{"id":"guest:276","sourceProfileId":269,"slug":"nick-umble","name":"Nick Umble","headline":"20 Years as a Green Beret and He's Got Nothing to Prove — That's the Point","bio":"Nick Umble embodies the rare warrior who walks away from the spotlight at the height of his achievements. A 20-year Army veteran with 14 years as a Green Beret in First Special Forces Group, Umble deployed across 30 countries and earned three Bronze Stars including a Valor Citation. Unlike many military heroes, he's never turned his service into a personal brand, choosing instead to let his actions speak louder than any marketing campaign.\n\nAfter retiring at 38, Umble made an unconventional pivot that epitomizes his approach to life's challenges. He walked onto a college football team to learn long snapping—a position he'd never played—demonstrating the same tactical precision he applied in special operations. Though a rotator cuff injury ended his football career after one season, he characteristically moved forward without fanfare or social media posts about the setback.\n\nUmble found his next mission in the demanding world of strongman competition, where he discovered what he calls his \"equalizer\"—a sport where you can't fake strength or blame teammates. His dedication paid off when he finished ninth at the 2026 Arnold Masters World Championship, establishing himself among elite athletes in his age category. Through this journey, he built Sentinel Strength, combining his coaching expertise with a deep understanding of human performance.\n\nToday, Umble specializes in helping others navigate the challenging transition from military service to civilian life—the often-overlooked chapter that comes \"after the medals, after the identity, after the proof.\" His 58-episode podcast on surviving post-service life reflects his commitment to supporting fellow veterans through one of their most difficult phases. At 47, he continues competing while coaching others through the mental and physical challenges that define true strength, approaching each new challenge with the same understated confidence that has defined his remarkable career.","originalBio":"Nick Umble embodies the rare warrior who walks away from the spotlight at the height of his achievements. A 20-year Army veteran with 14 years as a Green Beret in First Special Forces Group, Umble deployed across 30 countries and earned three Bronze Stars including a Valor Citation. Unlike many military heroes, he's never turned his service into a personal brand, choosing instead to let his actions speak louder than any marketing campaign.\n\nAfter retiring at 38, Umble made an unconventional pivot that epitomizes his approach to life's challenges. He walked onto a college football team to learn long snapping—a position he'd never played—demonstrating the same tactical precision he applied in special operations. Though a rotator cuff injury ended his football career after one season, he characteristically moved forward without fanfare or social media posts about the setback.\n\nUmble found his next mission in the demanding world of strongman competition, where he discovered what he calls his \"equalizer\"—a sport where you can't fake strength or blame teammates. His dedication paid off when he finished ninth at the 2026 Arnold Masters World Championship, establishing himself among elite athletes in his age category. Through this journey, he built Sentinel Strength, combining his coaching expertise with a deep understanding of human performance.\n\nToday, Umble specializes in helping others navigate the challenging transition from military service to civilian life—the often-overlooked chapter that comes \"after the medals, after the identity, after the proof.\" His 58-episode podcast on surviving post-service life reflects his commitment to supporting fellow veterans through one of their most difficult phases. At 47, he continues competing while coaching others through the mental and physical challenges that define true strength, approaching each new challenge with the same understated confidence that has defined his remarkable career.","portrait":"https://app.conversationos.live/api/public/guest-photo/nick-umble.jpg","originalHeadshot":"https://app.conversationos.live/api/public/guest-photo/nick-umble.jpg","topics":["Center Stage","Special Forces Operations","Veteran Transition Coaching","Strongman Competition","Mental Health & Resilience","Team Leadership","Goal Setting & Achievement","Physical Training & Conditioning","Military Selection Processes","Identity Transformation","Personal Accountability Systems"],"expertise":[],"product":"center-stage","socialLinks":{"linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickumble","youtube":"https://youtube.com/@sentinelstrength","website":"https://sentinelstrength.net"},"sameAs":["https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickumble","https://youtube.com/@sentinelstrength","https://sentinelstrength.net"],"appearances":[{"showName":"Mornings in the Lab","segment":"Center Stage","date":"2026-04-23","sourceUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiA6eV65TMI","videoId":"EiA6eV65TMI"}],"primaryVideoId":"EiA6eV65TMI","primaryTitle":"","episodeNumber":"","authoritySegment":"","clips":[{"videoId":"EiA6eV65TMI","title":"MENTAL BREAKDOWN","quote":"And if you don't do that, my mental health went to shit.","description":"Why continuous goal-setting became essential after leaving military structure behind.","thumbnail":"https://i.ytimg.com/vi/EiA6eV65TMI/hqdefault.jpg"},{"videoId":"EiA6eV65TMI","title":"CAN'T FAKE IT","quote":"You can't fake strength. You can't blame other people.","description":"Why strongman competition became the perfect post-military pursuit for accountability.","thumbnail":"https://i.ytimg.com/vi/EiA6eV65TMI/hqdefault.jpg"},{"videoId":"EiA6eV65TMI","title":"CARPENTER'S EDGE","quote":"How are you going to quit the carpenter's still here?","description":"How his blue-collar background became an unexpected advantage in Special Forces selection.","thumbnail":"https://i.ytimg.com/vi/EiA6eV65TMI/hqdefault.jpg"}],"insights":[{"eyebrow":"MENTAL HEALTH THROUGH MISSION","quote":"I don't know how to stop. I spent 20 years in the army. I spent 16 years as a green beret and I was always in a training cycle. So when I retired, you're always preparing for something. And if you don't do that, my mental health went to shit. So I was like, 'Hey man, I got to figure this out.'","context":"Umble reveals the psychological challenge many veterans face when transitioning from military structure to civilian life, highlighting how continuous goal-setting became his solution for maintaining mental wellness.","topic":"Veteran Transition","timestamp":null},{"eyebrow":"THE EQUALIZER OF STRENGTH","quote":"In strongman, as you know, there's nobody to blame. You can't fake strength. You can't blame other people. Like everything falls on you. That stone isn't getting any lighter. You got to get stronger.","context":"This insight captures Umble's philosophy on accountability and why he gravitated toward strongman competition as his post-military pursuit, finding parallels between physical and mental resilience.","topic":"Personal Accountability","timestamp":null},{"eyebrow":"TOXIC BUT NECESSARY","quote":"It's the most toxic competitive environment that you could ever be in in your life. However, it has to be that way. It has to be uber competitive. And that uber competitiveness turns it toxic. Well, the guys on the other side are trying to kill you. If you don't have that competitiveness, they're going to eat your lunch.","context":"Umble provides rare insight into the psychological dynamics of special operations, explaining why extreme competitiveness, despite its downsides, is essential for survival in combat situations.","topic":"Special Operations Culture","timestamp":null},{"eyebrow":"IDENTITY EVOLUTION","quote":"Being a Green Beret forged who I am today, but it's not who I am today. I'm a husband. I'm a strong man. I'm a guy that likes to keep his grass looking like a goddamn golf course. That's who I am today.","context":"This powerful statement demonstrates Umble's healthy relationship with his military identity, showing how he honors his past while fully embracing his current life and roles.","topic":"Identity Transition","timestamp":null},{"eyebrow":"DECISION WITHOUT HESITATION","quote":"You understand what it's like to make a decision and go get it. And I just did it. I don't know how to quit. It's like what's the? After I competed at the Arnolds this year, it took me about a month to go what the do I do next?","context":"Umble's approach to life reflects his military training in decisive action, while also revealing the challenge of constantly seeking new mountains to climb after achieving major goals.","topic":"Goal Achievement","timestamp":null},{"eyebrow":"PEER ACCOUNTABILITY","quote":"You would do a team week where you would see who plays well with others. Some guys don't play well with others. And then you can get peered out of the class if your whole team thinks that you're a and you're done.","context":"This description of Special Forces selection reveals how elite units use peer evaluation as a critical assessment tool, emphasizing that technical skills alone aren't sufficient for team-based operations.","topic":"Team Dynamics","timestamp":null},{"eyebrow":"CARPENTER'S PERSISTENCE","quote":"I was a carpenter and there were a lot of dudes that were like, 'I'm not going to leave out of here unless I'm in a body bag.' And the next thing you know, you wake up the next morning and they left during the night and quit. And people would be like, 'How are you going to quit the carpenter's still here?'","context":"This story illustrates how determination often trumps bravado, and how Umble's blue-collar background actually became an advantage in the mentally demanding selection process.","topic":"Perseverance","timestamp":null},{"eyebrow":"MISSION FOCUS OVER SPECULATION","quote":"It's more of the latter, but with the attitude of like, 'Holy I didn't see that coming.' Like that shit's badass, but I did that was not on my bingo card for this year.","context":"When discussing current military operations, Umble demonstrates his continued professional interest while maintaining appropriate operational security boundaries and focusing on execution rather than speculation.","topic":"Professional Perspective","timestamp":null}],"quotes":["I don't know how to quit.","You can't fake strength.","Being a Green Beret forged who I am today, but it's not who I am today.","That stone isn't getting any lighter. You got to get stronger.","It's the most toxic competitive environment that you could ever be in in your life. However, it has to be that way."],"faqs":[{"question":"What's the difference between Green Berets and Navy SEALs?","answer":"According to Umble, both Special Forces and regular SEAL teams operate at what he calls a 'tier two' level, alongside Marine Raiders. The main operational difference is environment—SEALs specialize in maritime operations while Green Berets focus primarily on land-based missions. However, Special Forces also has dive teams, so there's some overlap. The tier one units like Delta Force and SEAL Team Six represent the elite within the elite, selecting from the best operators across all special operations units."},{"question":"How did Umble transition from military to strongman competition?","answer":"After retiring from the Army, Umble struggled with the lack of structured training cycles that had defined his military career. He discovered strongman competition because it provided the continuous goal-oriented training he needed for his mental health. Having always been part of teams throughout his life, he was initially drawn to strongman because it's an individual sport where 'you can't fake strength' and 'there's nobody to blame'—everything depends on personal accountability and effort."},{"question":"What was Umble's experience walking onto a college football team at 37?","answer":"Umble strategically chose long snapping after researching which position offered the most longevity. He hired professional coach Chris Rubio, trained for a year, and successfully walked onto the team at Belleville University. He beat out another player and started the first six or seven games of the season. The experience provided him with the institutional structure and team environment he needed during his military transition, though he left after one year due to credit transfer issues."},{"question":"How does Umble view his Green Beret identity now?","answer":"Umble has a remarkably healthy relationship with his military identity, stating that 'Being a Green Beret forged who I am today, but it's not who I am today.' He credits his military service with shaping his character but doesn't let it define his current identity. Instead, he focuses on his present roles as a husband, strongman competitor, and someone who takes pride in maintaining his property. This perspective helps him avoid the common veteran trap of living in past achievements."},{"question":"What made Special Forces selection so challenging?","answer":"According to Umble, Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS) was 24 days of intense physical and mental challenges. It included progressively difficult ruck marches (4, 12, and 25 miles with 40-50 pounds), day and night land navigation exercises, and a crucial 'team week' where candidates were evaluated on their ability to work with others. The peer evaluation system was particularly significant—if your team collectively decided you weren't suitable, you could be 'peered out' of the program regardless of your individual performance."},{"question":"What advice does Umble have for maintaining mental health after military service?","answer":"Umble emphasizes the importance of maintaining structured goals and training cycles after military retirement. He discovered that without the constant preparation for missions that defined his military career, his mental health suffered significantly. His solution was to find new challenges that required continuous training and improvement—first football, then strongman competition. He advocates for veterans to find pursuits that provide the same sense of purpose and structured progression they had in the military."}],"transcript":"Most of us spend our whole lives trying\nto prove something to someone. We're not\nalways sure who. We chase the\ncredential, the title, the number of\nfollowers who watched us do the thing.\nAnd [music] then every once in a while,\nsomeone walks in who did all of it and\njust doesn't care. His name is Nick. He\nspent 20 years in the US Army, 14\n[music]\nas a Green Beret, First Special Forces\nGroup, 30 countries, three Bronze Stars,\na Valor Citation. He's never once made\nit a brand. He retired at 38 and walked\nonto a college football team to learn a\nposition he'd never play. He tore his\nrotator cuff after one season, moved on\nwithout a single post [music] about it.\nHe found strongman, Atlas stones, kegs,\nfarmer carries. He finished ninth at the\n2026 Arnold Masters World Championship,\nbuilt Sentinel Strength, a gym, a\ncoaching brand, a 58-episode podcast on\nsurviving what comes after service. We\nasked him for his key message. He sent a\nshrug emoji. It's the most honest answer\nwe've ever received. Nick now coaches\npeople through the part after the\nmedals, after the identity, after the\nproof. That conversation starts now.\nNick, welcome to the big show. We're\nhonored to have you in the lab today.\nJohnny, we got a guy with nothing left\nto prove. And that's the point. His\nname? Nick Humble. Nick, welcome to\nMornings in the Lab with Keith, Bad\nInternet John and friends. Dude, that\nmight be the single greatest [ __ ]\nintro I've ever heard in my life. Who\n[ __ ] is this? Who\nthe [ __ ] IS THIS? OH, JOHNNY, HOLY [ __ ]\nOH MY JOHNNY,\nNick doesn't have a green beret on his\nhead. I think he might be bullshitting\nus.\nIt's actually over here on my wall.\nDude, you are you are you you are so far\n[ __ ] off in left field with this\nstuff. Unbelievable.\nSo Nick, check this out, brother.\nYesterday but did you hear that whole\nthing about the green beret? You have\nthe difference but everybody's got the\nhat. Am I green beret, too? Did you hear\nthat [ __ ] [ __ ] Were you listening?\n>> I did. Thank [ __ ] god, dude. Thank\ngod.\n>> [laughter]\n>> Yesterday, this [ __ ] thought a\nchicken, a single chicken was $5,000.\nWell, cuz it produced nothing with food,\nNick. I'm thinking, \"Hey, What is it,\nfive? It's a single chicken.\nAnd so today he says, \"Listen.\" He says,\n\"Today we got a green green beret\ncoming.\" He's all, \"Well, in all\nseriousness.\" He settles me down. \"I\nwant to ask you a serious question.\"\n>> [laughter]\n>> He's like, \"Well,\ngreen beret, they all have the hats.\nWhat's What How do you tell them apart?\"\nSo Nick, how do you tell? How do you\ntell? Because it's like saying you're a\nSEAL. You're a green beret. It's a\nsymbol for Christ's sake.\nIt's Just because Yeah, I signed up for\nthe army. I got a green beret. I got\ngave me a green hat. I'm a green beret.\nWhat is wrong with this little [ __ ]\nNick, welcome to the show. Oh, it's it's\neverything as it was been advertised.\nI'll tell you that.\nIt's a real quick just so you know, when\nhe says this [ __ ] goofy [ __ ] just\nkind of let it go by.\n>> [laughter]\n>> So okay, so we got you here for 22\nminutes, maybe longer. I'm just going to\ngo to the kitchen and make some cookies.\nYou guys can talk strength, talk green\nberet. I'll see you guys a little later,\nNick Humble.\n>> some [ __ ] better internet.\n>> [laughter]\n>> Nick, where are you joining us from,\nbrother? Where are you coming from\ntoday? West Virginia in the United\nStates. Nicely done. Nicely done.\nSo Johnny, 2026, this guy\ndecides to go become a He He decides to\ncompete in the Arnold Masters World\nChampionship in strongman. And Nick, you\nprobably know In terms of masters,\nthat's that's going to be right at the\ntop. And Johnny, he finished ninth.\nI just Well, I heard the [ __ ] intro,\ndude.\n>> [laughter]\n>> But Nick, you I never competed as a\nmaster. I was back in I retired in '07,\nso it was back right when the split was\nhappening from IFSA and that whole\nthing, but cuz I believe it's where you\nwere Arnold Masters and then it would be\nwhat, the Masters World Championship?\nThose are the top two, correct?\nSo\nthere's\nthere was a OSG OSG enters that\nequation, too? Yeah, yeah. So there was\na federation split at Strongman\nIncorporated.\nAnd that's a whole 'nother story in\nitself, but when it split,\n>> Yeah, Deonna Deonna was one of my good\nfriends. That was huge.\n>> Okay, so you you know you know the deal,\nthen. Yeah. Okay, so when they when they\nsplit,\nhe went and stood up US Strongman and\nyou can't go anywhere. Like you can go\nto nationals, but after you do\nnationals, you can't go anywhere else.\nStrongman Incorporated\nhas always had nationals and then two\nyears ago, they started doing regionals\nthat can put you into the Arnolds.\nAnd then\nfor a masters category, obviously. Like\nif you go to the Pro Am and win the Pro\nAm at the Arnolds, you go compete at the\nArnold Classic\n>> next year. Next year, yeah. Yeah, which\nis [ __ ] A couple of guys have done\nreally well with that, too. [ __ ]\n>> They have. A ton of guys have done well\nwith that. So then [clears throat]\nthen OSG has been around and they used\nto run a lot of regionals in the US. Now\nthey only run one regional in like I\nthink 15 different countries.\nAnd then you can do an online qualifier.\nSo I'm going to try to do an online\nqualifier for OSG Worlds this year.\nSo my next two comps will be Strongman\nIncorporated Nationals in August and\nthen somehow between the end of July and\nthe 1st of September, I'm going to try\nto qualify online for OSG as well.\nRight on.\n>> [clears throat]\n>> Very cool.\nVery cool.\n>> I don't know how to stop. Like I I spent\n20 years in the army. I spent 16 years\nas that as a green beret and I was\nalways in a training cycle.\nSo when I retired, You're always\npreparing for something. Yeah, and if\nyou don't do that, your mental My mental\nhealth I don't know [clears throat]\nabout everybody else's, but my mental\nhealth went to [ __ ] So I was like, \"Hey\nman, I got to I got to figure this out.\"\nAnd I found the sport of strongman. In\nmy entire\nlife from adolescence to strongman, I\nhad worked on a team at some point.\nWell, in strongman, as you know, there's\nnobody to blame. Like you can't fake\nstrength. It's it You can't blame other\npeople. Like everything falls on you.\nAnd that's your equalizer, isn't it?\nThat stone isn't getting any lighter.\nYou got to get stronger. Correct. Like\never gets lighter. It just\nkeeps get This is the strongest I've\nIt's the heaviest I've ever been in my\nlife, which I'm not so sure if that's\nall that great, but it's also the\nstrongest I've ever been in my life. But\nbut how old are you, brother?\nWhat's that?\n>> How old How old are you, brother? Uh 47.\nI'll be 48 in June. Good for you, man.\nThat's [ __ ] cool. I I agree. Nick,\nthere is something to be said about\nabout the the That's what I love about\nthe gym, right? And you look at a 45-lb\nplate, it's it's a 45-lb plate. It's not\nIt doesn't matter what color you are,\nwhat sexuality you are, what gender you\nare. It's 45 lbs. And they're all like\nare like the stones you guys pick up,\nright? There's no It doesn't know what\nyou are. You you you can't pick me up,\nwell then you better [ __ ] work at it.\nIt's just It's pretty simple, right?\nYeah, yeah. So Nick, you Johnny, get\nthis. He was a Special Forces Engineer\nSergeant, which means that you special\nSo your specialty was explosives and\ndemolitions. Dude, that's that's a\npretty hardcore [ __ ]\nI It was\nI loved it, man. It was\n15 years of the greatest years of my\nlife. Yeah. I loved it, man. I being I\ntell this to people all the time. People\nlike, \"What is it like being in special\noperations?\" And I'm like, \"It's the\nmost toxic [ __ ] competitive\nenvironment that you could ever be in in\nyour life.\" However, it has to be that\nway. It has to be uber competitive. And\nthat uber competitiveness turns it toxic\n[clears throat] [ __ ] Well, it is I mean\nthe the guys on the other side are\ntrying to kill you. If you don't have\nthat competitiveness, the guys that are\ndoing that environment on the other\nside, they're going to [ __ ] eat your\nlunch and that's not you're not letting\nthat happen. 100% and that's but it was\nI wouldn't trade the good days, the bad\ndays, the deployments,\nthe\nmultiple divorces and marriages that I\nhad. I wouldn't trade any of it.\n[clears throat]\nThat experience that I had, those years\nwith all those guys.\nWell, you know, brother, what I want to\nhear and I I think I caught this in the\nintro, you actually went and and tried\nto play football at collegiate level\njust\ncold, just just showed up and tried? So\na year out, the army decided they wanted\nto make a career decision for me and I\nwas like, \"That's not [ __ ]\nhappening.\" It was the first time in my\ncareer that it'd been done that way.\nSo I decided I'm going to retire. So\n>> How old are you at this point? 37.\nSo yesterday. Yeah. So I started I I\nfound a long snapping coach. I What I\nreally really did is I looked on a\nfootball roster and I was like, \"What is\nthe most Where can I be the most\nlongevity at?\" Like\n>> Long snap will do the trick, yes.\nExactly. So\n>> [clears throat]\n>> I hired a coach, Chris Rubio, and he I\nspent a year with him and one of his\nsatellite coaches and they taught me how\nto long snap and then I played a year of\ncollege football. I would have played\nlonger,\nbut I went to a private school and the\nschool came back and said, \"None of your\nmilitary credits are going to count.\nYou're going to need to be here for 4\nyears to get a bachelor's degree.\" And\nI'm a 38-year-old man at this point. I'm\nnot a 22-year-old kid and I'm like,\n\"Yeah, that's financial. That's\n[ __ ]\nI'm not going to do that.\" So I left\nafter a year of school there\nand went online to finish my degree.\n>> Where was it? What?\n>> Belleville. So right It was an NAIA\nschool right outside of St. Louis on the\nIllinois side. Okay. Small school,\nnothing huge, not a D1, great\nexperience. And then the school\nmade a lot of coaching and AD changes\nand like 4 years later, the whole school\nended up being shut down. So Lindenwood\n>> Oh.\nLindenwood proper is in St. Louis,\nreally St. Charles, Missouri, and they\nhave a D1 program there now that went\nfrom NAIA to D2 to D1. And when they\nwent to D2,\nthey started\nputting in all these satellite colleges\nand it's just like any corporation,\nright? You're just cannibalizing\nyourself at that point. They could They\ncouldn't sustain the just hemorrhaging\nof money. So, they ended up closing all\nof their satellite schools and all they\nhave is their main school now.\nGot you. Well, that's so what what was\nthat experience like? I mean, you\nbasically will learn to snap, showed up,\nsaid I want to try out. Yeah, I mean, I\ngot I I snapped\n>> this because most people that's just\nseems like such a stretch. That's like\nwhat?\n>> [laughter]\n>> But I mean\nyou I mean you understand what it's like\nto make a decision and go [ __ ] get\nit. And I just just did it done. Let's\njust do it. I don't know how to quit.\nIt's like what's the next? Like after I\ncompeted at the Arnolds this year, it\ntook me about a month to go\nwhat the [ __ ] am I going to do next?\nLike I I've been a national qualifier\nfor 5 years. I've competed at nationals\ntwice with two top 10 finishes. Like\nI've been to the Arnolds with a top 10\nfinish. Like what the [ __ ] do I do now?\nSo, I'm still training and I'm going\n[clears throat] to go to nationals, but\nthere's a part a part of me that's a\nlittle bit like what's next? What where\ncan I push myself to the next level of\nthis?\n>> Yeah. Yeah.\nSo,\nwalking on the football team, I got\nthere and I had another kid that snapped\nand I beat him out and I started the\nfirst\nsix or seven games.\nAnd from there I finished the rest of\nthe season and then obviously the whole\nhey, your credits don't transfer over.\nBut I what it did for me is it just\ngetting out of the army is a transition\nitself after 20 years of being\ninstitutionalized.\n>> Yeah. So,\ngoing to school was sort of an\ninstitution and I was on a team and had\nmade friends and it was funny that I'm\n38 and now I have friends that are 18 to\n22.\n>> [laughter]\n>> Yeah. Yeah.\nSo, brother so just cuz I'm I love this\nidea because\nthere's I I guarantee there are people\nthat\nwanted to walk on or maybe they're\nhearing this, maybe they're sitting with\ntheir dad and they listen to the show\nand they want to walk on.\nI mean, what do you literally and I'm\nkind of curious myself. So, you get\ntrained for this?\nRight? You get a coach [clears throat]\nand school starts or you what you just\nread send the [ __ ] coach an email and\nsay I want I want to walk on? No, I had\nSo, I had at the So, I don't have any\nThe only social media I have now is an X\naccount and a LinkedIn. At the time I\nhad Instagram and I had Facebook. So, I\nwas posting snapping videos. Chris Rubio\nwas helping me with recruiting.\nAnother coach was helping me with\nrecruiting that I met through the\njourney.\nAnd I had a coach call me from London\nwas like, \"Hey, I want to put you on\nscholarship and get you in.\" Now,\nhe says, \"I think you'll be a really\ngood addition to this football team with\nyour\nHe looked at as maturity.\n>> [laughter]\n>> And it's a cool story.\nYeah. [ __ ] yeah. Yeah.\nAnd so, I went and played football there\nand like all the refs knew who I was. I\ndidn't know who they were. Like we would\nbe walking off the field at the end of\nthe game and they'd be like, \"Hey, man,\nit was like an honor being here with\nyou.\" And I'm like, \"What the fuck?\"\nLike Yeah, thank you.\nI had no idea that a lot of those\nreferees knew\nlike who I was and it would to me it\nwasn't That's a [ __ ] story to have\nsomeone in their mid-30s come and play\non a football. That's a great [ __ ]\nstory. Holy [ __ ] It was a blast, man. I\nI had a great time. As a matter of fact,\nI just got replica jerseys made and I'm\ngoing to put one under that Marcus\nMariota jersey behind me Nice.\n>> um here in the next week or two.\nHey Nick.\n>> Are you a big Are you a Oregon fan or\njust a Mariota fan? No, man. So, well,\nwe got season tickets when I was in the\narmy. I was at Fort Lewis in Tacoma and\nwe would drive down to the Ducks. I had\nseason tickets for 2 years. And the\nfirst year I had tickets was the year\nMariota won his Heisman. And so, my wife\nit's actually her jersey. She's a super\nMariota fan.\nAnd because of the human being that he\nis. And so, her\na bunch of employees got together for\nChristmas and got her a signed Marcus\njersey.\nAnd she was like, \"I don't know where to\nput this.\" So, I was like, \"I know I\nknow exactly where that thing can go.\"\n>> [laughter]\n>> I do. I'll help you with that part.\nYou're hanging out with Nick on the but\nhe's got John Anderson this morning on\nMornings with Lab with Keith John and\nFriends. Nick is a former Green Beret\nSentinel Street. Actually, I guess I I\nincorrectly stated it. You're never a\nformer, you're always a Green Beret,\nright? Like I was actually I'm being\nserious. Can you correct me? How how do\nyou how how does one identify? Cuz Well,\nbrother, just kind of like this, you're\nalways going to be a weird [ __ ]\nYou're never going to get rid of that.\n>> [laughter]\n>> It's who it's I I'll say it like this.\nYeah. Being a Green Beret forged who I\nam today, but it's not who I am today.\nOh, interesting response. I'm a husband.\nI'm a strong man. I'm I'm a guy that\nlikes to keep his [ __ ] grass looking\nlike a goddamn golf course. That's who I\nam today. But for 15 years, you know, I\nwas a\nguy that wanted to get after it on a\nteam. But that's not who I am now, but\nit made me who I am today. I want to\nhear, brother, I want to hear cuz\nobviously,\n>> [clears throat]\n>> you know, like the\nthe process that turned you into that\nwarrior. Yes. Tell us a story about one\nof the things that the public might have\na hard time comprehending that you\nactually would do. Yeah. Good morning,\nRico.\nYou mean to like like my journey in\ngetting in getting Yeah, almost like\nwhatever whatever they call that phase\nof of becoming that high-level warrior.\nI guess\nin the school sense, right? You'll go to\nSFAS, Special Forces Assessment\nSelection. If you get selected\nand you make it through and get\nselected, then you'll go to the Special\nForces Qualification Course. And that\ncan be anywhere from I think it's seven\nor eight months up to a year and a half.\nAnd then depending on what job you get,\nlike the medics are the longest and the\nengineers and the weapons guys are the\nshortest and then comms guys fall\nsomewhere in the middle. Okay. And then\nyou'll get through with that, you'll go\nto SERE school and language school and\nthen you'll go in. I guess for me it was\nI was in the army. I was a I was a\ncarpenter in the army. I was a\ncarpentry masonry engineer.\n>> no [ __ ] And I was like, \"There's got to\nbe something better.\" And my buddy made\na comment like I want to go try out to\nbe a Green Beret and I had no idea what\nit was.\nSo, I kind of read a little bit about it\nand then we just\n>> Cuz you remember, brother, Rambo was a\n[ __ ] Green Beret. Yes.\n>> [laughter]\n>> So was John Wayne. I mean, There we go.\nThere we go.\n>> [laughter]\n>> But I just I started to train for it and\nit just gave me like I don't know. I've\nalways had this thing like the stronger\nI get or the faster [clears throat] I\nget or the the human performance side of\nit. I didn't really understand that, but\nthe more that I trained it I got I would\nget faster doing this or I would get\nstronger doing this. It just appealed to\nme. And so, going through some of that\n[ __ ] I mean, SFAS isn't all that fun to\ngo through. I mean, that's 24 days of\n[ __ ] insanity. What is Just describe\nwhat that is. That's what I'm after.\nYes. So, I don't know there's tiers\nwhere they're testing that you actually\nhave what it takes to stay in that\nlevel. Talk about those tests. I don't\nknow how SFAS is run today because\nobviously I've been out I've been out of\nthe army. I've been retired for 10 years\nand I haven't been to selection in\n25. So, 25 years ago you showed up and\nyou went to Camp McCall, North Carolina\nand you did some you did three three\nroad marches that were four, six, four,\n12, and 25 at the end.\nYou did three big runs. What does that\nmean? What does that mean 425 at the\nend? What does that mean?\nSo, a a ruck march is basically putting\na backpack on with 40 or 50 pounds on\nyour back and then you'll walk. So, we\nwe did a a four-miler was one day. Then\nat some point in there we did a\n12-miler. And then at the very end, the\nlast gut check of the 24 days is a\n25-mile road march. Wow.\nAnd so, you're basically just your dick\nis in the dirt at that point.\n>> That's a marathon right there with 50\npounds on your back in boots.\nOh, yeah. It's it's it's not all that\ngreat. It's not fun.\n>> [laughter]\n>> And then in between that you did a whole\nbunch of land navigation. So, you would\ndo day land nav and then night land nav.\nAnd that's just walking through the\nwoods trying to find points doing\norienteering.\nAnd then you would do a team week where\nyou would do two events a day for 5\ndays. And you would see who plays well\nwith others. And yeah. Some guys don't\nplay well with others. And then at the\nend of it you do a peer. Like this guy\nis awesome or this guy is sucks. And\nthen you can get peered out of the class\nwhenever if your whole team thinks that\nyou're a [ __ ] and\nhey, you're done. And they'll just\nyou're you're you're gone. Then\nsometimes guys go to a board and they\nget personality looked at and they're\nlike, \"Your personality's not what we\nwant.\"\n>> [clears throat]\n>> Is it a setting where they're trying to\nget you to quit? You know, like they you\nalways hear the stories about the SEALs\nwhere all you got to do is ring the bell\nand you can go get you warm and have\nsome pizza.\nNo, I don't I don't remember anybody\nactively going like, \"Hey, you can.\" But\na lot of guys just leave. Like it sucks.\nIt's not fun.\nLike it it's grueling and it just it's\njust one of those things that just\nslowly I don't remember anyone in SFAS\njust actively trying to get you to quit\nor [ __ ] with you on purpose to get\nyou to quit.\nThey were just like, \"Wake up, do the\ntask.\" And if you can't do the task or\ndon't want to do the task. The funniest\npart for me is this\nis that I was a carpenter and there were\na lot of dudes that were like,\n\"I'm not going to leave out of here\nunless I'm in a body bag.\" And the next\nthing you know, you wake up the next\nmorning and they left during the night\nand quit. And people would be like, \"How\nare you going to quit the [ __ ]\ncarpenter's still here?\" That was the\njoke, right? Like wait a minute, how is\nthis carpenter here and you're in a\n[ __ ]\n>> [laughter]\n>> The carpenter's still here\nand you quit.\nHey, Nick, so talk a little bit about\nSo, you know, we hear you know, so you\nwere in Special Forces Green Beret. So,\nthere's that. And then we you know, to\nJohn's point we hear often about the you\nknow, SEAL Team or SEAL Team Six\ntraining. Like like is it the same? Is\nit different? Is it like like can you\nkind of explain to He didn't He didn't\nHe didn't just say that. Yeah. So, let's\nlet's let's look at tiers, right? So\nso you have SEALs\n>> Oh, real real quick, I was going to say,\nyou realize a seal, the symbol means\nthey're in the water. Do you understand\nthat? [laughter]\nI know what they Well, the difference,\nmaybe that alone will help you\nunderstand what we're talking about\nhere, Wino. I I'm thinking so much about\njust the training and the and and just\nthe hard-ass training that that that it\ntakes to create a green beret.\n>> Training in the water or not? Well,\nthere's being on land. That's the\nbiggest difference, right? How it is?\nYeah, the SEALs spend a lot of time in\nHence hence the name SEAL. No, I know,\nbut but but that but that is the biggest\nlike so it's adding the the the land to\nthe water. So you're good on the land,\nyou want to be you want to you want to\nbe the ultimate elite, you got to go get\nin the water, too, Nick. Well, so\nspecial forces has dive teams. Yes.\n>> And then there's tiers. So I'm going to\ncatch a lot of [ __ ] about this, but if\nyou think of special forces, maybe\nSEALs, like normal SEAL teams, special\nforces teams, Marine Raider teams, all\nthose guys are like on a tier of like\nlet's say that's a tier two level. Okay.\n>> Your tier one level is like Delta, SEAL\nTeam Six.\n>> Yeah. It's\n>> [clears throat]\n>> it's when they pick the select from that\ntier two. Yeah, yeah, yeah.\n>> like being in the NFL or being on the\nbeing an All-Star in the NFL. Or excuse\nme, what do they call it? All League or\nwhatever the the\nor Hall of Fame, you know, I mean, it's\nlike you're the crème de la crème of the\nbest league in the world. So the\nservices run it different, right? So in\nthe Navy\nto go to SEAL Team Six, you have to be a\nSEAL already. Yeah, for sure.\n>> Okay. Now, to be a Delta Force guy, you\ncan come from anywhere in the Army. You\ncan come from the [ __ ] Marine Corps\nif you want to. If you go to selection,\nthey'll do a branch transfer.\nOh.\nOkay.\n>> Navy SEALs have gone over to be Yeah,\nthat that one right there, they don't\ngive a [ __ ] where you came from, but are\nyou badass enough to to do it? Yep. So\nNick is the Is it going to\n[clears throat] be like the Is there\nlike like\nLike what's the one? Like is there like\nwhat like what's the pinnacle, like the\nlike the most elite soldier in the US\nmilitary? Like what would that Like what\nis it? Is SEAL Team Six, Delta, like\nwhat? Ranger? Like I'm I'm just throwing\nnames out. Delta, isn't it? Isn't that\nwhat he just explained? The tier one\nunits would be Delta and and ST6.\nOh, yeah, okay. Okay.\nThose [clears throat] are the Those are\nthe two that are picking from the all of\nthe best of the best, and they're just\ntaking a small group of the best of the\nbest of the best.\nCorrect?\n>> those dudes are the guys that like\nsnatched Bin Laden. Like those are the\ndudes that are killed Bin Laden.\n[laughter]\nThe other dudes are the guys that\nsnatched [ __ ] dude in Venezuela. Yes.\nYeah. Like those are the guys doing\nthat. And what it really depends on and\nwho is is who is the Joint Special\nOperations Command commander. If the\ndude's in the Army, who's he going to\nsend? If the dude's in the Navy, who's\nhe going to send, right?\n>> Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.\n>> down to that. Yeah, yeah. Keith, John,\nand Nick hanging out this morning. Hey\nNick, we had you here for 30. Do you\nhave extra time to hang out with us or\ndo you got to get out of here? Oh, man,\nI got whatever time you need. Awesome.\nSo let me ask this question about the So\nyou you have been in the forces and you\nwatch now from afar, do you still\nyourself get fascinated by some like for\nexample, Venezuela, right? So it was\nthis operation all of a sudden just\nhappened. So do you still yourself kind\nof go, \"Wow, how'd they do that?\" Or do\nyou kind of get all nerdy and get\nfascinated? Or do or or is it just like\nin in one ear, out the other? Oh, that's\njust normal [ __ ] for those guys.\nIt's more of the latter, but with the\nattitude of like, \"Holy [ __ ] I didn't\nsee that coming.\" OH, OKAY.\n>> [laughter]\n>> LIKE THAT SHIT'S BADASS, BUT LIKE [ __ ]\nI DID THAT WAS NOT ON MY BINGO CARD FOR\nTHIS YEAR.\n>> [laughter]\n[gasps]\n>> OH, THERE YOU KNOW WHAT, JOHNNY? THERE'S\nSOMETHING TO BE SAID FOR what Nick said,\ncuz you and I've often joked about\nwhatever's happening over there, we\nshould go pay attention to what's\nhappening over here. So it's not lost\nupon me, Nick, that a few months ago\nthere was a lot of noise happening over\nthere, just down below you. Now there's\na bunch of noise happening over there,\nwhich makes me wonder, Nick, what\nthey're doing over there, if you know\nwhat I'm talking about, right?\n>> I do.\n100% dude.\nI COMPLETELY UNDER\n>> [laughter]\n>> OR OR HEY, JIMMY, get this clip ready.\nOr what's happening with these NASA\nengineers and UFO guys going missing?\nNick, have you heard about this? Yeah, I\nA 29-year-old NASA engineer is dead, and\nthe FBI just opened a file on 12 more\nscientists. That's not a coincidence\nconversation, that's a national security\nbriefing. Joshua LeBlanc worked on\nnuclear propulsion at NASA. His Tesla\nwas found burned beyond recognition in\nAlabama. No confirmed connections yet,\nbut when the president says he's been\nbriefed, you stop calling it a theory.\nNick, thoughts on that?\nI don't That's I I seen a podcast about\nthat the other day, and I I knew that\nthere were some missing. I just didn't\nknow the particulars behind every dude,\nand they said the particulars behind\nevery guy.\nI bro,\nI'm not saying aliens are there, but\nI mean, you can only dig so deep before\nbad [ __ ] starts happening, it looks\nlike. Well, yeah, that's that's exactly\nwhat I was thinking, too, brother. You\nyou don't want to know too much in that\nworld.\n>> Yeah. Yeah. Well, Johnny, there's a\nthere's a I saw a post yesterday, a\nyoung lady, her her partner, they're\nworking on anti-gravity technology.\nOne of them's gone missing. Yeah, she's\nshe's been doing it for like 15 years or\nsomething. And one of them's gone like\nthat's just [ __ ] bizarre, right? So\nthink about Anderson, you you start down\nthis path, you start discovering\nsomething, you create this invention,\nNick and Terry's like, \"Where's John?\"\nI'm not sure.\nSomebody [ __ ] took him. Like it's\ncrazy [ __ ] Nick. I mean, and this I\nbelieve that these patterns are are not\n[ __ ] new. This has been happening\n[ __ ] decades. Yes. Yeah, all that's\nnew is that this administration is\nchoosing to talk about it publicly\ninstead of sign things with an auto pen.\nSo Nick\nNick and [laughter] John this morning on\nMornings with the Lion with Keith, John,\nand friends. Hey, so I got a segment on\nthe show that I really enjoy, and John\nbreaks [ __ ] down, and it's called\ncommitted, Nick. And one thing I really\nenjoy about my brother here is he's got\nan eye for for for movement. Like he he\nhe spots\n>> Well, here's the thing, though. Our our\nman has got it, too, because perfect\nexample, like part of what where where I\ndeveloped this, brother, was especially\ncoming into the sport of strongman, you\nknow, I I I got to I turned pro my third\ncontest. So I was traveling\ninternationally right away, and I didn't\n[ __ ] I was back in the Mark Philippi\ndays, you know,\nand [clears throat] Phil Pfister days,\nand so I'm traveling with these guys,\nand I'm like [ __ ] green, and I'm\nhaving to figure [ __ ] out. So I'm like\nliterally [clears throat] studying like\nall these little like, \"Fuck, where are\nthey grabbing that stone? Like a field\nstone, they're they're turning it this\nway.\" So I was just breaking down all\nthese little details, you know, and of\ncourse, then we would compete as a team,\nthey would help me with this [ __ ] but I\nguarantee you do the same thing. You\nwalk in, yeah. You go to the arena, you\nwalk around, you look at the equipment,\ngo, \"Okay, I need to grab this [ __ ] I\nneed to turn this stone this direction.\nI want this side down when I pick this\n[ __ ] up.\" He's got it, too, Keith. I\nguarantee I know it. And Nick, I met\nJohn, I thoroughly enjoyed it, cuz we'll\ndo things, and John will show me\nsomething I haven't seen. He's like,\n\"No, look at that.\" I'm like, \"Holy\nfuck.\" Like he the way he can Yeah, it's\nlike you're you're not you're looking at\nlook don't look at the don't look at\nthis, look at that. And then it's like,\n\"Oh, I didn't even see that.\" Well,\n[ __ ] that's our eyes go to what what\nare we we've got to find the the little\n[ __ ] handle. We need the little lip\nto put our fingers on of whatever we're\nlifting. That kind of [ __ ] you know. So\nthis is kind of ridiculous, but it's all\nserious, [clears throat] because it\naffects all of us every single day when\nwe're on the roads driving, but Jimmy\nput this up here. Look at the commitment\nto this task\nof [ __ ] painting road lines.\nLike and I'm being serious, think of the\ncommitment like you just like like the\nmonotony and the commitment to [ __ ]\ncolor in the lines, Nick Umble. And I'm\nnot and I'm being actually [ __ ]\nserious right now. He turns it into a\ngame.\nOh, yes, he does.\nAnd he's turning he turns it into a\ngame. That's what he's doing. He's\nturning it into an evolution. Because\nit's the only way he can probably keep\nhimself motivated to do it non-stop,\nlike you know, and and and but when I\nsaw that, I'm like, could you imagine\ndoing that for eight to 10 [ __ ] hours\na day? Like the like the commitment you\nhave to movements and to going over a\nline, and I know it sounds goofy, but\nthere's a lot of truth to what I'm\nsaying right now.\nI mean,\nthat's how I that's how I mean Yeah, I\nknow, you're so correct, dude, cuz you\ngot to like, \"Okay, I got to [ __ ]\nnail this spot perfectly. I'm going to\nput the I'm going to put the\n[clears throat] whatever the spray guard\nover here, cuz I can overspray this, but\nthis side's got to be [ __ ] perfect.\"\n>> It's crazy, [laughter] man. You'd think\nthey'd have robots for all that, but no.\nThere there you go.","conversationTopics":[],"images":[{"url":"https://pub-176ab0b7668b46259a6c72d4ad146d40.r2.dev/guest-profiles/nick-umble/1777315267456-228d8f9256bf-headshot-1777315267455.jpeg","label":"authority_portrait","description":"","type":"authority_portrait"},{"url":"https://pub-176ab0b7668b46259a6c72d4ad146d40.r2.dev/announcement-cards/1781431181920-d50603e598fb-nick-umble-announcement-c4e54b58.png","label":"Announcement card","description":"Pre-show shareable graphic generated by the Authority Page Builder.","type":"announcement_card"},{"url":"https://pub-176ab0b7668b46259a6c72d4ad146d40.r2.dev/story-plates/1781431187842-dbc1ecf1b3c8-nick-umble-plate-1-29fe7294.png","label":"MENTAL HEALTH THROUGH MISSION","description":"","type":"story"},{"url":"https://pub-176ab0b7668b46259a6c72d4ad146d40.r2.dev/story-plates/1781431209593-d9e0bbae5117-nick-umble-plate-2-ef3e1762.png","label":"THE EQUALIZER OF STRENGTH","description":"","type":"story"},{"url":"https://pub-176ab0b7668b46259a6c72d4ad146d40.r2.dev/story-plates/1781431232247-1617313f3bd2-nick-umble-plate-3-6b504300.png","label":"TOXIC BUT NECESSARY","description":"","type":"story"},{"url":"https://pub-176ab0b7668b46259a6c72d4ad146d40.r2.dev/story-plates/1781431257616-48131e2ef882-nick-umble-plate-4-b851215a.png","label":"IDENTITY EVOLUTION","description":"","type":"story"},{"url":"https://pub-176ab0b7668b46259a6c72d4ad146d40.r2.dev/story-plates/1781431279754-2fcc33232664-nick-umble-plate-5-8334cd92.png","label":"DECISION WITHOUT HESITATION","description":"","type":"story"},{"url":"https://pub-176ab0b7668b46259a6c72d4ad146d40.r2.dev/story-plates/1781431303245-764e695f0e16-nick-umble-plate-6-b95a4705.png","label":"PEER ACCOUNTABILITY","description":"","type":"story"},{"url":"https://pub-176ab0b7668b46259a6c72d4ad146d40.r2.dev/story-plates/1781431326808-9a478f8a068a-nick-umble-plate-7-4a725337.png","label":"CARPENTER'S PERSISTENCE","description":"","type":"story"},{"url":"https://pub-176ab0b7668b46259a6c72d4ad146d40.r2.dev/story-plates/1781431347646-728e67d8bab5-nick-umble-plate-8-cef086d4.png","label":"MISSION FOCUS OVER SPECULATION","description":"","type":"story"}],"livingPortrait":"https://pub-176ab0b7668b46259a6c72d4ad146d40.r2.dev/transitions/1781431212003-38520750e66f-veo-1781431212003.mp4","heroVideo":"","heroPoster":"https://i.ytimg.com/vi/EiA6eV65TMI/maxresdefault.jpg","storyVideo":"","mediaKit":"","sourceUrl":"https://guestengine.live/profile/nick-umble","publishedAt":"2026-04-27T18:41:28.053Z","publicationStatus":"published","canonicalUrl":"https://mornings.network/shows/center-stage/guests/nick-umble","verifiedVideos":[{"status":"available","videoId":"EiA6eV65TMI","title":"Nick Umble: 20 Years as a Green Beret & Nothing to Prove","channel":"Mornings in the Lab with Keith, Jon & Friends LIVE","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/@MorningsintheLab","thumbnail":"https://i.ytimg.com/vi/EiA6eV65TMI/hqdefault.jpg","verifiedAt":"2026-10-04T00:40:24.004707+00:00","evidence":"https://www.youtube.com/oembed?format=json&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiA6eV65TMI"}]}