1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:20,400 Speaker 1: H rut. If it doesn't work, you're just not using enough. 2 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:25,919 Speaker 1: You're listening to soft Rep Radio special operations, military news 3 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:38,320 Speaker 1: and straight talk with the guys and the community. This 4 00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 1: is rad with another awesome episode of soft Rep Radio. 5 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:45,519 Speaker 1: And I have some very special guests today. I couldn't 6 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:48,159 Speaker 1: fit all twelve of them on my screen because it's 7 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:50,839 Speaker 1: just not working. So I got two of the horsemen 8 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:54,320 Speaker 1: from the United States Special Forces Green Beret unit that 9 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 1: went into Afghanistan right after nine eleven horses hillsides high 10 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 1: out of dude. This guy. I'm not sure exactly where 11 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:04,680 Speaker 1: they trained to get to that high altitude, but we're 12 00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:09,040 Speaker 1: gonna learn from Jim Defilus and Mark Nutch who were 13 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:13,480 Speaker 1: these Odier operators and have written a book called Swords 14 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 1: of Lightning, and you guys are gonna have to check 15 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 1: it out because we're gonna talk to him about it 16 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 1: right now. Welcome to the show. And and first of all, 17 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:25,120 Speaker 1: let me just say that you know the hero on 18 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:28,360 Speaker 1: the show here is is Mark. I just kind of 19 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:31,560 Speaker 1: hung out with these guys, drank their bourbon and wrote 20 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:33,960 Speaker 1: down what they told me, and I just had the 21 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:39,160 Speaker 1: very great honor right in the book with them and um, 22 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:42,600 Speaker 1: you know Mark, and you know everybody else and in 23 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 1: five you know you're right, get went to Afghanistan. So yeah, 24 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:51,040 Speaker 1: because in your preface there's like a breakdown of the 25 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:54,440 Speaker 1: team leaders and their rank and file, and I should 26 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:57,320 Speaker 1: pay more attention. I was looking for your name in that, actually, Jim, 27 00:01:57,360 --> 00:01:59,720 Speaker 1: And I was like, where's Jim's name in the Isee? 28 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 1: The is he the eight Team? Is he? The is 29 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:05,160 Speaker 1: he the Zulu? I'm like, where's Jim's name in here? Mark? 30 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:09,079 Speaker 1: Tell me about yourself too, please, Well, I gotta say 31 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:12,320 Speaker 1: Jim's Bob and I hero for putting up with us 32 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:15,480 Speaker 1: for all these years to put this incredible book Source 33 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:20,360 Speaker 1: of Lightning together. We know far more now about all 34 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:25,200 Speaker 1: the support in the aspects around that incredible effort right 35 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 1: after September eleven, two thousand one, after America had been 36 00:02:29,639 --> 00:02:33,720 Speaker 1: rocked by those horrific attacks, and our team and a 37 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:37,120 Speaker 1: handful of other special forces teams that were part of 38 00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:41,000 Speaker 1: the Task Force Dagger Special Operations task force that was 39 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:46,280 Speaker 1: tasked with going into the country of Afghanistan to you know, tekiller, 40 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 1: capture Taliban or al Qaeda wherever we found him and 41 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:52,880 Speaker 1: try to work with different militia groups to topple the 42 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 1: Taliban regime. There were so many things unknown about that. 43 00:02:57,240 --> 00:03:01,519 Speaker 1: We know far more about that effort, and over the years, 44 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 1: Bob and I had kind of become the repository for 45 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:07,519 Speaker 1: news articles and photos and some of the other books 46 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:10,440 Speaker 1: that have been written about us previously, and and just 47 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:14,280 Speaker 1: our own personal journals and and interviews we had done 48 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:17,600 Speaker 1: for some documentary films. But then to hand that over 49 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:21,880 Speaker 1: to Jim and for him to sort through all of 50 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:25,120 Speaker 1: that and put it down in an incredible first person 51 00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:29,520 Speaker 1: manner in my voice and Bob's voice, and to lay 52 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:32,839 Speaker 1: that out our book stores. Of Lightning is has been 53 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:35,680 Speaker 1: a year's long effort, and we're very proud of the 54 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:38,640 Speaker 1: fact that that it's out now. Folks can check that 55 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:41,200 Speaker 1: out as source of Lightning dot com. You know, it 56 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:44,640 Speaker 1: lays out much more of the story and the real 57 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:49,400 Speaker 1: challenges and and teamwork and leadership and just the crazy 58 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:54,760 Speaker 1: chaos of battle that we were placed into the conduct 59 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:58,640 Speaker 1: of that historic unconventional warfare and mission. You know, there's 60 00:03:58,680 --> 00:04:01,560 Speaker 1: far more than they can show in the Hollywood movie 61 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:07,280 Speaker 1: Twelve Strong. You know, that's Jerry Burkheimmer blockbuster renowned filmmaker, 62 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:11,560 Speaker 1: you know, the entertainment of that twelve strong film and 63 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:15,040 Speaker 1: just the incredible cast that they had. There's there's so 64 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:18,240 Speaker 1: much more to this story that they couldn't put into 65 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:22,279 Speaker 1: a two hour film. And there's also uh an Emmy 66 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 1: nominated documentary called Legion of Brothers that's out there. Interviews 67 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:29,520 Speaker 1: my team and two other Special Forces teams, more of 68 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:35,320 Speaker 1: our teammates, our wives were interviewed, and after that was experiences. 69 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:37,640 Speaker 1: That's why we're like, Bob and I and our teammates 70 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:40,320 Speaker 1: are like, we've got to tell our own story and 71 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:44,520 Speaker 1: get more of the incredible aspects of what a small 72 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:49,039 Speaker 1: team of Americans can do, highly trained, committed placed into 73 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:54,040 Speaker 1: a nearly impossible situation, and to bring people together and 74 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:58,800 Speaker 1: unite and you know, just orchestrate all of that on 75 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:01,600 Speaker 1: the ground. That's what Special Forces does. And as the 76 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:04,280 Speaker 1: highlight of my life to have had the honor to 77 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:08,560 Speaker 1: lead an incredible twelve maion team of green Berets two 78 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:13,120 Speaker 1: spearhead America's response to those attacks in nine eleven. To 79 00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:16,599 Speaker 1: work with our ci A teammates are other incredible Special 80 00:05:16,640 --> 00:05:21,280 Speaker 1: operators from the one sixtieth our Special Operations aviators from 81 00:05:21,279 --> 00:05:25,320 Speaker 1: our Air Force Special Operations aviators as well as their 82 00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:29,400 Speaker 1: terminal attack controllers, their combat controllers that would then come 83 00:05:29,440 --> 00:05:32,200 Speaker 1: on the ground with us. That yep, the j tax 84 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:35,160 Speaker 1: and tax kes that were thrust into that mission while 85 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:41,640 Speaker 1: it was already under way. Just force right, the larger 86 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:45,840 Speaker 1: fifth Special Forces Group headquarters was the task force. Yes, 87 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:50,120 Speaker 1: with Air Force Special Operations and other Army Special operations 88 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:55,240 Speaker 1: and and our intelligence services all coalesced into that task force. 89 00:05:55,360 --> 00:06:00,160 Speaker 1: Uh that the larger task force was based in Carshi, Kanabad. 90 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:04,000 Speaker 1: Who's about Kistan? And my Special Forces team O d 91 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:07,040 Speaker 1: A five nine five and another special Forces team O 92 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:10,599 Speaker 1: d A five five five were two of the first 93 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:14,520 Speaker 1: teams to be sent into northern Afghanistan. On the ground, 94 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:17,560 Speaker 1: our team went into the north five five five was 95 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:23,920 Speaker 1: inserted into the Panjshire Valley. Incredible mountain days and all that. 96 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:26,280 Speaker 1: That's that was where you guys were traping around looking 97 00:06:26,279 --> 00:06:29,279 Speaker 1: for whatever you could right, all of that. Our team 98 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:32,440 Speaker 1: did not go into the Tora Bora mountains area. That 99 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:35,760 Speaker 1: was later. That was much later, I want to say, 100 00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:39,760 Speaker 1: in the January February time frame. That was another special 101 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:43,920 Speaker 1: forces team, another incredible mission and everything I believe that 102 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:46,880 Speaker 1: was the five seven two O d A that went 103 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:49,560 Speaker 1: in there and worked with some of our Tier one 104 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:52,680 Speaker 1: special But let me ask you a question. I just 105 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:55,560 Speaker 1: want to let my listener know on the O d A. Right, 106 00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:58,320 Speaker 1: you're there, you've gone and joined the military. Now you've 107 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:02,320 Speaker 1: become you know, airborne qualified, jumping out of airplanes, infantryman. 108 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:06,440 Speaker 1: What's your specialty occupyed? What's your MS military occupation specialty 109 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:08,880 Speaker 1: that you are on the team, So that my listener 110 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:12,520 Speaker 1: knows what your professional what your expertise is. Attach it. 111 00:07:12,680 --> 00:07:15,480 Speaker 1: So I at the time of that mission, I was 112 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:20,280 Speaker 1: the captain, the detachment commander, special Forces officer with the 113 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:26,760 Speaker 1: eighteen Alpha Military Specialty Designator. But my background was active 114 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:30,880 Speaker 1: duty Infantry was r OTC and graduate out of Kansas 115 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:35,320 Speaker 1: State University's r OTC program went on active duty into 116 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:39,560 Speaker 1: the infantry. That's what I had requested. And my you know, 117 00:07:39,760 --> 00:07:44,239 Speaker 1: completed interofs are basic course and then to ranger school. 118 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:47,440 Speaker 1: I had gone to both airborne and aerostault school as 119 00:07:47,480 --> 00:07:51,160 Speaker 1: a cadet, went off to ranger school, probably a winner ranger, 120 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:56,040 Speaker 1: you know, in that class of January of before UH 121 00:07:56,280 --> 00:07:58,960 Speaker 1: certainly started. You know, at that time there was still 122 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:02,000 Speaker 1: for fa is this in the range. Of course my 123 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:04,440 Speaker 1: class and I believe for a few years after we 124 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:08,800 Speaker 1: still had the desert phase out at Fort Bliss, Texas, 125 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:11,360 Speaker 1: and I was one of those students at that time 126 00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:14,440 Speaker 1: got to my first unit that was at the Hunter 127 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:17,880 Speaker 1: first Airborne. I was in UH platoon leader in the 128 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:21,640 Speaker 1: Rocks Sans in in first Battalion of the seventh Infantry 129 00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:24,560 Speaker 1: that's the third brigade of of the hern first Airborne. 130 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:29,400 Speaker 1: I'm very proud legacy going back as an airborne combat team, 131 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:34,839 Speaker 1: back to yeah, back to Korea and Vietnam, and had 132 00:08:34,920 --> 00:08:39,600 Speaker 1: incredible experience there her first as a rifle platoon leader 133 00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:42,600 Speaker 1: and then as a company XO where I got to 134 00:08:42,679 --> 00:08:45,480 Speaker 1: lead as a young second lieutenant, I got to lead 135 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:50,319 Speaker 1: our hundred forty man company on lifefires. My company commander 136 00:08:50,360 --> 00:08:55,120 Speaker 1: had become a heat casualty and at the time I 137 00:08:55,160 --> 00:08:58,640 Speaker 1: was the company XO and got to lead our entire 138 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:02,280 Speaker 1: rifle company in the combined arms, live fires and things. 139 00:09:02,360 --> 00:09:06,240 Speaker 1: So just incredible experience there. Then UH was able to, 140 00:09:06,800 --> 00:09:09,079 Speaker 1: you know, I volunteered and got picked up to go 141 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:13,120 Speaker 1: to the Ranger Regiment to be a ranger platoon leader, 142 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:15,640 Speaker 1: and I was in third Range of Battalion for a 143 00:09:15,679 --> 00:09:18,000 Speaker 1: couple of years as a platoon leader, and I loved 144 00:09:18,040 --> 00:09:21,760 Speaker 1: being in the Rangers and just that mission and everything, 145 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:27,000 Speaker 1: uh that you get to do there. That was right, 146 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:29,240 Speaker 1: Ranger Regiment, the third is your favorite that I'm gonna 147 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:33,319 Speaker 1: have to right, that's all Rangers favorite. Yeah, we get yeah, 148 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:35,200 Speaker 1: we get into that. Yes, I was in the third 149 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:40,000 Speaker 1: Rangers in Bob Chief Pennington, our chief onege officer later 150 00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:41,960 Speaker 1: there and Special Forces when he was a young and 151 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:45,480 Speaker 1: listed he was in first Ranger Battalion and and so 152 00:09:45,600 --> 00:09:47,920 Speaker 1: of course there's some rivalry there and some of our 153 00:09:47,960 --> 00:09:52,080 Speaker 1: other Horse Soldier Bourbon business partners, some of the other 154 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:55,520 Speaker 1: veterans that helped start that company. There were six of 155 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:58,080 Speaker 1: us that were from Special Forces and one of the 156 00:09:58,120 --> 00:10:01,000 Speaker 1: guy's wives and a bunch of people helped to start 157 00:10:01,080 --> 00:10:03,960 Speaker 1: the Horse Soldier Bourbon Company. Four of the six of 158 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:09,560 Speaker 1: us had served in Ranger battalions or Ranger school graduates. 159 00:10:10,040 --> 00:10:12,640 Speaker 1: And so there's a little bit of rivalry even, you know, 160 00:10:12,720 --> 00:10:15,040 Speaker 1: with that as as you expect of, you know, as 161 00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:17,520 Speaker 1: the first range of Battalian the best, or third range 162 00:10:17,520 --> 00:10:21,679 Speaker 1: of Italian the best, whatever it may be. But oh yeah, exactly, 163 00:10:22,480 --> 00:10:25,480 Speaker 1: you know, Red, jumping back to something that Red had 164 00:10:25,559 --> 00:10:29,600 Speaker 1: mentioned originally. One are the really unique things about five 165 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:34,040 Speaker 1: five and that Mark really Mark and Bob worked very 166 00:10:34,120 --> 00:10:38,360 Speaker 1: hard to do. Yes, every you have a really diverse 167 00:10:38,440 --> 00:10:42,480 Speaker 1: group of guys, possibly one of the most mature, certainly 168 00:10:42,559 --> 00:10:46,319 Speaker 1: one of the best. Everybody in the Green Berets is 169 00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:49,080 Speaker 1: extremely well trained. But the guys on five on five 170 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:52,440 Speaker 1: were very, very well trained, very mature unit. They were 171 00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:55,800 Speaker 1: also cross trained in a lot of the specialties I 172 00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:59,360 Speaker 1: would would guess, you know, they could fill in andto 173 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:03,320 Speaker 1: each other job and that really was very critical for 174 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:09,960 Speaker 1: their mission in Afghanistan. My understanding is two people per 175 00:11:10,040 --> 00:11:13,600 Speaker 1: team work each other's MOS or specialty. So you've got 176 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:18,880 Speaker 1: two radio guys to weapons guys to something like that, right, similar, No, that, 177 00:11:18,960 --> 00:11:21,000 Speaker 1: Ye're exactly right, you know. So I'm coming out of 178 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:25,000 Speaker 1: the Ranger Battalion as a platoon leader that introduction to 179 00:11:25,160 --> 00:11:28,240 Speaker 1: working with other special operations units. I wanted to be 180 00:11:28,280 --> 00:11:30,720 Speaker 1: a part of that is and have my career path 181 00:11:30,920 --> 00:11:34,800 Speaker 1: track through special operations. So I volunteered for Special Forces 182 00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:38,680 Speaker 1: and and got through that demanding assessment selection course and 183 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:42,559 Speaker 1: then on my path for language school and seer training 184 00:11:42,679 --> 00:11:47,920 Speaker 1: and then finally was assigned to fifth Special Forces Group, 185 00:11:47,920 --> 00:11:51,280 Speaker 1: where I was the command twelve man team known formally 186 00:11:51,320 --> 00:11:54,920 Speaker 1: as Operational Detachment off of five nine five. But when 187 00:11:54,920 --> 00:11:57,320 Speaker 1: I got to that team, like a lot of these teams, 188 00:11:57,360 --> 00:12:00,160 Speaker 1: they were in a rebuilding phase. So I made the 189 00:12:00,280 --> 00:12:02,880 Speaker 1: sixth guy on the team. And often we don't have 190 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:06,440 Speaker 1: enough captains or warrant officers that make it through the pipeline. 191 00:12:06,920 --> 00:12:09,280 Speaker 1: And so our team sergeant he had he had led 192 00:12:09,360 --> 00:12:12,520 Speaker 1: that team even though they didn't have an officer or 193 00:12:12,559 --> 00:12:15,760 Speaker 1: warrant officer for nearly eighteen months, and so they still 194 00:12:15,840 --> 00:12:18,400 Speaker 1: had deployed into the Middle East and done a number 195 00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:22,280 Speaker 1: of missions. But as that team built back up over 196 00:12:22,360 --> 00:12:25,199 Speaker 1: the two years, I had the honor of being their commander. 197 00:12:25,760 --> 00:12:29,280 Speaker 1: Before nine eleven, we had deployed half a dozen times 198 00:12:29,280 --> 00:12:33,280 Speaker 1: into the Middle East and Central Asia. And to talk 199 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:35,680 Speaker 1: about that team then, so I'm the captain on the 200 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:38,760 Speaker 1: warrant of that team. In the movie twelve Strong, Chris 201 00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:45,520 Speaker 1: Hemsworth portrays me. Chief an officer is portrayed by Michael 202 00:12:45,600 --> 00:12:50,640 Speaker 1: Shannon in the film twelve Strong, and all of our 203 00:12:50,880 --> 00:12:54,439 Speaker 1: our teammates portrayed, So we're a twelve man team is 204 00:12:54,520 --> 00:12:57,880 Speaker 1: manned and quipped to split into two six man sections, 205 00:12:57,920 --> 00:13:00,280 Speaker 1: just like you're saying, Bob and I make up the 206 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:03,560 Speaker 1: leadership of that team, along with the team sergeant, the 207 00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:06,599 Speaker 1: senior sergeant that that's come up through and as the 208 00:13:06,679 --> 00:13:09,920 Speaker 1: continuity on these teams. Then we have an eighteen fox 209 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:12,640 Speaker 1: that's an intelligent sergeants. The four of us make up 210 00:13:12,679 --> 00:13:16,000 Speaker 1: the leadership of that team. The other eight guys. There 211 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:19,760 Speaker 1: are two sergeants in four different skill sets. There's two 212 00:13:19,800 --> 00:13:24,400 Speaker 1: weapons sergeants, there's two communications sergeants, there's two medical sergeants, 213 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:28,840 Speaker 1: and there's two engineers. You know. And our team, uniquely, 214 00:13:29,120 --> 00:13:32,480 Speaker 1: as Jim said, was a mature team. Our average age 215 00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:35,520 Speaker 1: was thirty two. Five of the guys who were already 216 00:13:35,559 --> 00:13:40,160 Speaker 1: Special Forces combat veterans from the first goal for nine 217 00:13:40,160 --> 00:13:44,480 Speaker 1: out of the twelve were Special Forces qualified snipers. And 218 00:13:44,640 --> 00:13:49,240 Speaker 1: our team's mission focus was unconventional warfare. That was our 219 00:13:49,280 --> 00:13:53,040 Speaker 1: mission focus, and we cross trained a lot. As Jim said, 220 00:13:53,080 --> 00:13:57,000 Speaker 1: whether you're you know, it didn't matter if the medics, 221 00:13:57,440 --> 00:13:59,720 Speaker 1: you know. I don't have to be as proficient as 222 00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:02,560 Speaker 1: these subject matter of experts, but I have to know 223 00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:06,040 Speaker 1: how to lead them and help resource them and support them. 224 00:14:06,600 --> 00:14:09,120 Speaker 1: And depending on what the mission or the task was, 225 00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:13,160 Speaker 1: the rest of our team would follow and support whoever 226 00:14:13,360 --> 00:14:16,720 Speaker 1: was in charge of that task or that movement or 227 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:19,600 Speaker 1: that aspect of the mission. But you had to be 228 00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:22,000 Speaker 1: able to support them. It was a given that we 229 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:25,720 Speaker 1: can shoot, that we can shoot American and foreign weapons 230 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:29,200 Speaker 1: crew served weapons. That was a given, you know. As 231 00:14:29,240 --> 00:14:32,160 Speaker 1: I said, I'll use our medics as an example. I'm 232 00:14:32,160 --> 00:14:35,920 Speaker 1: not expected to do the tack of the field surgery, 233 00:14:36,040 --> 00:14:39,240 Speaker 1: the deeper care that they could do, but all of 234 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:43,800 Speaker 1: us are cross trained to support our medical sergeants specifically 235 00:14:44,280 --> 00:14:47,880 Speaker 1: that you know, do I know tactical cant combat casualty care? 236 00:14:48,040 --> 00:14:51,160 Speaker 1: Can I render a first aid to myself for my 237 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:55,000 Speaker 1: teammates triage triage? And can I help him in a 238 00:14:55,120 --> 00:14:58,920 Speaker 1: mass casualty type of situation? Can I help our medic 239 00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:01,520 Speaker 1: under his guidance in direction? And a number of us 240 00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:05,360 Speaker 1: got involved, you know, helping our medic in in field 241 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:10,080 Speaker 1: surgeries if you will, and our medics there are I 242 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:13,440 Speaker 1: use that as an example of of you know, I 243 00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:17,520 Speaker 1: under I'm taught basics explosives, but I'm relying on our 244 00:15:17,560 --> 00:15:22,320 Speaker 1: engineers that are the demolitions experts and and understand more 245 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:24,560 Speaker 1: of the mind. You know, you know your weapon, but 246 00:15:24,640 --> 00:15:28,480 Speaker 1: you have a bravo who knows every weapon. Right, you 247 00:15:28,520 --> 00:15:31,040 Speaker 1: know yours and you understand the functionality of an a 248 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:33,640 Speaker 1: K and you understand it and your proficient. But this 249 00:15:33,720 --> 00:15:39,960 Speaker 1: dude is like a savant, right, So it's like, yeah, 250 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:46,160 Speaker 1: so a lot more code. Yeah, and that's my cross training. 251 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:49,400 Speaker 1: You know, we would go on a mission where hey, 252 00:15:49,520 --> 00:15:54,600 Speaker 1: I'm not officially the communications sergeant, but on this particular mission, 253 00:15:54,640 --> 00:15:57,280 Speaker 1: I'm going to act as the radio operator, and I 254 00:15:57,360 --> 00:16:00,480 Speaker 1: got to know everything about putting that radio into operation 255 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:05,840 Speaker 1: and and making those calls and load and crypto and 256 00:16:05,840 --> 00:16:10,600 Speaker 1: and that torture device. Yes, the battery. Yeah, yeah, my 257 00:16:10,680 --> 00:16:13,280 Speaker 1: dad said. My dad was an eighteen echo, right, and 258 00:16:13,320 --> 00:16:19,880 Speaker 1: he said, everybody cranks. Everybody. He's like, everybody cranks five minutes. Everybody. 259 00:16:20,040 --> 00:16:24,240 Speaker 1: Everybody gets their field fitness workout on with that that 260 00:16:24,440 --> 00:16:27,840 Speaker 1: torturous device. But you know, you bring up a point though, 261 00:16:27,920 --> 00:16:33,160 Speaker 1: power management in an unconventional warfare scenario of those batteries 262 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:37,000 Speaker 1: or your lifeline, Well, all those batteries, you know, way 263 00:16:37,040 --> 00:16:40,240 Speaker 1: about five pounds and they'll last about twenty four hours. 264 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:44,000 Speaker 1: And and so power management when you don't know when 265 00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:47,240 Speaker 1: your next resupply has come in as critical and you 266 00:16:47,240 --> 00:16:50,280 Speaker 1: know you didn't have your radios on all the time, 267 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:53,560 Speaker 1: we would use solar panels to help charge up the 268 00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:57,080 Speaker 1: batteries and things like that whenever you had a stop. 269 00:16:57,280 --> 00:17:00,040 Speaker 1: So there's so much to this mission. Again, some of 270 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:03,200 Speaker 1: these aspects. We wanted to get that down into our 271 00:17:03,400 --> 00:17:07,399 Speaker 1: incredible book, Swords of Lightning and talk more about those 272 00:17:07,480 --> 00:17:10,800 Speaker 1: aspects that you're talking about, from small unit tactics to 273 00:17:11,480 --> 00:17:15,919 Speaker 1: working with allied partners and building trust, to calling in 274 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:20,800 Speaker 1: air strikes and resupply drops, and just what the day 275 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:24,160 Speaker 1: to day was like for our whole team in that 276 00:17:24,280 --> 00:17:28,480 Speaker 1: very challenging situation. The twelveforcement, right, it comes from for 277 00:17:28,560 --> 00:17:30,199 Speaker 1: those that are listening, and you may not know the 278 00:17:30,240 --> 00:17:33,640 Speaker 1: story is you guys used horses and donkeys. I imagine 279 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:36,119 Speaker 1: with all your gear on the backs of them, like 280 00:17:36,240 --> 00:17:38,840 Speaker 1: old miner's gonna look for gold up the hills, and 281 00:17:38,880 --> 00:17:41,520 Speaker 1: you would see like a donkey just keep going up 282 00:17:41,520 --> 00:17:44,360 Speaker 1: the hill. And you know, SF guys riding the horses, 283 00:17:44,760 --> 00:17:47,159 Speaker 1: maybe with their sleeves ripped off. I don't know if 284 00:17:47,160 --> 00:17:49,959 Speaker 1: if I can envisioned that or not. But you know, 285 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:55,160 Speaker 1: maybe that's Christian. Yeah, I don't know, that's that's kind 286 00:17:55,160 --> 00:17:59,120 Speaker 1: of the Hollywood version that the donkeys were totally incredible. 287 00:17:59,240 --> 00:18:01,520 Speaker 1: But you know, other thing, you know, think about it, 288 00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:05,440 Speaker 1: how many Special Forces O d as trained for horses 289 00:18:05,480 --> 00:18:09,320 Speaker 1: and Mark was how did you like noted like trained 290 00:18:09,320 --> 00:18:12,919 Speaker 1: all twelve guys for Wait a second, that didn't happen, 291 00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:16,440 Speaker 1: did it. Yeah? The I grew up from a farming 292 00:18:16,440 --> 00:18:19,320 Speaker 1: and ranching background. I grew up rodeo as a young 293 00:18:19,400 --> 00:18:22,320 Speaker 1: kid in Kansas and in the Midwest, and you know, 294 00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:25,439 Speaker 1: competed at the high school level and then I rodeoed 295 00:18:25,440 --> 00:18:28,280 Speaker 1: for two years at the college level, but and then 296 00:18:28,440 --> 00:18:31,280 Speaker 1: went on active duty. So back in two thousand one, 297 00:18:31,880 --> 00:18:34,760 Speaker 1: very few, if any, of our special operators were being 298 00:18:34,760 --> 00:18:37,480 Speaker 1: trained and riding how to ride horseback? Right, it's the 299 00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:40,240 Speaker 1: twenty one century. We're going to use helicopters and a 300 00:18:40,320 --> 00:18:45,119 Speaker 1: t v s or motorcycles or our fo Yeah there 301 00:18:45,320 --> 00:18:48,440 Speaker 1: the doom bugs. Right. So it kind of came as 302 00:18:48,440 --> 00:18:51,520 Speaker 1: a surprise when our ci A team as we met 303 00:18:51,560 --> 00:18:54,960 Speaker 1: them just hours before they would be flown in by 304 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:58,400 Speaker 1: Special Operations helicopter that hey, we need to be prepared 305 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:01,359 Speaker 1: to ride horses, and so we thought, okay, it'll be 306 00:19:01,480 --> 00:19:04,840 Speaker 1: an initial, one time kind of move to get us somewhere. 307 00:19:04,960 --> 00:19:07,760 Speaker 1: And then after the CIA got on the ground, they 308 00:19:07,800 --> 00:19:10,239 Speaker 1: started a report back of no, this is going to 309 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:13,280 Speaker 1: be the main mode of of how we're going to 310 00:19:13,359 --> 00:19:17,679 Speaker 1: move around on the battlefield is by horseback. And that 311 00:19:17,840 --> 00:19:22,159 Speaker 1: was working with General Dostum and his Uzbek militia that 312 00:19:22,320 --> 00:19:25,600 Speaker 1: I consider, you know, had a very strong horse culture. 313 00:19:26,040 --> 00:19:31,840 Speaker 1: Dostum had used his horse mounted cavalry very effectively back 314 00:19:31,920 --> 00:19:34,600 Speaker 1: during the Soviet Afghan War, and that was the main 315 00:19:35,040 --> 00:19:39,359 Speaker 1: way to get around the battlefield, get around that rough 316 00:19:39,480 --> 00:19:43,720 Speaker 1: terrain quickly was by horseback and using pack animals to 317 00:19:43,840 --> 00:19:47,160 Speaker 1: move that equipment. So the very first move, the very 318 00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:51,119 Speaker 1: first morning six of us after meeting General Dostum. This 319 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:54,800 Speaker 1: is the morning of October twenty two thousand one in 320 00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:59,840 Speaker 1: the mountains of North and Northern Afghanistan. Uh. We have 321 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:03,359 Speaker 1: of this meeting between General Dostum and the CIA and 322 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:08,240 Speaker 1: my teammates, and and he is just a fire hose 323 00:20:08,280 --> 00:20:11,440 Speaker 1: of information everything we didn't know about the Taliban and 324 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:14,680 Speaker 1: al Qaida. He's starting to show us on the map 325 00:20:14,760 --> 00:20:17,720 Speaker 1: where they're at and names and unit sizes and their 326 00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:20,919 Speaker 1: capability and the history. And and I asked him if 327 00:20:20,920 --> 00:20:23,919 Speaker 1: he'll take us to show us the Taliban, you know, 328 00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:29,200 Speaker 1: get us to the Taliban we want and they're right there. 329 00:20:29,440 --> 00:20:35,040 Speaker 1: He agrees to do that, and sais of us met. Yeah, 330 00:20:35,080 --> 00:20:38,040 Speaker 1: six of us would mount horses quite quickly for the 331 00:20:38,119 --> 00:20:41,359 Speaker 1: first time and conduct that initial move. He didn't know 332 00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:44,320 Speaker 1: how far it was going to be. And it was fortunate. 333 00:20:44,359 --> 00:20:47,600 Speaker 1: It's by fate that I had that background in riding horses. 334 00:20:48,119 --> 00:20:52,600 Speaker 1: One of my other sergeants second the wait a second, Mark, Mark, 335 00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:54,959 Speaker 1: you have to be fair. I mean, you know, Bob 336 00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:57,920 Speaker 1: says all the time that he had quarter horse training. 337 00:20:58,560 --> 00:21:04,680 Speaker 1: Yeah he does that put yeah, yeah, that Bob gives 338 00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:06,400 Speaker 1: me and the guys that give me a hard time 339 00:21:06,440 --> 00:21:09,280 Speaker 1: about having quarter horse training. And that was when mom 340 00:21:09,320 --> 00:21:12,080 Speaker 1: and dad took him to the Walmart or something and 341 00:21:12,119 --> 00:21:15,320 Speaker 1: they rode a mechanical quarter of the horse horse and 342 00:21:15,359 --> 00:21:18,040 Speaker 1: there that you know, maybe they went to a summer 343 00:21:18,119 --> 00:21:20,960 Speaker 1: camp as a kid and rode some trail broke horses, 344 00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:24,080 Speaker 1: you know, in a in a line or something. This 345 00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:26,720 Speaker 1: was not that I did growing up, right, I had 346 00:21:26,720 --> 00:21:31,200 Speaker 1: that opportunity, you know, that were grown up. Just so 347 00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:33,600 Speaker 1: imagine how you have some of the best training in 348 00:21:33,600 --> 00:21:37,560 Speaker 1: the world, but that task is nothing that you've been 349 00:21:37,560 --> 00:21:40,520 Speaker 1: trained on. And so those guys did an incredible job 350 00:21:40,560 --> 00:21:43,520 Speaker 1: of learning how to ride horses for the first time 351 00:21:43,560 --> 00:21:46,240 Speaker 1: in combat, and I had to take a step back 352 00:21:46,280 --> 00:21:48,600 Speaker 1: and be trail boss and help them get on their 353 00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:52,360 Speaker 1: horse and give them some quick riding lessons literally at 354 00:21:52,359 --> 00:21:55,200 Speaker 1: the walk or at the trot. And there's there's so 355 00:21:55,240 --> 00:21:57,840 Speaker 1: many things going through your mind of can you trust 356 00:21:57,920 --> 00:22:00,840 Speaker 1: the people you just met, they earned us, there was 357 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:04,399 Speaker 1: Taliban in the area, there could be a firefight. We know, 358 00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:10,480 Speaker 1: there's minds. And now you're riding this half wild, crazy stallion. 359 00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:14,760 Speaker 1: They all ride stallions culturally there, and they don't give 360 00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:19,200 Speaker 1: you the good horse, and you know they're smaller. You're 361 00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:22,800 Speaker 1: using their local equipment, so your legs are really short 362 00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:27,160 Speaker 1: or painful because your knees are too high. And now 363 00:22:27,200 --> 00:22:32,080 Speaker 1: you're riding this crazy half animal that wants to bite 364 00:22:32,080 --> 00:22:34,639 Speaker 1: you or kick you or get you off their back 365 00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:38,359 Speaker 1: because you weigh more than what they're used to. You know, 366 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:42,159 Speaker 1: our our average weight was two pounds, so we average 367 00:22:42,200 --> 00:22:45,040 Speaker 1: six foot in height, and you're carrying another fifty plus 368 00:22:45,200 --> 00:22:49,639 Speaker 1: pounds of lightweight combat gear. You know, but there's so 369 00:22:49,680 --> 00:22:51,639 Speaker 1: many things going on. You know, how do you carry 370 00:22:51,640 --> 00:22:55,000 Speaker 1: your rifle on a horse when you expect you may 371 00:22:55,080 --> 00:23:00,560 Speaker 1: have to fight to dis a ready? Yeah? Yeah, you 372 00:23:00,600 --> 00:23:03,719 Speaker 1: know how to hold the reins. It's like what you know, 373 00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:06,080 Speaker 1: you put them in your teeth. You put the reins 374 00:23:06,119 --> 00:23:12,840 Speaker 1: in your teeth and you know, yeah, that's you. I'll 375 00:23:12,840 --> 00:23:14,879 Speaker 1: believe you. I'll let you say that's a joke. I'll 376 00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:21,200 Speaker 1: let you say that's a joke. Oh man, wow, Hey, 377 00:23:21,280 --> 00:23:24,000 Speaker 1: this is rad with Software Radio and I just want 378 00:23:24,040 --> 00:23:28,680 Speaker 1: to talk to you about Brandon Webb and John david Man. Right, okay, 379 00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:31,239 Speaker 1: these two guys have been hammering out books and they 380 00:23:31,280 --> 00:23:34,560 Speaker 1: just brought you a new one with Cold Fear. That's right. 381 00:23:34,760 --> 00:23:38,320 Speaker 1: New York Times bestselling authors Brandon Webb and John david 382 00:23:38,359 --> 00:23:41,439 Speaker 1: Man have just put out Cold Fear. It is the 383 00:23:41,480 --> 00:23:44,920 Speaker 1: Adventures of Finn the Navy Seal. You gotta check it out. 384 00:23:45,119 --> 00:23:47,639 Speaker 1: Read that book. I think it's gonna come out on audible. 385 00:23:47,800 --> 00:23:52,280 Speaker 1: So Brandon Webb, John David Man props. You know, I 386 00:23:52,600 --> 00:23:56,720 Speaker 1: grew up you know, ranching family in the Western cowboy 387 00:23:56,800 --> 00:23:59,600 Speaker 1: culture in the US, and you know, I grew up 388 00:23:59,600 --> 00:24:03,199 Speaker 1: watching you know, Clint Eastwood and John Wayne and you know, 389 00:24:03,320 --> 00:24:07,280 Speaker 1: reading about our frontier cavalry or our Civil War cavalry 390 00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:10,359 Speaker 1: that was on horseback, and so all those lessons all 391 00:24:10,560 --> 00:24:14,560 Speaker 1: we're kind of quickly coming back to the forefront of 392 00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:18,000 Speaker 1: the tactics. How do we adapt what we're doing on 393 00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:22,320 Speaker 1: horseback to have tactics to ensure our security or our 394 00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:25,359 Speaker 1: safety and all these things are going through your mind 395 00:24:25,440 --> 00:24:28,520 Speaker 1: that very first movement. But the guys are just just 396 00:24:28,640 --> 00:24:31,639 Speaker 1: doing an incredible job. We're trying to figure out what 397 00:24:31,720 --> 00:24:35,160 Speaker 1: gear do you leave behind. I'm giving Bob a quick 398 00:24:35,240 --> 00:24:39,879 Speaker 1: contingency plan because we're not sure how far we're going 399 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:43,280 Speaker 1: or where we're going, but we will establish communications once 400 00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:46,159 Speaker 1: we get there and call you back. And you know, 401 00:24:46,280 --> 00:24:49,560 Speaker 1: if we have looking for Taliban, you're like, we're looking 402 00:24:49,600 --> 00:24:52,679 Speaker 1: for Taliban, Like for me in the direction of these guys, 403 00:24:52,720 --> 00:24:57,560 Speaker 1: you're telling your your liaisons within the other teams on indigenous, right, 404 00:24:57,640 --> 00:25:00,960 Speaker 1: you're speaking Arabic, right, That's what the languages over there. 405 00:25:01,400 --> 00:25:05,560 Speaker 1: The foreign fighters the al Qaeda predominantly speak Arabic. A 406 00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:08,600 Speaker 1: number of my sergeants were fluent in Arabic from their 407 00:25:08,640 --> 00:25:11,880 Speaker 1: many deployments into the Middle East for myself and two 408 00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:15,320 Speaker 1: of my other sergeants. That language had been Russian, so 409 00:25:15,560 --> 00:25:19,280 Speaker 1: you're kind of cautious about trying to to use, you know, 410 00:25:19,359 --> 00:25:22,959 Speaker 1: some of that Russian and Arabic language abilities. But and 411 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:27,159 Speaker 1: we had some Uzbek from our basic understanding of some 412 00:25:27,280 --> 00:25:30,920 Speaker 1: of that and common phrases and words and things from 413 00:25:30,960 --> 00:25:35,840 Speaker 1: our deployment in two thousand. Our team had uniquely worked 414 00:25:35,840 --> 00:25:39,120 Speaker 1: for six months prior to nine eleven in the country 415 00:25:39,119 --> 00:25:43,080 Speaker 1: of Uzbekistan just to the north, working with the Uzbek 416 00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:46,520 Speaker 1: spets Knots. They're special forces that were already in a 417 00:25:46,640 --> 00:25:51,479 Speaker 1: tough fight against al Qaeda affiliates, and this wave of 418 00:25:51,800 --> 00:25:56,360 Speaker 1: militant Islamic extremism that had swept out of Afghanistan and 419 00:25:56,440 --> 00:26:00,280 Speaker 1: was had gone into some of the adjacent Central Asian 420 00:26:00,440 --> 00:26:05,919 Speaker 1: countries where they were conducting large scale attacks against those countries, 421 00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:09,240 Speaker 1: you know, police and security forces. And I'm talking about 422 00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:14,919 Speaker 1: Uzbekistan in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan and Kargistan in that area. 423 00:26:15,680 --> 00:26:18,240 Speaker 1: So our team and your whole theater of operation is 424 00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:21,600 Speaker 1: the Middle East, as the Middle East and Central Asia. Yes, 425 00:26:22,359 --> 00:26:26,400 Speaker 1: the group, yeah, you know Mark group, right, and so 426 00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:31,480 Speaker 1: you know, Mark, that is actually something that you know 427 00:26:31,560 --> 00:26:34,600 Speaker 1: that sometimes can be hard to explain. The language. There 428 00:26:34,640 --> 00:26:39,199 Speaker 1: was a huge language barrier. You guys did get some translators. 429 00:26:39,240 --> 00:26:42,440 Speaker 1: But the thing that was remarkable to me was how 430 00:26:42,600 --> 00:26:46,479 Speaker 1: you and Industrim. Obviously you know, could speak English, but 431 00:26:46,640 --> 00:26:50,840 Speaker 1: you guys communicated. You clicked right away, and I know 432 00:26:50,960 --> 00:26:53,000 Speaker 1: there was a lot of hard work on your part 433 00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:56,560 Speaker 1: and probably on his as well, but that relationship, it's 434 00:26:56,560 --> 00:27:00,720 Speaker 1: a remarkable relationship and your mission could not have succeeded 435 00:27:00,800 --> 00:27:04,560 Speaker 1: had you not been able to work with him. Yeah, 436 00:27:04,680 --> 00:27:08,720 Speaker 1: the that initial conversation and everything was facilitated by our 437 00:27:08,800 --> 00:27:12,440 Speaker 1: ci A teammates that that are fluent, you know, Special 438 00:27:12,480 --> 00:27:15,119 Speaker 1: Forces you are. You get six months of training in 439 00:27:15,119 --> 00:27:18,160 Speaker 1: the language, you have to test in it to graduate 440 00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:21,399 Speaker 1: from the course, but then you're expected to continue working 441 00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:25,040 Speaker 1: on your language skills throughout your career and there's there's 442 00:27:25,040 --> 00:27:29,320 Speaker 1: a recurrent testing or you've got practical opportunities when you 443 00:27:29,440 --> 00:27:33,880 Speaker 1: deploy into these countries. And but overall, I joke about 444 00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:38,720 Speaker 1: my overall Russian language ability was as a caveman level. 445 00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:42,600 Speaker 1: You know, I could lead a tactical patrol in Russian 446 00:27:43,080 --> 00:27:45,440 Speaker 1: or in basic ooze back. All of my guys had 447 00:27:45,480 --> 00:27:48,280 Speaker 1: demonstrated that we could do that, and we pulled some 448 00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:52,520 Speaker 1: of those lessons and language tutorials out in preparation for 449 00:27:52,560 --> 00:27:55,520 Speaker 1: this mission. But we we were live for the deeper 450 00:27:55,560 --> 00:27:59,600 Speaker 1: conversations that we we relied on two of our CIA officers. 451 00:28:00,080 --> 00:28:02,760 Speaker 1: One of them was fluent in Dhari and the other 452 00:28:02,880 --> 00:28:07,600 Speaker 1: was fluent in Uzbek. And so there's that Dhari language 453 00:28:07,800 --> 00:28:11,959 Speaker 1: you know, is predominant across Afghanistan. But then you know, 454 00:28:12,240 --> 00:28:14,359 Speaker 1: just depending on some of the ethnic groups in the 455 00:28:14,480 --> 00:28:18,639 Speaker 1: areas you got into, they may not understand Dhari and 456 00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:25,359 Speaker 1: they speak Uzbek, which you know, different different dialect and yeah, um, 457 00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:28,400 Speaker 1: so there's definitely a language barrier you had to work 458 00:28:28,440 --> 00:28:32,199 Speaker 1: through that. We understood the deeper kind of mission and 459 00:28:32,320 --> 00:28:35,040 Speaker 1: intent and what we were trying to do, and we 460 00:28:35,119 --> 00:28:38,520 Speaker 1: had some incredible interpreters that stepped up at different times 461 00:28:38,560 --> 00:28:42,480 Speaker 1: to help. You know, They're English was in some instances 462 00:28:42,520 --> 00:28:45,880 Speaker 1: about as about as bad as my Russian. But you 463 00:28:45,960 --> 00:28:47,920 Speaker 1: had to work through it, and a lot of that 464 00:28:48,120 --> 00:28:52,640 Speaker 1: was by you know, follow me, you know, or you're 465 00:28:52,720 --> 00:28:55,840 Speaker 1: you're working that out. We matched some of our Arabic 466 00:28:55,880 --> 00:29:00,200 Speaker 1: speakers with some of Dostum's commanders that also spoke arab thick. 467 00:29:00,760 --> 00:29:04,720 Speaker 1: So again we had another commander that could speak some Russians. 468 00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:07,720 Speaker 1: So we matched some one of my sergeants with with 469 00:29:07,840 --> 00:29:10,280 Speaker 1: them and one of the your team has to adapt 470 00:29:10,320 --> 00:29:13,479 Speaker 1: to their team, but their teams also has to adapt 471 00:29:13,480 --> 00:29:15,360 Speaker 1: to their own team. It sounds like it's like you've 472 00:29:15,400 --> 00:29:18,120 Speaker 1: got guys over there that are speaking Arabic but maybe 473 00:29:18,160 --> 00:29:20,520 Speaker 1: not speaking the other language of the same indigenous people 474 00:29:20,560 --> 00:29:24,000 Speaker 1: over there, right like they're kind of ye also yeah, 475 00:29:24,040 --> 00:29:26,479 Speaker 1: and you're so you're you're trying to learn that, you know, 476 00:29:26,720 --> 00:29:29,720 Speaker 1: learn some some basic phrases from the people you're you're 477 00:29:29,760 --> 00:29:33,040 Speaker 1: working with, and you know, have a broader understanding of 478 00:29:33,080 --> 00:29:36,760 Speaker 1: the culture and the customs and courtesies and and things. 479 00:29:36,880 --> 00:29:39,560 Speaker 1: But because of our team being for a night or 480 00:29:39,600 --> 00:29:42,880 Speaker 1: a day that you guys, everything just seemed like the 481 00:29:42,880 --> 00:29:45,040 Speaker 1: war has stopped and you have like a barbecue with everyone, 482 00:29:45,440 --> 00:29:48,200 Speaker 1: and it just seems surreal, like we're in this country. 483 00:29:48,240 --> 00:29:50,160 Speaker 1: Was there a day or a moment where you guys 484 00:29:50,160 --> 00:29:53,880 Speaker 1: all had a toast together. There may have been some 485 00:29:54,000 --> 00:29:59,080 Speaker 1: vodka and some bourbon involved at different points, uh in 486 00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:02,960 Speaker 1: that to say it was a barbecue I don't want to. 487 00:30:03,240 --> 00:30:06,560 Speaker 1: To me, that's kind of misleading. I would say it 488 00:30:06,600 --> 00:30:09,560 Speaker 1: was more of what they call a goat grab, where 489 00:30:10,160 --> 00:30:14,480 Speaker 1: you know they have made you know, they have made 490 00:30:14,640 --> 00:30:19,719 Speaker 1: a traditional dish of palu, you know, with some dirty 491 00:30:19,800 --> 00:30:23,520 Speaker 1: rice or a piece of goat knuckle or or something 492 00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:27,880 Speaker 1: some meat mixed into a big communal pot, and you're 493 00:30:27,960 --> 00:30:31,040 Speaker 1: honored to be the honored guest to sit down with 494 00:30:31,200 --> 00:30:34,160 Speaker 1: those of them and his commanders and to share a meal, 495 00:30:34,840 --> 00:30:37,000 Speaker 1: you know. And and let's just make it clear to 496 00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:39,400 Speaker 1: paint the picture. You are sitting on the ground or 497 00:30:39,440 --> 00:30:42,800 Speaker 1: maybe a rock, you know, around a fire and in 498 00:30:42,880 --> 00:30:47,520 Speaker 1: a pot, and you're trying to savor the moment and 499 00:30:47,600 --> 00:30:51,720 Speaker 1: reflect on the crazy that you just survived that day, 500 00:30:52,160 --> 00:30:56,200 Speaker 1: going into battle alongside these horsemen against you know, tanks 501 00:30:56,240 --> 00:31:00,440 Speaker 1: and armored personnel carriers that the Taliban and al Qaeda ad. 502 00:31:00,440 --> 00:31:03,600 Speaker 1: And you know, you're thinking about the pilots that you 503 00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:07,000 Speaker 1: talked to on the radio, and you know, those that 504 00:31:07,040 --> 00:31:10,520 Speaker 1: had come in and dropped ordinance for you and destroyed 505 00:31:10,800 --> 00:31:14,800 Speaker 1: some enemy targets. And so yes, there were times whether 506 00:31:14,880 --> 00:31:17,000 Speaker 1: there was two or three of us or six of 507 00:31:17,080 --> 00:31:19,800 Speaker 1: us in those first couple of days sitting around the 508 00:31:19,840 --> 00:31:23,920 Speaker 1: fire together in the evening, but you know your your 509 00:31:23,960 --> 00:31:27,200 Speaker 1: guard is still up. You're worried about an attack. You know, 510 00:31:27,360 --> 00:31:30,840 Speaker 1: can our camp. You know, you're the outlaws. The group 511 00:31:30,880 --> 00:31:34,280 Speaker 1: are with you know, several hundred of them initially, and 512 00:31:34,320 --> 00:31:37,480 Speaker 1: then that force started to grow. But they're outgunned, they're 513 00:31:37,520 --> 00:31:41,360 Speaker 1: out manned. They're the outlaws living in the roughest, rugged 514 00:31:41,520 --> 00:31:45,360 Speaker 1: terrain and trying to survive. And so, yeah, you savor 515 00:31:45,440 --> 00:31:48,840 Speaker 1: that special moment and a meal together, but then you're 516 00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:52,440 Speaker 1: thinking and talking about the next day's operations and how 517 00:31:52,560 --> 00:31:57,000 Speaker 1: do we survive this crazy situation that we're in. But 518 00:31:57,160 --> 00:32:00,840 Speaker 1: we recognize we can win. And they explained to us 519 00:32:00,960 --> 00:32:03,960 Speaker 1: kind of their strategy and what they believe can be done, 520 00:32:04,080 --> 00:32:07,959 Speaker 1: and you're trying to orchestrate how America and our special 521 00:32:08,040 --> 00:32:12,520 Speaker 1: Forces team can support that, you know, with the resources 522 00:32:12,640 --> 00:32:15,400 Speaker 1: that we can bring to bear. It's not just air strikes, 523 00:32:15,560 --> 00:32:19,920 Speaker 1: it's lethal and non lethal aid. There's cargo aircraft coming 524 00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:22,880 Speaker 1: in every night. So you're setting up drop zones and 525 00:32:23,360 --> 00:32:27,800 Speaker 1: it's a seven operation for the dozen of us on 526 00:32:27,920 --> 00:32:30,640 Speaker 1: the ground, and then we end up splitting up. We 527 00:32:30,720 --> 00:32:33,440 Speaker 1: talked about a little bit about that of our teams, 528 00:32:33,560 --> 00:32:35,960 Speaker 1: you know, you're manned and equipped to split into two 529 00:32:36,120 --> 00:32:41,080 Speaker 1: six man sections. Will Bob and his his sections stayed 530 00:32:41,200 --> 00:32:44,160 Speaker 1: near where we had been inserted, and they started doing 531 00:32:44,240 --> 00:32:47,920 Speaker 1: what's called their area assessment and gathering intelligence and and 532 00:32:48,120 --> 00:32:51,160 Speaker 1: working with the locals in that area. But then my 533 00:32:51,360 --> 00:32:54,280 Speaker 1: half of the section we went forward to the mountain 534 00:32:54,320 --> 00:32:57,760 Speaker 1: headquarters and dosing shows us the enemy and we call 535 00:32:57,840 --> 00:33:00,440 Speaker 1: in an air strike on him, and he wants to 536 00:33:00,560 --> 00:33:03,800 Speaker 1: attack the next day, and so we get a front 537 00:33:03,880 --> 00:33:09,240 Speaker 1: row seat to this incredible scene of horsemen charging against 538 00:33:09,400 --> 00:33:16,320 Speaker 1: tanks and armored personnel carriers. Yeah, they have fire maneuver, 539 00:33:16,640 --> 00:33:20,000 Speaker 1: you know. So a group would ride up and stop 540 00:33:20,160 --> 00:33:22,600 Speaker 1: short of a ridge and dismount and lay down a 541 00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:26,280 Speaker 1: base of fire, and another group would bound forward on 542 00:33:26,400 --> 00:33:29,720 Speaker 1: the horses to the next terrain. And so you could 543 00:33:29,760 --> 00:33:33,680 Speaker 1: recognize the tactics, you know from our small unit training 544 00:33:33,760 --> 00:33:36,800 Speaker 1: of a base of fire and a maneuver element and 545 00:33:37,160 --> 00:33:40,360 Speaker 1: bounding over wing over launch all of that and uh 546 00:33:40,520 --> 00:33:43,200 Speaker 1: to close with the enemy. And and we're trying to 547 00:33:43,320 --> 00:33:47,600 Speaker 1: coordinate the air strikes ahead of that to ensure we 548 00:33:47,720 --> 00:33:51,240 Speaker 1: don't have a friendly fire incident or everything. Yeah, really, 549 00:33:51,920 --> 00:33:54,000 Speaker 1: because that's real too friendly fire, right, you guys are 550 00:33:54,200 --> 00:33:56,480 Speaker 1: danger close probably at all times when you're calling in 551 00:33:56,600 --> 00:34:01,200 Speaker 1: anything little, uh, you know, within three miles. How danger 552 00:34:01,280 --> 00:34:03,200 Speaker 1: you want to get? My dad always said if I 553 00:34:03,280 --> 00:34:06,600 Speaker 1: can hit them, they can hit me. That's usually what 554 00:34:06,720 --> 00:34:09,480 Speaker 1: he would say. You know, So like a mortarman or 555 00:34:09,560 --> 00:34:12,080 Speaker 1: somebody in a tank. If you're firing from a tank 556 00:34:12,120 --> 00:34:14,480 Speaker 1: at another tank, chances are that tank has rings to 557 00:34:14,560 --> 00:34:19,480 Speaker 1: hit you back. So I can only imagine you guys 558 00:34:19,560 --> 00:34:23,319 Speaker 1: had some danger close calls. We did several incidents, says 559 00:34:23,640 --> 00:34:26,480 Speaker 1: as we end up splitting our team out. We recognized 560 00:34:26,520 --> 00:34:29,680 Speaker 1: we could win, but we've got to split that six 561 00:34:29,800 --> 00:34:34,480 Speaker 1: man section into a three man cell and to get 562 00:34:34,560 --> 00:34:37,759 Speaker 1: that fire and maneuver element. Right, So we split up 563 00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:40,560 Speaker 1: into two three man cells, and I remained with dosed 564 00:34:40,600 --> 00:34:44,000 Speaker 1: um and and the leadership and three of my sergeants. 565 00:34:44,200 --> 00:34:47,200 Speaker 1: You know, they go with another commander and they get 566 00:34:47,239 --> 00:34:50,480 Speaker 1: another piece of terrain so that we get another look 567 00:34:50,520 --> 00:34:53,239 Speaker 1: at the enemy and we're able to utilize you know, 568 00:34:53,400 --> 00:34:58,320 Speaker 1: those perspectives and and make some tactical gains uh and 569 00:34:58,840 --> 00:35:03,080 Speaker 1: attack and destroy the Taliban. But we recognized that was 570 00:35:03,160 --> 00:35:06,760 Speaker 1: a successful model, so we gotta split our entire team 571 00:35:06,840 --> 00:35:12,240 Speaker 1: down further into two. We split into four three man cells, 572 00:35:12,320 --> 00:35:14,640 Speaker 1: and we put each three man cell out with a 573 00:35:14,760 --> 00:35:19,640 Speaker 1: different commander that would be in a different county, you know. 574 00:35:19,800 --> 00:35:22,680 Speaker 1: And I we got two of our Special Air Force 575 00:35:22,880 --> 00:35:27,280 Speaker 1: j tax to come in that gave me five satellite radios, 576 00:35:27,960 --> 00:35:30,360 Speaker 1: and they would is what allowed us to talk to 577 00:35:30,440 --> 00:35:34,680 Speaker 1: our command and split up and decentralize in that manner. 578 00:35:35,480 --> 00:35:38,279 Speaker 1: And I continue to move with one of my communications 579 00:35:38,360 --> 00:35:43,520 Speaker 1: sergeants around the battlefield and would work with Dostum and 580 00:35:43,719 --> 00:35:46,600 Speaker 1: ride back and forth between the rest of my team. 581 00:35:46,920 --> 00:35:49,879 Speaker 1: And so again, just some of those aspects where there's 582 00:35:49,920 --> 00:35:54,760 Speaker 1: only three American witnesses to the crazy things that happened 583 00:35:55,680 --> 00:35:58,600 Speaker 1: on the battlefield. And again we try to lay down 584 00:35:58,719 --> 00:36:02,120 Speaker 1: more of that in our books, sorts of lightning and 585 00:36:02,400 --> 00:36:04,680 Speaker 1: just things that weren't able to be shown in a 586 00:36:04,880 --> 00:36:07,759 Speaker 1: in a two hour Hollywood type of film. You know, 587 00:36:07,840 --> 00:36:09,960 Speaker 1: you kind of lose track of the time. That was 588 00:36:10,040 --> 00:36:14,600 Speaker 1: actually twenty four days on horseback, you know. And and 589 00:36:15,000 --> 00:36:17,440 Speaker 1: I've spent most of those days in the saddle with 590 00:36:17,600 --> 00:36:21,759 Speaker 1: some of my sergeants, moving around helping organize the resistance 591 00:36:21,880 --> 00:36:26,640 Speaker 1: leadership and meeting with local villages. And groups. We needed 592 00:36:26,680 --> 00:36:29,399 Speaker 1: their support. You know, this is what special Forces does. 593 00:36:29,560 --> 00:36:31,920 Speaker 1: You have to keep the support of the populace, and 594 00:36:31,920 --> 00:36:35,600 Speaker 1: you've gotta work by with or through local partners. You're 595 00:36:35,719 --> 00:36:38,600 Speaker 1: kind of like the liaison between the US and uh 596 00:36:38,719 --> 00:36:41,360 Speaker 1: you know, they're the allied forces that you're working with. 597 00:36:41,560 --> 00:36:45,560 Speaker 1: You have become the interim mayor politician with the satellite 598 00:36:45,560 --> 00:36:48,359 Speaker 1: phone saying, hey, I got some night quill. We can 599 00:36:48,480 --> 00:36:51,200 Speaker 1: save that baby from sniffling right now. Just show me 600 00:36:51,239 --> 00:36:53,319 Speaker 1: where the talent ban is. Just show me right now. 601 00:36:53,680 --> 00:36:56,240 Speaker 1: It's like right over there, and you save that baby. 602 00:36:57,280 --> 00:37:01,280 Speaker 1: I mean, well, they did a lot more the medics, 603 00:37:01,920 --> 00:37:04,920 Speaker 1: you know, they saved many lots, not even on the battlefield, 604 00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:08,560 Speaker 1: but certainly on the bottle. How could Yes, that's why 605 00:37:08,640 --> 00:37:12,160 Speaker 1: we wanted to do Yeah, exactly, that's why we wanted 606 00:37:12,200 --> 00:37:13,759 Speaker 1: to do the book. I mean, or that's why the 607 00:37:13,960 --> 00:37:15,759 Speaker 1: one of the reasons the book was so important to me. 608 00:37:16,640 --> 00:37:19,600 Speaker 1: You know, everybody, you know, you see a Hollywood story, 609 00:37:19,800 --> 00:37:23,040 Speaker 1: but this isn't the Hollywood story. This is the real heroics. 610 00:37:23,120 --> 00:37:26,400 Speaker 1: What it really takes. It's kind of a classic, you know, 611 00:37:26,480 --> 00:37:32,279 Speaker 1: it's a classic unconventional warfare campaign married to you know, 612 00:37:32,360 --> 00:37:36,239 Speaker 1: at the same time this kind of high tech warfare, 613 00:37:36,640 --> 00:37:40,560 Speaker 1: and you know, and in some you know, classic battle 614 00:37:40,640 --> 00:37:44,040 Speaker 1: maneuvers and Mark and I one day we're even talking 615 00:37:44,120 --> 00:37:46,400 Speaker 1: about some of the some of the things that you 616 00:37:46,480 --> 00:37:49,280 Speaker 1: know went on in terms of a strategic and tactical 617 00:37:49,400 --> 00:37:53,360 Speaker 1: movements very similar to to you know, civil war battles. 618 00:37:53,440 --> 00:37:58,000 Speaker 1: So really a fascinating I mean, their experiences are fascinating 619 00:37:58,080 --> 00:38:01,400 Speaker 1: on many levels. Well, I'd imagine that if you're hunting 620 00:38:01,480 --> 00:38:03,960 Speaker 1: somebody up on the cliffs, they're on the cliffs too. 621 00:38:04,080 --> 00:38:05,960 Speaker 1: It's kind of like the whites of your eyes at 622 00:38:06,000 --> 00:38:10,120 Speaker 1: that point unless somebody has air power to decimate that cliff. Okay, 623 00:38:10,440 --> 00:38:13,399 Speaker 1: if it's mono imano, right, you're within a hundred yards 624 00:38:13,440 --> 00:38:15,920 Speaker 1: of each other. You're all close quarters at all times, right, 625 00:38:15,920 --> 00:38:18,040 Speaker 1: It's not just so I think some people think close 626 00:38:18,120 --> 00:38:21,120 Speaker 1: quarters as like you're kicking in the door of a house, right, 627 00:38:21,160 --> 00:38:24,200 Speaker 1: But sometimes close quarters is a football field, even of 628 00:38:24,719 --> 00:38:28,279 Speaker 1: you know, combat. I can imagine just now, you're you're 629 00:38:28,360 --> 00:38:32,399 Speaker 1: exactly right, rat You're you know that that field can 630 00:38:32,480 --> 00:38:35,880 Speaker 1: be is it it's uh, you know, a hundred meters apart, 631 00:38:36,040 --> 00:38:38,200 Speaker 1: is it? Uh? In the case of a lot of 632 00:38:38,239 --> 00:38:41,920 Speaker 1: this it was are you within effective machine gun fire 633 00:38:42,640 --> 00:38:46,359 Speaker 1: from a p K machine gun? You know that seven 634 00:38:46,520 --> 00:38:49,640 Speaker 1: six two round? Uh? You know, so are you within 635 00:38:49,920 --> 00:38:53,040 Speaker 1: full drug magazine on the bottom of that gun you know, 636 00:38:53,800 --> 00:38:58,879 Speaker 1: wants to come at your Yeah, that plan and again 637 00:38:59,040 --> 00:39:03,880 Speaker 1: that's MAXI different are effective range, but that maximum range. 638 00:39:04,239 --> 00:39:06,400 Speaker 1: You know, I can reach out over three quarters of 639 00:39:06,480 --> 00:39:09,080 Speaker 1: a mile and they would use plunging fire, right, so 640 00:39:09,200 --> 00:39:12,000 Speaker 1: they're just aiming that machine killer up in the air 641 00:39:12,160 --> 00:39:15,440 Speaker 1: and sweeping it back and forth. You know, mortars they 642 00:39:15,480 --> 00:39:19,720 Speaker 1: had eighty two millimeter mortars. They had rocket grenade launchers. 643 00:39:19,920 --> 00:39:23,280 Speaker 1: You know, sorry, are you within range of an RPG 644 00:39:23,640 --> 00:39:26,720 Speaker 1: that they're just launching in the air back and forth? 645 00:39:26,800 --> 00:39:29,400 Speaker 1: And it was mutual. You know, our allies are are 646 00:39:29,520 --> 00:39:33,840 Speaker 1: doing that as well. And old they had Are you 647 00:39:33,960 --> 00:39:36,439 Speaker 1: within range of that guy? You know? It's like yeah, 648 00:39:37,480 --> 00:39:43,000 Speaker 1: you know around the dish? Is that what we equate 649 00:39:43,120 --> 00:39:46,680 Speaker 1: with our m too Browning fifty caliber? You know that 650 00:39:46,840 --> 00:39:50,600 Speaker 1: Soviet version is a fifty one caliber Disha that would 651 00:39:50,640 --> 00:39:53,640 Speaker 1: be truck mounted or something. And you see a technical 652 00:39:53,760 --> 00:39:58,920 Speaker 1: truck rollout in Yota, right, Yeah, Toyota standing up, pull 653 00:39:59,000 --> 00:40:02,440 Speaker 1: the trigger and then the real bad boy on the 654 00:40:02,520 --> 00:40:07,239 Speaker 1: battlefield was a truck mounted z s U three dash too, 655 00:40:07,520 --> 00:40:11,040 Speaker 1: So that is a twin barrel twenty three millimeter cannon. 656 00:40:11,560 --> 00:40:15,600 Speaker 1: It's an anti aircraft weapons system. But they didn't have 657 00:40:15,920 --> 00:40:19,200 Speaker 1: the technical radar to guide the gun. But they would 658 00:40:19,320 --> 00:40:22,799 Speaker 1: use that gun in a direct fire roll. They'd back 659 00:40:22,920 --> 00:40:26,560 Speaker 1: up on a hillside and level those two twin barrels 660 00:40:26,800 --> 00:40:30,880 Speaker 1: over the cabin that truck and just unleash in a 661 00:40:31,000 --> 00:40:33,960 Speaker 1: direct fire roll with with the z s U and 662 00:40:34,680 --> 00:40:38,719 Speaker 1: those who were the deadliest thing on the battlefield or 663 00:40:38,840 --> 00:40:42,000 Speaker 1: intimidating because it's slow for them to position it or 664 00:40:42,560 --> 00:40:45,719 Speaker 1: or fire it. But man, once it got cranking and 665 00:40:46,520 --> 00:40:52,960 Speaker 1: it would it would l Yes, it was like we 666 00:40:53,040 --> 00:40:55,000 Speaker 1: had to take them out, you know, either with an 667 00:40:55,040 --> 00:40:59,360 Speaker 1: air strike. We witnessed incredible valor on several occasions of 668 00:40:59,640 --> 00:41:03,880 Speaker 1: the led horsemen, the militia horsemen flanking and attacking as 669 00:41:03,960 --> 00:41:07,759 Speaker 1: z SU two and they're galloping up with their a 670 00:41:07,880 --> 00:41:10,439 Speaker 1: K forty seven's and they would you know, gun down 671 00:41:10,560 --> 00:41:14,960 Speaker 1: the crew and capture that critical weapons system. And so 672 00:41:15,120 --> 00:41:18,040 Speaker 1: then now we're using it later that afternoon or the 673 00:41:18,200 --> 00:41:21,480 Speaker 1: next day. But you know, we witnessed, you know, countless 674 00:41:21,560 --> 00:41:27,239 Speaker 1: acts of valor and courage and teamwork from our Afghan allies. 675 00:41:29,480 --> 00:41:31,880 Speaker 1: You know, personnel file, that's something that you have up 676 00:41:31,920 --> 00:41:34,439 Speaker 1: here in your head. You always know these things about 677 00:41:34,520 --> 00:41:36,719 Speaker 1: these people and all of the valor. And I think 678 00:41:36,800 --> 00:41:39,080 Speaker 1: one thing that I read and Jim and Mark, that 679 00:41:39,160 --> 00:41:40,440 Speaker 1: you put in your book when I was reading the 680 00:41:40,520 --> 00:41:43,440 Speaker 1: beginning of it was we're all soccer dads out here, right, 681 00:41:43,480 --> 00:41:46,680 Speaker 1: And like you said, Jim, there are mature crew right. 682 00:41:46,920 --> 00:41:49,959 Speaker 1: So I can only imagine. My dad got out because 683 00:41:50,000 --> 00:41:52,080 Speaker 1: of a seizure and some medical issues. He didn't want 684 00:41:52,080 --> 00:41:56,440 Speaker 1: to get up. So after my dad was dedicated baseball 685 00:41:56,520 --> 00:41:58,720 Speaker 1: dad all day. He would treat me to play baseball, 686 00:41:58,960 --> 00:42:01,759 Speaker 1: be every single game, tracking every single hit. I did, 687 00:42:02,080 --> 00:42:05,440 Speaker 1: baseline drive everything in the scorebook. My coach relied on 688 00:42:05,520 --> 00:42:08,320 Speaker 1: my dad more than the coach relied on himself. My 689 00:42:08,440 --> 00:42:11,200 Speaker 1: dad just sat in the stands every single game. And 690 00:42:11,360 --> 00:42:13,879 Speaker 1: that guy, the same guy that you are, the same 691 00:42:13,960 --> 00:42:15,800 Speaker 1: guy that Bob is, and the same guy that that 692 00:42:16,000 --> 00:42:17,520 Speaker 1: that spoke to me. I almost want to kind of 693 00:42:17,600 --> 00:42:19,279 Speaker 1: cry because I love my dad and I love you 694 00:42:19,320 --> 00:42:21,320 Speaker 1: guys so much for what you do for our country. 695 00:42:21,360 --> 00:42:25,280 Speaker 1: As a you chose a job that chose you Okay, 696 00:42:26,160 --> 00:42:28,960 Speaker 1: it's it's to being the forces are in the special 697 00:42:29,040 --> 00:42:31,960 Speaker 1: operations is it's a calling, it's a it's a passion. 698 00:42:32,080 --> 00:42:35,120 Speaker 1: It's a commitment, you know, whether you serve one enlistment 699 00:42:35,200 --> 00:42:38,080 Speaker 1: period or you decide to make it a career. It 700 00:42:38,239 --> 00:42:41,320 Speaker 1: is a lifestyle. It is tough. It challenges you and 701 00:42:41,440 --> 00:42:45,600 Speaker 1: in you every way physically, mentally. It is a thinking 702 00:42:45,719 --> 00:42:49,120 Speaker 1: man's game, you know. But you you worked with some 703 00:42:49,280 --> 00:42:52,640 Speaker 1: of the most incredible people that push you. I never 704 00:42:52,760 --> 00:42:56,120 Speaker 1: thought of myself as being the fastest or the best 705 00:42:56,320 --> 00:42:59,839 Speaker 1: runner or everything. You know. I always, you know, felt 706 00:43:00,080 --> 00:43:03,200 Speaker 1: it was more of a marathon versus a sprint, you know. 707 00:43:03,840 --> 00:43:06,560 Speaker 1: And it's just having the herder and the passion of 708 00:43:07,120 --> 00:43:11,400 Speaker 1: you don't quit, you know, stubbornness, tenacity not to let 709 00:43:11,480 --> 00:43:14,719 Speaker 1: your teammates down, don't quit on yourself, you know, take 710 00:43:14,760 --> 00:43:17,640 Speaker 1: another step, you know. And I see that you know 711 00:43:17,680 --> 00:43:22,480 Speaker 1: a lot of these related turtle around here with the 712 00:43:22,560 --> 00:43:25,359 Speaker 1: stripes on the back his his sergeant first class strife 713 00:43:25,360 --> 00:43:27,600 Speaker 1: from the back to a turtle, this golden bronze turtle 714 00:43:27,600 --> 00:43:30,120 Speaker 1: that he has and I got somewhere. But because the 715 00:43:30,160 --> 00:43:32,600 Speaker 1: turtle wins it, he's like the turtle that was his thing. 716 00:43:32,719 --> 00:43:35,680 Speaker 1: His team's thing was the turtle and uh and god Villa. 717 00:43:37,320 --> 00:43:41,640 Speaker 1: You know, it's just it's being steady and consistent to perform. 718 00:43:41,920 --> 00:43:45,360 Speaker 1: And again you don't know is it a sprint or 719 00:43:45,440 --> 00:43:47,239 Speaker 1: is it a marathon today? And a lot of our 720 00:43:47,320 --> 00:43:51,880 Speaker 1: special operations training is designed that way. So when you 721 00:43:52,000 --> 00:43:55,080 Speaker 1: go through selection assessment, they're looking for people that have 722 00:43:55,280 --> 00:43:59,439 Speaker 1: the heart, have the passion, have the commitment and don't quit, 723 00:43:59,840 --> 00:44:02,319 Speaker 1: you know, regardless of what's thrown at him, whether it's 724 00:44:02,320 --> 00:44:05,239 Speaker 1: an impossible situation or you know, they line you up 725 00:44:05,280 --> 00:44:08,839 Speaker 1: in the morning. It's buffal Forces assessments, selection training. Hey 726 00:44:09,040 --> 00:44:11,680 Speaker 1: we're doing a run or it's a it's a ruck 727 00:44:11,760 --> 00:44:14,720 Speaker 1: march today, but they never tell you how far you're going. 728 00:44:15,239 --> 00:44:17,359 Speaker 1: Is it a three mile run, is it a five 729 00:44:17,440 --> 00:44:21,360 Speaker 1: mile run? Is is it a twelve mile rock march today? 730 00:44:21,520 --> 00:44:24,080 Speaker 1: And the response is always, hey, do the best you can. 731 00:44:24,480 --> 00:44:26,640 Speaker 1: And there's some lessons in that of you don't know 732 00:44:26,840 --> 00:44:30,000 Speaker 1: the standards. Whether you're in a business today, you know 733 00:44:30,600 --> 00:44:34,759 Speaker 1: who are you measuring your success against another competitor or 734 00:44:34,840 --> 00:44:38,000 Speaker 1: your own company, and just do the best you can 735 00:44:38,200 --> 00:44:43,160 Speaker 1: and who really is more qualified to scrutinize that than yourself. 736 00:44:43,640 --> 00:44:46,000 Speaker 1: Am I doing the best I can? Am I given 737 00:44:46,040 --> 00:44:49,880 Speaker 1: a hundred percent today? Am I being strategic and growing 738 00:44:50,000 --> 00:44:52,799 Speaker 1: my business? You know? Or am I? Am I distracted 739 00:44:52,840 --> 00:44:56,200 Speaker 1: and I'm chasing rabbits? And so I enjoy talking to 740 00:44:56,680 --> 00:45:00,520 Speaker 1: corporate groups as well. I'm with Kepler Speakers Bureau, and 741 00:45:01,120 --> 00:45:03,239 Speaker 1: I get to meet all kinds of people, whether they're 742 00:45:03,239 --> 00:45:07,680 Speaker 1: in law enforcement or their construction companies or medical workers. 743 00:45:07,840 --> 00:45:10,719 Speaker 1: And there's so many lessons that apply broadly to the 744 00:45:10,840 --> 00:45:14,400 Speaker 1: general public here and just people in their everyday life 745 00:45:14,560 --> 00:45:18,520 Speaker 1: of whatever adversity or faced with. Just keep going, you know, 746 00:45:18,719 --> 00:45:22,000 Speaker 1: figure it out, think your way through it, take that 747 00:45:22,120 --> 00:45:26,919 Speaker 1: another step, take some calculated risks to improve your data, 748 00:45:27,000 --> 00:45:31,799 Speaker 1: nation or life forward. Yeah, yeah, keep your head down 749 00:45:31,880 --> 00:45:34,319 Speaker 1: and move forward. Just keep moving forward. I run war 750 00:45:34,440 --> 00:45:36,800 Speaker 1: games here in Salt Lake City and on a large 751 00:45:36,840 --> 00:45:39,279 Speaker 1: scale anywhere, from two of us out there doing it 752 00:45:39,400 --> 00:45:42,000 Speaker 1: to three hundred of us at a time, and it's 753 00:45:42,040 --> 00:45:44,680 Speaker 1: the same thing. It's just keep your head down. You know. 754 00:45:44,680 --> 00:45:46,520 Speaker 1: I got to organize the event. I've got to put 755 00:45:46,560 --> 00:45:50,040 Speaker 1: things together, provide the place to play, the equipment to 756 00:45:50,080 --> 00:45:52,640 Speaker 1: do it with, the teams to fight against. So basically 757 00:45:52,680 --> 00:45:55,080 Speaker 1: I take on the commanding role of putting an organs 758 00:45:55,280 --> 00:45:58,960 Speaker 1: organizing the assignment. Then we delegated out to all of 759 00:45:59,000 --> 00:46:01,800 Speaker 1: our teams and basic my airsoft team back in the 760 00:46:01,880 --> 00:46:03,560 Speaker 1: day was helped developed by my dad and some of 761 00:46:03,680 --> 00:46:05,879 Speaker 1: us guys. They're like, look, if it ain't broke, don't 762 00:46:05,920 --> 00:46:08,479 Speaker 1: fix it, right, So that someone that creates the games 763 00:46:08,520 --> 00:46:11,680 Speaker 1: and one that you know, maybe brings the water every game, 764 00:46:11,960 --> 00:46:13,319 Speaker 1: you know, who's that going to be on the team. 765 00:46:13,360 --> 00:46:15,840 Speaker 1: And so we start to create that style of synergy 766 00:46:15,880 --> 00:46:17,960 Speaker 1: out here. And now we do large war games where 767 00:46:18,000 --> 00:46:20,800 Speaker 1: we get guys like yourself or even Jim or myself. 768 00:46:20,840 --> 00:46:23,799 Speaker 1: We want we do these war games and somebody may 769 00:46:23,880 --> 00:46:26,040 Speaker 1: not have got a chance to join the military. They 770 00:46:26,080 --> 00:46:28,239 Speaker 1: may have had asthma, and the closest thing they get 771 00:46:28,280 --> 00:46:29,960 Speaker 1: to do is read your book or they get to 772 00:46:30,320 --> 00:46:32,400 Speaker 1: maybe come out and play war games with me because 773 00:46:32,640 --> 00:46:34,880 Speaker 1: they never got the chance to wear the gear. So, 774 00:46:35,640 --> 00:46:38,440 Speaker 1: you know, we do a lot of positive working with 775 00:46:38,560 --> 00:46:41,279 Speaker 1: the veterans out here, you know, and those never got 776 00:46:41,360 --> 00:46:43,880 Speaker 1: to serve. They never got a chance. I mean, like 777 00:46:44,239 --> 00:46:47,160 Speaker 1: the song says, you know, three green Berets out of 778 00:46:47,160 --> 00:46:52,440 Speaker 1: a hundred are gonna make it, you know, you know, 779 00:46:53,080 --> 00:46:56,320 Speaker 1: you know, since we're talking about business and stuff, and 780 00:46:56,520 --> 00:46:59,160 Speaker 1: now that it held some of the lessons to you 781 00:46:59,239 --> 00:47:01,920 Speaker 1: know that Mark and the experiences that Mark and the 782 00:47:01,960 --> 00:47:04,800 Speaker 1: guys kind of went through. I mean, that's the perfect 783 00:47:04,880 --> 00:47:08,960 Speaker 1: leading to talk about Bourbon. Not that Bourbon needs something 784 00:47:09,040 --> 00:47:11,800 Speaker 1: to lead into, but you're an excuse to talk about 785 00:47:11,920 --> 00:47:17,200 Speaker 1: but nur skill set exactly, Jim. You know, like being 786 00:47:17,640 --> 00:47:21,160 Speaker 1: these guys are National Guards guy, they have daytime jobs. 787 00:47:21,440 --> 00:47:24,160 Speaker 1: They join the military to serve their local community, and 788 00:47:24,280 --> 00:47:27,960 Speaker 1: becoming a Green Beret makes you seven. So you know, 789 00:47:28,280 --> 00:47:31,000 Speaker 1: these guys go out and they are you know, lawyers 790 00:47:31,080 --> 00:47:35,720 Speaker 1: and fathers and you know doctors and you know cab drivers. Okay, 791 00:47:35,840 --> 00:47:38,040 Speaker 1: your local paramedic that comes to your house is probably 792 00:47:38,160 --> 00:47:41,360 Speaker 1: maybe a Green Beret who's just doing that job until 793 00:47:41,400 --> 00:47:43,920 Speaker 1: he gets the main call. And so you know, these 794 00:47:43,960 --> 00:47:46,440 Speaker 1: guys come together and then all of a sudden they 795 00:47:46,440 --> 00:47:48,400 Speaker 1: have to put their skill set together and they have 796 00:47:48,600 --> 00:47:51,880 Speaker 1: to all be like on a team. And there is 797 00:47:51,920 --> 00:47:54,560 Speaker 1: a coach and a captain and that is Mark, and 798 00:47:54,800 --> 00:47:58,160 Speaker 1: he expects his team to get the job done and 799 00:47:58,200 --> 00:48:01,640 Speaker 1: play their positions. And I bet it's like I say, hey, 800 00:48:01,680 --> 00:48:03,600 Speaker 1: I'll take the leashes off all of you guys, you 801 00:48:03,680 --> 00:48:05,840 Speaker 1: go do your specialty, but when I blow the whistle, 802 00:48:05,920 --> 00:48:07,759 Speaker 1: I expect you all to come back and just say, hey, 803 00:48:07,840 --> 00:48:11,719 Speaker 1: what's up. It's really get your job done. And yeah, 804 00:48:12,680 --> 00:48:15,560 Speaker 1: that's being on these special these special Forces teams that 805 00:48:15,680 --> 00:48:18,920 Speaker 1: you're working with, incredible people. They all have proven that 806 00:48:19,080 --> 00:48:23,720 Speaker 1: they can lead under very trying conditions, under physical stress, 807 00:48:23,880 --> 00:48:26,279 Speaker 1: lack of sleep, you know, lack of food. We talked 808 00:48:26,320 --> 00:48:29,360 Speaker 1: about enjoying the goat grab or the barbecue. You know 809 00:48:29,520 --> 00:48:31,640 Speaker 1: we were running on in the case of our mission, 810 00:48:31,640 --> 00:48:34,239 Speaker 1: we're running on just a few hours sleep. You know, 811 00:48:34,360 --> 00:48:38,719 Speaker 1: you're beyond exhaustion, but you're you've got to maintain coherency 812 00:48:38,880 --> 00:48:42,600 Speaker 1: and can you still communicate effectively? Are you still combat effective? 813 00:48:42,719 --> 00:48:46,759 Speaker 1: And you know, we lost pounds of body weight because 814 00:48:46,840 --> 00:48:50,800 Speaker 1: we're down to reduced rations and you're sleeping outdoors and 815 00:48:50,880 --> 00:48:55,520 Speaker 1: you're burning immense calories and and other the whole slew 816 00:48:55,680 --> 00:48:58,719 Speaker 1: of other combat conditions. The weather is trying to kill you. 817 00:48:59,360 --> 00:49:02,239 Speaker 1: You know, it's you're getting snowed on, snowed on, or 818 00:49:02,280 --> 00:49:04,680 Speaker 1: it's freezing cold, or you have to cross an ice 819 00:49:04,760 --> 00:49:09,880 Speaker 1: cold stream. And all these guys on these teams have 820 00:49:10,160 --> 00:49:14,080 Speaker 1: proven that they can lead under all of these conditions, 821 00:49:14,200 --> 00:49:16,759 Speaker 1: but then not can only can they lead, but they 822 00:49:16,840 --> 00:49:20,680 Speaker 1: can be incredible teammates to support each other as well 823 00:49:20,840 --> 00:49:23,759 Speaker 1: and just keep pushing each other to the next level. 824 00:49:24,320 --> 00:49:28,800 Speaker 1: That applies to any any person you know, and we 825 00:49:28,920 --> 00:49:31,400 Speaker 1: all serve in in a number of ways, whether that 826 00:49:31,560 --> 00:49:35,279 Speaker 1: was in uniform or not, or in our police or 827 00:49:35,360 --> 00:49:39,600 Speaker 1: first responder services, or just serving within your community, you know, 828 00:49:39,760 --> 00:49:43,440 Speaker 1: with teachers. I had so many influential teachers throughout my 829 00:49:44,280 --> 00:49:47,600 Speaker 1: life growing up now and now we serve in other ways. 830 00:49:47,800 --> 00:49:52,240 Speaker 1: We serve an amazing double gold award winning horse Soldier Bourbon, 831 00:49:52,640 --> 00:49:55,640 Speaker 1: but our Bourbon brand is taken off. But as veterans, 832 00:49:55,719 --> 00:49:59,800 Speaker 1: you know, it gave us another mission, purpose and focus 833 00:50:00,160 --> 00:50:03,800 Speaker 1: after our active service. It you know, it got allowed 834 00:50:03,880 --> 00:50:06,399 Speaker 1: us some of us to work together again, to keep 835 00:50:06,520 --> 00:50:10,000 Speaker 1: kind of the team together. There's Bob and I from 836 00:50:10,040 --> 00:50:13,640 Speaker 1: the original five nine five team that are our brand 837 00:50:13,800 --> 00:50:16,480 Speaker 1: is based on. But then as we've grown, we've been 838 00:50:16,520 --> 00:50:19,960 Speaker 1: able to bring in two more of of my teammates 839 00:50:20,320 --> 00:50:22,400 Speaker 1: to work full time for us. We now have some 840 00:50:22,520 --> 00:50:25,399 Speaker 1: of the CIA teammates that have retired that they come 841 00:50:25,440 --> 00:50:29,440 Speaker 1: out for special promotions and and I often you know, 842 00:50:29,760 --> 00:50:33,120 Speaker 1: talk to a number of veterans that are transitioning, you know, 843 00:50:33,200 --> 00:50:36,400 Speaker 1: either from their guard or reserve service or off active 844 00:50:36,520 --> 00:50:40,320 Speaker 1: duty of and don't count yourself short regardless, it doesn't 845 00:50:40,320 --> 00:50:43,439 Speaker 1: matter if you weren't in special operations or not. You've 846 00:50:43,560 --> 00:50:46,960 Speaker 1: learned so many skills. You've learned how to manage people. 847 00:50:47,080 --> 00:50:50,319 Speaker 1: You've learned how to lead, whether that's a four man 848 00:50:50,480 --> 00:50:54,480 Speaker 1: five or a squad or or whatever that may be. 849 00:50:55,080 --> 00:50:58,680 Speaker 1: You can do. You can take so many things like 850 00:50:58,800 --> 00:51:01,880 Speaker 1: roll call of your unit is inventory of each person. 851 00:51:02,120 --> 00:51:04,680 Speaker 1: You're making sure that your inventory is all there because 852 00:51:05,000 --> 00:51:08,960 Speaker 1: you need them for your product placement. Because yeah, they 853 00:51:09,080 --> 00:51:11,560 Speaker 1: say you are. Number one thing that the America exports 854 00:51:11,600 --> 00:51:14,480 Speaker 1: is its military. That's the number one thing that we 855 00:51:14,719 --> 00:51:17,440 Speaker 1: have that we export is our military. It's the best, 856 00:51:17,760 --> 00:51:21,279 Speaker 1: and everybody wants to replicate that we are. You know, 857 00:51:21,400 --> 00:51:25,160 Speaker 1: it's true you get exported to Afghanistan. Yeah, that's because 858 00:51:25,239 --> 00:51:28,360 Speaker 1: of our n c O. You know, are non commissioned 859 00:51:28,440 --> 00:51:31,640 Speaker 1: officers that come up through the ranks. They're expected to lead. 860 00:51:32,040 --> 00:51:36,320 Speaker 1: Other countries don't necessarily do that. They're very officers centric. 861 00:51:36,800 --> 00:51:39,400 Speaker 1: And I saw that in the you know, having studied 862 00:51:39,480 --> 00:51:43,880 Speaker 1: the Soviet or Russian model. They're very officers centric. So 863 00:51:44,080 --> 00:51:47,080 Speaker 1: that's what sets us apart is our sergeants are n 864 00:51:47,160 --> 00:51:52,399 Speaker 1: c O core across our services to get those jobs done, 865 00:51:52,480 --> 00:51:54,719 Speaker 1: to figure it out. And you know, that's why I 866 00:51:54,760 --> 00:51:57,719 Speaker 1: try again, I try to encourage young veterans of find 867 00:51:57,760 --> 00:52:01,160 Speaker 1: out what's next of as you transition. What are you 868 00:52:01,280 --> 00:52:04,520 Speaker 1: passionate about? You have the skills, you have the drive 869 00:52:04,600 --> 00:52:09,040 Speaker 1: and determination whatever that may be. You know, but you've 870 00:52:09,239 --> 00:52:12,759 Speaker 1: you know, it's it's been internalized with those those core 871 00:52:12,960 --> 00:52:17,600 Speaker 1: values that that service may impart on them of accountability 872 00:52:17,680 --> 00:52:22,800 Speaker 1: and responsibility and leadership. And that's universal. That is universal 873 00:52:22,920 --> 00:52:27,440 Speaker 1: to your community, whatever business that may be or whatever. Now, 874 00:52:27,960 --> 00:52:29,680 Speaker 1: I know we've been talking for about an hour and 875 00:52:29,760 --> 00:52:33,120 Speaker 1: then I really have appreciated this conversation, and I have 876 00:52:33,200 --> 00:52:35,200 Speaker 1: a I have a question from the internet. Okay, So 877 00:52:35,320 --> 00:52:37,640 Speaker 1: I put it out there and I say, hey, what 878 00:52:37,719 --> 00:52:40,000 Speaker 1: would you ask one of the twelve horsemen? And I'm 879 00:52:40,000 --> 00:52:43,239 Speaker 1: gonna hit up with my guy Chandler. And Chandler says, 880 00:52:43,600 --> 00:52:46,800 Speaker 1: tell us something about a Green Beret that the public 881 00:52:47,040 --> 00:52:51,160 Speaker 1: doesn't know about them, something like, you know, I guess 882 00:52:51,239 --> 00:52:54,880 Speaker 1: what he wants to know is your normal you're a 883 00:52:54,960 --> 00:52:59,319 Speaker 1: regular dude. You know that yourself. That's what do you think? 884 00:53:00,040 --> 00:53:02,680 Speaker 1: You know, I just think they'll surprise you. I've met 885 00:53:02,760 --> 00:53:06,279 Speaker 1: so many different guys that were in Special Forces. I 886 00:53:06,320 --> 00:53:09,840 Speaker 1: would say is inherently though they're they're driven, they're committed. 887 00:53:10,120 --> 00:53:13,279 Speaker 1: You know, they're very passionate about their skill set or 888 00:53:13,360 --> 00:53:16,400 Speaker 1: their craft and want to perform that to the highest 889 00:53:16,520 --> 00:53:19,680 Speaker 1: level at all times. What I love about Special Forces 890 00:53:19,760 --> 00:53:22,800 Speaker 1: sergeants is if you asked them to go do something 891 00:53:23,280 --> 00:53:26,239 Speaker 1: that they have so much initiative and self discipline, they 892 00:53:26,239 --> 00:53:30,719 Speaker 1: will go check out a problem, investigate some situation for you. 893 00:53:30,840 --> 00:53:34,279 Speaker 1: They'll see what needs done, they'll fix it, and they'll 894 00:53:34,320 --> 00:53:37,239 Speaker 1: have identified two or three other factors and they'll come 895 00:53:37,280 --> 00:53:39,960 Speaker 1: back to you with a plan of Hay, sir, here's 896 00:53:40,000 --> 00:53:42,759 Speaker 1: what else I saw. This needs done and addressed, and 897 00:53:42,920 --> 00:53:45,680 Speaker 1: here's a plan for how we do it. You know. 898 00:53:46,040 --> 00:53:49,160 Speaker 1: So I love that about him, that that creativity, the 899 00:53:49,280 --> 00:53:53,480 Speaker 1: problem solving that I've seen throughout my career. That's very cool, 900 00:53:53,640 --> 00:53:55,920 Speaker 1: very cool response to that, And thanks for your question, Chandler. 901 00:53:56,040 --> 00:54:01,439 Speaker 1: That was on my rat rock and Instagram account. Now, Jim, 902 00:54:01,560 --> 00:54:03,480 Speaker 1: when you were writing this book and you decided that 903 00:54:03,600 --> 00:54:07,440 Speaker 1: you were going to tackle this and interpret his words 904 00:54:07,520 --> 00:54:14,440 Speaker 1: into the book. I mean, how yeah, it was. You know, 905 00:54:14,560 --> 00:54:17,680 Speaker 1: they unloaded all sorts of information. I mean, you know, 906 00:54:18,040 --> 00:54:20,759 Speaker 1: basically a fire hose of information. Actually it's more like 907 00:54:21,040 --> 00:54:25,239 Speaker 1: a dumpsters full of information. But they kept me going 908 00:54:25,360 --> 00:54:28,640 Speaker 1: because they were just starting, you know, with the horse 909 00:54:28,680 --> 00:54:32,680 Speaker 1: Soldier Bourbon, and they promised, you know, Jim, you know, 910 00:54:32,880 --> 00:54:35,360 Speaker 1: we'll keep the glassful as long as you keep writing. 911 00:54:35,440 --> 00:54:38,480 Speaker 1: So I had a lot of incentive. They're you know, 912 00:54:38,600 --> 00:54:41,839 Speaker 1: they were really they were. They're really good guys. They're 913 00:54:42,000 --> 00:54:45,319 Speaker 1: very i mean the one kind of necessary thing. Could 914 00:54:45,320 --> 00:54:50,040 Speaker 1: you suburban or book like this? Right? Well, I'm sure 915 00:54:50,160 --> 00:54:52,520 Speaker 1: Mark Will said, just um, you know, you have to 916 00:54:52,600 --> 00:54:55,279 Speaker 1: be very open, you have to be very candid, and 917 00:54:55,640 --> 00:54:57,840 Speaker 1: they were willing to talk about you know, they this 918 00:54:58,120 --> 00:55:01,040 Speaker 1: was not this was a phenomenal mission is really a 919 00:55:01,160 --> 00:55:04,479 Speaker 1: textbook case. But they you know, they were very open 920 00:55:04,560 --> 00:55:07,520 Speaker 1: about you know, mistakes that they made and that you know, 921 00:55:07,640 --> 00:55:11,520 Speaker 1: their interpretation of mistakes by command another thing, and that 922 00:55:11,680 --> 00:55:14,160 Speaker 1: that was one thing we want, we want this book 923 00:55:14,320 --> 00:55:18,320 Speaker 1: not to be the Hollywood version of you know what happens, 924 00:55:19,120 --> 00:55:22,920 Speaker 1: and you hopefully we we achieved that, you know, you 925 00:55:23,000 --> 00:55:26,360 Speaker 1: guys talk about in that book. This is two wars 926 00:55:26,480 --> 00:55:28,880 Speaker 1: going on here. You've got the long war that everybody's 927 00:55:29,200 --> 00:55:31,359 Speaker 1: been attached to since nine eleven, and then you had 928 00:55:31,480 --> 00:55:34,040 Speaker 1: the weeks after nine eleven, maybe into the year after 929 00:55:34,160 --> 00:55:37,160 Speaker 1: n eleven, that we're really focused on trying to find 930 00:55:37,520 --> 00:55:40,160 Speaker 1: the root of the evil that caused the nine eleven 931 00:55:40,280 --> 00:55:42,719 Speaker 1: the Twin Towers to come crashing down the Pentagon the 932 00:55:42,840 --> 00:55:46,440 Speaker 1: field of Pennsylvania. Flight Oh, forgive me flight, but you 933 00:55:46,520 --> 00:55:48,960 Speaker 1: know what I'm talking about. Thank you Flight ninety three. 934 00:55:49,400 --> 00:55:50,600 Speaker 1: You know, I don't want to leave them out of 935 00:55:50,640 --> 00:55:54,080 Speaker 1: it because they didn't hit a building, Okay, so they 936 00:55:54,200 --> 00:55:56,880 Speaker 1: still sacrificed all of their lives. And then I'm so 937 00:55:57,040 --> 00:56:00,400 Speaker 1: proud of you Mark and Bob and your guy for 938 00:56:00,880 --> 00:56:04,759 Speaker 1: taking up the call to go in and do pound 939 00:56:04,800 --> 00:56:07,920 Speaker 1: weight loss, deal with the storm, dealing with the dishkas 940 00:56:08,040 --> 00:56:12,239 Speaker 1: and the Z unit. Bro. Grateful American, do you may 941 00:56:12,320 --> 00:56:14,520 Speaker 1: I just say thank you, And for my listeners, just 942 00:56:14,600 --> 00:56:17,239 Speaker 1: be grateful that guys like him exist so that we 943 00:56:17,280 --> 00:56:20,520 Speaker 1: can sleep under flags that are on that banister behind 944 00:56:20,600 --> 00:56:22,640 Speaker 1: me right there. That's the flag we sleep under because 945 00:56:22,680 --> 00:56:25,480 Speaker 1: of these of these guys. Just an incredible moment in 946 00:56:25,600 --> 00:56:29,440 Speaker 1: our our history and his honor to help spearhead America's 947 00:56:29,520 --> 00:56:34,640 Speaker 1: response to those horrific attacks. And just there's other incredible 948 00:56:35,000 --> 00:56:37,880 Speaker 1: stories about our Special Forces teams and the things that 949 00:56:38,000 --> 00:56:42,120 Speaker 1: we're done, you know, around the country under incredible circumstances. 950 00:56:42,160 --> 00:56:45,480 Speaker 1: And then you know, other units rotated in, other Special 951 00:56:45,560 --> 00:56:49,000 Speaker 1: Forces teams rotated in those are incredible stories as well. 952 00:56:49,360 --> 00:56:52,440 Speaker 1: You know. Just it's a commitment, you know, for these 953 00:56:52,480 --> 00:56:55,200 Speaker 1: guys that are on Special Forces teams that deployed to 954 00:56:55,320 --> 00:56:59,560 Speaker 1: these various critical areas around the world to help our 955 00:56:59,640 --> 00:57:03,800 Speaker 1: ally partners that have very complex challenges that they're faced with. 956 00:57:04,040 --> 00:57:06,240 Speaker 1: And so that's why we send, you know, a dozen 957 00:57:06,320 --> 00:57:09,920 Speaker 1: Green Berets to go be advisors and help these allies 958 00:57:10,000 --> 00:57:13,640 Speaker 1: try to navigate their way through very complex challenges. We 959 00:57:13,760 --> 00:57:16,840 Speaker 1: send a dozen so that hopefully that problem can get 960 00:57:16,920 --> 00:57:19,680 Speaker 1: resolved and we don't have to send two hundred or 961 00:57:19,760 --> 00:57:23,560 Speaker 1: two thousand of our troops to some hot spot around 962 00:57:23,600 --> 00:57:26,000 Speaker 1: the world. And you know, part of the reason we 963 00:57:26,080 --> 00:57:31,160 Speaker 1: got into Bourbon was we saw how Bourbon brought very 964 00:57:31,240 --> 00:57:34,920 Speaker 1: diverse groups together, whether you're you know, off in Kenya 965 00:57:35,080 --> 00:57:38,280 Speaker 1: or Somalia somewhere, and and one of the guys has 966 00:57:38,840 --> 00:57:41,880 Speaker 1: an amazing story about, you know, finding a bottle of 967 00:57:42,200 --> 00:57:45,720 Speaker 1: an American spirit in one of the most remote areas 968 00:57:45,840 --> 00:57:49,240 Speaker 1: on the planet, you know, And you know, I deployed 969 00:57:49,320 --> 00:57:52,640 Speaker 1: to a dozen plus Middle Eastern countries, and it was 970 00:57:52,640 --> 00:57:57,160 Speaker 1: always our counterpart that's producing a bottle of some American 971 00:57:57,280 --> 00:58:00,800 Speaker 1: bourbon of Hey, the Americans are insured, let's shut the 972 00:58:00,880 --> 00:58:05,160 Speaker 1: door and let's give let's talk about the real problems, 973 00:58:05,560 --> 00:58:08,760 Speaker 1: you know, that we have. And so we'd always kind 974 00:58:08,760 --> 00:58:10,920 Speaker 1: of been on the other side of the bar and 975 00:58:11,080 --> 00:58:14,320 Speaker 1: that and then as when we were going through that transition, 976 00:58:14,560 --> 00:58:19,040 Speaker 1: working with another special operations veteran that had already been 977 00:58:19,160 --> 00:58:23,200 Speaker 1: through that transition and figured out his business, he became 978 00:58:23,240 --> 00:58:26,600 Speaker 1: a great mentor for us and took us through kind 979 00:58:26,640 --> 00:58:29,600 Speaker 1: of that exercise of what do we want to do? 980 00:58:30,080 --> 00:58:31,240 Speaker 1: You know, what do we want to be when we 981 00:58:31,320 --> 00:58:34,600 Speaker 1: grow up? Okay, we're not green Berets. I mean we're 982 00:58:34,640 --> 00:58:38,760 Speaker 1: still green Berets at heart, you know, and I'm just start, Yeah, 983 00:58:38,840 --> 00:58:41,600 Speaker 1: you're starting a new life, and was that next what's 984 00:58:41,680 --> 00:58:44,680 Speaker 1: that next phase of that journey in your life? And 985 00:58:45,240 --> 00:58:47,280 Speaker 1: that's when we come together and said we're gonna make 986 00:58:47,360 --> 00:58:50,680 Speaker 1: that We got really excited about craft bourbon, and we 987 00:58:50,800 --> 00:58:53,880 Speaker 1: approached it as a special forces mission. We started studying 988 00:58:54,040 --> 00:58:56,760 Speaker 1: every aspect about it. You know, we had some more 989 00:58:56,880 --> 00:58:59,760 Speaker 1: tough missions. We had to go to Scotland to learn 990 00:58:59,800 --> 00:59:02,320 Speaker 1: how to make Scotch. We went to I, Oh, no, 991 00:59:02,680 --> 00:59:09,640 Speaker 1: you got to go to Scotland. Not Scotland. Tough, but 992 00:59:09,840 --> 00:59:13,600 Speaker 1: you're oh my gosh, the aspect about it, from the 993 00:59:13,920 --> 00:59:17,000 Speaker 1: ingredients to go into it. What recipe do you like? 994 00:59:17,400 --> 00:59:21,080 Speaker 1: Do you you know the wood that's uh, that American 995 00:59:21,160 --> 00:59:24,640 Speaker 1: white oak that's critical to the barrel and the flavor 996 00:59:24,880 --> 00:59:28,480 Speaker 1: of that bourbon that ages. So we just we approached 997 00:59:28,520 --> 00:59:31,360 Speaker 1: it as a special forces mission. Everybody started to pick 998 00:59:31,440 --> 00:59:34,400 Speaker 1: the lane and started studying about it and and then 999 00:59:34,560 --> 00:59:38,160 Speaker 1: share those lessons with each other and elevate the team 1000 00:59:38,240 --> 00:59:40,800 Speaker 1: to game. And we found, you know, some investors and 1001 00:59:41,600 --> 00:59:45,000 Speaker 1: industry professionals that belief in us and our brand is 1002 00:59:45,080 --> 00:59:48,720 Speaker 1: just taken off and we're going to exceed people's expectations. 1003 00:59:49,080 --> 00:59:52,080 Speaker 1: You know, as a veteran brand. In order to buy liquor, 1004 00:59:52,520 --> 00:59:54,000 Speaker 1: you have to go to them. You have to go 1005 00:59:54,040 --> 00:59:57,680 Speaker 1: to the state owned liquor store in Utah. So if 1006 00:59:57,760 --> 01:00:02,080 Speaker 1: you want a horse soldier isn't already in Utah, then 1007 01:00:02,200 --> 01:00:05,000 Speaker 1: it needs to go to the state liquor store. Yeah, 1008 01:00:05,200 --> 01:00:08,880 Speaker 1: we're not in Utah yet. Our national distributor of Southern 1009 01:00:08,960 --> 01:00:11,880 Speaker 1: Glacier we were able to align with them here about 1010 01:00:11,920 --> 01:00:14,960 Speaker 1: a year ago, and we're up to eighteen states now. 1011 01:00:15,440 --> 01:00:19,160 Speaker 1: We were at a dozen when we transition to Southern Glacier. 1012 01:00:19,560 --> 01:00:24,960 Speaker 1: But they have it. Yeah, yeah, the states like yeah, 1013 01:00:25,040 --> 01:00:28,400 Speaker 1: the states were in currently our Florida, that's our home state. 1014 01:00:28,480 --> 01:00:30,439 Speaker 1: We invite you to come down to the Tampa St. 1015 01:00:30,480 --> 01:00:34,880 Speaker 1: Petersburg area and come see our our Urban Steelehouse Urban 1016 01:00:34,920 --> 01:00:38,600 Speaker 1: Steelehouse dot com. Please call ahead. We're backed up a 1017 01:00:38,720 --> 01:00:42,120 Speaker 1: couple of weeks on reservations, but that place showcases our 1018 01:00:42,200 --> 01:00:46,120 Speaker 1: brand and we've got a craft distillery there in the St. Petersburg, 1019 01:00:46,240 --> 01:00:49,000 Speaker 1: Florida area. But then other states where they can find 1020 01:00:49,080 --> 01:00:52,840 Speaker 1: us on in retail stores are our Virginia, North Carolina, 1021 01:00:52,840 --> 01:00:58,640 Speaker 1: and New York. We're in Kentucky, Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan. 1022 01:00:59,240 --> 01:01:01,920 Speaker 1: We're here in Ransas, where my home state is at. 1023 01:01:02,320 --> 01:01:06,360 Speaker 1: But we're in Texas, Arizona, California, Nevada. Were in a 1024 01:01:06,520 --> 01:01:10,240 Speaker 1: ton of Las Vegas resorts and casinos. Which is great. 1025 01:01:10,320 --> 01:01:14,840 Speaker 1: Now that should be asking for this brand at those resorts. 1026 01:01:15,160 --> 01:01:16,920 Speaker 1: You should be asking for this today. I want the 1027 01:01:17,040 --> 01:01:19,920 Speaker 1: whole Horse Soldier Bourbon. You should be asking for this. 1028 01:01:20,160 --> 01:01:21,760 Speaker 1: And if they don't have it, say I don't want 1029 01:01:21,760 --> 01:01:25,560 Speaker 1: any of your boon. I want Horse Soldier Bourbon. But 1030 01:01:26,160 --> 01:01:28,840 Speaker 1: I appreciate that and we need that kind of support 1031 01:01:29,080 --> 01:01:32,640 Speaker 1: as well to keep growing the brand. We're in Montana 1032 01:01:33,080 --> 01:01:36,360 Speaker 1: is one of our newest states. Since January surrounded me. 1033 01:01:37,080 --> 01:01:41,800 Speaker 1: I'm surrounding you, I'm surrounding drop right in on Salt 1034 01:01:41,920 --> 01:01:46,880 Speaker 1: Lake City. Our newest our newest states are Washington in 1035 01:01:47,000 --> 01:01:51,600 Speaker 1: Colorado here just getting started. So that's the eighteen. If 1036 01:01:51,640 --> 01:01:54,080 Speaker 1: you enjoy our bourbons, or if you're not in one 1037 01:01:54,120 --> 01:01:57,080 Speaker 1: of those states that I just named, check out our 1038 01:01:57,160 --> 01:02:00,240 Speaker 1: Horse Soldier Bourbon dot com website and we've got a 1039 01:02:00,320 --> 01:02:04,760 Speaker 1: shop whiskey page. And in today's you know, today's market 1040 01:02:04,960 --> 01:02:09,320 Speaker 1: with technology and and the legal aspects, we actually you 1041 01:02:09,360 --> 01:02:12,240 Speaker 1: can go onto that website Poor Soldier Bourbon dot com, 1042 01:02:12,360 --> 01:02:16,200 Speaker 1: our shop whiskey page and you can order our bottles 1043 01:02:16,400 --> 01:02:20,760 Speaker 1: online and we can legally ship to thirty three states. Uh, 1044 01:02:20,880 --> 01:02:24,160 Speaker 1: and that's become huge during COVID to help us grow 1045 01:02:24,320 --> 01:02:28,080 Speaker 1: the brand in other states where people have heard about us, 1046 01:02:28,200 --> 01:02:30,080 Speaker 1: or they mail ordered or they want to send a 1047 01:02:30,160 --> 01:02:33,800 Speaker 1: special bottle to a friend or co worker or family member, 1048 01:02:34,240 --> 01:02:38,000 Speaker 1: you know, the to talk about the Bourbon bottles themselves. 1049 01:02:38,560 --> 01:02:41,920 Speaker 1: Because of that nine eleven connection, These bottles and I'm 1050 01:02:41,960 --> 01:02:45,600 Speaker 1: holding one up here are uniquely forged by World Trade 1051 01:02:45,680 --> 01:02:48,880 Speaker 1: Center steel because of that nine eleven connection. As we 1052 01:02:49,000 --> 01:02:51,480 Speaker 1: were growing our Bourbon brand, we were able to get 1053 01:02:51,520 --> 01:02:54,440 Speaker 1: our hands on a large chunk of World Trade Center 1054 01:02:54,520 --> 01:02:58,959 Speaker 1: steel and we melted it down and reforged it into 1055 01:02:59,040 --> 01:03:05,439 Speaker 1: the mold that apes these beautiful glass bottles. Yeah. There, 1056 01:03:05,480 --> 01:03:08,200 Speaker 1: I invite people to check out our Horse Soldier Bourbon 1057 01:03:08,320 --> 01:03:12,440 Speaker 1: YouTube channel. We got a dozen plus videos about our brand, 1058 01:03:12,560 --> 01:03:15,760 Speaker 1: our backstory, our award win in bourbons, some of the 1059 01:03:15,840 --> 01:03:20,720 Speaker 1: adventures we've gone on. It's Normandy France or to Saipan, 1060 01:03:21,120 --> 01:03:24,680 Speaker 1: or there's a video also a bound to our bottles 1061 01:03:24,840 --> 01:03:28,800 Speaker 1: being forged at the bottle foundry. At the glass foundry 1062 01:03:28,880 --> 01:03:31,320 Speaker 1: is what I'm trying to say. That shows that that 1063 01:03:31,640 --> 01:03:35,560 Speaker 1: World Trade Center steel being melted down and it reforged 1064 01:03:35,640 --> 01:03:39,080 Speaker 1: into the mold that shapes these bottles. So there's a 1065 01:03:39,120 --> 01:03:41,320 Speaker 1: lot to our brand again. I invite people to our 1066 01:03:41,400 --> 01:03:44,840 Speaker 1: Horse Soldier Bourbon YouTube channel. You're gonna see some some 1067 01:03:45,400 --> 01:03:48,560 Speaker 1: videos there some tough days of Bob and I knows 1068 01:03:48,680 --> 01:03:51,120 Speaker 1: and through some of our bourbon barrels to pick some 1069 01:03:51,280 --> 01:03:55,640 Speaker 1: of our our special limited release offerings. But the brand 1070 01:03:55,760 --> 01:03:59,440 Speaker 1: is growing up. I can't imagine actual favorite of all 1071 01:03:59,520 --> 01:04:03,280 Speaker 1: day and like, yeah knows in it Bob. Bob has 1072 01:04:03,400 --> 01:04:06,439 Speaker 1: the incredible, incredible nose. I was doing that a little 1073 01:04:06,440 --> 01:04:10,360 Speaker 1: bit joined us today. But Bob, all three of our 1074 01:04:10,640 --> 01:04:14,760 Speaker 1: products have were recently awarded with double gold in the 1075 01:04:14,840 --> 01:04:18,200 Speaker 1: San Francisco Spirits Festival. So all three of our core 1076 01:04:18,360 --> 01:04:21,800 Speaker 1: bourbon bottles that you can find on the shores, so 1077 01:04:21,920 --> 01:04:25,080 Speaker 1: that we have for sale, eat all three of them, 1078 01:04:25,440 --> 01:04:27,960 Speaker 1: one double gold just a couple of months ago in 1079 01:04:28,120 --> 01:04:31,880 Speaker 1: San Francisco, and that that's a very prestigious competition. It 1080 01:04:32,040 --> 01:04:35,240 Speaker 1: is a dent on the juice and that bottle. They 1081 01:04:35,360 --> 01:04:38,640 Speaker 1: do not know your brand name or your packaging, and 1082 01:04:38,800 --> 01:04:41,520 Speaker 1: so to have all three of our bourbons when double 1083 01:04:41,600 --> 01:04:44,760 Speaker 1: gold is something very special. It's something we're very proud of, 1084 01:04:45,400 --> 01:04:47,880 Speaker 1: and our marketing team is trying to figure out how 1085 01:04:47,920 --> 01:04:50,040 Speaker 1: to get their head around it. We don't think there's 1086 01:04:50,120 --> 01:04:53,640 Speaker 1: another brand, whether or a craft brand or one of 1087 01:04:53,680 --> 01:04:57,880 Speaker 1: the big boys that has entered that competition and sweat 1088 01:04:58,480 --> 01:05:01,880 Speaker 1: Double Gold with with all of their entries. So this 1089 01:05:02,120 --> 01:05:04,600 Speaker 1: is non labeled, so you just take a glass and 1090 01:05:04,640 --> 01:05:06,439 Speaker 1: as a judge you have to just base it off 1091 01:05:06,480 --> 01:05:09,520 Speaker 1: of your expertise. It's just straight up blind. It is 1092 01:05:10,200 --> 01:05:13,440 Speaker 1: blind taste tests and it's off that the smelling smelling it, 1093 01:05:13,760 --> 01:05:17,120 Speaker 1: you know, and Bob was instruggling and picking this with 1094 01:05:17,280 --> 01:05:20,040 Speaker 1: our recipe and and all of us with the taste 1095 01:05:20,080 --> 01:05:23,800 Speaker 1: profile or the flavor profile that we personally enjoy. You know. 1096 01:05:23,920 --> 01:05:26,840 Speaker 1: We've got a young Our premium straight is a rye, 1097 01:05:27,560 --> 01:05:29,760 Speaker 1: so it's got corn and then rye and a little 1098 01:05:29,760 --> 01:05:32,280 Speaker 1: bit of barley and that flavor and grain, and it's 1099 01:05:32,360 --> 01:05:36,120 Speaker 1: eighty seven proof. And then our other two are awaited Bourbon, 1100 01:05:36,400 --> 01:05:39,360 Speaker 1: so it's corn and then wheat and barley is that 1101 01:05:39,520 --> 01:05:42,480 Speaker 1: flavoring grain. And we've got a small batch bourbon that's 1102 01:05:42,480 --> 01:05:46,320 Speaker 1: at proof as a way to honor our special Forces 1103 01:05:46,360 --> 01:05:48,680 Speaker 1: team in a subtle little way. And then we've got 1104 01:05:48,760 --> 01:05:51,840 Speaker 1: the big brother, Big sister, the barrel strength version of that, 1105 01:05:52,000 --> 01:05:54,640 Speaker 1: and that'll roll in around one fifteen to a hundred 1106 01:05:54,680 --> 01:05:59,600 Speaker 1: and proof, you know, and all three of them are amazing. 1107 01:05:59,720 --> 01:06:03,520 Speaker 1: Birth And can you make whiskey? Can you make whiskey 1108 01:06:03,720 --> 01:06:08,440 Speaker 1: gluten free? By chance? Like a specialty amount, it doesn't 1109 01:06:08,440 --> 01:06:11,960 Speaker 1: always have to have because there's people who can't have gluten, 1110 01:06:12,120 --> 01:06:15,200 Speaker 1: right right, I'm just saying. And if you like a 1111 01:06:15,280 --> 01:06:17,560 Speaker 1: specialty piece, it's like, it's not like a hundred bottles, 1112 01:06:17,560 --> 01:06:21,440 Speaker 1: maybe twenty bottles. Yeah, it's it's uh, you know, the 1113 01:06:21,640 --> 01:06:24,360 Speaker 1: ingredients to go into it. They wanna, you know, non 1114 01:06:24,480 --> 01:06:27,600 Speaker 1: genetically modified grains and things like that. I mean, we 1115 01:06:27,880 --> 01:06:34,200 Speaker 1: joke about our our bourbon being free range and bourbon 1116 01:06:34,520 --> 01:06:39,280 Speaker 1: that's grown all already defaring mountain mc climb in whatever 1117 01:06:39,360 --> 01:06:44,479 Speaker 1: you want to call it, go harder, go home. Yeah, 1118 01:06:45,320 --> 01:06:49,440 Speaker 1: you know, it's it's uh, we want fans to enjoy. 1119 01:06:49,640 --> 01:06:52,400 Speaker 1: We hope, we know they'll enjoy our bourbons. We're gonna 1120 01:06:52,480 --> 01:06:56,080 Speaker 1: surprise you, We're gonna exceed your expectations. But because of 1121 01:06:56,120 --> 01:06:59,280 Speaker 1: the story behind it and the aspects we want folks 1122 01:06:59,360 --> 01:07:02,240 Speaker 1: to celebrate with our horse soldier bourbon, the challenges that 1123 01:07:02,360 --> 01:07:06,200 Speaker 1: they've overcome in their life, the little victories, you know, 1124 01:07:06,440 --> 01:07:11,600 Speaker 1: the birthdays, the weddings, the graduations, perhaps the divorce parties, 1125 01:07:11,920 --> 01:07:18,320 Speaker 1: whatever that special moment in their life, as the retirement gives. 1126 01:07:18,800 --> 01:07:23,720 Speaker 1: There's so much special in this bottle, you know. I've 1127 01:07:23,760 --> 01:07:27,720 Speaker 1: got realtors and bankers, you know, realtors given it out 1128 01:07:27,920 --> 01:07:30,720 Speaker 1: with as welcome gifts for people that are buying homes, 1129 01:07:30,880 --> 01:07:35,400 Speaker 1: and retirement gifts and and everything. So I appreciate it 1130 01:07:35,480 --> 01:07:38,000 Speaker 1: when fans reach out to us a horse soldier bourbon 1131 01:07:38,080 --> 01:07:40,360 Speaker 1: and let us know or share a photo with us 1132 01:07:40,440 --> 01:07:44,840 Speaker 1: on our social media on our Facebook or our Instagram account. 1133 01:07:45,200 --> 01:07:49,440 Speaker 1: Bob and I and Jim we've enjoyed doing a whiskey 1134 01:07:49,520 --> 01:07:52,280 Speaker 1: and war story now where we're able to to pair 1135 01:07:52,480 --> 01:07:55,120 Speaker 1: not only our award winning bourbon, but with this new 1136 01:07:55,200 --> 01:07:58,600 Speaker 1: book Sorts of Lightning and have a little book reading 1137 01:07:58,720 --> 01:08:02,880 Speaker 1: and bourbon tasting type of aspect. We've enjoyed doing that 1138 01:08:03,120 --> 01:08:06,400 Speaker 1: now with Jim and and sometimes so we depending on 1139 01:08:06,520 --> 01:08:09,320 Speaker 1: where we're at, we have some other special guests join us, 1140 01:08:09,960 --> 01:08:13,160 Speaker 1: and audiences just love to be able to ask some questions. 1141 01:08:13,280 --> 01:08:16,720 Speaker 1: A banner on the REPS website would look good too. 1142 01:08:16,960 --> 01:08:19,639 Speaker 1: I'm not the advertiser guy here, but I'm just saying, 1143 01:08:19,680 --> 01:08:22,240 Speaker 1: if you had a little horse soldier Bourbon add on 1144 01:08:22,760 --> 01:08:27,840 Speaker 1: soft reps homepage, every single one. I'm just put it 1145 01:08:27,920 --> 01:08:29,960 Speaker 1: out there. I'm not sure who that person would be. 1146 01:08:30,080 --> 01:08:32,160 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna say here's my email, but I'm just 1147 01:08:32,240 --> 01:08:35,200 Speaker 1: letting you know. You know, I mean, that's right there, 1148 01:08:36,479 --> 01:08:42,519 Speaker 1: Brandon Webb. You hear me, Lincoln, Mark, Brandon, Brandon, Now listen. 1149 01:08:42,600 --> 01:08:45,760 Speaker 1: I've taken up an hour plus. I could keep talking 1150 01:08:45,840 --> 01:08:47,880 Speaker 1: to you because I really love what you do and 1151 01:08:48,160 --> 01:08:50,840 Speaker 1: who you are, and thanks for fighting for America. So 1152 01:08:51,439 --> 01:08:54,160 Speaker 1: I just want to say thank you to Mark and Jim. 1153 01:08:54,280 --> 01:08:56,400 Speaker 1: Go ahead, please Mark tell me, yeah, I'll give you 1154 01:08:56,439 --> 01:08:58,320 Speaker 1: like three seconds to give me a little bit of 1155 01:08:58,360 --> 01:09:01,960 Speaker 1: a No. I enjoy a what you guys do with software, 1156 01:09:02,200 --> 01:09:05,560 Speaker 1: reading your articles and just you know, staying connected that 1157 01:09:05,680 --> 01:09:08,800 Speaker 1: way with what's going on across the community. And I 1158 01:09:08,880 --> 01:09:11,599 Speaker 1: appreciate the opportunity to share a little bit about our 1159 01:09:11,800 --> 01:09:14,800 Speaker 1: credible experience and our new books, Sorts of Lightning. We 1160 01:09:14,880 --> 01:09:17,439 Speaker 1: invite folks to Swords of Lightning dot com. You can 1161 01:09:17,520 --> 01:09:20,559 Speaker 1: get a book anywhere books are sold. You can get 1162 01:09:20,600 --> 01:09:23,400 Speaker 1: a copy, or you can reach out to Jim and 1163 01:09:23,520 --> 01:09:25,760 Speaker 1: Bob and I at our Swords of Lightning dot com 1164 01:09:25,880 --> 01:09:29,520 Speaker 1: website and you can order and purchase uh an autograph 1165 01:09:29,640 --> 01:09:32,719 Speaker 1: copy by the authors. And I just appreciate the optunity 1166 01:09:32,720 --> 01:09:35,040 Speaker 1: to talk about the book and talk about our award 1167 01:09:35,080 --> 01:09:38,120 Speaker 1: wind and Bourbon and Horse Soldier Bourbon dot com and 1168 01:09:38,200 --> 01:09:41,240 Speaker 1: our Horse Soldier Bourbon YouTube channel. And I just appreciate 1169 01:09:41,400 --> 01:09:44,360 Speaker 1: very much Rad the opportunity to to have a little 1170 01:09:44,400 --> 01:09:46,920 Speaker 1: fun with Jim again. And we can make a little poke, 1171 01:09:46,960 --> 01:09:49,640 Speaker 1: a little fun at Bob since he wasn't able to 1172 01:09:49,720 --> 01:09:55,320 Speaker 1: join us today. And I don't know if you can, 1173 01:09:55,400 --> 01:10:00,800 Speaker 1: but community Bob's head right here, please, A know that'll happen. 1174 01:10:01,040 --> 01:10:04,920 Speaker 1: We don't go ahead, Well, I don't know, we don't. 1175 01:10:05,040 --> 01:10:07,559 Speaker 1: We don't officially know where Bob is, right, I mean, 1176 01:10:07,760 --> 01:10:11,080 Speaker 1: you know, you never know where those ward officers really are. 1177 01:10:12,240 --> 01:10:15,639 Speaker 1: He says he's in at the California somewhere, but who knows, 1178 01:10:15,880 --> 01:10:18,960 Speaker 1: you know, it's a big state. Yeah, he's celebrating a 1179 01:10:19,040 --> 01:10:23,800 Speaker 1: special moment with his family and stuff. So hey, I 1180 01:10:23,880 --> 01:10:27,160 Speaker 1: look forward to seeing your special moment at some point. Yeah. 1181 01:10:27,320 --> 01:10:30,400 Speaker 1: I love to come up to Salt Lakes time snowboard. 1182 01:10:30,439 --> 01:10:34,160 Speaker 1: You reach out to me, come up. I'm more of 1183 01:10:34,240 --> 01:10:37,000 Speaker 1: a sledter, you know. I'm from Kansas, right, So I'm 1184 01:10:37,040 --> 01:10:40,000 Speaker 1: more of a slater, you know with the steep hill 1185 01:10:40,360 --> 01:10:45,599 Speaker 1: because you know here anymore. I'll tell you what that's right, 1186 01:10:46,040 --> 01:10:49,880 Speaker 1: But uh, I appreciate a Brighton ski resort here has 1187 01:10:49,960 --> 01:10:53,600 Speaker 1: about thirteen thousand foot elevation lift. I can take you 1188 01:10:53,680 --> 01:10:56,880 Speaker 1: up that we can write down really easy, easy, nice 1189 01:10:56,920 --> 01:11:01,040 Speaker 1: fluffy powder day. You seem like forty to forty three? Right? 1190 01:11:01,240 --> 01:11:05,840 Speaker 1: How old are you? Mark? Real quick? Yeah? Because I 1191 01:11:05,960 --> 01:11:12,680 Speaker 1: drink Yeah, okay, okay, keeps me yeah yeah right here 1192 01:11:12,800 --> 01:11:18,800 Speaker 1: see yeah, bring brought Jesus back himself. Bro, don't even 1193 01:11:18,880 --> 01:11:29,519 Speaker 1: don't even start. Okay, listen, I'm gonna thank you, thank you, 1194 01:11:30,520 --> 01:11:34,160 Speaker 1: thank You're very welcome, and thank you guys, and a 1195 01:11:34,280 --> 01:11:36,519 Speaker 1: salute to you, sir, and to you as well, Jim 1196 01:11:36,640 --> 01:11:39,240 Speaker 1: for writing those keys out and making that book happen. 1197 01:11:39,320 --> 01:11:42,960 Speaker 1: So go check out Swords of Lightning and Horse Soldier 1198 01:11:43,200 --> 01:11:45,360 Speaker 1: Bourbon dot com and I think you'll see a banner 1199 01:11:45,439 --> 01:11:47,320 Speaker 1: on softwarep that'll lead you to the website one of 1200 01:11:47,320 --> 01:11:49,560 Speaker 1: these days. So thanks again to Mark and Jim for 1201 01:11:49,920 --> 01:11:52,800 Speaker 1: being on Software Radio and you the listener. Alright, peace 1202 01:11:59,760 --> 01:12:02,000 Speaker 1: think listening to self rep Radio