WEBVTT - Jake Bequette 0:00:11.697 --> 0:00:14.937 You're listening to The Buck Sexton Show podcast, make sure 0:00:14.977 --> 0:00:17.977 you subscribe to the podcast on the iHeartRadio app or 0:00:18.017 --> 0:00:19.737 wherever you get your podcasts. 0:00:20.137 --> 0:00:23.657 Hey, everybody, welcome to the Buck Sexton Show. On this episode, 0:00:23.817 --> 0:00:28.057 our friend Jake Beckett. He is a former NFL player, 0:00:28.177 --> 0:00:32.817 former Army ranger, also was a Senate candidate in Arkansas 0:00:32.857 --> 0:00:36.577 and now is the host of the Jake Peckett Beckett Podcast, 0:00:36.577 --> 0:00:38.817 which I think you should all check out. Jake, thanks 0:00:38.817 --> 0:00:40.017 for making the time man. Good to see you. 0:00:40.817 --> 0:00:41.937 Hey, great to be on with you. 0:00:42.377 --> 0:00:43.057 So you know, I. 0:00:42.977 --> 0:00:48.897 Saw your governor, Governor Sanders Huckerbet Sanders not long ago, 0:00:49.577 --> 0:00:52.217 and we talked a little bit about what's going on 0:00:52.257 --> 0:00:55.057 in your state, because you would think that given that 0:00:55.137 --> 0:00:58.857 Arkansas is pretty darn red, that it'd be able to 0:00:59.577 --> 0:01:00.897 join in some of what we're seeing. 0:01:00.897 --> 0:01:01.817 Obviously out of Florida. 0:01:01.857 --> 0:01:03.817 I'm a little biased about the Florida thing these days, 0:01:03.817 --> 0:01:05.857 but you know, Texas is doing some good things a 0:01:05.897 --> 0:01:07.977 lot of states, Oklahoma. 0:01:08.937 --> 0:01:11.217 Of what's happening in Florida, you should be proud of that. 0:01:11.377 --> 0:01:11.777 Thank you. 0:01:11.897 --> 0:01:14.897 I am now I'm a new Floridian, so I'm excited 0:01:14.897 --> 0:01:17.577 about it. How are you guys doing in Arkansas, like 0:01:17.577 --> 0:01:20.537 like bring people into whether you know, we've got this 0:01:20.617 --> 0:01:23.457 red state blue state phenomenon playing out in a way 0:01:23.497 --> 0:01:26.017 that we've never seen before. Right, people are fleeing going 0:01:26.057 --> 0:01:28.457 to red. Blue is getting blue, or red is getting redder. 0:01:28.937 --> 0:01:31.857 How's Arkansas looking. You get a lot of folks showing 0:01:31.937 --> 0:01:34.377 up from Los Angeles who are like, hey, let's just 0:01:34.417 --> 0:01:35.497 do the lib thing here. 0:01:37.897 --> 0:01:40.657 I mean, I truly believe that we are in the 0:01:40.697 --> 0:01:45.657 midst of a massive self sorting that's going to happen 0:01:45.697 --> 0:01:49.977 within this country. I think COVID only accelerated a trend 0:01:50.137 --> 0:01:53.577 that was happening for a couple of decades prior to 0:01:53.617 --> 0:01:56.097 twenty twenty, twenty twenty one, but I think it's only 0:01:56.137 --> 0:02:02.097 going to continue and possibly accelerate as things further unravel 0:02:02.297 --> 0:02:06.577 in blue states and blue cities, you know, even within 0:02:06.657 --> 0:02:08.857 red states. And you know, I'm glad you brought up 0:02:08.897 --> 0:02:12.537 red states because and look, I'm I'm from Arkansas, born 0:02:12.537 --> 0:02:15.097 and raised, I live in Arkansas, ran for state White 0:02:15.137 --> 0:02:19.617 office here in Arkansas, and unfortunately, you know, we are, uh, 0:02:19.857 --> 0:02:21.977 you know, a state that is you know, like many 0:02:21.977 --> 0:02:25.057 other red states, particularly in the South. You know, we're 0:02:25.097 --> 0:02:30.777 led by these just establishment rhino squishy hacks, and you know, 0:02:30.777 --> 0:02:34.497 that's probably the most charitable way to describe most of them. 0:02:34.697 --> 0:02:37.857 You know, these are people who you know, a lot 0:02:37.857 --> 0:02:40.937 of the Republicans in these in these deep red Southern states, 0:02:41.017 --> 0:02:43.457 you know, they were they were a long time Democrats 0:02:43.497 --> 0:02:46.177 who just kind of like saw which way the wind 0:02:46.257 --> 0:02:49.577 was blowing and changed their party affiliation. Or they're just 0:02:49.617 --> 0:02:51.737 people who are you know, they they saw what was 0:02:51.777 --> 0:02:54.817 happening in twenty ten, the tea party wave, you know, 0:02:54.857 --> 0:02:57.297 and they came in and so we had this big changeover. 0:02:57.577 --> 0:03:01.977 And you know, unlike these battleground states that have competitive 0:03:02.017 --> 0:03:06.937 primaries cycle in and cycle out, like Pennsylvania, like Arizona, 0:03:07.097 --> 0:03:10.217 like Florida. Florida's probably the best example, you know, where 0:03:10.257 --> 0:03:13.657 there's constant turnover and there's there's competitive primaries and the 0:03:13.737 --> 0:03:16.137 cream rises to the top. You know, we don't have 0:03:16.257 --> 0:03:18.097 that in these deep red states. You know, we have 0:03:18.177 --> 0:03:21.817 these incumbents, you know, who have been in office for four, five, six, 0:03:21.937 --> 0:03:25.497 seven terms in the state legislature, in the House, and 0:03:25.577 --> 0:03:28.977 the US Senate, and they're you know, it's almost impossible 0:03:29.057 --> 0:03:32.777 to win a primary, you know, on the gup side 0:03:32.817 --> 0:03:34.897 these days. Trust me, I can tell you all about that. 0:03:35.457 --> 0:03:38.097 So without this what without the this purple kind of 0:03:38.097 --> 0:03:42.697 competitive primary situation, you know, the the the political establishment 0:03:42.777 --> 0:03:46.697 just has the opportunity to ossify, to stabilize, and there's 0:03:47.177 --> 0:03:50.817 without the outside competitive influences, you know that we just 0:03:50.897 --> 0:03:53.617 kind of drift along. And so unfortunately with the influences 0:03:53.617 --> 0:03:57.257 of the media, these these giant corporations, big tech, you know, 0:03:57.297 --> 0:04:01.057 the culture, you know, the deterioration of of the church, 0:04:01.417 --> 0:04:04.977 you know, all these factors. You know, these these squishy, 0:04:05.017 --> 0:04:08.617 spineless rhinos, they're not able to combat that. 0:04:08.937 --> 0:04:10.337 So this is this crazy? 0:04:10.377 --> 0:04:12.057 Can we just for a second, so I don't I've 0:04:12.057 --> 0:04:14.737 actually I've actually never been to Arkansas, Jake. So maybe 0:04:14.737 --> 0:04:17.457 we're gonna have to your Razorbacks. You know, my co 0:04:17.577 --> 0:04:20.337 host loves the big football games. Maybe we'll have to 0:04:20.337 --> 0:04:22.337 come down and check out the I'm just impressed with 0:04:22.337 --> 0:04:24.257 myself that I remember that they're called the Razorbacks, right, 0:04:24.297 --> 0:04:24.897 that's the name of it. 0:04:24.937 --> 0:04:27.137 Oh, absolutely, yeah, you got it. 0:04:27.297 --> 0:04:30.497 So because I'll see, for example, I have spent time 0:04:30.537 --> 0:04:33.497 out in Utah, great state. A lot of stuff about 0:04:33.537 --> 0:04:36.377 Utah that I totally love. The governor's like a communist. 0:04:36.377 --> 0:04:38.817 I mean, for a very red state, you get the 0:04:38.857 --> 0:04:41.417 governor of Utah is really bad on a whole. 0:04:41.297 --> 0:04:42.177 Range of issues. 0:04:43.177 --> 0:04:45.377 This is something that I feel like as we're seeing 0:04:45.417 --> 0:04:48.777 the sorting happening with people leaving blue going to red, 0:04:48.817 --> 0:04:52.137 red getting redder, and also the role of state governance 0:04:52.217 --> 0:04:55.617 post COVID, everyone realizes your state really does matter. I 0:04:55.617 --> 0:04:57.177 think there for a while we started to think, oh, 0:04:57.177 --> 0:04:59.537 it's the federal government, right, you're a state local. It's 0:04:59.617 --> 0:05:02.057 kind of your state government matters a whole heck of 0:05:02.097 --> 0:05:04.097 a lot. How is it that some of the red 0:05:04.137 --> 0:05:06.657 est states give us some of the worst leadership? I mean, 0:05:06.817 --> 0:05:09.017 is it just that they have no fear of the 0:05:09.017 --> 0:05:13.217 Democrat side, so they get soft, lazy, and they start 0:05:13.257 --> 0:05:14.577 to dissemble. 0:05:15.697 --> 0:05:19.377 They know they'll never lose a primary, and that really 0:05:19.617 --> 0:05:22.297 is the problem. You don't have any open seats. I mean, 0:05:22.377 --> 0:05:25.777 Arkansas has had the same congressional delegation, the same four 0:05:25.817 --> 0:05:28.697 members of the House, the same two US Senators for 0:05:28.737 --> 0:05:31.097 ten years now. I mean, it's amazing, like it's been 0:05:31.217 --> 0:05:34.337 It's been a whole decade and we've had zero turnover 0:05:34.777 --> 0:05:37.697 in our six member congressional delegation. But you are right, 0:05:37.817 --> 0:05:41.537 like like I think, by and large, you know the problems. 0:05:41.577 --> 0:05:43.777 I mean, this is a pretty deeper discussion. We can 0:05:43.857 --> 0:05:45.737 have a you know, a podcast series on this, but 0:05:45.937 --> 0:05:47.897 you know, I think what's happening at the federal level 0:05:48.537 --> 0:05:50.497 that's going to be really tough to fix. To put 0:05:50.537 --> 0:05:53.737 it lightly, but where we actually have the opportunity to 0:05:53.777 --> 0:05:57.817 exercise power, you know, where are where the base the 0:05:58.057 --> 0:06:01.657 citizenry still actually believes what we believe and will grant 0:06:01.657 --> 0:06:05.777 Republicans the actual ability to exercise our influence are in 0:06:05.857 --> 0:06:10.657 these red counties in red states. And that's why important 0:06:10.697 --> 0:06:12.577 for you know, states like Florida. You know, now it's 0:06:12.617 --> 0:06:14.497 you know it it was a purple state. You know, 0:06:14.577 --> 0:06:17.417 now due to you know, Governor Desants' influence, it's become 0:06:17.457 --> 0:06:20.217 a red state. You know in some of the other states. 0:06:20.937 --> 0:06:23.057 You know, it's it's getting better. You know. Governor de 0:06:23.097 --> 0:06:26.217 Santis has really led the way. You know, it's it's 0:06:26.257 --> 0:06:29.737 you know, I I could go on forever about how 0:06:29.777 --> 0:06:33.417 important it's been to have him done in Florida, leading 0:06:33.457 --> 0:06:37.337 the way and setting the example because for so many years, 0:06:37.577 --> 0:06:40.017 I mean for people on the right, we don't even 0:06:40.137 --> 0:06:44.377 know what winning looks like. We have no idea what excellence, 0:06:44.537 --> 0:06:48.817 what greatness, what victory even looks like. And so we 0:06:48.857 --> 0:06:52.057 didn't really have a barometer. So we had Asa Hutchinson 0:06:52.137 --> 0:06:54.017 here in Arkansas, who was the governor for eight years. 0:06:54.017 --> 0:06:58.097 He was terrible, you know, obviously the governor out in Utah. 0:06:58.137 --> 0:07:00.497 You know k Ivy, the governor of Alabama, she's terrible. 0:07:01.017 --> 0:07:03.817 Tate Reeves Mississippi. I mean, they're all they're all bad. 0:07:04.217 --> 0:07:07.617 But we didn't even know it until Ron DeSantis came 0:07:07.617 --> 0:07:09.977 in there and took a fifty to fifty red state 0:07:10.857 --> 0:07:14.057 and made it a sixty to forty red state simply 0:07:14.097 --> 0:07:17.897 because of the force of his policies and his leadership. Okay, 0:07:17.977 --> 0:07:21.137 like he showed that, hey, we can have good things. Okay, 0:07:21.217 --> 0:07:24.217 like we can we can take on these wok corporations 0:07:24.697 --> 0:07:28.057 like Disney. You know, we can remove Soros DA's when 0:07:28.097 --> 0:07:31.177 they get out of line. We can take over higher education, 0:07:31.537 --> 0:07:34.857 you know, we can actually move the needle and show 0:07:34.897 --> 0:07:36.737 the rest of the country. And so, like just as 0:07:36.777 --> 0:07:40.337 any in business, in sports and whatever, competition is a 0:07:40.337 --> 0:07:43.817 good thing. And so Governor DeSantis has moved every other 0:07:43.937 --> 0:07:47.017 red state governor to the right on the issues, simply 0:07:47.017 --> 0:07:50.657 because they've been humiliated by you know, the national news 0:07:50.657 --> 0:07:53.097 and people in these red states like Arkansas looking like, hey, 0:07:53.177 --> 0:07:56.377 like Asa Hutchinson, why aren't you doing what ron de 0:07:56.537 --> 0:08:00.217 Santis is doing in Florida? And so obviously, like you know, 0:08:00.257 --> 0:08:03.297 people's discussed with Asa Hutchinson. You know, he was the 0:08:03.297 --> 0:08:05.897 guy who went on Tucker Carlson and was saying that, 0:08:06.417 --> 0:08:09.297 you know, Ronald Reagan and William F. Buckley would have 0:08:09.337 --> 0:08:14.897 agreed with, you know, transgender mutilation surgeries for children. Asa 0:08:14.977 --> 0:08:17.137 Hudchson actually vetoed a bill in Arkansas that would have 0:08:17.137 --> 0:08:20.017 made that illegal, and so and so we were fed 0:08:20.097 --> 0:08:22.497 up with him, and we moved on to someone who's 0:08:22.537 --> 0:08:25.297 definitely better than him, and Governor Sarah Sanders, and she's 0:08:25.337 --> 0:08:28.617 implementing some good policies. But it really it started with 0:08:28.777 --> 0:08:32.137 Governor Ron Decantis in Florida. He has shown the way 0:08:32.537 --> 0:08:35.777 and I can't emphasize enough how important that has been 0:08:35.857 --> 0:08:38.377 to show the people on the right in this country 0:08:38.777 --> 0:08:40.377 that winning is possible. 0:08:41.617 --> 0:08:44.697 I think technically we have to say he is presidential 0:08:44.737 --> 0:08:47.977 candidate Asa Hutchins, just to be clear. Just to be clear, 0:08:48.337 --> 0:08:52.177 I think if he breaks one percent of the national vote. 0:08:53.017 --> 0:08:55.657 You know, Jake, I'll next time down. 0:08:56.777 --> 0:09:00.097 I sincerely hope that he stays in the race through 0:09:00.257 --> 0:09:03.737 the Arkansas Super Tuesday primary in twenty twenty four. I'm 0:09:03.777 --> 0:09:06.657 genuinely curious to see what he will get in his 0:09:06.697 --> 0:09:08.897 own home state. There's no way he lasts that long. 0:09:08.897 --> 0:09:11.097 He'll probably drop out after I forgetting, you know, a 0:09:11.177 --> 0:09:14.057 fraction of one percent, but I mean in Arkansas, he 0:09:14.097 --> 0:09:17.697 wouldn't even get five percent of the vote in his 0:09:17.737 --> 0:09:20.337 own home state. That's how reviled he is. 0:09:20.417 --> 0:09:21.697 I want to come back and talk to you a 0:09:21.697 --> 0:09:25.137 bit about, first of all, your story as it pertains 0:09:25.177 --> 0:09:29.057 to your service in the Army Rangers, and then talk 0:09:29.057 --> 0:09:31.257 a bit about Ukraine and some of what we've been 0:09:31.297 --> 0:09:32.337 hearing recently. 0:09:31.977 --> 0:09:34.657 About us role there maybe a little. 0:09:34.457 --> 0:09:38.017 More substantial than is officially talked about. I mean, I 0:09:38.097 --> 0:09:40.577 always assume that the role is I've thought that all along, 0:09:40.657 --> 0:09:42.457 but you know, secret squirrel stuff. 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You know, won a Super Bowl 0:11:23.217 --> 0:11:25.857 with those guys single handedly. You know, it wouldn't Brady, 0:11:25.857 --> 0:11:27.137 wouldn't Belichick. It was all me. 0:11:28.177 --> 0:11:28.337 You know. 0:11:28.417 --> 0:11:32.137 After I got done solidifying that dynasty, I went to 0:11:32.257 --> 0:11:35.857 law school. You know, my my my intention wasn't to 0:11:35.897 --> 0:11:39.217 practice law. You know, I was really hurt after I 0:11:39.297 --> 0:11:41.297 left the NFL, so I went to law school to 0:11:41.297 --> 0:11:43.257 get healthy. And when I was in d C in 0:11:43.337 --> 0:11:46.057 law school, I just I really, you know, my ultimate 0:11:46.057 --> 0:11:47.817 plan was was a serve in the military. And I 0:11:47.857 --> 0:11:49.777 didn't want to be a jag and I was getting 0:11:49.777 --> 0:11:51.657 close to the age limit, so you know, I just 0:11:51.977 --> 0:11:53.617 I decided it was the best thing to do. To 0:11:53.617 --> 0:11:55.577 to drop out of law school and join the army. 0:11:55.937 --> 0:11:57.857 And that's what I did. I went through basic training 0:11:57.977 --> 0:12:02.817 Officer Canada school, you know, went through the Infantry officers course, 0:12:03.097 --> 0:12:04.257 I went through ranger school. 0:12:06.257 --> 0:12:07.337 I have questions. I have questions. 0:12:07.337 --> 0:12:11.697 Hold on, Yeah, Like, was there a point which you 0:12:11.777 --> 0:12:16.057 were you were in your let's say your first or 0:12:16.097 --> 0:12:18.857 second week of basic training or something, and you're a 0:12:18.897 --> 0:12:21.417 little bit did you ever have a thought You're like, maybe, 0:12:21.937 --> 0:12:24.497 I don't know about this decision. I'm just wondering. That's 0:12:24.537 --> 0:12:26.337 a big move to drop out of law school right 0:12:26.417 --> 0:12:28.657 to serve. I mean, I think it's very honorable decision. 0:12:28.697 --> 0:12:29.057 It's great. 0:12:29.177 --> 0:12:31.737 But did you did you know every day you were 0:12:31.777 --> 0:12:36.297 going through it that this is what was for you? 0:12:36.297 --> 0:12:38.137 You know, I did. I mean, I'm not gonna I'm 0:12:38.177 --> 0:12:40.697 not gonna say it wasn't challenging, you know, but I 0:12:40.737 --> 0:12:45.737 really I fully committed to making that decision. But yeah, 0:12:45.777 --> 0:12:47.257 I mean there were some moments, you know, you're you know, 0:12:47.537 --> 0:12:49.617 I went from having a really great apartment in downtown 0:12:49.657 --> 0:12:52.137 Boston playing for the Patriots, you know, part of a 0:12:52.137 --> 0:12:54.937 Super Bowl championship team, you know, to go into a 0:12:54.977 --> 0:12:58.377 great apartment in Washington d C. You know, go into Georgetown, 0:12:58.377 --> 0:13:01.137 a great law school, to you know, being in a 0:13:01.297 --> 0:13:04.857 in a sleeping bay of you know, sixty five eighteen 0:13:04.937 --> 0:13:08.817 to twenty four year old Basic trainees. You know, just 0:13:08.857 --> 0:13:11.457 kind of looking around at mid nine, you know, man, like, 0:13:11.497 --> 0:13:11.657 you know. 0:13:11.817 --> 0:13:15.497 Your social options definitely decreased. Your service to the country 0:13:15.537 --> 0:13:19.057 increased dramatically. Congratulations, But your social options from being a 0:13:19.177 --> 0:13:23.377 NFL player in Boston to being in Basic training, you know, 0:13:23.977 --> 0:13:24.897 not as many cheerleads. 0:13:24.897 --> 0:13:28.457 But yeah, no, exactly, you know, but I was. I 0:13:28.497 --> 0:13:31.377 was fully committed to making that sacrifice. And you know, 0:13:31.537 --> 0:13:33.177 at the end of the day, I realized that it 0:13:33.217 --> 0:13:35.937 wasn't gonna be it was gonna be a temporary, you know, 0:13:36.057 --> 0:13:39.617 temporarily difficult situation to go through Basic and go through 0:13:39.617 --> 0:13:42.377 o CS and Ranger school. But you know, I never 0:13:42.417 --> 0:13:44.937 lost sight of that goal, which was to get my 0:13:45.057 --> 0:13:48.897 ranger tab and you know lead a rifle platoon, which 0:13:49.057 --> 0:13:50.897 I was very blessed to have the ability to do. 0:13:51.017 --> 0:13:52.257 And you know. 0:13:52.257 --> 0:13:53.937 I was a heart What's the hardest part of Ranger 0:13:53.937 --> 0:13:55.857 school for you? For what? What did you find the 0:13:55.857 --> 0:13:57.817 most challenging part of it? 0:13:57.817 --> 0:14:01.137 It was the starvation. I mean, like truly, Like there's 0:14:01.537 --> 0:14:04.217 I lost about forty pounds in Ranger School. I went 0:14:04.257 --> 0:14:06.617 in weighed about two hundred and forty pounds, got out 0:14:06.617 --> 0:14:09.257 weighing two hundred. I can show you some photos another time. 0:14:09.297 --> 0:14:11.017 I mean I was like a stick figure coming out 0:14:11.057 --> 0:14:13.977 of there. My mom cried once you saw me at 0:14:14.057 --> 0:14:16.897 Ranger School graduation. I was so thin. But you know, 0:14:17.137 --> 0:14:19.257 coming from a football background, you know, I like to eat, 0:14:19.737 --> 0:14:22.297 so that was that was a huge challenge. But sleep 0:14:22.297 --> 0:14:25.137 deprivation and food deprivation is a huge part of the school. 0:14:25.697 --> 0:14:28.457 You know, you get pushed to your mental, physical, emotional, 0:14:28.977 --> 0:14:32.697 spiritual limits, you know, but that's that's how you forage 0:14:32.737 --> 0:14:35.337 great leaders, you know, over that sixty two day course, 0:14:35.377 --> 0:14:37.697 and you know, I was able to finish it in 0:14:37.777 --> 0:14:40.097 the in the shortest amount of time, thank goodness, and 0:14:40.097 --> 0:14:41.777 and get out of there, and it gets my platoon. 0:14:41.897 --> 0:14:44.217 So yeah, I would say that the sleep depth, you know, 0:14:44.297 --> 0:14:46.417 forty five minutes of sleep per night for like ten 0:14:46.497 --> 0:14:49.817 straight nights, is not not ideal when it comes to 0:14:50.017 --> 0:14:52.897 you know, rest, recuperation and being in a prime mental state. 0:14:53.017 --> 0:14:55.777 But you know that's just part of the deal. Where 0:14:55.777 --> 0:15:00.257 do you end up deploying Iraq. So my my brigade 0:15:00.297 --> 0:15:02.657 combat team with one hundred and first Airborne we were 0:15:02.657 --> 0:15:06.337 stationed in uh northern Iraq, the Kurdistan region. 0:15:06.457 --> 0:15:09.417 Oh, I aw, what where You're like in Suli or something. 0:15:09.457 --> 0:15:12.017 I know, I know that area of the world pretty well. 0:15:12.897 --> 0:15:16.057 We were. We were between Mosul and Ourbiel. 0:15:15.977 --> 0:15:19.497 Oh Moses that place back in the day, my time 0:15:19.497 --> 0:15:22.657 in mosil Man. That was a spicy location, let me 0:15:22.697 --> 0:15:24.897 tell you. But that was uh what what when were 0:15:24.897 --> 0:15:26.097 you there? If you don't mind. 0:15:26.017 --> 0:15:26.977 About a deck about it? 0:15:27.137 --> 0:15:29.137 I mean and I was in the region, I will 0:15:29.177 --> 0:15:32.577 say about a decade, about a decade before you I 0:15:32.577 --> 0:15:34.497 mean basically. 0:15:34.577 --> 0:15:37.377 Before before twenty fifteen, because obviously that was the capital 0:15:37.377 --> 0:15:40.697 of the Califade. You know when when Isis had their 0:15:40.857 --> 0:15:41.617 had their brief run. 0:15:41.777 --> 0:15:45.177 Yeah no, no, yeah, Well I was there again in 0:15:45.257 --> 0:15:49.777 the vicinity and that too specific. I was there in 0:15:49.817 --> 0:15:53.897 the vicinity, uh you know, doing my uh analyst uh 0:15:53.937 --> 0:15:55.897 you know, dressed as like a guy on a camping trip. 0:15:55.937 --> 0:15:56.097 Thing. 0:15:58.337 --> 0:16:01.497 Right after or pretty close to what happened was like 0:16:01.537 --> 0:16:03.577 they kicked all the bad guys, I mean not all 0:16:03.617 --> 0:16:06.977 of them, but they they cleared out Flujah Ramadi and 0:16:07.097 --> 0:16:10.457 that had been This is like oh six so seven 0:16:10.577 --> 0:16:13.417 period that you know, those had been and bar province 0:16:13.617 --> 0:16:16.217 was just the worst, right, the heaviest fighting. The Marines 0:16:16.217 --> 0:16:17.617 had to go in their house to house do all 0:16:17.617 --> 0:16:20.497 that stuff. But a lot of them, the suicide bomber 0:16:20.577 --> 0:16:23.537 rat lines and the bad stuff switched up north to 0:16:23.817 --> 0:16:24.777 Mosul coming in. 0:16:24.937 --> 0:16:25.897 So that was yep. 0:16:25.977 --> 0:16:27.857 So I remember I remember going spending some time with 0:16:27.937 --> 0:16:29.697 some of the SF teams out there and trying to 0:16:29.697 --> 0:16:32.457 see what could be done to Stuck because these guys 0:16:32.457 --> 0:16:34.737 were going into marketplaces with you know, suicide vest are 0:16:34.777 --> 0:16:36.777 actually car bombs all the time, just you know, blow 0:16:36.857 --> 0:16:39.977 up thirty fifty eighty people. Whatever it was. It was 0:16:40.177 --> 0:16:42.777 really really awful stuff. But so when you were there, 0:16:43.137 --> 0:16:45.737 it's fascinating actually because when I was there it was horrible, 0:16:46.057 --> 0:16:47.497 and then when you were there it was horrible. It 0:16:47.537 --> 0:16:49.857 was like the main spots. So what were you doing? 0:16:51.457 --> 0:16:54.537 So it was a really interesting mission set. You know, 0:16:54.617 --> 0:16:57.497 it was a combination of patrols. You know, we were 0:16:57.497 --> 0:17:00.937 doing some diplomatic stuff, you know, meeting with the you 0:17:00.977 --> 0:17:03.937 know provincial governor you know this Nnila province, so the 0:17:04.177 --> 0:17:07.177 provincial governor of the Iraqi. Yeah, the their version of 0:17:07.177 --> 0:17:10.617 a core level commander was stationed with us, you know, 0:17:10.857 --> 0:17:13.617 so we were coordinating air strikes. You know, we we 0:17:13.657 --> 0:17:15.577 had some guys going out on target. So, I mean, 0:17:15.617 --> 0:17:17.257 it was a it was a really interesting kind of 0:17:17.297 --> 0:17:20.457 all encompassing mission set. It was great for a for 0:17:20.457 --> 0:17:21.977 a young lieutenant to get out there and kind of 0:17:21.977 --> 0:17:25.457 see everything that was going down. And this was this 0:17:25.577 --> 0:17:27.537 was a couple of years after you know, we had 0:17:27.577 --> 0:17:31.137 cleaned out Isis, you know, but there were obviously still 0:17:31.177 --> 0:17:35.017 I mean, as you know, Mosl and Rbil Kurdistan. It's 0:17:35.097 --> 0:17:38.417 kind of a confluence of a lot of different ethnicities. 0:17:38.977 --> 0:17:42.337 You know, it was an old trading route historically, so 0:17:42.377 --> 0:17:43.937 there was a there's a you know, a lot of 0:17:43.937 --> 0:17:46.537 a Sunni Shia conflict happening in that part of the 0:17:46.857 --> 0:17:49.657 you know, that part of the Middle East, and you know, 0:17:49.697 --> 0:17:52.937 obviously in in the late twenty tens, that was when 0:17:52.937 --> 0:17:56.937 Iran first really started to uh flex on that area. 0:17:57.137 --> 0:18:00.217 You know, the Isis was was Sunni and so once 0:18:00.257 --> 0:18:02.617 Isis got cleaned out, the Shia you know, came in 0:18:02.657 --> 0:18:06.217 and decided they were in charge. Obviously, these Shia backed 0:18:06.337 --> 0:18:08.977 or these Ran backed Chia militia groups, the s mgs, 0:18:09.857 --> 0:18:11.297 you know, we're all over the place. It was a 0:18:11.337 --> 0:18:15.017 really fascinating and and pretty intense mission set out there. 0:18:15.057 --> 0:18:16.977 But you know, like I said, it was a it 0:18:17.017 --> 0:18:19.457 was a good experience. It was a good deployment. I 0:18:19.497 --> 0:18:22.697 deployed with some great people, uh, and not just army. 0:18:22.737 --> 0:18:24.697 You know, we had some you know, we had some 0:18:24.697 --> 0:18:28.217 some Marsat guys, marine raiders, we had some Air Force 0:18:28.337 --> 0:18:31.457 j tax with us. You know, we had some some 0:18:31.497 --> 0:18:34.897 guys from your with with you with your training who 0:18:34.937 --> 0:18:37.937 were with us. So it was a it was a 0:18:37.937 --> 0:18:39.057 really outstanding deployment. 0:18:40.457 --> 0:18:42.897 So what I wanted to ask you, I wanted to 0:18:42.897 --> 0:18:45.137 get that background. It's so interesting too, by the way, 0:18:45.177 --> 0:18:47.657 I mean, I everyone that I talked to who deployed 0:18:47.657 --> 0:18:52.977 your rocker Afghanistan before you, it was it's always roughly 0:18:53.057 --> 0:18:55.577 my contemporaries, you know, either a few years before a 0:18:55.617 --> 0:18:57.457 few years after being in that part of the world. 0:18:57.497 --> 0:18:59.297 But you know, now, of course we have people that 0:18:59.337 --> 0:19:01.977 were dealing with like you, dealing with the isis uh 0:19:02.097 --> 0:19:05.697 situation uh up in up in a rock specifically obviously 0:19:05.737 --> 0:19:12.257 Afghanistan kind of continued much much longer. If if I 0:19:12.257 --> 0:19:15.097 got to ask you something. I'd be curious if someone 0:19:15.177 --> 0:19:20.737 told you that you could go and advise the Kurds. 0:19:20.337 --> 0:19:22.337 Just theoretically, if this kind of thing were happening. 0:19:22.337 --> 0:19:24.457 I don't know, But if I told you that you 0:19:24.497 --> 0:19:28.297 could go and advise the Kurds on the ground, I'm 0:19:28.297 --> 0:19:33.697 sorry the Ukrainians. You already advised the Kurds, the Ukrainians 0:19:33.777 --> 0:19:38.377 on the ground to help them against the Russians. And 0:19:38.497 --> 0:19:40.297 I really mean this honestly, like, would you want any 0:19:40.337 --> 0:19:42.737 part of that fight? Would you say, you know what, 0:19:42.817 --> 0:19:45.417