How CIA Predecessors Were Assessed and Selected

Back in the early days of the OSS, when the stakes were sky-high and the playbook still being written, candidates faced a gauntlet of tests designed to weed out all but the toughest, sharpest minds—because only a ‘PhD who could win a bar fight’ would survive behind enemy lines.

My Journey from Navy Search and Rescue (SAR) Swimmer to Navy SEAL

I joined the Navy chasing a SEAL dream, got detoured into Search and Rescue by a well-meaning but clueless recruiter, and ended up earning my place in one of the toughest, most elite programs in the fleet — all while figuring out manhood, loyalty, and what it means to save someone who once saved you.