WEBVTT - Releasing the Anchors KeeShaun Coffey 0:00:08.760 --> 0:00:11.560 Welcome to the Good Stuff. I'm Jacob Schick and I'm 0:00:11.640 --> 0:00:14.319 joined by my co host and wife, Ashley Shick. 0:00:14.920 --> 0:00:17.560 Jake is a third generation combat Marine and I'm a 0:00:17.560 --> 0:00:21.480 gold Star granddaughter. And we work together to serve military veterans, 0:00:21.560 --> 0:00:25.280 first responders, frontline healthcare workers, and their families with mental 0:00:25.280 --> 0:00:28.800 and emotional wellness through traditional and non traditional therapy. At 0:00:28.840 --> 0:00:30.320 One Tribe Foundation. 0:00:30.760 --> 0:00:33.120 We believe everyone has a story to tell, not only 0:00:33.159 --> 0:00:35.440 about the peaks, but also the valleys they've been through 0:00:35.479 --> 0:00:36.960 to get them to where they are today. 0:00:37.360 --> 0:00:39.760 Each week, we invite a guest to tell us their story, 0:00:39.840 --> 0:00:42.160 to share with us the lessons they've learned that shaped 0:00:42.200 --> 0:00:44.239 who they are and what they're doing to pay it 0:00:44.320 --> 0:00:45.600 forward and give back. 0:00:46.200 --> 0:00:48.160 Our mission with this show is to dig deep into 0:00:48.200 --> 0:00:50.400 our guest's journey so that we can celebrate the hope 0:00:50.440 --> 0:00:52.440 and inspiration their story has to offer. 0:00:52.680 --> 0:00:54.760 We're thrilled you're joining us again. 0:00:55.400 --> 0:00:56.960 Welcome to the Good Stuff. 0:00:57.840 --> 0:01:00.960 Our guest today is our very dear friend k Shan Coffee. 0:01:01.000 --> 0:01:03.080 He and Jacob actually known each other for over a 0:01:03.200 --> 0:01:06.080 decade and originally met in the warrior space, which is 0:01:06.080 --> 0:01:08.520 a term we used to refer to the unofficial network 0:01:08.560 --> 0:01:12.840 of support systems for veterans. Kishan's a Navy veteran himself, 0:01:13.120 --> 0:01:16.800 an executive at a major corporation, and an incredible family man. 0:01:17.480 --> 0:01:19.720 When Kishan and I originally met, we were both in 0:01:19.760 --> 0:01:23.039 a very different place in our lives, especially mentally and emotionally. 0:01:23.520 --> 0:01:25.600 He's here to share his story of growing up in 0:01:25.640 --> 0:01:29.480 an army family and enlisting self admittedly for selfish reasons. 0:01:29.959 --> 0:01:32.280 He came face to face a personal tragedy on the 0:01:32.319 --> 0:01:35.080 other side of the world, struggled greatly for years, and 0:01:35.120 --> 0:01:38.640 finally found the resources and human connection to allow him 0:01:38.680 --> 0:01:41.880 to become the many is today. Keep in mind Keishan's 0:01:41.880 --> 0:01:44.800 a sailor and I'm a marine. The language does get 0:01:44.840 --> 0:01:46.640 a little salty, but trust. 0:01:46.400 --> 0:01:49.640 Me, you're going to want to stick around for this one. 0:01:52.240 --> 0:01:54.480 Thank you so much for joining us. We're so excited 0:01:54.480 --> 0:01:57.040 you're here with us on the good stuff, and we're 0:01:57.120 --> 0:02:00.400 really excited to dig in and tell your story. I 0:02:00.440 --> 0:02:02.480 know you two have known each other for quite a while. 0:02:02.640 --> 0:02:03.800 How did you originally meet? 0:02:04.280 --> 0:02:06.360 I met Shick. I want to say it was carried 0:02:06.360 --> 0:02:06.760 a load. 0:02:06.920 --> 0:02:09.440 Twenty twelve, there was a marine by the name of 0:02:09.480 --> 0:02:11.520 Mike Rowles who invited me out to carry the Load. 0:02:12.120 --> 0:02:13.880 And I want to say it was about two o'clock 0:02:13.919 --> 0:02:16.120 in the morning. We were at the turn about. He 0:02:16.200 --> 0:02:17.799 was like, hey, you got to meet this other marine 0:02:17.880 --> 0:02:20.079 named Shiic and so I remember walking up to Shake 0:02:20.120 --> 0:02:22.519 saying hey, trying to introduce and Shick was very short 0:02:22.560 --> 0:02:25.040 with his words, like look, bro, you're out here at 0:02:25.040 --> 0:02:27.760 two am humping. It says a lot about you already, 0:02:27.760 --> 0:02:30.040 and so thank you for being here. And that's how 0:02:30.040 --> 0:02:33.679 I met Shike's ten words ten words. 0:02:33.240 --> 0:02:34.200 Good flong bond. 0:02:34.720 --> 0:02:38.560 So Carry the Load is an incredible organization and event 0:02:38.639 --> 0:02:41.280 that we take part in. This is your twelfth year. 0:02:41.840 --> 0:02:45.280 I think doing it my tenth and it was founded 0:02:45.760 --> 0:02:48.560 to put the meaning back into Memorial Day for individuals 0:02:48.600 --> 0:02:50.639 that want to come out and participate. And when when 0:02:50.720 --> 0:02:53.200 Keishan says humping, he means walking. 0:02:53.919 --> 0:02:57.280 Man, the Marines call it humping, and then everybody's like, oh, 0:02:57.320 --> 0:02:59.960 I can't maybe he says no, It's just it's basically 0:03:00.200 --> 0:03:01.200 were forced walking. 0:03:01.720 --> 0:03:04.960 And the idea is that you're you know, you're embracing 0:03:04.960 --> 0:03:07.840 the suck, you're going out there, you're walking, You're using 0:03:07.880 --> 0:03:11.440 your body to honor and remember and carry those that 0:03:11.480 --> 0:03:14.280 paid the ultimate sacrifice and can no longer carry it 0:03:14.320 --> 0:03:16.680 for us. They've already given their all, and so now 0:03:16.680 --> 0:03:19.640 it's our turn to honor them and remember them. And 0:03:19.680 --> 0:03:24.080 it's an incredible event nationwide now and the demons sweat 0:03:24.080 --> 0:03:27.040 out the demons exactly. That's what really beneficial for so 0:03:27.080 --> 0:03:29.880 many guys and gals who have served, and family members 0:03:29.880 --> 0:03:33.000 who have lost someone in service to our great country. 0:03:33.200 --> 0:03:37.360 Been a really really impactful organization and cause an event 0:03:37.480 --> 0:03:39.920 for our family doesn't surprise me. That's where the two 0:03:39.960 --> 0:03:42.160 of you met. You told how you got involved, but 0:03:42.240 --> 0:03:45.839 how did you find that first evolution of going out 0:03:45.840 --> 0:03:47.000 there and humping. 0:03:47.000 --> 0:03:48.360 It was one of those things you have in your 0:03:48.360 --> 0:03:49.920 mind set, like, yo, this is going to be fun, 0:03:49.960 --> 0:03:51.880 it's going to be raw, like everybody's hyping it up 0:03:52.040 --> 0:03:54.160 until you get to the two am walk and then 0:03:54.160 --> 0:03:56.240 you start to see that people start to do indo away. 0:03:56.440 --> 0:03:58.360 So then you start a questioning like what were you 0:03:58.440 --> 0:04:01.240 really out here for? Was it for you know, the sights, 0:04:01.240 --> 0:04:03.480 the shows, the people, the food, just the you know, 0:04:03.560 --> 0:04:05.560 the fun time to get together or like I think 0:04:05.600 --> 0:04:07.800 you really start to find the real soul crushers at 0:04:07.800 --> 0:04:10.160 three am in the morning that are just head down, 0:04:11.040 --> 0:04:13.640 like you said, cleansing their soul, thinking about the ones 0:04:13.680 --> 0:04:16.120 they lost overseas, and you know those are still fighting, 0:04:16.279 --> 0:04:18.680 you know, the wars, and so it was a great 0:04:18.839 --> 0:04:21.560 It was just a great time. Just just enjoyed it. 0:04:21.800 --> 0:04:25.279 I've got shells I leave lighter every year, Yeah, for sure, 0:04:25.480 --> 0:04:28.039 you know. And people ask every year, is that's carry 0:04:28.040 --> 0:04:30.919 the little big thing? Who are you carrying? And uh, 0:04:31.040 --> 0:04:32.840 you know, actually see me say this a lot and 0:04:32.920 --> 0:04:35.479 people ask you who you caring and I just say 0:04:35.520 --> 0:04:39.119 all of them. Yeah, I'm never gonna mention one name. Yeah, 0:04:39.279 --> 0:04:42.200 carrying all of them. Yeah, And that's our duty, you 0:04:42.240 --> 0:04:44.440 know what I mean, especially ours, Yes, who've done the 0:04:44.880 --> 0:04:47.640 cloth of the nation. It's our job to be the 0:04:47.680 --> 0:04:50.440 gatekeepers at their legacy, absolutely till our dying day. 0:04:50.600 --> 0:04:53.320 And you have a lot to draw from. You've got 0:04:53.320 --> 0:04:55.760 a family of lifelong service. 0:04:55.640 --> 0:04:58.880 Yes I do. My grandfather was United States Navy. My 0:04:58.920 --> 0:05:00.840 father was a army It's a fun story kind of 0:05:00.880 --> 0:05:01.839 I got into the navy. 0:05:02.440 --> 0:05:02.640 You know. 0:05:02.720 --> 0:05:04.920 My dad was three boys. You know, he wanted one 0:05:04.920 --> 0:05:06.880 of us to at least go to the to the army. 0:05:07.040 --> 0:05:09.760 And so my brother was a great lobbyist. He was like, look, man, 0:05:09.880 --> 0:05:12.239 don't go to the Army. You're gonna get stationed somewhere shitty. 0:05:12.279 --> 0:05:14.120 It's not where you want to be. You're gonna want 0:05:14.120 --> 0:05:15.720 to go to the Navy. You'll see the world x 0:05:15.800 --> 0:05:18.839 y Z. So I never forget telling my Dad's like, hey, Dad, 0:05:18.880 --> 0:05:21.320 I'm sorry to disappoint you, but you know I'm going 0:05:21.360 --> 0:05:23.880 to the Navy, you know, just a look. He wasn't disappointed, 0:05:23.880 --> 0:05:26.320 but you can tell there was that. All right, at 0:05:26.440 --> 0:05:28.479 least you're still going to go serve Roger that But 0:05:29.080 --> 0:05:31.280 it's a thing. Yeah, he wanted me to do it. 0:05:31.560 --> 0:05:33.240 Now as a sailor, it's a thing. 0:05:33.400 --> 0:05:36.640 It is, it is, it really is. But my brothers 0:05:36.680 --> 0:05:39.120 were Navy, so I come from a military family. 0:05:39.440 --> 0:05:41.440 And what was it like growing up in that household? 0:05:42.200 --> 0:05:45.719 Fun? It was just fun and structured and disciplined. You know, 0:05:45.760 --> 0:05:47.320 growing up you kind of hate it. But being a 0:05:47.360 --> 0:05:49.880 father now, I now understand why I need my daughter 0:05:50.160 --> 0:05:52.320 at six thirty to listen to me and put on 0:05:52.320 --> 0:05:54.159 her underwear before. 0:05:53.839 --> 0:05:55.800 We get out the door. Didn't understand it then, but 0:05:55.960 --> 0:05:56.480 I do now. 0:05:56.520 --> 0:05:58.640 But growing up with siblings and just my dad being 0:05:58.640 --> 0:06:00.720 in the military, it was just it was a journey 0:06:00.760 --> 0:06:03.159 of experience. I grew up in a very diverse city 0:06:03.160 --> 0:06:06.720 body name of Colleen, Texas, Fort Hoods, the military installation there, 0:06:06.760 --> 0:06:09.000 and so you know, at that at a very young age, 0:06:09.000 --> 0:06:12.960 I was exposed at different ethnic groups, all all kinds 0:06:12.960 --> 0:06:15.200 of people. So you know, you kind of learned to 0:06:15.400 --> 0:06:17.680 accept other people at a very early age. And so 0:06:17.720 --> 0:06:19.400 I think that was one thing that I truly cherished 0:06:19.400 --> 0:06:21.839 about being in the military. You know, just benefits, It's 0:06:21.880 --> 0:06:24.840 truly beneficial. So when I got to the military, I 0:06:24.880 --> 0:06:28.559 wasn't unaccustomed to, you know, seeing people at that point 0:06:28.839 --> 0:06:30.560 at that point, and that's make sure how you're raised 0:06:30.560 --> 0:06:34.040 because your dad serious, that's set. I credit my grandfather 0:06:34.160 --> 0:06:35.760 the same thing, you know, And you know, I've talked 0:06:35.760 --> 0:06:39.159 about this so many times growing up in Louisiana before 0:06:39.160 --> 0:06:45.200 I came here, and my dad very strict about content 0:06:45.240 --> 0:06:45.760 of character. 0:06:46.120 --> 0:06:47.880 And you know, that's still how I roll. Like, I 0:06:47.960 --> 0:06:50.719 believe everybody like you suck or you don't. There's no 0:06:50.800 --> 0:06:55.080 great area. And that's regardless of the pigmentation in your skin. Absolutely, 0:06:55.160 --> 0:06:57.680 you know, But I credit my grandpa for that. And 0:06:57.720 --> 0:07:00.200 the Marine cords, the one that changed his views. Yeah, 0:07:00.240 --> 0:07:01.600 well not you will. 0:07:01.880 --> 0:07:05.039 Absolutely Is that where you kind of developed your sense 0:07:05.080 --> 0:07:07.359 of wanting to serve your country or did you always 0:07:07.400 --> 0:07:10.080 have this overwhelming desire to go serve your country? 0:07:10.360 --> 0:07:13.720 Well, I guess if it really unpacking here, I won't 0:07:13.720 --> 0:07:15.880 say I ever truly had a very hard sense to 0:07:15.960 --> 0:07:18.680 serve my country in the very beginning, Like my dad served, 0:07:18.680 --> 0:07:20.440 I knew what it meant to, you know, respect the flag, 0:07:20.480 --> 0:07:23.040 respect the country. Like I understood that then two thousand 0:07:23.040 --> 0:07:25.200 and six, I think, right before the downturn was starting 0:07:25.200 --> 0:07:27.080 to happen, Like I was living in Dallas, I was 0:07:27.120 --> 0:07:29.600 sleeping on my floor. I was at a junction in 0:07:29.640 --> 0:07:31.239 my life where it's like, look, I got to figure 0:07:31.240 --> 0:07:33.080 out something because my dad was like, look, I'm not 0:07:33.120 --> 0:07:34.440 taking out no more student loans for. 0:07:34.360 --> 0:07:38.760 You to go to Baylor of course, smart man, smart man. 0:07:38.920 --> 0:07:40.680 Which I just paid that student loan off not too 0:07:40.760 --> 0:07:43.720 long ago, Gratua. That was a big step, big step, 0:07:44.040 --> 0:07:45.920 but no, but it was like a I gotta find 0:07:45.920 --> 0:07:47.679 something to do with my life. And my dad always 0:07:47.680 --> 0:07:49.960 told me like, hey, the military is something where you 0:07:50.320 --> 0:07:52.080 can get out from under where you're at right now, 0:07:52.160 --> 0:07:54.400 you know, just going to the military and so that's 0:07:54.440 --> 0:07:56.880 where I just started doing my due diligence and how 0:07:56.880 --> 0:07:59.200 I kind of involved and kind of got into the 0:07:59.280 --> 0:08:03.360 Navy it's elf. But I never truly understood until I 0:08:03.400 --> 0:08:06.040 got into the Navy what it was like to have 0:08:06.080 --> 0:08:10.080 a true appreciation for love for country. Like before I 0:08:10.120 --> 0:08:11.880 always saw the commercials like, Oh, I'm gonna be in 0:08:11.880 --> 0:08:14.080 a white suit standing on the side of aircraft carry 0:08:14.080 --> 0:08:16.280 going into a foreign country, like everybody's gonna love me. 0:08:16.320 --> 0:08:17.200 Like I had. 0:08:17.040 --> 0:08:20.960 This this weird epiphany of what I thought military service was, 0:08:21.040 --> 0:08:23.680 like just getting out, getting drunk, getting your education, Like 0:08:23.720 --> 0:08:25.840 that's what I thought the military was. But it wasn't 0:08:25.880 --> 0:08:27.840 until like my first duty station in Quantico, where I 0:08:27.840 --> 0:08:30.520 was stationed with Marines, Like I start to understand, like 0:08:30.560 --> 0:08:33.559 there's an undercurrent of love and appreciation in the military, 0:08:34.040 --> 0:08:36.960 especially amongst your brothers and sisters that you just don't 0:08:37.000 --> 0:08:40.280 get seeing a commercial, playing a video game, hearing the stories. 0:08:40.320 --> 0:08:41.400 You've got to go through it. 0:08:41.720 --> 0:08:44.000 And that's where I had a different appreciation of love 0:08:44.000 --> 0:08:48.360 of country because now my heart earned, sweat, blood and 0:08:48.400 --> 0:08:51.960 tears are now invested into the earth soil to where 0:08:51.960 --> 0:08:53.480 I now is like I love. 0:08:53.320 --> 0:08:56.480 It completely changes what you see and you look at 0:08:56.600 --> 0:08:57.560 those stores on the short. 0:08:57.840 --> 0:08:58.040 Yeah. 0:08:58.120 --> 0:09:00.679 Absolutely, I have a different appreciation when I say to 0:09:00.720 --> 0:09:02.400 pledgere of the llegiance to when you know second grade, 0:09:02.440 --> 0:09:05.360 you're doing it because it's part of school routine, stand up, 0:09:05.480 --> 0:09:07.440 do it, you know. But when I do it now. 0:09:07.280 --> 0:09:09.360 It's like get you chills. It's like me, I know 0:09:09.400 --> 0:09:11.559 what it means and why I'm doing it. You figure 0:09:11.559 --> 0:09:12.479 out your why. 0:09:12.520 --> 0:09:16.280 As you as you know, every time I speak after 0:09:17.320 --> 0:09:20.160 we here in national anthem, and I always say the 0:09:20.160 --> 0:09:22.280 same thing as soon as I walk up, and I 0:09:22.320 --> 0:09:25.240 always say, if you didn't get chills, you're not doing 0:09:25.240 --> 0:09:25.839 it right now. 0:09:26.760 --> 0:09:29.080 And I'm usually in tears. Yeah, I mean every time 0:09:29.120 --> 0:09:35.679 I can't do that song, let's step back real quickly. 0:09:35.720 --> 0:09:37.360 So you didn't know at a young age, I'm going 0:09:37.400 --> 0:09:39.280 to serve my country. You kind of had other goals. 0:09:39.400 --> 0:09:40.280 Yeah, I had other goals. 0:09:40.280 --> 0:09:43.360 Like I wanted to get a degree in like sports management, 0:09:43.480 --> 0:09:45.160 and like I just wanted to go to the corporate world. 0:09:45.160 --> 0:09:46.720 Like you know, I grew up in a very small city. 0:09:46.720 --> 0:09:48.640 I wanted to go into like a big city, and 0:09:48.720 --> 0:09:51.839 so I kind of had that dream of doing something different. Initially, 0:09:51.880 --> 0:09:54.680 I didn't have that reserve, like I'm gonna serve my country, 0:09:54.720 --> 0:09:57.079 like I know some of my friends had so tell. 0:09:56.960 --> 0:09:59.720 Us about you got into the Navy. 0:09:59.840 --> 0:10:03.200 The what Yeah, So going into the Navy was a 0:10:03.240 --> 0:10:06.959 fun experience. My brother told me like, whatever you do, 0:10:06.960 --> 0:10:09.280 don't trust a recruiter, and I think any person. 0:10:10.880 --> 0:10:11.080 Yeah. 0:10:11.280 --> 0:10:13.040 And the sad part about it, my recruiter I won't 0:10:13.040 --> 0:10:15.160 say his name, was actually a high school friend of 0:10:15.200 --> 0:10:17.520 my brothers. And so I was like, hey, I want 0:10:17.520 --> 0:10:19.800 to get into a role or job where all I 0:10:19.880 --> 0:10:22.600 do is nothing like I was very selfish and I 0:10:22.600 --> 0:10:23.520 want to get my education. 0:10:23.559 --> 0:10:24.800 That's all I want to do. I just want to 0:10:24.800 --> 0:10:26.920 see the world get me education. Xyz. 0:10:27.600 --> 0:10:30.360 I appreciate your accountability, bro. I don't know how big 0:10:30.400 --> 0:10:34.520 I am on that because you've seen me call people 0:10:34.600 --> 0:10:36.920 out in front of God and everybody about that and 0:10:37.000 --> 0:10:38.880 they're like, yo, no, I just wanted to be a 0:10:38.880 --> 0:10:40.720 hard charger. And it's like, so when did you start 0:10:40.760 --> 0:10:43.160 your first class a month after I landed it? And 0:10:43.160 --> 0:10:44.360 it's like, come on, man. 0:10:45.000 --> 0:10:47.400 Yeah, I just have my own selfish goals that I 0:10:47.400 --> 0:10:50.079 wanted to do and have Uncle Sam funded. And so 0:10:50.280 --> 0:10:52.160 he was like, all right, coffee, then you should be 0:10:52.200 --> 0:10:54.079 an RP. I was like, well, what it's an RP. 0:10:54.240 --> 0:10:56.440 He was like, oh, it's a religious program specialist and 0:10:56.480 --> 0:10:58.640 you just work with a chaplain at a chapel. It's 0:10:58.640 --> 0:11:00.960 the chill ist, laid back job you will ever have. 0:11:01.080 --> 0:11:04.400 And then maybe all lives, all lies, all lies from 0:11:04.480 --> 0:11:06.719 beginning to end. And so I was like, Roger, that 0:11:06.920 --> 0:11:09.079 sign me up. You know, I'm going around telling people, Oh, yeah, 0:11:09.080 --> 0:11:10.439 I'm being an RP. I'm being an RP. 0:11:10.840 --> 0:11:13.480 Like you grew up religious to right. So it was 0:11:14.000 --> 0:11:15.120 like easy transitions. 0:11:15.120 --> 0:11:17.400 He transition, I'll be preaching the people in the field, 0:11:17.520 --> 0:11:18.920 say the lives, like, oh, this is going. 0:11:18.840 --> 0:11:19.520 To be great. 0:11:20.440 --> 0:11:23.679 You'll want people y'all need Jesus. So what are the 0:11:23.760 --> 0:11:24.640 duties of an RP. 0:11:25.360 --> 0:11:27.920 Yeah, so, so as an RP, we helped the chaplain 0:11:28.120 --> 0:11:30.520 manage the chapel, the base chapels, and so with some 0:11:30.600 --> 0:11:34.320 of our duties, we do coordinate funerals with local funeral homes. 0:11:34.360 --> 0:11:39.080 We do weddings as well, and christienings and baptisms. You know, 0:11:39.200 --> 0:11:41.160 some of the downsides about being an RP is, you know, 0:11:41.160 --> 0:11:43.760 we have to do last rights for service individuals. So 0:11:43.840 --> 0:11:46.559 whether they're KIA or whether we're going to an hospital, 0:11:47.160 --> 0:11:49.280 we help the chaplain provide last rights. And then we 0:11:49.360 --> 0:11:53.000 also do notifications at certain times. So if someone I. 0:11:52.920 --> 0:11:54.439 Was going to ask that, I didn't know if y'all 0:11:54.480 --> 0:11:55.280 had to do that or not. 0:11:55.480 --> 0:11:59.720 Yeah, we do notifications as well, and so every everything's 0:11:59.760 --> 0:12:03.040 just but yeah, it's kind of an all encompassing there's 0:12:03.120 --> 0:12:06.040 a lot a lot of parameters, right, And so I 0:12:06.080 --> 0:12:07.880 get to boot camp and they were like, oh, you're 0:12:07.880 --> 0:12:09.240 going to be an RP, because I guess you know, 0:12:09.480 --> 0:12:11.440 rps aren't that popular in the Navy, and so I 0:12:11.440 --> 0:12:12.760 was like, yeah, I'm going to be an RP. And 0:12:12.800 --> 0:12:14.439 so I go through boot camp and I get sent 0:12:14.480 --> 0:12:17.800 to Meridian, Mississippi, and Meridian, Mississippi is where I go 0:12:17.840 --> 0:12:19.520 to my aid school for RP. 0:12:19.920 --> 0:12:20.640 And I'll never forget. 0:12:20.679 --> 0:12:23.240 We had this first class petty officer walk out and 0:12:23.280 --> 0:12:25.680 say okay, because we did our dream sheets and then 0:12:25.720 --> 0:12:28.120 the Navy dream sheets is basically where do you want 0:12:28.160 --> 0:12:30.439 your first duty station to be? So I picked Norfolk 0:12:30.640 --> 0:12:34.200 Aircraft Carrier, Aircraft Carrier, aircraft carrier, Like that's exactly what 0:12:34.280 --> 0:12:36.040 I picked. I was like, there's no way they can 0:12:36.080 --> 0:12:38.199 mess this up. Nobody wants to go to Norfolk. I 0:12:38.200 --> 0:12:41.040 don't know if you ever visit Norfolk. Yeah, yeah, nobody 0:12:41.040 --> 0:12:42.440 wants to go to Norfolk. Like I was like Roger 0:12:42.520 --> 0:12:44.280 that this is where I want to go. He comes 0:12:44.280 --> 0:12:47.280 back and says, coffee camp. You all going to Quantico Virginia. 0:12:47.360 --> 0:12:47.960 I was like what. 0:12:48.679 --> 0:12:51.480 I literally thought Quantico was in another country. I've never 0:12:51.520 --> 0:12:53.000 heard of it. Like that was my first time ever 0:12:53.000 --> 0:12:55.719 hearing a Quantico and I was like, okay, it's like, oh, 0:12:55.760 --> 0:12:57.280 by the way, you go on green Side. I was 0:12:57.280 --> 0:13:01.199 like green Side? What is green Side? He was like, 0:13:01.760 --> 0:13:07.160 your recruited didn't tell you. I was like, he was like, yeah, 0:13:07.200 --> 0:13:08.679 you're going to go be stationed with the Marines. I 0:13:08.720 --> 0:13:10.200 was like, but what does that entail? It's like, oh, 0:13:10.200 --> 0:13:11.640 you're going to camp. Let you and go through boot 0:13:11.640 --> 0:13:13.560 camp again. I was like, you gotta be shitting me. 0:13:13.960 --> 0:13:16.440 And so like that was like a moment of deflation 0:13:16.720 --> 0:13:20.440 green weening. Wow, that's what we call that. 0:13:20.800 --> 0:13:24.160 Explain to us what your thoughts were when you showed 0:13:24.240 --> 0:13:25.480 up and got a taste of that. 0:13:25.600 --> 0:13:31.480 Oh man, that was a rude awakenment. So I'll never forget. 0:13:31.600 --> 0:13:33.840 Like, you know, those videos you see if like chesty 0:13:33.880 --> 0:13:36.320 and him like yelling at people with the drill sergeant 0:13:36.400 --> 0:13:38.880 hats and the greens or the bravos I think they 0:13:38.920 --> 0:13:39.240 had on. 0:13:39.360 --> 0:13:41.240 I'm never forget they're like, get the fuck off the boss. 0:13:42.160 --> 0:13:45.200 Wait a minute, the big white buses. The big white 0:13:45.200 --> 0:13:47.600 bus is not what I signed up for. 0:13:47.720 --> 0:13:49.480 And I remember we got on the parade deck like 0:13:49.720 --> 0:13:51.760 Mustard was every morning at zero four hundred, So we 0:13:51.760 --> 0:13:54.280 had to be up at zero three forty five. No, 0:13:54.760 --> 0:13:56.480 we had to be on deck at zero three five. 0:13:57.480 --> 0:14:01.440 Said late we were looking that we had to be 0:14:01.480 --> 0:14:03.880 on decade zero three forty five. Our barracks didn't have 0:14:03.880 --> 0:14:06.080 any air conditioning. We lucked out because one of the 0:14:06.080 --> 0:14:08.600 guys going through uncle was like a senator, so he 0:14:08.679 --> 0:14:12.000 called his uncle. Three months later, after our class graduated, 0:14:12.320 --> 0:14:14.920 all the bears got a c's so appreciate that guy. 0:14:15.080 --> 0:14:19.400 That's where the weakness started, the softness began. There's this 0:14:19.440 --> 0:14:21.800 little city they kind of have mocked up to like 0:14:21.880 --> 0:14:24.000 give you, like, hey, your down range, you're going in, 0:14:24.120 --> 0:14:26.560 you need to retrieve people out, and like they have 0:14:26.720 --> 0:14:28.800 like all these flash bangs going out. I'm like, yo, 0:14:28.840 --> 0:14:32.080 what the fuck is? And so like the thrown these 0:14:32.080 --> 0:14:34.320 flash bangs. It's like this little smoke and stuff that 0:14:34.360 --> 0:14:36.480 they have going. It's like, Yo, this is completely different 0:14:36.480 --> 0:14:38.040 than what I signed up for. Like when I went 0:14:38.080 --> 0:14:39.920 through my Navy boot camp, like we were on like 0:14:39.960 --> 0:14:44.240 this Disney ship that they created. There are sound effects 0:14:44.240 --> 0:14:46.720 and music playing, and like when the ship set on 0:14:46.760 --> 0:14:50.120 this fake water and we're throwing out mooring lines, I'm like, yo, 0:14:50.200 --> 0:14:51.280 this is easy. 0:14:51.960 --> 0:14:55.520 Are you so? Are you glad though, even though clearly 0:14:55.520 --> 0:14:58.440 it was gnarley and it was a shock to the system, 0:14:58.600 --> 0:15:00.640 are you grateful for Do you see now why the 0:15:00.680 --> 0:15:03.440 military designs it that way too, because you are going 0:15:03.520 --> 0:15:05.320 to put odds are you're going to be in an 0:15:05.400 --> 0:15:11.680 environment that you can never simulate exactly, but you'll at 0:15:11.800 --> 0:15:12.960 least be somewhat to wear. 0:15:13.080 --> 0:15:15.760 Yeah, I am extremely glad for that because it gave 0:15:15.800 --> 0:15:17.760 me a different appreciation of what you all have to 0:15:17.800 --> 0:15:20.880 go through downrange. And then I think one of the 0:15:20.960 --> 0:15:23.040 I think the defining moment in my career is like 0:15:23.120 --> 0:15:24.720 once I went through this boot camp and I got 0:15:24.760 --> 0:15:27.600 stationed at Quantico and worked at OCS, like, you know, 0:15:27.640 --> 0:15:29.800 I still kind of felt like the sword throm, you know, 0:15:29.840 --> 0:15:32.040 because I was an RP and people were kind of confused. 0:15:32.040 --> 0:15:33.840 I also had a no shaved ship because I was 0:15:33.920 --> 0:15:35.880 still had Navy rigs and Marines like, yo, what the 0:15:35.880 --> 0:15:36.320 fuck is that. 0:15:36.400 --> 0:15:36.880 On the face? 0:15:38.360 --> 0:15:38.880 Hold on. 0:15:41.200 --> 0:15:41.920 Stats, sergeant. 0:15:43.040 --> 0:15:46.120 But one thing I appreciate is like those marines also said, hey, 0:15:46.280 --> 0:15:48.520 you're one of us as well, like even though you 0:15:48.560 --> 0:15:50.720 don't have the e g. A you know on your hat, 0:15:50.920 --> 0:15:53.920 your yeah, the globe and anchor, you're still one of us. 0:15:53.920 --> 0:15:56.600 Like you treated you though, and treated me as if 0:15:56.640 --> 0:15:58.520 I was one of their own. So I'm glad I 0:15:58.520 --> 0:16:01.520 went through it right on. Then the other part, I 0:16:01.520 --> 0:16:04.040 got blindsided when I selected the RP role, Like, as 0:16:04.040 --> 0:16:05.600 you're learning your job, did we get to this chapter 0:16:05.640 --> 0:16:07.600 where's talking like, hey, if you're on the battlefield, you 0:16:07.640 --> 0:16:10.040 know your job is to protect the chaplain and take 0:16:10.040 --> 0:16:11.680 a bullet for the chaplain. And so I thought I 0:16:11.720 --> 0:16:17.520 misread the shit. I was like, sir, this says here 0:16:17.640 --> 0:16:19.800 we're supposed to take a bullet for the chaplain. He 0:16:19.880 --> 0:16:22.360 was like, yeah, your recruit didn't tell you. I was like, obviously, 0:16:22.480 --> 0:16:24.800 my recruiter left a lot out of the fine print. 0:16:24.960 --> 0:16:25.720 But that's where like. 0:16:25.840 --> 0:16:27.560 I was still safe. 0:16:28.480 --> 0:16:30.600 I tell people now going into the stairs, like, look, man, 0:16:30.640 --> 0:16:34.280 whatever your recruiter tells you, don't believe them, Like, do 0:16:34.400 --> 0:16:36.520 your own due diligence. They're going to get you in, 0:16:36.760 --> 0:16:38.800 but do you need to truly find out what you're 0:16:38.800 --> 0:16:41.960 getting yourself into when you get into that role. But hindsight, 0:16:42.200 --> 0:16:45.040 I would truly say that I'm more grateful now that 0:16:45.280 --> 0:16:47.440 I did get that role on the Green Side, because 0:16:47.480 --> 0:16:51.400 that's truly where I learned about camaraderie and brotherhood. A 0:16:51.400 --> 0:16:54.160 great example of that was we were corgy, young and dumb, 0:16:54.400 --> 0:16:57.680 and we had motorcycles and we went down from Quantico 0:16:57.760 --> 0:17:00.560 to Norfolk, me and a bunch of Marines. The way back, 0:17:00.680 --> 0:17:02.440 we're just as zipping in and out of traffic, and 0:17:02.440 --> 0:17:04.240 so we get pulled over by a state trooper and 0:17:04.280 --> 0:17:06.240 so I was like, you know what, I'll take the 0:17:06.280 --> 0:17:08.880 hit for this, but Sergeant Connors like, nah, man, we're 0:17:08.920 --> 0:17:10.520