Becoming a Navy SEAL Not Knowing how to Swim | Terminal List | Actor | Author | Remi Adeleke | Combat Story Ep. 83

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Today's Combat Story is one of perseverance and hustle on another level. We hear from Remi Adeleke who deployed multiple times as a Navy SEAL, but only after overcoming a truly difficult childhood of being stripped of his family's wealth in Nigeria to hustling on the streets of the Bronx to make ends meet.

Remi would be one of those rare people who wanted to become a SEAL even though he couldn't swim, just to give you an idea of his attitude and beliefs.

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After leaving the service, Remi has done it all. He was contacted by Hollywood and has either acted in or advised on multiple blockbuster movies and shows like Transformers, SEAL Team, and most recently the Terminal List with Chris Pratt.
He's also a best selling author with a fantastic book "Transformed: A Navy SEAL's Unlikely Journey from the Throne of Africa, to the Streets of the Bronx, to Defying All Odds," a clothing line called Kojo and more.

This is a true Combat Story of not just overcoming the odds down range, but overcoming every obstacle life in the inner city can throw at you.

Find Remi Online:
- Instagram @remiadeleke
- Twitter @remiadeleke
- Kojo Wear Clothing Line
- Book Transformed: A Navy SEAL's Unlikely Journey from the Throne of Africa, to the Streets of the Bronx, to Defying All Odds
- Muskegon Maritime Academy https://muskegonmaritimeacademy.org/

Find Ryan Online:
- Ryan's Linktree https://linktr.ee/combatstory
- Merch https://www.bonfire.com/store/combatstory/
- Instagram @combatstory https://www.instagram.com/combatstory
- Facebook @combatstoryofficial https://fb.me/combatstoryofficial
- Send us messages at https://m.me/combatstoryofficial
- Email ryan@combatstory.com
- Learn more about Ryan www.combatstory.com/aboutus
- Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle



Show Notes:
0:00 - Intro
0:27 - Guest Introduction (Remi Adeleke)
2:00 - Interview begins
4:26 - About his family's tribe from Nigeria and what it means to him today
7:12 - Growing up in Nigeria
13:16 - Formative years spent hustling in the Bronx
24:24 - Why the military?
27:58 - Being in NYC on 9/11
30:56 - An influential recruitment officer and getting his record cleared
34:43 - Becoming a SEAL without knowing how to swim
39:01 - First deployment experience
43:10 - Combat Story - First time outside the wire as a Humvee gunner
45:30 - Being an African American in the SEAL teams and how being black helped down range
50:25 - How his time in the Bronx gave him skills in the military
52:17 - Direct action ops and running sources
57:56 - Combat Story - a quick snatch and grab operation that turned into 14 hours with an intense foot chase
1:08:22 - The decision to get out
1:11:55 - Getting the call to work on Transformers without a formal audition and how he got into acting and consulting
1:21:50 - Starting the Muskegon Maritime Academy, a military themed charter school
1:26:59 - What did you carry into combat?
1:27:32 - Would you do it again?
1:27:50 - What do you think your old man would be saying now?
1:28:31 - Listener comments and shout outs

This interview is all about special operations and special operators. If you want to learn more about special opertaions, you can click: https://www.combatstory.com/

This interview is describing what it takes to be in special operations but also try to cover the following subjects:

- What are special operations?
- Combat Story
- Remi Adeleke
- Navy SEALs
- Combat Operations

Remi Adeleke was born in Western Africa, but following the death of his father, he, his mother, and his brother relocated permanently to the Bronx in New York City. After years of making regrettable decisions, Remi joined the Navy in 2002 and later became a Navy SEAL. Ending his successful naval career in 2016, he was led to pursue a career in speaking and acting. Remi holds a BS in organizational leadership and an MS in strategic leadership, both from the University of Charleston West Virginia. He resides in Southern California with his wife, Jessica, and their two sons, Cayden and Caleb.

Speaking about joining the team, Adeleke said: "Since I departed from the military in 2016 my main focus in life has been to inspire, motivate and educate people — whether through writing, speaking, or visual storytelling."

If you would like to learn more about Remi Adeleke I suggest you look into our various other video clips: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCyApoJr-mNmdMNwdk22xEQ
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Have I responded to all of your questions about what are special operations?
Individuals who searched for Remi Adeleke also searched for Navy SEALs and we have interviews with many Navy SEALs at www.combatstory.com, including those in Naval Special Warfare Development Group (or DEVGRU), which many people refer to as SEAL Team Six.