1 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:21,320 Speaker 1: If it doesn't work, you're just not using enough. You're 2 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:26,239 Speaker 1: listening to soft up Radio special operations, military news and 3 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 1: straight talk with the guys and the community. Hey, what's 4 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:38,559 Speaker 1: going on. It's Brad and I just hit record on 5 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:42,400 Speaker 1: another episode of soft Rep Radio. But today I have 6 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:45,320 Speaker 1: kind of, like, you know, someone very special to talk to, 7 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 1: uh Major Major Fred Galvin. So I read Fred's story 8 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 1: and he should be a lieutenant colonel. Listeners, all right, 9 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 1: So I just want to let you know that's why 10 00:00:55,840 --> 00:00:58,040 Speaker 1: I feel like I should call him lieutenant colonel because 11 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:00,120 Speaker 1: my hair tinges on the back of my neck and 12 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:03,200 Speaker 1: the face to salute him as a lieutenant colonel, because 13 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 1: he earned that rank. And so I just want to 14 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:06,680 Speaker 1: make sure that as you listen to the story that 15 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:08,640 Speaker 1: Fred's going to talk about, I want you to think 16 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:10,880 Speaker 1: of him as a lieutenant colonel because he deserves that 17 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:13,200 Speaker 1: and he should have that on his d D two 18 00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:17,640 Speaker 1: fourteen at the least at the least. So, Fred, lieutenant 19 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:22,039 Speaker 1: colonel major marine human being on this earth, Welcome to 20 00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 1: soft Rep. Thank you very much. Fred. It's awesome to 21 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:28,399 Speaker 1: be here. Yeah, and it's it's awesome and I hate 22 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:30,039 Speaker 1: to have you here because the story that you have 23 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:31,920 Speaker 1: to tell is not one that I would ever want 24 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:34,400 Speaker 1: to be put into. It's one that you've been thrust 25 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 1: it into. This is not a Hollywood book that you 26 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:40,400 Speaker 1: have to unless you have it. I'm just gonna say, 27 00:01:40,440 --> 00:01:43,440 Speaker 1: this is like real deal. You know, you were dealing 28 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:46,280 Speaker 1: with u c MJ, which is the Uniform Code of 29 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:49,320 Speaker 1: Military Justice all over you. You're probably dealing with Geneva conventions, 30 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 1: people war crimes coming at you. You were caught inside 31 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:54,800 Speaker 1: of a situation that I have never been involved in, 32 00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 1: nor have I ever had round shot at me in hate. Okay, 33 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:01,360 Speaker 1: So for those of us about to listen to Fred's story, 34 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: I want you to understand, we weren't there. We weren't 35 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:06,160 Speaker 1: there at the time of day when the sun was 36 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:08,359 Speaker 1: hitting the sand that they were stepping on. We don't 37 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:11,239 Speaker 1: understand the situation that presented it to themselves. They do, 38 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:14,240 Speaker 1: he does. So this story is Fred's story, And Fred, 39 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:17,160 Speaker 1: I just want to ask before you know and I 40 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:20,000 Speaker 1: know that the situation is atrocities during you know, the 41 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 1: Global War on Terror, where you were so Calm commander, 42 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:26,480 Speaker 1: which a specialized operation command. That's when the Marine Corps 43 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:29,079 Speaker 1: finally decided to have their own separate entity to run 44 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 1: MARSOK and you became the commander of the first I 45 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 1: want to stay detachment commander to go overseas and and 46 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:38,800 Speaker 1: deploy with that MARSOC unit to get into combat and defend, 47 00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:41,360 Speaker 1: you know, the global war on terrorism. Am I close 48 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:45,079 Speaker 1: to just breaking that down? Actually the first one it 49 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 1: was we were accompanying, so it wasn't a detachment technically, Okay, 50 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:51,799 Speaker 1: I'm not trying to split hairs. And then when we 51 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 1: got in theater, the Joint Special Person's Task Force designated 52 00:02:55,800 --> 00:03:01,000 Speaker 1: as a task force. I was the commanding officer of 53 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:04,080 Speaker 1: the unit, the very first unit that Marines Special Operations 54 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:08,560 Speaker 1: Command deployed to combat, and we were assigned into eastern 55 00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:12,040 Speaker 1: Afghanistan right on the Afghan Pakistan border with our Rain 56 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:15,640 Speaker 1: Special Operations STATS Force. That's incredible now, is that where 57 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 1: the m e USED would be assigned is within Socom 58 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:22,240 Speaker 1: m e U. Is that what that is? Is my understanding? Well, 59 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:25,760 Speaker 1: actually that's a good question. So the Marine Expeditionary Units 60 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:30,320 Speaker 1: a group of it's a air ground task force of Marines. 61 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:34,680 Speaker 1: They have an infantry battalion, a logistics support element, and 62 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:38,640 Speaker 1: then they also have a ground combat element. And then 63 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:42,680 Speaker 1: their command element. We actually deployed with the twenty six 64 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:45,920 Speaker 1: Marine Expeditionary Unit. We left on the USS Baton and 65 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 1: two other ships January seven out of Norfolk, Virginia. And 66 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:54,800 Speaker 1: that was, by no mistake the Marine Corps intentionally did. 67 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:58,000 Speaker 1: It wasn't like accidental, like oh, these guys just happened 68 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 1: to find their way on the ship. The Marine corpsdn't 69 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:05,360 Speaker 1: want the Marine Special Operations Task Force to be lost 70 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 1: to the Special Operations Comming. They're like, hey, we're paying 71 00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 1: this tab, We're going to drink the beer. That's just 72 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:13,600 Speaker 1: how it's gonna go. We're not going to let these 73 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 1: guys be like the Navy seals who originally were assigned 74 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:19,680 Speaker 1: on ship and then got taken off the ship. So 75 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:23,360 Speaker 1: very intentionally they would put us on the ship. Now, 76 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:26,440 Speaker 1: in this whole let's call it an arranged marriage rag, 77 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 1: because that's what it was. Is you had Dr Rumsfeld, 78 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 1: who was a Secretary of Defense. He was for Bush 79 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:38,640 Speaker 1: Junior number forty three. He kept ordering and he asked, 80 00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:43,120 Speaker 1: he ordered all the components in the Special Operations Command 81 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 1: to increase their capacity for special Operations forces. This was 82 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:49,440 Speaker 1: right after nine eleven, so the Green Brays added a 83 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:53,200 Speaker 1: battalion for Group Seals, added a team on both coasts, 84 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:58,839 Speaker 1: a sock increased their personnel. The Marine Corps they didn't 85 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:01,800 Speaker 1: do anything, they didn't contributable, and then they slow rolled it. 86 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:04,320 Speaker 1: Said we'll have a proof of concept for two years, 87 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:08,320 Speaker 1: and they did that work well. They stretched it out 88 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:11,840 Speaker 1: and guess what happened. Bush Jr. Wasn't like his dad. 89 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:15,440 Speaker 1: He ended up getting reelected for a second term, so 90 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:19,040 Speaker 1: he kept Rumsfeld and Rumsfeld said to two thousand five 91 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:22,159 Speaker 1: Marine Corps you will create this, and in two thousand 92 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:24,839 Speaker 1: and six that happened. So I say that background because 93 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:28,560 Speaker 1: at the activation ceremony from Marine Special Operations Command, which 94 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:34,440 Speaker 1: I was there, the SACOM Commander General Brown said, when 95 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:39,359 Speaker 1: the Marines from the Special Operations Task Force a ride 96 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:43,320 Speaker 1: at the thirty one Parallel, they will become operations employed 97 00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:46,120 Speaker 1: by the Theater Special Operations Command. So I went to 98 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:48,560 Speaker 1: the little map and immediately after that and I was 99 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:51,480 Speaker 1: trying to figure out this Rumpel still secret, like Okay, 100 00:05:51,839 --> 00:05:58,919 Speaker 1: we're gonna get off and we're gonna work. Yeah, yeah, 101 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:02,160 Speaker 1: Now this means you know we're gonna be in the 102 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 1: Suez Canal. That's the Central Command the Middle East. So 103 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:08,480 Speaker 1: I realized, Okay, we're going to work for the SOCKS 104 00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:12,839 Speaker 1: and the Special Operations Command Central all the the commander 105 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:16,360 Speaker 1: who works for, who all the Special Operations and Middle 106 00:06:16,360 --> 00:06:20,200 Speaker 1: East work for. And so immediately started coordinating with a 107 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:23,240 Speaker 1: marine leader that was a sign down to SOCKS and 108 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:28,520 Speaker 1: to figure out, hey, what type of missions, what specific location. 109 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:32,039 Speaker 1: So I did that for eleven months, but there was 110 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:34,760 Speaker 1: such great resistance Rared, Like we're just talking. Not only 111 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:37,680 Speaker 1: were we put on the ship, but they intentionally that 112 00:06:37,720 --> 00:06:39,480 Speaker 1: it's not they wanted to keep us in the dark. 113 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 1: That wasn't the case. They want the Marine Corps intended 114 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:47,640 Speaker 1: to keep us on the ships. And but when Rumsfeld, 115 00:06:47,760 --> 00:06:50,320 Speaker 1: he was the godfather, so he created this marriage between 116 00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:54,640 Speaker 1: so Calm and the United States Marine Corps. And this 117 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:58,920 Speaker 1: was not desired marriage by either party. So we were 118 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:02,320 Speaker 1: the first love babe, be the offspring that both parties 119 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:05,279 Speaker 1: wanted to die on the operating table. You know, so 120 00:07:05,440 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 1: common as you know, rad is spelled a r m y. 121 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:11,800 Speaker 1: You know, there's twenty five thousand mould dunes there that 122 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:18,800 Speaker 1: I mean there, they're the big, big dog and you yeah, yeah, yeah, 123 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:22,240 Speaker 1: So now you've got another mouth to feed, and it's 124 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:25,400 Speaker 1: also unwanted competition, so rad it's kind of like you 125 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:29,160 Speaker 1: inviting your girlfriend to meet your wife and nobody wanted 126 00:07:29,640 --> 00:07:32,520 Speaker 1: you know this extra you know, brand new, young, sexy 127 00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:37,560 Speaker 1: thing that's no thanks, and the like the latest Eagle 128 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:41,000 Speaker 1: Industries combat here you have the like nineteen eleven's everybody's 129 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:43,400 Speaker 1: all tricked out and it's like, what is this? How 130 00:07:43,440 --> 00:07:44,760 Speaker 1: how do we get to be this? And all of 131 00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:48,440 Speaker 1: a sudden you have this another Special Operations community invelment. 132 00:07:49,080 --> 00:07:53,160 Speaker 1: It also actually didn't help either because at that point 133 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:56,120 Speaker 1: I had served in Marine Corps for nineteen years and 134 00:07:56,200 --> 00:07:59,320 Speaker 1: the only job that I had outside of the Operating 135 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:01,920 Speaker 1: Forces was as an instructor of the Marine Corps version 136 00:08:01,920 --> 00:08:05,280 Speaker 1: of Top Guns ours is out in Yuma, Arizona. And 137 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:09,480 Speaker 1: because of that experience, I realized that we really war 138 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:14,040 Speaker 1: and terror as being waged against us, and explosive devices 139 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:17,840 Speaker 1: were how the enemy was really inflicting heavy casualties on it. 140 00:08:17,920 --> 00:08:19,320 Speaker 1: So I was like, hey, we need to stay off 141 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:22,920 Speaker 1: the roads. So I started working a lot with both 142 00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:27,280 Speaker 1: the Air Force Special Operations Command and the Army's Special 143 00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:30,800 Speaker 1: Operations of Aviation Regiment. The one six out of four Campbell, 144 00:08:31,280 --> 00:08:35,800 Speaker 1: and I got a lot of pushback, specifically from this 145 00:08:35,920 --> 00:08:39,080 Speaker 1: Special Forces Group commander, like, hey, here's how this whole 146 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:42,920 Speaker 1: thing evolved. You know, the those aviation assets were in 147 00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:47,199 Speaker 1: support of US drain Braves and the and the Special 148 00:08:47,200 --> 00:08:49,679 Speaker 1: Forces groups, and then they consolidated it and now the 149 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:54,240 Speaker 1: preponderance are working just for special Missions units. And uh 150 00:08:54,559 --> 00:08:58,199 Speaker 1: he discouraged me from trying to work with him, but regardless, 151 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:02,240 Speaker 1: because we were the the brand new sexy thing on 152 00:09:02,280 --> 00:09:06,840 Speaker 1: the block, sixty was working with this as Sock was 153 00:09:06,880 --> 00:09:08,880 Speaker 1: working with us, and it was ruffling a lot of 154 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:13,680 Speaker 1: feathers with you know, primarily a r M Y you know, 155 00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:17,720 Speaker 1: special Forces groups, and that's exactly who we would end 156 00:09:17,760 --> 00:09:21,319 Speaker 1: up working for with the third Special Forces Group commanding Officer, 157 00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:24,720 Speaker 1: Colonel Hats over in Afghanistan. So we get over there, 158 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:27,840 Speaker 1: it was immediately like stop, you will not have any 159 00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:33,840 Speaker 1: aviation assets. All logistics as far as food, water, vehicle fuel, tires, 160 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:37,360 Speaker 1: everything grinding halt. So we didn't just have the Marine 161 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:40,720 Speaker 1: Corps show no love again both parties in this marriage. 162 00:09:41,040 --> 00:09:43,120 Speaker 1: And the way you kill something because you take away 163 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:46,720 Speaker 1: the logistics, then you know it goes to a complete standstill. 164 00:09:46,760 --> 00:09:48,720 Speaker 1: I mean, what can you do if you don't have 165 00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:52,120 Speaker 1: any fuel for your vehicles, if you don't have any aviation. 166 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:56,600 Speaker 1: So Colonel Hats gave us this mission impossible. Hey, get 167 00:09:56,679 --> 00:09:58,680 Speaker 1: up here in the tour War mountains, and he circled 168 00:09:58,679 --> 00:10:02,040 Speaker 1: this blob on map. You know, from being in the 169 00:10:02,080 --> 00:10:07,000 Speaker 1: military boundary for area of operations defined by either train 170 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:12,640 Speaker 1: features or specific grid points. This just arbitrary blob on 171 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:16,240 Speaker 1: map is what we got. And people say, so what, well, 172 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:18,800 Speaker 1: when you want to do the mission impossible and you say, 173 00:10:18,840 --> 00:10:20,640 Speaker 1: get up there on the mountains in the middle of winter. 174 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:23,680 Speaker 1: This is February two seven, tore a Boor Mountains, the 175 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:26,760 Speaker 1: most formidable train in the world, and you don't provide 176 00:10:26,800 --> 00:10:30,760 Speaker 1: any resources. And then you further give this restriction and say, hey, 177 00:10:31,080 --> 00:10:33,520 Speaker 1: we can't afford to have another operation Red Wings like 178 00:10:33,559 --> 00:10:37,400 Speaker 1: what happened in Lone Survivor. That mission, of course, was 179 00:10:37,480 --> 00:10:41,120 Speaker 1: a disaster. They had to reinforce with a quick reaction force. 180 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:44,520 Speaker 1: Of Colonel Hast said, you must have a quick reaction 181 00:10:44,559 --> 00:10:48,280 Speaker 1: force to immediately deploy and come to your aid if 182 00:10:48,320 --> 00:10:54,600 Speaker 1: you pinch. So again, you know, we we had to 183 00:10:54,600 --> 00:10:57,760 Speaker 1: have a quick reaction force immediately put us there and 184 00:10:57,840 --> 00:11:01,240 Speaker 1: that's going to require aviation assets. And when I was 185 00:11:01,559 --> 00:11:04,000 Speaker 1: so we we get on the ground, we have our 186 00:11:04,040 --> 00:11:08,000 Speaker 1: reconnaissance teams immediately able to you know, they approved an 187 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:10,920 Speaker 1: overflight and that's kind of like a fluffer that's really 188 00:11:10,920 --> 00:11:13,720 Speaker 1: doing very little other than you can see the area, 189 00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:16,559 Speaker 1: but you're not putting boots on the ground. So immediately 190 00:11:16,559 --> 00:11:20,120 Speaker 1: after that overflight, which happened right on right off the bat, 191 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:24,280 Speaker 1: no other aviation assets was that wherever approved, So they 192 00:11:24,320 --> 00:11:25,959 Speaker 1: kept saying get up there in the mountain as well. 193 00:11:26,280 --> 00:11:28,040 Speaker 1: We have to have a quick reaction force. We have 194 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:32,319 Speaker 1: to have dedicated aviation assets for that. We couldn't do it. 195 00:11:32,720 --> 00:11:35,480 Speaker 1: And this all led red to an event that happened 196 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:37,600 Speaker 1: on the fourth of March in two thousand seven when 197 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:41,600 Speaker 1: we were attacked. And what preceded that was we started 198 00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:44,040 Speaker 1: to see the snow melt on the eastern portion of 199 00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:47,120 Speaker 1: the tor Bora Mountains and so we started to coordinate 200 00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:51,560 Speaker 1: with an Army military police unit that was assigned there. 201 00:11:51,600 --> 00:11:54,640 Speaker 1: That platoon leader, she was stationed right on the Afghan 202 00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:57,240 Speaker 1: Pakistan border. So like, hey, we can get up there, 203 00:11:57,640 --> 00:11:59,640 Speaker 1: but we need to stage a quick reaction force on 204 00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:01,800 Speaker 1: their bay. So I need to do face to face 205 00:12:02,120 --> 00:12:05,400 Speaker 1: forward unit coordination and make sure we're gonna be able 206 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:09,719 Speaker 1: to stage you know, our you know we're going and 207 00:12:09,880 --> 00:12:13,400 Speaker 1: it was there. Yeah, but on the way, this is 208 00:12:13,679 --> 00:12:16,000 Speaker 1: right on the Afghan Pakistan border. So what do you 209 00:12:16,040 --> 00:12:19,120 Speaker 1: see in Pakistan At that time in the area, we 210 00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:22,400 Speaker 1: couldn't legally go into Afghan or to Pakistan, so that 211 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:25,600 Speaker 1: was a training sanctuary. So they were fully radicalizing foreign 212 00:12:25,679 --> 00:12:28,600 Speaker 1: fighters there and then they'd come right across this border. 213 00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:32,480 Speaker 1: We realized very quickly that they weren't coming over this 214 00:12:32,640 --> 00:12:35,240 Speaker 1: fourteen thousand foot snow covered mountain of the middle of winter. 215 00:12:35,760 --> 00:12:38,480 Speaker 1: They were just using this road that American taxpayer dollars 216 00:12:38,480 --> 00:12:41,959 Speaker 1: in the first road built in Afghanistan thanks to decisions 217 00:12:41,960 --> 00:12:44,240 Speaker 1: made by the Department of State. And what was really 218 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:47,520 Speaker 1: going on was poppy and opium was being exported out 219 00:12:47,559 --> 00:12:51,520 Speaker 1: of Afghanistan. Foreign fighters were coming straight through this you 220 00:12:51,559 --> 00:12:56,000 Speaker 1: know major that it was only paid road. Yeah, Why 221 00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:59,439 Speaker 1: would you go over the mountains the middle winter when 222 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:02,520 Speaker 1: you've got a paved road, Hello, son, plow right there 223 00:13:02,559 --> 00:13:05,240 Speaker 1: for you, but made for here you go? You want 224 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:13,320 Speaker 1: to light the way? They said, yeah, And what they 225 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:17,120 Speaker 1: really want to do is either a get us in 226 00:13:17,160 --> 00:13:19,720 Speaker 1: the mountains, away from anything that's ever going to happen 227 00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:23,840 Speaker 1: or be keep us on a base where you know, 228 00:13:24,559 --> 00:13:27,760 Speaker 1: and we all know how senior officers get promoted. It's 229 00:13:27,800 --> 00:13:31,680 Speaker 1: not if they do all these great things very well, 230 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:34,240 Speaker 1: that's not how it is. But if you do one 231 00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:37,040 Speaker 1: thing wrong, if you do that one thing wrong, it's 232 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:39,600 Speaker 1: it's game over. You get voted off the island. So 233 00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:44,440 Speaker 1: the game was, you know, ride the clock out. We're 234 00:13:44,559 --> 00:13:47,800 Speaker 1: we're ahead of the game. You know, Jackson Steel, you know, 235 00:13:48,280 --> 00:13:50,720 Speaker 1: look good. Have you know you've seen some of these 236 00:13:50,720 --> 00:13:53,280 Speaker 1: team houses. You know they have the pool, lifeguard stands. 237 00:13:53,320 --> 00:13:56,960 Speaker 1: It's it's kind of embarrassing in some places, but that 238 00:13:57,080 --> 00:13:59,720 Speaker 1: was the name of the game. Now, certain commanders weren't 239 00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:04,360 Speaker 1: like that. Seventh Special Forces Group, Colonel Readers, folks were warriors. 240 00:14:04,440 --> 00:14:09,920 Speaker 1: Their exact opposite Colonel Hans, he's about, you know, cooperate 241 00:14:09,920 --> 00:14:13,520 Speaker 1: and graduate ride the clock out. Hey, let's uh, let's 242 00:14:13,520 --> 00:14:17,120 Speaker 1: sit back and have a successful combat deployment by not 243 00:14:17,160 --> 00:14:20,720 Speaker 1: doing anything. And so that's where we were constrained. So 244 00:14:20,800 --> 00:14:23,640 Speaker 1: we weren't given the aviation assets we were trying to 245 00:14:23,680 --> 00:14:27,480 Speaker 1: get on this base. We made that coordination the tone. 246 00:14:27,480 --> 00:14:31,800 Speaker 1: Commander said, hey, no problem. But the tricky thing RAD was, 247 00:14:32,320 --> 00:14:36,680 Speaker 1: there was a town, the first town on the Afghanistan side, 248 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:38,560 Speaker 1: right next to that border. What do you think the 249 00:14:38,600 --> 00:14:42,240 Speaker 1: Taliban are using that for? That's a distribution center. That's 250 00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:45,880 Speaker 1: like your Amazon fulfillment center. All their goodies. They get 251 00:14:45,920 --> 00:14:48,240 Speaker 1: some station there, they link up their handlers for that 252 00:14:48,360 --> 00:14:52,680 Speaker 1: last mile delivery. Boom. Guess what you know? They that 253 00:14:52,920 --> 00:14:57,480 Speaker 1: is where all of the action. Hey, this is RAD 254 00:14:57,520 --> 00:14:59,800 Speaker 1: with software for radio, and I just want to talk 255 00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:04,160 Speaker 1: to you about Brandon Webb and John David Man. Right, okay, 256 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:06,760 Speaker 1: these two guys have been hammering out books and they 257 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:10,040 Speaker 1: just brought you a new one with Cold Fear. That's right. 258 00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:13,840 Speaker 1: New York Times bestselling authors Brandon Webb and John David 259 00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:16,960 Speaker 1: Mann have just put out Cold Fear. It is the 260 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:20,440 Speaker 1: Adventures of Finn the Navy Seal. You gotta check it out. 261 00:15:20,600 --> 00:15:23,119 Speaker 1: Read that book. I think it's gonna come out on audible. 262 00:15:23,320 --> 00:15:28,800 Speaker 1: So Brandon Webb, John David Mann props, you're being held 263 00:15:28,800 --> 00:15:30,960 Speaker 1: like you're you guys at least taken off of you. 264 00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:33,360 Speaker 1: But we can't cross Pakistan. I had a friend that 265 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:35,720 Speaker 1: was Delta Force. He was going through to Coura at 266 00:15:35,760 --> 00:15:37,640 Speaker 1: that time, and he's like, we were right on their 267 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:40,920 Speaker 1: heels and we couldn't even cross into Pakistan. They stopped 268 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:42,880 Speaker 1: us hardlines and so I can only imagine you were 269 00:15:42,880 --> 00:15:47,160 Speaker 1: stopped hardline. Go to the mountains, don't go to Pakistan, jeez. 270 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:53,080 Speaker 1: And this village exactly. And it was so this body 271 00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:56,680 Speaker 1: code village, we had good information that there was four 272 00:15:56,920 --> 00:16:01,160 Speaker 1: suicide bombers fully radicalized that we're living in this town. 273 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:04,600 Speaker 1: And you know that is basically that's like your pit bowl, 274 00:16:04,920 --> 00:16:07,880 Speaker 1: that's your watchdog, because you can't really control I mean, 275 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:12,840 Speaker 1: you can do things to defeat remote controlled improvised explosive devices, 276 00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:15,840 Speaker 1: you can do things to defeat foot soldiers, but if 277 00:16:15,840 --> 00:16:19,160 Speaker 1: somebody wants to come up and they've got explosives under 278 00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:23,720 Speaker 1: their robe, is very hard to detect and defeat something 279 00:16:23,760 --> 00:16:26,800 Speaker 1: like that. So what that does to people is it 280 00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:29,640 Speaker 1: puts a lot of psychological fear and it keeps a 281 00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:33,160 Speaker 1: lot of conventional forces out from doing regular foot patrols, 282 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:36,240 Speaker 1: especially if you're in a van. What we started to 283 00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:40,040 Speaker 1: see in this evolutionary cycles of these roadside bombs used 284 00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:41,840 Speaker 1: to just be the bomb and then they put some 285 00:16:41,920 --> 00:16:46,800 Speaker 1: fuel in there. Because psychologically, when somebody is literally burnt alive, 286 00:16:47,520 --> 00:16:51,120 Speaker 1: you know, the the unnatural you know, screaming and yelling 287 00:16:51,160 --> 00:16:55,120 Speaker 1: and the pain and agony is is just so psychologically 288 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:58,120 Speaker 1: it creates that that fear changes the way people think. 289 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:01,360 Speaker 1: They don't want to leave the wire. And so what 290 00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:03,720 Speaker 1: happened to us when we rolled into this town we 291 00:17:03,720 --> 00:17:06,480 Speaker 1: were you know that they changed and this is why 292 00:17:06,520 --> 00:17:08,760 Speaker 1: we spent twenty years and lost a war over there, 293 00:17:09,240 --> 00:17:12,119 Speaker 1: because we were mopping it up before then up to 294 00:17:12,160 --> 00:17:15,760 Speaker 1: two thousand five. Then they changed in two thousand six 295 00:17:16,560 --> 00:17:19,119 Speaker 1: to the natal rules of engagement. So you had to 296 00:17:19,119 --> 00:17:22,960 Speaker 1: have are always federal case on somebody to go prosecute them. Yeah, 297 00:17:23,640 --> 00:17:26,200 Speaker 1: look at what happened in Afghanistan. That war was one 298 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:29,840 Speaker 1: and when you added more forces like we did later on, 299 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:34,280 Speaker 1: you could have easily just paid that place. But we 300 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:37,919 Speaker 1: didn't want to. They knew this counterinsurgency strategy that the 301 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:41,639 Speaker 1: hearts and minds like General Madness adopted the phrase from 302 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:44,720 Speaker 1: the Hippocratic oath at first do no harm. Do you 303 00:17:44,760 --> 00:17:47,439 Speaker 1: think that sends mixed signals to warriors that are getting 304 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:51,600 Speaker 1: fired at to first do no harm? Well? Especial especially 305 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:53,560 Speaker 1: marine corps because I don't think in the marine you 306 00:17:53,640 --> 00:17:56,280 Speaker 1: really say first, do no harm. You say you're going 307 00:17:56,320 --> 00:17:58,199 Speaker 1: to be a marine, and you're gonna answer with the 308 00:17:58,240 --> 00:18:01,959 Speaker 1: word kill when I say, okay, Gil, that's kind of 309 00:18:01,960 --> 00:18:05,760 Speaker 1: how it goes, right, And so you have honestly join 310 00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:10,159 Speaker 1: the Marines to become a trained weapon. That's the Marine Corps, 311 00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:15,480 Speaker 1: the blade of the types spirit. Okay, So I like Madis, 312 00:18:15,520 --> 00:18:18,080 Speaker 1: I'm not saying anything. I let you say these things 313 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:21,959 Speaker 1: and you have this experience. I am just shocked at 314 00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:25,440 Speaker 1: the situation that you're about to unfold. So go ahead. Well, actually, 315 00:18:25,840 --> 00:18:31,800 Speaker 1: to further elaborate this two five, then Lieutenant General Jim Madness, 316 00:18:31,880 --> 00:18:36,480 Speaker 1: he had went to this Armed Forced Communication Convention down 317 00:18:36,480 --> 00:18:39,600 Speaker 1: in San Diego and he made these public comments. It's 318 00:18:39,680 --> 00:18:42,959 Speaker 1: kind of received a light lashing with a wet noodle 319 00:18:43,359 --> 00:18:45,399 Speaker 1: by the comment on the Marine Corps for saying this. 320 00:18:45,480 --> 00:18:48,480 Speaker 1: But he said, hey, those guys don't have any manhood left. 321 00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:50,359 Speaker 1: They slapped these women because they didn't wear a veil 322 00:18:50,400 --> 00:18:52,760 Speaker 1: for five years. I like shooting them. I'll be right 323 00:18:52,800 --> 00:18:55,080 Speaker 1: up there for with you. You know, shooting some of 324 00:18:55,160 --> 00:19:00,040 Speaker 1: these people is it's fun. Happened publicly? This is I 325 00:19:00,160 --> 00:19:05,240 Speaker 1: hear that doesn't mean he's gotten Yeah, he's got this 326 00:19:05,320 --> 00:19:08,360 Speaker 1: bold talk. And then our task force goes in very 327 00:19:08,400 --> 00:19:11,240 Speaker 1: shortly after he says that in two thousand seven and 328 00:19:11,840 --> 00:19:14,800 Speaker 1: read you and I both know and I'm not talking 329 00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:19,480 Speaker 1: about this gender politics. But you know what the Taliban 330 00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:24,280 Speaker 1: respected h and that's not he or him or anything 331 00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:29,679 Speaker 1: that's high explosives. They respect when you can deliver rounds 332 00:19:29,720 --> 00:19:33,720 Speaker 1: on target, shrapnel and bullets, that's what they understand and 333 00:19:33,840 --> 00:19:37,680 Speaker 1: respect violence. And when you start saying more as Madison, 334 00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:40,439 Speaker 1: Maddis came up with a moniker and he sent it 335 00:19:40,480 --> 00:19:43,679 Speaker 1: to everybody out there. And you know, Afghanistan first, do 336 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:45,800 Speaker 1: no harm. So people are getting these mixed signals like 337 00:19:45,840 --> 00:19:50,280 Speaker 1: who we get blown up and we're nuts? So I 338 00:19:50,359 --> 00:19:52,440 Speaker 1: say all that. You know, people say, what's the deal 339 00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:54,720 Speaker 1: with Madis? Guess what? When we are blown up? When 340 00:19:54,720 --> 00:19:58,640 Speaker 1: we entered this village, a car bomb filled with fuel 341 00:19:59,080 --> 00:20:03,640 Speaker 1: and shrapnel detonated. This was a van had built burnt 342 00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:07,280 Speaker 1: trees a hundred feet above us. Then we started getting 343 00:20:07,280 --> 00:20:09,840 Speaker 1: shot out one side of the road, another sniper position. 344 00:20:09,880 --> 00:20:11,920 Speaker 1: They dragged a vehicle across the road Trappudence in this 345 00:20:12,080 --> 00:20:15,479 Speaker 1: killed him. We fought our way out because I wasn't mean. 346 00:20:15,560 --> 00:20:17,879 Speaker 1: I was on the patrol with our lats and I 347 00:20:17,920 --> 00:20:20,920 Speaker 1: wasn't sitting there like first do no harm. We fought 348 00:20:20,920 --> 00:20:23,680 Speaker 1: our way out, we killed the enemy that was shooting us, 349 00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:27,680 Speaker 1: and we returned back to base. This instantly, within twenty minutes, 350 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:32,000 Speaker 1: was on the BBC radio, you know, this information warfare 351 00:20:32,040 --> 00:20:35,879 Speaker 1: saying we murdered women and children. Tribal elders had told 352 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:39,359 Speaker 1: another government agency that we were drunk, that we used 353 00:20:39,359 --> 00:20:41,840 Speaker 1: sling shots to fire grenades to make it look like 354 00:20:41,880 --> 00:20:43,760 Speaker 1: there was an explosion, and that we went door to 355 00:20:43,880 --> 00:20:48,320 Speaker 1: door sport killing women and children. And guess what when 356 00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:51,159 Speaker 1: we got kicked out of Afghanistan. Our battalion commander, this 357 00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:53,199 Speaker 1: is not a joke. He came up with myself and 358 00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:55,440 Speaker 1: the platoon commander that was also on the patrol. The 359 00:20:55,480 --> 00:20:58,919 Speaker 1: other officer, he said, it was true. You guys were drunk, 360 00:20:59,359 --> 00:21:03,160 Speaker 1: and that's it the Marine Corps wanted. Unfortunately, the Marine 361 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:07,240 Speaker 1: Corps didn't want a special rasins element. So the Marine 362 00:21:07,280 --> 00:21:09,720 Speaker 1: Corps wanted to hear and like a lot of people 363 00:21:09,840 --> 00:21:13,520 Speaker 1: throw stones at this favorite son, we were like Joseph 364 00:21:13,520 --> 00:21:16,680 Speaker 1: from the Bible, like you think you're special everybody was 365 00:21:16,720 --> 00:21:21,640 Speaker 1: condemning us. Right. Actually, this morning I got an email 366 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:24,879 Speaker 1: from a gentleman that was in the Marine Corps at 367 00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:28,679 Speaker 1: the time, and he was part of another unit that 368 00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:33,000 Speaker 1: was brought into the Special Marine Special Rations Commandment originally 369 00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:35,399 Speaker 1: was called the Foreign Military Training in it. This was 370 00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:39,399 Speaker 1: a foreign internal defense type of unit where ours was 371 00:21:39,680 --> 00:21:42,920 Speaker 1: initially stood up to be kinetic, more like a commando 372 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:46,080 Speaker 1: task force. And he he wrote me and he said, 373 00:21:46,160 --> 00:21:49,280 Speaker 1: this gentleman's name is Shane. He said, hey, I until 374 00:21:49,320 --> 00:21:51,760 Speaker 1: I read your book a Few bad Men. He goes, 375 00:21:52,040 --> 00:21:55,600 Speaker 1: I believed every word that they were saying inside the 376 00:21:55,680 --> 00:21:58,880 Speaker 1: command about you. And he goes, it was basically, I'm 377 00:21:58,920 --> 00:22:01,320 Speaker 1: paraphrasing it. This is a free for all to what 378 00:22:01,359 --> 00:22:03,679 Speaker 1: this gentleman was saying. I mean that was was fifteen 379 00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:06,840 Speaker 1: years ago. And he said there was this rivalry and 380 00:22:06,920 --> 00:22:08,880 Speaker 1: everybody was just coming down on me. Is like, I'm 381 00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:10,960 Speaker 1: sorry you had to go through this. And this is 382 00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:13,600 Speaker 1: the guy he just reached out to me on social media. 383 00:22:13,600 --> 00:22:16,880 Speaker 1: I've never met him, but that kind of explains what 384 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:20,840 Speaker 1: was going on. So this case, so we were accused 385 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:25,119 Speaker 1: mass murdering the largest number of alleged women and children 386 00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:27,879 Speaker 1: killed by machine guns direct by our weapons in the 387 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:30,760 Speaker 1: whole war in Afghanistan. They said we killed nineteen and 388 00:22:30,800 --> 00:22:34,800 Speaker 1: wounded fifty. So this went to trial, and the convenient 389 00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:38,879 Speaker 1: authority ended up being guess who, none other than General Madith. 390 00:22:41,080 --> 00:22:44,280 Speaker 1: He was directly over the situation. So there is a 391 00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:47,440 Speaker 1: really connection with you and and him with you know, hey, 392 00:22:47,480 --> 00:22:50,160 Speaker 1: he has this mantra of like, you know, I make 393 00:22:50,240 --> 00:22:53,280 Speaker 1: them stay up at night because I'm their nightmare. But 394 00:22:53,359 --> 00:22:55,800 Speaker 1: then he tells, you know, you know, don't go into 395 00:22:55,840 --> 00:22:58,720 Speaker 1: a combat situation and do no harm. And I understand 396 00:22:58,760 --> 00:23:01,320 Speaker 1: what he's trying to say, like, hey, we're come in peace, 397 00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:04,399 Speaker 1: right but they're not there for peace right now. They 398 00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:07,760 Speaker 1: want maybe us out of their country. They don't want 399 00:23:07,920 --> 00:23:12,720 Speaker 1: American representation for that. You know, those elders and all 400 00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:15,320 Speaker 1: those people that are there. You know, the Taliban is 401 00:23:15,359 --> 00:23:18,919 Speaker 1: setting you up and you get into this crossfire. Was 402 00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:21,080 Speaker 1: it out of market? This happened out of market? Right, 403 00:23:21,119 --> 00:23:22,879 Speaker 1: So a lot of this happened like this explosion and 404 00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:26,919 Speaker 1: everything did happen. And this was reaction to fire for you. 405 00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:30,000 Speaker 1: This was not you being sport hunting them. This was 406 00:23:30,080 --> 00:23:34,359 Speaker 1: reaction to the situation. You reacted correct that's correct. It 407 00:23:34,480 --> 00:23:39,119 Speaker 1: was not any character sport killing in that first do 408 00:23:39,280 --> 00:23:43,120 Speaker 1: no harm. You're right, it's a principle and special operations. 409 00:23:43,119 --> 00:23:45,879 Speaker 1: You know, you try to approach soft until you have 410 00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:49,359 Speaker 1: to go hard when you get contact. But once in 411 00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:53,440 Speaker 1: your you said it right away, right, it is they 412 00:23:53,520 --> 00:23:57,439 Speaker 1: view us is invaders where the Infidel. They had this 413 00:23:58,040 --> 00:24:03,840 Speaker 1: mentality that they you used coercion through you know, beheadings, intimidation, 414 00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:08,560 Speaker 1: assassinations amongst the population to you know, oppose us. So 415 00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:11,439 Speaker 1: this was like an insurgency and so we try to 416 00:24:11,480 --> 00:24:15,240 Speaker 1: bring peace in these villages. But once there's a fight, 417 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:19,320 Speaker 1: you know, that's that's over. And people think, well some 418 00:24:19,359 --> 00:24:22,560 Speaker 1: of these rounds and went like, hey, this happened at 419 00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:25,960 Speaker 1: nine o'clock in the morning, broad daylight. I was on 420 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:30,320 Speaker 1: the patrol of the vehicle that detonate on us. There's 421 00:24:30,400 --> 00:24:33,919 Speaker 1: nothing left. That was the only body that you know, 422 00:24:33,960 --> 00:24:36,480 Speaker 1: the Afghan police and then the military police, you know 423 00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:39,560 Speaker 1: that we just left their base. They came on the 424 00:24:39,560 --> 00:24:42,840 Speaker 1: scene as well. That was the only body that was 425 00:24:42,880 --> 00:24:47,920 Speaker 1: ever photographed and observed and recorded that you know, anybody saw. 426 00:24:48,359 --> 00:24:50,440 Speaker 1: So there was other bodies that we killed, that's for sure. 427 00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:53,880 Speaker 1: They were immediately taken away. These were foreign fighters and 428 00:24:53,920 --> 00:24:59,000 Speaker 1: I'm sure some Afghan towering. So immediately this vehicle came 429 00:24:59,119 --> 00:25:03,520 Speaker 1: straight the purpen became perpendicular head onto that vehicle of 430 00:25:03,560 --> 00:25:05,520 Speaker 1: ours that just got blown up. Trying to te boone 431 00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:08,439 Speaker 1: and finish it off. Three g Hottest were hanging out 432 00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:12,159 Speaker 1: of the windows firing their AK forty seven, fully automatic, 433 00:25:12,880 --> 00:25:16,600 Speaker 1: and we had the vehicle that got attacked was visually different. 434 00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:20,800 Speaker 1: It was our ambulance vehicle. The other five vehicles were 435 00:25:20,840 --> 00:25:24,640 Speaker 1: fully encased armored hunt vs. So this vehicle that got 436 00:25:24,720 --> 00:25:27,960 Speaker 1: hit not only with the car bomb, but the Hottest 437 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:31,080 Speaker 1: were trying to attack it. It had dinner armor, It 438 00:25:31,160 --> 00:25:33,800 Speaker 1: had an open air compartment in the back that you 439 00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:36,720 Speaker 1: could load a casualty and that you know, somebody could 440 00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:40,960 Speaker 1: lab a grenade into. So when that vehicle got attacked 441 00:25:40,960 --> 00:25:44,399 Speaker 1: by the sports utility vehicle where the Gee Hottest were driving, 442 00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:47,639 Speaker 1: our tur gunner stood up. We had a communicator in 443 00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:49,679 Speaker 1: the back of the troop compartment of that vehicle. He 444 00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:52,040 Speaker 1: stood to his feet and they both engaged with their 445 00:25:52,080 --> 00:25:55,280 Speaker 1: machine guns. Made quick work of that vehicle that was 446 00:25:55,920 --> 00:26:00,119 Speaker 1: trying to finish us off. Then immediately after that we 447 00:26:00,800 --> 00:26:04,600 Speaker 1: had a dismount in this dry riverbed on the opposite 448 00:26:04,600 --> 00:26:06,160 Speaker 1: side of the road. On the north side of the road, 449 00:26:06,520 --> 00:26:09,200 Speaker 1: they were doing fire maneuver, so an element was stationary 450 00:26:09,359 --> 00:26:13,760 Speaker 1: providing suppression while another element would bound and these echelons 451 00:26:13,760 --> 00:26:16,520 Speaker 1: were moving towards us. Again nine o'clock in the morning, 452 00:26:17,080 --> 00:26:20,040 Speaker 1: we were on a road which was elevated. We had, 453 00:26:20,760 --> 00:26:22,520 Speaker 1: you know, guys in a turret on the top of 454 00:26:22,520 --> 00:26:27,720 Speaker 1: this humve so ancient military maximum our axiom is a 455 00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:31,359 Speaker 1: you know, take the high ground, maintained fire superiority, so 456 00:26:31,480 --> 00:26:34,520 Speaker 1: it was very easy. We had a two trucks engaged 457 00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:37,200 Speaker 1: those in the drive riverbed, made quick work on them, 458 00:26:37,240 --> 00:26:41,639 Speaker 1: but we were still receiving very accurate sniper fire. U. S. 459 00:26:41,760 --> 00:26:45,840 Speaker 1: Army Criminal Investigative Laboratory later did an analysis on the 460 00:26:45,880 --> 00:26:49,080 Speaker 1: sides of our vehicles and stated their findings were that 461 00:26:49,280 --> 00:26:52,160 Speaker 1: those impacts were from a Soviet Dragon Off sniper rifle. 462 00:26:52,520 --> 00:26:55,919 Speaker 1: The Air Force commending the Air Force preliminary investigator that 463 00:26:55,920 --> 00:26:58,000 Speaker 1: went out there, and I know that your head's probably 464 00:26:58,040 --> 00:27:01,520 Speaker 1: spinning right now. Like Air Force fighting off, you have 465 00:27:01,600 --> 00:27:04,680 Speaker 1: no uniforms to identify, you have nobody to know exactly 466 00:27:04,680 --> 00:27:07,879 Speaker 1: who's who. These guys have completely blended into their population. 467 00:27:08,160 --> 00:27:10,560 Speaker 1: They are a force to be reckoned with. They have 468 00:27:10,960 --> 00:27:12,760 Speaker 1: a chain of command as well as you do, but 469 00:27:12,880 --> 00:27:16,760 Speaker 1: you can't identify because they all are not wearing a 470 00:27:16,760 --> 00:27:21,320 Speaker 1: specific uniform, whereas here you are specifically. We know what 471 00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:23,879 Speaker 1: you're doing and what you're in in the vehicle, and 472 00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:26,240 Speaker 1: you probably have kevlar on your head in a helmet 473 00:27:26,320 --> 00:27:28,520 Speaker 1: or you know, as other people listening in body armor 474 00:27:28,560 --> 00:27:32,239 Speaker 1: and they know you are, you know, the forces. But 475 00:27:32,280 --> 00:27:34,679 Speaker 1: you're looking around, like where's that shot coming from? And 476 00:27:35,040 --> 00:27:37,240 Speaker 1: you see someone in a burka scoot away and you're like, 477 00:27:37,359 --> 00:27:39,680 Speaker 1: was it them? You see like a kid over there, 478 00:27:39,680 --> 00:27:41,720 Speaker 1: It's like was it him? You know? Because it might 479 00:27:41,760 --> 00:27:46,119 Speaker 1: have been yes, So in good point because just like 480 00:27:46,200 --> 00:27:49,240 Speaker 1: you said, as we entered this village, we're coming in 481 00:27:49,320 --> 00:27:52,600 Speaker 1: on the road, they lined up like it's they're trying 482 00:27:52,600 --> 00:27:54,960 Speaker 1: to observe a bread on both sides, and there's exactly 483 00:27:55,080 --> 00:27:58,560 Speaker 1: no women children the baseline and totally shifted to be 484 00:27:58,720 --> 00:28:01,840 Speaker 1: passed through there at six o'clock three hours earlier, and 485 00:28:01,960 --> 00:28:05,760 Speaker 1: it was a normal pattern life, men, women children going 486 00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:08,199 Speaker 1: in this bazaar. This time. When we came back at 487 00:28:08,280 --> 00:28:11,520 Speaker 1: nine o'clock, it was only fighting age men lined up 488 00:28:11,520 --> 00:28:13,840 Speaker 1: on both sides of the road. So we're like baseline 489 00:28:13,920 --> 00:28:17,000 Speaker 1: change something about ready to happen. Then boom, this car 490 00:28:17,040 --> 00:28:20,200 Speaker 1: bomb goes off on us. It's game on. They also 491 00:28:20,280 --> 00:28:23,639 Speaker 1: had a mob of unarmed men that dragged a vehicle 492 00:28:23,680 --> 00:28:26,760 Speaker 1: across the road in front of us, blocking us in there. 493 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:28,760 Speaker 1: So when we were getting attacked on both sides of 494 00:28:28,760 --> 00:28:31,600 Speaker 1: the road the sniper fire, then this mob pulled the 495 00:28:31,680 --> 00:28:34,400 Speaker 1: vehicle across and they swarmed at us. And this was unarmed, 496 00:28:34,440 --> 00:28:37,240 Speaker 1: so we couldn't fire at them. So what we did 497 00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:40,560 Speaker 1: is we fired high above their heads. Nothing hit any 498 00:28:40,560 --> 00:28:43,480 Speaker 1: of them that part of the Red Sea. They were gone. 499 00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:46,360 Speaker 1: So we went around that vehicle. We went back to 500 00:28:46,760 --> 00:28:50,640 Speaker 1: our base and in twenty minutes the Afghan Taliban were 501 00:28:51,000 --> 00:28:54,000 Speaker 1: At this time they were using these they called stringers. 502 00:28:54,520 --> 00:28:57,480 Speaker 1: These are paid reporters. Obviously a lot of press didn't 503 00:28:57,520 --> 00:29:00,680 Speaker 1: want to deploy to Afghanistan. After Mr Pearl got his 504 00:29:00,880 --> 00:29:05,320 Speaker 1: who was a yeah, caring member of the media, Danny 505 00:29:05,320 --> 00:29:07,680 Speaker 1: Pearl got his head cut off, So I started using 506 00:29:07,680 --> 00:29:12,440 Speaker 1: these locals and they've given you the credits and they'd 507 00:29:12,440 --> 00:29:15,200 Speaker 1: go there. And obviously, when you're a member of the 508 00:29:15,200 --> 00:29:18,280 Speaker 1: media in a town that's controlled by the Taliban, you 509 00:29:18,400 --> 00:29:20,760 Speaker 1: can kind of get a gist of what the story 510 00:29:20,840 --> 00:29:24,040 Speaker 1: may end up looking like. But they had in this 511 00:29:24,120 --> 00:29:28,320 Speaker 1: case the BBC on speed dial. Boom, this gets released immediately. 512 00:29:28,360 --> 00:29:33,200 Speaker 1: That killed women, children, that ignited read these massive protests, 513 00:29:33,640 --> 00:29:37,520 Speaker 1: I mean just nationwide protests, but it really started first 514 00:29:37,560 --> 00:29:40,920 Speaker 1: there in Jelalabad, and then it led to the governor 515 00:29:41,360 --> 00:29:44,440 Speaker 1: of nanca Hart Province complaning to meet cars and had 516 00:29:44,480 --> 00:29:49,400 Speaker 1: the President of Afghanistan meet cars. A immediately condemned, publicly 517 00:29:49,440 --> 00:29:53,280 Speaker 1: condemned us. And then the investigator from the Air Force 518 00:29:53,360 --> 00:29:56,600 Speaker 1: comes out. He interviewed the first two vehicles and marines 519 00:29:56,800 --> 00:29:59,840 Speaker 1: no Afghans, and at that point we were ordered out 520 00:29:59,840 --> 00:30:04,560 Speaker 1: of Afghanistan. Then they had the investigation fit the decision 521 00:30:04,600 --> 00:30:08,480 Speaker 1: that the general's the socks and Major General Kearney from 522 00:30:08,520 --> 00:30:12,240 Speaker 1: the Special Operations Command Central he ordered us out. Obviously 523 00:30:12,320 --> 00:30:15,520 Speaker 1: his chief of staff, this Air Force colonel does an 524 00:30:15,520 --> 00:30:19,440 Speaker 1: investigation and this is what he opined. Read He said, well, 525 00:30:19,760 --> 00:30:22,600 Speaker 1: I think the impacts on the vehicles were either that 526 00:30:22,680 --> 00:30:25,520 Speaker 1: the Marines shot their vehicles before they went out on patrol, 527 00:30:25,920 --> 00:30:29,680 Speaker 1: like okay, why would you do something to damage your yeah, 528 00:30:30,200 --> 00:30:34,960 Speaker 1: your own artic I mean, have you ever seen yeah 529 00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:37,320 Speaker 1: marine units that would do something like that or they said. 530 00:30:37,680 --> 00:30:41,120 Speaker 1: He said. The second thing he opined was during the 531 00:30:41,200 --> 00:30:45,280 Speaker 1: engagement that we shot our vehicles. We we took our 532 00:30:45,440 --> 00:30:48,080 Speaker 1: machine You've seen a medium machine gun at two forty golf. 533 00:30:48,120 --> 00:30:51,400 Speaker 1: Can you imagine hang out the side like several feet 534 00:30:51,560 --> 00:30:54,719 Speaker 1: during the while you're getting shot at and shoot the 535 00:30:54,760 --> 00:30:58,560 Speaker 1: side of your vehicle. That's in your data series. Like 536 00:30:58,600 --> 00:31:01,000 Speaker 1: if he's trying to say, swinging outside of your door 537 00:31:01,040 --> 00:31:03,520 Speaker 1: and you shoot through your door that way, I can 538 00:31:03,520 --> 00:31:06,160 Speaker 1: maybe see him saying you shot through your vehicle out 539 00:31:06,160 --> 00:31:09,000 Speaker 1: but shooting into your vehicle with a big bravo to 540 00:31:09,480 --> 00:31:13,120 Speaker 1: I mean MP to forty or something. Okay, that's that's crazy, 541 00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:16,560 Speaker 1: that's your okay, keep going, please tell me. So he 542 00:31:16,680 --> 00:31:20,720 Speaker 1: believed everything that the Talibani controlled village told him, and 543 00:31:20,760 --> 00:31:25,800 Speaker 1: then we get booted. Then, so General Kearney turned the 544 00:31:25,840 --> 00:31:29,920 Speaker 1: investigation over to the Marines and the Marines the common 545 00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:33,440 Speaker 1: on the Marine Corps, General Conway at the time assigned 546 00:31:33,480 --> 00:31:38,400 Speaker 1: the convenient authority the commanding General of the Marines Central Command, Marson, 547 00:31:38,680 --> 00:31:41,400 Speaker 1: who was a Lieutenant General Jim Maddis so at that time, 548 00:31:41,560 --> 00:31:47,680 Speaker 1: General Maddis had the testimonies of the brain and some 549 00:31:47,920 --> 00:31:50,920 Speaker 1: special Operations Corman who are on the patrol with me, 550 00:31:51,640 --> 00:31:54,520 Speaker 1: as well as the one total of thirty the Afghan 551 00:31:55,320 --> 00:31:57,520 Speaker 1: interpreter who was on the patrol with us. He had 552 00:31:57,560 --> 00:31:59,800 Speaker 1: all of our scorn statements. They all stated at this 553 00:32:00,600 --> 00:32:04,640 Speaker 1: he had my polygraph. That's when this turned into investigations 554 00:32:04,680 --> 00:32:08,160 Speaker 1: gone wild, where they sent forty five criminal investigators and 555 00:32:08,240 --> 00:32:11,880 Speaker 1: four prosecuting attorneys. This is unprecedented and never ever been. 556 00:32:11,920 --> 00:32:15,120 Speaker 1: You've done this type of dog piling. Some people call 557 00:32:15,200 --> 00:32:17,560 Speaker 1: it that sounds like bullying. Let's just call it for 558 00:32:17,600 --> 00:32:21,000 Speaker 1: what it is. Bully is like one person. A dogpile 559 00:32:21,400 --> 00:32:26,400 Speaker 1: is when you unleash everything to destroy innocent people that 560 00:32:26,440 --> 00:32:28,760 Speaker 1: far away out of an ambush. So that's what General 561 00:32:28,800 --> 00:32:31,360 Speaker 1: Mattis did. It's a fact, it's in the book A 562 00:32:31,360 --> 00:32:35,840 Speaker 1: few bad Men. It's incontrovertible. It happened. So here's one 563 00:32:35,880 --> 00:32:38,440 Speaker 1: of I'll give you a couple of things they did. First, 564 00:32:38,480 --> 00:32:40,720 Speaker 1: they imposed a gaggler so none of us could talk 565 00:32:40,760 --> 00:32:42,880 Speaker 1: to the press. It was punitive. They said, if our 566 00:32:42,920 --> 00:32:45,640 Speaker 1: attorney say anything to the press, they'll be disbarred. If 567 00:32:45,720 --> 00:32:49,400 Speaker 1: we as marine saying anything, we're going to be punished 568 00:32:49,440 --> 00:32:53,560 Speaker 1: even more. And then they took a marine sergeant, the 569 00:32:53,560 --> 00:32:55,239 Speaker 1: one that was in the vehicle that got blown up, 570 00:32:55,520 --> 00:32:59,440 Speaker 1: so that bomb detonator right on this guy's face. He 571 00:32:59,560 --> 00:33:02,720 Speaker 1: was the dry over the vehicle. He had legally immigrated 572 00:33:02,760 --> 00:33:05,360 Speaker 1: to America, he was naturalized. They threatened to deport his 573 00:33:05,520 --> 00:33:08,680 Speaker 1: mother back to Mexico if he didn't sign the statement 574 00:33:08,720 --> 00:33:11,040 Speaker 1: that n c I. S was in the room. But 575 00:33:11,120 --> 00:33:15,120 Speaker 1: these were prosecuting attorneys in civilian clothes. This is illegal, 576 00:33:15,880 --> 00:33:18,560 Speaker 1: and they coerced him under dress to sign the statement 577 00:33:18,600 --> 00:33:20,480 Speaker 1: and he did, and he admitted on the stand. So 578 00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:25,040 Speaker 1: the other thing that happened was during the court of inquiry. 579 00:33:25,440 --> 00:33:28,800 Speaker 1: You have this happens in places like pyeong Yang or 580 00:33:28,840 --> 00:33:30,880 Speaker 1: te Wrong. Yeah, they just kind of like accosted him 581 00:33:30,920 --> 00:33:33,880 Speaker 1: in the room in civilian clothing and said you are 582 00:33:33,920 --> 00:33:36,640 Speaker 1: going to do this. It's accosting. So that's a thing 583 00:33:36,800 --> 00:33:40,360 Speaker 1: that's a tact, said your mother. Yeah, they're gonna come out, 584 00:33:40,640 --> 00:33:43,280 Speaker 1: you know you when you're in It's crazy, how I'm 585 00:33:43,280 --> 00:33:49,760 Speaker 1: just like investors, Yeah, force compussion. We had over forty 586 00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:54,080 Speaker 1: witnesses testified during the court of inquiry. Any that were 587 00:33:54,600 --> 00:33:59,120 Speaker 1: provided exculpatory evidence like this young sergeant, like character witnesses 588 00:33:59,160 --> 00:34:02,520 Speaker 1: that hadn't even been Afghanistan, but they provided positive testimony, 589 00:34:02,760 --> 00:34:06,120 Speaker 1: as well as several others that you know, the prosecution 590 00:34:06,120 --> 00:34:10,200 Speaker 1: and defense always pre interviewed those who will testify, so 591 00:34:10,239 --> 00:34:11,640 Speaker 1: they know what they're going to say on the stand. 592 00:34:12,280 --> 00:34:15,680 Speaker 1: So go look at the online records from the Court 593 00:34:15,719 --> 00:34:17,920 Speaker 1: of Inquiry. This is the longest trial marine or history. 594 00:34:18,120 --> 00:34:20,960 Speaker 1: Find anybody that said anything positive in the media. You 595 00:34:21,120 --> 00:34:24,200 Speaker 1: won't because what they did is we're going to go 596 00:34:24,239 --> 00:34:27,000 Speaker 1: to close session and as you know read you can't 597 00:34:27,040 --> 00:34:31,040 Speaker 1: classify anything that's security classification. It says you cannot classify 598 00:34:31,560 --> 00:34:35,359 Speaker 1: information for the purposes of saving someone from embarrassment. So 599 00:34:36,040 --> 00:34:40,279 Speaker 1: every time that we had exculpatory evidence exonerating us, they 600 00:34:40,320 --> 00:34:43,160 Speaker 1: were going to classified session. They've moved the media out 601 00:34:43,200 --> 00:34:45,800 Speaker 1: of the court room. So although the jury heard everything 602 00:34:45,840 --> 00:34:49,319 Speaker 1: and the jury exonerates, but the media heard one side 603 00:34:49,320 --> 00:34:51,800 Speaker 1: of the story, and that was that we got away 604 00:34:51,840 --> 00:34:55,560 Speaker 1: with murder. And you know, they waited after the trial 605 00:34:55,680 --> 00:34:58,120 Speaker 1: was over, they waited four months to the friday. You 606 00:34:58,120 --> 00:35:00,480 Speaker 1: know that through the spring, there's very few governments holidays, 607 00:35:00,680 --> 00:35:03,920 Speaker 1: so they waited till memorially on a Friday, you know 608 00:35:03,920 --> 00:35:06,200 Speaker 1: that Memorial Day weekend when the government goes to a 609 00:35:06,239 --> 00:35:10,279 Speaker 1: four day weekend, the news cycles old news. He dumped it. 610 00:35:10,280 --> 00:35:12,960 Speaker 1: They dumped into Estus Thompson, only one member of the 611 00:35:13,040 --> 00:35:15,239 Speaker 1: media on Friday night, they did Friday night news and 612 00:35:15,880 --> 00:35:18,879 Speaker 1: they didn't use legal terms. So longest trial marine where 613 00:35:18,920 --> 00:35:21,560 Speaker 1: history with the largest number of alleged mass murders in 614 00:35:21,600 --> 00:35:25,560 Speaker 1: the century. They said the brains acted appropriately. They didn't 615 00:35:25,560 --> 00:35:29,400 Speaker 1: say they didn't use any legal terms like innocent, guilty, dismissed, 616 00:35:29,960 --> 00:35:32,520 Speaker 1: so right, not not to free your name or clear 617 00:35:32,600 --> 00:35:35,399 Speaker 1: your men's name. It was to like not maybe there's 618 00:35:35,440 --> 00:35:37,960 Speaker 1: to cover up the atrocity, like oh, we handled it 619 00:35:38,000 --> 00:35:40,680 Speaker 1: from within. They're not being found guilty. We can't let 620 00:35:40,680 --> 00:35:42,400 Speaker 1: you know that because now you're gonna freak out in 621 00:35:42,400 --> 00:35:48,240 Speaker 1: Afghanistan because whatever this has been spun into, because now 622 00:35:48,440 --> 00:35:50,960 Speaker 1: the people of Afghanistan, like you said, they're like, get out, 623 00:35:51,080 --> 00:35:53,680 Speaker 1: we want to protest the situation. You're like, this has 624 00:35:53,960 --> 00:35:56,120 Speaker 1: gone really bad. And now you're back here and you've 625 00:35:56,120 --> 00:35:58,399 Speaker 1: gone through the United U, s U, C. MJ. You've 626 00:35:58,440 --> 00:36:02,399 Speaker 1: been through the courts. You you d a few bad men. 627 00:36:02,840 --> 00:36:04,799 Speaker 1: What a book. Okay, that's the name of your book, 628 00:36:05,000 --> 00:36:08,360 Speaker 1: A Few bad It's just all I'm sorry that you 629 00:36:08,400 --> 00:36:11,719 Speaker 1: had to deal with this, yes, and you know this 630 00:36:11,800 --> 00:36:15,480 Speaker 1: is so the verdict came out, it led to further 631 00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:20,640 Speaker 1: mass protests in Afghanistan, media writing stories because the military, 632 00:36:20,760 --> 00:36:24,240 Speaker 1: no one in uniform ever said we're innocent or not guilty, 633 00:36:24,320 --> 00:36:29,359 Speaker 1: so the media kept saying up writing these defamatory articles, 634 00:36:29,400 --> 00:36:32,080 Speaker 1: just slandering us, saying that we got away from murdered. 635 00:36:32,160 --> 00:36:35,840 Speaker 1: So this happened continuously, several times a year until I 636 00:36:36,320 --> 00:36:39,239 Speaker 1: served seven more years and the retirement. They even put 637 00:36:39,239 --> 00:36:41,400 Speaker 1: a hit ad out on me the day I retired 638 00:36:41,400 --> 00:36:44,480 Speaker 1: from the Marine Corps, seven years after the ambush, you know, 639 00:36:44,520 --> 00:36:47,239 Speaker 1: stating that Fred Galvin the guy who killed nineteen and 640 00:36:47,320 --> 00:36:50,720 Speaker 1: wounded fifty and uh So that's when I started fighting 641 00:36:50,719 --> 00:36:54,080 Speaker 1: back and getting this story out. And the reason is 642 00:36:54,200 --> 00:36:58,200 Speaker 1: is when nobody will fix a problem that causes massive 643 00:36:58,760 --> 00:37:03,160 Speaker 1: morale issues, and when somebody gets away with something that 644 00:37:03,400 --> 00:37:07,200 Speaker 1: is essentially criminal, you know you have I mean, even 645 00:37:07,200 --> 00:37:10,719 Speaker 1: the Bible, it doesn't say da shall not bear, it 646 00:37:10,840 --> 00:37:13,920 Speaker 1: doesn't say you shouldn't lie, it says don't bear false 647 00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:17,160 Speaker 1: witness against your neighbor. That means you know what the 648 00:37:17,200 --> 00:37:22,160 Speaker 1: truth is and you're slandering. It's your character assassination because 649 00:37:22,160 --> 00:37:26,880 Speaker 1: somebody's characters being destroyed and rad This is exactly what's 650 00:37:26,960 --> 00:37:31,560 Speaker 1: going to happen, mark my words. It's already in progress. 651 00:37:31,600 --> 00:37:35,120 Speaker 1: There's a case that happened to marines in Afghanistan. The 652 00:37:35,200 --> 00:37:39,120 Speaker 1: corman who treated There's Army Green ray. He attacked one 653 00:37:39,120 --> 00:37:41,800 Speaker 1: of the marine gunnery sergeants who was a raider, punched 654 00:37:41,800 --> 00:37:44,040 Speaker 1: in the face twice, coming in a third time, he 655 00:37:44,160 --> 00:37:46,600 Speaker 1: was hit once in the face, fell down, and guess 656 00:37:46,680 --> 00:37:50,239 Speaker 1: what the corman treated. Now, the corman's case was dismissed 657 00:37:50,320 --> 00:37:53,239 Speaker 1: February nine to two thousand twenty two, this earliest year. 658 00:37:53,560 --> 00:37:57,040 Speaker 1: The government's appealing it. So Chief Gilmant, the corman is 659 00:37:57,080 --> 00:38:00,879 Speaker 1: going into the Washington d C. Navy Yard tomorrow at 660 00:38:00,920 --> 00:38:04,720 Speaker 1: ten am Eastern Standard time because the government is saying, hey, 661 00:38:04,760 --> 00:38:08,360 Speaker 1: even though your case was dismissed with prejudice, we're still 662 00:38:08,360 --> 00:38:11,120 Speaker 1: coming after you. So people in in the two other 663 00:38:11,200 --> 00:38:14,759 Speaker 1: raiders to include the marine gun resurgeant who was assaulted, 664 00:38:14,760 --> 00:38:17,640 Speaker 1: who was punched in the face twice. All three of 665 00:38:17,640 --> 00:38:20,239 Speaker 1: these guys have been charged with thomason. So people think, like, 666 00:38:20,680 --> 00:38:23,520 Speaker 1: what's the big deal here, Well, a few bad men 667 00:38:24,080 --> 00:38:28,320 Speaker 1: lays the blueprint of why and how these senior officers 668 00:38:28,360 --> 00:38:31,399 Speaker 1: abuse their authority. And this is not when we talk 669 00:38:31,480 --> 00:38:35,160 Speaker 1: about and you see what's going on in Russia, where 670 00:38:35,520 --> 00:38:39,920 Speaker 1: you know, they have numerically a superior force, technologically, they 671 00:38:39,960 --> 00:38:43,960 Speaker 1: have a far greater amount of resources. They should be 672 00:38:43,960 --> 00:38:46,839 Speaker 1: pummeling a country like Ukraine. Why are they at an 673 00:38:46,800 --> 00:38:49,800 Speaker 1: empass right now? I would submit one of the reasons. 674 00:38:49,840 --> 00:38:52,400 Speaker 1: It's not because of logistics issue or the weather this 675 00:38:52,520 --> 00:38:54,640 Speaker 1: time of year. I mean, those are all going away. 676 00:38:54,880 --> 00:38:58,040 Speaker 1: It's because of morale. And right now the morale in 677 00:38:58,120 --> 00:39:01,759 Speaker 1: our military is not at a high point. And we 678 00:39:01,840 --> 00:39:04,600 Speaker 1: have this quasi treaty. It's it's kind of expired, but 679 00:39:05,080 --> 00:39:07,920 Speaker 1: you know we're still you know, the United States will 680 00:39:08,120 --> 00:39:10,480 Speaker 1: likely come to the aid of Taiwan if they get 681 00:39:10,520 --> 00:39:13,319 Speaker 1: attacked by the People's Liberation Army, and which is only 682 00:39:13,400 --> 00:39:17,680 Speaker 1: ninety six miles west of Taiwan. So when that happens, 683 00:39:18,120 --> 00:39:21,399 Speaker 1: it's probably not If it's we will get dragged into 684 00:39:21,400 --> 00:39:25,360 Speaker 1: a war which will require amphibious and airborne operations. The 685 00:39:25,360 --> 00:39:28,400 Speaker 1: most dangerous thing that we do to dislodge an enemy 686 00:39:28,440 --> 00:39:33,880 Speaker 1: from an island, we better have competent commanders, effective military 687 00:39:34,400 --> 00:39:36,560 Speaker 1: and troops with high morale because it's not going to 688 00:39:36,640 --> 00:39:39,080 Speaker 1: be a walk in the park. Bread. We both know this, 689 00:39:39,480 --> 00:39:42,360 Speaker 1: and that's why this is a big deal. Why should 690 00:39:42,400 --> 00:39:46,560 Speaker 1: people be aware of morale issues in the military special 691 00:39:46,560 --> 00:39:49,120 Speaker 1: operators that are getting like crushed by their you know, 692 00:39:49,400 --> 00:39:53,239 Speaker 1: the common on the Rine Corps was this several years ago, 693 00:39:53,320 --> 00:39:55,680 Speaker 1: over a decade ago. But they had these snipers that 694 00:39:55,800 --> 00:40:03,520 Speaker 1: urinated on the Taliban and during which okay, stupid move. Yeah, 695 00:40:03,800 --> 00:40:05,520 Speaker 1: you have a comment out of the Marine Corps who 696 00:40:05,520 --> 00:40:08,239 Speaker 1: had been in for forty years, I mean twice as 697 00:40:08,239 --> 00:40:10,400 Speaker 1: long as these guys have been alive. And he said, 698 00:40:10,880 --> 00:40:13,680 Speaker 1: I want told the convenient authority. This is this unlawful 699 00:40:13,680 --> 00:40:16,200 Speaker 1: command influence. I mean, this demoralized his forces when he 700 00:40:16,200 --> 00:40:19,279 Speaker 1: says he told the convenient authority, and Lieutenant Johan Waldhauger's 701 00:40:19,760 --> 00:40:22,440 Speaker 1: you know, the convening Authorities signed a sworn statement saying 702 00:40:22,440 --> 00:40:26,160 Speaker 1: that he was told by General Amos that General Amos 703 00:40:26,200 --> 00:40:30,719 Speaker 1: one of those Marines crushed. So how somebody have any 704 00:40:30,760 --> 00:40:33,640 Speaker 1: presumption of innocence? I mean, that's the hallmark of our 705 00:40:33,960 --> 00:40:36,480 Speaker 1: the foundation of Americas that were a legal society that 706 00:40:36,560 --> 00:40:39,880 Speaker 1: we don't you know, just have people, you know, destroying 707 00:40:39,920 --> 00:40:42,959 Speaker 1: your civil rights. This is a big issue. And thanks 708 00:40:43,000 --> 00:40:46,000 Speaker 1: for let me talk about this. Yeah, you're welcome, Fred, 709 00:40:46,080 --> 00:40:48,600 Speaker 1: And it's got to be hard because again it's war, okay, 710 00:40:48,640 --> 00:40:51,200 Speaker 1: and we're not stepping on the same sand at the 711 00:40:51,239 --> 00:40:54,080 Speaker 1: same time when the situation happened, we hear about it 712 00:40:54,280 --> 00:40:56,520 Speaker 1: here in the States a little later, and like you said, 713 00:40:56,719 --> 00:41:00,120 Speaker 1: in your scenario, it was like automatically spun up out there. 714 00:41:00,200 --> 00:41:03,320 Speaker 1: But in the time that it went from their media manager, 715 00:41:03,800 --> 00:41:07,960 Speaker 1: the Taliban's media manager probably to the BBC, they had 716 00:41:08,080 --> 00:41:10,359 Speaker 1: probably a C s I team of their own going 717 00:41:10,760 --> 00:41:13,120 Speaker 1: and do whatever they wanted to the scene to make 718 00:41:13,160 --> 00:41:16,480 Speaker 1: it look as so and make it you know, collect 719 00:41:16,560 --> 00:41:19,839 Speaker 1: up whatever evidence, put whatever evidence. We're not there. I'm 720 00:41:19,880 --> 00:41:22,880 Speaker 1: sorry you have to go through, you know, proving yourself 721 00:41:23,120 --> 00:41:25,720 Speaker 1: by writing a book and doing all these media junkets 722 00:41:25,760 --> 00:41:28,200 Speaker 1: and going all these different networks and even on software 723 00:41:28,280 --> 00:41:30,560 Speaker 1: radio to have to have your say, I would rather 724 00:41:30,600 --> 00:41:33,920 Speaker 1: be talking about, you know, something else, you know, like 725 00:41:34,040 --> 00:41:36,480 Speaker 1: Top Gun, because that was a fun movie. But here 726 00:41:36,480 --> 00:41:38,759 Speaker 1: we are talking about how you just want your name 727 00:41:38,880 --> 00:41:41,680 Speaker 1: and your men's names out there and everybody associate to 728 00:41:41,719 --> 00:41:44,680 Speaker 1: your situation, just free and clear, just to move on 729 00:41:44,840 --> 00:41:49,160 Speaker 1: and please don't look at me that way anymore. Yes, 730 00:41:49,640 --> 00:41:53,719 Speaker 1: and they're similar cases unless it's problems fixed, just like 731 00:41:53,760 --> 00:41:57,480 Speaker 1: the case currently with the Marshal three, this will continue 732 00:41:57,760 --> 00:42:00,240 Speaker 1: until the problem gets fixed. It's it's like a canser, 733 00:42:00,320 --> 00:42:03,880 Speaker 1: and in our military it has to get cut out, removed, 734 00:42:04,080 --> 00:42:08,600 Speaker 1: fully treated or those that abuse this authority there's no 735 00:42:08,960 --> 00:42:12,239 Speaker 1: incentive for them to change. It has to be stopped 736 00:42:13,239 --> 00:42:15,759 Speaker 1: and you have to do the first thing is you 737 00:42:15,800 --> 00:42:17,279 Speaker 1: need to shine a light on it. And that's what 738 00:42:17,360 --> 00:42:20,880 Speaker 1: a few bad men. It's a nonfiction story that completely 739 00:42:20,920 --> 00:42:25,280 Speaker 1: analyzes what happened to our main Special Operations Task Force. 740 00:42:25,760 --> 00:42:30,600 Speaker 1: It's an unvarnished, raw account. You know, I was the fighter. 741 00:42:30,840 --> 00:42:34,600 Speaker 1: The writer of the stories. Salmona professional journalists with the 742 00:42:34,719 --> 00:42:39,120 Speaker 1: l A Times and Playboy. Very good. Let's throw that 743 00:42:39,160 --> 00:42:44,239 Speaker 1: all to rappers. Yeah. So he wrote it in plain language. 744 00:42:44,600 --> 00:42:47,839 Speaker 1: A lot of your listeners may not have served, and 745 00:42:48,239 --> 00:42:51,440 Speaker 1: they're not gonna get you know, stuck in this acronym 746 00:42:51,560 --> 00:42:56,919 Speaker 1: soup and confused gets written in plain language. So yeah, 747 00:42:57,000 --> 00:43:00,800 Speaker 1: I think everyone always put it down and it's available. Yeah, 748 00:43:01,160 --> 00:43:03,920 Speaker 1: that's why it's like marine, you know, m EU and 749 00:43:04,000 --> 00:43:06,000 Speaker 1: like Otcom. It's like you gotta break it down for 750 00:43:06,040 --> 00:43:09,000 Speaker 1: the listener because they may not understand a simple acronym 751 00:43:09,040 --> 00:43:11,200 Speaker 1: that leads to the to the story that you're telling. 752 00:43:11,600 --> 00:43:13,759 Speaker 1: You're completely right. You should go check out a Few 753 00:43:13,760 --> 00:43:17,240 Speaker 1: Bad Men, which is you know, the Major's book and Major, 754 00:43:17,480 --> 00:43:19,320 Speaker 1: I know that you're still trying to get your lieutenant 755 00:43:19,320 --> 00:43:22,760 Speaker 1: colonel what is that an oh seven oh six rank? 756 00:43:23,000 --> 00:43:26,319 Speaker 1: Is that right? Oh? Five? Okay, I was just giving 757 00:43:26,360 --> 00:43:28,080 Speaker 1: you a little props up there. I don't know what 758 00:43:28,120 --> 00:43:32,920 Speaker 1: I'm saying, all right, general, but listen, yeah I know, 759 00:43:33,040 --> 00:43:35,399 Speaker 1: and I do. Look at your smile. Now, is there 760 00:43:35,400 --> 00:43:37,920 Speaker 1: still opportunity for you to reclaim that on your d 761 00:43:38,040 --> 00:43:39,759 Speaker 1: D two four teens so that you get you know, 762 00:43:39,880 --> 00:43:41,919 Speaker 1: like you know, your fair pay and are you still 763 00:43:41,920 --> 00:43:45,120 Speaker 1: getting benefits from the military with your retirement? And they like, 764 00:43:45,480 --> 00:43:47,960 Speaker 1: I mean if that if they're doing that right? So yeah, 765 00:43:48,000 --> 00:43:51,640 Speaker 1: I did retire, and uh they do great things. Incredible 766 00:43:51,719 --> 00:43:55,919 Speaker 1: organization has decided you know, completely pro bono. They saw 767 00:43:56,320 --> 00:44:00,279 Speaker 1: the injustice and they said, Fred, you know them to 768 00:44:00,320 --> 00:44:02,720 Speaker 1: me like trying to go out, but they they launched 769 00:44:02,719 --> 00:44:06,920 Speaker 1: a campaign judicial watch too, and this is in federal court. 770 00:44:07,480 --> 00:44:11,040 Speaker 1: I fully believe that we will win music shows. Okay, 771 00:44:11,080 --> 00:44:14,440 Speaker 1: they the Department of the Navy did say all of this, 772 00:44:15,080 --> 00:44:17,480 Speaker 1: you know, adverse material, get rid of it from his record, 773 00:44:18,239 --> 00:44:25,399 Speaker 1: and what happened after that was essentially nothing. So yeah, 774 00:44:25,480 --> 00:44:31,040 Speaker 1: so anyway, it's a this is still ongoing, and so 775 00:44:31,200 --> 00:44:35,160 Speaker 1: I'll let the process go. But yeah, an organization took 776 00:44:35,160 --> 00:44:38,200 Speaker 1: it on their own initiative, and I really truly appreciate 777 00:44:38,520 --> 00:44:42,080 Speaker 1: their hard work, you know, taking this up to fight, 778 00:44:42,160 --> 00:44:47,000 Speaker 1: and I'm confident that they will win. So but uh, again, 779 00:44:47,040 --> 00:44:50,960 Speaker 1: I appreciate being able to tell this story to your 780 00:44:51,000 --> 00:44:54,520 Speaker 1: audience very much. You're welcome. Well, it's it's soft rep 781 00:44:54,560 --> 00:44:57,440 Speaker 1: you know, and it's Special Operation Forces Report, and so 782 00:44:57,560 --> 00:45:00,160 Speaker 1: we're giving you the chance to report. And this as 783 00:45:00,160 --> 00:45:02,680 Speaker 1: you telling our listener that chooses to listen to this 784 00:45:02,719 --> 00:45:06,560 Speaker 1: lifestyle of conversation and you know, inside the world of 785 00:45:06,560 --> 00:45:10,200 Speaker 1: the military from perspectives like ourselves, where we've had some 786 00:45:10,280 --> 00:45:12,239 Speaker 1: taste of it and we can you know, go back 787 00:45:12,280 --> 00:45:15,440 Speaker 1: and forth and and bring that listener who had asthma 788 00:45:15,560 --> 00:45:17,880 Speaker 1: or who had like a premature eye from birth who 789 00:45:17,920 --> 00:45:19,600 Speaker 1: could never have the chance to go out for so 790 00:45:19,760 --> 00:45:22,480 Speaker 1: calm mm eu listen to someone like you and your 791 00:45:22,480 --> 00:45:27,040 Speaker 1: soft spoken words of your calculated you know. And I 792 00:45:27,040 --> 00:45:30,080 Speaker 1: would say that I have so many things to say, 793 00:45:30,160 --> 00:45:31,880 Speaker 1: but this is the Internet and it's out there forever, 794 00:45:32,000 --> 00:45:34,480 Speaker 1: so I'm not gonna say things. I'm gonna say thank 795 00:45:34,520 --> 00:45:37,520 Speaker 1: you for raising your right hand and serving enlisted in 796 00:45:37,560 --> 00:45:40,799 Speaker 1: the Marine Corps, choosing to go as an officer and 797 00:45:40,880 --> 00:45:43,120 Speaker 1: choosing to be on our show and telling your story. 798 00:45:43,280 --> 00:45:45,560 Speaker 1: And I'm gonna let my listeners make up their mind. 799 00:45:45,840 --> 00:45:48,719 Speaker 1: You know, he's getting his benefits. What does that tell you? 800 00:45:49,080 --> 00:45:51,120 Speaker 1: All right, that's what I have to say, because if 801 00:45:51,120 --> 00:45:55,279 Speaker 1: you're not getting your benefits, think about that. Okay, I 802 00:45:55,320 --> 00:45:57,600 Speaker 1: don't know what. Well, thank you for being on our show. 803 00:45:57,600 --> 00:45:59,040 Speaker 1: I know you have a hard line to go take 804 00:45:59,040 --> 00:46:01,319 Speaker 1: care of some other interview, so I would love to 805 00:46:01,320 --> 00:46:03,400 Speaker 1: have you back on if there's anything that ever happens, 806 00:46:03,400 --> 00:46:06,120 Speaker 1: and I can formally call you lieutenant colonel let me know, 807 00:46:06,440 --> 00:46:08,040 Speaker 1: hit us up. We'll bring you back on for part 808 00:46:08,080 --> 00:46:10,400 Speaker 1: two of that situation. And from all of us here 809 00:46:10,440 --> 00:46:13,040 Speaker 1: at Software Radio, thanks for taking the time out of 810 00:46:13,080 --> 00:46:15,839 Speaker 1: your busy day so thank you God, Skin, thank you 811 00:46:15,920 --> 00:46:26,840 Speaker 1: rad You've been listening to self red ldia