1 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:21,280 Speaker 1: If it doesn't work, you're just not using enough. You're 2 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 1: listening to Software Radio Special Operations, military news and straight 3 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:32,519 Speaker 1: talk with the guys in the community. All right, Hey, everybody, 4 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:36,919 Speaker 1: welcome back to another episode of Software Radio today. Excited 5 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:42,320 Speaker 1: to have Senator Martha mccally, retired colonel's fighter pilot and 6 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:45,839 Speaker 1: a senator from Arizona. First woman to fly in combat, 7 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:50,360 Speaker 1: first to command a fighter squadron, incredibly impressive. And she 8 00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:54,280 Speaker 1: has a new book out today called Dare to Fly, 9 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 1: Simple Lessons and Never Giving Up. Which excited to read 10 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 1: the book, which I will. I'm gonna have you back 11 00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:04,680 Speaker 1: on the show, but please support her and go get 12 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:07,000 Speaker 1: the book. From what I could see, it's it's something 13 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:10,880 Speaker 1: that would be incredibly useful, especially in an environment like today. 14 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 1: We we're dealing with a lot of adversity. Thanks for 15 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 1: being on the show, Martha, and excited to get kind 16 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 1: of dive in. Yeah. Thanks for having me on, Brandon. Yeah, 17 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 1: and never when I decided to publish it, I never 18 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:27,120 Speaker 1: would have imagined we'd be facing the challenges we are 19 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 1: right now. But the lessons are certainly timeless about how 20 00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 1: to overcome your fear and persevere get through adversity. I've 21 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:39,640 Speaker 1: had some unique experiences, but we all have common human 22 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:42,839 Speaker 1: experiences of how to deal with some of these really 23 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:46,440 Speaker 1: difficult things and break through them, break through those barriers 24 00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:50,320 Speaker 1: and find your courage and find some good wingman and 25 00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:52,800 Speaker 1: thrive through the darkness. So there's a lot, a lot 26 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 1: of good lessons in there that are applicable today. Yeah. Now, 27 00:01:56,640 --> 00:02:00,800 Speaker 1: for sure, I would love to get into your kind 28 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:03,800 Speaker 1: of origin story where you where did you grow up, 29 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 1: What made you decide to join the Air Force academy, 30 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:09,560 Speaker 1: what made you get interested in aviation, and kind of 31 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 1: like bring us to speaking with where you're at today. Yeah, 32 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:15,680 Speaker 1: So I do share share a lot of this in 33 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 1: my book, but it is important to do what motivates us. So. 34 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:21,080 Speaker 1: I grew up in Rhode Island, the youngest of five kids. 35 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:25,799 Speaker 1: My dad came from very humble circumstances. His dad passed 36 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:28,200 Speaker 1: away before was born, his mom passed away when he 37 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 1: was a teenager. He started working at age eight and 38 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:34,880 Speaker 1: never stopped. But he's a great American story of through 39 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:38,280 Speaker 1: hard work and people believing in him and serving in 40 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:40,840 Speaker 1: the military and using his g I Bill, he was 41 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:44,080 Speaker 1: able to get a good education and it really drove 42 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:47,000 Speaker 1: him for a passion to make a better life for 43 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:51,359 Speaker 1: his kids and also serve others. I benefited from all that. 44 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 1: I didn't even know that growing up. I grew up 45 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:56,480 Speaker 1: in a middle class family, very stable, really was told 46 00:02:56,520 --> 00:02:59,240 Speaker 1: I could be anything I wanted to be. And when 47 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:01,919 Speaker 1: I was twelve years all between sixth and seventh grade, 48 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:04,560 Speaker 1: my life was turned upside down and my dad very 49 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:08,040 Speaker 1: suddenly passed away. We were just hanging out together on 50 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:12,080 Speaker 1: the beach one day as a family, and he later 51 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:14,520 Speaker 1: went up to lie down, wasn't feeling well, went upstairs 52 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 1: while we were, you know, outside playing like kids used 53 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:20,880 Speaker 1: to do, and uh came inside afterwards and found out 54 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:24,360 Speaker 1: that my brother had drove him and my mom to 55 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:27,880 Speaker 1: the hospital. They came back that night and my mom 56 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:30,239 Speaker 1: said my dad had suffered a heart attack. I didn't 57 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:32,440 Speaker 1: even know what that was, but he he was stable 58 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:35,000 Speaker 1: and we were gonna need to help in his recovery. 59 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:38,840 Speaker 1: And I remember not going to bed with any fear, thinking, Okay, 60 00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 1: we get to take care of dad. And my dad 61 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:44,200 Speaker 1: knew in his spirit, even though he was stable, that 62 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:45,840 Speaker 1: in his spirit he knew he was gonna die. So 63 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 1: when the middle of the night, in a trench of rainstorm. 64 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:49,120 Speaker 1: He said, get my children now, I need to talk 65 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:51,440 Speaker 1: to my children, and so we were rushed to the 66 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 1: hospital to spend time with them. I didn't really understand it, 67 00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:55,760 Speaker 1: but I get to visit with him, talk about the 68 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:59,320 Speaker 1: mundane things in life like many of your listeners talked 69 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:02,920 Speaker 1: about to their love ones today, but also school and 70 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:06,240 Speaker 1: sports and siblings and other things the dog. But also 71 00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:08,280 Speaker 1: in that conversation he told me to make them proud. 72 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:11,200 Speaker 1: The next day he had another heart attack and left us. 73 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:16,560 Speaker 1: And he propelled me on this path through grief, through questioning, 74 00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:20,040 Speaker 1: through trying to find my own way and my mom. 75 00:04:20,080 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 1: Then going back to school and back to work with 76 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 1: five kids as a single mom. And I was just 77 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:27,039 Speaker 1: looking for an opportunity to get a good education, not 78 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:29,240 Speaker 1: sat on my mom with debt. I had no idea 79 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:30,360 Speaker 1: what I wanted to do. I mean, I was a 80 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:36,039 Speaker 1: motion sick, shy kid, very sheltered, and I ended up 81 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:38,040 Speaker 1: kind of stumbling into go into the Air Force Academy 82 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:40,599 Speaker 1: and I got in. I decided to give it a chance, 83 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:43,880 Speaker 1: so that you know, you pay back in service instead 84 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:46,240 Speaker 1: of student loans. And I thought it would also channel 85 00:04:46,320 --> 00:04:50,000 Speaker 1: my energy into something positive. I was spicy, little rebellious. 86 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:51,960 Speaker 1: I thought I could go either way, and I just 87 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:55,320 Speaker 1: wanted to be channeled into a positive challenge, and so 88 00:04:55,400 --> 00:04:57,919 Speaker 1: off I went. I wanted to be a doctor, but 89 00:04:58,040 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 1: when I got there, I found out that just because 90 00:04:59,839 --> 00:05:01,679 Speaker 1: I as a girl, I couldn't be a fighter pilot. 91 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:03,600 Speaker 1: And it just made me mad. And so I decided 92 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:08,679 Speaker 1: that's exactly what I wanted to channeled my rebelliousness into 93 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:12,800 Speaker 1: like a dream instead. Right, Yeah, that's great. I mean 94 00:05:12,839 --> 00:05:15,840 Speaker 1: I had a similar story about it. I got kicked 95 00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:18,800 Speaker 1: out of the hall and sixteen we were on a 96 00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:21,320 Speaker 1: family sailing trip, so it was like kicked out of 97 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 1: the boat into heati sailed back at sixteen, living on 98 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 1: the boat. I grew up working on a school boat. 99 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:30,479 Speaker 1: The owner let me kind of finished my senior year, 100 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:32,760 Speaker 1: and I didn't know what the hell to do. So 101 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:35,640 Speaker 1: I'll joined the Navy for for college for the GI bill. 102 00:05:35,839 --> 00:05:40,280 Speaker 1: So yeah, and I think you agree with me, Like, 103 00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:43,360 Speaker 1: if you don't know what your purposes, the military will 104 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:47,680 Speaker 1: help you figure it out really quick. Absolutely, Just there's 105 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:50,760 Speaker 1: so many young, many women. It just gives them the purpose, 106 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:54,440 Speaker 1: the direction, the discipline. Exactly. It's a it's a great 107 00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:57,080 Speaker 1: place to to go find what you're made of and 108 00:05:57,120 --> 00:06:00,440 Speaker 1: give you direction some My oldest son, han Or, was 109 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:02,960 Speaker 1: born when I was in af Gas now and still 110 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:06,719 Speaker 1: Team three rout after No. Eleven and he just graduating 111 00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:09,719 Speaker 1: as a senior this year, and I tried to talk 112 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:13,000 Speaker 1: him into going into the Air Force Academy. He's like, Dad, 113 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:14,600 Speaker 1: I don't know if people telling me what to do, 114 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:19,719 Speaker 1: Like all right, but he's going to go study computer 115 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:25,960 Speaker 1: science and probably Scotland next year. Andrews. It's so interesting 116 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:29,720 Speaker 1: how we all like make these decisions as teenagers, you know, 117 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:33,039 Speaker 1: and they start start pushing the path of your life. 118 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:35,680 Speaker 1: But I mean you're teenagers, so like you know, if 119 00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:38,120 Speaker 1: you made a different decision on Tuesday versus Wednesday, you 120 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:41,960 Speaker 1: may have ended up in a very different different Yeah. 121 00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:45,520 Speaker 1: My biggest thing to him was his follower heart. Whatever 122 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:50,560 Speaker 1: you're passionate about and take risk, good lessons. What is 123 00:06:50,839 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 1: your most challenging kind of situation you've dealt with post military? 124 00:06:55,279 --> 00:06:57,480 Speaker 1: I mean I read the New York Times piece. I 125 00:06:57,560 --> 00:06:59,719 Speaker 1: gt a pretty good sense to your career, and I 126 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:03,080 Speaker 1: love the story of you wearing the men's garrison cap. 127 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:08,520 Speaker 1: Change the command because I'm like, I don't know why. 128 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:11,160 Speaker 1: I grew up in a pretty My parents were spies, right, 129 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:14,560 Speaker 1: so I grew up in a pretty liberal household. But 130 00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:17,400 Speaker 1: I'm like, why can't we all just be the same, Like, 131 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:19,440 Speaker 1: what the hell do we need to have like different 132 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:22,560 Speaker 1: different hats. And I read that piece. I was just 133 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:26,280 Speaker 1: cracking myself up so that that was actually a hilarious 134 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:29,040 Speaker 1: example by the way of the media of my one 135 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 1: of my first early experiences of the media, you know, 136 00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:35,200 Speaker 1: with their own agenda taking things out of context. When 137 00:07:35,200 --> 00:07:38,160 Speaker 1: we first went to keep a fighter pilot, that was 138 00:07:38,200 --> 00:07:40,160 Speaker 1: the hat the fighter pilots war, and they put a 139 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:41,960 Speaker 1: crush in the back of their hat, and the regulations 140 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:44,640 Speaker 1: did not say that women couldn't wear that hat. And 141 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 1: I literally had the commanders saying, you better wear that hat. 142 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:53,080 Speaker 1: The other hat, the male hat, right, looks like a well, 143 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:55,040 Speaker 1: I mean, I don't describe it, but anyway, it's just different, 144 00:07:55,120 --> 00:07:57,280 Speaker 1: and you can't put the crush in the back. And 145 00:07:57,360 --> 00:08:00,360 Speaker 1: so I was doing what my leaders told to do. 146 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:03,160 Speaker 1: And I and me and many of the women pilots 147 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:06,440 Speaker 1: have been wearing that hat all along. And little did 148 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:10,440 Speaker 1: I know that some uniform board had met and somebody 149 00:08:10,720 --> 00:08:13,400 Speaker 1: teed up a recommendation to get rid of the women's hat. 150 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:15,440 Speaker 1: I didn't know anything about this, and so there I 151 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:17,760 Speaker 1: was taking the guide on wearing the same hat that 152 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:21,200 Speaker 1: I've been wearing for years with women information out there 153 00:08:21,200 --> 00:08:24,080 Speaker 1: in my squadron wearing the same hat as me. And 154 00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:26,360 Speaker 1: right after I took over command, the next morning, I 155 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:28,560 Speaker 1: go out in my backyard and my next door neighbor says, 156 00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:30,080 Speaker 1: you're on the front page of the paper. And I 157 00:08:30,120 --> 00:08:34,280 Speaker 1: said for what, And they said, some hat controversy. I mean, 158 00:08:34,280 --> 00:08:36,640 Speaker 1: it wasn't the next morning, but I was like, what 159 00:08:36,720 --> 00:08:41,880 Speaker 1: are you talking about, you know, on this challenging the hating. 160 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:45,839 Speaker 1: I'm like, I have no idea. It was literally made up, 161 00:08:45,880 --> 00:08:49,240 Speaker 1: Like the controversy was made up. My first experience of 162 00:08:49,280 --> 00:08:54,120 Speaker 1: the media just making things up for their own agenda. Man, yeah, 163 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:58,080 Speaker 1: great context because I read it and I was looking 164 00:08:58,120 --> 00:09:02,400 Speaker 1: at it from a different angle. So what about your transition, right, 165 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:04,719 Speaker 1: I know it's it's tough, at least for me. When 166 00:09:04,720 --> 00:09:08,439 Speaker 1: I got out. You're in such like a regimented schedule, 167 00:09:08,679 --> 00:09:10,880 Speaker 1: you can trust people, and then you're out in the 168 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:14,120 Speaker 1: wild and it's kind of a totally different environment. But 169 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:19,160 Speaker 1: what's one of your biggest challenges post military. Well, I retired. 170 00:09:19,400 --> 00:09:22,120 Speaker 1: I was serving overseas at the time, and I got 171 00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:24,040 Speaker 1: selected to be a professor at a place called the 172 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:27,800 Speaker 1: Marshall Center, and so I stayed overseas and I was 173 00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:31,600 Speaker 1: teaching in national security studies. So I was still around, 174 00:09:32,559 --> 00:09:37,000 Speaker 1: you know, the security culture, you know, US national security culture. 175 00:09:37,559 --> 00:09:40,240 Speaker 1: But I just felt this conviction and called a duty 176 00:09:40,920 --> 00:09:43,439 Speaker 1: as I was seeing what was going on in our 177 00:09:43,520 --> 00:09:46,319 Speaker 1: politics in Washington, d C. That I maybe needed to 178 00:09:46,320 --> 00:09:48,400 Speaker 1: step up and do more. And I tried to lie 179 00:09:48,440 --> 00:09:50,960 Speaker 1: down to that feeling in away after you know, serving 180 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:53,920 Speaker 1: all those years, I had served as a legislative fellow, 181 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:56,840 Speaker 1: so I had worked for Senator John Kyle instead of 182 00:09:56,840 --> 00:09:58,560 Speaker 1: going off to Air Command and Staff College. So it 183 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:01,400 Speaker 1: was just part of my national security education that I 184 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:03,280 Speaker 1: was given to the Air Force. But I didn't walk 185 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:04,960 Speaker 1: away from that was back in the nineties and then 186 00:10:05,040 --> 00:10:06,520 Speaker 1: walk away like, oh, I want to run for office 187 00:10:06,520 --> 00:10:08,640 Speaker 1: some day. Some people love the politics. I can't stand 188 00:10:08,640 --> 00:10:11,360 Speaker 1: the politics, but I love to make it. You know. 189 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:13,920 Speaker 1: I love to fix things that are broken. I love 190 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:15,720 Speaker 1: to make things that are wrong right. I love to 191 00:10:15,760 --> 00:10:17,920 Speaker 1: give people a voice who don't have a voice. I mean, 192 00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:21,199 Speaker 1: that's the passion and purpose of my life. And so 193 00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:24,480 Speaker 1: as I was feeling this call to duty to maybe 194 00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:28,200 Speaker 1: step up and run for office, I really had to 195 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:30,960 Speaker 1: think through is this the is this the best way 196 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:34,080 Speaker 1: to serve at this moment in time? And I you know, 197 00:10:34,120 --> 00:10:37,640 Speaker 1: I stepped into the to the ring to run. I 198 00:10:37,679 --> 00:10:41,280 Speaker 1: had no political experience at all, and eventually, I mean 199 00:10:41,320 --> 00:10:44,280 Speaker 1: it took I thought I had one. In twelve when 200 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:47,439 Speaker 1: I first ran, I went to freshman orientation, voted for 201 00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:49,880 Speaker 1: the speaker, but they counted ballots for fourteen more days 202 00:10:49,880 --> 00:10:52,720 Speaker 1: and ended up losing by point eight four percent. And 203 00:10:52,760 --> 00:10:55,880 Speaker 1: then I ran again in twenty fourteen and I won 204 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:58,679 Speaker 1: by whopping hundred and sixty seven votes after a forty 205 00:10:58,720 --> 00:11:02,360 Speaker 1: three day recount out And so my new call signs landslide. 206 00:11:02,760 --> 00:11:05,240 Speaker 1: So you know, since I've been in the House and 207 00:11:05,280 --> 00:11:07,200 Speaker 1: now in the Senate, I think, you know, this is 208 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:09,840 Speaker 1: I look at it like as a continuation of my service. 209 00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:12,280 Speaker 1: It's the same oath of office that I took as 210 00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:16,559 Speaker 1: an officer. But as you mentioned, like it's so frustrating 211 00:11:16,679 --> 00:11:18,720 Speaker 1: when you don't know who you can trust and you 212 00:11:18,760 --> 00:11:21,560 Speaker 1: know you're you're looking for people who have a similar 213 00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:25,280 Speaker 1: mindset of the core values that we had in the 214 00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:28,160 Speaker 1: military service before self integrity, first, excellence, and all we 215 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:30,240 Speaker 1: do are the Air Force core values. All the services 216 00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:32,400 Speaker 1: have them. They're about service and duty and honor and 217 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:36,959 Speaker 1: country and sacrifice. And you know, it's just it's not 218 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:40,560 Speaker 1: what Washington, d C thrives on unfortunately, So trying to 219 00:11:41,520 --> 00:11:46,440 Speaker 1: be effective in the midst of the insanity and the 220 00:11:46,520 --> 00:11:49,839 Speaker 1: show horsing and the politicizing of everything in d C 221 00:11:50,080 --> 00:11:53,080 Speaker 1: and the media, it's just it's been extremely difficult. But 222 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:56,440 Speaker 1: I just stay, you know, focused on what can I 223 00:11:56,440 --> 00:11:58,120 Speaker 1: do today to make a difference, same like I do 224 00:11:58,160 --> 00:11:59,880 Speaker 1: and everything in my life. What can I do today 225 00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:02,120 Speaker 1: in this environment to make a difference. And I think 226 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:04,760 Speaker 1: one of the biggest eye openers though, was how the 227 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 1: media treating me for the longest time when I was 228 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:10,960 Speaker 1: breaking barriers to become a fighter pilot and taking on 229 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:14,079 Speaker 1: the Pentagon for making our women where burkas. Like the media, 230 00:12:14,240 --> 00:12:17,440 Speaker 1: the mainstream media loved my story. Until I became a 231 00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:25,640 Speaker 1: Republican candidate for Congress, not so much. Yeah, God, I 232 00:12:25,679 --> 00:12:28,360 Speaker 1: could tell you stories. I mean, I I run and 233 00:12:28,520 --> 00:12:32,280 Speaker 1: own a media company today that we we had a 234 00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:34,920 Speaker 1: group in New York bring us in to talk about 235 00:12:34,960 --> 00:12:38,120 Speaker 1: acquiring uh UM, and I'll just go ahead and say 236 00:12:38,160 --> 00:12:41,160 Speaker 1: it. It It was a group nine media had two meetings 237 00:12:41,160 --> 00:12:44,240 Speaker 1: when one of the Court Development guys pulled me aside 238 00:12:44,520 --> 00:12:46,480 Speaker 1: on the second meeting. He's like, yeah, you know, we 239 00:12:46,559 --> 00:12:49,439 Speaker 1: just got words from top down. We we just don't 240 00:12:49,559 --> 00:12:53,240 Speaker 1: think this is a cultural fit for us. And I 241 00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:56,200 Speaker 1: was like, what the hell are you talking about. And 242 00:12:56,240 --> 00:12:59,400 Speaker 1: he's like, well, you know, your military guys and the 243 00:12:59,440 --> 00:13:02,320 Speaker 1: founders put you know, see an office and they just 244 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:04,240 Speaker 1: really don't see a fit here. And I was like, 245 00:13:04,760 --> 00:13:07,280 Speaker 1: you don't even like we haven't even had to talk 246 00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:11,600 Speaker 1: about politics, like, but they just judge you. And it's 247 00:13:11,640 --> 00:13:16,319 Speaker 1: like there is for sure with liberal media and bias 248 00:13:16,400 --> 00:13:19,680 Speaker 1: that exist. And I used to have a lot of 249 00:13:19,720 --> 00:13:22,679 Speaker 1: respects in your time, and you can have your opinions 250 00:13:22,679 --> 00:13:27,120 Speaker 1: about about Trump, but the bias is just out of hand. 251 00:13:27,720 --> 00:13:29,840 Speaker 1: It's so bad. I'm now in the middle of it. 252 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:31,400 Speaker 1: I mean I saw it from you know, just as 253 00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:33,160 Speaker 1: a citizen, but I'm now in the middle of it 254 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:35,800 Speaker 1: every single day, and it's just it's so bad. It's 255 00:13:35,880 --> 00:13:40,520 Speaker 1: unfortunate because people in the country deserve to have a professional, 256 00:13:40,679 --> 00:13:44,480 Speaker 1: objective media getting them the facts and letting them decide 257 00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:47,280 Speaker 1: their own views and their own opinions. And the mainstream 258 00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:52,920 Speaker 1: media are just beside themselves, like they just it's so 259 00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:57,160 Speaker 1: bad and it's so blatant, and it's just unfortunate because 260 00:13:57,200 --> 00:14:01,320 Speaker 1: the country deserves better. Yeah, I couldn't agree more. I 261 00:14:01,360 --> 00:14:04,920 Speaker 1: had another question for you, if you had a magic 262 00:14:05,040 --> 00:14:09,600 Speaker 1: wand what would you change to kind of remake America 263 00:14:09,679 --> 00:14:13,400 Speaker 1: for the better? Given that it seems like to me, 264 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:16,840 Speaker 1: you know, we've lost our path with foreign policy. It's 265 00:14:16,880 --> 00:14:20,360 Speaker 1: it's like the schizophrenic fan policy. We're behind in so 266 00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:23,640 Speaker 1: many sectors. Like I'm at this course at Harvard Business 267 00:14:23,640 --> 00:14:29,000 Speaker 1: School now for business owners and and listening to my classmates, 268 00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:35,360 Speaker 1: like we're so far behind fintech and telemedicine and education, healthcare. 269 00:14:36,160 --> 00:14:39,440 Speaker 1: So he had that magic wand like, what what would 270 00:14:39,440 --> 00:14:42,920 Speaker 1: you change because it seems like we need to get 271 00:14:42,920 --> 00:14:45,920 Speaker 1: back together. Well, we don't want to have a magic 272 00:14:45,960 --> 00:14:49,760 Speaker 1: wand so, but I do think that this crisis we're 273 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:54,040 Speaker 1: going through right now, as awful and as unprecedented and 274 00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:57,600 Speaker 1: as diary it has been towards lives and livelihoods. I 275 00:14:57,600 --> 00:14:59,800 Speaker 1: think there is an opportunity for us to wake up 276 00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:02,960 Speaker 1: on some things. And specifically, I mean my focus is 277 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:05,960 Speaker 1: on China. You know, China has been in plane sight. 278 00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:07,720 Speaker 1: You know, for those of us who serve, we've been 279 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:10,360 Speaker 1: seeing the rise of China for the last decades in 280 00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:13,360 Speaker 1: plain sight. They have been on a path to replace 281 00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:16,160 Speaker 1: us as the world leader, and they've been taking advantage 282 00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:20,360 Speaker 1: of our free society, are economic setup, you know, investing 283 00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:25,760 Speaker 1: in and allowing outsourcing of our critical national security and 284 00:15:25,840 --> 00:15:30,480 Speaker 1: healthcare needs to China. They're cheating either legally by the 285 00:15:30,520 --> 00:15:33,360 Speaker 1: way that they make people do business in China by 286 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:37,640 Speaker 1: scooping up their technology or or just cyber attacking stealing 287 00:15:37,640 --> 00:15:41,560 Speaker 1: our technology. But they're also like investing in our infrastructure 288 00:15:41,560 --> 00:15:44,840 Speaker 1: in America, and there's cities who are allowing it for 289 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:47,520 Speaker 1: you know, for them to be bidding with Chinese owned 290 00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:51,320 Speaker 1: companies for public transportation and major cities, which is a 291 00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:53,680 Speaker 1: national security risk, and what they're doing in our research 292 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:58,200 Speaker 1: institutions and universities. So I think the coronavirus has been 293 00:15:58,240 --> 00:16:01,360 Speaker 1: a wake up call that China has been on the rise, 294 00:16:01,760 --> 00:16:04,120 Speaker 1: that we have been a bit asleep at the switch. 295 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:08,160 Speaker 1: Our European allies even more so. And if we now 296 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:13,080 Speaker 1: work together, we can bring that manufacturing home. We can 297 00:16:13,080 --> 00:16:16,920 Speaker 1: continue to be the leader in technology. Let's not outsource it. 298 00:16:17,240 --> 00:16:19,440 Speaker 1: We've got the best, we have the best minds here 299 00:16:19,480 --> 00:16:22,320 Speaker 1: in America. We've got to make sure that we ensure 300 00:16:22,480 --> 00:16:26,400 Speaker 1: our future for national security, for health security, for other things. 301 00:16:26,760 --> 00:16:28,880 Speaker 1: And we've got to stop allowing China to cheat. I 302 00:16:28,880 --> 00:16:32,800 Speaker 1: think this is the biggest challenge of these next years. 303 00:16:32,920 --> 00:16:35,280 Speaker 1: The window is closing, and it's the biggest challenge of 304 00:16:35,320 --> 00:16:38,160 Speaker 1: these next years going forward. And there's things we can 305 00:16:38,280 --> 00:16:41,080 Speaker 1: do about it with our foreign policy, with our economic policy, 306 00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:44,360 Speaker 1: and because of the virus especially, I think Americans are 307 00:16:44,400 --> 00:16:48,080 Speaker 1: going to demand that the outsourcing of our our ppe 308 00:16:48,160 --> 00:16:51,280 Speaker 1: and our medicines and everything that it comes home to America. 309 00:16:51,400 --> 00:16:52,920 Speaker 1: And it's important that we do that. There's so many 310 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:54,720 Speaker 1: things that we need to do, but that's the one 311 00:16:54,760 --> 00:16:56,920 Speaker 1: I'm focusing on right now. Yeah, I think people are 312 00:16:56,960 --> 00:16:59,760 Speaker 1: shocked to find that most of the prescription medicine was 313 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:06,280 Speaker 1: being manufactured in China. For talk about a supply chain risk. Right, 314 00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:10,320 Speaker 1: critical minerals that are needed for our defense systems. They're 315 00:17:10,359 --> 00:17:13,480 Speaker 1: all rare earth minerals, they're all in China. They're all 316 00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:17,200 Speaker 1: being manufactured process in China. Minded China. Yeah, yeah, I know. 317 00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:21,600 Speaker 1: I was watching like just the Huaweisu, which I agree 318 00:17:21,600 --> 00:17:27,800 Speaker 1: with MS handling it quick kind of China bullying Germany 319 00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:30,600 Speaker 1: and the EU, like well we're you know, they're buying 320 00:17:30,600 --> 00:17:34,840 Speaker 1: a lot of automobiles. You better let Hahwei continue to operate. 321 00:17:34,920 --> 00:17:37,560 Speaker 1: But if you didn't believe what we were saying related 322 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:40,800 Speaker 1: to the coronavirus and related to technology and these other things, 323 00:17:40,920 --> 00:17:42,959 Speaker 1: look at what they're doing in Hong Kong. And they 324 00:17:42,960 --> 00:17:46,960 Speaker 1: have an agreement in that starting in for the next 325 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:49,879 Speaker 1: fifty years in Hong Kong would have its freedoms and 326 00:17:49,920 --> 00:17:53,119 Speaker 1: way of life and autonomy. And now they're basically with 327 00:17:53,160 --> 00:17:56,000 Speaker 1: a vote that they may do this week, they're basically 328 00:17:56,119 --> 00:17:59,359 Speaker 1: reneging on that, starting the path to take over Hong Kong. Like, 329 00:17:59,480 --> 00:18:01,840 Speaker 1: wake up, We need to wake up. China is not 330 00:18:01,920 --> 00:18:04,720 Speaker 1: our friend. They're adversary and they want to replace us. 331 00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:08,000 Speaker 1: We're stronger and better, but we need our European allies 332 00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:10,280 Speaker 1: to wake up, and we need to be using all 333 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:13,520 Speaker 1: elements of national power in order to stop them. Yeah. 334 00:18:13,560 --> 00:18:16,520 Speaker 1: I was having a conversation with one of my HBS 335 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:21,360 Speaker 1: classmate who's a billionaire from China, and she we were 336 00:18:21,359 --> 00:18:25,600 Speaker 1: talking about just how they handled the coronavirus and she's like, 337 00:18:25,680 --> 00:18:28,960 Speaker 1: oh yeah, like it's well known, like China kind of said, 338 00:18:29,040 --> 00:18:31,120 Speaker 1: we need to let this out in the world or else, 339 00:18:31,600 --> 00:18:33,520 Speaker 1: you know, we're going to be the only one with 340 00:18:33,600 --> 00:18:37,440 Speaker 1: the economic disaster on our hands. And just the fact 341 00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:41,240 Speaker 1: that they like thought, we're just gonna unleashed this to 342 00:18:41,320 --> 00:18:43,640 Speaker 1: the rest of the world for our own self interests, 343 00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:49,280 Speaker 1: it's just so up. We still don't know who patients 344 00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:52,760 Speaker 1: was right. We still don't know exactly where it came from. 345 00:18:53,200 --> 00:18:55,320 Speaker 1: We do know by a study done in the UK 346 00:18:55,560 --> 00:18:58,879 Speaker 1: that had they acted three weeks earlier, percent of the 347 00:18:58,960 --> 00:19:01,960 Speaker 1: cases could have been stopped. We do know that they 348 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:06,880 Speaker 1: restricted travel internally, but they did not restrict travel internationally, 349 00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:09,679 Speaker 1: and they continue on a cover up. They blame the 350 00:19:09,760 --> 00:19:12,520 Speaker 1: U S Army. They lied to their own people. They 351 00:19:12,560 --> 00:19:17,400 Speaker 1: were welding people into their own homes, left to die. 352 00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:21,120 Speaker 1: I mean, their solitary and regime is ruthless, and they're 353 00:19:21,119 --> 00:19:25,000 Speaker 1: on a continued propaganda campaign to the world and to 354 00:19:25,080 --> 00:19:26,719 Speaker 1: their own people to cover it up. This is their 355 00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:29,760 Speaker 1: Chernobyl moment. There's going to be you know, a mini 356 00:19:29,800 --> 00:19:32,040 Speaker 1: series about this some time in the future. But this 357 00:19:32,119 --> 00:19:35,119 Speaker 1: is also our spot nic moment where we can wake up, unite, 358 00:19:35,600 --> 00:19:38,680 Speaker 1: put all of our energy together, and make sure that 359 00:19:38,720 --> 00:19:42,600 Speaker 1: we stop the path that they are on. Yeah, I agree, 360 00:19:43,320 --> 00:19:46,760 Speaker 1: a better time to wake up to that, because it 361 00:19:46,800 --> 00:19:49,919 Speaker 1: just seemed like nobody was paying attention. Even one of 362 00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:54,119 Speaker 1: my friends, Josh is the former CMO of the Intermedia, 363 00:19:54,160 --> 00:19:58,040 Speaker 1: and we're having this conversation just about TikTok, which is 364 00:19:58,040 --> 00:20:01,800 Speaker 1: just kind of stayed owned social media platform, Like I 365 00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:04,640 Speaker 1: don't see this lastly too much longer in America because 366 00:20:04,640 --> 00:20:08,040 Speaker 1: they're just collecting intel on on all of us, Like 367 00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:12,520 Speaker 1: what how could nobody's saying anything all these American influencers 368 00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:17,119 Speaker 1: or promoting everywhere and it's just you know what I 369 00:20:17,119 --> 00:20:19,359 Speaker 1: have been lately on I am going to introduce legislation 370 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:22,080 Speaker 1: that allows people to know when they shop online whether 371 00:20:22,119 --> 00:20:24,760 Speaker 1: something is made in China or made in America. If 372 00:20:24,760 --> 00:20:26,480 Speaker 1: you go to the store, you can look on a 373 00:20:26,560 --> 00:20:29,080 Speaker 1: label of the clothing or if you're going to buy 374 00:20:29,560 --> 00:20:32,359 Speaker 1: dog biscuits. But when I'm shopping on Amazon, I can't tell. 375 00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:35,320 Speaker 1: And I've had some conversations as I'm trying to order 376 00:20:35,320 --> 00:20:38,440 Speaker 1: some things on Amazon, saying excuse me, where is your company? 377 00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:40,679 Speaker 1: Where are things made? And as soon as they come 378 00:20:40,680 --> 00:20:44,639 Speaker 1: back and Nina, I say something like, your communist government 379 00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:47,160 Speaker 1: is responsible for many American deaths and I'm not buying this, 380 00:20:47,280 --> 00:20:50,640 Speaker 1: you know, And but I want to know something made 381 00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:53,199 Speaker 1: in China is something made in America. We deserve to 382 00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:56,160 Speaker 1: have that information so we can make good choices. Agree 383 00:20:57,000 --> 00:21:00,919 Speaker 1: onto some light of subject. What are you still flying today? 384 00:21:00,960 --> 00:21:03,960 Speaker 1: Are you active or not so much? Oh? I have 385 00:21:04,040 --> 00:21:08,320 Speaker 1: my paragliding license, so I do paraglide from time to time. Um, 386 00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:11,600 Speaker 1: it's pretty amazing getting out in the mountains and and 387 00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:14,760 Speaker 1: flying nearly like a bird. I do have my private 388 00:21:14,800 --> 00:21:16,640 Speaker 1: license as well, and from time to time, when I'm 389 00:21:16,640 --> 00:21:19,440 Speaker 1: going out to the rural areas in Arizona, I will 390 00:21:19,480 --> 00:21:21,520 Speaker 1: fly in a little plane. I always have a safety 391 00:21:21,520 --> 00:21:24,440 Speaker 1: pilot with me because I'm, you know, to subscribed and 392 00:21:24,800 --> 00:21:27,359 Speaker 1: distracted trying to solve the problems of the country, to 393 00:21:27,440 --> 00:21:30,120 Speaker 1: be doing good risk management and planning. But it's great 394 00:21:30,160 --> 00:21:33,399 Speaker 1: to get careborn anytime, anytime I can. Yeah, I would 395 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:36,680 Speaker 1: love to try her gliding. I ended up falling in 396 00:21:36,720 --> 00:21:42,080 Speaker 1: with a group of guys that the former Air Force, 397 00:21:42,160 --> 00:21:45,359 Speaker 1: Marine Corps Navy pilots, and they have this kind of 398 00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:48,960 Speaker 1: underground fight club in San Diego. We meet up twice 399 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:52,120 Speaker 1: a year to do a c M and yacts. Most 400 00:21:52,119 --> 00:21:55,320 Speaker 1: of the planes are the activities. These guys just trained 401 00:21:55,359 --> 00:21:58,960 Speaker 1: me up because I always actually my childhood dream was 402 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:03,720 Speaker 1: to be a pilot. I just weird, weird being homeschooled 403 00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:05,480 Speaker 1: on and off, I just didn't have the grades to 404 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:09,080 Speaker 1: go into the any of academies. But yeah, I got 405 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:13,240 Speaker 1: my form card with those guys. Now like fighting two 406 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:16,760 Speaker 1: fighters and four bandits and fighter block and it's just 407 00:22:16,840 --> 00:22:22,080 Speaker 1: like extremely extremely fun and a great, great group of guys. 408 00:22:22,080 --> 00:22:26,439 Speaker 1: Oh that's great, that's really cool. Well, you know some 409 00:22:26,560 --> 00:22:29,600 Speaker 1: stories in my in my book about flying the A ten. 410 00:22:30,320 --> 00:22:34,800 Speaker 1: First takeoff is solo. There's no two seat models, there's 411 00:22:34,840 --> 00:22:37,920 Speaker 1: no simulators, never flown the airplane before, and then some 412 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:41,879 Speaker 1: combat sorties and uh the Canyon and Afghanistan in particular. 413 00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:45,520 Speaker 1: It's an amazing plane. I mean I missed the you know, 414 00:22:45,840 --> 00:22:47,679 Speaker 1: flying a little so many plan is not quite the 415 00:22:47,680 --> 00:22:51,000 Speaker 1: same as doing closer support and talking to an American 416 00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:53,720 Speaker 1: on the ground under fire and figuring out where the 417 00:22:53,720 --> 00:22:55,280 Speaker 1: good guys and where the bad guys are, and then 418 00:22:55,359 --> 00:22:57,760 Speaker 1: delivering firepower so they can get home with their family 419 00:22:57,880 --> 00:23:00,879 Speaker 1: safely and live to fight another day. Yeah. No, it's awesome. 420 00:23:01,640 --> 00:23:05,480 Speaker 1: Some great, great stories in the book. I actually when 421 00:23:05,480 --> 00:23:10,440 Speaker 1: I was guest and we were there around October two, 422 00:23:10,520 --> 00:23:14,520 Speaker 1: dover one to February two, to one of the first 423 00:23:15,160 --> 00:23:17,320 Speaker 1: mine lines I got to call in. It was actually 424 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:20,560 Speaker 1: a woman pilot and I think she was the Air 425 00:23:20,640 --> 00:23:24,640 Speaker 1: Force pilot. And then I come back home and I'm 426 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:28,520 Speaker 1: at my brother in law's wedding and I'm telling the 427 00:23:28,640 --> 00:23:30,879 Speaker 1: story and like, oh, do you know, like she's a 428 00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:34,240 Speaker 1: pilot over there in the Air Force and it was her, 429 00:23:34,520 --> 00:23:38,560 Speaker 1: Like that's crazy. Yeah, because we we had to call 430 00:23:38,640 --> 00:23:41,520 Speaker 1: back controllers that touched to our steal tune, and those 431 00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:44,240 Speaker 1: guys were just excellent on the radio, but they got 432 00:23:44,280 --> 00:23:46,800 Speaker 1: so bored calling it all this fire like oh, that 433 00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:50,240 Speaker 1: they just started letting us do the fireness of ourselves. 434 00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:54,359 Speaker 1: So yeah, crazy. When I to the A ten, I 435 00:23:54,480 --> 00:23:57,639 Speaker 1: loved the plane. I was doing cast training out on 436 00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:03,600 Speaker 1: their Valgus and that one of amazing. It's incredible. I 437 00:24:03,680 --> 00:24:06,919 Speaker 1: had the choice of the F fifteen, the F fifteen 438 00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:09,320 Speaker 1: E F sixteen, F one eleven or A ten, and 439 00:24:09,359 --> 00:24:12,280 Speaker 1: I picked the A ten. It's the folklore is that 440 00:24:12,320 --> 00:24:14,800 Speaker 1: they built the thirty millimeter gun, which is like the 441 00:24:14,880 --> 00:24:18,720 Speaker 1: size of a passenger car and as far as length 442 00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:21,560 Speaker 1: length goes, and then they went to the engineers and said, 443 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:23,280 Speaker 1: figure out how to fly this gun. I don't know 444 00:24:23,280 --> 00:24:26,920 Speaker 1: if that's true, but it sounds cool. It's ugly. It's 445 00:24:26,960 --> 00:24:29,960 Speaker 1: survivalbal We can take direct hits. We can lose all 446 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:34,280 Speaker 1: our hydraulics, are electrics, flight controls, damage to the to 447 00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:37,560 Speaker 1: the wings, and still lose one engine and still fly 448 00:24:38,200 --> 00:24:41,879 Speaker 1: back to friendly territory safely. It was really built to 449 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:45,760 Speaker 1: being down and dirty. We got the titanium bathtub around 450 00:24:45,880 --> 00:24:48,879 Speaker 1: us in the cockpit to protect us from small arms fire. 451 00:24:49,280 --> 00:24:51,560 Speaker 1: It's just extraordinary. There's nothing like it, you know. I 452 00:24:51,600 --> 00:24:54,560 Speaker 1: picked it. It's we're like the uh not the fast 453 00:24:54,640 --> 00:24:56,919 Speaker 1: moving culture of our air force at the time. It 454 00:24:57,040 --> 00:24:59,080 Speaker 1: was not the top pick of most people, but I 455 00:24:59,160 --> 00:25:02,440 Speaker 1: chose it because I just thought it was an awesome mission. Yeah, 456 00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:06,240 Speaker 1: great mission, great great plane. And so even the trainer 457 00:25:06,960 --> 00:25:09,400 Speaker 1: is not a two C, just a single there were 458 00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:11,240 Speaker 1: there were no two C trainer. They built a couple 459 00:25:11,240 --> 00:25:14,920 Speaker 1: of two seaters in the initial making of the A ten. 460 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:18,000 Speaker 1: I think one of them crashed. There's one any museum somewhere, 461 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:21,480 Speaker 1: but they never operationalized it, so there were no simulators 462 00:25:21,480 --> 00:25:24,120 Speaker 1: at the time that I went through training their simulators. Now, 463 00:25:24,560 --> 00:25:27,600 Speaker 1: so your first flight solo, and you've got your instructor 464 00:25:27,680 --> 00:25:30,360 Speaker 1: pilot in the plane next to you, but you've never 465 00:25:30,359 --> 00:25:32,760 Speaker 1: clowed the plane before you've been through I mean, you 466 00:25:32,800 --> 00:25:36,080 Speaker 1: have your pilot wings, so you're an aviator, but you've 467 00:25:36,080 --> 00:25:39,199 Speaker 1: never flown that plane. And you've had three weeks of 468 00:25:39,440 --> 00:25:43,880 Speaker 1: very intense training on all the procedures, all the systems, 469 00:25:43,920 --> 00:25:47,840 Speaker 1: all the emergencies. But I remember, like it was yesterday 470 00:25:47,880 --> 00:25:49,919 Speaker 1: when they cleared me for takeoff that first time, and 471 00:25:50,040 --> 00:25:51,679 Speaker 1: I just thought I was gonna throw up. And I 472 00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:55,919 Speaker 1: was like, never flowed this way before. And so I 473 00:25:55,920 --> 00:25:57,800 Speaker 1: talked about in that in my book like this as 474 00:25:57,840 --> 00:26:01,879 Speaker 1: a practical example of how you learn to do things afraid. 475 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:05,040 Speaker 1: You could either let fear overpower you and I could 476 00:26:05,040 --> 00:26:07,280 Speaker 1: have just taxied back in and I would have just 477 00:26:07,359 --> 00:26:10,440 Speaker 1: taken a different path in life. But instead I pushed 478 00:26:10,520 --> 00:26:13,240 Speaker 1: up the power and I took off afraid. I reached 479 00:26:13,280 --> 00:26:16,520 Speaker 1: back to other experiences in my life growing up where 480 00:26:16,560 --> 00:26:18,400 Speaker 1: I was able to push through fear, and I talked 481 00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:21,560 Speaker 1: about that like as an athlete, almost build muscle memory, 482 00:26:21,600 --> 00:26:23,760 Speaker 1: you know, to build your courage, And but it didn't 483 00:26:23,760 --> 00:26:25,879 Speaker 1: mean it was an absence of fear. It meant that 484 00:26:25,960 --> 00:26:29,119 Speaker 1: I actually chose to move forward in the midst of 485 00:26:29,119 --> 00:26:31,600 Speaker 1: my fear. And then you realize that the fear doesn't 486 00:26:31,600 --> 00:26:34,280 Speaker 1: have power over you. And of course, once I got airborne, 487 00:26:34,280 --> 00:26:36,880 Speaker 1: I I had a sigh of relief. I looked over 488 00:26:36,880 --> 00:26:39,959 Speaker 1: at my wingman and I could see or my instructor pilot, 489 00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:42,000 Speaker 1: and I'm like, hey, ma'am an a ten pilot. And 490 00:26:42,040 --> 00:26:43,760 Speaker 1: it was about a ten year dream in the making. 491 00:26:44,040 --> 00:26:46,040 Speaker 1: And then I remember being terrified of the thought like 492 00:26:46,080 --> 00:26:47,680 Speaker 1: I got to figure out how to land this thing. 493 00:26:49,520 --> 00:26:54,960 Speaker 1: I get about two yes, yeah, no. I think what 494 00:26:55,000 --> 00:26:59,399 Speaker 1: you're saying about fearing incredibly powerful. Right when you and 495 00:26:59,800 --> 00:27:04,040 Speaker 1: may got a habit in life, it's just very few 496 00:27:04,080 --> 00:27:07,800 Speaker 1: things can hold you back. I transitioned from a Yak 497 00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:11,920 Speaker 1: fifty two, which is the Russian trainer, to a Yak fifty, 498 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:15,320 Speaker 1: which is a single seed plane the Russians designer to 499 00:27:15,359 --> 00:27:18,440 Speaker 1: compete on the world. They're about e stage and same thing, 500 00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:21,399 Speaker 1: single seat. I was sitting in the Born and horse 501 00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:24,520 Speaker 1: Power tail dragger radio engine. I'm sitting in there like 502 00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:29,720 Speaker 1: doing all the emergency procedures, visualize everything, and one of 503 00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:33,240 Speaker 1: the Air Force kind of pilot mentor guys walked over bones. 504 00:27:33,520 --> 00:27:35,760 Speaker 1: He's all that four guys like you're gonna fly that 505 00:27:35,840 --> 00:27:40,159 Speaker 1: damn saying or what that was like my my duds. 506 00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:43,920 Speaker 1: Very different platform, but I had that same feeling, which 507 00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:47,400 Speaker 1: should I've never flown this plane before and then it's 508 00:27:47,480 --> 00:27:49,919 Speaker 1: amazing plane to fly and saying I was like, Okay, 509 00:27:50,040 --> 00:27:53,320 Speaker 1: now I'm gonna land it right, So it's yeah. I mean, 510 00:27:53,520 --> 00:27:56,199 Speaker 1: you know, we realized as pilot's like, well, if you 511 00:27:56,240 --> 00:27:58,560 Speaker 1: push up the power and you let off the brakes, 512 00:27:58,920 --> 00:28:01,120 Speaker 1: eventually air play, I'm gonna get Airborn when it picks 513 00:28:01,160 --> 00:28:06,800 Speaker 1: up an up Steve right the hard Everyone listening, please 514 00:28:06,880 --> 00:28:12,159 Speaker 1: go get Dare to Fly, Dare to Fly dot you 515 00:28:12,760 --> 00:28:14,800 Speaker 1: so people can get it there. But they also can 516 00:28:14,800 --> 00:28:17,240 Speaker 1: share their own stories because I need to be inspired 517 00:28:17,280 --> 00:28:19,280 Speaker 1: every day too, so they can contact me. It won't 518 00:28:19,280 --> 00:28:21,760 Speaker 1: be public to anybody else. I'd love to hear any 519 00:28:21,840 --> 00:28:25,639 Speaker 1: inspiring stories that can encourage me and others during this time. 520 00:28:25,680 --> 00:28:28,840 Speaker 1: So awesome. I would love to have you back on 521 00:28:28,920 --> 00:28:31,320 Speaker 1: I know you've got a busy schedule with gay job 522 00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:35,520 Speaker 1: as a sign and publishing the book, but I love 523 00:28:35,520 --> 00:28:38,560 Speaker 1: to have you back, love to support your re election. 524 00:28:38,640 --> 00:28:42,760 Speaker 1: Did anything we can do help please let us Thanks Brandon. 525 00:28:42,880 --> 00:28:45,240 Speaker 1: Everybody be safe out there and go to Dare to 526 00:28:45,320 --> 00:28:49,120 Speaker 1: Fly dot us. I've had some unique stories and experiences, 527 00:28:49,160 --> 00:28:53,680 Speaker 1: but we can all relate to fear and resilience and 528 00:28:53,760 --> 00:28:57,640 Speaker 1: perseverance and overcoming barriers and so hopefully it can inspire 529 00:28:57,720 --> 00:29:01,160 Speaker 1: you in your own walk and your own jour need today. 530 00:29:01,400 --> 00:29:04,280 Speaker 1: All right, Well, I hope you guys enjoyed that interview. 531 00:29:04,640 --> 00:29:09,280 Speaker 1: Pretty fascinating just to learn a little bit about Martha's story. 532 00:29:09,520 --> 00:29:13,080 Speaker 1: Her PR folks reached out to us, and I did 533 00:29:13,120 --> 00:29:16,320 Speaker 1: a lot of digging um into the background, and you know, 534 00:29:16,440 --> 00:29:18,680 Speaker 1: she dealt with so much adversity, and I didn't I 535 00:29:18,720 --> 00:29:21,240 Speaker 1: didn't want to get into it on the interview because 536 00:29:21,280 --> 00:29:24,719 Speaker 1: she kind of already talk about this and it had 537 00:29:24,760 --> 00:29:26,880 Speaker 1: been reported on. But she was Martha was actually a 538 00:29:26,960 --> 00:29:30,240 Speaker 1: victim of a rape in the Air Force and shows 539 00:29:30,320 --> 00:29:33,920 Speaker 1: not to press charges and came out about about a 540 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:38,280 Speaker 1: month later and spoke about it openly as a politician, 541 00:29:38,360 --> 00:29:42,480 Speaker 1: but pretty fascinating just how she really being the first 542 00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:45,360 Speaker 1: is never easy. Just a lot of respect for her 543 00:29:45,440 --> 00:29:47,640 Speaker 1: and kind of pushing the boundaries, you know, I'm sure 544 00:29:48,120 --> 00:29:49,960 Speaker 1: if you read it in her book. She was actually 545 00:29:50,000 --> 00:29:53,960 Speaker 1: five five ft three, which was at the time not 546 00:29:54,680 --> 00:29:57,160 Speaker 1: high enough to be a pilot in the Air Force, 547 00:29:57,160 --> 00:30:00,520 Speaker 1: and ended up getting pushing to get a waiver, pushing 548 00:30:00,560 --> 00:30:05,760 Speaker 1: to become the first combat pilot. Just overcoming like adversity 549 00:30:05,760 --> 00:30:09,600 Speaker 1: after adversity. So then, like she said, talk about her 550 00:30:09,640 --> 00:30:12,960 Speaker 1: father literally on her father's deathbed, you know, just make 551 00:30:13,040 --> 00:30:16,120 Speaker 1: me proud. Pretty powerful stuff, which which shows you how 552 00:30:16,160 --> 00:30:21,680 Speaker 1: powerful words can be in general. But amazing career in 553 00:30:21,680 --> 00:30:24,200 Speaker 1: the Air Force, you know, she went on to retire 554 00:30:24,200 --> 00:30:27,680 Speaker 1: as a colonel, was the first woman to command a 555 00:30:27,760 --> 00:30:31,600 Speaker 1: fighter squadron. Uh, and now doing something that you know, 556 00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:34,200 Speaker 1: a few people ask me if I was interested that 557 00:30:34,200 --> 00:30:36,640 Speaker 1: in running from politics, and I just it's just not 558 00:30:36,880 --> 00:30:41,280 Speaker 1: something I wanted to do because I had enough friends 559 00:30:41,360 --> 00:30:45,040 Speaker 1: in politics to understand that, you know, in today's world, 560 00:30:45,640 --> 00:30:50,320 Speaker 1: as a politician, every everything is fair game. I shouldn't 561 00:30:50,320 --> 00:30:53,400 Speaker 1: want to subject myself and my family to this kind 562 00:30:53,400 --> 00:30:57,200 Speaker 1: of scrutiny and asking us that it takes to be 563 00:30:57,320 --> 00:31:00,760 Speaker 1: a modern politician. But a lot of respect for presentator 564 00:31:01,320 --> 00:31:05,680 Speaker 1: Nick Sally and what she's doing just to continue to sermon. 565 00:31:05,720 --> 00:31:09,800 Speaker 1: And she's essentially devoted her life to making this country 566 00:31:09,800 --> 00:31:13,400 Speaker 1: a better place to live. So lots of respect for her. 567 00:31:14,080 --> 00:31:18,240 Speaker 1: We'll definitely have her back on accounting. Could call Scott 568 00:31:18,280 --> 00:31:20,800 Speaker 1: Kelly and centem a text and give me give him 569 00:31:20,800 --> 00:31:24,040 Speaker 1: a hard time. I did remember reading it is it 570 00:31:24,200 --> 00:31:27,760 Speaker 1: knows of you don't remember Scott Scott, the longest American 571 00:31:27,760 --> 00:31:30,840 Speaker 1: in space. We had him on the show a while back, 572 00:31:31,280 --> 00:31:33,840 Speaker 1: was an astronaut. Admitted to me actually that he was 573 00:31:34,240 --> 00:31:36,640 Speaker 1: afraid to apply for the astronaut program because he didn't 574 00:31:36,640 --> 00:31:39,960 Speaker 1: think it was good enough. It just shows that you know, 575 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:42,400 Speaker 1: you gotta push you this here some time and a 576 00:31:42,440 --> 00:31:44,840 Speaker 1: lot of time. It's much worse in your head than 577 00:31:45,200 --> 00:31:48,240 Speaker 1: in reality makes it. But I can't wait to be 578 00:31:48,280 --> 00:31:50,240 Speaker 1: a Scott a hard time because if his twin brother 579 00:31:50,400 --> 00:31:55,040 Speaker 1: is that, it's also an astronaut family of underachievers. But 580 00:31:55,240 --> 00:32:00,200 Speaker 1: running against Martha and Arizona as a Democrat, so be 581 00:32:00,640 --> 00:32:03,280 Speaker 1: will be fun to give him get ribbing over that. 582 00:32:03,880 --> 00:32:06,360 Speaker 1: But yeah, I hope you enjoyed that interview. I know 583 00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:10,120 Speaker 1: I did. We got some great guests lined up. Upcoming 584 00:32:10,160 --> 00:32:13,320 Speaker 1: guests we have on the show Bob Dr Bob who 585 00:32:13,480 --> 00:32:17,520 Speaker 1: was a seal um and went into the Army and 586 00:32:17,640 --> 00:32:20,440 Speaker 1: became an m D who just had a new book 587 00:32:20,480 --> 00:32:22,760 Speaker 1: out himself. We're gonna have a Bob on the show 588 00:32:23,120 --> 00:32:25,360 Speaker 1: in the next couple of weeks. Um has some more 589 00:32:25,360 --> 00:32:28,040 Speaker 1: exciting guests lined up for you. And we are now 590 00:32:28,200 --> 00:32:33,280 Speaker 1: on officially on the I Heart Radio podcast network. We 591 00:32:33,400 --> 00:32:36,680 Speaker 1: have really good partnership with I Heeart. Grateful to be 592 00:32:36,840 --> 00:32:39,880 Speaker 1: part of the Heart family and it also gives us 593 00:32:39,920 --> 00:32:44,920 Speaker 1: access to two more interesting, yes, bigger, bigger audience reach 594 00:32:45,280 --> 00:32:47,360 Speaker 1: as well. So declanded to be a part of my 595 00:32:47,520 --> 00:32:51,120 Speaker 1: Heart family. You know. We just kind of an update 596 00:32:51,160 --> 00:32:54,600 Speaker 1: on the site. We continue to put out some really 597 00:32:54,640 --> 00:32:58,480 Speaker 1: great contents on the main site Software dot com videos 598 00:32:58,640 --> 00:33:01,280 Speaker 1: as well. We have some more teams videos planned to 599 00:33:01,360 --> 00:33:04,160 Speaker 1: shoot lago this year. Just trying to kind of wade 600 00:33:04,160 --> 00:33:08,840 Speaker 1: through this new world of COVID TV production. I just 601 00:33:09,240 --> 00:33:14,040 Speaker 1: I finished my first novel that's being looked at for film, right, 602 00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:17,880 Speaker 1: How pretty excited about that. That book is called Steel Fear. 603 00:33:18,080 --> 00:33:21,160 Speaker 1: It's actually about a serial killer on a Navy aircraft 604 00:33:21,240 --> 00:33:25,080 Speaker 1: career based on true events sexual predator on the u 605 00:33:25,120 --> 00:33:27,920 Speaker 1: SS Abraham Lincoln, who was never caught when I was 606 00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:32,560 Speaker 1: deployed on the linking with HS six Helicopter Squadron before 607 00:33:32,800 --> 00:33:35,720 Speaker 1: before I went to seal training. So it's excited about 608 00:33:35,720 --> 00:33:39,200 Speaker 1: that that book book to film, and we've got some 609 00:33:39,320 --> 00:33:43,040 Speaker 1: cool uh software production in the work. We're pitching in 610 00:33:43,120 --> 00:33:47,280 Speaker 1: Netflix and a few rather network TVCs. So excited about that. 611 00:33:47,360 --> 00:33:50,440 Speaker 1: Lots lots of cool stuff coming on the line. We 612 00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:54,600 Speaker 1: also are investing heavily in the load out room our 613 00:33:54,640 --> 00:34:00,200 Speaker 1: survival store, really remaking it with American made prod ux. 614 00:34:00,800 --> 00:34:04,040 Speaker 1: We first started the store, we had there's a place 615 00:34:04,080 --> 00:34:06,240 Speaker 1: you can go to to sign up products and we 616 00:34:06,560 --> 00:34:09,920 Speaker 1: ended up having a ton of products in there from China. 617 00:34:09,960 --> 00:34:12,200 Speaker 1: But it was just a terrible experience, but just kind 618 00:34:12,200 --> 00:34:14,680 Speaker 1: of the guy who runs e commerce for US ex 619 00:34:14,760 --> 00:34:17,719 Speaker 1: Army guy, Jacob him and I just decided, look, we're 620 00:34:17,719 --> 00:34:21,440 Speaker 1: going to focus on kind of American brands, American manufacturing. 621 00:34:21,600 --> 00:34:25,960 Speaker 1: So excited to kind of lean into the load out room, 622 00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:28,759 Speaker 1: which is the software online to bravel store, and then 623 00:34:28,880 --> 00:34:33,080 Speaker 1: really invest to make that store as unique as possible 624 00:34:33,120 --> 00:34:36,240 Speaker 1: and our kind of vision. There's there's so many choices 625 00:34:36,640 --> 00:34:39,799 Speaker 1: on the internet right now, on Amazon everywhere else. You know, 626 00:34:39,840 --> 00:34:42,319 Speaker 1: what boots do you buy? What knife do you buy? 627 00:34:42,480 --> 00:34:45,600 Speaker 1: What medical kids? So our job is really to kind 628 00:34:45,600 --> 00:34:48,480 Speaker 1: of pick the best products, best brand and and make 629 00:34:49,120 --> 00:34:53,480 Speaker 1: make things easier for the for the buyer. But anyway, 630 00:34:53,680 --> 00:34:56,640 Speaker 1: that's kind of the latest from us. If you haven't 631 00:34:56,640 --> 00:35:00,279 Speaker 1: signed up for a software subscription, please can that are 632 00:35:00,840 --> 00:35:04,080 Speaker 1: doing that? It does good to support an all veteran 633 00:35:04,320 --> 00:35:07,160 Speaker 1: writing team of those you guys are familiar with the 634 00:35:07,200 --> 00:35:09,840 Speaker 1: site now that that, uh, you know, we've come a 635 00:35:09,840 --> 00:35:12,720 Speaker 1: long way in eight years, but hasn't always been easy, 636 00:35:13,160 --> 00:35:17,160 Speaker 1: and we definitely don't shy away from controversy and telling 637 00:35:17,200 --> 00:35:21,960 Speaker 1: it like it is, regardless of popularity or not. Anyway, 638 00:35:21,960 --> 00:35:24,919 Speaker 1: I appreciate you guys tune in this week. Look forward 639 00:35:24,960 --> 00:35:28,880 Speaker 1: to catching you with Bob teen And that's all I 640 00:35:28,920 --> 00:35:33,600 Speaker 1: have out here. You've been listening to Self rep Radio. 641 00:35:34,360 --> 00:35:38,439 Speaker 1: New episodes up every Wednesday and Friday. Follow the show 642 00:35:38,520 --> 00:36:02,879 Speaker 1: on Instagram and Twitter at self rep Radio.