1 00:00:01,240 --> 00:00:03,960 Speaker 1: My name is Nigel Chason. Hammer is here taking the 2 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:08,480 Speaker 1: show out on the road Great Lakes Honda in Fishers, 3 00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:11,400 Speaker 1: just off thirty seven and Britain Park Road. Really easy 4 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:13,960 Speaker 1: to get to. We got the games on here, March 5 00:00:14,440 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 1: madness at its finest. Ladies and gentlemen. They know how 6 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:18,439 Speaker 1: to take care of us here too. They put us 7 00:00:18,520 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 1: right in front of the TV Hammer and we're having 8 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:23,319 Speaker 1: a blast, and we have a very special guest on 9 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:24,040 Speaker 1: the hotline. 10 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 2: Man, you look up American badass in the dictionary and 11 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 2: you're going to find a picture of our guest here. 12 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:36,519 Speaker 2: Amber Smith former US combat warrior helicopter pilot air mission 13 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:39,879 Speaker 2: commander in the one hundred and first Airborne Division. She 14 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:44,680 Speaker 2: flew combat tours in Iraq, Afghanistan, and later served as 15 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 2: the Deputy Assistant to the Secretary of Defense. Amber, how 16 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:49,320 Speaker 2: the heck are you? 17 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:52,120 Speaker 3: I am good. I feel like I have to say 18 00:00:52,159 --> 00:00:54,640 Speaker 3: that's one of the best intros I think I've ever had, 19 00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 3: So thank you, bravo. 20 00:00:56,840 --> 00:01:00,639 Speaker 2: Well, thank you for your service. Absolutely, let's get right 21 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:03,880 Speaker 2: into it here. I thought if anybody would have some 22 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 2: thoughts that maybe we haven't thought about in regards to 23 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:11,119 Speaker 2: this war in Iran, whether it's the United States kind 24 00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 2: of criticizing Israel over last night, or the rest of 25 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:17,000 Speaker 2: the world not really in a hurry to help out 26 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 2: the United States. It would be you, based off of 27 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:23,959 Speaker 2: all your experience, Amber Penny, for your thoughts, what do 28 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:27,440 Speaker 2: you think about what's happening with the Iranian war right now? 29 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:30,200 Speaker 3: Well, I think that what we've seen over the last 30 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:38,160 Speaker 3: three weeks as sort of the absolute like absolute amazing 31 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:46,080 Speaker 3: US military hour on display. They have absolutely destroyed Iran's 32 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 3: defense industrial base, their missile producing capabilities, their missile their 33 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 3: missiles themselves. They've destroyed, you know, large parts of their navy. 34 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 3: And then we heard from uh, the Israeli president today, 35 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:07,080 Speaker 3: President net and Yahoo that they no longer have uranium 36 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:13,000 Speaker 3: enrichment capabilities. And so it has been a large success 37 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:16,240 Speaker 3: in terms of the US involvement to date in a 38 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:19,240 Speaker 3: very short amount of three weeks. And you know, we 39 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:24,239 Speaker 3: live in an era where media and reporting is instantaneous, 40 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 3: and so you're going to see reports all over the 41 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 3: all over the map. And I think it's important to 42 00:02:29,639 --> 00:02:35,600 Speaker 3: remember that war conflicts, whatever you want to call it, 43 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 3: it doesn't happen in a straight line. You know, it 44 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 3: bounces back and forth, and things can change very rapidly, 45 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:45,840 Speaker 3: and I think that is what we've seen. 46 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:51,000 Speaker 1: It does seem like there's some media though Democrats in particular, 47 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:54,400 Speaker 1: almost rooting for the United States to fail. And that's 48 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:57,800 Speaker 1: why Secretary of War Pete Hegsath is holding those early 49 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 1: morning briefings almost date to give us the updates and 50 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:05,040 Speaker 1: the proper messaging. Is the messaging in getting across to 51 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:07,000 Speaker 1: the American people, do you think? Yeah? 52 00:03:07,040 --> 00:03:13,640 Speaker 3: And I think that it's transparency on the transparency from 53 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:17,720 Speaker 3: this administration is very important. You know, we just had, 54 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:20,519 Speaker 3: you know, twenty plus years of the post nine to 55 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:23,560 Speaker 3: eleven wars that the American people grew very wary of. 56 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:26,720 Speaker 3: And so I think this administration, the Trump administration, is 57 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:30,640 Speaker 3: doing a very good job at ensuring they keep the 58 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:36,880 Speaker 3: American people updated and are being transparent with the updates 59 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:40,600 Speaker 3: and the current status of the war against Iran. And 60 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:42,720 Speaker 3: I think it just I think they're doing a good job. 61 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 3: There was a Vandenberg Coalition pull that came out that 62 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:49,440 Speaker 3: showed ninety four percent of MAGA aligned Americans and eighty 63 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:54,800 Speaker 3: four percent of Republicans overall support Operation Epic Theory. So 64 00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:57,360 Speaker 3: I think they are getting the message across. They're being 65 00:03:57,520 --> 00:04:01,160 Speaker 3: very articulate and very transparent, which is incredibly important. 66 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:05,000 Speaker 1: Damer Smith, a helicopter pilot air mission commander in one 67 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 1: hundred first Airborne Division, former US combat warrior. I was 68 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 1: wondering if you could maybe shed some light as somebody 69 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:14,520 Speaker 1: that spent a significant time amount of time in the air. 70 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:19,640 Speaker 1: Unfortunately and sadly, we lost US military service members during 71 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:27,120 Speaker 1: a refueling exchange, and I think, you know, that probably 72 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:29,599 Speaker 1: has to be one of the most even though if 73 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:31,520 Speaker 1: you've never done it, I don't know, but that's gonna 74 00:04:31,560 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 1: be one of the most difficult maneuvers in aircraft and 75 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:42,640 Speaker 1: aviation to refuel mid air over hostile territory. Could you 76 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 1: maybe kind of take us through that and how difficult 77 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:46,680 Speaker 1: a maneuver that is. 78 00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:54,760 Speaker 3: It is incredibly difficult, and it is incredibly dangerous. We're talking, 79 00:04:55,600 --> 00:05:00,599 Speaker 3: you know, a massive tanker plane, and then they're able 80 00:05:00,640 --> 00:05:04,440 Speaker 3: to refuel helicopters. They're able to refuel same size jets, 81 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:08,119 Speaker 3: they're able to refuel fighters like anything or most things 82 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:11,040 Speaker 3: that fly, they can refuel. My helicopter specifically wasn't able 83 00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:14,720 Speaker 3: to do it. We flew a very small, agile helicopter 84 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:18,280 Speaker 3: that stayed very close to the ground. But it is 85 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:24,800 Speaker 3: a very very dangerous maneuver to you know, be able 86 00:05:24,839 --> 00:05:28,039 Speaker 3: to do, and so every time you do it, it 87 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:32,800 Speaker 3: is very challenging. And I've talked to pilots in the 88 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:35,680 Speaker 3: military who have had to do it, and it is 89 00:05:35,839 --> 00:05:39,440 Speaker 3: intense every single time that you have to refuel. And 90 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:44,880 Speaker 3: we're talking very close proximity, and of course like wind 91 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:51,360 Speaker 3: comes into play, all sorts of the atmospheric conditions, turbulence, 92 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:56,520 Speaker 3: you name, it all plays into it. And so incredibly 93 00:05:56,560 --> 00:06:03,720 Speaker 3: sad that we lost great Americans when that happened, and 94 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:06,000 Speaker 3: it's just a sad situation all the way around. 95 00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:10,719 Speaker 2: Amber Smith joining us at one point, served as the 96 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:13,919 Speaker 2: deputy assistant to the Secretary of Defense here in the 97 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 2: United States. Amber you had mentioned the messaging a little 98 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:21,640 Speaker 2: bit earlier, and that usually ties into the media. As 99 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:26,119 Speaker 2: somebody who's been a combat warrior, what's it like when 100 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:30,200 Speaker 2: you hear people like the New York Times, for example, 101 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:36,440 Speaker 2: speak so lovingly, so glowingly of the deceased Iyatoa, basically 102 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:39,320 Speaker 2: making him sound like almost a martyr when they report 103 00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:42,440 Speaker 2: it to the American public. When you're somebody that's overseas 104 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:45,920 Speaker 2: and you're fighting these battles and you later find out 105 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:49,640 Speaker 2: that's the way it's being presented. Is that disheartening or 106 00:06:49,839 --> 00:06:50,760 Speaker 2: does it even matter? 107 00:06:52,080 --> 00:06:52,279 Speaker 1: Well? 108 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:55,680 Speaker 3: I think well, it does, of course matter. But I 109 00:06:55,760 --> 00:06:59,599 Speaker 3: think that you know, Americans today, we are now in 110 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:04,120 Speaker 3: the second in Trump administration, and I think during the 111 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:06,560 Speaker 3: first Trump administration, the one that I was a part of, 112 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:11,200 Speaker 3: Trump forty five, you know, people for really the first time, 113 00:07:11,440 --> 00:07:14,560 Speaker 3: I think, started to sort of peek behind the curtain 114 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:18,920 Speaker 3: a little bit, and the mainstream media was exposed with 115 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:22,560 Speaker 3: how they were covering President Trump then on the campaign 116 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:26,680 Speaker 3: trail and then into his presidency, into his administration, and 117 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:30,880 Speaker 3: I think people got to see, you know, with their 118 00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:34,760 Speaker 3: own eyes, how dishonest they were being. And I think 119 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:36,640 Speaker 3: you kind of can't put the two space back in 120 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:40,000 Speaker 3: the tube. So when Americans now see something like the 121 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:46,760 Speaker 3: New York Times or other American news outlets almost writing, 122 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:51,000 Speaker 3: like you said, positively when one of our adversaries is 123 00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:58,400 Speaker 3: killed as a result of US and Israel operations, it's 124 00:07:58,760 --> 00:08:01,720 Speaker 3: I think people are probably no longer surprised by it 125 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:03,840 Speaker 3: at this play in the game or at this point 126 00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:07,320 Speaker 3: in the game. But it doesn't it doesn't excuse it, 127 00:08:07,960 --> 00:08:12,480 Speaker 3: and it's it's just unfortunate that that's you know, that far. 128 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:16,880 Speaker 3: You know that the media has veered. 129 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:20,200 Speaker 2: That far off course, You're right, and last thing here, Amber, 130 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:22,520 Speaker 2: before we let you go, we want to respect your time. 131 00:08:22,680 --> 00:08:26,760 Speaker 2: Got about thirty seconds left here. But it is ridiculous 132 00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:30,720 Speaker 2: how far this has gone. Things are so tribal politically 133 00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:35,880 Speaker 2: right now. There may be people who don't really study 134 00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:38,839 Speaker 2: this stuff all that closely, but because Donald Trump is 135 00:08:38,840 --> 00:08:42,240 Speaker 2: the current president and Republicans have the power, they're going 136 00:08:42,280 --> 00:08:45,880 Speaker 2: to take the opposite side of every single one of those. Therefore, 137 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:49,040 Speaker 2: there are people rooting for the United States to fail. 138 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:52,440 Speaker 2: How did we get to this point, Amber, somebody that 139 00:08:52,679 --> 00:08:56,080 Speaker 2: served your country, somebody that pays attention to things politically, 140 00:08:56,400 --> 00:08:58,400 Speaker 2: How did we get to the point to where there 141 00:08:58,440 --> 00:09:02,000 Speaker 2: are people rooting right now it's democrats, I think, for 142 00:09:02,080 --> 00:09:03,400 Speaker 2: the United States to fail. 143 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:07,040 Speaker 3: You know, it's it's really sad that we have gotten 144 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:11,040 Speaker 3: to this point that politics has become so polarizing, to 145 00:09:11,080 --> 00:09:14,719 Speaker 3: the point where it's like people can't deal in reality 146 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:18,080 Speaker 3: of a specific circumstances and all they can see is 147 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:23,160 Speaker 3: like an individual, you know, an individual politician, and they 148 00:09:23,160 --> 00:09:26,920 Speaker 3: can't get past their hatred of that for to see something, 149 00:09:28,040 --> 00:09:30,240 Speaker 3: you know, in the something for the greater good, like 150 00:09:30,280 --> 00:09:33,200 Speaker 3: the greater good of our nation, which I think is 151 00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:36,080 Speaker 3: I think is very sad. I'm still grateful that we 152 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:41,040 Speaker 3: have so many incredible Americans that I think are becoming 153 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:45,600 Speaker 3: more vocal and in terms of being patriotic and standing 154 00:09:45,679 --> 00:09:47,960 Speaker 3: up for our country and in terms of doing what 155 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:51,120 Speaker 3: is right and what's best for our nation. And also, 156 00:09:51,240 --> 00:09:55,000 Speaker 3: like like you mentioned, myself being a veteran and a 157 00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:59,479 Speaker 3: recent combat veteran, I'm so grateful that despite the political 158 00:09:59,520 --> 00:10:04,920 Speaker 3: polariz that for the most part, the nation has still 159 00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:07,960 Speaker 3: rallied behind the troops in the military and we're not 160 00:10:08,080 --> 00:10:11,720 Speaker 3: having to face something that the service member saw, for instance, 161 00:10:11,840 --> 00:10:15,400 Speaker 3: like back in Vietnam. So I'm grateful that that is 162 00:10:15,440 --> 00:10:16,960 Speaker 3: still holding strong. 163 00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:22,400 Speaker 2: Amber Smith, former US combat warrior and Deputy Assistant to 164 00:10:22,400 --> 00:10:25,559 Speaker 2: the Secretary of Defense. Amber, I've loved our conversation. I 165 00:10:25,640 --> 00:10:27,640 Speaker 2: hope we can have you back and do this again sometime. 166 00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:29,959 Speaker 2: Thank you for your time, and thank you for your service.