Dr. David “Wally” Walton is a retired Army Special Forces officer with 25 years of experience in the SF community. His career spans service with the 7th Special Forces Group, Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), and the Special Warfare Center and School.

Dr. Walton’s extensive operational experience includes deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and across Latin America. Since retiring in 2013, he has transitioned into academia, teaching National Security Studies and Executive Leadership. His research portfolio covers Security Strategy, Organizational Culture and Dynamics, and Human Performance. He has a deep understanding of security studies, encompassing everything from tactical operations to strategic policy discussions.

Currently an instructor at JSOC, Dr. Walton is a Subject Matter Expert in Special Forces Assessment and Selection. He specializes in Land Navigation, runs a prep program designed for SFAS candidates, and is the author of multiple books about preparing for SFAS.

More about Dr. Walton:

Website: https://tfvoodoo.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tf_voo_doo/

Timestamps:

00:00:23 Introduction to Dr. David Walton
00:01:42 Changes within SFSS and Coaching
00:20:22 Being Trained in Land Navigation
00:30:43 Better Prepared Candidates
00:53:34 The Sandman Event
00:59:29 Selection Rates and Working Through the Stages
01:05:23 No Dependencies in the SFSS Course
01:09:47 The "Awaiting Training" Phase
01:11:33 What has Dr. David Walton Changed in Coaching?
01:17:08 How Many Books has Dr. Walton Written?
01:21:52 Books Everyone Should Read
01:26:32 Outro

Brad Stulberg is a bestselling author of the new book The Way of Excellence, a performance coach, faculty member at the University of Michigan, and a husband and father.

The Way of Excellence comes out tomorrow, and you can pick up a copy at any major bookseller like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Audible.com, or Bookshop.org.

You can learn more about Brad and follow his work at his website, (https://www.bradstulberg.com/) and on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradstulberg/

Nick has over 12 years of military experience, including 4 years as an Australian Commando and 6 years as an SAS operator. His operational service included deployments throughout the Middle East and Southeast Asia, including Iraq and East Timor.

Since leaving the Army, Nick has established two companies as a founding Director, The Mill Gym and Omni GeoX; as well as a new fitness competition, the Tier 1 Games.

Nick has provided risk management, leadership, and elite-level performance consulting in austere environments worldwide, including with professional sports teams, multinational corporations, government, and non-governmental organisations.

Nick's charter is to build real-world resilience within individuals and foster a no-compromise culture of excellence. He’s driven by a deep passion for building elite-level soldiers and athletes through an uncompromising culture, mindset, and mental toughness. His philosophy is simple: hard work beats talent, and resilience is the decisive advantage in high-pressure environments.

By drawing from years of operational experience and an 18-year coaching career, Nick develops training systems that forge discipline, sharpen decision-making under stress, and cultivate the mental edge required to excel when it matters most.

Learn more about Nick and The Mill Gym:

Email: nick@themillgym.com

Instagram: @themillgym

LinkedIn: @nickcaldwell

Website: themillgym.com

Timestamps:

0:00:22 Introduction to Nick Caldwell
0:01:45 Career in the Aussie Special Air Service
0:05:32 Training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
0:07:10 Gaining the Confidence to Enlist
0:14:49 Nick's Goals that Pushed His Career Forward
0:17:50 Recovering from Burnout
0:21:23 Helping Someone Understand Their Recovery and Readiness
0:26:48 Training with HRP and Other Monitoring Devices
0:38:28 What Camps Does Nick Caldwell Run?
0:44:43 Not a 36 Hour Exercise Competition
0:49:55 Standard Pre-Screening
0:57:50 Woman in Courses of Self-Defense
1:02:11 "Keeping Yourself Safe in a Parking Garage" Scenario
1:10:04 Books that Nick Believes Everyone Should Read
1:18:37 Outro