.

  • Pete reads a passage from “Calling Jesus” by Sarah Young that emphasizes trust, presence, and faith.

    “If you believe God is in everything, then God is in you... and the kingdom of God is within you... It’s like a little island in the sea of chaos.” — Pete [08:21]

• Shawn shares how efforts to pursue truth are being “bombarded by the algorithm,” and Pete expresses gratitude for Shawn’s platform.

Pete’s Upbringing: Loss, Loneliness, and Resilience

• Childhood in Erie, PA ([13:17]–[29:17])

  • Pete’s mother was killed in a snowmobile accident when he was 10 months old.

  • His father, a WWII vet and alcoholic, suffered severe depression; Pete is shuffled between caregivers, ultimately dealing with abandonment and emotional neglect.

    “I felt like nobody was coming for me. My dad didn’t want me. She was gone. And I started asking questions, but that... that moment... that was a fire inside me that made me want to achieve. Mine was fear that nobody’s coming for me.” — Pete [43:29]

  • He finds solace in woodland adventures, music, and a series of local mentors, discovering both survival and excellence through sports (swimming, wrestling, pole vaulting, skiing).

  • The departure of his stepmother Beach becomes a second, formative abandonment.

    • Pete shares a message of forgiveness for Beach—and reveals this is the first time he has spoken openly about that pain ([59:53]).

    “I want her to be happy. I respect that. I never pursued her after that. I hope she had a great life. I forgive her.” — Pete [59:53]

Sports as Salvation and Source of Achievement

• High School & Athletic Triumphs ([67:47]–[87:22])

  • Despite a lack of support and constant criticism from his father (“Second place is the first loser...”), Pete finds purpose in athletics, achieving records and state championships in pole vaulting.

    “When I was a dad, I’m not going to be like him.” — Pete [87:22]

• Swimming, Lifeguarding, and Finding His Place ([74:25]–[83:08])

  • Saving a drowning man as a rookie lifeguard provides Pete his first experience of “calm in chaos” and confidence in high-stress environments.

The Journey to Becoming a SEAL

• Joining the Navy ([104:49]–[148:21])

  • Pete overcomes academic challenges and family skepticism to enlist, then sets a course toward BUD/S and the SEALs, forgoing college scholarships.
  • Encounters two notable local SEALs before shipping out:
    • Jake Banta (legendary blues guitarist)
    • Dave Strong (Vietnam vet and team leader)

• BUD/S and Early SEAL Career ([122:21]–[156:40])

  • Navigating BUD/S alongside elite peers; thrive in aquatic evolutions, struggle with soft sand running.

  • Survives Hell Week, finds camaraderie with strong leaders like Tom Donovan (“That guy is just born to be a leader.”).

  • Eventually attends Naval Academy Prep School and then the U.S. Naval Academy—an almost unprecedented path for a SEAL.

    “When you’re forced with a hard decision, always choose the hardest path. It’s always the right one, every time.” — Advice from Admiral Smith to Pete [146:32]

Naval Academy, 9/11, and War

• Life as a SEAL at the Academy ([153:33]–[187:25])

  • Experiences both academic struggle (undiagnosed dyslexia) and social challenges (the “target” of being a trident-wearing SEAL among aspiring midshipmen).
  • 9/11 strikes during his junior year, shifting Pete’s mindset from athletics to war: “This is on.”
  • Navigates selection politics to return to the SEAL teams as an officer despite obstacles.

• Crisis of Faith and Search for Meaning ([191:10]–[203:24])

  • Travels to Rome, Magigore to “find God”; has a profound, unexplained spiritual experience—later understood as a sign of guardianship.

    “I think it was my mom. Guardian angel. It was real. 100%.” — Pete [203:26]

Combat Deployments & Captain Phillips Rescue

Iraq and Afghanistan

• Mobility & Special Operations Leadership ([216:38]–[289:33])

  • Leads innovative ground mobility elements, works alongside Green Berets and Swick.

  • Describes brutal realities of insurgent warfare—losing close friends, experiencing personal trauma and witnessing horror.

    “Why do you fight? You fight for the guy next to you... I was really proud of what they did. They fought their way in, fought their way out, and brought their brothers home.” — Pete [256:00]

  • Endures escalating physical trauma: IEDs, concussions, constant danger, and the moral challenges of modern warfare.

SDV (SEAL Delivery Vehicle) & DEVGRU

• Elite Submarine Operations ([271:19]–[289:33])
  • Describes the punishing world of SDV missions—chilling, confined, and mechanically dubious—later calling the critical success of a sub-launched mission “the highlight, coolest thing ever.” [289:35]

The Hostage Rescue of Captain Richard Phillips

• In-Depth Breakdown of the Operation ([303:55]–[333:36])

  • Pete, as Gray Squadron leader, is responsible for delivering personnel and boats for the rescue. He describes the extremely high-stakes nature and surreal logistics of the mission: boat drops, C-17s overloaded with kit, navigational uncertainty.

    “We all go back to sleep. We wake up, like, hour and a half out. They’re like, all right, you gotta start prepping for drop. We’re like, we’re really going to fucking do this? … These are the best guys, they jump more than anybody, but we’re taking admin people, tandem jumps… This poor kid’s just like, ‘hey, I didn’t sign up for this program…’” — Pete [318:45]

  • Successful high-risk day drop, four boats on the water, full squadron arrives.

  • On-scene snipers ultimately resolve the hostage crisis, a moment Pete describes as “not the simultaneous, mythical triple headshot” but a concerted, professional effort under stress ([328:54]).

    “When we brought [Phillips] off the helicopter and brought him in, and he was deer in the headlights, man… he was a hurting man… but he snapped out of it and was just like, ‘holy shit, you guys did this for me.’” — Pete [330:11]

• Expresses lasting frustration with the public exposure of SEAL Team 6’s involvement by then-Vice President Biden:

  “All our opsec… went out the window. When the vice president just blurted it out, like, hey, the guys from SEAL Team 6 did a great job. In my mind, that was the downfall of everything.” — Pete [330:07]

Injury, Collapse, and Healing

• Physical and Mental Toll of War ([333:36]–[381:23])

  • Describes cumulative TBI from training, blast exposure, and a major concussion during a training accident; symptoms worsen post-war (vertigo, memory loss, pain, behavioral changes, drinking to cope).

  • Staggering experience with military medical bureaucracy; only finds meaningful intervention at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICO) for TBI treatment with Dr. Jim Kelly.

    “They taught me TBI isn’t something you just walk away from... they explained why my brain wasn’t working, why everything was so hard, why I felt lost.” — Pete [361:17]

• Trauma is compounded by the loss of friends in the Extortion 17 helicopter shootdown (August 2011).

• Pioneering TBI Awareness ([381:23]–[388:54])

  • Pete leverages his experience to launch a campaign on TBI awareness across the SEAL community, eventually helping to establish and open the Marcus Brain Institute in Colorado for veterans ([388:54]).

Collapse, Suicidality, and the Search for Redemption

• Confronting PTSD and Addiction ([397:44]–[404:00])

  • Music career takes off—hits #1 on iTunes with Wynonna Judd—but underlying trauma (PTSD) is undiagnosed and untreated.

  • Personal and business failures, worsening mental health, culminate in a suicide attempt:

    “I ended up sitting down on our family’s property with a 357, sitting on the creek. I was like, I’m doing nobody any good… Went down there to end it. And I heard this voice in my head say, no. I shot the tree and went home.” — Pete [398:41]

• Radical Healing Through Plant Medicine ([404:00]–[422:43])

  • A friend intervenes and introduces Pete to ibogaine (strong psychedelic therapy). The experience is life-altering, bringing up vivid, comical, and cosmic encounters with his “demons” (literally and figuratively).

    “We’re all actors in this big thing. We’re all playing different roles. What role do you want to play? Being a dad, being a husband…” — Pete [470:00]

• Completes a 40-day transformative Heroes & Horses experience in Montana.

Forgiveness, Faith, and Family

• A Father to His Own Children ([428:52]–[473:46])

  • Pete describes how his own parental wounds and healing shaped his approach to fatherhood, including supporting his son Walker’s meteoric rise to stardom in Hollywood.

    “You don’t know what true love is until you have a daughter… The more peace of mind you have, the less you need.” — Pete [473:46]

• The Walker Story ([422:43]–[454:34])

  • Shares the surreal journey from a young Walker saying he wanted to be an Avenger to landing roles in “The Adam Project” and “Percy Jackson.”
  • Describes accompanying Walker on set, marveling at his presence and skill, reflecting on the opportunity to break generational trauma and be a present father.

• Closing: Why Did God Leave Me Alone? ([454:34]–[464:21])

  • The “fire question” of Pete’s life—why God left him alone after his mother’s death—is ultimately answered years later through a purpose-driven act of world-bridging: helping reunite another Navy SEAL with his biological family.

  • Emphasizes that his life’s spoken message is to affirm God’s reality and the power of faith for his children and others.

    “God makes you the man he needs you to be for the job he needs you to do. When you’re ready, he heals you.” — Pete [454:34]

    “I did this interview because I wanted my kids to know that God is real. He is the most real thing you will ever seek... In your darkest moments, pursue him, because it will lead you to where you need to be.” — Pete [454:34]

Most Notable Quotes & Memories (with Timestamps)

• On Truth in Modern Times:

  “There’s so much noise out there right now… you’re being bombarded with the algorithm and trying to find the bits and pieces of truth in there… In that mess, you’re bringing a very reliable source of information.” — Pete [01:02]

• On Parental Abandonment & Fear:

  “I felt like nobody was coming for me. My dad didn’t want me. She was gone.” — Pete [43:29]

• On Forgiveness—for Beach, his stepmother:

  “I hope she had a great life. I do. I hope she’s happy. And, you know, I wouldn’t be here telling you this story had that not happened. It set me on a course that I’ll never be able to, in a weird way, thank her for that.” — Pete [59:53]

• On His Father’s Relentless Pushing:

  “When I was a dad, I’m not going to be like him.” — Pete [87:22]

  “For him, I forgive you. I think he was doing the best with what he had.” — Pete [87:30]

• On the Captain Phillips Drop:

  “We start rigging for drop. And the first thing that went through my mind was like, dude, I forgot to take the trash out. My wife is going to be pissed…” — Pete [319:39]

• On the Eventual Unveiling of SEAL Team 6's Role:

  “When the vice president just blurted it out, like, hey, the guys from SEAL Team 6 did a great job—that was the downfall of our… everything.” — Pete [330:07]

• On Warrior Brotherhood:

  “You fight for the guy next to you… I was really proud that day of what they did. They fought their way in, fought their way out and brought their brothers home.” — Pete [256:09]

• On Spiritual Epiphany and Purpose:

  “God makes you the man he needs you to be for the job he needs you to do. When you’re ready, he heals you.” — Pete [454:34]

  “I did this interview because I wanted my kids to know that God is real. He is the most real thing you will ever seek... In your darkest moments, pursue him, because it will lead you to where you need to be.” — Pete [454:34]

• On Life’s Most Important Roles:

  “We’re all actors in this big thing. We’re playing different roles. What role do you want to play? Being a dad, being a husband…” — Pete [470:00]

Important Segment Timestamps

• Background, faith, morning prayer: [00:06]–[11:42]
• Childhood trauma, abandonment: [13:17]–[65:23]
• High school sports achievements: [67:47]–[87:22]
• Becoming a SEAL: [104:49]–[148:21]
• Naval Academy, 9/11, and war: [153:33]–[203:24]
• Combat in Iraq, Afghanistan, reality of war: [216:38]–[289:33]
• Captain Phillips Hostage Rescue: [303:55]–[333:36]
• TBI, Nico, healing: [333:36]–[388:54]
• Music career, downfall, suicidality: [397:44]–[404:00]
• Ibogaine, Heroes & Horses, recovery: [404:00]–[422:43]
• Walker’s acting career, Adam Project: [422:43]–[454:34]
• Reunion and spiritual closure: [454:34]–[464:21]
• Final wisdom and message to his children: [464:21]–[475:09]

Closing Thoughts & Tone

This conversation is raw, reflective, occasionally humorous, but ultimately redemptive in tone. Pete’s journey is a testament to the human spirit, the necessity of faith, forgiveness, and connection—even amid crushing trauma. He repeatedly credits his survival and growth to God and to those who intervened with love, whether present or absent:

“God is real. Just look for him.” — Pete [454:34]

As a generational story of pain, service, and healing, it’s a guide for struggling warriors and fathers, but also a vivid revelation of the hidden truths behind headlines like the Captain Phillips mission.

For listeners seeking a raw, insightful, and ultimately hopeful account of service, suffering, and redemption—this two-and-a-half hour epic is essential.