The Ryan Galdes Story

The Making of Commando Culture Endurance

I am a retired Green Beret who dedicated my entire adult life to mastering every art and artifice of war. In my years in special forces and later while serving in an elite special missions unit, I pushed myself to the highest performance levels daily. During my training and in combat, my team and I constantly risked everything conducting high-risk missions where failure was not an option. The litmus test and standard for success was perfection.

Ryan Paddling on his Epic V8 Tourer Kyak in Lake Keowee South Carolina

A New Misson

I was injured and forced to retire from the world that I loved and worked so hard to get into and remain in. Transitioning from the most elite special operations organization to civilian life hit me hard, and I lost myself. Excessive consumption of alcohol, insomnia, depression, overeating, and Netflix became my husbandry of choice for the cultivation of my downfall.

I reached a fork in the trail and decided enough was enough, and the time for being a victim was over. I sought external help through the Veterans Administration and counseling, and they offered only pills and frustration. I decided it was up to me and no one else if I wanted to change and fix myself.

I looked inward and revisited what motivated me and what my driving force was to become a commando. I loved the challenge of biting off more than I could chew. To go after a seemingly impossible goal and find myself standing tall and victorious after the smoke clears is what I love. I found adventure racing and realized it contained all the elements I loved from special operations. Contingency planning, training to perfection, pain, suffering, different kits, being outside in nature, being among a close-knit team all striving for mastery and victory. These are all the things that I found important. Through dedicated training and racing, I found purpose again and began to heal.

I realized that the lessons I learned being a commando and the commando culture I lived and breathed were valuable to everyone. This culture had value outside of special operations, and I wanted to share my journey with others who may find themselves in the dark place where I once was.

Commando Culture Endurance is an open window to watch my transformation from a broken and disabled special forces veteran to a happy husband, father, and competitive adventure athlete.

Join the Tribe

Team Commando Culture is also a mechanism to grow the tribe and build a team of husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, and aspiring adventure athletes who want to surround themselves with everyday commandos fighting a war to be the best.