Oct 13, 2026 · 1 hr 24 min · 15 segments
Leif Babin spent four years at the Naval Academy chasing one goal — and didn’t get selected for the SEAL program. He calls it the best thing that ever happened to him. In this conversation he walks…
Matt EbertHost
So what did they see in you or, or, I mean, why, why were you thrust into it so quick? Was it something that you had displayed, they knew you were the, you were the guy, or shortage of people? Or how come it came quicker going that way?
It was, it was, uh, just the way, that's the way it, it works, right? You, you, you graduate from school, and they put you in a position of, of leadership.
Your job is the, the, the first position that you're gonna be put in as a, um, as a, uh, uh, a surface warfare officer is a division officer.
So you're in charge of, of, of a division, and my division was the anti-submarine warfare off-- Uh, I was the un- anti-submarine warfare officer, so we were the anti-submarine warfare division in charge of all the sonar equipment and, and the torpedo systems, um, and all the people that, uh, that, that manned and, and maintained and operated those systems.
If you, you, you go and, and if you're gonna be an infantry officer, um, in the Army or the Marine Corps, you're gonna go to, to infantry officer course, uh, and you're gonna go straight out and, and, and be in, uh, you're commissioned, uh, as a, as a first lieutenant or second lieutenant.
Um, your second lieutenant is, is your, is your first, uh, uh, y- your, your most junior officer.
Um, and you're in charge of those people, and, and that's, uh, you gotta figure it out.
So I, I, I really benefited from that opportunity, and it taught me so much about leadership.
I made all kinds of mistakes, but I learned a ton, you know, and, and it, it benefited me later.
And it also gave me a perspective that once I was selected for the SEAL program, it really gave me a perspective that I appreciated.
That it just, I was just so thankful for the opportunity to be able to go to our training and be a part of that, uh, organization.
Um, and, and I'm, I'm very thankful for, for that perspective and that experience.
If, if you'd have got to go right away, do you think you'd have done as well at it or would, would, uh, would have you taken it more for granted if you got to go right away?
No, no, there's no question that I would've-- I certainly would've taken it for granted.
I wouldn't have-- As-- I would not have- As significantly appreciated the opportunities-
... uh, that I was given in, in the SEAL teams, um, and the freedom that I was given and, uh, just the fun that we were able to have.
I mean, I remember guys complaining about, uh, the, you know, the 15 or $20,000 worth of winter warfare gear that was issued to them 'cause, you know, they wanted Patagonia instead of Mountain Hardwear stuff.
So what did they see in you or, or, I mean, why, why were you thrust into it so quick? Was it something that you had displayed, they knew you were the, you were the guy, or shortage of people? Or how come it came quicker going that way?
It was, it was, uh, just the way, that's the way it, it works, right? You, you, you graduate from school, and they put you in a position of, of leadership.
Your job is the, the, the first position that you're gonna be put in as a, um, as a, uh, uh, a surface warfare officer is a division officer.
So you're in charge of, of, of a division, and my division was the anti-submarine warfare off-- Uh, I was the un- anti-submarine warfare officer, so we were the anti-submarine warfare division in charge of all the sonar equipment and, and the torpedo systems, um, and all the people that, uh, that, that manned and, and maintained and operated those systems.
If you, you, you go and, and if you're gonna be an infantry officer, um, in the Army or the Marine Corps, you're gonna go to, to infantry officer course, uh, and you're gonna go straight out and, and, and be in, uh, you're commissioned, uh, as a, as a first lieutenant or second lieutenant.
Um, your second lieutenant is, is your, is your first, uh, uh, y- your, your most junior officer.
Um, and you're in charge of those people, and, and that's, uh, you gotta figure it out.
So I, I, I really benefited from that opportunity, and it taught me so much about leadership.
I made all kinds of mistakes, but I learned a ton, you know, and, and it, it benefited me later.
And it also gave me a perspective that once I was selected for the SEAL program, it really gave me a perspective that I appreciated.
That it just, I was just so thankful for the opportunity to be able to go to our training and be a part of that, uh, organization.
Um, and, and I'm, I'm very thankful for, for that perspective and that experience.
If, if you'd have got to go right away, do you think you'd have done as well at it or would, would, uh, would have you taken it more for granted if you got to go right away?
No, no, there's no question that I would've-- I certainly would've taken it for granted.
I wouldn't have-- As-- I would not have- As significantly appreciated the opportunities-
... uh, that I was given in, in the SEAL teams, um, and the freedom that I was given and, uh, just the fun that we were able to have.
I mean, I remember guys complaining about, uh, the, you know, the 15 or $20,000 worth of winter warfare gear that was issued to them 'cause, you know, they wanted Patagonia instead of Mountain Hardwear stuff.
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