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Speaker 1: If it doesn't work, you're just not using enough. You're

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Speaker 1: listening to Software Bradio Special Operations, Military news and straight

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Speaker 1: talk with the guys and the community. And hello and everyone,

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Speaker 1: Welcome back to Software Bradio, Software Bradio on Time on Target.

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Speaker 1: You know, we have a great podcast lined up for

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Speaker 1: you folks. Here today we have General Donald Bold Duke

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Speaker 1: with us. The general spent believable with thirty three years

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Speaker 1: in uniform for the United States Army. He actually rose

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Speaker 1: from a private. He enlisted in initially as a private,

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Speaker 1: worked his way up to become a general. Um served

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Speaker 1: in Afghanistan, served in a bunch of different places, ended

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Speaker 1: up in Africa with Africa, and later UH commanded Special

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Speaker 1: Operations Command Africa's so h he has a wealth of experience.

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Speaker 1: We're gonna talk to him about a bunch of this stuff.

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Speaker 1: We're gonna talk to him about his military career, and

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Speaker 1: we're also going to talk to the general today because

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Speaker 1: he's running for senator in the great state of New Hampshire,

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Speaker 1: where I looked for a very very short while. But

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Speaker 1: we're wishing the best for him up there. He's running

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Speaker 1: against Jean Shaheen in the upcoming election, which should be

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Speaker 1: an interesting one, and we're gonna talk to him about

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Speaker 1: all this. But before we get any further, we want

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Speaker 1: to welcome to general General Boulder, thank you very much

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Speaker 1: for taking the time with us this morning. We really

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Speaker 1: appreciate it. Well, Steve, thank you very much. It's great

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Speaker 1: to be on. I really appreciate the opportunity, and I

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Speaker 1: just want to give a shout out to all your

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Speaker 1: listeners and thank them as well. Yeah, we have a

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Speaker 1: lot of listeners that end readers for our site that

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Speaker 1: you know, very much interested in military affairs. So I'm

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Speaker 1: sure most of them are, you know, well versed in

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Speaker 1: who you are. But don't talk a little bit about

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Speaker 1: your military career because that's, you know, shapes for all

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Speaker 1: of us who spent so many years in the military.

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Speaker 1: You spend a lot more time than I did in uniform,

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Speaker 1: but you know, it shapes who we are, and so

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Speaker 1: let's talk a little bit about it. You initially enlisted

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Speaker 1: out of the Laconia in New Hampshire as a as

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Speaker 1: a private. I did, um, you know what an opportunity

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Speaker 1: I had to grow up here in the in in Laconia,

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Speaker 1: New Hampshire and be raised in the family um that

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Speaker 1: I uh was born into, you know not. You know,

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Speaker 1: that's one choice we don't get. But I got lucky

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Speaker 1: and got one into a family that believes in service,

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Speaker 1: believes in hard work and focus and never quitting. And

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Speaker 1: I got a whole bunch of that working on our

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Speaker 1: family farm. And it's really driven me to want to

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Speaker 1: be the best I possibly can be and to serve others. Uh.

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Speaker 1: And so I joined right out of high school. Wasn't

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Speaker 1: an option for Baltock mails in my family. My grandfather

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Speaker 1: made it a requirement for all Baltock Mails to serve

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Speaker 1: in the military. Excuse me, so uh. When I went

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Speaker 1: into the recruiter, he opened up the desk drawer, took

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Speaker 1: out all the Baltock names in in in the Lakes

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Speaker 1: Region area and said which one of you? I said,

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Speaker 1: I'm done, and he scratched my name off and brought

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Speaker 1: me over, took my test, and next thing I know,

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Speaker 1: I was on my way. I'll signed up on my

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Speaker 1: way from my first active duty stint and you know, uh,

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Speaker 1: serving as a private and a sergeant and then having

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Speaker 1: the opportunity to go through r OTC and becoming a

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Speaker 1: second lieutenant and then working with all the great people

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Speaker 1: that I had the opportunity to work with in my career. Um,

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Speaker 1: it's something that I look back on and I cherished

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Speaker 1: to this day. UM. My only regret is, like probably

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Speaker 1: you and many others, I wish I was still serving.

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Speaker 1: Yeah that's it. I mean, you know, there wasn't a

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Speaker 1: day go by. I don't think that all of us

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Speaker 1: wish we could turn that clock back and start it

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Speaker 1: and do it all over again. You know, but yes, yeah,

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Speaker 1: that would be nice. Did you know it wouldn't be life?

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Speaker 1: You know, it would be nice to turn that clock

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Speaker 1: back and still know what you know today. Well, you know.

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Speaker 1: And on another note, I was, you know, I was

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Speaker 1: checking out your website for and we'll get into the

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Speaker 1: election here shortly, but I was checking out your website

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Speaker 1: some of your fireside chats that you do, and I

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Speaker 1: was like, well, the general still looks like he could

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Speaker 1: pass selection, so a lot of the rest of us.

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Speaker 1: I yes, I'm waiting. You know, there's a part of

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Speaker 1: me in the back of my brain it says, you

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Speaker 1: know what I'm I'm waiting for someone to call me

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Speaker 1: up and say, hey, we need you, we need you back,

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Speaker 1: we need we need we need uh your involvement. Uh,

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Speaker 1: so I want to stay ready for that day. Yeah.

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Speaker 1: A quick funny story here. Um. You know, I was

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Speaker 1: working as a journalist for a small town newspaper and

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Speaker 1: my chief of police was a guy from the range

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Speaker 1: of Battalion and they had a hostage situation and they

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Speaker 1: had a uh the SWAT team come out. And so

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Speaker 1: I got a call that from the death sergeant saying, hey,

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Speaker 1: the chief, they have the swat team out. They need

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Speaker 1: you to uput the you know, he gave me this address.

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Speaker 1: So I'm like, you, why do you need me? So

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Speaker 1: I pulled up there and you know, the swat teams

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Speaker 1: all there. So they escorted me in and I said

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Speaker 1: to the chief, I don't have any of my gear anymore.

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Speaker 1: You know, you need me to be the first guy

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Speaker 1: in the stack here or what? And he was laughing.

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Speaker 1: He was like no, but you know that you know

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Speaker 1: the rules of engagement, how it all works. And this

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Speaker 1: guy wanted to speak to a member of the press,

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Speaker 1: so they got him to stand down. But it was

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Speaker 1: funny because it's like, you know, you you start seeing

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Speaker 1: all the guys with all their gear on, even the police,

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Speaker 1: but you know they wear so much military stuff these days,

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Speaker 1: and and it's like, man, I kind of missed this stuff,

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Speaker 1: but I'm getting too old for it. Yeah, I mean,

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Speaker 1: I mean, you do you know when you see our

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Speaker 1: service members leaving, uh, and particularly when they're leaving, you're like, jeez,

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Speaker 1: I feel I feel bad staying back, right, Um, But

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Speaker 1: I'm glad we have those young men and women out

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Speaker 1: there willing to go. There's not many of them in

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Speaker 1: this country that are willing to make that sacrifice, and

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Speaker 1: we see that in the less than one percent serve

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Speaker 1: And so it does my heart good to know that

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Speaker 1: there's people out there that are's still gonna move to

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Speaker 1: the sound of the gun and and serve our country

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Speaker 1: in that way. But I sure do wish that I

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Speaker 1: could pick up a rifle and stand a post with him,

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Speaker 1: you know what I mean? Yeah? Same here. Um, So

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Speaker 1: what year did you go through SP training? So? I

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Speaker 1: went through Special Forces training from nine two to three

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Speaker 1: and that included selection, uh, the Infantry Officer Advanced Course UH,

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Speaker 1: and then the Q course and language school. So you know,

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Speaker 1: it was a let's see, started in basically February and

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Speaker 1: went all the way through and got to fifth group

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Speaker 1: in September of Yeah, yeah, okay, because I didn't know

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Speaker 1: if I was working out at Selection when you had

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Speaker 1: come through, and uh, I was. I was just curious

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Speaker 1: about the dates there. But I was already gone. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: I was already gone by then. I was actually that

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Speaker 1: was a year that that time frame. I was down

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Speaker 1: in Columbia. So we probably passed each other in the

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Speaker 1: night somewhere, but yeah, we probably did. You know, I

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Speaker 1: really like uh, you know, I mean, I mean I

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Speaker 1: thought Selection was awesome, right, it was, you know, it

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Speaker 1: was a good smoke show, and you know, just the

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Speaker 1: professionalism of the n c O s out there and

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Speaker 1: and that, hey, you know, the balance between working with

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Speaker 1: a team and then individual effort and and and so on.

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Speaker 1: I I don't know what Selection is like today, but

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Speaker 1: I do know that when I went through it in

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Speaker 1: two I thought it was a quality smoke show and

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Speaker 1: did what it was supposed to do. Yeah, and I've

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Speaker 1: heard it's still pretty much the same. I spoke with

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Speaker 1: a couple of guys who have worked out there and

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Speaker 1: not too distant past, and uh, they were telling me

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Speaker 1: that much of it is, you know, they've changed a

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Speaker 1: little bit, how they how how they grade the candidates

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Speaker 1: out there. But it's pretty much the same, the same

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Speaker 1: scenarios out there, and it does it does exactly what

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Speaker 1: you needed to do. And you learn a lot about

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Speaker 1: people by watching them out there. And as a cadre, remember,

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Speaker 1: I mean, you see it all. So some of the

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Speaker 1: stuff I only imagine that view the outside like that,

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Speaker 1: it's gotta be hilarious and something, and sometimes sometimes it is.

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Speaker 1: I mean, because the candidates, I mean, you know, they

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Speaker 1: know they're always being assessed, and sometimes you know, and

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Speaker 1: it happens. I mean, you're carrying like some telephone pull

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Speaker 1: on your back, and you know, guy'll trip and fall

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Speaker 1: and he'll cuss and then he'll look at the cad remember, like,

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Speaker 1: oh my god, I cussed and I'm not supposed to.

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Speaker 1: I'm like, and you know, you're not supposed to come

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Speaker 1: out of a role. But a couple of times I said, hey,

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Speaker 1: you know you've all in a telephone pole hit you

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Speaker 1: in the back of the head. You're okay to cuss? Okay,

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Speaker 1: that's right, right, you know if you didn't, yeah, because

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Speaker 1: you know, as you know, all of us from the Northeast,

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Speaker 1: I mean, we have a colorful way. Well let's put

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Speaker 1: it that way of expressing ourselves, so I would have

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Speaker 1: done they do. We're different. Um. I've had to explain

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Speaker 1: that to a couple of people. You know, Um, listen,

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Speaker 1: I'm from New Hampshire, I'm from the northeast. You know,

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Speaker 1: we're direct. Uh. You know, we get to the point quickly. Uh.

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Speaker 1: It can look like abruptness, but it's really not. It's

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Speaker 1: just the way we are. So you know, no disrespect intended. Right. Uh.

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Speaker 1: You know, that's the wonderful thing about America is you know, regionally, Um,

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Speaker 1: we're so different. But the beautiful thing about America, and

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Speaker 1: unfortunately I'm afraid we're getting away from it now, is

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Speaker 1: the fact that at the end of the day, we're

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Speaker 1: all Americans. So we can bring young men and women

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Speaker 1: from California, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Texas, Florida, you know,

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Speaker 1: all over the place, bring him together, put him in

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Speaker 1: a in a in a training environment, and you know,

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Speaker 1: they become one unit. They become Americans and it's a

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Speaker 1: wonderful thing. And uh, you know it, it's really kind

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Speaker 1: of a quintessential uh, you know idea of e pluribus unum, right. Uh.

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Speaker 1: And you see it in the military and it's it's

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Speaker 1: it's it's really an amazing thing. Yeah, And you know

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Speaker 1: it's funny because like you know, we you know, SF

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Speaker 1: we're always working with you know, uh, foreign allies and whatnot.

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Speaker 1: And you can always tell which some of the our

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Speaker 1: allies that did speak some English, who the guys were

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Speaker 1: that were before you. That's right. When I was down

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Speaker 1: in Colombia, there was a Colombian captain that we were

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Speaker 1: working with. And the guy that was down there before

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Speaker 1: us was he grew up between Lawrence, Massachusetts and Salem,

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Speaker 1: New Hampshire, so he was right there on the mass

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Speaker 1: New Hampshire border. And this Colombian captain, you know, come

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Speaker 1: up to me one morning and when we first got

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Speaker 1: there and he started talking with this New England that

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Speaker 1: that just blew me away. And I was like, so,

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Speaker 1: who was this guy was here before us? And he

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Speaker 1: told me and I started laughing, and I was like, wow,

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Speaker 1: this guy sounds like he's from Boston, right. It is

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Speaker 1: that way too. You know. We saw it out in

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Speaker 1: Afghanistan at the different fire bases. You know, uh, you

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Speaker 1: could guess who was there before you bake up some

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Speaker 1: of the praises that the Afghans learned, you know. Yeah.

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Speaker 1: But and the speaking of Afghanistan, I wanted to get

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Speaker 1: into this because you spend quite a bit of time there,

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Speaker 1: and I thought I read somewhere that between two thousand

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Speaker 1: and one, in two thousand and thirteen years spent sixty

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Speaker 1: six months in combat. I did. Yeah, that is an

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Speaker 1: incredible amount of time there. And um, you know, while

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Speaker 1: you were there, you were there in the initial h

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Speaker 1: when the invasion of the initial SF guys went in,

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Speaker 1: you were in southern Afghanistan and yes, to the Washington Post,

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Speaker 1: you were a horse soldier. I can't believe I read

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Speaker 1: that somewhere, but you know, it's yeah, that's what it is,

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Speaker 1: you know. But you're also wounded when two thousand poond

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Speaker 1: Bong inadvertently dropped on your guys. And can you talk

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Speaker 1: a little bit about that. Yeah, that was That was

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Speaker 1: an interesting few days that we had there. It was

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Speaker 1: constant firefights over three days, three or four days. We

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Speaker 1: had the past. We were right at the pass where

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Speaker 1: you know, the show Eallycott area about you know, uh

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Speaker 1: twenty miles um uh north of Kandahar City and you

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Speaker 1: had to go through a pass in order h you know,

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Speaker 1: to open up, and it was a straight shot right

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Speaker 1: in the Candahar. And of course Candahar was still being

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Speaker 1: held by the Taliban at the time. Um harmond cars

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Speaker 1: I was with us uh and you know he was

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Speaker 1: talking constantly with the Taliban there to try and you know,

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Speaker 1: get a peaceful surrender. Um. And we had made our

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Speaker 1: march from Taran Cout down and picking up people as

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Speaker 1: we went along the way, Cause I was very good

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Speaker 1: at dealing with the outside press, do only with the

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Speaker 1: the the Taliban, Um, excuse me, dealing with the village

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Speaker 1: elders and tribal elders and getting people to switch sides. Um.

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Speaker 1: And our force just built and built and built and built.

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Speaker 1: You know, we had probably you know, nineteen hundred or

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Speaker 1: so um Afghans um just waiting to move with us

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Speaker 1: down to Candahar and secure Kandahar. And and you know

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Speaker 1: we only we started with a handful up in up

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Speaker 1: in Uh up in terran Cout. So you know, it

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Speaker 1: was an amazing thing. I called it mud Hut diplomacy

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Speaker 1: and uh, you know it worked because we let the

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Speaker 1: Afghans make it work, and we supported them the best

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Speaker 1: way we could with air drops of equipment and so

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Speaker 1: it was five December. We had about three or four

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Speaker 1: days a tough fighting, um and uh using close air

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Speaker 1: support you know, to hit targets that were identical fight

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Speaker 1: by Afghans that were switching sides and you know, explaining

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Speaker 1: the cars I are explaining you know, where these guys

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Speaker 1: were on the map, inside the pass and everywhere, and

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Speaker 1: so um, we recognize at some point that we needed

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Speaker 1: additional help in some areas. Our CTC you know air

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Speaker 1: controller was you know, I mean he was just working seven.

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Speaker 1: So we asked if we could get a you know,

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Speaker 1: another h air controller in. So they sent us attack

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Speaker 1: P and and a few other augmentees came in. UM

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Speaker 1: the evening of the of the fifth we integrated them

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Speaker 1: and directed you know, everybody to do the proper hand

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Speaker 1: over understand how how we uh you know, approved calls

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Speaker 1: for fire and close air support and and targeting and

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Speaker 1: verifying the target and so on and so forth. And UM.

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Speaker 1: It was also we got a bunch of mail in,

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Speaker 1: so that was really good first time the guys that

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Speaker 1: got mail, so passing out mail. We were doing air

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Speaker 1: strikes and you know, depending on what aircraft show up.

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Speaker 1: So you have an F fifteen, you know, you know,

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Speaker 1: one turn and then P fifty two another turn, and

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Speaker 1: you know, so on and and they would show up,

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Speaker 1: and we put them to work because there was plenty

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Speaker 1: of work from the DO in that past, and we

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Speaker 1: wanted to punch you that past that day. So we're

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Speaker 1: putting a concervative effort, and we were getting everything planned

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Speaker 1: and I'll tell you what, out of nowhere, two thousand

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Speaker 1: pound bomb lands right on the forward edge of our position. UM.

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Speaker 1: And I didn't know what happened at first. UM, I

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Speaker 1: didn't know if it was a lucky shot, didn't know

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Speaker 1: what the heck happened. UM. And it was a mess, right. Uh,

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Speaker 1: we had mass cow situation. Uh. We lost all our calms,

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Speaker 1: all of our weapons you know, um that we had

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Speaker 1: stockpiled I got hit and so they were all cooking off.

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Speaker 1: And so you had RPGs whistling around and going around,

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Speaker 1: you had you had bullets cooking off, you had grenades

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Speaker 1: cooking off. I mean, it was just unbelievable. Uh. In

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Speaker 1: the meantime, we're trying to get people off the hill,

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Speaker 1: trying to figure out our calms were down. We had

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Speaker 1: to piecemeal coms together, set up a set up, a

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Speaker 1: Casualty Control point, try and get accountability of everybody reported

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Speaker 1: to higher headquarters. UM. We had probably two Afghans that

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Speaker 1: were either killed or injured as a result of that

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Speaker 1: blast radius of a two thousand pound bomb. Once we

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Speaker 1: figured out what happened, and it was an unfortunate error

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Speaker 1: in the attack p that took over from our CTC

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Speaker 1: guy changed his batteries, didn't verify the grid location. You

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Speaker 1: know those uh soft lamp systems at time reset to

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Speaker 1: your I'm sorry about that, Reset to your position, UM,

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Speaker 1: when you change batteries, and so you're supposed to reverify

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Speaker 1: the grid and he didn't, and he sent the grid

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Speaker 1: of our position up to the aircraft UM and cleared

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Speaker 1: them hot to release. And you know, from there we

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Speaker 1: had you know, quite a you know, quite an interesting,

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Speaker 1: quite an interesting day because we had to regroup, we

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Speaker 1: had to ask for replacements, We had to get UM

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Speaker 1: an lz UH for METAVAC squared away. All twenty six

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Speaker 1: Americans were wounded in some fashion. UM. At the end

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Speaker 1: of the day, me Dave Fox, my battalion commander, um AH,

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Speaker 1: Dennis bovy Uh and Sardan Smith. The COMMO guys stayed

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Speaker 1: on the ground. We were the only ones from the

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Speaker 1: original that stayed on the ground. Everybody else was META

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Speaker 1: backed out, Meta back to medical UH and we just

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Speaker 1: stayed there because there was there was no way we

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Speaker 1: could leave, even with our injuries, because um, there was

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Speaker 1: no continuity. We just couldn't abandoned Harmard cars I h

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Speaker 1: and his agency partners, his handlers. Thank goodness, he wasn't hurt, um,

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Speaker 1: But we had to continue the mission. We got replacements in,

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Speaker 1: we got the wounded out, we got the situation under control,

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Speaker 1: and and we moved forward. And on the on the

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Speaker 1: eighth of December, we took can of our city, and

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Speaker 1: we took it without having a fire shot. They gave up.

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Speaker 1: We occupied Mullah Omar's headquarters and began setting up operations

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Speaker 1: to take over southern Afghanistan. And that's what we did.

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Speaker 1: And we used the Afghanis to do that, because you know,

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Speaker 1: it was only about at that that point in time,

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Speaker 1: probably about you know, thirty five of us on the

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Speaker 1: ground for all of southern Afghanistan. So we we did

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Speaker 1: it the Afghan way, and it was very successful. And

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Speaker 1: I was convinced that by March of two thousand two

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Speaker 1: we could have ended our military mission, continued diplomatic and

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Speaker 1: economic support, and I believe Afghanistan would be a whole

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Speaker 1: hell of a lot better today than it is if

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Speaker 1: we had just accepted the fact that our military mission

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Speaker 1: was pretty much over and let the Afghans, uh, you know,

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Speaker 1: uh run the show, put their government back together, help

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Speaker 1: him economically, help them diplomatically. Uh. And but we didn't.

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Speaker 1: We just continued to escalate, right, continued to build up,

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Speaker 1: continue to put more force structure there, built stuff that

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Speaker 1: they couldn't really um, you know, a police in a

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Speaker 1: military uh that they couldn't uh you know, sustain or

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Speaker 1: maintain even to this day they can't put in a government. Uh.

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Speaker 1: And and then bringing the international community to the extent

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Speaker 1: that it became overwhelming uh and then back off of

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Speaker 1: what we were doing because we started the Iraq war. Uh.

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Speaker 1: And that gave the Taliban and Alcade an opportunity to research,

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Speaker 1: and they did, and by two thousand five, we were

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Speaker 1: we were back where we were in two thousand one,

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Speaker 1: except they were smarter, better organized, better equipped, uh and

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Speaker 1: more determined uh and uh. From there two thousand five

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Speaker 1: to two thousand nine, it was a poor policy, poor strategy,

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Speaker 1: poor operational approach, a recognition that it wasn't an insurgency,

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Speaker 1: that we weren't fighting an insurgency, and we were and

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Speaker 1: you know, the soft guys on the ground at least,

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Speaker 1: I know, I was a tiring commanded during that time frame. Uh.

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Speaker 1: And you know a corn during that during that time

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Speaker 1: frame and um, I you know, up to two thousand ten,

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Speaker 1: and I was like, uh, this is just a bad strategy.

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Speaker 1: The Crystal came in with some different ideas about a

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Speaker 1: comprehensive plan between UH and two thousand and ten, which

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Speaker 1: I completely agreed with and so did a lot of

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Speaker 1: other people. So we worked hard to put village stability

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Speaker 1: operations in Afghan local police program at bottom up program

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Speaker 1: in play, and from two thousand ten to two thousand thirteen,

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Speaker 1: middle of two thousand thirteen, we completely reversed the security

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Speaker 1: situation there where almost nine of Afghanistan belonged to the Afghans.

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Speaker 1: The Afghan local police were local Arbakai controlled by the

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Speaker 1: Afghan government, which was something that cars I wanted to happen.

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Speaker 1: And uh, we had the lowest casualty rates uh uh

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Speaker 1: in Afghanistan at that time. UH, and it was we

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Speaker 1: needed a few more years to solidify it. And all

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Speaker 1: of a sudden, I'm getting ready to leave on my

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Speaker 1: last tour there in the middle of thirteen, and the

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Speaker 1: Obama administration, Susan Rice and the rest of them want

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Speaker 1: to change the strategy and want to take I want

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Speaker 1: to terminate the bottom up strategy and go to a

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Speaker 1: top down thing and reduce forces. And our generals weren't

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Speaker 1: pushing back hard enough. So I've pushed back. And from

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Speaker 1: my I was told not to push back, but I

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Speaker 1: just couldn't because I just couldn't not push back because

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Speaker 1: it was a bad call and someone needed to say something.

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Speaker 1: And UM, instead of going back to Afghanistan for another

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Speaker 1: tour after that at a different level of responsibility, UM,

387
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Speaker 1: I went to Africa and I spent four years in Africa.

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Speaker 1: And you know, we can get into Africa's issues later

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Speaker 1: if you'd like. But um, changing that strategy completely reversed

390
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Speaker 1: the security situation in favor of the Taliban and al Qaeda.

391
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Speaker 1: Al Qaeda researched and then Isis joined the fight, and

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Speaker 1: in twenty nineteen we had the highest level of US

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Speaker 1: casualties that we've that we've had since the beginning of

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Speaker 1: that war. And we're in the mess that we're in

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Speaker 1: right now. So um, very unfortunate. But that was my

396
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Speaker 1: experience there. Uh. I'll tell you what though, Our men

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Speaker 1: and women did everything we asked them to do, and

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Speaker 1: they did it, uh, with honor, they did it with integrity,

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Speaker 1: they did it with character, and they did it very

400
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Speaker 1: very well no matter what it was, even when they

401
00:26:09,920 --> 00:26:14,160
Speaker 1: thought it wasn't working, they made it work in spite

402
00:26:14,320 --> 00:26:17,040
Speaker 1: of the policy, in spite of the strategy, and in

403
00:26:17,119 --> 00:26:22,879
Speaker 1: spite of US generals who just couldn't figure out how

404
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Speaker 1: to convince the politicians back in Washington, d C. To

405
00:26:27,040 --> 00:26:31,000
Speaker 1: fight this war the right way. Yeah, and uh, that's

406
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Speaker 1: always seems to be a common problem with the American military.

407
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Speaker 1: We have politicians that are trying to run a war

408
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Speaker 1: from Washington, d C. And they have no concept of

409
00:26:41,480 --> 00:26:43,919
Speaker 1: what you're looking at on the ground. But again, we

410
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Speaker 1: could probably spend days talking about that. But yeah, I

411
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Speaker 1: gave you a long answer, but you know, it was

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Speaker 1: you know, some time to cover there, and I like

413
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Speaker 1: to explain it because a lot of people just don't

414
00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:58,399
Speaker 1: understand it, right, don't understand those key points in time,

415
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Speaker 1: you know, in two thousand one, two thousand five to nine,

416
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Speaker 1: and then ten to thirteen and then now you know

417
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Speaker 1: now thirteen to you know to twenty uh. And there

418
00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:16,159
Speaker 1: was some decisions made that we're just unfortunate. Uh and uh,

419
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Speaker 1: but our guys knew they were unfortunate. Our guys and

420
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Speaker 1: gals on the ground knew the right thing to do. Um.

421
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Speaker 1: And it was you know, the generals, we didn't push

422
00:27:28,440 --> 00:27:30,960
Speaker 1: hard enough. We didn't stand our ground like we should

423
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Speaker 1: have against you know, not to be disrespectful, but just

424
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Speaker 1: to say, hey, listen, UH, this isn't the right thing

425
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Speaker 1: to do, and it's not the right thing to do

426
00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:45,600
Speaker 1: for the following reasons. Um. And uh. We you know,

427
00:27:45,680 --> 00:27:48,800
Speaker 1: in my opinion, we went along with it. Uh. And

428
00:27:48,880 --> 00:27:53,720
Speaker 1: it was it's unfortunate. Yeah. And I wanted to talk

429
00:27:53,760 --> 00:27:57,640
Speaker 1: to you about Africa because that seems to be like

430
00:27:57,680 --> 00:28:00,680
Speaker 1: an area that a lot of people in the United

431
00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:04,399
Speaker 1: States don't realize the amount of violence that's going on

432
00:28:04,480 --> 00:28:07,480
Speaker 1: there right now. And we do have a not as

433
00:28:07,480 --> 00:28:09,119
Speaker 1: deep as the Middle East, but we do have a

434
00:28:09,160 --> 00:28:11,919
Speaker 1: deep involvement in Africa, and I think a lot of

435
00:28:11,920 --> 00:28:16,800
Speaker 1: people don't realize that American troops have probably been in

436
00:28:16,880 --> 00:28:20,480
Speaker 1: combat and probably a dozen countries in the continent of

437
00:28:20,520 --> 00:28:27,680
Speaker 1: Africa in the last decade or so. Oh, absolutely true statement.

438
00:28:28,359 --> 00:28:31,280
Speaker 1: They are doing the same things there that we do

439
00:28:31,359 --> 00:28:35,520
Speaker 1: in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria or any other place in the world.

440
00:28:35,920 --> 00:28:41,960
Speaker 1: Our Special Operation UH forces are doing their combat missions there,

441
00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:47,440
Speaker 1: and they're doing it through within by our UM you know,

442
00:28:47,480 --> 00:28:52,120
Speaker 1: our partners there UH. And we're fighting terrorist organizations that

443
00:28:52,160 --> 00:28:59,000
Speaker 1: are destabilizing Africa, destabilizing and and and doing negative things

444
00:28:59,080 --> 00:29:04,440
Speaker 1: to you know, UH, Europe, the levant Middle East, UM

445
00:29:04,440 --> 00:29:08,840
Speaker 1: into Afghanistan. Most of the foreign fighters come out of

446
00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:13,920
Speaker 1: North Africa. And when you look at East Africa, you've

447
00:29:13,920 --> 00:29:17,360
Speaker 1: got al Shabab and ISIS Somalia. You go up north

448
00:29:17,480 --> 00:29:21,959
Speaker 1: and you've got Isis al Qaeda their affiliates. You go

449
00:29:22,040 --> 00:29:24,960
Speaker 1: around to the west and now you've got Isis al

450
00:29:25,040 --> 00:29:29,959
Speaker 1: Qaeda UH more affiliates. As you go across the Sahel,

451
00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:32,960
Speaker 1: it's the same. You hit the Lake Chad Basin area,

452
00:29:32,960 --> 00:29:41,080
Speaker 1: which consists of Nijare, Cameroon, Chad, Nigeria, and you got

453
00:29:41,680 --> 00:29:45,320
Speaker 1: um uh Isis West Africa, and then you've got Boca, Haram,

454
00:29:45,440 --> 00:29:49,520
Speaker 1: Boka Haram um. At least while I was there, and

455
00:29:49,560 --> 00:29:54,400
Speaker 1: I haven't seen it change much most deadliest violent extremist

456
00:29:54,520 --> 00:29:57,920
Speaker 1: organization in the world. They kill more than all of

457
00:29:57,960 --> 00:30:01,400
Speaker 1: them put together. Um. And they do it in Nigeria,

458
00:30:01,440 --> 00:30:03,200
Speaker 1: and they do it in no surrounding countries that I

459
00:30:03,280 --> 00:30:10,200
Speaker 1: just named. And so once again, our strategy UM is

460
00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:14,040
Speaker 1: a piecemeal strategy. It's not based off of a regional strategy.

461
00:30:14,560 --> 00:30:17,520
Speaker 1: We don't have an outside in, inside out, very good strategy.

462
00:30:17,880 --> 00:30:22,560
Speaker 1: Our diplomacy isn't good. We put inexperienced senior officers in

463
00:30:22,720 --> 00:30:26,680
Speaker 1: US Africa from the four star down. They don't never

464
00:30:26,720 --> 00:30:29,760
Speaker 1: even served in Africa, never even served in Africa. I

465
00:30:29,840 --> 00:30:33,640
Speaker 1: don't really even understand the African continent. Uh. And you

466
00:30:33,680 --> 00:30:37,360
Speaker 1: know they're expected to uh you know, figure out Africa

467
00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:42,239
Speaker 1: while while they're on the runt. And um. It just

468
00:30:42,400 --> 00:30:47,840
Speaker 1: begs to how we prepare our general officers to serve

469
00:30:47,880 --> 00:30:50,040
Speaker 1: in the different combatant commands that we have. In the

470
00:30:50,080 --> 00:30:55,720
Speaker 1: experiences that they have, uh, you know that lend themselves

471
00:30:55,800 --> 00:30:58,320
Speaker 1: to be able to understand what's going on in their

472
00:30:58,400 --> 00:31:04,400
Speaker 1: theater of operations. Violent extremist organizations in Africa are the

473
00:31:04,720 --> 00:31:11,120
Speaker 1: biggest destabilizing factor uh. And they control ungoverned areas and

474
00:31:11,240 --> 00:31:14,200
Speaker 1: we do not have a good policy or a good

475
00:31:14,240 --> 00:31:18,800
Speaker 1: strategy or operational approach UM to you know, to do that.

476
00:31:19,080 --> 00:31:21,760
Speaker 1: Our guys on the ground are soft. Guys on the

477
00:31:21,760 --> 00:31:26,200
Speaker 1: ground have more experience and no more than the senior

478
00:31:26,280 --> 00:31:30,840
Speaker 1: officers above them, and they're not listening to UM. And

479
00:31:30,920 --> 00:31:34,200
Speaker 1: my policy was while I was the South Africa Commander

480
00:31:34,280 --> 00:31:38,720
Speaker 1: for twenty six months, was our guys on the ground.

481
00:31:38,760 --> 00:31:41,240
Speaker 1: This is a bottom up strategy. This is bottom up driven.

482
00:31:41,280 --> 00:31:44,040
Speaker 1: Our guys on the ground know what we need to

483
00:31:44,040 --> 00:31:47,240
Speaker 1: do and we need to work for them to get

484
00:31:47,280 --> 00:31:50,120
Speaker 1: them as many resources as they can we can get

485
00:31:50,160 --> 00:31:54,680
Speaker 1: them UM to be able to do their job. They

486
00:31:54,720 --> 00:31:57,760
Speaker 1: know what's going on UH. And my job is to

487
00:31:57,800 --> 00:32:00,240
Speaker 1: make sure I understand what the ambassadors want us to

488
00:32:00,280 --> 00:32:04,320
Speaker 1: do and what are our partner nations want us to

489
00:32:04,360 --> 00:32:08,120
Speaker 1: do and integrate that into a system in which our

490
00:32:08,120 --> 00:32:11,600
Speaker 1: guys can work through with and by our partners UH

491
00:32:11,680 --> 00:32:15,560
Speaker 1: and get the job done. And we have never successfully

492
00:32:16,400 --> 00:32:22,520
Speaker 1: coordinated that, synchronized that, orchestrated it UM because of policies

493
00:32:22,560 --> 00:32:26,240
Speaker 1: and d C, poor strab military strategy from the Pentagon

494
00:32:26,800 --> 00:32:30,400
Speaker 1: and a lack of understanding of the Africaan staff and

495
00:32:30,480 --> 00:32:36,200
Speaker 1: the SOCOM staff on what Africa is yeah, and you

496
00:32:36,280 --> 00:32:39,760
Speaker 1: know that's again that's that seems to be an intemic

497
00:32:39,840 --> 00:32:43,239
Speaker 1: problem for the entire continent with everyone that's involved there.

498
00:32:43,280 --> 00:32:45,880
Speaker 1: I know, the French are heavily involved in the Sahel

499
00:32:46,480 --> 00:32:50,480
Speaker 1: and they're trying to get the other European nations involved

500
00:32:50,520 --> 00:32:54,160
Speaker 1: in They're they're working on that new to Cuba task force.

501
00:32:54,880 --> 00:32:58,360
Speaker 1: But you know a lot of what we hear now

502
00:32:58,440 --> 00:33:01,520
Speaker 1: that the US military is gearing up to a nearer

503
00:33:01,560 --> 00:33:05,200
Speaker 1: competition and Africa seems to be a kind of a

504
00:33:05,280 --> 00:33:10,200
Speaker 1: hot spot where our near peer potential adversaries as in

505
00:33:10,360 --> 00:33:14,840
Speaker 1: China or in Russia, are both getting much more involved

506
00:33:14,880 --> 00:33:21,480
Speaker 1: in the continent. Did you did you see that there? Um? Well, yeah,

507
00:33:22,240 --> 00:33:25,600
Speaker 1: of course. The problem with our strategy is that we

508
00:33:25,680 --> 00:33:28,600
Speaker 1: have two problems in this in this world to address

509
00:33:29,120 --> 00:33:35,120
Speaker 1: diplomatically uh and militarily uh and economically and and you

510
00:33:35,120 --> 00:33:39,080
Speaker 1: know and informationally right uh, and we're not doing it

511
00:33:39,160 --> 00:33:41,440
Speaker 1: very well. We have a first world strategy that we

512
00:33:41,480 --> 00:33:44,959
Speaker 1: need to combat the first world and when we're not

513
00:33:45,000 --> 00:33:47,360
Speaker 1: doing that very well, and then we have a third

514
00:33:47,400 --> 00:33:51,960
Speaker 1: world strategy um that eats at the underbelly that creates

515
00:33:52,200 --> 00:33:58,200
Speaker 1: the instability uh that negatively impacts on your ability to

516
00:33:58,240 --> 00:34:02,000
Speaker 1: focus on the first world strategy. And you've got China, Russia,

517
00:34:02,120 --> 00:34:09,640
Speaker 1: North Korea, Iran our four biggest UH enemies right right now. UM,

518
00:34:09,680 --> 00:34:12,040
Speaker 1: and they are our enemies. You know. China is a

519
00:34:12,120 --> 00:34:15,920
Speaker 1: huge existential threat to America. Russia is just looking to

520
00:34:16,160 --> 00:34:19,880
Speaker 1: climb through the back door they opened in the Crimea

521
00:34:19,960 --> 00:34:22,200
Speaker 1: and in the Ukraine and come on into the rest

522
00:34:22,239 --> 00:34:25,040
Speaker 1: of Europe. Uh. You know, they're expanding in the Middle

523
00:34:25,080 --> 00:34:29,960
Speaker 1: East along with China. UM. Russian technology for missile in

524
00:34:30,080 --> 00:34:36,000
Speaker 1: electronic warfare and air defense has surpassed hours. UM. Iran

525
00:34:37,120 --> 00:34:41,799
Speaker 1: is you know, quietly moving forward, uh, you know with

526
00:34:41,840 --> 00:34:44,760
Speaker 1: their nuclear plan, and North Korea is doing the same.

527
00:34:44,840 --> 00:34:50,040
Speaker 1: And then we have all of them involved in large

528
00:34:50,080 --> 00:34:55,319
Speaker 1: part in Afghanistan, in Syria, in Iraq, in in Africa,

529
00:34:55,520 --> 00:35:00,000
Speaker 1: all over Africa. What China is doing, what russ is doing. Uh.

530
00:35:00,280 --> 00:35:06,040
Speaker 1: I ran his set up mosques everywhere as covers for

531
00:35:06,520 --> 00:35:10,400
Speaker 1: you know, human trafficking and weapon trafficking and trafficking of

532
00:35:10,520 --> 00:35:15,800
Speaker 1: people and collecting intelligence. And you know, it's it's a mess,

533
00:35:16,120 --> 00:35:18,839
Speaker 1: and we're not doing what we need to do in

534
00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:24,640
Speaker 1: order to be able to mitigate that, to neutralize it. Um,

535
00:35:24,680 --> 00:35:31,359
Speaker 1: and uh, we have the force structure, we have uh,

536
00:35:31,400 --> 00:35:35,680
Speaker 1: the experience to do it, um, and we're not putting

537
00:35:35,680 --> 00:35:39,080
Speaker 1: it together in a sound strategy and operational approach to

538
00:35:39,080 --> 00:35:44,920
Speaker 1: get at it. Our navy are air force, UM. You know,

539
00:35:45,960 --> 00:35:50,479
Speaker 1: they're not ready to take on a first world near

540
00:35:50,520 --> 00:35:54,720
Speaker 1: competitor in a war. And you know, piece through strength,

541
00:35:54,800 --> 00:35:56,600
Speaker 1: you know, Reagan said it. You know, we gotta have

542
00:35:56,640 --> 00:36:00,080
Speaker 1: a strong military to back up our diplomatic efforts. And

543
00:36:00,120 --> 00:36:03,239
Speaker 1: that has to be balanced inside an economy that's not

544
00:36:03,280 --> 00:36:06,839
Speaker 1: gonna make us go bankrupt. Uh. And you know, right now,

545
00:36:06,880 --> 00:36:09,080
Speaker 1: look what we've done to ourselves. Look what we're doing

546
00:36:09,080 --> 00:36:13,720
Speaker 1: to ourselves in this country with with poor leadership um

547
00:36:13,760 --> 00:36:18,560
Speaker 1: at all levels municipality, state, federal, on the COVID and

548
00:36:18,600 --> 00:36:22,440
Speaker 1: this economic crisis, and this idea that we can continue

549
00:36:22,440 --> 00:36:25,000
Speaker 1: to spend money at the rate we're spending money put

550
00:36:25,040 --> 00:36:29,759
Speaker 1: ourselves in huge deficits and huge debt. Uh. You know,

551
00:36:30,239 --> 00:36:33,160
Speaker 1: we gotta you know, we need change in Washington, d C.

552
00:36:33,360 --> 00:36:38,120
Speaker 1: We need people down there with some with some experience, UM,

553
00:36:38,160 --> 00:36:43,759
Speaker 1: that understand how to put a strategy together, that understand

554
00:36:43,840 --> 00:36:46,759
Speaker 1: foreign relations, that have seen how it works internationally, that

555
00:36:46,920 --> 00:36:52,040
Speaker 1: understand UM. The you know, the idea is of of

556
00:36:52,160 --> 00:36:56,040
Speaker 1: you know, a strong economy, fiscal responsibility, the safety and

557
00:36:56,080 --> 00:36:58,920
Speaker 1: security of America. Look for you know, look, look, we're

558
00:36:58,960 --> 00:37:03,759
Speaker 1: opening our borders. We have poor immigration laws. Uh. You know,

559
00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:07,120
Speaker 1: people want sanctuary cities. We're not supporting our police. We

560
00:37:07,160 --> 00:37:11,560
Speaker 1: want to defund them. There's unprecedented violence in in in

561
00:37:11,600 --> 00:37:15,440
Speaker 1: our major cities now, and people are destroying our history.

562
00:37:15,520 --> 00:37:20,960
Speaker 1: They're destroying uh, their neighbors, homes, They're destroying you know,

563
00:37:21,080 --> 00:37:25,680
Speaker 1: small businesses. This is terrible, right, Uh. And we got

564
00:37:25,680 --> 00:37:29,000
Speaker 1: to get back to um. You know, we've got to

565
00:37:29,040 --> 00:37:33,080
Speaker 1: get back to the idea that our declaration independence and

566
00:37:33,080 --> 00:37:35,759
Speaker 1: our constitution is put together a great government. And we

567
00:37:35,800 --> 00:37:38,600
Speaker 1: need to we need to take that experiment and we

568
00:37:38,640 --> 00:37:41,759
Speaker 1: need to maintain it. Now. It's in danger. We gotta

569
00:37:41,840 --> 00:37:45,880
Speaker 1: American socialism is setting in and we got a choice

570
00:37:45,880 --> 00:37:49,520
Speaker 1: in this election, American socialism or freedom. And if we

571
00:37:49,640 --> 00:37:54,280
Speaker 1: elect American socialism, Uh, And we put it in the Senate,

572
00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:57,239
Speaker 1: we put it in the House of Representatives, we put

573
00:37:57,280 --> 00:38:00,359
Speaker 1: it in the White House. We're gonna have to fight

574
00:38:00,400 --> 00:38:04,080
Speaker 1: back to freedom. We already know. I mean, that's an outcome.

575
00:38:04,120 --> 00:38:08,040
Speaker 1: And this isn't hyperbole, an exaggeration and dirka dirk a

576
00:38:08,080 --> 00:38:12,799
Speaker 1: dirk or the skies falling. This is true and you

577
00:38:12,840 --> 00:38:16,080
Speaker 1: can see it happening with the deterioration of our education system,

578
00:38:16,440 --> 00:38:22,799
Speaker 1: the interference with our religious beliefs, um, the paralyzation of

579
00:38:22,800 --> 00:38:27,080
Speaker 1: our political process. Um, it's a process driven by power

580
00:38:27,120 --> 00:38:29,920
Speaker 1: and money and not character and integrity. We need some

581
00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:33,440
Speaker 1: big changes, and this is a big election, more so

582
00:38:33,640 --> 00:38:38,239
Speaker 1: probably than any other election, because it's about maintaining our

583
00:38:38,280 --> 00:38:41,680
Speaker 1: way of life and getting back to the basics of

584
00:38:41,760 --> 00:38:45,360
Speaker 1: peace through strength and making our country strong from the

585
00:38:45,440 --> 00:38:49,839
Speaker 1: outside in and from the inside out. Yeah. And uh,

586
00:38:50,719 --> 00:38:53,080
Speaker 1: you know, it's funny because you talk about that, and

587
00:38:53,120 --> 00:38:58,200
Speaker 1: I believe President Reagan said and I'm probably misquoting him

588
00:38:58,239 --> 00:39:01,279
Speaker 1: exactly here, I'm on para phrase, but I thought he

589
00:39:01,920 --> 00:39:05,719
Speaker 1: once said freedom is a fragile thing that's never more

590
00:39:05,760 --> 00:39:10,040
Speaker 1: than one generation from extinction. And that's kind of what

591
00:39:10,040 --> 00:39:12,720
Speaker 1: we're looking at in this the next couple of years.

592
00:39:13,120 --> 00:39:16,400
Speaker 1: I think you almost got that verbatim, uh from Reagan.

593
00:39:16,600 --> 00:39:19,560
Speaker 1: I mean I'm a big Reagan fan in that, you know,

594
00:39:20,200 --> 00:39:23,439
Speaker 1: I mean he was the first president that I voted for, right,

595
00:39:24,239 --> 00:39:30,440
Speaker 1: Uh and uh so uh Reagan was right. Reagan. Reagan

596
00:39:30,680 --> 00:39:33,560
Speaker 1: was right about our country and about what it stands for.

597
00:39:33,800 --> 00:39:38,279
Speaker 1: And if we do not preserve it, if we do

598
00:39:38,360 --> 00:39:42,080
Speaker 1: not maintain it, uh, we're gonna be in big trouble.

599
00:39:42,160 --> 00:39:46,880
Speaker 1: And each generation has a responsibility to move forward because

600
00:39:47,760 --> 00:39:51,120
Speaker 1: the mistakes of one generation don't have to be the

601
00:39:51,160 --> 00:39:54,640
Speaker 1: mistakes of the of the next generation. And and that's

602
00:39:54,640 --> 00:39:57,680
Speaker 1: how we get better. We recognize our mistakes, we admit it,

603
00:39:57,719 --> 00:40:02,200
Speaker 1: we hold ourselves accountable, response possible, we're transparent with the

604
00:40:02,200 --> 00:40:06,640
Speaker 1: American people. We move forward. This whole idea systematic racism

605
00:40:06,680 --> 00:40:10,600
Speaker 1: is dangerous. Since when does owning a home? Since one

606
00:40:10,640 --> 00:40:14,120
Speaker 1: does working your butt off your whole life, buying a home,

607
00:40:14,239 --> 00:40:18,880
Speaker 1: raising your family, taking care of your home. Since when

608
00:40:19,000 --> 00:40:22,560
Speaker 1: is that not the American dream? And now it's being

609
00:40:23,480 --> 00:40:28,720
Speaker 1: you know, characterized as part of uh, you know, white

610
00:40:28,760 --> 00:40:32,200
Speaker 1: privilege or some other kind of privilege, and and being

611
00:40:32,280 --> 00:40:36,880
Speaker 1: lumped into systematic racism, which doesn't exist in this country.

612
00:40:37,640 --> 00:40:40,520
Speaker 1: We need a different narrative to bring people together, not

613
00:40:40,760 --> 00:40:44,000
Speaker 1: divide people. Uh. And we need to talk to people

614
00:40:44,080 --> 00:40:48,640
Speaker 1: like we're all Americans, not black, not white, not Asian,

615
00:40:48,719 --> 00:40:53,399
Speaker 1: not Catholic, not Protestant, not Jewish, not. We are Americans,

616
00:40:53,400 --> 00:40:56,600
Speaker 1: and that's what's always made this country strong. And that's

617
00:40:56,640 --> 00:40:59,520
Speaker 1: why the Declaration of Independence says what it says, and

618
00:40:59,560 --> 00:41:03,200
Speaker 1: that's why our constitution is designed to empower the people.

619
00:41:03,719 --> 00:41:06,640
Speaker 1: And right now more and more control is going up

620
00:41:06,680 --> 00:41:11,200
Speaker 1: to the government. Top down solutions don't work. Our country

621
00:41:11,280 --> 00:41:14,440
Speaker 1: is strong because our communities are strong. Our communities are

622
00:41:14,440 --> 00:41:17,799
Speaker 1: strong because we believe in the strength of our families,

623
00:41:18,400 --> 00:41:22,200
Speaker 1: and we put people first. And if you're a public servant,

624
00:41:22,239 --> 00:41:25,560
Speaker 1: you go last. And we've gotten away from that and

625
00:41:25,600 --> 00:41:28,839
Speaker 1: we need to get back to it. Glad to hear

626
00:41:28,880 --> 00:41:32,560
Speaker 1: you say that, because you just said what I've been

627
00:41:32,600 --> 00:41:35,799
Speaker 1: saying for a long time. I'm not a politician, but

628
00:41:36,960 --> 00:41:39,479
Speaker 1: you know, I admire you for saying that and and

629
00:41:39,520 --> 00:41:44,240
Speaker 1: getting to this. I mean, did you ever have thoughts

630
00:41:44,280 --> 00:41:47,240
Speaker 1: of running for public office as as a younger person,

631
00:41:47,360 --> 00:41:51,040
Speaker 1: or that this just come about because you saw things

632
00:41:51,080 --> 00:41:54,319
Speaker 1: that you weren't happy with how they're going. Yeah, well

633
00:41:54,440 --> 00:41:57,680
Speaker 1: you know how this came about. Steve was my wife

634
00:41:57,680 --> 00:42:00,200
Speaker 1: and I came. My wife was born in massach Use

635
00:42:00,280 --> 00:42:03,640
Speaker 1: It's uh and at six months old moved to New

636
00:42:03,640 --> 00:42:06,000
Speaker 1: Hampshire and she was raised here in New Hampshire. I

637
00:42:06,040 --> 00:42:08,720
Speaker 1: was born and raised here, been a resident for fifty

638
00:42:08,719 --> 00:42:11,200
Speaker 1: eight years and I'm fifty eight years old. Been a

639
00:42:11,239 --> 00:42:14,080
Speaker 1: Republican since I was eighteen years old. And I say

640
00:42:14,160 --> 00:42:16,160
Speaker 1: that because you know, when I decided to do something,

641
00:42:16,600 --> 00:42:20,000
Speaker 1: you know I do. I do stuff pretty much long term, right. UH.

642
00:42:20,160 --> 00:42:22,160
Speaker 1: I've been married to my wife at thirty one years.

643
00:42:22,160 --> 00:42:25,040
Speaker 1: I'm very fortunate to have that, UH, to have her

644
00:42:25,080 --> 00:42:27,120
Speaker 1: in my life and have my three boys and my

645
00:42:27,200 --> 00:42:29,680
Speaker 1: three grandchildren and so on and so on, and come

646
00:42:29,719 --> 00:42:31,719
Speaker 1: from a state that I love and had the opportunity

647
00:42:31,719 --> 00:42:35,960
Speaker 1: to return and on our bucket list right to do

648
00:42:36,320 --> 00:42:38,879
Speaker 1: here in New Hampshire was one first and foremost help

649
00:42:38,920 --> 00:42:43,360
Speaker 1: our veterans and their families. Because I identified in the military,

650
00:42:43,800 --> 00:42:48,759
Speaker 1: we were not giving our soldiers are service members the

651
00:42:48,880 --> 00:42:54,560
Speaker 1: right care for their mental and physical injuries, and as

652
00:42:54,600 --> 00:43:00,080
Speaker 1: a result, they were becoming veterans and dumped in a

653
00:43:00,160 --> 00:43:05,239
Speaker 1: system that is very hard to work inside of. UH.

654
00:43:05,280 --> 00:43:09,560
Speaker 1: And you can get frustrated and looking at the suicide

655
00:43:09,640 --> 00:43:15,640
Speaker 1: rate on both active duty reserve National Guard and then

656
00:43:17,440 --> 00:43:20,600
Speaker 1: thinking that was bad enough. Coming out here and seeing

657
00:43:20,640 --> 00:43:22,840
Speaker 1: between two thousand and eight and two thousand and eighteen,

658
00:43:22,880 --> 00:43:27,120
Speaker 1: according to a study, We've lost over sixty veterans to suicide.

659
00:43:27,400 --> 00:43:29,920
Speaker 1: We've got a big problem. So my wife and I

660
00:43:30,000 --> 00:43:34,439
Speaker 1: wanted to take um the fact that we had done

661
00:43:34,480 --> 00:43:39,320
Speaker 1: a lot of work in South Africa UM to help

662
00:43:39,360 --> 00:43:44,120
Speaker 1: our service members get diagnosed properly, get the right treatment,

663
00:43:44,400 --> 00:43:47,480
Speaker 1: and build resiliency and readiness and still be able to

664
00:43:47,520 --> 00:43:50,520
Speaker 1: do our job because they're still very high functioning even

665
00:43:50,520 --> 00:43:54,759
Speaker 1: with PTS, t b I. UM. Our guys suffer with

666
00:43:54,800 --> 00:43:59,120
Speaker 1: pain management that a lot of himself medicate for. That's

667
00:43:59,160 --> 00:44:02,040
Speaker 1: not good. UH. And we were just seeing so many

668
00:44:02,080 --> 00:44:05,200
Speaker 1: problems in South Africa that I said, can't be related

669
00:44:05,200 --> 00:44:10,120
Speaker 1: to in discipline. We have the finest service members UH

670
00:44:10,160 --> 00:44:12,759
Speaker 1: in the world. It's got to be something else. And

671
00:44:12,880 --> 00:44:15,640
Speaker 1: my own experiences with PTS and t b I and

672
00:44:15,680 --> 00:44:19,040
Speaker 1: pain management led me to believe that, you know, we're

673
00:44:19,040 --> 00:44:22,000
Speaker 1: not approaching this right. We got all kinds of programs,

674
00:44:22,040 --> 00:44:25,200
Speaker 1: but when we have the wrong approach, so we work

675
00:44:25,280 --> 00:44:28,719
Speaker 1: to destigmatize it, same thing we wanted to do here uh.

676
00:44:28,760 --> 00:44:32,520
Speaker 1: And by destigmatizing and understanding it, we were able to

677
00:44:32,719 --> 00:44:35,000
Speaker 1: help a lot of people and a lot of families,

678
00:44:35,560 --> 00:44:39,600
Speaker 1: both in South Africa and here in New Hampshire and

679
00:44:39,640 --> 00:44:43,200
Speaker 1: New England and across the country. So we volunteered to

680
00:44:43,239 --> 00:44:47,680
Speaker 1: sit on seven different veteran boards uh and work this

681
00:44:47,719 --> 00:44:51,239
Speaker 1: issue and work at nationally UH. And I used myself

682
00:44:51,280 --> 00:44:54,560
Speaker 1: as an example, because that's what leaders are supposed to do.

683
00:44:54,600 --> 00:44:59,160
Speaker 1: They gotta put skin in the game. Uh. And UH

684
00:44:59,239 --> 00:45:01,759
Speaker 1: if you don't, people aren't gonna follow you. They're gonna

685
00:45:01,760 --> 00:45:03,719
Speaker 1: listen to your words and they're gonna say yeah yeah.

686
00:45:03,800 --> 00:45:07,919
Speaker 1: But look, you know, actions are what we're looking for.

687
00:45:08,520 --> 00:45:13,600
Speaker 1: And so UM, start working with our congressional leadership here

688
00:45:13,600 --> 00:45:18,800
Speaker 1: in this state just kept bumping into one roadblock after another,

689
00:45:18,960 --> 00:45:21,920
Speaker 1: not returning phone calls, not helping. And I said, geez,

690
00:45:21,960 --> 00:45:25,560
Speaker 1: this has got to change, right UM. And if it doesn't, uh,

691
00:45:25,600 --> 00:45:28,560
Speaker 1: you know, we're going to just continue to to have

692
00:45:28,680 --> 00:45:33,080
Speaker 1: a band aid approach. Uh. And so not this lack

693
00:45:33,120 --> 00:45:36,440
Speaker 1: of constituent support and then traveling around and seeing it

694
00:45:36,680 --> 00:45:39,520
Speaker 1: affecting other areas and then looking at what our country

695
00:45:39,560 --> 00:45:47,879
Speaker 1: is turning into. UM, I said, you know what, share, Uh,

696
00:45:48,040 --> 00:45:49,640
Speaker 1: we need to take the advice of some of the

697
00:45:49,680 --> 00:45:51,399
Speaker 1: people that are telling us that we need to get

698
00:45:51,400 --> 00:45:54,920
Speaker 1: back into public service and run for office. So so

699
00:45:55,000 --> 00:45:59,360
Speaker 1: we did. We put together exploratory committee and looked like

700
00:45:59,400 --> 00:46:02,560
Speaker 1: we could win the primary. Looks like we can, uh,

701
00:46:02,640 --> 00:46:04,560
Speaker 1: you know, do the same thing in the general election

702
00:46:04,600 --> 00:46:09,040
Speaker 1: against Jean Sheheen. Uh. She's been around New Hampshire politics

703
00:46:09,040 --> 00:46:12,440
Speaker 1: and one capacity or another since nineteen. She was the

704
00:46:12,480 --> 00:46:17,160
Speaker 1: governor for three terms. She's been a Senator for two terms. Um.

705
00:46:17,239 --> 00:46:21,000
Speaker 1: I applaud her for public for her years of public service,

706
00:46:21,080 --> 00:46:24,520
Speaker 1: but she hasn't done the things that New Hampshire needs

707
00:46:24,520 --> 00:46:29,520
Speaker 1: her to do to warrant a third term. So UM,

708
00:46:29,560 --> 00:46:31,960
Speaker 1: I'm gonna throw We decided to throw my name in

709
00:46:31,960 --> 00:46:35,200
Speaker 1: the hat uh and see if I can go down

710
00:46:35,280 --> 00:46:38,400
Speaker 1: there and serve the people of New Hampshire. Uh and

711
00:46:38,560 --> 00:46:42,280
Speaker 1: change the dialogue from one of power and money, special interests,

712
00:46:42,320 --> 00:46:47,680
Speaker 1: lobbyists to one of of character and integrity and selfless service. Uh.

713
00:46:47,800 --> 00:46:51,400
Speaker 1: What I learned in the military, I wasn't always perfect

714
00:46:51,440 --> 00:46:56,080
Speaker 1: as a leader, but perfect is not the standard. It's

715
00:46:56,320 --> 00:47:00,760
Speaker 1: acknowledging you made mistakes, growing from those mistakes, being better,

716
00:47:01,000 --> 00:47:04,920
Speaker 1: not making the same mistake twice, and keep holding yourself

717
00:47:04,960 --> 00:47:09,720
Speaker 1: accountable and responsible to others and putting them first. Um.

718
00:47:09,760 --> 00:47:12,600
Speaker 1: And I did learn that, and I did do it. Uh.

719
00:47:12,640 --> 00:47:16,200
Speaker 1: And I did it up to um, you know, my

720
00:47:16,320 --> 00:47:21,600
Speaker 1: general officer rank. Uh. And as a result, um it

721
00:47:21,680 --> 00:47:24,960
Speaker 1: worked against me in the general officer ranks. But that's

722
00:47:24,960 --> 00:47:28,399
Speaker 1: okay because as a general officer, if you can't take

723
00:47:28,440 --> 00:47:31,200
Speaker 1: care of yourself, you have no business taken care of others.

724
00:47:31,920 --> 00:47:37,200
Speaker 1: And generals can make things happen. Uh. Even when people

725
00:47:37,200 --> 00:47:41,080
Speaker 1: don't agree with you, you can make things happen. Uh.

726
00:47:41,200 --> 00:47:43,120
Speaker 1: And they may hold it against you and you may

727
00:47:43,120 --> 00:47:46,759
Speaker 1: not go any further. But I wasn't doing it for

728
00:47:46,920 --> 00:47:50,560
Speaker 1: upward mobility. I was doing it to help others. And

729
00:47:50,840 --> 00:47:53,040
Speaker 1: you can still see. We have problems on active duty.

730
00:47:53,080 --> 00:47:55,680
Speaker 1: We have problems here in the betteran world. And I

731
00:47:55,719 --> 00:47:58,000
Speaker 1: want to go down there and I want to change that, uh,

732
00:47:58,000 --> 00:48:03,240
Speaker 1: and I'm gonna give it my best shot. Well and

733
00:48:03,239 --> 00:48:06,600
Speaker 1: and again I believe for all of our listeners out there,

734
00:48:06,600 --> 00:48:08,560
Speaker 1: you need to be applauded for this because you're in

735
00:48:08,960 --> 00:48:12,000
Speaker 1: as far as I know, the only general officer that

736
00:48:12,120 --> 00:48:16,399
Speaker 1: ever came forward to say you struggled with PTSD. That's right,

737
00:48:17,200 --> 00:48:19,879
Speaker 1: and you know, and I think that's the most important thing,

738
00:48:20,200 --> 00:48:24,080
Speaker 1: especially for guys. We all know how SF guys because

739
00:48:24,080 --> 00:48:26,520
Speaker 1: we we we've been in the team rooms. We've been

740
00:48:26,640 --> 00:48:29,759
Speaker 1: in the conference rooms with the guy. No one's gonna

741
00:48:29,760 --> 00:48:32,320
Speaker 1: admit there as a problem. So we have to remove

742
00:48:32,400 --> 00:48:35,520
Speaker 1: that stigma, you know, of of that and it's it's

743
00:48:35,560 --> 00:48:39,200
Speaker 1: a long haul, it's really difficult. And the fact that

744
00:48:39,640 --> 00:48:42,680
Speaker 1: you were able, you know, to put your own feelings,

745
00:48:42,680 --> 00:48:46,480
Speaker 1: decide and come forward. And and the hardest thing for anyone,

746
00:48:46,680 --> 00:48:50,239
Speaker 1: especially s F guy, because we're all that type a personality,

747
00:48:50,960 --> 00:48:53,279
Speaker 1: is to admit that we have an issue. I mean,

748
00:48:53,719 --> 00:48:56,840
Speaker 1: that's you know, we don't like admitting that, you know,

749
00:48:56,920 --> 00:48:59,920
Speaker 1: we have an issue that maybe we can't solve all

750
00:49:00,000 --> 00:49:04,200
Speaker 1: along our own. And I think that's so important today

751
00:49:04,280 --> 00:49:07,399
Speaker 1: and I think that you know, again, our listeners need

752
00:49:07,480 --> 00:49:12,080
Speaker 1: to know this because it's this is a real, real

753
00:49:12,120 --> 00:49:15,240
Speaker 1: problem and it's not getting better. It's there's no hope

754
00:49:15,280 --> 00:49:19,000
Speaker 1: on the horizon, but it's not getting better until you know,

755
00:49:20,200 --> 00:49:22,759
Speaker 1: we have smart people that are working on it, but

756
00:49:22,800 --> 00:49:25,120
Speaker 1: we still have a long, long way to go. So

757
00:49:25,320 --> 00:49:33,839
Speaker 1: CALM just published their study on the effects of um

758
00:49:35,239 --> 00:49:38,160
Speaker 1: traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress and you know

759
00:49:38,320 --> 00:49:43,879
Speaker 1: poor pain management, uh, you know approaches, uh. And they

760
00:49:43,920 --> 00:49:47,400
Speaker 1: found out that the reason why guys and gals and

761
00:49:47,480 --> 00:49:50,680
Speaker 1: special ops aren't going for help. Is because they don't

762
00:49:50,680 --> 00:49:54,480
Speaker 1: trust the chain of command. Uh. They feel they'll be stigmatized.

763
00:49:54,920 --> 00:49:57,840
Speaker 1: They don't believe them. They don't see that there putting

764
00:49:57,880 --> 00:50:00,680
Speaker 1: skin in the game. And it's everything that was preaching,

765
00:50:00,960 --> 00:50:05,120
Speaker 1: you know, as a South Africa commander and encouraging general

766
00:50:05,120 --> 00:50:08,840
Speaker 1: officers to do um. But of course when you see

767
00:50:10,160 --> 00:50:13,560
Speaker 1: you know when when if you're a general officer or

768
00:50:13,600 --> 00:50:19,560
Speaker 1: your subordinate of some sort and you see someone leading

769
00:50:19,560 --> 00:50:22,880
Speaker 1: the way and it's gonna have a negative effect on

770
00:50:22,920 --> 00:50:25,560
Speaker 1: their career, You're like, Okay, wait a minute here. You know,

771
00:50:25,640 --> 00:50:28,799
Speaker 1: thank you for doing that. You are helping people. But

772
00:50:29,120 --> 00:50:31,200
Speaker 1: you know, I got a family to worry about, you know,

773
00:50:31,800 --> 00:50:33,640
Speaker 1: you know, you know, I'm still in the middle of

774
00:50:33,680 --> 00:50:37,719
Speaker 1: my career. Uh. You know, I'm you know, I just

775
00:50:37,760 --> 00:50:40,799
Speaker 1: can't afford to do that. Uh. And that's what has

776
00:50:40,840 --> 00:50:45,000
Speaker 1: to change. And even in light of that study, there

777
00:50:45,000 --> 00:50:50,160
Speaker 1: are retired four stars from special operations UH and general

778
00:50:50,200 --> 00:50:54,760
Speaker 1: officers in special operations right now that don't believe the study,

779
00:50:55,800 --> 00:50:59,680
Speaker 1: that aren't taking it seriously. It's not that we don't

780
00:50:59,680 --> 00:51:02,680
Speaker 1: have enough programs. It's not that we don't have enough money.

781
00:51:02,840 --> 00:51:04,640
Speaker 1: It's not that we don't have enough experts to be

782
00:51:04,640 --> 00:51:07,160
Speaker 1: able to deal with it. We have a bad approach.

783
00:51:07,920 --> 00:51:15,839
Speaker 1: And all I did was put together UM a diagnosis mechanism,

784
00:51:16,040 --> 00:51:19,880
Speaker 1: a therapy mechanism that was flexible, allowed them to still deploy,

785
00:51:20,120 --> 00:51:23,520
Speaker 1: stay on the team, keep their clearance, not be non deployable,

786
00:51:23,840 --> 00:51:27,800
Speaker 1: go out there, UH, integrate their families into their therapy

787
00:51:27,840 --> 00:51:31,600
Speaker 1: because that's a huge, you know, very important thing. UH.

788
00:51:31,600 --> 00:51:39,160
Speaker 1: And and what we discovered was that we had very

789
00:51:39,200 --> 00:51:42,560
Speaker 1: little effect on our our readiness. We had very little

790
00:51:42,600 --> 00:51:47,799
Speaker 1: effect on UH. There was only one person UM that

791
00:51:47,960 --> 00:51:52,760
Speaker 1: we had to take out of UH their job because

792
00:51:52,880 --> 00:51:55,719
Speaker 1: what we noticed in an m R. I was they

793
00:51:55,719 --> 00:51:58,839
Speaker 1: had a tumor on their brain and that they had

794
00:51:58,880 --> 00:52:01,160
Speaker 1: to go to and this was a sort of major

795
00:52:01,520 --> 00:52:04,080
Speaker 1: They had to go to UH Walter read to get

796
00:52:04,160 --> 00:52:06,160
Speaker 1: that out. While they were at Walter Reid, he got

797
00:52:06,200 --> 00:52:11,279
Speaker 1: his hip replaced that was ten years overdue, right for replacement. UH.

798
00:52:11,360 --> 00:52:13,320
Speaker 1: And he left out of there. They sent him to

799
00:52:13,400 --> 00:52:17,600
Speaker 1: Swick and he's a new man. Imagine if we didn't

800
00:52:17,640 --> 00:52:20,920
Speaker 1: start this program and didn't encourage them to go and

801
00:52:20,960 --> 00:52:26,240
Speaker 1: he took his forty eight man company right to launch

802
00:52:26,239 --> 00:52:28,839
Speaker 1: stool and put them all through our program, our three

803
00:52:28,880 --> 00:52:34,480
Speaker 1: day program to get assessed. Uh, recommended for treatment, recommended

804
00:52:34,520 --> 00:52:37,960
Speaker 1: for therapy, bom right, all forty eight of them. And

805
00:52:38,120 --> 00:52:40,799
Speaker 1: he was the one that you know, had to get

806
00:52:41,040 --> 00:52:43,719
Speaker 1: the you know, the surgery for a brain to him.

807
00:52:43,719 --> 00:52:46,040
Speaker 1: But imagine if we didn't find that, then what it

808
00:52:46,080 --> 00:52:49,080
Speaker 1: would be like now, you know, he might have died

809
00:52:49,440 --> 00:52:52,680
Speaker 1: right or worse? Well, I don't think there's anything worse,

810
00:52:52,719 --> 00:52:54,400
Speaker 1: but I mean up to that, you can have some

811
00:52:54,719 --> 00:52:59,000
Speaker 1: stabilitating things happened to you. Uh, if you don't, you know,

812
00:52:59,160 --> 00:53:02,600
Speaker 1: depending on where the humor is, and he wouldn't be

813
00:53:02,640 --> 00:53:05,920
Speaker 1: serving today, he'd be he'd have had to have left

814
00:53:05,920 --> 00:53:08,680
Speaker 1: the service. You know. The other thing we noticed that

815
00:53:08,719 --> 00:53:11,040
Speaker 1: we had to ask another question. When someone got in

816
00:53:11,080 --> 00:53:13,840
Speaker 1: trouble with drugs and alcohol, we had to ask you,

817
00:53:14,200 --> 00:53:21,040
Speaker 1: is this in discipline or is it self medication because

818
00:53:21,040 --> 00:53:25,279
Speaker 1: of a larger problem that we as leaders haven't addressed,

819
00:53:25,560 --> 00:53:29,520
Speaker 1: and therefore they're staying in the fight. They got to

820
00:53:29,560 --> 00:53:33,680
Speaker 1: do something, so they're self medicating somehow. And we found

821
00:53:33,680 --> 00:53:36,680
Speaker 1: out that we needed to ask that question and then

822
00:53:36,719 --> 00:53:39,880
Speaker 1: we needed to take the appropriate action. If it was

823
00:53:40,360 --> 00:53:44,040
Speaker 1: in fact in discipline, then you were held accountable. If

824
00:53:44,080 --> 00:53:47,280
Speaker 1: it wasn't. And we owed you help for a mental

825
00:53:47,320 --> 00:53:50,239
Speaker 1: injury or a physical injury. We got you that help.

826
00:53:50,680 --> 00:53:54,800
Speaker 1: We got you that help for your your self medication issue.

827
00:53:54,840 --> 00:53:57,160
Speaker 1: Plus we got to the medical help for whatever it

828
00:53:57,239 --> 00:54:00,799
Speaker 1: is you needed. Uh. And and that of ruining their

829
00:54:00,800 --> 00:54:02,799
Speaker 1: career right because you know as well as I do,

830
00:54:02,840 --> 00:54:05,480
Speaker 1: an alcohol incident and you're done right toast, that's it.

831
00:54:06,520 --> 00:54:11,080
Speaker 1: No recovery from that. Um. And So because my big

832
00:54:11,160 --> 00:54:13,960
Speaker 1: question was we got guys down on the continent for

833
00:54:14,000 --> 00:54:17,640
Speaker 1: six month tours and we have problems with drugs, we

834
00:54:17,680 --> 00:54:21,520
Speaker 1: have problems with alcohol. Why you can't tell me that

835
00:54:21,600 --> 00:54:23,840
Speaker 1: the average s F guy can't go on a rotation

836
00:54:23,880 --> 00:54:26,440
Speaker 1: for six months and not do that. Well, it's because

837
00:54:26,440 --> 00:54:29,879
Speaker 1: they had underlying health issues and we had to fix those.

838
00:54:29,880 --> 00:54:36,880
Speaker 1: And once we fix those, the self medication issue self corrected, right. Um.

839
00:54:36,920 --> 00:54:40,279
Speaker 1: And you know it was a big that was a

840
00:54:40,400 --> 00:54:43,120
Speaker 1: huge learning point for me. And when I think back

841
00:54:43,760 --> 00:54:46,880
Speaker 1: two guys that I had in my previous commands in Afghanistan,

842
00:54:47,280 --> 00:54:49,320
Speaker 1: and I go, you know what, that was a cry

843
00:54:49,400 --> 00:54:53,040
Speaker 1: for help, and I treated it as if it was indiscipline,

844
00:54:53,880 --> 00:54:59,279
Speaker 1: and um, you know, I felt bad because we're we're

845
00:54:59,280 --> 00:55:03,120
Speaker 1: not doing the right thing as leaders for our mental women,

846
00:55:05,400 --> 00:55:08,520
Speaker 1: and you know that's part of learning. I mean, we

847
00:55:08,640 --> 00:55:12,680
Speaker 1: all make mistakes. I remember my my best battalion commander

848
00:55:12,840 --> 00:55:16,279
Speaker 1: always used to say, show me somebody who never makes

849
00:55:16,280 --> 00:55:18,200
Speaker 1: a mistake, and I'll show you somebody that doesn't do

850
00:55:18,239 --> 00:55:23,880
Speaker 1: a damn thing all day long and exactly. And he

851
00:55:24,000 --> 00:55:26,040
Speaker 1: ended up being in a group commander in seventh group,

852
00:55:26,120 --> 00:55:31,000
Speaker 1: so I always thought he was he spot on, absolutely

853
00:55:31,040 --> 00:55:34,840
Speaker 1: spot on. And and then you know, we were inside

854
00:55:34,840 --> 00:55:38,440
Speaker 1: a system now, Steve, that won't accept mistakes, and so

855
00:55:38,520 --> 00:55:42,680
Speaker 1: now people try to hide them, and senior leaders look

856
00:55:42,760 --> 00:55:46,160
Speaker 1: to deflect blame on their subordinates. And you see that

857
00:55:46,239 --> 00:55:51,759
Speaker 1: manifest itself in investigations where the where the geos are

858
00:55:52,200 --> 00:55:56,319
Speaker 1: protecting themselves from any wrongdoing or you know, for the best,

859
00:55:56,360 --> 00:55:59,399
Speaker 1: you know, so their careers aren't affected at the expense

860
00:55:59,640 --> 00:56:03,480
Speaker 1: of our service members. It happened, It happened to our

861
00:56:03,520 --> 00:56:07,279
Speaker 1: guys in nies are in the ambush um. It was

862
00:56:07,360 --> 00:56:10,359
Speaker 1: handled poorly by SOCOM, and it was handled poorly by

863
00:56:10,360 --> 00:56:14,480
Speaker 1: African It was handled poorly by d O d Um.

864
00:56:14,520 --> 00:56:17,360
Speaker 1: You know, they blame the guys on the ground for

865
00:56:18,280 --> 00:56:21,799
Speaker 1: the general officers both in preparing the team to go,

866
00:56:22,880 --> 00:56:26,160
Speaker 1: and the in theater general officers at the at the

867
00:56:26,200 --> 00:56:29,640
Speaker 1: South Africa level and the US African level not doing

868
00:56:29,640 --> 00:56:32,759
Speaker 1: the right thing to make sure that if you were

869
00:56:32,760 --> 00:56:34,560
Speaker 1: going to tell these guys to do that mission, they

870
00:56:34,560 --> 00:56:37,400
Speaker 1: had the right resources, and then not listening to the

871
00:56:37,440 --> 00:56:40,239
Speaker 1: captain on the ground when he said we shouldn't do this,

872
00:56:40,800 --> 00:56:42,640
Speaker 1: I don't want to do it. You know that. That

873
00:56:42,719 --> 00:56:46,720
Speaker 1: was my number one standing order was if the team

874
00:56:46,880 --> 00:56:51,640
Speaker 1: said no, the answer is no, we can do it

875
00:56:51,760 --> 00:56:54,640
Speaker 1: another day when we have the right resources and the

876
00:56:54,640 --> 00:56:59,080
Speaker 1: team is better prepared. Because in that area and those

877
00:56:59,120 --> 00:57:03,120
Speaker 1: remote areas, it's easy to get surrounded. It's easy for

878
00:57:03,719 --> 00:57:05,600
Speaker 1: you know, the enemy to react to you in a

879
00:57:05,640 --> 00:57:07,640
Speaker 1: way that you don't even know what the hell is

880
00:57:07,680 --> 00:57:10,759
Speaker 1: happening because they blend right into the populace and the

881
00:57:10,840 --> 00:57:14,319
Speaker 1: next thing you know, you're in a damn ambush like that. Uh.

882
00:57:14,360 --> 00:57:20,240
Speaker 1: And so I gave the team on the ground ultimate

883
00:57:20,320 --> 00:57:24,360
Speaker 1: veto power. Uh if in their assessment it was not

884
00:57:25,240 --> 00:57:27,720
Speaker 1: couldn't mitigate the risk and it was not a good idea.

885
00:57:28,360 --> 00:57:32,080
Speaker 1: You know, we'll we'll do a mission and fight another day. Uh.

886
00:57:32,840 --> 00:57:38,080
Speaker 1: And uh, you know, uh, that is the way to go.

887
00:57:38,280 --> 00:57:40,360
Speaker 1: And that was the biggest error in the whole thing,

888
00:57:40,640 --> 00:57:44,360
Speaker 1: was they didn't that you know, the chain of command above,

889
00:57:44,400 --> 00:57:46,480
Speaker 1: didn't listen to the team. It was all about getting

890
00:57:46,480 --> 00:57:48,720
Speaker 1: that h VT, you know, it was all about doing

891
00:57:48,760 --> 00:57:54,280
Speaker 1: the you know, uh, the sensitive side exploitation, uh, and

892
00:57:54,440 --> 00:57:58,040
Speaker 1: not about listening to that team on the ground. And

893
00:57:58,160 --> 00:58:00,880
Speaker 1: they put them in our partner was in a very

894
00:58:00,920 --> 00:58:08,320
Speaker 1: difficult situation, and then they blamed it on them. Wrong answer, Yeah, exactly.

895
00:58:08,920 --> 00:58:11,640
Speaker 1: So listen, I didn't make any friends in Africa or

896
00:58:11,720 --> 00:58:14,560
Speaker 1: in so Calm over that I was in retirement and

897
00:58:14,600 --> 00:58:18,560
Speaker 1: I was, you know, given NPR and everybody else an interview,

898
00:58:19,160 --> 00:58:22,240
Speaker 1: you know, and telling them what I thought. Um. You

899
00:58:22,280 --> 00:58:25,400
Speaker 1: know that the general officers, uh, you know, the so

900
00:58:25,560 --> 00:58:28,920
Speaker 1: Calm commander the time was General Thomas and the uh

901
00:58:29,280 --> 00:58:33,560
Speaker 1: you know, General Waldhauser, both men I respect, but they

902
00:58:33,560 --> 00:58:38,480
Speaker 1: didn't handle this right period. And the proof was in

903
00:58:38,480 --> 00:58:41,280
Speaker 1: the pudding, you know, the way it turned out, unfortunately,

904
00:58:41,440 --> 00:58:45,560
Speaker 1: and and we lost some good people there. We lost

905
00:58:45,560 --> 00:58:49,680
Speaker 1: some people. Then we didn't recognize them properly, and then

906
00:58:49,800 --> 00:58:52,600
Speaker 1: we made then we and then we didn't treat their

907
00:58:52,680 --> 00:58:56,560
Speaker 1: families properly, and then we didn't go back and say, listen,

908
00:58:56,880 --> 00:59:03,000
Speaker 1: we made some serious mistakes in preparing this team for

909
00:59:03,120 --> 00:59:07,080
Speaker 1: their mission in Africa, which is every bit a combat mission,

910
00:59:07,720 --> 00:59:11,080
Speaker 1: and then in theater, we didn't do the right things

911
00:59:11,120 --> 00:59:13,880
Speaker 1: to make sure the transition went well, to make sure

912
00:59:13,880 --> 00:59:17,280
Speaker 1: everybody had with the uh you know, did that left

913
00:59:17,280 --> 00:59:20,080
Speaker 1: seat right seat ride properly and that we had the

914
00:59:20,200 --> 00:59:25,720
Speaker 1: right um, you know, monitoring of mission changes. Uh, you

915
00:59:25,760 --> 00:59:30,360
Speaker 1: know on a frago at them you know, at the

916
00:59:30,360 --> 00:59:34,120
Speaker 1: operations center level there in in Africa, you know, in

917
00:59:34,160 --> 00:59:39,280
Speaker 1: South Africa and Africa. UM. It was it was my

918
00:59:39,400 --> 00:59:43,520
Speaker 1: biggest worry. And I would tell General Thomas that before him,

919
00:59:43,560 --> 00:59:46,320
Speaker 1: General to tell that, I would tell General Rodriguez, and

920
00:59:46,360 --> 00:59:50,160
Speaker 1: then after General Rodriguez, General Waldhauser that this is my

921
00:59:50,240 --> 00:59:53,680
Speaker 1: biggest fear. My biggest fear is sending these teams out

922
00:59:53,760 --> 00:59:58,160
Speaker 1: on a mission because we think, you know, in Stuttgart,

923
00:59:58,560 --> 01:00:01,680
Speaker 1: or we think back in Washing to d C, that's

924
01:00:01,760 --> 01:00:04,920
Speaker 1: something is worth doing. When the guys on the ground

925
01:00:05,080 --> 01:00:08,680
Speaker 1: say no, right, and we forced them to do something,

926
01:00:08,920 --> 01:00:12,240
Speaker 1: that's how we are going to get in trouble. Our

927
01:00:12,240 --> 01:00:14,400
Speaker 1: guys are gonna get in trouble and we're gonna lose

928
01:00:14,480 --> 01:00:18,760
Speaker 1: lives or the potential of that increases exponentially because they're

929
01:00:18,840 --> 01:00:23,000
Speaker 1: already under resource for what we're asking them to do. Uh.

930
01:00:23,040 --> 01:00:29,120
Speaker 1: And so it happened. It happened on three October, and

931
01:00:30,440 --> 01:00:32,600
Speaker 1: you know, four months after I gave up command and

932
01:00:32,680 --> 01:00:38,120
Speaker 1: two days after I retired. So um, you know, having

933
01:00:38,160 --> 01:00:42,320
Speaker 1: spent four years in Africa and watching you know, South

934
01:00:42,440 --> 01:00:45,760
Speaker 1: Africa and all the other components operate in Africa while

935
01:00:45,800 --> 01:00:49,680
Speaker 1: I was the operations officer in Africa, certainly wasn't an

936
01:00:49,680 --> 01:00:53,640
Speaker 1: expert in Africa, but I had two more years experience

937
01:00:54,080 --> 01:00:59,840
Speaker 1: than most of the general officers in Africa. UM, you

938
01:00:59,840 --> 01:01:03,440
Speaker 1: know in africam at the time, and certainly uh in

939
01:01:03,880 --> 01:01:07,560
Speaker 1: uh in so calm uh and not to be listened

940
01:01:07,600 --> 01:01:14,960
Speaker 1: to um is uh you know not a good thing, right,

941
01:01:15,000 --> 01:01:20,120
Speaker 1: I mean, it's the worst feeling for anybody, right, is right? Um?

942
01:01:20,160 --> 01:01:22,360
Speaker 1: And it's not that I'm disobeying you. It's not that

943
01:01:22,400 --> 01:01:26,960
Speaker 1: I don't respect your your authority. UM, It's just that

944
01:01:27,920 --> 01:01:33,120
Speaker 1: I know my limitations. But I know I had guys

945
01:01:33,160 --> 01:01:35,600
Speaker 1: that worked for me on the ground in or that

946
01:01:35,720 --> 01:01:38,800
Speaker 1: I worked for because I like to say it that way,

947
01:01:38,840 --> 01:01:44,200
Speaker 1: because that that's a different mindset when when when you

948
01:01:44,240 --> 01:01:47,560
Speaker 1: work for them on the ground as opposed to them

949
01:01:47,600 --> 01:01:50,800
Speaker 1: working for you. It completely changes your mindset as a

950
01:01:50,880 --> 01:01:53,720
Speaker 1: higher headquarters on what your responsibilities are and what you

951
01:01:53,720 --> 01:02:00,600
Speaker 1: should be paying attention to. So anyways, um uh, you know,

952
01:02:01,840 --> 01:02:06,320
Speaker 1: I mean that was my biggest My biggest worry, uh

953
01:02:06,600 --> 01:02:10,320
Speaker 1: was lack of resources. The fact that we had these

954
01:02:10,400 --> 01:02:15,160
Speaker 1: guys out in these remote areas. And what gave me

955
01:02:15,240 --> 01:02:19,880
Speaker 1: comfort was these guys have been on multiple rotations. They

956
01:02:19,920 --> 01:02:23,200
Speaker 1: had more experience than I did, and I needed to

957
01:02:23,400 --> 01:02:29,440
Speaker 1: listen to them and I can learn from them, right. Uh.

958
01:02:29,520 --> 01:02:33,360
Speaker 1: And Hey, as a leader, recognizing that you're not the

959
01:02:33,400 --> 01:02:36,160
Speaker 1: smartest guy in the room is a good thing. Recognizing

960
01:02:36,160 --> 01:02:38,840
Speaker 1: that you don't have all the operational experience is even

961
01:02:38,880 --> 01:02:42,960
Speaker 1: a better thing. Uh. But we have a lot of hubris, right.

962
01:02:43,080 --> 01:02:44,880
Speaker 1: We don't want to admit that we don't know as

963
01:02:44,960 --> 01:02:47,920
Speaker 1: much as our subordinates or that we're not the smartest

964
01:02:47,960 --> 01:02:50,680
Speaker 1: person in the room. And and you know, one of

965
01:02:50,720 --> 01:02:53,080
Speaker 1: the biggest things as a general officer that you have

966
01:02:53,160 --> 01:02:56,360
Speaker 1: to do you have to realize two things. One, check

967
01:02:56,400 --> 01:03:01,160
Speaker 1: your ego at the door, and remember you're appointed, not anointed,

968
01:03:01,720 --> 01:03:04,360
Speaker 1: and you have to approach it that way. And that

969
01:03:04,480 --> 01:03:07,240
Speaker 1: gives you the humility that you need to recognize. I

970
01:03:07,280 --> 01:03:13,960
Speaker 1: gotta listen to others excellence. That's uh. You know, I

971
01:03:14,000 --> 01:03:16,720
Speaker 1: know you're running short on time, but do you have

972
01:03:17,280 --> 01:03:20,240
Speaker 1: a couple more minutes, because uh, I wanted to get

973
01:03:20,280 --> 01:03:25,320
Speaker 1: your feelings on these upcoming elections and and what your

974
01:03:25,400 --> 01:03:31,520
Speaker 1: vision is for the state of New Hampshire. Yes, um so, UH,

975
01:03:31,680 --> 01:03:36,760
Speaker 1: I appreciate that opportunity. UM. You know, we're I've been

976
01:03:37,160 --> 01:03:40,440
Speaker 1: uh the longest running candidate here in the state of

977
01:03:40,480 --> 01:03:44,360
Speaker 1: New Hampshire running for federal office. I started fourteen months ago.

978
01:03:44,960 --> 01:03:47,960
Speaker 1: We're coming up on our primary and eight September, and

979
01:03:48,000 --> 01:03:52,680
Speaker 1: I've been running on the platform of people, family and mission.

980
01:03:53,320 --> 01:03:55,280
Speaker 1: People are a number one asset. And we need to

981
01:03:55,400 --> 01:03:58,720
Speaker 1: change the narrative in Washington, d C. From one of

982
01:03:59,440 --> 01:04:02,840
Speaker 1: uh sell service to selfless service. And we need to

983
01:04:02,880 --> 01:04:07,040
Speaker 1: go down there and recognized that that the position of

984
01:04:07,160 --> 01:04:09,920
Speaker 1: United States Senator and that office belongs to the people

985
01:04:09,920 --> 01:04:14,320
Speaker 1: of New Hampshire and not not to me. I'm borrowing

986
01:04:14,320 --> 01:04:18,040
Speaker 1: it for a period of time. UM. And I believe

987
01:04:18,040 --> 01:04:21,120
Speaker 1: in term limits. I believe that career politicians are the

988
01:04:21,160 --> 01:04:23,720
Speaker 1: bane of our existence. Uh. And they've created a lot

989
01:04:23,760 --> 01:04:26,880
Speaker 1: of problems for us, and that the political process is

990
01:04:26,920 --> 01:04:30,240
Speaker 1: corrupted by power and money and that needs to change

991
01:04:30,480 --> 01:04:33,440
Speaker 1: to a narrative of character and integrity and selfless service.

992
01:04:33,480 --> 01:04:35,160
Speaker 1: And if we don't do that, we're gonna be in

993
01:04:35,200 --> 01:04:40,680
Speaker 1: big trouble. UH. Families. Families are the cornerstone of our community,

994
01:04:40,720 --> 01:04:42,920
Speaker 1: and we need to invest in everything that makes that

995
01:04:43,080 --> 01:04:47,560
Speaker 1: was family strong. UH, from education to healthcare, to mental

996
01:04:47,600 --> 01:04:51,360
Speaker 1: health UH, to the drug crisis, to law and order,

997
01:04:51,680 --> 01:04:54,760
Speaker 1: in the protection of our and the strength of our communities,

998
01:04:55,360 --> 01:04:59,800
Speaker 1: because our communities are the cornerstone of our um of

999
01:04:59,840 --> 01:05:04,320
Speaker 1: our country. This bottom up approach UH, getting the federal

1000
01:05:04,360 --> 01:05:08,640
Speaker 1: government out of the way, creating an environment in which

1001
01:05:09,520 --> 01:05:12,960
Speaker 1: private industry can create jobs. Because the federal government doesn't

1002
01:05:12,960 --> 01:05:15,200
Speaker 1: create jobs. A lot of politicians don't know that. And

1003
01:05:15,200 --> 01:05:17,120
Speaker 1: when you hear one of them say I AM going

1004
01:05:17,160 --> 01:05:20,720
Speaker 1: to create jobs, you gotta you better pull back because

1005
01:05:20,760 --> 01:05:25,160
Speaker 1: they can't create jobs. They can only create the opportunity

1006
01:05:25,240 --> 01:05:28,040
Speaker 1: for others to create jobs. And you do that by

1007
01:05:28,080 --> 01:05:31,400
Speaker 1: getting out of the way of private industry, getting the

1008
01:05:31,440 --> 01:05:36,520
Speaker 1: government out of the way, limiting it significantly. And then

1009
01:05:37,360 --> 01:05:40,360
Speaker 1: my mission is gonna be to go down there and say, hey, listen.

1010
01:05:40,960 --> 01:05:45,200
Speaker 1: You know, Uh, we got to limit this government. We

1011
01:05:45,320 --> 01:05:49,960
Speaker 1: gotta get fiscal responsibility squared away, meaning we gotta stop

1012
01:05:50,040 --> 01:05:52,560
Speaker 1: spending money the way we're spending it. And you do

1013
01:05:52,640 --> 01:05:59,800
Speaker 1: that by by um terminating and revising government programs that

1014
01:06:00,160 --> 01:06:05,920
Speaker 1: become bureaucratic money suck holes, and uh, they're there everywhere

1015
01:06:06,000 --> 01:06:09,680
Speaker 1: you look, whether it's a welfare program, whether it's the

1016
01:06:09,720 --> 01:06:13,560
Speaker 1: current health care system, whether it's throwing money at you know,

1017
01:06:13,680 --> 01:06:17,320
Speaker 1: every other problem that we have, whether it is not

1018
01:06:18,840 --> 01:06:22,320
Speaker 1: passing legislations that's that's targeted and temporary to deal with

1019
01:06:22,360 --> 01:06:25,320
Speaker 1: the problem. Biggest problem we had with COVID was the

1020
01:06:25,440 --> 01:06:28,440
Speaker 1: omnibus bill, in the pork that was in it, Uh

1021
01:06:28,480 --> 01:06:31,400
Speaker 1: and the fact that they couldn't come together and help

1022
01:06:31,440 --> 01:06:34,920
Speaker 1: the American people and created an economic crisis. So what

1023
01:06:34,960 --> 01:06:37,640
Speaker 1: we need to interrupt you, But I just wanted to

1024
01:06:37,920 --> 01:06:40,960
Speaker 1: I just wanted to say that, you know, when you

1025
01:06:41,040 --> 01:06:45,600
Speaker 1: talk about fiscal responsibility and managing a budget, that's something

1026
01:06:45,760 --> 01:06:49,880
Speaker 1: you as a commanding officer, as a general in the military.

1027
01:06:50,080 --> 01:06:54,120
Speaker 1: You couldn't spend a dollar more than you were budgeted

1028
01:06:54,600 --> 01:06:57,640
Speaker 1: or you're gonna get called out. You know, you you

1029
01:06:57,720 --> 01:07:00,880
Speaker 1: were gonna be called onto the carpet, and right, why

1030
01:07:01,000 --> 01:07:04,600
Speaker 1: is Congress So I feel like they're so immune to

1031
01:07:04,640 --> 01:07:07,480
Speaker 1: this that they just keep throwing money that we don't have.

1032
01:07:08,480 --> 01:07:13,760
Speaker 1: And I mean that's just something that they're taking your

1033
01:07:13,800 --> 01:07:16,320
Speaker 1: money and they're spending it. So you have left to say,

1034
01:07:16,520 --> 01:07:20,200
Speaker 1: less to say, less to invest, and less and less

1035
01:07:20,240 --> 01:07:22,280
Speaker 1: to spend the way you want to. And they're doing

1036
01:07:22,320 --> 01:07:27,040
Speaker 1: it on ridiculous programs that are programs their their their

1037
01:07:27,120 --> 01:07:32,200
Speaker 1: programs that don't encourage self determination initiatives, uh, and that

1038
01:07:32,320 --> 01:07:35,240
Speaker 1: don't tread on me attitude that we want in Americans

1039
01:07:35,600 --> 01:07:38,960
Speaker 1: go out there, do it, figure it out, make it happen,

1040
01:07:39,480 --> 01:07:43,760
Speaker 1: and you know, become successful. Instead it's oh, we want

1041
01:07:43,760 --> 01:07:45,880
Speaker 1: to take care of you. Oh we're gonna do this.

1042
01:07:46,200 --> 01:07:48,440
Speaker 1: We want you to be dependent, we want you to

1043
01:07:48,480 --> 01:07:50,520
Speaker 1: be faint of heart, we want you to come to

1044
01:07:50,640 --> 01:07:54,680
Speaker 1: us because we're we're your benevolent benefactors and and we're

1045
01:07:54,680 --> 01:07:57,800
Speaker 1: gonna help you. And that costs way too much money

1046
01:07:57,840 --> 01:08:01,320
Speaker 1: and it's foolish to do that. Uh, that's not the

1047
01:08:01,360 --> 01:08:06,320
Speaker 1: American way. But we have we have two generations now

1048
01:08:06,360 --> 01:08:09,400
Speaker 1: that are voting that you know, look for free stuff

1049
01:08:09,440 --> 01:08:11,880
Speaker 1: everywhere you go. They look for the government to take

1050
01:08:11,920 --> 01:08:14,240
Speaker 1: care of them. They haven't been taught our history, they

1051
01:08:14,240 --> 01:08:17,280
Speaker 1: haven't been taught civics, they haven't been taught the truth.

1052
01:08:17,720 --> 01:08:20,920
Speaker 1: And now you see that out in our streets now,

1053
01:08:20,960 --> 01:08:25,240
Speaker 1: and you see it in this national mentality where American

1054
01:08:25,360 --> 01:08:28,960
Speaker 1: socialism now is is you know, what the Democratic Party

1055
01:08:29,120 --> 01:08:33,400
Speaker 1: is pushing and people like AOC are considered the you know,

1056
01:08:33,439 --> 01:08:36,799
Speaker 1: the future face of the Democratic Party, and that should

1057
01:08:36,800 --> 01:08:40,320
Speaker 1: scare the hell out of everybody. Right, the future face

1058
01:08:40,360 --> 01:08:44,960
Speaker 1: of America is the people of America, not any politician. Right.

1059
01:08:45,560 --> 01:08:48,440
Speaker 1: You get put there by the people, and you're accountable

1060
01:08:48,479 --> 01:08:50,920
Speaker 1: to the people. And that's where we're missing the boat,

1061
01:08:50,960 --> 01:08:53,599
Speaker 1: because they get up there and they do what they

1062
01:08:53,680 --> 01:08:56,360
Speaker 1: want to do, what they think is right, uh, in

1063
01:08:56,479 --> 01:09:00,679
Speaker 1: order to maintain their jobs and to help their buddies

1064
01:09:00,720 --> 01:09:05,360
Speaker 1: and the big corporations and there they're pharmaceutical buddies and

1065
01:09:05,400 --> 01:09:08,360
Speaker 1: all the special interests and lobbyists and and and and

1066
01:09:08,400 --> 01:09:10,960
Speaker 1: so on and so forth. I am a real threat

1067
01:09:11,040 --> 01:09:13,639
Speaker 1: up here in New Hampshire to the status quo. People

1068
01:09:13,680 --> 01:09:16,519
Speaker 1: are worried about me because they know they are not

1069
01:09:16,560 --> 01:09:20,640
Speaker 1: gonna be able to control me because my fundraising is

1070
01:09:20,760 --> 01:09:24,160
Speaker 1: very disciplined. And I don't take money from everybody. I

1071
01:09:24,240 --> 01:09:27,120
Speaker 1: will not be beholden to the establishment. I will not

1072
01:09:27,160 --> 01:09:30,080
Speaker 1: be beholden a special interest or lobbyists. I Am not

1073
01:09:30,120 --> 01:09:33,120
Speaker 1: gonna go down there day one and have to listen

1074
01:09:33,160 --> 01:09:36,360
Speaker 1: to somebody because they did me a favor to get

1075
01:09:36,360 --> 01:09:41,320
Speaker 1: elected and now I owe them right. No way, I

1076
01:09:41,360 --> 01:09:44,680
Speaker 1: didn't do that as a general officer. And you know,

1077
01:09:44,760 --> 01:09:47,679
Speaker 1: if it, if it came to a decision, my general

1078
01:09:47,680 --> 01:09:50,200
Speaker 1: officer above me is telling me what to do. My

1079
01:09:50,320 --> 01:09:54,000
Speaker 1: subordinate commander is telling me what we need to do. Right,

1080
01:09:54,680 --> 01:09:58,280
Speaker 1: I am going to fight for that subordinate uh, telling

1081
01:09:58,320 --> 01:10:01,040
Speaker 1: me what we need to do, No, what my commanding

1082
01:10:01,080 --> 01:10:06,960
Speaker 1: officer above me wants me to do. Uh. And um,

1083
01:10:07,000 --> 01:10:09,759
Speaker 1: you know, I'm gonna do the same thing as us, Senator.

1084
01:10:09,920 --> 01:10:12,000
Speaker 1: I'm gonna do what the people of New Hampshire want

1085
01:10:12,479 --> 01:10:16,000
Speaker 1: because it's just not been happening for so so long.

1086
01:10:16,600 --> 01:10:20,160
Speaker 1: By the people. Uh, you know, for the people, by

1087
01:10:20,200 --> 01:10:22,639
Speaker 1: the and by the people is is our government. That's

1088
01:10:22,680 --> 01:10:25,280
Speaker 1: what we want. Um. You know, that's what our government

1089
01:10:25,320 --> 01:10:28,760
Speaker 1: is set up for, and we've gotten so far away

1090
01:10:28,800 --> 01:10:32,200
Speaker 1: from it now that you know, America is in a crisis.

1091
01:10:32,200 --> 01:10:36,759
Speaker 1: Everywhere you turn around well, sir, we want to thank you.

1092
01:10:37,080 --> 01:10:40,439
Speaker 1: We really appreciate your time this morning. I know we

1093
01:10:40,560 --> 01:10:43,080
Speaker 1: asked for just about forty five minutes to an hour

1094
01:10:43,160 --> 01:10:46,439
Speaker 1: and we've gone over that. So we're we're very thankful

1095
01:10:46,520 --> 01:10:50,360
Speaker 1: for you and uh, thank you for your service. Um.

1096
01:10:50,560 --> 01:10:54,200
Speaker 1: And you're definitely a straight shooter. And I hope all

1097
01:10:54,200 --> 01:10:57,000
Speaker 1: the voters in New Hampshire to listen to the message

1098
01:10:57,000 --> 01:11:00,320
Speaker 1: that's out there, and we wish you all the best.

1099
01:11:00,720 --> 01:11:04,479
Speaker 1: And you know, I love the soft rep You guys

1100
01:11:04,479 --> 01:11:07,400
Speaker 1: tell the truth, you get it out there, you listen

1101
01:11:07,439 --> 01:11:11,360
Speaker 1: to people. Uh And and so you know I've always

1102
01:11:11,400 --> 01:11:14,280
Speaker 1: been a huge fan. Uh and you know when you

1103
01:11:14,280 --> 01:11:17,160
Speaker 1: can contacted me and asked me to come on. One

1104
01:11:17,200 --> 01:11:18,800
Speaker 1: of the things I do is I give people the

1105
01:11:18,840 --> 01:11:23,160
Speaker 1: time that they need. Uh And UM, hopefully this has

1106
01:11:23,200 --> 01:11:27,000
Speaker 1: been uh productive. I don't know everything. I never pretended

1107
01:11:27,040 --> 01:11:29,280
Speaker 1: to know everything. I'm not the smartest person in the room.

1108
01:11:29,400 --> 01:11:32,280
Speaker 1: A little bit my mistakes, but by by goodness gracious,

1109
01:11:32,560 --> 01:11:35,320
Speaker 1: will be in this together and and that's what that's

1110
01:11:35,320 --> 01:11:36,920
Speaker 1: how we need to do this, and that's how we're

1111
01:11:36,920 --> 01:11:42,080
Speaker 1: gonna keep America great. Well, thank you, sir, and I

1112
01:11:42,200 --> 01:11:45,639
Speaker 1: certainly can get on board with that sentiment and thank

1113
01:11:45,680 --> 01:11:48,160
Speaker 1: you for your kind words for all of us here

1114
01:11:48,200 --> 01:11:51,240
Speaker 1: at soft REP. We want to thank you all for listening.

1115
01:11:51,760 --> 01:11:54,639
Speaker 1: We want to thank our guests General Baldwick for joining

1116
01:11:54,720 --> 01:11:57,360
Speaker 1: us today. We wish him to all the best in

1117
01:11:57,400 --> 01:12:01,080
Speaker 1: the upcoming election and soft of Radio on time on.

1118
01:12:01,439 --> 01:12:05,400
Speaker 1: We'll be back with another podcast real soon. In general,

1119
01:12:06,360 --> 01:12:11,439
Speaker 1: let's UH, let's put together maybe UH far reaching plan

1120
01:12:11,600 --> 01:12:15,280
Speaker 1: and we'll talk to you sometime after January when maybe

1121
01:12:15,280 --> 01:12:19,280
Speaker 1: you're having done in Washington. I hope, I hope that's

1122
01:12:19,320 --> 01:12:23,800
Speaker 1: the case. UM. Ultimately not my decision, but it is UH.

1123
01:12:24,200 --> 01:12:28,200
Speaker 1: I look forward to UH to follow up and and

1124
01:12:28,240 --> 01:12:30,840
Speaker 1: thank you for this opportunity and my best to you

1125
01:12:31,320 --> 01:12:35,240
Speaker 1: everyone at soft REP and all all your readers and listeners.

1126
01:12:36,080 --> 01:12:55,720
Speaker 1: Thank you, sir. We'll be back soon with another podcast,

1127
01:12:56,000 --> 01:12:57,120
Speaker 1: Listening to Self