1 00:00:17,239 --> 00:00:21,280 Speaker 1: If it doesn't work, you're just not using enough. You're 2 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:26,200 Speaker 1: listening to soft Rep Radio Special Operations, military news and 3 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:41,440 Speaker 1: straight talk with the guys in the community. Hollo, We're 4 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 1: gonna everyone, welcome back to soft Rep Radio, Software Radio, 5 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:49,919 Speaker 1: long time on target. You're here with today with your 6 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:54,280 Speaker 1: host Steve blast Revi. I am joined by our boss. 7 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:57,880 Speaker 1: We got the big guy in here today, Jacob so Tech. 8 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:02,320 Speaker 1: The's are. He's the big boss where all of ours 9 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:05,840 Speaker 1: go through. So we have a chance to talk to Jacob. 10 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:08,119 Speaker 1: We're gonna talk a little bit about his own military 11 00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:11,919 Speaker 1: career until you folcus in on what he did prior 12 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 1: to come into soft Rep. We'll talk a little bit 13 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:17,640 Speaker 1: about that. Then we'll get into, you know, what the 14 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:21,320 Speaker 1: vision is coming up for the for the website and 15 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:25,520 Speaker 1: our radio show and and whatever else is happening out there, 16 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:28,880 Speaker 1: and what we see happening in the next twelve months. 17 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:31,640 Speaker 1: I know, trying to look through the crystal ball for 18 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:34,280 Speaker 1: twelve months in advance is a little bit on the 19 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:36,960 Speaker 1: tough side, but we'll do the best we can here 20 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:40,240 Speaker 1: and fill our our good listeners in on that. But 21 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:44,280 Speaker 1: before we get any further, let's welcome Jacob to the podcast. Jacob, 22 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:48,080 Speaker 1: Welcome to Software Radio. Even though you're the boss, you 23 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:51,360 Speaker 1: haven't been on yet. No, I haven't, Steve. It's a 24 00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 1: pleasure to be here, and uh, you know, it's a 25 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 1: it's good to be in the hot seat finally. Mhmm. Yeah, 26 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 1: because you're the guy who does you know, has the 27 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:04,000 Speaker 1: final say on everything. But now you get a chance 28 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:07,720 Speaker 1: to you know, speak your two cents, I guess. But yeah, 29 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:12,440 Speaker 1: and I'll have to edit the podcast later, We'll see. 30 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:14,400 Speaker 1: Now you won't have to edit as much because you'll 31 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 1: know what what do you want in there and what 32 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:19,200 Speaker 1: you don't, So I'll flag all the areas that I 33 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:23,600 Speaker 1: want to cut out ahead of time. Yeah, and this is, 34 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:26,840 Speaker 1: by the way, totally unscripted. You know, we haven't gone 35 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:29,520 Speaker 1: over any of this. Oh, let's not talk about this, 36 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 1: or let's talk about that. We haven't done that. This 37 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:37,160 Speaker 1: is you know, totally unscripted today. So this is unscripted Wednesday. 38 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 1: I guess you could say, yeah, bring it on, I'm ready, 39 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:43,400 Speaker 1: I'm ready. Yeah. So let's start off with the basics, 40 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:47,400 Speaker 1: you know, tell us a little bit our listeners about 41 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:50,960 Speaker 1: your military career where you served, some of the cool 42 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:56,440 Speaker 1: things you did and we'll start from there. Sounds good. Um. 43 00:02:57,080 --> 00:02:59,880 Speaker 1: Uh I was one of those guys that all we 44 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:04,680 Speaker 1: thought the military would be a good fit for me. UM. 45 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 1: And then my senior year in high school, I watched 46 00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:14,160 Speaker 1: nine eleven happen, UM, and it was a very confusing 47 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 1: time for a senior in high school. I UM, you know, 48 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 1: it really felt like we were going to war, and 49 00:03:21,639 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 1: that this was the kind of war that my grandparents 50 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:27,840 Speaker 1: had served in. They were both they both served in 51 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 1: World War Two. And UM, I graduated high school and 52 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 1: went to college and did UM one year of college 53 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:41,880 Speaker 1: and watched the Shock and Awe campaign, and UM, it 54 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:43,600 Speaker 1: really felt like the war was going to be over 55 00:03:44,040 --> 00:03:47,200 Speaker 1: in a couple of years. And uh I was out 56 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:49,960 Speaker 1: in Syracuse at the time, going to school there, and 57 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:53,960 Speaker 1: uh I was in an r OTC program at Syracuse University, 58 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:58,000 Speaker 1: and I couldn't wait the four years to get a commission, 59 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 1: so I I went to my local recruiter and I 60 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:05,000 Speaker 1: walked in the front door and just said, Hey, I 61 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 1: want to serve. I want to go over. UM, what 62 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 1: do you have for me? And he looked at my 63 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:17,560 Speaker 1: my test scores and he suggested civil affairs, which was 64 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:20,880 Speaker 1: something I had never heard of. And he explained to 65 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:25,080 Speaker 1: me what civil Affairs does as part of the counterinsurgency 66 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:28,880 Speaker 1: you know doctrine that we had adopted, and I was intrigued, 67 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:31,800 Speaker 1: and I liked the idea of you know, at that time, 68 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:36,440 Speaker 1: civil Affairs was still under UM Special Operations Command out 69 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:39,240 Speaker 1: of Fort Bragg, So I liked the idea of being 70 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:42,159 Speaker 1: part of that, and UM it felt to me like 71 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 1: something that was a little bit more. UM. I don't know, 72 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:50,320 Speaker 1: there's a higher level of concentration on study and on 73 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:54,359 Speaker 1: preparation and on being more of a UM, more of 74 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:57,480 Speaker 1: an operator, although I would never consider myself one, UM 75 00:04:57,680 --> 00:04:59,760 Speaker 1: much more so than say just a straight leg guy 76 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:03,919 Speaker 1: with an infantry group or something. So UM, I was intrigued. 77 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:06,200 Speaker 1: I signed up right on the spot, and UM a 78 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:08,400 Speaker 1: few months later I was at Fort Branding, Fort Benning 79 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:12,320 Speaker 1: doing my basic training. UM. That was two thousand and three, 80 00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:18,960 Speaker 1: and by two thousand and four I was in country 81 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:24,440 Speaker 1: UM and had my twentieth birthday in Afghanistan as part 82 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:27,520 Speaker 1: of a Civil Affairs team there. UM. So I did that. 83 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:29,600 Speaker 1: I did a tour in Afghanistan and oh four to 84 00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:34,480 Speaker 1: oh five, we worked with the i D as well 85 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:38,200 Speaker 1: as seventh Group Special Forces. We were in Tarran Cow, 86 00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:41,400 Speaker 1: so it's kind of the home country of the Taliban 87 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:45,480 Speaker 1: and then O four when we got there, it was, 88 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:49,720 Speaker 1: as we said at the time, uh Indian country. You know, 89 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:52,480 Speaker 1: it was just we're in the middle of nowhere. UM. 90 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:55,520 Speaker 1: We we replaced the twenty second knew who was there 91 00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:58,039 Speaker 1: ahead of us, and the Marines were sleeping in hold 92 00:05:58,080 --> 00:06:00,680 Speaker 1: in the ground when we got to Tarran Cow, so 93 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:03,159 Speaker 1: we UM. We had to build our fob in the 94 00:06:03,200 --> 00:06:06,800 Speaker 1: ground up and and then when seventh Group rolled in, 95 00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:09,200 Speaker 1: we did a lot of UM, a lot of missions 96 00:06:09,279 --> 00:06:13,960 Speaker 1: with them, mainly as UM as a distraction. They were 97 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:16,040 Speaker 1: going after high value targets in the area, so we 98 00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:19,960 Speaker 1: would set up med ops and UM civil affairs missions 99 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:24,480 Speaker 1: for things like distributing blankets and food, UM, and they 100 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:26,760 Speaker 1: would roll in on the other side of town and 101 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:30,320 Speaker 1: pick somebody up. UM. We were lucky though it was. 102 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:34,800 Speaker 1: It was an interesting time to be there. The insurgency 103 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:39,480 Speaker 1: had hadn't quite adopted the sophisticated remote I D s 104 00:06:40,480 --> 00:06:42,240 Speaker 1: UM and things like that, so we were still dealing 105 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:45,520 Speaker 1: with pretty analog stuff. I mean, it was you know, 106 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 1: Russian anti tank minds buried in the road as opposed 107 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:52,480 Speaker 1: to UH, you know, high tech I E. D S UM. 108 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:55,000 Speaker 1: So I did that tour. It was great experience for 109 00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:57,760 Speaker 1: me as a young soldier. UM. I had a great 110 00:06:57,800 --> 00:07:01,920 Speaker 1: team and was really lucky to have both good officers 111 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:04,280 Speaker 1: and the list of guys looking out for me and UM. 112 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:07,920 Speaker 1: Our team leader was actually a former Special Forces guy, 113 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:10,120 Speaker 1: so he he brought to the table a lot of 114 00:07:10,160 --> 00:07:14,600 Speaker 1: asymmetric thinking that UM, I think other civil affairs reservist 115 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:18,960 Speaker 1: which I was at the time, wouldn't have had. So 116 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:21,920 Speaker 1: I was very lucky and did that tour, came home, 117 00:07:23,320 --> 00:07:26,120 Speaker 1: did my did some reserve time when I came home, 118 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:27,880 Speaker 1: and then I had the opportunity to go to the 119 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:34,200 Speaker 1: Defense Language Institute and went there and did I think 120 00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:36,800 Speaker 1: it was a year and a half long Arabic immersion 121 00:07:36,840 --> 00:07:41,760 Speaker 1: course with with d L I and UH. Graduated that 122 00:07:41,840 --> 00:07:46,600 Speaker 1: course and was actually looking to go into UM military intelligence. 123 00:07:47,120 --> 00:07:50,040 Speaker 1: I had a couple of offers. UM actually had an 124 00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:55,040 Speaker 1: offer to go to Guantanamo Bay as a translator UM 125 00:07:55,040 --> 00:07:58,200 Speaker 1: which I which was a civilian job offer, and I 126 00:07:58,280 --> 00:08:01,960 Speaker 1: turned that down. I didn't to get involved with GIPMO 127 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:03,920 Speaker 1: at the time, but that was like two thousand nine 128 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:07,400 Speaker 1: two thousand and ten, when Gitmo was not the place 129 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:13,320 Speaker 1: you wanted on your resume UM, and I actually volunteered 130 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:17,440 Speaker 1: to go to Iraq in two thousand ten, and my 131 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:22,120 Speaker 1: command denied my my request. So I spent the next 132 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:25,960 Speaker 1: couple of years at my reserve station in Maddie Dale, 133 00:08:25,960 --> 00:08:29,960 Speaker 1: New York as a you know, as a sergeant, had 134 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:33,600 Speaker 1: gotten my my rocker. By then, I was six and 135 00:08:33,840 --> 00:08:36,439 Speaker 1: I was training soldiers, you know, getting ready for deployments, 136 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:39,920 Speaker 1: doing Arabic courses UM, using you know, the things I 137 00:08:39,920 --> 00:08:43,439 Speaker 1: had learned in Afghanistan to help prepare the unit for 138 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:47,200 Speaker 1: for another rotation UM. And it was all set to 139 00:08:47,240 --> 00:08:51,760 Speaker 1: go on another rotation in two thousand and ten UM 140 00:08:51,760 --> 00:08:56,800 Speaker 1: when I got diagnosed with PTSD and I had got 141 00:08:56,840 --> 00:08:58,880 Speaker 1: put on a wait list, got pulled off the deployment 142 00:08:58,960 --> 00:09:03,959 Speaker 1: roster and ended up not going UM, which in retrospect 143 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:06,600 Speaker 1: is kind of the biggest uh let down for me 144 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:09,040 Speaker 1: because I had had a team at the time and 145 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:12,360 Speaker 1: was working with those you know, those young soldiers to 146 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:15,280 Speaker 1: get them prepared for deployment, and then I wasn't able 147 00:09:15,320 --> 00:09:18,120 Speaker 1: to go with them on the tour, which was a bummer, 148 00:09:18,320 --> 00:09:21,880 Speaker 1: and but you know, it led to bigger and brighter things. 149 00:09:21,880 --> 00:09:25,240 Speaker 1: So I got out of the army UM a couple 150 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:27,480 Speaker 1: of years later, and I was able to go back 151 00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:32,360 Speaker 1: to school. I studied Arabic at Dartmouth College in Hampshire 152 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:36,319 Speaker 1: and used a lot of my military training in my 153 00:09:36,880 --> 00:09:39,360 Speaker 1: language training from d l I and applied that to 154 00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:42,120 Speaker 1: my major. So I was able to do some really 155 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:47,000 Speaker 1: interesting study there. Um and that led me to a 156 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:50,800 Speaker 1: job at the New York Times. I left Dartmouth and 157 00:09:51,080 --> 00:09:56,160 Speaker 1: moved to New York City to take what is virtually 158 00:09:56,200 --> 00:09:59,600 Speaker 1: the lowest possible job you can get at the on 159 00:09:59,640 --> 00:10:01,520 Speaker 1: the news for at the New York Times, it's called 160 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:05,480 Speaker 1: news assistant, which is basically one step above the guy 161 00:10:05,520 --> 00:10:09,880 Speaker 1: who sweeps and mops the floors. And uh but I 162 00:10:09,920 --> 00:10:12,280 Speaker 1: thought it was a good opportunity to to get my 163 00:10:12,720 --> 00:10:16,360 Speaker 1: you know, to get my foot in someplace, and at 164 00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:20,040 Speaker 1: the time thought journalism was something I was going to 165 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:23,160 Speaker 1: pursue uh in earnest and I was really excited to 166 00:10:23,520 --> 00:10:27,640 Speaker 1: utilize my military experience in my language. Uh but the 167 00:10:27,679 --> 00:10:30,720 Speaker 1: Times is a huge institution, and I love it or 168 00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:34,080 Speaker 1: hate it, it's still a big business and there are 169 00:10:34,120 --> 00:10:36,320 Speaker 1: people there that have been there for thirty years and 170 00:10:36,320 --> 00:10:40,800 Speaker 1: and don't get to work overseas. Um So, I was 171 00:10:40,880 --> 00:10:44,000 Speaker 1: too young and too green, and I didn't have enough 172 00:10:44,040 --> 00:10:46,600 Speaker 1: experience to to do the things I wanted to do. 173 00:10:46,679 --> 00:10:49,800 Speaker 1: I really wanted to go to Egypt or somewhere else 174 00:10:49,840 --> 00:10:52,720 Speaker 1: in the Middle East and and do reporting from there, 175 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:56,120 Speaker 1: but it just wasn't in the cards. UM. So I 176 00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:58,720 Speaker 1: left that gig and I bopped around in New York 177 00:10:58,720 --> 00:11:02,400 Speaker 1: for a little while. UM did some you know, some 178 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:05,520 Speaker 1: entrepreneurial things. I worked at a couple of companies, uh 179 00:11:05,679 --> 00:11:12,120 Speaker 1: in in content production, in advertising, UM in operations. And 180 00:11:12,200 --> 00:11:15,800 Speaker 1: I met Brandon and at Brandon probably probably two or 181 00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:18,720 Speaker 1: three years ago. Now, Um, Brandon is a watch guy. 182 00:11:18,920 --> 00:11:21,280 Speaker 1: I was in the watch business at the time, and 183 00:11:22,840 --> 00:11:25,040 Speaker 1: he uh he and I started talking and I've learned 184 00:11:25,040 --> 00:11:26,960 Speaker 1: about his history is the Navy seal. And he took 185 00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:30,880 Speaker 1: me up in this plane. UM did a couple loofy 186 00:11:30,920 --> 00:11:34,000 Speaker 1: loops over over New York City and almost lost my 187 00:11:34,080 --> 00:11:38,440 Speaker 1: lunch and uh yeah, and then we we kept sort 188 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:40,680 Speaker 1: of we kept in touch, and we kept bumping into 189 00:11:40,679 --> 00:11:42,800 Speaker 1: each other in New York. Um. He introduced me to 190 00:11:42,840 --> 00:11:46,640 Speaker 1: a couple of his buddies. UM. Both on the you 191 00:11:46,679 --> 00:11:49,400 Speaker 1: know writer of friends of his that he knew in 192 00:11:49,440 --> 00:11:51,600 Speaker 1: New York as well as guys who had served in 193 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:55,880 Speaker 1: the past, and m yeah, and then and then he 194 00:11:55,920 --> 00:11:59,360 Speaker 1: had an opening. Um last year he was looking to 195 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:02,400 Speaker 1: do some some work on the commerce side for soft reap. Uh, 196 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:05,719 Speaker 1: and he gave me a call and um, I was available, 197 00:12:06,040 --> 00:12:11,000 Speaker 1: and the rest is history. Here I am how about 198 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:15,760 Speaker 1: that for five minutes? Uh submarine that that covers the 199 00:12:15,840 --> 00:12:19,240 Speaker 1: last ten years of my life. Uh. You know when 200 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:22,200 Speaker 1: it comes to watches, that's one. And I know I 201 00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:25,280 Speaker 1: don't make enough money. And not just not a slam 202 00:12:25,320 --> 00:12:29,480 Speaker 1: on you, Brandon, I'm just saying because I am like, 203 00:12:30,120 --> 00:12:33,600 Speaker 1: watches are kryptonite. And I go through some of those 204 00:12:33,640 --> 00:12:36,959 Speaker 1: watch catalogs. Uh. Well, one of the guys that used 205 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:40,840 Speaker 1: to run a the barbershop I used to go to 206 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:42,920 Speaker 1: all the time, he was a big watch guy and 207 00:12:43,440 --> 00:12:47,040 Speaker 1: he had these watch catalogs and watch magazines and all 208 00:12:47,080 --> 00:12:50,600 Speaker 1: those and it was just like I would they would 209 00:12:50,640 --> 00:12:53,600 Speaker 1: be drool on those pages when I leave there because 210 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:57,880 Speaker 1: I just loved watches. That's and you know, we you 211 00:12:57,960 --> 00:13:01,079 Speaker 1: really don't need him anymore because of phones and they 212 00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:03,480 Speaker 1: do everything and watch those but I don't care I 213 00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:06,320 Speaker 1: still wear a watch every day, and yeah, you know 214 00:13:06,400 --> 00:13:08,880 Speaker 1: it's interesting. The thing that got me into watches, UM, 215 00:13:08,920 --> 00:13:12,720 Speaker 1: I had a really close friend who was really into watches, 216 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:15,600 Speaker 1: and he definitely helped break me into that world. But 217 00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:20,439 Speaker 1: the thing that caught my attention was how integral watches 218 00:13:20,559 --> 00:13:24,880 Speaker 1: were in the military. And I started reading up about 219 00:13:25,559 --> 00:13:28,120 Speaker 1: you know, watches with hacking mechanisms, so that you know 220 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:32,480 Speaker 1: that wild phrase synchronized watches. UM. You know how these 221 00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:35,160 Speaker 1: how these guys out in the field, we're using analog 222 00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:40,040 Speaker 1: time pieces too, you know, to carry out missions. UM. 223 00:13:40,240 --> 00:13:42,960 Speaker 1: Really intrigued me. And then you think about all of 224 00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:49,199 Speaker 1: the all the things that watches have done, UM in history. Uh, 225 00:13:49,400 --> 00:13:51,440 Speaker 1: the the Apollo missions come to mind, you know, the 226 00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:53,840 Speaker 1: watches that were used on the surface of the Moon. 227 00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:58,559 Speaker 1: Analog mechanical watches is really kind of a cool subhistory too. 228 00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:02,320 Speaker 1: Two watches and really not that old, you know, a 229 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:05,959 Speaker 1: little over a hundred years old. So it's uh, it's 230 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:09,320 Speaker 1: kind of a neat niche um, which I will talk 231 00:14:09,320 --> 00:14:11,319 Speaker 1: about for the rest of the day. So we should 232 00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:16,000 Speaker 1: move on to matters or or other military stuff. Just 233 00:14:16,360 --> 00:14:20,400 Speaker 1: one more quick anecdote and then we will move on. Um. 234 00:14:20,440 --> 00:14:23,280 Speaker 1: You know, as a watch guy. Like I said, I 235 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:28,080 Speaker 1: just loved watches. So after I was out of the military, 236 00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:30,400 Speaker 1: I had worked as a contractor for a while. I 237 00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:34,760 Speaker 1: was working as a security advisor for the film industry 238 00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:37,720 Speaker 1: and I noticed all the stunt guys coming in. We 239 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:41,360 Speaker 1: were doing a war film. They all had these James 240 00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:46,200 Speaker 1: Bond Omega watches on, and I'm like, what's up with this? 241 00:14:46,280 --> 00:14:48,600 Speaker 1: Because you know, as soon as I saw him, I 242 00:14:48,640 --> 00:14:51,760 Speaker 1: recognized what they were and they were like, oh, we 243 00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:55,800 Speaker 1: we just finished working with Daniel Craig on the next 244 00:14:55,840 --> 00:15:02,560 Speaker 1: Bond film, and Daniel but every one of us sequential 245 00:15:02,720 --> 00:15:06,760 Speaker 1: numbered Omega's like he wore in the film for all 246 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:10,120 Speaker 1: the stunt men, and I'm just like, damn, I'm in 247 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:16,400 Speaker 1: the wrong business here. That's pretty cool with him. Yeah 248 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:18,320 Speaker 1: that I thought that was really cool, and I liked 249 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:21,320 Speaker 1: him even more when I've heard that, because I said 250 00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:23,120 Speaker 1: how many stunt guys were on there, and they said 251 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:26,240 Speaker 1: quite a few, So I was like, that's pretty cool. 252 00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:30,120 Speaker 1: But anyways, um, you know, and you talked about in 253 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:34,080 Speaker 1: your Civil Affairs unit that you had some SF officers, 254 00:15:34,680 --> 00:15:37,800 Speaker 1: you know, dating myself, but back in the day, you know, 255 00:15:37,840 --> 00:15:40,360 Speaker 1: in seventh group when we were working in Latin America, 256 00:15:41,200 --> 00:15:45,000 Speaker 1: they put several s f n c O s in 257 00:15:45,080 --> 00:15:48,440 Speaker 1: with this. They embedded him in the civil affairs units, 258 00:15:48,520 --> 00:15:52,800 Speaker 1: and you know, it helped, you know, because they knew 259 00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:55,640 Speaker 1: more of what was going on in the areas where 260 00:15:55,680 --> 00:15:58,160 Speaker 1: we were working in when we bring them in, because 261 00:15:58,200 --> 00:16:01,040 Speaker 1: that was a huge part of what everything we were 262 00:16:01,080 --> 00:16:03,960 Speaker 1: trying to do in Latin America at that time, you know, 263 00:16:04,040 --> 00:16:07,800 Speaker 1: getting civil affairs and cecific action projects going, it was 264 00:16:08,120 --> 00:16:12,560 Speaker 1: huge for US. And so I just that was kind 265 00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:16,120 Speaker 1: of interesting. But you know, that's it's you know, it's 266 00:16:16,160 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 1: a it's just one of those careers like when you 267 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:21,680 Speaker 1: were in like you said, you worked with guys in 268 00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:26,680 Speaker 1: the seventh Groups. You know, we were all definitely intertwined there. Yeah, 269 00:16:26,680 --> 00:16:29,760 Speaker 1: you know, it's a really interesting part of the war 270 00:16:29,840 --> 00:16:36,440 Speaker 1: in Afghanistan, and unfortunately our counterinsurgency doctor in our nation 271 00:16:36,480 --> 00:16:40,640 Speaker 1: building exercise really didn't work. And it's it's kind of 272 00:16:40,640 --> 00:16:43,040 Speaker 1: a black eye for US, UM when you know, when 273 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:44,960 Speaker 1: you peel back the onion and you look at what 274 00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:48,080 Speaker 1: we did in Afghanistan specifically and the money we spent there, 275 00:16:48,520 --> 00:16:51,800 Speaker 1: the loss of life and all that stuff. UM and 276 00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:54,560 Speaker 1: we're no further ahead than we were we, you know, 277 00:16:54,720 --> 00:16:59,120 Speaker 1: than than when I got there in two thousand and four. UM. 278 00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:02,160 Speaker 1: But that said that, you know, the stuff that we 279 00:17:02,160 --> 00:17:06,560 Speaker 1: were doing then, UM, and I should I should caveat 280 00:17:07,119 --> 00:17:11,480 Speaker 1: the the point about working with the Seventh Group. UM, 281 00:17:11,520 --> 00:17:14,520 Speaker 1: I was a private first class and a specialist wont 282 00:17:14,600 --> 00:17:17,240 Speaker 1: during my time there, So I I to say I 283 00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:20,760 Speaker 1: worked with Seventh Group guys is a is a stretch. UM. 284 00:17:20,880 --> 00:17:22,919 Speaker 1: They were in theater and they were in the same 285 00:17:23,080 --> 00:17:25,400 Speaker 1: bob as we were, and every once in a while 286 00:17:25,440 --> 00:17:29,360 Speaker 1: we'd see him ride by and four wheelers. UM. I 287 00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:32,160 Speaker 1: did come away with a with an sp combat patch 288 00:17:32,280 --> 00:17:35,439 Speaker 1: from that that deployment. But I really was in the 289 00:17:35,520 --> 00:17:39,439 Speaker 1: separate league those guys. We're doing stuff way above and 290 00:17:39,440 --> 00:17:43,439 Speaker 1: beyond what we were qualified to do. UM. So you know, 291 00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:45,640 Speaker 1: I don't want it to get twisted up anywhere that 292 00:17:46,040 --> 00:17:49,760 Speaker 1: I'm claiming I was rolling the Seventh Group guys. I 293 00:17:50,640 --> 00:17:52,919 Speaker 1: didn't take it as that, and I'm sure none of 294 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:56,960 Speaker 1: our listeners did as well. But but you know it 295 00:17:56,119 --> 00:17:59,199 Speaker 1: was it was cool to have um our colonel. He 296 00:17:59,280 --> 00:18:03,479 Speaker 1: was like Colonel UM former Special Forces Team guy UM. 297 00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:07,720 Speaker 1: Colonel William la Fontaine um. And he was. This guy 298 00:18:07,760 --> 00:18:10,200 Speaker 1: was like six six. I don't know how he didn't 299 00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:14,919 Speaker 1: get picked off. He was a big target. Um. But 300 00:18:15,040 --> 00:18:18,000 Speaker 1: he brought a lot of really interesting experience to our 301 00:18:18,040 --> 00:18:21,800 Speaker 1: team and they helped us understand the asymmetric battle space. 302 00:18:22,680 --> 00:18:26,560 Speaker 1: As we were planning our civil affairs missions. Um. And 303 00:18:26,680 --> 00:18:29,359 Speaker 1: you know, we were dealing with stuff beyond just the 304 00:18:29,359 --> 00:18:32,240 Speaker 1: the nation building things. I mean, in the spring of 305 00:18:32,359 --> 00:18:36,680 Speaker 1: oh five, there was a massive flood in a loose 306 00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:40,080 Speaker 1: Gun province. All this rain had come and produced a 307 00:18:40,119 --> 00:18:43,800 Speaker 1: huge amount of snow melt and it displaced thousands of 308 00:18:43,960 --> 00:18:46,760 Speaker 1: civilians who were living along one of the major rivers 309 00:18:46,800 --> 00:18:50,359 Speaker 1: and Who's Gone province. So we were tasked with a 310 00:18:50,480 --> 00:18:55,480 Speaker 1: major dislocated civilian operation. UM. And we actually spent I 311 00:18:55,480 --> 00:18:58,280 Speaker 1: think it ended up being about a week sort of 312 00:18:58,800 --> 00:19:02,879 Speaker 1: with our asses in the breeze is in eastern a 313 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:06,320 Speaker 1: rouse Gun Province waiting for the choppers to come and 314 00:19:06,320 --> 00:19:08,879 Speaker 1: pick us up because the floodwaters had turned all the 315 00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:11,800 Speaker 1: roads to complete garbage and we couldn't get out of there. 316 00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:15,560 Speaker 1: So um, you know, so we we worked in a 317 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:18,080 Speaker 1: in a dynamic space, doing a lot of different stuff. 318 00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:21,120 Speaker 1: It wasn't just the kinetic things that we were trained 319 00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:23,480 Speaker 1: to do. But you know I got as a nineteen 320 00:19:23,480 --> 00:19:27,680 Speaker 1: and twenty year old soldier. I got to see um 321 00:19:28,119 --> 00:19:31,000 Speaker 1: U n HCR projects. I got to talk to people 322 00:19:31,080 --> 00:19:35,640 Speaker 1: the State Department. I got to sit in negotiations with 323 00:19:36,160 --> 00:19:39,240 Speaker 1: you know, full bird colonels. Um. It was. It was 324 00:19:39,280 --> 00:19:41,560 Speaker 1: a cool experience for a young soldier. And I think 325 00:19:41,560 --> 00:19:44,439 Speaker 1: a lot of guys in the military don't get that 326 00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:48,520 Speaker 1: experience when they're junior listed. UM. So I count myself 327 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:51,480 Speaker 1: very lucky to have, like I said, good officers and 328 00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:54,800 Speaker 1: n c o s, but also just being in Afghanistan 329 00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:58,200 Speaker 1: at a time when there was we still had the 330 00:19:58,240 --> 00:20:01,679 Speaker 1: ability to do that stuff. You know, small teams we were. 331 00:20:01,760 --> 00:20:04,359 Speaker 1: We were rolling around in a in a single humby 332 00:20:04,440 --> 00:20:07,480 Speaker 1: with a couple of um you know up not up 333 00:20:07,480 --> 00:20:11,959 Speaker 1: on highlux but the highlux trucks with US UM with 334 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:15,240 Speaker 1: Afghan security forces, and we were If we had gotten 335 00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:19,720 Speaker 1: seriously hit, we would have been toast um because it 336 00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:22,679 Speaker 1: wasn't much back up for us. But you could do 337 00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:25,159 Speaker 1: that in two thousand and four, you know, you couldn't 338 00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:27,199 Speaker 1: You couldn't do that in in two thousand ten or 339 00:20:27,200 --> 00:20:33,400 Speaker 1: two twelve, you know, Yep, those highlux trucks. I think 340 00:20:33,960 --> 00:20:37,600 Speaker 1: everywhere you go in the Third World, there's slews of 341 00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:42,919 Speaker 1: them everywhere. And yeah, it was funny because back in 342 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:45,800 Speaker 1: the day again I'm dating myself, but come home from 343 00:20:45,800 --> 00:20:48,840 Speaker 1: a deployment somewhere in South America and everyone was like, 344 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:51,240 Speaker 1: I would like to get a highlux truck here, and 345 00:20:51,400 --> 00:20:54,640 Speaker 1: you know, Fayetteville, you know, or or you know wherever. 346 00:20:55,880 --> 00:20:58,920 Speaker 1: But you see those things everywhere, and then you see 347 00:20:58,960 --> 00:21:02,680 Speaker 1: the pictures, you know what's going on today and there's 348 00:21:02,720 --> 00:21:05,160 Speaker 1: those high lux trucks and they haven't changed very much 349 00:21:05,160 --> 00:21:09,040 Speaker 1: over the years, you know, they haven't, and God bless them. 350 00:21:09,040 --> 00:21:12,800 Speaker 1: Those things are awesome. Um, we probably had five or 351 00:21:12,840 --> 00:21:17,800 Speaker 1: six uh high luxes, and we got new ones when 352 00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:20,520 Speaker 1: we were there, you know, straight off the production line, 353 00:21:20,520 --> 00:21:23,000 Speaker 1: and they were garbage. The ones that were really good 354 00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:25,960 Speaker 1: were the ones from the nineties that we're still kicking 355 00:21:25,960 --> 00:21:29,000 Speaker 1: around and you know, they're all boxy and beat up, 356 00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:33,679 Speaker 1: but those things never died. They were awesome. Yeah, we 357 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:38,000 Speaker 1: had a guy have a D once with in the 358 00:21:38,080 --> 00:21:42,919 Speaker 1: passenger side of highlocks. Right, everyone's talking about the you know, 359 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:45,080 Speaker 1: the girl Green Beret who had an a D and 360 00:21:45,840 --> 00:21:48,679 Speaker 1: you know, everyone's shocked. But the bottom line is one 361 00:21:48,720 --> 00:21:51,720 Speaker 1: of our guys had a D. And then you know, 362 00:21:53,160 --> 00:21:56,359 Speaker 1: we didn't think nothing of us turn the truck in. 363 00:21:56,680 --> 00:21:58,879 Speaker 1: We were back down there the next year and we 364 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:02,240 Speaker 1: got these Toyota high Lax trucks from the rental place 365 00:22:02,280 --> 00:22:05,880 Speaker 1: and they're all beat up, and we're like, that looks 366 00:22:05,920 --> 00:22:07,560 Speaker 1: like the truck we had an a D. And we 367 00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:13,199 Speaker 1: pulled up the rubber floorboards. There's there, you know in 368 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:20,399 Speaker 1: the yeah, but no, go ahead. We were on a 369 00:22:20,440 --> 00:22:23,639 Speaker 1: mission one day, um, not too far from our our 370 00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:28,400 Speaker 1: base in Tarrant, cowt Um, and we hear some chatter 371 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:31,520 Speaker 1: over the radio and one of the high Luck one 372 00:22:31,520 --> 00:22:34,680 Speaker 1: of the tires of the high Lucks I just popped 373 00:22:34,680 --> 00:22:36,679 Speaker 1: off on the whole the whole wheel of the highlights 374 00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:39,359 Speaker 1: are just popped off. And I don't know, you know, 375 00:22:39,680 --> 00:22:42,320 Speaker 1: pretty rough roads we were on, if you could even 376 00:22:42,320 --> 00:22:45,959 Speaker 1: call them roads, um, And so the lug nuts probably 377 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:48,359 Speaker 1: rattled off or something. Well, here we are in the 378 00:22:48,359 --> 00:22:52,919 Speaker 1: middle of a convoy and the Afghans jumped out of 379 00:22:52,920 --> 00:22:55,560 Speaker 1: the truck and they're, you know, trying to pick the 380 00:22:55,560 --> 00:23:00,960 Speaker 1: truck up to bolt this this wheelback on. Um. They 381 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:03,720 Speaker 1: finally got the wheelback on, started it up and drove 382 00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:06,560 Speaker 1: off like nothing ever happened. I mean, you know that 383 00:23:06,600 --> 00:23:08,720 Speaker 1: thing was riding on its axle for for you know, 384 00:23:08,920 --> 00:23:11,920 Speaker 1: fifteen ms. After that we all came off and didn't 385 00:23:11,920 --> 00:23:13,800 Speaker 1: do it. You know, a lick of damage to the thing. 386 00:23:13,880 --> 00:23:18,240 Speaker 1: It's pretty awesome. Yeah, it's funny. You were talking about 387 00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:20,680 Speaker 1: a flood in the Afghanistan. I mean when you think 388 00:23:20,720 --> 00:23:23,520 Speaker 1: about that, you know, you think of a landscape day, 389 00:23:23,560 --> 00:23:27,800 Speaker 1: you don't particularly connotate a flood being there, So that 390 00:23:27,880 --> 00:23:32,920 Speaker 1: must have been different. You know, it was really interesting. Um, 391 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:37,120 Speaker 1: we were that area of Afghanistan um a rouse Gun 392 00:23:37,119 --> 00:23:40,880 Speaker 1: province and north of Taran Cow really starts to get 393 00:23:40,880 --> 00:23:44,639 Speaker 1: into the mountainous Hindu Kush area, the southern edge of 394 00:23:44,800 --> 00:23:47,840 Speaker 1: a rust Gun province, you know where Kandahar is gets 395 00:23:47,840 --> 00:23:50,040 Speaker 1: really flat and you know it starts to become that 396 00:23:50,080 --> 00:23:56,159 Speaker 1: sort of plateau into Pakistan. But ump up north it 397 00:23:56,320 --> 00:23:59,720 Speaker 1: was really mountainous and there were several missions we went 398 00:23:59,760 --> 00:24:03,480 Speaker 1: on uh where it was there was snow and we 399 00:24:03,480 --> 00:24:06,000 Speaker 1: were you know, we were walking through the snow. Um 400 00:24:06,040 --> 00:24:08,879 Speaker 1: and then we take the the ring flight that the 401 00:24:09,840 --> 00:24:11,800 Speaker 1: Chinooks would come pick us up and drive us back. 402 00:24:11,840 --> 00:24:14,520 Speaker 1: Down to Tarrant cowt and it would be seventy degrees 403 00:24:14,560 --> 00:24:17,680 Speaker 1: and sunny. Um. So it was just a really dynamic 404 00:24:18,560 --> 00:24:22,280 Speaker 1: piece of the country. And when that spring hit in 405 00:24:22,320 --> 00:24:26,560 Speaker 1: two thousand and five, all that snow melted and it 406 00:24:26,640 --> 00:24:29,119 Speaker 1: was just more water than they had had in a 407 00:24:29,119 --> 00:24:32,480 Speaker 1: long time. UM. And there's not a lot of vegetation 408 00:24:32,760 --> 00:24:35,840 Speaker 1: in that area. It's a lot of scrub and brush, 409 00:24:36,240 --> 00:24:40,360 Speaker 1: very few trees, so nothing to keep the soil from 410 00:24:40,400 --> 00:24:44,040 Speaker 1: being washed away. And that's ultimately what caused the most 411 00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:46,679 Speaker 1: amount of the damage was just the water combined with 412 00:24:46,800 --> 00:24:52,080 Speaker 1: that fine dust um created a you know, a cement 413 00:24:52,200 --> 00:24:55,600 Speaker 1: like mud that covered everything and it made it pretty 414 00:24:55,600 --> 00:24:59,280 Speaker 1: difficult to get around and you know keep you know, 415 00:24:59,320 --> 00:25:02,679 Speaker 1: for us, we're doing this displaced civilian operation and you know, 416 00:25:02,760 --> 00:25:05,359 Speaker 1: keeping keeping people healthy, making sure people aren't going to 417 00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:08,480 Speaker 1: get sick, making sure people are drinking water and food, 418 00:25:09,640 --> 00:25:14,080 Speaker 1: because otherwise, you know, obviously the piece that of counterinsurgency 419 00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:17,560 Speaker 1: that we were trying to fill was otherwise those those 420 00:25:17,600 --> 00:25:21,840 Speaker 1: civilians go to the next viable resource for help, and 421 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:24,560 Speaker 1: that's unfortunately the Taliban, at least in two thousand four 422 00:25:24,560 --> 00:25:27,600 Speaker 1: and five, it was, so we were trying desperately to 423 00:25:27,680 --> 00:25:33,240 Speaker 1: keep them from um seeking help from our enemies in 424 00:25:33,320 --> 00:25:37,280 Speaker 1: those moments of natural disaster, which was an interesting side 425 00:25:37,280 --> 00:25:41,560 Speaker 1: to fighting counterinsurgency in Afghanistan, and one we don't talk 426 00:25:41,600 --> 00:25:47,040 Speaker 1: a lot about today. Great stuff. Well there you go, folks. 427 00:25:47,160 --> 00:25:49,600 Speaker 1: We get a little bit of background on Jacob now. 428 00:25:49,680 --> 00:25:53,360 Speaker 1: So now now everyone didn't have the feeling that they 429 00:25:53,400 --> 00:25:55,639 Speaker 1: know him a lot better than they did prior to 430 00:25:55,760 --> 00:25:59,360 Speaker 1: coming in. So what brings us to our sup your 431 00:25:59,359 --> 00:26:03,199 Speaker 1: good hand, Let's talk about softwarep Let's talk about you know, 432 00:26:03,240 --> 00:26:08,120 Speaker 1: where we're at right now and where we're going hopefully 433 00:26:08,119 --> 00:26:13,920 Speaker 1: in the next twelve months. Absolutely. I you know, when 434 00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:17,960 Speaker 1: when Nick Kaufman told me that he was gonna leave 435 00:26:18,040 --> 00:26:23,120 Speaker 1: soft rep UM, my ears perked up because I had 436 00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:28,119 Speaker 1: been reading SOFTWAP for a couple of years and I 437 00:26:28,160 --> 00:26:32,600 Speaker 1: really saw an opportunity two help, you know, help bring 438 00:26:32,600 --> 00:26:39,040 Speaker 1: the publication into UM. It was an exciting, you know, 439 00:26:39,160 --> 00:26:44,119 Speaker 1: opportunity for me. And one of the things that that 440 00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:50,800 Speaker 1: I see that software representing is a place for news 441 00:26:50,920 --> 00:26:55,560 Speaker 1: and news coverage analysis of what's happening in our military. 442 00:26:55,760 --> 00:26:59,320 Speaker 1: He really just can't get anywhere else. I mean, you 443 00:26:59,359 --> 00:27:02,840 Speaker 1: can find small niche publications, and we definitely have some 444 00:27:02,840 --> 00:27:05,359 Speaker 1: some guys out there doing good work in the space, 445 00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:08,960 Speaker 1: but by and large, the American people don't have access 446 00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:12,520 Speaker 1: to what's happening inside the military. And even if they 447 00:27:12,520 --> 00:27:15,960 Speaker 1: do see something, you know, every once in a while, 448 00:27:16,040 --> 00:27:18,480 Speaker 1: one of the major publications will pick up a story 449 00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:22,040 Speaker 1: about something that happened in the military or a military 450 00:27:22,080 --> 00:27:25,400 Speaker 1: member that's involved in, you know, a newsworthy event. We 451 00:27:25,480 --> 00:27:30,080 Speaker 1: often don't get the analysis and the context that is 452 00:27:30,160 --> 00:27:33,960 Speaker 1: necessary to understand the nuances of these things. So that's 453 00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:39,120 Speaker 1: what attracted me about software UM. And once I got 454 00:27:39,160 --> 00:27:42,000 Speaker 1: inside and started to really understand the history of the 455 00:27:42,040 --> 00:27:46,800 Speaker 1: publication UM, you you come to realize tens of thousands 456 00:27:46,840 --> 00:27:51,040 Speaker 1: of articles over the years, UM, huge amounts of coverage, 457 00:27:51,880 --> 00:27:56,480 Speaker 1: stories being broken UM sometimes too to fanfare, sometimes too 458 00:27:56,840 --> 00:28:01,840 Speaker 1: you know, scathing Internet reviews. But UM soft Rap has 459 00:28:01,880 --> 00:28:05,399 Speaker 1: been at the forefront of these stories for you know, 460 00:28:05,440 --> 00:28:08,720 Speaker 1: the better better part of ten years. So it's it's 461 00:28:08,760 --> 00:28:13,119 Speaker 1: just a really exciting opportunity for me. UM. If we 462 00:28:13,160 --> 00:28:20,560 Speaker 1: look at media in UM, of course the entire American 463 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:24,399 Speaker 1: audience will will breathe a sigh as we think about 464 00:28:25,359 --> 00:28:27,760 Speaker 1: this past year and how the media has effected and 465 00:28:27,840 --> 00:28:31,919 Speaker 1: influenced things and and all of the all of the 466 00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:35,480 Speaker 1: turmoil that we're experiencing now in the country. One of 467 00:28:35,480 --> 00:28:39,440 Speaker 1: the things that media has experienced is a is a 468 00:28:39,480 --> 00:28:47,320 Speaker 1: transition from journalists or should I say reporters being blue 469 00:28:47,360 --> 00:28:54,920 Speaker 1: collar workers two being white collar professionals. And I think 470 00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:58,160 Speaker 1: this started. I'm no expert in media history, but I 471 00:28:58,160 --> 00:29:00,480 Speaker 1: think this really started around the Gulf War, the First 472 00:29:00,480 --> 00:29:04,000 Speaker 1: Gulf War, where the twenty four hour news cycle starts 473 00:29:04,040 --> 00:29:07,040 Speaker 1: and we start having, you know, reporters in every corner 474 00:29:07,040 --> 00:29:11,520 Speaker 1: of the world instead of just your nightly news brief. UM. 475 00:29:11,560 --> 00:29:15,960 Speaker 1: But the the effect of this is that reporters now 476 00:29:16,440 --> 00:29:21,880 Speaker 1: are you know, intellectuals who are writing stories most of 477 00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:27,800 Speaker 1: the time with an astaground and um in the day, Um, 478 00:29:28,120 --> 00:29:32,400 Speaker 1: back in the day, reporters were much closer to being 479 00:29:32,640 --> 00:29:38,240 Speaker 1: police officers than they were too being you know, pundits. 480 00:29:38,400 --> 00:29:42,120 Speaker 1: So uh, you know, the days of the reporter on 481 00:29:42,240 --> 00:29:46,640 Speaker 1: his beat are gone. And UM. Sadly, the days of 482 00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:53,440 Speaker 1: reporters investigating stories and really drilling into the details much 483 00:29:53,520 --> 00:29:58,800 Speaker 1: like a you know, a detective might um, I've has 484 00:29:58,960 --> 00:30:01,360 Speaker 1: all but vanished. I mean, there's very few people out 485 00:30:01,360 --> 00:30:04,800 Speaker 1: there that are still doing it. UM. So all of 486 00:30:04,880 --> 00:30:06,880 Speaker 1: this to say that, you know, I see software is 487 00:30:07,240 --> 00:30:10,480 Speaker 1: sitting in a really unique spot to be able to 488 00:30:10,520 --> 00:30:17,280 Speaker 1: apply that kind of investigative mind and utilize our backgrounds 489 00:30:17,800 --> 00:30:22,040 Speaker 1: to provide context to what we're witnessing in a way 490 00:30:22,080 --> 00:30:26,600 Speaker 1: that nobody can get anywhere else. UM. And that's exciting. 491 00:30:26,720 --> 00:30:29,840 Speaker 1: And I think that that's the north star for for 492 00:30:29,920 --> 00:30:35,720 Speaker 1: me as I look at how do we as a publication, UM, 493 00:30:35,800 --> 00:30:40,320 Speaker 1: and as veterans look at a new administration, how do 494 00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:43,360 Speaker 1: we look at the threat of a of a great 495 00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:48,200 Speaker 1: power struggle? UM. The military is modernizing in a very 496 00:30:48,240 --> 00:30:53,440 Speaker 1: intriguing way, the dawn of drone warfare, UM, the use 497 00:30:53,480 --> 00:30:58,600 Speaker 1: of augmented reality, all of these things are are coming 498 00:30:58,600 --> 00:31:03,520 Speaker 1: to the fore very quickly. And the the age of 499 00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:07,800 Speaker 1: the global war on Terror, the age of the asymmetric warfare, 500 00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:13,440 Speaker 1: and UM, you know, counter insurgency maybe passing us by, 501 00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:16,360 Speaker 1: and we are we may be seeing the you know, 502 00:31:16,480 --> 00:31:19,160 Speaker 1: the the birth of a new era of what American 503 00:31:19,160 --> 00:31:21,720 Speaker 1: military is going to look like. And that to me 504 00:31:21,840 --> 00:31:24,120 Speaker 1: is where I want to offer up to be we 505 00:31:24,920 --> 00:31:27,360 Speaker 1: you know, we we We've been covering the space force 506 00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:30,560 Speaker 1: this year, UM, and I think that's terribly interesting. Make 507 00:31:30,640 --> 00:31:33,360 Speaker 1: you know, make all the jokes about Space Force guardians 508 00:31:33,360 --> 00:31:36,680 Speaker 1: you want. But uh, in ten years or fifteen years, 509 00:31:37,400 --> 00:31:40,040 Speaker 1: you know, space security is going to be something that's 510 00:31:40,080 --> 00:31:43,200 Speaker 1: really important. I mean it's important now, but um as 511 00:31:43,240 --> 00:31:46,440 Speaker 1: that as that branch grows, we're gonna see more and 512 00:31:46,480 --> 00:31:51,120 Speaker 1: more Americans in space and it's not going to just 513 00:31:51,200 --> 00:31:54,760 Speaker 1: be a you know, rarefied position for a handful of 514 00:31:54,760 --> 00:32:00,680 Speaker 1: astronauts every year. UM. So these changes, um, and A 515 00:32:00,840 --> 00:32:04,320 Speaker 1: and a and a new country with an outlook, you know, 516 00:32:04,360 --> 00:32:08,520 Speaker 1: with the President elect taking office on the twentie UM 517 00:32:08,640 --> 00:32:14,280 Speaker 1: and our old our whole battles with Ivan and Russia, China, 518 00:32:14,960 --> 00:32:18,600 Speaker 1: these things are coming together. Um. And I'm excited to 519 00:32:18,640 --> 00:32:22,920 Speaker 1: be with a team of great writers and to have 520 00:32:23,040 --> 00:32:28,000 Speaker 1: access to a world of reporters and storytellers and people 521 00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:32,400 Speaker 1: who have been there to help, you know, shed light 522 00:32:32,480 --> 00:32:36,400 Speaker 1: on what's what's happening and what's going to happen. Um. 523 00:32:36,640 --> 00:32:39,640 Speaker 1: It's probably the longest winded way of saying that I'm 524 00:32:39,760 --> 00:32:42,960 Speaker 1: very excited about the future for soft REAP. Yeah. And 525 00:32:43,000 --> 00:32:45,640 Speaker 1: you know, it's funny you mentioned that because again, I 526 00:32:45,680 --> 00:32:49,920 Speaker 1: mean the face of war chair excuse me, warfare is changing, 527 00:32:50,760 --> 00:32:55,520 Speaker 1: you know, almost overnight. I mean we're entering that, you know, 528 00:32:55,760 --> 00:33:00,200 Speaker 1: error of war by proxy, war by drone. You we're 529 00:33:00,240 --> 00:33:04,320 Speaker 1: seeing much much more of this. It's it's not you know, 530 00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:09,880 Speaker 1: the a rarity anymore. It's becoming the norm. We saw that, 531 00:33:10,440 --> 00:33:16,440 Speaker 1: you know in the UH, the war between Azerbaijan and Armenia. 532 00:33:16,560 --> 00:33:21,959 Speaker 1: How the Armenians UH two decades ago, you know, decimated 533 00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:26,880 Speaker 1: Azerbaijan UH. And then this time because they had helped 534 00:33:26,880 --> 00:33:30,040 Speaker 1: from the Turks and Israelis with drone warfare, you know, 535 00:33:30,200 --> 00:33:34,240 Speaker 1: they they swept the floor with them pretty much. We're 536 00:33:34,240 --> 00:33:37,280 Speaker 1: seeing more and more drones and you know, with the 537 00:33:37,320 --> 00:33:41,600 Speaker 1: Iranian proxies in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, you know, it's everywhere. 538 00:33:41,600 --> 00:33:44,440 Speaker 1: It's not just the US, and we're starting to see 539 00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:50,360 Speaker 1: some of the terrorist groups. You drone it's becoming a big, 540 00:33:50,400 --> 00:33:53,480 Speaker 1: big part of warfare now. And I know that, you 541 00:33:53,520 --> 00:33:57,160 Speaker 1: know that our military we're adapting as well. I mean, 542 00:33:57,520 --> 00:34:00,600 Speaker 1: guys are going to have a lot more on their 543 00:34:00,680 --> 00:34:05,720 Speaker 1: plate when they enter into the next great battlefield then 544 00:34:05,760 --> 00:34:08,560 Speaker 1: they had in the just the last couple of years. 545 00:34:09,560 --> 00:34:13,680 Speaker 1: You're exactly right, Stephen, And with all of that comes 546 00:34:14,440 --> 00:34:17,560 Speaker 1: the need for continued to focus on the kinetic. You know, 547 00:34:17,600 --> 00:34:21,279 Speaker 1: we have to still be able to shoot straight. UM. 548 00:34:21,280 --> 00:34:23,640 Speaker 1: But on top of that are all these layers of 549 00:34:24,360 --> 00:34:29,680 Speaker 1: cybersecurity and you know, remote warfare and soon to be 550 00:34:30,360 --> 00:34:36,480 Speaker 1: UM space warfare. You know, it's an incredible time. UH. 551 00:34:36,560 --> 00:34:40,120 Speaker 1: And and I think that we're poised very well to 552 00:34:40,960 --> 00:34:44,080 Speaker 1: UM to approach these topics. I mean, we've you know 553 00:34:44,600 --> 00:34:46,400 Speaker 1: as well as I do. We have a great staff 554 00:34:46,640 --> 00:34:50,319 Speaker 1: of guys who have an incredible amount of experience in 555 00:34:50,360 --> 00:34:55,319 Speaker 1: the fields inside special operations groups and are witnessing these 556 00:34:55,400 --> 00:34:59,040 Speaker 1: changes in real time or have witnessed them very recently. 557 00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:03,319 Speaker 1: And you know, as we as we push into this 558 00:35:03,400 --> 00:35:07,560 Speaker 1: new era, UM, I'm excited about the team that we 559 00:35:07,640 --> 00:35:09,800 Speaker 1: have and the new people that will come to before. 560 00:35:10,080 --> 00:35:13,439 Speaker 1: You know, people that are veterans that are are coming 561 00:35:13,520 --> 00:35:18,319 Speaker 1: into this space UM with a lot more modern experience. 562 00:35:18,560 --> 00:35:21,120 Speaker 1: You know, UM, I think you and I, Steve, we're 563 00:35:21,160 --> 00:35:23,080 Speaker 1: chatting the other day about the future of the Medal 564 00:35:23,120 --> 00:35:26,400 Speaker 1: of Honor UM. What does that look like in a 565 00:35:26,440 --> 00:35:30,719 Speaker 1: world where you know, a huge, a huge part of 566 00:35:30,719 --> 00:35:35,840 Speaker 1: our warfare is is digital. What is uh, you know, 567 00:35:35,840 --> 00:35:39,160 Speaker 1: we're always going to have shooters, but far fewer than 568 00:35:39,200 --> 00:35:42,080 Speaker 1: we had in World War Two. So you know, what 569 00:35:42,160 --> 00:35:44,440 Speaker 1: does the what does the military look like in an 570 00:35:44,480 --> 00:35:49,600 Speaker 1: age of cybersecurity, cyber attacks. It's it's just an interesting 571 00:35:49,640 --> 00:35:54,480 Speaker 1: time and there's there's so much to cover and so 572 00:35:54,560 --> 00:35:58,040 Speaker 1: many stories to tell. Um. I'm excited. You know, every 573 00:35:58,120 --> 00:36:00,160 Speaker 1: day I sort of wake up and until the this 574 00:36:01,160 --> 00:36:03,200 Speaker 1: this sense of you know, today to be the day 575 00:36:03,360 --> 00:36:06,480 Speaker 1: that we we have a brand new world that we're 576 00:36:06,520 --> 00:36:08,439 Speaker 1: living in. I mean, we were talking about this last 577 00:36:08,520 --> 00:36:10,600 Speaker 1: night with the with Iran and the Mimit was going 578 00:36:10,640 --> 00:36:14,959 Speaker 1: back to uh, the Middle East. Um, So so again, 579 00:36:15,000 --> 00:36:17,520 Speaker 1: you know, I just think that there's there's a new 580 00:36:17,560 --> 00:36:22,800 Speaker 1: era coming and I am working to try to position 581 00:36:22,840 --> 00:36:26,600 Speaker 1: soft REAP um in in the midst of that. You know, 582 00:36:26,680 --> 00:36:32,439 Speaker 1: I think being able to give people insights into what's 583 00:36:32,440 --> 00:36:35,120 Speaker 1: happening inside the military has always been a part of 584 00:36:35,120 --> 00:36:41,520 Speaker 1: what soft REPS mission statement is. But um, the focus 585 00:36:41,640 --> 00:36:45,239 Speaker 1: for the last you know, eight years for soft REAP 586 00:36:45,320 --> 00:36:49,600 Speaker 1: has been the ndcals and special operations community. And while 587 00:36:49,640 --> 00:36:52,160 Speaker 1: those things will continue to be a huge portion of 588 00:36:52,160 --> 00:36:56,400 Speaker 1: what we cover. UM, I'm excited about all of these 589 00:36:56,760 --> 00:36:59,640 Speaker 1: all of this modernization that's happening, and I think it's 590 00:36:59,680 --> 00:37:03,520 Speaker 1: a a really interesting time too to be in the business. 591 00:37:04,080 --> 00:37:08,920 Speaker 1: At the same time, big publications, UM like the New 592 00:37:08,960 --> 00:37:13,520 Speaker 1: York Times are folding up their war coverage because headlines 593 00:37:13,560 --> 00:37:17,799 Speaker 1: about Afghanistan and Iraq don't sell anymore. So, you know, 594 00:37:17,880 --> 00:37:22,440 Speaker 1: you have many of us, um know, the at war Blog, 595 00:37:22,719 --> 00:37:24,799 Speaker 1: which was a sort of a side project that was 596 00:37:24,800 --> 00:37:28,560 Speaker 1: stood up by New York Times BASH over a decade ago, 597 00:37:28,600 --> 00:37:32,880 Speaker 1: I think now UM and that was a place for 598 00:37:32,960 --> 00:37:35,600 Speaker 1: stories from the battlefront, for soldiers from the Rock and 599 00:37:35,640 --> 00:37:40,200 Speaker 1: Afghanistan and really all over UM for for many many years, 600 00:37:40,280 --> 00:37:43,600 Speaker 1: and a lot of greats UM in the literary world 601 00:37:43,640 --> 00:37:47,080 Speaker 1: they've written for at war UM. I think Brandon Webb 602 00:37:47,120 --> 00:37:52,280 Speaker 1: our CEO wrote for at War um that that side 603 00:37:52,280 --> 00:37:55,520 Speaker 1: publication from the Times has been shut down because they 604 00:37:55,600 --> 00:37:58,120 Speaker 1: just don't see a market for it anymore. And I 605 00:37:58,160 --> 00:38:02,040 Speaker 1: think that that is UM, that's a little shortsighted. And 606 00:38:02,200 --> 00:38:06,560 Speaker 1: for for soft reap, I think we have, you know, 607 00:38:06,640 --> 00:38:12,239 Speaker 1: whether it's the entirety or a portion of that, to 608 00:38:12,560 --> 00:38:16,880 Speaker 1: prepare ourselves for you know, being equipped to report on 609 00:38:16,920 --> 00:38:21,120 Speaker 1: the next war, to be able to report on you know, 610 00:38:21,239 --> 00:38:26,320 Speaker 1: in bed with units going someplace to a new battlespace. Um, 611 00:38:26,440 --> 00:38:29,399 Speaker 1: those are the things that uh I see on the 612 00:38:29,480 --> 00:38:32,759 Speaker 1: on the future, in the future for us, and I'm 613 00:38:32,840 --> 00:38:36,839 Speaker 1: excited to try to to build the challenge. Yeah. And 614 00:38:36,920 --> 00:38:40,759 Speaker 1: you know you talked about software and the people. I mean, 615 00:38:40,800 --> 00:38:43,800 Speaker 1: that's what makes the company what it is, is the 616 00:38:44,200 --> 00:38:47,160 Speaker 1: people that right for us, and you know, we're we're 617 00:38:47,200 --> 00:38:50,360 Speaker 1: all part of that. But we have so many very 618 00:38:50,400 --> 00:38:54,000 Speaker 1: people and experiences there and that's always been part of 619 00:38:54,040 --> 00:38:58,520 Speaker 1: the you know, the draw for our readers, our our 620 00:38:58,560 --> 00:39:02,600 Speaker 1: listeners is because we have so many you know, varied 621 00:39:03,280 --> 00:39:07,359 Speaker 1: experienced people. And you know, uh, even though we've had 622 00:39:07,360 --> 00:39:09,719 Speaker 1: a lot of turnover through the years, just since I've 623 00:39:09,760 --> 00:39:12,600 Speaker 1: been here, I've only been here, uh the end of 624 00:39:12,600 --> 00:39:14,839 Speaker 1: this month or be four years. And I was talking 625 00:39:14,880 --> 00:39:17,839 Speaker 1: about that last night my family. It doesn't seem like 626 00:39:18,440 --> 00:39:20,719 Speaker 1: it seems like yesterday that I came on board. It's 627 00:39:20,719 --> 00:39:23,480 Speaker 1: been it's gonna be four years this month, and there's 628 00:39:23,520 --> 00:39:26,120 Speaker 1: been a ton of changes, but the one thing that's 629 00:39:26,120 --> 00:39:29,800 Speaker 1: a constant is the influx of people that are still 630 00:39:29,800 --> 00:39:33,920 Speaker 1: coming in and you know, doing what I think is 631 00:39:33,960 --> 00:39:36,360 Speaker 1: a really great job. I know I'm biased because I 632 00:39:36,440 --> 00:39:39,400 Speaker 1: work for a company, but I think what the product 633 00:39:39,440 --> 00:39:42,520 Speaker 1: that we're still putting out day after day is is 634 00:39:42,560 --> 00:39:45,080 Speaker 1: some really great stuff. I I like to read the 635 00:39:45,160 --> 00:39:48,799 Speaker 1: articles myself, not the ones I write because I wrote them, 636 00:39:49,400 --> 00:39:51,680 Speaker 1: but I like reading what the other guys are up 637 00:39:51,719 --> 00:39:56,200 Speaker 1: to because it's always something interesting and that's what keeps 638 00:39:56,239 --> 00:39:59,560 Speaker 1: people coming back and hopefully continue to bring in more 639 00:39:59,560 --> 00:40:03,760 Speaker 1: and more new people. You know, I couldn't agree more, Steve. 640 00:40:04,000 --> 00:40:08,040 Speaker 1: I think the conversations I've had with both the staff 641 00:40:08,080 --> 00:40:12,839 Speaker 1: writers and contributors, people that have written one or two 642 00:40:12,880 --> 00:40:16,840 Speaker 1: things in the past, um, have always been informative and 643 00:40:16,880 --> 00:40:21,799 Speaker 1: have always helped me understand global politics or military in 644 00:40:21,840 --> 00:40:25,799 Speaker 1: a new way. And that to me is at what's 645 00:40:25,840 --> 00:40:29,840 Speaker 1: at the core of being a good journalist. It's having 646 00:40:30,239 --> 00:40:35,240 Speaker 1: real life experience. It's being able to synthesize what's happening 647 00:40:35,280 --> 00:40:39,480 Speaker 1: as well as analyze it. And in some cases, UM, 648 00:40:39,640 --> 00:40:41,200 Speaker 1: you know, you you've got to be able to pick 649 00:40:41,280 --> 00:40:43,560 Speaker 1: up the phone and call somebody who's you know, in 650 00:40:43,600 --> 00:40:46,160 Speaker 1: the midst of it. We we have a surprising amount 651 00:40:46,160 --> 00:40:49,880 Speaker 1: of access. UM. Perhaps surprising to me that other people 652 00:40:49,880 --> 00:40:52,759 Speaker 1: know this very well about the publication, but um, we 653 00:40:52,800 --> 00:40:54,879 Speaker 1: can pick up the phone and call people that are 654 00:40:55,120 --> 00:40:57,439 Speaker 1: inside d D at the Pentagon or at the White House, 655 00:40:58,040 --> 00:41:01,120 Speaker 1: and it's pretty a man easy to see that level 656 00:41:01,160 --> 00:41:05,080 Speaker 1: of access in a relatively small publication. UM, But I 657 00:41:05,080 --> 00:41:07,200 Speaker 1: think that speaks volumes to the kind of work that 658 00:41:07,239 --> 00:41:12,320 Speaker 1: we do. Yeah, and the world as it is right now. 659 00:41:12,800 --> 00:41:14,879 Speaker 1: You know, we were talking about that last night. I mean, 660 00:41:14,960 --> 00:41:17,640 Speaker 1: the stuff with Iran that's going on. We have a 661 00:41:17,640 --> 00:41:21,520 Speaker 1: new administration and it's not a very smooth transition right now. 662 00:41:22,200 --> 00:41:25,000 Speaker 1: You know that our world is changing around us as 663 00:41:25,040 --> 00:41:28,000 Speaker 1: we speak, and I mean, I think that's going to 664 00:41:28,160 --> 00:41:31,239 Speaker 1: keep us all pretty occupied for the next twelve months. 665 00:41:31,280 --> 00:41:37,040 Speaker 1: I would say, I think I think you're right. Yeah, So, 666 00:41:37,719 --> 00:41:40,600 Speaker 1: anything else that you'd like to share with our listeners 667 00:41:40,600 --> 00:41:42,759 Speaker 1: while we're you know, we got you on the hot 668 00:41:42,800 --> 00:41:46,000 Speaker 1: seat today about anything coming up that you'd like to 669 00:41:46,080 --> 00:41:50,600 Speaker 1: share or you know, UM, anything that's breaking that where 670 00:41:50,760 --> 00:41:54,720 Speaker 1: somebody's working on. Yeah. One thing I will talk about 671 00:41:54,920 --> 00:42:00,160 Speaker 1: is UM is an initiative that I'm working on. And 672 00:42:00,239 --> 00:42:04,080 Speaker 1: I can't promise a launch date for anybody listening or 673 00:42:04,760 --> 00:42:08,680 Speaker 1: or you know, tell you when you can download something 674 00:42:08,719 --> 00:42:12,160 Speaker 1: to your phone or whatever. But uh, I am really 675 00:42:12,600 --> 00:42:20,440 Speaker 1: interested in redefining the UM sort of news headquarters and 676 00:42:20,480 --> 00:42:24,160 Speaker 1: correspondent relationship. And what I mean by that is, you know, 677 00:42:24,239 --> 00:42:26,760 Speaker 1: for the last for as long as I've been alive 678 00:42:26,760 --> 00:42:30,120 Speaker 1: and watching the news, you have the anchor in DC 679 00:42:30,440 --> 00:42:33,439 Speaker 1: or New York with that superimposed image of the city 680 00:42:33,480 --> 00:42:37,960 Speaker 1: behind them, talking to their correspondent in some far flung place, 681 00:42:38,480 --> 00:42:42,560 Speaker 1: and most often that correspondent is holding a microphone and 682 00:42:43,000 --> 00:42:48,360 Speaker 1: looking into the camera as if Syria is an extension 683 00:42:48,360 --> 00:42:51,000 Speaker 1: of the news room. And I think that's been the 684 00:42:51,040 --> 00:42:54,560 Speaker 1: model of our news for a very long time, and 685 00:42:54,600 --> 00:42:58,840 Speaker 1: we've gotten accustomed to that sort of talking head um 686 00:42:59,120 --> 00:43:02,200 Speaker 1: analysis of is happening, these brief reports from the world. 687 00:43:03,080 --> 00:43:05,719 Speaker 1: One of the things I really want to bring to 688 00:43:05,880 --> 00:43:13,480 Speaker 1: software in is more on the scenes video reporting, and 689 00:43:14,600 --> 00:43:16,719 Speaker 1: I'm still figuring out what that exactly is going to 690 00:43:16,800 --> 00:43:21,200 Speaker 1: look like. But one of the most incredible tools available 691 00:43:21,400 --> 00:43:24,640 Speaker 1: to almost everyone on the planet today is a cell phone, 692 00:43:25,320 --> 00:43:29,640 Speaker 1: and the technology inside that tiny little brick of of 693 00:43:30,920 --> 00:43:36,880 Speaker 1: computing allows us to record a video in you know, 694 00:43:37,080 --> 00:43:41,480 Speaker 1: HD with sound in real time and send it via 695 00:43:41,600 --> 00:43:47,840 Speaker 1: messenger to our staff for editing and sound um. That 696 00:43:47,960 --> 00:43:51,200 Speaker 1: sort of technology I don't see being deployed as much 697 00:43:51,360 --> 00:43:54,200 Speaker 1: in a formal news capacity. We see that. Of course, 698 00:43:54,239 --> 00:43:57,279 Speaker 1: all of our social media people post videos and um 699 00:43:57,320 --> 00:44:00,760 Speaker 1: today you know, you might roll your eyes about Twitter 700 00:44:01,080 --> 00:44:03,920 Speaker 1: as a place for news, but it wasn't that long 701 00:44:03,960 --> 00:44:07,160 Speaker 1: ago that Twitter was the tool of choice for the 702 00:44:07,200 --> 00:44:11,520 Speaker 1: Arab spring and part of that was putting real time 703 00:44:12,760 --> 00:44:17,840 Speaker 1: reporting into an environment where people could consume it almost instantly. 704 00:44:18,360 --> 00:44:22,919 Speaker 1: But UM, that to me seems like an opportunity for us. 705 00:44:22,920 --> 00:44:26,360 Speaker 1: Putting people on the ground in different hot spots, embedding 706 00:44:26,400 --> 00:44:32,160 Speaker 1: people with units that are training for the new confrontations 707 00:44:32,239 --> 00:44:35,640 Speaker 1: that are coming or actually engaged with them. UM, and 708 00:44:35,719 --> 00:44:39,000 Speaker 1: being able to bring that reporting to people from a 709 00:44:39,080 --> 00:44:42,759 Speaker 1: cell phone, you know, is a pretty remarkable thing. So 710 00:44:42,960 --> 00:44:44,640 Speaker 1: you know, I look forward to being able to pull 711 00:44:44,680 --> 00:44:49,440 Speaker 1: that together, UM. And I think that that will, UM, 712 00:44:49,480 --> 00:44:53,160 Speaker 1: that will provide a counterpoint for us too, the type 713 00:44:53,160 --> 00:44:56,440 Speaker 1: of reporting that you and and and I and the 714 00:44:56,480 --> 00:44:58,560 Speaker 1: staff DOUG on a regular basis, which is, you know, 715 00:44:58,640 --> 00:45:02,920 Speaker 1: combing through online sources and talking to our you know, 716 00:45:03,000 --> 00:45:06,440 Speaker 1: in person sources and putting together reports and analysis. If 717 00:45:06,480 --> 00:45:10,400 Speaker 1: we can get guys on the ground, UM, with units 718 00:45:11,200 --> 00:45:15,440 Speaker 1: overseas in different hotspots, telling us the stories, bringing us 719 00:45:15,520 --> 00:45:18,799 Speaker 1: the stories in real time in the first person. I 720 00:45:18,800 --> 00:45:20,960 Speaker 1: think that could really be a boon for us as 721 00:45:21,000 --> 00:45:24,440 Speaker 1: well as change how we consume the news, uh in 722 00:45:24,480 --> 00:45:28,480 Speaker 1: the near future. But that's pretty blue sky stuff. UM. 723 00:45:28,520 --> 00:45:32,239 Speaker 1: You know, hopefully we're able to pull that together. Regardless. 724 00:45:32,280 --> 00:45:36,360 Speaker 1: I do see a lot of uh, a lot of 725 00:45:36,360 --> 00:45:39,839 Speaker 1: opportunity with the technology that's available to us today being 726 00:45:39,880 --> 00:45:43,279 Speaker 1: able to communicate. Um. You know, the whole world's on 727 00:45:43,360 --> 00:45:46,640 Speaker 1: zoom right and we're all doing these business meetings and 728 00:45:46,640 --> 00:45:48,480 Speaker 1: and taking these virtual meetings. You and I were just 729 00:45:48,480 --> 00:45:52,000 Speaker 1: talking before the show about the v A and the 730 00:45:52,080 --> 00:45:57,560 Speaker 1: virtual VA appointments. Um. I I see an opportunity for 731 00:45:57,680 --> 00:46:00,839 Speaker 1: us to bring news from all across the world, um, 732 00:46:00,920 --> 00:46:07,160 Speaker 1: foreign military news, coalition soft news, and bouts based reports 733 00:46:07,200 --> 00:46:11,680 Speaker 1: in almost real time. UM. But you know, we gotta 734 00:46:11,680 --> 00:46:13,759 Speaker 1: build there. We're not there yet and there's a lot 735 00:46:13,800 --> 00:46:15,680 Speaker 1: of groundwork we've gotta lay before we can get there. 736 00:46:15,719 --> 00:46:22,360 Speaker 1: But that is an exciting future point for us. Awesome. Uh, 737 00:46:22,480 --> 00:46:26,360 Speaker 1: it seems like, you know, the newest version of software 738 00:46:26,840 --> 00:46:30,799 Speaker 1: because it's always changing. It's like everything else, it changes. Yeah, 739 00:46:30,880 --> 00:46:35,080 Speaker 1: it's in good hands. So Jacob, thank you for taking 740 00:46:35,080 --> 00:46:38,600 Speaker 1: the time to join us today. Well, thank you, Steve. 741 00:46:38,640 --> 00:46:43,400 Speaker 1: It's real pleasure and I really I really appreciate the 742 00:46:43,440 --> 00:46:47,680 Speaker 1: whole team. Um. It's humbling for a for a guy 743 00:46:47,760 --> 00:46:52,000 Speaker 1: like me who wasn't a special operator um and had 744 00:46:52,040 --> 00:46:56,439 Speaker 1: a few close brushes with with those high Steve low 745 00:46:56,480 --> 00:46:59,400 Speaker 1: Drag guys. To be working with you all on a 746 00:46:59,400 --> 00:47:02,040 Speaker 1: regular base, its um to be talking to guys that 747 00:47:02,120 --> 00:47:05,640 Speaker 1: have depths of experience that I can only dream of. 748 00:47:06,040 --> 00:47:08,759 Speaker 1: Is is humbling and it's an honor to be here. 749 00:47:08,840 --> 00:47:11,480 Speaker 1: So so thanks for having me, Steve, I really appreciate it. Well, 750 00:47:11,560 --> 00:47:14,879 Speaker 1: thanks for joining us, folks. That's Jacob so Tech. It's 751 00:47:14,880 --> 00:47:18,320 Speaker 1: our editor in chief here at software. We want to 752 00:47:18,360 --> 00:47:21,520 Speaker 1: thank Jacob for taking the time talking about what's coming 753 00:47:21,600 --> 00:47:25,880 Speaker 1: up in the foreseeable future. I mean, everything is changing, 754 00:47:25,960 --> 00:47:28,960 Speaker 1: so it's all subject to change as we move along, 755 00:47:29,000 --> 00:47:32,880 Speaker 1: but soft Reap seems to be on good solid ground 756 00:47:33,000 --> 00:47:35,359 Speaker 1: and with all the news that's out there, it's gonna 757 00:47:35,480 --> 00:47:38,879 Speaker 1: keep us all busy. So we look forward to being 758 00:47:38,920 --> 00:47:41,799 Speaker 1: around for you folks for a lot long time, for 759 00:47:41,920 --> 00:47:45,840 Speaker 1: a lot longer over time. But before we go, do 760 00:47:45,880 --> 00:47:48,760 Speaker 1: you want to get software up on your phone? Download 761 00:47:48,800 --> 00:47:52,320 Speaker 1: our free mobile app and get easy access to our articles, podcasts, 762 00:47:52,400 --> 00:47:56,799 Speaker 1: and gear reviews, all perfectly formatted to your device. Please 763 00:47:56,840 --> 00:47:59,359 Speaker 1: subscribe to softwarep dot com to get access to all 764 00:47:59,400 --> 00:48:02,600 Speaker 1: our library of e books and our exclusive team room 765 00:48:02,680 --> 00:48:08,560 Speaker 1: forums and content available on all your Apple and Android devices. So, folks, 766 00:48:08,600 --> 00:48:10,760 Speaker 1: we want to thank you all for listening the Software 767 00:48:10,920 --> 00:48:14,000 Speaker 1: Radio on Time on target. It's always been my favorite 768 00:48:14,040 --> 00:48:18,640 Speaker 1: line of the podcast going way back. But uh, thanks 769 00:48:18,680 --> 00:48:20,839 Speaker 1: for listening. We'll be back with another one. We want 770 00:48:20,840 --> 00:48:23,600 Speaker 1: to thank our guest today, Jacob so Tech, our editor 771 00:48:23,600 --> 00:48:26,520 Speaker 1: in chief of Software dot com. Um, one of these 772 00:48:26,600 --> 00:48:28,840 Speaker 1: days we've gotta get branded on the podcast again. And 773 00:48:28,880 --> 00:48:31,640 Speaker 1: I know he's been very busy, but I'm gotta get 774 00:48:31,640 --> 00:48:34,840 Speaker 1: Brandon back on the air. I know the listeners really 775 00:48:34,880 --> 00:48:37,839 Speaker 1: like hearing some of his tales and just to hear 776 00:48:37,880 --> 00:48:41,040 Speaker 1: what he's been up to. So we'll do that him. 777 00:48:41,160 --> 00:48:43,719 Speaker 1: We'll drag him into the hot seat here pretty soon. Yeah, 778 00:48:43,719 --> 00:48:46,520 Speaker 1: there you go, you know. So maybe we'll get a 779 00:48:46,600 --> 00:48:49,280 Speaker 1: chance to do that soon as well. But for myself, 780 00:48:49,320 --> 00:48:51,560 Speaker 1: Steve Balstaria, Jacob so Tech, all of us here at 781 00:48:51,600 --> 00:48:55,640 Speaker 1: Software Radio and Software software dot com, thanks for listening. Folks. 782 00:48:55,680 --> 00:49:15,080 Speaker 1: Will be back with another episode real soon. You've been 783 00:49:15,200 --> 00:49:17,120 Speaker 1: listening to self red Lydia,