This is a joke gas number two o seven with ECHO Charles and me Java, willing bidding me echo good evening. Now, on Cast to over three. I had the honour of. Having on some members of Kilo company, three seven Marines. Corporal Kelly Miller Sergeant Wild Bill, Wm Hamilton. First sergeant job further Ferguson and lieutenant Trent Gibson. When they came on the podcast too,. Share the story of their brother in arms. Their fellow Marine Jason, Dunham. Who sacrificed his own life by smother?

a grenade to save Kelly Miller and Bill Hampton on April, fourteen two thousand for when he died. Of his wounds eight days later on April, twenty second, two thousand and four. And obviously that was an extremely hard podcast to record. I know it's hard to listen to his hard for them to rig Their memories of Jason. End of his life and of His death as well when it was hard for me to. Watch as their emotions came to the surface of the sea,. The anguish.

In their faces in here. The sorrow in their voices as they spoke. It was also hard for me because I was thinking about Mikey monster. Because on September, twenty nine two thousand six in the city of our remedy. I rack Mikey Who is one of my guys in task The browser, it's your team three, also jumped on a grenade. To save three of our teammates. When he was also killed. From this ultimate act of selflessness,.

In both of those men posthumously received. The medal of honor. And the stories of. Jason and Mikey, were I mean they were definitely similar stories. And what the men of three seven Kilo company went through war. Similar to what we experienced in tasking Boozer from The morning of our brothers to the writing of the award citation, to the ceremony at the White House to the christening of. U S! Navy warships! One named the! U S, s Jason Donovan! One named the! U S s! My. Mom sore.

And there's another similarity. That's their that. That can't be denied, and that is that We all wish that we could have Had one more. One more conversation with these heroes. One more chance to tell them. About our lives now to tell them that we are not wasting the gifted, they have given us one more chance to talk and smile. Offered with them again. One more chance to say. Thank you.

But we will not get that chance police, not in this life. Because, even though we remembered them, they are gone. And we can only imagine what they would say to us now where they would be. How they would explain their actions what kind of miracle could have allowed to survive. And to survive, something like that, it adopts we would take a miracle

Miracle, on top of a miracle, on top of the miracle, on top of a miracle to survive eagerly Blast at point, blank rage. Well, fortunately, miracles do sometimes happen and tonight on the broadcast. We have someone here with us, that is the result of many miracles. Miracles that unfolded after you, did the same thing, that Jason Dunham did the same thing Mikey months, or did he smiled? a grenade with his body to save his friend. S name is Kyle Carpenter

And it is an honour, and it is a miracle to have him here with us tonight. Kyle thanks for coming on, to ask me to meet you, please Billy, He too and to say it honour and privilege to be here- would be an understatement. So I do appreciate this opportunity. Yeah I debts. And through the podcast, I had and one of my guys MIKE's marks on he's one of the guys at my command sore saved in you notice. Would sitting there with the guys from Kilo company and you just use thinking the whole time that man, if I could just Still have one more conversation with your bro, you know just one more conversation. And you know what went on without reading your story. Mina I'd obviously heard about your story, but I was reading about your story. You know it's like I

I kept smiling myself insane man. This is this. Is chance. You know this is the chance to talk to somebody that for all practical purposes, there's no possible way that you should survive. There's an there's just- This doesn't make sense. I mean the That's why I use the term miracle. I know you used in your book as well. But to have you here sitting and be able to talk to you it's it's just that it's amazing hasten to to sit here. So thanks for. Making the journey and making the trip and come out here. Can I just mentioned your book. You got this. I just came out called. You are worth it and didn't. Whenever I have someone on, I was kind of like to start. Is to start at the beginning? You know, can cut figure out what people's backgrounds were where they came from and you do.

A good job that you know you actually you your second chapter in the book is called. It starts at home. And you go into your history, so Pre sounds like you're. Pretty let's just say the energetic kid like a little five year old Marine yeah, you start off here my I will tell you that I have our confidence in any little any look here in history when I was- tat. The rights is, he draw Superman Logo on my chest with a marker and not some weak washbowl marker that would come off in the bathtub know. I'd be the main of steel and permanent marker and I wanted the logo redrawn every time the ink started to fade aside from my secret superhero identity, I was exactly like every other little boy Mississippi. I was fearless restless, reckless and relentless a tiny blonde ball of energy climbed up leaped from played on rolled in, ran around or found

a way to destroy whatever I possibly could in my dad and more We're thrilled about a truly from the start My parents, german Robin taught to believe Tommy to believe in myself. Of course, protecting me and worried about me at times, but they also made me believe that anything was possible. They both. Up and wonderfully stable and loving homes that had also been a little bit sheltered my mom it set a go to make sure her kids expanded their horizons. My dad said my dad made sure he didn't just spend time with his kids, but made quality time with them, gauging with us in meaningful and deeply personal ways both of them hit their pay, Ngos squarely on the head, so that's it. That sounds like you had in a very ideal upbringing. I did in an absolutely gave me, the a nation that I needed to be

the person I wanted and needed to be. And also, I believe, played a huge part in that nation now allow me to be the marine and the friend that I needed to I'm so thankful and proud. That I was in that moment stepped up. When I was needed by talking about that chapter, the book I was hesitant actually turn to rights. So much about my parents, how amazing they are and how much they did for me, because I wrote this book too. Transcend all boundaries, and I wanted to write a book- that anyone in everyone could pick up and understand, but also take lessons from but what they said. I dont want to shut anyone out either

and I know that. There are so many out there that we're not his fortune is me now born into this, able, loving, can a textbook perfect home. But as I thought about it, and through the two years of riding, sided that hopefully put it in there, and hopefully it will. Turn anyone away. If anything, those that may be dead. Get that example, that don't know not only how great of apparent can be, but also in those trials and tribulations com. What you can make it through- Is everyone? Was their kids wants to help them in and make them great by? I wanted to use my parents as an example of of the hardships I can make

it through with your child and what you can battle three together new else's. It's interesting when you come out from that angle. Because, as I was reading this thought- goes in your brain right of like well. Oh, he had this perfect childhood right No wonder he ended up good here's, the thing there's after kid, after kid in the world that have the most perfect situate, that they grow up in and it turns out backfire on. I mean what's the difference, the line between being a spoiled kid- I mean the fact that you join the Marine Corps right Have a nice I'll bring you had no reason to to say: oh I'm, I'm I'm not! I'm outta! Here, College. I want to go in the Marine corps him to be a grant them report like that's. There's a fine line right with reason: kids for kids there's a fine line between pay supportive and I'm helping and I'm gonna

I'm gonna be there for them. And turning them into spoil brats. It seems like your parents found the place where that line existed in and didn't go overboard, but at same time. You know they they provided you with sport. That makes sense Absolutely that makes perfect sense yeah. I think All the way up until working at that, can plant for tee summers wow. You know where my potentially being spoiled ended yeah I can the entire book about my parents also thank for that then there from the moment I was born and from the moment that I woke up again to this beautiful bonus round that I'm living now awesome continue along with the book. Desperately wanted siblings, but that proved

Taking the elusive goal marked with a lot of loss, the hardest was still born baby boy when I was for I've, been over the moon about getting a little brother and crushed when it didn't happen, You can imagine how devastated my parents were too. A child and feel completely powerless, as is happening, has got to be one of life greatest agonies fight we two months after my six birthday, my mom birth, two twin boys name, they named pray and Peyton and I were smitten. I cannot imagine anything in the world more special in getting to siblings at once. I could not. Been prouder way I have three older kids and when when my youngest was so, they were seven like seven, nine and eleven, or something like that, or six eight and ten and we were we found out that my wife was pregnant, we're having a another kid in. It was hollow weed and we decided we're gonna tell him you know Halloween, then we can go out trick or treating it be fun. So we set

kids down and we say we ve got some really exciting news for you all year you're, going to have another baby, brother or sister at the rear, action. The eldest daughter literally stood up and started crying and ran to a room that made my little daughter stand up. Encoder rest, I cried. I been my son's started, cried right there on the spot, it was likely delivered in the eye was caught his head. While that was exactly what we were loaded for, what we expected, I was hoping for their Kyle Carpenter reaction. My day this is also but though the whole big, I dont, know what it will. I still haven't quite figured it out. I don't know if they were jealous I think they might. I think, my oldest daughter, who is very Sensitive about like money And you know I was in the Navy, we have a ton of money. We lived in southern California should don't have. My name is not a lot of money in southern California. I think she thought to herself, How can it be older, afford the Z free, Download dismayed the other did freaked out, but

The author for a kid, that's legitimate concern- and I might the elder related Anna and we'll get to it? But you know after drowse injured at Walter Reed. Specially being Junior Marie NET, one dream, not the point you want to call it that before I went to Afghanistan and you get these pre deployment breeze by son, the ring course side of things at a time, and hopefully this book helps Canada educate. And maybe change things up a little bit as far as protocol goes, but ah in these pre deployment, breezes, It's kind of light. They tell you okay! Well, here's what's going to happen. If you come back, thankfully, okay with your unit or here's, what is going to happen and how it's going to go come back in a box and there is not really between so

ignorant or military medicine, especially that some of whom were going to down the road. Some of my best doctors are saved my life and my whims and kept me here. There can be wearing Camouflage AIR Force Army. Navy doctors, but to wake up not know that military, medicine world is out there, along with the injuries, disorientation and the medication which I was there. No one factor I had a really hard time trying to come out of I see you fog and hallucinations thinking that no, my parents, lost everything had spent everything curtain provide those meal in food on the table for my brothers and, of course, everything they boy was covered. I think it costs a little a little bit

humpty dumpty back together, again yea, and I think it as a kid For some reason you worry about this crazy. Why situations, but thinking that sort is gonna, go a little bit better of him, and you know what my daughter did realises that an extra Pack of ramen noodles didn't cost that much all right. So getting to you a little bit, I was obsessed with any kind of physical challenge, so sports became a major part of my childhood. Aside from the birth of my brother's. The thing I was most proud of was making the Brandon all stars in Brandon Mississippi when I was in first grade with coach pitch baseball league and my dad was usually throwing the balls. And then you start getting into football. You- and I was say this. So an unwritten chunks of this book for everyone, that's listening, I am obviously not reading the whole entire book and there's this only worked all kinds of

details in their great storytelling and how much you thought about that. Cause. You wrote this, but by just story, telling capabilities great, it's great story to read and But I'm jumping around, as I read this, so you know you only get part of it that way after by the book. You are worth it so here we go you're gettin, your ear in a football now he wriggle. Finally, as some are practices between my sophomore junior years came to a close, obviously just jump jumped ahead and the starting line up was posted on the door, the football field house. There was my name: Kyle Carpenter, strong safety, and what did you say at this point? be one for now, the most I had done it. I had accomplished the thing I dedicated the last three years of my life to pursuing I was a leading- and I was all it was- a new also incredibly deflating. We do learn that my family was move

To South Carolina in a matter of weeks, so your day I worked in the. Poultry industry, poultry, industry and just with a lot of them, business world out there, you move up, do good things. Given oceans, and sometimes that comes with moving around which ah every other time before that moving across the southeast in Greece we make in South Carolina area time before that was an adventure, There is always the then I guess nerves and kind of dread of going and walking into that has the new kid, especially in in our middle school years, but this time just not only knowing that I was gonna have to restart

in a way halfway through high school, but also I high school football now and the grass chemo. Why is it they'll breaker by any means? But at the time just being committed devoted every out myself? It was either class aroused working towards that goal- is starter from eighth grade until tint grain in some rapture tenth grade, and that was that those hard on just that, in addition to knowing I was gonna start over, not only that the school that our starting over at was the first to story. High school I had ever seen. I mean nad fake, fake painted doors on the wall saw the dumb pressure can walk towards those, and, yes, it is a massive school, so nine hundred thousand class. So that was done.

Being in itself, but you not to have have a move right after seeing that strong safety posted on the door, ill stuff yeah, you kind of went from you also kind of went from the small, the big in the small pond The medium sized fish small happened to be in a tiny fish in a giant pond, is it felt like here go back the book. The reputation at work so hard to cultivate with my coaches back and Savannah meant nothing here, A guy would always show up ready for practice. Give a hundred percent somebody didn't get into fit fights or get put on academic probation, No one knew how hard I worked or how delicate our, how dedicated I'd been over the past few years to develop as a leader. Basically, no one of my new school knew my character. It wasn't anyone's fault, he was just Where the chips fell, I starting from scratch is a guy with a hundred and thirty five pounds trying out for football at one of the largest high schools in the state.

I'm rarely someone who gives up at that moment. I just couldn't see the point. It wasn't worth it to me to continue making it my life's mission to earn a starting spot on the team were none of it. Coaches even knew my name. I've He's been an optimist, but doesn't mean you can't be a realist to realistically I knew I would graduate before I ever saw the field earlier than the fourth quarter, so I quit. And the following months. That decision. And the following months following that decision remit, to this day one of the lowest periods in my life I hadn't just lost. I had given up the odds If who I was for the first time in my life I felt like I didn't, have a purpose. Yeah, you know you said it seems like no big deal. Your high school football or whatever this. One of the reasons that I reverend Butkus Books, one of the reasons that I wrote a bunch of kids books is because one when I was talking to my kids, what am I about something and

What I realize you I was like in the military and we had wars going on and I was worried about. You know big things like that life after the war and I was talking to my kids about something I forget what it was, but I realized that for a kid What's going on in their world is the biggest thing in the world is the biggest thing in the world and when you, when you worked out, to play, Highschool Forborne, you make the starting team You can't even play anymore that you're home world, your whole world and that's the situation, Europe and you dad notice that He recognized that there was opportunity that there was a little one, a I would go out in the middle of nowhere and he asked you if you want to go visit it then so you went out and checked out Wyman King Academy tiny Kay through twelve christian school. How small? How small like we are we talking twenty five kids in a class we're talking.

Three wants ladys handmade for every student in K. Through twelve, we prepared the football field, the baseball fields we painted the lines we the ends on we bill the New Football field House we built the new way room and then anything but properly because I was one hundred and thirty five lbs- bring all the weights in so hot, but no it was. It was amazing and just good small town, genuine patriotic people everyone. In other words, those are trot row in the end zone in the games where the Girls- be set in the guy's with awe camouflage still turn

blood all over their pants Eliza Game. On Friday night You know I've time and you I've been a big public schools. My whole life and you know everything from the uniforms to clear backpacks. So I get to the scorn- and I feel like I did in right away and it was amazing, but at the same time it was a very different worlds. What I had experienced in what I thought was was normal school. I remember one time it was weird who started the day. We are kind of in home room and his kind incur comes in bigger. Had been turkey hunting that morning before school, and had a big knife on him, in a current. You can't

have that year. Take it back out to your truck while he is turkey. This morning Now- time to start the day, so it was different experience, but one forever thankful, for the time you know I was just I guess you could say in such a bad place. I just thought it was. Moreover, you know are not there. No. I want to go check this out. I think it could be good for me in over one I did I immediately felt how kind and loved in that family and from day one I feel like I thrived in just again some really amazing people there. I still keep in touch with today, and that still show me that. Same amount of woven support, as I did on the first day and is actually not in the book, another example how small it is. Ah,

and through the riding in the contract, we have seventy thousand words, but we went along through the two years. You really dive into deep thought and self reflection cancer branch off remembering different stories and and examples in the stories you already given and we took out. Ham sandwich story by a nickname to these three amazing. What Ladys was ham sandwich because it has in the mornin our seek in there in the back of the kitchen and make me a couple of it that does indeed they met are small Because he sandwich again, should I get breakfast base of the two hearsay answers on how pay a later, but my dad did you did you transfer? Did you already start at the other big school and go? Therefore, weeks and then leave. I did. I wear

First semester of junior year worker- and then I too, third, I guess, during Christmas parameters, as I have spent a year and a half a king, the great year and a half year, that's awesome so so that means you were going to show up with only one more year to play football as well cracked cause. You got a couple, other cool Things to in here, you'd get guest speakers would come in, and you say this one who had the greatest impact me on me with Vietnam. Better named Cleave Mccleery must end the right. Yes while serving the Marines and nineteen sixty eight cleave took heavy shrapnel from a grenade, the costumes left eye and is left at the elbow. Now, he and his wife run and profit focused on helping military families navigate. Stresses and challenges of deployment and combat injuries. At the time I wasn't as take with the fact that he had been a marine or wounded in battle, as I was with the fact that he was someone who really understood how to live. Despite

advancing age and significant injuries. He was still active, engaged and dynamic If ever there was someone who had an excuse to throw in the towel, it was clean, but he didn't I was in all his spirit that someone who had been through so much could create an incredible life, not only in spite of, but because of his experiences So that's obviously some that stuck with you and then you had a football coach coach do little was a great teacher and was really funny with the students, but he was also absolute. He would also absolutely destroy you in the past on the practice field. Push you beyond what you thought was possible so that you ended up capable, stuff. You never saw you imagined you could do. And here's how you wrapped up. I finish the season with over twenty two hundred yards and orphans. More than twenty touchdowns and three kick off returns for touchdowns. It was kind of game from playing at a big school, but I loved it. In fact,

The euro is able to play for King Academy, my senior year we went to the state championships used losing in the finals in double overtime day they get on, it was really get on. And. Yeah I'm I mean I'm just I'm thankful for their experience. I wish out of her longer, but you know, late than never so it was. I was good, yet it's an interesting called decision to leave the big score and got a little school. That's the tough decision for people to make right and. It's one of those ones while mad this close to being done. Forget about it, but you you know you made that tough decision as a kid. That's tough decisions make it was wise maybe, thankfully, at the time I was so. I guess bomb now that it helped me made that

decision, but also looking over my wife, especially that time period and moving around like with awe gray and four lessons in life a lot of times those come from the hardest and darkest days and so now, looking back and my dad has as struggled before and maybe No there's a little with the fact that no maybe moving me around so margin and the fact that I was unhappy during that. Ah, Your time in my life that that kind of lead me to join the military but, as I told him in and as I truly feel, I believe,

that moving around and and you're being forced to meet new people being forced in new uncomfortable situation. Circumstances. Now I feel like all of those times Condition maybe as the right word, but they prepared me for a life of service, for life of service, which. No really means a life of the unknown to join, and I don't think until you know you go through the things Data on a life of service you can fully comprehend or get mentally prepared, are ready for so just to know

hey. I know what I know I know who I am. I might not know what's coming next, but I'm going to confidently step forward anyway, so I am thankful for all those moves and and all those good and bad days, because I do believe it all. It gave me essential tools to step into the unknown and join the Marine corps. Yeah you know, go on, go your parents again here, the example, my parents that was instrumental in shaping who I became and how I engaged the world. Everything in our home was about developing character, humility and resilience. My parents focused on raising my brothers and me to be functional, rational contributing members of society.

Even as they let us enjoy amazing childhoods. They always had an eye on what sort of adults they wanted us to become short. Arts and church trips were given. We were spected to take responsible from responsibility for making the house run smoothly, and were encouraged to be involved with our community. Life was more about life was about more than what we could take out of it, it was making a difference not necessarily on some global scale, but by. Improving someone's day or help to lift someone up. Those are like the values you were just talking about and then you say this new- you kind of talked about this already, but you say I realise there are many people out there who want is for I fortunate to have a kind of stable, loving parents that I was blessed with, which which is why don't take my family for granted?

something to be said for the so called all merit. In childhood. But your father love your Mama stick I too your brothers or do your best always be honest and never talk back. Like any family, Ares wasn't perfect, but an absolutely gave me the foundation I needed to become the Oh, I wanted to be. As the saying goes, my pair gave me routes and wings. They, none of us have any idea how important both those gifts would prove to be. Actually never heard that term before routes and wings. But that's a good one that's a good little dichotomy. There now give him routes and wings the other things that is awesome about this. It's kind of like Let's talk about earlier here, you are from this. You know picturesque family love and support yet you still

were raised in a way that you were willing to. You noticed up and make a sacrifice, and I'm not talking about you- know, jumping to grant me start about joining the Marine corps just that right there, you others. But the I guess what I'm thing about the stereotypical spoiled kid. That's never gonna do anything like that. Didn't doesn't have to be that way right and the The other thing I like about this is respect your spent your father love your mama. Stick tight, your brother's always do your best, always be honest. Never talk back, there's, kids There's kids that look at you like that and they they all that decades, a whimper that kids, you know what's the word lookin, for kids, you know a good twoshoes screener, a square, something like that and what you're proof that that's wrong you know that this that you can be raised that way and you can be tough as nails cause.

I think the reputation of someone that would say those things level, pretty this ragged a sixteen year old son. He wouldn't say those things because he'd take all out. I want my friends to think I'm? U no soft, I'm done, deal, that's the way it is. You know you say: love your mama! Maybe what a little bit but- What kind of sounds like? Oh Persons justa a square, a goody tissues and it's like, oh what anyone I've. Actually, plainest people before. Cuz! You know in a military we get people from every background in life. Every From background and live everything kids from the Gatt Kids from the hood kids from the farm and here's the deal, kids for good, families, kids from no families, kids, I don't have a family at all and they all up in the military- it's you still even with all those diverse backgrounds, it's hard to predict

what a person's actually gonna be like one. That person is actually gonna be like annually. Need some kid from the hood and. Versus some kid from a farm somewhere versus some kid that went to a private school is whole life and you don't had a fantasy about being the seal team, so he enlisted, even though his dad, you know, has ten houses, but that's what it does and you just tell what that person's characters can be like based on how they were raised. That's that's just the way it is out of you notice that absolutely absolutely from every background, and you get you might have. Rich kid, that's a total loser in your team. Or you might have a rich kid. That's great I had a guy Who was? He was wealthy beyond wealthy right. He had more money, his family had more money. Then you, oh Then a family could ever need in. Twenty generations like we're talking

generational wealth and I didn't know it. He was he was in. There is a hard somebody asked me about this. We think this guy of this guy. I said great those hard workers, great new guys, put now these make us happen, and they. Weird and howls. I isn't what weird and they said it just so weird that he's like that, and I say that What why is it weird and he said well, you know His last name is right, and I said yeah but I didn't connects the last name with ass name and it turns out. Yes, he said this guy. He he's got, We need money, basically, and I never would have known it millionaires cause he was just a hard work and head down guy. That was you had listed in the Dang seal teams. That's awesome, and you never know that so, it's what I think this this call. Out to me, you know, is that this type of attitude gets frowned upon.

And I guess that's a little bit of what you know what you were saying. You don't even know if you want to write about this stuff. That's what it's not like you saying I on and off right about this, because it's a little bit but some people might you know not connect with it's like hey. It's ok, you should connect with you. Can you should what people to do is look the positive look at the past if things behind this you know that's what I think and I think it's also that you did write about it and What did you say here? You actually you used. Yes, he said that there is something to be said for it right: coal, green. That's amazing that you to take that from you and I pretty telling me this because and I've never talk about this before by I always just to myself in my head battle with the classic the nice guys finish last argument because

for my entire life. My mom always, I said, know your your biggest weakness and it this was not in a negative way, but more just just wanting to look out for me. You know being too trusting people being too nice, and so you know I kind of plan off this. You know, should I be a little more hardcore, a little more aggressive, a little more, not me because you know I need to be in this world, but not I've

I believe, learn and realize overtime. That- and this is just me personally, but you know what I do and I deeply care about people- and you know I do feel like. Maybe I am a little too nice at times, but You know for that one time every once in a while, I am, I get walked all over. You know there's a hundred times that I am thankful, and I am proud of myself for always in a really striving to treat every single person, no matter what the circumstance with love and respect

And now start to go over the gray just turn. Thirty two over this long, you know sought the eye looking man, you know I do feel like now. Finally, starting to get to a place where looking back, I do realise that it's not a bad thing in all to be, if you wanna, say soft or a square or you know whatever it is, and you know when the times as a marine in Afghanistan when I needed to be when I was called upon when that was appropriate for that situation. In that mission, I feel like going into a room first with the saw- taken in the door.

Well, hang UNAIDS, Alma, Omar plate carrier You know that was me at that time, but now I do feel like I've gotten, as far as I have in life and done Well, as I have obviously with the amazing support team in the people that pick me up when I stumbled, but aside from there, I do feel, like my softness, I guess, has got me. You an incredible place in life. You know this. There is a saying which I was thinking of. As you were talking. That the saying Is- and I know you ve heard it before, because I know I have the saying is: don't mistake, kindness for weakness. And if you think about why that saying exists, saying exists for two reasons: one big.

As people do mistake, kindness for weakest people see someone it's nice and kind, and I think all that persons a pushover So that's one reason that that statement exist. The other reason That statement exists. Is there saying don't do that because it's a mistake because, kindness is not weakness. In fact, kindness takes strength. And when you have that person that has that internal fortitude. And they have the self assurance that they don't need to know what makes someone walk around with their chests. You know put pushed out actin like there too, Most of time, those tough geyser act like their tough because their insecure about something that that's going on and so when people actually have when people are kind. It's is there secure? I can do like I try. I turned you do too, I'm way nicer. I would I started training jujitsu. When I was. I started tree twenty something,

became nicer and nicer and nicer the more I train trained jujitsu, because I realized We're gonna need to act like a tough guy early to walk around my come, some intimidating notes I go notified somebody wants bother me than I can handle it, but I really don't want to cause our need to write. So I think that idea of mistaken kindness for weaknesses. There there's a reason why that term get said and there's a reason why you you best heed that any other. As you know, when you just talked about well I'll say this: Kindness may have a negative impact in the short term. Sometime right. I think that's what you're talking about like hey, sometimes oh, this person kind of got what they wandered in that immediate short term thing. You know somebody You know somebody cut in front of light and instead of maybe like hey, you know back once you don't want to market anything, it's fine I think myself represent progress, be somewhere. You who knows

They ve got going on in their life, whatever they got, kids and whenever so fine, they they might we in that situation right there, but over the long term be being I know people and help be blossoming. Look at this support, network that you just talked about those people were supporting you obvious, they're doing it cause they're good people. Due to cause you're a good person, No, that little extra effort with they say a disguise good human being this guy said, hide me. This guy was nice to me this guiding flip when I made a mistake like ok, the the long term, everyone just she's gonna, win every single time longer legacy. Short term. There's gonna be some some jerk That's gonna walk around and push around its like. Ok, everyone just saw what just happened. Come back here into the store into the situation, and you want to know extra help from somebody. It's just you're, not gonna, get what you want.

Why are you still? I was the admiral's aid for a while, and I used to have to book us travel no pressure, no pressure and use it to see me back. I write off the island. We are not logistical plane tickets are going. Are you a ragged hard? But here is a great guy, a nice guy, but you know you wanna, take care of the bosses guidance in charge of all the seals, and I want to make us life easy, so I would be. Looking travel and we'd, get bad seats like on an aircraft. And I would call up the Dang help desk of delta or America, whoever whatever airline- and I spend at least the first like two minutes, of saint hey. Are you do your? They say? How can I help you, and I say I do not just set up some travel and I'd, make some little small talk and I'd be nice to give Don t you like the chances of success when you were just nice to people just just just be nice. I may say well

the date of the first response, but no the seats are about. Like I'd, say you know, wow Is there anything I could do I've? I got my boy, I don't usually complain about my boss, that's how connect with em you know my boss, he's gonna. I work for His guide he's can be a bit horse which is actually not true, so down a little white lie for they relate here as soon as I was soon as they related to me as like someone that was just a work and not like they were they say. Ah, you know what I can get you an upgrade right, let me get you a window or whatever they just take care of me just by being nice. You know where I was guarantee you you get phone with someone at our airlines and you start say, look I booked issued to rescue. You need to give me that shit. I want theirs pass your accident on the next, why there are even now now you're on the next wonder of middle, see forty seventh role here in the cargo, but you know that you're exactly right, a kidney set it better and

with. All that said always cannot forget light the biggest to this end. After yet heavily grenade nets. So gay people are taken, I have to I hopefully that in a cell gives me a little bit of credit that gives you some credit guess. How many hammer on your parents a little bit more, will not hamper on them, but bring a muddle of, but more my parents did not believe in short cuts. I always claimed I believe, the same thing until I was Eighteen to my dad got me a job at that in processing plant where he worked. I figured I would get some kind of an errand boy starting the coffee in the mornings may be feelings and paper worker answering phones in the air conditioned office dad. Didn't pull the though

and I was definitely not the bosses son. I was Kyle the new higher you go into that it's. Obviously it's it's real hard work, real hard work, very hard work, then this is this what you get out of it! This is again looking at life of what can I learn? Can you know you were saying earlier that all these different situations that you've been in that prepare you for the future in this is one of them as awful as I thought that job was, I developed a whole new appreciation not only for the value, but also the importance of hard work. It was sobering for me to realise first hand how many hard working people do a job that allows us to grab food at a store with giving a second thought to how it got there. So you you're learning about work. You know this is. This is what it is. And also learn to appreciate once again you want when we talk about being raised in a shell, situation, you know that's it's. What that is you don't understand what goes into that choice?

in Patty, that's coming onto your plate at night. You know we have Factory up and main and there's where we They close. You know any when people don't realize. Oh some somebody made that somebody so that you don't you people did their fingers in danger themselves just trying to make a pair of genes or time away from their family exact course. It's a job, but still there, there is real sacrifices out there in the world and its and that's it mark made of by the way, That's what America is hard working, people that that put in paddies on your plate, and put a pair of genes in your drawer. And then you also start in some leadership. Skills your also gained an important and important enter in my supervisor Rodney Taylor. He was in charge of of invitation for the plant and a leader like none. I had met before he was rough around the edges. Inauthentic you

although the sleeves and worked alongside his team, whenever an extra set of hands was needed, he wasn't above grime or hard work. Since workers at the plant were from various walks of life, he to relate to his people in order to be able to indicate effectively with them, rather than getting frustrated at the differences in everyone's backgrounds. He believed that his workers would respect him more if he was to connect with them directly. He all I believe that they will do their job own job more efficiently, if they were afraid to ask him for clarification, that's look decentralized command. You know, hey boss, why are we doing this? Can you explain this to me yeah, absolutely add, by the way we communicate to you in a way that respectful that you'll, understand that you can relate to these are so really good lesson learned from the jacket factory, yeah also two more things he had this guy

It worked on your kind of his right hand, man and I I did see him get out, get dirty get down on his hands and knees. Work show us how to do certain things, and provides. For every one time he left his office. Guy his right hand, man came in fifteen twenty times a day. And so now. After Ernie met title becoming a marine, seeing how in core military is as far as effective communication and a gating. What was going on there now and also a big portion of the workforce at Chicken factory was from hispanic community, Mexican Americans and. After he got that position he would

his workers in while he was working on learning spanish himself, bring in a man all day, just asking questions. Had you conjugate this? How do you say this and he. To where you completely fluid, and he did that now I realize, because he needed the most effective communication. He didn't need anything he could afford to have anything. Lost in translation just because and learn second language know Joe a course you could a guy in his right hand, man in their got. You know any number of people out of the plant to help him out with that, but he wanted to do that. You wanted to take ownership of that position and those under him, and so through that and and just those simple lessons and him telling me just story which now don't seem anywhere near as crazy, but

where's from his service and many of them were but just then that unless you enter our world you know on the other side of it are not only powerful by incredible to listen to to think about to try to you not thank you effectively can but to try to visualize or put yourself in those situations like John TAT of a plane and broke your wagon picture, shoot up and kept run into your objectives. What are you talking about right now? but just things like that. That is leadership along with those stories of of your perseverance and just aggressiveness and determination, all of that together

made me not only realise what a leader could be also. You know, planet that seed, sorry, that fire in kind of game me that burning of of of knowing that is more out there and And seeing what maybe, with hard work and dedication I could become not has perfectly, but just how he carried himself and that the way he even as sanitation supervisor at a poultry process sing facility. You know that we shit that he brought every day and how All of those under him were not only structured by extremely effective in I never.

Hung out off. So I probably because I got so many call stories, but in never end, they wouldn't have. Come in and reprimanded hammered talked him about business in front of me anyway, but noise heard about issues with Cuba. With you know: Go down the list of all the pieces that help make this company was never hey, we need to start from the beginning, sanitize the plan again, everybody knew what they were do and how to do it and they knew they worked hard and did it right and had that effective communication That error was gonna, not only complete the mission, but over get out of there at a decent time, but you. Conscious of these things, as it was happening, or is this? You look back You go while I learned this therein. I run this there or at the time we, you saying, hey, disguise

good leader hopefully at the time, but I think, like with things. I realise a lot more now, looking back than I did at the time but I knew that it was a special and different and it was unique. What else? Meriting and learning at that time and he was prior military marine out there. A hooker here? We, the now restart, put the pieces together, Also where the most creative swear, I've ever heard comes into play so The little shock, interiors yeah my little baby eighteen there, that's all some. People can do a pretty well and you can definitely get a good background in creative swearing in the United States Marine corps

impressive and, yes, you can get a PH d ya. Think I'm just you know. Maybe that's bachelor's masters level. I never sworn from my kids, but I would take my son too. Mining sites when I was sure turning guys in the team and tunes and- and I think the first time he listened to me- give a deep if we see opportune his eyes were as bigger sauce replacement, because I you know these are running away cry like my own emailing enemy, rather already thought that was like that that bus bids serious dark right there, you could see the look on his face was pretty funny camp. It just like we are talking about here- is a time and place for everything he ate. My pattern. Commanders are guys at work for me back, come over my house. And I ve never swear my house. You know not never front. Went on my kids in and they come over

like how do you do that here? It is out of sight. Now gets wherever you can have your kids run scratch. Your kids will imitate you get have that so? So um you start gettin done with you know, high school. You start looking at college and that sort of the expected path, but, You you're senior year was what two thousand and seven is that when you graduated, two thousand and eight thousand eight. So what How can the wars on I mean it's odd and Well. You say this in here look round. The world terrorist activity was increasing from the London Subway bombing two thousand and five to kill fifty two people and wounded about almost seven hundred to Mumbai train bombings in two thousand and six that killed nearly two hundred people and injured more than eight hundred every I turned on the news it seem like the world was in chaos.

War is awful and I believe it should be a last resort, but sometimes it can be only way to restore some kind of order and help those in need. It seems to me that the United States military had a mission to do exactly that and I fit the bill of someone who could contrive You too, that effort Young healthy, fit willing to be challenged and eager to be part of something bigger, myself, it was at last. Part that affected me the most as I suited. What my life might look like. If I took a different path, I found myself increasingly disillusioned with the traditional expected path. The more I looked around ecologista more detached began to feel detached I begin to fuel for, from the whole experience. I could definitely see the appeal for many people, but it wasn't where I felt I needed be at that point, my life, I turn ninety in October and had been sitting in classrooms. My entire life.

There were some major events in the course of human history going on in the world. At that time I wanted to get out and do something. So you start thinking about it. And you talk about with parents and that, how is that? your mom doesn't do stoked on that. Was it was a difficult to say the least part of my journey and You know too, for a couple of mines, sure I had initially tenor Bergman On what I was really thinking about, and considering Like you said, we were in a time of two serious complex

and who knows where things were going to go from there with all of these terrible feeling and just Real things happening around the world and for a couple of months she needs to see my mom in the morning I dreaded walk into the living room and seeing her eyes, red and swollen and knowing that she had been crying through the night yourself because she was so scared and so concern for I was going to do this at the time I think she's thinking, hopefully not, but if I was going to do this, no man, her sign, her oldest son, could be put in harm's way or kill. By in after a couple of mines. I sat down again

you know. Yes, I agree that one day I was gonna get my dog There's gonna go back to school that that was a priority, but now the priority that I could complete at that moment. Thirty years down the road in. I know- will say that and then eventually dont go and just kind of classic, I'm gonna do this, and then that really work out for whatever reason, but that kind of secondary. I sat him one day in and when I told them. And after are obviously took the time to think self. Reflecting in truly decide if this is not only what's right for me, but what meant? me when I decided that and I sat down- and I told them this is not

Were I want to do with my life, but this is what I need to do and I have to do and. Not only do I feel cod to do this by. No matter what happens, this is my decision, and this is the path, at least for now that deep down aside, I need for myself. No one. I told him that they always London supported me, but in that moment, as tough as it was they gave me a hug and, and from that moment on, they were serving with me and they have always then again, they boys always always supported me, but I guess

that moment that conversation in NAM hearing that I believed it was my purpose. I think that ended thee period, and maybe denials not the right word but the period of oh, maybe he's just thinking. This is cool phase for just a face. Yet just a phase miles you did your mom or dad have any military experience either themselves or with their parents, know. Well, no one in my family, except for my mom's dad, who unfortunately die when I was very young. So think I one picture with him in I've deathly, not remembering how was he a career military guy? Ah. He were Navy guy hooker. Yeah, I think he spent it wasn't just see, nor for your term he's he's pissed some significant time in the sea to me like

if in many cases it would be harder for parents, they don't like you MIKE if your kid join the military or my kid join the military. If I know what he's doing- and I was getting into, I know what it's like and what's going on, you know, what's going to happen, unknown of just thinkin cause. What let's face it, what Hollywood per can portray the military to be like is a lot different from the military, really is and not tariff. We must absolutely as even used some people I think that your they think that the twenty years in another, these twenty years in boot camp does what they think they, twenty years of people Yelena Scrimmage units like now, that's thirteen right or whatever its very short the time and then you become a response, human being that's doing stuff, but an thou, and also I mean the chances of going to war

chances of being on the front lines, the chances of being an actual direct combat and then the chances of getting action He heard wounded or killed r, r, r, relatively small compared to what it looks like in Hollywood movie, Hollywood movie, it's like everyone's gonna fight, everyone's gonna war, everyone's gettin blown up, like that's what happens in the movies. It's not like that in the real military, so had plenty people ask me about that, and and yet The bottom line is the other side the spectrum is people think all that will never happen me, but also in its like no it is what happens when you do join the military. You put your name on that line. That means you have the possibility of this happening in order to give you could be there. You could go to war. You fight, you can give will need you could get killed. That's what the that's all that's enough, That is, that is one of the things that can happen without question, and I feel it

that is a statement that you say maybe you're not at the ripe, ways to sign on the dotted line, you arrived I've told many young aspiring seals. Want to be in the seal teams and you know that don't ask me questions about. You know the work out in the you know that kind of thing, if you like, You dont join the seal teams to work out. Do you work out the Jim to work out a twenty four hour fitness? when you'd, when you join the seal teams, why you join the seal teams to do is kill people and then what, you're, killing people, there's gonna, be people that are trying to kill you by the way. Sometimes they do it, they could kill. You make a kill. Your friends they're, not gonna care about your six pack, your in your work plan. No, no, That's amazing that people come you and aspire to be something that you ve accomplished, but

how many times have you heard? I wanna be a seal. Definitely lots of times, and- and I was just saying that yesterday, you know it's the bottom line is most people quit. Eighty percent, people quit. And that number really hasn't changed. So cool. You want to do it, but how bad do you want to do it? You know how bad do you want to do? It is the quest Do you have the intestinal forth? You did you have the right mindset go into it again, I'll care you from care what background from I've seen every day. From cut type of person. You can imagine, make it through training and I've seen every different type of person. You can imagine quit through the treaty. Champion wrestlers champion athletes quitting you know the Ivy League people quitting don't know, and then you get some from a farm in Iowa makes it

How would you like nobody wanted? The reason I say that surprising isn't cause his former farm and I were but every group in a form and I what does a decent judge? You never seen the ocean before and here you can see so so yeah. It's definitely something to think about and I guess what I'm saying is from your mom's perspective there two wars going on edge. You know Did you tell me want to join the Marine corps out of the gate? Did you go straight home run to the marine corps? that probably I didn't help that would be infantry. I did it and so doubling put this in the book by and I will try to be open and honest no matter what situation in our kids. I recommend lying near parents by it. I just kitten,

I couldn't hit him with to haymakers in a row, so I pulled the I was. I was military or police to to start out and then he's them into it after boot camp not really use them at all, but they found out after a little bit of time to digest just the marine corps. Piece of air, do you get a choice of an adolescent marine corps. Now was a kid. You joined the Marine corps real, Were you joined the Marine corps and then you got whatever Simon you're gonna get everything's open conjure. As far as I could tell you again, man, I was not Zactly. Smart now would opposite. Tito was even double, but you God, I've, never soccer marine corps recruiter, and it was like you know I want to be here. I wanna be a machine gutter. You don't he's like well will you join the brink or ever was riflemen Unring or ok, we're gonna be machine gutter. Well, you, I'd be, but you know you need a joint marine corps and I never got an answer that made sense and not

the impression I got. Was you join the Marine corps and then you got assigned whatever you gonna get a sign. I think later on, they started saying. Ok, we need to start allowing people some say over where they end up, but thankfully things have changed the occurred. Sir you so did you did actually ever have military. This your other lesser, that just fabricated completely I use the word lie: aid yeah yeah, no, definitely not occasionally actually, but I did You know: cuz, nothing is really official until you going and raise your right hand and all the paperwork as official. So it was what I was going Or for a few months by as I thought about it. You know if I was going to do this, I was going to fully commit and I wasn't

Not the most important thing was was earning that title that Eagle Globe in Ankara and becoming a marine by it get his ad upon not be entreated myself here You have a section in here on. On being true to yourself in coming months and years, I would learn what an essential part of the Marine Corps leadership is being ones word. Your fellow Marines have to be able to trust you completely and you them. Each marine has no that everyone else will keep their word. Otherwise, you can't stay focused on the right things, even more that, however, seeing promises through his reflection of your character and integrity and in it natural part of integrity is respecting yourself enough to defend and follow through on your personal convictions. So this was this was a personal conviction of yours that you are. We need to move forward with so you'd

when you unlisted, we raised right here. Did you have infantry o three eleven infantry? I did get some help. I can never resist getting a little bit of boot camp at activity here back of the book as you near the gate of Parris Island, the bus driver tells you put your head between your legs. Then you ride with your head down until the bus stops and the doors open they do this. If you try and run away while Abu Camp, you won't know which direction the only exit is, it sounds crazy, but it also makes sense given what's coming next its to be a universal feeling for every marine I've ever talk to anyway, when that, when that job. Or door is jerked open on the bus and you step out onto the famous yellow footprints as a new recruit you are with a mixture of thoughts. Is it real? What's going on, what have I done? Oh no, this is the beginning of a for your obligation that can't get out of I know I absolutely had those feelings at first, but I also

was determined that this was what I suppose be doing so. I resolved to let anything get to me easier. Said than done at Marine Corps boot camp so very go you're. Did that? you didn't classic Marine corps its way. I mean how many times have you seen for metal jacket prior to this ah. Crazy answer: had not all mine I know that have you seen maybe camp stuff, maybe for the best known I. Have you ever seen a rate in our movie before you know I, GA. Ay

It didn't matter to me to do the research, because it, didn't matter what was going to be, run a mere what I was going to be put up against experience, and so My mindset going into boot can work well I join the military, likewise to commit, devote my life, in purpose and now my body to something greater then myself or any one individual. I join them Marine corps growing, by always welcomed and thrive on that challenge. And so I knew my limit at that point in up to that point in my life, But I joined the Marine corps specifically because I wanted something that We would push me past those limits that

I knew about myself, but when made me really look deep down inside myself to discover not only how far I can go and how hard I could push myself, but who I could become in the marine, I could become an so after a little time, exciting new too much research, ya, think see one or two raided our movies with permission. You know This thought about it as hey. I don't think any amount of research can prepare I for one am about to the endeavours about two to take on. And knowing that and that there is really no point and even trying to know or prepare.

My mindset was just I'm gonna. Do this, I'm gonna fully commit no matter what happens I made a vow to myself that I would never quit, and you know I even I couldn't prepare visualize what was coming. I just was always thinking to myself. Ok when those moments do come there never more moments where I want to quit, or I feel like a mad. Those limits that I just I can't get past.

I just thought. Okay in those moments right now remember remind yourself how you fell right now before you went in the how specialists is tee, how how much this means to you, your purpose of wanting nothing more than to earn the Eagle Globe and anchor and in a few poor, probably owl. Why haven't remind yourself or that you obviously already know that, but as we all know in this room? Aha, in those moments with remembering those things and mining yourself and self, reflecting about those things that's why I think it is he too, while not easy by,

It allows you to hang up that tell or ring the bell, and so it was not more specifics that were coming my way, the just thinking about when those things that I couldn't even imagine at the time when they do com How am I going to handle it? How do I want to handle it, and how can I learn and become better and try and strive to become the best version of myself hey. What do you want? Nineteen years? Oh, yes, I was Eighteen, when I joined the navy- and you are about five thousand times more introspective and far from here from a leg of city Leslie, do you just said something like the things that I can I imagine the things I can't imagine. I couldn't even imagine anything I was just like so dumb.

You heard that saying you're going to be stupid. You got to be tough. That was written about me. I was like oh I'm going to seal teams. That's what I'm going to do. What am I going to do to get ready? I don't know they run, I'm going to run. They swim, I'm going to swim. They're not going to quit what you said so such they say that party brain isn't fully developed until you're like twenty five. Maybe years was a low, but only or maybe might was a little bit later. Does your way more interest, spectre than I ever was I was they got knuckle, drag her and you know and even when you said, research you're, like right and duty research I didn't will do I wasn't. I don't watch for mental jacket to do research dick I ever research to anything, but do I've bristling thirty you're, just it was a movie, and I said all that looks the others, the cool warmer we I want. Every war movie I capacity watch and than that. Opening scene of The opening scene, which is forty five minutes long for mental jacket,

In my mind with I would thank all of you saw that you'd know what was coming right, you know like ok, these guys, you yeah scream to Sababa walk, and you just did you do in here that buddy, at these incredibly introspective thoughts about what could happen if these situate, unlike sitting here, baffled I was able to accomplish anything because I never felt ready of it to that level. It's crazy, thus giving, as you know, brains are known for being, smart technology, so I can hold it down. Somebody put her a meme up it's a happy birthday Marine Corps and A picture of a two hundred and forty golf and then for- and it said they had a picture of the two hundred and forty golf, and it said plus and head for crayons that he said you were this many today I was like yeah. That's that's pretty funny. Good humor. A couple of things about about leaders,

bananas. Talk about leadership all the time, and you got this. Book like any successful and efficient organisation. The marine corps emphasizes leadership at the foundational level, with every marine trained and ready to take over the job above them. If the situation calls for this appeal, to me as being a part of the military, the discipline that shapes recruits into leaders obviously the way the Marine corps does. It is not the most pleasant approach. But it has a remarkable success rate. Then you talk. At this. I was honoured to be named a squad. The early on and hold that position through good, situation. If the d I decide, you have earned the right to stay in that role and you graduate a squad leader. You will leave boot camp at the rank of private first class, rather than private is an honor, but it does come with its drawbacks. You help

maintain order, but you also have to share the punishment with any one in your squad. Who needs to be disciplined if one of your guises told yes do pull up pushups you be they're, doing them right alongside him. That was one of the best Lessons in leadership the Marine Corps taught me a true Leader is not someone who keeps themselves separate from the people they lead. He or she is right in the middle of what the team is going through, sparing seeing the lows as well as the highs with everyone else,. Then you go on here. There times, when I got in trouble for something that one of my squad members had or had not done, and I had to be willing to accept that ultimately the responsibility for the execution of any order, came back to me since I had been trusted with the job of seeing it through and you're gettin that in Marine Corps book. Then his soul, a jet. So again in its

Something did I mean. Obviously I wrote a book called extreme ownership, which means that you know you're in leadership position, you're responsible for everything that happens on a per cent and and their teaching you this with simple tool to teach. You called worships Taylor, whereas right out of my mouth, you made that connection, though that's that's I find pretty amazing about you that you're making these connections see for me, look back at my career I see where I learned things I learned from more like a dog learns right, like I learned like. Oh you know, if I will this to happen. I need to do that. Like I don't you know your dog isn't saying your dog isn't philosophizing about how to get another tree right there just performing an action. Does it worked, It's kind of how I learned. When I look back, My career Had a bad leader and I'd see what they didn't, not that doesnt work good market to do that then,

good leader. They all that work, good immunity, that kind of like a dog getting trained. That's how I felt an it seems like you were actually connecting. Legitimate leaders. Principles even that that young age Even we you're the chicken factory, you make an app, that's pretty impressive man, thanks man, I wish I would have pulled that off and make any light feel like kind of smart right now. I don't know what to think going on here. By the time we got to the crucible, the gruelling fifty four hour culminating event. The cap's off your time at boot. Camp opportune was one unit that felt as if we were to live or die together every obstacle in the crucible, his name for different marine. Who is aware, The medal of honor part of it, billions is learning their stories of bravery and low. Multi honouring the history of which were are all about to become a part as newly minted Marines ring. Where's motto is sent, prefer Dallas, meaning always faithful. I wanted

to be a leader who is always faithful to the people with whom I was serving. I paid special attention to the each to the story- Each medal of honor recipient as the Diys counted them as we move through the crucible. It felt profile and sacred and monumental. I wanted to understand what made a great marine. That was also the reason why, when it started raining just three hours into my crucible, my feet quickly, blistered beyond recognition, I decided to hike the ten miles back to the barracks, anyways. Because my feet were bleeding so bad. The hours offered a ride in the medical van at the end of the second day, but I refuse to take it. Why are you I can, on your tiptoes, recruit the Bijou yelled at me, but I was not. To take the easy way out, I'm gonna stay with me, two, no matter how much pain I was in. You end I know hike as the sun is coming up at the pre deck in front of the evil GMO Memorial.

It is there that you are handed your the global, Agar insignia or easier as it is factually called they play The EPA in your left hand and shake your right at that moment, you officially earned the title Marine chills, health. That's that's new, relatively new that you get your ego global hanker after the crucible in blue how many weeks in the book camp is it You're their total about thirteen and a half weeks and the crucible happens. A little less than a week before you run about twelve weeks, your right there right here at the end of it. Yeah- that's that's.

That's powerful and it actually stepped up a little bit. Here you go to family day. You have the graduation ceremony and then this happens. It was a relief no. The boot camp was over, but I broke into a cold sweat when d I drove them Billingsley pulled me aside and asked to talk to me alone for a minute behind the racks and a squad Bay Carpenter. Here, where's, your e g, a retreat, my e g from my cover and brought it to him. He took off his drilling. Doktor hat and his own insignia and here I want you to have this. He said he saw something special in me in that respect, my determination to complete the ten mile hike, even though I would have been medical excuse from doing so. As were the most surprising in their impact for moments of my thirteen weeks and boot camp. That's pretty crazy! It wise and I mean now looking backwards. And more crazy, because I've never heard of that happening,

anyone else, and maybe it has in just come up but yeah before we dig it behind the racks, though I thought was made homeless, get out here alive. Yeah was, I mean floored blown away and. Maybe in a way a little confused to say the least. When you talk to you do talk about, you had a little bit of relationship with them after that did he tell you what was his reason for doing that? That's a big deal especially when he was the one that. You know you always had those leaders, Joe instructors. There are extra hard on you and seen to always take on you pick you out and Up until that moment, I felt like it was his

mission everyday waking up even at the time. We don't even think that that those guys slept his mission. Waking up every day to destroy, recruit car and I wholeheartedly believe that any did a ah great job at it, so You know that That moment was very powerful and- also showed me that you're, not a a good and effective leader at times can seem very hard on you. But but journalist shorter at the time sergeant, weak Billingsley. I realise that.

At least from just what I knew, and in that moment and the past thirteen weeks, that in again my opinion, but the most effective, leaders. Yes are hard on you. Yes, bring the hammer down daily if they need to buy now to have that moment and they have leaders that, yes, they do this. Are you all day, but at the end of the day they say you down and they. A calm, we respectfully effectively and efficiently talk tee and and tell you hey. This is why I you all day- and I didn't do it because I don't like you- I did

Because I do see that potential- and I am in I know the risks- I'm a sorry- I've been in, I know what you could potentially be going into And so to give the reasons not only why there so hard on you, but also to tell you This is why- and I do it because. I care, and not only that they give you the tools to fix, whatever it was- that brought that pain and suffering initially and not only tools to fix it, but how you can become better and how you can a gate, those mistakes and make them less and less over time. So yeah

I think, probably because out of a nice mix of fear and just completely dumbfounded that this was happening. Ah, I, and I was at a loss for words but again and now we're or great friends. I saw a few months ago we had a beer together, Yeah, that was a that was an important lesson that I've always carried with me that you know people that care about you, the people that want to make you the best version of yourself x, have to be hard. I was so what the last job I had in the seal teams, was training. The waistcoat seal teams and I'd be put in place. Through these really hard training, evolutions and I was really harsh debriefing.

The training was really hard. We set up super hard training and then- and then I was in- credibly, horsing debriefs, and I actually A guy like too eyes that record these two there were they work for me, but they would record debriefs like I'd, be debriefing and they would record them. I've heard em and I'm like really harsh. I mean just one and just pointing out all these mistakes and just really horse guys and what I realized it up There's two things it made me realize it, but one as our eye works. Upon gas name. Movie Yama, who is a army guy, and he for David Hack Worth and anyways. Became a general, but he was like one at that. You should principles that he talks about is like the most important things that you care about your people, so I

that in the back of my mind, all the time right and it's what you just said like when you know someone who cares about you, then you, you're, willing to listen to what they have to say There's that and then I started ass. I started thinking to myself. You know what I was. People what you started off, saying like ok, be nice to people right, Be nice, you know how you know when you, when you're communicating someone be nice cause, that's how you get people listen to you. It's kind of contradictory or think yourself, that's kind of contradictory. The fact that I'm telling people to be nice- but I know for a fact enough, Kirk recordings of me being oh the top harsh on guys. And I said to myself: how is it that cause? I would get feedback those guys. You know, either six months later, two years later, five years later or or that day they be saying that thanks thanks exit, good stuff, I need to work on that. I myself, how our

what am I doing? That's a lot. What did I do at that time? That allowed me to be. Brutally harsh. With these deep. And I realize that general move. Yama, explain it to me, he didn't say it Likely to me at the time, but I came to understood- understand it. What it was when I was putting guys through training. All those guys knew that more than anything else in the world. I cared them and their men, and I wanted them to be able to go overseas, accomplish emission and bring guys home and I cared about that more than anything. And so they knew that They knew that. I wanted them to bring You guys home a knew that I didn't bring. My guys woman, I didn't want them ever, have to feel that they. New? I cared about and not allowed me to say: hey you screwed this This is what you need to fix. You need to do this better and they accept.

For the same reason that you listen to and learn from Billingsley this, because you knew that he cared about it. That's the difference in their every time. You not harsh you're, not really those lessons good could be inshore moment downrange is the couple months later that not for your trainees is obviously longer, but no it in the short for every mistake that no, you weren't so harshly for could be a life altering or life. Ending. No mistake, though, that could have been corrected before so yeah. Is only right that I remember coming back from remedy and I'd be doing. Urban were Orban combat training with guys

if I saw guy it, didn't happen. It happened for probably like six months. When would see like a young new guy seal standing in the middle of street with no cover I will get. I would feel sick to my stomach like a just a real lack of sickness. I would over because I would think that they're gonna get you know, and I'm gonna be However, we do wish to argue I'd like trying to teach them that lesson that man, if you An urban environment or Amy environment you can not be standing out the open you move cover to cover, that's what you do. Don't set up. You're gonna get shot, and I would I felt this sickness in myself, comic eludes us. It's the same thing that you'd feel you know patrolling in Almaty too. I can army Garcia. One of my guys, like standing in the opening of its like, makes you feel sick cause you're waiting for roused come out. And so yeah that absolutely has in and in a far timeline to your. U get guys that would go through

basics, your training, go to seal qualification, training and deployed if they got a sign to a that was on the planet. They go unemployment, so yeah like. You could have. We I had in Romania O walk. I shall over that were we beyond deployment they show up, and you know we wouldn't thrown into an assault drain or whatever, but hey be extra security, and we would we start to use em we needed bodies we needed. We need men so that it can happen password safe from training the author Ahmadi, yeah yeah. That's that that's an interesting way to get broken. The teams, especially because we are talking about earlier, like the to combat that you may or may not see in a career. You know if your first deployment is to remedy. That's gonna tell children an half way through it might do you agree with that

see their trained and you read what we did, what we did with them as we didn't have high expectations we weren't like okay, now you're gonna be driver of the lead vehicle like no yeah, we we would. We would continue- trade while we're there? They start off doing some really simple and then, if they did ok and we continue to work with and we'd get him up to speed and eventually they'd be the bureau. But your what's what what's crazy You talk to guys that in Vietnam guys we're in Vietnam. You you just get replaced so just come in Would you show up and going I wrote, you don't be your dear three hundred sixty five days up you're going home and here's a new got to take your place and that's it and there was no continuity, wasn't like work, like what we got the luxury of doing work up to. Together, lived together, then point together as a unit. Do our work and come home together site doesn't, did they didn't work that way? Vietnam, which undoubtedly that is undoubtedly bad. You know I had

Jim web on here. Who is the maybe Cross Recipient Marine Corps, but you know story he's like was finished? The naval academy goes the base. Your school goes to their little short in condensed infantry course, That's like eleven weeks long gets fourteen days leave flies to Vietnam, and then they take him out on a patrol they point up to a region in the wet year. Petunias up there go take it over. And then he walks up their use. Hey I'm here to take over for the particular gulped examiners dead. Welcome aboard. This is sergeant. You know Smith and he's been running things, and then that night they got. Out into a heavy contact and he was on the radio call Danger close fire sport that night twelve hours, stolen grand crazy, bad It is not that show how efficient the marine corps is that you could take a guy like that, and they

would actually be up to speed your that's incredible, that's incredible, and then I would we just had guy in the park gas that was army, range or a special forces officer and heated listed, but he got ve rangers Got to oh S got to special forces school and then volunteered to be inside in Vietnam, and I was, I said you know well It was hard to get selected and he was like Oh, he goes, it was Vietnam. You know the survival rate of an officer in Vietnam was like nothing, and he said if you want a volunteer for that, they were like oh yeah, come on come on over here. Oh you're, a volunteer for special forces. Go come on. Oh yeah be Reginald, they come on over you and no problem. There was no resistance whatsoever. It was just why open doors, because so many the casually rates were so high. We going to have a little bit of a luxury nowadays, the way that we do in the army, everyone does that went out pretty much you can.

You can lose guys sometimes or you can have guys replaced. You know in all branches I think, but you know they're not gonna. There are going to do what they did during Vietnam. Again, I think everyone recognises that was not a good plan you had often very go to school, veteran infantry as so- why which Is awesome, and you describe that here for the next two months, life consist of learning how to master various weapon systems. That would be vital for our service in Afghanistan that and take progressively longer hikes where you dig fighting holes, learn how to operate the radio or the middle. Nowhere in combat survival depends on finding the right place. The rate right balance between caution, inaction, for. Most of us, myself included, are wired for caution, but I knew in order to be the kind of leader I wanted to be one who would tat my guys and do what I could to ensure the success of the mission I had. Spawned automatically when my brain detected danger.

That became one of my main goals. It s. Why? Because we all knew that a deployment was coming where we gotta signed after graduation. That's what infantry does we fight so this is interesting. I wrote a book called the dichotomy leadership, animal, you talk about it, what that book is about. The differ finding the right balance between caution and action. If you, oh caution, the wind, you're gonna get everyone guilt. If you never take action, you're also not trot composition and also, in my opinion, can have a higher chance of getting everyone killed because inaction and standing there while or sitting there, while the enemy, maneuvers he's not gonna, turn out good. So finding that balance and then the other balance that you talk about his protecting your guys accomplishing the mission like that's it. Caught me that you have two boats so you're right in it. Right it. You figured that out, yet we ve thinking about that. You were thinking about that as

How old are you, nineteen, nineteen nineteen years old? You are thinking about that here to an extent Think these lessons are a little more complex than then. What I was thinking bout during boot camps. I think I realise these even I do at the time I realise them less then, and more later, on yeah the reflection when you look back and for me. I've been doing a lot of that night. I got this book that I just wrote: leadership, strategy tactics and I start off else wasn't that fast. I wasn't that strong. I was I why transition I dont use these words. I just thought is today, but how transition from learning like a dog which is due to cut out, started to saying, oh ok, this is what's happening, o o

It is for me, one of the reasons that I got focused on leadership was because I wasn't that great at anything else. Wasn't that fast! I wasn't that strong. I wasn't that smart I wasn't gonna win any the races so. What I could do was like a pay attention to what was happening, pay attention to how we can work together as a team out the whole team do a good job together could help with that more than I could help as an individual. Doing that asked because I wasn't the best, so I kind of naturally focused on leadership because it was the thing that ice could do better than I could do the other things that's what happened with me today also amazing that. You were they introspective, knowing like a eagerly realizing it meeting to yourself, which is sometimes the hardest thing to do. Your weaknesses and to emphasise

eyes different areas that you knew could be strength we wish, I would have thought about it now wake the reality was, I was like. Well, I'm not that great. If this, but just want a dog tree and don't treat for me wise, as we were maneuvering. If I took a step I could actually tell what we should do. I can figure out what we should do And assumes I realise that I was like oh I can. I can do this. I can. I can be I don't even think of it in those words, but I thought I can make the calls you know I can make calls. I didn't think of that word yet and then luckily well you kind of, went through a similar experience to me and we'll get to it where you got a bad leader than you transferred to a good leader or you had a good come in, and I had that happened to that was in the thing that really opened my eyes. Ray. You finish, you want to get back this. You finish the school infantry. When our assignments came down, I couldn't help but feel like we had locked out the four guys who room together Griffin,

Scott MIKE Jared Lily and I. Had all been assigned the Fox Company second battalion Night Marines a k, a hell when a helmet, it had a nice ring to it, in fact, to nine as a unit that is only activated in times of combat- and you say Here I could have been more excited. However, this enthusiasm quickly turned into fear when the Marines from Fox Company arrive to pick us up and take us to a new unit. Twenty minutes. After ESA. Why graduation? The guy's assigned to nine were loaded on a bus for the ten mile drive up the road to Camp Lagoon. I will never forget the first marine I saw when we arrived. He had more tattoos than anyone I've ever met before I distinctly remember that his right arm was covered with a skeleton wearing a top hat and holding a double beryl shot gun that seem to point righted anyone looking at it. You up. That was, staring down the end of that barrel for the next four years of my life. I owe

the door to my new barracks and experience them, one of the most intimidating mon moments of my marine corps career, the entire put. Of Marines, our new family, had line the halls in preparation for the new guys. They had just got back from Japan To Iraq and seemed like hungry caged dogs waiting to be fed, it felt like we. Their next meal, I am well aware that last week, like that, that seed right there is epic, those guys just come back from Iraq and here's the fresh new meets showing. From ass a. Why ready to get some. He had so not only united- that marine with tattoos, have the most and intimidating tattoos by it. Of more rockets, Gavi shirts, which I don't even know was allowed at the time so

a new things or get getting real when those no Skippy shared on under the cameras and then yeah we get to. I hope I have demolished sense, but the barracks at the infamous french Creek can't was use which were not I mean on apart it s kind of a given by They were so much, if not the last barracks, that the rooms were internal and in the hallways and not outside to wear You can, hopefully you could is someone a responsible someone. Maybe an officer was walking by, they can save you. If, if you were getting destroyed, but no end not by his right were, but you know we got off the boughs and of course we look like clowns

We got our sea bags are packed, whether he knows what they got all this stuff, and so we get up bison. Surely round big eyes. We got hit the perfect time Maybe there are just relax, maybe at the a chow hall were good. We at least got a couple buffer hours to get never get checked in our lovely sweet and you know it take a breather before the chaos begins and They were there just were not outside. They were patiently waiting for that, nor to open up and that the chaos began right there. But again, you knows hard as they were, honours. They would have us ten o clock at night running classes, in the hallway, taking no pudding tourniquets on and off

going through those nine lines. Learning about everything from air panels to let you I know where you are two to those nine lines to fighting holes in just every being an at first, there was no love song. So it was in that nice balance that we already talked about by. As we went through those first few initial minds after that first three month deployment and leading at TAT, Ghana Stan you started to realize that ass. They were hard on you, but the respect, Well, we started to come, now. Only hope we started to come because they saw us working hard and trying to be the best means we could. But also. Knowing that look,

When we gave our loved ones that last hung or potential last hugging out on those buses, it was just ass in a dream If you are a boot or you been in a year or ten years, you're going into the unknown together and just because I'm through ranks lower than you mean that I'm going to try to protect you any less or vice versa, inside you know that mutual respect started to grow. Thankfully, and you know it's a good thing, because you know it. I know what what was it nor for us just to have that true respect. Standing and that of working together as a team, it's, it's not only vital and essential, but is comforting

a new. When did you get a sign as a soccer was a during s, a lie that once you showed up once I showed up here yeah. I still don't understand why join and forty three pound me was one of the biggest weapons in the protein welcomed in the Marine corps right on yeah that's the way it happened, sometimes you you just mentioned you guys did a little flow and, while you're out on flow, you here Obama is same, like hey working to step up the game in Afghanistan. You guys kind and know what that means. Since you guys are prepared basically prepared for deployment. Cause you're on a little many deployments, you guys figure if there's troops Afghanistan for this, sir,

thing going on. It's probably be ass. You say here I was excited, as were most of the Marines. I knew this is the reason we are joined up after all, to be part of a mission bigger than ourselves. Found roused looking for the Marine Corps mission and meaning we had a clear, to flush the Taliban out of their home province, stronghold in southern Afghanistan, where they were growing, never ending fields of poppies. Regardless of the what at what inevitable dangerously ahead, I was excited too early Place nipple tune that motivation drive was quickly overshadowed, though, when I was assigned to my four member fire team. My fire team leader was a disappointment to be charitable everything I seen experienced and had been taught about. Effective leadership was suddenly being contradicted. He yelled without purpose gave way. Two no useful instruction and was one of the slowest guys in physical training every day how

trust someone to lead like lead us as a former fire team in combat, suddenly that leaders as a former far to combat he didn't we care about anything but his next cigarette and getting out of the military. The days weeks and months dragged on under his command. So there You got a bunch of little statements in there my favorite one out of that as he yelled without purpose, because people, think that oh well with military leader, they're, gonna, yellin scream it's just not true and I usually bring up the fact that I never yonder my guys, when I as a leader when I ve held someone I feel like I failed about forty eight. Times prior to me, having de L, if I take us to a situation where I have to tell the other thing. I was up talking to a tech company a few days ago,.

And when I got done talking with the guys that was working, there he's a bet he comes up. He came up to me. He said you know what I talk about luck. You know you got to explain to people why they can't understand you got to let them come up with all these things. All these principles and one of the things I said was sometimes and people hear me say: hey Your people should behave while they should want to know why we're doing something and that scares some bosses get some bosses. You know if Kyle comes to me and says hey. Why are we doing this? I say shut up and do what I told you to do and that's horrible leadership, and so I said this and the guy me afterwards messages you know when I was in. I had this my my this first sergeant. I asked him ass a why we do in this mission, and he told me you better shoulder. If you know if you would shut up- and you will do your spouse, new, do you're, told Adieu and he said, glad that the military doesn't have that attitude anymore He was in during the nineties an Eagle eye, Where is the lesson I appreciate it, but

that's not the way the military as the military, just like the civilian world has varied types of leaders. These levels of leadership and some Amr in summer bad. So here you are. In the modern Marine corps, and you still have Marines that haven't quite figured out that hey. Did you hear yell young people for no reason you dont want it? You want to actually instruct them on how to do things. You want to make sure they understand why they're doing what they're doing and you the guy here that was none of those things. Yeah and it wasn't even a disappointment. I was just dumbfounded to two and I'm I'm realised as I was even expose, the other rings and the pull to my joy instructors.

Every marine I encountered Ronnie up until that point, it was just baffling to me: dad. All of these ideals. I had and about heard about seeing first hand all the characteristics that I aspire to have as green and all of these things. I was working so hard and driving for to not only try to- but really grasp Stan in every way he went really solid. There. Anyways is It was. It was scary because.

I wasn't in this situation. I didn't get put with this leader leader. As a sergeant as staff sergeant after a couple of years- and I was first couple of months in the fleet and. Not only did I feel like everyday day using charger me, I was, I was not able to thrive and potentially reach mouth full potential. For that day. Or continue evolving is a marine. I do a few months or get me in Afghanistan in Europe. You're gonna be in charge of my life and I just destroyed. You MP, tee. I just didn't what to do. I don't know what to do and I just got to talk about a guy in the mindset of ok. He is

Not going to define HU. I am the marine. I am what I know what I can learn how I can be in Afghanistan how I can step up here- in a really and this was counter intuitive- to think what he really does it matter in the big picture, because your taught that every marinas so vital importance to the mission need every reason to be efficient and to reach their full potential and so it was scary by just decided there. I would green learn, bob on my own. And I would hope the two other guys in the fire team really just one case, because he had come After me, he was a lower we're same ring that he had been in his long as me. So even those

a few months different. You know you have to start somewhere best. The marine corps sounds there's three men and room one of the senior rare yeah yeah exactly, and so I knew that Nay coup. Then she was going to be on on top of that roof with me that day I knew that I could take care of Nick. We could look out each other we can learn, do classes together behind closed doors, to really worry about him, but what that said- and. And talking about once you get on that bus. There's no right to two degree. Everyone is go and everyone's lies are just as much on the line is as the person to the right left of you, but I n n it's kind of sad to say this, but I got to where I look forward to getting on that buzz and going on that appointment, because I thought I can tell you what's up and what's on my mind once we get in

Davis stand, and once you are in charge of my life, which I'm not really gonna, let happen once we get over there, but I can educate young on the things Ivan thinking about these past six or seven months. Since I look forward to that. Thankfully, as I talk about I didn't come to that. He arm politely got asked to leave the marine corps after not obeying the rules. So thankfully you know I can say, thankfully, but just for my son, Preservation sake and our far team- thankfully, ah he did Kennedy his own grave and make a mistake to where he had led. The marine corps, which leads into yeah end user, awesome situation. So so well, that's not the awesome part, but the fact is you stay here. We caught a break. The marine who'd fill our old fire team leaders boots would be his opposite in every way

Terran heintz that he's a farm from our very eyes and was an eagle scout and exceptional person in an exceptional marine antics. National leader and my saving grace He was exactly what I've been searching for. Opening the door to the barracks. Corporal Heights seemed more like a teacher, then a bomb leading us with patients. Understanding and calmness heights style can be summarised in. One sentence lead with action, any orders are tasks that high, gave us he had. They're already done himself or he was absolutely willing to do alongside us. He made sure we ate first he the one to work holidays and take less to take the less desirable posts. So his junior guys were taken care of in short, he earned respect. He didn't demanded. I wanted to follow him,

until my last breath his I will change the morale of our entire fire team, the bond of trusting commitment. We felt towards one another became unbreakable. As hard as my first experience was. I am thankful to have been exposed to poor leadership so early on it not They taught me what leadership is not supposed to be like, but it also showed me that, no matter what is going on around your who's in charge, you can still be your own leader and lead those Leader to those around you, I think, experience, helped bring the rest of our fire team. Together, we were We need that in the months ahead, there. You go you. This is a great contrast, and this is what I was saying. This similar thing happen to me: I'd Appleton, commander that got fired and edible leader came in to take his place and that was my second platoon and so I had just enough experience to like pay attention, and this is probably, when I see

Moving more out of dog learning mode into actually paying attention, but this of those two things. The contrast is what sort of joy to me into paying attention, you don't say: while this guy was horrible, we didn't like him. We had a mutiny and got rid of him, and then we had a new geike come in. Who was not a new guy, but he was Guy replacement. He was just the contrast of those two made me start paying attention. A lot and, as you said, your thankful to have it. I am thankful that have that that happened to me, same thing I saw my previous boss. I got fired. What not to do like. That's bad leadership or market. To do that. and this is another little dichotomy you talk about even from our first day as new recruits on Paris Island. We were Simon, simultaneously being trained to be leaders and also respectful of orders. So that's The dichotomy hate we're going to lead, but we're all going to respect the orders, sound illogical, but is actually a brilliant way to shape the character and outlook of the night,

generation of rates. What, witness in the first year of Service modeled me for the importance of the balance, confidence and humility. Initiative and patience action caution. So there you use named for economies of leadership that everybody has to pay attention to. And if you Too far in any of those directions, in any those characteristic they'll be bad. So if you have too much well it's bad too much. You motive bad too much initiative bad too much patience, bad too much action bad to worse, caution bat bounds every single one of those. And then you say, the best leaders aren't the ones who detached themselves from their people or use their authority to avoid responsibility, The leaders who have the most influence and ultimately earn the loyalty of their team are the ones who invest them. I in their people and who willingly shoulder the responsibility that comes with being in charge,

learned from watching the Marines more senior to me and from being entrusted with a bit of authority myself, a boot camp that being a part of whatever needs to be done, no matter how seemingly menial or unpleasant goes a long way towards strengthening the bonds of a group when you the person in front of you during drills- is also willing to be in front of you in a fire fight or next you scrubbing the squad Bay. You begin to view the entire mission and your role in it differently, a great leader Communicates his or her actions that you, Worth their time, effort, energy and sacrifice- That's when your people will trust you to lead them anywhere even into the heart of the fight. And that's exactly where we were headed so there you I mean these. These are just again, incredibly profound leadership attributes that you're picking up Of these dichotomy, I don't know I wrote about I'm glad I can make you pay.

Jackie, hey. What do you know if I would have stolen the idea? Put it in a book before you, you'd have another book I held already again, and this is it's one of things that, as I was teaching leadership to young seals, I re, I realized it. You doctor I'll bet, you're gonna be aggressive, and then they saw aggressive that it would be stupid and that's her well. You can't be over aggressive and then I'd say hey you got to take initiative, but then they take so much initiative that no one knows what's happening at eight. You need to still pay attention with the overall planets. You know so that's. What I realise in its true at everything, is strewn every characteristic and He wrote some stuff that you picked up You don't like I, we say ready invented. He, the stuff from leadership has been around for since human beings have been. Trying to surround the damn lying on the plains and killed right, somebody had to take charge that and Leadership has always been there, and even that

group, a guy's trying to kill a lie if they got overly aggressor veto to early they're gonna get get, but if they do right and if they and if they want aggressive enough well, then they would never catch that they so They have to find a balance to hear it. Did it right live to pass on those less united, ugly, exactly you're, hadn't deployment? Now in Afghanistan and again you got so much great information in his book I'm jumping ahead a little bit you're heading. Deployment as the bosses pulled out, we have good bye to our families. I looked back to my mom. I'd, never seen this look on her face before one of pure desperation. Then, we were out of sight how that here Senior more like ready to break down was it was. It was beyond, it was.

It was one of those looks where. Along with the thousand yards stare. Even though you know looking around there's nothin around that could help you, but you just listen. Because yours, laws and an insult Despair that that you You don't even know what to do in your brain. I think, is struggling to comprehend. It is really happening. Is reality. Is reality really reality right now? and so that it was devastating, but is in time. As I had so many times before, I had to remind myself this is my purse This is what I'm doing this

my mission, and even devastated me. I tried, and This is hard to say that I think I was in a way more successful than nigh attempting to not let those amounts. Actions carry on any further into that bus ride. I saw it. So tough at that moment, but how I knew that. If snap out of it get Immediately fully into mission mode there I might not survive to see.

Seven months later, when I could get off that buzz and give her a hug and see the complete opposite emotion. And and also new, looking around on that buys that. Not only were we all seeing those loved ones left together, but also to look around and wonder and not, I just wonder, but no hay. This bus ride home There's gonna be a lot of it d seats. And to know that and in no way your emotions in your attitude is going to potentially dictate or a fact How many a deceased there are on the way back. There was a heavy dose of Rio. He checked, yeah there's a line in the book and I didn't

He did earlier, but its weight when you're having discussions with your parents about about joining the military and unlike your mom says something online- you ve got the quarter there, I'm gonna butchered, I'm sure, but she says something along the lines of. I spent it. Oh my entire life trying to protect you and keep you safe and then set yourself up set you up to live a good life. And you're about to go, do something that takes that entire idea and froze, in the garbage. Can you alleges that about it, but just that far that's what a mom does right, a mom supposed to take care of her kids in here here, she's, he's done everything and you ok thanks for protecting me for, Ten years and now going go put everything a risk, everything you ve tried to prevent from happening voluntarily running towards it. You know a civilian aircraft. You.

You know you talk a little bit about your attitude going in and you know. You say this: it's not hard to feel invincible. First, the marine corps trains. You so well that you know your part of one of the most elite fighting forces on earth. It seems impossible that forty year. Old soviet weapons and homemade detonating devices of the Taliban could possibly pose a serious risk here in Europe. Eighteen or early twenties and the reward set of the brain- has not fully developed, for the possibility of danger seems thrilling rather than sobering its to think about death, when the world seems so full of life possibility and excitement, you feel invincible to be cut. Because up to this point you basically have been, Broken arm from falling out of a tree fort no problem, the doctors can fix you right up by putting you in a cat four month, concussion from a bad hit in football concerning, but you'll, be back in a few weeks. When that is your frame of reference, it's hard to imagine the degree of injury that might be waiting, you that might be awaiting you

If you can imagine it, it still seems like something that would happen to someone else. The problem is that you are everyone else's someone else I know you got a chance to listen to your, but I decided guy, a marine that was Guadalcanal, Torah, sigh, pan intention and yeah. I read this same exact conversation with a lot of Guys it had been a lot of extreme combat, but you know he was busy he's got yard and I'm sure some people die, but if not, we may actually be wounded. But it's not me and by the way he did it get got shot a tar wha. Meters out of the landing grid Well he's still at five hundred metres to get to the beach talk about miracles. He was able to survive but yeah that attitude of it's not Happen to me is a real prevalent one fur anyway,

under the age of like twenty three twenty four, twenty five, twenty seven. Insults already, and I think a lot of it is attitude and again can, like I said at the beginning, what even though we sign up for will we raised our right hand, you can do that research, you know we're in a time of too complex and too different on two different fronts in two different countries, and for your family, many more countries, He's in a lot of France that thankfully people have the luxury of not even knowing about, but with that said ah.

Even though we sign at the moment here think ah well, I could get my less blown off or the second I put boots on the ground. Sniper could take me out eighteen nineteen years old. I think those, even though you know it's a risk. You're not naive, about anything. Those things are just so surreal think, along with thinking, I'm not gonna happen to me also just not really being able to comprehend the possibilities that are very quickly and relatively coming. Your way, I think, in those two things is, is: are the two biggest contributors to that mindset,

I guess we should be thankful that that mindset- lists. Otherwise, I think you might go crazy right. Yeah, absolutely are jumping ahead. We didn't jump into patrols on day once so you you arrived Helmand Province autumn. Two thousand ten. We jump patrols on day one day a kind of leadership. Training down period The high ranking reads were not on troll first to get a feel for things before the patrols of their own. It was, a way to help everyone get acclimated being outside the wire, but our step, time to step into an active role came quickly enough. My first patrol took place for five days after we arrived. We stop that compound at the end of road, after pausing to talk to the owner about his family in the area and weather not he'd, seen Taliban near by you guys, security here and, as I learned my stomach behind my gun scanning the landscape, I remember thinking that the field before me was a perfect rectangle

as if it had been laid out with a ruler in a region, with their summits were so much is scatter shot adapted to the land? It was unusually to see something so precise. It was odd, be beautiful. All of a sudden it is as if the skies it opened and the clouds were dumping Hale, so many rounds were hitting the ground around me. I couldn't even see through my scope for all the dust they were kicking up. There was a funk, as bullet ricocheted off the side of a shed and at almost exactly the same time I felt thing hit by lower back about two inches to the right of my spine, just above my belt wine and Oh my body, armor, probably only an inch of skin, probably the only interesting that wasn't protected. I'm here, I yelled grabbing my gun and leaping about ten feet behind me to wear bodies were holding security. Two thoughts raised through my brain did bullet wounds really not heard as much as I had imagined, or can I just

So much adrenaline. My system that I was registering pain and after an hour We're outside the wire I already a casualty. I was furious that I wouldn't get to contribute anything to the effort and that if this stupid Taliban bullet sent me home, I couldn't imagine leaving my guys behind because of an injury on our very first patrol, as I bounced back another marine instantaneously move forward to man the end of the road security position. While the corpsman checked me out behind the compound. Amazingly, the bullet had not penetrated the skin, but it did leave a dark bruise, almost like a paintball fired at point. Blank range I was hurting but grateful. It wasn't a grateful tor. Wasn't over so quickly, so Your first contact that you the ricochet round day let's just say for the next four months. Every single day that we get in song,

That is the one, and only an last time I ever was in the problem position. Or a hundred rounds every single day item. I saw roughly era The Ngos were standing from that point on, and you know ah not only did I immediately phil more vulnerable than I I just in the opposition. I that's her the train as how we shot most of the time. And I had never really are- stop, let loose. The standing and- that really wasn't, even kind of an idea. My head suggest doing two things I can live

job in the military. You learn a lot of the most important lessons in Canada. The tricks of the trade as you go along and laying in the prom surrounded by Taliban, is not the way to do it. At least it wasn't for me during that appointment. So I learn quickly that the opposition at times on eleven positions on over watch again. At times that you know you can't predict it might be a little less kinetic than others know, maybe maybe our consider the proposition, but in that moment, in a not only could Anonymous year, my scope, but but weighing down and was a prison, my dear it was just no one rounds or coming down range you, even if at all

we takes two or three seconds to get. Grab that carrying handle and make moves. Boys have a lot faster than through a few seconds sailor. My lesson but Ultimately unjust, thankful that I was not taken out of the five, but it was surreal. To say the least and almost ink Principle that I mean, and our or may be less outside the wire, the time. You know I was You went out with a k, forty seven, but I mean I want you're, not the wake up, call I needed by the wake up, call that Out immediately put me in the mindset and.

Expectations and kind of frame of reference I needed to be from the second. I stepped out of the gate, and you said that It made you feel more vulnerable, because I see that going to ways one would be the attitude of like I just got shot and I'm good to go, bring it and the other one. Is I've been here for an hour and I've already been shot. This is going to be a long seven months and you've like you mean a little bit towards this, could be along seven months out they completely towards the ladder you say that meat or not every patrols, that exciting you know, but you were always prepared Jump it again. You're on another patrol you with Frazier. Then he said. Nick afraid you, my best friend, was out the canal supposed when all of a sudden bullet start to hail down on us. We begin

while we began manning the Vps VC p Taliban had set up three shooters, no more than a hundred yards away at different angles in what's called a bare Paul formation to try and triangulate and wipe us out. We could see their heads. They ran along the canals by the tree line. I happened to be positioned by the compound on the other side of the road landscape stringer, the team leader at the time period, over the edge of can now to see if our guys could safely return fire with his head, flew backward like he'd, been punched. It looked like a bullet had guns, straight into his forehead forum. But he sat perfectly still blinking in a daze. Then he shook off. Miraculously the bullet struck. His helmet and kevlar had done its job warping, the track of the bullet, so that saluted skimmed the edge of his helmet rather than lodging in his skull. I had a two hundred drum ready already loaded onto my squat automatic weapons, so I called

I get ready to move. When I turned a corner of this building, I prepare download, I turned The compound press much finger on the trigger and didn't let up, while the other guys ran and across position down The dried up canal before hopping out to cross the road and take cover in the compound into the fire. What fight was over? There is a classic example of cover move My friend told me later that are you could see the bullet striking the wall right now, to my head and body as at least one of the shooters returned turned his weapon on me. Nick who'd been lobbying grenades in the direction of the shooters in an effort to clear the area long enough to give you other guys a chance to run with a to our guys to cross exam, at exactly the moment when he made it across the road behind the wall. I ran out around four two hours we were engaged in intense fire fight until Motormen, Corporal Van wrath, awesome name

was able to respond to our radio calls back a base and drop moors on the Taliban with pinpoint pursuit precision almost two miles out after We confident that there were no active shooters left. We approach the shooters position to do a battlefield, damage assessment. Casings littered the ground. Guy's been busy. Incredibly, none of our men had been injured that day, but the incident shook us up. Our squads had already taken, an incredible beating that autumn, while that initial what an initially started as a politician of three fire squads broken up into four? what are cover more ground, but we lost so many guys. We had to reorganise and combined back down to three. No matter how men we prepared, you are, or you think you are, you will never be ready for that. First firefight, let alone the first casualty a guy gets. An apart by an idea or takes a bullet to the chest and suddenly everything you ve ever believed about the world collapses in a moment

on twenty one October, seventeenth but the day, really, Make me feel any older. My experiences in Afghanistan, however, felt like the age me years at a time. We left early in the afternoon on my birthday, and we will trying to make it back to patrol base BT by nightfall? it had been for our game of cat and mouse as we entered. One patch of woods are patrol frozen miss. Step as the dreaded sound of two or three fire echoed all around us a two or three as a grenade launcher that attaches to the bottom of rifle and when fired at me, the distinct from the sound, followed an anxious wait to see where that deadly thump impacts, immediately are squad leader gotten the radio to tell the other half of our squad to stop firing two hundred and three until we could get their exact location. We had intentionally split up to cover more ground, but during the intense fighting through the

tree lines and scattered villages. We had become unsure of our exact proximity to one another. Was crackled over the radio. That's not ass! Those are not our two or three in an instant. We went from Fort frozen to executing, quick maneuvers define cover for the time. In three months the enemy was launched. Grenades at us, happy birthday to me: yeah never spoke forces. What am I rules if you can avoid it? That's why has pulled it off, but it's it's so dangerous when you end of splitting forces, I know you you have to do it. I should say never split forces used, caution planned, think communicate. You continue on here maneuvering out of a tree line. We approached a compound on the outskirts of the village. We were nearing as used. Family. Livestock were hanging out at the home. To votes were tied up to a tree. The chicken structured around pecking at the ground. We slow down just in time to hear another dreaded fund from the two or three the scene,

have been scripted more perfectly. The grenade rip through the air struck a chicken vaporize get in a distant. I felt before the chicken, but pardon me laugh because I was just really. If that our latest casualty was another marine. Or that battle was over. I vividly remember crawling through the field with my weapon on my back holding. Barrel over my shoulder to keep his clean as possible crawling under the trajectory of incoming bullets. I couldn't help but think how strange it was that I might not even make it to enjoy my first legal beer. That's a! However twenty first birthday you got going on there I won't forget: that's for sure when you, when you're doing these missions, where were you guys, based out of where you guys, based out of afford operating based somewhere patrol Base a single as you know, mud hut compound types we had a few Afghan national army members attach to us, but

just myself am I platoon when we started roughly sixty Marines, Unfortunately, yes, we lost some and had casualties along the way, but it was just us and as a platoon, their patrol base BT. In The specific village in Marcia How often do you guys go in our own patrol they, every day, all day every day, so we have all day get just get your gear on Time we has gone out so with our four squads. We and now an early morning patrol late more slash early afternoon laid afternoon and a night patrol doing that too not only continue to disrupt. The activity operations continue to expand,

area of operation by pushing their enemy out, but also, and just as imported show, the civilian population that you really are there for them. That you're willing to sacrifice for them to do those patrols. Rid of that enemy that oppresses them, that kills them for wanting to learn how to read and so yeah? and you know. The mission and the pillar structure of your deployment depends on when you were there We knew there in time and when you're there in in the operational picture thing and with that sir, we were.

The second reason unit, and- of the First Marines to put boots on ground in that area. Potentially you know in history. As far as american forces No one had really been there, since the Soviets in the seventies and so ah beak. As we were there so early on. Looking ahead, the NGO is you want to in the big picture, give these people a better life help to wake up every day and not live in fear and a hope we see that better. A brighter future, but to get to that, you have to create stability and a foundation So if you're there more towards kind of the end of that, Billowy in that structure, nor Miss

in changes. You hold that tempo. You hold that stability, while roads are being built, schools or being Then first clean drinking water, wells or being done, but in order to get to that? You have to get rich of the instability, the bad guys, the enemy, the evil, people that arc aiding all of these problems so when we were there, led to say we had this profound mission And in a way it was by. Ah voicemail. What were why were? You really do already gone out there? What were you doing while you are outside of your base and the simple answer: is we would go out, every day I mean and is important to note every day from Sun

Two sundown was a constant and vicious fight for survival. Every single day was never a question of I wonder, we're gonna get shot at today it was I wonder when we're gonna get shot at today. Every single day I never walk outside. A friendly lines with less than a hundred round, from I saw and those, few times where I had do the hope, prayer walk back Two bays just hoping I have are all round She has please not. She does and after hours of fighting Yankee you, you. It's kind of wishful thinking. You think there's no way we're gonna make it all back to basics getting attacked again. Thankfully we do. During those times, but we then in the beginning- and our mission was to patrol and patrol just meant. Every day

all day, sending out patrols, leaving those friendly lines and why walking around until we picked a fight with the enemy. It is crazy. The sounds that was the most efficient way to do. It go out. You sit there Because, again, your trial to give this region these people a better life and I think in a way. Your showing them. People that they really are, and these brains, have to be here because you are such terrible and evil people as as both to be no and so that's all- we did all day every day- we'll go out and we'll walk round. Until we picked a fight with the enemy they came to us and we either continued stem further out or eliminated them. That's a hell over October, so How big is each patrols? Each patrol Squad Squad

Some would you guys rota you'd get so far a few days you'd be the morning patrol then you'd be than did the afternoon, control than you be the actual valued Rodya a few weeks to maybe a mind. You know we wanted that continuity air, if your night patrol, with those envy geez so he knew how to use them and am were effective with them by just keeping You know that that rhythm, that you knowing your comfortable with and then You know we would have those transitional periods where we might go for night troll early afternoon petrol by now to keep that presents an and strive for that stability. We always kept to patrol out. You say here again: a moist pressed with your perspective as a young

marine. There is, I think, a lot about the afghan people who were threatened with violence. If they didn't raise again against the Americans on the surface, it would be easy to classify them all as the enemy, but some of them just want to be left alone to raise their families in peace. How quickly did it Did I dismissed people based on circumstances? I didn't fully understand and what about the way people react to extremely high stress, high state. Situations previously, I might have regarded someone's panic out or coping mechanisms as a sign of weakness, but was before I ever. I never lived with this kind of pressure and trauma before. I know now how the horrific casualties I witnessed deeply impacted me, but what about the perspective of the guy who got hit? What about his family in an instant their lives, change forever in ways I couldn't fathom? I start Asking myself when I am having an unshattered dehydrated meal, far away from home kind of day,

How do I react? How do I view myself in What does it mean that there are still people out there mill some of them here? still got it worse than I do. They say there are no atheists and foxholes. I think maybe we all become philosophers in combat outpost as well so you'd. You're. Saying these things in your dear thinking about him. That's that's also that you that Perceived these things, even as young as young get. Thank you. I give you maximum credit for year and. What good that you know it. You write this stuff down and you look back and you see out affected you in it. Need to see the arc of the book again. Bigley gotta read this book. He can follow the arc of how you assemble these things,

You know you started off earlier in this conversation. Talk about what you went through kind of prepared you for what came, and you can, as you start as you read this book. Put those pieces together, you can kind of sea, it form Dawson Continuing on here were certain sounds. I never would have imagined that I could turn out like a forty seven being shot at me with the intent to kill, but at some point your brain starts right storing, certainly import as more of a nuisance than a threat Aids bullets were not our main concern. We refer, start, avoiding the ideas that were stretched across roadways walk. Pass an inside of walls. They didn't the tall on to nine months for thirty Lance Corporal Timothy M Jackson had been by an idea, then in MID November, ideas are taken out to more of our guys one of those remarkable Marines was our squab Zack Stance, who stepped on an idea that it

and placed under ground near a wall that separated two villages curious thing about the idea: is that without a metal detector well placed one can almost impossible to spot even in daylight, you lucky new placed the idea is in experienced or lazy cause. They will lead, leave red flags, light, disturbed her or small trash pile that looks. It might have been constructed to hide something out of one p m. We were walking on petrol, through one of the dried up irrigation, canals Criss crossed the landscape. We were skin, The train for Taliban and making our way towards the next town we need secure when enough, dreaded. Explosion went off shock wave of the blast rippled through our patrol. I was the fourth manner in the patrol. The cloud of asked engulfed me as the debris rained down MC wrenching. Curiosity of who had been here began to sink in it took

seconds to locate stance and because he had been blown about fifteen feet was on the other side of the wall of the canal. We found unfolded in half like a long chair. He was right His one remaining foot was up by his head and his legs were mangled Christopher. Doc, friend or corpsman we evaluated the scene, it announced, I think, stance in his dead. I did Seem possible, it didn't seem possible. Anyone could survive that incredibly stance and called out dad, I just can't move doc. Russian or to administer trio's care, while other Marines called in medical, evacuation helicopter and our squad move to provide cover. Just as we gonna position, insurgents open fire began their attack. They often attack after ninety blast because they know that our common will be with the cat What is leaving us exposed invulnerable doc. To pull Simpson stints and down a steep. Down to a safe location, why laid down fire to suppress the shooters? The other Marines rushed to help. The dock drag

dense and to safety. Behind the other canal wall as they did. They realise that one of his legs was no longer attached to his body. What was lit simply state on the ground as he was dragged round the corner when Doc I'd tourniquets stints and asked us to do the care of his wife back home, who was pregnant and he talked You us about our mission. Doc gave me Jackson of morphine for the pain, but it did not come out. He somehow remained conscious we remained under attack the entire time. We waited for the medical evacuation Halleck. Or to arrive almost fifty minutes. Was the worst thing I ever witnessed You pointed out that moment of this x lotion takes place. It's cold to you close enough that you're engulfed in dust at

point in the following seconds: you realize you're, ok and the very first thought the ghosts years through your head is like ok,. Someone is not ok. Don't even look around. Could someone had to have initiated that I d and so I have to. Obviously you are concerned. To say the least. You want to get there as quickly as possible to take care of them to comfort them, but you you don't want to look around and survey and look for and and discover who that is. Fifty minutes for their Iraq to get there. You continue on a few hours later this after the cash

evacuation. A few hours later after the sun had set. I was on my shift: is radio watch backup patrol base a beastly listening to information, as it came in from the Marines were outside the wire during the silence of breaks in the radio traffic? I couldn't help it. Let my mind wandered back to the hour before was still still alive how it is from family handle. The news. Would I be able to survive something like that if it, if or when it happened to me Brain race to compartmentalize the recent past at present. Reality suddenly became even worse loose dirt. Crumbled out the cracks in the wall as the room shook Second later, the sound of a massive explosion reached us more than a mile away. Lance corporal Quota Hughes had been making his way through the dark fields and tree lines with his squat on night patrol. They were moving toward a village to herself Taliban would flood fields in order to make it harder for us to advance quickly inundated fields didn't

hoedown, are tall guys much because the water was only about as high as their boots, but for shorter guys like the code and me, the water was up to our ankles and even our caps with x. Between the water or twenty, you pound squad automatic weapons, twenty, thirty pounds of machine gun, ammo and forty five pounds of gear. It was hard to move quickly and the Alabama knew that as use and his squad approached the village, he reached a goat path, a small trail that surrounds and agricultural field and allows locals to travel through the patchwork of land without your damaging their crops. Stepping on to it a few moments later. Nineteen year old, Dakota from Greenwood Louisiana took his leave, step.

In breath on this earth, so Do you find out immediately that you know that Kay I it was that could be gathered from the radio traffic and the fact that and I'm hesitant to go into detail just in cases his family. I ever listened to this, but at the same time I think I think that is important for people to know what really happened.

And sacrifices at a really made. And so, if we couldn't conclude that for the radio traffic when they got back to our patrol base, they Didn't call in a manner that day they couldn't even bring he's back, cause the idea had been so big and inflated so much damage that.

It would not have been wise at dark to start walking all over that field, to look for the pieces of views that were left and was at the was used. The first guy, from from your apart from your platoon, That was was killed, cause because Stevenson he'd been catches act and he survived. He survived and yells amazing now he's completely outnumbered by enemy forces with not one but two bay. Girls. How but he's doing amazing his crushing. Marathons on his hand cycle just finish his first, our man. Sunlight too, Take it easy and you really make an

what causes both our legs and and and healthy, look bad, but I yeah he's doing amazing and I hopefully, if I know he keeps he keeps all working hard, which he always has and eye keeps doing well, I hope that maybe one day sooner rather than later he will be representing our country, potentially the Paralympic, so he's an amazing and we recover together and really grew our relationship at Walter, Reed the years that we were there and I'm glad you rose story because, as we talk, About leadership is vital, obviously, and no marine is ever from the first day of boot camp as Recruit,

or a marine that's been an forty years compared to Marine. That's been in a week, no one lives. No marine is more important than those two to your right and left, but hence in was the highest ranking marine and leader. He is our squad leader on that patrol Leadership is, it is specially important and vital on the battlefield not only to communicate that strategic information to hire a swimming your chain of command, to keep that order and discipline the battle field and, arguably, most importantly, to direct true movements, daring engagements with the enemy. So, although is now more important his job, it could be argued, is more important and

Is the most vital roll out of our squad that needs to last as long as possible. So it that said from the moment that ideal off. I had I always wondered. Why did- happen, and not why did it happen is as why was there and I d there, but why was stance and specifically the casualty we took and when I speak to companies and incorporation I related stories. I think it is one of the greatest example The leadership years later we're sitting in his to read, wounded, Warrior Barracks room. It was they were. Nice is more not marine corps barracks, it was night, they were a little more luxurious. They had a couple

bedrooms and and your family could live there if you, while you were covered in and seek it, had that support system our sitting there and watches yes, paean and he's in his wheelchair, while Olivia his daughters and amazing moment elites just me out at sea anything but his daughter, he had in his what we thought were as final moments given us knows request take care, my wife and my unborn first child and baby daughter and she's Olivia crawling all over in all areas, will chair. You know what was left of his legs and in tat moment time pass, we are healed, we got to better places, and so I found The opportunity years later to ask him what I always wondered that question.

And his answer was very simple but very profound, and he said I'm just glad. It was me and not one of your eyes and so oh you have to know, is a leader that. Your responsibility is laced with risk. In that. If and when that risk comes to fruition, you, not only are obligated, but you are. You are expected to bear the burden for those that you lead and so since and taught me a very powerful lesson that I've always carried with me, and I'm very thankful that, of course, he not only survived, but he continued to be able to hear and teach me things along. The way as we were covered together.

The other said: that's that's what we talked about earlier. I mean he proved that moment. You know that about you guys more than you get about himself, which is one good leaders. Gonna do an arm. Last Corporal Dakota Hughes, we had an many casualties, but he was our second killed in action and twelve days later,. At our new US, troll base that we are living in operating out of named patrol base. Dakota is whereas injured about it. We can have later. Well, after after that, It happened after you lost used to the idea of going back. The book as ten days later, word came command that we needed to expand our area of operation to create more of a presence in the area. My squire,

got orders to help establish a new compound in the village to the south, the same. One were huge stepped on an idea because it was a Taliban stronghold in the region. So there you go we note the marine corps. Does that's it, they do. Oh, we got up coworkers actor problem the bill with tiny, no bigger than a hotel conference room and. A home we were occupying, was only too stories high though it was one of the largest. In the area, unfortunately, until we had received proved accurate that there were Taliban in the village and they weren't happy about arrival and the choice of landing spot. In skipping a bunch of stuff. You guys are now kind of in this. In this new position, as the afternoon Sun might start to fade, I was instructed get off the roof and keep post in the room directly blow. This is after you had spent a bunch of time and you too great job governess in the book of Europe. There, too, to build, put put some sandbag protection up

and there's a guy basically taken Cyprus, shots at you, and you're just stand up their stay in low people breathe and you have full sandbags your put a musician everything, but wouldn't opposition bo me ex off around to do so. Yeah. I was probably a really stupid assumption at the time that he had a single ball action rifle, but I thought that's what I gather. From the first couple shots, and so thankfully use nice enough. He didn't start shooting at me until I three sandbags high of a and a semicircle wall on that Ruth and around me. So when he does, shooting if I wait completely flat, was covered by their sandbags, but for the most part yeah that emerge by it was it was Eerie too be behind those sandbags weighing up against them and I can see fulfil right now when you

take those shots, no use the Taliban were extremely accurate, especially I mean we rarely if ever up until this point saw snipers and if we did they were not accurate ends. That was surprising, but it was just so eerie to lay behind those sandbags and when we heard the crack of the rifle to be able to feel because you so accurate, the thud of that round impacting sandbags hours weighing up against As you said, a may not have been the best decision stay up there. We live in Lord, so they didn't find the you do. You do get instructor to get off the roof and move to a room below, and then you said, if I gouged out a little hole in the wall, so I can get a better vantage point about forty five seconds later or rock.

Came barreling into the roof and the sandbag. While I just built completely obliterating the Position It was as if I stepped into the middle of a tornado. The debris cloud surrounding me was so thick that I couldn't see and couldn't breathe. My squad members immediately realise what happened to the roof and doc friend was scrambling for his medic bag, ready to rush and see if there were any signs of life. Somehow I wasn't injured and was able to get up and walk out of the room on my own They obviously don't want you. Their continued on wheat, officially lost the roof. Is a vantage point from this post we were now facing for major challenges. The first was we had previously. We that we had previously two positions in the compound on each of the two roofs, but now we only had one so we had a double up on the remaining roof. The second was that it wasn't a great position to begin with, since Couldn't see as far as we would have liked to from just stories up the third

was that we were now dangerously low on sandbags. Fourth, was that, because we only had enough sandbags forty three to four foot stack. We have to stand posting a somewhat recline position ordered and not be exposed. That meant the, we could sneak right up alongside the building and thrown explosive over the compound wall or fired us. Then darted away the wheat, from our position was proof almost immediately we fuck fuck fuck from the courtyard outside the building, as if someone were tossing something over the Wall Compound was just enough time to ask crews throwing rocks before the first round of explosions began. They weren't rocks, they were grenades, Brad Skip, had been sitting outside is cleaned his weapon and he took office for cover. As he took off running, for cover grenade exploded near him, he staggered the house skirting blood from a hole in his spleen I'd

outside in the courtyard of the compound helping dig a bone paid in Filmore sandbags. When I saw what happened, I took off after skipper reaching the house just a few seconds after him die who is inside stuck his finger into skippers, wound to stop the bleeding, while grabbed his supplies skipper kept pounding on his chest. To tell us you couldn't breathe, I kneel down next to his head, assuring him he was gonna, be ok and pretty soon. We have all the ice. Gaed have all the ice cream he could eat in the hospital die ground. What are needed are performed a needle decompression on skipper for collapsed long. It was the first one he had ever performed. I cringed watching the jam, the needle into the skippers into skipper side, but when he heard what's what, when we heard, what sounded like a balloon, letting era, skippers long Reinflame as skipper long, we inflated, we all wanted to high five doc, but he was a little busy Jake. Low tamer saying that right below Jake Blue who is

been outside the courtyard in the courtyard made his way to the house as well. Why does a sheet uncovered and blood from where shrapnel at him in the groin to, we're abundantly clear to me. Corpsman are worth their weight in gold and people Dakota was not going Be easily held so you get those guys out of their right Those guys got cash back, we did We also lost one of the few, it just a casualty, but who was also who was shot. No one of the few Afghanistan National Army members that had gone down on this mission with us and so right there immediately just from hunger. Not even leaving four walls of our patrol base. We were down, Three guys and we had only gone down there with a squad and and arguably Small Squad and our mission, and we

Did this to give people listening context. We were over the half way point of order point when you're always three months, but when you you can, the end in sight. You know that at seven months, whether you want to or not your time's up, you're going back home and another unit is gonna, come in and relieve you to prepare for that and to continue you keep the momentum going of inefficient mission. Just like with anything in live. Hopefully you want to leave it better than he found it. So you know Say in the end, this is random numbers. I don't know what what they are but say our area of operation was was to square miles. Looking ahead to the next we met and leaving things better for them than when you got there. You want to expand,

a of operation to continue. Pushed their enemy out and contain you that mission of creating stability which we ve we have already talked about so when that time frame Is drawing to an end you want to like we did push in those outer outskirt villages from AIR of and Doing that again those nothing sexy about this mission. It we were to go down there pack as much as we could in a bag and a day pack food, water, ammo and stick your foot in the ground. Don't move and try to survive for the next few days until we can get you reinforcements, and that is the first. But I was talking about earlier that you need to accomplish in

order for years down the road to have a school across the street. You have those fresh, clean, drinking water wells, and so that was our mission, getting down there. On November nineteen Rockets, multiple hand grenade attacks, multiple casual he's an hour numbers or strong to begin with, and now with those three casualties, we're already creeping towards not only Being combat an effective, but just for some of preservation needing reinforcements. He had a rough, Of how many people you have right now, like what are you down to.

And I should know this, especially after what I mean just like a Tascam. If you got your squad plus some Afghans, is it later eleven Marines with a Navy, Corpsman and then three or four Afghanistan, national review members to fifteen guys, roughly generously and with that said, you know, surrounded by villages and miles of enemy. How far away from you are. The are. How far are you away from the patrol base that you, let you left to get down here? Oh is like five hundred metres like three or four clicks click Two at the most, maybe a quick and a half where the rest earful is correct. Still at patrol based beetle, there we were setting up patrol base Dakota and did you guys have any vehicles there at all.

It was so than your feet. The marine vehicles no vehicles. It was primitive, and there was so little to no infrastructure and because. No paved roads. Vehicles could not get to where we were. Not only not having rose but not having roads leads to dirt path. If you take a seventeen truck on the side of that now collapses in you have for marine strapped into an armoured vehicle upside down in law. And so it wasn't worth the risk, and you know what that sad We are so far out Jaime lines and that enemy territory, that for them seven miles while before for that, I survive

anything and everything we needed from water. Food ammo medical supplies had to be brought in by aircraft a condors, and I even remember there were times where they brought things at night, because during the day lot at times it would have to. U turn and returned a base and bring it later because Don't want an hour crashing. In some random back field emerge. Afghanistan especially mean hopefully everyone surveys, but have an aircraft crash? No vehicles, no support. No, nothing and you're gonna potentially have by virtue of that aircraft crash immediately be premature. Black thou situation.

Rough rougher rough days as well as prepping. For this you know it's today's November twentieth, two thousand nineteen and what we just talked about was November. Twenty two thousand ten. Getting to the next phase out November. Twenty first two thousand ten. It's the next day here we go a solution to the visibility problem on p. Which was that we're gonna put to people on the roof. At the same time, this gave us an exercise of eyes to help evaluate the scene Nick Began our first shifted Nuno was quite almost early, so during the tar four hour shift because the sandbag walls were so low. We had to lean back propped up just enough to see over the edge with only head and shoulders exposed as we can scan. The weirdest island village, waiting for something to pop off at any. Second, we went through the different scenarios we might encounter. Okay. If this we can attack from this direction. You do this and I'll do this

but if the other direction will need to do this instead of gratitude. Employees with Nick, especially on that day, when something just felt off nickel started going over the one of scenarios again we haven't seen any grenades our entire deployment, that is, until day before previously. The enemy preferred guns and rockets, but Foreseen grenades thrown over the wall of the car, pound. Yesterday, we now knew they were a possibility. So Nick I Joe making fun of this crazy, strong Massachusetts action as best I could, what since, if they throw grenade up here. My ass his off this effing roof. He said I laughed dude, I'm right behind you So you guys rum through some scenarios that could unfold. Some want ifs, that's what's goin on so you guys were up there

we get here. Presumably there is a soft, sound and a puff of dust. Is something lands near our feet, but I dont remember it All I know is that my body reacts instinctively before my mind even registers. What it is then suddenly it feels like I've been hit really hard in the face, and I can't see a thing: Does if I'm looking at a tv with no connection just white and gray static, my ears are ringing extremely loud, but my body is numb, there's no connection No through line no logical brigade progression of events. I just remember he laughter and then a massive impact as of my senses. Go haywire for reasons I can explain. Last thing I remember clearly is laughing with Nick before starting to move towards something. And here's an official report for eye witnesses saw Lance Corporal from the rise up to a standing or kneeling position immediately prior to the blast. Multiple eye witnesses saw Lance Corporal carpenters body line directly over the blast whole immediately after the grenade detonator detonated, explosive organs, disposal staff

On commissioned officer attached to the opportune, provided his expert opinion that the grenade had to have been covered by the object to blast through the roof and that this if damage done to Lance Corporal carpenters, personal protective equipment, particularly his small arms protective insert savvy played carrier, was concerned. With the grenade detonating immediately under or in close. Proximity to his body. In other words, I threw myself over the grenade. Apparently I dont remember thinking about it and I said don't recall, actually doing it. I only remember the after effects a few seconds after the strange assault on my senses. I tried to shake it off off and push my body up, but I couldn't feel my arms with every ounce of strength I possessed. I, to push myself up. My body simply would not respond the decent work

the disorientation was overwhelming five seconds before everything seem normal? Suddenly I was Norman vaguely aware that I probably should be in pain, but I could feel nothing at all. I knew I was alive, so I must be ok but nothing. Made sense. Why couldn't I see what was that deafening roar that was blocking out every other sound? Where was I, and why was everything numb calm down and fair, the last thing I remember is being on the roof I reasoned in my head. I wonder what could have injured me this badly on the roof, or did I get off the roof and went on patrol and all this is just going on in my head? Maybe I stepped on an ied in the last thing I remember is being on that roof. Is that puzzling through these questions, all of them racing through my mind in a split second, my confusion grew even deeper, as I realise that some one was pouring warm water all over me. What was happening? Nothing! made sense made no context. Even try makes sense out of it. I was on the roof talking to neck, then this whatever this was, as I say,

for answers. My brain was fiercely putting the pieces together to create some kind of meaning and then click the wasn't water. It was blood. I was bleeding out At the same moment, I tried to call for help, but the only thing I could feel was that my tongue, searching for my lower jaw, no cheeks, no teeth, no jaw. It was as if the bottom part of my mouth disappeared, a seat of Power it started to grow inside me was. I. Just in shock was I really missing part of my face, corny reports- a great friend in one of the greatest Marines I've ever known Jared Lily. Had watching us from the stairs and was the first one to the roof just seconds after the explosion. He meeting scream for doc friend, normally Doc would have stayed downstairs until we had a chance to sweep the promoter and make sure that there was no one hiding in two ambush our medic, but jeered knew there was no time for that docking pound

up the shaky bamboo ladder from the room below and saw me lying face down on the sandbags with one glance he sized up the scene and realise that, even though in realized that, even though, was probably to wait for me. Nick had a chance here, good shrapnel the forehead that a blown up and under his helmet, not good, but he was still breathing well kind of Europe, We said it was more of a snoring sound as his body struggled to poor air into his lungs, so dark went to work stabilizing him, while the rest of our guys radioed format of acts and backup There it is. When I first saw an interview with some with you some time a long time ago- and I remember you saying the idle I don't really remember it. It is crazy to have this incredible amount of focus on your life story

Situation that you don't remember and I've been knocked out before I mean I imagine this is just like the absolute worst knock out. A person can can get. And you know you wake up and you go wait. Where am I you know, I've been knocked out and just you know come through going over wait a second. Where am I and that's basically what what yeah you're? Exactly right? Is it in the beginning, after five weeks later after I woke up after those, I thought or my final moments on that roof? It Stu frustrate me there I couldn't remember, and I don't I don't Thank you. It would if there were no external influences, but knowing that the Marine Corps, the military Department of Defense and in a way the whole country in world were looking into talking about. Examining.

Parts of your life that you can't remember was while- and you know but as with everything, I've tried to not only see Oh size, but really think through it and thankfully in events I just realized how wrong of a mindset that wise, and not only is it understood, Annabelle, I don't remember anything after taken a grenade. The maze But also I woke up and I'm still here and I'm so thankful and grateful to be alive like who cares, I can't remember not that they would have taken my I witnessed statement anyway, because you can't be injured and be an eyewitness just cause. The blast might have effect, in your memory of things.

And so we are, you know when, when everything can it started with the metal on, I'm going for a little bit weaken backtrack, but yeah- you know, they call me up first phone call in the hospital. I just said: I'm sorry, I know there's nothing that I remember that can help her assist in any way. With this investigation and NOME King for an officer, five reeves who was assigned to turn to nine second time night Marines, just two spearhead this investigation. Ah, thank me for my honesty and he told me no matter what happens, what this investigation turns up that were proud of you and the job. Your fellow Marines DIN

your thing for fear service, and that was really yet by yes, you're right. It was weird and fresh training to have this happen and has so much so many people so much time and effort going into these moments that were nothing but a dark abyss. I was actually surprised at how much you did remember. I mean and because I mean this- is dead stating injuries, but you, you know you regained consciousness and memory pretty quickly. I'm going back to the book your hears doc. You blood was on every inch. My body, my body, armors torment, torn mangled a huge portion. My face was hanging off my skull and onto my shoulder, which clearly had a trap and embedded in it

could suit. I was struggling to breathe, so we started putting an airway and before they took they took me off the roof he figured he could put humpty dumpty together again after they got me on the ground, but but he had a choice to make normally with it. Accurate face in RO affair and GEO would be the way to go, but he did, but I didn't have any jaw left to help create the airway, so he Pat only three choices, he could cut my throat open with his pocket knife to create in her way, which is what is even more terrifying than it sounds because you didn't have a mask or a bag to help me breathe, so he would have had to do the breathing for me through a rubber camel back tube from our hiking canteens or, good, cried through my nose and down back of my throat to create an artificial airway as I was choking on blood, but he didn't have a cry kid either or could somehow figure how to breathe on my own. But I was still joking soy relies who's. Gonna have to improvise with that same pocket.

I, from back tube and rig up a crack, that wasn't the sort of thing they taught we use preparing to be emetic, presumably because they never anticipated a fire team would run into so many casualties in such little time to exhausted our supplies, he put a device to my nose to support the tube and that sensation was the trigger that jerk me back to consciousness and made me start coughing doc needed maybe down to finish the procedure but he's afraid of all my tea fragments falling back into my throat so weak. Me sitting up right as he worked? I can, trying to talk, but only sounded like gurgling from gurgling water from all the blood and tissue blocking my throat, even though couldn't understand. A word might attempted speaking was a good thing, because I that my body was somehow still functional enough to keep me breathings. We decided not to risk the cricket after all, as you the blood from my nose, a huge stream of mucus and blood, came with it and I suddenly began to take more to do. In air more easily, so

I'm picturing this they, like, looking at you look now. Ok, you, you can tell you got dinged up, but this is. Catastrophic injuries is still I mean borderline unreal to even still working on this for two years obviously knowing for nine years now, what happened experience It myself It's just too till two surreal comprehend that it not only happen by I did survive it in Europe. I haven't really. It that way of forbid. It is amazing that I can remember anything at all, but. And think point now again. Looking back, I am thankful that. No besides in wine gray static in my ears ringing in and not be

disorient and not knowing what happen all those stars. Were only going on in my head and all, That really happen in just a few seconds. And the most profound the things that I do remember, at the time It was just too heavy. In my mind, I am with the blood lost, even halfway processor comprehend and is crazy to think about. Think back. What you thought were your final moments on this earth, but I'm so thankful that I did. It not down so hard that idea, to have those final moments where I truly thought that was it after I put the pieces together. Okay, this is water

Nobody's art messing with me: this is blood. Leading out, I knew from how I fell the casualties on four we ve seen so far on that appointment and just the basic medical training we get his marines. Once I realise that it was Warm water knows bleeding out. Use those last few seconds I thought about my family spaces. Queen my mom again and how devastated that she was going to be, and I did not survive make it home. I said a quick prayer for forgiveness and anything I'd done wrong and I faded from consciousness in the world. And I say that I am thankful that I tasted death and I went through that what I thought, those final moments because now

I know, and I can share with people- it sounds kind of cliche, but just how truly fine I and delicate and beautiful wife is- and I can tell people, thankfully, that have not tasted those final moment and have never had that reality check, which is great, but. I think a lot of times. We just again. Go back to the May, the the invincible conversation. And always thinking it's gonna be someone else that That's we always do things can be someone else and so too,

mind people and give them that reality check. Hey, really think about, and and really. Realize realise that. At any moment the military or as civilian with the terrorist attacks with cars. Play at any moment- You could be that someone else tasting those final moment so before you get to those. Not always strive to be a good person live your life, the right way and loving care about those around you buy. For yourself, don't get to those final moments, and we that you have more time state you add a few more seconds before the darkness closes in inside

It just is gave me such a profound, just appreciation. For not only waking up after that, but no being able to continue with my wife, knowing that it just makes us so much sweeter, but also the fall in negative side is won't you, tasted that or been around guys and has seen those final moments in their eyes, and I've heard those last breath. Yeah, you know not scared a dead now on an idle dreaded I don't think any more than I would have before, but just knowing and experiencing, that when those lights went out until I will

Five weeks later they were out and it wasn't, it wasn't even a darkness. It was. It was a darkness of nothing. And so before you that darkness. Enjoy, love and leave your life, but waking up. That's you know that is Really, what started this new path in, and journey of, recovery in and self discovery? I guess you could say that living now there's a bunch of things that went down all this is happening. I mean for one There happen to be two causes back.

That were near by that were there in a matter of ten fifteen, there are twelve this. What the actual number is. There was dark that was trying to give you a shot of morphine to to you ease the pain and ask they had wrapped somewhat gauze around you to try and prevent you from bleeding out there he's trying to give you a shot of morphine the needle breaks, and he can't give you any morphine his last morphine shot, So he broke that one. If you had it with you, one more to go to pulled out another one cleared some of the God's way and give it to you Craig, and they told me after the fact after I woke up that if I would have received a single drop of morphine, it would have to press my respiratory system to the point of being unrecoverable to where they could not recess. Amy and it was the combat gauze that

had that twelve minutes and it was kind of like okay, we had the combat gauze. We have a couple minutes, even though his legs just a minor tissue wounds compared everything else and I wasn't even bleeding out of my legs and they were a little tour, but I was a leading out of my legs because I wasn't it bleeding out of the hole and my carotid, because my break you artery, which had been blown open, was putting out so much blood, and so the needle call the combat gauze that wrapped around my wegg, which were no rest time. A paper cut compared everything else if there and so that just you know, I think you're getting into the just one of the few beginning. Those dominoes miracles that allow me to be sitting right here with you, You see this

There are two types of miracles: the first kind of miracles, one when one amazing thing happens and there's no explaining how or why the second kind is when there are. There is a massive line of down dominoes set up that off have to fall precisely the right way and at the right time for something look out This piece of my life is this: can kind of miracle, so number one, the the kazakh helicopters being in the area there. There pick you up and twelve minutes. That's a miracle I mean A few days earlier had taken fifty minutes, which there's no way you live. Fifty minutes. Then you are to talk about the the morphine They give you that morphine. Or had one more merit morphine it's? U with causes. One broke you. Survived it, wouldn't you would have killed you and, and then

You have this: workforce has formed a cap at Camp Bastion bastion Treaty by a armor army forward surgical team. My official ruling upon arrival was a with p pulseless electrical activity, meaning I had flat lined but medical staff. There restarted my heart and managed to stabilize me enough to send me on to Kandahar. So does another two. You got your flatland you're dead and they bring you back. Good, then, the last one of the morning of November twenty fourth, you flat lined again and you got revived again. So that's miracle upon miracle upon miracle desert sittin here and now than any. I mean what are the chances that doctor and could a loaded to extra morphine in his back right I mean it's just. There are so many different ways. This could

you get to launch tool the nickname four launched was half way home because once wounded military members there make it there, chances of survival rise drastically. The fact I'd survived long enough to make to launch stool was a miracle on Wednesday November. Twenty fourth master sergeant chocolate Chaplains assistance from South Carolina was reviewing the list of chocks expected that day. That's folks, it are coming in always checked for reservists and National Guard met guardsmen, since he served through the South Carolina AIR National Guard, but that day he was also scanning the list. For my name, he gonna call that the that there was critically injured young man from South Carolina arriving any thought. It might be nice for marine to hear a familiar accent, praying and his bedside. Master Georgia Williams had made sure that he was The group assigned to my flight arrival. He was ready to move the more

He heard my name called as I was unloaded and rolled toward the door. Hello Kyle, I'm Chaplain Williams and I'm here to help you with anything you need, while you're here longshore, he said Ellie leaning down next to my face, then he said a quick prayer for me, and I was waste away into the operating room, the next more he came into my room to talk with me again. What the Apple CORE calls Ministry of Power since. I wasn't awaken. I couldn't ask any questions or seek is council on spiritual matters, but he thought he would sit with me But I was not alone, as I fought for my life, I never heard that term before Ministry of Presence made, but that's just the the image alone of that using this is, is powerful and Again I hate to not do this book justice I mean

I can already tell you. I got you skip the entire notification process for your parents, which is a book in its own right it. As a matter of fact, I just I just stood upon guest on a book I'll knock at the door, the knock at the door right. Yeah and family, I mean that's one of the reasons I said you know what with Kyle, I'm gonna like not go depth airport, but you do a great job of explaining what that was like explaining the unknown in the end, the just then the complete, sorrow and fear and emotions that they're going through I mean it's. Just again, you gotta get this book too to get all that. You talk about the surgeons, physicians, the nurses. I mean they are all just doing incredible work and you go. You go into awesome, detail you're getting surgeries on your skull, your face your jaw and

this. This shocked me on Sunday November, twenty there was cleared the head home. As it turned out. However, mine was not a typical flight, so shocked me that we're Hawkins been a week and they not you stable enough to do to try and get you home, that's just phenomenal as it turned out, however, mine was not a typical flight. There was an army sniper, onboard Name Ryan, Craig, whose mother Jennifer Miller was a nurse Rhine had taken a bullet to the head in a fire fight in his chances of survival had been even lower than mine. Jennifer receive the dreaded invitation from the military to come over to Germany to say goodbye to her son. By the time she arrived. His condition had begun to improve and suddenly looked like he was going to survive after all, Me Rhine was still unconscious, but he too had clear to fly back home ass. She settled in the next to him, for the trip Jennifer heard me start to make a sound. Bed was right next to Ryan's and ass. She listened. She realized. I was saying mall.

She knew immediately what she had to do. What any mother would do? She's to wait shelf right between us and One hand reached out to her son and with the other reached out to me, She held his hand and my hand the entire eight hour flight man. Yeah, you know you talk a lot in here as well about these, like responses that you give to hearing voice, I mean you're, not conscious, but you respond, your vital speak. You know so like a little thing like that is having real impact. You know, Tat when you read about you read about kids that are abandoned and the one What message them up? They figure this out of rush. I think I read an article about like we now have a bunch of babies that had been abandoned in their little and they don't have any human contact. The com. They have real problems so

that human touch is a real thing that has impact- and here is this story of this mother whose doing everything to help her son and she sees you and it's like She knows instinctively that that human contact can make a difference, again jumping ahead. Europe, a Bethesda. By the end of the first week of Bethesda, was apparently awaken alert. I would follow people with my eye and blink and not in response to questions, but I was not yet talking other than some groans and incoherent mumbling. My first memories from about it. After that, when I open my eyes, saw hospital equipment. It was weird because the lasting, I could recall, clearly was being on that roof. Roofed in Afghanistan. I was deaf This worrying did now, but confusion. I just rolled with it gradually seated figure next to me, came into focus and manage to crow out the words hey dad.

I'm not going to lie was difficult, as I saw we became cognisant of the extent of my injuries. I think it was The call for my parents to watch to his gradually start to realize one thing after another. Each time I emerged back into consciousness, I've lost an eye of woken. But no teeth. I can't feel my face. I can't lift my arm. My arms but once reality said sunk in, I didn't enter any kind deep mourning period for my body or my old life at least not yet the were cognisant. I became of the extent of my injuries the more I realized. What a miracle was that I was alive at all. Maybe my tendency to compete with myself, kicked in right away. Maybe my mom was right And she really was willing me to live with, the case my focus switched from the injuries that were out of my control to whatever recovery rehab. I could do to maximize the facilities I still had. I don't think people believed at first that my paused a priest

that was genuine, I'm pretty sure my family and nurses thought I was in denial or not fully lucid, but driven by three things. The first was the simple fact that I couldn't undue my injuries. Second, I had a desire to be strong for everyone around me, who is clearly struggling. Without a learned how to support me. Finally, I was motivated to not let my injuries and, by extension, the Taliban have any power over me sake of every marine who had gone. For me and those still fighting yeah how long did it take that transition from when you were each to how long will you be? for fifty twenty minutes and go hey I only have one eye and then out for another day and then you gotta and go I'd like to each my face, but I can't move my arms. The crazy thing is it first. I didn't know that my right ear, John, was completely bloom. I didn't

That all we have one eye worth, I think, because The disorientation, the medication- ah they give you this matter is called at European and forget exactly what, does but one of the side effects. Is it dilate your pupils really bad and so everything this kind of blurry already, and it was just everything- was so strange, again on way back now, we that not only was injuries and medication, whereas that those faded from conscious world on that on a hot, dusty rooftop on the other side of the world. Now there snow building outside my hospital room window pane I didn't even know there were military hospitals everyone here, you always see your whole life doctors in white lab codes. Now my doctors,

were in camouflage- and just Those things is: why is going on, but you I knew I was alive thousand me thing. You know the times when I woke up in the beginning, it was very burst, of being away And, though short verse were either full of pain for confusion, or for I think I'll just had so much not an idea. What was going on. I again I just kind of role with it until for you now started to comprehend more, but you know, for me to say, hey dad. That was one of them

profound moments in my recovery for my parents and my family, because they had mindset which they talk about now that anything physical. Missing, lambs missing eyes. We can get through that we can get. Or we can love and he'll you. But the brain is a beautiful but delicate thing and if you weren't call any more or if you didn't know, we were that would have been an entirely different area of. How do we cope with this soon got all that goin on. And then this happens, I'm lying in bed, my heart races eyes. I try to process how they got me into the hospital. I fixated on, what used to be the silver sprinkler heads that are mounted to the ceiling. Now a bullet holes. They been shot.

By the Taliban who been taking over the hospital, and now now in the room above mine low on loading a forty seven rounds down into my room, I can't move. Is my mom stays at my bedside with me? She get shot in the leg And I've never felt so helpless. The shooting suddenly stopped seconds later. The silences interrupted by the dreaded clinking of a hand grenade bouncing on hospital room floor. The Taliban dropped it through one of the holes in the roof and lands at the foot of my bed. I hear the nurse scream now these had been he's been through enough already She jumps on it. I watched the missed and body parts that are the only things left of her float around my room. And what these are. These are hallucinations at your having in they are one hundred percent real to you. As real as a sitting here right now,.

Going on. My parents told me later that night was the worst of their life even worse than getting the call that I've been injured or seeing my mangled body. When I arrived up to that point, I'd still been Kyle, just physically battered Kyle. They had no, Idea who this hallucinating person was and I was so far gone to whatever my mind had taken me. They were afraid that they would not be able to give me back. I was returned to their eyes. You early the next morning and then my Add frantic that our family can afford the medical bills low himself down with weapons and storms, the emergency room. To demand that I get the surgeries I need and to reverse the hospitals order to discharge me. I try scream and beg him not to. I want to tell it's ok and he doesn't have to do this even if I can get. Even if I can't get any more care, as this I consider the icy you sliding doors open, he is

by a swat team who unload on him until I see him fall behind the nurses station. The last thing I remember the sound of the shock on my dad was holding as it hits the ground I about how much he must have love me to do something like that. and in this I am standing on the top of a small hill looking down and across the field watching a funeral the sky, so great seems more light and dark more dark than light there tombstones not even at the grave side of the person being buried. The only person in attendance is the pastor who is holding the Bible and stand at the head of the grave. I begin to wonder why I'm here, standing on the sale by myself as the past begins to speak. I realise the horrifying answer to my question. I am watching my own funeral What has come to means I had called my brothers were so dear.

Appointed that I've left them behind in Afghanistan that they didn't come to say good, bye,. I try to yell out, but I can't I tried to take a step, but I can't I am peril with despair has tears. Rolled down my face. Then you say the hallucinations were intense. At no point did it ever occur to me that the things I was seeing hearing and feeling, like might all be in my head every detail, was so vivid and lifelike today day, they are forever locked in my brain, not as memories of hallucinations I had, but as memories of real events I experienced. How long did that period last seemed. Like me,

it's by. I think it was only a few hours, and that was the reactions to a drug that they were giving you correct, and you know early on, especially during my time around this time that we're talking about an- I see you I was in surgery minimum every other day, going thirteen hours surgeries to save my arm going through Malta oh, you know every time you put someone asleep as a risk. So Every other day they might have put me to sleep one time, but they would do. Your for operations and every other day, if not every day,. When the warriors, ah at Walter, Reed myself included, had to go,

to daily every other day. What's car wash out and as you know, the bacteria and things We don't quite understand have researched not yet in the soil in Afghanistan create infections that can be just as there let if not more deadly than the actual injury and can kill you weeks later at Walter Reed. So having to go in for these wash out multiple operations. Every time I was put down side thing, just all of that kind I, along with. Already struggling to grasp. This new reality that hours waking up to and experiencing, but at. That last hallucination you read about about my funeral

is the only thing out of my entire journey that still choked me up, because It was just. A feeling of beyond despair. I I move. I was so frozen with despair and. I was just so dead Stated that not my bodies, but no one no family, no, nothing massive, rolling hills worth of a field just a hole in the ground, where I was, and Religious leader conducting a funeral, but why

with so many pieces in parts of my journey. I'm am thankful that that hallucination occurred, because that taught me one help me realize one of the most powerful lessons and questions. I can t continue to carry with myself today and always ask and remind myself, and that is an elite just for me. This is what I translated from there. But what is my legacy? and when I get to those final days, which will be followed by my funeral. Hopefully or people come her, but now who will I have their? How many people, why have helped loved touched impacted,

What am I doing every day and in how my living to create a funeral that has people there has more people than less And I think it was also scary and really thought about this until right now, but I think it's is scary, because. The other hallucinations I think maybe. One per cent of my brain, at least the first hallucination continuing now more as they seem completely real and I felt like I was completely listen, but after going through multiple hallucinations

that were just so crazy. I mean giant spiders attacking a hospital room. The Taliban dropping grenades. My dad charging that they emerge see room. They were not kind of normal life experiences. So when I entered the least nation of watching my funeral, then it became mixed with ok. This actually does relate to. What's going on like that, that I did I finally succumb to the fire and actually is this really really happening, because. Last I remember before his hallucination starred in I was struggling to hang onto alive, so

It was. It was kind of like a plausible scenario but yeah. You know that was a course today. It's it's, it wasn't real, it's not true, but it still no cuts in to me too Feel, like I disappointed those around me and that I disappointed them to the extent that they didn't care about me anymore and that they were upset with me for leaving the deployment early and on family didn't come, and I remember exactly, but I think in that moment now waste nation I was thinking while they debating com because of the hardships I put him through, and so that was extremely but again has made me from

A day on think about when that time my funeral comes what legacy my leaving. Yeah and it's interesting that its framed up. What the most important thing to you is. It is everyone else, the crews who have helped who Who, by given enough to that day that they want to come and get a back to me right now, you're Getting back to your ear attitude a little bit here, which is just some, you know him for anybody to hear your nick- can up his neck. You know he suffered bad injury to. And you say this- I was thrilled when I learned naked woken up for a variety of reasons. I only saw neck a couple of times in the hospital, but it may my day when he penned was up Kyle on his whiteboard when he was doing occupational therapy for writing

We're just a few rooms, a port apart still bedridden, so we started sending a whiteboard back and forth with short messages. We practise right, to each other, encouraging to see using urging to me to see that Nick was on the same journey. I was we were, claiming our lives and learning how to be. Or forest cells, not in spite of our injuries but because of them our injuries happened. Nothing whatever change that our wounds were part of our bodies. But we were the ones who would get to choose, What role they would play in our stories. Some statement, and it's what's ozma to me about that statement. Is how often do people let. Things that are much less significant in infinitely less significant than the injuries that you receive them. The injuries that Nick received and yet they let those things

Little insignificant things dictate their whole life dictate. The reaction dictate the withered and behave, and here you were looking at these cattle traffic, injuries, saying you get to choose what role those injuries plainer life, that's an attitude to think about for sure everything is a choice. Everything is. It is not only a choice, but thing is shaped by. The winds of personnel, do that. You choose to look through. I'm trying to kind of conjure up where you found that lens. There's plenty of people on saying that, could use. Good want to borrow those glasses from you to have a look, do that lends at their world, and I think You know. I always think that there's things that can help people there

all they need is awareness right, light all they need is to see it and so on. Think even hearing you say, look at how you look at it hearing. You say that people go. Maybe I'm looking at this the wrong way if you're in a tough spot right now out there in the world. My guess is you're not in his offers a spot as Europe as negative in how can you adjust perception a little bit so that you, in a different light, see your situation in a different light. Yes,. And not think it's important to know that struggle adversity? All of these life of schools that get Norway that knocking down those does

things are the last things we should ever compare by exactly what you're saying to have a frame of reference of wow. I can get through this And I I this is one reason I wrote the book to tell people that you can. Come back better and stronger might be physically. Mentally and emotionally different or emotionally different, and that is absolutely okay. We all handle adversity differently. We all he on our own time, but you truly can combat better and stronger than you were before, whatever not you down and in good time, you can not only come back better and stronger, but you can do it with a smile on your face.

Just a kind of point out some of the what we're talking about for a struggle. You you and go home for rehab for somebody rehab, which was great but, like you, you going to like a full celebration mode after you finally are able to on a paradox. For the first time, and by the way it took like ten minutes per sock, to get this ox on so and eight months and and eight months of war of work to get there so eight months of faith, and to put your socks on my mom brush my teeth, for that getting ready. The few teeth I had left so yeah mean is still sounds crazy. It's a hit me a monster, We to put my socks back, you know some. Sometimes people look at a challenging situation.

And they say what's gonna. Take me a long time to get this done and whenever that thing that they're gonna get done is going to be a pretty giant chow. Whether its bleeding a marathon are completing sums courses at school, and here you are grinding as hard as you can, and it takes you ate more and you reward. Is it only took you ten minutes per sock. We to put your socks off You say I knew I was reclaiming my body and my life, one tiny muscle to which, at a time, the that right there again what what if you listening this right down, you think you got some challenges: a. You probably do we all challenges, but if you can make that little. That little bit progress a little tiny bit of progress, and you do today to do tomorrow. You do the next day you will

Dig yourself out aware Europe. You say this and you say this again because I can't read this entire book to every one right now, but that's where they can buy it. Actually, You read the audio book to Yasser. That's really: debt relief for maize well, point yet so a lot of times books are read by some random actor and and they say, like her, this parts, as I know, caretakers, are the unsung heroes, but they re like this. I know caretakers are the unsung heroes. So you don't do that. You really yourself, which is awesome, and you're in the second you're just talking about every that they did, for you day in day, task of keeping someone comfortable taken the bathroom, remembering their pale schedule accommodating their diet, helping the MC addressed keeping them? the them up celebrates the good days walking through their bodies

I can't imagine how exhausting it must be to find yourself in a full time around the clock, job taken care of someone else. This was the role that various people took on. For me. It was this strengthened support when I still when At my worst and most broken physically that hold me to begin to rebuild a normal life, so again shout out to the caretakers p that got you through this just incredible people. Continuing on here I wasn't just physically exhausted. I was emotionally drained from the moment I regained consciousness. Back in December, I been putting a strong face on for my family. I thought, if I can reassure them. I was ok, be easier for them to deal with what happened me, Marine, which me the instinct to protect others is second major nature and that instinct working overtime now.

There was more than the endless hospital trips and surgeries and skin graphs and adaptive exercises, getting used to the constant pain and the feeling of the shrapnel still trapped in my body from one see with my remaining. I, the world What's the same, my mom and dad looked exactly like they both looked before I shipped My brothers were taller, but otherwise the same boys I'd known, but I knew that what they saw, what they saw was never changed. Every time looked at me. They couldn't help. It see my wounds, I the one to enlist, but now my family was serving alongside me. Yeah, this is so easy to breeze through, like the the you what your family's going through be what you're going through its like. You know, I'm when at when I get an injury, I'm like this Sorry used,

prophetic person, I'm so embarrassing, like I did so frustrated. If I get a caught on my finger and I can't like beetle tree- you did so on the job. And if you think about this level injuries that you suffered. It's just it's it's. Hard to comprehend- and something. You said earlier. There was, I had a guy. On here a few weeks ago,. Named Jim Sorrels than he was Vietnam, awesome guy with Vietnam. He was on his eleventh month of his, toward Vietnam and he was checked. The perimeter of where his It was set up and he stepped on a mine and in it did took off both of his legs in one of his arms and any took like high above, like way above the need proper, born.

Got the hip. But one thing that he said that I was thinking that it wasn't on gas, but we were talking about it later is like the one hundred per cent like this is this is this would have this is like the one hundred percent acceptance he said made a big difference. In his life, he was with a lot of that's a talk, while some of those other vets with me that he was with that never accepted what into them and no reminds me to think it's like number one you say hey, I accepted that I couldn't change what had happened, but also could he taught me said you know some. The guy's a new. They only accepted it. Ninety five percent, It reminds me what you said when you talk about those hallucinations and some of those worn as bad as you even though you are ninety nine percent sure that little one percent, enough to make a difference in your brain and

I think, that's what happens with lifelike. We have to accept These things happened in the past and there's not anything you can do to change what happened in the past. It is impossible, and it's the most Obvious piece of the whole puzzle, it is the past. We know we change, we know we can alter it fix it go back, but it is one the most detrimental aspects, potentially over it every of a struggle. The. What is that daunting question now most of the time will never be answered and

maintaining a lot of times that people get hung up on, but the most obvious, and so I am thankful that I did we passed in the past and alive. Two hundred percent behind me, but in order to realise that I had to hit rock bottom. Arguably the lowest point alive by far the lowest point, my recovery As you rightly said, I had gone home to recover. Roughly. Six or seven months, an injured November two thousand ten. I was in my first three kind of an

sure why saving minds a my recovery until the last week of February, two thousand and eleven at the time, with such an influx of casualties, not only for my rag but now from the push in Afghanistan. I remember just stopping in my tracks at Walter Reed, I went up onto the recovery floor and I think I was going to visit some some guys, because this was after I had already got back on my feet, become stable by members, get stopping in my tracks at the sight of hospital beds being put in the hallway.

Walter, Reed, had run out of space and ruined every room was doubled up on patients. Initially after I got injured. I was the only one on the whole floor because of how delicate my condition was that did not have a roommate, because I needed to Corpsman or army medics in their every second of the day. Almost caught a one to one to just sit there for our hours and hours day after day, watching me watching my machines so that, if I crass, if I flat line, It might only save five to ten seconds but some will not only be in there, but they could immediately contact doctors and people that can help bring me back. So that said,. We had already been told- and I had already unfortunately heard

Extremely heavy news that minimum I was gonna had to spend two years watery minimum. If everything went to But if all forty and my surgeries- and maybe at this point it was like twenty twenty five left me a moment- count, but you know three here's and forty surgeries as obviously say long time a commitment so and with them sir I've been there the chain of command the marine corps. They met my fate we they knew them. I knew there were. They have my best interests, which, unfortunately, is not there as all the time with winter warriors coming back so knowing that they going to take care me they're my best interests if we agreed, if they let me go home, Lay on my own couch with the dog eat, moms, amazing, home cooked mood,

I could go do that with the agreement that they would just continue, to extend my leave month by month every day I will go to the local hospital, Slash Clinic and Lexington South Carolina get that daily therapy and every two weeks from four march. First, until September, when I moved out to Walter Reed every two weeks, my mom drove me from South Carolina to DC to get a surgery, So if all those agreements are good, I could go home and recover so and when I'm getting to is about home recovering. And its march, maybe early April spring thousand eleven right after the hospital and it was around ten o clock at night. I was whining. For the day and I mean, after a whole day a therapy with the injury.

I still had and how early on I was, my recovery might been three in the morning, so I was already tired, maybe a little frustrated and. My mom was in the next room; Over the living room- and there is a couple of reasons which, I'll get. You there's a couple of reasons why this story goes so deep in dark, so quickly And the first is and I realize this tool recently, but was the first time.

Standing near sitting near my kitchen, that really for the first time since I joined the Marine corps and especially from the first time that I got injured and woke up in the hospital it was me, not a team of six people standing around telling me I it's ok to go to the bathroom in front of us in this bed. Pan, not a team of people holding the tubes coming out of me. I wasn't struggle to breathe through the to the trick and my neck. And it was just me my own in my own head with the ringing in my ears and in that moment, by myself, in the quiet and leading up this moment I've been, taking on the monumental challenge of trying to me.

The ball of cereal for myself and at this point I hadn't had the nerve graft repairs. Greece to fix my as from hanging. My way was. Extremely low for what it you know, my age and and circumstances aside my way, extremely well as extremely weak. The mill Mise well wait a hundred pounds. I struggled to. Open the Box of cereal and it was almost impossible to even hold the spoon. I complete permission making my boy cereal and I'm sitting the kitchen counter and that was only half the battle. Now I had to try to eat it.

Nurse had been severed in my face, I still can't feel a Porsche my face and my chin, I didn't have to which not only give you know really realized, but they give your mouse so much structure and your lips structure gives you the bill, ability to closure mouth to not have mill going everywhere and not only was it going everywhere. I any new deal at all over my face It is both sphere, which is due to pit defeating me and in tat moment, I completely broke. And we already hit on it, but I know for tourists in that I broke in this moment, because it was the first, how my then by myself, with only my own thoughts.

And also until this point I had been strong every day, because I knew you are the hardest part of my entire journey. Was my parents suffering? Do that burden of recovery with me, and I think now, knowing What I've been through being on the other side of that hospital bed is a loved one, a lot of times a helpless love. One. Exponentially harder than laying in that ban. So trying to put a smile on every day trying not to terror. When that's all, I really could do after thirteen our arm surgery where they had been hammering metal rods. My bones and it was pain like I'd, never fell all the way to the deep centre core of my bones, No telling them that I am not in pain, it's okay, I'm good and I'm smiling being strong, but in that,

by myself. No one around me almost We typesetting the lights were little doom and yeah. I completely broke my mom rushed in gaining any wonderful mother she puts her arms round me and asks if I'm in paying what's going on and through the the the sobs, I could only choke out one day now it was Look at me he's ever gonna love me again and that's the that's tough, even still now to talk about that today. By, like I said, Arnie multiple times, sometimes the deepest darkest lows moments and live teach us the most.

The lessons, and in that moment in and thankful that I had this inside I am- and I realise that and talking about the past at the past- is truly the path asked in that moment. I realized that within situation with any obstacle or that really not shut down and live every opportunity, every intersection, good or bad. You cut out the noise, and this is gonna, be a total swallow for people listening and it was for me, but it must be and that is that you can

The noise. Can you only ever have two options? You can either stand up and take that small step forward, and I have no. Are you going you not that the perfect playing you don't have to know it tomorrow hold, but you can either get up and take that small step gonna sit at that kitchen counter for the rest of your life and now years later, in one of my favorite lines in the book on thankful that I pushed through those hard times, and I realized- and I truly believe in now that the smallest of stout eventually completes the grandest journeys. That is one of the parts of my mission that I'm trying to get out there and tell people on edge

gay people about and is by no means any yet. I already I'm still excited and looking forward to keep going, but with that said- and I appreciate you having me in this time and helping me with your platform with that mission of helping people through that struggle and telling people that one small step at a time you work hard, try to stay Puft. Try to be a good person. Do the right thing and it will not only bring you out of that, but take it a great places. Yeah, I don't have anything bad that I mean that's. That's such a poignant thing to prospective down

and at its your I often talk about the fact that the Step is the hardest one. They. Situations like the first step is the hardest one. In the end, what I like about, what you bring to that statement is like it, doesn't matter how big that step is or more import. How small that step? Is you gotta do something you got it. You got a move in the right direction. Yeah. The? U detail. That is the whole chapter in here. Where you were you go through that and gotta people gotta pick this up to really reinforce those ideas, so we can push through. You know here's one of the things you say kind of bringing this home at some point. Every will face a rock bottom moment when the past,

too large to overcome and a hopeful future seems too far out to imagine. Let me just think about that right there there times that you're gonna face where the past is too much and The future seems too far way too far out there you go. Difficult to prepare yourself that moment because it's impossible and know what will trigger it. It may be a major setback that Knox you to the ground or could be something so seemingly minor and Curious trying to eat a policy area, which is why you, you went through the if you can't really do much ahead of time to prevent that moment from happy, you might not even be able to brace yourself for the impact all you can do is commit yourself to surviving for another day, recognising that you can change. What is behind you only, What lies ahead. You may even wonder if it's possible to move on, and it might not be without proof rational guidance to help you process everything that your past represents. It's not a problem.

That can be rushed. You have to be honest with yourself as to whether or not it to let go of the pass past. Maybe answers not yet and that's ok but at some point you have to be willing to say from this day forward. I am choosing to live. Too often we fall into the trap of thinking. We need to have everything figured out before we act you dont have Have a road map before you set out you? Don't have to know what direction your travelling you just have to you willing to move and leave the past behind. So this just you know, powerful staff and you you, you go through When you talk about you, helping with J Redman who's been on the PAR Gaston, the seal that was wounded very badly. You did. Bunch of mud runs the marine corps, like you're, doing stuff you're, pushing and

how come This is what you say about that about those things every obstacle I took on at a home significance and every time a conquered one eye gone new significance to I gained signal get to someone who fought to live and was succeeding again. Significance combat survivor, who is doing more than just surviving gained. Significance is someone who attacked physical and occupational therapy with every fibre of my being, and was approving what my restored body could do. I gained significance as someone who refuse to let fear make his choices form. I gained significance as someone who reclaimed is life unapologetically and even if that significance was only apparent to me and no one else is changed. Who I was in my own eyes and in my own mind. My injuries will not defined my life. I will

greatest power. I have that any of us has the power to make that choice. So once again it is about taking control over what choices you make decisions. Leading to move forward yeah it again, It's one thing when somebody says that stuff that you know they're big challenge was: who knows what what big challenge they had but to hear a coming from you whose literally been dead, end, and and come back and stuff. Through the the devil, covering process It's just. If you can say that we can all see that in just add ons, then things for pointing that out. But that's exactly why

I, along with having to realise how I wanted to approach and ride it. That's why this book was written now, nine years later, because I didn't want to write a book not only that only military service, members, veterans or people that have been to combat could understand. I wanted a book that there, I lived I I live, learn and and proved and completed the lessons that I am teaching and the worst is when you get weather. Berger, some motivator out there telling you in our whole bread she of things you need to do now on themselves and so

the last thing I would have road it if I wouldn't have have done these things, but I'm not gonna tell people after you get not down. You can go to college, earn your degree without doing there. Now don't tell people? Oh you work hard won. From the other and individually, one day. You can run a marathon without crossing finish line or that marathon, without jumping out of the plane back hacking across Europe. So thank you. For recognising man. I assume that your people ask me: why are you? Could I wrote a book right after this happen? I mean Where was there after the metal pretty much water, the same book in a way yes, but not really, because.

I I wanted to. I wanted to has substance behind me: things the lessons the challenges and victories there. I talk in this book. You know you can't it got a tone. Your voice, when you said some motivator out there like And I have, I have pretty consistently, talked smack but the term motivation is manufactured. I made a little video the other day roused making fun of motivation Monday right and then I read your book. I got to the shepherds called stay motivated and I was like done reading. And- and you know My mind is always open and Look, Lord swords, like ok, let's, let's see what what girl to say about it, you said you know, stay mode,

did you hadn't quotes any marine reading. This is rolling their eyes right now, like ok, so you know those toward stay motivator, pretty well worn within the core leadership, I have to say them when you're information on a rond or any time, there's a large lagging the conversation. In fact, it seems like we You are cold and went in Hungary and dirty and missing home. That's when you say it. The most stay motivated the line is becoming of a joke in the Marines that We'll talk around sarcastically in really miserable situations when it seems like everyone hates their life, but still some wisdom. In the phrase I I checked it out and that allows you to keep going here. Yeah well, on my mind, is open and my mind is open and there's something that I realized, I I did little research and the. The real word of motivation, which No motivation is like it comes across as an emotion

your rapporteur, electronics. We can rely on it right. But the word of it is latin, modus any means move. That's what it means move, and so you spell out all the things you might be. Angry, tired, broken hurt confused. What can you. Ass. We do in a situation like that stay motivated, which ties back to what you already said you get up and you move that's what you need to do, no matter who you are or where you are in life. There are simply things that are going to be terrible, but you, have to lower your head. Put one foot in front of the other and walk straight into that storm

stay motivated. That's what we're talking about were talking about. Moving we're talking about taking action, and when I turned that word motivation, which is like a a feeling into action, then I get it then I get it. Yeah that this chunk of the book were Utah, about. What you went through is an annual attitude towards it, and sometimes you have to dig a little deeper. You got this part here. There was a local ask Afghan boy about twelve rule of the marine who would always salute us when we go to walk out of our butts based on foot he ended You're old brother, even made a game of trying to snatch our water bottles and good from the dump pouches on the back of our soppy plates, which were nine to carry empty magazines from firefights, but does a snack, candy and water by a bottle carrier. The two boys got to be friends with us and through the mud of talking and playing with us would sometimes tell us

We are well hidden. Ideas were buried, are Who d guys made good show of trying to make it appear that their discoveries were accidental before the surpluses word diffused but intolerable. Taliban strongholds, eyes are always watching one night about two weeks after I was evacuated a grenade drawn over the wall of our compounded detonated at exactly the spot. Where my now empty bunk sat norms injured, but obviously shook everyone up a bit. A few its later that same boy who to salute us showed up I'm in the middle of the night to tell us he threw that grenade He was sobbing and begging the Marines to forgive him not to kill him the Taliban, had caught on that he was friendly with us and that fewer, these were being detonated, they suspected here is the cause, so they beat him senseless, but they didn't kill him

Instead for his final punishment, they dragged him to the wall of our compound placed a grenade, his hand and pulled the pin a twelve year old child was forced to kill or be killed That was just one story of countless others. We heard stories of violence, ritual stoning of women, pushing people off buildings for being gay and Joe and forced to become weapons of war. How is one not affected witnessing that degree of evil you remove yourself. Why you're over there in the first place, to stop the Taliban and their torture depression of their own people? your mind yourself that if you are able to weaken their stronghold or just give hope to those innocent people, even the smallest of ways, so that one day they might taste the freedom of safety, then you made a difference that helps. You stay focused that here you stay motivated. That's her!

that's it. I would love to see the debts of rare story, but that's what those that's what the enemy is like yeah, that's what they do so. You know you just mentioned that you put down your backpack put down your rucksack and picked up a backpack Ended up going to college, kind of fulfilling. The promise to your to your parents and. On the afternoon of separating two thousand seventeen, I was sitting in a folding chair on the floor of colonial life. Arena just adjust my task to make sure Europe's position correctly on my cap receive my diploma, making good on the promises made by parents eight years earlier that one day I go back to school and my degree.

The graduation speaker introduce me to the crowded announced joining Kyle's family this afternoon or members of his medical evacuation team and to his daughter, from Walter Reed NASH, military men. Call center. Our thanks to you Kyle. Would you please stand and receive our recognition, I stood and suddenly so did the entire arena. My fellow stew swear, cheering I was chairing, my family was chairing and I why's that I'd really done it. We had really done it. My friend, We, my peers and all the people had been with who'd kept me alive along the way, both literally and figuratively. You graduate from college, and while you were doing that, you were also running marathons right. That time correct. That timeline correct the first one was two thousand thirteen Three were marine corps marathon for those simple,

I find in Washington, DC and. The first one I completed was October. After I get the hospital in July and then next to wear the few years following that, the second one, actually, which I don't work Mank, as I didn't think about circling increasing around in the clouds over the Pentagon before us, God dived down into the starting line. It was a solid twenty minutes worth of invisible air squads wrapped up in that plane. Waiting for this, To break over the horizon a great times, and so I landed and an if I hadn't put my sweet mother Through enough already, of course, it was not The greatest whether was windy that day so I'm not always skydiving- run over putting her through that by the wind

jumped with team fast tracks, often team, most of which are our former operators and in special forces, and myself in, and my jump partner got blown off course ironically crash landing on top. Slide NAM between headstones in Arlington, solitary thought. Who is an expert about to express me enter into being on one of these spots. I now this is so completely crazy they here, one in marathons parachuting. This is just ridiculous. I might like have a talk with your mom. Remind to take you with idly theology, orderly, irish, already closely interlinked and I'm I'm sprinting to the starting line, undressing Anima at my gear, doing have view right is a cannon goes off so made that one, but these

Our came up. Very early on when I was in the hospital and when I said earlier, you might be a little different physically mentally emotionally, but you can try come back, better, stronger than you were before, whatever not you down and that lesson comes from. Early on, when I had when I was breathing through that too. When I had my arms tied up from swelling when I had to go to the bathroom in a bed pan in front of my parents and see to a medical staff from the hospital in that low, not down. Seemingly hopeless state.

I decided to think of something that I can do whether it was a year for men or just at some point, my life. I tried to think of something I could do to show an proved myself tat. I was not only back, but again I was better and stronger than before, and I thought- and at a time I mean I can't say out. A hundred percent confidence. I was going to accomplish this goal, but I set the goal to run a marathon and years later, and what is that was two thousand and eleven first Marathon was so over two years later, when I cross the finish line at that first marriage.

Think we're had sunglasses on. I was tearing up because. For years I had been telling myself deep thought to myself coach myself and I think doing it so much unknowingly, just try to trying to convince myself that hey, I really can get better combat shore I knew I could- and I did believe those things by again sometimes that go or the future. It is so far away and you have to go through so much to get to it. It's not that I don't worry myself by it's kind of like until happened. I couldn't fully by into it

He's weird does it was my own just internal talk and advise, though, when I close it finish line that marathon. It was such an incredible amazing beautiful moment, because not only was I, just like I do every day and live any new experience. I have any experience. Period. Just sitting before we, we drove you this morning's sitting in watching the son come up anything I do. I I literally can't help, but the thing wow. So close to not experiencing this right now, bigger small! So when I ass, the wine of that marathon that finish line and they dropped that that metal around my neck. Ah.

In that moment, I proved to myself what I have been hurting and and and working striving getting not down every single day for after years, In tat moment, I not only realise, but I fully believe it solidify permanently forever. In my mind, what I had been teaching myself. Of day in day out in through those long dark and painful night. The letter that that's an incredible journey and I cannot believe that the journey only lasted twit years to get you for your first rank or marathon. From the time you got wondered tat, which I don't recommend, what's that

You got all this stuff calling on. You got your recovery going on. You got you're going to kill, Knowledge, iranian marathons, you're skydiving your sky to having in marathons at some point, you on hearing the talk about in the balconies first are getting some indication that their their them medal of honor could be in your future and again you eat. You talk about it in the book you kind of bill to it the little indicators along the and then get to this here on an unassuming gay in February. I was noted that. I should expect a call from President Obama, the following Monday at one thirty six p m, the seemed we least specific until I remembered that the leader of the free world, as more than a few demands on his time and probably runs a pretty tight schedule, I told my parents, of course, but they

say a word of it, my brothers, I think we fought it. Be more fun for them to be caught off guard and then you go on but call came through at one thirty, six on the dot. Remember being so, is that an actual number appeared on my phone screen, rather than an unknown collar message, but it must have been the number for this. Central switchboard at the White House. I answer the phone The stern sounding woman on the other end announced stand by the present United States on the phone for you, Ok was all I could get out after such a profound statement. A moment later. A voice familiar to me came on Kyle the present in a surprisingly conversational friendly enough be tone It immediately set me at ease or as much as the eddies you can be out when you're talking to the commander in chief. Yes, sir, how you do it I'm fine, sir. How are you

Am I really making small talk with the president? I thought to myself I'm doing just fine thanks, he answered then he can do, it is my pleasure. Let you know that, based on recommendation of the Secretary of the Navy, and this better defence of defence. Approve the medal of honor to be awarded to you for your kind just actions in Afghanistan in support of operation enduring freedom. There it was, it was happening. That's gonna, be here: that's gonna, be a hard thing to kind of contemplate. That you are joining this, no legion of are met,

profound heroes, and how will do you at this point in time when Eve five? Twenty five software in college, I left class to drive home, received Ah, after entering my home and getting. Yelled out by my mother, because my first Russia was, does anyone have a phone chargers, I'm on seven percent So I was not prepared for the mission you could say, and I also got Yoda, even though it was a call on speaker foam No video that my shoes there. Was wearing, were nasty and so after getting reprimanded. I did. I received that incredible and surreal phone call and at this point For years we had heard

not really any of dates, but it also had it ended. One can only assume, especially with the months before this since the previous. No, in November, two thousand thirteen the year before our seen the metal at the common, Marine Corps birthday ball. My mom and I sat down for a casual meeting with a marine by the name of ginger modes. She work public relations, such public affairs for the Marine Corps She wanted to sit now at us and say: hey we're no idea where this thing is where it's gonna go. If it's even to happen but looking ahead at your next month, school you I had recovered. I the hospital than other hospital for

Yeah, I guess now thing and that only a few months, but by the time the them the metal rolled programme I had already had an hour cover, but get on with my life make that transition. So furthermore, college. They knew that that was my new mission there. My priority. And I wanted to do good at it and give it my best What kind of you know them looking out for me, and all of this was so weird as we went along because All of these in I had to had to do all this preparatory work for something that not even The highest Marines knew where it was that and they were, tell me, of course, even if they did, but I believe, truly do not know and So with that said as the first couple,

it was just like hey. This could potentially happen. Even though we don't know if it's gonna happen, we need to adequately prepared. So that said, it was kind of like hey I want to do good at school. We suggest, unfortunately, that you need to withdraw from this semester. But once I got word that I was going to be receiving that call it was beginning of February. So I was still just a few weeks into the semester and I was thinking hey I'm going to stick this out and wait for this insane call if it actually is going to come to happen before I.

Drawn Liza semester of time, energy effort in class credits and so yeah were left class. I took the call I drove back for some reason to make the next climate in Finnish out the day strong before I withdrew from classes It was so strange still to this day sitting through that history, class and thinking like okay. Well, I kind of crazy. I was just talk. The President United States, and now I'm in my sophomore college history class is so, but after that yeah I got the call when you was going to happen. We still couldn't tell anyone so the Pentagon every other week all week, guarantee. Hey eyes, training everything from sitting in a room for hours getting drill, but two. Who were also mean really dig good get me prepared, but

most interrogations and grilling me every question that kid Detrimental to me or learning Two, if I don't want to sir question directly navigating that reporter that interview in the direction that I wanted to take it, but my I can't tell anyone saw my friends thought I was still in class, so they'll go Howard finals, going on whether good, not knowing I was just at the freaking Pentagon all week and then hanging out with them on the weekends going to football. Ass. He wore games, but yeah was. It was incredibly sir, to receive that phone call, but When I see that phone call, it made it no more real in- and I think just one of those things in life that I combat like the unknown the life of service holds. I think you can

can only comprehend and process to a certain extent until those actual moments happen and you are exposed to him but ass for a few months, After my imaginary semester, That I was suffering through. Ah I, I received there are no of honour as along with Dakota the second reading, Recipient marine recipient, since Vietnam still currently, thankfully, that thankfully, I'm still the youngest living recipient of that incredible and humbling honor. In a word you I mean you do great job of a book of talking about you,

the ceremony in doing the inner views in the pressure in the White House and all those things going on, but the end definitely worth reading to get some appreciation. If you don't understand what this award means that will be to give you some appreciation of what it, what it means for the person That's receiving it. I mean just what you are, what happening to you. You do great job of explaining that in the book, but I really like this Section here which all A kind of explains what the metal water means it says the finger, people understand, is that the metal of honours heavy distinction. It only is a couple of hours, but the physical weight is nothing compared to the weight of what it represents. Everything that the metal symbolizes not just the circumstances under which it was earned. But the brow conflict of which that action was part and all

of the losses that are result of that conflict adds weight. One of my friends from deployment told me that when he saw the present and placed the metal around my neck, he cried because our youth, our story and the guy as we lost, will never die after that. For my fellow Marines, he said the metal was a part of everyone's deployment, And you go on in here talk a little bit more about awards and you say The ribbon rack never tells the full story of a person service. But, having served alongside someone who was awarded the medal of honor somehow helps to capture in a bigger sense. What we all went through. Even beyond our current operations. When you start to to add up each casualty: each death, each injury, the mental scars

and every person listed as Emma yea over nearly two hundred and fifty years of military conflict. Its overwhelming. I marvel to at the tremendous acts of bravery and heroism from the civil war, spanish, american WAR, World war, one world war to Korea, Vietnam Your storm, Somalia, O F, o I e even special forces in intelligence communities who great without recognition in places. We will never know that. Never got told Maybe those stories warrant told because there was no one around to witness them. Maybe they told because no one survive to tell them. Maybe they were told. But some external factors stood in the way of someone getting the honor. They deserved that is why I often say the men. Doesn't belong to me, not really, my were you just happened to be noticed that the medal of Honor think of the metal of honour as an

visual award, couldn't any further from the truth. Here I mean Hard to sum up in words, but that's a pretty good, that's a pretty good shot at it to two to explain it and certainly for me, haven't served with with Mikey months or everything you're Talkin that the year Marines felt you know. I know myself and the rest of the guys and task in a brutal. We all. We all feel that we all feel that pride. We all interest and that sacrifice sentenced at its not just limited to guys in task your browser, everyone that was in Romania with us. They all feel the same way You know you end up.

I guess you're. I guess you know when you are. You said you were a kid with a lot of energy. Will that that hasn't really been stuck stifle about despite aids and what not? Because you end up going on Sunday. You call a gratitude tour. You go around country and you actually go round the world. Could you go to Afghanistan? You go to Germany, you go and you meet people. You thank people. The medical while the men of that crews rehab folks, everyone that that played, a role you're survival at your rehab in your recovery and you base equally go around and you say thank you and You say something here: there is a power in moving from someone who only receives to some. And who able to give to from. Marked a major shift. In my view of myself and of my

of the world, even though my feeling journey will never really be over the opportunities. I've had to think people of help me move beyond the chapter of my life dedicated to recovery. Now I can look ahead to whatever comes next, making something out of this life that so many people work to save. Feeling power of same thing You is immense. I believe this with every ounce of my being Can't imagine anything more beautiful in this world and gratitude feeling it. Expressing it receiving it. Gratitude is at the heart of every thank you for your service that someone offers to a veteran. I stand the feeling of not knowing what to say, but why? to say something because the gift that was given as to significant to go on acknowledged. I appreciate the granted gratitude, that is shared with me, but I hope people know that I, Oh, so much more thanks. Then I,

ever be able to express. Gratitude. I've come to learn is one of them. Important parts of becoming a whole per The building a life of significance, gratitude require wisdom recognize the roles of others. It requires humility to admit that you couldn't have done it alone. It requires strength to be able to give part of yourself back To someone I know there is still enough of you left to thrive, and it requires inner peace to be able to say what you did for me helped create a life. I am glad to call my.

Mom before we in here today, even though the uncorrected proof which we just went through in the final copy are same content essentially the same, the uncorrected proof does not had the introduction or my parting thoughts, and the parting thoughts is one of the most important important lessons. I would like to convey here today and.

The end of the parting thoughts- I guess really close me as a whole. I wrote them to help people, not this cow, their own situations or struggle Because going through the years and all the while going through school in for the metal after the hospital and even during the hospital I had. So we stir did you not really know what I was doing. I had. Started to work towards building, not only the perfect side of my life, but the public speaking side of my life and go and do the.

Events over the years he Boyd always come up to me, say if they were in the military say well and I in the military never did or went through anything like you our service members are veterans. They come up and essentially say the same thing but its hey. I was an infantry or I didn't do anything like you did or I wouldn't have jumped on a grenade As you can see from one of the first chapters of the book, if you ask me hey in ten minutes, will you jump on your name? I couldn't believe anyone can confidently say yes, and with these

bringing thoughts. I wanted to not only lay that out and say that we never came here. Our journeys are struggles. Even our trials. But also to show people that the beautiful thing about people in the human spirit which I see this and take my name out of it. My story, I see this book as an example and it's a journey not a me, but as of what the human spirit can go through,

So, with TAT said these parting thoughts, I wrote TAT not only help people not discredit their own situations, lie circumstances and shovels, but also to tell people that the beautiful thing about that human spirit is you never know when how or to what capacity you're going to step up in a time of need for some one else and b that here to some one else, big or small, and so, they saw me, let me put that out there, but I had to do that because on one hand it was. It was good and turned out to be a positive that people are coming up and telling me those

things, because I realized- and I had this light bulb moment as I was going to years of thinking about. Ok, if and when I graduate from school or if and when I get the time and insanity in my wife too, may be start a project like this I'm willing I'll be I'll be motivated, and now I will do that by an end because I had the speaking the school, the metal. Thankfully, things are two chaotic, so I couldn't had this light bulb moment before the timing was right, but As I thought about how would I write this book because I again, I don't want to book that only people that have been the combat could understand.

I realized. After all, these people have been coming up in I was never in the military by and then proceed me their own version of struggle. I realise, of course everyone can relate to struggle and everyone, physically, mentally or emotionally, has struggled and can relate, and and really thinking about realising that struggle. Beyond religion, beyond really anything but love struggle is the only common thread through every single person on this are. And so I realise that as the Anglican ride a bow, and I could just work on the terminology and take everything- I've been through. Allow everyone to relate and understand. That was amazing.

But also it is sad and hard to hear these people just after they hear my story or research. You know about my story, for the first thing they tell me is complete. During their struggle and what they haven't. Donner haven't been through. And so one of the most important pieces of this book is to tell people don't discount yourself, your journey, your struggles, everybody handles adversity differently, everyone hills in their own time

and- and you never know, ah again how or to work capacity you're going to have to step up and take that grenade and combat live for those around you. Yeah, as you say, and this is your going through, Colored following your thoughts and you said something about you. Take me out of this picture. Take note remit Me from this I mean we ve gone over. Countless stories on this podcast of the strength of the human will in the human spirit is beyond comprehension. But when you said, take me out of this, I actually something a little bit different.

In my mind, I sat here and said myself: would we take the grenade out of the picture? What? If what? If that didn't happen, to you. What if that just did happen. Those Taliban an attack that day you another on that deployment. You came home. He carried with your life. And when you said to people dont discount your struggle, dont discount what you ve been through. I started thinking to myself and came same. Conclusion that you just said, which is you dont know, don't discount the act that you ve got this in you you're a human being and they D. I of the human will in the human spirit Joe because you haven't measured it yet doesn't mean that it's not there

that's an incredibly humble thing for you to be saying, but from your perspective hearing this over and over again it makes sense. That someone that's been through. What you ve been through can connect those dots and painted picture for all of us to see so yeah. Thank you and and those parts like you mentioned this book, and I have mentioned you are worth it and building a life worth fighting for by Kyle Carpenter. I know you, talk about gratitude and- and I hope that They know that you like to give gratitude, but I hope that you Except some gratitude: from all my so we can go, for almost five hours and

just been incredible that sit here with you talk to you, so the exception gratitude for me from everyone. That's listening for your sacrifice for writing a book for sharing your lessons. People want to keep up with you. How do we do it? Facebook we got Facebook. We got Instagram and Twitter Facebook here William Kyle Carpenter,. And Instagram and Twitter. You have a unique call sign on there, which is at chicks scars so adjectives cars with no see by the way, its age, I K S, dig scars in you're also available on you. Your own website, which is William COD. Carpenter, dot com.

That's how people can track you and you ve got all kinds of have gone on speaking talking accompanies your twitter Your into cool yours frozen stuff on there. I know like I said we ve been going on for almost five hours. You got me anything else, you want to say anything else. You want to close out with I'll just throw right back at you. Thank you for having me Not only am I sincerely honoured to been here today, but again, thank you for letting me your platform and helping me give a good word out about.

Helping people three their struggle, but you know you have helped me along the way- and I appreciate the strength and real already checked that I hate sometimes when I'm rolling out of bed at eight hundred and thirty in the morning I see you've already had half of a day but yeah, you're a man jack- and I are I thank you for this- and and as a person, but you know they seal, whether Superman type career and the things you ve been through, what you doin it ass a man and saw it is humbling to be here. I can promise you that I was no Superman and certainly am not. I appreciate you come on. I can't even express that enough and

most support. I think it's just thank you for setting an example, for setting an example for All of us to follow of what courage is what honour is Thank you for representing. Not just the marine corps, but representing men like Jason, Dunham and my comments or which walking around here. Doing and. I know that we will never forget them and we always be grateful for men like them, and for men like you for all of those who go forward and a friend defend freedom in the world. To thank you you're. And with that,

Kyle has left the building, obviously just an incredible story and incorrect. A human being? and I am lucky to be able to talk to people like Kyle in I'm lucky to be able to talk to people like you out there listening, which, if you didn't know Going to some cities and I'm good to talk directly to you in person, This is, in fact, a tour, so I one point not long ago I was saying: look we're not Iraq bandit echelon front, we're not we don't go on tour. The muster is to me. Three times a year, but This is no muster. This is just me talking sorts not taken, the entire resources of echelon front in focusing on this sort. Just me and it's a tour so

Here's what's goin on live gigs in first of all January in Washington DC. January Eleventh and Austin Texas, which is sold out. January, sixteenth in New York, J or twentieth in allay. January, twenty, seventh in Seattle and January, twenty eight in San Francisco, if you want to come to those gotta, Jacko live DOT, com and- And we already have one show that is sold out. Apologize. Apologies for that will do more. But if you want to come to the other gate for the Jocko, live dot com and get tick Come see become, hang out, I'm gonna talk, gotta go deep on some stuff

de gonna bring the heat yeah. That's order so Jack alive doc. Echo. I know that the Heaven Kyle Carpenter condemn We change your perspective on things. I know that We all have the opportunity to kind of create the life that we want. The best possible life that we can create for ourselves seems like a good plan, and I was wondering what you have fought- advice, maybe perspective on what things might make our life better By our life I mean all of us all of our lives, better, At the same time also, will provide. Support to this odd gassed, so that we can continue to bring people like Kyle Carpenter on

I share his story document historic document his story, I mean I'm so his story little play, words: Yorkshire straight up history, history, that's we're doing duty. Have we recommendations for us improving their life, proving your life broadly any recommendations. Yes, it is well digital right. That's the thing that comes to mind. First jitsu, some talking in a friend happens, meaning Keenan corny. Listen. Do you two guys and mentioned it to some guys kind of understate understanding, geyser cause keen in his a real good, let's say Jujitsu player, even that's an amnesty and that's an understate, saw here and we talked about it briefly at the muster. So you to improve your life,

then you know how you do it. You we, I guess, but you do the job in spreading. The word of that Notion Charter Yes, you did you help me with my life, but I know want to keep it a secret. I want everybody to know that because it'll make everybody's life better yeah. So it's no secret. We're spreading the word hey in the old days. It was a secret, When I started you do as a secret. You weren't allowed to show people that work in your academy, anything Jujitsu yeah and back then we use more like you, the way higher percentage. If not everybody was like. If you did, you do to your you're doing judges to know it. Wasn't you not a casual jujitsu? Really, it was more way Marina. Now. Starting to have like a casual jujitsu person, and some people might think that. That's like not that good.

You know cuz. They can't where'd, you get the guys either. You just get your not kind of thing and I did it, but I think that having casual Jiu Jitsu people is highly beneficial. In fact, it'll help only the normal non hard cordially separate people not only that will help them for sure, but it'll even help the hard gorgeous to people People in Digital is better is better for everybody forever, pondered percent, so in that not to mention the personal benefit to get from doing you did? That is the personal, but if it's all but you're Saint collectively, it helps, but it also helps individual here. Yes, Sir Andred Percent, so did you do you don't do just so we're doing Jiu that's have to work a hundred percent look into it. If you don't do you did too wondering some people there on the fence. Demagogical area suggests a curious ass, exactly wretch of security, as it can jump step out of that kind. Yeah you're right into Jujitsu there was,

Guy, who asked at the australian muster use like one of the early questions you like goes there striking. In exactly when he met because he did not at all a eunuch is because when you talk about Did you take this sort of three maybe more kind of capacities that can regard Jiu Jitsu, so the original. In my the more the most holistic way of looking at it is like a hoyce Gracie. You see one situation where it's like a straight up fight you use emission holds positioning like what you do is shrinking strikes, but that's not what you do is training striking training striking, but you can strike in Jiu Jitsu kind of thing, so he was asking like. I can you strike so like well that depends you know someone trains Jujitsu that use the school typically now, even though some places do offer training striking in a duty to companies transport to strike me. But since the rule? That's just the rule

and then obviously in self defense situation, yea do whatever you want anything, but if you know DDT, you can have the advantage and that again is an understatement. There can be striking you too. By the way I see it, helps to those sorts of things trivial, but at the end of it, from a day to day standpoint. Did you do an enjoyable and beneficial understatement thing to do for yourself and for the people around you there I agree and if you're gonna be doing Jujitsu, which, hopefully you are you're gonna need again. Yes, we're gonna need a rash guard. Yes, you're gonna need the clothing. The uniform waiting for the judiciary, is uniform, I mean the gear. Certainly uniform, rash guard is kind of a uniform accommodating from for sure yet so, where we gonna get the gate, No one asked me that anymore. No, they don't know why. But then I really know somebody knows, but for those of that don't quite know yet here limit to tell

an orgy of two percent. Good origin may not come the shrieking get these things. You get origin g in general, Because there is well, you can also get the genes, yes that you, where every single day enough, ran right away emergency situation. Some happens and you don't have a pair of short to do. Squats and guess what can do where your genes They got a little bit of work to them. You can you can you can do you can do. Asked the grass squats in origin genes all day long and no factor good glow factor in a little space. That's. We can only or unmarried and their good go and, of course, their main America hundred percent so When you buy a pair of genes, you are supporting freedom. We buy some from origin. You are supporting freedom and democracy in the world. That's what you're doing c mon, you, my one by one, do not to mention their dope genes,

if I'm wearing no mean from like a fashion perspective of how to secure jobs that will do say from an aesthetic ride, like ten minute conversation with someone about whether the genes they were just they will even asking me they're, just telling me that the genes were quote fashionable fashionable. An animal like other, just genes there like yeah, but was different about these as it there's no like member leg Those genes that we're out for a while I know they have you got no. They had like sewing all over. I like that, like ripping in whatever sewed up, rips and stuff, like that, it's not the ordinary none of their either a pair of boots, genes per blue. Here's! What be hard pressed to give me a fashion CIS specific

of those genes is not fully their function. Only right tell me one thing. Only one thing I can't can't cause they're functionally Lee here: zero vessels good is like P, P Roberts getting offended right now, cause you know, he's got no fashion began ones like it's got a reverse yoke. University joke is functioning. Africa? Even what are you? Ok you explained earlier by is: is I dont look for the yoke but shape or all in low and every time I pick up the genes like I'm not like fascinated than just enamored by the yoke there has put em on and they work in the launching of a warrant cluttering up at your, but I knew when I say when they work, they gotta look good. Like my wife, can you talk trash to me because I'm wearing Grum Cramp genes or genes or whatever you know. That means Brophy up, because I am a grandpa. Well, not really, but I'm a dad unless you can be a rap on that's cool, dad, it's cool, but it give dad genes, maybe ethical. If your wife,

telling you that you have a machine like em they're, not attractive, sir, but why not say that scientific good, so That's what I mean when I say they were so Napoleon's are set, Charles approved for that anyway, Yes all mean America. All we were friends in America. That's big, that's nothing! stuff that they plant in the ground and there was a cop. What does the gods concocted? Cotton thanks anyway. What uninstall realise opponents? Don't worry about joint warfare, don't forget about criminal, don't forget about discipline and disciplined go in the Cannes which I'm drinking right. Now it is look it and, of course, shrubbery and chocolate and meant in peanut butter, milk. Which is glorious, fridges, dessert dollars that happen It has brought bunch protein in it clean protein sure, there's no sugar sure it's!

haste delicious. This dessert search up some that out and get you get your Jocko White T as well winters here Bruce sum up, get Britain is there always used to say or the Brits out in the field of the field there there there Bruin up in the field, do the Brits still put milk anti? Yes, thing is my does he had. No, they absolutely put milk into I guess so. Why would I do that? The field, though not carried milk with you in a field, maybe evaporating. Maybe he added think that serious in the future, but I d dig. It knows how to face is, of course it Still putting locality, less noted the real thing nor phase over there in England who, anyway also when

getting the copy of you are worth it. Building life worth fighting for by POW Carpenter. Don't worry! I got you on our website. Talk about gas, dotcom click on books from episode boom and their listed ready for you to purchase. If you want to do so, also jugglers door is called Jacko Store, and this is where we before we get clothing items despotic with freedom, tee shirts, hats b he's hoodies people been asking me what deaf core stands for. The deaf part, beginning we're part- and I will go into that at some point, but let me just say there's layers. Yes, some layers there an important baby buyers, yes- and this is what I am I gathered- miss what I feel I feel like. We all know what that means.

I think people understand we understand from up from a broad perspective, what it means, but then there's layers right bright day yeah. They want to know that the. Why likewise in all this specifically and not something else, but that aside, I feel like we know we know we feel it but anyway, yes, oh yeah, you want difficult shirts, boondoggle store, Doc cool stuff. When you representing a deaf course shirt, that's pretty much. Kind of here, guided your kind, their your kind of yes, you get you get like the forehead, not you in the wild or people see other p. In the wild representing, and they were they will check in with me. You know very well that it creatures all this stuff in yes, approves the one I want to start doing is. If I see someone in the wild. And they can only what I want to start doing is doing live q, and I get that person one question because everywhere I go in those people, a k, you know: hey, hey, what's up

I gave up man, but also ok, Gimme demure one question and do right: there does, let's do it what's answer, the question live on what you you call this or you could flip neuron ask them a question I do know that might freed people are less literary bomb responded I bought. It can do that you're right, you're, you're completely. Some people would dont care, but some people forget yeah yeah, that's true! I agree low risk, Yes, some more records on there too. By the way some coolants also subscribe, Guess if you haven't already on your sticker Itunes, they get something from port. No, you can leave a river. You honor. Read the reviews I haven't read the views I could. Sometimes the reviews are so good like an by good. I don't mean positive reuse, I mean they're funny, I mean really noticed the reviews have layers.

The remedy visa layers. It's gotta worth what I've read some of those before there good and kind of crack me up. Appreciate that one also don't forget about the grounded podcast. I uploaded another by law that decent with one Jason garden and then the Warrior Kid Park asked which will be released by Christmas. I'm gonna get three possibly fall down People are apt and another word warrior. Kids are out there, but hey what's wrong with Morocco what's wrong with Uncle Jake like a put together, another five gas. I'd say why Uncle John their work is he's after dinner after it, but he'll come back he'll records, more progress in he's, gonna. Do it and I don't care what that warrior kid soap from irish oaks, ranch dot. Com hundred per cent get some where you get up there make itself

And if you want to, then you should so that you can stay. Also, we have you, two general official doesn't have the check them, I think you too has checkmark. So does it at the pretty sure we don't write the checkmark way yeah. Maybe I'm thing I don't they get those brow. I think it does not offer good. Does. Women are looking to look into it it is nonetheless checkmark no check mark to matter. Dockworkers does have an official Youtube Channel, just political progress, and we just released given the dragons full. The entire thing you know orange by John Bows ACT. Put together, we'll call it dynamic video of the images. And the lettering and ass for you. If you want to have your kids, listen to making the dragons read by Uncle Jake

If you want to hear my axe, you anyway. Here might seven year old boy voice, son forget from England or from Scotland or from Ireland ever somewhere, not America, I heard like us. This is a very good I liked it kept me immersed in the story will put in it seems I should have rehearse that more or experimented more, but we are I think I'd make up for it when I do the kings horse and when you put the reverberation other kings King's. That makes how can a worthwhile? I can deal with the current EU of new some local post product.

And to raise my voice for the little kids worse or some all like the Tonia pitch. If that would have been nice if citizens, I grab jungle asses every year old kid that has been the war exactly on any donor is essentially like an audio book with video. That's not your book with video, so check that out good on. Yes, it is on the detail, and don't forget about psychological warfare. Yes, we did. I cut you off when you talk about psychological. Yet, if, if you one of those people goes, I wish Shaka would wake me up in the morning. I wish I could talk to me when I want to eat a donor. I wish it would shock. We talk to me when I don't wanna work out cool. I will talk to you. The warfare from Itunes, Google play Mp3 and when you feel that moment weakness press play on your Iphone fourteen. Pour your Samsung Galaxy, ninety eight or whatever. It is note, your notes,

ever press play on that thing, and you can listen to me. Tell you to put the dominant down shepherd Then we also flit flip side canvas with my brother Dakota Meyer, making visual representations of the path that you can place strategically How'd, your home office and Jim, to keep. One, the straight and narrow. For that gave us dot com, we I have some books. We have books for while Carl Book, who are worth it. Building a life worth fighting for get there, book. That's almost say, get this book its awesome. On top of that. I have a new book coming out. It's called leaders, strategy and tactics, it has a ton of information that you can use to take and apply to you

immediate life. There's no there's no pause, queen, taken with a nice looking pretty in action, but you can do it right now and it's also a reference book. So when you run into a little problem and you go man- I wish Jack was here to tell me about what I should do- hitmen it up you just open it up. You just open up your check the index and you're like oh. What what should I do about emotional arguments oh Of dairy go emotional arguments, page fifty nine. What should I do up? How can they improve my charisma or page sixty five, sixty six to thirteen? What what I do in some complaints, ogle go to page one, ninety five through one, ninety six. What if a complex, promo check, page sixty from all these things are used in their so there check out leadership, strategy tactics and look we ve been through this many times before and and This is all my fault, but We know that.

The publisher. Doesn't understand the pop pop gas, because I personally have failed to explain to them that there's people listening to this pod cast and that the people listen upon ass, to want to read the book, and so when the boy comes out if you have an ordered it yet they're gonna run out of books again two problems with that number? One you have to wait a long time to get it and what even worse than that did you might end up with a second edition. Back in the dish and are you notice he had say a dish one as a second then make that not enough. Now it's a second edition. It's totally different back now, if you ordered now, you gonna get that for step, which is what you want you wanna be walk around. I wasn't in the game, just you might as well get you know. Some people get like a discipline, ankles freedom, tattoo or a good tat, too cool, that's cool you're in the game. If you get a second dish, you might as well just get a tattoo. That says,

Wasn't in the game that regular there's a I just spent money on I get books, I trying it books that are first, a dish MIKE. I well about First, I have a lot of copies of about visa. The guy close the twenty copies of about face there on one bookshop its its awesome, but The little special once walk. A bunch assigned once by hack. I've got the advice, readers copy. And by half that was given to me at a muster guys look here. I thought you might like this. I was a Lisbon. Even I don't even think he understood how much how come what you actually look I'm a hard person to shop for a hard person to give anything to my wife doesn't get me anything cuz she's like whatever you want you just get. I mean I don't. I don't sit there and about like oh well, I really wish not to know if I want to then I've got it.

My website, I'm not getting really got cold on community justice. Just hang out, it's all good. What do you mean What do you have Christmas, nothing This guy gave me that addition, the its readers copy on edited addition signed by David Hack worth, nor that thing in my gun, safe, it's in my gun to safe, literally the best give you its. I think it is I can't figure another gift, that's been better than that in my life right now I mean I'll, have to review that statement, because I'm really, I haven't thought about it much. But it has been a long time since I was needing something that I could figure out like I'm in this would just you could if, if I just right now to set ok, I have unlimited money and I want to get another one of those. I don't think I could find what I don't think I could. Finally, so anyways, I don't know what we're talking about, but I do know this first, it

that's the first, a dish you want that for so get on get on the Amazon. Let my publisher understand that we need to print they need to put more copies. So otherwise, you regulate, get a second dish saw the video I have included the first the S little little such brutal, subliminal, maybe accessible, nor message to people to get some first, this hour are also have way the where you could three, where there's a will? We have where the warrior kid number one and number two marks mission. We are making the dragons again. You know you get the video you watch the video now that's for free Youtube. Now, your kid to read using that they can flip through the pages they can read along the pictures match its like what an incredible way to teach He read and teach them to be brave. Oh here's! Your and you can do teach your kid to read and teacher kid to be brave, you're, welcome

merry Christmas disconnect was freedom manual. This is another one is one of those ones. We like hey I'm not really sure what to get this person for Christmas get him this burden equals freedom, feel mental. It's the work that they can put anywhere and they two pages a day, one page today, three page a day- and it keeps damn mine straight the thieves, your mind street, the US is about their about the food Man, you're gonna have a new one. No dispute through your buyer might lack, What should you get it for someone who doesn't? Regional people are like all young people that are really red book oil as a matter because is like a book the day you read, but what? If they're like him, I can read it, but I do want it because it looks cool and on top of the endless face it, this is. The thing is a natural thing: where people get it just

I got so. People see that book on the table and be like dang, your our here's the thing in a person that doesn't read that, doesn't to read that hasn't read a book since high school, maybe even read a book nice go you get him to feel menu. It's a four things now I've been reading yeah, it's like absorbing for Timor? Not, it is easy to read. I mean it's easy to read. It's not like, and you'll have to read the whole thing it wants in Europe. You have to read it to understand, but there's nothing. It needs to be explained to you know like hey, wait, a second who's, this guy and what's going on, not doesn't happen their zeal. Questions when you get done red netbook about anything you like. I totally did it. I know what I'm supposed to do that This point was freedom, feel metal and When I tried to do with leadership, trudging tactics, hey, look, you don't have to ask you this question workers boom here this page, forty nine learn how to deal with that problem. Really effective in that sphere, that new and where's that you know like sometimes every once in a great while rarely, but it happened,

we're all community ass you like here to do. I needs kind of some advice. This is literally the book for that and how do the jackals advice on all these very Anders? Its surprisingly short book, In how many things are in there? Yes, because I didn't want to put a bluff, is not left. No fluff Addison, a pragmatic solutions to problems. I'm reading a book right now- that's name will not be would remain. Remains too by why it would ever anyway Emory em in the book in theirs fluff in it. I think it's normal to have found you you and are talks MAC. I beg you to say something positive knows I go tell the book, but have you lost, saying, there's a fluffy antics for there are owing it under the bus for reason- can be reading it or perhaps oh yeah, it's a good book, but they just happens to be fluff in it. There's like three story: examples for the little thing that they're talking, you know, there's a concept and they have Nina stories from the time there's like through. Stories who headed a colleague,

reading the concept and about the concept enough, like this, like three star, so penny the team ownership and dichotomy. Leadership has two stories per concept. Well, what you might beef brush The big thing is those Arthur call me a big lion. Bab enemy is right and I would not consider that to be fluff, but to me because in my opinion we have a military story. And then we have a civilian story. I then you have the principle, so you need to see the application in two different perspective. Small. That obviously makes sense seen in this specific one in a part of this is me too, by the way by its fluff, because I feel like its flow. What? If someone read the concept in this particular looked at our meeting and the like? I get it, but like the here an example here the will you get it, but what

you know you were all right. You know. Maybe they need the threegs up, I get it meant is good, but to me I got it when they explained it, and then I read a sort of my question which I feel that way about extreme ownership. Well, you know, I think, that the application to business part of it Since I was not in the military made, it landed harder with me. I think I'm castle in Opinion now set out your fluff rating for sure, emotion that I got it. I really love operating because because any five, no, I don't think so either I think there's theirs explaining the concepts in a way that people relate to them and understand him his agree. So, whoever is by that wrote that maybe just that extra story made life and I would have written

for example, if we did military, civilian and then Random sports India example. If I would have been much ok, that's what that? That's, what the that's, what you want! Nothing can be added. Nothing can be taken away here, go so this dichotomy of leadership, Jerry Motors leadership, strategy and tactics. One to me, has like way less weight like Well, that's where you. I understand the concept and unlike ok, and when there's a story when there's like an example, whatever used inaction and whatever their my cool good, I got it. Either you just moving on illegal. I got a red light yet another one yet another I get it man. The onlooker like some of the chapters in here are two pages long, I'm looking for, No one's attack, one page long because there are some that are hate. Doesn't it a bunch of information, dont dig in you don't like these are straightforward. So,

take him a little bit more time, but I actually a pragmatic like how to talk, actually say something here to someone Don't say this because going to offend em. What do you say this because it will get it'll win them over and now start to listen. What you have to say that you make a positive influence you give that level of detail of. Your ship instructions. So that's that and we should rather tactics feel manual fm, zero, two dichotomy, leadership, extreme ownership, all those books get em. On top of that, we have a s on front, which is our leadership consultancy. We solve problems through leadership, go to a salon, front dot com. If you want us to come and help you or business team or organization get better at leading once you get better, leading you better at everything across the board, The phone lines are online training programme because I me, the team, it s long front. We can't always

train. Everyone. All the time we don't have the capacity, so we decided to make an online training programme Interactive, what's another word to describe this? Not just interactive its immersive. So, you could cause you're gonna, go into scenarios in there and solve leadership problems and then, heat and how you did so, it's the most advanced form of online learning. Got it. You have online dot com to check that out and then we have he half over watch Yeah Legion, so these are too These are two. To businesses that we ve started to take military personnel and get them into civilian jobs. When can use their leadership skills in a civilian sector and put positive influence in two companies cause.

Leave me and the rest of the Echelon Frontier get asked overtime, the hey, I really love what you guys did force, but where can we hire people that? No, what you know it's go I'll tell you where he is Watch and E F Legion, Your grief over watchdog, comedy of Legend outcome, whether you're a melody, person getting out or your a company that needs salad bull that understand extreme ownership that understand a dichotomy. Leadership that our stay, the prince was we talk about. That's where you get. You need there should be team, good watch, gravely legion dot com. And we also have masters comin up, we're gonna announced the date soon, but that is a live, if you go to extreme ownership, dot com and check those out You can come see the entire echelon front team and if you want to communicate with us. Even after listening to hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of hours of this park asked, you can do it, we are.

The entire webs com Carpenters on Facebook app William Keitel Carpenter, and he's on Instagram an twitter at chicks, dig scars see age? I K S, digs scars. And on the entire WEBS Kyle Carpenter. Sorry, William Kyle Carpenter, dot com and of we are also Anita WEBS on Twitter Instagram and on that fish book echo is adequate. Charles, I am at Java, will again once again thanks to Kyle Carpenter for joining us here today and for passing on the lessons that Was taught through pain, and through suffering and through leadership and brother, And through faith and through family. And it's an honored who have to be able.

Talk to these heroes into the rest of those men and women that have worn cloth of the nation, and that currently do so. Thank you keeping evil at bay around the world and to our police and law enforcement and fire fighters and paramedics, MGM, teasing, dispatchers, correctional officers and border patrol secret service and all the first responders out there. Thank you for. What you do to protect us and keep us safe here at home. We are grateful for your service as well, and everyone else out there. The real word of motivate is modus, any means move and that's what you need to do Staying motivated means keep moving when things are bad, don't stop

Don't let up don't allow yourself to give in instead put your head down for one foot in front of the other, keep moving and keep getting after it, and until next time this echo and Jacko out.