Kegan “Smurf” Gill ejected from an F/A-18 Super Hornet at roughly 695 miles an hour, about 0.95 Mach, two seconds from hitting the Atlantic. He calls it the fastest ejection in US naval aviation history. Mark “Moose” McGrath and I talked with Kegan, the author of Phoenix Revival, about what came after.
The ejection
The ejection itself was reflex. For us, that is implicit guidance and control at work. Years of training let Kegan act before there was time to think.
After the crash
Kegan’s recovery took far longer than the ejection. He describes traumatic brain injury, his experience with the VA system and an addiction to prescription drugs. He talks about how institutional systems drive behavior and can distort a person’s orientation.
Reorientation
Psychedelic-assisted therapy and meditation helped bring him back. Kegan describes reorientation after trauma as long, deliberate work. His story covers fighter pilot resilience, veteran mental health and decisions under uncertainty.
Leaders, operators and veterans will all find something here. Kegan’s book, Phoenix Revival: The Aftermath of Naval Aviation’s Fastest Ejection, goes deeper.
This episode is not medical advice. Most psychedelics are Schedule I substances in the United States. If you are a veteran in crisis, call 988 and press 1, or text 838255. Anyone else can call or text 988.
What has your own reorientation after a setback taught you?
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Written by Ponch Rivera with AI assistance in production. The full conversation is in the player below.