1 00:00:05,360 --> 00:00:10,560 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to the Battleground Podcast. Today, we are 2 00:00:10,680 --> 00:00:16,320 Speaker 1: joined by Maureen Bannon, CEO of the mega successful show 3 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:20,680 Speaker 1: War Room with Steve Bannon. Maureen's a West Point graduate 4 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:24,919 Speaker 1: and Iraq war veteran. She has dedicated her life to 5 00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:28,440 Speaker 1: fighting for our country. As John Adams, one of our 6 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:33,720 Speaker 1: founding fathers, once said, Posterity, you will never know how 7 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:37,199 Speaker 1: much it costs the present generation to preserve your freedom. 8 00:00:38,360 --> 00:00:42,280 Speaker 1: I hope you will make good use of it. Maureen 9 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:46,720 Speaker 1: knows firsthand the cost of fighting for our freedom, both 10 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:49,879 Speaker 1: at home and abroad. She pushed through the pain and 11 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:53,640 Speaker 1: challenges of West Point, she deployed to Iraq, and she 12 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:58,880 Speaker 1: returned home to continue fighting for America. We'll be discussing 13 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:02,320 Speaker 1: Maureen's experience It's at West Point, her deployment to Iraq, 14 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:05,120 Speaker 1: and how it shaped her views on foreign policy, how 15 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 1: she became essentially America First. We'll also talk about the 16 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:13,920 Speaker 1: pain of watching her father be indicted and how she 17 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:19,280 Speaker 1: found the strength to persevere. Join us in this important conversation, 18 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:22,520 Speaker 1: and let us all remember that it is our duty 19 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:25,160 Speaker 1: as Americans to fight for freedom and make sure that 20 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 1: our children inherit a nation that is better than one 21 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 1: we had, you know, without further ado, I hope that 22 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 1: you enjoy my conversation with Maureen Bannon. Hey, Maureen Bannon, 23 00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:46,160 Speaker 1: welcome to the show. It's awesome to have you here. 24 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:48,720 Speaker 1: And my first question is, of course, what do I 25 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:52,680 Speaker 1: call you? Should I call you Captain Bannon or should 26 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:57,160 Speaker 1: I call you little Honey Badger or Minie Bannon? Like 27 00:01:57,240 --> 00:01:59,160 Speaker 1: what are you most comfortable with? 28 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:02,840 Speaker 2: You can call me anything. I've never heard little honey 29 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 2: Badger though it's I've been called baby Honey Badger, but 30 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:07,760 Speaker 2: I like little honey Badger. 31 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:10,000 Speaker 1: Little. It has to be it has to be l 32 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:12,480 Speaker 1: I l for it to work, you know. 33 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:16,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean I still get called Captain Bannon on 34 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:21,360 Speaker 2: the show. It's funny. That's how people seem to recognize me. 35 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:25,080 Speaker 2: Like in a restaurant here in Virginia, someone yelled across 36 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:27,880 Speaker 2: the restaurant Captain Bannon, and I just, I mean, I 37 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 2: had this shocked look on my face because it's. 38 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:32,680 Speaker 1: Oh, you're well, you're famous now, you know. 39 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:36,520 Speaker 2: I'm in a very blue area of Virginia currently, So 40 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:39,040 Speaker 2: I was just like, uh, oh, what's going on? 41 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:42,880 Speaker 1: Well, yeah, exactly, Like like people will come up to 42 00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:45,120 Speaker 1: me in Pennsylvania and be like, are you Sean Parnell? 43 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:50,360 Speaker 1: And I'll be like, it depends what your political beliefs are, Like. 44 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:50,840 Speaker 2: Why do you want to know? 45 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:55,400 Speaker 1: Yeah? So like so, and I imagine, like one of 46 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 1: the things that I always found amazing about war Room. Now, 47 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:00,720 Speaker 1: of course you know your Maureen ban and you're Steve 48 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 1: Bannon's daughter. Who is Steve Bannon? Ninety nine point nine 49 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:05,919 Speaker 1: percent of the people that are watching the show probably 50 00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:09,400 Speaker 1: and they know exactly who your dad is. But now 51 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:11,960 Speaker 1: you're you're working for war Room. And I used to 52 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:14,520 Speaker 1: go on war Room like way back in the beginning 53 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 1: when he just started that show. And now it's blown 54 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:21,600 Speaker 1: up into this, like I mean, it's grown like Gangbusters. 55 00:03:21,639 --> 00:03:25,920 Speaker 1: It's blown up into this hugely successful, Well what's a 56 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:28,000 Speaker 1: lot it started as I feel like it started as 57 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 1: a podcast, but maybe it's just a live stream show now. 58 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 1: And you know, when I was on the campaign trail, 59 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:38,360 Speaker 1: both for the House and the Senate, almost everywhere I 60 00:03:38,440 --> 00:03:41,480 Speaker 1: went people watched Warroom. And everywhere I went, I watch 61 00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:43,480 Speaker 1: you on war Room. Keep going on war Room. See 62 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:44,840 Speaker 1: if you can get Bannon to come to one of 63 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 1: my events, you know, And it's amazing to me, Maureen, 64 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:55,720 Speaker 1: how both you and your father have tapped into the 65 00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 1: base of this party and what the Republican Party is 66 00:03:58,720 --> 00:03:59,200 Speaker 1: all about. 67 00:03:59,880 --> 00:04:04,520 Speaker 2: I mean, I agree with you. So originally it has 68 00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:09,120 Speaker 2: been a live show. However, it's uploaded onto Apple podcasts, 69 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:13,600 Speaker 2: so it has in reference by mainstream media, and I 70 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 2: know they're trying to do it as a bash to 71 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:20,960 Speaker 2: us Dan It's podcast, but I mean it has become 72 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:24,360 Speaker 2: very popular on the live stream. I know a lot 73 00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:29,080 Speaker 2: of people try and watch it more than listen to 74 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:32,000 Speaker 2: the podcast. But I do know a lot of people 75 00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:34,039 Speaker 2: like when they're driving to work, to and from work, 76 00:04:34,080 --> 00:04:38,040 Speaker 2: taking the taking the kids to and from sports and 77 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:40,560 Speaker 2: things like that, they they turn it on. I mean 78 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 2: I have family member family members that are tell me 79 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:47,720 Speaker 2: that they will turn it on when they're taking their 80 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:50,840 Speaker 2: kids to some sport or dance or something like that, 81 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:54,440 Speaker 2: just to tune in because I can't watch the live streams. 82 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:59,440 Speaker 2: But they want the information. And I think that it 83 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:03,719 Speaker 2: has become the success that it has because it taps 84 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:10,480 Speaker 2: into the activist audience. We're a very activist audience based show, 85 00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:15,440 Speaker 2: and how we tell our viewers and the posse members 86 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:19,320 Speaker 2: what they can do to get involved to make a change. 87 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:22,600 Speaker 2: We're not just throwing information at you to throw information 88 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:25,920 Speaker 2: at you. We're telling you the information in order for 89 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:29,039 Speaker 2: you to get motivated to help make the change that 90 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:30,080 Speaker 2: we need in this country. 91 00:05:30,880 --> 00:05:34,520 Speaker 1: It's so funny because when I was running for Congress, 92 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 1: you know, it was my first time running for political office, 93 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 1: so you sort of learn as you go, and I 94 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:45,000 Speaker 1: was always a grassroots movement type candidate. You know, I 95 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:48,479 Speaker 1: don't burn bridges with anybody. Like I had a good 96 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:51,159 Speaker 1: relationship with the establishment, or at least so I thought 97 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:54,920 Speaker 1: in the Pennsylvania Republican Party, have lots of great connections there, 98 00:05:54,960 --> 00:06:00,719 Speaker 1: But primarily what we were was a grassroots groundswell campaign. 99 00:06:00,839 --> 00:06:02,960 Speaker 1: What we did was exactly what you do as a show. 100 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:05,200 Speaker 1: We would just tell people like, not only do you 101 00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:07,240 Speaker 1: need to be involved, we want you involved, and we'll 102 00:06:07,279 --> 00:06:09,200 Speaker 1: find a spot for you and this is how you 103 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:13,680 Speaker 1: can help. And that's how I came into contact with 104 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:17,040 Speaker 1: Warroom and your dad. Now now you're on war Room 105 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:19,680 Speaker 1: as well. Like I said, you're the CEO of Warroom. 106 00:06:19,760 --> 00:06:23,480 Speaker 1: Now your show's big enough to have a CEO. It's amazing. 107 00:06:24,880 --> 00:06:26,719 Speaker 1: But I came into contact with your dad that way 108 00:06:26,760 --> 00:06:29,279 Speaker 1: when I start when I found out that Acts seventy seven, 109 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:32,640 Speaker 1: which is Pennsylvania's no excuse mail in ballot law, which 110 00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:37,080 Speaker 1: they rolled out in twenty nineteen, was brazenly unconstitutional. And 111 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:39,920 Speaker 1: your dad in Warroom, the war room posseuse jumped on 112 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:43,479 Speaker 1: board to help us, and like one of my first 113 00:06:43,560 --> 00:06:45,360 Speaker 1: experiences with it was like I was talking to your 114 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:47,600 Speaker 1: dad about it. He's like, uh, Sean, like lay it out, 115 00:06:47,640 --> 00:06:50,080 Speaker 1: like what's at stake here? Like what can people do? 116 00:06:50,480 --> 00:06:54,280 Speaker 1: And I said, well, this is why it's unconstitutional, Like 117 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:57,960 Speaker 1: a Pennsylvania state constitution lays out very clear methods for 118 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:01,599 Speaker 1: which how people can vote absentee. It's right in the constitution, 119 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:03,880 Speaker 1: Like you need a second grade reading level to figure 120 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:06,520 Speaker 1: it out. And your dad was like your dad is 121 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:09,040 Speaker 1: like okay, so war Reoposi, there's what you can do. 122 00:07:09,320 --> 00:07:13,240 Speaker 1: Find the number for your representative, state representative, House representative 123 00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:16,000 Speaker 1: in Pennsylvania and call them and tell them that you 124 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 1: don't like this law and you wanted to change and 125 00:07:18,400 --> 00:07:20,720 Speaker 1: like and like I was getting I got calls like 126 00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:23,560 Speaker 1: the next week, I'm like they're like, Parnell, can you 127 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:27,120 Speaker 1: please not go on war room and have Bannon tell 128 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:29,640 Speaker 1: people to call us. We're getting like thousands of calls. Man, 129 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:31,720 Speaker 1: can you please not do that. I was like, that's 130 00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:35,920 Speaker 1: what I realized. I'm like, well, damn, this this show. 131 00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:39,400 Speaker 1: There's something to the show. And Maureen, this was way 132 00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:43,800 Speaker 1: back in the beginning, you know. I mean, the show's 133 00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:46,600 Speaker 1: twenty times bigger today than it was years ago. But 134 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:49,000 Speaker 1: this was way back in the beginning. And now it's 135 00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:51,480 Speaker 1: just it's just a powerhouse and you're a part of it. 136 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:56,200 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, And even I know they probably had people 137 00:07:56,280 --> 00:07:59,160 Speaker 2: calling that weren't even residents of Pennsylvania because they were 138 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:02,800 Speaker 2: so fired up and how wrong that was that they're 139 00:08:02,840 --> 00:08:04,400 Speaker 2: not going to stand for it, even if they live 140 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:08,040 Speaker 2: clear across the country. And that's the case even now 141 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:11,080 Speaker 2: when we say like call your representatives, we'll have POSSE 142 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:14,679 Speaker 2: members call their representatives and then call representatives of states 143 00:08:15,080 --> 00:08:18,960 Speaker 2: you know, surrounding or county districts surrounding them, like Okay, 144 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:22,400 Speaker 2: you better be voting no for this. I'm not standing 145 00:08:22,440 --> 00:08:22,760 Speaker 2: for this. 146 00:08:23,040 --> 00:08:26,120 Speaker 1: So yeah, I think. 147 00:08:25,920 --> 00:08:31,800 Speaker 2: That it's the activist audience has just grown from the 148 00:08:31,920 --> 00:08:39,240 Speaker 2: very beginning to now, and it's because of those original 149 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:45,240 Speaker 2: audience members being forced multipliers and sharing this information. Had 150 00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:48,800 Speaker 2: they not done. That we might not be as big 151 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:51,600 Speaker 2: as we are now because people are that have watched 152 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:55,200 Speaker 2: from the very beginning have brought on new viewers, and 153 00:08:55,240 --> 00:08:58,280 Speaker 2: those viewers have brought on more viewers. So you know, 154 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:01,400 Speaker 2: it's continuing to grow and we're opening the eyes of 155 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:05,760 Speaker 2: many people that you know, back in twenty twenty didn't 156 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:06,600 Speaker 2: have their eyes open. 157 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:11,800 Speaker 1: Yeah. Well, you mentioned a term force multiplier, and thus 158 00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:13,920 Speaker 1: far we've talked about war room, talked about your dad, 159 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:18,880 Speaker 1: but force multipliers, obviously it's a military term. You were 160 00:09:18,880 --> 00:09:23,720 Speaker 1: in the military. You're a West Point grad Army captain. 161 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:27,440 Speaker 1: Tell me a little about that, Maureen. How did you 162 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:34,760 Speaker 1: decide that joining the military, specifically the Army was the 163 00:09:34,800 --> 00:09:36,160 Speaker 1: path that you were meant to walk. 164 00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:40,800 Speaker 2: So I grew up in a military family. For those 165 00:09:40,880 --> 00:09:43,880 Speaker 2: that don't know, my dad was in the Navy, my 166 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:45,640 Speaker 2: uncle was in the Navy. I had a cousin in 167 00:09:45,679 --> 00:09:46,160 Speaker 2: the Navy. 168 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:49,719 Speaker 1: So me going to wait a second thing, So you 169 00:09:49,800 --> 00:09:50,640 Speaker 1: go army. 170 00:09:52,160 --> 00:09:58,720 Speaker 2: Especially during our Army Navy Week. Yeah, But so I 171 00:09:58,840 --> 00:10:01,360 Speaker 2: knew that I I wanted to go into the military, 172 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:04,800 Speaker 2: and especially after nine to eleven. So I'm gonna date 173 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:07,160 Speaker 2: myself here a little bit. I was thirteen years old 174 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:13,640 Speaker 2: on nine to eleven, and I knew right then and 175 00:10:13,679 --> 00:10:16,240 Speaker 2: there actually I was like, I want to serve this country. 176 00:10:16,559 --> 00:10:19,200 Speaker 2: This is not okay with me what happened, and both 177 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:21,880 Speaker 2: my parents had to remind me I was thirteen, and 178 00:10:21,920 --> 00:10:24,000 Speaker 2: no one was going to believe I was seventeen and 179 00:10:24,040 --> 00:10:27,319 Speaker 2: able to enlist, Like I couldn't fake four years to 180 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:34,400 Speaker 2: try and enlist. Then, so I I made the decision, 181 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:40,120 Speaker 2: you know, at seventeen eighteen, I'll decide if the route 182 00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:44,640 Speaker 2: on which I'm supposed to go and list officer. And 183 00:10:44,679 --> 00:10:47,400 Speaker 2: then in high school, I played volleyball growing up, and 184 00:10:47,440 --> 00:10:53,080 Speaker 2: in high school I started getting recruited by colleges and 185 00:10:54,160 --> 00:10:59,400 Speaker 2: I didn't know if I wanted to go rotc ocs. 186 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:04,120 Speaker 2: The service academies enlist right out of high school, and 187 00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:08,280 Speaker 2: I was leaning more towards, you know, going to a 188 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:13,840 Speaker 2: normal four year college and doing ro otc or OCS. 189 00:11:14,520 --> 00:11:18,560 Speaker 2: And my dad actually said, why don't you just reach 190 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:23,240 Speaker 2: out to the service academies and see, you know, about 191 00:11:23,240 --> 00:11:25,600 Speaker 2: their volleyball teams, just see what their volleyball teams are about. 192 00:11:25,840 --> 00:11:29,239 Speaker 2: And it actually got recruited by all three major service academies, 193 00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:30,959 Speaker 2: and I ruled out Air Force immediately. 194 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:32,079 Speaker 1: That just wasn't. 195 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:36,000 Speaker 2: And I went to go visit. 196 00:11:36,040 --> 00:11:38,000 Speaker 1: Wait, wait, wait, why why do you rule out the 197 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:38,520 Speaker 1: Air Force? 198 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:44,520 Speaker 2: Their coaches just weren't nothing against the Air Force. I guess, yeah, right, 199 00:11:45,480 --> 00:11:49,040 Speaker 2: it was just their coaches. They just didn't. 200 00:11:48,760 --> 00:11:52,080 Speaker 1: Seem there's gonna be a headline Maureen Bannon hates the 201 00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:52,760 Speaker 1: Air Force. 202 00:11:55,080 --> 00:11:58,160 Speaker 2: I mean, I'll joke with them all day, but I 203 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:01,199 Speaker 2: have friends that were Air Force. But that just wasn't 204 00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:06,440 Speaker 2: wasn't my jam. So I went to go visit the 205 00:12:06,520 --> 00:12:09,360 Speaker 2: Naval Academy and just didn't click well with the coaches 206 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:11,719 Speaker 2: or the girls on the team. I actually grew up 207 00:12:11,760 --> 00:12:13,280 Speaker 2: with one of the girls on the team and she 208 00:12:13,320 --> 00:12:14,400 Speaker 2: acts like she didn't. 209 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:16,560 Speaker 1: Know me when I went to go. 210 00:12:16,600 --> 00:12:21,520 Speaker 2: So, I said, beautiful campus, and Napolis is gorgeous. It is, yeah, 211 00:12:22,160 --> 00:12:24,480 Speaker 2: but I said, you know, this might not be a 212 00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:27,720 Speaker 2: good fit. And the coach said, I play based on seniority, 213 00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:29,760 Speaker 2: so you could be the best player, and if you're 214 00:12:29,800 --> 00:12:31,839 Speaker 2: not a junior or senior, you could ride the bench. 215 00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:35,480 Speaker 2: And to me, it's like, why would you go through 216 00:12:35,520 --> 00:12:38,199 Speaker 2: all of this at the academy to potentially play the 217 00:12:38,240 --> 00:12:41,920 Speaker 2: sport you love? I mean i'd come out as a 218 00:12:41,960 --> 00:12:45,880 Speaker 2: commissioned officer, that would be my other passion, but my 219 00:12:45,960 --> 00:12:49,800 Speaker 2: passion in those four years. Why why would I put 220 00:12:49,840 --> 00:12:51,520 Speaker 2: myself through that? And then I went to go visit 221 00:12:51,559 --> 00:12:55,200 Speaker 2: West Point and I just fell in love. I clicked 222 00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:57,760 Speaker 2: with the girls on the team, the coaches were amazing, 223 00:12:58,679 --> 00:13:01,760 Speaker 2: and I just felt like that's what I was meant 224 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:05,320 Speaker 2: to be. Not saying that four years at West Point 225 00:13:05,400 --> 00:13:09,120 Speaker 2: was easy, because it was. It was hard, but I 226 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:15,480 Speaker 2: made it through and I have my diploma framed. I 227 00:13:15,559 --> 00:13:18,199 Speaker 2: might have not had the best GPA all four years, 228 00:13:18,280 --> 00:13:21,920 Speaker 2: but I still made it through and I commissioned and 229 00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:26,360 Speaker 2: then I served just shy of nine years as an 230 00:13:26,400 --> 00:13:27,360 Speaker 2: officer in the Army. 231 00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:31,320 Speaker 1: That's amazing. So okay, so tell me about West Point 232 00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:32,959 Speaker 1: so you get there. Was there ever a moment, and 233 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:34,760 Speaker 1: we've had a couple of west Pointers on the show, 234 00:13:35,280 --> 00:13:37,240 Speaker 1: was there ever a moment moment where you were like, 235 00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:40,600 Speaker 1: oh shit, I immediately regret. 236 00:13:40,240 --> 00:13:47,840 Speaker 2: This decision, I would say. You know, during our version 237 00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:52,160 Speaker 2: of basic training, there were some upperclassmen that knew that 238 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:54,880 Speaker 2: I was a recruited athlete, so they were trying to 239 00:13:55,040 --> 00:13:57,120 Speaker 2: that whole mentality of we're gonna break you to build 240 00:13:57,160 --> 00:14:01,360 Speaker 2: you back up. They took that to a personal level 241 00:14:01,559 --> 00:14:06,920 Speaker 2: with like attacking me for being there for volleyball, and 242 00:14:08,040 --> 00:14:13,360 Speaker 2: I just it. I wouldn't say broke me, but it 243 00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:15,880 Speaker 2: got me wondering, like, is can I do this? Can 244 00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:17,760 Speaker 2: I do this? And I went back to my room 245 00:14:18,200 --> 00:14:21,680 Speaker 2: during one night of be sparracks, which is our version 246 00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:24,040 Speaker 2: of basic training, and I just said, I can do this. 247 00:14:24,120 --> 00:14:26,960 Speaker 2: I meant to be here for a reason. I'm not 248 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:31,320 Speaker 2: gonna let them break me and have me question, you know, 249 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:35,160 Speaker 2: leaving here. I'm not gonna do that. And I just 250 00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:39,400 Speaker 2: I let them make comments about, you know, if you're 251 00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:42,320 Speaker 2: here just for volleyball, leave now, which I wasn't the 252 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:47,400 Speaker 2: sole The sole purpose is I wanted to serve my country. 253 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:51,560 Speaker 2: If I got to play volleyball in the process, that's amazing, 254 00:14:52,040 --> 00:14:55,200 Speaker 2: But the whole thing was I want to serve my country. 255 00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:58,480 Speaker 2: So I wasn't gonna let them discourage me from that. 256 00:14:58,640 --> 00:15:03,800 Speaker 2: And then during the academic years, there were a few 257 00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:07,760 Speaker 2: times when I wasn't doing the best academically and I 258 00:15:07,800 --> 00:15:13,400 Speaker 2: did question should I really be here? Like this is 259 00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:17,640 Speaker 2: a struggle, But I made it through. I had a 260 00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:21,920 Speaker 2: lot of support. A lot of people that had my back, 261 00:15:22,040 --> 00:15:26,680 Speaker 2: encouraged me, knew the potential when I didn't see the potential, 262 00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:31,920 Speaker 2: and helped me along the way. One of my mentors, 263 00:15:32,480 --> 00:15:35,000 Speaker 2: obviously my dad is one of my mentors, but one 264 00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:39,480 Speaker 2: of my mentors in the military is General retired Kaslyn, 265 00:15:39,560 --> 00:15:45,720 Speaker 2: Bob Kaslyn, and he saw the potential of my leadership 266 00:15:46,480 --> 00:15:52,520 Speaker 2: and would not let me ever question that or want 267 00:15:52,560 --> 00:15:55,440 Speaker 2: to leave because I didn't think I could do it. 268 00:15:55,560 --> 00:15:58,240 Speaker 2: So I'm very grateful to have him as a mentor. 269 00:15:58,920 --> 00:16:02,040 Speaker 2: Even to this day. I literally any decision in the 270 00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:05,400 Speaker 2: military for duty station, I talked to my dad and 271 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:08,200 Speaker 2: then I talked to General Kaslyn. I'd be like, okay, sir, 272 00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:10,720 Speaker 2: what do you think about this one? 273 00:16:11,400 --> 00:16:15,080 Speaker 1: Well, you know, it's amazing. So many things are amazing 274 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:17,360 Speaker 1: about that story. Marien. It's just like, how old were 275 00:16:17,400 --> 00:16:19,800 Speaker 1: you when you were going through all of this? I mean, what, like, 276 00:16:20,160 --> 00:16:25,040 Speaker 1: I was nineteen nineteen, eighteen years old, eighteen, So where 277 00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:27,320 Speaker 1: does the presence of mine come from? I mean, you're 278 00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:31,760 Speaker 1: eighteen years old. West Point Now it's an amazing school 279 00:16:31,800 --> 00:16:35,800 Speaker 1: in and of itself, But they you talked about the 280 00:16:35,840 --> 00:16:38,520 Speaker 1: military breaking you down and building you back up. That 281 00:16:38,560 --> 00:16:41,720 Speaker 1: they do that for a very specific reason. They make 282 00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:45,240 Speaker 1: it very, very difficult and chaotic. They want to weed 283 00:16:45,240 --> 00:16:46,880 Speaker 1: out the people that they think might not be a 284 00:16:46,920 --> 00:16:50,960 Speaker 1: good fit to be a commissioned officer. But eighteen years old, 285 00:16:51,120 --> 00:16:53,680 Speaker 1: like you're looking in the mirror and you're hooch and 286 00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:57,800 Speaker 1: you're saying to yourself like I meant to be here, 287 00:16:58,280 --> 00:17:02,080 Speaker 1: like this is what I'm supposed to do. Where did 288 00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:05,120 Speaker 1: that epiphany come from in you? Because I mean, I imagine 289 00:17:05,040 --> 00:17:08,320 Speaker 1: in order to get you to that spot, shit had 290 00:17:08,320 --> 00:17:09,919 Speaker 1: to be hitting the fan all around you for you 291 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:12,960 Speaker 1: to even have that almost come to Jesus moment with yourself, right. 292 00:17:13,800 --> 00:17:19,600 Speaker 2: It did during our version of basic training. When I 293 00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:24,080 Speaker 2: got to that point, it was kind of the I 294 00:17:24,119 --> 00:17:28,960 Speaker 2: want to serve my country if I if I left now, 295 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:34,040 Speaker 2: I would always wonder what if? And I didn't put 296 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:37,560 Speaker 2: myself like I didn't I turned down any other school 297 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:43,560 Speaker 2: that I got into for this, So it was kind 298 00:17:43,560 --> 00:17:48,199 Speaker 2: of that in a sense, like I'm think about the 299 00:17:48,320 --> 00:17:51,439 Speaker 2: end state, what you want to do, and can you 300 00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:56,800 Speaker 2: deal with this pain per se right now or this 301 00:17:57,600 --> 00:18:01,040 Speaker 2: hard time to get to that end state. It's not 302 00:18:01,080 --> 00:18:04,040 Speaker 2: always going to be this way. It's not always going 303 00:18:04,119 --> 00:18:08,760 Speaker 2: to be people yelling and screaming and everything else at you. 304 00:18:10,119 --> 00:18:13,720 Speaker 2: And I think that not with the yelling and screaming, 305 00:18:13,800 --> 00:18:15,879 Speaker 2: but I just growing up in a military family, I 306 00:18:15,960 --> 00:18:21,360 Speaker 2: had that sense of not formality. I can't even think 307 00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:25,000 Speaker 2: of the word, but structure, the sense of structure. It 308 00:18:25,119 --> 00:18:28,399 Speaker 2: was kind of like I knew part of what I 309 00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:30,919 Speaker 2: was getting into and then the other part. I just 310 00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:34,520 Speaker 2: had to remind myself when they were in be sparracks 311 00:18:34,600 --> 00:18:37,200 Speaker 2: going for the personal attacks, like it's not going to 312 00:18:37,280 --> 00:18:39,560 Speaker 2: be like this for four years. I just have to 313 00:18:39,560 --> 00:18:42,679 Speaker 2: get through this until the academic year. And then the 314 00:18:42,760 --> 00:18:46,280 Speaker 2: academic year when it was I focused, and honestly, I 315 00:18:46,280 --> 00:18:49,840 Speaker 2: focused more on volleyball. I earned my starting spot is 316 00:18:49,880 --> 00:18:54,000 Speaker 2: a freshman like five matches into the season for my position, 317 00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:59,080 Speaker 2: and I focused. In all honesty, I focused more on 318 00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:01,280 Speaker 2: volleyball than I did the academics. And I was like, Oh, 319 00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:05,480 Speaker 2: the academics will just come that. That's not the case. 320 00:19:05,520 --> 00:19:09,800 Speaker 2: It was extremely hard academically at West Point, and because 321 00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:13,959 Speaker 2: I at eighteen years old, I did not prioritize like 322 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:18,720 Speaker 2: I should have, and I had to basically deal with 323 00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:22,359 Speaker 2: the decision I made to put volleyball first and let 324 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:28,920 Speaker 2: my academics take second place. And it was an uphill 325 00:19:28,960 --> 00:19:32,199 Speaker 2: climb the remaining time at West Point, But it was 326 00:19:32,240 --> 00:19:36,080 Speaker 2: always that mentality like it won't be like this forever. 327 00:19:36,840 --> 00:19:40,200 Speaker 2: It will get better. You will there is a light 328 00:19:40,240 --> 00:19:42,240 Speaker 2: at the end of the tunnel. You will walk across 329 00:19:42,280 --> 00:19:45,439 Speaker 2: that stage and get your diploma. You will commission, like 330 00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:49,800 Speaker 2: you just have to not suck it up, but just 331 00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:51,640 Speaker 2: you know, deal. 332 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:54,640 Speaker 1: I mean probably suck it up, like probably to deal 333 00:19:54,680 --> 00:19:56,560 Speaker 1: with it right, deal. 334 00:19:56,359 --> 00:19:59,080 Speaker 2: With the pain and the hardship at the time for 335 00:19:59,240 --> 00:19:59,920 Speaker 2: that end state. 336 00:20:00,640 --> 00:20:01,399 Speaker 1: Did it get better? 337 00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:06,640 Speaker 2: It did? I mean each semester I got better academically 338 00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:08,639 Speaker 2: and things got better. I might have had to go 339 00:20:08,680 --> 00:20:16,439 Speaker 2: to summer school a few summers, but going into my 340 00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:23,159 Speaker 2: senior year, I needed a certain GPA and it was 341 00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:25,320 Speaker 2: in a summer school class. I needed like this one 342 00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:29,960 Speaker 2: grade in order to be able to play eligibility wise, 343 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:33,160 Speaker 2: because that's how much I put volleyball first my freshman year. 344 00:20:33,359 --> 00:20:36,320 Speaker 2: First semester, so I was constantly like making sure I 345 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:42,359 Speaker 2: could still be eligible GPA wise and I needed I 346 00:20:42,359 --> 00:20:46,080 Speaker 2: think a B in this class, and I was one 347 00:20:46,200 --> 00:20:48,760 Speaker 2: percent away and I got to be minus and I 348 00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:52,280 Speaker 2: had already gone home for the remaining part of my summer, 349 00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:57,280 Speaker 2: and I got a phone call from the volleyball coach 350 00:20:57,359 --> 00:20:59,320 Speaker 2: that was like, you're gonna need to come back and 351 00:20:59,359 --> 00:21:02,600 Speaker 2: take another summer school class starting next week. And I 352 00:21:02,600 --> 00:21:04,800 Speaker 2: was supposed to go on a family vacation with my 353 00:21:04,880 --> 00:21:09,280 Speaker 2: mom and stepdad, and I said, I don't know, I 354 00:21:09,320 --> 00:21:11,560 Speaker 2: don't know. I'll have to call you back. And I 355 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:14,199 Speaker 2: called my mom because she was out running errands. Were 356 00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:16,040 Speaker 2: supposed to leave the next day for our family vacation, 357 00:21:16,119 --> 00:21:19,760 Speaker 2: and I was already in California, and I said, you 358 00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:21,800 Speaker 2: know what, I'm just not going to play volleyball my 359 00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:29,560 Speaker 2: senior year. This isn't this isn't worth it. This pain, heartache, frustration, 360 00:21:29,920 --> 00:21:34,040 Speaker 2: like it felt like freshman year or be Sparras all 361 00:21:34,080 --> 00:21:37,320 Speaker 2: over again. And my mom said, think about it for 362 00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:40,360 Speaker 2: a little bit, and I thought, and I'm so glad 363 00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:46,000 Speaker 2: that she said that. Because I opted out of the 364 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:49,400 Speaker 2: family vacation, I went back, took the summer school class, 365 00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:51,960 Speaker 2: and we went to NCAA's for the first time in 366 00:21:52,040 --> 00:21:58,480 Speaker 2: school history that season. That my senior season, So I 367 00:21:58,520 --> 00:22:04,480 Speaker 2: took all of that anger and frustration and heartache that 368 00:22:05,160 --> 00:22:09,960 Speaker 2: I mean I basically did that to myself by freshman year, 369 00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:13,960 Speaker 2: and it was just the repercussions of it. But had 370 00:22:14,040 --> 00:22:19,639 Speaker 2: I not directed all of that into something else, who knows. 371 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:22,160 Speaker 1: I mean, what an amazing life lesson for people who 372 00:22:22,200 --> 00:22:26,080 Speaker 1: are watching or listening, like like you've talked. I mean 373 00:22:26,119 --> 00:22:27,960 Speaker 1: we've been on here for about twenty minutes now, and 374 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:31,440 Speaker 1: you've talked multiple times about the importance of having good 375 00:22:31,480 --> 00:22:37,000 Speaker 1: mentors your dad, your mom a general, which is amazing, 376 00:22:38,800 --> 00:22:42,720 Speaker 1: and not making rash decisions when shit's hitting the fan 377 00:22:42,800 --> 00:22:45,440 Speaker 1: all around you. Just taking a deep breath, like trying 378 00:22:45,480 --> 00:22:47,680 Speaker 1: to take a step back, get yourself in a good 379 00:22:47,680 --> 00:22:52,159 Speaker 1: state of mind, and just be patient. I means seeking 380 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:54,600 Speaker 1: wise counsel, right, like, talking to mentors. All of that 381 00:22:54,680 --> 00:22:56,680 Speaker 1: is so important. So if you're watching and you're listening 382 00:22:56,680 --> 00:22:59,000 Speaker 1: to this and you find yourself like in a chaotic moment, 383 00:22:59,080 --> 00:23:01,840 Speaker 1: like my god, Like, what an amazing lesson you just 384 00:23:01,920 --> 00:23:06,320 Speaker 1: like and also one of sacrifice and duty like you said, 385 00:23:06,320 --> 00:23:08,119 Speaker 1: all right, I'm not going to do the family vacation. 386 00:23:08,280 --> 00:23:10,400 Speaker 1: I'm just gonna go back do the summer school. I'm 387 00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:14,879 Speaker 1: gonna put my nose to the grindstone. And you and 388 00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:18,520 Speaker 1: your team were rewarded for that going to NCUA. I mean, 389 00:23:18,560 --> 00:23:20,280 Speaker 1: what an amazing experience that must have been. 390 00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:24,000 Speaker 2: Oh, it was, and we actually want We actually played. 391 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:27,320 Speaker 2: We didn't make it out of the first round of 392 00:23:27,359 --> 00:23:29,560 Speaker 2: the tournament, but it was still an honor being there. 393 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:33,080 Speaker 2: But we played in your home state. We played at 394 00:23:33,119 --> 00:23:35,720 Speaker 2: Penn State and we played UPenn in the first round 395 00:23:35,800 --> 00:23:39,160 Speaker 2: and we actually on U Penn. There were two girls 396 00:23:39,200 --> 00:23:41,399 Speaker 2: I went to high school with that were on the 397 00:23:41,480 --> 00:23:44,760 Speaker 2: UPenn team. So it was pretty cool. It's like a 398 00:23:44,760 --> 00:23:48,280 Speaker 2: little reunion from California in Pennsylvania. 399 00:23:48,640 --> 00:23:52,280 Speaker 1: That's pretty awesome. Okay, so you you make it through 400 00:23:52,280 --> 00:23:55,760 Speaker 1: West Point, right, and was the experience as a woman 401 00:23:55,840 --> 00:23:58,359 Speaker 1: going through West Point? And I typically don't like to 402 00:23:58,520 --> 00:24:02,120 Speaker 1: like differentiate man woman, divide people into little groups. That's 403 00:24:02,119 --> 00:24:04,280 Speaker 1: something that the left does. I don't like that. But 404 00:24:05,200 --> 00:24:07,440 Speaker 1: the experience has to be different, right. 405 00:24:08,240 --> 00:24:11,600 Speaker 2: It is. And there were roughly over a little over 406 00:24:11,640 --> 00:24:15,320 Speaker 2: one hundred women in my class, and we graduated with 407 00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:21,639 Speaker 2: just over one thousand. Now they're more each year, there's 408 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:25,720 Speaker 2: been an increase in the women in each class. However, 409 00:24:26,240 --> 00:24:32,240 Speaker 2: it is a very tight knit group. It is funny. 410 00:24:32,520 --> 00:24:35,600 Speaker 2: One of my classmates one of my female classmates actually 411 00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:40,439 Speaker 2: ran in Pennsylvania one this last election, and she reached 412 00:24:40,440 --> 00:24:43,480 Speaker 2: out to me to like her campaign page, and I'm like, 413 00:24:43,520 --> 00:24:46,760 Speaker 2: you must not know my political affiliation because we're not 414 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:50,919 Speaker 2: on the same page like you were not. But because 415 00:24:50,960 --> 00:24:53,320 Speaker 2: of that West Point, like female West Point grad, I 416 00:24:53,320 --> 00:24:56,439 Speaker 2: think that that's why she did it. But for the 417 00:24:56,440 --> 00:24:59,600 Speaker 2: most part, we're very close. I still am friends with 418 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:02,120 Speaker 2: a lot of of the ladies that I graduated with, 419 00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:08,320 Speaker 2: even girls on the volleyball team. We still get together, 420 00:25:09,520 --> 00:25:11,320 Speaker 2: even the ones that weren't in my class. 421 00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:16,520 Speaker 1: But so, so you Gret, So it's your senior year. 422 00:25:16,560 --> 00:25:19,440 Speaker 1: What do you call what do you call seniors? Firsties? Yeah, 423 00:25:19,440 --> 00:25:22,120 Speaker 1: that's what I thought, firsties. You guys got all these 424 00:25:22,119 --> 00:25:25,320 Speaker 1: weird names for freshmen through seniors, Like like I was 425 00:25:25,359 --> 00:25:27,280 Speaker 1: an I was an r OTC guy. Like I'll just 426 00:25:27,320 --> 00:25:29,280 Speaker 1: be like up up front and hones with you all. 427 00:25:29,359 --> 00:25:31,240 Speaker 1: Like I couldn't make it through West Point, Like it's 428 00:25:31,240 --> 00:25:34,680 Speaker 1: too structured, too disciplined, too much structure, too much discipline 429 00:25:34,680 --> 00:25:38,560 Speaker 1: for me. I couldn't do it. But but I would 430 00:25:38,560 --> 00:25:40,719 Speaker 1: go and I'd like out leave patuone for some for 431 00:25:40,760 --> 00:25:44,040 Speaker 1: some reason, I'd like like juniors and seniors. What were 432 00:25:44,080 --> 00:25:48,560 Speaker 1: what were juniors? Cows? Cows, Yeah, cows and firsties. I 433 00:25:48,640 --> 00:25:50,840 Speaker 1: go and I present to them. So I got an 434 00:25:50,840 --> 00:25:53,680 Speaker 1: opportunity to see West Point cadets. And by the way, 435 00:25:53,760 --> 00:25:56,800 Speaker 1: like I'm just joking, like they're amazing, uh amazing and 436 00:25:56,880 --> 00:25:58,919 Speaker 1: highly motivated. They give you faith in our country, in 437 00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:01,600 Speaker 1: the future of our country, at least when I was there. 438 00:26:02,800 --> 00:26:05,960 Speaker 1: And I guess, like, so you're you're a first d Like, 439 00:26:06,040 --> 00:26:08,160 Speaker 1: what what was your branch? You finally get your branch. 440 00:26:08,200 --> 00:26:09,440 Speaker 1: What did you branch in the army? 441 00:26:10,359 --> 00:26:14,240 Speaker 2: So at the time, it was quartermaster, but then for 442 00:26:14,320 --> 00:26:17,919 Speaker 2: the logistics branches, once you go to your captain's career course, 443 00:26:18,440 --> 00:26:22,600 Speaker 2: you morphed into or become a logistics officer, so you 444 00:26:22,600 --> 00:26:27,639 Speaker 2: could command any one of the logistics branch type of companies. 445 00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:32,960 Speaker 2: But I branched out of West Point quartermaster. Ironically enough, 446 00:26:33,040 --> 00:26:36,760 Speaker 2: I never served in a quartermaster position, as a as 447 00:26:36,800 --> 00:26:39,520 Speaker 2: a lieutenant, as a second lieutenant, first lieutenant. I was 448 00:26:39,560 --> 00:26:43,760 Speaker 2: either I was a maintenance platoon leader, so an ordnance position, 449 00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:48,840 Speaker 2: and then staff positions. I was slotted whatever whatever unit 450 00:26:48,920 --> 00:26:51,160 Speaker 2: it was. Were those branches? 451 00:26:52,400 --> 00:26:56,480 Speaker 1: What was your first duty assignment? Maureen Fort Campbell, oh nice, 452 00:26:56,800 --> 00:26:59,920 Speaker 1: and I loved it. I loved everyone loved Everyone loves 453 00:27:00,040 --> 00:27:03,600 Speaker 1: one hundred and first Airborne, everybody loves first cam for Campbell. 454 00:27:03,440 --> 00:27:07,160 Speaker 2: And I was. I love country music, so being so 455 00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:12,600 Speaker 2: close to Nashville was amazing. And I was with the 456 00:27:12,640 --> 00:27:17,280 Speaker 2: three two six engineer battalions, so that was an interesting 457 00:27:17,320 --> 00:27:21,639 Speaker 2: first duty station and I deployed with them. It being 458 00:27:21,840 --> 00:27:27,040 Speaker 2: with different units, like not being part of the Sustainment 459 00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:30,400 Speaker 2: Brigade is my first duty station. It kind of opened 460 00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:33,760 Speaker 2: my eyes to what the different branches, other branches did. 461 00:27:33,920 --> 00:27:38,560 Speaker 2: So yes, I was when I got to Campbell. My 462 00:27:38,680 --> 00:27:42,280 Speaker 2: unit had left for Iraq in January and I got there, 463 00:27:43,720 --> 00:27:48,040 Speaker 2: I signed and I want to say, like February fourth, 464 00:27:49,560 --> 00:27:51,359 Speaker 2: and they said, oh, you'll just be on rear D 465 00:27:51,560 --> 00:27:53,399 Speaker 2: and then they needed more people over there, so I 466 00:27:53,480 --> 00:27:57,760 Speaker 2: ended up deploying in April. But and I was in 467 00:27:57,800 --> 00:28:00,119 Speaker 2: the S four shop when I was deployed, and and 468 00:28:00,119 --> 00:28:03,320 Speaker 2: I took over a platoon when we were leaving Iraq. 469 00:28:03,480 --> 00:28:06,880 Speaker 2: But it kind of opened my eyes to see I mean, 470 00:28:06,960 --> 00:28:11,200 Speaker 2: I went out on missions with some of the companies 471 00:28:11,240 --> 00:28:14,080 Speaker 2: that were engineer companies while I was deployed, and it 472 00:28:14,119 --> 00:28:17,080 Speaker 2: opened my eyes to see exactly what they do, not 473 00:28:17,119 --> 00:28:23,280 Speaker 2: only state side, but also in a combat environment or 474 00:28:23,320 --> 00:28:24,320 Speaker 2: deployed environment. 475 00:28:24,920 --> 00:28:27,800 Speaker 1: What what year did you deploy to Iraq? 476 00:28:28,280 --> 00:28:32,640 Speaker 2: To twenty eleven? So I deployed the end of April 477 00:28:32,680 --> 00:28:36,360 Speaker 2: of eleven, and then we were supposed they were supposed 478 00:28:36,359 --> 00:28:42,240 Speaker 2: to be there from January to January, but we came 479 00:28:42,520 --> 00:28:44,720 Speaker 2: back in November. 480 00:28:45,880 --> 00:28:50,680 Speaker 1: How'd your how'd your parents feel about your deployment to Iraq? 481 00:28:53,520 --> 00:28:56,520 Speaker 2: I mean, they they knew that it was something and 482 00:28:56,520 --> 00:28:59,280 Speaker 2: at last point, you trained because we came in in 483 00:28:59,320 --> 00:29:01,600 Speaker 2: a time of war, so you knew you were going 484 00:29:01,640 --> 00:29:04,720 Speaker 2: to deploy at some point. So to me, I was 485 00:29:04,760 --> 00:29:06,600 Speaker 2: just like, Okay, this is part of the job, Like 486 00:29:07,280 --> 00:29:10,200 Speaker 2: this is what. I knew this when I when I 487 00:29:10,280 --> 00:29:12,320 Speaker 2: went to West Point. I knew this when I commissioned. 488 00:29:13,480 --> 00:29:15,560 Speaker 2: And my parents didn't really talk about I mean, we 489 00:29:15,680 --> 00:29:20,000 Speaker 2: talked about, which was a hard conversation that I had 490 00:29:20,000 --> 00:29:23,160 Speaker 2: to have with them, what I would want to happen 491 00:29:23,280 --> 00:29:25,520 Speaker 2: if something were to happen to me while it was 492 00:29:25,600 --> 00:29:25,880 Speaker 2: a ploy. 493 00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:28,920 Speaker 1: It's an unbelievably hard conversation. I've had it as well, 494 00:29:28,960 --> 00:29:30,600 Speaker 1: but it's one that you have to have. 495 00:29:31,440 --> 00:29:35,000 Speaker 2: And I didn't even think about having that conversation. And actually, 496 00:29:35,040 --> 00:29:42,520 Speaker 2: when we were doing the deployment SRP, like going through 497 00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:47,520 Speaker 2: the different stops before you deploy, someone said, you know, 498 00:29:47,640 --> 00:29:51,200 Speaker 2: I had a soldier who who who was killed and 499 00:29:51,280 --> 00:29:54,200 Speaker 2: his parents were divorced, and he didn't have that conversation 500 00:29:54,720 --> 00:29:57,000 Speaker 2: with them, and he also didn't put it into writing 501 00:29:57,120 --> 00:30:00,239 Speaker 2: into a will. So then the parents, I mean, this 502 00:30:00,400 --> 00:30:03,320 Speaker 2: happened years prior and the parents were still arguing about 503 00:30:03,360 --> 00:30:09,160 Speaker 2: where to bury their child. And my parents are divorced. 504 00:30:09,520 --> 00:30:11,600 Speaker 2: I don't think that they would ever argue about that, 505 00:30:11,640 --> 00:30:15,160 Speaker 2: but I didn't want to put them into that position. Yeah, 506 00:30:15,680 --> 00:30:19,800 Speaker 2: I just I just I said, this is these are 507 00:30:19,840 --> 00:30:22,960 Speaker 2: my desires if something were to happen to me while 508 00:30:22,960 --> 00:30:25,440 Speaker 2: I was deployed, this is what I want. And that 509 00:30:25,600 --> 00:30:28,800 Speaker 2: was probably the hardest conversation I've ever had with them 510 00:30:28,920 --> 00:30:32,640 Speaker 2: because you could just see it on their faces, like 511 00:30:32,800 --> 00:30:38,080 Speaker 2: that that was a possibility that it could just leaving 512 00:30:38,120 --> 00:30:42,720 Speaker 2: on a deployment, that could happen. So they didn't really 513 00:30:43,520 --> 00:30:48,160 Speaker 2: want to talk about much about the deployt They would 514 00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:50,160 Speaker 2: just ask me how I'm doing, Like when I would 515 00:30:50,360 --> 00:30:51,840 Speaker 2: when I was able to talk to them while I 516 00:30:51,880 --> 00:30:57,960 Speaker 2: was deployed, but they didn't really want to talk to 517 00:30:58,000 --> 00:31:00,920 Speaker 2: me about how they were feeling about me deployed. And 518 00:31:00,960 --> 00:31:05,240 Speaker 2: then I actually heard an interview that my dad did 519 00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:09,720 Speaker 2: with John Fredericks when they when he was talking about, 520 00:31:10,080 --> 00:31:14,000 Speaker 2: you know, sending America's sons and daughters over to Ukraine 521 00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:17,320 Speaker 2: and Russia and how that this is what the regime, 522 00:31:17,640 --> 00:31:22,280 Speaker 2: this current regime wants basically, And you know, parents don't 523 00:31:22,320 --> 00:31:25,000 Speaker 2: know what it's like to sit there and pray every 524 00:31:25,080 --> 00:31:27,719 Speaker 2: night that their child comes home in one piece and 525 00:31:27,800 --> 00:31:33,920 Speaker 2: not in a transfer case. So that kind of, honestly, 526 00:31:33,960 --> 00:31:36,920 Speaker 2: that really hit me hard because I didn't think about 527 00:31:37,440 --> 00:31:39,960 Speaker 2: how they were feeling each night that I was deployed, 528 00:31:40,520 --> 00:31:44,960 Speaker 2: like thinking, oh, please let my daughter when I wake 529 00:31:45,040 --> 00:31:47,520 Speaker 2: up in the morning, please let her still be alive. 530 00:31:47,720 --> 00:31:52,040 Speaker 2: So and I only went to Iraq once. I can't 531 00:31:52,080 --> 00:31:57,720 Speaker 2: imagine had I deployed numerous times, Like whenever Joe cans 532 00:31:57,800 --> 00:32:01,200 Speaker 2: on and he talks about his eleven Colm deployments. I 533 00:32:01,200 --> 00:32:05,560 Speaker 2: could not imagine as a parent what that would do 534 00:32:05,680 --> 00:32:08,840 Speaker 2: to you, knowing that your child is in harm's way 535 00:32:09,600 --> 00:32:10,560 Speaker 2: multiple times. 536 00:32:10,840 --> 00:32:16,880 Speaker 1: I I will say I didn't when I was in Afghanistan, 537 00:32:16,960 --> 00:32:20,360 Speaker 1: I didn't realize At the time, when I was in combat, 538 00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:26,840 Speaker 1: I didn't realize how much that experience was affecting my parents. 539 00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:30,720 Speaker 1: And as applatoon leader in combat, you know, I didn't 540 00:32:30,720 --> 00:32:33,080 Speaker 1: have the kind of relationship with my company commander where 541 00:32:33,080 --> 00:32:35,560 Speaker 1: I could vent to him, and I sure as hell 542 00:32:36,280 --> 00:32:39,960 Speaker 1: never griped down, right, So I wasn't going to do 543 00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:42,320 Speaker 1: that with my troops or my noncommission officers, because they 544 00:32:42,360 --> 00:32:46,000 Speaker 1: needed to see me as somebody who could handle the 545 00:32:46,040 --> 00:32:49,160 Speaker 1: worst that the enemy has but endure and continue to lead. 546 00:32:49,920 --> 00:32:52,040 Speaker 1: And so I would vent to my dad and like, 547 00:32:52,240 --> 00:32:54,280 Speaker 1: I know, you're probably thinking, like what, dude, what are 548 00:32:54,280 --> 00:32:56,760 Speaker 1: you crazy? Like that's crazy, you don't do that. But 549 00:32:56,840 --> 00:33:00,480 Speaker 1: at the time, I wasn't thinking clearly, and I didn't 550 00:33:00,520 --> 00:33:03,880 Speaker 1: realize just how deeply that was affecting my father. And 551 00:33:04,440 --> 00:33:10,680 Speaker 1: I mean really really, I mean back then, like I'm 552 00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:13,400 Speaker 1: a little older than you, I was in Afghanistan in 553 00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:17,000 Speaker 1: two thousand and six, but back then, like we didn't 554 00:33:17,040 --> 00:33:19,560 Speaker 1: have like internet where things were abb. We had a 555 00:33:19,600 --> 00:33:22,560 Speaker 1: couple of phones that we'd use in our MWR like 556 00:33:22,600 --> 00:33:26,320 Speaker 1: for those watching listening Morale Welfare Recreation where we call home, 557 00:33:26,760 --> 00:33:29,000 Speaker 1: but we also had like AOL instant messenger, and as 558 00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:31,280 Speaker 1: an officer, I had Internet in my room for sending 559 00:33:31,360 --> 00:33:34,040 Speaker 1: up reports and stuff. And so my dad ended up 560 00:33:34,040 --> 00:33:38,160 Speaker 1: becoming almost a slave to that instant messenger bell, where 561 00:33:38,160 --> 00:33:40,640 Speaker 1: he'd watch my name on there, like when you're you know, 562 00:33:40,680 --> 00:33:42,880 Speaker 1: when you don't touch your mouse for a while and 563 00:33:42,920 --> 00:33:46,520 Speaker 1: your name goes gray. Just watch it forever, send it 564 00:33:46,520 --> 00:33:48,360 Speaker 1: in some messions, and that ding would come up that 565 00:33:48,360 --> 00:33:50,000 Speaker 1: I had messaged him. He would just like we go 566 00:33:50,040 --> 00:33:52,040 Speaker 1: out on week long mission cycles and that would be 567 00:33:52,160 --> 00:33:55,160 Speaker 1: like his existence. And I never realized it. And now 568 00:33:56,240 --> 00:33:59,080 Speaker 1: I'm a parent and I've got you know, a thirteen 569 00:33:59,120 --> 00:34:00,880 Speaker 1: year old, and you talked about watching nine to eleven 570 00:34:00,880 --> 00:34:02,920 Speaker 1: when you were thirteen and having the presence of mind 571 00:34:02,920 --> 00:34:05,600 Speaker 1: to say, like, oh my god, like never again. I'm 572 00:34:05,640 --> 00:34:06,960 Speaker 1: going to fight for my country to make sure that 573 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:11,239 Speaker 1: never happens again. When you say that, it hits close 574 00:34:11,280 --> 00:34:12,920 Speaker 1: to home because I have a fifteen year old, and 575 00:34:12,920 --> 00:34:14,239 Speaker 1: I have a thirteen year old, and I've also got 576 00:34:14,280 --> 00:34:19,760 Speaker 1: ones younger than that. But all of this experience, Maureene, 577 00:34:19,800 --> 00:34:25,640 Speaker 1: has shaped my perception in perspective on American foreign policy 578 00:34:25,680 --> 00:34:27,520 Speaker 1: as well. You talking about your father and how he 579 00:34:27,560 --> 00:34:31,680 Speaker 1: talks John Fredericks about Ukraine. The way I try to 580 00:34:31,719 --> 00:34:36,640 Speaker 1: frame this with Americans is like, if is Ukraine so 581 00:34:36,800 --> 00:34:39,960 Speaker 1: important to you that you're willing to send your own 582 00:34:40,000 --> 00:34:42,200 Speaker 1: son or daughter to fight, bleed and die for that country. 583 00:34:42,280 --> 00:34:44,280 Speaker 1: If the answer is no, and I'm willing to bet 584 00:34:44,320 --> 00:34:47,640 Speaker 1: that it is, then it's not that important, you know. 585 00:34:48,200 --> 00:34:50,279 Speaker 1: And that's the prism through which we should look at 586 00:34:50,440 --> 00:34:53,719 Speaker 1: these monumental decisions whether or not to send Americans to war. 587 00:34:54,239 --> 00:34:56,640 Speaker 1: But my problem is is this is also a problem 588 00:34:56,680 --> 00:34:59,359 Speaker 1: with Republicans and Democrats, is they don't look at it 589 00:34:59,480 --> 00:35:03,680 Speaker 1: like that. And it's precisely because many of them, not 590 00:35:03,719 --> 00:35:06,279 Speaker 1: all of them, but many of them have never experienced 591 00:35:06,320 --> 00:35:08,200 Speaker 1: what it's like to go to war themselves or have 592 00:35:08,239 --> 00:35:09,120 Speaker 1: a child in the fight. 593 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:14,320 Speaker 2: I agree with you, and you know, what you experienced 594 00:35:14,320 --> 00:35:17,280 Speaker 2: and what I experience are completely different. So even people 595 00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:20,560 Speaker 2: that have served that are in Congress right now, they 596 00:35:20,600 --> 00:35:25,640 Speaker 2: all have different experiences. Because especially, I mean even people 597 00:35:25,640 --> 00:35:30,840 Speaker 2: that want to Iraq two years earlier have a different 598 00:35:30,880 --> 00:35:33,759 Speaker 2: experience because it was Operation New Dawn when I went, 599 00:35:33,800 --> 00:35:36,280 Speaker 2: so technically it wasn't any combat. I mean, we still 600 00:35:36,320 --> 00:35:43,440 Speaker 2: had casualties during that time, but it's just like you 601 00:35:43,480 --> 00:35:50,320 Speaker 2: were saying. I believe that people in positions of power 602 00:35:50,440 --> 00:35:55,040 Speaker 2: that continue to vote to send America's sons and daughters 603 00:35:55,080 --> 00:35:59,080 Speaker 2: to war have never had to experience it because or 604 00:35:59,160 --> 00:36:04,000 Speaker 2: had as a actually as a person deployed or in 605 00:36:04,040 --> 00:36:07,680 Speaker 2: the military, or as a parent having your child go 606 00:36:08,040 --> 00:36:12,560 Speaker 2: over Because if you had, you wouldn't You wouldn't want 607 00:36:12,600 --> 00:36:16,279 Speaker 2: to put wouldn't want to put someone else in that 608 00:36:16,320 --> 00:36:20,279 Speaker 2: same position that you were in. You you've experienced it, 609 00:36:20,680 --> 00:36:25,720 Speaker 2: you wouldn't want to for something that is not our fight. 610 00:36:26,400 --> 00:36:29,960 Speaker 2: Ukraine and Russia is not our fight. You to do 611 00:36:30,120 --> 00:36:33,920 Speaker 2: another endless war. I mean twenty years in Afghanistan and 612 00:36:34,000 --> 00:36:36,280 Speaker 2: look at how we withdrew out of Afghanistan. 613 00:36:37,840 --> 00:36:40,080 Speaker 1: What's so upsetting to me about all this is that 614 00:36:40,120 --> 00:36:45,040 Speaker 1: they're still Americans trapped in Afghanistan. Blinkoln testified on Capitol 615 00:36:45,080 --> 00:36:49,360 Speaker 1: Hill that there are still over one hundred Americans in Afghanistan, 616 00:36:49,440 --> 00:36:54,080 Speaker 1: and yet both Republicans and Democrats are clamoring for another 617 00:36:54,160 --> 00:36:57,719 Speaker 1: war in Ukraine before we even got Americans out of 618 00:36:57,719 --> 00:37:03,120 Speaker 1: the last war. To me, because that war, I look, Maureene, 619 00:37:03,600 --> 00:37:06,640 Speaker 1: I loved serving my country. I don't regret it for 620 00:37:06,680 --> 00:37:09,920 Speaker 1: a second. I'm not a victim. I've volunteered for it, 621 00:37:09,960 --> 00:37:11,880 Speaker 1: and I do it again in a second. And I 622 00:37:11,920 --> 00:37:13,760 Speaker 1: know you feel the same way. I could just tell 623 00:37:13,800 --> 00:37:16,040 Speaker 1: by talking to you. And if there were ever a 624 00:37:16,080 --> 00:37:19,799 Speaker 1: moment that this country came under attack or needed Americans 625 00:37:19,840 --> 00:37:22,200 Speaker 1: to defend it, I'd be at first in the line 626 00:37:22,280 --> 00:37:24,920 Speaker 1: to do it. But it's our job, as it's our 627 00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:27,920 Speaker 1: job as leaders, Maureene, to say, wait a second, this 628 00:37:28,080 --> 00:37:30,880 Speaker 1: isn't worth American blood. And I'm not going to be 629 00:37:30,920 --> 00:37:34,080 Speaker 1: frivolous with that decision or careless with that decision. 630 00:37:34,200 --> 00:37:38,960 Speaker 2: One hundred percent. And if they feel that strongly about 631 00:37:39,120 --> 00:37:41,920 Speaker 2: Ukraine and Russia, like you said, how about we get 632 00:37:41,920 --> 00:37:45,200 Speaker 2: the Americans out of Afghanistan first? That should be the priority. 633 00:37:45,360 --> 00:37:48,120 Speaker 2: We just literally packed up in the middle of the 634 00:37:48,239 --> 00:37:55,560 Speaker 2: night and left and then left Americans and we're like, oh, 635 00:37:55,600 --> 00:37:57,640 Speaker 2: we gave you the option to get out of here, 636 00:37:57,719 --> 00:38:02,680 Speaker 2: but you chose not to like this administration. And I 637 00:38:03,239 --> 00:38:05,200 Speaker 2: I mean that leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. 638 00:38:05,200 --> 00:38:11,480 Speaker 2: Even saying that the regime is all about not no accountability. 639 00:38:12,040 --> 00:38:14,480 Speaker 2: They are so willing to pass the buck off to 640 00:38:14,560 --> 00:38:19,160 Speaker 2: someone else and not hold anyone in a senior leadership 641 00:38:19,160 --> 00:38:22,960 Speaker 2: position accountable? Why is General Millie still in that position 642 00:38:23,560 --> 00:38:27,640 Speaker 2: that botch withdrawal out of Afghanistan. I'm sorry, you should 643 00:38:27,640 --> 00:38:31,320 Speaker 2: be gone from your job. You're not good at your position. 644 00:38:31,440 --> 00:38:37,120 Speaker 2: You're not a good leader. You should be done like retirement. 645 00:38:37,160 --> 00:38:41,120 Speaker 1: You're not Jae I agree. I mean that's him too. 646 00:38:41,680 --> 00:38:43,840 Speaker 1: Austin just said the other day on Capitol Hill he 647 00:38:43,880 --> 00:38:46,560 Speaker 1: has no regrets about the withdrawal of Afghanistan. I'm like, 648 00:38:46,600 --> 00:38:50,760 Speaker 1: how can anyone, how can any leader be so aloof 649 00:38:50,800 --> 00:38:53,200 Speaker 1: and careless with their words to say something like that? 650 00:38:53,719 --> 00:38:57,719 Speaker 2: Because he wasn't me. It was someone lower than me 651 00:38:57,800 --> 00:39:00,400 Speaker 2: that made this decision. I just so they should be 652 00:39:00,440 --> 00:39:03,480 Speaker 2: held accountable for it. And he also was in charge 653 00:39:03,480 --> 00:39:06,280 Speaker 2: of the withdrawal out of Afghanistan. Was he a sleep 654 00:39:06,360 --> 00:39:09,480 Speaker 2: when we or not Afghanistan? I'm sorry Iraq? Was he 655 00:39:09,560 --> 00:39:12,120 Speaker 2: a sleep when we did the withdrawal out of Iraq? 656 00:39:12,160 --> 00:39:14,960 Speaker 2: I was part of that. And oh wait, I know 657 00:39:15,200 --> 00:39:20,160 Speaker 2: MSNBC came out, you know on March nineteenth and twentieth 658 00:39:20,840 --> 00:39:24,080 Speaker 2: was the twenty year anniversary of Shaka and aw So 659 00:39:24,160 --> 00:39:27,840 Speaker 2: the invasion of Iraq. The nineteenth was the air game, 660 00:39:28,080 --> 00:39:34,080 Speaker 2: twentieth was the ground game and twenty years and MSNBC says, oh, 661 00:39:34,080 --> 00:39:37,680 Speaker 2: we don't have we don't have American troops in Iraq 662 00:39:37,760 --> 00:39:41,920 Speaker 2: right now, there's none. That's a lie. That is a lie. 663 00:39:42,520 --> 00:39:47,239 Speaker 2: And the fact that Austin's was in charge of the 664 00:39:47,280 --> 00:39:50,720 Speaker 2: withdrawal and we're back in there, you think that maybe 665 00:39:50,760 --> 00:39:53,680 Speaker 2: had you been awake for that, you would have learned like, well, 666 00:39:53,719 --> 00:39:57,360 Speaker 2: this didn't work so well, you know, we did this well, 667 00:39:58,080 --> 00:40:00,760 Speaker 2: but we didn't do this well. No, didn't take any 668 00:40:00,960 --> 00:40:04,320 Speaker 2: lessons learned in Iraq over to Afghanistan. They just packed 669 00:40:04,400 --> 00:40:06,879 Speaker 2: up and I'm like, oh, good luck, hope you make 670 00:40:06,920 --> 00:40:07,239 Speaker 2: it out. 671 00:40:08,280 --> 00:40:11,279 Speaker 1: And that's my problem. I mean, so clearly you fought 672 00:40:11,280 --> 00:40:14,759 Speaker 1: for you put on the uniform, you boots, rifle, went 673 00:40:14,800 --> 00:40:17,680 Speaker 1: to war for this country. And now now that you're 674 00:40:17,840 --> 00:40:20,719 Speaker 1: out of the military. Right, so first of all, how 675 00:40:20,719 --> 00:40:23,239 Speaker 1: did you come to make that decision? Like, because not 676 00:40:23,280 --> 00:40:24,920 Speaker 1: only are you fight it, you fought for the you 677 00:40:25,440 --> 00:40:27,920 Speaker 1: walk the walk, You fought in combat for this country. 678 00:40:28,320 --> 00:40:31,399 Speaker 1: Clearly you're interested in politics. You're on war room. You're 679 00:40:31,480 --> 00:40:34,600 Speaker 1: right there with your dad fighting for the culture and 680 00:40:34,680 --> 00:40:38,000 Speaker 1: the future of this country in the political arena as well. 681 00:40:38,160 --> 00:40:41,560 Speaker 1: So Maureene tell me about that transition and what was 682 00:40:41,560 --> 00:40:44,560 Speaker 1: the catalyst that helped you make the decision to transition 683 00:40:44,600 --> 00:40:45,360 Speaker 1: out of the military. 684 00:40:46,560 --> 00:40:55,920 Speaker 2: So I actually started thinking about getting out in twenty 685 00:40:57,080 --> 00:41:02,440 Speaker 2: seventeen command. I was an AT commander because I had 686 00:41:02,480 --> 00:41:08,600 Speaker 2: had back surgery due to something that happened earlier in 687 00:41:08,600 --> 00:41:10,759 Speaker 2: my time in service and then made worse on my 688 00:41:10,840 --> 00:41:16,319 Speaker 2: deployment and at my duty station prior to when I 689 00:41:16,360 --> 00:41:19,279 Speaker 2: was in command. They overlooked me for command because of 690 00:41:19,320 --> 00:41:22,920 Speaker 2: my back surgery. Even though I was basically I was 691 00:41:22,960 --> 00:41:27,200 Speaker 2: at ninety five percent. They overlooked me because I had 692 00:41:27,400 --> 00:41:30,240 Speaker 2: back surgery. So I ended up being an AT commander, 693 00:41:30,239 --> 00:41:32,240 Speaker 2: and I don't regret that at all because I helped 694 00:41:32,560 --> 00:41:38,640 Speaker 2: shape future supply clerks of the Army and logistics personnel. 695 00:41:39,280 --> 00:41:41,239 Speaker 1: Awesome, It's awesome. I love it. 696 00:41:41,880 --> 00:41:46,520 Speaker 2: I I was in command actually when my dad became 697 00:41:46,640 --> 00:41:53,080 Speaker 2: Trump's campaign CEO and chief strategist, and my first command 698 00:41:53,120 --> 00:41:57,840 Speaker 2: team super supportive. We might not have agreed politically, but 699 00:41:57,880 --> 00:42:03,879 Speaker 2: they were very supportive of me supporting my dad, and 700 00:42:04,800 --> 00:42:08,160 Speaker 2: there was a change of command during that process or 701 00:42:08,239 --> 00:42:10,799 Speaker 2: during that time when I was in command with my 702 00:42:10,880 --> 00:42:15,520 Speaker 2: battalion and brigade commander and both new battalion and brigade 703 00:42:15,520 --> 00:42:21,480 Speaker 2: commanders were not as supportive and thought that I was 704 00:42:21,680 --> 00:42:24,160 Speaker 2: entitled or that I felt like I should be treated 705 00:42:24,200 --> 00:42:27,719 Speaker 2: differently because of who my dad was, which was the 706 00:42:27,719 --> 00:42:31,400 Speaker 2: furthest thing from the case. I'm like, Okay, that is 707 00:42:31,480 --> 00:42:34,959 Speaker 2: my dad, this is my job, that's that's my dad. 708 00:42:35,000 --> 00:42:38,759 Speaker 2: Like kept them to separate things because you don't talk 709 00:42:38,800 --> 00:42:41,200 Speaker 2: about your political views in the military, or at least 710 00:42:41,320 --> 00:42:44,720 Speaker 2: we didn't when we were in. Now they're totally okay 711 00:42:44,840 --> 00:42:47,160 Speaker 2: unless you support Trump and then they're coming after you. 712 00:42:47,239 --> 00:42:49,400 Speaker 1: Or yeah, unless you're unless you're a conservative, I mean, 713 00:42:49,480 --> 00:42:51,320 Speaker 1: unless you're a conservative. I just saw this video and 714 00:42:51,320 --> 00:42:54,000 Speaker 1: I don't even know if it's real, but this uh 715 00:42:54,239 --> 00:42:57,920 Speaker 1: staff sergeant, drill sergeant something she was talking about like 716 00:42:58,120 --> 00:43:00,680 Speaker 1: how it's the guns and how we need to like 717 00:43:00,760 --> 00:43:03,440 Speaker 1: disarm all Americans. Well, I mean, obviously, clearly it's not 718 00:43:03,640 --> 00:43:07,760 Speaker 1: the guns. And I reject the notion that somehow society 719 00:43:07,800 --> 00:43:10,279 Speaker 1: is guilty just because a criminal commits a crime. But 720 00:43:10,320 --> 00:43:12,799 Speaker 1: that's a whole nother story for a whole other podcast. 721 00:43:12,960 --> 00:43:18,600 Speaker 1: But but so you so now you're being you feel like, 722 00:43:18,880 --> 00:43:20,680 Speaker 1: I don't know what's the right word. More mean like 723 00:43:20,760 --> 00:43:23,120 Speaker 1: you feel like you're being singled out for being Steve 724 00:43:23,160 --> 00:43:28,480 Speaker 1: Bannon's daughter a little bit, or treated treated differently. 725 00:43:28,400 --> 00:43:32,120 Speaker 2: Differently and not. 726 00:43:30,719 --> 00:43:34,400 Speaker 1: Not in a good way. Yeah, differently, but not in 727 00:43:34,400 --> 00:43:35,560 Speaker 1: a good way. 728 00:43:35,920 --> 00:43:38,280 Speaker 2: So I was like, you know, if this is gonna 729 00:43:38,320 --> 00:43:43,080 Speaker 2: be an Both of these officers were senior leaders within 730 00:43:43,120 --> 00:43:45,560 Speaker 2: the logistics branch, so it's not like I was not 731 00:43:45,640 --> 00:43:48,040 Speaker 2: going to see them again. Had I continued to serve. 732 00:43:48,480 --> 00:43:53,719 Speaker 2: So I said, you know, maybe it's time for me 733 00:43:54,239 --> 00:43:56,359 Speaker 2: for me to get out, Like once command is done, 734 00:43:56,440 --> 00:43:59,840 Speaker 2: maybe it's time. I did the paperwork, submitted it to 735 00:44:00,080 --> 00:44:04,320 Speaker 2: it out prior to talking to one of my mentors. 736 00:44:04,360 --> 00:44:09,720 Speaker 2: I talked to both parents about it, and I talked 737 00:44:10,200 --> 00:44:12,640 Speaker 2: after I submitted the paperwork to General Kaslyn, and he 738 00:44:12,760 --> 00:44:15,960 Speaker 2: was like, MO, what did you do? Like you have 739 00:44:16,040 --> 00:44:19,880 Speaker 2: more there's more potential in you in the military, Like 740 00:44:20,800 --> 00:44:26,440 Speaker 2: why why? So he was superintendent at the time. I 741 00:44:26,480 --> 00:44:27,200 Speaker 2: get this call. 742 00:44:27,120 --> 00:44:30,759 Speaker 1: From of West Point, So that's like what a force 743 00:44:30,800 --> 00:44:34,240 Speaker 1: a four star position, three star, three star, three stars, 744 00:44:34,239 --> 00:44:37,520 Speaker 1: So he's pretty high ranking general. Just so everybody everybody's tracking. 745 00:44:38,040 --> 00:44:40,120 Speaker 2: So I get this call from him a couple of 746 00:44:40,160 --> 00:44:43,320 Speaker 2: days later, g one is going to be calling you. 747 00:44:43,320 --> 00:44:46,000 Speaker 2: You need you need to pull your packet. So g 748 00:44:46,120 --> 00:44:50,920 Speaker 2: one is like the personnel for the entire for all branches. 749 00:44:50,960 --> 00:44:53,920 Speaker 2: It goes to g one, And so g one will 750 00:44:53,960 --> 00:44:54,799 Speaker 2: be calling. 751 00:44:54,480 --> 00:44:57,920 Speaker 1: You or like very very high up, very high up. 752 00:44:58,200 --> 00:44:59,920 Speaker 2: We'll be reaching out to you. You need to rec 753 00:45:00,120 --> 00:45:03,880 Speaker 2: us to pull your packet. I'm by name requesting you 754 00:45:03,920 --> 00:45:07,960 Speaker 2: to come back to West Point. So I actually I 755 00:45:08,040 --> 00:45:10,960 Speaker 2: was super close with my dad's dad. He passed away 756 00:45:11,160 --> 00:45:14,719 Speaker 2: at one hundred back in last year in twenty two. 757 00:45:15,160 --> 00:45:19,160 Speaker 2: But when I did command, I lived. My house was 758 00:45:19,200 --> 00:45:23,920 Speaker 2: thirty minutes from him, and I went over to his 759 00:45:24,000 --> 00:45:26,279 Speaker 2: house and I sat down with him at the kitchen table. 760 00:45:26,320 --> 00:45:28,440 Speaker 2: I said, you know, I'm just not sure about this assignment. 761 00:45:29,560 --> 00:45:32,400 Speaker 2: And he looked at me and said, are you kidding me? 762 00:45:32,560 --> 00:45:35,040 Speaker 2: You got by name requested. You're not giving this up 763 00:45:35,120 --> 00:45:38,640 Speaker 2: because you want to stay like around him. I was 764 00:45:38,960 --> 00:45:41,600 Speaker 2: close enough, close enough of a drive to my dad, 765 00:45:41,719 --> 00:45:45,680 Speaker 2: to my grandpa. So he said, you're not doing that. 766 00:45:45,719 --> 00:45:48,799 Speaker 2: You're good. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. 767 00:45:49,160 --> 00:45:52,759 Speaker 2: You're gonna take this job. So I did, and I 768 00:45:55,440 --> 00:45:57,520 Speaker 2: worked in the athletic department pack up. But west Point, 769 00:45:57,520 --> 00:45:59,520 Speaker 2: I was actually a director of operations for volleyball and 770 00:45:59,520 --> 00:46:02,719 Speaker 2: sprint full ball for. 771 00:46:01,640 --> 00:46:03,399 Speaker 1: The last pretty awesome. 772 00:46:03,880 --> 00:46:05,400 Speaker 2: The last fourteen months. 773 00:46:05,680 --> 00:46:08,200 Speaker 1: So another lesson for people who are watching. Don't make 774 00:46:08,239 --> 00:46:11,799 Speaker 1: decisions like, don't make decisions in Hay. This sounds like 775 00:46:11,840 --> 00:46:13,080 Speaker 1: a pretty cool opportunity. 776 00:46:13,520 --> 00:46:18,000 Speaker 2: It was. I mean, once I got up there, General 777 00:46:18,080 --> 00:46:23,719 Speaker 2: Kaslyn retired within the year, so really yeah. But I 778 00:46:23,800 --> 00:46:27,440 Speaker 2: got to see West Point under General Kaslyn and then 779 00:46:27,520 --> 00:46:33,200 Speaker 2: West Point under the last superintendent they had, and who 780 00:46:34,239 --> 00:46:36,640 Speaker 2: there's a drastic change in West Point now. 781 00:46:37,760 --> 00:46:40,040 Speaker 1: But who's the superintendent now? 782 00:46:40,400 --> 00:46:44,640 Speaker 2: Well, so now I know. So it went from General 783 00:46:44,719 --> 00:46:48,239 Speaker 2: Chaslyn to General Williams, who did some drastic changes and 784 00:46:48,280 --> 00:46:52,320 Speaker 2: not in a good way. And then now it's General Gillan. 785 00:46:52,960 --> 00:46:57,320 Speaker 2: But he just had They had pronoun training in place 786 00:46:57,400 --> 00:47:00,880 Speaker 2: of sexual assault and sexual harassment training. So instead of 787 00:47:00,880 --> 00:47:05,520 Speaker 2: sharp training, which I know everyone in the military was like, 788 00:47:05,719 --> 00:47:07,440 Speaker 2: it would always get oh why do we have to 789 00:47:07,480 --> 00:47:11,520 Speaker 2: do this? It was important training, but you replaced it 790 00:47:11,560 --> 00:47:17,359 Speaker 2: with pronoun training. I thought once they had the change 791 00:47:17,360 --> 00:47:20,600 Speaker 2: of command from General Williams to General Gillan, that it 792 00:47:20,640 --> 00:47:23,960 Speaker 2: would change, but clearly it seems to be sticking along 793 00:47:24,040 --> 00:47:27,520 Speaker 2: this path that it took in the last two to 794 00:47:27,600 --> 00:47:32,000 Speaker 2: three years, but that assignment and West Point Branch didn't 795 00:47:32,040 --> 00:47:34,440 Speaker 2: tell me it was a year assignment. So six months 796 00:47:34,440 --> 00:47:38,000 Speaker 2: in I get this email from branch that said, we're 797 00:47:38,000 --> 00:47:40,319 Speaker 2: going You're going to come down on orders in the 798 00:47:40,360 --> 00:47:42,880 Speaker 2: next few months, and I said, oh, no, I'm not 799 00:47:44,440 --> 00:47:47,000 Speaker 2: because I had seen the way the military was going 800 00:47:47,040 --> 00:47:49,920 Speaker 2: at that point. There were signs of it. I mean, 801 00:47:49,920 --> 00:47:52,879 Speaker 2: when I was in command, we had transgender training because 802 00:47:52,920 --> 00:47:59,120 Speaker 2: they were talking about allowing transgender service members coming through 803 00:47:59,239 --> 00:48:03,439 Speaker 2: basic training. AIT, so they were trying to train us. 804 00:48:03,719 --> 00:48:07,759 Speaker 2: Even the senior leaders trying giving the training. They were 805 00:48:07,800 --> 00:48:12,200 Speaker 2: flipping through their binder didn't have answers. But when a 806 00:48:12,320 --> 00:48:17,239 Speaker 2: service member it was usually NCOs, would ask very legitimate questions. 807 00:48:18,120 --> 00:48:19,920 Speaker 2: Their response was, well, if you don't like it, you 808 00:48:19,960 --> 00:48:22,640 Speaker 2: can get out. That's the wrong answer, especially. 809 00:48:22,360 --> 00:48:24,040 Speaker 1: Someone vaguely ridiculous. 810 00:48:24,480 --> 00:48:27,080 Speaker 2: That makes me ten plus years. You're not going to 811 00:48:27,160 --> 00:48:31,879 Speaker 2: tell them to accept something and if they don't accept it, 812 00:48:32,120 --> 00:48:33,960 Speaker 2: then they can just get out, like that's. 813 00:48:33,800 --> 00:48:36,520 Speaker 1: It, And it's completely it's completely contrary to how the 814 00:48:36,520 --> 00:48:40,360 Speaker 1: military is. Like you talked very early on in this interview, 815 00:48:40,360 --> 00:48:43,680 Speaker 1: Maureen about being broken down. But the reason why the 816 00:48:43,719 --> 00:48:46,200 Speaker 1: military does that. Not just hub it with everybody. They 817 00:48:46,239 --> 00:48:49,040 Speaker 1: break you down and to build you up into something better. 818 00:48:49,200 --> 00:48:52,080 Speaker 1: But not just an individual. You're part of a unit. 819 00:48:52,160 --> 00:48:55,160 Speaker 1: You're part of a collective. The idea that you're only 820 00:48:55,200 --> 00:48:59,279 Speaker 1: as fast as your slowest person, right, you learn to shoot, move, 821 00:48:59,320 --> 00:49:01,560 Speaker 1: and communicate together as a team. Then you go and 822 00:49:01,600 --> 00:49:04,080 Speaker 1: you fight, bleed, and you die together. And to this 823 00:49:04,320 --> 00:49:10,719 Speaker 1: bullshit with pronouns, and this focus on individual identity is 824 00:49:10,840 --> 00:49:15,200 Speaker 1: tearing our military apart, and we're gonna pay consequences for 825 00:49:15,239 --> 00:49:17,760 Speaker 1: it down the line. But it makes my blood boil 826 00:49:17,840 --> 00:49:21,240 Speaker 1: when I hear patriots like you, who, by the way, 827 00:49:21,520 --> 00:49:25,239 Speaker 1: by the way, volunteer to serve this country. Right, you 828 00:49:25,360 --> 00:49:29,400 Speaker 1: volunteer to serve. You come from a legacy military family, 829 00:49:29,440 --> 00:49:33,200 Speaker 1: You volunteer to serve, and you have command You have 830 00:49:33,280 --> 00:49:36,560 Speaker 1: commanders in the military that are like telling people like you, 831 00:49:36,600 --> 00:49:40,080 Speaker 1: after ten plus years of voluntary service to this country, 832 00:49:40,120 --> 00:49:41,520 Speaker 1: if you don't like it, if you don't like this 833 00:49:41,960 --> 00:49:46,040 Speaker 1: the pronoun training, you can get out. That's bullshit. That 834 00:49:46,160 --> 00:49:48,920 Speaker 1: is complete bullshit. And this country is gonna pay for 835 00:49:49,040 --> 00:49:51,400 Speaker 1: these terrible decisions someday. And it makes me sad to 836 00:49:51,440 --> 00:49:53,960 Speaker 1: say it. But it's true, Maureen, it's true. 837 00:49:54,120 --> 00:49:56,400 Speaker 2: Oh I agree with you. And you see even to 838 00:49:56,440 --> 00:50:01,000 Speaker 2: this day, good leaders getting out because of what has 839 00:50:01,040 --> 00:50:06,240 Speaker 2: become of our military. And even when I was in command, 840 00:50:06,360 --> 00:50:09,760 Speaker 2: you saw the generation that was never told no coming 841 00:50:09,800 --> 00:50:15,240 Speaker 2: into coming into the military, and then you have senior 842 00:50:15,360 --> 00:50:19,200 Speaker 2: leaders that are just allowing or perpetuating that to be 843 00:50:19,360 --> 00:50:23,600 Speaker 2: acceptable behavior, and that's not You're seeing what we the 844 00:50:23,640 --> 00:50:27,720 Speaker 2: military that we knew and loved is not the same 845 00:50:27,719 --> 00:50:33,280 Speaker 2: military at all. And because we're losing such great senior leaders, 846 00:50:33,880 --> 00:50:36,480 Speaker 2: it's going to take a long time to build that 847 00:50:36,520 --> 00:50:37,520 Speaker 2: military back up. 848 00:50:38,440 --> 00:50:42,480 Speaker 1: I agree. And so you make the decision, then, Maureen, 849 00:50:42,640 --> 00:50:46,360 Speaker 1: to to get out right, to say goodbye to the military, 850 00:50:46,520 --> 00:50:48,799 Speaker 1: and now what what are you up to now? 851 00:50:49,360 --> 00:50:55,440 Speaker 2: So when I got out, I had a passion actually 852 00:50:55,480 --> 00:50:58,120 Speaker 2: to be a nurse. I wanted to go to nursing 853 00:50:58,160 --> 00:50:59,520 Speaker 2: school and be a nick U nurse. 854 00:51:00,200 --> 00:51:01,040 Speaker 1: And that's. 855 00:51:03,480 --> 00:51:07,319 Speaker 2: Once again, my grandpa's kitchen table was like where all 856 00:51:07,360 --> 00:51:13,120 Speaker 2: the decisions. My dad was here. My grandpa was at 857 00:51:13,120 --> 00:51:14,800 Speaker 2: the table, So all three of us are at the table, 858 00:51:15,880 --> 00:51:18,359 Speaker 2: and my dad was like, are you sure that this 859 00:51:18,440 --> 00:51:21,239 Speaker 2: is what you want to do? Is it just a 860 00:51:21,239 --> 00:51:24,400 Speaker 2: decision that you're making, and you'll change your mind in 861 00:51:24,440 --> 00:51:27,120 Speaker 2: a couple of months. And I literally had an Excel 862 00:51:27,160 --> 00:51:29,440 Speaker 2: spreadsheet with all of the nursing schools I wanted to 863 00:51:29,480 --> 00:51:34,520 Speaker 2: apply to. They're like days for application the program. I 864 00:51:35,360 --> 00:51:37,760 Speaker 2: had done a ton of research on it. So he said, okay, 865 00:51:38,160 --> 00:51:42,720 Speaker 2: if that's what you if that's what you want to do, okay. 866 00:51:42,840 --> 00:51:48,000 Speaker 2: So then at the time applying, I knew I needed 867 00:51:48,080 --> 00:51:53,400 Speaker 2: to have income coming in. I couldn't not work, but 868 00:51:54,480 --> 00:51:57,800 Speaker 2: especially because going from the military, it's like, yeah, terminal 869 00:51:57,920 --> 00:52:01,640 Speaker 2: leave was nice, but then one that's over with, it's 870 00:52:01,640 --> 00:52:03,759 Speaker 2: like I need to feel like once I get up, 871 00:52:03,800 --> 00:52:06,080 Speaker 2: I have something to do. There's a purpose to the day, 872 00:52:07,600 --> 00:52:10,839 Speaker 2: not just sitting and doing stuff around the house, which 873 00:52:10,880 --> 00:52:15,200 Speaker 2: was nice, do not get me wrong. But so I 874 00:52:15,239 --> 00:52:19,400 Speaker 2: actually took a job with a flooring company doing logistics 875 00:52:19,400 --> 00:52:23,200 Speaker 2: for them, and they are a very liberal company, so 876 00:52:23,239 --> 00:52:24,680 Speaker 2: it was only supposed to be a stepping stone. I 877 00:52:24,800 --> 00:52:29,720 Speaker 2: ended up working there for two years. But at during 878 00:52:30,040 --> 00:52:33,960 Speaker 2: that time I was applying to nursing schools, and honestly, 879 00:52:34,000 --> 00:52:36,840 Speaker 2: my top two denied me in missions and said that 880 00:52:36,880 --> 00:52:41,960 Speaker 2: my undergrad GPA didn't make me a good candidate for 881 00:52:42,000 --> 00:52:48,160 Speaker 2: their school. I'm and by the time I'm applying, it's 882 00:52:48,640 --> 00:52:54,440 Speaker 2: nineteen going into twenty twenty. Like, really my undergrad GPA 883 00:52:54,600 --> 00:52:57,200 Speaker 2: from I graduated West Point in twenty ten, so we're 884 00:52:57,200 --> 00:52:58,960 Speaker 2: looking at six to twenty. 885 00:52:58,719 --> 00:53:02,640 Speaker 1: Ten and all your combat experience and command experience and 886 00:53:02,719 --> 00:53:05,360 Speaker 1: time in the military as a leader. It sounds like 887 00:53:05,480 --> 00:53:08,160 Speaker 1: it was more just your last name. It did laugh, 888 00:53:08,280 --> 00:53:09,160 Speaker 1: but it sounds like. 889 00:53:09,120 --> 00:53:12,160 Speaker 2: It's all the prerecs I took. I got straight a's 890 00:53:12,880 --> 00:53:17,880 Speaker 2: through Johns Hopkins Online, so clearly I am a decent student. 891 00:53:18,000 --> 00:53:22,920 Speaker 2: I just eighteen to twenty two. Academics weren't the priority, 892 00:53:23,160 --> 00:53:27,560 Speaker 2: like people's priorities changed clearly by my prerecks. I showed 893 00:53:27,560 --> 00:53:30,800 Speaker 2: that I was a better student. So at that time, 894 00:53:31,000 --> 00:53:35,120 Speaker 2: thinking well, maybe this isn't actually what God has in 895 00:53:35,160 --> 00:53:38,719 Speaker 2: mind for me to do. And then all of a 896 00:53:38,760 --> 00:53:42,680 Speaker 2: sudden twenty twenty election, Like the lead up to it, 897 00:53:43,520 --> 00:53:48,120 Speaker 2: my dad was doing some events about how the Democrats 898 00:53:48,120 --> 00:53:53,879 Speaker 2: were going to steal the election. Speaking at events. There 899 00:53:53,960 --> 00:53:56,440 Speaker 2: was one here in Virginia. I went to it. I 900 00:53:56,480 --> 00:54:02,640 Speaker 2: was like, very valid point, also stuff I had already heard, 901 00:54:02,719 --> 00:54:04,880 Speaker 2: But just sitting there listening to him, I'm like yeah, 902 00:54:05,120 --> 00:54:10,080 Speaker 2: like getting really fired up about it. And then I 903 00:54:10,120 --> 00:54:12,839 Speaker 2: was still working for that flooring company and they were 904 00:54:12,840 --> 00:54:17,320 Speaker 2: pushing the vaccine in twenty twenty, and I had allergic 905 00:54:17,360 --> 00:54:20,600 Speaker 2: reactions in the military to vaccine, so medically I had 906 00:54:20,600 --> 00:54:23,000 Speaker 2: a reason for not getting it, despite my views on 907 00:54:23,040 --> 00:54:26,560 Speaker 2: the COVID vaccine. That aside, so they couldn't fire me 908 00:54:26,640 --> 00:54:30,319 Speaker 2: because I had a legitimate, legitimate medical reason. So they 909 00:54:30,360 --> 00:54:32,920 Speaker 2: were trying to fire me or find a reason to 910 00:54:32,960 --> 00:54:36,560 Speaker 2: fire me for any other reason. And I saw that 911 00:54:36,640 --> 00:54:38,840 Speaker 2: writing on the wall. They were making it blatantly clear. 912 00:54:38,960 --> 00:54:42,400 Speaker 2: So I actually called my dad and I said, I 913 00:54:42,440 --> 00:54:46,000 Speaker 2: know you've talked about us working together. Let's talk once again. 914 00:54:46,360 --> 00:54:50,120 Speaker 2: Grandpa's dining or kitchen table. We sit down and talk 915 00:54:50,200 --> 00:54:53,400 Speaker 2: about it. And the first thing out of his mouth 916 00:54:53,520 --> 00:54:57,600 Speaker 2: was finally because he had seen the potential forman politics 917 00:54:57,600 --> 00:55:01,120 Speaker 2: from the beginning, and I just I was, you know, 918 00:55:01,200 --> 00:55:04,400 Speaker 2: that stubborn kid from way back when I was like, no, 919 00:55:04,480 --> 00:55:06,520 Speaker 2: I'm gonna this is my path. I'm going to make 920 00:55:06,520 --> 00:55:11,680 Speaker 2: the decision. But he saw that potential and I haven't 921 00:55:11,719 --> 00:55:14,680 Speaker 2: looked back since. I literally my last day at that 922 00:55:14,840 --> 00:55:18,279 Speaker 2: other company was November eleventh, so it was Veteran's Day 923 00:55:18,320 --> 00:55:22,680 Speaker 2: of twenty one, and I have been with war Room. 924 00:55:22,719 --> 00:55:25,879 Speaker 2: I started with war Room November twelfth of twenty one. 925 00:55:26,800 --> 00:55:32,000 Speaker 1: That's amazing. And so now you you're in the political arena, 926 00:55:32,200 --> 00:55:34,359 Speaker 1: you're in the fight, Maureene, There's no two ways about it. 927 00:55:34,400 --> 00:55:37,120 Speaker 1: You see, I've been in the fight myself. But you 928 00:55:37,120 --> 00:55:39,720 Speaker 1: see how vicious it can be. I mean, right now, 929 00:55:40,280 --> 00:55:43,520 Speaker 1: you know, like the most recent political things that are 930 00:55:43,560 --> 00:55:47,680 Speaker 1: happening is the Democrats, Communist Democrats in New York City 931 00:55:47,800 --> 00:55:51,760 Speaker 1: indicted President Trump on bogus charges. You had a radical 932 00:55:51,800 --> 00:55:57,320 Speaker 1: Democrat that is many considered to be worse than Lori Lightfoot, 933 00:55:57,320 --> 00:55:59,600 Speaker 1: somebody who just believes in like letting all violent criminals 934 00:55:59,600 --> 00:56:02,600 Speaker 1: out of prison. And so Chicago, they're just elected in Chicago. 935 00:56:02,920 --> 00:56:04,960 Speaker 1: So there's going to be a that city is going 936 00:56:05,000 --> 00:56:08,560 Speaker 1: to continue its downward trend, a death spiral in Chicago. 937 00:56:09,320 --> 00:56:13,480 Speaker 1: And we just had the Wisconsin Supreme Court fliped from 938 00:56:13,600 --> 00:56:16,680 Speaker 1: Republican controlled Supreme Court to Democrat control, which means they're 939 00:56:16,680 --> 00:56:20,960 Speaker 1: going to unravel all of the existing election integrity laws 940 00:56:20,960 --> 00:56:23,600 Speaker 1: in that state, while of course rolling out a bunch 941 00:56:23,640 --> 00:56:28,719 Speaker 1: of new laws that loosen election integrity and make it 942 00:56:28,760 --> 00:56:31,080 Speaker 1: easier for Democrats to win in the critical swing state 943 00:56:31,120 --> 00:56:34,640 Speaker 1: of Wisconsin, like Republicans cannot win in twenty twenty four, 944 00:56:35,080 --> 00:56:37,239 Speaker 1: I don't see a path to the presidency. They if 945 00:56:37,280 --> 00:56:39,520 Speaker 1: we lose Wisconsin, we have to have it lost that 946 00:56:39,640 --> 00:56:45,520 Speaker 1: race too, And so you see how Democrats won their 947 00:56:45,560 --> 00:56:48,000 Speaker 1: laser focused on winning elections. I don't think anybody was 948 00:56:48,000 --> 00:56:50,239 Speaker 1: talking about that Wisconsin Supreme Court race. I mean, I 949 00:56:50,280 --> 00:56:53,359 Speaker 1: had Scott Pressler on this program, you and war Room, 950 00:56:53,440 --> 00:56:55,560 Speaker 1: your dad, you guys had Scott Presser on multiple times 951 00:56:55,560 --> 00:56:58,760 Speaker 1: talk about Wisconsin, but the establishment wing of our party 952 00:56:58,800 --> 00:57:00,879 Speaker 1: didn't seem to be focused on it at all. That's 953 00:57:00,920 --> 00:57:04,520 Speaker 1: a real problem because Democrats are laser focused on winning 954 00:57:04,600 --> 00:57:08,640 Speaker 1: races just like this. And you've seen the weaponization of 955 00:57:08,719 --> 00:57:12,440 Speaker 1: our of our justicystem. You've seen it personally. You have 956 00:57:12,560 --> 00:57:16,480 Speaker 1: your father who has served this country his entire life 957 00:57:16,840 --> 00:57:20,640 Speaker 1: right in uniform and then served as chief of staff 958 00:57:20,680 --> 00:57:22,440 Speaker 1: in the White House, worked with President Trump, worked with 959 00:57:22,440 --> 00:57:25,800 Speaker 1: the President of the United States, and they're doing to 960 00:57:25,960 --> 00:57:29,120 Speaker 1: your dad exactly what they're doing to President Trump on 961 00:57:29,160 --> 00:57:32,440 Speaker 1: these bullshit charges just to make an example of him, 962 00:57:32,480 --> 00:57:34,800 Speaker 1: just because he doesn't have the right views. And what 963 00:57:35,320 --> 00:57:37,960 Speaker 1: many people don't realize much in the same way Maureen 964 00:57:38,080 --> 00:57:40,720 Speaker 1: that like a parent that like that has never had 965 00:57:40,720 --> 00:57:43,280 Speaker 1: a child serve and war will never really understand what 966 00:57:43,320 --> 00:57:45,440 Speaker 1: it's like to go through that, to feel like you 967 00:57:45,480 --> 00:57:49,880 Speaker 1: might lose your son or daughter every day. When the 968 00:57:49,960 --> 00:57:53,760 Speaker 1: system is weaponized against good people, it affects more than 969 00:57:53,760 --> 00:57:55,600 Speaker 1: just the person that's going through it. Like, how has 970 00:57:55,640 --> 00:57:58,840 Speaker 1: that been for you? To watch your father treated this 971 00:57:58,920 --> 00:58:00,600 Speaker 1: way by a country that he loves? 972 00:58:02,440 --> 00:58:07,400 Speaker 2: Infuriating? And I think I know yesterday a lot of 973 00:58:07,400 --> 00:58:10,040 Speaker 2: people were upset. I was upset as well of what 974 00:58:10,080 --> 00:58:17,720 Speaker 2: they're doing to President Trump. I think that I didn't 975 00:58:17,800 --> 00:58:20,720 Speaker 2: voice it as much as some of my friends yesterday, 976 00:58:20,880 --> 00:58:24,520 Speaker 2: just because I've been through that. I've seen them go 977 00:58:24,680 --> 00:58:29,720 Speaker 2: after my dad, And yeah, yesterday, you know, I think 978 00:58:29,760 --> 00:58:32,360 Speaker 2: a lot of people were expecting to see President Trump. Honestly, 979 00:58:32,400 --> 00:58:35,520 Speaker 2: purp walked in handcuffs. I wouldn't have put it past 980 00:58:35,560 --> 00:58:37,680 Speaker 2: them up there in New York City in all honesty, 981 00:58:38,040 --> 00:58:41,440 Speaker 2: because that's exactly what they did to my dad. You 982 00:58:41,480 --> 00:58:44,320 Speaker 2: think that my dad is such a flight risk or such, 983 00:58:44,640 --> 00:58:47,760 Speaker 2: you have to make such a show of it that 984 00:58:47,880 --> 00:58:50,880 Speaker 2: you have to put him in handcuffs. And walk him 985 00:58:51,400 --> 00:58:56,240 Speaker 2: him down, and of course my dad the entire time 986 00:58:56,560 --> 00:59:01,840 Speaker 2: was talking so and Peter and Navarro they did that. 987 00:59:01,920 --> 00:59:05,000 Speaker 2: Damn they put him in leg shackles. You know, it's 988 00:59:04,520 --> 00:59:09,960 Speaker 2: it's infuriating they are it's political, a political which hunt 989 00:59:10,000 --> 00:59:15,320 Speaker 2: and all three of these gentlemen. And what they don't realize 990 00:59:15,360 --> 00:59:20,840 Speaker 2: is it's not going to silence anyone, not only not 991 00:59:20,880 --> 00:59:25,120 Speaker 2: only are these three, especially my dad and President Trump, 992 00:59:25,400 --> 00:59:28,280 Speaker 2: They're not gonna be silenced. They're gonna They're going to 993 00:59:28,440 --> 00:59:33,800 Speaker 2: continue to fight. But it's just adding motivation to everyone 994 00:59:33,960 --> 00:59:40,240 Speaker 2: behind them to continue to fight. And it's not just me, 995 00:59:41,240 --> 00:59:45,760 Speaker 2: you know, in our family, it's his siblings, his nieces 996 00:59:45,800 --> 00:59:50,760 Speaker 2: and nephews that are frustrated seeing such a good person 997 00:59:51,280 --> 00:59:55,600 Speaker 2: being politically persecuted because he is speaking the. 998 00:59:55,560 --> 00:59:59,960 Speaker 1: Truth and why like what like so the double state 999 01:00:00,440 --> 01:00:04,560 Speaker 1: an AIRIC holder who by the way, was worked for 1000 01:00:04,640 --> 01:00:07,200 Speaker 1: the federal government when he was subpoena And I honestly 1001 01:00:07,280 --> 01:00:11,840 Speaker 1: I question the constitutionality of Congresses and the House's subpoena 1002 01:00:11,920 --> 01:00:15,160 Speaker 1: power in the first place. It's not a power that's 1003 01:00:15,280 --> 01:00:19,000 Speaker 1: enumerated in the actual constitution. Supreme Court is upheld that 1004 01:00:19,600 --> 01:00:22,760 Speaker 1: you know, it's an implied power just because Congress has 1005 01:00:22,800 --> 01:00:25,400 Speaker 1: been doing it for the past one hundred years. But okay, 1006 01:00:25,680 --> 01:00:28,360 Speaker 1: maybe I'll grant Okay, maybe the House can subpoena people 1007 01:00:28,360 --> 01:00:31,560 Speaker 1: who work for the government, people like Fauci, people like 1008 01:00:31,720 --> 01:00:35,160 Speaker 1: Eric Holder, people who are are working in government. But 1009 01:00:35,440 --> 01:00:38,200 Speaker 1: what gives Congress the right to subpoena a private citizen? 1010 01:00:38,520 --> 01:00:41,160 Speaker 1: In fact, we should have the right to subpoena members 1011 01:00:41,160 --> 01:00:44,160 Speaker 1: of Congress. They work for us, not the other way around. 1012 01:00:44,520 --> 01:00:49,480 Speaker 1: So I I like Eric Holder. What happened to him 1013 01:00:49,480 --> 01:00:53,040 Speaker 1: when he was subpoena Nothing, Nothing, when he when he 1014 01:00:53,040 --> 01:00:56,440 Speaker 1: didn't when he didn't show turn up right, nothing. But 1015 01:00:56,520 --> 01:00:59,560 Speaker 1: yet their laser focused on on going after people like 1016 01:00:59,680 --> 01:01:03,760 Speaker 1: your dad and Trump and Peter Navarro for one reason 1017 01:01:03,760 --> 01:01:06,040 Speaker 1: and one reason only, to say you stepped out of line, 1018 01:01:06,080 --> 01:01:07,920 Speaker 1: and we're making an example of you so no one 1019 01:01:07,920 --> 01:01:10,480 Speaker 1: else does. It's disgusting, It. 1020 01:01:10,480 --> 01:01:13,520 Speaker 2: Is extremely disgusting. And the fact that there were nine 1021 01:01:14,120 --> 01:01:18,680 Speaker 2: Republicans that voted to hold him in contempt of Congress, 1022 01:01:19,360 --> 01:01:23,120 Speaker 2: you'd expect that from Democrats because he's voicing this is 1023 01:01:23,120 --> 01:01:27,400 Speaker 2: what regards to my dad, that he's voicing and speaking 1024 01:01:27,440 --> 01:01:29,880 Speaker 2: the truth, and they don't want that out there. They 1025 01:01:29,920 --> 01:01:33,040 Speaker 2: want their narrative to be the one pushed. So you 1026 01:01:33,160 --> 01:01:35,040 Speaker 2: get it that there are going to be Democrats that 1027 01:01:35,200 --> 01:01:38,000 Speaker 2: vote to hold him in contempt of Congress for actually 1028 01:01:38,000 --> 01:01:41,360 Speaker 2: speaking the truth. But the nine Republicans that voted to 1029 01:01:41,400 --> 01:01:45,760 Speaker 2: hold him in contempt of Congress, and two of them 1030 01:01:45,880 --> 01:01:48,840 Speaker 2: are still in office right now, so they need to 1031 01:01:48,880 --> 01:01:51,400 Speaker 2: be voted out come twenty twenty four. 1032 01:01:52,120 --> 01:01:53,080 Speaker 1: I agree, who are they? 1033 01:01:54,360 --> 01:01:57,000 Speaker 2: Well, one my classmate ran against. 1034 01:01:57,120 --> 01:01:59,440 Speaker 1: But you, oh, you don't have to say. You don't 1035 01:01:59,480 --> 01:02:01,080 Speaker 1: have to say name. I don't want to put you 1036 01:02:01,120 --> 01:02:03,320 Speaker 1: on the spot, all right, sea spire on that you 1037 01:02:03,360 --> 01:02:04,520 Speaker 1: don't have to drop names. 1038 01:02:04,560 --> 01:02:07,240 Speaker 2: I won't, I won't. I won't say names. But one 1039 01:02:07,280 --> 01:02:12,960 Speaker 2: is in Pennsylvania and one she is from South Carolina? 1040 01:02:13,360 --> 01:02:19,320 Speaker 1: Gotcha? Gotcha? Well, okay, moreen. What's what is what's next 1041 01:02:19,440 --> 01:02:23,240 Speaker 1: for you? CEO of war Room? Warrooms growing like ganglusters. 1042 01:02:23,440 --> 01:02:25,760 Speaker 1: Someone texted me the other day. They're like Steve Bannon 1043 01:02:25,800 --> 01:02:28,640 Speaker 1: and Warrooms rolling out a publishing company. That's pretty awesome. 1044 01:02:29,000 --> 01:02:33,000 Speaker 1: I'm like, those people never stop. They're just growing and growing. 1045 01:02:33,080 --> 01:02:34,720 Speaker 1: So what's what's next for you? 1046 01:02:35,320 --> 01:02:39,880 Speaker 2: We're, like you said, we're always growing there's no day 1047 01:02:39,920 --> 01:02:40,280 Speaker 2: off in. 1048 01:02:40,240 --> 01:02:40,880 Speaker 1: The war room. 1049 01:02:41,040 --> 01:02:43,400 Speaker 2: People think that we take a day off. You know, 1050 01:02:43,560 --> 01:02:46,640 Speaker 2: Sunday's a little bit lighter day. Someone asked me recently 1051 01:02:46,880 --> 01:02:50,440 Speaker 2: how many hours I work. It's like about eighteen sixteen 1052 01:02:50,480 --> 01:02:55,240 Speaker 2: to eighteen hours a day a day, and usually the 1053 01:02:55,360 --> 01:03:00,400 Speaker 2: other hours I'm sleeping. But Sundays are a little bit 1054 01:03:00,480 --> 01:03:03,720 Speaker 2: less than that. I do get to enjoy a little 1055 01:03:04,760 --> 01:03:08,800 Speaker 2: relaxing time during Sunday and some work. But just can 1056 01:03:09,360 --> 01:03:13,800 Speaker 2: continue to grow the show, and we're always, you know, 1057 01:03:15,080 --> 01:03:20,000 Speaker 2: trying staying ahead of the news cycle and just getting 1058 01:03:20,000 --> 01:03:24,200 Speaker 2: more people involved and growing the grassroots movement. We saw 1059 01:03:24,360 --> 01:03:31,400 Speaker 2: in twenty twenty two the candidates that won their elections, 1060 01:03:31,440 --> 01:03:34,600 Speaker 2: a lot of them had grassroots movements. Like one of 1061 01:03:34,640 --> 01:03:38,760 Speaker 2: my friends, Yeah, exactly one of my friends. She was 1062 01:03:38,800 --> 01:03:42,600 Speaker 2: out there door knocking six hours a day, seven days 1063 01:03:42,640 --> 01:03:46,480 Speaker 2: a week. I mean, she had an amazing grassroots effort 1064 01:03:46,520 --> 01:03:50,440 Speaker 2: in her campaign and she was part of that campaign 1065 01:03:50,920 --> 01:03:54,680 Speaker 2: and she won. She's now a congresswoman. And you see 1066 01:03:54,720 --> 01:03:57,880 Speaker 2: other people within the Republican Party that just phoned in 1067 01:03:57,920 --> 01:04:00,960 Speaker 2: their campaigns and they didn't win. And now we have 1068 01:04:02,280 --> 01:04:08,680 Speaker 2: very far left Democrats in these positions. So we want 1069 01:04:08,720 --> 01:04:12,320 Speaker 2: to or at least I want our show to continue 1070 01:04:12,320 --> 01:04:16,800 Speaker 2: to grow the grassroots movement we are. We're constantly getting 1071 01:04:16,840 --> 01:04:21,200 Speaker 2: new viewers to the show. So as CEO, that is 1072 01:04:21,240 --> 01:04:24,880 Speaker 2: my goal to continue to be force multipliers to get 1073 01:04:24,880 --> 01:04:28,800 Speaker 2: people that haven't watched a show or who you know, 1074 01:04:28,920 --> 01:04:32,000 Speaker 2: have some type of view of my dad or our 1075 01:04:32,080 --> 01:04:35,280 Speaker 2: family based on what mainstream media is trying to push. 1076 01:04:36,080 --> 01:04:38,280 Speaker 2: My goal is to open their eyes that that is 1077 01:04:38,320 --> 01:04:41,840 Speaker 2: not the correct narrative and get them to be viewers 1078 01:04:41,880 --> 01:04:45,560 Speaker 2: of the show and see what actually needs to be 1079 01:04:45,600 --> 01:04:49,640 Speaker 2: done in this country. As CEO, I do more of 1080 01:04:49,680 --> 01:04:52,800 Speaker 2: the business side. So my dad is the face and 1081 01:04:52,880 --> 01:04:56,960 Speaker 2: content of the show and I am I told someone, 1082 01:04:57,000 --> 01:05:00,200 Speaker 2: I said, he's the beauty on the brains, but he's like, 1083 01:05:00,560 --> 01:05:03,720 Speaker 2: lets you really the one, like the smartest man, I know, 1084 01:05:04,160 --> 01:05:09,360 Speaker 2: so very smart, very I do all the business side 1085 01:05:09,520 --> 01:05:14,760 Speaker 2: of it, So I my goal is to continue, you know, 1086 01:05:14,920 --> 01:05:18,720 Speaker 2: to grow our sponsors too. We have some amazing sponsors 1087 01:05:20,240 --> 01:05:23,960 Speaker 2: who have great products across the board. So that's my 1088 01:05:24,040 --> 01:05:27,600 Speaker 2: goal is to build the business on build the show 1089 01:05:27,960 --> 01:05:30,960 Speaker 2: and the company on the business side, and just continue 1090 01:05:31,800 --> 01:05:35,320 Speaker 2: to help my dad in any way possible. I mean, 1091 01:05:35,360 --> 01:05:40,920 Speaker 2: and eventually eventually, I know, I know my dad would 1092 01:05:40,920 --> 01:05:45,600 Speaker 2: like to be a grandfather, so eventually have enough time 1093 01:05:45,640 --> 01:05:49,280 Speaker 2: to have a family and let him have some grandkids 1094 01:05:49,320 --> 01:05:50,120 Speaker 2: of his own. 1095 01:05:50,480 --> 01:05:53,080 Speaker 1: Well, Maureen, I have to say your parents, your family, 1096 01:05:53,600 --> 01:05:56,200 Speaker 1: you know, not just your dad, but they all must 1097 01:05:56,200 --> 01:05:58,160 Speaker 1: be so proud of you, your service and what you 1098 01:05:58,200 --> 01:06:02,280 Speaker 1: continue to do for this country. Like your dad said, finally, 1099 01:06:02,320 --> 01:06:04,400 Speaker 1: you're in the fight. Stay in the fight. This country 1100 01:06:04,440 --> 01:06:09,080 Speaker 1: needs you. And thank you so much for coming on 1101 01:06:09,160 --> 01:06:11,920 Speaker 1: the show. I really appreciate it. I was psyched to 1102 01:06:11,960 --> 01:06:15,960 Speaker 1: talk to you, and God bless you seriously. And for 1103 01:06:16,000 --> 01:06:19,000 Speaker 1: those of you who are watching listening, subscribe to the 1104 01:06:19,000 --> 01:06:22,520 Speaker 1: podcast on YouTube rumble like wherever you listen to podcasts. 1105 01:06:22,560 --> 01:06:24,400 Speaker 1: We need your help. We love you. I hope you 1106 01:06:24,520 --> 01:06:27,680 Speaker 1: enjoyed my conversation with Maureene Bannon. She's a patriot, she's 1107 01:06:27,720 --> 01:06:31,240 Speaker 1: a fighter, she loves this country. Follow Where can people 1108 01:06:31,280 --> 01:06:31,640 Speaker 1: find you? 1109 01:06:32,280 --> 01:06:34,120 Speaker 2: They can find me on get her and Twitter at 1110 01:06:34,160 --> 01:06:38,560 Speaker 2: Maureen Underscore Bannon and also on Instagram at real Maureene Bannon. 1111 01:06:38,600 --> 01:06:44,040 Speaker 2: And I post a ton usually on Instagram. I got 1112 01:06:44,080 --> 01:06:46,360 Speaker 2: to get back to posting more on Twitter and get her. 1113 01:06:47,080 --> 01:06:50,840 Speaker 1: Yeah. So there you've got your marching orders, follow Marine 1114 01:06:50,840 --> 01:06:54,680 Speaker 1: wherever she is. She's a pipe hitter. As she says, 1115 01:06:54,720 --> 01:06:57,760 Speaker 1: she's a force multiplier. All right, everybody, thank you for 1116 01:06:57,880 --> 01:07:02,280 Speaker 1: listening to Battleground Podcast, where we never retreat and never surrender. 1117 01:07:02,600 --> 01:07:05,600 Speaker 1: Remember to subscribe to wherever you listen to podcasts, and 1118 01:07:05,600 --> 01:07:08,400 Speaker 1: also follow us on YouTube and rumble so you don't 1119 01:07:08,480 --> 01:07:12,320 Speaker 1: miss a beat, and don't forget to check out Battleground 1120 01:07:12,360 --> 01:07:15,880 Speaker 1: Apparel for top quality patriotic clothing that lets you show 1121 01:07:15,920 --> 01:07:20,520 Speaker 1: your pride in America. Together, let's continue to fight for 1122 01:07:20,600 --> 01:07:25,160 Speaker 1: our country and never back down. God bless you all, 1123 01:07:26,080 --> 01:07:29,440 Speaker 1: and may God bless this exceptional nation that we've been in. 1124 01:07:30,080 --> 01:07:50,720 Speaker 1: Take care