This is Jocko podcast number one number one: fifteen Charles and me Jocker willing good evening echo good evening. War, different for everyone who experiences it on one under the spectrum. There are some. People who deplore, to a safe area and protected by concrete steel and barbed wire and their job, which is definitely in port part of the machine, but it just doesn't require them to be put into direct, combat and then with a little luck because of that situation they can we complete a wartime deployment with

little or no contact with the enemy whatsoever, but they did their part, and we are thankful for that. On the other end of the spectrum, there are some people that end up Anything but a safe area, they end up in the belly of the beast. They are called on to do more than is required and much more than could be expected. In that situation also creates a spectrum. Some men And find it to be too much and instincts of self preservation take over and they go into survival mode and

coward and they hide and they give up and they wait for the inevitable, but others do what they can They try to do their duty. They put one foot in front of the other and they reload their weapon and they try to firing nets the middle of the spectrum, And then at the. Far end of the spectrum. There are those men that step up And go forward cross the threshold. Really the threshold of life and they go into the fire and into the flame and toward the unknown and toward death, not

save themselves, but disregard their own safety and their own life. To save their friends, their brothers and their comrades in arms. And then be armed even that almost off the spectrum. There are those men that take them Step across the threshold of life and death over and over and over again, not because they were ordered to not for a metal not because of some manufactured set of ideals, but simply because that is who they are. Can I'm honored to have one of those men here with

today. For us on a father. Can American. United States Marine. A man by the name of Mr Dakota Meyer Dakota, welcome to the park asked thank you for coming on now. Thank you so much for me, and I am honoured, all right. As we normally do. Let's start from, where do you start tell us a little bit about about number Kentucky here? You know it's a small town, you! I grew up in Colombia, Kentucky you. I grew up the first half my life and my mother and, end up going alone, when my father and you didn't The income from money didn't come from anything nice I'd,

my father, I'm adopted on my father's side and you about. How far do you know? It's just Does the Myanmar Minimum SIMPLE guy the simple? It's a simple way: life. You know I mean in that. This is how we grew up. We know my dad, you always instilled Emmy Myanmar. I have to give the oh so much credit to my father and my grandfather me. I might you know I mean I just They instilled so much in me of what's right, What mattered you know you up. We're talking a lotta, your childhood was in. I wrote down these notes: farm work, football and feed. Else. That's that

I told you, I'm simple yeah, that's it. You know, there's not much else in ink lumber Kentucky to an Eu Europe, you wrote a book. The book is called into the fire network in some way information for fraud, and I would say that in the early descriptions away you describe yourself not exactly MR sensitive is is what we are dealing with back then No, not at all. You know I was no hours insensitive hours is the hard headed kid. You know said my ways I die. You know my dad. And still the M Madeleine. Still I mean you know my dad is a man who doesn't he know he doesn't care the social status. He's not a you know. Eighty nine and I watch it how many just a hard hard hard guy Armenian, so there's not living in a house of two men. Rightly on me, it it just my dad,

There's not we're here. There's not re me feeling there was no real nourishment to your senses. I was not much nourishment yeah use. There's one partner talk about you're, a football game and you jack up your elbow real bad, and so ouch got you in a locker room whenever, yes, I was a locker room and me I'd carried the ball plating. Nineteen times, first half and I go in there. My elbows are like just jacked right. I mean your desk. We'll get pounded and Emerson and earn a quota I don't come out next to a sprite. You know you just look, you know it cuz of the Jv Game and he's like you, don't come out next half and I'm going to tell you something dad. Seeing that I didn't come off, we're warm up per second half, I mean he came in there and that that was not. That was not acceptable, but one thing my dad taught me: is you start it? You finish it check now,

What would happen in football currer? Would you get its? Would you d get some of the leg legitimate injuries ray? I know I got a United Bang money up real bad. How my sophomore year between my sophomore junior year, narrow recovered from it. You no harm and so I mean I could have went and played somewhere like I'm, not going to come over here and take out head full scholarships or anything, but I could have. I could have walked on somewhere if I played outside linebacker or strong safety, but you know Just I was gonna go play football. I plan on that. I've been through the clearing house. I mean I've done everything I need to do to go on any of my senior year, and I just I've gone wrinkle out. Now I've talked three jobs on here about the effectiveness of the marine corps. Crooning programme which they have like the best recruiting numbers, but they spend the least on recruiting of of any of the military service branches a sound

like you, got rolled right into that idea. They got me, they got me every day, some day they got me now, but but back, but I think look I You know that the products the product with them right, like you know you know, know you're. Either you they're gonna, be a marine or you're, not gonna, be a marine right. Accurate you either have it in your you don't like it's not. You know that they just they. Know how to talk to their own right and I think that's what they're so good at is. Is that They know how they know. What would a fired there mom and so they say the same thing that would afar them up in and if you bite on it, the near the town personally be marine. If you don't, they don't want you anyway, I mean that's a perfect way put it, and this is two thousand sixty days it does so again. This is a marked, always have to remind Myself- and I remind everyone Else- Walmart it is anyone. I join the Navy in nineteen. Ninety, with no war going on red during a war going on. It was just you know, peacetime,

and your doing in two thousand six, where, where award to different countries and to sound six things, are not going well. Well there little quiet in Afghanistan at that time, but I racket forebore, I mean that's when I was in romanian bruise. It was a real hard fighting was taken place in all our problems. Rest of Iraq was pretty bad, so you know for you. You know you're going and you know you're gonna go to combat a me. That's just a kind of a given yeah I mean I am. I don't know that I ever really understood that, though, until I was in you I mean I think did. I don't think they're really hit me

I'd never. Really. I didn't really joint. Considering Gimme some MOTO story that joined. Go you no revenge. Nine eleven! Are you running recently? Jacked up here is, I joined a ninety. Daddy had had the opposite view, for which there is no war going on around here, I've gone or on the single sky between things all of our doorstep, and you don't even hear about that's what my attitude as and here you are staring at the warranty, two different zones and you're like add enough, or you know every honestly I did. I know it sounds down, but I mean, like you know, by a time where five years passed it and people had already got used to write. It was no longer like oh You re, no in in, like the population, annoying that just you know the average civilian. I wasn't, because it has been noted, five year there, and so you, I didn't, really think about it. You know I'd in your joined up. Your word go infantry. I wanted to fight on, but I did

I think it a really hit me until I got into boo camping on and I I really start understanding what and when you don't boot through bootcamp, that time we every Jones doctor must become a back into battlefield, all of the only Antonia everybody especially expect in the School of Infantry your date, all everyone, I'm had been they refugees, yet ever yeah, I mean it been shit. Yeah yeah you, my recruiter. My recruiter had just got back from Felicia and he had been in the shit you're doing. Yeah. So with that, we'll take it to the book or now cause you know. I think I was never in the Marine corps producer, that sometimes I have like red so much about the marine corps over my life and

be hung around, so memories are working to bring so much so whenever I get to Marine Corps boot Camp, it's like strikes a romantic Zion me. Just judges was at least get a little taste and- and you didn't really fast, which is great here here, isn't it dislike exactly what we're going to book again. This book is into the fire by to go too far, and here we go so it began close haircuts to strip away you're old identity, exercises to prove your not half as strong as you figured simple task to show you that your mentally weak drill instructors who mark your attempts to look tough, it's right out of the movies, but it never stops. And there you go. You know What's common, how many times do I format of before he went at a time? Yeah I mean I time, you know exactly what I haven't decided can help. It is still know you you could. I mean you know like

during boot camp. It was the hardest thing I've ever been through, but when look at everything I didn't marine corps. It was easy there that's. Thing with buds. So first one when I want to buzz- and I don't know anything about, but no one knew anything about bugs one thousand nine hundred and ninety, when I'm doing it the guys know anything about it in can basically We think that the guy a common, and now you can basically watch the entire bud. You can watch the whole thing. You know what they think the students, eventually captured the schedules. The Athens it actually know. What's coming and You know you know how many people it keeps from quitting none it still the same. Address there. Ok, so it's gonna suck, really bad, and now you know it, you didn't know it before you even know when it's going to ride back to the book the second month. It is the turn around when they build you back up. Sergeant Brady made me a squad leader, meaning he yelled at me from mistakes in the other ten recruits that was He had his job. I had mine, you busted

You get to graduation day, which was obviously awesome, and then its eyes the next two months at Sir, why schools infantry only fit, ten percent of the Marine Corps and the army or in the infantry. In today's military there are more how about pilots and Infantry Squad leaders gang man? That's crazy, fifteen percent of them the army, art infantry troops from the ground, That's interesting figure, in Vietnam, and I was taught mothers with life and with actually the whole s fronting the other day. I'd heard this somewhere. I heard from hack worth that in Vietnam, the height of the Vietnam WAR. There was a little over five hundred thousand troops on the ground, and it was only ten percent of those troops at work

infantry units are on the ground and combat. You know what I find so interesting about that fact: nets that when I looked at it you know like I understand. Obviously when I was in, but you know when I look at is to understand like how much it truly united as the war fighter. You I think we take for granted so many times of what it really takes for us to be able to do our job factor. We I mean you, take it you I mean it takes. You know eighty five percent at Organization justice support that fifteen percent of put. You yes face to face with the enemy S. There's gotta be another year I mean you look at eight and one hundred and fifteen to one or something like that. Katy tell me one that got to put you up there but that's worth and that's dwell here. We go breaking in Britain and a little bit of what the Marine Corps is like a marine squatters comprised of three Forman fire teams, everything you do as riflemen revolves around that Forman team of one man carries a weapon more powerful than those of the others, but that's a minor point in the field You don't do anything without those three other guys. You don't shit. Sleep, eat or move

without the other three knowing about it. Mean squad with those three. Our teams is like a boxer with three arms one hour: jobs with birth the fire to keep the opponent off balance while the other arm loose around left hook. With a third arm ready to follow up wherever there's an opening. One arm is wounded. The other two can keep fighting fires A pin down the enemy maneuver to finish off fire maneuver fire maneuver fire maneuver- and I was point this out extremely discover move. Does what I was talking about fundamental does that's the fundamental gunfight intact? It gets fired maneuver called a cover move. So you get done with ESA. Why and. You head out to the third Marine Regiment in Hawaii,

that's what I was going to check in it. You were pulled in inner cities. We pulled the bus in the seniors out there all day at all, just got back from odd tat. Either the Triad Anna had hard deployment a higher they got, they got the Shia kicked out of agenda and so pull in eight the others, no empathy there. So we plan and their throw em beer bottles off the deck, and they are all hammered it's in the mill and I and such like welcome. Nobody was awesome. You I was honoured to be out there in an hour it take further sniper billet to open up, and for you get that, yes, it was a things like around died February, so I got there in October so that Iraq I got there in October or November so November timeframe. I think I got to work October or November timeframe, and then I had opened in January February. Is it hardly get us now? Isn't it hard to get a sniper bill? Did you get lucky? No new guy get a Cyber Billy S idea. So I was,

the youngest sniper in the marine corps in two thousand seven. So what happened was as I had brain in Dhaka. You have to run in dock to be part of turn come in and then, like you, you're on probation, say, run a huge and argue come in you go on probation and then start you know, usually you're going deployment and then after deployment you go to school where they had a couples. Also I to open up and ask, and they basically gave me the option of Unita go home on pre deployment leave because we had no rack Unita gone predefined. Leave or you can go to how old are you? Powers are eighteen, how many milliseconds it'll take you made that scenario with my family for eighty years? I'm out, I'm all good word, that's all some and then recourse the school. So that a hard core school and fifty percent attrition rate I feel that it was there and then you are early seal, snipers. You know- and I know

no, the for bring a sniper on here Sunday. That knows a whole history. The seal sniper programme, but with deeply rooted in the Marine Corps, sniper programme deeply rooted, just like all Training is rooted in the marine corps. Scots raiders there's a lot of cross over in those early days, but Marie recourse in our programme now everyone's gonna think that's a civilians. Gonna think like oh you're, sitting on a gun shooting, but that's not really hard at heart, is at its height five percent of the job like it's like the it's. I would say out safe lesson that you know it The Armenia mean that the communication piece of the mission planning the I mean there's so much to me you literally literally r D. You know the commission here's the battalion commanders trigger. Very speakers- do heavy stock and right, that's just a gacek. Would it? How much did you way? This point pray about a hundred eighty or ninety five in its where'd. You guys do you stocks

we are in a Weis. I want to Hawaii Sniper school okay and what you would do mountain the cuckoo's out and just dripping sauce, lane and in their calling Aachen, his terrible scrawl infer for hours and going through five meters yeah I mean just like you know. If you didn't know you start off, you got the Alameda lane. You know I'm there they put an observer up and they're using the best class. There is and they're sitting on this truck and you have to you the move up and you gotta go within a certain distance. And whenever they tell you in the new guy, you know you have to their job. Whenever you take shot you do whatever you want. Your is used, you take a shot with a blank. Ok, and then they come over and so the they're gonna walk, a walk round you and then they try to walk back and forth. They try find you think thing see anything. Then you are, you lose and then you got to take a second shot while they're going to cuz that Walker gets within the vicinity of you and it likes like ten and then

take a second shot and if they see anything. Then you, you know you you you fail to. So it's enough there what's a walk. So basically bring a guy out who is like who you know has like a stick or something, and they can see him and then they try to sit so they go. Okay, if I think I see him here so I need you, take left three steps and then back for staff a try. Walk him on you. Don't you This'Ll be interesting, wit, Wendy get to you. Do they say sniper your feet to the guy so yeah yeah like as a sniper if each of us is that the same thing that they say in this house might ask what they say you get there. They got case nightmare. You free, download up your bastard. You fell through three steps. Left two steps up sniper your feet: now they know you hurry. There's the cross over. That shows you there. That's that suffers Rudy together and there's a guy by the name of skin skinnier. Who was one of your instructors, warrior instructors, Riga and here's. Your ears are going back to the book skin to told us about a sniper team in an over watching a half constructed building in Romania,

in two thousand, for it was a warm dull day and after several hours they dozed off and never wake. Insurgents sneak up and shot all former rings and the head they left behind. I powered M forty, eight three and its excellent smitten bender scope. Over the course of the next year. They allegedly killed two more Americans before marine sniper took them out recovered the rifle Skint hammered home. His message, every aspect of your job and never never led down your guard. If, off or you take things were granted you die here. Look. I was fortunate to have allowed people around me that informs me. I mean I am special the product in my environment and my I'm dumb direct reflection, my leadership, I'm so fortunate, but tell you right now dead when I did. That day was because here was it because of the mentality that he instilled in me now: new job knowing it

in obsessing with the unknown, every aspect of it and no everybody else's job around you and then when you know your job- and you know what's right, you you do that, you don't worry about, whereby I said yes The noncommissioned officers that again there same guys that raised me in the seal teams have a huge impact in what what I also found interesting about this- was this story about these snipers when not romanian. Two thousand six, we heard exact story, and you know it. It was another thing that made us more paranoid and made my guys more paranoid being out there and we act thought I didn't. This is two thousand, for we thought it happened a little bit later and closer to art, appointment, but yeah man just just a nightmare, another little commentary from you hear back to the book. Shooting another human being was a math problem. You either right or wrong with no sir, Active in between decided by someone else, I

problems that were black and white life or death before taking your shadow, a target, one thousand meters away, you had to calculate the effects of the light air at altitude win humidity angle of fire, cartridge, velocity and gravity yet to align the target the background of trained whether the noise in the weapon yet aware, in concert with others. At the same time, the target enemy was figure how to kill you, combat was a zero sum decision making play for the highest stakes liver die and thirty one people started the course and thirteen people graduating so that should tell everyone why that sniper designation is so damn hard to get because it's no joke and there's usually at any point time, there's not is usually around three hundred school train, snipers in the Marine Corps daytime really dang, that's it might,

asking it was about forty seals. We had thirteen snipers yellows killers got lucky. You know I got lucky these stars, aligned, ok, so now you trained up and then two thousand and seven european You deployed to Iraq in first appointment. How pumped real pause pump. I just got out of school trained sniper man, you know I'm ready to go, I'm ready to go turn the heat up right and and where we were going was actually a bad spot and we were in karma and You'd had it had been bad, but it was like. While we were poor that surge and on Yeah they're. We took some contact once again, like the waterfalls in turned off. You know it. You go from streets at your fine down next thing: oh you mean. You walked out and ogier it's. What are you guys doing just doing patrols? We're gonna lie, dwell opts for you.

We go out basically what there that the theory on this was. We would go out off the fathers daylight for five days at a house in you know we would get hit by indirect fire. You know some but I may not, but I was only therefore like forty five days and then you got what in the handling of what are now I'm gonna, be it on the right hand, my right hand by a spider and actually suffered severe Nerved Evans lost the movement. My last three fingers and because of act you for this year are met. That you back to Germany Desolate, decimate Al Assad and tried to fix it there I did I'd they they rush and I had to surgeries and camp larger and then they they move outside and they pay me back to Germany, and I was therefore like twenty five days and ask your front to save your hand. Basically, and then they sent me home and then I am occupational therapy to give you ought to get my fingers back. They wouldn't move now when is agreed back in Kentucky, know how I could Hawaii Hawaii ARC my unit in

but you do have a little bit of Kentucky with you there in the form of bourbon. Here lot of a lot of drink jargon after the world where I did and even a little bit too much too much and I started he knows, It was hard coming home and no, my teammates were still over there, no one that my unit was still there and I was in part of it you know and then Did you go the jacket back and came back to states like on leave. Not after you are, after your hand, was hurt. Yea. Yes, I came back to Kentucky Grata anyone therefore, while the national laws couple friends that I knew I did guess you with tragical tragic situation. Tat was terrible. You know how to get the guy. You know, actually is those names on my chest and he would play football together and he he called me. I was in the hospital and I was at home that weaken. Call me here,

white flowers on the way to hospital. Today, how you hate me I'm going to go to the football game you're going to watch my little brother play. You know all that I got a call, assumes Owsley even hospital and he had had a rack and got killed across close friend. I lost her another friend. She she I killed in December. Not now exactly what you want to go home only formats horse. No, no! No, but you know it's just way the way it goes. In and then spend that out only go back. You rejoinder begun in this when you find out that they want volunteers to go help out in Afghanistan yeah, so we built up we'd by bows, backed by a year and a half went amount sniper school and I became charge mounting got begun. Totally promoted MAO's it I was lands corporal leading to five maintain with a sergeant on it in hand to her I have taken like I had the worst like I got like the newest guys. They knew the newest guys and ah,

We cannot be in the general support team, so we removed all up to the platoon and end up being the best web, arresting them and yes, we're out at twenty nine palms. Doing her final train up to go back to Iraq in this is when nothing was going on. Two thousand and nine I mean they weren't, letting you leave the wire right and we had no missions are gonna socked right, Anna, They came in said when you five volunteers go to Afghanistan and I said what the mission I said we don't know, but we need five bodies raise. My answer to your home radio the like, like every milliseconds, ninety zero it that this is what you have volunteered for final later than is in bed. Training Tina Advisory display more! That's all about so embedded. Training team is where they take on yeah. They take different ranks, indifferent skill set submarines and they put him. Are you know whatever you no military unit and they put together and they in bed them with you now Afghan unit. He also

embedded with eighty Afghans a whole could not, it was a company and so that that we just like we did everything with them. We did everything from your teach him weapons tat Dixon and, ah, you know, shootin cute, and we d- I Didn'T- do change over for the NATO Weapons rice or we took him from the soviet NATO weapons. That's another key factor that we need to bring up to talk about that gunfight We really are teach him on that call em all now. You know everything from everything and we did everything with these guys. It's because it and then did. You know how to work up before you went over. Yes, always that was it with that team. Yeah, your actual team, the eminent a boy with yes, we do, we did a workshop with em, where I see I just left wing and palms. I go back and we train for like a month or two in Okinawa Japan with this new team, and then we had back between our homes and then we go from where we went back. So I went to bridge

war, and then we came down to an impasse. We did our mountain stuff Ridge, for all our mules and all that stuff, your packing, and now we came down and did it ended in tuna palms and then we had over and that with that four man team yeah with the lieutenant Johnson Gun in Kenefick and Doc, late myself, we'll talk about those guys a little bit here in the book, Lieutenant my Johnson Forman team at me, anti this where you end up place called Monti which ten miles worth north of another five called Joyce. Johnson son, and smiling with an easy, laugh but completely professional with the high standards had climbed mountains with him in California, of course, and I knew he was a strong physically as he was mentally staffs urgent Aaron can effect was personnel specialist with eight years expertise and administration, so

job was to bring some order to the afghan personnel procedures and pray pay records, Doc Laden arc. And would provide some basic medical care to the Afghans in the villages, but its primary job was to be ready in case any advisers or afghan soldiers were wounded. A job to return. It Johnson put me in charge of tactics, operations in weapons training before each patrol approved of the afghan scheme of maneuver inside. The radios and guns, coordinate fire support and planned in emergency escape route This was far easier than planning the sniper missions. I had been trained for. So you you're you're. One of the most tactically savvy guy in the group greenest sniper already deployed to Iraq no, I wasn't you doin. What will prepare me was my training that idea with my team my sniper came, and we look I'd thought. I was crazy. They thought I was crazy. The way that I was training in opportune before you like we're going a track when not going to my own. Do shit right. Like em

still learning tax at now was still learning. You know: com and I still learning HF and I was still was how to how crypto low crypt I want to know. Every aspect of every party jobs are in every eye was going on to the to the bs in learning. You know all the medical doctor I could, and I was you know- I mean everything I could do like it. If I could give us a little now get a knowledge in better myself in every aspect I was doing it and on so yeah. So when I got over to this too, I mean it: I I The only tactical guy in there you know and yeah. I know it was a labor day right when it came to the tactics when it came to making sure that the weapons were ready when it came to making sure that the vehicles already that the that the know that the the James will work in that. You know what, if anything that mattered in the patrol It was always on you, the trucks reloaded in it, the reason that the Marine corps put the team together like this is because

they're trying to develop the whole after an army every aspect of it not just a technical side, but they won't like. The administration said the people can start getting paid on time and the organization, so they got through ten in there and at the same time they wanted to help the villagers they put a corpsman in there. So do medical work, so that's kind of Justinian. What, if any, was thinking? Why the hell would you put together a team like that's, because the people was to do the fighting are actually supposed to be. The Afghans right in in the team is there to support them, help them train them and get them ready. Yeah. That's that's the mic. That's the theory grey! theory is tat, you try, I just don't you train now, and they do the fight and you're just there to advise them right by it never works It doesn't work that way in Iraq and in one of the things that I pointed out. Many times was what, you sure you want to develop our relationship with with grew bright, and and now you say, okay, where to train you, but when it comes time to do something dangerous, you guys just go by yourselves. That's not you not build a relationship, you're you're in fact, you're going backwards,

the same way. So you get there. You start doing you're just kind of when on patrols on controls with the with the Afghan yeah Company- goes got interesting. You know cause. I was kind of the high strung when on the team you know like ours, like the one that always was here. We need to be re fight, not unhappy arguments I got into with some of the leadership in teams. Yoke is weak twenty one man team, but we're broke into four main elements in spread out feeling in this area, and I don't know how many times I got into arguments with people on the team up. You know hey. This is how we need to do it. We need to stay up. I mean I was. I was trying to train him. I was doing stuff of you untrammelled. Do I these at night with a nod and there like why they are we doing this? You I mean like, in a lot of people looked down on it and are and I said I am going to prepare to fight and did you know we're not you know like so many towns leadership got we're not going over there to fight we're going to advise and that was the mindset of a lot of this Nah Maxie, my team, but a lot of the team

and are an issue there. Yeah, you know for everyone out there that's they weren't uniform right now, man be right. For the worst case scenario, all the time before you know what I tell me, as I said, you know, looting. Johnson was a who was a com Satellite Guy Doc, late, blue side, Corpsman and Gunnar. Because it s one guy you know- and I always wonder think. Did they ever thought they being one of the dead these battles in Afghanistan? You think the We're thought they didn't. You know you don't know where you're going to be at but one day you're going to be tested and you better be ready, she has a role and out on these patrols, here's a good kind of aspect of what you see on those petrossian, you called the army. The afghan army soldiers ass cars myself got ass, are ass cars. Are it would go back? the book. When we walked into some hamlets. You could feel something was wrong when kids,

rocks at you. You knew what the parents were telling them sometimes the ass cars grab, the kid soccer balls and slice them apart. Didn't want any hearts and minds, but it did stop the rocks. Whenever the elders hurried through the ceremonial t, though I'd why the Oscars when any soldier senses danger, he crouched Is down a few inches to make himself less of a target when they ask, did that I went full alert. Half as Messina Right so named, fuzzy outside named him half as in that to protect him. God he's how he's here in Amerika, ok, we're good halfway. Was our lead interpreter and we quickly learned our best warning system at thirty, seven year old, sergeant major retired from the afghan army, Hafez had served in coup nor for three years with adviser teams, the afghan soldiers distrusted him, because he, Used to support or never ending schemes to skim off the Americans so he's your your. Most trusted wiser

interesting that you point out how, when soldier sent danger and I'll tell you about. They pay my what we believe I for one, am I to produce you Bruce and when he on the park. As I described him walking through the streets any- and I would just like I told you- and think JP was gonna live. Could J P was to brave for his own damn good, but when I Bobby Watch and I'd be like like hold skirting watch a patrol go, and you'd see nights. You guys move in with that little crouch, because everyone's expecting that choosing to start and I'd seen p man walking with his head up in his chest out like raided, gets me twenty three years older than you can at high level, so that our brother jail and the other thing that you know when you are for countries where no in Iraq or Afghanistan, the the locals we cannot tell the difference being that we really can tell differs from the good man back I'd now you

learned, some sense of it. When you go ok doc, I look shady and your beer, probably pretty accurate, but the a guy lack of half as you get it Now you are now instantly it was: the unofficial fifth member of our team inside a hamlet. If he shook his head at us, we knew his time to forget the tea and get out so with how much good how much power you're going to hamlet and people cool and our good and drinking tea in Vienna most time- and we must look at me- look I'll- let you know that the people there I want that wanted to be better. When we may live in the ship year, they lived there, they want to be better. You know, they're just got a bad situation, it's not it's! Not it's not a simple equation. In out there, nothing simple about the life did they have to live You made some friends going back to the book in the hills along the pakistani border. No afghan military or civilian. Had much of anything I think, We every american soldier Marine, tried to help in some way we purchase Kandian in trinkets in the

it's to give the kids I soon too little bodies boys ten or eleven did hang around the mate main gate yellin Meda made translation if, when they saw me at first by hoax and then started during my care practice from home soap, candy, peanuts, gun gum? Maybe decade from now. Some kids remember that some Americans were kind of them, even when their older brothers were shooting at them. Maybe not you don't help out, because you expect something in return. So you're you're human being man trying to try to take acres, some kids, a lotta there. I think this is Getting into your first sort, a legit we'll call combat and now you're taken so small arms fire going to the book here. Steps. Can affect was standing outside a bunker about a hundred feet from me. Mire we're under attack yield tat yes, but the ship,

but there's some shepherd out there, but the shepherd was shooting without poking his head up the aim. He had chance in a thousand of hitting us can harmless Bert promised followed the bullets acting more than ten feet above our head coffer already now, staff start again back, yelled holding the radio out had had set out towards me. Oh nice stuff sergeant soon to be gunnery sergeant calorific needed the lowly corporal self. I trotted toward him stopped assumed parade rest postures, armed law. Behind my back just put forward in the wide open and pasted respectful expression on my face. What the staff sergeant wish the corporal to do another burst from the cake is no time to be a smart, Ass Meyer, a few more round still way too. I unlocked it parade rest. I staff sergeant he the headset, considering whether to thrown at me my hurry up his recalling the artillery mission, and when I got to him. He was asking me: what do I say now left one hundred dropped, two hundred I said,

being on the radio. What now he asked fire for a fact I said should be dead on ok, fire for effect he repeated over the radio and that's it hit the guy butter. The funding funny that you, even in that situation, I cannot be no cannibalize s when you're a kid is there will I asked you know anything about. Kenneth Duke was medium or blood heads real hard at that time, your blood head. You know how some people just take over like he took over and tried to make up for his lack of you know not against him, though he wasn't a combat. The mere wasn't his job, but what he tried to make up for in the law of his combat knowledge was his authority right, and so you know he had. Piss me off pretty bad about you know, ask me to do you stand pray dress like use all big on it right. It's like grown up on a cop, like you know, you know. You still need your customs, your customs, his courtesies right, and so I got

is that their situation make a point you he'd come push me but after that we were that's what kind of bra do you guys out right now, bro cuz, that's all you know. That's awesome, great! you had some good Afghans, orders another you're talking about them early, one guided by the name of God. All Lee here you go He was fun to talk to been friendly and fearless would sit around talking and asking questions of each other like kids and middle school learning as much as we could about each other. He proudly cleaned saw five times a day and absorbed every tip. I gave him about shooting he was the most. Spawned: ask our own base, that's what given the saw in the first place, she had good relationship with that. Yeah, I mean out a good relationship with all my Afghans. I mean I, I I is to meals a day with them May I use that any breakfast with them. I would even over the o at the end of the town hall, but I use that word. Why does my policy? I mean every night I eat dinner with them every single night. I would eat it

with my afghan soldiers cause. I was no better than a man, sometimes I hear I hear people. The people who don't understand at all what was going on Iraq or Afghanistan, though you know who we are, America with occupiers and out you- and it's like, I always remind them like we were fighting alongside the direct result of fighting alongside the afghan soldiers- I mean spill in blood. Yeah me. We were amended because it was Iraq and Afghanistan war. We want, fine, Iraq and Afghanistan. We were fighting with them. We weren't fighting against we're after we were fighting next to them you are helping them. The same enemy people, miss that point Mademoiselle Incident in point to be miss it? It's a big big fat man here bandages turns my stomach man.

Gotta joked about that that first situation being your first combat and now you have led yet your first kind of trial by fire till you're at combat you're, the outpost at cop Monti and your attack. You actually got some wounded to mass cars are wounded and you're never going back to, but where's that we're starting can affect. I yelled doc. Layton toward the northeast our get over there and stay with him. I yelled suicide bombers sometimes rush the wire trying to taken taken infidel with them, as they have rap written in a red flash without hesitating Doc late and ran down the stairs across the open space and into the tower staff sergeant can affect two or three seconds later. A rock its slammed into their bunker exploding into pieces, and grand worker huddled there behind beside the sandbags smoke rolled out of the tower. They're gone, I yelled the Johnson, not believing what I'd just seen a reserve firing. It's all. You can do the best, first aid at that point was to return fire Johnson work. The radio

Everyone, foxy ones, Fox three steps Can affect dog latent, come on answer up. We kept firing. It seemed unworldly now we're on automatic lieutenant Johnson got on the radio. Again three one five three one. This is fox. Three staff started can affect our Laden come on man answer up. Then finally yeah yeah, This is three one we're good Ten minutes later attack helicopters began. Striving runs low, rumbling burs, like a giant burping incredible: firepower those lovely birds, enemy fire, ceased attack over Johnson I ran over to the bunker staff sergeant can affect Doc, Layton stumbled out the four of us sat on the bloody sandbags in the growing does talking about it. Their eyes were slightly glazed and wide wide open lieutenant Johnson staff started can affect dark and dark Layton Warrant Infantry They had considered that by coming to Afghanistan, they might die, but it he kicked in until now

now they had heard the screams and seen the blood everybody suit covered understood now that We went home together. It might not be alive. The ask we're cleaning up the bloody mass, not six feet from us. Taking away the rip, the body of their friend, we Mama some stuff all or too embarrassed to talk about our feelings, but we knew what we are all thinking this. It was for real and there were only four of us. We'll be there for each other doc. Layton said the surfer. Surprised me here, said the one thing that, any sense, That was that was the Sunday before I saw Ganz goes on and on a Tuesday that was September, six two thousand

is a huge rocket attack. I mean they were dolled end. It was terrible like I can remember it as if I was here was terrible from Iraq. Today, I think we had nine that he did not know. Seventh, hit dead on like in not just nine that hit just inside of of not the who all base, but just my Afghan based its debts. Probably this work, that right now spry bigger than that he was terrible Then there was a wake up call it. For all of us. I mean was for all of us and it was for the woman. You know I'll, never forget, I'll, never forget talk area, we fight it out and talk about what do we do if we lose one of what we want and cash it was so real Henny honour for you can effect, I hit, I had met of act out, a guy killed or wounded soldier that day, and he,

for me and for a bronze star Therefore, giddy where's walk into and the endless hooch and he said I where we live there and he was just me. Joking limit later on bit day on that MAR you know the way she's going for you and his unlucky as you are, he goes you'll, probably in for middle honour, before this deployment over with, and it is crazy, just two days before you guys had gone to conjugal we'd actually got the call that night we were supposed to go to gauge gone, the seventh, and are they end up pushing it right to the eight, so he left an ecstasy We talk about a little butter, conjugal lay tumor. North of joy- we drove right by the mouth of the valley. Conjugal sounded like the name of an irish town, full of smiling faces and friendly pubs,

I could see a few of the larger compounds. Far back on a hillside, nestled against steep ridge lines, bad place, half as muttered bad. People do you're gettin right away, it does not always mean we were told him instantly. I mean we were told. Like I say we I mean there is no doubt now one thing that I think made you feel more come a little bit more comfortable. You talk about the book historic We, the Taliban, had not sprung ambushes from inside villages, so that was- disgust at the briefing We are going in with ninety Afghans and fifteen advisers with a bill from one three two deployed behind us in a quick reaction force. This shows us this show belongs to the two hour after. And counterparts Fabio Messina right, dear Father, Fabio said we adviser will stand off to the side and let them talk with the elders, we're not in the lead, where assisting. That made no sense. I thought considering who is doing the briefing and who was hearing it. We weren't at the time

ACT Gilead, even if we claimed otherwise doesn't it about better political fate, I mean, I, I think it's an ignorance. Well, I think, is an ignorant thing too, but the reason it has, of course, me technically we fail under so I meet exactly the way that this work is crazy? This sounds I was working for that my commander was afghan man who, whatever the afghan commander told me, was what I was supposed to divert. I mean I'm saying that's a political thing for us to say politically locally Afghans are running this offer. Yes, yes, yes, I mean that you know but damp If you remember what I said a little bit earlier about, you know: hey we're not going to do the fighting. I mean you know that that's the mentality of the leadership of team not good, then, as you just said here that that made no sense. I thought you were a court twenty. How old are you out of there

When twenty one years old, when you're looking at this committee, man, it doesn't make any sense, we are the ones that are Senor brief in it. We know where the ones and know how to call for fire Yeah I mean, and I brought it would mean first off. First off the Afghans, even talked any by the calls for fire or the helicopters. I mean they don't have any coms with their own age, HF yeah, yeah yeah, I mean I the three main factors that I brought up in the brief, and I brought Look we're only everybody's going in we have over twelve different moving elements between the opium, indifferent teams inside this patrol all on one frequency. I brought it up. I brought up the fact: it do we didn't have direct air support, is on fifty mixture pillar and that's in Jalalabad. So all- and so they were taken as if the birds would be there within fifteen minutes. I said

it's not what fifty minutes triple Armenia's they're up damning off the ground for teammates in and they still got near price. Sixty minutes to get from Jalalabad to it, and so that was in fact, and in the other thing that I brought up, was why, we put our snipers two thousand metres away from the bill outside of their effective range. No weapons may go. Here's. What I was told I mean in the United States Marine Corps, what do I know about mission planning So I was taken other team jerk so when you say when you talk about gettin, taken out of the team explained out, went down a little bit to uniform Anti T Monti dirty money, and so What they did was, as you know, they had there's like that. Put the teams in or you would go with your Afghans in here to do their part, so our team was supposed to go to the back of the village

cover the backside of it and then we're gonna search couple house up, therefore Michigan and while the meeting went on and took me I'll team, because I brought up those concerns. And you know that they kind of took it is me no one against orders, questioning their authority and their place, myth gunny, gonna Johnson, So I'm just going to have to say this right now so I'll talk about this all the time man, If you're, no leadership position, you dont want. Yes, man, you don't yes, but you want the the corporal that says a boss understand. Why do that right now? And if, answer to yours, born. It is because I said so, or its bureau e4 be quiet or your ie five be quite. If that's what you're answers that means you dont have a real answer. That means that what you're doing is probably wrong. So surround yourself, the best people you can have in your team that people are going to question what what it is that your your plan is and if they

and you can't don't have a good logical, answering your plans and stand on its own two feet wide about it and reassess it in some advice from down the chain of command on how what we can do to change this planet. Domino's. Look their complacent, that's that's the type mentality you have when you don't expect to go. Get your ass entity. That's why you need the expected dress handed to every day and train like it. You know I use it when I was on a journey. We trained for worst case scenario, all the time where's your meal at any it. It was it was insane like we had great, had great financing for our training, so the training was awesome. We had mayhem goin on. We had paint balls, we had laser this more multi million dollar laser tax system. We had role players and it was awesome. I wanted. May him, and we said we would put eyes down and you get to carry them out and it was a it be. Like Could we be mayhem,

and sometimes guys who this is kind of realistic and what are the chances is really happening and I'd like look if this doesn't happen great You never have to worry about happened for urban. If it happens, you'll be ready. Or at least, is ready as you can be there, so you get pulled off. Deep airport off the team and my job is gonna, be to stay with the vehicle so like rescuer we're on dry vehicles in parked vehicles. Now, as the other thing I said, I said this- damn. Why why would we leave, are up regards couple miles away. And they said you may you ready for the response here- you ready a Well Dakota because we want to go into the village clandestine, you have a ninety man patrol near to paint a picture for everyone, basically there's a deep ravine calls on either side at that

of the ravine, it kind of split into two other ravines and there's a kind of villages on both sides that he has put into it in the two like colleagues to valleys inside of a big valley right on the right hand, side with another bad valley, but we were going in the left hand. Side now, Ganja GO and I mean this destroying was built to fight, it was built to fight. I mean they had trenches in it, Trenches in that they used to fight out of is not and obviously you're walking up the valley, which means automatically you're in the low ground, which is now where we want to be ever aright oh you know one of the guys you when we work with in the hummers was staffs our one Rodriguez Chavez we go back the book. I sought out such origin. On Rodriguez Chavez, our motor transport chief. I noted

for five months. He didn't stand on rank or we traded stories about growing up on farms he had grown upon a ranch in Mexico. Having a similar approach to life Rawdon I had become friends, he was in the eighth grade when his family moved a Texas where he learned English play, football, aren't good grades and roll cows and rodeos are in called him hot rod. He laughed. Brag about how smart two daughters were and kept all vehicles and top condition raw. This mission is fucked up. If the show it's the fan, I said we're going in my teams. In point and they'll cut off we have to go in and get them out, and he looked back at you Devil dog ROD said say the word and Do the driving just Logic- he's the man he's, the man and out,

the continuing on you say, having some sort of contingency plan. Now I walked back to the advisor headquarters in brief lieutenant Johnson. By the way lieutenant Johnson didn't want you out of the team, neither right unwanted yours, they wouldn't care if it were pissed, he knew you should be with the team. If things you Harry, I said, I'm confident rod will drive radio your coordinates and get down to the wash Fuckin climate unwell, haul, ass back to the main body, because they were gonna be exposed on the far end of that water. So I saw everything that idea was planned out the night before check. Everything that I did was planned out the night before. And it was all in our team of me. I told him. I may I told him- I said you know you say the word and I'll head in there. I don't care, I am coming to get you and me, We had this all planned out, like all they had to do with you to the road, and I would be there. Continuing on back to the book in the talk what about conjugal. Come in view

Brigade internet a special forces team reported that thirty two fighters were moving from Pakistan to reinforce conjugal. Half an hour later, the video feed from an unmanned aerial vehicle showed a man with a mortar to Bonn his back entering unknown, safe house two kilometers north conjugal village. Ten minutes later for more men entered the same House six year, Europe watching this when who had so here's the crazy for nobody told us Oh, so you do even get that report. Nobody told us check They point out everyone, I'm obviously skipping giant chunks of this book and there's awesome amount of detail that that go. It goes into in how this has gone down and I'm kind of the hidden. The wave tops get to get the story there, but Ok, you don't! You that entail, but does matter, is the next day. I guess where you're going into the Valley

You got a guy with you named Swenson he's in charges and border police of afghan border police. Is that right, yeah so went and border police turned half as well. I turn out Dutchman. He said and my sin that reduction addition decent Deuce, which is another term for enemy for enemy duration. They said we must turn back so they're already freaking out yesterday. I think I think that there they were quiet from the police had already knew lately had they off. Yet they were they, they had information what other eat. When we were company and they leave the plan, I think that's why they were trying to bail out there my pain in the ass, because they knew what was already there did got it And just before five in the morning Rawdon, I heard gravel, conscious crunching on the trust and now you're actually imposition you dropped off the guys and now the Afghan, with some of the advisers include Anti Montier had not the valley in your waiting

The bottom and developed in back the in a back the trucks and they're gone there going into the valley and on the other point now everybody leaving the value of this. This part just before five. In the morning rotten, I heard gravel crunching on the trail men, women, children, sheep and goats. Suddenly, hurried by our trucks heading out of the valley predawn, we brought the first sing song called a prayer followed by per people scurrying about and this is just you knew right, then, right out of a hundred per cent on now a hundred temperature death, so this you know just for anyone listening to our eyes important to do together. Here there's a village with a bunch of civilians in it and the civilians all leave and they take their animals with them. They take all their. They take everything. That's were worth anything with him, so they know that it's on

going back to the book as Lieutenant Johnson Approach, the first row of houses, radio back to Garza that he and the Rula were heading toward the house of an email one of the village elders, seconds later hour. Peachy streak in from the east, followed by burst of peak, am russian may machine gun that you too have to seven point: sixty millimeter cartridge its tearing up the grounded in the Adobe walls as the men cover among the terrorists walls more peak am fire came in from the northeast joined a case at close range enemy fighters were crouched inside the houses and below the windows of the school house on the southern ridge. They were hiding in the Alley ways and dug in behind the stone terrorist walls to the east. They had a dozen fixed positions and were shooting down hill with the sun. Behind them, I know they're doin this sum again

Do you see any kind of anybody with any kind of military knowledge whatsoever? When you read that paragraph four that that those two paragraphs right there, you see that you are now in a horrible horrible scenario, multiple enemy machine gun positions in elevated coordinated attack horrible. And here's your thoughts back to the book. I waited for the firing to die down, but it didn't. The chaos of the r p d explosions peek a machine guns occasion m16 increased. I heard the report of a recoil S rifle basically a hundred pounds shoulder or tripod I can assure sign of a planned ambush as a Dutchman, I love that over the hills for an exercise, then I heard the crop. Crop of their mortar shells, there was a war,

Babel of voices on command radio advisers yelling at each other to clear the gnat. No one was taken charge. There was no central command. I was pacing around frustrated being but the fight and not being able to help so you'd seen enough of like little firefights. That would really be a burst of Ireland. People going to ruddy, I mean like they're gonna. Just today, they blow their load like writing a beginning, and then you know that I have not the fact that they are not able to like us resupply night. They they not sustain anything This is endless, and then you, you mentioned this earlier and again just a kind of point out to people, so they so they understand what you are talking about. You said: hey, there's gonna beef be fourteen different maneuver elements, twelve different maneuver elements and they're all on the same net know what that means is they're all the same radio frequency so picture this. You eat you and have a conversation on the phone, but so twelve other people, eleven other people.

I'll, try to have a conversation on the phone. At the same time, you are with their with their nerves with their nerve, while the rock chaos is happening here and so this is what you end up doing, is actually on a phone yellow, chance because a phone, what kind of kind of at some of that traffic through, but when you start stepping on each other on the radio, I just call each other off and you can't hear anything that's exactly what happened and other piece of it was it's not just that it was all that one frequency everything had to be relayed through those snipers gives the elevated high ground to get back to the you did. You have direct, comes at the guys in the ground, yes ideal, but I'm saying like to get to the command knock light. You known in the beginning I brought up was was a what happens if you're calling an amount of act in your college in call for fire? You need your journal, that's that's it! Trying to call the fire department and the ambulance and then you're trying to call at the same time like you got it, you

operator. Actually, that's not a good example trying to call the ambulance and an active shooter and try to maneuver. All that stuff happens at the same time back to the book. Soon, both ridge lines were sparkling with fire. As the ass cars inducement engage each other with rocket propelled. Grenades, smoking shrapnel filled the air swim and ease on this is I sexy, held over the DIN Fordham Forward line of troops pinned down an x, Ray Delta, Heavy enemy fire request! Immediate sir suppression. A kilo. Echo will adjust so he's trying to call fire your back And you and in rod, says what do you think ROD said if the judgement card around the rear. I said and close the back door. They'll catch our people in a fire sac. This is deep shit. They got to get out of there the way to

look up an ambush is to hammer with heavy fire. The humvee gave us armor mobility and a heavy gun we would roll in and bring team Monte back to the location of the command group. I grabbed the radio called Fox Fox three lieutenant Fabio, no reply. I tried Fox6 Williams and then Fox nine four. Garza. No one replied. I was calling for permission to enter the valley asking for from any one who would answer. Finally, Fox seven Valdez upon the northern Ridge answered on the net Fox three three years. Request to enter the valley, are denied full nine says you are to stay at your present location, in again, I'm phone out a bunch of different names here. These are all the different leaders that are out there on these different twelve elements, and when you read the book for yourself, you can kind of catching and understand exactly what was happening there, but the the do.

Basically, what was going on with your call to whoever would answer to get permission to drive up the valiant. Go, give a hand, shining information. I put down the hands had sat there. Listening is does as a dozen advisers try to talk over a single radio channel. It was she Bedlam this boy rod I reject the mobile mark nineteen rods the driver see you ready. Rod. A few more minutes, Meyer you'll fry for this he said he was right, I'd get sent home for disobeying direct order. There was no question in my mind about that. I was already the nice with Garza Fabio and Williams. So I sat there frustrated listening to the shooting flexing my hands on the groups, the mark nineteen and breathing hard. I tried to calm down Maybe the battle sounded worse on the radio than it really was son of a bitch in I, the tactical operations centre at joy, so Joyce's a couple miles away in the Cooperation centre is is where their running this there were disposed to have

four situation: awareness of everything that is happening in their spouse to build a supply fire support so that when we talk about the tackle operations and rejoice, that word is captain. Harding was a senior officer on duty from midnight to eight. In the morning the battle captain he had been, Afghanistan for eight months, but rarely controlled, fires and certainly not and certainly not like this- artillery stood by at Joyce. A few miles away ended. I thought about a few miles away. Harding asked for more and more information from the men on the long table. Who was requesting the fire missions, wasn't shadow for Highlander, five or Fox three. What They heard from Fox six who is presently in charge. The marine advisers with the afghan army did the group commander know we're all his troops were had they double check. The grids of the K ease, asked question after question:. Joyce, a hundred twenty millimetres, millimeter mortars were fired from fire

fifteen minutes after Fabio requested the first shell, those struck within fifty meters, the enemy position, the net. Flurry of shells was on target. Would be the only effective might fire mission of the entire day. This is a woman things are going to get more into. We actually recently talked about the battle the I drank valley and those guys Would absolutely one hundred percent have been overrun and what save their ass over and over again was artillery fire support them. That's the biggest advantage that We have on the battlefield, as Americans are upset in your call in your Team is called for. The advisor account call for not give it. We're not gonna. Let me miss shut it down and in answer to try to give the benefit of the doubt here right of why they shut it down. I totally understand it. But it goes back to the one thing I said right I mean they can.

Probably couldn't vigour who the hell was calling. What, where what was where I mean. I don't know that I could have confidently fired around in but part of it, was because of the lay out of everybody when frequency didn't. You know, It goes back their initial problem. Like I don't know, if I could afire around now, I am my peers, they'd environed, absolutely like it was wrong. It was wrong. For the reasons they did it, but the confusion was so chaotic and begin especially but I can tell you this that if they had got the round it broke their me and it out again to to advance your point of giving the benefit of the doubt, they have no idea where Friendly's are they could a fire rounds on friendly forces as well, who exactly in N n, you know they ve been Cannibal Anna and I'll. Tell you that that's hard decision to make too? possibly you off

at your side. Blown blues is, in my opinion, the worst thing that could happen and war, and so what These guys are being asked to possibly do, as is his risk of fratricide, yes, which in their minds and most A lot of military minds mine included, well it's hard to say. What's better, you know risk, fratricide or risk getting overrun. Now, if we know for a fact people getting overrun, then you Ok, we'll risk fratricide, and that's. Why not happened? Somebody for people site drop that bomb, no matter what, but to say, I'm not a hundred percent sure people can have overrun on bond. Still gonna take the risk of fratricide. At this point, that's probably why their hold off and it is in the beginning there get to a point where they call the danger clause rounds and tried to responsibility in what will get there That's above the enemy, above the any.

Above work, their way around the edges, the valley shooting downhill. The Taliban machine gunners tracked in on one ask, are than another than another: it was a killing ground there, over the place. Swenson was taken to himself I made out make it out of here. Few hunkered down and don't shoot back. You will surely die the other side gain confidence in Russia's forward. In a frenzy of combat soldiers act like sharks, they said its weakness and circle in picking the wounded in the defenceless slowly, the Deuce men, were closing in from both sides of the wash, so they were great all the entire. They were good there there are trained that year? They had dared play carriers there are taken the uniforms offer day guys put cavaliers on their good.

Still trying to get far support here. Swenson it identified enemy position to foregrip positions. There are two basic ways of calling in artillery. You can give the grid court Its of the target or the killer, echo number four agreed in a just after the initial round, or you can give your own location and a compass bearing too distant to the target. The second technique is called a polar mission, provides the guns with the locations of both the friendly observer and the target, tell them talk I'll, send it polar Swenson, radioed De Kaplan. It's on me give them my initials on making the decision, not them assume, accurate fire, the? U DOT, s motors will less than two miles away. The only target endangered by the polar plot with the enemy by sending his initial Swenson was taking full responsibility. If anything went wrong, if a friendly soldier or civilian were hit the bird and rested squarely on Swenson, not with the talk in the rear, the talk funded to the pole request by asking again for information that was impossible to provide where

all the friendly troops. What was the forward line of trace of the friendly units was, everyone accounted for were any civilians endangered. Kaplan told shadow. The relating above him tell the talk that that its critical- I repeat, Chris we have advisers pin down talk denied shadows. Fire mission furious sergeant summers at shadow for pressed back against the talk. The main element is being hit from the North EAST. And south all elements are engaged. I repeat, all elements are heavily engaged. We need fire missions now. The Ngos inside the talk were doing their job. Artillery and mortar crews wanted to oblige. Yet it seemed a sergeant summers that every time he related fire mission, the talk asked him. Twenty questions construing was running the show here and not well. In Firefox. It's not unusual for two hundred to two thousand

artillery shells to be fired over the course of the first hour of the ballot conjugal when men, lay trapped and dying. The talk Joyce allowed only twenty one artillery shells to be fired. Since world war to forward observers had received artillery fire under the rule, Silence is consent when an observer called for fire. The mission went by radio to the operations centre and to the guns. Silence by the Op Centre constituted consent for the guns to fire. In the twenty first century, with computers making instant firing calculations within two minutes, shells could be hitting the target but begin about two thousand six sergeants and lieutenant on the front lines were trusted less behind. And believed. The grants were too quick to call in fires that endangered civilians, resulting in an embittered population that supported the insurgency.

The solution was to apply a strict new rule, two months Four conjugal general Stanley Mcchrystal the senior commander in Afghanistan issued a directive that forbade the use of artillery against or near any structure, likely contains civilians. The higher the next higher headquarters. Commander had approved. That ended silences consent I command had shifted decision making from battle field to the staff, Swenson not trusted to make the hard decisions instead. Officers in the talk with a confused idea of the battlefield had to decide whether to honour his requests for fire Yeah, that's that's where my problem comes in right and you know if it's a doctor in is that you, I take the responsibility with him all the doctrine you know, that's there's there's where they went wrong in

and all other something else it you know you talked about. How can confusing it was over the net clearly was obviously very confusing How long would it take two verbally explain. The lay out of this. Whole situation we take a very long time? It would take an extremely eloquent person who had the time to kind of composed himself and and and sit there and try and explain it. That's why you make Kate key wackos. That's why you have these pre planned fire positions so that you don't have to think anymore. We can direct fires and and instead of having to communicate what the situation on the ground is what you communicate as this is what we need, and this is where we need to put it. I mean it's a hundred percent, it I mean it's a hundred percent. It is You know you could first off could never relay all day. Commissioner and guess what an idea they was irrelevant to what they in the and also by the time you if you could relate by time United, it would be different countries.

Telephone to sit still for a minute. Explain where you are doesn't work that way. That's why decentralized command is important on the battlefield. This is the exact reason why decentralized, medicine port on the battlefield when you centralize command people and people that actually are there that need to be able to make decisions? Make things happen? Can't do it and by the way. How do you overcome Jewish. Like this. Are you overcome a situation where little? you're, my subordinate, you work for me and I don't. I want you to be able to have the ability to fire, because I'm afraid you can hurt civilians. How do I solve that? The way to solve it is not to say no I'll give you that authority the way I solve it as they say, ok, Dakota! Let me Dwayne some things to you. We need check, the civilian populous. We need to make sure we dont damage any infrastructure to the best of our ability. I want you to understand how strategically important that is. Do you understand? Let me put you through some scenarios. What, if you were here, and this happened? What would you do? What have you here in this happen? What would you do I Train you and I

Trust so that decentralized, the command, that's how you overcome it. You don't overcome and it's a short cut, try and centralizing ends of getting people killed. Go back to the book Fox three one lieutenant Johnson finally came up on the radio. Were pinned down in the house receiving accurate fire from the next house. We to get out of here. He was cut off by others, push to use the same frequency, three or four advisers we're trying to talk stepping on each other. I could hear the strain in their voices, the lack of Chris Borders, the frantic yelling of men who were pinned down after human minutes, Fox three staff sergeant can affect tried to pass his location on the de facto I catch back here and said, because I'm pinned down there shoot me from the house, it's so close grid.

Three to this three three radio staff sergeant can affect repeat your good. Repeat your grid or you, you radioed to counterfeit, your grid, repeat your grid. So a faded, as he was trying to tell you, is grid. Thing after that, but static and garbled voices that broke it. For me, I promised my team. I would be there. As far as I was concerned. I command element, wasn't in command. Twice I had heard shadow say that air would be on station in fifteen minutes. Nothing happened. How long you do nothing while your friends are fighting for their lives, for seven. This is three three sitting here is stupid. We're going in Rod nigh we're on the net with Valdez. There was no dispute among us. It was about zero six hundred time to move. I was

vehicle commander, so the fault lay with me for disobeying orders. If I arrived in the valley and discovered that the command group, if they had the situation under control, I knew there, a good chance, I'd, be sent back to the states and disgrace, What I shouted the ass cars to follow us. They look confused upon the North post valdez- grabbed a senior afghan sergeant, bizarre radio to the afghan drivers clustered around our truck urging them in past due to follow me Mortar shells were following a football field away to our west. The enemy knew our trunks were somewhere on the path, but on certain just where the explode I made my made, the Oscars Jumpy the same. Some of them jumped into two whom these and roared into position behind US rod. Let's go. I said he put it in gear. Now by that time, you start actually going into the valley as your going in by that time,

several ass cars were stumbling out of the battlefield, some bleeding a few without the rifles all exhausted. Where am I Connie I yelled dose dosed the Oscars it up toward the village. So so as your drive and endorsing guys fleeing the battlefield. I mean it was like terrible like if we go in you you're, just seeing these guys come out and it's in Ramadan, so they won't eat or they won't drink any water and they're coming out his bad on there. Just like you're not even close to the evaluate and our common eyes battle. They don't have any weapons autumn there just broke. Their bloodied there there been shot David I mean you're carrying each other. And you're just like are we going into? somewhere behind us. Was a? U S! Army platoon! it seemed to me to be a

I am for them to make a move. They were the quick reaction force. Our insurance policy Valdez was on the radio argue with dog three six too quick reaction, army, platoon, commander dog, free successes, Fox, seven Valdez radio radioed. You need to get in there. Man Fox three threes to your front and Humvee drive EAST until you link up with him Fox seven. This is dog three hundred and sixty seven lieutenant our vehicles are too big for the mission. We were driving on a footpath with barely wide enough for our humbly Valdez, up with an alternative dog free Sixes Fox Evan, I understand, drive forward until you reach the afghan vehicles used them to get into the fight. There are people out there dying bottom leader said he had away for clearance from the talk at Joyce. What kind of vehicles with the Ark you are, I think they re maps. Hooker gotta mean

excuse how awesome would appear to have an M rap role under this situation, where I don't think they could have the road wouldn't through small jack is aimed at company. I am one of those who think tank. It's on wheels flip over often off the bank, but that I they we had done on these women. We just brought in ninety people sitting right there he jumped in honey bees and came Look after opposite, recalled back saying the recasting of the birds had been cancelled because land, said. Not call his own brigade headquarters to ask permission and because another mission, nor for conjugal, was of high a priority, so one of the guys in the in the op centre had actually said you screw. It uncalled for Colombia kilos But he had called the brigade and run through the proper Jake Man and there they shot him down.

So here we go more than an hour into the fight. The situation was as follows: Teen Monti was trapped in a house in the: U S, an afghan commanders, pinned down by shooters closing in on them from three sides: the North and south observation postwar under fire, the asker. Were caught in the open with nowhere to hide Rawdon, I had reached the wash the one three too quick reaction. Platoon was not quick reacting the talk of joy was paralyzed, preventing artillery support and the helical their gunships had not arrived, it was perfect. Storm just dumb. There's absolutely nothing else, go wrong right. Now. It's a perfect storm, is the absolute perfect storm

Swenson wanted a massive artillery barrage because The deuce men didn't have overhead cover. Artillery air burst would send millions of Lance. It's raining down toward them. Hundreds of shells had to shape the mountains and roll thundered down the valley. The Dutchman were zealots, but they were crazy. Once artillery began exploding overhead gunman with a case wouldn't get up and run forward in the open. Yet I refuse to fire conjugal only a few miles from Camp Joyce only a barrage in your own backyard, wouldn't when the applause at higher headquarters the directive. The high command was so clear, do not employ To ground or indirect fires against residential compounds defined as any structure or building known or likely to contain civilians unless the ground

force commander has verified that no civilians are present and I mean you know, there's a dead- you know that rule right there is written so impossible you know what either you mean the village or get child, so you run to turn you civilian. Are you shoot me? You know After work do a full review of the- are we or the specific directive, but you don't normally the self defense thing trumps. Everything will usually that's what I always say. Right always talk about our ways and in all our weasel saying, oh well, above blah, blah blah at the end of it. It always ends. It says or hostile act, hostile intentions,

but it's all by interpretation and goes back to the commanders me you know, I don't blame the hour away, that standing Mcchrystal put in place for what happened. May I blame the people, the leadership who was incompetent to me, the decision. You know I mean like it's like nobody wants to just own and take accountability and take responsibility. So you know what I'm doing this, because it's the right thing to do they want to be, I will say: well I didn't do it, because what this order come on come on. You know if your leadership position to take text, Billy there. You got to do the right thing this bottom line and that's what makes leadership hard and I have the right things: the brig rules. Sometimes, Right things do not follow orders. Sometimes orders are wrong hedge,

following an Napoleon said, if you, if you are in charge- and you get tasked with something that's wrong and you executed your culpable if you get a word or not, times you break the rules go right back yes, man that right don t. I anti the intent of stand Mcchrystal. Putting this are we in place wasn't to deny guys that were pinned down my fire, but again How will we communicating it in our report? so we put in the parrot brought priorities in place correctly, so that everybody knows yeah I mean you know. When put out an email. Its cause it is dangerous. As you interpreting me a text, I mean meaner pilots are different. And you know what that's why things like commanders and ten are so important.

If I know what it is like your, I know. If I know what it is that you want done, and my job is to get it done, and you give me parameters to do it within I'll stay within those parameters and I'll get the job done and backing to hey boss. I had to I bend the rules a little bit here, but I got the mission done or I call you back and say: hey, I'm gettin ready to break the rules to get the mission. Don T want me to break them or not. Back to the book shadow. The army outpost on the southern ridge replied that the talk at Joyce said that fire mission was too close to the village to to the village. Lieutenant Johnson said. If you don't give me these rounds right now, I'm gonna die. Try your best Otto replied. Knowing the talk

wouldn't fire, try your best, try your best. From the tone of shadows voice. I knew he was on the verge of complete rage. He want to strangle the officers in the talk Joyce. I felt the same way. This can't be happening. We were on the same side, we weren't Marines or soldiers, we weren't Americans or ask cars. We will one loan group fighting desperately to stay alive. The villages with villagers want our friends. This was a war and my team was on the verge of dying, whose side was the talk on rate. Your call after radio CALL Swenson CAP requesting smoke. Finally, around zero. Six. Thirty, the talk of joys, permitted for white phosphorus rap for white, fast rules to be fired into the southeast backside of the village too far away to conceal my team

Those were the last rounds fired during the battle. At about zero. Six hundred and forty two pocket Joyce forbade any more artillery support, citing garbled communications in complete calls for fire procedures and a lack of situational awareness on the part of those trapped in the valley. So there's the there's. The reasons from their perspective, Garbled communications, incomplete, called for fire procedures in a locker situation, awareness on the part of those trapped in the valley, meanwhile. During this time you been moving up grabbing bodies coming back

here we go again as we move forward for a third time the talk and find the ordered. The army platoon dog three to move forward. They pulled in behind us with Appleton leader and humbly with an anti tank toe missile on the roof. The tone no sense to me, but the truck was equipped with the two forty machine gun behind them. Were: twenty? U S, soldiers and for Emily heavily armoured vehicles, your own with me lieutenant confirming what I took for granted us out the route. First before I bring Michael Tuning, the terrain may be too tough here, was to put his soldiers into the afghan vehicles. I could understand that. Ok, I go first. I said you cover our six. The Afghans will be behind you. As we bounced forward. I heard teen Monti again come up on the radio we're under fire. Lieutenant Johnson said we're surrounded So, are you had backyard dad. I am

A whole goes just to get. Em was to get him to the road, and here I mean that that was our goal. You get to the road they had given. The vehicles are a good start trying to push. I Did they took over a house rag? I thought they had pushed into the village. Took over forty two house and that's what I thought they had done and I lost my last communication to them. So I thought Don't you know when I can, if it was trying to give that GRID is trying to write it down. I knew if I that greeted I'd know what erratic applaud it. I could be. There go get em and um. You know the one part I don't talk about in dinner is the hardest part. The whole deal is: is that first trip that I made in

price Dundee sixty to seventy metres from there still are so you're in the valley. Now You're with a group of guy's, going back to the book you're, a bullet had entered Westbrook snack near the shoulder blade and ricocheted downward a dagger dangerous, but not fatal wound. Swenson applied Clot powder and abandoned to seal off the bleeding the fight been raging for over ninety minutes in the chain of command throughout coup province was on alert procedures for releasing helicopters had been on snarled and to await fifty eight Kai was were in route The valley,

That's your seven. Fifty nine contacted Swenson Highlander this pale horse, the pc, I would commend radioed. What do you need pale horse? its once replied, under heavy fire from the village, in the hills to the east and on both sides request immediate suppression. While we pulled back the Cairo was squadron, had bidden corner for ten months. The pilots knew the terrain and the enemy habits they intended to swooping low and crisscrossing striving room, runs deliberately swerving and cutting back at odd ankles lady, care whether they had the Dutchman. They wanted to force them to crouched down and cease firing. The aerial active would allow the command group to pull back westward to draw down under. Under reduced enemy pressure, a Swenson, moved. He called for a matter back shadow radioed, backed that the talk wanted questions answered before calling for one is he Army or marine shadow, said so

and cursed major Williams is more diplomatic. This is fox. Six Williams radioed? It doesn't matter his service, he's? U s there! a pause. Then shadow, reluctantly, radioed, repeat tat. Needs to know if he's army or marine it's in Regulations. I was here, guy calling for better back and you get ass is the personal needs, is the casualty Army or marine corps and it really matter tone. Really did matter to them made. I'm saying it too. Who is asking they really?

their decisions were based off of who it was. At this point Europe here. I think you're, going back and forth, going back in a valley, getting bodies, helping wounded, come back out under fire, the whole time rod is getting after with you. Sometimes you have some: U S, people with you! Sometimes you don't and again. These are things which you have to buy this Balkan it. To get these details out of it, It's a! U understand the full magnitude of what we're talking about here goes the book affairs left the command group to sort itself out helping a wounded. Ass car was added back west to the operational Luis point. When I had stopped them. I need to come back with me. I can't find them without you, I said as was married recently, he was wound

and exhausted. He can Now go home a life If today is my time to die, then I die through his wrong with you he had a role with me, the whole town again to all those people are there that? Well, I guess I should just say from people out there that have a hard time understanding what's goin on overseas now: here's an afghan soldier that is now going risk his life to help. Eric Marine, go and find his friends, because we are brothers. Go back to the book. Shortly after we had an again down the valley, we bumped into another group of rent, wounded, ass, Gars ROD, recognise

as the first sergeant who is dripping blood down the right side of his trousers, he was waving his arms, be begging us to stop for scars hobbled over and threw themselves in the back seat, splashing blood, all over the place, we drove them back to the collection point. The first sergeant was blubbering beg begging us not to go back in. I was a little rough shoving amount of the truck. I was running out of time and patients once we drop them off. We gun to back down the track. We were getting to a place where we can, turn around and couldn't dodge and weave the are, as they are e g smoke trails came out us, we could get pretty stuck in here. Rod, yelled the truck, had very little attraction and absolutely no cover, then I guess we'll die with them. I yelled back Could I say so: we weren't going back

Rod shifted the low gear we bounced forward. U, I noticed this throughout the work. You have a hard time like time. You saw a wounded guys were like all right, but we got to make another trip. Now we got to make another trip, even with those wounded afghan guys like you want to go help you guys, but the same time you she's got your card. Getting the truck. Won't. Take these guys back, got a big heart. Bro turn up the alarm, I mean look, you know I didn't just lose I didn't just lose for guys that day, a lasting guys. I lost six Afghans asked him brothers yeah I mean I mean those guys we're just as close to me. My Afghans were just as close to me as any Marines I reserve, with but that's why they're joining you to go back in their debts?

That's why I'm live today I mean that's. That's the relations It's that I had with them Brotherhood did I had for them with m. Is why I'm alive today I mean every day are incredible: humane So you drive around in here back but only rod scale at the wheel was prevented me from being hit again and again bullets, different sounds when they passed by you. The cracks of boards. Breaking the sound, very mean your high, maybe five or ten feet over your head. The bullet it. Snap close by ears. Are the real killers, a few losing power and slowing down made a low buzzing? Sound strange though it may seem? I wasn't scared or angry was beyond that. I didn't think I was going to die. I knew I was dead. There was anything, I can do about it. I wasn't it thinking human being I'd gone elsewhere.

Firing the machine gun. I will the machine gun rod wasn't driving the truck rod was the truck had melted with my weapon. I was no more human than a five foot machine gun. I was embracing. We were locked together metal and flesh without that decal. I would have quivered like that ah scars helpless in the storm, but without weapon I felt transported. I had some to do until the blackness came. Yeah, I just kept a cab, Bullets were hidden side, deter, they had elevation on us. They were hidden inside the turret, and man, you can hear him come by and Yes, I remember sitting there because if you get down in your dear, your instinct is that that beyond the term, but you Adele Run, you mean they're run at the truck so happy

you dont down their full spread. You never gonna come back up you, Norman and arm. I just kept for a bullet. I just knew you saw him in the face and is kept waiting for board to hit me lights out, like artist There was no doubt in my mind that I was gonna die, zero. See rode out, but I will go. Make the sons of bitches earn it. They had. It do Jack. I wasn't paying attention to the afghan soldiers rod my plan to keep driving east into we obliterated until we were obliterated or we found my team so Lee with no warning five or six ass cars who were lying, the terrorists about off hundred meters, away, leaped up and race towards our truck when which one was shot back and pitched

what wham second man went down screaming wham a third then a fourth and fifth I'd, never seen anything like it. Five men down in five seconds there was so What screeching and shooting that I could couldn't pick up? location of weapon that had shot them to deliver such lethal grazing fire. The machine gonna must have been hidden only a few hundred meters away with a clear line of sight in his by pod, firmly anchored yet whoever shot those men didn't raises gun sites teach me I knew he was looking at me, but Couldn't see him, there was nothing. Could do he. Let me live, not one of his rounds even struck our truck. I can't explain it waste Called the trucks bullet magnets there I mean it's like ripest target and a freak, the turret, Gunnar you're, like the the icing on the cake. You the check, the cherry on the icing on the cake, Cosette, it's over if they take the gun out, that truck doesn't come out. Other overran, oh hell, yeah yeah, but

you know, even though its a bullet magnet, I mean you know just like right there. I think that kind of paints a picture I mean it's the it's the only chance you have I mean you you're you're out, I mean that's how doubting they are it's it's and I was literally watching guy people followed the term miracle around here, all the time the fact that you right here, there's five guys within you know: spitting distanced from you and they all go down and you're the the most Prime Target don't get job. You are talk about helpless, the most helpless feeling yet is watching guys. To get to you and you skidmore down. I mean you talk a helpless and you don't even know where it's coming from me: we talk about helpless, is watching another human being right

directly at you to get help and you just watch numbness go down one after the other after Can you imagine the Good guys united. There are good day you get, this from Valdez they're coming at you, I can see in closing from both sides. There swarming you our truck. I saw you guys sprinting across the wash from left to right heads low. I don't think this coming up behind them. Are they heard the truck engine over the dinner, the gunfire they scurried too quickly? For me, too, off burst. Glades to my right? I'd, look smack into the eyes of five or six men endured man, dresses crouched alongside a drainage did not ten metres away. When I gave them they dug down,

They were playing hide and seek. It took me a few seconds to realise that they are spreading out to seal off the open, ended the horseshoe valleys, zip blocking the frozen ascot inside of fire sack Rawdon. I had borne. Into their rear. Today about their about this round every today, so there are no and there is a trench and they were in it there close The gate and we did You happened in bigger. To be right in a fire. As it is a dark, long term, actually, which means you are surrounded and they're gonna shoot into the sack and kill everyone. We're bouncing over the rocks. No faster than a man can run when a beer inducement clutching at a k, leaped out of addiction sprinted after us, like a man trying to catch, is a catch, a bus, my gun, almost wouldn't swivel low enough to shoot, and the bear was tilted down as far as it could go. I fired to his chest. Any went down like eating the glass wall, the bullet,

Blow a man back like in the movies, either stumbles or on or false dead. This man fault fell dead. Rod was yelling at me. Maybe I was hypnotized for a second by the death. There was a I trying to open the right door. I couldn't depend the fifty cow that low? I can't get him. I yelled. The gun won't go down low enough to take them, in twelve thousands of a second to react to danger. My mind was a complete blank. I'd feel so many thousands of rounds that I didn't think what I was doing you practised emotion, long enough. It become second nature, some cheers researchers call it expert, he's induced amnesia athletes it being in the zone. I call it self preservation. I grabbed me Four leaned out and shot the guy for five times in the shoulder neck was like shooting a zombie. There was notion, power in the little five five six millimeter bullets? He fell to the ground activity, The fifty callin grabbed the spade handle the weapon

my hands in my eyes were working as a trained unit. Independent of my brain man, site picture, shoot man, site picture, shoot, You don't really look at the target. The enemy remains out of focus. You concentrate on the site picture man site picture shoot. I hear one or two guys next to the truck and the others duck back into the ditch Valdez came back on the radio rod watch your front. Rod was for We start keeping traction on the loose gravel. If the truck outside even for a moment. We'd be toast. He looked at to see a bearded hatless man in his MID thirty's, dressed in a brick red man, jams with a green chest, rig full of ammo running toward the truck and firing a chaotic from the hip hold on homey rod. Yelled here the accelerator, the truck at them squarely in the chest. There was a bump and then another bump under the tires holy shit rod yelled! I just ran over a guy back up and would again. I've been shot me elbow a bleeding,

that did no real damage. The boat was fine in a fight adrenaline deadens the pain did a little wrapping got back to shooting the more fucked up, things got, the more rod and I started laughing. He was staring away from our Pga streaming at us and laughing, and I was shooting the big gun and laughing definite. Crazy, but your emotions have to go somewhere. The enemy fire slackened on us, as the guy was darted around they were like steel umbrella over us. A few minutes later pale horse came back on my net. We three were Winchester where we back and fifteen MIKE's wench stir meant they expended all their ammunition. They were too to carry much. They ve been shooting at targets wherever they looked. The firing picked up, We were again the periodic. I climbed down from the turret and talk to talk to rotten half as well, It started with six ammo cans. We are now down to one I had five more than two thousand rounds,

guys we need a new gone. I said it was three steps forward. Two steps back as turn. I saw NASCAR free crawling fee, we toward the road. We stop. Than I hopped out. K. A machine gun was telling the ground around me. So I dodged back and forth until I reached him. Why, Kai were out of ammo hovered above me, and distracted the enemy, ignoring the r p e g shells exploding in the air. I turn ask our onto his back yet, three rounds in his upper chest and neck. He was gurgling drowning in his own blood. The mountain side and he died before I could pick him up. Like you can see a kind of circle things I'm going to read, yeah and dislike circling giant chunks too. So people can understand what

I mean I know that people are going to understand really the kind of chronological evolution and maybe the mechanics of what was happening, but I want people at least understand until they read this book themselves to the freaking situation that you were in. Which was beyond mayhem. You know you talk about train in light of the worst case scenario, I always had done the same thing. And this was worse than any worst case scenario that I could have ever ever Dreamed up of I've ever made in. There was the worst of any situation. I could have never sit here and you said Gimme. The worst thing you could do is come up with. And I could never done it. I could have never. Could have never done it of just I mean you, is I mean it? You psych, I mean I just like everybody was dying like every resist

I mean there were like literally there were bodies everywhere I mean it, you couldn't turn around and look and are not be a body somewhere in the just pretty much figured you going to be joining them soon. Enough know I did, I mean there was no doubt there was no doubt in my mind that wasn't making it out of there and you know I walked in that day. Mr Schwaiger, I was like when you talk about. Are your body who is kind of like poverty, chest up right, That was me I literally I'm going. I'm gonna tell you I'm just tired. I was I walk in that day and night I There was not a situation that I was ever going to see. I couldn't get us out of there. Wasn't there wasn't one and it was like

Has that guide show me Ozma was. Who are you I take him in these? These afghan soldiers them in their bodies part of the problem which we have long into deployment- was this was to be nine month. But how this, when did this happen got forgot there in July August September here so as to remove the deployment and on are, the problem was we he's done the NATO transition and their use in weapons systems. They weren't used to should a small around here alive, but they weren't used these weapons and they weren't even use them force. I mean can enforce, are so much more fickle. M16 there's if they re, I M sittings are well even more so the name for em some things are so much more fickle than a K. They must

encouraging, cursing them, damn it, although they were, I mean they were, I mean they you know that they would have some go wrong and they would just dropped magazine. I mean I mean they're just. Third, so I can tell you If you say everything like we had just so, we just sit Ramadan, so none of them were drinking water, not agree we had just, and if you look at every factor this it was the perfect storm. Are we just transition? This is the first mission at first or second mission that we'd ever went on. All NATO weapons. I mean you all these factors, and it was. It was perfect have. You ever worked with the cure ass before. You started off with a knot that when I was used to it, the ones you up near where we were at, but you haven't done no interoperability with those guys before No and they got shut down. So after the talk learned that it was Marines Data

shut down. All sports thought all sport stopped Sometimes, I got nothing to say in that's one of em. I believe even comprehend that yeah we'll go back to the book, we turn left out of the wash onto the narrow track back to the casualty collection point. De around four major Williams. He was sitting off to one side wounded in shock. There were four five, It goes and at least twenty ass cars milling around these were Afghans. Swede come down from Monti together, I glanced We from the group from group to group was asking if they seem Lieutenant Johnson. They say we

his back and logical. As I said, the team make it out shit somewhere farther up the wash my team was fighting to stay alive. I promised to get them and rod, and I had only gone gun truck willing to enable to go in I'm down from the turn ran over to the asker. He taken a bullet the fine. He was slowly bleeding out. I kept a stack of it gets mad pack and knew how to apply them around to turn it around the sly and my frustration. I twisted extra tight and he screamed as told the shut up. I said hurting is better and dying if you're Grant you come face to face with horrendous Gore. You have steel yourself to seeing mangled bodies and smelling blood doctors and nurses cope with screaming and suffering every day I addressed Dozens of dear you learn disassociate from the task when you're pulling out warm got your cutting off slabs of dripping meet with the bloodshed.

King to your hands. He went some, like fifteen tourniquets, at least quite a few thousand morphine a compliment. New decompression Mps. Quite a few Mps Nasal, The quite the guy was it rearmament. Come back on station directing us toward Another wounded like it or not. We had been pressed into ambulance business, the car, were commanded by chief, worn officer. Yes, Syrian Solano, good name for a guy in a crazy war, had been a marine grunt before becoming an army pilot. His bird, was easy to talk to any direct Did me where to go sometimes hovering so low. I could just about reach up and touch his skids. Covering my rear area when I got up

the truck the pile swear fearless knowing a team was lost, they were running search patterns, twenty feet off the ground, so they could identify each body down. I mean and he did that. Like you know they were so his commander. He was having problems with his commander And the guy who is leaving those birds, nor could they fly into birds and so the, but when I told him that it was Marines Missin he dropped down in and cover me to hold I hear you're meet him here, Replied. I just seen her mom. I seen him like around Thanksgiving. He is an incredible human, that do everyone knows just cause. You're in a helicopter does not make you save at all

guy what, like, maybe a little bit safer an apache. Could you got smaller on how much how much others in a guy? What is your right? They little and I dont know how many his bird was shot to shit. Nokia here here was shot to pieces. I climbed up a terrace wall and follow the contour of the field around the corner. To find a body lying face down on the man's hands were green gloves with the fingers cut. I knew before I even rolled him over that Dolly Michael. Just afghan friend he was due to take, even a few weeks he had left Brad terms with his mother, who was sure he would be killed. Finally, after two years she had relented and invited him back to the farm for a visit, he'd been in the face. When I there is no lies. I lost my concentration and knelt there for a moment. Oblivious,

the little guy too small for his body armor. He and I had rigged up to tourniquets to hold the body armor in place close to his chest. I knelt down to untie the tourniquets To them for other guys- and I needed the heavy armor off him. So I could get to the truck, I felt a tap. As something hit. My left shoulder it didn't read, Mr first, there was like I'd been with a white stone. I glanced up to see it. Looking Afghan with a long black beard, Gluck glaring down at me, he was wearing a dirty. A man dress, a flak jacket in Afghan Hornby Helmet, whose point a at my head gesture, for me to stand up in broken English. Telling me to drop my rifle com said waving the barrel of his a k in life yes. I couldn't believe it. I screwed up so badly. All I could think of

was that my head would be sawed off and held up on tv no way I'd die right where I was right now. I had been dead for two hours anyways the borrowed I was up. That's all my rifle resting on my light left thigh pointing in his direction the stubborn a larger was attached to the underside of the barrel, I raised one arm like I was going to surrender and pulled the trigger the launcher with my free from the forty millimeter grenade shot for two feet to his armor vest it didn't explode. Instead, it knocked him back stunned him with the with the breath slammed out of him. He staggered back and fell on his side for a few. Seconds. I thought the blow had killed him. No, such luck. I pushed myself erect as I push myself iraqi June, a big breath and stirred I kicked Addison losing my balance and falling on top of him. We were both on the ground rustling after

tribesmen have legs like steel from climbing mountains all day all their lives. So I had to keep his legs off me. I pinned his elbows and blocked his reach for his AK. I was pushing my helmet to head into his chest. We couldn't go out in my eyes, second, I figured that grenade would explode and both could stop worrying about any of this. I pod, Around with my right hand, and found a rock the size of a baseball, I clutch didn't swung by blindly, at his face the blows him before you recover. I pushed up office, chess lifted, the rock high in my right first and smashed it down like a hammer breaking his front teeth. He mean the eyes. The fight knocked out of him, his not moving. We I knew it was over. I do back my arm and drove the stone down? Crushing is left cheekbone. He went limp I pushed up on my knees and I hit him with more force, the block. In the left side of his forehead ass. His face again and again driven

by pure animal rage. That's close combat, obviously, when you're killing another human being with a rock the real You know I just I just remember his face. You know, and I mean look at the meat State this up front first off, I filled no remorse at all, but I think he was it that at that point to worm human I did them Since I get humanised the fact have taken another. Since I find out remember, look in his eyes.

When he knew he was gonna die, and at that point like you know, I always said I think of it. Then Bruno I still see that face. I still think about. You know he was a father, there was some biomed wanted him to come home just as bad as some. I wanted me to come home. You know whether you agree with his beliefs. Are not people don't agree with our beliefs and you know, Did they. He believed in his belief, just as much as I did we're both human beings were boastful for a cause that neither one of us can see that we both disbelieve in And it had to be one of us and my guess, is- and you can maybe I'm wrong, but my guess is the reason he didn't just straight kill. You is because he had you had the drop on in an and haven't you as a trophy in an hour jumpsuit, wouldn't, wouldn't much more impact, for

for him and their costs, be I mean he could have easily. It took him no time to get me across the border we ride on the border. That's what he will do. You took me across the border. You saw me He would've been here. Oh private, promoted whatever you no net He was an enemy, he would have been the man and log out worth a lot more to him alive than awaited the veto. But beyond the backside of enough question it. So many times like you know, was a dad or was it the maybe maybe he's trying to bluff me to enable it to me. I don't know I don't I dont know I can in all there are so many times in this whole battle that I just wonder, light like why What why not me? You know I mean war, and I guess you could apply place life, but it becomes very cleared wards inches. Millimetres. You know what what is it? you could say you got missed by by around by a foot a couple inches, but will you

they got back to a person's weapon. You got missed by a millimeter melhem. A meter of aim doesn't mean it is you could get. You could have got missed by a gust of wind, literally you couldn't you gotta, be missed by the wind. Picking up so, while all that's going on. Back to the book. Highlander was the rate call sign for Captain Swenson, he was trying to gather reinforcements. He pulled aside the lieutenant in charge. The quick reaction, Polton Mount up, Swenson and told them. You know how back here we need your fire power. I can't lieutenant said The talks, as were to cover the vehicles, so and grabbed the lieutenants fifty lot radio called the Joyce. The talk talk opportune to move into the valley. Swenson Fabio and half is then Hopton.

He went on damage Tom the drive back in, but the opportune not follow. Instead or to leader again called back to Joyce and somehow received permission to remain in the rear. Out of a fight is frustrating. Frustrating it was frustrating that you know not I met that guy a few years ago we ran into we're in the same meeting, it was for us too, Every bit of it was frustrating. It was so I mean every single bit of it was on this. This unnecessary frustrating back to the book. I started the day with fourteen or sixteen tourniquets. I use them all.

But for on one guy who lost his left arm and his left leg below the knee. He survived one scar shot? The next sounded like he was slipping through a straw. It was nothing I could do accept, listen to strangle to death at one point: two empty F, Fifteen's roared low through the valley opening their afterburners to create a hell of a lions, roar, which would drop any bombs. Yeah, I mean the usually, but But at this point you not only show force ever works, it is I mean they had so much momentum at this time immediately momentum right, so I started out as fighters. Like is fine they came across the border, it turned into was when they seen that we work in the support more weight. They seen we weren't gettin control. The situation of fires were common, they escalated the gay momentum

everybody else joined in you. Take that so you had the guys it showed up the fight and then you have the opportunity of the villagers. It turn into fighters instantly because they have the upper hand start gaining momentum of more people. Fighting you every single men, because, although I do is pick up the gun off the dead person during the literally there were literally women run, and through the with the black. These balls, and you know you look at me- you were either now. She just with a ball runnin rocket comes in sheep Optimal and its full grenades and ammunition, the women were run up and Reese Bree supplying. All these guys guys, Kai was we're still supporting you back to the book inside the villages. The army pilots ran astonishing risk to find my team a clue

a car would swooped down toward the compound flair rooftop low level potter down the alleyways, it twenty miles an hour allowing the pilots to peer into every backyard in India, every window. The day grew hotter. We grasp, cleared the valley of casualties over thirty wounded. Her dead were evacuated. We watch the salon over the lead pilot brought. His Kai went down to a few feet above a trench and hovered there. Highlander wish spotted. Five bodies I'd heard all I needed, I jump now the door spreading across the field to the right opening some distance, but before Swenson yelled at me, I ignore them. Knowing he'd be right behind me a pm shifted me shit

Did to me when I was half way across the terrorists, I hopped over a terrace wall and fell into a deep, well constructed trench. I landed next to Johnson and my heart stopped He was lying on his back with his arms out, spread his eyes open but never to see anything again on this earth, Few feet further on, I came across. The body of an afghan interpreter who had travelled with our team, I felt sick to my stomach I knew what I would say next. Lieutenant Johnson lay on his back with his eyes closed. He looked peaceful. By the entry wounds in his right shoulder. Late and lay on top of them with medical supplies scattered around I rolled him over

I could take in a three round burst in the right cheek off to the right staff sergeant can was lying face down his gps with a busted screen clenched. In his left hand, his mouth was open and full of dirt. I think he was yelling out his, location, the numbers I heard over the radio for hours earlier when he was shot in the back of his head. The team was wiped out. Bodies were stiffened cold, most of their gear was gone weapons helmets radios, the two forty machine gun was missing, but lieutenant Since pack was filled with link ammo, no one had fired the gun. I was supposed to be carrying.

I have never believed it would end like this. My mom, and refuse to accept what I was saying out. After our imagine, them hold up inside a stone house shielded from our Fiji blast, exchanging gunfire with a douche men who were who knew than to rush them so and was standing above the trench. We were, random incoming and he was watching for movement among the houses. He talk, To his radio for a few seconds and bent down and picked up, some of the teams gear he and say a word he me, along with them. I always did the staff sergeant over my roads right shoulder. He was we and I fell once he landed. On top of me, I up and carried him to an afghan trot carefully talking him into the open bed rested there for a minute, suddenly be as I turned away from the truck half has put it and on my shoulder.

The ask our say: you carried out their dead now they want to help you. Five or six of us return to the trench, while the Damn piquet, I'm cool. Shooting at us. I carried Donnie Johnson back the Oscars took Lieutenant Johnson, a dock Laden Swenson loved back the rest of the equipment, After six hours it was over and I felt He has a balloon without AIR Hafez took me aside. They ve gone to a better place, you said, don't cry, the Oscars will take it as weakness. No way. I was going to cry, but at tat moment I didn't feel like killing. You end one either that wasn't angrier bitter, just afraid Thus it is the way run. A marathon. I couldn't remember. Why wanted to do it? I was too damn tired to stand

still taking fire. We left the valley in a convoy of about four trucks. Rod stop The casualty collection point where we talked with Captain Kaplan and Captain and Corporal Norman who had walked down from their observation posts staff sergeant thou doesn't Miller red, oh that they were coming down from their perch to every was accounted for. We, shuttled and now the valley five, six or seven times that morning, depending on which one of us, you asked it the fog. No senior american officer or purse force had come forward from Joyce Captain Swenson said he would try to wrap things up fears, and I climbed into back of an afghan truck carrying my dead brothers. Held, staff sergeant can affect, with my left hand and lieutenant Johnson rested on my right arm ass. We bounced down the track,

we passed villagers returning to conjugal I'm starting to laugh, pointing out my dead friends. I reached for my rifle, don't hafta said holding my arm not worth it. When we arrived back at Camp Joyce, I walked the battalion aid station to get body bags. Major Williams rushed up and clutched at my body, armor tell me that not all dead, not all of them,. They're all dead, I said removed. His hand. I walked outside My friend sergeant Charles Bogus, was waiting. Boca said I'll. Give you a hand. We walked back to the bodies. Sergeant major Car Bello, the top enlisted men, a Joyce, hastened

and put his hands firmly on my shoulders. Trying to scare me away, you don't have to do this devil dog. My gun make sure it's done right that wasn't how to end it. If I had died, I'd want Lieutenant Johnson staff. Certain can affect to put me in the bag. I'll finish it I said, focus and I carried the bodies back next to the freezers, take off their backs. Gear and dig through their pockets marking items for shipment to their families. I take a chaperone from staff certain coefficient attached to my dog tags funny. We had started out not liking each other. A thousand years ago we clean them up.

The best. We can wiping the blood and dirt off their faces, taking off their field gear, straightening their camouflage uniforms and placing each in a black body bag. We mark the name. At the head, draped in american flag over each bag, Bower heads in prayer and drive them out to the Hebrew bad. Gone to go was one of the deadliest small arms battles of the affair. Stand war. Asked five advisers. In addition, a team Anti Army sergeant first class Westbrook died of his wounds. Eight ask cars were killed,

thirteen seriously wounded by rifle machine Gun and our g fire. The enemy losses to small arms were probably of a similar number There were no ideas, no bombs and very few artillery shells bullets caused most of the casualties

gone. Juggle was a mountain fight from an earlier century and it's a fight from an earlier century, but are but some things don't change at the fact.

There was a cash you I say, and I don't think you understand it, but you know I mean not physically died that day, but I died right there. Next time I mean you talk about. You know. I mean it's one thing to lose one person, but everybody I mean it. I mean I mean that's the worst case scenario You live in it. Do you know me, you literally.

You, don't even have any by from your own team, to put your dead on the bird to know, and you know how well do you despise twenty one, twenty one years old, twenty one, twenty one- I don't know if it talks about the book in on after I did that with me. Teammates. I went straight from there and I went to thought the afghan side and I did it with all the guys too and usually what they do with their guises. They just call the families and they got so many days to come, get em.

And I wasn't allowing that. I went back and I took body bags up there and we gave them the exact same respect that we gave my guys and we put them in the freezer until their families came and got them and do not. Go I didn't go start worrying about my stuff. Until we take care of all the all the guys you and just is His long day a long day and men you give you you just like ok,. You still have a job to do, yeah. I saw I don't off it talks. Dinner but that you know they tried to put me on the helicopter with them to go back to a and wanted me fly home.

To do the ramp ceremonies and warn me to fly home with them, and I actually Put him on there and I told him I would be right back and I knew those birds had to take. Oxen worse, the PJ's weren't master, while on very long- and I just made that I knew that they took off before I got around by us because I mean they're dead, I still had guys still made me and they didn't mean more, and so I. Hey. I knew my afghan soldiers Naomi. They need to see that, they weren't alone. They need to see that there were in this together, and that was what That was what mattered me, but what the guys I still had left how'd Afghan you're afghan soldiers respond. To this whole situation,

sometimes in Iraq there be a mass casually like this and we lose a full. There was actually in Romania, we lost a whole battalion. They are they all left, yet it quit yeah What were you guys How did it many stuck it out? Do you know they stuck it out? They did I mean I'm telling you that they are some most incredible. You means everything here we come in, deploy were there for us, my town, they live forever and they respond in a minute here. At their shit together and on your back and fight three days later you know they don't get. They don't get the respect. You get the support. We do you know they don't get mean they don't get eating. We get you an army and in its history

You know I'm a week, but we stuck together. You know they help me. They may get through it. I helped down, but think the most everything was. It was at that point in the debate: me into there. I was after didn't, want any one of them, and that was probably most rewarding piece of it. To me, you know was that I Finally proven myself to them. That did. I was one of them. Endpoint wasn't over yet, and you know There was more fighting to be done. Going back to the book. Army an army convoy had been ambushed north of Monte, Lieutenant Current Captain Bryant Become. Commander were on there. To assist. I look. The colonel you who nodded in agreement minutes later you bokkis step sergeant, Richards and so

the colonels guys that came with him a dozen scars, and I were headed out the gate, Basically, what you run into his there's a huge, cannot Somebody hit ninety that what had happened was all day and bandwidth, scientists, nay what they done, that they blew the Jingo trucks up and block the road so that they are trying to GMO trucks and between the? U S, convoy so stupid, and so the gene drug is blown up in its blocking the road. So guess what happens the rest Ernesto certain any? Can't go around it because it's about a two hundred fifty foot drop off into the corner river. On the side so their stuck on the site. It has now been listening to it on the radio. For a long time, and I knew they're gonna get slaughtered. I knew that you weren't this gonna sit there and they had buttoned up

So that's what you're talking about earlier you, but not any weight, will now they're gonna manoeuvre YAP Annetta. There were no further that's what they're doing so. The guys in the Jingo trucks had jumped out and I kept I keep asking over the radio you knock could monitor and I kept asking over the way, and I could see the smoke from warehouse head and I kept asking over radios a clip platoon. I cap combat logistics, I kept asking over the radio how many rounds heavy fire canal. Afraid there only loan, ammo, zero That's when you rolled out you get out There- and this is three days after again to go p m in a case where hammering down on this mess, with little return, fire be crazy, drive into that tangle of vehicles, it bogus are bought. Zog is bogus, focus was on the March nineteen on our truck. He couldn't you because the aim is a fire rigid stayed in the driver's seat wide Vance on foot

bounds into the wreckage or ask are wrong ran forward with us, but they're like em Sixteen din impress the Taliban machine Gun crew. I was quickly pin behind as disabled truck looking By could see, the peak M was shooting from a thick stone house. Two hundred metres up slope I actually to have a targets, are excited out as targets. So close, I fired about five miles from my grenade launcher before my common sense kicked in. What am I doing, I thought about back out matched by a machine gun, but there's an army humvee sitting next to me with no one in the fifty counter it, You run over there, man, your fifty calla yelled, where logistics came the muffled reply. We don't fight supply guys can't wait to get in the action, but not this gang. I wasn't worried, though wild man Kerr would soon have air station bodies were scattered all over the road all civilians lying face down. Next to me, alongside the army truck with a skinny teenager and a teacher bleeding from shrapnel was chest in his left arm. He was a pathetic

I'd sprawled on his back in his filthy brown, shorts and orange tip It'll protruding from above his heart and a plastic stopper shoved above left nostril. He didn't way as much as I ate. In a day his hand, and feet were uglier than the dirt from it efforts to crawl out of the line of fire. He was an old enough to grow a beard, but he had a full shock of black hair, not a bad. Looking kid once you cleaned up at the aid station and had some ice cream he'd be ok, I felt good In fact, I was pomp plied dozens of tourniquets, but this is the first time I'd smelt death, his out and that's cause you needle them down, and I didn't cover that part sucking just wound in the end, you you gave mud decompression. I'd saved a human being, a portion On a kid he out a living by driving a banged up truck past known ambush cites. Would you Eve

Would he eventually join the Taliban and betray and american convoy? I had no idea sure some of the villagers conjugal had been we'll pricks, but why should I hold it against this kid around? Down the road voice, another wounded truck driver and carried him back. Then I stopped a check. The skinny kid. I want pat him on the shoulder to make myself feel good for my supposedly wonderful deed, only Was dead he had blood? the death from the wound to his left arm. Crew in the army truck had let him bleed out, not five feet away, because he was an afghan and they were afraid. Dammit. The afghan drivers were all hundred together in a ditch by the river. The ambush been sprung about ninety minutes earlier by now, they had piss themselves dry had nowhere to go, I being my rifle on I'm being my rifle, but on an army truck yelling to the soldiers to open up at least gimme some water for those poor bastard, I shouted a sheep is,

I got out of the truck with several bottles of water and his men. Pack and ran over the ditch. I knelt there looking at the bloodstained stains the kid right beside the truck door. I bang the steel door again, it opened a crack fuck you I said to the captain inside. Is it offered jam sorted out, Cornell you and I walked back to our humvee, the dead key kid lay on the hood and rather than ride, debase with a corpse between us. We wedge the body in the trunk, some arms, you laugh. Sometimes you want to cry beef, or dropping the shell down a mortar tube the Gunnar levels, the bubbles on his sight, if he is the bubbles than the two his pointed at a crazy ankle after gone to go.

I was losing the bubble so investigations take place, there is actually guy. You know mutations in excuses and why the terms that there was in there. That was it. There is, is being said that there was poor battle management and you're talking to a psychologist onsite at this time, some of the sport you were talking about that. We might have that the afghan kid in the afghan army might not have. And it was a feat: was it a female captain Katy, and she was making some assessments back. The book, it's true, I didn't feel connected with others. The Scores were smoking hash jabbering on your cell phones wandering around and foot pops can soldiers were playing video games stuffing themselves at dinner, laughing too loudly at nothing

we weren't fighting a war. We are holding a few acres of dirt while the worse world are around outside our barbed wire there. Were You in every valley, drink tea. With the villagers pay forty dollars for a chicken we weren't Kumar to fight. Let's get it on that was my attitude. Ecologist insisted that I go back to the states for treatment. No thanks as a captain. She- the right to make a recommendation stick, but she wanted my agreement he challenged me we'll play a game of ping pong. If I won, I could stay, I lost one point. She was very good and she really was worried about me and cared about me. I knew that it was my time to go home. A ping pong game which you like a legit ping pong player. Now I thought I had her You know I was only

here. I was either you know I I He was pry best, thou and all I would say if it wasn't a fighting go home. I I would never came home I was getting wound tighter and tighter. I mean hours You couldn't tell me, you couldn't tell me I was not. I wasn't was in command like you. Couldn't you couldn't tell me what to do. You're out of control. I was, I was out of control. You know. I was doing any and not in inner morally unethical right, there's nothin. I was doing my job, but far as like commanding me: you couldn't You you're gonna, do what you're gonna do yeah absolutely I was you know I was at the point two were I had. No, I had no idea

Trust, my command. I didn't trust anybody. I didn't trust anybody was going to. I mean I was not a one man. I was a three man operation right I mean I was, but I was a one man. I was a one man wrecking crew. Right, like I was I was gonna. Do you Tell me thank me nervous. Whose pre bad and Alice Fightin now near the fire, fighting How much do I? How much longer was it that you actually lost the ping pong badge and got sent home? I lost it right. A couple days before Thanksgiving Broker like you? We were there for another. What's thanksgiving up and end Similarly, the reverend we fought or ass off down the whole time it was. It was we hot harasses off almost every single day, and sometimes three and four times a day. Well, that momentum that you talked about the valley they built it keeps coming right. It keeps coming as right after that they overrun Keating right after I mean it's all that

all of it. You know they just built so its momentum in they were hammerless omit amorous every day, and you know it was. It was pretty bad So you get sent home here we go back to book. When I got home in December, I felt like a landed on the moon, everyone around me was excited about football Christmas, another normal things I was looking at that at board houses in the cars thinking man, that's so flimsy they wouldn't. Of cover worth shit and fire fight. Exposed feeling and where are my machine guns? I found one pistol kept around like a rabbits foot, but I miss my two hundred and my fifty cal something awful. It seems we are not sure, but I really just wasn't buying that there wasn't some enemy about to come over the green hills. And I felt so unprepared I wouldn't be ill. Any good protect anybody.

I was soon after four Thomas Kentucky for PTSD therapy. Maybe there would settle me downing. Let me get some sleep and stop feeling so depressed and angry at every little thing some guys really go nuts when they come back, and I wasn't in danger that, but I could feel the kind of crazy things that may be got the better of them. You over there long enough and others constant battle, stress that resets all your settings, the way, way into the red and their very hard to set back. The main thing gnawing was that I did. Get my friends out, as I had promised. I'd spent a good part of my twenty one. Years being pretty curricle of other people who failed at their responsibilities. And now it was all coming back on me in a big dump truck.

Every day. The psychologist urge just a step back and identify why we are experiencing negative emotions, in other words, take a minute to really be conscious of the emotion instead of just letting it see been don't let your mind stay and neutral watch your thoughts. And by the way, I'm hit in this stuff pretty hard because people that listen, this pod r r. Thinking these things right here, I think that's an import. Port. Don't let your mind stay and neutral watch your thoughts, refusing to get out of bed or go to work or smiled. Others are all decisions, find the reasons, those decisions and turn negative feelings into positive actions. It's not enough to identify why you're feeling bad it's about having the character to do something positive to take up that space? Don't wallow in your misery, which is just selfish, childish, self absorption it was Good stuff. All I ever need is a good operating manual.

Three. In some good instructions, not with you know, I can't say it and the PTSD sinner held me, but did, is it educated me it educative me on why how soon the? Where was and what it was. And then there or that help me deal with it right. A kind of like you know. I know you your colleague, how you know your diet that works for you. You know like you, can look in the mirror, you how you feel after you eat it right its causes. Anything like it. It educate you on Why you're bodies doing this? Are why you're having this reaction or an end? it's normal just you know, and this is why it's doing it, and this is how you help counter it right. And that was caught up that was kind of what it did for me. I didn't, I don't think you really didn't it in fixing thing it is. He gave me on what the problem was, so you could or to identify the problem. Yes, so I could identify the problem. I could identify why I was filled

This way, and then you know I can make decisions based of of how I was when you look at the root of the problem. Was that You have like a visit that the promise that you made was I'll. Get you guys out a almond. No, I mean the facts of the facts are like here ears. I guess frustrated with people who, when alike actual guy, like you Norman, I mean, am everything to me black and white and I'm coming back base. I when, in that day, to go get my teammates out. I failed I failed, there's! No, you can't around you can't you can ignore the facts of what happened. I failed. I failed miserably, and so you know If you tell you, if I tell myself, I didn't, fell thy life line myself.

So for me you know I failed. I was tested, nigh, failed and now I have to figure out what to do with it and that's part of it You know I'm in that and that's why I get so upset about like you, don't the counselors or whatever right is not what you didn't feel no, no, no way soon, as they say that to me, I'm done I'm dying to know the debts. I'm not gonna lie to myself. I fail to now need to deal with it. I need to deal with it. You unites, can't lie its enemy. Look, I mean it. I always say the equivalent to try to make people understand like how to how I feel about it and the situation is It would be like. You inside of a house in your families there in the house,

Is fire, and you and up get now, then That may be there all out in Can you back in there and they all burned to death, that's kind of equipment and you know side is how to deal with it in any new ideas. I can't everyday. I learned from it. I tried it turn it into something good. At the end of the day. I still failed and you know that's that's the way it goes. Act the book man after my two months at the clinic, my my enlistment term, was in fact, coming to an end it didn't. Take a genius to see it

Bbn I'd end up behind a desk, so I chose not to reinvest. I love core. So it hurt for joining the core. I had We concussions model nuclear crisis and an operation on my right me when I must about. Four years later I added operations, on my right hand, right, rotor, rotate or cuff operation, a fourth concussion from our peachy, a dislocated shoulder and two horny aided discs from clumsily lifting the dead and wounded one vertebrate given weighing gone to go when I picked up and ask are and slipped in bloody mud under him. I have no idea when the second vertebrae went out during the battle had that making my arm from a bullet or shrapnel, that hadn't been anything. I was indeed decent shape for construction work. I figured after the PTSD decoding. I return to Kentucky. It was the

or of two thousand ten and a warm myself up by slipping back into hard drinking each night. I hadn't seen an active duty. Grunting months Bobby, Juan Rodriguez Chavez were due to receive the Navy Navy crosses at the Marine Corps base in Quantico, but I couldn't get enough time off to fly back before you work in construction. At this point and your boys are getting Navy crosses you, time off work. Swenson and I've been recommended for the medal of honor. We knew that. We knew, though, The award was usually downgraded upon review when I drank which was too much I'd, laugh he had sir absurdity I'd screwed up big time. My achievement. Was losing my brothers? marine Corps would come to senses and I'd never hear another word from another devil dog

I had no idea what was in front of me and I didn't care I couldn't take a walk turn on the tv or read a book. To distract my mind, the emptiness of my life was the All around me would not. To see in any direction, four years ago, I left the farm for an adventure in a new beginning, the courts meaner, and I had arrived in Afghanistan conference, I do well in combat. Sure enough up at Monti, I'd emerged as the young gun every day, brought phone danger against the backdrop of spectacular mountains. It was fun stuff, shooting thousands of rounds not losing many people and seeing the damage inflicted there was now weapon I couldn't handle, and my team trusted me to get them out of any hotspot. My coffee, Put us in but when it counted most, I want with them

they weren't trained to do my job. Gonna Johnson didn't spend every day behind the two forty. Staff sergeant, can wasn't comfortable with weapons or ankles a fire. Doc Laden wasn't a fighter, Lieutenant Johnson didn't just fire missions. We are worried. We know you'll. Get us out of anything goes bad Meyer. Well, I didn't lieutenant that was a load, a wash shit, not there when you needed me, Around three in the morning I pulled my truck the driveway ever shop owned by my high school friend, Derec Yeats, and cut the engine. I turned on the cab light and fish I'll buy cell phone, was right to burn my dad, but I wanted to act. One last time with someone I packed out Text message to my friends and and Toby.

They had known me since I was a toddler, but they didn't know me that well did they. Here I was back where I had started. With an aluminum bracelet with two names on each rest. That's what I had done with. My life, lost four brothers. I can't do it anymore. I typed I reached into the glove compartment where I kept my glock. I was kept a full magazine with around round chambered in the pistol

he doesn't have a safety, you pull the trigger and the weapon fires. I stuck the gun to my head and squeezed the trigger click. Nothing Nada no round in the chamber, as you can imagine, I sat there quite sobered up and in double shock Suicide, its terminal self revulsion. I was me Stop, but I knew my team would be disappointed in me.

Sergeant can effect would give me hill, which is where I would be bad ending. That was not going to happen. But who downloaded my pistol right on the spot. I knew who had done it have, I ever talk to that person about it now I put away the pistol drove home that night I experience, no sudden change of direction in my life, I didn't know where I was head in the future, but I knew I knew quitting wasn't right, not that night, not ever.

I had never told I never told anybody about that night until it was published in the book and ideas, You know I just felt like it was important to the store because I don't want people to read the story in India. Did it was all ok. When I came home, I do When a game that perspective in their so many guys out there that right, these books of the crazy shit They do, but they never. Talk about what what that As you shit does to them, they, we talk about that, and so what happens is. People read. Then I call you shit. That's that's crazy. I can never do that because I deal with problems and it's it. We all do

and you know I had to put it into. I want to be what in hell with it, I'm just a human and no different than now, and I felt like it I couldn't put in the dock if you want to call it good stuff and not put in the bad stuff, it's, I'm sure. There's some psychologist. They could figure something out about this, but you got to the point right Then you made the decision clearly and you came out the other side by The grace of God, who ever knew you well enough to try to figure out the data needed to make sure you have a loaded gun. But that's a message for any body down. Feels like they're in the same situation you felt like you in, which is that this does not gonna get me better is ok come out the other side man

On the other side, like a mean, like I said it's not a sudden change in direction, but you, but you knew. You couldn't get out like to say that you know Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere and sometimes in the middle of nowhere. You find yourself in You know I, A man no idea of my life is gone. I made a deal with myself. You know I had said there and I said if when a keep live in this life. This way, rack, racket back and get it over with but it if I ever put the corn drive on their look back I said there are no one body, I price it there for five minutes, and I had done it at my buddy shot because I knew he be there eight clock in the morning. He d find me.

And put in driving? I just I never look back. You know in its I'm lucky unfortunate. Did the gun didn't go off right but You know. I think that you know you always got to hit that rock bottom. You know that. I think that in that was for me. That was it that was right, bottom and change it. I mean again. I didn't want to stress this as much as I can t believe me. I hear from people firstly, from veterans That are better walk in this line than their walk in this line, and if you walk in that line, hold it listen, it's not worth it in a minute not like you know. I had change honestly to change the way they looked at life.

The only problem. There was as me. You know. Instead it is facing and saying hey look. I want to fix this problem. I was blaming, thereby else. My problem, had to do was I had to say you know. Ok, if he here If the things that I seem were so bad. I've seen what freedom cost first hand that we got me there. So. If anything, I have more reason than anybody else in the faces planet to go out. Make the most of my life, because I've seen at first hand of what it cost. So instead of walk around it feels like. I know, I'm not feeling sorry for my teammates, because urban place. They don't feel any more. I'm really just go inside for myself, by doing that. I'm sorry, I'm way sing the sacrifices that they made on my behalf. The chains aware looked at it instead of using it, as my excuse.

As easy as my fuel and that the choice that is a conscious choice you, wake up every day and you decide how you look situation, you decide what you do with it. You decide whether you use it as your excuse to hold you back or you use it as your ez, eight at valve of of hiding who you are, Or use it as your feet, to go out and be the best you can be used. That nobody does. Nobody else. Does you do every day is a conscious choice, I mean I still deal with it, but I still make the choice that awesome Awesome in anybody, that's listening, Like I said anybody, that's listen and that's that, talk about line there. You go, make the right choice. The right choice, make the choice make the right choice you know what the right choices yet.

You used to talk about how much and and- and I feel this too, like every day, how much my letting down my friends that didn't come home. If I'm not doing everything I can to take advantage of the gifts they gave me to be sitting here right now. Right I mean I mean I. Any day that I don't want to go on and push on for myself, I can look down bet you anything for reason dry here. They would see it's me one day there switch me my worst day. I have one more day you know and in an idealist. You know I'm not okay, with lead in their sacrifices, be wasted. I'm not okay

with watching anybody else, waste them. So why would I be ok with what let myself waste them? Well,. Another thing I want to say he is like walking at line I want to say this and get out there, it's normal, its norm way doesn't mean you weak it doesn't. I wanted it, their debts stigma out there. Get off. The books is its. It is, nor more, like an idle understand why. Why Ok in our society or in the military, a guy breaks his leg. Ok did. Do you go get make him run tomorrow? He puts a cast on it. He eat he rehab. It. It's the same thing with the mind it's the same day. It's this

you think you're going to you. What's the people you have to worry about Are the ones that go watch their close friends, they watch human beings and they watch this evil and people die and suffer in, don't have a reaction. Those are the ones you have to worry about. It is a normal reaction to a not normal situation and it's ok. It's ok, is one of them said. Ok, absolutely must absolutely. As you mentioned quickly. No, there was some buzz pass we about about Getting marijuana- and will you hi goes like you was all I believe it. I never an iraqi idea. You know

you hear talk about it, silver star, marijuana, name cross. Whenever right, I didn't care, I didn't get up I promised the last thing that I ever thought about was in a war and ward: that's lasting! Well! You gets approved in going back to the book when the president hung that metal around my neck, I felt glum occurrence and I said nothing. I gave no remarks and avoided the press as a marine. You either bring your team home alive, Or you die trying My country was recognising me for being a failure and for worst day of my life.

The Marine commandant General Genome emails and General Georgia, I've done for attend the ceremony through the years after gone to guard the Marine Corps leadership is provided. Can't consistent support, not just to me, but all who fought there enlisted men, man in the Marine corps sergeant It might bear it twice came to our farm to meet my dad Grandad and to encourage me. There's, no such thing as a former marine. Fifty years after they have left active duty. Marine still sign emails to each other, with S F, Samper Fidel us always faithful. Of course, we have among us those who failed themselves their family and society. Remains, though, that the courts backs every marine to live by a set of core values. In turn, the core keeps its side of the bargain. You could not SK anything more of an organization than that.

The medal of Honor, given in the name of the Congress of the United States of America, symbolizes the courage and determination of our entire country and speaking of the country, you are in New York I was in New York City, at the twin towers site, ground zero with, Joshua Petersen, someone I knew from my first days in the core. We were greeted by hundreds of police, firemen structured workers, Wall Street Guy, Suits city officials and the families of the fallen mire can't believe this scene, gonna Petersen, said. Make sure your ribbons are squared away We stood side by side to grants and. Sharply ironed khakis waving like

we had one election. I thought of my sad bling meetings with the family of Team Multi, the family, of team Monti. When I couldn't think What to say. I was alive and their loved ones were not. Now, here I was still before a monument for three thousand dead. I saw some big iron workers and hard hats standing, to one side ceremony ended. They sneaked me in onto a work elevator. Up. We went to the top of the ride where we then climb. Wooden ladders into we couldn't go any further than the Wharton Guard rails. I stood there looking out at the most beautiful country in the world, trying to make sense of my feelings Where did all started? So many good people lost the people had been

working here and the people I had known who had not On blindly into uniform they reason. Why Americans do that, but they had gone ahead to do and to die. An iron worker handed me a silver marker. Then I wrote on a girdle. For those who gave all.

For those who gave all then that wrapped up the book and near your talking about the wards do what you hear? What happens in all that then- and I want to say this as well on the battlefield. On that battlefield and on every battle there are. Acts of extreme valor that no one will ever know about. Talking about an infinite number. No one's ever gonna know about it. And its import a notice that our military men and women don't do what they do for metals or ribbons. They do what they do, because they love.

Freedom because they love America because they loved their comrades in arms and vat There is why our country thrives in battle, not because technological advances not because of superior weapon tree, not even the size of our military. It's because, of the bomb that is shared between warriors. That is our real strength. Did you call that something that you represent in spades and there are more thank you for common all. The pod cast And sharing this incredible story and in no its not only a story of you, but it's a story of all the men american and

Afghan as well that road into battle with you that day and showed once again what it is that makes America place of of hope. Freedom, it's because of its because. Man, it's because of individual men. That in their heart and even in the face of death. Actually live actually live the ideals of this rate nation. Not only in their words. But in their actions in the way that they live in The way that they died down, Basel incredible

You mean you're, exactly right, like. Mean there are so many stories it hurt me. People have done so many stories of people during such incredible staff, and you know It is clearly out of the love another human being. It's early, I, the love of making the world a better place. That's really. Naturally, all we do at We do I mean Join, nobody joins it to go, just shoot people or fight they literally jointure to try to make The world around them a better place Its passing out aid, whether rendering aid to a civilian her to a fellow American,

or whether it's taken out the bully debts inflicting fear in that place. Every thing that we do. Is to try to make the world distant, little bit better, that's it yours, as I read about when, when you got back to your team. You could see, I mean just from the way the guys were laid out. You know Started was trying to get coms and trying to pass grids and doctors. Work on the boss, everyone was trying to make things happen and who knows what those moments were like you know, but there's moments of theirs. There's heroism there that we're never gonna know about. I mean percent Amene Doc, I was rendering aid. You know what stopped on was disposal was with them, would stop

and of get into the road was lieutenant Johnson got here. And I'm gonna can effect in Johnson were on either side provide security, while Doc late worked on it, and that was the medevac we heard called in from GonNA can effect was trying to call that metabolic infer, Lieutenant Johnson, rare and you know what they want. They weren't gonna leave in the high. It even more even more of not leaving behind them. More just storm over shoulder and get him out. There were gonna, try to fix him, having what do you say When we say I mean you know that that right there I mean Writers everything I mean you take that you take

I mean there's so many actions. I mean I've watched people, do such incredible things such incredible things that just make what I do I mean not you no make me look like. I have done nothing. I've ever seen it you know were incredible. Well again, man. I can't thank you enough for common on. Thank you on on the bar gascony hanging out in. Being out there, the ass talks, People like that, to the Miss anything anything else now number here they are you covered all the agreement covering guy looks I read you hire you covered it. You know echo. This you gonna questions for the man over there.

Nah. Usually I come up with some light. Hearted question: workmen: our words behind assuming we took that little break in ECHO's Eichmann. I just keep. These are too. I am sitting there thinking to myself. This really happened. Man, I'm like a target. I give echo heads up: sometimes you know us it's gonna be heavy one or whatever, and I would like to this afternoon, when a man can we have you want. You know, stand by, and you know We're downstairs were taken, a break is man, all this really appetizer d and you know who happened to the guy were sitting in the room with when his friends that's what happened so early nor the early autumn when I started this podcast I believe in a book for night from World WAR, one or I'd be rich but the world or your feet normal whatever and I'd I'd like.

After by how many podcast Alex Exemplary Park ass. I was at hey eyes. Just want stop for a second. And remind everybody that the dipped characters that Talk about these books, these characters were not characters in a movie there. There people there there humans and this stuff, that we're talking about really happened to these people so I'll it. It's obviously having you sit near not talking to you about win, win Colonel William Reader was in here and Oh you're, like you're reading stuff that happened, aim use tortured. He was mock executions. He had he added We walked in a ban to foot tall bamboo cage in the jungles in Vietnam and he's got his legs and shackles in the e trying to sleep in he's getting woken up by the rats that are eating the wounds in his legs and insight that that's

Just inconceivable, I mean it had happened here. I mean that's your stories like that interest. That's real people! These are real people dislike us yet in in an honest man I mean, I'm sure you saw me like. Sometimes you know yeah, I'm getting. I get emotional when I read your story, but why do I get a brute motion when I reach you through it cuz I'm thinking of everything I've been thinking about my friends and I'm just like it's you know it's it's real, and in prose you people there. Are listening. This talk to. I dressed like the veterans out there a bunch today, but We hope to those you that didn't. Have the opportunity to serve for whatever reason you know. If I can

relate something you it's like yeah, these, these people, lieutenants these sergeants, these staff sergeants and their people. Man get people to adjust their just people there. Just people I mean it they're, just people, They're, just and you know I think, that's gonna what makes it harder for society. Is it. They saw me these movies and they re these books and you know they read it, but what they don't understand, when is that somebody lived it. You know, and I think that that's a perspective that you, you always have to remind yourself all visit, yeah, you're reading it and let somebody lived do you know? then you can see

on the news like oh yeah, it's the medal of honor ceremony in the pictures you know have been in see the President Putin did I, while that so greater whatever in you what you don't what we don't see. You know people who having served is like what really happened. To talk to arrive at that one quarter glorious moment. You can a man all my gosh. Thank you. Let's go party or so I don't know. I'm theme you know like uses as a boarded, people think it is so great. You know, and I got I despise everything that metals to answer. For me. May not anybody else, but I You know when I put that metal around my neck. Me. It's literally here's the stand, to show the world how bad I failed,

here's the you know, that's why I don't work I don't, I don't wear because you know the worst. I am my life and I lost, everything that day I lost not just my team. I lost a career in the marine corps. Everything that I wanted to be was gone within one day. And you know, and then I get recognized for you know so Not only do you have to live with it, but now you have to live with it in the face of the nation. Well, from that perspective from from my perspective, looking at that for one thing the metal yeah I mean it was put around your neck, but I believe that

that represents everyone. That was with your team and you might have gotten the metal put around your neck. But it's It represents that stories gonna be told over and over again in your name might be at the top of Lisbon. Every name is gonna, be on that list, everyone's gonna know and I mean. Obviously I can imagine the burden that comes, with that metal that you live with, but same time. Enable to have that Your brother's remembered, I think that makes it worthwhile and you know that and that's a piece of your right mean so on the self You know when I, what I just said was on the selfish side of it right that that debt is for me, that is the only reason I did accept metal, was because

I want my teammates to live on forever. I want people to know who they were because the day that I stop speaking their name is the day they truly die. I have an obligation that, as long as I can still breathe, that their names are still need to be told and So that's what they're metal allows me to do, and it is. Moreover, I mean it's it's for them, but the army, you know you, don't just goes against you don't. I think the one thing you know that they is so hard for us to wrap around is many times in your training did heavy time. The Jews like when you are training guys in this net, What time did you ever set him up for when they did everything that they could they failed, aid! To be honest with you, when I was

and training. I did that all the time I'm not kidding You can talk to anybody that went through training when I ran it, it was it just mayhem it was, you were gonna, be no you're. Gonna carry out bodies, you you had, sixteen guys, Appleton, you Uribe carrier six bodies out and and be cared for four kilometres to a helicopter extract which wasn't gonna, show up and you're gonna have to go and other sex it will. It was brutal and there were times when there were times rod, kill every single. You know: training, I'd, kill every single seal, because they were not doing what they are supposed to, where they were. Making mistakes and leadership wasn't stepping up I did that all the time I did it all the time. Mean I care. I came back from remedy. We're we're my guys word, some really bad situations, and I wanted everyone to be ready for that man in like that, was it I mean I was not I mean,

I came back from Poland got put put in charge of training. It was also it was the best thing that I ever could have done for me and I thought it was. The best thing I could do for my teammates was to be like. Ok, we're gonna, make the straining heart really hard and and so probably not deprive out as they never book. Man when I was wrong going in and enhance the nets off, and I had guy mean I had many guys they came back from our. In Afghanistan, and would say like yeah a man we got, We got hammered hard in this situation and we were ready nothing as bad as your own situation, but but the mentality of it is There are some situations: you're, not gonna, win their are some situations where you show up and you're not gonna win and that's against everything that we believe in everything that were too You know I mean that that if we do

our job and we do it right and you still lose. It doesn't make sense, Well, it's not something. I've told many guises men, you, you can do everything right. You can make no mistakes, then you can still get killed I'll, you can still thinks. You know, there's decisions that you make on the battlefield. You say if you say, ok, go left, you know. And everyone can be great and asbestos is never you could say, go left and one could dinosaurs decision ever. There's there's thing, You can control inside combat, so you prepare and train is hard. You can, and indeed thing you do. Is you get the leadership in situ in a mentality that they're not put themselves. This is like my guys plan something that was stupid. I'd, let him excuses in training. Did they came up with a dumb plant, they were going, exe the plan. I want to stop him and they would we get slaughtered. So they learn some lessons.

But that's why that training is so important in its important everything. A hundred percent five percent appreciate you had me on the air. Thanks for coming. Our brother like someone is awesome, man you're right, I do not accept that, for you are the man I echo talk about something good sure chill accrues little bit get. For me the most shift gears cavalry transit I'll. Let you know that we're like three hours plus right now, so you could talk quickly if you want. If I want, please see Alex I recommend we feel like me in the corridors. Some catching up to do you guys been talking, so you know, I might drag this little bit now. Ok, so origin mean? This is where you get Jockers

Parliament's crude oil joint were first free joints. Free this important supplement. This important supplement Also. He has one called discipline. Cognitive and physical enhancement supplement pre work permission to go to London also at origin may its origin main dotcom mean the state not like the mean one. Like it. It's good that gives on therefore jujitsu you change budgetary. I do so. If you get the Genji those Romanian America. Everything in order on me when I get your orange and geese and our main MAC and you gotta- represents like it from threats from the part it by the way they grow. The Cotonou. Became the import that the family we assemble, a everything from Sir was it from seeds did from sea from there

to serve to shirk their teacher purchaser, her pretty good to get. I liked it makethem rational on their spats, Do I worry about it? You know it's better, we don't really either we had to garden where the research it arrived at spat fiercely bottom spandex, their spandex their tights. Basically, I'm oppression give due weight to trick. You turn attend planet. Just some now about using do down their point of view. I urge our planet all about them, enjoy all upon their backs. They're, all about espouse word about and push out word about using the word spats, because I didn't I wouldn't sounded like maybe with some kind of like. Yeah, let's Alexander kind of girlish, like some girl like like a girl, would be like all made aware, like I'm sure, there's thanks what are those it sounds like Spain, girls, where banks real tight, like the like it

the centrally compressing it is its comprising here, like you like, like outcome, press the YAP, ok to compress dissolve, they shall be, they should be illegal. I figured out somebody should be legal because it's like a cell in order for its false art, I was we were all max, I'm gonna live broadcasting. Someone with spats is comes from what soldiers cavalry soldiers in world WAR, one war like leggings and they are called spats nose like ok, it's cool. Well, what say it now yeah like relieving leg in there, just that it's like this lower limit their lower further covers them. Yet that later it up, that is not spats that something else. Where those Cobb Jim, do honour guardian, where those things now There are actually called leggings. Wait for her, so were unclear. Why? What do I know what's bats? Are I mean I am I my other very unclear in football. You take issue and your ankle. At spat saw just like it.

Hey, you know what it works it does. It yeah see those nonetheless organisms. That's some compression gear rash guard at it says it's all made a matter of Dhaka gone there check up all their stuff like something get something also for the kettlebells that I have treated on a planet year on year, the Kettlebells primal bells yeah I got all said here is very proud of whatever you think, I'm telling you I like you have. You know some of your primal soldier was that primal. What swill soil you're taking are you worked on it like he's, began about just some well founded, really regaled your swollen rather bomb so he'd? Yes,

Reddit, dot, com, taco, that's where you get the kettlebells going to get the whole set like me, or you know, or other stuff, like I said, If you actually see this for you wanna very every worker making more interesting, juggle exporting work out. That's cool too, but with more interesting. The mace get Europe as some more what we call a more creative, the mace finish, the equipment on adopting such jockers goods, but also new by the book into the fire, the corner, my door I got it listed on our website dockworkers dot com by episode by the way, along with all the book so we go over this podcast bombs click through there. Think it Amazon shop printing. Doing chop and if you want good with sport also,

subscribed to the body. If you haven't already sticker Itunes School Play, Spotify that is just learned. What Spotify wasn't me to amendment? No one that is at issue. I know what it is signed, an ambiguity thing we're on it we're us all Alexa you give Alexa there. Heard of her. Ok, what's Amazon Habitable, oh will you can ask it to play Jack about gas no way, I'm gonna buy one to the other. We like Alexa play Jocapa aghast and then it is playing the gifts. Episode of Jocapa comes up with a good, and you always say: do you have Alexa? That's like saying head, you are go by a SIRI. You can't buys Research comes with no, your phone number you can buy Alexa

no yes, he not by an elected by an Amazon Co. No one calls it that, though no one talks about. Maybe they should, because that's the correcting we do want to confuse people, know voluminous, gives you wanna go to you. Do you? Do I love people, that's automatic Luxor. I know that I'm trying to educate, or, if you're, going to dig it on this I'm going to. Let it go believe me. I know it's a tube an intelligent too. I didn't have to do all about you. Wanna come tonight, has no look happy jack. O EMU is get at Amazon. And then you ask Alexa so essentially elected in the basket. With someone asked echo the war a war is one call me whenever I reached my grandmother who will not respond to the network. Alexa lives, enamels, anachronistic, SIRI lives in your Iphone. Nothing less!

my father to machine it, it's artificial life, girl agents. Nonetheless subscribe you have an already- also surprised subscribe to do what the video version of this podcast an x Europe's on. There is war and in hand. Excerpts as well. If you do that, subscript you did everything you do so Jack Odin store jockers or dislike, it's called jockey. Podcast Jocko, store cuz store. I, like you, are using a single Jacko like I'm, not that clearly I have if I had a bad as, namely Jacko is the coda come on now, and I am, I think, it's like a girl, though. Oh really girls named Dakota Dakota, Fanning Adela got like I pick up the phone or like MA am, am, I know I didn't even know there. A girl named Dakota here,

yeah man. Let's do you like a girl? Maybe she was away turn out so bad. I jackass you're gonna feel like when it came down to Jack Odin, name his own store and stop. You was all cool, but when Amazon names their thing echo, it's like you know, he's got a little bit safe. Mr not isolating no, no you're holding out remember member at that moment. Nonetheless, him I did either way: Jackal store dot com, this we can get shirts does when it was freedom, good cheer. The good shirt and was the good sure it's. The shirt with Jack was hit on its good backwards. So looking mere he's telling you good enough I like that Brigham and one yogi dialogue that you too you tonight attached to Elect

we'll take Jerry example. None the less than just wanna, come in some rash garden on their solemn hoodies hats patches ago, restocked Apaches, arrest, everything on their patches. Look, I'm trying Women are still in place now to restock automatically. Am I correct oil? Ok from not correct, forget. It depends on what you mean by automatic largest mean things will be in stock from now more or less the same work better.

You had one be reviewed or actually he's got to jobs, make videos and keep the store stock has endured lever to juggle started com. That's that's! That's the website, anyway. Nothing by something similar check it out. You want something get some sort of good sport, psychological Orpheus Supreme yourself menu pain. We call it a campaign against weakness makes sense like it. Yet we like to do some ill suggested. You know those days we can kind, don't feel like it right and who better to. Ask for a little assist on those days. Then Jackal right in theory, Where is your right? I mean I agree so, but now we have this album with tracks chocolate tracks. Like you to get the to get past

moment the weakness that make em up waken up early skipping work out. You know diets. The comet works, pretty good, that's better! ten for ten results. We're Schiphol, we're gonna some light. Echo is like asking ass question what I'm a good! What do you mean? how do you not skip work out? Smells like Lodge Bobo Yellow you feel like yet please act dude. I need a record that and then he just like asked me about a random questions, and then we made an error rate recorded and we'd better. I just for sale, It was a number one spoken word on Itunes, for I feel I think until you're bluffing eleven months finally got knocked out of number one spoken word by when I released this book. This Saint Nicholas Freedom Field manual on Itunes spoken word album? I'm just saying, is I rarely effective, yeah yeah, it's not here. All right do this is not just talk like I'm, not a Heller.

What's it like? You, don't have the euro I urge all the guys I mean obvious. We gotta yelled the battlefield, you gotta yell people, so they can hear you yes, one thing, but yeah I mean I was Stop if you have to yell at someone and you ve, really screwed sum up as a leader I gotta yell at you or if you like unless it's yet very fat like if you will be like this is one called sugar coated lies amateur like you, don't like when you work here, talking about the good video right. So this is the same thing, but it's like a track. You can get. You can. Actually this dismissed room feel manual. Album has good on. There is attractive to track boom. Very soon put it in your whatever Yankees so and cause people you should make an one caught. You should make more cracks. Are we did the album with tracks and we could use that thing as an alarm clock so when people ask me for not unlike go get the albums, three albums now

by the way three albums, yet psychological warfare and this one is in two different alice. You really need the first hour of dismissals freedom feel manual for this for the audio there You can get well there's this. Well, if you want the knowledge parts, that's that's. Secondly, the second, You know I was over here. So this is where this were echoed started. Hammer hammer because you when they list you they list like so the logical warfare and then they have to list to mount it, and it was an artist jobs will go the art in oh, no, no, I'm not an artist s. People are speaking the same words. That's not are no technology. You're, an artist Musa guidelines: are you didn't know that man I never. I never looked at you and said well, I know come across the artist, so Marty Artsy Guy There are in fact, very effective, very effective. Good. We too support by the way back also on Amazon through Alexa. If you want

You can order Jocko White Tea, Amazon again and end and by the well off Jacobite D and the reason I give it to you is an out of care. If you like to you, might I might Haiti, but what T does is again indeed, it guaranteed to give you an Thousand pound dead, lift it signed, ethically proven over and over again the old. Why doesn't line placebo tested right there, Giacomo eighty eight thousand pounds level yet so you got that there also her books for them x? yes get into the fire by Dakota, Meyer and being west Through our website, its awesome red men a week. I covered less than ten percent of the book today you I understand, ten percent of what the whole. Situation was by listening. This podcast get the book support the package, sport coda, learn about what, these brave, a man-

kids Afghans went through, the warrior kid there's a book. I wrote for kids why does whose work I kids? What kind of books were kids region? I know I got for kids. My kids were reading books about lame P that were being encouraged to be weak instead of Ok, you know what it's ok to actually get after it and try be smarter and try and be stronger. So if you want your kid, be smarter and stronger and eat healthier and work harder, if that's what you want to get a good way to wear your kid, if want to make your child weak. And undisciplined that's cool, you can buy any other book for a kid and that's what you get an. Book did good with people and I wrote another one is way the war kid to its called marks mission and its

a whole new genre of issues that Mark has to face with his uncle Jake Uncle Jack comes to help out young mark. Would you call a more advanced issues? They are slightly more advanced every day, which one of one of that one of the issues that young marks of marks and six great now in book too, He loses his temper sometimes and he in trouble at school for hawking, paper machine pumpkin added. Other kids head and hit the flax off his headed, hits the teacher in the face, may. I guess he gets sent home from school last escorts. Anyways, yes, the controls temper, just like all kids do. I know this because I got kids and I know this because I was a kid and pneumonia little kid. You lose your temporary germ, stuff, evil and when I say little kid, I'm talkin like twenty three years old, like as I say, I do not know what I'm talking about their work. To get you a copy of his uncle in the book is, is a seal was a seal and

You come to stay with him for the summer to help some square way. These problems, I get yeah yeah. So that's it. What about the also words about working hard? He gets a job start a business. His. Eleven years old. Has its own business mowing lawns pulling weeds. That way the warrior kid and where the war you kid to Marks mission you can also get speaking of which were your kids from Irish oaks, ranch. There's a young war, your kid twelve years old business owner. He makes soap from goat milk right here in California, on his farm yeah, that's cool, yeah well, it seems I got well. How are you two hours even at why talking about this. He got in touch with me and said. I want to make good soap darker soap who are you he's gonna twelve year old kid aid and I live on a forum to I'm starting a business, I figure

you might want in on the action Jacko, and I was I Hey, what are you to my dears mayors and if you look in on the edge Z, offer me a piece of the actions like old Guy S, amendment one on your kid getting after it and so yeah you can order that soap, at Irish Oaks Ranch he's been dot com? It's No big deal soap empire right. What is like Johnson and Johnson probably started off making soap ivory soap, you think I result does now. Some good profitability

yeah. I know a different. It is not only differences, this kid starting a twelve year, guarantee jobs and jobs and in start well now sorry it's well yeah I get on. There are so many he'll have kinks worked out before DR yes, he's all over me until these manufacturing for itself about when you were too, I mean, let's just let you get all of our knowledge or on a train. Twelve, our own lose yourselves on the table here. What would you do with your twelve right? I was like smearing burgers on my sister's, our still water, and you know them say there were just talk and lose a meeting with the dark. I don't know it so poor, like out of the dirt. Yeah. I I made up the slogan too. Simple slogan. Simple. It's actually great slogan noted is jock or stay clean.

Both of you gotta worry, you gotta, be admitted, I gotta tell ya. Gotta admit, is good slowly. The goods I don't know I don't know how you came up with the owner jargon: soap, stick clean: saving out with Jackal store the Jackal store, real unreal creative when it comes to than them names. Also hey another book discipline. It was freedom field manual. If need to get on the path stay on the path beyond the path move further down the path. If you having trouble getting after in life, get the book this my Ankles freedom field Manual, and then don't you the book and read it, you have to actually do something, that's in it, but it's prickly the field manual. Echo claims to know all about field manuals, method, can a manual you. You actually know about, feel medals, that's going to feel manual that tells you how to get after its. You can do that.

All your version of that is not on audible. You can't find it there. Why? Because you cut it up and attracts, which is what you are for it is on Amazon, music. Google play I tunes as an mp3, also extreme ownership, the book that lay back in, and I wrote combat leadership. Somebody Actually every topic that we talked about three when it came to leadership and organizational issues. Dissolve is all things that are inside extreme ownership. Get that in it not just about war it's about life, it's about business and on top of We have a leadership and management consulting company. It's called echelon front. We solve problems through leadership. Every problem that any organization has can be solved one thing and one thing only leadership at it, of you got problems. Call us echelon front me: leave me

J, p d, now Dave, Burke, echelon, front dot com course also. We have the muster it's a leadership! gathering the leaders gathering seminar, conference gathering and that we do we get together. We have all kinds of leaders come we present. We talk about issues, we give pragmatic, actual tactics. Techniques on how to lead people. If you want to like, come to a conference and get all happy in class b and make hug promises to guide it sitting. Next to you don't come to this conference. That's not what this conference is, one singing and dancing at all. No, we talk We talk about how to lead? That's what it is. So we want to or not a lead come to the two the monster, there's only two of them in two thousand late, eighteen, only two of them one of em,

Washington DC may seventeenth and eighteenth one of em so Francisco October seventeen- Eighteen, that's it. Going to watch me. Your honor Douglas not going to Colombia Kentucky from muster we could have. We could we couldn't your barn, wasn't big enough to hold can we expanded the hour? gonna for next year, work on it. We you did what nonsense if I'd known The time you had been there. Also and let me know if you want to come to one of these We will not do it. It in Colombia Kentucky what we're not doing it in What's another random place I'll call Hawaii we're not doing in Hawaii. If you call me gotta come in one of those to register. Oh by the way have also about we ve done for him. They ve also doubt this was going to sell out to register, extreme ownership dot com and we Ok, we raise the prices,

once we had a certain date. Why do we do that? Why do you the press. Once we had a certain date to make more money, no on Skid FIFA. No, we actually dont want people to do that, because what with good reason we do, is we want to incentivize people to register early so that we can block enough room order enough food plan plan correctly the venue set up the right way, so we we're trying to make people come early, so we it's actually a and they were penalizing you re for being slow, prefer, procrastinating. Yes procrastination. You're gonna pay, that's right, o procrastination penalty. I like we're from good. If you wait, you pay I'll, take credit for that. We like people that get after don't put, that is when a jocose Deirdre regretted. I felt that until you get a percentage runnin off my lead and I got little cut likely there all right, so that is that and until the monster, if you have questions your feedback for US

we are. We are ready to receive on the inner webs on Twitter, on Instagram and on dash Facebook Echo is adequate Charles, and I am at Jackal willing in Dakota, is on the into webs in a big way, in a big way on Twitter. Dakota underscore Meyer! That's how we live by the way, the twitter. I can't believe you responded him itself like. I can't believe you deserve a couple, little kids, the Instagram Dakota Meyer free seventeen sniper just to seventy, to go to my that's. That's to Graham on Facebook, to go to you can just looked go tomorrow. That's right up does your kind of a man. You have a park ass. I do you, have your own park ass, it's called owning it owning it with the code. Now you do

It took them from my book, extreme ownership, no big deal. I did take a little slice of that. You have Dakota Meyer dot com is another place, so I guess that's. Why said you're all over the internet could kill. You are all over the internet. You gotta you to channel, get you to check all its. It's just go to MAR. So I've got the Youtube challenges Dakota marred were. My podcast goes up it's on own dash. Only dashwoods that I saw you on the dash comes from appointment, Ellison Roll call the dash and are you know I felt like I feel like people in America just needed something to hold onto, and ah you know, sir. I always look at what is success and how do I wanna be remembered in that's kind like a big thing for me, and I are so lineal Israel, form and talked about how I get a funeral Steady speaker referred to the dates on the tombs from the beginning. You know at the date there he the person was born. They die and really those are the two only two days in your life that you don't make any decisions

Many control of and everything else. What matters that in between until how are you going to own your? That would is your going to look like because you can control that control with that. Dash looks like how in o o fulfilling. It is how selfish it is. How giving it is you, control it by your decisions every single day. And what do you want? Your dashed look like: how do you want your member because it doesn't matter how much money you have does matter? How Whatever you did, the empires you build. What matters is how you change people's lives. And that's how you remembered and where your true success in my mind is you'll, be defined, will be people say about you, your funeral, and so that's where it this to me is, is on the dash towards idea that came from so on your dash you do public speaking as well. I do I do public speaking around and get in there and talk to businesses and teams. Yeah yeah I come in talked businesses team, give my leadership principles of your work

I believe, make success. Young listen, I'm simpler, but you know what but I feel, like you know, my life. I talk about my story and kind of what happened me and then I come around. What does that mean to me right? What does that mean? Like you, don't care? story without every story or experience that you go through that doesn't have a meaning. Afterwards is a waste experience, and I talk about that. I used to know the to our public speaking, China. Inspire Vive la like I just you know this. One honestly I just want change world nobody. They just want to change the world as it might change world also merit an awesome did. I miss anything else not take. So I think that this everything anything any other projects, anything else everybody needs no about now. Listen! I can't. I can't tell you how much I appreciate Myanmar have your echo, you got anything else now. Thank you very much for coming. I thank you. Closing thoughts, Dakota enough

listen it, sir I got a lotta, this bike ass. I got a lot of you know just turn your perspective and you know I just I just want people. You know that you know I'm no different than anybody else. The only difference is opportunities has been put in front of me and you're. Not for sure you have me on Women s obviously an honour to have you on. Thank you for your Thank you for your service, both Marine corps and what you continued to do now to try to help people and and gesture. He's a world which is what you're trying to do now, which is awesome in. It's been a true honoured. Have you on again, you know to be sent across the table from you and known what Been through and

To see where you are now is is awesome and it my honour to be sitting here. And, of course, to all the service, men and women on the battlefield holds around the world doing what must be done to protect us. Thanks to all of you,. And finally. To those service members that made the ultimate sacrifice who gave the last All measure for us, thank you.

You rest in peace and no without question that we will never forget and until next time illicit go to Meyer and ECHO and Jacko out.