1 00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:16,680 Speaker 1: Route for us. 2 00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:21,319 Speaker 2: If it doesn't work, you're just not using enough. You're 3 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 2: listening to software, radio, special operations, military nails and straight 4 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:41,159 Speaker 2: talk with the guys in the community. 5 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:44,800 Speaker 1: Every year here as soft Rep, we are always reminded 6 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:48,120 Speaker 1: on Veterans Day about those who pay the ultimate sacrifice 7 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:50,640 Speaker 1: and those that we love and care about who serve 8 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 1: our nation and our global allies. 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Hey, what's going on? 24 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:03,680 Speaker 1: This is rad with another awesome episode of soft Rep Radio. 25 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:06,559 Speaker 1: This time I come to you with a very cool guest. 26 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:09,359 Speaker 1: But before I introduce you to him, okay, which you 27 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:11,160 Speaker 1: already know who it is because you clicked on the link. 28 00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 1: But before I introduce you to him, I got to 29 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 1: tell you about the merch Store. So for the first 30 00:02:15,639 --> 00:02:18,040 Speaker 1: time listener out there, welcome to the show. Please check 31 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 1: out our merch store. Go ahead and support us, and 32 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:23,360 Speaker 1: that's at soft rep dot com forward slash merch. So 33 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:26,280 Speaker 1: go check out the merch store. And I think my guy, callum, 34 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 1: my producer, could put a little something right here where 35 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 1: my fingers are. Maybe you could click on it. I 36 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 1: don't know how that works, but maybe he does. Second, 37 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:35,280 Speaker 1: we have a book club. So you hear me say, 38 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 1: you got to go to the gym. You got to 39 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 1: keep yourself in health, and that's your wealth. And so 40 00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 1: your brain also is a muscle. And so if you 41 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:45,239 Speaker 1: could read some books, that would be great, Okay, because 42 00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:47,480 Speaker 1: knowledge is power and your brain needs to read. I 43 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 1: went to math class one time, and I'm like, why 44 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:50,639 Speaker 1: am I going to ever use this math in school? 45 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:52,440 Speaker 1: She's like, oh, you may not ever use it, but 46 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:55,720 Speaker 1: your brain is using it. And I'm like, oh the 47 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 1: brain works. Okay, So read a book at soft reap 48 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 1: dot com for slash Book hyphen Club. Now my next 49 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:08,920 Speaker 1: guest is a former one thirty pilot. He can correct 50 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 1: me if I'm wrong. Okay, that's the one that can 51 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:13,280 Speaker 1: bank and have all the guns that shoots down And 52 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:14,880 Speaker 1: I don't know if he flew puff or not, but 53 00:03:14,919 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 1: we'll find out. I want to welcome Tom Geyser, armed 54 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 1: Forces Special Advisor for the International Committee of the Red Cross, 55 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 1: based in Washington, d C. Welcome to the show. 56 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:27,080 Speaker 3: Tom, Thank you, roan a pleasure to be here. 57 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:29,919 Speaker 1: Right, we're about to go down this roller coaster. Okay, 58 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:31,400 Speaker 1: I'm gonna read your bio. Let me allow me to 59 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 1: introduce you to my listener. All right, Okay. Tom Geyser 60 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:37,480 Speaker 1: serves as an Armed Forces Special Advisor to the International 61 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:41,480 Speaker 1: Committee of the Red Cross ICRC. He transitioned from uniform 62 00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 1: as an air US Air Force colonel after twenty five 63 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 1: years of military service. He then took a family sabbatical 64 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:50,760 Speaker 1: in Europe while studying international humanitarian law prior to his 65 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:54,560 Speaker 1: transition to the ICRC. He is a graduate of the 66 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:56,680 Speaker 1: United States Air Force Academy, where he participated in a 67 00:03:56,680 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 1: program that allowed him to travel for one year throughout 68 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:02,720 Speaker 1: South America just a Spanish and Portuguese while immersing in 69 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 1: the cultures of the many local communities he visited. Following 70 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:09,520 Speaker 1: his commission, he began his career working for Congressman Like 71 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 1: Skelton on the House Armed Service Committee Very Cool as 72 00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:16,760 Speaker 1: a Truman Scholar Proact to attending Oxford University in the 73 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:20,799 Speaker 1: United Kingdom as a Rhodes Scholar, he served at NATO 74 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:26,200 Speaker 1: HQ supporting amb Richard Holbrook during Balkan conflict negotiations. He 75 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:29,560 Speaker 1: has also worked as the Inter American Defense Board in 76 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:32,960 Speaker 1: coordination with the Organization of American States. He is a 77 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:35,880 Speaker 1: command pilot as well as a Latin, American and European 78 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:40,599 Speaker 1: foreign affairs strategists who has served tours in the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, 79 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:46,320 Speaker 1: and Brazil. He is a graduate of Fulmanese Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 80 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:48,560 Speaker 1: He is a graduate of the US National War College 81 00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:52,200 Speaker 1: and taught at the Eisenhower School of National Security and 82 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:55,440 Speaker 1: Resource Strategy, where he also served as a guest lecturer 83 00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:58,240 Speaker 1: at the Inter American Defense College. He has deployed on 84 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:02,240 Speaker 1: multiple continuency operations across the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and 85 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:06,039 Speaker 1: Latin America. Most of his career has been spent leading 86 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:09,920 Speaker 1: within the units of Special Operations Command, with a focus 87 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:14,280 Speaker 1: on advising and leading partners hold on cell phones allies 88 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:17,640 Speaker 1: during condigency operations. Is last military assignment before transitioning from 89 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:21,960 Speaker 1: uniform was a deputy commander of the US Special Operations 90 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:25,719 Speaker 1: Commandate in Africa. I think I got that all out, Okay, 91 00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:28,880 Speaker 1: acevent sure out here? Okay, okay, yeah, the hell of 92 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:32,400 Speaker 1: a model American. Let's not forget that part. Okay, all right, 93 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:36,119 Speaker 1: colonel sir dude, welcome to the show. 94 00:05:36,880 --> 00:05:37,440 Speaker 3: Thank you, Ed. 95 00:05:38,279 --> 00:05:41,440 Speaker 1: I appreciate that. Hey, So, I see that there's a 96 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:45,200 Speaker 1: sign behind you, and it's the International Committee for the 97 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:45,920 Speaker 1: Red Cross. 98 00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:46,880 Speaker 3: That's right. 99 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:50,480 Speaker 1: That's a very bold brand that you now work for. 100 00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 1: Al Right. I know the US flag, I know the 101 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:57,279 Speaker 1: German flag, and I also know like the Red Cross flag. 102 00:05:57,320 --> 00:05:59,480 Speaker 1: I've seen it my whole life. It's like, give blood, 103 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:03,480 Speaker 1: good things, help other people, be there for the others 104 00:06:03,480 --> 00:06:05,920 Speaker 1: that are in need, or have you done any good 105 00:06:05,960 --> 00:06:08,800 Speaker 1: in the world today. That's what I think of when 106 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:10,120 Speaker 1: I see that Red Cross. 107 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:15,200 Speaker 4: Yeah, and I think the Red Cross is a symbol 108 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:19,159 Speaker 4: is very important as well as the other symbols like 109 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:22,719 Speaker 4: the Red Crescent exactly. You know that you're able to 110 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:26,320 Speaker 4: see around the world that represent a humanitarian movement that 111 00:06:26,440 --> 00:06:29,880 Speaker 4: includes everything from what people are most familiar with, probably 112 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:32,520 Speaker 4: in the United States would be the American Red Cross, 113 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:36,599 Speaker 4: where you find in your local communities volunteers and people 114 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:38,920 Speaker 4: to support a lot of the efforts that you mentioned, 115 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:41,960 Speaker 4: all the way up to those who are engaged in 116 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 4: armed conflict. The International Committee the Red Cross, which is 117 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:50,080 Speaker 4: Geneva based, So I'm representing the Geneva pace part of 118 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:53,800 Speaker 4: that movement in the International Committee the Red Cross. And 119 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:58,000 Speaker 4: what I find particularly compelling and interesting about the organization, 120 00:06:58,200 --> 00:07:03,240 Speaker 4: especially coming from special operations, where there's this mindset that 121 00:07:03,279 --> 00:07:06,599 Speaker 4: you have in doing your mission of the importance of 122 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:10,480 Speaker 4: access in placement and being networked around the world, and 123 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:13,920 Speaker 4: with a very different mission with a humanitarian focus, you 124 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:17,720 Speaker 4: see that same mindset that's very powerful within the Red 125 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 4: Cross movement, which includes everything from the National Society is 126 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:23,840 Speaker 4: like I mentioned with the American Red Cross up to 127 00:07:23,920 --> 00:07:27,480 Speaker 4: the Geneva based International Committee of the Red Cross and 128 00:07:27,960 --> 00:07:31,400 Speaker 4: that division of labor, where we're focused on armed conflict 129 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:35,600 Speaker 4: and they're focused a lot on humanitarian assistance, disaster relief. 130 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:39,400 Speaker 4: Local community support is very powerful. So just to give 131 00:07:39,440 --> 00:07:42,720 Speaker 4: you a notion, there's about seventeen thousand of us in 132 00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:44,280 Speaker 4: the ICRC around the. 133 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:46,360 Speaker 3: World, distributed globally. 134 00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:48,960 Speaker 4: And you can just imagine looking at a map of 135 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:52,960 Speaker 4: armed conflict data around the world where we are present, 136 00:07:53,440 --> 00:07:55,640 Speaker 4: and then you have an additional four hundred and twenty 137 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:58,600 Speaker 4: five thousand people within the broader movement that are working 138 00:07:58,680 --> 00:08:03,160 Speaker 4: for the Red Cross movement. And then what surprised me 139 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:07,520 Speaker 4: is seventeen million volunteers around the world. So just like 140 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:10,280 Speaker 4: you see imagine the American Red Cross where you can 141 00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 4: go to any small town or community in the United 142 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:18,119 Speaker 4: States and find American Red Cross members. Imagine that same 143 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:22,920 Speaker 4: concept applied to any country around the world. So that's 144 00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:25,320 Speaker 4: one of the things that gives us as a movement 145 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:29,160 Speaker 4: a head start if any armed conflict emerges, because you 146 00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:32,439 Speaker 4: have this backbone of people that know the language, they 147 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:34,719 Speaker 4: know all the local community, they know the people, they 148 00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:38,440 Speaker 4: know the civilians there, they know the infrastructure, logistics. 149 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:38,520 Speaker 3: They live there. 150 00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:42,960 Speaker 4: So it's incredibly powerful for us in supporting the humanitarian 151 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:46,120 Speaker 4: mission that we're able to pull that together from local 152 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:49,720 Speaker 4: nationals all the way up to the international colleagues that 153 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:51,319 Speaker 4: are working for the ICRC. 154 00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:55,240 Speaker 1: I love it. I just want to let you talk because, like, 155 00:08:55,880 --> 00:08:58,800 Speaker 1: you know, more of that needs to be going on 156 00:08:59,559 --> 00:09:02,680 Speaker 1: in the world world today of you know, again helping 157 00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:06,600 Speaker 1: and supporting one another and just realizing that we're all 158 00:09:06,760 --> 00:09:11,160 Speaker 1: of the same human makeup. You know, it's like we're 159 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:17,600 Speaker 1: fighting over just resources, and then that causes the conflicts, 160 00:09:17,640 --> 00:09:21,120 Speaker 1: and then now you have people who are displaced and 161 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:24,079 Speaker 1: not wanting to be involved in the conflicts and looking 162 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:26,960 Speaker 1: for salvation and whether that's under the Red Crescent or 163 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:29,280 Speaker 1: under the Red Cross, right, which is there to show 164 00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:33,800 Speaker 1: that it's not just like a Christianity based entity. It's 165 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:36,120 Speaker 1: also here's the Red Crescent for anybody that believes in 166 00:09:36,440 --> 00:09:39,120 Speaker 1: you know, like Islam or anything I believe. Is that 167 00:09:39,160 --> 00:09:41,840 Speaker 1: what I'm understanding what the Red Crescent is to shows 168 00:09:41,880 --> 00:09:45,880 Speaker 1: like both sides, like hey, we're not just one thing. 169 00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:48,040 Speaker 1: Is that why there is the Red Crescent versus the Cross? 170 00:09:48,679 --> 00:09:53,360 Speaker 4: Yeah, so you have in the movement there was misunderstanding 171 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:56,800 Speaker 4: exactly as you describe that the cross is not a 172 00:09:56,880 --> 00:10:01,960 Speaker 4: religious symbol right in its use for the ICRC emblem, 173 00:10:02,480 --> 00:10:07,080 Speaker 4: it's actually the reverse of the Swiss flag. So you know, 174 00:10:07,120 --> 00:10:10,559 Speaker 4: it's one of those if you look at the geometry 175 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:14,960 Speaker 4: of it, it's not it's not a religious geometry. Is 176 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:17,680 Speaker 4: the cross is used in Christianity. So it was making 177 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:22,240 Speaker 4: sure within the movement that those who had those concerns 178 00:10:22,360 --> 00:10:26,280 Speaker 4: that there would be alternate symbols that were available to them, 179 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:31,559 Speaker 4: to include a gem type figure that's that's also available 180 00:10:31,559 --> 00:10:33,760 Speaker 4: for others to use should they choose to. But the 181 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:37,200 Speaker 4: most commonly seen around the world would be the red 182 00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:39,200 Speaker 4: cross as well as the red crescent, which are the 183 00:10:39,240 --> 00:10:42,840 Speaker 4: most recognizable that most people would see and know exactly 184 00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:44,840 Speaker 4: what they're looking at and what it represents. 185 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:48,000 Speaker 1: I love that, and I know that like medic kits 186 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:50,680 Speaker 1: on people's to their belts and stuff have that red 187 00:10:50,679 --> 00:10:53,320 Speaker 1: cross on like right here, it's like, oh, go get 188 00:10:53,320 --> 00:10:55,440 Speaker 1: his medic kit off his belt. It's the red cross 189 00:10:55,480 --> 00:10:57,960 Speaker 1: world right there, right, It's like medic The symbol of 190 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:04,160 Speaker 1: medic has been used so much, and so why why 191 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:06,080 Speaker 1: do well, I guess I know why. I guess I 192 00:11:06,160 --> 00:11:08,000 Speaker 1: could say, why is it that you guys are attacked 193 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:10,680 Speaker 1: when you're trying to do humanitarian missions? You know, while 194 00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:14,240 Speaker 1: you have this and you obviously everybody kind of knows. 195 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:17,640 Speaker 1: I know that some countries don't have, you know, infrastructure 196 00:11:17,679 --> 00:11:21,000 Speaker 1: like internet or cell phones or their whole community doesn't. 197 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:23,080 Speaker 1: But when they see those symbols, they seem to know 198 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:25,480 Speaker 1: what it means. Why are you guys attacked when you're 199 00:11:25,480 --> 00:11:28,360 Speaker 1: just trying to provide you know, this humanitarian relief to 200 00:11:28,520 --> 00:11:33,160 Speaker 1: just Yeah. 201 00:11:32,720 --> 00:11:36,000 Speaker 4: So you bring up a really important point and for 202 00:11:36,080 --> 00:11:38,400 Speaker 4: me it's powerful and it was a huge adjustment coming 203 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:44,240 Speaker 4: into the ICRC. That emblem is the protection R. Yeah, 204 00:11:44,640 --> 00:11:47,400 Speaker 4: so so you know what I was used to, being 205 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:51,280 Speaker 4: all kitted out with weapons together with your team with 206 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:53,920 Speaker 4: armed over watch, you know, everything that we would do 207 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:56,920 Speaker 4: lay on in the Special Operations community for a military 208 00:11:56,960 --> 00:12:03,480 Speaker 4: operation to protect our own while conducting military missions. For 209 00:12:03,559 --> 00:12:08,839 Speaker 4: the ICRC, when conducting humanitarian missions, you don't have weapons, 210 00:12:09,440 --> 00:12:13,640 Speaker 4: you're not wearing body armor, you're not in up armored vehicles, 211 00:12:14,720 --> 00:12:16,240 Speaker 4: you're not having armed. 212 00:12:16,040 --> 00:12:17,680 Speaker 3: Escorts or overwide. 213 00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:22,040 Speaker 4: It's literally the emblem that protects you and it's such 214 00:12:22,040 --> 00:12:25,720 Speaker 4: a powerful thing, and it's part of the conventions that 215 00:12:25,760 --> 00:12:29,680 Speaker 4: all the nations have agreed to protect humanitarians and to 216 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:34,560 Speaker 4: protect that emblem and to respect that protection. So sometimes, 217 00:12:34,760 --> 00:12:40,320 Speaker 4: quite frankly, when there are incidents when we've unfortunately had 218 00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:43,680 Speaker 4: ICRC or members of the movement, the Red Cross, the 219 00:12:43,720 --> 00:12:47,200 Speaker 4: Red Crescent who have been killed or have been injured 220 00:12:47,640 --> 00:12:53,360 Speaker 4: where that protection was not sufficiently respected, and it could 221 00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:56,000 Speaker 4: come from everything from the fog of war, where you 222 00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:59,520 Speaker 4: have mistakes that are made, maybe you have a lack 223 00:12:59,559 --> 00:13:03,400 Speaker 4: of fire discipline, you have a lack of professionalism that 224 00:13:03,559 --> 00:13:08,199 Speaker 4: could result in, you know, the emblem not being sufficiently guarded, 225 00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:13,720 Speaker 4: protected and respected, and then unfortunately you could have circumstances 226 00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:22,440 Speaker 4: or maybe someone is maliciously trying to go after the 227 00:13:22,480 --> 00:13:28,280 Speaker 4: Red Crescent or the Red Cross or other humanitarians. So 228 00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:31,959 Speaker 4: it's one of those things that we try and reinforce 229 00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:36,480 Speaker 4: the body of agreements internationally and our frequent engagements around 230 00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:40,000 Speaker 4: the world with nations as well as non state armed groups. 231 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:42,640 Speaker 4: So this isn't just something we're talking with militaries or 232 00:13:42,720 --> 00:13:45,960 Speaker 4: talking with state governments. We're also talking with non state 233 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:49,720 Speaker 4: armed groups and getting everyone to appreciate and understand the 234 00:13:49,760 --> 00:13:53,000 Speaker 4: importance of their obligations to respect the protection that this 235 00:13:53,080 --> 00:13:57,960 Speaker 4: emblem provides, as well as the need to protect humanitarians 236 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:02,880 Speaker 4: and to protect civilians. And then and then also to 237 00:14:02,920 --> 00:14:08,880 Speaker 4: make sure that measures are taken so that you avoid miscalculations, mistakes, 238 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:14,240 Speaker 4: unintended harm to humanitarians that you didn't mean, but because 239 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:17,000 Speaker 4: of maybe something in your operational planning or the way 240 00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:21,400 Speaker 4: that you're operating, led to harm that had real consequences. 241 00:14:22,360 --> 00:14:26,760 Speaker 1: And so the thing about the International Committee for the 242 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:30,240 Speaker 1: Red Cross is that you guys aren't just Okay, so 243 00:14:30,520 --> 00:14:33,040 Speaker 1: conflict's going on right now around the world. Everybody's talking 244 00:14:33,040 --> 00:14:36,080 Speaker 1: about Israel and Gaza. Okay, there's a flotilla right now 245 00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:38,320 Speaker 1: that's trying to get into the you know, they're trying 246 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:42,280 Speaker 1: to dunkirk their way in to get humanitarian efforts and 247 00:14:42,320 --> 00:14:44,560 Speaker 1: relief into Gaza right now, like on the coast, and 248 00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:47,360 Speaker 1: you know they're being harassed, and you know they're just 249 00:14:47,360 --> 00:14:49,240 Speaker 1: trying to do the same kind of thing. Is anything 250 00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:53,400 Speaker 1: is the Is the Red Cross involved in any of that? 251 00:14:53,440 --> 00:14:55,200 Speaker 1: Is there any flags on any of those boats that 252 00:14:55,240 --> 00:14:58,440 Speaker 1: are going in with that flotilla that's currently kind of acting. 253 00:14:58,520 --> 00:15:00,760 Speaker 1: I guess how are you guys trying to get supplies 254 00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:04,000 Speaker 1: into Gaza? And then I have a follow up question 255 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:06,120 Speaker 1: about other countries as well. 256 00:15:06,280 --> 00:15:10,800 Speaker 4: Yeah, So for us, anytime we have a humanitarian mission 257 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:15,560 Speaker 4: anywhere in the world, our access and placement is dependent 258 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:18,840 Speaker 4: on the acceptance of whoever the armed parties are that 259 00:15:19,320 --> 00:15:20,920 Speaker 4: are controlling that territory. 260 00:15:21,920 --> 00:15:23,960 Speaker 3: So that will be a critical part for us. 261 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:26,880 Speaker 4: You can take any context, any continent in the world, 262 00:15:27,320 --> 00:15:30,920 Speaker 4: and what we will do is have multidisciplinary teams, will 263 00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:35,160 Speaker 4: have specialists, to include specialists like myself who are armed 264 00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:38,640 Speaker 4: forces advisors, to engage with those militaries, but then also 265 00:15:38,720 --> 00:15:41,560 Speaker 4: to engage with the governments to make sure that the 266 00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:46,400 Speaker 4: obligations of humanitarian access are respected and to make sure 267 00:15:46,440 --> 00:15:50,280 Speaker 4: that the mechanisms that are needed for us to get 268 00:15:50,360 --> 00:15:55,040 Speaker 4: humanitarian supplies in to conduct our mission are facilitated. And 269 00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:58,880 Speaker 4: that was something that we had been doing, you know, 270 00:15:58,960 --> 00:16:03,320 Speaker 4: with US forces when they were present. We continue to 271 00:16:04,040 --> 00:16:07,560 Speaker 4: engage with both the Israeli Defense forces as well as 272 00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:11,600 Speaker 4: the Israeli government to make sure that our humanitarian mission 273 00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:14,360 Speaker 4: is able to continue, and we will run in our 274 00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:18,120 Speaker 4: own dialogue, our own logistics and supply lines, while at 275 00:16:18,120 --> 00:16:21,440 Speaker 4: the same time we'll have bilateral confidential dialogue and this 276 00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:24,400 Speaker 4: is an important part of our work. When we talk 277 00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:31,160 Speaker 4: with states, we always do so bilaterally and confidential confidentiality, confidentially, 278 00:16:31,280 --> 00:16:34,920 Speaker 4: so we do not talk with other parties about what 279 00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:37,400 Speaker 4: we are discussing. So we have that trust and confidence 280 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:39,040 Speaker 4: and we're able to be open with each other and 281 00:16:39,040 --> 00:16:41,760 Speaker 4: they're able to be open with us to get our 282 00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:44,760 Speaker 4: mission best supported. And that's hard sometimes for people to 283 00:16:44,840 --> 00:16:48,160 Speaker 4: understand and accept why we may not, as an institution, 284 00:16:48,680 --> 00:16:55,000 Speaker 4: a humanitarian organization, be speaking more publicly, But sometimes it's. 285 00:16:54,440 --> 00:16:54,840 Speaker 1: Not that. 286 00:16:56,360 --> 00:16:59,280 Speaker 3: We wouldn't want to. It's because of the way that 287 00:16:59,320 --> 00:16:59,920 Speaker 3: we operate. 288 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:02,080 Speaker 4: In order to be able to do our mission, we 289 00:17:02,160 --> 00:17:04,880 Speaker 4: need acceptance from the parties that we are working with, 290 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:09,160 Speaker 4: and that acceptance comes from a trust that it results 291 00:17:09,200 --> 00:17:13,520 Speaker 4: from this bilateral confidential relationship that we have that gardner's 292 00:17:13,600 --> 00:17:17,000 Speaker 4: respect on both sides for each other's missions and understanding 293 00:17:17,040 --> 00:17:17,640 Speaker 4: what we're doing. 294 00:17:18,640 --> 00:17:20,360 Speaker 1: Wow, it seems like you should take a bigger role 295 00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:25,359 Speaker 1: in the world. Okay, can I just chuckle at that? 296 00:17:25,440 --> 00:17:27,560 Speaker 1: I don't want to laugh at such an atrocities that 297 00:17:27,600 --> 00:17:29,879 Speaker 1: happen that you guys get called into but you know, 298 00:17:30,280 --> 00:17:33,399 Speaker 1: the Red Cross also shows up to her cater relief 299 00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:36,600 Speaker 1: and you know for blood donations on the fly. It's 300 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:39,280 Speaker 1: like national disaster, who do we go to? We go 301 00:17:39,359 --> 00:17:42,119 Speaker 1: to the Red Cross. We're like, get the red give blood. 302 00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:44,320 Speaker 1: Go to the local Red Cross, give blood. You know 303 00:17:44,400 --> 00:17:46,359 Speaker 1: there's one here at Salt Lake City. There's a Red Cross. 304 00:17:46,400 --> 00:17:48,280 Speaker 1: I drive by almost every single day and I just 305 00:17:48,359 --> 00:17:50,119 Speaker 1: drive by. I'm so jade it to the Red Cross, 306 00:17:50,160 --> 00:17:52,560 Speaker 1: this building and the people in there working diligently to 307 00:17:52,600 --> 00:17:55,480 Speaker 1: try to make the best of whatever they can from 308 00:17:55,520 --> 00:17:58,159 Speaker 1: here at Salt Lake for the world as a whole. 309 00:17:58,359 --> 00:18:01,440 Speaker 1: You know, it's like you're able to talk to leaders 310 00:18:01,480 --> 00:18:04,520 Speaker 1: on one side of a conflict and the leaders on 311 00:18:04,560 --> 00:18:06,480 Speaker 1: the other side of a conflict and say, hey, you 312 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:08,760 Speaker 1: guys all know who we are. You all know the 313 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:11,120 Speaker 1: Red Cress and the Red Cross and the other symbols 314 00:18:11,119 --> 00:18:13,880 Speaker 1: that mean you know what this is. So you're gonna 315 00:18:13,960 --> 00:18:19,600 Speaker 1: let us chill. We're good, you trust us, like you know, like, 316 00:18:19,760 --> 00:18:21,560 Speaker 1: can you just tell them to stop being mad at 317 00:18:21,560 --> 00:18:24,040 Speaker 1: each other too? At the same time, I know that 318 00:18:24,640 --> 00:18:27,680 Speaker 1: I know the Red Cross is not a political situation. 319 00:18:27,840 --> 00:18:32,000 Speaker 1: It's a humanitarian you know, I believe cause right or 320 00:18:33,080 --> 00:18:35,440 Speaker 1: designation just for humanity. 321 00:18:36,520 --> 00:18:36,760 Speaker 3: Right. 322 00:18:36,800 --> 00:18:39,920 Speaker 4: So one of the things that's really important for us. 323 00:18:39,920 --> 00:18:44,160 Speaker 4: And as you mentioned, we're not political, and we are 324 00:18:44,440 --> 00:18:47,760 Speaker 4: a neutral organization, which again is you know, it doesn't 325 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:52,200 Speaker 4: mean that each of us serving as individuals are neutral 326 00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:56,119 Speaker 4: in our hearts, but it professionally and in order to 327 00:18:56,119 --> 00:18:59,840 Speaker 4: perform our humanitarian mission. The only way we can accomplish 328 00:18:59,880 --> 00:19:03,679 Speaker 4: that mission is to be professionally neutral in order to 329 00:19:04,320 --> 00:19:09,080 Speaker 4: not pick sides in a conflict. And you know, there's 330 00:19:09,119 --> 00:19:12,040 Speaker 4: a couple of bodies of law that affect warfare. One 331 00:19:12,160 --> 00:19:15,520 Speaker 4: is juice ad below, which has to do with whether 332 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:19,520 Speaker 4: wars are justified or legal, the prosecution of a war 333 00:19:19,640 --> 00:19:21,119 Speaker 4: who starts the war. 334 00:19:21,359 --> 00:19:24,439 Speaker 3: And the ICRC does not get into that side of 335 00:19:24,440 --> 00:19:24,840 Speaker 3: the law. 336 00:19:24,960 --> 00:19:29,480 Speaker 4: We don't come in judgmentally to say who's right or 337 00:19:29,560 --> 00:19:34,600 Speaker 4: wrong in terms of the parties to the conflict. What 338 00:19:34,640 --> 00:19:38,359 Speaker 4: we do is we understand that war is a very 339 00:19:38,480 --> 00:19:42,159 Speaker 4: unfortunate reality of humanity on earth. 340 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:45,359 Speaker 3: And if we accept that wars are. 341 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:47,919 Speaker 4: Going to happen, how can we come up with a 342 00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:51,240 Speaker 4: way of operating so that we can try and minimize 343 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:56,080 Speaker 4: civilian harm. We can try and minimize unnecessary suffering, to 344 00:19:56,119 --> 00:20:00,359 Speaker 4: include by those who are fighting those uniform pers So now, 345 00:20:01,119 --> 00:20:03,280 Speaker 4: and the way that we do that is to be 346 00:20:03,359 --> 00:20:06,720 Speaker 4: a political it's to be neutral, to not pick sides. 347 00:20:07,160 --> 00:20:10,359 Speaker 4: So we talked in the beginning, you mentioned humanity. Humanity 348 00:20:10,440 --> 00:20:14,720 Speaker 4: is a north star principle for the ICRC, and that 349 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:19,200 Speaker 4: guides everything that we do. But one other important principle is. 350 00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:22,800 Speaker 1: Me too, me too, you know, me too, Yeah, exactly. 351 00:20:23,240 --> 00:20:28,200 Speaker 4: And you know that neutrality is again, if we weren't 352 00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:30,879 Speaker 4: a neutral party, we would not have access, we would 353 00:20:30,920 --> 00:20:34,679 Speaker 4: not be able to have the acceptance that we need 354 00:20:34,760 --> 00:20:37,840 Speaker 4: to do our humanitarian mission with all of the different 355 00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:40,879 Speaker 4: civilian communities that may be on that battlefield. The only 356 00:20:40,960 --> 00:20:44,560 Speaker 4: way that opposing parties in an armed conflict are going 357 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:48,680 Speaker 4: to give the same organization access to territory under their 358 00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:52,960 Speaker 4: control is by seeing us as a neutral actor that's 359 00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:57,159 Speaker 4: not picking sides, that truly only has humanitarian interests. And 360 00:20:57,200 --> 00:21:01,760 Speaker 4: then and in addition to that, we're we're an independent organization, 361 00:21:01,920 --> 00:21:04,560 Speaker 4: so we make our own decisions on where we go 362 00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:09,120 Speaker 4: and how we act, and nobody else is telling us 363 00:21:10,200 --> 00:21:11,960 Speaker 4: or making those decisions for us. 364 00:21:12,440 --> 00:21:14,200 Speaker 3: And then the last and. 365 00:21:14,119 --> 00:21:17,240 Speaker 4: I think one of the most important principles that guides 366 00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:20,480 Speaker 4: us as impartiality, and that means that we go wherever 367 00:21:20,520 --> 00:21:23,760 Speaker 4: the needs are greatest. So as we look around the world, 368 00:21:23,800 --> 00:21:27,280 Speaker 4: you can imagine we do not have unlimited resources. So 369 00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:31,560 Speaker 4: we have to unfortunately choose with the resources that we 370 00:21:31,640 --> 00:21:35,040 Speaker 4: have where is the greatest need, and that includes in 371 00:21:35,080 --> 00:21:39,560 Speaker 4: any given conflict, and apply our resources carefully to those 372 00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:41,200 Speaker 4: who have the greatest need. 373 00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:46,439 Speaker 1: That's an amazing mission that you are a part of, 374 00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:50,960 Speaker 1: Colonel sir dude, and I just want you to know that. 375 00:21:51,320 --> 00:21:54,119 Speaker 1: And I just want to ask a question that I 376 00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:57,320 Speaker 1: usually ask everybody on my show, is you go from 377 00:21:57,560 --> 00:22:02,720 Speaker 1: a young man to military. Okay, in your life, you 378 00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:06,080 Speaker 1: transition into the military, you graduate, and you're a pilot 379 00:22:06,119 --> 00:22:08,359 Speaker 1: and you're flying C one thirties and you did that 380 00:22:08,359 --> 00:22:11,439 Speaker 1: for like twenty some odd years in the military, and 381 00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:14,919 Speaker 1: then you know the transition out. Okay. So a lot 382 00:22:14,960 --> 00:22:18,080 Speaker 1: of my listeners are former veterans, are currently in or 383 00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:20,159 Speaker 1: they're going around they're getting their D two fourteen all 384 00:22:20,200 --> 00:22:22,640 Speaker 1: squared away, and they're like getting all this stuff signed off, 385 00:22:22,680 --> 00:22:24,800 Speaker 1: and you know, they're running around to the base and 386 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:27,000 Speaker 1: sign this. So when I get out, it won't make 387 00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:31,840 Speaker 1: any sense to anybody else but me. You you had to 388 00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:33,680 Speaker 1: do that as well, and you you achieved the rank 389 00:22:33,720 --> 00:22:36,520 Speaker 1: of colonel, all right, and that's that's that's that's admirable 390 00:22:36,560 --> 00:22:40,000 Speaker 1: one hundred percent. And so to climb that rank and 391 00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:41,880 Speaker 1: then to all of a sudden have to transition your 392 00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:47,359 Speaker 1: life again into a civilian life, because the Red Cross 393 00:22:47,480 --> 00:22:54,679 Speaker 1: is a civilian thing effort. How was that transition for 394 00:22:54,760 --> 00:22:57,920 Speaker 1: you to go from you know, learning how to fly 395 00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:00,199 Speaker 1: the C one thirty and dropping my dad over to 396 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:03,800 Speaker 1: me territory as a green beret, those kind of guys, 397 00:23:04,040 --> 00:23:06,080 Speaker 1: you know, doing the mission. Green lights are go, you know, 398 00:23:06,280 --> 00:23:09,120 Speaker 1: the red light green light, the red straps on the 399 00:23:09,160 --> 00:23:11,560 Speaker 1: seat of the inside of a C one thirty, all 400 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:15,359 Speaker 1: of the yeah, you know, the door opening, the tailgate 401 00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:17,879 Speaker 1: dropping down, you know, all of that. It's like, you know, 402 00:23:17,960 --> 00:23:19,720 Speaker 1: as a young man growing up, I've been all over 403 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:21,399 Speaker 1: that thing. My dad would be like, hey, let's go 404 00:23:21,440 --> 00:23:23,200 Speaker 1: to this see one thirty and walk through it, and 405 00:23:23,240 --> 00:23:27,719 Speaker 1: I'm like, oh, red straps, you know, cargo netty. You 406 00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:30,119 Speaker 1: go from that, and I'm sure you probably have a 407 00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:32,280 Speaker 1: model of that somewhere in your office. A SEE one 408 00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:35,280 Speaker 1: thirty somewhere. There's probably a model maybe hanging or sitting 409 00:23:35,280 --> 00:23:38,080 Speaker 1: somewhere you go from that to this. Can you kind 410 00:23:38,080 --> 00:23:40,159 Speaker 1: of explain that transition for my listener who may be 411 00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:45,400 Speaker 1: contemplating maybe joining your mission that is in your realms. 412 00:23:45,760 --> 00:23:46,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, sure. 413 00:23:46,800 --> 00:23:51,400 Speaker 4: And and before I answer that question, the yeah, yes, 414 00:23:51,480 --> 00:23:53,879 Speaker 4: I have a Talon two model that most of us 415 00:23:53,880 --> 00:23:56,320 Speaker 4: who served in Okinawa, we used to have a place 416 00:23:56,400 --> 00:23:58,520 Speaker 4: in the Philippines that hand carved them for us and 417 00:23:58,520 --> 00:23:59,320 Speaker 4: they would tailor him. 418 00:23:59,359 --> 00:24:00,920 Speaker 3: And that's fantastic. 419 00:24:01,640 --> 00:24:05,200 Speaker 4: But yeah, I would tell you coming to the I 420 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:09,000 Speaker 4: c r C that that part for me was not difficult. 421 00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:12,600 Speaker 4: But the first part of your question man alive. It's 422 00:24:13,040 --> 00:24:15,280 Speaker 4: no joke, hardest thing in my life that you know, 423 00:24:15,760 --> 00:24:19,080 Speaker 4: stepping out of uniform. And and I'll just tell you 424 00:24:19,160 --> 00:24:20,439 Speaker 4: very frankly, I had. 425 00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:22,560 Speaker 3: I had personally. 426 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:26,639 Speaker 4: Gotten to that point and and it's tough. It's uh 427 00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:30,560 Speaker 4: some people this notion of you know, work life balance, 428 00:24:31,080 --> 00:24:33,320 Speaker 4: you know, having your family and your life while still 429 00:24:34,200 --> 00:24:37,120 Speaker 4: being able to do your your professional job, especially when 430 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:42,119 Speaker 4: in uniform. But I wasn't very good at that, Like 431 00:24:42,880 --> 00:24:46,200 Speaker 4: you know, you you get sucked into it was very 432 00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:49,640 Speaker 4: mission oriented, always had been. You get sucked into that, 433 00:24:49,880 --> 00:24:54,119 Speaker 4: to the abandonment of those you love and care about 434 00:24:54,160 --> 00:24:57,720 Speaker 4: most dearly that you know your your your most proximate family. 435 00:24:57,840 --> 00:25:01,360 Speaker 3: So it was one of those. It's one of those 436 00:25:01,400 --> 00:25:02,480 Speaker 3: tough choices that. 437 00:25:03,920 --> 00:25:06,879 Speaker 4: I had to make, you know, as I thought about 438 00:25:07,080 --> 00:25:09,600 Speaker 4: my wife and daughter, and it was like it was 439 00:25:09,640 --> 00:25:10,080 Speaker 4: one of those. 440 00:25:10,119 --> 00:25:11,440 Speaker 3: My daughter was thirteen. 441 00:25:12,640 --> 00:25:15,639 Speaker 4: So with Daisy and I I was like, Okay, I 442 00:25:15,840 --> 00:25:18,200 Speaker 4: love what I'm doing, but I only have one life 443 00:25:18,200 --> 00:25:22,159 Speaker 4: and I don't get another swing at this, so I'm 444 00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:24,679 Speaker 4: gonna I'm gonna make the hard call. And you know, 445 00:25:25,119 --> 00:25:27,119 Speaker 4: I probably didn't do it the best way. It was 446 00:25:27,160 --> 00:25:30,560 Speaker 4: one of those I didn't I didn't talk to anybody 447 00:25:30,640 --> 00:25:33,159 Speaker 4: or tell anybody before I pushed the button because I 448 00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:34,920 Speaker 4: didn't want anybody to talk me out of it. 449 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:35,600 Speaker 1: Right. 450 00:25:37,040 --> 00:25:40,040 Speaker 4: I had made a decision that I need to do 451 00:25:40,080 --> 00:25:42,160 Speaker 4: this for my family. I need to reconnect with them, 452 00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:44,760 Speaker 4: I need to spend time with them. And that's exactly 453 00:25:44,800 --> 00:25:45,320 Speaker 4: what we did. 454 00:25:46,040 --> 00:25:47,320 Speaker 3: And you know. 455 00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:53,199 Speaker 4: Full of full of tears, it's still it's hard for me. 456 00:25:54,280 --> 00:25:59,240 Speaker 4: I loved it, and yeah, so Daisy and Isabelle and 457 00:25:59,320 --> 00:26:00,120 Speaker 4: I we spent. 458 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:05,719 Speaker 3: A few years together, just us, just us traveling around 459 00:26:05,760 --> 00:26:07,040 Speaker 3: and it was fantastic. 460 00:26:07,119 --> 00:26:10,439 Speaker 4: And you know, we did a homeschool program, the Potters 461 00:26:10,480 --> 00:26:14,800 Speaker 4: School that I put Isabelle in and I got to 462 00:26:14,840 --> 00:26:18,440 Speaker 4: be her her tutor and support her and her studies 463 00:26:18,480 --> 00:26:21,639 Speaker 4: for a couple of years, and it was fantastic. And 464 00:26:22,760 --> 00:26:27,840 Speaker 4: you know, after after after that, one of the challenges though, is, 465 00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:31,080 Speaker 4: and you'll talk with people who transition out of uniform, 466 00:26:31,280 --> 00:26:36,439 Speaker 4: it's it's it's never enough just to be dedicated to 467 00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:39,879 Speaker 4: your family. That that focus and dedication to your family 468 00:26:39,920 --> 00:26:43,399 Speaker 4: is important, but you need your own sense of purpose 469 00:26:43,520 --> 00:26:47,159 Speaker 4: and and and it seems like you found that, uh 470 00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:51,640 Speaker 4: in what you're doing. And congratulations for finding that. 471 00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:54,720 Speaker 3: Purpose For me, that's what I was. 472 00:26:54,920 --> 00:26:58,040 Speaker 4: I was I was seeking and and you know it 473 00:26:58,119 --> 00:27:00,800 Speaker 4: was one of those you kind of feel it, but 474 00:27:00,880 --> 00:27:05,080 Speaker 4: you're you know, my wife, especially Daisy, she was able 475 00:27:05,080 --> 00:27:07,879 Speaker 4: to see it and recognize that, you know, you just 476 00:27:07,920 --> 00:27:10,400 Speaker 4: can't keep hanging out. 477 00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:10,840 Speaker 1: With us for. 478 00:27:12,440 --> 00:27:15,400 Speaker 3: For years and years more. You need something for yourself. 479 00:27:15,480 --> 00:27:19,600 Speaker 4: And I had always I had always wanted to transition 480 00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:22,560 Speaker 4: to the humanitarian side of the fence at some point. 481 00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:25,120 Speaker 3: And you know what surprises me is. 482 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:28,920 Speaker 4: You look at as you look at veterans, how many 483 00:27:29,440 --> 00:27:31,960 Speaker 4: it's a sense of service that you have, and very 484 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:34,640 Speaker 4: often you have it from when you're very young. Sometimes 485 00:27:34,640 --> 00:27:37,719 Speaker 4: it comes from your families, sometimes it comes from your community. 486 00:27:38,320 --> 00:27:41,040 Speaker 4: It definitely if you didn't have it before you join 487 00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:44,480 Speaker 4: the military, you will have it, you know, because of 488 00:27:44,520 --> 00:27:49,040 Speaker 4: your military service. So when people many people who leave 489 00:27:50,720 --> 00:27:54,120 Speaker 4: the uniformed ranks, they continue to serve in some way 490 00:27:54,480 --> 00:27:58,040 Speaker 4: serve their communities. It could be at the local state level, 491 00:27:59,240 --> 00:28:03,080 Speaker 4: it could be with with law enforcement, it could be 492 00:28:03,800 --> 00:28:06,960 Speaker 4: as a defense contractor it could be as a government 493 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:11,200 Speaker 4: civilian and a federal agency. And I think especially if 494 00:28:11,240 --> 00:28:13,840 Speaker 4: we look back at the legacy of the GI Bill 495 00:28:13,880 --> 00:28:18,000 Speaker 4: after World War Two, and you know how we reintegrated 496 00:28:19,280 --> 00:28:23,199 Speaker 4: military veterans into society at all levels, and that redefine 497 00:28:23,240 --> 00:28:26,320 Speaker 4: the fabric of America. And I think you still see 498 00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:29,560 Speaker 4: versions of that today in the United States. And you 499 00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:31,760 Speaker 4: know that's everywhere from even as I c r C, 500 00:28:32,119 --> 00:28:35,520 Speaker 4: when I'm when I'm engaging on the hill with with 501 00:28:35,520 --> 00:28:38,880 Speaker 4: with congressional representatives, together with my colleagues to engage in 502 00:28:38,960 --> 00:28:42,360 Speaker 4: the Pentagon, or like you were mentioning with the American 503 00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:44,720 Speaker 4: Red Cross as we talked to our movement partners here 504 00:28:44,760 --> 00:28:46,840 Speaker 4: in the United States. 505 00:28:46,720 --> 00:28:49,400 Speaker 3: It's it's it really. 506 00:28:49,120 --> 00:28:53,120 Speaker 4: It's it's heartening to see how many people have a 507 00:28:53,160 --> 00:28:55,960 Speaker 4: more selfless sense of that they want to be giving 508 00:28:56,040 --> 00:28:59,520 Speaker 4: something with a sense of service. Uh and in many 509 00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:04,520 Speaker 4: cases very directly a sense of public service to America, 510 00:29:04,680 --> 00:29:08,720 Speaker 4: to US as a nation. And it's interesting because I 511 00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:13,959 Speaker 4: look at Armed Forces advisors like myself in the ICRC, 512 00:29:14,120 --> 00:29:18,160 Speaker 4: we have thirty different nationalities, so that as we engage 513 00:29:18,160 --> 00:29:21,120 Speaker 4: and we talk with different countries and different militaries and 514 00:29:21,160 --> 00:29:24,680 Speaker 4: different states, they have the same passion that I have 515 00:29:24,760 --> 00:29:27,720 Speaker 4: for America, for the countries that they come from, with 516 00:29:28,040 --> 00:29:32,160 Speaker 4: that North Star principle of humanity orienting them, so it 517 00:29:32,200 --> 00:29:35,960 Speaker 4: becomes a very powerful thing. But for any of the 518 00:29:36,040 --> 00:29:39,040 Speaker 4: veterans that may be listening or people who are getting 519 00:29:39,080 --> 00:29:43,360 Speaker 4: ready to transition, don't underestimate how hard it's going to be. 520 00:29:43,800 --> 00:29:48,720 Speaker 4: I mean, it is incredibly difficult. Don't underestimate all the 521 00:29:48,760 --> 00:29:51,440 Speaker 4: preparation that you need to do, not just for yourself, 522 00:29:51,480 --> 00:29:55,320 Speaker 4: but with your family. And then take that time to 523 00:29:55,440 --> 00:29:59,720 Speaker 4: reconnect with friends and family, because anybody who's been in 524 00:29:59,760 --> 00:30:02,400 Speaker 4: you would have been running hard. There would have been 525 00:30:02,720 --> 00:30:06,720 Speaker 4: a lot of time away from home. But but once 526 00:30:06,760 --> 00:30:10,080 Speaker 4: you've re said, make sure that you're thinking hard about 527 00:30:10,080 --> 00:30:12,000 Speaker 4: that sense of purpose, something that's going to give you 528 00:30:12,080 --> 00:30:16,480 Speaker 4: fulfillment you as an individual, because if you don't do that, 529 00:30:16,880 --> 00:30:19,800 Speaker 4: it's going to affect your relationships with others, to include 530 00:30:19,800 --> 00:30:20,680 Speaker 4: your family. 531 00:30:21,040 --> 00:30:23,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, because they may be you know, used to you 532 00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:27,160 Speaker 1: being at your job and you know, like when my 533 00:30:27,240 --> 00:30:29,640 Speaker 1: dad would deploy as a Green Beret, my mom was 534 00:30:29,680 --> 00:30:33,000 Speaker 1: always home. We never really traveled around the country like 535 00:30:33,040 --> 00:30:36,040 Speaker 1: a lot of Army brats did in other jobs. Like 536 00:30:36,040 --> 00:30:37,640 Speaker 1: they're like, oh, hey, a year later you go into 537 00:30:37,680 --> 00:30:39,360 Speaker 1: a new base, or dad's move into a new base, 538 00:30:39,440 --> 00:30:42,520 Speaker 1: or mom in two years or transitioning TDY. My dad 539 00:30:42,640 --> 00:30:44,880 Speaker 1: was I was. I kind of was fortunate that Dad 540 00:30:44,920 --> 00:30:47,800 Speaker 1: would just go from his base and go for three 541 00:30:47,920 --> 00:30:50,240 Speaker 1: six months and we would just stay here. So we 542 00:30:50,320 --> 00:30:52,920 Speaker 1: got to grow roots here, you know, here in Utah. 543 00:30:53,280 --> 00:30:59,400 Speaker 1: And mom was also Dad and mom and okay, let's 544 00:30:59,640 --> 00:31:01,640 Speaker 1: say quick prayer to get the car started this morning 545 00:31:01,680 --> 00:31:03,760 Speaker 1: so we get to school on time. I'm like, do 546 00:31:03,880 --> 00:31:06,000 Speaker 1: I have to pray for that? You know, It's like, 547 00:31:06,160 --> 00:31:08,240 Speaker 1: let's go, let's go. And then Dad comes home from 548 00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:12,200 Speaker 1: you know, deployment, and then he's like trying to rub 549 00:31:12,240 --> 00:31:16,040 Speaker 1: shoulders with mom and trying to acclimate back into the 550 00:31:16,040 --> 00:31:20,360 Speaker 1: life of the family unit that we want Dad back at, 551 00:31:20,440 --> 00:31:21,960 Speaker 1: you know. But then all of a sudden, it's like, hey, 552 00:31:22,280 --> 00:31:25,040 Speaker 1: well there's a regiment going on here, and Mom's kind 553 00:31:25,040 --> 00:31:26,960 Speaker 1: of got things under control, and now Dad's got to 554 00:31:26,960 --> 00:31:29,800 Speaker 1: fall back into the regiment of that. And Dad sits 555 00:31:29,800 --> 00:31:33,400 Speaker 1: there and thinks, well, you know, I maybe deployments are 556 00:31:33,520 --> 00:31:36,840 Speaker 1: taking away from me or taking away from that family timeframe. 557 00:31:36,880 --> 00:31:39,760 Speaker 1: And I never realized Dad was gone. I mean I did, 558 00:31:39,760 --> 00:31:41,920 Speaker 1: but I just thought, oh, that's dad. You know, that's 559 00:31:41,960 --> 00:31:44,040 Speaker 1: what my dad does. And I would wear camouflage every 560 00:31:44,080 --> 00:31:46,080 Speaker 1: day to school, and I had my own little ribbons 561 00:31:46,080 --> 00:31:48,920 Speaker 1: that I earned around the house with a good conduct 562 00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:51,000 Speaker 1: and like all that kind of a thing. My Dad's like, 563 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:53,600 Speaker 1: here's your airborne wings, because we would jump off picnic 564 00:31:53,600 --> 00:31:55,880 Speaker 1: tables before they jumped, they'd get ready to jump and 565 00:31:55,880 --> 00:31:58,680 Speaker 1: stuff before they got on the sea one through. Yeah. 566 00:31:58,720 --> 00:32:00,800 Speaker 1: So I would do all that as eight nine ten 567 00:32:00,840 --> 00:32:02,920 Speaker 1: year old little kid, Like you would have your kid 568 00:32:03,280 --> 00:32:06,160 Speaker 1: paling around with you everywhere, right exposed to that environment, 569 00:32:07,320 --> 00:32:10,160 Speaker 1: and so I just was I guess I'm just relating 570 00:32:10,200 --> 00:32:12,040 Speaker 1: with just like that kind of a situation of the 571 00:32:12,040 --> 00:32:14,880 Speaker 1: family unit and the dynamic. And then him transitioning from 572 00:32:15,720 --> 00:32:18,840 Speaker 1: Green Beret from a medical was to like believe in 573 00:32:18,880 --> 00:32:20,840 Speaker 1: me as a business owner at fourteen. So he saw 574 00:32:20,880 --> 00:32:23,280 Speaker 1: me slinging skateboards out of my garage and he's like, well, 575 00:32:23,360 --> 00:32:25,120 Speaker 1: let's get you a business license and get you a 576 00:32:25,160 --> 00:32:28,720 Speaker 1: little shop and start pushing that together. All behind the scenes, 577 00:32:28,720 --> 00:32:33,040 Speaker 1: he had a work a master's degree in business management 578 00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:36,640 Speaker 1: and communications. So this whole time, you know dad being 579 00:32:36,680 --> 00:32:40,320 Speaker 1: a Green Beret warfighter, he was also very savvy business guy. 580 00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:43,520 Speaker 1: And I think that's kind of where I get that from. 581 00:32:43,560 --> 00:32:45,960 Speaker 1: Like I can totally see where he like kind of 582 00:32:46,960 --> 00:32:49,240 Speaker 1: put me into this realm of where I'm at today 583 00:32:49,360 --> 00:32:54,400 Speaker 1: and including this show, because I got into public speaking 584 00:32:54,440 --> 00:32:56,440 Speaker 1: and communications because of my dad. After I learned that 585 00:32:56,480 --> 00:32:58,959 Speaker 1: he was all, you know, into business as well. So 586 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:03,440 Speaker 1: it's like, thanks Dad, and so thanks to you, I'm 587 00:33:03,480 --> 00:33:05,200 Speaker 1: just saying, yeah, I've just share that with you, Okay, 588 00:33:05,280 --> 00:33:06,560 Speaker 1: I just want to let you know you know so, 589 00:33:07,040 --> 00:33:09,680 Speaker 1: And uh, I guess it's just a hard transition because 590 00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:14,200 Speaker 1: I try to watch in transition from SF to running 591 00:33:14,200 --> 00:33:16,840 Speaker 1: marathons every day to what's he going to do? Now? 592 00:33:16,960 --> 00:33:18,880 Speaker 1: You know, like, what what do you do? You know, 593 00:33:18,920 --> 00:33:22,120 Speaker 1: you're like kind of frozen. And so you guys at 594 00:33:22,160 --> 00:33:26,240 Speaker 1: the International Red Cross, you're always looking for able people 595 00:33:26,280 --> 00:33:30,000 Speaker 1: that can help join your your your programs and your cause, 596 00:33:30,120 --> 00:33:32,240 Speaker 1: even if it's not on an international level, it's on 597 00:33:32,280 --> 00:33:34,480 Speaker 1: a local level. They can just reach out through the 598 00:33:34,480 --> 00:33:38,840 Speaker 1: Red Crosses probably website right and examply for careers. 599 00:33:38,960 --> 00:33:42,320 Speaker 4: Most definitely, most definitely, and you know both the American 600 00:33:42,320 --> 00:33:44,800 Speaker 4: Red Cross as was I c r C. You know 601 00:33:44,880 --> 00:33:46,840 Speaker 4: you can you can go via the websites to see 602 00:33:46,880 --> 00:33:50,120 Speaker 4: what kind of openings and for anybody who's interested in 603 00:33:50,680 --> 00:33:53,800 Speaker 4: those career opportunities. You know what's good is if you 604 00:33:53,920 --> 00:33:57,479 Speaker 4: do that before you're ready to transition, so you can 605 00:33:57,520 --> 00:34:00,240 Speaker 4: start looking what what are the qualifications, what are the 606 00:34:00,280 --> 00:34:02,560 Speaker 4: attributes that they're looking at. So if you if you 607 00:34:02,560 --> 00:34:04,720 Speaker 4: see a gap in your resume or something that you 608 00:34:04,800 --> 00:34:06,800 Speaker 4: might be able to do to try and make yourself 609 00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:08,640 Speaker 4: more competitive, then. 610 00:34:08,160 --> 00:34:08,600 Speaker 1: You do that. 611 00:34:10,840 --> 00:34:13,360 Speaker 4: I just I wanted to when you were when you 612 00:34:13,400 --> 00:34:16,640 Speaker 4: were talking about deployments and you know, when your father 613 00:34:16,640 --> 00:34:19,160 Speaker 4: would go away and then come back, it made me 614 00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:24,040 Speaker 4: think of one other really important mission that the ICRC 615 00:34:24,280 --> 00:34:27,920 Speaker 4: has when it comes to armed conflict, in whether it's 616 00:34:27,960 --> 00:34:31,239 Speaker 4: with US military, and this is when I'm speaking with 617 00:34:31,640 --> 00:34:35,120 Speaker 4: US government officials, whether it's on the Hill or Pentagon officials. 618 00:34:35,360 --> 00:34:39,720 Speaker 4: Something I emphasize is our obligation to US service members 619 00:34:39,760 --> 00:34:43,160 Speaker 4: and their families in the event that a big war 620 00:34:43,200 --> 00:34:46,880 Speaker 4: were to kick off, or in any of the current 621 00:34:47,120 --> 00:34:50,080 Speaker 4: conflicts that the US may be involved in around the world. 622 00:34:50,440 --> 00:34:56,000 Speaker 4: And it is those situations where somebody deploys or you 623 00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:59,560 Speaker 4: can take other nations militaries. How often you might have 624 00:34:59,600 --> 00:35:04,040 Speaker 4: somebody taken as a prisoner of war or somebody who 625 00:35:04,080 --> 00:35:07,200 Speaker 4: may be missing in action, and you have a family 626 00:35:07,280 --> 00:35:10,920 Speaker 4: that doesn't know where they killed, where they taken prisoner. 627 00:35:12,080 --> 00:35:15,320 Speaker 4: So one of the important roles that ICRC has in 628 00:35:15,480 --> 00:35:21,360 Speaker 4: armed conflict is being able to help to make those links, 629 00:35:21,840 --> 00:35:24,920 Speaker 4: to restore those links with families by being able to 630 00:35:25,960 --> 00:35:30,560 Speaker 4: visit POW's, being able to get a Red Cross message 631 00:35:30,600 --> 00:35:34,239 Speaker 4: out and communicate that with the families so that they 632 00:35:34,800 --> 00:35:38,319 Speaker 4: they know that their family members still alive if in 633 00:35:38,360 --> 00:35:42,759 Speaker 4: the most unfortunate of circumstances, someone has fallen, to be 634 00:35:42,800 --> 00:35:46,200 Speaker 4: able to make sure that those remains are able to 635 00:35:46,200 --> 00:35:49,319 Speaker 4: be returned in a dignified manner and that the family knows. 636 00:35:49,400 --> 00:35:53,200 Speaker 4: And we had a had a very on Powmi a 637 00:35:53,320 --> 00:35:56,320 Speaker 4: day we went as a delegation with their headed delegation, 638 00:35:56,400 --> 00:36:00,839 Speaker 4: Fabrito Carboni, with very I think one of the as 639 00:36:00,880 --> 00:36:04,359 Speaker 4: an American, one of the most powerful things you can 640 00:36:04,400 --> 00:36:07,800 Speaker 4: see to reflect on the nation is to go to 641 00:36:07,920 --> 00:36:10,239 Speaker 4: Arlington Cemetery and see the changing of the guard the 642 00:36:10,239 --> 00:36:14,440 Speaker 4: tomb of the unknown Soldier. And it's that concept of 643 00:36:15,080 --> 00:36:19,319 Speaker 4: you know, thinking back to those many Americans in World 644 00:36:19,360 --> 00:36:22,680 Speaker 4: War One or World War Two, during the Great Wars, 645 00:36:22,760 --> 00:36:25,440 Speaker 4: or then even in the Korean War where they might 646 00:36:25,480 --> 00:36:28,200 Speaker 4: have had a family member that deployed in these conflicts 647 00:36:28,680 --> 00:36:31,560 Speaker 4: that never came back and they don't know what happened. 648 00:36:32,360 --> 00:36:37,680 Speaker 4: And you know, the effort the US military, through pow 649 00:36:37,800 --> 00:36:43,719 Speaker 4: Mia efforts or the ICRC makes in countries where conflicts 650 00:36:43,719 --> 00:36:47,080 Speaker 4: occurred to try and provide some resolution, even if it 651 00:36:47,120 --> 00:36:50,440 Speaker 4: takes some time. What I find amazing is, you know, 652 00:36:50,480 --> 00:36:54,680 Speaker 4: we've got everything to include forensic specialists and that are 653 00:36:54,719 --> 00:36:57,400 Speaker 4: able to help engage bring their expertise not only with 654 00:36:57,719 --> 00:37:00,800 Speaker 4: countries around the world, but also with the United States 655 00:37:00,840 --> 00:37:06,560 Speaker 4: and again hopefully hopefully a lot of these efforts will 656 00:37:06,560 --> 00:37:10,560 Speaker 4: never be needed. But if there were big conflict to 657 00:37:10,600 --> 00:37:13,760 Speaker 4: emerge on the scales that we saw in the great. 658 00:37:13,520 --> 00:37:15,320 Speaker 3: Wars of World War One and World War. 659 00:37:15,200 --> 00:37:19,839 Speaker 4: Two, our history and those Americans and the voices, the writings, 660 00:37:19,920 --> 00:37:22,120 Speaker 4: the recordings of what they have to tell us are 661 00:37:22,120 --> 00:37:25,600 Speaker 4: important for us to remember. And the ICRC is very 662 00:37:25,640 --> 00:37:28,680 Speaker 4: attuned to that, and I think it's an important part 663 00:37:28,680 --> 00:37:31,640 Speaker 4: of our work from a preparedness perspective. 664 00:37:32,280 --> 00:37:34,520 Speaker 1: I'm also in tune to that. I like that. That's 665 00:37:34,560 --> 00:37:36,640 Speaker 1: a good I like what you said right there. I 666 00:37:36,680 --> 00:37:38,560 Speaker 1: just want to let that be known. Okay, for the record, 667 00:37:38,560 --> 00:37:41,399 Speaker 1: that was awesome, well put. And I was just thinking, geez, 668 00:37:41,480 --> 00:37:44,319 Speaker 1: you know, I'm sitting here telling my daughter there's these 669 00:37:44,680 --> 00:37:47,640 Speaker 1: positions available. She speaks multiple languages, and I'm like, wow, well, 670 00:37:49,640 --> 00:37:52,879 Speaker 1: you know, I just okay, wats for a resume coming 671 00:37:52,880 --> 00:37:56,560 Speaker 1: through shorty Okay. I'm gonna be like, yo, Sydney, You'll 672 00:37:56,600 --> 00:38:00,080 Speaker 1: never believe another job opportunity because that might just that 673 00:38:00,160 --> 00:38:01,440 Speaker 1: it gives you a sense of purpose. 674 00:38:01,960 --> 00:38:03,839 Speaker 3: It does. Yeah, that's that's one thing. 675 00:38:03,840 --> 00:38:06,840 Speaker 4: And that's why when I mentioned transitioning out of the 676 00:38:06,880 --> 00:38:10,360 Speaker 4: military was hard, Transitioning into the ICRC was not. 677 00:38:11,360 --> 00:38:12,839 Speaker 3: Yes, And it's because of that. 678 00:38:12,920 --> 00:38:15,439 Speaker 4: As long as as long as you have that sense 679 00:38:15,440 --> 00:38:18,439 Speaker 4: of purpose that you know when you have a good 680 00:38:18,480 --> 00:38:20,480 Speaker 4: mission and it was the same thing when it was uniform. 681 00:38:20,520 --> 00:38:22,960 Speaker 4: As long as you have a good mission, then there's 682 00:38:23,000 --> 00:38:25,640 Speaker 4: nothing to worry about it. Even if life's hard, if 683 00:38:25,680 --> 00:38:28,440 Speaker 4: it's difficult, if there's challenges, as long as your mission 684 00:38:28,480 --> 00:38:30,359 Speaker 4: is good and you can stand behind it and you're 685 00:38:30,400 --> 00:38:32,920 Speaker 4: proud of that mission, then you're in a good place. 686 00:38:33,200 --> 00:38:35,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, you like to probably be shoulder to shoulder with 687 00:38:35,080 --> 00:38:36,920 Speaker 1: those that are going to be shoulder to shoulder with you, 688 00:38:37,280 --> 00:38:39,440 Speaker 1: you know, That's what I mean. And so whether that's 689 00:38:39,640 --> 00:38:41,760 Speaker 1: on a C one thirty and you got your battle 690 00:38:41,760 --> 00:38:44,560 Speaker 1: buddies on there and every crew chief, everybody's shoulder to 691 00:38:44,560 --> 00:38:46,960 Speaker 1: shoulder kind of ranks out the window at that point. 692 00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:50,440 Speaker 1: You know, it's like Hey Tom, Hey Bill, Hey Dan. Okay, 693 00:38:50,520 --> 00:38:52,840 Speaker 1: but sir, on the flight line, I got you. You know, 694 00:38:53,600 --> 00:38:58,040 Speaker 1: like that shoulder shoulder camaraderie is something that I found 695 00:38:58,440 --> 00:39:01,520 Speaker 1: myself was awesome in the middle Terry on a baseball team. 696 00:39:01,880 --> 00:39:04,400 Speaker 1: You know, in boy scouts, you have a lot of 697 00:39:04,440 --> 00:39:07,400 Speaker 1: the same people doing the same type of shoulder shoulder activities, 698 00:39:08,080 --> 00:39:12,080 Speaker 1: and I'm sure with the ICRC it's the same exact thing. 699 00:39:12,080 --> 00:39:15,440 Speaker 1: There's camaraderie. You have people who a brotherhood and a 700 00:39:15,480 --> 00:39:19,000 Speaker 1: sisterhood who have you know, sworn to help, you know, 701 00:39:19,560 --> 00:39:24,080 Speaker 1: the humanitarian north Star effort. Sometimes we drift towards the 702 00:39:24,120 --> 00:39:26,560 Speaker 1: second start of the right though, Peter pan Okay, but 703 00:39:26,600 --> 00:39:30,200 Speaker 1: we got to always stay focused on that north star, right. 704 00:39:30,239 --> 00:39:33,200 Speaker 1: But you know, there might be a vacation to the 705 00:39:33,280 --> 00:39:36,680 Speaker 1: less star there. But nonetheless, I think what you guys 706 00:39:36,680 --> 00:39:42,400 Speaker 1: are doing as a whole right is just is honorable. 707 00:39:42,640 --> 00:39:45,919 Speaker 4: So no, thank you, And you know, for me, it's 708 00:39:46,000 --> 00:39:49,760 Speaker 4: a you know, does it reflects One of the things 709 00:39:49,800 --> 00:39:53,400 Speaker 4: that makes Special Operations Team so versatile is you have 710 00:39:54,080 --> 00:39:57,160 Speaker 4: all of these different subject matter experts that are part 711 00:39:57,160 --> 00:39:59,960 Speaker 4: of your team. And that's very much how the ICRC operat. 712 00:40:00,200 --> 00:40:03,360 Speaker 4: So it's one of those concepts that's very familiar where 713 00:40:03,800 --> 00:40:06,319 Speaker 4: you know, whether it's an Armed Forces advisor, or it's 714 00:40:06,360 --> 00:40:10,880 Speaker 4: an engineer who's able to work essential water systems wastewater 715 00:40:10,960 --> 00:40:14,480 Speaker 4: and drinking water, or it's a or it's medical professionals 716 00:40:14,520 --> 00:40:17,680 Speaker 4: doctors and nurses, or it's the protection personnel that are 717 00:40:17,680 --> 00:40:21,719 Speaker 4: able to go do prison visits and check on you know, 718 00:40:21,920 --> 00:40:25,120 Speaker 4: how how the prisons are being run, or it's somebody 719 00:40:25,160 --> 00:40:28,160 Speaker 4: who's able to be on the hotlines that are restoring 720 00:40:28,239 --> 00:40:32,600 Speaker 4: family links. Right listening to the stories from the families, 721 00:40:32,640 --> 00:40:36,360 Speaker 4: it's it's it's really incredible when you see the diversity 722 00:40:36,360 --> 00:40:38,759 Speaker 4: of teams and the way that they're tailored by I 723 00:40:38,880 --> 00:40:42,600 Speaker 4: C r C leadership and heads of delegations in the field. 724 00:40:43,360 --> 00:40:46,160 Speaker 1: I would say that, like in basic I remember a 725 00:40:46,239 --> 00:40:51,040 Speaker 1: gentleman getting red crossed out in basic training. We're like, 726 00:40:51,080 --> 00:40:53,400 Speaker 1: where do you go? Oh, he got red Cross? We're like, 727 00:40:53,440 --> 00:40:56,920 Speaker 1: what is that? How do what do we get Red Cross? 728 00:40:57,440 --> 00:41:00,759 Speaker 1: Like something serious happened in his life that the Red 729 00:41:00,760 --> 00:41:04,359 Speaker 1: Cross reached out through the Basic training and pulled him 730 00:41:04,360 --> 00:41:06,160 Speaker 1: out to go take care of whatever he had to 731 00:41:06,160 --> 00:41:07,840 Speaker 1: take care of. That's all I ever knew. He's just 732 00:41:07,880 --> 00:41:09,879 Speaker 1: we just heard he was Red Cross. So I mean, 733 00:41:09,880 --> 00:41:15,120 Speaker 1: you guys literally reach everybody that is needing to be that. 734 00:41:15,760 --> 00:41:17,799 Speaker 1: You try to help everybody in need, like you said, 735 00:41:17,840 --> 00:41:21,879 Speaker 1: whether they're a pow, whether it's an airman that's being 736 00:41:21,960 --> 00:41:26,239 Speaker 1: red crossed out for family medical or family emergencies, and 737 00:41:26,520 --> 00:41:29,160 Speaker 1: you know, the Red Cross can get involved in that 738 00:41:29,160 --> 00:41:34,480 Speaker 1: that's theral neutrality, nutrilit neutralness, neutralness, we'll go with neutral thiss. Okay, 739 00:41:34,520 --> 00:41:41,000 Speaker 1: that's the that you present to all sides of the 740 00:41:41,040 --> 00:41:43,319 Speaker 1: situation of the conflict. And I think what you would 741 00:41:43,360 --> 00:41:45,520 Speaker 1: like is just when you come into the situation and 742 00:41:45,520 --> 00:41:48,880 Speaker 1: you're talking to Side A, who thinks they're the good guys, 743 00:41:49,719 --> 00:41:52,080 Speaker 1: you're like, hey, cool, okay, you think you're the good guys, 744 00:41:52,080 --> 00:41:53,800 Speaker 1: but we were the Red Cross. We just want to 745 00:41:53,800 --> 00:41:56,640 Speaker 1: make sure that we can get in through these lanes. Okay, 746 00:41:56,640 --> 00:42:00,040 Speaker 1: from your side, that's the good guys, quote unquote. And 747 00:42:00,080 --> 00:42:02,439 Speaker 1: now someone has to go talk to Team B, who 748 00:42:02,480 --> 00:42:05,719 Speaker 1: thinks that they're the good guys, and now and you're 749 00:42:05,800 --> 00:42:10,000 Speaker 1: still the Red Cross or the Red Crescent, and you're like, hey, look, okay, 750 00:42:10,000 --> 00:42:12,360 Speaker 1: so you think you're the good guys. That's cool. I 751 00:42:12,360 --> 00:42:13,759 Speaker 1: can't tell you what they think, but I can tell 752 00:42:13,800 --> 00:42:15,640 Speaker 1: you that we just need to go down this road 753 00:42:15,719 --> 00:42:18,360 Speaker 1: without you guys shooting at us from this side, okay. 754 00:42:18,440 --> 00:42:21,440 Speaker 1: And so and really that's the that's where the Red 755 00:42:21,440 --> 00:42:23,880 Speaker 1: Cross comes in. It's like, hey, you know, let us 756 00:42:23,960 --> 00:42:27,480 Speaker 1: just take these supplies in this is the situation and 757 00:42:27,600 --> 00:42:31,360 Speaker 1: just leave us alone. And sometimes that doesn't always happen. 758 00:42:31,719 --> 00:42:36,080 Speaker 1: We've seen it time and time again, targeted attacks of 759 00:42:36,239 --> 00:42:38,960 Speaker 1: these vehicles that have the cross or the Credit Crescent 760 00:42:39,080 --> 00:42:42,719 Speaker 1: or a similar nature right trying to bring supplies. And 761 00:42:42,800 --> 00:42:46,040 Speaker 1: it's not just in Gaza, it's like Africa and in 762 00:42:46,120 --> 00:42:48,080 Speaker 1: other countries that a lot of people aren't even on 763 00:42:48,120 --> 00:42:50,560 Speaker 1: their radar. Like you guys are getting phone calls of 764 00:42:50,960 --> 00:42:54,920 Speaker 1: almost a nine to one one high. This is African 765 00:42:55,000 --> 00:42:58,120 Speaker 1: country needs you. Now. You're like, Okay, here's what's going 766 00:42:58,160 --> 00:43:01,640 Speaker 1: on over here. Here's a genocide happening over here. Here's 767 00:43:02,040 --> 00:43:06,480 Speaker 1: an earthquake of enormous proportions over here in Haiti, you know, 768 00:43:07,160 --> 00:43:09,840 Speaker 1: et cetera. It's like that's where you guys come in, 769 00:43:09,880 --> 00:43:13,319 Speaker 1: and that's where you flex, like Arnold right there. 770 00:43:14,000 --> 00:43:17,680 Speaker 4: Yea, And I think you know what's important, And I 771 00:43:17,680 --> 00:43:20,080 Speaker 4: think it's interesting the evolution of a lot of our work. 772 00:43:20,160 --> 00:43:22,880 Speaker 4: And you know, if we go back to the origin 773 00:43:22,960 --> 00:43:26,680 Speaker 4: story of the ICRC, you know in eighteen fifty nine, 774 00:43:26,840 --> 00:43:30,839 Speaker 4: when we look at the Battle of Sulfarino where Rido Nan, 775 00:43:30,960 --> 00:43:33,680 Speaker 4: a businessman, is going to try and meet Napoleon. He 776 00:43:33,719 --> 00:43:37,920 Speaker 4: has no idea what's going on, and a battle breaks 777 00:43:37,960 --> 00:43:41,360 Speaker 4: out where twenty nine thousand people are killed in twelve 778 00:43:41,360 --> 00:43:45,319 Speaker 4: hours of fighting, and you know, you don't have any 779 00:43:45,400 --> 00:43:49,600 Speaker 4: of what we're talking about doesn't exist. And it's that 780 00:43:49,760 --> 00:43:54,760 Speaker 4: need in this case where you have somebody who's seeing 781 00:43:54,840 --> 00:43:58,360 Speaker 4: the after effects, is seeing the wounded and seeing the dead, 782 00:43:58,680 --> 00:44:01,120 Speaker 4: with no one to attend to them, no one to 783 00:44:01,160 --> 00:44:01,919 Speaker 4: carry them off. 784 00:44:02,800 --> 00:44:05,800 Speaker 3: And you know, he writes about it, and he's. 785 00:44:05,600 --> 00:44:09,239 Speaker 4: Able to share that story in a small pamphlet. He 786 00:44:09,239 --> 00:44:13,839 Speaker 4: writes memories of Sulfurino, and he's able to share that 787 00:44:13,920 --> 00:44:17,799 Speaker 4: with other European partners and get everyone to agree that 788 00:44:17,880 --> 00:44:21,480 Speaker 4: this is not okay. You know that these individuals who 789 00:44:21,480 --> 00:44:22,920 Speaker 4: are fighting on behalf of their. 790 00:44:22,800 --> 00:44:23,880 Speaker 3: State in uniform. 791 00:44:24,360 --> 00:44:27,200 Speaker 4: You know, once they're wounded, once they're sick, they're out 792 00:44:27,200 --> 00:44:29,520 Speaker 4: of the fight and they need to be respected as 793 00:44:29,520 --> 00:44:33,000 Speaker 4: individuals now and they need to be protected and someone 794 00:44:33,040 --> 00:44:35,279 Speaker 4: needs to attend to them. And I can remember he 795 00:44:35,320 --> 00:44:38,120 Speaker 4: writes about he writes about a sergeant major who had 796 00:44:38,160 --> 00:44:42,960 Speaker 4: been fighting for over thirty years, very experienced, who's you know, 797 00:44:43,040 --> 00:44:47,400 Speaker 4: on a church floor, who's about to die, who's about 798 00:44:47,400 --> 00:44:51,360 Speaker 4: to die from gang green five days after his injuries, 799 00:44:51,400 --> 00:44:54,600 Speaker 4: and he knows that he's going to die, and he's asking, here, 800 00:44:54,719 --> 00:44:58,279 Speaker 4: do not can you please let my family know? And 801 00:44:58,320 --> 00:45:01,120 Speaker 4: he writes a letter so that Andre Denana is able 802 00:45:01,160 --> 00:45:04,400 Speaker 4: to get that letter to the family to know where 803 00:45:04,400 --> 00:45:07,320 Speaker 4: he died and that he died honorably. But the greatest 804 00:45:07,360 --> 00:45:11,040 Speaker 4: tragedy was that Sergeant Major. He knew that had he 805 00:45:11,239 --> 00:45:14,640 Speaker 4: had his wounds been attended to right away, he would 806 00:45:14,680 --> 00:45:17,800 Speaker 4: have survived. He might have suffered an amputation, but he 807 00:45:17,800 --> 00:45:21,040 Speaker 4: would have survived. And you know, so this movement to 808 00:45:22,200 --> 00:45:25,440 Speaker 4: amongst these powers to come up with a way to 809 00:45:25,520 --> 00:45:28,600 Speaker 4: protect those in uniform when they're wounded, and to and 810 00:45:28,640 --> 00:45:31,520 Speaker 4: to and to honor the dignity of those who are fallen, 811 00:45:32,000 --> 00:45:33,480 Speaker 4: it was it was really important. 812 00:45:33,680 --> 00:45:33,919 Speaker 1: Uh. 813 00:45:34,000 --> 00:45:37,000 Speaker 4: And and you see these gaps come up and even 814 00:45:37,040 --> 00:45:41,640 Speaker 4: today where I think everybody, independent of whether there's treaties 815 00:45:41,760 --> 00:45:45,160 Speaker 4: or legal obligations or not, and any human should be 816 00:45:45,160 --> 00:45:49,520 Speaker 4: able to appreciate intuitively that moral sense of obligation to 817 00:45:49,600 --> 00:45:54,120 Speaker 4: respect the humanity of everyone. And then we see that 818 00:45:54,640 --> 00:45:57,080 Speaker 4: as we go into World War One, you know, prisoners 819 00:45:57,080 --> 00:46:00,360 Speaker 4: of war became a big issue, and the miss treatment 820 00:46:00,440 --> 00:46:03,200 Speaker 4: of prisoners of war, so then they became another group 821 00:46:03,280 --> 00:46:06,840 Speaker 4: of uniform personnel that needed to be protected. And in 822 00:46:06,960 --> 00:46:09,719 Speaker 4: World War Two then you have you know a lot 823 00:46:09,760 --> 00:46:14,160 Speaker 4: of civilians that are harmed unnecessarily in World War Two. 824 00:46:14,600 --> 00:46:17,040 Speaker 4: So then you get the protection of civilians and you 825 00:46:17,120 --> 00:46:20,920 Speaker 4: bring that body of law, whether on land or at sea, 826 00:46:21,000 --> 00:46:25,560 Speaker 4: if you're sick, if you're wounded, if you are if 827 00:46:25,560 --> 00:46:29,120 Speaker 4: you are a civilian, that you deserve to be protected. 828 00:46:30,080 --> 00:46:32,319 Speaker 1: Yeah, And I would imagine that if there was someone 829 00:46:32,360 --> 00:46:35,040 Speaker 1: wounded on the battlefield, you're not really taking sides of 830 00:46:35,040 --> 00:46:38,080 Speaker 1: who that wounded is. You're just like, hey, you. 831 00:46:38,040 --> 00:46:41,960 Speaker 4: Know exactly, And that's what impartiality comes up. It needs 832 00:46:42,000 --> 00:46:44,520 Speaker 4: based whoever needs the support. 833 00:46:44,760 --> 00:46:47,400 Speaker 1: That's correct, you know, because there's veterans on both sides, 834 00:46:47,440 --> 00:46:50,720 Speaker 1: a Team A and tm B who are being shell shocked, 835 00:46:51,640 --> 00:46:56,640 Speaker 1: wounded with PTSD wounded physically traumatic brain injuries on both sides, 836 00:46:57,400 --> 00:47:01,000 Speaker 1: all fighting in the name of their cause, right, And 837 00:47:01,040 --> 00:47:02,879 Speaker 1: like I said, Team athinks they're the good guy. Team 838 00:47:02,880 --> 00:47:05,319 Speaker 1: B things they're the good guy and they're fighting each other. 839 00:47:05,680 --> 00:47:08,920 Speaker 1: They just need to like someone needs to like just 840 00:47:09,080 --> 00:47:11,880 Speaker 1: talk the same language to one another. And which is 841 00:47:11,880 --> 00:47:13,279 Speaker 1: what I find. I'm going to go out on a 842 00:47:13,280 --> 00:47:16,200 Speaker 1: limb here. I think that like presidents should speak a 843 00:47:16,200 --> 00:47:21,200 Speaker 1: different language, at least one like fluently. It should be like, okay, 844 00:47:21,280 --> 00:47:24,399 Speaker 1: I speak Mandarin or I speak Spanish. Huh okay, well 845 00:47:24,400 --> 00:47:27,720 Speaker 1: we have two candidates. One speaks matter and one speaks Spanish. 846 00:47:27,840 --> 00:47:29,760 Speaker 1: That's a good thing. That's a good thing. They could talk, 847 00:47:30,080 --> 00:47:32,040 Speaker 1: you know. I mean, you know, I think that if 848 00:47:32,040 --> 00:47:34,560 Speaker 1: we could have people learn or have like you said, 849 00:47:34,600 --> 00:47:39,080 Speaker 1: you have multiple nationalities from all around the world blended 850 00:47:39,080 --> 00:47:42,400 Speaker 1: into your organization, who can do just that and have 851 00:47:42,520 --> 00:47:46,520 Speaker 1: those conversations with that passion, whereas over here it's like, oh, 852 00:47:46,520 --> 00:47:48,759 Speaker 1: you're talking bad about me, but they're really trying to say, hey, 853 00:47:48,760 --> 00:47:52,520 Speaker 1: can I get a couple of water? Right? That's like 854 00:47:52,560 --> 00:47:59,080 Speaker 1: communication is the breakdown. I think that's just me. I'm 855 00:47:59,120 --> 00:48:01,399 Speaker 1: just saying that. But I know that you guys are 856 00:48:01,520 --> 00:48:04,640 Speaker 1: very uh you know, is it a political is that 857 00:48:04,640 --> 00:48:06,919 Speaker 1: the right word, like you're not? Yeah? 858 00:48:07,040 --> 00:48:08,680 Speaker 3: Or a neutral political organization? 859 00:48:08,920 --> 00:48:12,040 Speaker 4: And you know it's it's it's one of those you 860 00:48:12,880 --> 00:48:15,080 Speaker 4: try to understand where people are coming from, right. So, 861 00:48:15,719 --> 00:48:19,120 Speaker 4: and one of the challenges is, you know, war is 862 00:48:19,160 --> 00:48:22,680 Speaker 4: about uh using you've gotten to the point. 863 00:48:22,480 --> 00:48:24,680 Speaker 3: As a state or as a as. 864 00:48:24,520 --> 00:48:27,399 Speaker 4: An organization if it's a non state armed group where 865 00:48:27,400 --> 00:48:30,360 Speaker 4: you've you've decided that you're going to use violence to 866 00:48:30,520 --> 00:48:35,000 Speaker 4: try and achieve some political objectives. And it's one of 867 00:48:35,000 --> 00:48:40,400 Speaker 4: those you know, trying to get everybody acknowledged that even 868 00:48:40,960 --> 00:48:44,719 Speaker 4: even wars have rules, right, and and and how you 869 00:48:44,800 --> 00:48:48,600 Speaker 4: decide to fight those wars, how you lead those wars 870 00:48:48,840 --> 00:48:52,600 Speaker 4: is going to determine how the wars end. So trying 871 00:48:52,600 --> 00:48:56,080 Speaker 4: to get everybody to imagine beyond the rage that they 872 00:48:56,120 --> 00:48:59,880 Speaker 4: may feel internally and and have the professionalism to be 873 00:49:00,040 --> 00:49:03,040 Speaker 4: able to conduct themselves in a way that's able to 874 00:49:03,360 --> 00:49:07,120 Speaker 4: think about the post conflict environment and set the stage 875 00:49:07,200 --> 00:49:10,560 Speaker 4: so that, you know, you minimize the grievances so that 876 00:49:10,600 --> 00:49:13,719 Speaker 4: there's the greatest chance of reconciliation. I mean, you think 877 00:49:13,760 --> 00:49:17,239 Speaker 4: about a lot of the foundations of law of armed 878 00:49:17,280 --> 00:49:22,520 Speaker 4: conflict as the US military understands it today, is you know, 879 00:49:22,600 --> 00:49:25,160 Speaker 4: founded all the way back from Abraham Lincoln and the 880 00:49:25,200 --> 00:49:28,920 Speaker 4: Civil War and what he asked to be generated the 881 00:49:29,000 --> 00:49:32,959 Speaker 4: libor code for Union Forces. A lot of these same 882 00:49:33,080 --> 00:49:36,400 Speaker 4: concepts that are born in this era are the same 883 00:49:36,520 --> 00:49:40,359 Speaker 4: ideas that you know, we continue to teach to our 884 00:49:40,480 --> 00:49:43,120 Speaker 4: armed forces and in the United States, the laws of 885 00:49:43,239 --> 00:49:46,400 Speaker 4: armed conflict that all uniform personnel receive. 886 00:49:47,239 --> 00:49:50,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, and so hopefully everybody you know, the Geneva Convention 887 00:49:50,400 --> 00:49:53,480 Speaker 1: does exist. And so where in the Geneva Convention does 888 00:49:54,360 --> 00:49:57,759 Speaker 1: the International Red Cross fall? Is that a part of 889 00:49:57,800 --> 00:50:02,720 Speaker 1: Geneva Conventions, are you guys? Hey, Geneva recognizes the crescent 890 00:50:02,840 --> 00:50:08,279 Speaker 1: and the cross as yes. 891 00:50:06,840 --> 00:50:12,359 Speaker 4: And the Geneva Conventions are also that they provide the 892 00:50:12,400 --> 00:50:15,480 Speaker 4: mandate for the International Committee the Red Cross. So when 893 00:50:15,520 --> 00:50:19,360 Speaker 4: there's an armed conflict, this is what the Geneva Conventions 894 00:50:19,400 --> 00:50:24,640 Speaker 4: that all states have agreed to. So it means that 895 00:50:24,680 --> 00:50:28,360 Speaker 4: when there's an armed conflict, everyone has this common agreement 896 00:50:28,440 --> 00:50:31,279 Speaker 4: and understanding of what the legal obligations are under the 897 00:50:31,360 --> 00:50:34,920 Speaker 4: laws of armed conflict, and that includes a mandate to 898 00:50:35,000 --> 00:50:37,800 Speaker 4: allow the ICRC to do our humanitarian work. 899 00:50:38,280 --> 00:50:39,719 Speaker 3: So there's that aspect. 900 00:50:40,200 --> 00:50:44,840 Speaker 4: But then also the ICRC is you know, the nickname 901 00:50:44,880 --> 00:50:48,839 Speaker 4: would be the Guardians of IHL. So one of one 902 00:50:48,880 --> 00:50:52,480 Speaker 4: of the most impressive groups of specialists that we have 903 00:50:52,560 --> 00:50:56,719 Speaker 4: in the ICRC is international Humanitarian law specialists. 904 00:50:57,440 --> 00:50:59,960 Speaker 3: So they focus. 905 00:51:00,840 --> 00:51:05,640 Speaker 4: On international humanitarian law. All the treaties at Geneva Conventions 906 00:51:06,040 --> 00:51:09,759 Speaker 4: as we watch and observe how wars are being conducted 907 00:51:10,719 --> 00:51:15,200 Speaker 4: as we think about future warfare as well and contemplate 908 00:51:15,280 --> 00:51:20,200 Speaker 4: new technologies. How adequate do states recognize and do we 909 00:51:20,239 --> 00:51:24,120 Speaker 4: as ICRC recognize the current body of law? And how 910 00:51:24,200 --> 00:51:29,920 Speaker 4: much might there need to be discussions about additional conversations 911 00:51:29,960 --> 00:51:33,840 Speaker 4: to keep everyone safe and respect humanity and future warfare? 912 00:51:34,640 --> 00:51:37,719 Speaker 1: Yeah, a hundred percent. I don't even know what if 913 00:51:37,719 --> 00:51:40,040 Speaker 1: we should even keep this conversation going any longer. Just 914 00:51:40,120 --> 00:51:42,680 Speaker 1: end it right there, okay, because that's exactly the point 915 00:51:42,680 --> 00:51:45,400 Speaker 1: that we're I love to hear that, you know, and 916 00:51:47,840 --> 00:51:53,000 Speaker 1: you know that's like what's his wife's name, Amaal Clooney. 917 00:51:53,560 --> 00:51:57,440 Speaker 1: She George Clooney's wife. She is a huge, like, you know, 918 00:51:57,560 --> 00:52:02,439 Speaker 1: humanitarian lawyer, I think, and she, Uh, that's what you're 919 00:52:02,440 --> 00:52:05,520 Speaker 1: talking about, is these lawyers that just focus straight on 920 00:52:06,120 --> 00:52:12,440 Speaker 1: humanitarian law to help Like just how do you how 921 00:52:12,440 --> 00:52:17,880 Speaker 1: do you have somebody who, like herself, such a educated individual, 922 00:52:18,440 --> 00:52:21,880 Speaker 1: so smart and powerful, so right about a lot of things, 923 00:52:21,960 --> 00:52:26,120 Speaker 1: try to explain to somebody who's just stuck on like bloodlust, 924 00:52:26,320 --> 00:52:28,120 Speaker 1: you know, like a I don't know what I'm trying 925 00:52:28,120 --> 00:52:30,600 Speaker 1: to get, you know, like there's somebody just dead set 926 00:52:30,640 --> 00:52:31,040 Speaker 1: on war. 927 00:52:32,120 --> 00:52:34,799 Speaker 4: Yeah, and it's one of one of those one of 928 00:52:34,800 --> 00:52:38,160 Speaker 4: those things that how you frame the conversation, who you 929 00:52:38,200 --> 00:52:41,040 Speaker 4: talk with, who you engage, when you choose to engage, 930 00:52:41,160 --> 00:52:46,480 Speaker 4: obviously is very carefully considered, and you need you need 931 00:52:47,040 --> 00:52:50,600 Speaker 4: We as the ICRC, work very hard when we engage 932 00:52:50,640 --> 00:52:53,359 Speaker 4: with different parties to an armed conflict to get them 933 00:52:53,400 --> 00:52:55,520 Speaker 4: to accept the meeting if we ask for the meeting, 934 00:52:55,760 --> 00:52:59,480 Speaker 4: to accept it. And one of the reasons that someone 935 00:53:00,360 --> 00:53:04,080 Speaker 4: should feel confident accepting the meeting is what we started 936 00:53:04,120 --> 00:53:07,280 Speaker 4: with in the beginning, that bilateral confidential dialogue. 937 00:53:07,760 --> 00:53:09,080 Speaker 3: You can trust that if you're. 938 00:53:08,880 --> 00:53:10,560 Speaker 4: Going to talk with me, or you're going to talk 939 00:53:10,560 --> 00:53:12,919 Speaker 4: with my colleagues, that we're not going to go yapp 940 00:53:13,000 --> 00:53:16,000 Speaker 4: into some other party. We're not going to be judgmental 941 00:53:16,080 --> 00:53:20,960 Speaker 4: and publish some public report on social media. We're going 942 00:53:21,000 --> 00:53:24,080 Speaker 4: to have a conversation with you based on our humanitarian 943 00:53:24,160 --> 00:53:27,520 Speaker 4: interests and hope that we're able to get the other 944 00:53:27,640 --> 00:53:32,239 Speaker 4: side to appreciate why it's also in their national interests, 945 00:53:32,239 --> 00:53:34,279 Speaker 4: in their interests. 946 00:53:33,760 --> 00:53:36,000 Speaker 3: And there is very often overlap. 947 00:53:36,080 --> 00:53:37,840 Speaker 4: You just have to be able to articulate it in 948 00:53:37,880 --> 00:53:40,239 Speaker 4: a way that's convincing, that's able to get the other 949 00:53:40,280 --> 00:53:43,800 Speaker 4: side to appreciate it. Often, in the heat of conflict 950 00:53:43,840 --> 00:53:45,960 Speaker 4: and war, there's a lot of emotions, there's a lot 951 00:53:45,960 --> 00:53:46,520 Speaker 4: of rage. 952 00:53:46,960 --> 00:53:48,000 Speaker 3: So how do you get through that? 953 00:53:48,160 --> 00:53:52,360 Speaker 4: Again, not to imagine just the current fight, but to 954 00:53:52,440 --> 00:53:56,480 Speaker 4: try and imagine a future where the conflict ends, and 955 00:53:57,719 --> 00:54:00,560 Speaker 4: what does that post conflict environment look like? 956 00:54:00,680 --> 00:54:02,280 Speaker 3: And that's what we're trying to shape. 957 00:54:02,440 --> 00:54:08,080 Speaker 4: And you know it doesn't The legal foundations are important, 958 00:54:08,360 --> 00:54:10,960 Speaker 4: but you know it's one of those. I found it interesting, 959 00:54:11,760 --> 00:54:14,040 Speaker 4: if you allow me real quick to read. It was 960 00:54:14,719 --> 00:54:18,920 Speaker 4: in nineteen fifty five, is when the United States ratified 961 00:54:18,920 --> 00:54:22,560 Speaker 4: the Geneva Conventions, and we waited until after the Korean 962 00:54:22,600 --> 00:54:24,760 Speaker 4: War because we didn't want the Korean War to affect 963 00:54:24,800 --> 00:54:25,520 Speaker 4: the dialogue. 964 00:54:25,760 --> 00:54:27,440 Speaker 3: But I found it interesting. Here you have. 965 00:54:27,440 --> 00:54:29,640 Speaker 4: Warriors from World War One world War Two that are 966 00:54:29,640 --> 00:54:32,360 Speaker 4: serving in the Senate that are arguing why this is 967 00:54:32,400 --> 00:54:36,759 Speaker 4: so important, And they argue, our nation has everything to 968 00:54:36,840 --> 00:54:39,000 Speaker 4: gain and nothing to lose by being a party to 969 00:54:39,040 --> 00:54:42,399 Speaker 4: the conventions now before the Senate, and by encouraging their 970 00:54:42,440 --> 00:54:46,480 Speaker 4: most widespread adoption. The requirements of the four Conventions to 971 00:54:46,560 --> 00:54:49,880 Speaker 4: a very great degree reflect the actual policies of the 972 00:54:50,040 --> 00:54:53,279 Speaker 4: United States and World War Two. The practices which they 973 00:54:53,360 --> 00:54:56,840 Speaker 4: bind nations to follow, impose no burden upon us that 974 00:54:56,920 --> 00:54:59,919 Speaker 4: we would not voluntarily assume in a future conflict without 975 00:55:00,120 --> 00:55:04,799 Speaker 4: the injunctions of formal treaty obligations. And I bring that 976 00:55:04,920 --> 00:55:08,480 Speaker 4: up because it's you know what, you hear this veteran 977 00:55:09,120 --> 00:55:12,000 Speaker 4: saying and ratifying the conventions. Is there something in the 978 00:55:12,040 --> 00:55:14,800 Speaker 4: American spirit about this that even if this body of 979 00:55:14,880 --> 00:55:19,160 Speaker 4: law didn't exist, we will conduct ourselves honorably in warfare? 980 00:55:20,760 --> 00:55:23,480 Speaker 3: And and it's it's it's. 981 00:55:23,719 --> 00:55:25,719 Speaker 4: It's one of those things I think it's important for 982 00:55:26,200 --> 00:55:29,160 Speaker 4: us to remember today, especially as I hear sometimes that 983 00:55:29,600 --> 00:55:32,880 Speaker 4: of the Geneva Conventions, maybe that works for counterinsurgency or 984 00:55:32,880 --> 00:55:36,040 Speaker 4: counter terrorism, but it's it's going to be really difficult 985 00:55:36,120 --> 00:55:39,640 Speaker 4: if there's a large scale conflict. Well, here's the men 986 00:55:40,080 --> 00:55:42,040 Speaker 4: that came out of the horrors of one of the 987 00:55:42,040 --> 00:55:46,560 Speaker 4: greatest wars on earth, and they're telling us exactly that 988 00:55:47,000 --> 00:55:50,480 Speaker 4: this is how they conducted themselves, and that they agree 989 00:55:51,000 --> 00:55:54,400 Speaker 4: that these conventions are important. And I think it's important 990 00:55:54,400 --> 00:55:56,279 Speaker 4: for all of us to remember that as we talk 991 00:55:56,320 --> 00:55:59,480 Speaker 4: about any potential future wars that the United States may 992 00:55:59,480 --> 00:56:03,960 Speaker 4: be engaged, and that framing within American spirits. 993 00:56:04,960 --> 00:56:09,040 Speaker 1: I love that, and I think that we should, you know, 994 00:56:09,480 --> 00:56:12,400 Speaker 1: move our best foot forward as the stewards of what 995 00:56:12,440 --> 00:56:16,560 Speaker 1: we have around us, as you know, as a father, 996 00:56:16,760 --> 00:56:19,640 Speaker 1: as a business owner, as people around me. I can 997 00:56:19,760 --> 00:56:22,560 Speaker 1: just be whatever best conduit of that I can be, 998 00:56:23,120 --> 00:56:26,360 Speaker 1: and then hopefully that will rub off on those around me, 999 00:56:26,680 --> 00:56:30,239 Speaker 1: which will then domino effect their circle of influence and 1000 00:56:30,280 --> 00:56:34,440 Speaker 1: then their circle of influence to try to keep it honorable. 1001 00:56:34,680 --> 00:56:40,239 Speaker 1: And you know, conflict has been around since the dawna time. 1002 00:56:40,440 --> 00:56:44,320 Speaker 1: Man has fought with sticks and stones. Okay, let alone 1003 00:56:44,400 --> 00:56:50,160 Speaker 1: air power, right, so you can only imagine twenty nine 1004 00:56:50,200 --> 00:56:57,080 Speaker 1: thousand lost lives. We're not from air power when you 1005 00:56:57,120 --> 00:57:00,880 Speaker 1: know you're referencing take this note or the the founding 1006 00:57:00,920 --> 00:57:04,759 Speaker 1: of the Napoleon, you know, of the yeah, yeah, yeah, right, 1007 00:57:04,800 --> 00:57:08,319 Speaker 1: you know that's twenty nine thousand lives of bayonets and 1008 00:57:09,040 --> 00:57:09,800 Speaker 1: one shots. 1009 00:57:10,200 --> 00:57:12,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, under brutality fist fights. 1010 00:57:13,800 --> 00:57:17,440 Speaker 1: There was no tanks. So twelve hours and twenty nine 1011 00:57:17,480 --> 00:57:22,920 Speaker 1: thousand people like, we're so jaded to you know, to 1012 00:57:23,080 --> 00:57:26,800 Speaker 1: conflicts happening. That's like, oh, another four dead in Kiev, 1013 00:57:26,840 --> 00:57:30,760 Speaker 1: another twelve dead in Africa, another thirty seven dead at 1014 00:57:30,760 --> 00:57:34,560 Speaker 1: a local Texas school. Okay, so it's like we're just 1015 00:57:34,640 --> 00:57:40,200 Speaker 1: so we need to stop. Dude, it's just a total 1016 00:57:40,240 --> 00:57:44,680 Speaker 1: hippie song. Okay, look around, what's that sound? Everybody? Look 1017 00:57:44,720 --> 00:57:48,760 Speaker 1: what's going down? You know, and just be aware, I think, 1018 00:57:48,800 --> 00:57:51,440 Speaker 1: and just know that I don't know. We just all 1019 00:57:51,720 --> 00:57:53,040 Speaker 1: red blood. 1020 00:57:53,280 --> 00:57:56,400 Speaker 3: It should never be callous. That's the loss of human life, 1021 00:57:56,720 --> 00:57:58,440 Speaker 3: you know. It's one of those things. 1022 00:57:58,760 --> 00:58:02,960 Speaker 4: It's and and when we're talking armed conflict, we know 1023 00:58:03,520 --> 00:58:05,920 Speaker 4: the horrors of war are very real and as you described, 1024 00:58:05,960 --> 00:58:09,400 Speaker 4: it's it's an unfortunate part of humanity that we will 1025 00:58:09,400 --> 00:58:13,360 Speaker 4: probably continue to fight wars for the indefinite future. 1026 00:58:13,680 --> 00:58:16,919 Speaker 1: So if flies, it's the lord of the flies who 1027 00:58:17,000 --> 00:58:18,480 Speaker 1: hold the conch shell. It's like. 1028 00:58:20,760 --> 00:58:25,440 Speaker 4: Whether it's in warfare other context you described there, some 1029 00:58:25,680 --> 00:58:29,360 Speaker 4: suffering will happen. But how can we identify as ways 1030 00:58:29,680 --> 00:58:32,160 Speaker 4: to avoid and mitigate unnecessary suffering? 1031 00:58:33,240 --> 00:58:35,000 Speaker 3: And that is the focus of the ICRC. 1032 00:58:35,920 --> 00:58:40,400 Speaker 4: We we have folks like myself as Armed Forces advisors 1033 00:58:40,480 --> 00:58:43,520 Speaker 4: who had to make the difficult decisions in armed conflict, 1034 00:58:44,280 --> 00:58:46,480 Speaker 4: and and the way it is in the Geneva Conventions, 1035 00:58:46,520 --> 00:58:50,520 Speaker 4: it balances military necessity and appreciation that the military has 1036 00:58:50,560 --> 00:58:55,720 Speaker 4: a mission, so you balance military necessity with those humanitarian 1037 00:58:55,880 --> 00:58:59,840 Speaker 4: concerns and interests. Right, So, how can we both for 1038 00:58:59,880 --> 00:59:04,600 Speaker 4: the uniform personnel as well as for the civilians mitigate 1039 00:59:05,240 --> 00:59:09,960 Speaker 4: and eliminate unnecessary suffering because it's pointless, it achieves no end. 1040 00:59:10,360 --> 00:59:14,760 Speaker 1: No, no, it just makes everybody mad. That is nowadays, 1041 00:59:14,800 --> 00:59:16,560 Speaker 1: it's just right in our face. We get dosed with 1042 00:59:16,720 --> 00:59:19,680 Speaker 1: the reality of it from our supercomputer in our hand. 1043 00:59:19,880 --> 00:59:23,320 Speaker 1: Everybody's just dosed with this is what's going on. This 1044 00:59:23,400 --> 00:59:25,040 Speaker 1: is what's going on, and it's like, how do we 1045 00:59:27,560 --> 00:59:30,400 Speaker 1: I don't know. I think everybody is jaded. I'm scratching 1046 00:59:30,400 --> 00:59:33,240 Speaker 1: my beard with my David Letterman pencil right here that 1047 00:59:33,320 --> 00:59:33,760 Speaker 1: I hold. 1048 00:59:34,800 --> 00:59:38,760 Speaker 3: So while you have that feeling of being jaded, yeah, 1049 00:59:38,840 --> 00:59:40,600 Speaker 3: and as do many. 1050 00:59:41,920 --> 00:59:45,640 Speaker 4: Or that feeling that we become desensitized to that. That's 1051 00:59:45,680 --> 00:59:50,880 Speaker 4: where I think you can feel confident that the ICRC 1052 00:59:51,000 --> 00:59:55,600 Speaker 4: and the ICRC around the world does not get desensitized ever. 1053 00:59:55,840 --> 00:59:58,680 Speaker 4: Like the mission is humanity, and the mission is to 1054 00:59:59,160 --> 01:00:02,280 Speaker 4: think about exactly that which other people don't want to 1055 01:00:02,320 --> 01:00:06,240 Speaker 4: think about, and focus all of our energy on that 1056 01:00:06,640 --> 01:00:09,520 Speaker 4: to try and reduce human suffering in warfare. 1057 01:00:10,040 --> 01:00:12,520 Speaker 1: Thank you for that. I appreciate you. I want you 1058 01:00:12,560 --> 01:00:14,640 Speaker 1: to know that I know I've captured an hour of 1059 01:00:14,680 --> 01:00:16,720 Speaker 1: your time today and I know that you're very busy 1060 01:00:16,720 --> 01:00:19,680 Speaker 1: and there's so much more that I could talk with you. 1061 01:00:19,720 --> 01:00:22,000 Speaker 1: And you're always welcome back to be on the show, 1062 01:00:22,080 --> 01:00:26,360 Speaker 1: to bring the message and the mission of the International 1063 01:00:26,760 --> 01:00:30,560 Speaker 1: Red Cross to my platform. Whatever I can do with it, 1064 01:00:30,600 --> 01:00:35,280 Speaker 1: whatever conduit I have here here at soft Rep you know, Radio, 1065 01:00:35,440 --> 01:00:38,439 Speaker 1: soft Reap, Radio, merch Storm. But look, whatever I have, 1066 01:00:38,720 --> 01:00:43,480 Speaker 1: whatever I can help with, please use me. This this 1067 01:00:43,600 --> 01:00:45,919 Speaker 1: opportunity if it's available, you know, if you have something 1068 01:00:45,960 --> 01:00:50,120 Speaker 1: you want to say, if you're great, Liaison Dominique wants 1069 01:00:50,160 --> 01:00:52,080 Speaker 1: to you know, reach out to me and say, hey, 1070 01:00:52,160 --> 01:00:54,360 Speaker 1: rad can we get so and so on. Yes, anybody 1071 01:00:54,360 --> 01:00:57,640 Speaker 1: that comes from your lane is a welcome guest on 1072 01:00:57,720 --> 01:00:59,000 Speaker 1: my show. I just want to let you know. 1073 01:00:58,960 --> 01:01:03,920 Speaker 4: That, thank you, and uh and I love your I 1074 01:01:03,960 --> 01:01:06,320 Speaker 4: love your your mantle of honor there, that's a that's 1075 01:01:06,360 --> 01:01:09,800 Speaker 4: a good one. And like I said before, I'm jealous. 1076 01:01:10,560 --> 01:01:12,680 Speaker 4: I love the Rocky Mountains ever since I went to 1077 01:01:12,720 --> 01:01:13,880 Speaker 4: the Academia in Colorado. 1078 01:01:14,240 --> 01:01:15,080 Speaker 1: Oh yeah you did. 1079 01:01:15,240 --> 01:01:16,760 Speaker 3: There's something I love. 1080 01:01:16,640 --> 01:01:20,040 Speaker 4: The outdoors and yeah, I need to come out to you. 1081 01:01:20,720 --> 01:01:24,040 Speaker 1: I got my snowboards right here. So they're just waiting 1082 01:01:24,200 --> 01:01:26,960 Speaker 1: in that fireplace. It is October, it is we are 1083 01:01:27,000 --> 01:01:30,400 Speaker 1: feeling the fall. Colors change here in Utah, home to 1084 01:01:30,520 --> 01:01:36,000 Speaker 1: snowboard Ski Resort, Brighton Ski Resort. You know Brighton Snowboard Resort. 1085 01:01:36,040 --> 01:01:40,520 Speaker 1: What's up? I should say that Powder Mountain? You know, 1086 01:01:40,680 --> 01:01:43,920 Speaker 1: little Nordic valley up in the north. Uh. We have 1087 01:01:44,000 --> 01:01:47,920 Speaker 1: a big belief here at soft Rep. And it's thrills 1088 01:01:47,960 --> 01:01:51,280 Speaker 1: before pills. So before you go to the VA, when 1089 01:01:51,280 --> 01:01:52,400 Speaker 1: you go to the v A, if you go to 1090 01:01:52,440 --> 01:01:54,760 Speaker 1: the VA, you're talking to your doctor or to your 1091 01:01:54,880 --> 01:01:58,520 Speaker 1: VA representative, ask them about you know, is there recreational 1092 01:01:58,600 --> 01:02:01,760 Speaker 1: therapy first for me to get involved with. If I'm 1093 01:02:01,760 --> 01:02:04,680 Speaker 1: gonna go outside, can I get a swimming pool pass 1094 01:02:04,760 --> 01:02:07,200 Speaker 1: to get in the water? Can I go get a 1095 01:02:07,320 --> 01:02:11,080 Speaker 1: custom snowboard made for my one leg? You know, ask 1096 01:02:11,360 --> 01:02:17,360 Speaker 1: your Veterans Administration professional for recreational therapy. Okay, just ask 1097 01:02:17,480 --> 01:02:20,240 Speaker 1: for it. Say where's recreational therapy? I know those are 1098 01:02:20,640 --> 01:02:24,480 Speaker 1: I know that's motrin. Where's my recreational therapy? 1099 01:02:24,520 --> 01:02:25,280 Speaker 3: Give me the good time? 1100 01:02:26,720 --> 01:02:28,680 Speaker 1: Yes exactly, Okay, So I just want to I just 1101 01:02:28,720 --> 01:02:32,640 Speaker 1: want to encourage that you know, and you know, thank 1102 01:02:32,680 --> 01:02:35,120 Speaker 1: you so much for being on the show. And again 1103 01:02:35,200 --> 01:02:39,160 Speaker 1: you're you're supported by your family, You're supported by us 1104 01:02:39,160 --> 01:02:41,760 Speaker 1: here a Soft Reap on your mission. You know, I 1105 01:02:42,400 --> 01:02:45,080 Speaker 1: respect the red cross, the red crescent, and any other 1106 01:02:45,080 --> 01:02:48,560 Speaker 1: emblem that's going to fall underneath your guys's lane. I 1107 01:02:48,560 --> 01:02:49,320 Speaker 1: I will respect that. 1108 01:02:49,400 --> 01:02:52,520 Speaker 3: I just want you to know, thank you having fun conversation. 1109 01:02:52,600 --> 01:02:53,440 Speaker 3: I really appreciate it. 1110 01:02:53,920 --> 01:02:56,280 Speaker 1: Yeah right, well, thank you And to my to my 1111 01:02:56,360 --> 01:02:59,320 Speaker 1: guests that just joined us or to the first time listener, 1112 01:02:59,520 --> 01:03:01,800 Speaker 1: I hope a great time and you'll be coming back. 1113 01:03:01,920 --> 01:03:03,240 Speaker 1: And to those of you that have listened to the 1114 01:03:03,280 --> 01:03:05,480 Speaker 1: show and that you constantly listen to us, you know, 1115 01:03:05,960 --> 01:03:08,400 Speaker 1: you know who you are. You guys send me emails general. 1116 01:03:08,560 --> 01:03:10,160 Speaker 1: This is right out to you. Thank you so much 1117 01:03:10,200 --> 01:03:13,360 Speaker 1: for always, you know, critiquing my shows. I appreciate that. 1118 01:03:13,680 --> 01:03:16,520 Speaker 1: And again to Brandon Webb who runs Soft Reap and 1119 01:03:16,560 --> 01:03:19,480 Speaker 1: the team behind him allowing me to have this opportunity 1120 01:03:19,560 --> 01:03:21,960 Speaker 1: to become a better person by talking to people like 1121 01:03:22,080 --> 01:03:26,640 Speaker 1: Tom Geyser. Okay, I grew today from this conversation, and 1122 01:03:26,680 --> 01:03:29,360 Speaker 1: I hope that you did too. When you listen to 1123 01:03:29,400 --> 01:03:30,960 Speaker 1: our show, so thank you so much for being a 1124 01:03:30,960 --> 01:03:34,600 Speaker 1: part of it. Tom and Dominique, thank you for making 1125 01:03:34,640 --> 01:03:37,520 Speaker 1: this happen. And again sorry about being laser. It won't 1126 01:03:37,520 --> 01:03:39,920 Speaker 1: happen again. I'll always be on time and that was 1127 01:03:39,960 --> 01:03:42,400 Speaker 1: my fault. I'm not gonna blame you Dominique. I'll take 1128 01:03:42,400 --> 01:03:45,880 Speaker 1: full responsibility and go check out the merch store, Go 1129 01:03:45,960 --> 01:03:48,280 Speaker 1: check out the book club, softwap dot com, Forward slash 1130 01:03:48,320 --> 01:03:51,840 Speaker 1: Book hyphen Club, And my name is Rad saying peace. 1131 01:03:53,120 --> 01:03:55,040 Speaker 3: Thank you Rad, and to all your listeners 1132 01:04:10,800 --> 01:04:14,160 Speaker 2: You've been listening to self red Ladia