Leif Babin on the War on Terror
Hillsdale College
Leif Babin believed that friendly fire is something that happens to units that don't know how to plan. Until it happened to his platoon on their very first major combat engagement in Ramadi, Iraq.
Discover the bloody lessons Babin learned about leadership from his time in the Middle East. What real ownership, humility, and command under pressure actually look like from someone who’s learned these lessons the hard way. The challenges and threats America’s military faces today.
Show More
All this and more in our latest episode of The Larry Arnn Show, where Hillsdale College President Larry P. Arnn interviews Leif Babin, former U.S. Navy SEAL officer, co-author of NYT bestseller Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win, and Co-founder of Echelon Front.
This interview was conducted on April 1, 2026.
Discover more at podcast.hillsdale.edu.
------------------------------
Timecodes:
0:00 Introduction
0:49 Who is Leif Babin?
1:42 What Is a Navy SEAL? Origins and Culture
8:40 Inside BUD/S: Hell Week and Why Most Quit
12:25 Intellect, Grit, and the Making of a SEAL
15:34 Why Warriors Must Study Military History
22:00 Lessons from the Battle of Ramadi
29:32 Defining Victory in Iraq: Winning the War, Losing the Peace
37:38 Churchill and the Limits of War
48:41 Deterrence, American Strength, and the China Threat
57:04 Why America Wins the Wars It Has to Win
58:13 Roosevelt, Churchill, and the “Europe First” Strategy
1:04:16 What Makes a Nation Worth Fighting For
1:08:35 How Great Leaders Rise in Wartime
1:13:27 Humility: The Most Important Leadership Trait
Support Hillsdale College: https://secured.hillsdale.edu/hillsdale/support-hillsdale-college
Visit our website: http://hillsdale.edu
Learn from our online courses: http://online.hillsdale.edu
Read Imprimis: https://imprimis.hillsdale.edu/
Undergraduate programs: https://www.hillsdale.edu/information-for/undergraduate-admissions/
Graduate School of Statesmanship: https://www.hillsdale.edu/academics/graduate-school/
