I Received The Medal Of Honor But I Felt Like A Failure | Unsubscribe Podcast 248

I got a medal of honor, but it doesn't mean that I didn't fail that day. This is the biggest failure in my life. Is there a medal of honor group chat? No. There's a society. Brandon's in the not-n-rary medal of honor society? No, they literally goon till they died. This guy is posing as a medal of our recipient. He is a fake. He's flying over it. I know, that's my line. Are you recording? Yeah. Say hi to my life. ♪ It's racially ambiguous and random ♪ ♪ His hair is fucking fabulous and don't know ♪ ♪ A dark joke disposition ♪ ♪ And there's a fat electrician ♪ ♪ Look on the unsubscribe ♪ - Snap. - Snap, crackle. Okay. You ready to count down? Get this going? Beautiful. Ready? You got it. We crack it at three on the count of three. You're just gonna open it. Right. Three, two, one. (clicks tongue) Yeah. That's interesting. Hi, everyone. Welcome to the unsubscribe podcast. I'm joined today by Eli Double Tap, Dakota Meyer, Brandon Herrera, myself, donut operator. Thank you all so much for being here. What's up, everyone? Good to see you. Good to see you, brother. It's been a while. Yeah, it has. Yeah, I'm glad to be here, man. Dude, and we got two medal of honor. - Oh, fuck off. - We did it. We'll take it like 10 seconds in our pictures of you receiving the medal of honor. All of which are authentic, I believe. Thank you, thank you for your service. My goal is to have every medal honor recipient, say that to Brandon. This is where we get up and just like. (laughs) Yeah, it's a great gift for you. It's a great gift for all of you. (laughs) Yeah, I noticed it when I walked in. It's actually in the other eye. That was all right. How about that? Yeah, I didn't know I was in a fellow recipient. Presence, presence. You know, I got nothing. Yeah, we just thank him. Yeah. And that's all you can do. That was very funny with Clint. Just walking in and hucking at my neck. (laughs) Ha! That's awesome, man. It's a good time, dude. Welcome, welcome to show. I know we've been, I've known you for a while. A long time. Yeah. Yeah. A long time. Where'd you guys meet? Grinder? Yeah. I think it was a shot show on there. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I think it was a shot show back in, gosh, 2014, 2015, timeframe, baby shot show. You are in the best shape you have been and you were a little chunkier during that timeframe. Yeah, yeah, I was definitely, I was definitely on a carb heavy diet. Yeah. You got to lock in. That's where I was like, damn, the coat was looking good. Yeah, no, I, yeah, I mean, it's amazing. Like what you, you know, when you have to meet those standards again, how, how quick you'll get back in shape. Dude, I have, man, I'm excited for this one because that is one of the questions rejoining. How many years were you out at that point? Yeah, I was out for 15 years. Oh, well. Yeah. So I got out in 2010, came back from my, Afghanistan, got out in 2010 and then I re-enlisted in 2025, April of 2025. Oh, I completely forgot you re-enlisted. I read that when you, like, ride it around that time, you mentioned it. Oh, that's funny. You shit. Yeah. It's like that boy ain't ever getting in trouble. Well. Yeah. You know, it's kind of, it's kind of interesting. You know, I took, you know, how the internet fashion, you know, everybody's like, oh, he's just joined into, you know, to, to help recruitment and he's just going to, you know, go back and skirt. And so like, I actually went back in and I did a lat move. So I'm actually going through the recon pipeline. So I, I, I started BRC, I did R-Tap and BRC over the summer this year and then I go back, actually, I check in on Monday and I go back into SOI West, I'll check back into my barracks room and I will be there until April 3rd where, to finish up the two phases, Amphib, I think I've got Amphib phase and patrol phase left and then I graduate on April 3rd and I have orders checking into Searschool on April 5th. No shit. And then I go to Searschool to the 17th and then I check in. I'm going to go to Jump School on the 20th, yeah. Fucking. And then I got Dive School left, yeah. And you were 37, too. 37, yeah. Wild. Also, no instructor is going to do, like, oh, we want you to push it to the counter. No. No. No. No. No, no. They've been, they've been like, they've been like, they've been like, real, I mean, they've been real respectful. I mean, but, but I mean, I'm still getting, I'm still getting, I'm still getting beat up like everybody else. You know, I'm out there just sometimes questioning my decisions. There's been many moments that I've learned a lot about myself, you know? And you know, these kids, like, you know, I'm going through the average age of the guys going through this school is, um, it's like 18, 19 years old, right? They're entry level. They're letting me know that I'm older than their mom. Right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Back when what's their number? No, no, no. No. This is what I say back to them. I was like, show me a picture. Yeah. Show me a picture. You know? So, yeah, they don't, there's no more, there's no more jokes after that. Yeah. You know? You're older than my mom. What you just told me is your mom is younger than me. Yeah. And it's like, you know, maybe you could be mine. She's going to be a graduation. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Show me a picture. Let me see it. Let me see if you could have been mine. Yeah. That's wild. Everyone rewind to even what you joined at what year? 2020. Oh, originally. Oh, so 2006, like most of the kids in my, in the school with me were born when I was in Iraq. Oh, wow. Yeah. Yeah. That's true. Yeah. That's true. Like most of them were born around the time I was in Iraq. That's kind of wild to think about. Yeah. Oh, it's, it's, it's, it's not. These kids are, these kids are so incredible. Like when I hear people talk about like the next generation and like the generation of service members, like these kids could run sir, I'm telling you right now, I truly believe with every moral fiber of my being. If you took my generation of service members and put them on the battlefield against this generation of service members, they would wipe us off the map in 24 hours. No shit. Hands down. Hands down. What do you attribute that to? I attribute it to, you know, I think when we look at this perspective of, you know, we're getting these arguments about who's better, who's not, who's what generation is the best. I think we, there's only two factors that you can look at it with is in that, that is lethality, right? Or just really the single factors, lethality. And so I think yeah, you have to add in like that, that we, they do now have like technology in those aspects of it. I mean, you know, we get in these dumb arguments, I hear my generation talking about, well these kids don't even know how to cite in with iron sights. Well, I mean, I didn't know how to saddle a horse in case my home bee broke down either. You know what I'm saying? So like, where does it stop? And so like, but you look at these kids and like, I, I would argue that they believe in their cause more than we did, right? Like as soon as you took away from my generation, as soon as you took away war and you took away combat, what they do, they got out, right? Like, wait, I joined to go fight. You told me you're going to pay me to go fight and I could like these cool posters and I mean, like, let's, let's call it what it was. And then as soon as you took that away from me, I'm like, yeah, right, I'm out, right? And so, you know, these kids are joining today, they're not joining, none of them have to join to go to college. Like college is not even a, honestly, a relevant, relevant benefit to this generation, right? I mean, they're not joining because it's the only way out of their community or their, you know, social or, you know, they're aspect of what they grew up in, like, they know how to get out. They've got all this information. They're only joining because they don't want to be part of societal norms. They want, they want to earn what they've got, right? Society's actually driving these kids to us and self identifying them by saying everybody gets a participation trophy and these kids are coming because they want to earn what they get, right? They want a result based organization that they can be part of. And so I think that that's it, right? And I think that if you, truly, if you wanted to, you know, we all wanted to admit it that, you know, if we put them on the battlefield against us today, they'd wipe off the map in 24 hours. And now, look, I think if we took them out back and we took everything away and we fist fought them, I think we'd still beat their asses, right? But that's just not the reality of how we're going to fight the next war, right? And so I think we should be happy that these kids are the way they are. I mean, I watch these kids. Are they us? But let me tell you something, they're smarter than us. They are more in tune than we were like, I'll give you an example in the school. You know, when I went to sniper school in 2007, I mean, we were drinking every day. I mean, like, since we got off work, like we're going to the bars. You know, this generation, they're, they're getting off work. And then they're like, I'm like, hey, what are y'all, what are y'all doing tonight? Oh, we're going to, we're going to do an ice bath and we're going to roll out. And I'm like, what? It's an 81% drop in alcohol consumption with this new generation. Yeah. Fucking mat. Yeah. So let me, so let me give you. And I brought this up to, we were talking about, you know, and some of these aspects of problems with drinking in this, you know, mental health issue we have. So you're right, majority, so 81 or whatever the percentage is, I'll just say this, the majority of kids that are joining the Marine Corps don't drink or joining the military don't drink, but then there's a drinking issue at some point. So at some point, our culture is now making us worse. You see what I'm saying? So like when our culture is a drinking culture, Now you're taking people who didn't normally do that and now you're indoctrinating them into a culture that's now not serving us. Right, so they didn't drink before but now they're drinking that's a cool guy thing and it's an aspect that we don't talk about enough is is like we are not emotionally like we do really good in the military of physically and mentally like building people up. We do a terrible job at the single factor that you can't avoid and that's the emotional maturing of people and that's why I see I think you see a lot of veterans who struggle because they have no idea how to deal with these emotions and eventually they just build up like a pressure cooker and they have no idea how to handle them because we don't you know we've acted like they don't exist and it's like well it's a reality that they do exist and you better figure out how to. Um you know cultivate those to where they they handle it so I'd say these kids I'll be honest with you these kids they ask questions that like also I'm sitting in this classroom you know a lot of a lot of the schools classroom sitting there and I'm like these kids will ask a question I'm like damn I never even crossed my mind you know I mean they're like you know like uh do you think we could why don't we do it this way does that not make more sense I'm like gosh that does make more sense you know what I'm like it's like no that's too easy we gotta I was the right that I was just. Gonna ask what the responses from leadership when they propose stuff like that that does make sense is it immediately just no this is the book. Uh no I mean I think I think that they're I think that they're making it better I think the only time you see leaders do that stuff is when they're weak leaders. Right I don't think we have a generational problem I don't think we have a generational generational problem in this country I don't think we have a generational problem in in the military I think we have a leadership problem that's failing a generation. I mean I saw something really interesting there was a sad guy on Sean it was a little clip I came across the day and they were talking about the young generation exactly what you're saying they were doing a ground nap course and one of the students was like well why do we need this like not not a negative manner he's just like why do we need this if we have GPS and they're like look what if there's a blocker you don't have GPS and the kid was receptive to that was like that makes sense but like some of the cadre was getting ready to tear into his ass like why do we need this but like a couple of like receptive to his to what he was saying and they were like well you know if they jam this this and like laid out of like tons of reasons why you needed like know how to have a map in a compass and the kid was like oh shit that does make a lot of sense yeah he wasn't looking to fight he was just curious yeah it wasn't looking to fight but some of the some of the cadre were just like you know about to tear into it's like why are you questioning us and like a couple of the cadre were like oh well this this this is why you need this and they were like oh shit okay and then like this kid I think they said he passed like super high in his class yeah ground out yeah and that's the thing like you know when you look at all this you know you get and I don't know where this came from I think it comes from a lack of knowing why right and so I think that like leaders get in these positions and I think a few of the most I think the why question is a very powerful diagnostic tool right and it's an opportunity to create buy-in right so think about this if a kid asked you why hey it shows he cares are they care and then be it gives you a chance to answer that why to and then to sell and create buy-in on why that is important right instead of them just doing it because they don't know now they understand why it matters so then now that they're going to be able to articulate in this generation really needs that because they are so smart and they are so efficient at what they do that they want to they have to understand why in order to perform it at the way that they want to perform it and to make it make sense in their process of how they do things you know we just we just did things like we just did whatever we were told I mean if you told us to stand outside in the rain we would stand there until somebody told us different right and so like which which there's there is a powerful piece of that but I also think that like when when every time you answer that question why you're creating buy-in and I think you're building what what I call leadership equity so that when you do tell them that you just have to do this they're going to do it right eventually when you make sense to them so often of why it does needs to be done that way eventually they're going to stop asking why and they're just going to do what you say but you also have to understand this is a generation that grew up in misinformation they have to question why like we didn't have to necessarily question it we probably should have a little bit but you know we we didn't have to as much as this generation this generation they don't even know what photos are real hmm just true yes nuts these days man I mean it's nuts right and so like if they don't ask why I mean so what the why question for them is is literally a survival tool for them to get it right and then it's good the leadership's not jumping down their throats for questioning it because that used to be that past it's like yeah I mean you know we shut the fuck up you just listen and be like oh we're doing that yeah you said jump I could just go jump that high but that's it and I want to do that every single time because the one individual that asks why they get the shit smoked out of them for like three hours and they're like huh that's why I don't ask questions what's this green bloody life if I could read I would be able to tell you ag one I took that class in high school yeah I'm sorry I didn't take corn three but when we're talking about a G one or as Nick says ag one is it a multivitamin that combines your pre and probiotics superfoods and anti-oxidants into one simple scoop not amateur biotics probiotics them kids are dirty dude the kids are running around with their little canner bars they're fucking touching hands with each other they're getting dirty so it's better to boost your immune system with ag one a j one ah yummy you drink all that yeah all right heading into the holidays it can be hard to maintain a balanced diet and give your body the nutrients it needs which is why a one comes in a g one tomato tomato them kids is dirty a g one is one of the easiest daily health habits you can start what a great new year's resolution Eli brand new what are yours other than taking ag one what if you take out ag one that's my all of my new year's resolutions that's all I want to do is I want to drink more of it they come in little packs or travel packs show them the travel pack hot dog style pack as opposed to the hamburger style pack and we use this for the live shows because when we are on the road or touring hot dog or hamburger is very nice to carry around also ag one comes in multiple flavors we have original grass citrus berry and tropical and right now ag one has their best offer ever if you head on over to drink ag one dot com slash unsubscribe what do you get Eli well you'll get the welcome kit three three ag one travel packs and three three ag travel packs a bottle of vitamin D three plus k two and ag one flavor sampler and you'll get to try their new sleep product ag we're drinking it at night that's drink ag one dot com slash unsubscribe for a hundred and twenty six dollars and free gifts for new subscribers yeah and you know and I and I I always go back to this why thing and why one of the reasons I'm so such an advocate of it is like I got a medal of honor because leadership didn't want to listen to what I had to say right I mean I got a I got a medal of honor I got guys who are dead because guys couldn't answer why and what we're doing and why we're doing it this way right instead of answering why they took me out of the out out of the team they set me there and they they let my team walk into an ambush and they got killed for the same reasons that I asked why right and so like I'm a big proponent of it just because like I've seen the cost of that and I think that any leader that feels that they don't owe the people that they're responsible for a explanation to a question that they have is a leader that shouldn't be in that position anyways and it's I think that situation unfortunately happens a lot you look at even Roman Chase that battle it was and like everyone asks why the fuck are we in a fishbowl you're asking like hey patrol or hey X Y and C what the fuck are we doing well homie why you asking questions it's like this this is really stupid what and it's just either somebody trying to get a medal yeah or it's oh well we need to do this and it doesn't matter how high you are because that general George he was the one that said the fishbowl was a stupid idea he didn't he fought against that and they nope he was a high enough yet so you know general George was he was Colonel George you during during my battle oh see I didn't even know that so he was actually he was gone that day he was actually he had actually gone home or something he was on R&R or something on leave that day and that's why that major was in charge of of the battle space at that plan I don't maybe he's something he was lieutenant Colonel but anyways he was in that area he was he was in charge of the area that I was in and so I knew him very well he's actually him and his sergeant major the ones that actually put me in for the metal of honor no no shit yeah oh man yeah general George is such like great and he is a great guy dude like we it's a very down to earth dude yeah and I do believe like I mean obviously like we're talking this is a big statement so like hypotheticals and all this right I do believe I don't believe that that it would have went down that day if Randy George had been standing on the base I do believe that that he would have unleashed all hell if he had been if he had been there that day it's crazy hearing like two different stories and it's just positivity about general George Randy doing that he was. who truly cares about the soldiers. His guys, like most important thing, and he fights for him, like everyone says that too, which is awesome. It's awesome to see a leader now at the top position, and he still has that mindset. He just wants efficiency. - Efficiency and the biggest thing, listening to him speak, he, the thing he continuously brings up is feedback from the guys. And the fact that he takes that very seriously. It's very cool. - Yeah, and yeah, I mean, you're talking about a guy who, I mean, I haven't, I mean, I've seen him wise up there, but I mean, like, I was with him in 2009. We're talking about 2009, Randy George, right? And so like, you know, I, he gave that off to me. I wasn't even the army. I mean, I was a Marine who was operating in his battle space. And, you know, and he, yeah, I mean, I still, I still believe that with every moral fiber of my being, that if, if Randy George had been standing on base, making those decisions that day, that, that it would have never lasted, it would have never got to the point that it was at. - That's why he's such a, I would say just a real quick, funny one when he seen Brandon and I at the Christmas party. He, they invited us to the Christmas party with all the, the chain command. And we walk in and he's, everyone's running. And he looks at us and he's like, "Oh, trouble's here." And we're like, "As he's entertaining, like foreign dignitaries and things like that." - Yeah. - He comes up and he's like, "Oh, how you guys doing?" - That's kind of a guy he is. You know, and that's not, and that's not a play either. - No. - Like that's authentic, right? Like he, you know, he's, he's the kind of guy that like gives you hope of like, you know, you see guys like that get to where they're at. Like you do know that good, that good people can still get up and leadership positions, you know what I mean? And like, and still doing what's right can still get you there. You know, I think all leaders should look around and see, you know, where his loyalty lies. You know, because I, I've always felt like with him, he never looked at it as if he was in charge of people. He looked at it as that he was responsible for people. - He's very well respected, everyone under him. It's just awesome to see leadership like that. And then Sergeant Major Wymer, like just, he wants war fighters. And he is, it's all he wants. He's like, "This is what we need and we need to get there." - Yeah, and you know, he had a Sergeant Major over there at that time too. His name was Sergeant Major Carabello. And he was a hammer. I mean, like, you know what I mean? So like, you know, he was a hammer. He had his guys like put, I seen the army they were walking around with, they're, yeah, I mean, like none of us, there is, first off there is no desert or jungle like where we were at, you know? But he had him running around with, they put that netting on their helmets. - Oh yeah, like that. - Like they cut it out and they had like all zip tied to it. And I'm like, yeah, this is badass, you know, like. - Out in the fucking, yeah we're in that canvas. I mean, it's like, but it was just like they were just, you know, they were just-- - It's just a statement. - This is a statement, you know. - Sergeant Major doing, Sergeant Major, yeah. - Yeah, yeah, the guys would get so pissed off about it. They'd be like, oh, you know, his name is Jim Carabello, right? And so like, they'd call it Uncle Jimmy Hare. You know, like, I've got Uncle Jimmy Hare on my shit. You know what I mean, but it was like, you know, looking back, it was pretty badass, you know? - Here, we're taking one for Randy real quick. - Okay. - No, nice. - Get in here, guys. - Come get in here. - Scooch. - Here you go, man, we got a scooch. - Yeah. - At what photo, photo, photo, there we go. - Oh man, doesn't know how to work a cell phone. - Yeah, figure it out. - Now we could trust the Asian to take a photo. - Oh my god, so hot. - Oh my god, so hot. - Oh my god, so hot. - Oh my god, so hot. - Okay, so brown, Mr. George, your photo. - That's funny. - I don't think I've talked to anybody about Randy that had a negative word to say. - Yeah. - A universally beloved guy. - Yeah, he's just so authentic, you know? And like he just, I mean, you could just tell like he, he has his priorities in the right place. - Okay, so now you joined in 2006. And then what got you, what was your mindset going in? What made you want to join? Were you just like, hey, I want to fucking, I want to jump out of planes. I want to get gun fights. - And I really didn't know anything about the Marine Corps. Like honestly, like I was walking through this lunch room one time. And I grew up in a small town where I think we might have had 100 to 150 people in my graduating class. Then it was just one of those towns that like, you either went to college or you went to work on the farm or you got a job and that was kind of it. You really didn't know. There really wasn't like a huge plan. I mean, you didn't really know much outside of it. So I was going to go to college. I was going to, I was going to go to school. I mean, there's no chance I would have ever made it. But I was going to go at least until my dad ran out of money, right? So, or got tired of paying for it. (laughing) So, you know, and I could give a story. Like maybe I was going to play football or something. Not who knows, right? Probably not. And I was walking through the lunch room one day and there was a Marine recruiter there and he just, I started talking to him and he's, I kind of like made a smart rock remark to him and he said, "Yeah, that's good." Like, I wouldn't, that you should go to college 'cause you'd never make it as a Marine anyways. And like, I just, I think that's what the Marine Corps does the best is like they know how to talk to their people. You know, and you got to understand that the Marine Corps is the smallest branch. So it's like, they have a very niche that, you know, they can talk like they don't have so many demographics. They have to cover, you know? So I walked off and it just pissed me off. And so I came back and I said, "I'll join today." And so we went and signed the papers. He told me, I'll never forget. He told me that he's like, "Man, you're smart." So like, we have like a perfect position for you. Like, I don't have any more of these spots to open but I'm only going to make an exception for you. And I'm like, gosh, what a great guy. - Infantry. - And he said, "infantry." - Yeah. - And that was a joke. - Yeah, yeah. No, he said, "infantry." And so-- - The recruiters don't like? - Yeah, you know, and so I signed up for Infantry. You know, I went to Paris Island and then, you know, went to a station in Hawaii. And I'll never forget, I've seen these guys running around and I was like, who are they? Like, they just gave off a different presence, right? And so there was a sniper platoon. There was, you know, the snipers on. There was, I think they're weapons at that time. But anyways, I was like, I want to be down. Like, they are, like, they knew their stuff. I remember a guy talked to me about something and like, I was like, holy shit. Like, they really know what they're doing, you know? And so they had an in-dock. They needed, they were just gonna have security guys. And so like, they came out with this in-dock and I went out for it and made it. And so you weren't even supposed to be going to like a school or anything until after this deployment in Iraq and I was, you know, just doing my thing and I made it into the platoon. And then right before we were about to go on pre-deployment leave, they said that they had a spot open up at sniper school. And I was just so lucky that I was the only one that had all the prerequisites to go. And they're like, you can either go to sniper school or you can go and pre-deployment leave. It's up to you. And I'm like, I'm going to, I'm going to sniper school. And so I went to sniper school, graduated the first time through and then, you know, turned on deployed Iraq. - What is pre-deployment leave? - Yeah. - We didn't get this. That's why I really, what the fuck? And we did this 15 month deployment. But I've never had, yeah. That's why I'm like, what, you know, like two weeks or a week, didn't you? - Yeah, something like that. Like what they usually try to do was is like after you did your like final, your final workup, like, you know, like after you went to 29 palms, you usually came back and they would try to give you like a couple of weeks to either get your stuff together, go home to your family, like something like that, right? - Okay, yeah. - Okay, so, okay. I was like, 'cause ours was December and then July, you had your only time you could take leave and we deployed in April, I think. And there was, train up and then you're gone. We skipped NTC though. Like it was that you're spinning up and you're just getting out of here. - Yeah, so we did that and then, you know, we don't, I didn't, I didn't know. - How long was it school? - 12 weeks. - Yeah. - Yeah, so it was 12 weeks and then graduated that and then left for Iraq, Fallujah. - Was your team already out there when you guys landed or you all still deployed together? - Yeah, we all still went together, right? So like, they went home on pre-deployment leave and then they were like getting everything ready and then I was still able to make the deployment. So like, I literally graduated sniper school and I think I left like 10 to 15 days later. - Oh, okay, that sounds. - We had individuals that were in Ranger School and I wanna say it was just a couple in Ranger School, but we deployed and then they showed up 60 days into the deployment because they were finishing up Ranger School and then putting the weight back on, but yeah, that's what I was wondering. What, how they did that with you? - Yeah, no, we all, it was just like a perfect timing piece. I mean, I got lucky. Like, everything I've done is just pure by pure luck. Right place, the right time. That's it. - How was Iraq, was that completely different than the Afghanistan side? Because you were still, was it 2007? - 2007, yeah, I mean. - It was popping up. - Well, I mean, we thought we were going into it, right? And like, we were reading, you know, garing about everything that's going on over there before we got there and I, you know, I, it wasn't really, we really wasn't, there wasn't a ton going on. You know, I was up in a place called Karma. And to be fair, like, I was only there for like 50, 60 days, right, and I got sent back home because I got a, I got bid on my hand. We were in a dwell up on a, then we left off that dwell up into a mission and I got bid. on my hand by spider. And, you know, we were like, "Oh, it's all right. It's a big deal. I stayed there." And then next thing you know, like, my finger started splitting down the sides and like, it swole up so big. And so it got back. And they took me into flusha surgical immediately. And like, "Big, man." Put me under. I don't know. I don't know. But like, put me under. And like, they did like, they drained it out. Like, you see the scar still. But, oh shit. Yeah. And so like, they drained it out. And then they like shoved this stuff into it. Like, to like a packet, I guess. And I'm like, "Oh, it'd be fine." And then, in the desert, you know, super clean. Definitely not going to be infected. It'll be fine. And I will say this, like, we're dirty fucks here. The one thing I do remember, and I will tell you is, I don't know, have y'all had surgeries like some type of surgery where you've been under anesthesia? No. We're just talking about anesthesia yesterday, literal. Yeah. So what I will tell you is, it's like, I think it's a little bit different when they do it and you're in a combat zone. So like, I just want to say that like, I do remember my nurse when I came out of that first surgery, that like, they had to give me more fame because I freaked out. Like, I was looking for my gun and things like that. You know, I mean, you're in a combat zone. And then, you know, your mindset is in a certain place. And then they're, you know, they're going to knock you out and you wake up in another room. It's like, yeah. So, um, you're just throwing people around. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, yeah. It was, it was, I remember that first wake up was not, was not good. Do you remember it like vividly? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Because I remember I got scared because I think they, they, they hit me with morphine. And then there was some, it was, it was a weird ordeal. But like, I remember that morphine hit me. I'd never had it before. And I just remember like, wondering if I was going to breathe or not. You know what I mean? Yeah. So I do remember that vivid, that he's angry and high. And he can't feel pain. Yeah. And, uh, so then I thought I was going to be fine. And then like, I actually lost feeling in my last three fingers. And so, I stayed there for probably another couple of weeks. And then I went back again. They did another surgery. And then they flew me to TQ, maybe TQ or Alice on it. I don't know. One of the two. Anyways, the one with the, the pull on it. When I'm had a pull. There's blood. I mean, there was a few that had the, so that you're lucky if you're on. That was a force people. I'll be like, yeah, you got two movie theaters. Well, so that was the moment that I realized that all deployments weren't the same. Yeah, I mean, that was, that was when I realized that like, just because you deployed doesn't mean that like you deployed it, right? So, um, she's like, oh, I got, it was a crusty playboy. Yeah, they're like, live. I mean, yeah, it was, yeah, so you lived out in sector, though, then didn't you? Yeah, me, yeah. I think through all of our years in business on the internet, we've all used Shopify. I've used it for merch and my skate shop and a couple other businesses. I will actually agree 100% on that. Everything we do is run through Shopify. Even bunkers run through Shopify. Our shoes, which is a separate company, is run through Shopify and they talk together because of Shopify. Shopify runs the world. Did you know Shopify will actually help you design a website also, Cody? I know I didn't know **** about starting an online store when I started my career online and Shopify just made it super, super easy for my dummy. Bring it up as if people haven't heard about my brand. No, that's actually easy, Eli. Shopify helps you find your customers with easy to use email and social media campaigns. Step, Cody, what if I get stuck? Shopify is always around the shared advice with their award-winning 24/7 customer service. Step support, bro, you got my back. And your front, Shopify helps millions of businesses around the world and 10% of all e-commerce in the US from household names like Mattel or Jim Shark to new brands just getting started. Unsub shoes. Unsub merch. Bunker. No **** we've all been doing this for over a decade and Shopify is the easiest e-commerce platform we've ever used. I think every single one of us has used Shopify at one point. I think all our businesses right now are using Shopify. Don't accept mine, but that's because it's guns can't do that. Just one of them can't turn those dreams into SFX. Cha-ching. Shopify new sell sound and give them the best shot at success with Shopify. Dine up for your $1 per month trial and start selling today at Shopify.com/unsubpod. Shopify.com/unsubpod. So I came back, I ended up coming back. I was in lunch doll for like 30 days, maybe 20, 30 days. And then I came back to the state side and then just like occupational therapy and I thought I was going to get, I thought I was getting discharged. You know, like I thought I was going to get discharged out of the Marine Corp because I was like, you know, if you couldn't pass, like if you didn't get your movement back. So I was in occupational therapy and all this for probably three or four months. That's crazy from a spider bite. Yeah, from a spider bite. Like I thought I was done and then I finally like, I don't know, finally, I guess I got it back and then like started healing and and then my unit returned. And so that was kind of my Iraq deployment, you know. How did you fill on that and did your buddies that you deployed with? Did they look at you different? And did you have any feeling because you felt like you were missed out on it? No, I mean, no, they, no, because they knew the type of guy was like they knew that like I was, I was more pissed at than than anything else. You know, and I'll be honest at that time, they'd started taking like our ability to go operate away, right? Like at that time, like, you know, commanders didn't want to take risk. So like you were having to literally do a 32 point power point to try to sell you going on missions, you know what I mean? And so it was, it was really like, it was 2009 or 2007, 2007, 2008, you know, we were part of that surge that President Bush sent over, right? And so yeah, and, and you know, it was different for everybody, but, you know, for us, like, it really wasn't, you know, it was nothing crazy. So it's wild hearing that because that's when the guys went back in 2010 to Iraq, it was having to do power points or they got shot at a single time in a term fire and it was paperwork. How much rounds were spent versus when they pull up to our cop and they just throw us AT-4's guns and look, and I'm like, okay, cool. It weighs less when we shoot it. So yeah, but you know, the one thing that I've seen though is the reality of, you know, you can kind of make anything look anyway, right? And so like, if I want to make it look like there's, you know, we're done here. Well, I just don't let you go to places where there's bad guys. Because then there's no firefights. You know, I mean, like, it wasn't because there it wasn't because there was a lack of opportunity. It was just controlling the narrative. Opportunities and interesting word. Yeah, it wasn't, you know, it wasn't because of that. It was just, you know, and maybe I don't know. I mean, look, I don't know. I mean, I'm sure the, you know, the mission switched, you know, the, the, you know, it was all changing. And so, yeah, well, sometimes it probably happened to or you seen it where some battle spaces like no one's been there for a while. So then they just want to go into it because then it's like, ah, there's IDs, deep areas and surges hang out there. Like the bread basket was for us. And they just wanted to send troops in until we showed up. Then it's like the big, so that pushed through the bread basket at the end of deployment. But we got to switch with the company that took or the battalion that was taking over brigade that was taking over. So that's all I'm wondering if they did that with you guys. It's like, ah, that space. We haven't been there in a while. Ah, that's not worried about it. Yeah, the parameters were for sure different, right? I mean, like, you know, we were still doing well ops. And I mean, we, we got like hammered by mortars on this well up. I mean, it was, I mean, there wasn't because they're like the bad guys were gone. You know, it was just that I think that, I mean, if you don't get in their way, you know, they are those majority of those guys, like as long as you didn't get in their way, you didn't disrupt their freedom of movement, like they were just trying to do their thing, you know, and so it was, it was, it was an interesting, it was an interesting piece, right? In 2000s for, for me, you know, I mean, I know there was a ton of combat still going on past that in Iraq, but, you know, it was just for me on that deployment. And obviously, I wasn't there very long, but it was, and none of the guys, majority of our unit, you know, we didn't, it wasn't really a terrible bad deployment. Yeah. You'd have like, maybe a handful, even a gun fights, rare being deployed, even during the surge you're finding out units or like complete battalion's brigades have just never gotten a firefighter or one or two. Yeah, and that's, and that's what like a lot of people don't understand, right? It's like, it's a, I believe that, you know, when you look at in the ratio of deployments of people that deploy, it's a very small number of people who actually fight. Yeah, I don't know. I'm not getting in numbers of this because I know that, you know, all the keyboard warriors out there that, that, that are getting their combat action ribbons on, you know, you know, they got it out, you know, it's, it's like the, the reality of it is, is, is, and it's not, and it's, I would say it's, it's not their fault, right? It's not their fault, it's just by the luck of the draw, right? Like, it's, it's just a luck of the draw. It's like, it's not there, it's not that they didn't want to fight or they weren't capable or they weren't willing to. It's just, it's all the luck of the draw. And so, you know, it's just, but understand this, that not all deployments are the same and not the majority of people didn't go over there and get in, and I know that like, the audience is going to be like, oh, you know, he's a, he's better than everybody else because he's seen combat, whatever, you know, they want to get on. It's like, no, I'm not, but also, I'm also truthful and honest. So like, you know, yeah, well, and that's what I would I'd always say is like when I hear people talk about combat and they talk about it in this like romanticized way. - Glorifying it. - You know, I gotta be honest. I always, for a long time, I looked forward to getting shot at, right? I mean, that's what we're taught. I mean, that's you train for. But I gotta be honest with you. Every time I started getting shot at and it was real, like, hold on, there's a difference between getting shot at and you know a guy knows where you're at and is aiming at you. Like, there's a big difference. And every time it got real, I would have gave anything to not been getting shot at. - That seems like a very fair opinion. - You know anybody, that sucks. - I fucking, that's what I always say. It's like, oh, I was like, oh, you were smart. You didn't join, or you're, oh, you got lost. God, you got lucky. I wish I had that diploma. I didn't get shot at because it sounds cool. Combat sounds cool. Everything sounds amazing. War sounds amazing until you get shot at the first time. And you're like, oh, that's a game changer. That's so, I could have died. - Yeah, and you know the other thing I wanna talk about is like, if war was so fun, if it was so awesome and fun, like people try to make it out to be, we wouldn't have so many people themselves and PTSD over it. I, how many people can tell themselves 'cause they go to like Disney World when they're kids? Yeah, not many, right? So I'm gonna say is like, if war was such a great experience, you wouldn't be living the rest of your life having nightmares about it. - That's a good way to put it. - Yeah, I'm just saying, right? I mean, like if we're just gonna call it what it is, like, you know, I hear all these guys, people say, man, I'd just give anything to deploy again. You're the same person that bitch the whole time, you were over there about hating it, hating the military, not wanting to be here. And-- - You think it's like rose-colored glasses or something else? - I wanna hear yours. - I think if we're real honest with ourselves, combat is way easier than life here, right? Like when I'm deployed, I don't have to worry about bills. I don't have to worry about any taking care of my kids. I don't have to worry about doing life. I just have to wake up every day, put my shit on, go on a patrol and live a simple, simple life. Yeah, it's harder, right? I mean, it's a hard way of life. It sucks, you're away from your family, you miss it. But I do think that the rose-colored glasses is one aspect of it. I think that our mind is natural to remember the good things. It's a survival instinct that we get rid of the bad things, right, if you process it. But I think you only remember the good times. And I think that those are the aspects of what they miss. I think they miss the simplicity of being deployed. I think they miss the camaraderie because you are close to your people, right? And I think that's what's missed. But I have to question anybody that says that they missed getting shot at. Turned major whimer that's won the first time we met him or at General George's house. They were asking, it was going around, you're supposed to tell something about yourself. And I was like, oh, blah, blah, blah. I was like, oh, you like to deploy it. Why did you join? They were like, why did you join? I was like, well, I thought combat would be cool. It was going to be kick ass. I'm not going to go and fight that sucks. And Mike was like, he's been in fights. Yeah, he gets it. I was like, oh, okay, good. That's the right answer. Yeah. Is it fucking it sucks? And it is a stressor you will, it helps later in life because it takes a lot to stress you out after that shit. For me at least, it takes a whole lot to stress me out. If you get past it, hold on. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But I think that where people, what people really need to come, like, and usually men, like this is usually a men's conversation, right? I mean, I've never, to the day, I've never had a female come to me and say, I want to go to combat. Or I want to get, you know, I can't wait to go get in a gun fight. So like, maybe, maybe it'll happen to me. I don't know. But I think for men, it's an identity crisis, right? I think it's an opportunity. I mean, we all as men want to be tested. Like that's, it's kind of, you know, for us, I think it's kind of how you, I don't know, I think, you know, you look at any warrior class of men, like there was always some test. There was always some earning. There was always some peace to becoming a man, right? And we were born as, we're born as males, but we have to become an earned being a man. And I think that there's just that natural aspect of us of, of wanting to know it, wanting the answer to if we could do it. And so I think that that's a piece of it. And, and I think that that's a way to do it. But I just, I don't, I think sometimes we romanticize it. And then I'll go a little bit further into it of, I think how we told our stories what did a disjustice for it, right? I think, I think we have a lot, I think, I think guys like Mehu wrote books. I think we have some responsibility of how we wrote our books. We only told the great parts about it. And we only told it in a way that, that made it look cool. And we didn't talk about the, the shitty and sucky parts of it. And I think, I think we do have some responsibility in that. After, because I'm sure you had, your guys, especially at the Afghanistan deployment, that's where you've seen that huge, a decade after it's when we started seeing a big, like losing a lot of individuals in my battalion, we're at 29, after we've been back for 18 years now, I think. But that's when you're just seeing like way more, we lost 16 over there and then we've lost 29 since we've been back, we're almost to hit double the amount just once, because, and I'm sure you, like we've talked about it before, that idea of getting there, like, going to sick hall, being, going to therapy, shit, like you don't do that. Crush your feelings. Yeah. And so I'm like, hey, actually, you should probably talk about it, give advice, lead by example to, like, hey, if you're, if you're telling guys that are getting in now, like, oh, you're warning, it was like, hey, PTSD therapy, like, this is a lot and it can be difficult. If it's coming from you, now they will take that and be like, oh, well, he says it's okay, and I look up to him. So I'm going to do that. And I don't think we had that from the previous generation. No, because we had, I mean, nothing against them, because also you have to look like technology, like the resources that we have today are astronomical. We have more resources and technology and knowledge and data to help us today than we've ever had in the history of, especially mental health, right? And so, you know, but all we had to look up to was the Vietnam generation on how they knew how to do it, right? And so, you know, you also have to think that we've only had medication for about 50 years. So like, when you, when you look at like the big advancement of this, like, and then you had to test it and then we've seen how we got that wrong real quick. So we got to backtrack on that and we got to find other modalities. And so, and in that 50 years, I'd have to like look at that up in detail, but it's around 50 years that that was one of, that was the last big advancement when you look at medical when it came to, to mental health was, was the medication aspect of it. And, and I think medication gets a bad rap, right? Obviously, when you look at opioids and all that stuff, but it actually is very helpful if it's used in the right ways and it's used with the right purpose. And so like, I'm not anti, anti medication, because if that's a case, and you know, should we all be having surgeries without anesthesia, right? I mean, you know, like, I would prefer it. Yeah. So, so you know, I mean, I've seen dances with wolves, so you know, it's, it's as well as deals. But, you know, I think for, for us, you know, the big thing that I, I talk about back is is, I think we first have to set an expectation management where I get really frustrated with the military is the military, it is actually, if you want to see a precursor of what's about to happen to the entire society, you just watch the military, right? What happens there first is what's going to come to, to society. Look, tons of started happening in society, and in the military, well, guess what's happening across society now, right? So, I mean, when you look at mental health, mental health started being bad there, right? It comes across, and so like, you could, because it's a self, it's a self-selected demographic of people, and it's from all it's the most, it is literally the, the military is the most diverse organization that we have in America, right? And so, you know, they come from all walks of life. And so, for me, I think, I think we had an opportunity to really give society a blueprint for mental health, and then you came out with a campaign of 22 a day, right? So, I blame the mental health aspect of our, of our military on the NGOs, right? So, I have this theory for whatever it's worth that, you know, NGO for non-government organization, the non-profits, you know, they all were doing a great thing when the war kicked off. They came in and filled gaps, right? They were, I mean, they were doing the Lord's work literally, they were, they were doing, they were finding a way, like society always has done, is stepped up to support their service members, right? They're people who are fighting. They're doing good ones, like, and actually made a difference before it became an industry. Well, and then this is what happened, right, is the war machine stopped sending home bodies and people for them to take care of. And so, then they had to shift the product. So, you started with the hidden wounds, right? So, when the warrior started, you know, everybody's a warrior, so now we help everybody, right? I mean, so, like, it turned into this aspect of just reclassifying what things were instead of 20 to, you know, instead of, instead of having a product of guys getting killed in combat. Now it's 22 a day, and so let's remark at this because we need to continue a product. Instead of being like, "Hey, we're going to be here to support this," it started turning into an industry. And I think at the expense of service members, right? I mean, one of the big aspects I fight all the time was is PTSD, depression, and anxiety, their injuries, not terminal illnesses. Now say that, go put that on your Instagram right now, watch the hate come through. Like, people will lose their minds. Hey guys, do you want to see something? Not again. Those are true classics. You want to touch it, Brandon? Cody, you want to touch it? Oh, Brandon? 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Use code unsub. Now we've been messing around with T-shirts and been in that industry for years now, and we can truly say that true classic has some of the greatest material and greatest fitting that we've ever seen. So forget overpriced designer brands. Skip the cheap throwaway stuff. True classic is built for comfort, built for class, and built to give back. You can even find them at Target or Costco or you can go to trueclassic.com/unsub to try for yourself. If you want to level up your clothes for the summer or coming into the fall, whether head over to trueclassic.com/unsub. We have a real, I will say, so the community here. They are so amazing about that. They are respectful, and then we're super blessed on how they react to any of this conversation, because they are, they know we put them first. We work for them. We are blessed to have them as viewers, and we have an a huge audience now. You know, don't be too nice to them. Keep your eyes open for one piece of shit. But they rally, and they are big now on mental health, getting help, helping veterans. Like, we do the April or November, we just did the all month we sell merch, and we'll release two new t-shirts. No, I don't have it on. Two new t-shirts, and then 100% of the profits we donate at that end of the month. So it's like a handful of veteran organizations and things like that. And we vet those ones, because you have to vet the nonprofits now. You have to, and so like, I think that's the first expectation you have to set is, is like, that they, those are injuries, not terminal illnesses. And so what that means is, is like, don't be a victim. Yeah, like, you, you, you can't be more than a victim of your own service. Right. And like, the worst day of, and here's the reality is, is like, the worst day of my life is no more significant than the worst day of your life, or your life. Like, why are we trying to out victimize each other, right? Like, it's just the worst day of your life in your mind. And you know what I mean? And so it's like, you need to deal with that, and get, get past it, and, in order to be better from it, right? And so I, but I think that when we set the expectation that once you have PTSD, you have forever, well, then, then you're screwed, right? Because then that's all they ever have. And that's all they have to live up to. And it becomes our identity, especially if you say it, like that. And then they, somebody hears that. And then they pass that on. I'm like, well, you have PTSD now. Yeah. Sorry. And it becomes, it's, I like what you're saying about some of the, the way that these people market this stuff is like, you have the slogans, like some wounds never heal. It's like, well, that's a horrible mindset. Well, let me, so let, so, so this is why, like, my team leader came himself a few years ago. And, and this is why, like, I am so hell bent against, like, if you commit something, it is a cowardly act. Like, I am not backing off that, right? Like, it is not the same. Like, there is nothing more unbecoming than if you, if you yourself, right? Because all you're doing is is passing on the pain that you have and amplifying it to the people that care about you around you. Like, you are literally tossing that off. And it is, there's nothing, I mean, let me ask you something. Would you all, if I had told you, and if I had told you that I surrendered to the enemy, would you all like respect me? I know you wouldn't, you wouldn't, you wouldn't respect me surrendering or quitting to the enemy. Would you, right? So, well, I mean, this is the ultimate surrender. And so, you know, it's a hard one to talk about because none of us, none of us wanted you to do that. And like, it doesn't make sense. But until, until we say that and go back to that, people are going to continue to do it. And they're going to see it as an acceptable route. They're going to see it as an acceptable way to handle their pain, right? And instead of going to get help. Dan Holloway, he has my favorite quote on that, which is it's a permanent solution to a temporary problem. And I think that sums it up perfectly. Yeah. And I think the, the thing we have to talk about is like, if you are a human being, at some point, the idea of, or the thought will cross your mind. Like, that is a normal thing. Like, that is a, it is crossed everybody's mind. But at some point, like taking action on it is where it, is where it doesn't become normal and it becomes a thing that you need to get help for, right? And it's a, it's a tough one because, you know, I've lost, I've watched some of the hardest men. Some of my teen leader was one of the biggest badasses that I had knew. But, you know, I mean, he, he, he took his own life, right? And it, and it sucks. It sucks because like, you know, you, you wanted to fix it and help it for him. And I would have done anything for him. But, you know, it's, it's the most unbecoming thing I think. And, and you know how you know it's, it is. And this is where you start talking about these nonprofits and these things, like trying to change it and to keep the product going. And why they, I don't think they care. And some aspects, other than keeping the product. Now, you're not supposed to say commit. You're supposed to say died by, because they're trying to take the word commit out of it. Yeah, right? Like go look it up. Interesting. Go look it up. They're trying to, to change it. Like if you said, I have noticed that, but I didn't, it wasn't conscious, I guess. Yeah. They're trying to take the literally the one piece of control you have in it out of it so that you can be the victim to, as well. Interesting. That's so, because you know how you change the truth, right? One word at a time. Yeah. Yeah. That is Cody really quick with the going back to just even that mindset of talking mental health, getting into that, and that generation of we didn't have that with police force and SWAT. Did you have that? Or was it still like the guys above you were like, oh, that's for don't like figure your own problems out, especially because as you're showing up on the scene and you have like a baby. I mean, no one ever said it all, but you know, the culture is kind of the same thing. It's like, if you go to therapy, but okay, like if you go seek help, uh, all right. Like it was kind of brushed off, I guess you could say. So it kind of comes down to the, I guess, kind of like an eye roll. Yeah. And some of it, some of it is legit because like, you know, you have to, until we have leaders who have gone to therapy themselves, they don't understand what therapy is and they don't understand it. I mean, like, because you get all these overreacting leaders that, you know, if you go to therapy, where you can't do your job, right? I mean, it's, it's like, it's kind of, that's, and that's what a lot of, a lot of, I think holds a lot of people from going to therapy and getting help. Um, and so I think we got to have leaders who have gone and fixed like the problem is we have broken people, lead and broken people. And so we need to get, our leaders need to, to make sure that their whole and then, you know, start helping other people and use these things is like, you know, hey, I was struggling here too, like go get some help instead of saying, hey, you know, I know you're struggling. Let's, let's go, start getting drunk every night, right? Like, you know, we got to really call things what they are and, um, and where I really, but honestly, probably changed my life the most to really start taking accountability and responsibility for this was becoming a first responder, like, was becoming a firefighter because I'm going to tell you something that we don't talk about enough, like what cops and what firefighters and what paramedics see, uh, makes what I've seen in combat and what veterans see in combat look like a Mickey Mouse clubhouse. Like, like, if, if these people are out there crushing life and, I mean, like, we should learn from nail mom mental health, right? Now, I ain't saying they're getting it all 100% perfect. But what I am saying is is like, veterans don't have the, like when it you talk about trauma and you talk about, you know, seeing bad shit, veterans don't have the market on that. Like, you want to go see the people who see the worst of the worst and like, they go on deployment, Every week at state side state side like look if you went to combat and deployed and like I'll say this about You know, the one difference that I think it's why it's worse for our first responders It's because look if you went to if you signed up for the military first none they none of us were drafted so if you enlisted and You deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan scene combat and you were surprised by what you saying you're kind of a dumbass Right, I mean Logically you should it should make sense. You should know where you're getting into a little bit You know, it's not during the surge. It's called it's called war I mean if you if you joined during a wartime and you went to war and Then you were surprised at what war was like I mean, I'm not saying it's easy to deal with But what I am saying is you shouldn't be surprised by it, right? They're okay. All the structures are like it any retar think you're not going to war yeah like two hands on it Like fuck stupid. Yeah, it's the search the photo was on the package And when you go to war, you know people are like people will die. Yeah, you should know that right okay What I will tell you is is like These are people who go from being mothers fathers sister's brothers husbands wives To putting on a uniform driving potentially five miles down the road and showing up to The worst that's a code he has literally the worst things Like the and none of it makes sense right like when we were over there You know, you're fighting in like a gunfight and it sucks like yeah, it sucks no matter what right but I mean you're standing there and you're talking to a mother Who is sitting in the passenger seat of her vehicle as her husband is dead in the driver's seat and her two kids are getting worked on CPR in the back on a Thanksgiving weekend and Doesn't make sense right and so it's like and then guess what they look just like your people and your family and like that That is hard all that's hard, but all my point of it is is like We as veterans didn't get the market on PTSD and and hard things to go through like our men and women like first responders that walk amongst us every single day and they are you know that are showing up every time we dial three numbers They are the people that we should all look at when it comes to mental health on and again I'm not saying they get it right all the time But I am saying that like what they deal with is is astronomical compared to what we do in the crazy part to at least for me like outside looking in is There's no separation. So like they will see the most heinous shit possible in this country and then again drive five miles back down the road Come back home to cold macaroni and cheese. Yeah, and you want yeah, and you know you talk about cops like you know Cops are getting and I use cops right now because they're they they always get the worst rap, right? You know, we don't do it. We don't recognize them for the good they do the only time that they are recognized or mentioned is the bad Right and and we don't we don't sit here. We don't we don't we don't we don't like we don't reward them or give or recognize The lives they save I mean It's like Cody and it sucks the amount of hate you get online just because you break down videos with the most information You reach out and you gather all of it and you present it factually, yeah, good or bad And you present it and then you still get fucking swatted or dumbed it just because yeah Oh formerly or a bootlicker because he stuck like that story They didn't like how it turned out because like you'll break down a video and it's not oh well cop was in the right because he cop Yeah, it's like it's not like that. You're like oh well actually this person was wrong because if this case law cop was in the right because of this this this But it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter bootlicker. Yeah, it's whatever. Yeah. Yeah, and it's it's um Yeah, it's it's a yeah, it's a it's an aspect it like but but I will say the the bad It's still the minority of the good that goes on 100% you know, I mean like I mean I mean and it's not necessarily like I was terrified Where that was going for me. Yeah, yeah, yeah, no Which word made it which word made you get nervous. There was a couple in succession that I was very afraid of it like oh shit. I'm in frame You're like bad the bad is the minority like that's not great. No That's a joke. Yeah, um, um, sorry to do real no, um, yeah, that's yeah, but you know, it's like it's like these cops are are you know, it's I I wish We've got to tell and the only way you win the only way you win the only way we change the world I truly believe this the only way that we get the world back to where we need to be Is it you know, you can't just be like all that's wrong that's wrong that's wrong you can't just be a because that's what that's what everybody does now It's like they only say all that's that's wrong the only way we're gonna be able to win this is if we out-message it was good You know, I mean like we we can only win the world back If we out-message it was good and there is more good and there is bad But we have to out-message it was good. What do you think you could? What do you think? I'm thinking money money money money money I was just gonna go there the only thing that's going to make the news money is headlines of Copp kills person unjustly and that's how they get their clicks That's how they get their ad revenue and it's been like that for years and years and years and I hate to say you know the mainstream media That's exactly what it is. They only want to focus on the bad and they never focus on the good because no one wants to click on the good Positivity is hard to sell. Yeah, you can't sell positivity, but here's the great part the great part is this Is that mainstream media? It's about to be dead right the great part is is it that that that I do I do I do believe this next generation is a Going to start like they're not gonna give a shit about the same shit that It's selling all these clicks right now, right? I do think this that's why I think this next generation is gonna be so important like I don't think that they are going to be as as You know like they're growing up with all the shit that we are like We we have like been handed to us to see like what we were the experiment Oh, yeah, social media is a whole internet period But but we were the experiment right like they they just handed us these things We didn't know what they're gonna do to us and they start throwing a bunch of shit at it and now you got a bunch of a bunch of people who have You know it it's yeah, so I know at three how to use all this this next generation though They see the consequences of it, right? I mean They see I think that they're gonna be the ones that are going to set a straight But I do think that what we have got to do is is we have got to instill in them to believe in the greater good and to believe in that They can and and I go back to it. Look, you know this country was founded because 70 people said that I'm not gonna put up with this anymore Right 70 people who had no training who had no idea what they were gonna do They stood up and they said you know what? I'm a shopkeeper. I am a I am you know, I'm a a blacksmith I'm whatever right. I'm a farmer and I'm going to grab my rifle and I'm going to do something No matter what and and I'm telling you I do believe with everything that I have That we are at a time to where it will work You know, yeah, I know and I do agree with you like the It's all there, but I do believe that like I do believe that people are starving for hope Yeah, and I hate the only hope that that people can find especially from a law enforcement perspective is a post from A random person on social media that goes viral and you can see like this cop being an awesome person like maybe playing basketball Yeah, with a kid or Saving alive and like the mainstream media's been like cost back cost back cost back cost back this entire time and But you have these these like you said 70 people you have these little people on social media Who put these stories out and they go super viral? Yeah, I'm like that's that's the hope there That's also the nice part about social media There's a lot of trust me there's plenty of negatives of social media But one of the positives is you get to see what people actually want to see yeah It's a lesson on the cursing social media. It's all curated though by like things that are supposed to make you angry Your things that are supposed to make you click or whatever It's like you get to see those things that you know people do actually care yeah to watch Brandon, do you need not again one more time you got this Brandon can you Brandon do you like it? Brandon, where do you store your firearms all over my house in every fucking crepes? Well, do I have the product for you Nick show him here handed to me Brandon so I can show you Brandon. This is stop box Stop box. We love box. You selling me. What's in the box? You have to open it and find out all right Well, let's see if I can do this. Oh, wow look at that. Oh, I think that would stop you. Can I hide my goop in that? You can hide your goop in that Cody. Cody, do you know I love this thing? Why? Why? Why? God! Why? Biggest you don't have to use keys. God, not included. Cody, you've got multiple cats in your house including Squirt, who's quite the scrapper. Would you want Squirt to have access to your firearms? No. He's violent. Well, then stop-box is the perfect product for you. No cat's getting inside that. Or people without thumbs. Hmm. The nice part is it is actually TSA compliant. I didn't actually know that part until a couple of months ago. That is actually really cool. You just put a little lock through there. Exactly. When you check in a pistol or any gun, if there's a hole the lock can go through on whatever you're checking you're going in, you have to put a lock through that. This has one hole, so you just need one lock easily accessible once you land on the ground. I know you're not normally a one hole kind of guy, but this is definitely an exception to the rule. Never worry about tariffs because everything is sourced right here in the USA. Wait, what are tariffs? I'm pretty sure I shot a few of them. For a limited time, only get 10% off your entire order if you use code unsubscribe and check out. And right now, if you buy one stop box, you're going to get another stop box free, so that's 10% off plus buy one, get one free when you use code unsubscribe and check out. That's stopboxUSA.com! Discover a better way to balance security and readiness with stop box. StopboxUSA.com! Use code unsubscribe. They had, that's actually a really good point, you got to see with the Buffalo School system, what mainstream media tried to do with that because Rich was on it and he was the one having this interaction and it's us with drinks on the table and his name's Angry Cops and he's been in the news multiple times. But then it was, oh, they didn't focus on, hey, there's like shit going on with these schools with these kids, these kids are in danger, like talking about the school abuse of children, like a serious allegation. And this is a man on the front lines who was saying, I've seen this, I've seen this, I've documented it, I've seen this, and that's what it would detect. Why was he wrong, though, be like, because booze on table, we had a booze on table and he's talking about it. They, like, they burnt this foul podcast, I think is what they said. But then it was amazing because the community went fucking bullied every journalist or news anchor that had those negative headlines, they changed their headlines because of it. Like, they just removed Angry Cops or detect what, what do they call them, like, bad cop? It was a different word of that stupid. And they removed all that just because the sheer amount of people, like, are you fucking worried about that instead of the kids or what the fuck is wrong with you? And that's what we need, right, I mean, the silent majority can no longer be silent, right? Like, we have got to use our voices, we've got to speak up against what's right, for what's right and against what's wrong, like, the silent majority has got to, it's got to stop. And, you know, it's the same thing with voting, right, I mean, look, like, you know, people like, oh, they don't, I believe the system still could work. Like I believe the system, I believe that I believe that all of this thing still works. I am, you know, and call me a bootlicker or whatever else, whatever else you want to call me. But I do believe in that, and I believe that what it takes though is it takes, it takes people actually taking action. And like, like, you know, I think I don't think there's ever, I don't believe that there's ever going to be a chance for a civil war, right? I don't think that that's the thing. Like, people who talk about that, I think that, I think that that's, they don't have the stomach for it. But especially the people that talk about it, like, oh, I can't wait for the, like, well, you're fucking crazy. Yeah. Because I don't know if you did any reading on the first one that we had, but it pretty much sucked for everybody for a very long time. Yeah. And none of us should want that, right? Like, I always, always question anybody who wants to hurt another American or hurt another human being, right? Like, I think that that's, that's insane. And, and I think, just because you disagree with them, and I think that, you know, I do believe though, I do believe that, that voting still works. You know, and I think that all these ideas, this, this, I call it extinctionists. There's an extinctionist mindset that has, that has, you know, entered our culture, right? And so what does extinctionist mean, right? The way you kill a population is you make them believe that there's no reason to do good or do the right thing anymore. And so the way you do that is by you start, you know, you start putting these narratives out there that all marriages are bad, all men are bad, all women are bad. And kids are bad. All cops are bad. Having kids are bad. Or like-- Bare over a man in the woods. Yep. Or there's no reason to, or there's, or there's no reason to stand up for what's right anymore. Or you may tell you where it started at, your vote doesn't matter anymore, right? So you believe your vote doesn't matter anymore. So why are you going to show up and vote, right? And it's all those aspects that if you get people to believe in, and there's actually to study out there with these mice, right? So these docked or these scientists threw these mice into this tub of water. And then they watered, they took like five to seven minutes out. I don't know the exact time, but a short time that the mice started to drown. And so they reached in and grabbed the mice and picked them up, set them on the side and let them, you know, get their breath and all this back and then they tossed them back in. And they stayed there for like 48 or 72 hours after that. Were they trying to learn something? Yeah. I'm about to tell you this, right? I'm talking around. Yeah. They were just torturing mice. I just can't swim. Thank you, Dakota. Yeah. Why do you call this a story? So why? Funny. I don't know. Yeah. Yeah. You're the little guy. You're the most random danger. Yeah. Yeah. So that's the end of the story. Yeah. That's the end of the story. I did that shit all the time. Yeah. So the difference is they wrote it down. So my point being is we could be scientists. No, but the point of it was is like the mice swam so much longer the next time because they believed that there was hope that somebody would come get them out and it's the same thing with people, right? Like what you will never achieve more than you believe and what you believe and what you think is what you will see more of. And I do believe that we just need leaders to be conversation shifters right now. We need people who believe like who actually believe that this country can be better. And look, I mean, the more you do it, the people are good. Well, that's for Congress. That's the thing on the the primary element back on like voting is it drives me crazy the amount of people who get frustrated with, you know, the all the two party system. It's all rigged. They're all fake. It's like, well, you could have your qualms with the two party system. Good luck. But here's the thing. You're not just these people aren't just anointed. You can be a part of that like with your primaries and not just like on the presidential level because I get how that's overwhelming to a lot of big numbers, a lot of money, it's a lot of influence. But even just at a local level, whether it's Congress, whether it's your local school board, your judge, your sheriff, these things, there are primaries where you get to choose which person is representing that party. And you can get involved. You can make that difference on that. And that person does matter like like like you don't have to be like, yeah, president has one aspect, but like I would argue that the people in your demographic, like in your local, your local area matter more than, than, you know, at the federal level, right? I mean, obviously, it's your community, right? I mean, your city council will have more effect over your life than Congress will a lot of times. And think about this. Like how many people don't even know who's on their city council? How many people don't even know who's on the school board, right? How many people don't even know what district they're in or who represents him, right? So before people start complaining about the decisions are being made. But again, like it's, but it's before, like at what point do you, do we have responsibility ourselves to, to get involved, like stop bitching about the problem, stop, become part of the solution. There are, the system is set. And it does work. I do believe I, I don't, I do believe it does work. I just think that, I think that, and I do believe that we need rep, I think the two party system works. And I'll, I'll tell you why on that too, is because the only thing worse than what we have now would be if we only had a one party system. Well, that's, I think objectively worse. That's terrifying. So, but again, but again, you know, it's like, you need both. I think, I think what's happened though is, and I don't believe that the leadership of the parties represent the people of the voters, right? I agree with that completely, like the people are like, oh, Democrats are not patriotic. I'm like, I disagree. Like I, I know a lot of Democrats that are my friends that support me that are great people that love this country. I think your leadership that is representing the Democratic Party probably hates this country, right? But I think that, you know, it's one of those aspects that like, they're not, we need both of them to be effective, right? If it wasn't for the Democratic Party, we wouldn't be evolving as, you know what I mean? Like, they, they help evolve this country and grow this country and, and, and that aspect of it, right? And, and now look, they've gone way off now. But, you know, and, and the rep, you need the Republican Party as well, and you need both of them. And they're both important to the system. But, but we have got to get leaders that represent the people, you know, the parties were supposed to conform to the people, not the people to have to conform to the party. Yeah. And that's what we're missing right now. That's why like Brandon's running and that, I mean, that's one of your big things. It is, you did this not for love of the game or childhood dream that you wanted to be a politician. People who want power are scary. Yeah. Terrifying people. Terrifying. And that's, unfortunately, a majority, and that's the problem. But you come in and you're like, I don't know. No, this dude is f***ing up a whole bunch of shit and we need to do better. So it was out of spite. I just, I'm just tired of my cars, but I knew nobody was gonna do something about it. So, yeah, it's through my hat and the ring. Last time we lost by 400 votes, this time I think we're gonna take it. But it's just, I get fed up because I think the Republicans aren't immune to that either. Like on our side of the fence, there's, I think the leadership does accurately represent to a degree what a lot of the older generation, like the '60s, '70s age group Republicans believe with the tint of a lot of corruption by money. And there's a lot of industry and there's a lot of, it's an entire machine behind the scenes. Yeah, it is. And I, you know, like I think, I think if the Republican party doesn't evolve as well, right, I think that you're gonna have a huge problem, you know, the way, but again, like, but think about it. What is the average age of the people in leadership, you know, in Congress, right? Of course, they're not gonna know the problems that we have, right? Of course, they're not gonna be able to under, like, they are, like, they are, like, they are arguing for the things that were relevant back when they were in our positions, right? Like, but now they're responsible for legislating Bitcoin and AI. Well, again, it is terrifying, it is terrifying, right? It is terrifying. And I also think, you know, what they have done a great job at, and this is like probably the piece that I hate the most about, about our leadership in this country is, is they have found a way to, to rig the system in a way to where the repercussions and the consequences of their decisions don't affect them anymore, right? And that's, that's, that's bad leadership. You know, at the point that you can make decisions that you don't feel anymore, like, you can shut the government down, you still get paid, right? Like, you know what I mean? Like, this is, this is a, look, I think if you shut the government down, everybody doesn't get to come back, like, you don't get another term, right? If you all couldn't figure out how to communicate with each other and get a way to get the government to keep going, nobody, yep, we're gonna have to start all over on people in it, right? I get it. I get it stuff. At a bare minimum, they should not be, they shouldn't be paid just like every other government employee, but like said, bare minimum, they shouldn't get the back pay either. All the other federal employees get back there. Yes. Congress shouldn't. It was your fault. Bare minimum and we need term limits. Yes, oh God. Yeah, I don't think you need one. We need term limits. Like, no one wants a fucking dinosaur if they're telling the next generation or two generations. When you have, who was the one that was, like, just, like, rebooting on stage? There's a few. Right? Mitch McConnell. We thought about Mitch McConnell. Yeah, like he pooped himself. Right. There's a Mitch McConnell. I mean, you know, and it's like Joe Biden, right? I mean, I mean, Diane Feinstein, she died of old age after casting a vote same day. Dead serious. Dead serious. That is wild for them to be in charge of Jack and shit. Huh. Well, the problem is once you, and it's a lot easier when you sell out, you know, in their position, because you get all this fundraising ability. And because as an incumbent, you have the incumbency advantage, you have the name recognition advantage and you have millions and millions of dollars, you become almost impossible to be. Well, well, and then the other way that the system is set up, right, is, you know, you take some of these states that don't have the power because of, you know, the representatives they have and things like that. You also lose, like, Kentucky's going to suffer because Mitch McConnell is going to be replaced. Right? They're not going to have a say. A lot of say. I'm from Kentucky. So like, you know, they're not going to have a lot of say or the power that Mitch McConnell had because he'd been the seniority, right? And so like, now you got, you know, so there is a, there's an aspect of that, that is always a play of why they keep these people in there. But, you know, we've got to get back to, to a place of, of, you know, we've got to go back old school, right? I mean, we got to go back to where, and I do think that, I do think we've got to have terminates in it. We've got to hold these people accountable. But, but you know, they can be held accountable because everybody that's watching can go out and vote. Kind of sure is that. Actually, Eli, these are what are called shorts. Fabletics shorts, but where do you put your head? It's complicated. Well, they look comfortable. Indeed they are. And there's something about starting a new workout that just feels so great, but you know what isn't great, having to buy all of the gear. All that changed when I signed up is a VIP at Fabletics. You got 80% off all your clothes? That's right, Eli. 80% off everything. I thought it was one of those deals that's too good to be true, but no, it's true. Do you feel the 80% off? I feel so comfortable. That's right, Eli. 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It is terrifying or aggravating people should have been way more pissed about even the last election cycle with chomologists being put into place. Like everything that was-- That was wild. That was wild. It wasn't out of the blue like, "Oh no. We knew there was problems with the president at the time." And then they just kept it going and tell us like, "Oh no, she's replacing it and you didn't even get to vote that in." And it was funny to have her, you know, being able to get on stage saying, "Oh, Trump is the enemy of democracies trying to end democracy. Like you're running for president. Nobody voted for you." Nobody. And that's not a single human. That's what you just got put in. Before the presidential election. Yeah, but it's fucking wild to have that. But what I think is, but what I think is telling and why I go back to saying that the system still works is she didn't get elected. Yeah. Like, she didn't get elected, right? And so I still-- Billings of dollars and she didn't get elected. And you know-- And I think the most expensive presidential election in history. Yeah. Yeah, and I think-- so I think our country is going to be fine. I think the biggest thing that people can do-- number one is vote. Like you should-- that should not be an aspect that you take lightly or any of that piece of it. And then I think the next piece is, like, read the Constitution. I hear everybody wants to quote the Constitution to me all the time. And I'm like, when's the last time you read it? Like is that what you think it said? What's my told you it said? Or what you know it says? There's a big difference, right? And I-- I don't have it on me today. I usually have it in my-- with me or in my-- if I'm definitely in my suit, I have my Constitution on me. Because when people are like, well, you know, that's unconstitutional. OK. Well, let me pull one out right here. Let's talk about it. Right. Right. And so I think read the Constitution. I think the other thing is history. I think you-- I think the biggest-- like, the biggest tool and education that you can have is history. Like, I think knowing history, knowing why things were put in, when things were put in, you know? And I-- I school myself on it all the time. But I think that if you do those three things, I do believe our country will get-- get back to where it needs to be. And that is such a true statement, because you look at how right now is this is worse than the Nazi regime. And you have that information being put out there. And then it's a dictator. You are on social media saying this. You know what that means? You're not under a fucking dictating regime, like Nazi regime. And that's where it's crazy not understanding or knowing that piece of history to show how bad it was. Yeah. So a lot of confusion, you know, like you talk about this Venezuela thing, right? I mean, look, I hope President Bush is watching what just happened and realizing that maybe he should have done that in Iraq, right? And I think that, you know, what we're doing is-- I don't know, I mean, like, I don't know all the answers. I don't pretend to, but I always like to-- we got to have conversations. This is the problem. It's like, what do-- I think right now, we as Americans have got to decide, like, you know, because I keep hearing, well, we shouldn't police the world. Okay. I mean, so who should? Because like, we can't argue. Somebody's going to. So who should then? Who should? Who does it better than us? And who can we rely on? And who do we trust to do it? It's a hard one because it is the only way for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing. So what's that line? Because now it is. Okay. There's bad. Obviously terrible human. Oh, look what they did. This is terrible. Pause. How the fuck does any change happen? You just want dictator's rule and then no one does anything? Yeah, maybe. And I'm fine with whatever. I think Americans should be involved in this. I think this should be a conversation that Americans should have, right? But I think informed Americans. Yeah. Well, that's the hard part. That's the hard part, right? So I think that when we talk about these things, like, okay, I mean, I don't necessarily is-- you know, I don't necessarily want to have to go police the world either, right? but I also think that there's a responsibility That if we're watching someone in Venezuela, you know, oppress people and not even an elected official by the people and we have the ability to get rid of them, we should. And then I think, you know, people are like, oh, the old, yeah, yeah, you know what? Like, if you ask for your house to be remodeled, would the builder pay for it? No. So I think that if we are going to go help them with their country and help them become a better country, we should absolutely be compensated for it and we should do it with their money that they are capable of paying for it with, right? And I think that that's what real nation building looks like, not Iraq and I occupying in that aspect of it. That is not like, 'cause then you create a vacuum because we come in and do it for them. It's like having an entitled child, right? It's like, you grow up, you raise a child, it's like a trust fund baby, right? Like, how many of them are successful on their own, right? And so like, regeneration, and it will be fucking gone, all money gone in three generations. Gone, and so like, we come in and we help them do that, not by occupying, but by giving them opportunities and by helping them manage that aspect and letting the Venezuelan people select it. And then we roll out and we go on to the next one, right? And so-- There's definitely a conversation to be had for sure, 'cause especially in the world's police things, like, okay, well, then who should? I mean, I don't think we've ever really done that in a way that wasn't because of American interests in the first place, 'cause I mean, think about how many genocides are going on over the world right now. Like, how many dictators, how many countries are in civil war, how many people are being wiped out in the United States, just doesn't give a shit. 23, 23 genocides are going on right now in different countries. What I do like is the transparency of the Venezuelan situation where we're like, no, you stole tens of billions of dollars worth of our assets, largely regarding oil that Americans invested in. Yeah, no, we're not gonna deal with that. That's an American interest. And you can debate right wrong all day long, but at least the transparency was there. It's like, yeah, you got a shitload of oil and you took our shit and you're not playing ball. Yeah, and I hope we do a Cuban next. Yeah, you're gonna grow Guantanamo. Yeah, I think we do. Just keep expanding from there. I think, I hope we grab the Cuban later next. Right? I mean, it was on the table, apparently. But again, I don't think we occupy anywhere, right? I don't think we, I don't think we, I don't understand. It's a dumb shit we can do. Listen, it's never worked for us, right? And so I think that, but I also think that we, I think that, I don't think we sit back and watch evil, because no matter what, inevitably, it's gonna come to us. Like, where does it stop? So then where do you draw the line, right? I mean, we're only in our hemisphere right now, right? So like, you know, is it hemisphere wide? I mean, what do you do, right? I mean, and I think that this is a piece of Americans. And if they don't want to do it, then that's fine. Like, if you're willing to, if that's not what you have, if that's what America doesn't represent anymore, then okay, then that's fine. I think that that's what you should vote for. And you know, that's, that's a great part of it. But I need to go find a country that's willing to be the leaders of the free world. Step up. Right? I mean, I think the American people just have to really have this hard conversation because you don't stay at the top. Well, I think you have this divide, though, that does make it hard because it is this moving of goalposts right now with Venezuela. It's like they're, oh, we're sorry, the Venezuelan people. Uh, we don't, he doesn't, he doesn't speak for us. We would, we hate that he did that. And then cue all the celebration going on in Venezuela. Then it's like, uh, move that goalpost over here. Well, what's trying to think? They celebrate Iraq. They celebrated. No, you guys just can't be happy. Yeah. I mean, on top of that, even just what a lot of the democratic leadership, I, I saw one. It's just like a collection of tweets of prominent Democrats that are in the power now that we're tweeting a couple of years ago, like, well, Maduro needs to be replaced. We, I absolutely, the United States needs to get involved in ousting Maduro. And no, about that $25 million dollar bounty. Yeah. That's what, that's my favorite thing. It's like, oh, so we were supposed to capture and do anything. Then why the, did they put a $50 million dollar bounty? Or it was, it was a $25 million dollar bounty. I think it was raised to 50, but yeah, it's a, it's a, you know, and I think that that's just look like what, look, what we are, if we're not willing to step up somebody will, right? And, and what you've seen is is the other two superpowers. So you, I mean, really, you look at us, Russian China. Like, there's really nobody else on the global, the global shit. There's really nobody else on the global board that's, that's, that's part of it. And so, so you look, so we went down there and took, took out the leader. Russia and China went down there and was working with the leader and their best interest. You know, so at the expense of the Venezuelan people, right? You know, I mean, so like, who gets the fucking bounty now? Well, I, I think they should set, I think for all the people who are involved in the race. That's a dirty guy. That's pretty funny. They should toss it out to them, right? I mean, it's fair, it was the, it was his security team. I was like, hey, homes, yeah, there's a lot of money. Would you split it? There's 10 of us, all of a sudden, I sell, yeah, no shit, right? All of a sudden, they open the door like, hey, Delta, yeah, hey, he's your guy. He's over there. I'm assuming they sound like Mexicans, by the way, there's all brown people. The morning after that raid, a buddy of mine, we're, we're doing an after action. It's like, oh, fuck, did you see this? He's like, yeah, I bet you some made somewhere in Caracas, just made a million dollars. Hey, I, yeah, I mean, if I was going to guess, I would say the person that just took over is the one that gave them all the information. Really, you think? If I was, I mean, again, like, I, yeah. It's the woman that was, yeah, because I think the, the Venezuelan Supreme Court just said that she's the new, she's the new new, yeah, she's working. She's, I think they're already announced like, oh, yeah, we're going to make this transition as peaceful as possible if they did split that bounty, though. You know, you just walk into the Delta fucking break room and there's a new morgue, a Rita mixer. And they all start showing up the team room. Like, you know, like the NFL players, when they start showing, you know, when they show up to locker room, like you start seeing Delta guys walking down, you know what I mean? You got the, the diamond bedazzle plate carriers in it. That dream life, oh gosh, how funny would that be? There will be signs. They've all got grills now for some reason, but it's super interesting. Showing up in Range Rovers. America's gold tip of the spear has a gold teeth now. You know what? Like, I think it would drive a bunch of recruitment. Like, I bet you people in the military would start trying out. It would be going on the long walk a lot more often, you know what I mean? Yeah, I'm guaranteed. And we start getting some, I'm listening. I bet the, uh, I bet the threshold of, of our quality, uh, you call it the long walk. And that one is very rare. People call it the long walk. Yeah, that's what I've heard. It's called the long walk. It's a, that's Delta cab tri out. They call it the long walk because, uh, I've heard it's long. Yeah, yeah, you're walking. And this is, you're shooting asmeth and you're walking with 50 to a hundred pound. It's over multiple states. Yep. Yeah. No shit. Oh, dude. And this is every day you're doing like, what is it? Like up to 80 miles in a single, it's like something stupid. I know you're starting to get into details that I'm out on. No wonder Wiber likes to walk. Yeah. Just walk away. I don't know if we could put that. Yeah, we did back. Yeah. Well, no, because it's on social. So, yeah, I didn't say he was Jason. So, gotcha. Okay. I'm out. I didn't say anything. It was all him. AI put himself. Yeah. So I just think they like, look, I think the, look, I think it's the American people's choice. I think the American people should, but they got to be informed, right? Like stop like saying, stop just repeating what you heard or what you think. Like go, go look it up. Like it's just, I don't know. It's just, it's just one of those deals. Like I think, look, I think this is America, right? Like we can, we are a place of the people. Like the constitution starts off with we the people. So, if we don't want to be strong and we don't want to be, you know, free, and we want to take the chance of allowing Russia and China to take us over, then, then, okay, but like, you know, we just need to say it. You know, we just need the American people to stand up and say, like, hey, like we don't give a shit about anybody else. We don't care about anybody else's rights. But I also think that like if we're not willing to go grab a guy like Maduro, out, well, then we need to stop sending all this money over to all these foreign countries to help them out as well, right? Like just sit back here. We'll put this money here and that that's what we'll do, right? Like so you agreed on that. So all of this, all of this money we see going to these, you know, like this, that they cut when they first went in there, then none of that goes anywhere, right? Like there's no more of us helping any other countries financially. If we're not willing to go get this evil out, if, well, I get, I don't, I guess I just, I don't think it's because it's evil. I don't think anybody would have given a shit about Maduro if there wasn't oil and stolen American assets. We would have not done that. Yeah, I mean, I, I, well, I mean, I, I don't know. I'm not saying it's a bad thing. We did it for American interest. I think that's good. I think you're going to be, this is like every resource and they are the people plus Russia and China also had control. Well, I think we're about to see, right? Because here's, here's the other thing, right? Like, I think we're about to see. I mean, if we start going after more evil, then maybe, [BLANK_AUDIO] I don't know, I think I think I never get into the realm of trying to figure out why somebody did something else, but like, look, no matter what, the Venezuela is better now that he's gone. - He'd tell by the videos of them celebrating. - Yeah, and so like, yeah, there is an interest there for us. I do think we should treat every country, even if there's not an interest for us the same way, right? Like anybody-- - Yeah, 'cause I'm like, we're not gonna send dudes in to take out some warlord, genocidal warlord in Botswana, or something like that. - We should though. - Yeah, fun vacation. - Right, I mean it. - North Korea, North Korea has zero exports of crime, cybercrime. - But it's not so, it's crazy. - That's crazy, the percentage of 20% of cybercrime. That's where a GDP, 20% comes from cybercrime, but it's one country where we just don't fucking touch. - You're gonna have to fucking, if you extract human junk, and you're gonna have to use one of those scoop thing, the net things that they used to carry, the whales of the sea world. You can't fit 'em on a fucking black hockey. - Yeah. - Yeah. - I sold that he was a certified forklift driver. - Yeah, you see that? - Why is it supposed to? - Yeah, it's people, yeah. - What for real? - Yeah, you can do it. - Drives forklifts. - Is he like the world's best? - My favorite thing is he is the best, he's hit. - Golfer? - Have you seen that? - How many hole in ones that guy got? - Everyone. - Everyone. - Man, he must be really good. - Yeah. - No one believes me. - Yeah. - He missed his calling. - Yeah. - Tybalo, not shit on me, no one believes it. - That's why they're so mad at the world. They're really good at it. - And everything. - No one believes them. - They're actually breaking every record. - Yeah. - Get it, everything except finding food. - Imagine if you could like, imagine if we flew over and just dropped off like millions of cell phones to their people and had free, had 'em already linked to free Starlink. - They would immediately kill them all. - Well, we've seen what they do 'cause they brought some of their dudes over into Russia where they now have access to internet for the time. - Yeah, they just overdose on. - Dude. - Immediately. Yeah, no, they literally goon till they died. - Yeah. - Look. - Oh! - Yeah, that's the troke, I mean. (laughing) - We have a case study. - Yes, that's so good. - I love that was mindset though. - It's like, what's this internet? Oh my God, I have access to everything. - It's the same thing. - Big boobies. - Big boobies, and naked girl. It's a really, basically. - Blood searches. - We should try to figure out what they were searching for, right now. (laughing) - Bob's in Virginia. - Yeah, that's pretty funny. - We actually, hot girl, no cloth. (laughing) - We, a well fed woman. (laughing) - Oh. (laughing) - They've never seen one before. - Yeah, not even, they just have never seen a well fed woman. - Ooh, that's not it. - She and that bee. (laughing) - Too loud. - I don't see bones. (laughing) - Oh my God. (laughing) - You should've watched an episode. - Yeah, no, no, no, that went that way. - Also, it's something, do you tell them we can cut anything? - Yeah, yeah. - Editor will cut anything. - We won. - We hope. - You just tell us. - Finally, he finally starts talking over here and you see where it goes right now. - Yeah, yeah. - He finally starts saying something. We can talk about serious shit, he ain't saying a word, but I'll tell you right now. Like, you can't even watch Koreans with phones. (laughing) Dude, he's got plenty to say about that, you know what I mean? - Oh, thanks, boy, Bob. - Yeah, he's been holding that in. The whole conversation, he was waiting for it to go there. - Yeah, dude, he was, yeah. - Yeah. - Oh man, we have a one, I think there's a name it's My, but she'll be joining the podcast. We're talking right now in three months. She escaped from North Korea. - Wow. - Yeah. - Come on on the podcast. - Yep. - Oh, that'll be a really cool one. - Other one. - Okay. - This one just recently escaped her and her sister escaped. - Yeah. - There's three females that escaped. This one, it's sisters that escaped and their story's, wow, but they're like, their reactions to just America right now. They're like, what the fuck is all of this? I mean, it's an experience 'cause even a buffet, they have a video of them going to a buffet and it's just mind blowing that food just sits out like that. - You can eat, yeah. - You can eat this shit. - We just wild, we take that for, we have fucking buffet, like all you eat for a's and they're like, oh my god, this is insanity right now. No, I can't wait for that. That episode I'm super excited for. - In that case, I'm very sorry about everything we just said. - No, no, no, no, okay, so I do want that part. He just said cut out. - The sorry part. - Sorry part, yeah. - Fuck that. (laughing) - Good. - Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's gotta be cut out, yeah. - Yeah, man, you got, I mean, you talk about like, I mean, it's one thing to, there's a lot of accomplishments you can get, but dude, if you escape North Korea, - That's great, I don't know if there's any that beat that. - Like, you, like, you escape North Korea, yeah, yeah. - That's cool. - That's cool. - I think Brandon should give them his medal of honor. - Dude, Brandon. - Gladly. (laughing) - Well, hold on, he has more than you. He has two, how many medal honors do you have, Brandon? - Depends on which spurred you have. - Well, nobody, nobody told me. I am so, nobody told me, or we would have, you would have three, we would come back and we'll do a video. - Yeah, we'll do a photo shoot. - Yep, yep. - We'll do a ceremony. - Can I come to one of your live events, and we do a ceremony? - Yes, oh my God, I'm 100%. - Please do, God, do it. - We're actually trying to get him, oh my God, I need to talk to Randy and Mike about that. We're trying to get him honorary Sergeant Major of the Army. (laughing) 'Cause we're talking about the Pentagon. They're like, yeah, this is a possible thing. We're like, yeah, I, I do, I think we have, yes. (laughing) - While it would be very funny. - It'd be great. - Thank you. - No, no, no, no, no. - And then you know what I'm gonna do, and then you know what I'm gonna do. As soon as he gets it, I'm going to come out on a podcast, and I am going to talk about how he's a liar in his story, he's got my guess. (laughing) - Yeah, I'm gonna do a serious investigation. I'm like, this guy is posing as a metal virus, isn't he? - He is, he is, he is a fake. Like, no, I'm gonna run ads on it. - Yep, done. - Even if you made one real on Instagram, we're like, this guy is fake, yeah. - Yeah, I'm gonna do it, I am going to do it. - I don't think that Larry Guy ever was a cable guy. - Brain and her are a metal of honor. - It is nothing but brain and gun pain. - Back the metal. (laughing) - Oh my gosh. - We have started an entire, we have started an entire force. - Now, we did start shit. - You started shit, like, (laughing) - We, this broil, we bullshit. - I never had no say, and then it just kept getting bigger and then they started sending in metals with friends like these. - Hey. - It's, I'm telling you, this is, I wanna do it in a live show. - Oh, done and done. - Yeah, and then I'm gonna do a pie cash right behind it, still in Baller. - You won't believe what this guy told me. - You won't believe what this guy did. - So I think that was the, that was the name of one of the tours, is a forced baller, the forced baller tour. - Jeff Force Valor, and what's great is, if we get that honorary Sergeant Major for you, Brandon, you're gonna have, we can probably have multiple metal of honor recipients at this point, showing up. - Done, done, I'll call him. I have, I'm not gonna, I'm just saying, I have a connection to him. - Wait, is there a metal of honor group chat? - No, there's a society. - And then you can just-- - Brandon's in the honorary metal of honor society. - I don't know. - I'm gonna start adding two bars. - This is getting too far. - This is too far. - Hold on. I'm going to, look, we get it right here. I'm gonna show you right now. (laughing) - I love how punished it is. - It's always brain just hating every moment of this, as we're gonna keep it. (laughing) - I'm fucking him with honor. (laughing) - Is it non-concentual valor? - Do I have a, I have a, when it comes from congressional metal of honor society, urgent invites, so like, I'm gonna start sending, I'm gonna start adding him to the list. I'm gonna do reply all that he's bringing into it. (laughing) (laughing) - Don't, don't, I'm adding him. I'm adding him into it. - Non-consensual valor is the name of this episode. - I love it. - What if in 100 years the joke falls to the wayside in history and they start teaching about the most honorable veteran ever, so here's the thing. - I have to leave. (laughing) - So because of all of the metals and everything that the fans have sent in, everything. 'Cause this has been a long, long, running joke. - You stacked right. (laughing) - I, 'cause you know, I keep 'em all obviously, 'cause yeah, it's really cool. Like, it's a cool thing from the community and everything like that. I'm gonna have to leave all of that with a very, very serious note and explanation in a fucking locker somewhere. So my grandkids don't find it and think I was some, like, mic-lining. - I don't know that your letter that you put somewhere is going to be able to outdo all the, what Google's gonna say. - Do we had it for a while? - There was for a minute. - Do AI? When you Google, Brandon had started an army and Marines and he won multiple medals. Like, the AI was just thought he was a fucking, like, us. - It was chat GPT. - Yeah, chat GP, you didn't know idea what to do with him. - Yeah. - It's an honor. -It's an honor to be sitting next to you. -I don't think I like any of you. -You guys didn't tell me any of this. -I'm starstruck. -I'm starstruck is the best thing. -We brought Dakota here to be humbled. -This is the part where we disassociate. -I had no clue. -Oh, man. -Did you ever need me to carry your bags or anything? -He's worse than Clint. -I do that one. He showed up on one episode. If you could go back in time, it would just not to show up on the veteran episode. -He lied to me because it was a veteran's day thing. It was with Jack Manneville and Krispy. -Oh, yeah. -It's a guy. Do you want to go beyond it? -Sure, whatever he needs. -Ely tries to pin me with his purple heart. -I'm like, "No, don't put that evil on me, Ricky Bobby." -Then that just started the entire joke. -This is great. I'm truly honored. -Are we showing this shadow box off to the audience? -I don't think so. -I've seen it there. I walked in and I was like, "Damn, there's a metal of honor in here." -I was like, "Holy shit." -Somebody printed one at the live show. -I tell you how I walked out. I was like, "Stude out, right? Right to be in this place." -I think what I want to write is I'm going to do a children's book. I'm going to talk about he's going to be the main character. -It's my different name you use by the time this episode goes up. -He got this stack. -I have his stack and his dress uniform as well. -Every single thing on that, including the uniform, was all just given by fans at live shows and such. -I just want to know how did you earn this one? -I think that's World War I, from that mistake. -You were there? -Yeah, apparently. -Nice. -You even got the ribbon. You got the metal of honor and the ribbon. -Oh, you do it holy shit. -Yeah, that's the real ribbon. -Is it really? -Yeah. -That's the real metal of honor ribbon. -Just so you know. -The only thing I try to tell people is like, "Please, I get the joke funny." "Please don't send in your family's metals." -This is like your grandfathers and children. -This is a real purple heart. -Oh, yeah. It's a real one. -Yeah. -Oh, dude. That one came with a letter in one of the best moments because that's when the joke was about to be dead. Like, it was going down and then they sent rich angry cops a letter. And the guy was like, "Hey, I want to give a brand in my purple heart." And then we presented it to brand on the episode and chased it a beautiful edit with the Star Spangled Banner playing Eagles. -The one that is very funny though is that there's like a foreign jump metal or something like that that came with a letter that basically is giving permission to wear it from the issuer. -Oh. -Just pretty funny. -He has like the most and said, "God, just look at that. That's a hero." -Oh, oh, shit. -That, even that. -That's sorry. -We're sorry about that. Tell him, sorry. -Sorry. -You need to push this on? -Oh. I'll get down right now, bitch, on. It's like, "I hate all of this." Thank you. -That's. -Do you imagine how much it sucks to have a real one? -Yeah. Well, I think it's a little different when you've earned it. -Yeah. Well, I don't know. I don't know. I mean, they just, they don't, they just award it to you. I mean, it doesn't, you don't get it. You don't get a say in it, you know? -You just show up. -You just, now you're in all these group chats and get all these fucking emails. -Well, you're about to be, too. -I know it's going to help it. Like, the second half, it's going to be an R group chat, but it's like, "God damn it." It's going to, what's going to be funny is when he's like, "Why am I getting responded to by James Livingston?" General Livingston, right? I mean, like. See, I got nothing here because this is like such a unique form of bullying. I don't know if this has ever happened. If you have all of them getting your vote for Congress. -Oh, my gosh. That, listen. -You're the man. Funny story, actually. There's a Kenny County. I don't remember the actual stat, but it's a. I think it's either per capita because it's a pretty small county or maybe just the most in any cemetery outside of Arlington. They have the most metal of honor recipients buried there. -Really? -So there's, I think, five that are buried there. It's very remote. Like, it's not a highly populated county, but the crazy story is two of them that live there in Kenny County. Two of the metal of honor recipients got in a gun fight. And that's why one of them is dead. Yeah, with each other. -Well, the fuck happened there? -You ought to see some of, you ought to see some of the, I've heard about some of the meetings that recipients have. You know, it makes sense. -I think it was like a property dispute or something like that. I'd have to research the actual story, shout out, Sheriff Bradco. He's going to take me down there to the cemetery and like, you know, see all that stuff. I think it's really cool because that's crazy history. Like, what are the odds? -Yeah, five. -Yeah. -And two fighting. -Two shooting each other? -Well, to make it back from that and then you're going to war with each others. -Wild. -Well, I mean, I guess a lot of it hasn't changed in the veteran community. -No. -It stays the same. -It really does. -Not much has changed. -No. -All right. So actually, going to yours, 'cause I don't know if you want to talk about the battle of. -Gangigall. -Gangigall. -I would do. That was the one that I was like, you look at, you read it, and I'm like, oh, fucking butcher that. No matter how. -Yeah. -I say it. -Yeah. I mean, you know, it was a. It was a. I won't get in like a ton of details out of it, but basically we were going to go in and run like a key leader engagement. I was on an embedded training team. There was four U.S. and A.D. Afghans. And, you know, we were. We operated with them every day and we were like. It was kind of like a train-the-trainer aspect. You had multiple ranks, skill sets, and you taught them everything from tactics to logistics and all this. And I loved my Afghans. Like, my Afghans soldiers, they were as close to me as the Marines were. Like, we. You know, we. We had to have each other in order to make it back. So like, you know, you really figure out what matters and what doesn't, and what you're going to agree on, and what you're not going to agree on, and what you care about agreeing on real quick when your lives are. Online. So, you know, we had been there for a couple of months, a few months, two or three months, and we were. We'd been asked to come down to run this mission with a joint mission with the rest of the team. So like, there was like team spread out along this corridor or this area in Afghanistan on the eastern border. And so we had gone down and run to. We were in this mission brief. And the brief was just, you know, there was a few aspects of it I didn't agree with. I was taken out of my team and. You say what aspects were you like this from stupid? So I didn't agree with the communication plan, right? So like, we. The environment over there, because we were rolling at that time on VHF. So which VHF is a line of sight, style of communication, unlike HF that uses waves and uses the electronosphere and all this aspect to bounce off of. We were using VHF, which is normal, and so the problem was that when you got across with the terrain where we were at, that VHF wouldn't reach back to the COC, which is the Command Operations Center, right? So which is where you need all the hub of communication. It's extremely important. And so, you know, so because of that, we had put snipers up on this high point. And the concept was going to be that we were going to relay through the snipers back to the COC. Sounds good. But we were going to have one frequency that you had multiple moving elements on. So you're going to have overwatch positions. So you eventually have three overwatch positions, or four, I don't know the exact numbers. The other podcasts out there that are going to try to eat me up on this, like, I don't know exactly how many OPs we had at that time. How long has it been? Well, so it's been since 2009. That's all you have to say. That's irrelevant in the facts of things. But long story short, you're going to have basically different moving elements that we're going to have to be on one frequency in order to communicate through snipers relaying it back. So my piece was, this is very dangerous. I mean, imagine a Zoom call with multiple people on it trying to talk at once, right? And radio is especially like, nothing's happening. You're cutting off. You're cut completely off. Yeah. So, so I said that was one aspect that I brought up. Another aspect was that, you know, they kept running around talking about air on, like, air on strip alert. Right? So what air on strip alert means, it means that the air, like a 15-minute strip alert, it means that basically that it has to take off within 15 minutes. But when you're coming from gelolabad, right, where we were at, it was already a 30 to 45-minute flight. And then also on top of it, you don't have priority. So like, if, if, if, like, seals, which ultimately happened to us, if, if another higher priority takes the air, you don't, you get what's left over. So nothing, right? So, so there's that piece. And then the, the last aspect that, that, you know, you could argue this one way or the other is, I didn't think that we should go into the valley on foot. We should, we should drive the vehicles in so that you have the biggest power with you. And I was argued back on that was that they wanted to go in clandestine. And I said, it's a 90-man patrol. You're not going anywhere clandestine. But that, I was the youngest, lowest rank in the room. And so these points were, I was basically told, you know, it's showed up in color, right? And so with that, they took me out of my team and they replaced me. So they set me in the vehicle. So like, it was like a punishment to me because like, I was always pissed off if I wasn't in the fight. So they took me out of my team and they replaced me with a guy named Gunnery Sergeant Johnson to go in. And, and so like, one of the confusions is, is, is, like, was I replaced because, you know, like, who knows? I don't know why I was, but any, long story short, my position was going to be at the trucks. And then my team was going in. This is the first time in any mission I'd never, I hadn't been with my team. First time since I had been put with them. And really quick. So washing with the planes. Like, that is helicopter. Yeah, helicopter. It's still like, if they get in the tick, it is 35 minutes at a minimum, right? So you're still talking to 35 minutes and like, that's a long looking, that's a long time in a gunfight. And so, you know, and, and so I was, my location was the vehicle. So what we did is we drove in that day, that morning. And I'll never forget. So everybody, like, thinks that, that what I did that day, I just came up with the plan that day. Like, me and my team had agreed the night before, that this is what I would do, right? Like, I told them, if you all get in a gunfight and you're stuck, I'm coming to get you. Just get to the road. The, the agreement was, is that they just had to get to the road and I was coming to get them. And that's very important in the story that that comes up next. And so, I'll never forget that morning driving in. It's kind of ironic to think about. But I was in the turret. Gunny Kinnefick was driving. Lieutenant Johnson was in the passenger seat. And in the back was, or a doc latent. And then there was a, a guy in the back, my interpreter, Fazel. And so we're driving in. And you know, usually when we were going on any of these missions, we were always talking about like, on call targets. Like, we, you know, we were kind of like rehearsing, like warming up of like, hey, like, we take, you know, hey, what's this on call target? Like, hey, what's this check point? Oh, this like, we were always talking about the mission, right? Kind of like, I don't know. It's like getting your mind dialed into it. And so that morning, though, as soon as we pulled out, like, we never talked about the mission once. Like, all we talked about was home. It was, it was, it was crazy. Like, looking back on it, like, obviously, didn't register at the moment. But like, all we talked about was home. We had this stupid idea that like, and I should have known that something was up because we were talking about me going to be the one that go to college. And they were going to go work at the college in like, as, in the military. And like, I don't know, we were going to have, they were talking about like, who's going to whose house first, beer and all this stuff. And, and that positivity high, you're like, what? You know, like, that's the thing is like, everything's contagious. So like, fears contagious, you know, and I think like, that's why veterans, first responders, all of us, we have this dark sense of humor because, you know, it's one of the ways that we cope with the stress and the fear of, hey, we might die, you know? And so like, you know, anytime like shit gets bad, none of us want to be like, hey, I'm scared. And then the rest of the team be scared, right? I mean, like, that's because that's what would happen. And so like, you never want to give into that. So you always try to cope with it by, you know, some other joke, right? And so to get off of like, how bad this sucks. And then that's what that was that that that whole drive in. And so we drove in that morning and we we parked. And I remember like the first issue that I had with the patrol was we we parked. And so like, the army was going to be out here on this main road. And they were going to be our QRF. It was dog put turn. And so we we parked. And I'll never forget like everybody's like getting ready to get out of the trucks. And I'm like, hey, like, how about you park these trucks off the road? Like, what am I supposed to do if we need dog put turn to come in, run in every vehicle and pull it off myself? There's only three of us who are staying at this. Oh, fuck yeah. Yeah. So like, we need to get all these vehicles off the road. So my lieutenant brought it up and you know, they did. And so I'm sitting in the turret. And I'm watching with thermals. And so Kineffick, he gets out and he knew I was pissed. I was so mad. And and I really honestly, I was mad in the beginning because I was like, they're going to get in a gunfight. I'm not. And like, that's really ultimately the selfish reason that I was pissed. And because up to this point, like, I liked fighting. Like up to this point, like I was always looking for a fight, like up until this day. And they walked out there for getting close to door. And it was it was the darkest I ever remember it being in Afghanistan. And he, he said, my I'll see you on the flip side. And walked off into the they walked off. You know, it was probably I don't know. It was a pretty good disover mile. Maybe I don't because I don't really know. Yeah, a few clicks to get in there. And so they were walking this road. And my team was in the front of the patrol. And so it's I was watching with thermals. And like I could see people running up the hills. And so like I brought it up on the radio. And they're like, get off the radio. And I remember just watching. And then, you know, this the all of a sudden like where it gets kind of blurry for me is like, there was at a point like you just see like all these women and all these elders and all these like people coming down the road like hurting their sheep out or their goats or whatever. I went up and tried to shake this one guy's hand this elder's hand. I was trying to talk to all of you know, you can usually get a sense of the population by, you know, how they're treating you. And this guy like this old guy just stand there with his beads, you know, like those beads they carry pair beads and he's just like, like he wouldn't even shake my hand. I put my hand out. He wouldn't even shake my hand. He's just looking at me. And so I'm like, we're fucked. We're fucked. They are they are about to like we're set up. And you know, they my team got the patrol got to the to the village. And it just like turned into a gun fight. I mean, it was just and it was like any normal gunfight in the beginning, right? Like, you know, it usually they throw the kitchen sink at you first. And then they run out of shit and they're gone. And dude, it was not like that on this one. Like, this was different. And you know, the team immediately like, you know, there's a lot of chaos in the beginning and and they immediately started trying to call for support. And I could sense with my team, I could hear in their voice the level of stress they were at, right? And but it was like, you know, we're fine. Like they're going to air is going to come in. QRF is going to show up like, you know, this is this is standard. And I don't know the exact timeline on it. So I want to say that up front. And all of a sudden, I hear Lieutenant Johnson come over the radio and he he starts to call in a support artillery mission. And so I mean, it was perfect. Like he called in the support artillery mission, gave a, you know, he gave the grid. It was a grid mission. The best I can recall. And but he gave the format perfect. And the response he got back was it's too close to the village. And he said, the village is shooting at me. And they said, it's too close to the village. And he said, I'll quote, he said, if you don't give me these rounds right now, we're going to die. And the response he got back, I quote, was, well, try your best. And so at that moment, like we had already requested or they had somebody had requested air multiple times. And it was already a certain, like it was, it was like 15 minutes, 15 minutes, 15 minutes, 15 minutes. What had happened was, you know, again, like a lot of this is off sworn statements and stuff. Like I, I don't know this, like you have to say all this shit now because there's a group of individuals out there who are looking for every avenue. Like it's so dangerous to tell your story on a podcast anymore. Because there's a group of individuals that profit off of sewing seeds out, right? So I mean, just for that and the people watching, especially if they try to do that, like go fuck yourselves. Yeah, it is 15 years ago. I can't recall, like even my memories so vague on each little thing and you're going to high stress situation. That's what happens. You're not remembering fine details. Well, for sure, right? And like, you know, but just, you know, that's why I'm that's why I'm like, that's why I'm like, that's why I'm like throwing all this in there because like they're, they're very, you know, they have a very niche at what they do, right? And so, you know, what had happened was the seals had gotten a tick up in the, up, I think the Corn Gold Valley. And so, all air was over there on that because they were after an HBT, right? So there was some requests for it. They tried to come. They got canceled, like all this with air, but long story short, we go back to, I heard them say, well, we'll try your best. And so it was at that moment that I knew we were f***ing right. And so, I got over in the radio and requested multiple times, I don't know how many, but more than once. And so, I requested to bring the vehicle in. And each time I was told no, get off the radio. So eventually, I got tired of that. And so, I said, so like people say I went against orders, I like to say that I think there's technicalities to it. I just said, be advised I'm coming in. So technical, I didn't ask, right? So, technically, I didn't, you know, I mean, like, fair enough. So, Rodriguez Chavez, incredible guy. I would be dead if it wasn't for him. He was a staff sergeant at the time. I said, we got to go. We got to do something. And he, you know, he was like, yeah, let's go. And so, he drove the truck. We're driving. I'm in the turret. And I think on my first trip in, I'm not 100% sure, but I think I started to go in with a Mark 19. And like, dude, as soon as we started to roll in, like we didn't even get to the mouth of the valley and we started taking shots. Like, they're already teaming at us. And so, we turned around to have to go get another vehicle. And then on the first trip we actually made entry in was with a, I had a 50 cow. And so, on the trip in, I begged these Afghans to go with us. And some of them did. Some of them didn't. And so, as we drove in, we come around, and I'll never forget, we come down this valley, come around this turret, this, this, like, terraces. And dude, as soon as we got, like, to the mouth of the valley, like, like I, I mean, I'd been in, I'd been in quite, quite a few gun fights up to this point. Dude, I had no fucking clue of what, like, it looked like the walking dead coming out. Like, like, these, like, these Afghans were, like, carry, like, like, carrying each other, like, guys wounded, like, I mean, it was, I mean, it was horrible. And I was like, what am I going into? Luckily, on my first trip in, I find my interpreter, like, he was coming out, and he'd already been shot. And he's like, I said, we, you know, we helped me. And he's like, yeah, he's like, absolutely, and he was with my team. No shit. Yeah. And so, he's like, yeah, he's like, the last time I seen him was, was at, you know, up, he knew exactly where he thought that they were. And so, I was like, well, we got to go get him, and he's like, okay, he sounds good. And, uh, I had heard at some point on that trip in that, um, they came over and they started calling in my, my gunny started calling in a, um, a medevac. So I knew somebody was wounded, um, and so for me, like, on that first trip in, I hear this medevac coming over, and I am, like, I always kept a sharpie with me. And so I was trying to write the turret, the grid, because, you know, he's going to have to give the location. Um, because I knew if I had the grid, I could put it on a map, and I knew where they were. And, uh, and so I, I, um, which is wild to do during all of this, like, a lot of people don't think they know you're looking at a map, getting grid, like locations, well, dealing with everything. Yeah, you know, but trying, but trying to like write this, if I knew it, because I knew if I had the location, like, I'd have a better shot at finding them, you know what I mean? And, um, he got, like, he was getting stepped on as he was trying to give out this. And so, like, finally, he came up with a radio, I never forget how frustrated he was. And he said, get off the radio, I've got a medevac, and so everybody shut up. And then, um, he started to give out the first three or four numbers and, and stopped. And so, um, you know, we kept fighting and pushing in. And, um, and so we pushed on in and like, dude, there were bodies everywhere, like my, my, my driver actually ran a guy over, like, I shot this guy, and then he actually hit the guy because they were trying to grab the truck, right? And so, um, I mean, it sounded like, I mean, it was just like, it was, it was, it was chaos, our bodies everywhere. And on the first trip in, like my Afghan soldiers see me and they got excited and like, they were like so excited to, to get help and like, dude, they were running at the vehicle and I'll never forget, and like, they're just getting mowed down. And, um, and it was like, you talk about the most helpless feeling you ever had. And so we pushed the truck as far as we could up and as far as we could up, and, um, to, like, to close to the end, like the edge of the village. And like, we're fighting and I'm fighting and my 50 cow goes down to start shooting single shot. So I'm trying to shoot, I had a backup 240 in there. So I'm trying to hold it like on the side of the turret, like, I'm exposed way more. It's bouncing around. I'm trying to, you know, shoot the 50 cow single shot, which is, is very ineffective. And, um, and then like, I start feeling this blood, like, like one of my arms, my right arm was sweating a lot more than my left arm and I looked down, I'm just dripping blood. And so like, I'd been hit by a piece of shrapnel. And, um, and so I, I made the decision, um, to turn the truck around and, uh, to go back to get another vehicle. So which is the worst decision I ever made in my life, which is hands down the worst decision I ever made in my life, um, and so we turned around and go back and he, at that point, he dropped me off at the mouth of the valley because he had to go all the way back and get it. And I started establishing a casual collection point, right? So my major was there. My first sergeant was there. Um, there was some other guys there, um, afghans. And so basically what we were doing was we were like grabbing those guys from the mouth of the valley and then taking them back to where the vehicles were staged, right? And so, um, uh, my major had been shot in the arm. My first sergeant who was the only, um, other than like, you know, uh, Fabio and, and Swinson, there was a couple guys like that who were, who were, you know, busting around the valley and, and, you know, doing all the shit they were doing. I wasn't with them so I can't speak about what they were doing. Um, but my first sergeant, as far as like command, he was the only one that, that, that wanted to go back in there. Like, dude, you almost had to fight the guy to keep him from going back in there. Like he's, he's a, he was a good guy. Like, first sergeant Garza was, was, was a, was a good guy, but he just couldn't go back and he'd been blown up by a, a RPG and like, you know, the guy on Black Hawk down that couldn't hear? Like, yeah, that's what he reminded me of, right? Like he was just like, I was having to scream at him, you know what I mean? He's like, I'm going, I mean, he was like morning to go back in like that dude right there. Like if, if, if I, if I hadn't convinced him to go back in, he would have went back in by himself and, and fought his, I mean, he would have, he would have not come out till the guys were out. Um, yeah, he was, the first sergeant Garza was, um, and I owe him that. Like I've never given him any credit because I, you know, I was more pissed off at the officer that day than I was, you know, but he, he was a good guy. So anyways, Rod comes back with another vehicle and, and I begged these Afghans to come in with their trucks. So like their, their Ford Rangers. And so on the second trip in, um, what I would do is I'd put my interpreter, who was a, you know, an Afghan national army sergeant major. So who, you know, then became an interpreter. So he knew weapons systems and fighting and all this. So I put him in the turret and he would cover me as I would run out and get bodies. Gotcha. I would run out and like, these guys would like move their foot and I would know that they were, um, injured. So I would like sprint over to them or try to get to them. And then, um, I would put a ternic if, like, you can only do so much medical stuff. So like if I, if I could, um, I would give them a ternic if I could, I would do need to decompression. If I could, um, I would put an airway in them. Like if I needed to put an MPA in them, um, but like, you know, if I couldn't do that, then you know, I would just, I would hold them until they died and then, uh, you know, to, to just try to let them know that somebody cared about them, um, you know, as they died. And so then I would drag them back and, and I would put, um, in the back of the truck, I would put the dead ones on the bottom and now I would put the ones that are injured and had a chance to live on top of the dead ones and then we'd just fill the back of the truck up and send it out. And so we did this for, gosh, six, eight hours and, um, four to six, uh, who knows. Uh, it seemed like forever. And so then the helicopters finally showed up and they would fly over and they would say spot. And so when I heard them say spot, then I would run over and I would know if there was a body under it and I would do whatever I could. And though you're just trying to like search for, you know, your teammates and, um, you know, on the last trip in, you know, we saw it to go back and get another vehicle and then on the last trip in, you know, we finally located the, um, the, the, what happened was is that air had said spot and they said, hey, we got five bodies in this trench. And, you know, I still thought it was just Africans. I honestly thought my teammates were holed up in a, in a, in a, in like a house and they were just, you know, waiting for us to get to them, you know, um, and, and he said five bodies in a trench. And so PJs at that time are just. showed up, right? Like at one point in time, we had four chi was on station, we had two Apache's and we had two fast movers and a team of PJs. All overhead. All all all in the like all working for us, you know what I mean? It was the only time I ever got a or I didn't but but we ever got a a fast mover to do a gun run, right? Like it's not usually very often in the mountains that they want to do that. And so these PJs were there and the PJs were going to come in and grab those bodies. And so we were on the road and they came in, they tried to, they were like going to land and they're like it's, it's, it's too dangerous. We're getting shot at. So they, I told Swinson was at the time talking to him and said, hey, drop a can of smoke above wherever they're at. And so they did. And like as soon as as soon as they dropped that smoke, like I took off sprinting, like I just sprint as hard as I could. And like it was probably, I don't know, 50, 75 meters. And I jumped off this terrace and like, dude, I landed on top of Gunny Johnson. And Gunny Johnson. And then I went a little bit further down the trench. And there was Doc Layton with all of his med gear out laying on top of Lieutenant Johnson. Obviously he was treating him. And then I went a little bit further. And there was, there was Gunny Kinnefick. And so they'd all been killed. And there was an interpreter. So that's where the five come from. And so we, at that point in time, I just said, hey, look, the four MIAs are now four KIAs. And we, you know, that was the other thing that like on my second trip in, I got accountability of everybody. The leadership never wanted to say that there was missing an action. US missing an action. You know, I mean, it's almost like they were like, they didn't know where they were at, but like we're going to try to wait for it, you know, to make itself right. And dude, as soon as like, I think the, the first time that they got pissed at me was whenever I just literally came over the radio and said, we've got four US missing an action. But I knew if we said that over the radio, I knew I would get assets for days, right? Like the assets are going to stack through the roof. Like we become a priority. We're going to, I mean, I got it that we're getting a bunch of visibility on us and it might make some people look bad. But like, dude, that was at that point in time. You know what? We didn't like, we took priority of air. And so like, and, and so we asked that they've been KIA. And I never forget I went down to pick up Gunny Johnson and like it was like all the adrenaline was gone, you know? And I picked him up and I started to carry him and I fell flat on my face. And the Afghans came over and they, they started to like grab one of my guys and I said, oh, don't worry about it. Like you guys just, you know, you guys just go on. Like I'll get this. Don't worry about it. And they're like, no, you, um, you helped us carry our body or, or, or guys out. We're going to help you carry your guys out. And they did, you know, I mean, they stay with me the whole time. We, we got them back. We, you know, took them back to the base and that was kind of it, you know? Yeah. That was all under fire too. Yeah. I mean, it was, yeah, I mean, we, yeah, I mean, it was all, you know, it was all under fire. You know, it's, uh, it was, uh, yeah, it was a, it was a crazy day. You know, we went back and put, put the guys in the, you know, we put them in the freezers, sent them back. The PJs were so nice that they took them back for us. And then, um, yeah, I mean, I, I went back and ate lunch and, and our dinner or whatever it was and then got my truck back together and then went and got into another gunfight four days later. You didn't get that turn around as the most wild thing. It's like, it's the speed of combat and the speed you have to be back on mission. We lost, uh, got it on him. And then it was, we had that evening or that next morning, we did a, hey, guys, first on, we're on the cob. Like, hey, we lost some people. We're gonna get some time off four hours later. Hey, you have, we have a house you got as hit. So, yeah, you don't get any time off. And then you're out on a raid again and you're like, holy shit. What is chaos is like, and that, it pisses me off that you brought up. It's like, 15 people on a radio. And then now everyone's talking over each other and you can't get anything. Yeah. And it's a stupid, just like, no one thought of that. It's like, hey, this might be a problem. It's complacency though. Right. It's, it's, it's complacency. Right. And that, look, we, you know, we, they got in a way with it so many times. Like, that's why the MIA is like, that's why they didn't want to say that. I was like, we don't want to get in. Oh, we don't want any trouble. We look stupid if we say that versus as you're saying, that's an instant. Now we have birds overhead like everything. Oh, we have actual troops in contact. Here is shit's already gone bad. Yeah. And it's, you know, that's, yeah. You know, and it's, I don't know, right? Like, you know, I, yeah, it was, it was, it was a, it was a crazy, crazy day. Yeah. From the time the first shot was fired to when it was over, how long was it, roughly? You know, that's, I think about that, I think about that all the time, you know, I, I, I don't know. I think maybe like, I think to probably, let me probably start at six or seven a.m. and then it would last it until one or two, right? Like, I would think I don't, I don't, you know, I really don't know. You know, it seemed like a long time, but, but like, it was, I mean, it was a good six, you know, it depends on who you ask. It depends on like what investigation. It was a good six to eight hours. Yeah. Of gunfighting and, yeah, I mean, it was, it was crazy. Like, you know, because you got to take like, I, you know, Monday night, Monday afternoon, it was Monday. Yeah. September 7th. So Monday, I left. So we lived in a, like, a house, so they're like a little, like, hut. It was a me, all four of us, right? So we lived in a hut, and I left their Monday and I went back on Thursday and everybody that I live with was gone. Yeah. So it was your entire actual time. Everybody that I, everybody on my team was dead. That would have been the hardest fucking thing. Like, that Thursday, like, what was that? If you weren't even talking, yeah, yeah. Oh, dude, it wasn't. It's just everyone you've known. Your brother's at that time. Yeah. Yeah. It was, it was, it was, it was horrible. Like, you know, and I did get, they did give me an option, right? Like, the first time I tried to get me to jump on the helicopter with them, with them to go back and escort them back home. And, and my thought pattern on it was like, I, they're dead. Like, like me going back to their funeral is not helping the mission, right? It's probably putting people in liability because somebody's going to have to go back up there to my area. Like, I know my area. Like, I would, if any of my Afghans got killed while I was gone, like, I wouldn't be able to live myself. And so I was like, these guys are dead. Like, you know, like, I'll see them when I get home. And like, I'm going to go back and continue the mission. Just like they'd want me to do. And so it was tough, man. Like, you know, we, we rolled back and I had, I was so fortunate that that focus and, you know, Richard's, you know, they went, they, were willing to come from other teams and, and come back with me because I was just hellbent, right? I was just like, you know, they were trying to do like a two week stand down on our base of like, hey, everybody's going to stay there. And, and we're all going to, you know, we're all going to, you know, just kind of decompress from this. And I was like, no, right? Like, for me, like, like my Afghans had to go back to the base. And so I was like, if my Afghans are going, I'm going, like, we're in this together. Like, you know, I, you know, I don't talk about the story a lot, but like, after I, you know, put, put the guys, and I say I put the guys in body bags because I fucking did it, right? Like, it wasn't like, I'm talking about me. I'm just saying that like, no, other than focus, nobody else helped me do that, right? And, um, which was one of the most disappointing parts of that day. And, um, so anyways, like, after we got done with that, then I went over to the Afghan side and I helped them clean up their guys. I helped them take care of their guys and fix their guys and make sure they had everything that they needed. And then I went to eat, right? Because that's what you do. And so, you know, when they had to go back to base, I was like, well, I have to go with them because like, we went through this together and like, I'm not going to lose this, this credibility that I have with them that, oh, look like, you know, they get, you know, they don't have to do it. Like, no, we're in this shit together. And I've made this commitment to them. And I'm not going to, I'm not backing off of it. So I actually had to cut a, actually had to like damn near sneak back to the base, right? So what I did was, is I called up, we, you know, we had cell phones over there that we bought from the, you know, the local shopkeeper, right? And the little cards. So I, um, I called up one of the lieutenants up up there. I said, hey, can you guys run a, because we couldn't go back with just one vehicle, right? So I was like, hey, can you guys run a logistics patrol down here? And, uh, I'm going to jump in with you and head back. I need an escort. They're like, done. So like, they came up with this logistics patrol. They had to run down. So they came down and like, I, there was this, there was this guy. He's a great guy, uh, Colonel Kenny. And I, like, I, I talked to, to focus and, and Richards. And I was like, hey, will you guys go with me? And they're like, yeah, so they talked to our teams. Our teams was good with it until we got combat replacements. And, um, I just told, uh, Colonel Kenny, I was like, hey, like, uh, this is the only chance I got to go back. So I'm going to jump in with this patrol. And he's like, uh, okay, sounds good, right? You know, Colonel Kenny was a, you know, he was just a supporter. He, you know, and he, he was like, sounds good. Like have at it. You know, so we jumped in that patrol, went back and. And it was hard, right? Like, you know, I go back and the first thing I had to do was, you know, I had to pack up an inventory, every one of my guys stuff, right, to send back to their families. And I did that and then, like, as I was doing that, there was another gunfight that broke out. Combat logistics patrol got stuck in a gunfight and it was bad, it was so bad. And we jumped and went to that and I believed that that gunfight was almost as bad as the one that-- No, sure. Yeah, that was there, right? I mean, it was just a sh*t show of a week. Yeah. I had to do that. It felt like that's how always one is when we would have--when you'd lose somebody, it'd be like a week of multiple people going down that week and you had no explanation for it and in your new AO and it's like, "Oh, hey, we're here. Oh, shit, it's not too bad three weeks into that AO." And then it's like, "Oh sh*t, IAD just killed somebody, bomber just killed three people and then a vehicle rolled over and the river and killed another person." Yeah. You're like, "It's momentum." Yeah. And you're just trying to stay positive during the entire time and keeping that mindset and then keeping everyone else positive, which is the f*cking hardest thing. Why do you feel the--you said, "Okay, taking the broken vehicle back was the worst decision of your life. Why do you feel that?" Because in my head, that was--you're looking at it as just a negative, it was a worst decision. But at the end, you don't know if you were there for five more minutes, it's like, "A round hits you and now you're not doing what you did." Yeah, I mean, it's--because I was only maybe 30 to 50 meters from my teammates, you know, and like, I've tried--like, I've read their autopsies a million times to try to figure out if they were still alive at that time or not. But I mean, who knows, what if me turning around killed their hope and they got over ran because of that? Right? So, you know, I think it was probably the most cowardice act I've ever had in my life of turning around at that moment. Just because, like, you know, we--like, I live, like, I truly--and I still do, right? I still believe--like, I don't believe in leave no man behind, like, I believe--like, I believe that's not a teacher phrase. It's a way of life, right? I believe in that. Like, I believe in leave no man behind, and I also believe that life's as simple. You either get them out alive or you die trying, and if you don't die trying, you didn't try hard enough. And so, like, you know, that's--that is the standard for life. And so, like, you know, if you--if you live by that, you have to also answer to that as well. Like, when I turned around, you know, who knows, like, you know, but I was--we were that close to them. And so, you know, I think that--I think that's where, like, the contradictions with the metal of honor come in, right, is, like, you know, I understand--I understand, like, it's truly an honor to have it, but, like, it doesn't change the fact of the results. And so, like, I think this is where people get mixed up in life is, like, it's also why I think I've been able to get over it because I don't have to dodge reality. You know, like, to me, like, I know I failed that day. Like, that day is the biggest failure of my life. Like, whether that feels good, whether it doesn't, no matter how you want to factually blend it or you want to shift the context so that it fits society's feel-good aspects of it, like, I went in that day to get my teammates out alive. My teammates died. So, I failed. But with that failure, I'm thankful for it because, like, it has taught me and gave me every aspect of why I am the way I am today. But if you change that narrative, you know it's not real. Like, I consider him to be like, "Oh, well, you know, I did my best. Okay. Well, you can do your best and still f---ing lose, right?" And so, like, you know, this is what, like, people--this is why people can't get over or get past. This is why they're stuck in their trauma because they don't want to face the reality, right? And so, like, you know, for me, like, yeah, I got a metal of honor, but it doesn't mean that I didn't fail that day. It's the biggest failure in my life. Like, that day is the biggest failure in my life. And then, I get a metal of honor, and now I don't even get to walk around living my own reality. I have to live with it in the face of the nation. You know, the first thing I told--I told them when they contacted me about the metal of honor is that they're like, "You know, you're a hero." And I'm like, "Okay, go tell my teammates that." You know, and it's like--it's like, look, like, I have a metal because I know what a bad day looks like, not because I'm a hero. Like, I have a metal because--I honestly have a metal because everybody else failed around me, right? And so, you know, everybody else should have just done what I had done, and I should have done better. And so, you know, I think it's one of--I'm not saying everybody else failed that day. A lot of people did a lot of great things, right? But I'm just saying, like, it is a metal that's there because of failures in leadership and decision-making, and, you know, there's a bunch of failures that cause that. And so, you know, I think that that's the reality of it. But you can't change reality because you don't like the way it feels. Because then there's no closure to it. Like, yeah, does it feel good to know that I'm--that I let down the most important people in my life? No. No, it doesn't. But that's the reality of it. And so, because of that, like, I have like a superpower across the world. Like, I don't walk in any room and fear anybody because what are you going to take from me? Like, I've already lost it all. You can't take something from somebody who's already lost it all, right? Like, what--at the point that you--what you fear losing, like, I don't care about. You know? So, you know, for me, like--but if I change that narrative to feel good, you know, people are like, oh, you know, you did your best, you know, you're not the ones that killed them. You can factually blend it however you want to make yourself feel good. You can justify anything you want and lie to yourself as much as you want. But the reality is, I went in there to get them out alive and I didn't, so that's called failure, you know? And it's a--it does contradict it. You know, like, obviously, you know, I--you know, I--and then you get this award. And then you live in the face of nation where, you know, there's this expectation. It's like, dude, like, the difference in me and you is the--like, how many chances you had to get them out of water? None. But by you. No idea. Yeah, so there you go, right? That's the difference in us. That's the difference in us, right? Like, you ain't been in the situation to get them out of water, but what that metal represents is what is--it's about in the world, right? That metal represents literally the potential inside of every human being as long as they believe in something bigger than themselves and they love people so much that they're willing to do whatever it takes to stop the suffering, even if it's all the way up to the cost of their life. That's all it is. I'm just a guy from Kentucky who believed that I could do something and took action and was going to do it until something stopped me from doing it. And like, that's it. Like, it's that simple and that's the potential inside of every human being that walks this planet. They believe in good. I think it's the potential, but the people that do step up to grasp that is because I get your side too, because it is hard, because you look at it as the worst day of your life. And you look at it as a failure, and it is like that battle with yourself. You're like, "Fuck, dude." You want to give that metal and heartbeat to guys back. For sure. Fucking instilling. You're like, "For sure." Any day of the week, but you still saved how many fucking lives. I don't know. How many, like, and then how many families that individual, those that one dude, you say that two, three, four, four, like all those people you saved, how many kids do they have? All those lives you affected. And then now you have generations of individuals that you made that change. You brought life to that family. You brought them home to be with their family. And that's not like five people that is multiple when you bring in the factors of like kiddos. Your grandkids, kids on that, like, that is saving bloodlines. Yeah. And you have to look at it that way, too. It is like the worst, but you've also changed so many lives in that same moment where it was just you being selfless. You didn't think about anyone else other than everyone around you. Yeah. You didn't give a shit about yourself. You're like, "I'm running in gunfire. I don't give a fuck. I want to help as many people as I possible. It can." You went back and you set up a med. Yeah. Like, even that, it's that hard one, it's that battle you're going to have to. I mean, you were. Yeah, no. Like, yeah, I don't know. I don't just say this. You are one of the. Yeah. I understand you way more after you're like hearing this, hearing you talk and then your mindset on it. It is. It's fucking motivating. It is sad. It's motivating. And it's. But you are one of the most humble dudes. I appreciate that. Fucking. Possible, man. Like, it is crazy to hear what you've been through. And then how humble you are because you do not give a shit about yourself. You truly do care about the people. Yeah. I mean, everything I do, like, I wake up every day to try to get stronger and to be better, not for myself, but so I can help more people. Like, literally, that's the only context that I have. It's the only way I know, I've tried to fight it, I've tried to go against it, I've tried to like, oh, you know, I'm tired of doing this, but it's like, it's the only thing I know, like there is nothing that like, there's no other purpose I have on the face of this plant than to stand up for people who can't stand up for themselves, like I don't have to believe in it, I don't have to agree with them, I don't have, like it's not conditional either, like it's not conditional either, it's, I just love people and I, like, and I just, like, if I can just give them hope, like I know the power of hope, right? And so like, you know, that's, that's what matters to me, it doesn't matter whether it's, you know, whether it's, it's walking down the street or whether it's in a gunfight or whether it's on a fire truck, right? Like any of those aspects and, and you know, it's just, I don't know, like I, yeah, I mean, maybe, maybe I saved a lot of people, maybe I helped a lot of people, maybe I don't know, but I just, you know, but the other thing about me that, that I think is different is like, I don't show up. I don't show up every day for the results or the titles or the awards. I show up for the test. I don't care about anything else. You know, most people finish a race and they want to look at their time and they want to, like, I'm just looking for the next race. Like, like, that's it. Like, I don't show up for, I couldn't care less like the, the winner loss. I'm there for the, for the test. Like, like, the winning loss is nothing more than a data point of, of a reflection. And so, bettering myself each and every time I do this. Yeah, bettering myself. And when I get better, I know I can use that betterment to help other people. Like, the more I grow, the better I get the more I learn about myself, like, the more I can turn around and lead other people through that. And I have a, like, you unlock more to helping other people, you know? And so, like, I will say this, you know, for the metal piece of it, I'd say probably the last couple years, I finally got to a point to where, like, and this is going to sound bad. But like, I think you just have to live in this, this reality of it is like, I don't, while I would absolutely change my, like, switch my guy spots, like, in a heartbeat. I, I, I wouldn't change a thing. And, and I know that sounds tough, right? Like, obviously, I'm, like, I still think today, like, this is how crazy it is, like, as we're talking about it, I still think today that I, I don't know that I have ever faced that I might not still won't ever hear their voices again. Like, that's how, like, nuts it is, right? Like, um, but, but I'm thankful for it because any time I talk about, or any time I use a, a narrative or a, anytime I'm ever sad about it, like, like, all I'm doing is taking away from their legacy of being heroes. Like, and so, like, think about us, like, I think about it all the time. If, if I could die on the side of a mountain somewhere, and people could still be inspired by my desk 15 years later, I would do it in a heartbeat. I would do it in a heartbeat. If, if I could die in a way to where people would be motivated, be inspired, like, it would be, like, like, like, shit, most of us people are going to forget about some 90 days after we die. These guys' names are going to live on forever, right? And so, like, it's important to go out and to, to not only tell their stories, but to live a life that's worthy of their stories, right? Like, there's so many veterans out there that are running around, oh, I've seen the cost of freedom. Well, you should start acting like and start living like you've seen the cost of freedom because you can't walk around and point at everybody else and tell them that they're not, like, you know, that they're not living to their fullest when you're not doing the same. And so, like, I've seen the cost of, like, dude, I mean, these people, they gave their, they gave their tomorrow's for our two days. And every day that I don't go out and make the most of it is a day that I'm doing nothing but spitting on their graves. You know, it's a, you know, and it's, it's just the reality of it, right? It's just, it is what it is. And I think that, like, I think that it's so dumb for us to wish things were different or to, you know what I mean? Like, it's so irrelevant. It's so, there, there's nothing to it. Like, you know, to me, people are walking around and they're like, you know, what do you wish was different? Nothing. Because if one thing was different, everything's different. And so, like, it's just on us to, like, take all these things that we face and figure out how we can use them for the greater good of the world, right? And because there's a lesson in all of it. Yep. Oh, fucking thank you. Yeah, seriously, thank you for coming on here and just telling your story, man, because that's, that's incredible. Yeah, it was really good, man. Thanks. No, it's, you know, I don't, I don't really tell it. I don't tell it anymore just because it's like, dude, if I say one thing today that contradicts, like, if I'm like, oh, you know, I made four trips in and they're like, oh, he said on this podcast, he did, I mean, the veteran community is so like, he's to itself. They are the, I mean, but same thing in like the first responder community, like all of it, like, like, it just, it's like, who hates veterans, more than veterans, it's better. And is the truth and it sucks and it's something, but I will say it, you have an entire army now that will fucking go to war in the comment sections for you now, because they're going to be like any negative. And that's why we love the community. We built, they are savages. Yeah. It's like, oh, so fuck who we've watched at time again. It's like, oh, they tried to try to talk. And it's like, no, good luck. Good, literally, good luck. You have people, it's like, you don't fuck with that community, just that is one where it's like off limits now. Yeah, because it is. It's like, this motivates people, this changes people's lives. This is that was the purpose of unsub. It was how do we make an impact the best way we can. Yeah. And then share these amazing stories. So they live on, because in 20 years, 50 years, 100 years, these podcasts, it is world or two veterans, metal of honor and veterans telling their stories and a relaxed environment. And that's going to go on forever. That will never be lost. Yeah. And you know, and I thought about this the other day, like, I don't know, I woke up and it just like had hit me. Like, honestly, I was in bed and I like, I had to get out of bed and shoot this video because it was like disurgeon on me. And, you know, I always have lived by, you know, look, history never, never remembers the haters. Like, like, I've always remembered that, right? Like, I've always, like, just lived by that saying. And because, I mean, think about it, right? I mean, you hear all these good stories that we live off of a legacy, but you don't, you don't remember the haters, you know what I mean? Like, like, that's the man in the arena thing. Yeah, it's the man in the arena, right? And so, but for the first time, for the first time in our history, the haters are actually writing it. The haters are actually, like, controlling the message out there, right? They're louder than everybody. And so, like, that's why it's so important for us to tell our stories. It's so important for the good to tell their stories because if not, I mean, imagine this, like, imagine this. Imagine if the Bible was comp, a compilation of stories of the people that deny Jesus, how we would be set. Think about that, right? Think about, like, think about that. Think about if the 70 people had listened to all the naysayers, when they were going to, you know, when they were going to fight against the British, we wouldn't be where we are, right? And so, it's like, but right now in a time where the internet and where all these platforms give access to everybody, we have to out-message the haters because if not, like, what are my kids? What are our kids going to look up to and to remember and to remember the world as, right? Like, I think it's well, it's the best part about the internet is that everybody gets a voice. The worst part about the internet is everybody gets a voice. But I think a lot of those, we call it, like, drama content creators, we, they have such a shelf life because once that dries up, and it will, and it's maximum two to three years, I think you're, what's the average content creators lifespan, like four years? Yeah, like four years, and then gone. And then if yours is based off, so we're all on borrowed time. We've all passed four years. Yeah, yeah, I'd say, yeah, we're good so far. But it is when that's all you go after, you do not have a loyal audience based, they will turn on you in a fucking second. We've got to watch this time and time again now. And it's happening really quickly on the internet where yeah, it might have been cool. And now they're just cannibalizing each other. Yeah. Because then they turn on each other, you just get to watch because I could tell my story in a way that like pisses everybody off. Like how you, you can tell your story in whatever way you want to. And you, but it's like, what are you intending to do? Like every story, everything you say, everything you do should be with the intentions of making the world a better place. You see, you, you did not focus on a negative individual during that. All you were saying, you still painted everyone a part of that is like, here's what they did. This is why they were amazing. And that is truly how stories should be told. That's how it's got to be done, right? Like, I, you know, I can sit back here and I can judge everybody else how they did. Like, but I don't, I don't know what they knew. I don't know what, like, you know what I mean? Like I, I believe everybody did the best that they could that day, right? They, they all gave their all. And look, who knows? If I had to face that day again today? Who knows, right? Like, like, you never, I don't think you ever do anything in life that you get to live off of it forever. Like, I don't think you ever have one single action. I don't think you have one single accomplishment that you get to go through the rest of your life and you get to live off of that action and it justifies your existence of good for the rest of your life. I think that that action is only good for that moment. And like, what you do past that, you should be judged every single day on the winning loss or the greater good that you impacted from that moment. It's like the saying, like, you're only as good as your last at bat. 100%. And that's how it should be, right? You get, you know, you just, I see to me, people I call them, they have the Uncle Rico syndrome, right? Like, they want to, they want to, they want to, they want to talk, they want to talk, they want to talk about what they did, they want to talk about what they've done. And it's like, well, I just want to know what you're doing, right? Like, I just want to know what you're doing. So, well, on that note, well, first off, you have a merch, you're doing some merch. Yeah. So I do own, I have owned the dash, right? So I have that. And then, you know, I ride on substack a lot. Like, I put all my, my thoughts out there. I like substack just because like, it doesn't have to be short form. Like, so it's a blog, right? It's called the bluff. And so it's like the bottom line up front. And so I just put out content on, you know, whatever I feel like, you know, whatever's going on in the world, I try to like, I try to like, dumb it down to my perspective of like, you know, at a Marines level of like, real simplified. And so, you know, like, I just put long form content on there. It's just a blog of like what, what my thoughts are on of current events and things like that. So yeah. And then what's the merch? Yeah. So it's just like, I have T-shirts and stuff, on the dash. You know, I came up with this, this concept of, you know, the dash is like, you know, when we all die, it's going to be our last name. And you're going to have the day you were born, the day you die. But really what matters is that dash in between, right? Like, like, you can't control, you can't control the day you're born and you can't control the day you die. But what you can control every day is, is that dash is in between. And so, you know, like, you know, using that to, you know, to impact the greater good, right? Really, that's what it comes down to. It's like, nobody's going to remember how, you know, Linda Ellis wrote this poem and she talks about in it of how she stood at the funeral of a friend and, you know, first came the date on the tombstone from the beginning to the end. And then she goes into like, you know, nobody's going to remember how much money you make. Nobody's going to remember how many followers you got. Nobody's going to remember any of those aspects. Really what matters is, is what people say at your funeral. And, you know, they're not going to talk about how much you make, you know, they're going to stand there and they're going to, they're going. They have a, we have a running joke. Yeah. What is it? I want to hear it. It really does not fit into your bed at all. Yours is very motivation. We have a, we have a running joke that whichever one of us dies first, the other has to go and say every single slur at it as a eulogy. But you just scream it. It has to be like, yes, be woven into a narrative. I just like the big 72 font text. I just did the real life joke, Harry. As soon as you said, the only thing that matters is what someone says at your funeral, I'm like, yeah. Oh my gosh. Yeah. Well, that's, I'm sorry. You know what I think we should do like first show is we should do a mock funeral, so we can hear them practice it. Oh, I love that. They'd be great for all of our careers. Have you all seen that there's that, there's like that guy that goes around to funerals? Like you can, you can pay him. And I don't know what he's called, but like basically he comes to your funeral. You can pay him. And he like calls out the people that, that, that like you hate. Like so like he's like, that's awesome. It got started. So I got started. Some guy paid him. The guy knew he's going to die. And this guy knew that this guy was banging his wife. And so he goes to funeral. And like he comes up and starts speaking. And he's like, like whatever his name is. He's like, Joe, you know, I know you've been banging my wife for this many years. Like in front of everybody. So it's like you can pay this guy and hire him to go to your funeral and do this stuff. It's even a window to awkward window. Real quick. Yeah. The grieving Harlett. Yeah. But it's like the other guy. It's like a famous thing where it's like, yeah, if my homie dies, I'm going to pay a gay dude to cry extra hard as you. Oh my god. Oh my god. That is. That is cool. Yeah. Pulls up in his Mustang. Yeah. Exactly. That yellow Mustang. Just a random dude just crying at Cody's. You know. I like, I like the mafia outlet. You pay some giant Italian guys. So where their suits and come by to your your casket. You're like, we're going to miss you. We're going to miss. Like don't say anything to the family and leave. It's like, what the fuck did he do? He just can use every like 20 big Italian guys. We're going to miss the big C.G. Yeah. We're going to miss. We're going to go to your go to your mother. Like if you need anything, we need somebody to disappear. I wanted to like record myself saying thank you for coming and like have my arms sticking out. And like, you slap my arm as you go back. No way. Nobody ever thanked you for coming to their to their funeral or like have like me standing up in like a photo booth. I love that. A photo booth is really good. Yeah. But really bad. Yeah. Yeah. Burnies photo booth. Yeah. What do you think? Yeah. What do you think? It's good. Yeah. I think if you like some animatronics too. Yeah. I pay extra for animatronics in my body. So I like the conversation between the funeral home and the animatronics expert would be hysterical. Yo. Just because that's logistically has to have some. There is a price point. I guess we'll just put a screw there. Make me dance. You just put one of the new AI robots and it's walking out in your flesh. Do it. Just imagine going to happen. I wonder if it's fucking. Just imagine the Stora's can do it. Do it. Do it. Do it. Do it. Do it. Do it. Do it. Do it. Do it. Do it. Do it. Do you want to do Tesla robots that just has an Eli skin? Yeah. It's like, will you like if they get to the point to where they do like brain transplants? Will you do that? I want to know. I hope not. Yeah. I'm good. Now I think that'd be awesome for you. Just breathe. You just keep going forever. The brain in a jar. Keeps going forever. Nixon's back. It's not brainy. It's choice. It's just friends that make him do this. It's like force power. Force life brings like kill me. The only thing he says in Morse code and through the computer is let me die. Let me die. Let me die. I'm going to sue your estate for power of attorney to put you in a Tesla robot, and then I die. Brand is on for the frowny fan. Sad. It's cannot self-delete. It's like the robot that's only purposes to unplug itself. And what if we could like pick the body you went into? Oh, no. Oh, yeah. I hate that worse. I like this way more now. We could pick the body you went into. Oh, yeah. Plot twist. I only accept if it's yours. I don't know if you want that. I am. I am become actual metal. I am metal of honor. What if we could switch brains? Oh, I don't think you'd want that either. Did that be awesome? Yeah. Where do we find you on social? Yeah, Dakota Meyer 0317 on Instagram, and that's pretty much it. But you're going to you're thinking about doing YouTube too. Yeah, maybe some YouTube later on. We'll show in that. I get that title. We'll get that name without all that. We'll get it down to them. Numbers empty. I've tried YouTube a couple times, but I just like I get I don't know. I just get so overwhelmed. I just get tired of it. I hate shooting videos. But yeah, what do you all think? Yeah. Yeah. We all had the fatigue at one point or the other. Yeah, but I'm like three videos in. I get fatigued. I mean, yeah, that's fair enough. I mean, you got to be a psychopath in one way or the other to do this shit. Yeah, true. Or at least a little autistic. Yeah. A lot of autistic. Cody closes out you beautiful son of a bitch. Bye, everyone. Thank you for coming to the unsubscribe podcast. Today we had Eli double tap Dakota Meyer, Brandon Herrera, myself don't an operator. Thank you so much for being here. Glad you. [Music]