1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,040 Speaker 1: Up next out WOUD with Gianno called part of the 2 00:00:03,080 --> 00:00:07,840 Speaker 1: gig which switch SI. Imagine you're a marine deployed to Afghanistan. 3 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:10,960 Speaker 1: Your job is to find and dispose of enemy bombs. 4 00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:14,320 Speaker 1: One day, you're out there with your team. During your duty, 5 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:16,720 Speaker 1: you pause for a few minutes to take a breather 6 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: and readjust your gear. But then you take one step 7 00:00:20,239 --> 00:00:23,079 Speaker 1: to the right and directly onto an I E. D. 8 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:27,880 Speaker 1: The explosion changes your life forever. Today we'll hear this 9 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:30,160 Speaker 1: very story from the man who lived it. This is 10 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:40,560 Speaker 1: out Allowed with Gianno called well. Welcome back to Allow 11 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:43,760 Speaker 1: with Giano called well. I'm Gianno called well. And on 12 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 1: this week's show, we're talking about the military, overcoming adversity 13 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:51,280 Speaker 1: and helping others. My guest today know something about all three. 14 00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 1: He's Johnny Joey Jones, a retired U. S Marine who 15 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:59,760 Speaker 1: served two combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan in eight 16 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 1: years of active service in the Marine Corps. In twenty ten, 17 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:06,440 Speaker 1: Joey suffered a life change and injury while deployed in 18 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:11,760 Speaker 1: Afghanistan as an explosive ordinance disposal technician after stepping on 19 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:15,880 Speaker 1: an improvised expulsive device placed by the enemy. He lost 20 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:20,280 Speaker 1: both his legs above the knee and suffered severe damage 21 00:01:20,319 --> 00:01:24,160 Speaker 1: to his right forearm and both wrists. Since recovering, Joey 22 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:27,400 Speaker 1: has dedicated his work to help veterans and their families. 23 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:31,160 Speaker 1: In twenty nineteen, Joey became a Fox News contributor and 24 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:35,319 Speaker 1: now he currently hosts Fox Nation Outdoors and Fox Proud 25 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:39,280 Speaker 1: American Podcast. Today, we're going to discuss his life story, 26 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:42,600 Speaker 1: all things military, and what drives him to devote so 27 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:45,320 Speaker 1: much of his life to help veterans. And with all 28 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 1: of that, I welcome Joey Jones to the show. Thank 29 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 1: you so much for coming on out lot with Gianno Caldwell. Well, 30 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 1: thanks for having me on. Man. When you when you 31 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:54,520 Speaker 1: hit me up about this, I was really excited. I 32 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:58,880 Speaker 1: love these long form conversations. No, I'm excited myself now. 33 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:01,080 Speaker 1: I want to just go right into it because you've 34 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:03,360 Speaker 1: achieved great success in your life and you have so 35 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 1: much going on professionally. But I want to begin this 36 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:09,200 Speaker 1: conversation by going back before all of that, even before 37 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:12,320 Speaker 1: the military. I know you come from humble beginnings. You 38 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:14,840 Speaker 1: were the first in your family to graduate high school. 39 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:19,800 Speaker 1: Big deal. Yeah, No, sincerely, I'm telling you it's someone 40 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:22,080 Speaker 1: who's coming from these kind of environments too. I know 41 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 1: how big of a deal that is. And at one 42 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:28,080 Speaker 1: point you worked as a forklift operator at a flooring manufacturer. 43 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 1: Can you talk a bit about how you grew up 44 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:33,120 Speaker 1: and the values that were instilled in you at a 45 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:36,680 Speaker 1: very young age. Yeah, you know, I mean that kind 46 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 1: of says it, all right. The first one in my 47 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:41,080 Speaker 1: family to graduate high school, to walk across the stage. 48 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 1: And it's not for lack of intelligence, it was for 49 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:46,240 Speaker 1: lack of opportunity because you had other responsibilities. My dad 50 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:49,600 Speaker 1: had two brothers, my mom had four siblings herself, and 51 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:52,080 Speaker 1: they were both born for the purpose of being a 52 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:54,280 Speaker 1: part of the family farm kind of thing, like you 53 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:56,760 Speaker 1: needed all hands on deck. That's why you had children. 54 00:02:57,240 --> 00:02:59,120 Speaker 1: And I kid all the time and tell people like 55 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:04,480 Speaker 1: my dad's experience went from like nineteen fifty nine to 56 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 1: two thousand, and he didn't really catch all that that 57 00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:10,520 Speaker 1: happened in between, because it was like he stayed in 58 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:13,560 Speaker 1: this kind of no technology, you worked hard and and 59 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:16,480 Speaker 1: take care of your family mentality up until he was 60 00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:19,080 Speaker 1: sixty and had no choice but to have a smartphone 61 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 1: to talk to me and Uh. And so all that 62 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:25,600 Speaker 1: time in between, things were pretty pretty much. You know, 63 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: you're a lot on your family and your you. You 64 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:31,040 Speaker 1: owe what you owe to your family and they owe 65 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 1: it to you. And there were a lot of hiccups 66 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:35,280 Speaker 1: and a lot of problems, a lot of adversity. But 67 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 1: to have that coming out and going into the world. UM, 68 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:42,280 Speaker 1: any success I've had, it's because I had that foundation. 69 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:46,400 Speaker 1: Mm hmmm. Now you just mentioned something that I want 70 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 1: to dig into more. You said that there was a 71 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:50,920 Speaker 1: lot of problems and a lot of adversity. You mind 72 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:52,960 Speaker 1: talking about that a little bit? No, not at all. 73 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:55,240 Speaker 1: And I talked about this fairly freely. My dad was 74 00:03:55,240 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 1: an alcoholic and my mom suffered from her own problems. Uh. 75 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 1: I think her diagnosis is manic. Um, I get him 76 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 1: mixed up like mannic or bipolar or something. She has 77 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:08,080 Speaker 1: really high highs, really low lows and doesn't trust anybody. 78 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:10,960 Speaker 1: And when she's in her lows, she thinks everybody's legit 79 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:13,840 Speaker 1: at me, trying to undermine her, hurt her. And it's 80 00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:17,040 Speaker 1: because she was, um, you know, abused in a lot 81 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:19,760 Speaker 1: of ways growing up and um like, for example, my 82 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:23,000 Speaker 1: mom was woken up at fifteen and said, hey, you're 83 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 1: gonna go with this man and you're gonna marry him. 84 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:28,039 Speaker 1: And it's because he had traded her dad basically his 85 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 1: truck and um, and that's in South Alabama, you know. 86 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:36,040 Speaker 1: And so not not to paint everyone that from her 87 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:37,680 Speaker 1: side of the family is bad, but that was the 88 00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 1: experience they had. So my mom, you know, lost her 89 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:43,960 Speaker 1: virginity and and got pregnant on her wedding night, and 90 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 1: my sister was born. She was was sixteen, seventeen years 91 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:50,000 Speaker 1: older my sister, and so and my sister's early years, 92 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:51,560 Speaker 1: my mom was figuring it out. She went through a 93 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:55,360 Speaker 1: lot of depression and drug addiction, and when she found 94 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:58,080 Speaker 1: my dad, she also kind of found redemption. And he 95 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:00,919 Speaker 1: had had his own struggles through his first wife and 96 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:03,760 Speaker 1: and they were kind of each other's saving grace at 97 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:05,440 Speaker 1: that time in their life. And from it came me, 98 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:07,320 Speaker 1: and then a few years after that came a marriage. 99 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:09,240 Speaker 1: So I mean, if you can talk about as as 100 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:11,120 Speaker 1: redneck and hill bill as it, yes, that was it. 101 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:14,159 Speaker 1: But from that adversity came a lot of things that 102 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:16,640 Speaker 1: they were never able to overcome, but always had the 103 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:19,360 Speaker 1: heart and the mindset to overcome it, you know, they, 104 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:21,960 Speaker 1: more than anybody I've ever known, focused on making life 105 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:24,640 Speaker 1: better for their kids than what they had had. And 106 00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:26,719 Speaker 1: my dad's family was very positive. I mean they were 107 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:29,680 Speaker 1: solid of the earth. I mean not as not as 108 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:32,920 Speaker 1: maybe parody backwards, but very much likely the clamp its 109 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:36,239 Speaker 1: from Beverly Hillbillies. Like they just everything was about the family. 110 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:38,599 Speaker 1: My dad had two brothers, his mom and dad. My 111 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:41,000 Speaker 1: grandparents on my dad's side was the epitome of what 112 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:44,880 Speaker 1: a love should be for two people. And so when 113 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:47,760 Speaker 1: my safe for example, like my dad always wanted me 114 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:49,400 Speaker 1: to play football, but he only ever came to two 115 00:05:49,400 --> 00:05:51,400 Speaker 1: football games because he couldn't drink there. But I had 116 00:05:51,400 --> 00:05:54,160 Speaker 1: a grandfather and two uncles that were there, So if 117 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:56,159 Speaker 1: you put all four of them together, I had all 118 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:59,599 Speaker 1: the right positive experiences for a father and um and 119 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:01,479 Speaker 1: I was a lucky in that, you know, and we 120 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:03,640 Speaker 1: talk all the time about like a nuclear family and 121 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:06,000 Speaker 1: how important the father is. Well you know what aunts 122 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:08,159 Speaker 1: and uncles and grandparents are important to like it does 123 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:10,800 Speaker 1: take a village and um, and I just wish people 124 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:13,120 Speaker 1: would understand the honor and importance it is to be 125 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 1: in a child's life, regardless of kind of where what 126 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:19,880 Speaker 1: position you hold by title. Because it took my aunts 127 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:22,320 Speaker 1: and my uncles and my grandparents and my older sister 128 00:06:22,960 --> 00:06:25,560 Speaker 1: um and they all invested in me, and man, then 129 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:27,240 Speaker 1: I just owe it to them to go out and 130 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:34,600 Speaker 1: get it done. Wow that man, you know as you talk, 131 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:37,200 Speaker 1: it's so much reminds me of my own life, although 132 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:39,640 Speaker 1: the circumstances were a bit different. My mom was addicted 133 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:42,760 Speaker 1: to crack cocaine and my dad was in my life. 134 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:45,279 Speaker 1: I saw him on the weekends, my grandfather's small business, 135 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:47,359 Speaker 1: plumbing construction business, if you take me with them on 136 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:50,840 Speaker 1: the weekends. But things were really rough during the week 137 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:53,919 Speaker 1: at home and the things that I saw, and it 138 00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:57,120 Speaker 1: reminds me so much of my own upbringing. And I 139 00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:01,080 Speaker 1: know that even years after being removed from that environment 140 00:07:01,080 --> 00:07:03,599 Speaker 1: because I'm thirty four years old now, moved out of 141 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:07,080 Speaker 1: the house when I was nineteen years old, those issues 142 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:11,920 Speaker 1: from way back when still impact me today. And you 143 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 1: think about the reality of how you think right now, 144 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:17,400 Speaker 1: how you move, you know, when people say things to you, 145 00:07:17,480 --> 00:07:22,160 Speaker 1: how it makes you feel. How is that impacting you today? 146 00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:24,920 Speaker 1: You know this, And what I love about this is 147 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:27,600 Speaker 1: we're so different yet so alike and that's that's what 148 00:07:27,640 --> 00:07:31,080 Speaker 1: cause the human conditions consistent. Right, Like more than likely 149 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 1: you and I were exposed to the type of trauma 150 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:35,720 Speaker 1: and had the just the good luck or good influence 151 00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:38,280 Speaker 1: respond to it in a way that it ultimately became 152 00:07:38,280 --> 00:07:40,680 Speaker 1: a positive thing for us because when we started to 153 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:43,800 Speaker 1: experience trauma as adults, we had tools to deal with 154 00:07:43,840 --> 00:07:46,600 Speaker 1: it and it didn't just wreck us because hey, we've 155 00:07:46,600 --> 00:07:48,160 Speaker 1: been there, We've done that, and we figured it out 156 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:50,680 Speaker 1: through God's grace, good luck and maybe some good people. 157 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:54,880 Speaker 1: And so not to jump over away from your your 158 00:07:54,960 --> 00:07:57,640 Speaker 1: question to begin with, but today, when I experienced trauma, 159 00:07:57,680 --> 00:08:00,800 Speaker 1: like for example, getting blown up in Afghanistan, I've got 160 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:04,520 Speaker 1: a basis of knowledge, Like I've been through the valley 161 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:06,840 Speaker 1: and I know that I'm gonna make it to the mountaintop, 162 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:09,560 Speaker 1: like I've done that before. I mean, I've I sit 163 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:12,160 Speaker 1: there and watch my dad get mad about things and 164 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:14,200 Speaker 1: throw the refrigerator out the back door and my mom 165 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:16,320 Speaker 1: just crying, and it's like, man, it can't get worse 166 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:17,920 Speaker 1: than this. And then we wake up the next morning 167 00:08:18,520 --> 00:08:20,680 Speaker 1: and he takes us to breakfast, and he owns up 168 00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:22,800 Speaker 1: to what he did wrong, and he explains himself when 169 00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:24,559 Speaker 1: we go on about our lives. And it's not because 170 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:26,880 Speaker 1: that will never happen again, but it's because he doesn't 171 00:08:26,880 --> 00:08:28,800 Speaker 1: never want it to happen again. Right, And so, like 172 00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:31,480 Speaker 1: humans make mistakes and keep making them. But if you 173 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:33,880 Speaker 1: can survive that as a child and come out in 174 00:08:33,920 --> 00:08:36,760 Speaker 1: a positive way, come out knowing these people loves you, 175 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:39,559 Speaker 1: even if they hurt you sometimes and not on purpose, 176 00:08:39,600 --> 00:08:42,440 Speaker 1: and and we're remorseful, and you can learn to forgive 177 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:44,719 Speaker 1: them and see something in them that's better than your 178 00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:47,840 Speaker 1: than their worst moment. Then when you go through trauma 179 00:08:47,920 --> 00:08:51,280 Speaker 1: of your own as an adult, one you know whatever 180 00:08:51,320 --> 00:08:53,640 Speaker 1: that is, you're gonna survive it. Two, when you do 181 00:08:53,760 --> 00:08:56,560 Speaker 1: make mistakes, you know there's redemption there for it. And 182 00:08:56,640 --> 00:08:58,880 Speaker 1: three you see that love is complex and it's not 183 00:08:58,920 --> 00:09:01,280 Speaker 1: black and white. It's not a m calm. It comes 184 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:03,360 Speaker 1: with its own skeletons, but it also comes with the 185 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:06,839 Speaker 1: sunshine too. And and so that's kind of with the 186 00:09:06,880 --> 00:09:10,640 Speaker 1: way I process things. And and it's been very helpful, 187 00:09:10,640 --> 00:09:13,480 Speaker 1: Like it you and your words said, I'm very successful, 188 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:15,200 Speaker 1: and I think I am, but I'm successful because I 189 00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:16,840 Speaker 1: have two kids and I love them and they know it, 190 00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:20,840 Speaker 1: and I just don't know that there's more success than that. Man, 191 00:09:21,040 --> 00:09:23,920 Speaker 1: I mean, you're just dropping jewels. Is what you're saying 192 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:26,560 Speaker 1: is very profound, and I think for a lot of 193 00:09:26,559 --> 00:09:28,840 Speaker 1: people who are listening right now, they can just apply 194 00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:31,800 Speaker 1: some of these principles to their own lives, no matter 195 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:33,760 Speaker 1: if they came from a wealthy family, no matter if 196 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:35,480 Speaker 1: they came from a poor family, whatever the set of 197 00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:39,720 Speaker 1: circumstances were. They can take exactly what you're saying and 198 00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:42,720 Speaker 1: just reevaluate their lives based on that and say, man, 199 00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:44,959 Speaker 1: I can do battert what do you say with the 200 00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:48,520 Speaker 1: grace of God, um, good luck and some good people. 201 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:51,080 Speaker 1: I think that's just I think that's really amazing. Thank 202 00:09:51,080 --> 00:09:55,200 Speaker 1: you for sharing that. Joey No, you mentioned Afghanistan and 203 00:09:55,280 --> 00:09:57,920 Speaker 1: you joined the military when you were eighteen years old. 204 00:09:58,120 --> 00:10:00,200 Speaker 1: Why did you join the military at a you know, 205 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:02,920 Speaker 1: what was your experience like during the first few years 206 00:10:02,920 --> 00:10:06,200 Speaker 1: in the military, including your deployment in Iraq? You know 207 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:09,800 Speaker 1: why during the military is you know, I'm a product 208 00:10:09,840 --> 00:10:12,840 Speaker 1: of that nine eleven generation, right. It affected all of 209 00:10:12,920 --> 00:10:16,160 Speaker 1: us and we all found different ways to respond to it. 210 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:18,480 Speaker 1: But I don't believe any of us did not have 211 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:21,880 Speaker 1: the trajectory of our lives changed if we were adolescent 212 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:24,480 Speaker 1: preteen or teen and watched those towers fall and what 213 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:27,719 Speaker 1: happened to our country afterwards. For me, the military was 214 00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:31,360 Speaker 1: just the avenue, like I remember, um, you know a 215 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:33,400 Speaker 1: lot of people remember the towers falling. I saw that, 216 00:10:33,440 --> 00:10:36,640 Speaker 1: but it didn't have an immediate impact because growing up 217 00:10:36,640 --> 00:10:38,240 Speaker 1: in North Georgia with not a lot of money, never 218 00:10:38,280 --> 00:10:40,319 Speaker 1: been on an airplane or even a bus. New York 219 00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:42,800 Speaker 1: was as far away as Tel Aviv, Like, it just 220 00:10:42,880 --> 00:10:45,320 Speaker 1: was not even it didn't even register. So I didn't 221 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:48,480 Speaker 1: have that immediate impact of hey, they attacked us on 222 00:10:48,480 --> 00:10:50,720 Speaker 1: our home school. But what I did have was a 223 00:10:50,760 --> 00:10:52,720 Speaker 1: few years later when a guy that was on my 224 00:10:52,760 --> 00:10:56,360 Speaker 1: football team and upper classmen deployed and came back and 225 00:10:56,400 --> 00:10:59,240 Speaker 1: just the changes in him he had seen ward. Yeah, 226 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:03,440 Speaker 1: but it also boys become men and women or girls 227 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:05,959 Speaker 1: become women, and like he had seen a new team 228 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:08,560 Speaker 1: in a brotherhood, and and just you could see that's 229 00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:11,440 Speaker 1: what came from it, not just the war. And I thought, man, 230 00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:12,840 Speaker 1: how how cool to be to have some of that 231 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:15,880 Speaker 1: in my life. So when I graduated high school, that 232 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:18,840 Speaker 1: was the accomplishment. There was no expectation beyond that for 233 00:11:18,920 --> 00:11:22,520 Speaker 1: my parents, who had never seen that, that was the accomplishment, 234 00:11:22,559 --> 00:11:26,480 Speaker 1: even in two thousand four when college was more mainstream. 235 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:28,440 Speaker 1: So for me it was like, well, I didn't have 236 00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:31,440 Speaker 1: the financial support or really the attention span to go 237 00:11:31,480 --> 00:11:34,440 Speaker 1: into college. Laying brick and block was not easy. So 238 00:11:34,520 --> 00:11:36,640 Speaker 1: I joined the industry in my town, which was to 239 00:11:36,679 --> 00:11:38,679 Speaker 1: make carpet and didn't really like that a whole lot, 240 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:41,320 Speaker 1: and it just needed to be something more. And I 241 00:11:41,360 --> 00:11:43,920 Speaker 1: just remember the day I woke up and realized my 242 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:48,199 Speaker 1: mom cleans houses and my dad builds them. They provide 243 00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:50,640 Speaker 1: services for other people, and they do it with hard work. 244 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:53,199 Speaker 1: What can I do? Like, how do I honor that? 245 00:11:53,320 --> 00:11:55,400 Speaker 1: How do I honor everything they give up to give 246 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:57,920 Speaker 1: me decent clothes to go to school in in a 247 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:00,720 Speaker 1: vehicle to drive things they didn't get? How do I 248 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:03,320 Speaker 1: honor that? And the military just was the most obvious 249 00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:05,959 Speaker 1: thing for me. So in short, because nothing I say 250 00:12:06,120 --> 00:12:10,520 Speaker 1: short kind that's okay. I kind of went for selfish 251 00:12:10,520 --> 00:12:12,520 Speaker 1: reasons because it was about me in my life, but 252 00:12:12,600 --> 00:12:17,240 Speaker 1: it was also for others in the sense that I'll 253 00:12:17,240 --> 00:12:19,440 Speaker 1: put three this way. I joined the Marine Corps eighteen 254 00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:21,520 Speaker 1: and that was all about me, but by the time 255 00:12:21,559 --> 00:12:23,640 Speaker 1: I was twenty, it was all about being something, a 256 00:12:23,679 --> 00:12:26,120 Speaker 1: part of something bigger than myself and and serving it. 257 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:29,160 Speaker 1: Really did everything they preached. Man, I just soaked it 258 00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:31,160 Speaker 1: up and it made sense to me more with Joey 259 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:40,880 Speaker 1: jem was right after this. How old are you? Joey, 260 00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:43,920 Speaker 1: I'm thirty four for about three more weeks, so I'm 261 00:12:43,960 --> 00:12:48,040 Speaker 1: I'm hanging in there. Wow, bro, I'm thirty four two. Okay, 262 00:12:48,040 --> 00:12:50,480 Speaker 1: so you're a little older, been than me by what 263 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:53,800 Speaker 1: five months or so? So now that that's great to know. 264 00:12:53,880 --> 00:12:59,520 Speaker 1: I didn't really realize that. Now you were deployed in Afghanistan. 265 00:12:59,559 --> 00:13:04,520 Speaker 1: It's a technician, and I mean there was a life 266 00:13:04,600 --> 00:13:08,920 Speaker 1: event that pretty much changed your entire existence. Now, it 267 00:13:09,040 --> 00:13:12,920 Speaker 1: was a day that you stepped on you improvised explosive 268 00:13:12,960 --> 00:13:16,520 Speaker 1: device i e. D and lost both your legs. Can 269 00:13:16,559 --> 00:13:18,959 Speaker 1: you take us back to that day? Can you describe 270 00:13:19,160 --> 00:13:24,040 Speaker 1: what happened? Yeah? Unfortunately or unfortunately one of the big 271 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:26,360 Speaker 1: mixed numbers and movies are probably to blame for this, 272 00:13:26,400 --> 00:13:30,040 Speaker 1: but also just trauma in general. Like people think when 273 00:13:30,040 --> 00:13:31,800 Speaker 1: you get hit by a bomb, you're knocked out and 274 00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:33,880 Speaker 1: you wake up in the hospital, And the truth is, 275 00:13:33,920 --> 00:13:36,520 Speaker 1: unless your head gets hit, you don't go unconscious. A 276 00:13:36,559 --> 00:13:38,960 Speaker 1: matter of fact, you're going through shock, which means in 277 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:41,319 Speaker 1: some ways you're way more alert than you probably want 278 00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:44,199 Speaker 1: to be. So my job as an e O D. 279 00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:47,840 Speaker 1: Explosive ordnance disposal or bomb technician, it's kind of like 280 00:13:47,920 --> 00:13:51,360 Speaker 1: the movie hurt Locker, although the movie doesn't really show 281 00:13:51,400 --> 00:13:55,160 Speaker 1: the job correctly in in reality. By two thousand ten, 282 00:13:55,200 --> 00:13:58,280 Speaker 1: in Afghanistan, we didn't wear bomb suits, and we worked 283 00:13:58,280 --> 00:14:01,040 Speaker 1: on two man teams, not three men teams. And we 284 00:14:01,040 --> 00:14:03,400 Speaker 1: were walking on foot with a patrol. We weren't in 285 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:05,840 Speaker 1: a vehicle with robots, and the majority of the work 286 00:14:05,920 --> 00:14:08,640 Speaker 1: we did was by hand. Um. We tried to use 287 00:14:08,720 --> 00:14:11,640 Speaker 1: robots when we could, but in Afghanistan the bombs were 288 00:14:11,679 --> 00:14:14,480 Speaker 1: placed in in so remote places we couldn't get the 289 00:14:14,480 --> 00:14:17,560 Speaker 1: equipment there. And so my number one tool for taking 290 00:14:17,559 --> 00:14:19,360 Speaker 1: a part of bomb was a pair of trauma shares 291 00:14:20,040 --> 00:14:22,680 Speaker 1: um and like a little hook with some cord on 292 00:14:22,720 --> 00:14:24,360 Speaker 1: it so I could get some distance when I needed 293 00:14:24,400 --> 00:14:27,960 Speaker 1: to black tape and in another explosive charge, I've had 294 00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:29,760 Speaker 1: to blow it in place. And it was all by hand. 295 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:32,120 Speaker 1: And so I say that because a lot of people 296 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:35,760 Speaker 1: don't understand that, and so how did this for six 297 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:39,320 Speaker 1: months on that deployment, and then on the sixth morning 298 00:14:39,360 --> 00:14:41,720 Speaker 1: of an operation it was August six. We started it 299 00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:44,400 Speaker 1: on August one. The job was to go in and 300 00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:47,000 Speaker 1: clear out a town called Safar Bazar. You can look 301 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:49,360 Speaker 1: it up and google it. We have our little Wikipedia page. 302 00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:52,880 Speaker 1: It was Operation Roadhouse too, and we took a couple 303 00:14:52,960 --> 00:14:56,440 Speaker 1: hundred marines in six bomb texts, and those six bomb 304 00:14:56,480 --> 00:15:00,360 Speaker 1: texts were three teams of two men each, and each 305 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:03,200 Speaker 1: team had its own responsibility, and my team mate and 306 00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:05,960 Speaker 1: I had the responsibility of being with the main effort, 307 00:15:06,040 --> 00:15:09,280 Speaker 1: so clearing the main path ahead of us. And so 308 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:12,360 Speaker 1: for five days we cleared city blocks, street by street, 309 00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:15,400 Speaker 1: and then on the sixth day we started clearing the buildings, 310 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:18,360 Speaker 1: and the town was pretty much a ghost town. Because 311 00:15:19,240 --> 00:15:22,240 Speaker 1: our respect for collateral damage in civilian life means we're 312 00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:24,760 Speaker 1: gonna let them know we're coming. And this town was 313 00:15:24,800 --> 00:15:27,800 Speaker 1: known for stockpiling the bomb parts that they would send 314 00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:30,480 Speaker 1: up to other places. So when we told him we 315 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:32,880 Speaker 1: were coming in order to keep the civilians safe, the 316 00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:35,000 Speaker 1: bad guys took all those bomb parts and put them 317 00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:36,680 Speaker 1: in the ground and made a mind filled out of 318 00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:38,760 Speaker 1: the town. But we had to go in and clear 319 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:40,840 Speaker 1: to the town because they were using it basically as 320 00:15:40,840 --> 00:15:43,640 Speaker 1: a as an enemy base. And so for five days 321 00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:45,920 Speaker 1: we were very successful. I worked thirty eight eight s 322 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:49,240 Speaker 1: and five days, and UM on the sixth morning, Basically 323 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:50,960 Speaker 1: what happens. I stepped on an idea I didn't know 324 00:15:50,960 --> 00:15:53,280 Speaker 1: it was there, and that happens. It's kind of ironic, 325 00:15:53,320 --> 00:15:56,840 Speaker 1: considering I had knelt down and touched a hundred of 326 00:15:56,880 --> 00:15:58,120 Speaker 1: them with my hands, and it was the one I 327 00:15:58,120 --> 00:16:00,600 Speaker 1: didn't even know it was there that got me UM. 328 00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:02,880 Speaker 1: And the unfortunate part about that day is that a 329 00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:07,440 Speaker 1: marine engineer, Corporal Daniel Greer from Knoxville, Tennessee, UM lost 330 00:16:07,440 --> 00:16:09,320 Speaker 1: his life to the same bomb. And that's really the 331 00:16:09,360 --> 00:16:12,040 Speaker 1: irony war I stepped on it. He was twenty ft 332 00:16:12,080 --> 00:16:14,880 Speaker 1: away a piece of a wall, a big rock hit 333 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:17,080 Speaker 1: him in the head. Traumatic brain injury took his life. 334 00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:19,520 Speaker 1: And of course I lost my legs, but man, you know, 335 00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:22,560 Speaker 1: it would be very selfish to me to complain about 336 00:16:22,600 --> 00:16:24,520 Speaker 1: losing my legs when that could have taken my life. 337 00:16:24,560 --> 00:16:27,120 Speaker 1: And so really what that was, if anything, was just 338 00:16:27,160 --> 00:16:29,440 Speaker 1: a wake up call. It kind of kind of reset 339 00:16:29,480 --> 00:16:31,560 Speaker 1: my compass a little bit. As I began to recover, 340 00:16:32,040 --> 00:16:34,320 Speaker 1: a lot of other things changed in my life and 341 00:16:34,480 --> 00:16:36,480 Speaker 1: and I had a chance to just kind of refocus. 342 00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:41,080 Speaker 1: And my recovery was an opportunity, to to say the least. 343 00:16:41,360 --> 00:16:43,680 Speaker 1: And it's you know, I tell people all the time, 344 00:16:43,720 --> 00:16:46,720 Speaker 1: let today be the last worst day of your life, 345 00:16:46,800 --> 00:16:49,520 Speaker 1: which means you can change your perspective and make every 346 00:16:49,600 --> 00:16:52,720 Speaker 1: day after a tragic event better. Um, and that's what 347 00:16:52,760 --> 00:16:55,880 Speaker 1: I chose to do. Did you have children at that point? 348 00:16:56,600 --> 00:16:58,920 Speaker 1: I had a son, And you know, I told you 349 00:16:58,960 --> 00:17:01,479 Speaker 1: before we got started. I love these kind of conversations, 350 00:17:01,760 --> 00:17:03,200 Speaker 1: get a chance to kind of let it go. And 351 00:17:03,320 --> 00:17:05,840 Speaker 1: uh So the whole story of my son is I 352 00:17:05,880 --> 00:17:08,080 Speaker 1: was very single and very much a marine and in 353 00:17:08,240 --> 00:17:11,200 Speaker 1: very good shape and enjoyed to meet new people, to 354 00:17:11,320 --> 00:17:14,840 Speaker 1: include ladies. And so I had a son from a 355 00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:17,399 Speaker 1: one night stand and I just found out about him 356 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:19,320 Speaker 1: right before I deployed. He had made it to about 357 00:17:19,320 --> 00:17:23,040 Speaker 1: five months old before I met him. And uh I 358 00:17:23,119 --> 00:17:24,399 Speaker 1: like to say I did the right thing, but I 359 00:17:24,440 --> 00:17:27,119 Speaker 1: just did the the only option I had, which was 360 00:17:27,640 --> 00:17:29,960 Speaker 1: I was ecstatic I had a child. I gave him 361 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:31,960 Speaker 1: my name. His mom and I worked together to figure 362 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:34,800 Speaker 1: it out and do all the legal stuff. We we 363 00:17:34,840 --> 00:17:37,760 Speaker 1: didn't get together, but we decided to raise this sun 364 00:17:38,080 --> 00:17:40,439 Speaker 1: as two parents that love him. And so when I 365 00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:42,840 Speaker 1: got hurt, I'd only spent two or three days with him. 366 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:44,440 Speaker 1: And by the time I got hurt and made it home, 367 00:17:44,560 --> 00:17:47,760 Speaker 1: he was a year old. Um. And so I tell people, 368 00:17:47,840 --> 00:17:49,959 Speaker 1: you know, we learned to walk together and uh. And 369 00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:52,399 Speaker 1: that's how we became friends and and the father and 370 00:17:52,400 --> 00:17:54,760 Speaker 1: the son, and he's been here with me ever since. 371 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:58,080 Speaker 1: Now I've got a little daughter. M h. That's a 372 00:17:58,320 --> 00:18:01,399 Speaker 1: that's a man. I tell you, that's one of the 373 00:18:01,480 --> 00:18:04,960 Speaker 1: more interesting stories, especially when you know that life isn't 374 00:18:04,960 --> 00:18:08,320 Speaker 1: all about you anymore. And you had this experience that 375 00:18:08,400 --> 00:18:11,080 Speaker 1: you just mentioned was from a one night's thing. You 376 00:18:11,119 --> 00:18:13,480 Speaker 1: didn't know that you had a child out there, but 377 00:18:13,600 --> 00:18:16,720 Speaker 1: you find out right before you go. And I'm imagining 378 00:18:17,119 --> 00:18:20,320 Speaker 1: as you have this experience, because you talk about a 379 00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:23,639 Speaker 1: bit about the recovery, but as you have this experience, mentally, 380 00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:27,040 Speaker 1: I just wonder what was going on with you at 381 00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:30,520 Speaker 1: that time you got you got a child. Now you're like, okay, 382 00:18:30,560 --> 00:18:32,080 Speaker 1: how you know, how are they gonna look at me. 383 00:18:32,119 --> 00:18:34,520 Speaker 1: I didn't spend much time with them. Your family, I'm 384 00:18:34,560 --> 00:18:38,480 Speaker 1: sure probably was, you know, all concerned about what was 385 00:18:38,520 --> 00:18:41,720 Speaker 1: going to happen, what life was gonna be like for you, 386 00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:44,160 Speaker 1: And I know you were wondering what life was gonna 387 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:46,840 Speaker 1: be like for you, you know, one of the I 388 00:18:46,840 --> 00:18:50,359 Speaker 1: guess unfortunate blessings of my job and there when I 389 00:18:50,480 --> 00:18:52,960 Speaker 1: joined the Marine e O. D. Field And and what's 390 00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:54,800 Speaker 1: different about the Marine Corps than the other services. Has 391 00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:57,560 Speaker 1: to become a bomb tech. You volunteered into it, but 392 00:18:57,600 --> 00:18:59,119 Speaker 1: you have to have served for a certain amount of 393 00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:01,159 Speaker 1: years and reach a certain rank before you can do it. 394 00:19:01,359 --> 00:19:03,560 Speaker 1: And they really want anybody that goes through that training 395 00:19:03,600 --> 00:19:05,480 Speaker 1: to be dedicated to it and know really what they're 396 00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:08,760 Speaker 1: getting into. And so just to join the Marine Corps 397 00:19:08,800 --> 00:19:11,080 Speaker 1: e O. D. Field, Man, I had seen it happen. 398 00:19:11,119 --> 00:19:13,239 Speaker 1: I'd had Buddy's deployed come back without legs. I kind 399 00:19:13,280 --> 00:19:15,760 Speaker 1: of knew the process. And then even on that deployment, 400 00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:17,520 Speaker 1: I've seen it happen a half a dozen times, either 401 00:19:17,640 --> 00:19:19,480 Speaker 1: right in front of me or showed up immediately after 402 00:19:19,520 --> 00:19:21,800 Speaker 1: and help clean it up. So when I lost my 403 00:19:21,880 --> 00:19:24,280 Speaker 1: legs and went through the recovery, it was more about 404 00:19:24,359 --> 00:19:27,440 Speaker 1: just kind of uh, setting a goal and checking it off. 405 00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:29,640 Speaker 1: Setting a goal and checking it off. I can't say 406 00:19:29,680 --> 00:19:32,000 Speaker 1: that I was prepared for it, but it didn't hit 407 00:19:32,040 --> 00:19:35,000 Speaker 1: me by surprise either. If your job to take bombs apart, 408 00:19:35,080 --> 00:19:38,400 Speaker 1: you better be mantally prepared for the probabilities, if not, 409 00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:41,879 Speaker 1: if not, the possibilities and uh and so for me, like, 410 00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:43,640 Speaker 1: for example, man, I got a picture of the first 411 00:19:43,680 --> 00:19:46,639 Speaker 1: time I pete standing up, and it's kind of funny, 412 00:19:46,680 --> 00:19:48,440 Speaker 1: but it was also a goal I set, like, Hey, 413 00:19:48,480 --> 00:19:50,840 Speaker 1: that's something I used to do without thinking twice. I 414 00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:52,560 Speaker 1: can't do that anymore. I need help to go to 415 00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:55,560 Speaker 1: the bathroom when I'm walking enough that I can take 416 00:19:55,640 --> 00:19:58,080 Speaker 1: myself to the bathroom and stand up and urinate like 417 00:19:58,119 --> 00:20:00,080 Speaker 1: I'm gonna take a picture of it. Mark that a 418 00:20:00,560 --> 00:20:03,359 Speaker 1: And I did that with every goal. And as far 419 00:20:03,400 --> 00:20:05,399 Speaker 1: as my son goes, I mean, I often say he 420 00:20:05,480 --> 00:20:10,200 Speaker 1: kind of saved my life because I never wanted for motivation. 421 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:15,000 Speaker 1: Nothing motivates you like responsibility, and I had his responsibility 422 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:17,120 Speaker 1: to be a father. And you can't do that laying 423 00:20:17,160 --> 00:20:19,520 Speaker 1: in the hospital bed worried about what you lost. You 424 00:20:19,600 --> 00:20:21,919 Speaker 1: gotta be able to appreciate what you have and do 425 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:23,880 Speaker 1: the right thing. And so for me, it was like, 426 00:20:24,440 --> 00:20:26,919 Speaker 1: you know what, I've got learned how to throw a 427 00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:29,040 Speaker 1: baseball without legs. I've got to learn how to teach 428 00:20:29,040 --> 00:20:30,639 Speaker 1: this kid to drive. I've got to learn how to 429 00:20:30,640 --> 00:20:32,240 Speaker 1: take him to a restaurant. I gotta learn how to 430 00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:36,600 Speaker 1: discipline him and work him like my dad did me. Um, 431 00:20:36,680 --> 00:20:38,400 Speaker 1: and these legs can't be the reason why I don't 432 00:20:38,440 --> 00:20:40,600 Speaker 1: do that. He deserves more than that, you know, Joey, 433 00:20:40,760 --> 00:20:44,120 Speaker 1: thank you for sharing that story. But I'm reminded of 434 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:47,520 Speaker 1: how we first met, and I believe, if I'm correct, 435 00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:50,520 Speaker 1: the first time we met was in a Fox Nation 436 00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:54,239 Speaker 1: studio and we were on a panel together, and I 437 00:20:54,320 --> 00:20:58,199 Speaker 1: just remember thinking and seeing you and wondering, how the 438 00:20:58,240 --> 00:21:01,399 Speaker 1: hell does this guy have such a a great attitude? 439 00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:04,200 Speaker 1: You were just and every time I've seen you since 440 00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:07,200 Speaker 1: we were just hosting a show together on Fox News Channel, 441 00:21:07,280 --> 00:21:09,880 Speaker 1: maybe you were three weeks ago or so, and you're 442 00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:13,680 Speaker 1: just always in good spirits. I text you your good spirits? 443 00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:19,440 Speaker 1: How do you have such a good disposition after all 444 00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:23,720 Speaker 1: that has happened um to you, and and and and 445 00:21:23,840 --> 00:21:27,560 Speaker 1: certainly with your family, how do you continue, You're happier, 446 00:21:27,640 --> 00:21:31,200 Speaker 1: seemingly to me than people who have had everything good 447 00:21:31,240 --> 00:21:33,640 Speaker 1: go for their lives. And I get it. Not everyone's 448 00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:36,560 Speaker 1: had everything good going for the lives, but certainly they 449 00:21:36,640 --> 00:21:39,280 Speaker 1: got all kind of things to call for money, success 450 00:21:39,280 --> 00:21:41,639 Speaker 1: and all these other things. You're more happy than they are. 451 00:21:41,760 --> 00:21:45,040 Speaker 1: How is that possible, Joey? You know, you see these 452 00:21:45,080 --> 00:21:47,359 Speaker 1: movies and you have these full brass and are always 453 00:21:47,359 --> 00:21:52,200 Speaker 1: complaining because they've never they've never needed to want for something, 454 00:21:52,640 --> 00:21:57,679 Speaker 1: and they had created this false expectation that everything's supposed 455 00:21:57,720 --> 00:22:00,080 Speaker 1: to happen and happens when they wanted to. That is 456 00:22:00,119 --> 00:22:02,479 Speaker 1: never a factor in my life. I'm not saying that 457 00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:05,320 Speaker 1: I wasn't taken care of, but it was never presented 458 00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:06,840 Speaker 1: to me that things will go the way I wanted 459 00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:08,960 Speaker 1: them to, or even in my favorite was presented to 460 00:22:08,960 --> 00:22:11,000 Speaker 1: me that things got to get done towards gotta get 461 00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:12,560 Speaker 1: done work. It's gotta get done and you've gotta be 462 00:22:12,560 --> 00:22:14,600 Speaker 1: the one doing it. And so I just have a 463 00:22:14,600 --> 00:22:17,320 Speaker 1: gratitude for the positive things that happened in my life, 464 00:22:17,359 --> 00:22:19,479 Speaker 1: and it's hard for me not to focus on them 465 00:22:19,480 --> 00:22:21,520 Speaker 1: about it. You know, there's some people that are really 466 00:22:21,560 --> 00:22:23,760 Speaker 1: good at sports, are really good at dancing and seeing it. 467 00:22:23,800 --> 00:22:26,160 Speaker 1: I don't have any of those gifts, but life has 468 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:28,520 Speaker 1: a way of working out for the for the positive 469 00:22:28,520 --> 00:22:30,920 Speaker 1: things I want in my life, and I'm always grateful 470 00:22:30,960 --> 00:22:34,760 Speaker 1: for that. That's a blessing. And I mean, I wish 471 00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:37,399 Speaker 1: I had a better answer, because I know, I know 472 00:22:37,440 --> 00:22:41,240 Speaker 1: how difficult it is for some people. Um, but I just, 473 00:22:41,359 --> 00:22:43,560 Speaker 1: you know, something clicks for me a long time ago 474 00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:46,639 Speaker 1: that made me just incredibly grateful to still be alive, 475 00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:48,959 Speaker 1: but also to still have these blessings in my life. 476 00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:52,440 Speaker 1: And I've never felt like they were supposed to happen. 477 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:54,360 Speaker 1: I've never felt like I was oathed them. I never 478 00:22:54,440 --> 00:22:58,239 Speaker 1: felt like they were gonna happen no matter what. And 479 00:22:58,240 --> 00:23:00,800 Speaker 1: so when you're raised to work for it and then 480 00:23:00,880 --> 00:23:03,080 Speaker 1: things happen and you don't feel like you've even worked 481 00:23:03,080 --> 00:23:05,679 Speaker 1: that hard for like you're like, it's hard to explain, 482 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:08,000 Speaker 1: but it's like I didn't do anything for my daughter 483 00:23:08,080 --> 00:23:11,880 Speaker 1: to love me but make her, but she loves me unconditionally. 484 00:23:11,920 --> 00:23:13,840 Speaker 1: Oh my god, that's such a blessing that I wake 485 00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:16,159 Speaker 1: up happy. Like when I wake up and I hear 486 00:23:16,200 --> 00:23:18,840 Speaker 1: her say Daddy, It's like, why in the world would 487 00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:21,119 Speaker 1: would she be so happy to see me like that? 488 00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:24,080 Speaker 1: Those things happen every day. And if you're not grateful 489 00:23:24,119 --> 00:23:26,480 Speaker 1: for that, if it doesn't make you happy, like I 490 00:23:26,520 --> 00:23:29,920 Speaker 1: don't know you can be happy? And I worry for you. Man, 491 00:23:31,720 --> 00:23:34,840 Speaker 1: this is your an adultes is so inspiring. Now, let 492 00:23:34,880 --> 00:23:37,480 Speaker 1: me ask you this question, what role does guy play 493 00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:39,280 Speaker 1: in your life? Because I hear a lot of tones 494 00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:42,240 Speaker 1: and what you say and everything you say, and you've've 495 00:23:42,240 --> 00:23:44,880 Speaker 1: seen it on air. What role do this guy really 496 00:23:44,960 --> 00:23:48,040 Speaker 1: ultimately play in your life? All the roles and none 497 00:23:48,080 --> 00:23:50,720 Speaker 1: of them are defined. Like I was raised in church 498 00:23:50,960 --> 00:23:53,320 Speaker 1: and I don't go to church now, um, but I 499 00:23:53,520 --> 00:23:55,920 Speaker 1: don't have anything against it, just isn't um the experience 500 00:23:55,960 --> 00:23:58,600 Speaker 1: I'm looking for. I have a very spiritual experience. I 501 00:23:58,640 --> 00:24:01,760 Speaker 1: pray and talk to out a lot and um, but 502 00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:05,360 Speaker 1: I don't want to limit God. And so my experience 503 00:24:05,440 --> 00:24:09,320 Speaker 1: is that the difference between faith and religion is religion 504 00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:12,159 Speaker 1: as we as people trying to figure it out, and 505 00:24:12,280 --> 00:24:15,080 Speaker 1: faith is just feeling it. And so I've leaned into 506 00:24:15,119 --> 00:24:18,000 Speaker 1: faith and a and I'm worried that if I ascribe 507 00:24:18,040 --> 00:24:21,800 Speaker 1: to a specific um dogma, I guess I would be 508 00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:24,040 Speaker 1: limiting God's ability to play a role in my life. 509 00:24:24,080 --> 00:24:27,040 Speaker 1: If I if I put rules on God, then perhaps 510 00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:31,359 Speaker 1: I limit God. And so I believe in faith, and 511 00:24:31,400 --> 00:24:34,800 Speaker 1: I believe in things of that nature. Um, and I 512 00:24:34,840 --> 00:24:37,439 Speaker 1: don't I don't corner it, so I don't stop it 513 00:24:37,480 --> 00:24:40,040 Speaker 1: from from working the way it's supposed to. I don't 514 00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:43,320 Speaker 1: think any human being makes it through most of life's 515 00:24:43,359 --> 00:24:46,040 Speaker 1: adversity for any of us, by ourselves. And if it's 516 00:24:46,040 --> 00:24:49,400 Speaker 1: through the works of a deity or other people, um, 517 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:51,879 Speaker 1: I call that God and I give it credit. And 518 00:24:51,920 --> 00:24:53,800 Speaker 1: it doesn't have to be one to fine thing for 519 00:24:53,840 --> 00:24:56,639 Speaker 1: me to believe in it. Now, thank you for sharing 520 00:24:56,680 --> 00:25:00,199 Speaker 1: your perspective on that. Now you have to retire ring 521 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:02,919 Speaker 1: from the military. You want on to graduate from Georgetown 522 00:25:03,040 --> 00:25:06,520 Speaker 1: University in teen with a degree in liberal studies and 523 00:25:06,680 --> 00:25:10,240 Speaker 1: social and public policy. And you often went to Capitol 524 00:25:10,280 --> 00:25:13,399 Speaker 1: Hill to introduce yourself to politicians there. What were you 525 00:25:13,440 --> 00:25:16,359 Speaker 1: thinking at that time? You know what I was thinking. 526 00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:18,840 Speaker 1: I was thinking, every one of these dudes and ladies 527 00:25:18,920 --> 00:25:20,639 Speaker 1: up here are gonna want to take a picture with 528 00:25:20,680 --> 00:25:22,639 Speaker 1: me because I'm a shandy object. Right, I'm a warder 529 00:25:22,640 --> 00:25:25,120 Speaker 1: and uniform that lost his legs. But what they don't 530 00:25:25,119 --> 00:25:26,880 Speaker 1: know is I'm smarter than they think, and I'm gonna 531 00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:29,040 Speaker 1: sneak up on them what's something I care about and 532 00:25:29,080 --> 00:25:31,800 Speaker 1: make them care about it too. And so that's kind 533 00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:34,840 Speaker 1: of how I handled that. I um, I kinda it's 534 00:25:34,840 --> 00:25:36,960 Speaker 1: a crazy story, and if I don't have enough time 535 00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:38,919 Speaker 1: to say it, But basically, when I was recovering, I 536 00:25:38,960 --> 00:25:42,000 Speaker 1: recovered pretty quickly and the paperwork couldn't keep up with 537 00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:45,040 Speaker 1: my pace. UM I got injured August six, two thousand 538 00:25:45,040 --> 00:25:48,280 Speaker 1: and ten. I was walking and by all accounts, fully 539 00:25:48,280 --> 00:25:51,520 Speaker 1: recovered by February two thou eleven. And it takes about 540 00:25:51,560 --> 00:25:55,520 Speaker 1: two years just for the retirement process to happen. And 541 00:25:55,600 --> 00:25:57,800 Speaker 1: usually in those two years, you go to college or 542 00:25:57,840 --> 00:25:59,960 Speaker 1: you do Paralympics, and they kind of keep you busy 543 00:26:00,040 --> 00:26:02,280 Speaker 1: E up in d C back in during this time. 544 00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:04,520 Speaker 1: But I wanted something more than that. I knew I 545 00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:06,520 Speaker 1: wasn't gonna lay breaking block for a living. I knew 546 00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:09,080 Speaker 1: I probably wasn't gonna earn my living as a marine 547 00:26:09,119 --> 00:26:11,439 Speaker 1: for the rest of my career. So what can I do. 548 00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:14,120 Speaker 1: I can go educate myself. And so I started college 549 00:26:14,640 --> 00:26:17,560 Speaker 1: with a community college on campus October. So I got 550 00:26:17,560 --> 00:26:20,320 Speaker 1: injured in August. I started doing classes in October, and 551 00:26:20,359 --> 00:26:22,720 Speaker 1: as soon as I was independent could leave campus, which 552 00:26:22,720 --> 00:26:25,640 Speaker 1: was around February. I had rolled at Georgetown and started 553 00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:29,399 Speaker 1: school there, and in doing school while I became interested 554 00:26:29,440 --> 00:26:31,239 Speaker 1: in policy because I was at Georgetown and we were 555 00:26:31,320 --> 00:26:34,880 Speaker 1: learning kind of how policy started for mankind. And so 556 00:26:35,320 --> 00:26:37,240 Speaker 1: I had an opportunity to go up to Capitol Hill 557 00:26:37,359 --> 00:26:40,640 Speaker 1: and meet Chairman Jeff Miller. Actually I met him over 558 00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:42,240 Speaker 1: at Eighth and N if you're familiar with d C 559 00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:45,280 Speaker 1: over at the Marine Corps barracks. And I rolled up 560 00:26:45,280 --> 00:26:48,159 Speaker 1: to Chairman Miller, who's the chairman of the Veterans Affairs 561 00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:50,919 Speaker 1: Committee at the time for the Republicans who were in charge. 562 00:26:51,440 --> 00:26:54,040 Speaker 1: But more importantly, he represented the first District of Florida, 563 00:26:54,119 --> 00:26:55,639 Speaker 1: where the e O D School is and a lot 564 00:26:55,720 --> 00:26:58,399 Speaker 1: of EO D retire. And I said, Mr Chairman, I 565 00:26:58,440 --> 00:27:00,399 Speaker 1: know all your constituents and they think you should give 566 00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:02,960 Speaker 1: me a job, which was a very ignorant thing to say, 567 00:27:03,080 --> 00:27:07,120 Speaker 1: but it worked. No, it wasn't. It wasn't ignorant, so 568 00:27:08,119 --> 00:27:14,240 Speaker 1: it was naive maybe, and uh it was attention. He 569 00:27:14,359 --> 00:27:16,560 Speaker 1: thought I was retired. He didn't know all his active 570 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:19,879 Speaker 1: duty and had a daily commitment to the hospital and 571 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:22,600 Speaker 1: was living right beside it. So that was on a Friday. 572 00:27:22,600 --> 00:27:24,280 Speaker 1: On Monday, they're like, hey, will you come up and 573 00:27:24,320 --> 00:27:26,840 Speaker 1: submit a resume where we'd like to look at hiring 574 00:27:26,840 --> 00:27:30,560 Speaker 1: you for a fellowship or an internship unpaid. So I 575 00:27:30,560 --> 00:27:32,439 Speaker 1: went and bought a suit. I typed up probably the 576 00:27:32,480 --> 00:27:35,240 Speaker 1: worst resume that has ever made its way to Capitol 577 00:27:35,320 --> 00:27:38,000 Speaker 1: Hill and was successful, set in front of him, did 578 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:40,480 Speaker 1: an interview, and they're like, yeah, next week to lot four, 579 00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:41,960 Speaker 1: but the Monday after that would love for you to 580 00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:44,240 Speaker 1: start coming in And I did a fellowship, So I 581 00:27:44,280 --> 00:27:48,080 Speaker 1: went and worked out with my therapist from seven and nine. 582 00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:50,679 Speaker 1: I was at Capitol Hill by ten, and then I 583 00:27:50,760 --> 00:27:53,280 Speaker 1: left at three or six, depending on the day, at 584 00:27:53,359 --> 00:27:55,639 Speaker 1: three two to three days a week to go to 585 00:27:55,680 --> 00:27:58,280 Speaker 1: college that night. And that was kind of my routine 586 00:27:58,359 --> 00:28:00,440 Speaker 1: until the Marine Corps found out out that they had 587 00:28:00,440 --> 00:28:03,040 Speaker 1: some realgunded warrior working up on Capitol Hill and they're like, listen, 588 00:28:03,080 --> 00:28:05,920 Speaker 1: you gotta have ethics training and it's got to be approved. 589 00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:08,080 Speaker 1: And by that point, I've been there so long that 590 00:28:09,080 --> 00:28:11,120 Speaker 1: like they didn't have a choice but to leave me there, 591 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:13,200 Speaker 1: and so I ended up having a pretty good impact 592 00:28:13,240 --> 00:28:16,760 Speaker 1: on some policy and just really have been involved in 593 00:28:16,840 --> 00:28:21,320 Speaker 1: some way with it ever since. So that's interesting. And 594 00:28:21,320 --> 00:28:23,360 Speaker 1: you were in in d C the same period I 595 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:27,399 Speaker 1: was there. I was there from twelve seventeen, so we 596 00:28:27,400 --> 00:28:30,639 Speaker 1: we might have even ran into each other, maybe the 597 00:28:30,800 --> 00:28:32,720 Speaker 1: r n C or something like that, who knows, but 598 00:28:32,920 --> 00:28:35,000 Speaker 1: I would have remembered you, for sure. I would have 599 00:28:35,119 --> 00:28:37,000 Speaker 1: some I'm thinking probably not, but we were in the 600 00:28:37,040 --> 00:28:39,880 Speaker 1: same place. So you go from Capitol Hill, you had 601 00:28:39,920 --> 00:28:42,840 Speaker 1: some good impact on policy. I'm interested real quick, what 602 00:28:42,920 --> 00:28:44,400 Speaker 1: was that policy? And I want to I want to 603 00:28:44,480 --> 00:28:48,000 Speaker 1: get to your started Fox News. Yeah, so what the 604 00:28:48,080 --> 00:28:50,240 Speaker 1: big things at the time was right before I started 605 00:28:50,240 --> 00:28:52,920 Speaker 1: working for Age fact, John Baynard being the Speaker of 606 00:28:52,920 --> 00:28:54,960 Speaker 1: the House and put some kind of a hiring freeze 607 00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:57,840 Speaker 1: and so like. Basically it was all about the fiscal 608 00:28:57,920 --> 00:29:01,080 Speaker 1: responsibility side of being a Republican. They weren't letting Congress 609 00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:04,240 Speaker 1: just hire and fill all the seats and jobs that 610 00:29:04,360 --> 00:29:06,720 Speaker 1: the Democrats had held before him, and it was kind 611 00:29:06,720 --> 00:29:08,520 Speaker 1: of more of a we're gonna show you all that 612 00:29:08,600 --> 00:29:11,400 Speaker 1: it can be done fiscally responsible. It's what that meant was. 613 00:29:11,800 --> 00:29:14,040 Speaker 1: I didn't even havev into college education. And I was 614 00:29:14,080 --> 00:29:17,560 Speaker 1: working as the only other staff member in the Disability 615 00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:21,520 Speaker 1: Assistance and Momoral Affairs Office of the House Winners Affairs Committee, 616 00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:24,280 Speaker 1: And so I set across the table from veteran service 617 00:29:24,360 --> 00:29:27,920 Speaker 1: organizations lobbying for different things to be done. But I 618 00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:29,720 Speaker 1: had a little bit of a card that I could 619 00:29:29,760 --> 00:29:32,160 Speaker 1: pull because they were used to sitting that across the 620 00:29:32,200 --> 00:29:36,000 Speaker 1: table from civilian Harvard grads, not guys and gals that 621 00:29:36,080 --> 00:29:38,240 Speaker 1: actually been through the system. And so there was something 622 00:29:38,240 --> 00:29:41,440 Speaker 1: called the improvised or the it's called the I D 623 00:29:41,520 --> 00:29:43,160 Speaker 1: E S. I can't remember what the eye stands for, 624 00:29:43,280 --> 00:29:46,600 Speaker 1: but it's the disability evaluation system, and so used to 625 00:29:46,680 --> 00:29:50,120 Speaker 1: when you got injured like me catastrophically, you were completely 626 00:29:50,160 --> 00:29:53,720 Speaker 1: evaluated by the D O D. They finished their evaluation, 627 00:29:54,280 --> 00:29:56,160 Speaker 1: then you got a rating from them, and then you 628 00:29:56,200 --> 00:29:58,480 Speaker 1: started from scratch with the v A and then a 629 00:29:58,520 --> 00:30:02,080 Speaker 1: full evaluation with them, and you got your pension. And 630 00:30:02,120 --> 00:30:05,000 Speaker 1: we were able to combine that into one process and 631 00:30:05,240 --> 00:30:08,400 Speaker 1: UM and they really looked to me to give the 632 00:30:08,520 --> 00:30:10,840 Speaker 1: user experience side of it. And then there were other 633 00:30:10,920 --> 00:30:14,160 Speaker 1: things where people were just lobbying for random things, and 634 00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:17,280 Speaker 1: I could really sniff the bull crab, this podcast the 635 00:30:17,320 --> 00:30:20,800 Speaker 1: bullshit and uh and and let the decision makers know, hey, 636 00:30:20,840 --> 00:30:23,240 Speaker 1: this is not something that this has not helped the 637 00:30:23,280 --> 00:30:26,600 Speaker 1: veteran community, or this is not what it looks like. Um. 638 00:30:26,640 --> 00:30:28,840 Speaker 1: And so those were two of the places. I mean. Unfortunately, 639 00:30:29,160 --> 00:30:32,600 Speaker 1: even back then, getting substantive bills passed was not easy, 640 00:30:33,160 --> 00:30:35,560 Speaker 1: but just having that type of influence on policymakers was 641 00:30:35,600 --> 00:30:37,720 Speaker 1: a lot of fun. We're talking to Fox Nation hosts 642 00:30:37,760 --> 00:30:40,440 Speaker 1: and retired US marine Joey Jones. You got so much 643 00:30:40,480 --> 00:30:51,640 Speaker 1: more with him right at their kid break. How did 644 00:30:51,760 --> 00:30:55,680 Speaker 1: you go? You? You talked about your background, family background, 645 00:30:55,720 --> 00:30:58,200 Speaker 1: and you talked about going into the military. What happened there? 646 00:30:58,560 --> 00:31:00,960 Speaker 1: And then you just happened to go up to someone 647 00:31:01,040 --> 00:31:04,480 Speaker 1: to say your constituents, I know a lot of your constituents, 648 00:31:04,800 --> 00:31:07,520 Speaker 1: give me a job. How did you from all of 649 00:31:07,560 --> 00:31:09,920 Speaker 1: that experience, how did you end up on TV? Where 650 00:31:09,920 --> 00:31:13,520 Speaker 1: did Fox News come and play with all of this? Well, 651 00:31:14,920 --> 00:31:18,080 Speaker 1: basically what happened is in all of that, I really 652 00:31:18,120 --> 00:31:20,960 Speaker 1: got a lot of assistance from military nonprofits, and I 653 00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:23,000 Speaker 1: felt guilty about it early on, like, hey, yeah, well 654 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:25,239 Speaker 1: doing way too much for me. How can I help you? Like, 655 00:31:25,360 --> 00:31:28,240 Speaker 1: obviously I'm a communicator. I like to talk. Maybe I've 656 00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:30,240 Speaker 1: got a gift for it. Can I lend my voice 657 00:31:30,240 --> 00:31:33,680 Speaker 1: and communication experience to you. One of those nonprofits was 658 00:31:33,720 --> 00:31:36,360 Speaker 1: out of d C, and of the many things they did, 659 00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:39,719 Speaker 1: they took monded veterans to NASCAR races and did some 660 00:31:39,760 --> 00:31:42,200 Speaker 1: fun stuff. And I ended up meeting this lady, Jen 661 00:31:42,360 --> 00:31:45,440 Speaker 1: Williams while I was volunteering for that, which was about 662 00:31:45,440 --> 00:31:46,920 Speaker 1: the same time I worked on the Hill and went 663 00:31:46,920 --> 00:31:49,680 Speaker 1: to Georgetown and most of my voluntering town was on 664 00:31:49,720 --> 00:31:53,080 Speaker 1: the weekends, and um Jen Williams had been a Fox 665 00:31:53,120 --> 00:31:56,200 Speaker 1: and Friends producer and left to be freelance and she 666 00:31:56,320 --> 00:31:58,520 Speaker 1: was working on a project with a NASCAR and I 667 00:31:58,560 --> 00:32:01,440 Speaker 1: met her that way and we became friends. A few 668 00:32:01,520 --> 00:32:05,800 Speaker 1: years later in Kyle Carpenter, who had taken my fellowship 669 00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:08,960 Speaker 1: that I created and took it after me was about 670 00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:11,080 Speaker 1: to get awarded the Medal of Honor I had recovered 671 00:32:11,120 --> 00:32:13,800 Speaker 1: with him and and Gay and told them, Hey, this 672 00:32:13,840 --> 00:32:15,800 Speaker 1: is the guy you want working on the Hill. So 673 00:32:15,840 --> 00:32:17,320 Speaker 1: she asked me to come on and talk about him 674 00:32:17,400 --> 00:32:19,640 Speaker 1: during Gression Carlson's show at the time because it was 675 00:32:19,680 --> 00:32:22,080 Speaker 1: called The Real Story. So I go and a mike 676 00:32:22,200 --> 00:32:24,840 Speaker 1: up and it's my first time doing live TV and 677 00:32:25,280 --> 00:32:27,640 Speaker 1: I'm just gonna talk about my buddy Kyle, and President 678 00:32:27,680 --> 00:32:30,080 Speaker 1: Obama interrupts and does the speech and he's like, hey, 679 00:32:30,120 --> 00:32:32,080 Speaker 1: there's a scroup called ISIS and we're probably gonna have 680 00:32:32,160 --> 00:32:34,680 Speaker 1: to go to war with him. And she's like, Hey, 681 00:32:34,680 --> 00:32:36,240 Speaker 1: since you already miked up, do you mind to just 682 00:32:36,280 --> 00:32:38,680 Speaker 1: talk about it? What was an important enough speech and 683 00:32:38,760 --> 00:32:41,680 Speaker 1: lasted long enough that everybody had tuned in, So if 684 00:32:41,720 --> 00:32:44,120 Speaker 1: you were tuned into Fox News watching President Obama when 685 00:32:44,120 --> 00:32:46,960 Speaker 1: it cut away, there was Joey Jones giving you given 686 00:32:46,960 --> 00:32:49,760 Speaker 1: Obama the what for on this and UM, and that 687 00:32:49,800 --> 00:32:53,000 Speaker 1: was my introduction to television news. And from there, I've 688 00:32:53,120 --> 00:32:57,160 Speaker 1: had a really a fast success on Twitter. And Greg 689 00:32:57,200 --> 00:32:59,840 Speaker 1: gutt Felt and Mike Huckabee saw me on Twitter, didn't 690 00:32:59,840 --> 00:33:02,200 Speaker 1: even know I had been on each invited me onto 691 00:33:02,240 --> 00:33:04,800 Speaker 1: their new shows, respectively, and the rest kind of went 692 00:33:04,840 --> 00:33:07,360 Speaker 1: from there. What what did you say about Obama at 693 00:33:07,360 --> 00:33:11,400 Speaker 1: that time? UM? I don't remember. You know, I was 694 00:33:11,440 --> 00:33:15,200 Speaker 1: still in uniforms UM up until twelve, so at that 695 00:33:15,240 --> 00:33:18,480 Speaker 1: time I was recently retired and I just didn't um. 696 00:33:18,520 --> 00:33:19,800 Speaker 1: You know, here's the best story I can get. For 697 00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:22,520 Speaker 1: President Obama. I went to the White House and had 698 00:33:22,560 --> 00:33:24,560 Speaker 1: dinner with him with a bunch of four star generals, 699 00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:26,600 Speaker 1: and while I was having dinner, he kind of looks 700 00:33:26,600 --> 00:33:28,000 Speaker 1: at me, goes, Johnny, if you were back in the 701 00:33:28,040 --> 00:33:30,000 Speaker 1: same place doing the same thing, how would you do 702 00:33:30,040 --> 00:33:33,080 Speaker 1: it differently? And I said, well, Mr President, I'd step left, 703 00:33:33,920 --> 00:33:36,440 Speaker 1: and like you know, Maddess started laughing, but none of 704 00:33:36,480 --> 00:33:38,400 Speaker 1: the other ones got it. And what it was is like, 705 00:33:39,240 --> 00:33:41,000 Speaker 1: you know, when I stepped right and step on a bomb. 706 00:33:41,040 --> 00:33:42,959 Speaker 1: But the bigger point there was, hey, man, that's for 707 00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:45,400 Speaker 1: you to figure out. Like my job was to do 708 00:33:45,440 --> 00:33:47,840 Speaker 1: what was in front of me, the big stuff up 709 00:33:47,880 --> 00:33:50,680 Speaker 1: to you, like figure it out. And um, so that's 710 00:33:50,680 --> 00:33:52,960 Speaker 1: how I've treated all politicians. Like I tell you, he's 711 00:33:53,040 --> 00:33:57,480 Speaker 1: very charismatic and very good at his words, but I never, 712 00:33:57,640 --> 00:33:59,760 Speaker 1: really it always felt like he was on. I mean 713 00:33:59,800 --> 00:34:01,600 Speaker 1: in actually a handful of times, and it it always felt 714 00:34:01,640 --> 00:34:05,680 Speaker 1: he was performing. And I can't be insincere because I 715 00:34:05,680 --> 00:34:08,600 Speaker 1: haven't met another sitting president. I met Trump before he 716 00:34:08,719 --> 00:34:11,800 Speaker 1: was president, I met Bush after. But I can imagine 717 00:34:11,960 --> 00:34:13,960 Speaker 1: it may be that they're all kind of feeling like 718 00:34:14,080 --> 00:34:17,200 Speaker 1: they're performing at all time. So I was never overly 719 00:34:17,280 --> 00:34:20,120 Speaker 1: harsh of President Obama. But I've always called balls and 720 00:34:20,120 --> 00:34:21,960 Speaker 1: strikes with any of the presidents. That's just who I 721 00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:24,200 Speaker 1: am speaking of. I would like for you to put 722 00:34:24,200 --> 00:34:27,600 Speaker 1: on your Fox News Fox Nation hat for a minute 723 00:34:28,200 --> 00:34:31,280 Speaker 1: before we close out this show. First, you're a veteran 724 00:34:31,280 --> 00:34:34,160 Speaker 1: of war in Afghanistan. I just read on Fox News 725 00:34:34,200 --> 00:34:38,680 Speaker 1: dot Com that all US forces have been removed from 726 00:34:38,719 --> 00:34:43,520 Speaker 1: the Bagram Airfield, the largest military base in Afghanistan. We're 727 00:34:43,560 --> 00:34:47,160 Speaker 1: going to be completely out of Aghanist Afghanistan by September eleven, 728 00:34:47,160 --> 00:34:50,960 Speaker 1: according to the Biden administration. A lot of Americans want 729 00:34:51,560 --> 00:34:54,799 Speaker 1: out of the longest war in American history. But we 730 00:34:55,160 --> 00:34:59,520 Speaker 1: also see now that we're leaving the Taliban taking over 731 00:35:00,160 --> 00:35:03,680 Speaker 1: district after district from the Afghan government. It looks like 732 00:35:03,719 --> 00:35:06,000 Speaker 1: the Taliban could very well take over the country in 733 00:35:06,040 --> 00:35:09,000 Speaker 1: a matter of months. And of course, the Taliban is 734 00:35:09,040 --> 00:35:12,279 Speaker 1: aligned with al Qaeda. So with all that in mind, 735 00:35:12,320 --> 00:35:15,520 Speaker 1: what's your opinion of America's policy towards Afghanistan as it 736 00:35:15,560 --> 00:35:19,600 Speaker 1: stands today. You know, I'm glad you're talking about wrapping 737 00:35:19,600 --> 00:35:21,560 Speaker 1: it up with this this most important policy thing we'll 738 00:35:21,560 --> 00:35:23,560 Speaker 1: talk about right rest of us just Joey's story. And 739 00:35:23,600 --> 00:35:26,520 Speaker 1: so now we talk about some business. Um, here's the deal. 740 00:35:26,920 --> 00:35:28,520 Speaker 1: I don't think we've been in the twenty year war. 741 00:35:28,600 --> 00:35:30,600 Speaker 1: I think we've been intend to year wars because in 742 00:35:30,640 --> 00:35:34,279 Speaker 1: America we hold our politicians accountable and sometimes that's even 743 00:35:34,280 --> 00:35:35,960 Speaker 1: to our own detriment. And what I mean by that 744 00:35:36,080 --> 00:35:39,600 Speaker 1: is politicians have a way of of crafting their foreign 745 00:35:39,600 --> 00:35:42,160 Speaker 1: policy to reflect what the ballot box has in mind. 746 00:35:42,239 --> 00:35:45,200 Speaker 1: So if it becomes populars and not want troops to Afghanistan, 747 00:35:45,280 --> 00:35:47,200 Speaker 1: then they'll change their mind. And if if it becomes 748 00:35:47,200 --> 00:35:50,680 Speaker 1: posular to go attack, um isist, and they'll do that. 749 00:35:50,840 --> 00:35:52,759 Speaker 1: And and a lot of times it feels like it's 750 00:35:52,760 --> 00:35:54,600 Speaker 1: not really about what makes us safer as much as 751 00:35:54,640 --> 00:35:57,640 Speaker 1: what gets us to vote. And so the really I 752 00:35:57,680 --> 00:35:59,719 Speaker 1: don't have an opinion as much as questions, which is 753 00:36:00,440 --> 00:36:03,319 Speaker 1: the problem, right Like I lost my legs in Afghanistan 754 00:36:03,719 --> 00:36:06,799 Speaker 1: and I've got more questions than than definitive opinions on it. 755 00:36:06,880 --> 00:36:09,239 Speaker 1: And that's the problem right there. But if I were 756 00:36:09,239 --> 00:36:10,960 Speaker 1: talking to the President Biden, I would say, you know, 757 00:36:10,960 --> 00:36:13,399 Speaker 1: in two thousand and ten and eleven, you were the 758 00:36:13,480 --> 00:36:16,240 Speaker 1: second person in charge. It was it was the Obama 759 00:36:16,280 --> 00:36:19,880 Speaker 1: Biden administration that believed in this war and the victory 760 00:36:19,920 --> 00:36:23,359 Speaker 1: of it enough to send forty troops to Afghanistan and 761 00:36:23,440 --> 00:36:25,360 Speaker 1: me being one of them, and to let my buddies 762 00:36:25,400 --> 00:36:27,160 Speaker 1: die and me lose my legs. That's how much you 763 00:36:27,160 --> 00:36:31,200 Speaker 1: believed in it. Now you're president and you're unconditionally withdrawing, 764 00:36:31,239 --> 00:36:33,600 Speaker 1: which means you don't ask for anything in return, You're 765 00:36:33,600 --> 00:36:36,520 Speaker 1: just bring everybody home. What changed? What changed for you? 766 00:36:36,600 --> 00:36:38,520 Speaker 1: Why did you go from believing in it enough to 767 00:36:38,600 --> 00:36:41,000 Speaker 1: let me die for it to not believing in it 768 00:36:41,160 --> 00:36:44,040 Speaker 1: enough to have anything to show for it? And that 769 00:36:44,080 --> 00:36:46,240 Speaker 1: would be my question if he answered it correctly, I 770 00:36:46,360 --> 00:36:48,719 Speaker 1: you know, if he answered it genuinely and understood, maybe 771 00:36:48,760 --> 00:36:51,879 Speaker 1: I'd accept it. But right now, that's my question. Are 772 00:36:51,920 --> 00:36:56,920 Speaker 1: you optimistic about the future of America? Always? Eternally? Look, man, 773 00:36:56,960 --> 00:36:58,680 Speaker 1: there was a time where we were at war with 774 00:36:58,800 --> 00:37:02,200 Speaker 1: half the western world out the eastern Western world, right 775 00:37:02,360 --> 00:37:05,680 Speaker 1: and and our grandparents, I mean, your grandparents didn't have 776 00:37:05,800 --> 00:37:07,960 Speaker 1: rights that mine had at that time. I mean, that's 777 00:37:08,000 --> 00:37:10,280 Speaker 1: just insane to me that even though the world existed 778 00:37:10,360 --> 00:37:12,960 Speaker 1: that way, but all of our grandparents were turning in 779 00:37:13,120 --> 00:37:16,040 Speaker 1: still for the cause right and get and standing in 780 00:37:16,080 --> 00:37:18,400 Speaker 1: the government cheese line because we have a rash in 781 00:37:18,400 --> 00:37:21,919 Speaker 1: our food. All of that just for fight for our survival, 782 00:37:22,360 --> 00:37:25,279 Speaker 1: and now we fight over how we feel. And so 783 00:37:25,440 --> 00:37:29,360 Speaker 1: we've advanced a long way, and we've been through tougher times, 784 00:37:29,480 --> 00:37:31,399 Speaker 1: and I just believe that it's in our in our 785 00:37:31,480 --> 00:37:35,320 Speaker 1: blood that we will when we're backed against the wall, honestly, 786 00:37:35,400 --> 00:37:38,440 Speaker 1: we'll survive and do the right thing. We just unfortunately, 787 00:37:38,440 --> 00:37:41,160 Speaker 1: even with nine eleven in my war, maybe we haven't 788 00:37:41,200 --> 00:37:43,560 Speaker 1: been backed against the wall and we've been left to 789 00:37:43,760 --> 00:37:46,439 Speaker 1: our own devices a little too much. Now, my last 790 00:37:46,480 --> 00:37:49,200 Speaker 1: question before we get into projects you may have coming 791 00:37:49,280 --> 00:37:51,480 Speaker 1: up in your Fox Nation show and all that good 792 00:37:51,520 --> 00:37:54,360 Speaker 1: stuff you said before you were raised the Republican and 793 00:37:54,400 --> 00:37:57,240 Speaker 1: still hold many of those beliefs, but are still critical 794 00:37:57,360 --> 00:38:00,120 Speaker 1: of the right these days looking at the GEO p 795 00:38:00,560 --> 00:38:04,600 Speaker 1: and the right more broadly, do you think conservatives are 796 00:38:04,719 --> 00:38:07,279 Speaker 1: going in the right direction? You know, it's fun as 797 00:38:07,360 --> 00:38:09,440 Speaker 1: raised as a conservative, but back then that was a 798 00:38:09,480 --> 00:38:12,920 Speaker 1: blue dog Democrat, right like, because we were poor, So 799 00:38:12,960 --> 00:38:14,799 Speaker 1: you couldn't be poor and be a Republican back in 800 00:38:14,800 --> 00:38:18,320 Speaker 1: the eighties and early nineties, and so the conservative idea 801 00:38:18,640 --> 00:38:22,440 Speaker 1: of personal responsibility and respecting someone else's ability to live 802 00:38:22,520 --> 00:38:25,319 Speaker 1: their life and doing it without the government growing to 803 00:38:25,360 --> 00:38:28,879 Speaker 1: the point that it becomes just arbitrary authority. That's never 804 00:38:29,000 --> 00:38:31,520 Speaker 1: changed in me, it's just who represents that from one 805 00:38:31,520 --> 00:38:33,600 Speaker 1: moment to the other, or if anybody does it all 806 00:38:33,680 --> 00:38:37,120 Speaker 1: changes depending on who the politicians are. And so for me, 807 00:38:37,360 --> 00:38:40,640 Speaker 1: like I'm more critical of the people on the right 808 00:38:40,760 --> 00:38:43,880 Speaker 1: because they're the ones that are supposed to represent my ideas, 809 00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:46,680 Speaker 1: and when they mess it up, it matters the people 810 00:38:46,680 --> 00:38:49,080 Speaker 1: on the left that I don't always fully understand their ideas, 811 00:38:49,080 --> 00:38:50,400 Speaker 1: so it's hard to be critical of it because I 812 00:38:50,400 --> 00:38:51,880 Speaker 1: don't agree with it. So I can't tell you how 813 00:38:51,920 --> 00:38:53,560 Speaker 1: to do it better. I can just say I don't 814 00:38:53,600 --> 00:38:55,360 Speaker 1: like it. But if you're on the right and I 815 00:38:55,400 --> 00:38:59,120 Speaker 1: feel like you are taking advantage of our passion for 816 00:38:59,320 --> 00:39:02,120 Speaker 1: the opportunity get elected, then I'm definitely coming after you 817 00:39:02,200 --> 00:39:04,120 Speaker 1: or at least asking you to explain yourself. And that's 818 00:39:04,160 --> 00:39:07,560 Speaker 1: kind of position I've holden. And as far as um 819 00:39:07,640 --> 00:39:10,120 Speaker 1: you know where we are now with politics. If you've 820 00:39:10,160 --> 00:39:12,839 Speaker 1: got a team mentality, you know, the Georgia football fan. 821 00:39:13,400 --> 00:39:15,920 Speaker 1: If I've got the ninth best quarterback in the SEC. 822 00:39:16,560 --> 00:39:18,440 Speaker 1: I'm going to give you a full throated argument on 823 00:39:18,480 --> 00:39:20,920 Speaker 1: why it's really the third best because that's my team, 824 00:39:21,080 --> 00:39:23,440 Speaker 1: right And we can't do that with our politicians. We 825 00:39:23,480 --> 00:39:26,520 Speaker 1: can't make excuses for them. We can't make a reality 826 00:39:26,560 --> 00:39:28,520 Speaker 1: that isn't true. We've gotta be able to be honest 827 00:39:28,520 --> 00:39:31,719 Speaker 1: about it, and sometimes that means critiquing the politicians are 828 00:39:31,719 --> 00:39:35,279 Speaker 1: supposed to be on our side. I love that we 829 00:39:35,400 --> 00:39:38,319 Speaker 1: share that. I absolutely appreciate that. I'm gonna start calling 830 00:39:38,320 --> 00:39:43,040 Speaker 1: you common sense joe common sense Joey, you're you're up 831 00:39:43,360 --> 00:39:46,000 Speaker 1: now before we go, Do you have any big projects 832 00:39:46,080 --> 00:39:47,440 Speaker 1: coming up at the folks at home so you know 833 00:39:47,480 --> 00:39:49,399 Speaker 1: about and what can people find you on social media 834 00:39:49,400 --> 00:39:53,240 Speaker 1: and elsewhere? Yeah? On social media Twitter and Instagram is permotional. 835 00:39:53,320 --> 00:39:55,759 Speaker 1: I think I'm active on that's Johnny j o h 836 00:39:55,880 --> 00:39:58,719 Speaker 1: N and why Underscore Joey j o e Y same 837 00:39:58,760 --> 00:40:01,120 Speaker 1: handle as far is what I'm involved in. You know, 838 00:40:01,160 --> 00:40:03,239 Speaker 1: I have I have my own little podcast called Proud 839 00:40:03,280 --> 00:40:05,360 Speaker 1: American on Fox News Radio. You can get it wherever 840 00:40:05,400 --> 00:40:07,200 Speaker 1: podcasts are and we'll have you on there soon, I'm 841 00:40:07,239 --> 00:40:10,640 Speaker 1: sure and thank you absolutely. And then on Fox Nation, 842 00:40:10,719 --> 00:40:12,960 Speaker 1: have a couple of different projects. I've done two seasons 843 00:40:12,960 --> 00:40:16,560 Speaker 1: of Fox Nation Outdoors is really cool. It's a hunting show, 844 00:40:16,600 --> 00:40:19,920 Speaker 1: but it's really about learning the country abroad. Um. And 845 00:40:19,960 --> 00:40:21,719 Speaker 1: then I have a couple of projects. One it's called 846 00:40:21,880 --> 00:40:24,760 Speaker 1: USA Inc. That tells the history of tattoos in America 847 00:40:24,760 --> 00:40:27,320 Speaker 1: and all the military involved. And I've got a project 848 00:40:27,360 --> 00:40:31,400 Speaker 1: that's dropping July four, um, and I don't know, you 849 00:40:31,400 --> 00:40:34,520 Speaker 1: know kind of when people will access this, Yeah, it's 850 00:40:34,520 --> 00:40:38,840 Speaker 1: the day after. It's July five, So you get you 851 00:40:38,840 --> 00:40:42,480 Speaker 1: had a project that came out yesterday. Basically we're recording 852 00:40:42,520 --> 00:40:45,680 Speaker 1: on the Friday before. Guy, So I gotta I got 853 00:40:46,400 --> 00:40:48,880 Speaker 1: a really cool thing that should be available on Fox 854 00:40:48,960 --> 00:40:52,319 Speaker 1: Nation around the Monday after the fourth of July. They 855 00:40:52,360 --> 00:40:54,759 Speaker 1: haven't told me, but I sit down with four veterans 856 00:40:55,280 --> 00:41:00,120 Speaker 1: from Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq, and Afghanistan and talk to 857 00:41:00,200 --> 00:41:02,680 Speaker 1: them about why they're proud Americans and where they see 858 00:41:02,680 --> 00:41:06,000 Speaker 1: the country today. It's pretty amazing, yo. I just want 859 00:41:06,000 --> 00:41:09,439 Speaker 1: to thank you for joining me, Joey Jones, And it's 860 00:41:09,480 --> 00:41:13,800 Speaker 1: so wonderful actually to know even more about your story 861 00:41:14,040 --> 00:41:16,200 Speaker 1: and know how we really are connected. I want to 862 00:41:16,200 --> 00:41:19,520 Speaker 1: consider you my new brother. Because there's so much connectivity 863 00:41:19,520 --> 00:41:21,279 Speaker 1: there and I look forward to being in touch with 864 00:41:21,320 --> 00:41:23,960 Speaker 1: you and building a stronger brotherly bond with you. So 865 00:41:24,080 --> 00:41:25,680 Speaker 1: thank you for joining me here on out Loud with 866 00:41:25,719 --> 00:41:28,719 Speaker 1: Gianno Caldwell. And I'm sure you're gonna get a lot 867 00:41:28,800 --> 00:41:30,640 Speaker 1: of new followers who are going to be interested in 868 00:41:30,680 --> 00:41:32,960 Speaker 1: your story because it's one that's amazing. I hope that 869 00:41:33,000 --> 00:41:35,719 Speaker 1: you've got a book that you're working on because you're 870 00:41:36,080 --> 00:41:39,359 Speaker 1: hill billy. Elgie was a great book, but yours would 871 00:41:39,400 --> 00:41:43,160 Speaker 1: be much more powerful and profound. That's my opinion. I 872 00:41:43,200 --> 00:41:45,200 Speaker 1: appreciate it, man, I appreciate you and all you do, 873 00:41:45,280 --> 00:41:52,480 Speaker 1: and I look forward to working with you more. M 874 00:41:56,680 --> 00:41:58,279 Speaker 1: I want to thank Joey Jones a good for a 875 00:41:58,320 --> 00:42:00,840 Speaker 1: great interview. If you're joining show, wease leave us a 876 00:42:00,880 --> 00:42:03,600 Speaker 1: review us the Five Stars on Apple podcast. If you 877 00:42:03,640 --> 00:42:06,120 Speaker 1: have any questions for me, please email me at out 878 00:42:06,160 --> 00:42:08,200 Speaker 1: Loud at Gingerishtree sixty dot com and I'll try to 879 00:42:08,200 --> 00:42:10,840 Speaker 1: answer them in our future episodes. And please sign up 880 00:42:10,840 --> 00:42:13,319 Speaker 1: for my monthly newsletter at ginglish Street sixty dot com 881 00:42:13,320 --> 00:42:16,440 Speaker 1: Slash out loud. You can also follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, 882 00:42:16,440 --> 00:42:20,160 Speaker 1: and parlor at Giano Caldwell, and if you're interested in 883 00:42:20,239 --> 00:42:22,320 Speaker 1: learning more about my story, please pick up a copy 884 00:42:22,320 --> 00:42:25,200 Speaker 1: of my best selling book titled Taken for Granted, How 885 00:42:25,239 --> 00:42:27,960 Speaker 1: Conservatism Can win back to the Americans that liberalism failed. 886 00:42:28,239 --> 00:42:32,120 Speaker 1: Special thanks to our producer John Cassio, researcher Aaron Klingman, 887 00:42:32,400 --> 00:42:36,239 Speaker 1: and executive producers Debbie Myers and speaker New Gingridge, part 888 00:42:36,239 --> 00:42:37,920 Speaker 1: of the Ginglish Street sixty Networks