Dalton Fischer Podcast Andy Stumpf: Lethality of SEAL Team 6, Hostage Rescue Missions & Getting Shot With an AK-47
Mar 31, 2026
Andy Stumpf, former Navy SEAL and SEAL Team 6 operator turned wingsuit record‑holder and author. He recounts high‑risk hostage rescue tactics, the reality of close‑quarters combat and being shot with an AK‑47. He also covers elite selection, the grind of special‑ops training, and his post‑service reinvention through wingsuiting and recovery.
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Chunk Hard Goals By Making The Next Meal The Target
- Make big challenges manageable by chunking goals into immediate, reachable steps like "make it to the next meal."
- Stumpf learned this in Hell Week where feeding windows and short targets preserved morale and momentum.
Plan Your Post Service Off-Ramp Early
- Start building an off-ramp at least 18 months before separating from the military to replace income and reduce transition stress.
- Stumpf set up parallel tracks while deployed so he had income and options post-retirement.
Returning Home Muted After Deployment
- Stumpf described flying home when his mother’s cervical cancer metastasized; he felt emotionally muted after deployments and couldn't be fully present in her final hours.
- He later wrestled with regret that his last exchange was brief and practical, not deeply emotional.
