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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Veterans' Chronicles. I'm Greg Corumbus. Our guest in

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<v Speaker 1>this edition is retired US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Ken Kurrigliano.

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<v Speaker 1>He is a veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan, among

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<v Speaker 1>other deployments. He also recovered from a serious brain injury

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<v Speaker 1>to compete in and excel at rigorous competitions like Beastmaster

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<v Speaker 1>and American Ninja Warrior. Ken Kurrigliano was born in New

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<v Speaker 1>York but grew up in Florida. Both of his grandfathers

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<v Speaker 1>served in World War Two and his brother served in

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<v Speaker 1>the Army. But for most of his teenage years, Kurigliano

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<v Speaker 1>was not thinking about serving in the military, and it

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<v Speaker 1>is a fascinating story how he was convinced to join

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<v Speaker 1>the service, and the Air Force in particular.

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<v Speaker 2>I think this is a common story in some folks.

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<v Speaker 2>Is it's either that or you know, maybe jail or

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<v Speaker 2>who knows. At one point I was homeless. So the

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<v Speaker 2>Air Force in the military provided a way out of

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<v Speaker 2>structure and better be a better citizen.

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<v Speaker 1>Any particular reason you chose the Air Force?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, Actually, in ninety seven, the recruiter showed up to

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<v Speaker 2>one of my classes that I was a particular troublemaker

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<v Speaker 2>in and he would just was decked out, looked really good,

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<v Speaker 2>and really embarrassed me in front of my peers. And

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<v Speaker 2>I finally realized that I probably wasn't on the track

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<v Speaker 2>that I thought I was, and that professionalism really made

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<v Speaker 2>an impact on me.

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<v Speaker 3>Still my best friend to this day.

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<v Speaker 1>That's interesting that you realized that at the time that

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<v Speaker 1>you are still having some issues. Most teenagers or young

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<v Speaker 1>adults or whatever age you were at the time probably

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<v Speaker 1>would have thought very poorly of the person who called

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<v Speaker 1>them out, But in your case, you saw that as

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<v Speaker 1>a wake up.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, I mean, I mean I made a crack at

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<v Speaker 2>him that he looked like he worked at a fast

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<v Speaker 2>food restaurant, and he basically said, that's my history if

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<v Speaker 2>I keep it up, And so, I mean, that was

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<v Speaker 2>very impressionable on me.

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<v Speaker 3>But a couple months.

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<v Speaker 2>Later, my sister passed and that really created a massive

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<v Speaker 2>change in the way that my brain worked, in how

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<v Speaker 2>my family worked, and at that point I knew, like,

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<v Speaker 2>life is very precious and finite and I really need

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<v Speaker 2>to like pick it up and get serious.

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<v Speaker 1>Wow, where did you go for training?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, I went to a basic military training in San

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<v Speaker 2>Antonio for the Air Force. Yeah, and I listed to

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<v Speaker 2>That was my first journey.

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<v Speaker 1>And then after basic, where did you go?

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<v Speaker 2>I went to Shepherd Air Force Base to become an

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<v Speaker 2>aircraft mechanic.

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<v Speaker 1>And you became a flying crew chief on an MC

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<v Speaker 1>one thirty, which we'll get to in a moment, But

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<v Speaker 1>tell me about the mechanics training and then what would

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<v Speaker 1>happen after that?

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<v Speaker 3>I really loved it.

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<v Speaker 2>It was very structured, it wasn't ambiguous, and it was

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<v Speaker 2>really important. So we had really good trainers and my

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<v Speaker 2>first supervisor, Bill Russo, was amazing. He really taught me

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<v Speaker 2>to be precise and accurate and I hadn't really had

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<v Speaker 2>that in my life, and so it was very impressionable

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<v Speaker 2>on me as well to improve the way that I

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<v Speaker 2>do things, in the methodology behind it and have some

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<v Speaker 2>kind of proof in what I'm doing and to be accountable.

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<v Speaker 1>You had much history and mechanical things or is this

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<v Speaker 1>a brand new area?

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<v Speaker 3>Brand new area?

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<v Speaker 2>Actually I did really badly on the ASVAB, and all

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<v Speaker 2>truth be known, there was a conservative team effort to

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<v Speaker 2>accomplish the ASVAB with me and friends.

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<v Speaker 3>I did construction with my dad, but that was about it.

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<v Speaker 1>So did this come relatively naturally to you or was

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<v Speaker 1>it a steep climb?

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<v Speaker 2>It sort of came natural, Like after my sister passed

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<v Speaker 2>there just something happened where I really wanted it. I

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<v Speaker 2>had like a below two point zero gpa. I was

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<v Speaker 2>kicked out of two high schools and like my life

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<v Speaker 2>was going nowhere, and I really wanted to improve. And

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<v Speaker 2>so when I went to mechanical training and my first assignment,

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<v Speaker 2>like there was no stopping me. I just had nothing

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<v Speaker 2>to lose. So I did the best that I could

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<v Speaker 2>and everything that I that I was given, and my

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<v Speaker 2>supervisors being huge, you know on that to support me.

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<v Speaker 1>Now, were you working mainly on the MC one thirty's

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<v Speaker 1>or was there a wide variety of craft?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, so training, we had to train on all heavy aircraft,

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<v Speaker 2>all the systems basically the same, and then we specialized

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<v Speaker 2>into into a certain one and the MC one thirty

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<v Speaker 2>E was the one that I got, and that's high

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<v Speaker 2>high performance infiltration X filtration aircraft basically designed for what

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<v Speaker 2>was about to happen to our country.

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<v Speaker 1>What does the MC one thirty E mainly do? What

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<v Speaker 1>kind of missions is it generally used?

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<v Speaker 3>For sure?

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<v Speaker 2>So it specializes in going across enemy lines, infiltrating that territory,

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<v Speaker 2>landing x filling, or dumping off special operators to seize

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<v Speaker 2>territory on the ground. Also refuels helicopters in flight as well.

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<v Speaker 2>And it's all blacked out, has green lights in it,

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<v Speaker 2>and it has trained following radar so it can it

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<v Speaker 2>can stay real low to the ground.

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<v Speaker 3>It's pretty sweet aircraft.

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<v Speaker 1>So you talked about before nine to eleven, and obviously

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<v Speaker 1>things changed for a lot of folks in the surface

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<v Speaker 1>after nine to eleven. Let's focus just for a moment

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<v Speaker 1>on nine to eleven itself. Where were you What were

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<v Speaker 1>you doing when you heard the news of the attacks.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I was at a friend's house in the morning

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<v Speaker 2>and I had just worked a long shift and I

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<v Speaker 2>just remember getting the phone call like you better come in.

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<v Speaker 2>And one of the biggest memories was driving to the

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<v Speaker 2>gate and seeing like a Humvy at the front gate

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<v Speaker 2>with the barrel pointed at my car as I was

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<v Speaker 2>arriving in, and I was like, Oh my god, it's

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<v Speaker 2>gonna be serious. And I got at work maybe thirty

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<v Speaker 2>minutes after the first plane hit, and then I was

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<v Speaker 2>at work when the second plane hit and I just

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<v Speaker 2>I just remember everyone being.

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<v Speaker 3>Like totally pale. It's just like, okay, this is like,

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<v Speaker 3>this is going to happen, this is real.

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<v Speaker 1>Where are you stationed at this point?

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<v Speaker 3>I was at Duke Field, Florida.

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<v Speaker 1>And so did that immediately change your assignment or relatively

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<v Speaker 1>soon change your assignment?

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<v Speaker 2>I was trying to excel in all the areas, so

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<v Speaker 2>I was taking school, I was going to college, and

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<v Speaker 2>I was getting credits. And I remember my supervisor supervisor going,

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<v Speaker 2>I want you to be my next officer. And when

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<v Speaker 2>nine to eleven hit, everyone was fighting to go, like

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<v Speaker 2>we only had so many people who could go, so

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<v Speaker 2>many aircraft. We were just fighting over each other to go.

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<v Speaker 2>Like everyone was just like, yeah, this is what I

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<v Speaker 2>was born to do, especially someone like me who hadn't

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<v Speaker 2>really hadn't had a purpose. So I was fighting all

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<v Speaker 2>over for it. But my supervisor supervisor knew that I

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<v Speaker 2>was taking college credit, was trying to excel and I

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<v Speaker 2>was terrible in high school, and he said, look, you

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<v Speaker 2>can't go the first round, man, like finish your schooling

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<v Speaker 2>because that's important too, And so he selected me for

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<v Speaker 2>the second round, which is about six months later.

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<v Speaker 1>So six months later, talk about that deployment, What the

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<v Speaker 1>where they sent you, what your role is and what

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<v Speaker 1>you guys are up to?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, sure this is this is where it gets really awesome.

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<v Speaker 2>And so right before nine to eleven, I was trying

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<v Speaker 2>to educate myself on all of the aircraft components. So

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<v Speaker 2>I went over to the electronic countermeasures place and I

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<v Speaker 2>was like, look, you know, if we go to war,

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<v Speaker 2>like what breaks? And they educated me on this system

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<v Speaker 2>that can overheat and get messed up when we land

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<v Speaker 2>really are because plain oil land really hard. And so

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<v Speaker 2>when I deployed, what we were doing was picking up

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<v Speaker 2>special Forces, special operators and folks that were undisclosed, flying

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<v Speaker 2>incredibly long missions from Karshi Kananabad who's Bekastan so only

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<v Speaker 2>real estate that we had as a as Americans near

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<v Speaker 2>the fight, flying over through all the mountains, terrain, following everything,

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<v Speaker 2>landing at airfields and areas that basically a Taliban still owned,

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<v Speaker 2>dumping off dudes who would change that situation, and it

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<v Speaker 2>was just it was super awesome to see that. And

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<v Speaker 2>that's that was basically my mission was flying those aircraft

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<v Speaker 2>to make sure if anything went wrong, to ensure the

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<v Speaker 2>mission like succeeded because there'd be people on the ground,

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<v Speaker 2>maybe suppressed by enemy fire that we had to augment

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<v Speaker 2>landing like nearby.

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<v Speaker 3>I think it was pretty crazy.

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<v Speaker 1>Talk about what it's like to be on one of

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<v Speaker 1>those missions.

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<v Speaker 2>Oh man, so awesome. So really is no place for me.

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<v Speaker 2>So I had to sleep in what's called the hell hole,

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<v Speaker 2>and this is a place underneath the cockpit that gets

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<v Speaker 2>super hot and like just it's just all wires and

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<v Speaker 2>stuff everywhere. And so for me, these missions were super

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<v Speaker 2>long because Afghanistan it's like huge means no man's land.

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<v Speaker 2>So we had to fly I think like six or

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<v Speaker 2>eight hours just to get to where we're going to

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<v Speaker 2>drop off these folks. And so I'd be sitting on

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<v Speaker 2>the plane, you know, maybe sleeping or whatever.

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<v Speaker 1>It was.

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<v Speaker 2>It was always night time, and it was always a

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<v Speaker 2>low lunar illumination, so that's a reflection of the sun

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<v Speaker 2>off the moon, and so there was only a certain

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<v Speaker 2>parts of the month that were like prime time and

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<v Speaker 2>it was low lunar illumination and folks on the ground

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<v Speaker 2>needed us like it was high time. So we'd fly

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<v Speaker 2>over land, drop dudes out, and then leave, and we

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<v Speaker 2>had equipment weapons trucks, like I mean, we had workout

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<v Speaker 2>devices too.

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<v Speaker 3>After a walk.

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<v Speaker 2>People need to stay fit while they're holed up in

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<v Speaker 2>like this airfield in the middle Afghanistan, so pretty much

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<v Speaker 2>every place in Afghanistan that is well known. Now we

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<v Speaker 2>were landing at before it was a thing to fill

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<v Speaker 2>it up full of personnel and that.

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<v Speaker 3>Was pretty awesome.

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<v Speaker 1>Come under fired anytime.

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<v Speaker 2>Oh yeah, yeah, So every mission we would have rounds

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<v Speaker 2>shooting at us. A couple of times, RPGs arguably some

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<v Speaker 2>man pads. We weren't too sure which is the portable

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<v Speaker 2>you know, we call them stingers. And so two missions

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<v Speaker 2>in particular change my life. The first mission was a

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<v Speaker 2>liquid oxygen We have liquid auction that we convert into oxygen.

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<v Speaker 2>It's like eight hundred ratio, so for eight hundred pieces

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<v Speaker 2>of liquid auction, you'd get forever one like gram of

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<v Speaker 2>liqu auction get one hundred breathable grams. So this system

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<v Speaker 2>is super important because we needed it to fly. And

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<v Speaker 2>at one time we saw the needle going down. So

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<v Speaker 2>pilot comes down, He's like, can something's going on with

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<v Speaker 2>liquid auction and you to figure it out because if

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<v Speaker 2>we don't have it, we have to go home and

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<v Speaker 2>we have to judge like how fast is depleting and.

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<v Speaker 3>So like I was terrible in high school, like I.

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<v Speaker 2>Don't I didn't do any math classes. So I'm just like, Okay,

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<v Speaker 2>I got to figure this out. So I'm looking at it.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, the load master's trying to figure it out.

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<v Speaker 2>And we determined that, like we can land, let's get

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<v Speaker 2>these people off. We had on the radio they were suppressed,

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<v Speaker 2>they were getting enemy fire, and they needed these reinforcements.

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<v Speaker 2>And it's like, look, even if we have to go

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<v Speaker 2>home and like struggle, like these people need to land,

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<v Speaker 2>like we need to reinforce. And so I made a

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<v Speaker 2>determination as crew chief too, like we're going to continue on.

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<v Speaker 3>Like I will figure this out. And everything was frosting over.

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<v Speaker 2>It was crazy, and so we landed and immediately there

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<v Speaker 2>was tracers and gunfire and everything. So I get out

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<v Speaker 2>the back. I have two nine mils and M sixteen.

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<v Speaker 2>I crawl underneath the aircraft and I go into the

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<v Speaker 2>nose and I look into those and it's a giant

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<v Speaker 2>snow cone and I'm like, holy shit, like this is

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<v Speaker 2>going this is like serious, And so I had to

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<v Speaker 2>figure out, like what can I do here, and I

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<v Speaker 2>remember mapping the whole system in my mind and then

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<v Speaker 2>figuring out okay, and remember the ECM guys like the

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<v Speaker 2>plane land's really hard, so things are going to jumble around.

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<v Speaker 2>So I'm looking in my mind of like where there's

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<v Speaker 2>a component that's hanging in the in space that could

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<v Speaker 2>like get loose. I stick my hand in this thing,

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<v Speaker 2>which my hand is still kind of screwed up to

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<v Speaker 2>this day. Stick my hand in this total like I

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<v Speaker 2>think it's like negative three hundred something degrease. This stuff

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<v Speaker 2>is super cold. I'm sticking my hand in there, and

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<v Speaker 2>I'm tightening it. I go back, crawl on a new the aircraft,

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<v Speaker 2>get a wrench, and I'm starting to tighten just random things,

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<v Speaker 2>just tightening them. I'm trying to clear out all the snow. Meanwhile,

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<v Speaker 2>pilots are.

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<v Speaker 3>Like, I get out of here, man, like like these

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<v Speaker 3>people come up like this is going to be bad.

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<v Speaker 2>We are not getting stuck here, and so I crawl

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<v Speaker 2>back under. I go up and I'm like I basically

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<v Speaker 2>almost lie and I'm like it's good, Like I feel good,

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<v Speaker 2>Like let's do it. Let's go home, like we're let's

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<v Speaker 2>not stay the night here, and They're like you sure man, Yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>let's go. And so we we head back and sure enough,

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<v Speaker 2>I'm like looking at the gauge, like looking at the gauge, yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>like twenty one years old, Like, please, God, just don't

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<v Speaker 2>let that in a never move man. And thank god,

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<v Speaker 2>something happened and I was able to tighten whatever the

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<v Speaker 2>hell went loose, and we finished that mission and the

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<v Speaker 2>guy's on the ground. Nobody died, and I'm pretty happy

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<v Speaker 2>about that.

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<v Speaker 1>That's retired to US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Ken Kurrigliano.

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<v Speaker 1>He's a veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan. When we

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<v Speaker 1>come back, Krigliano shares another harrowing mission in Afghanistan, and

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<v Speaker 1>later he describes his serious brain injury and his determination

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<v Speaker 1>to be the very best in some of the world's

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<v Speaker 1>toughest competitions. I'm Greg Corumbus and this is Veterans Chronicles.

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<v Speaker 3>Sixty Seconds of Service.

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<v Speaker 4>This sixty Seconds of Service is presented by T Mobile.

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<v Speaker 4>T Mobile offers exclusive discounts for a veteran and military

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<v Speaker 4>families and are proud supporters of the National Defense Network.

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<v Speaker 4>Visit t mobile dot com slash military to learn more

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<v Speaker 4>about how they support our military community. In North Campton, Ohio,

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<v Speaker 4>Waltsh University has a new space for veterans. The Veterans

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<v Speaker 4>Lounge and the Paul and Carroll David Family Campus Center

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<v Speaker 4>is a welcoming environment for veterans that provides them with

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<v Speaker 4>a sense of community. The new lounge symbolizes Walsh's commitment

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<v Speaker 4>to help military members transition into civilian life with support

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<v Speaker 4>and resources so they can thrive academically and personally. Official said,

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<v Speaker 4>it's a benefit to all college campuses to have veterans

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<v Speaker 4>in their midst, said university President Tim Collins, a US

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<v Speaker 4>Air Force veteran and Purple Heart recipient. Today's sixty Seconds

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<v Speaker 4>of Service is brought to you by Prevegen. Prevagen is

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<v Speaker 1>This is Veterans' Chronicles. I'm Greg Corumbus. Our guest in

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<v Speaker 1>this edition is retired US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Ken Kurrigliano.

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<v Speaker 1>He's a veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan. Just a

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<v Speaker 1>moment ago, Kyrigliano described one of his most intense missions

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<v Speaker 1>in Afghanistan as he had to troubleshoot rapidly depleting levels

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<v Speaker 1>of liquid oxygen, Kyrigliano says. When they returned to base,

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<v Speaker 1>the maintenance crew tried to recreate the problem, but they couldn't,

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<v Speaker 1>and that means his decision to tighten everything he could

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<v Speaker 1>was the right call. But that would not be the

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<v Speaker 1>only mission where Karigliano would be sweating as he looked

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<v Speaker 1>for a solution to keep the crew and plane safe

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<v Speaker 1>and keep the mission moving forward.

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<v Speaker 2>Okay, so the next one was actually my dad's birthday,

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<v Speaker 2>which is really strange. And I'm flying on the mission

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<v Speaker 2>and all of a sudden, I'm in the hell hole

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<v Speaker 2>right and it's getting like super warm, and I move

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<v Speaker 2>out for some reason, I move out and I go underneath.

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<v Speaker 3>Remember that system there telling me that could like have issues.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, what they told me was when it lands really hard,

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<v Speaker 2>there's this like rubber thing called bellows, and as it

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<v Speaker 2>lands the the lubricant will go through the bellows and

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<v Speaker 2>the bellows will sink into the lubricant and then it

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<v Speaker 2>won't work anymore.

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<v Speaker 3>Won't cool the system. And the system is designed to

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<v Speaker 3>detect missiles inbound and shoot the flares and potentially chaff

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<v Speaker 3>to direct the missiles to not hit the aircraft. Right.

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<v Speaker 2>And meanwhile, remember like we've had these things shooting at

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<v Speaker 2>our airplanes before. So now I'm underneath this system and

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<v Speaker 2>all of a sudden, like I wake up and I'm

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<v Speaker 2>covered in lubricant and I'm like, oh, oh my god,

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<v Speaker 2>what is going on? And I'm delirious because.

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<v Speaker 3>The the you know, the fumes.

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<v Speaker 2>And the what we called a weapons officer he comes around.

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<v Speaker 2>He's like, hey, like, we're inbound. I turned on the

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<v Speaker 2>electronic countermeasure.

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<v Speaker 3>It's not working.

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<v Speaker 2>And I was like, oh shit, and I, oh my god,

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<v Speaker 2>this is the scenario. This is the exact scenario. And

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<v Speaker 2>thankfully I asked these guys if this happens, what do

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<v Speaker 2>we do? And he's like and they said, you got

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<v Speaker 2>to shove something in there.

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<v Speaker 3>So I take off my clothes, right, I take the

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<v Speaker 3>system open, and I start cramming my clothes to compress

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<v Speaker 3>the lubricant so it's stable as.

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<v Speaker 2>The plane's flying around on the terrain. It's like, take

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<v Speaker 2>all my clothes. I'm in my underwear.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm cramming all this stuff into this system and like, hey, man,

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<v Speaker 3>like fire it up, like let's see, we got to

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<v Speaker 3>make sure it's going to work.

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<v Speaker 2>He's like, look everything right now, looks okay. Pilot comes down.

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<v Speaker 2>He's like, there's no way, Like we're coming into this situation.

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<v Speaker 2>It was another refuel of humans of personnel into a firefight,

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<v Speaker 2>and he's like, this is different.

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<v Speaker 3>Pilot.

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<v Speaker 2>He's like, dude, there's no way I'm going in there

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<v Speaker 2>without this protection. Like we're going to turn around, like

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<v Speaker 2>everyone in the aircraft could get killed, you know. And

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<v Speaker 2>I'm like, I think we're good. Weapons officer. We have

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<v Speaker 2>a powout in the back and meanwhile I'm in I'm

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<v Speaker 2>in garbage backs. Now I'm wearing garbage backs in the plane.

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<v Speaker 2>And so the plane's filling up with fumes. Pilots freaking out,

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<v Speaker 2>and I'm like, look, we've got to do it. We

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<v Speaker 2>hear it over the radio they need reinforcements. We're like,

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<v Speaker 2>let's go. Man, Like I'm confident, let's do this. And

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<v Speaker 2>so we continue a mission. We let down in flight

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<v Speaker 2>the entire back door of the MC one thirty to

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<v Speaker 2>let the fumes. Meanwhile, I have like people from.

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<v Speaker 3>New Zealand and Australia and like special operators are like

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<v Speaker 3>snake eaters and they're like dude, what's going on with

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<v Speaker 3>the airplane? We're like, hey, man, it's cool.

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<v Speaker 2>And at that point, like that was a major, huge

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<v Speaker 2>thing in my life of like I'm confident, like I

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<v Speaker 2>remember this, I did it, and I did whatever it took.

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<v Speaker 2>And then we had like twelve hour land we refuel there, thankfully,

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<v Speaker 2>and then we're back coming back home and I fall

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<v Speaker 2>asleep into the hell hole again. And what I didn't

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<v Speaker 2>know was the pilot contacted the commander, and the commander

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<v Speaker 2>contacted the scentcom commander, and who contacted the Air Force

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<v Speaker 2>Central Commander, which is now a General Moseley. At the

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<v Speaker 2>time it was a colonel, and they put me in

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<v Speaker 2>for an officer scholarship. While I'm flying on the mission,

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<v Speaker 2>they put me in and they accept me. And so

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<v Speaker 2>when I land, we're backing in and there's a huge

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<v Speaker 2>group of people, everybody in our little unit like that

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<v Speaker 2>was at that base. Every American was there, and they're

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<v Speaker 2>like celebrating, and I'm coming off the planet.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm like, what's going on, man, Like what happened? Is

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<v Speaker 3>everything okay?

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<v Speaker 2>And they're like congratulations, and they give me the letter

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<v Speaker 2>of acceptance to become an officer.

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<v Speaker 3>So technically a field commission.

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<v Speaker 2>But since I didn't have a degree to kind of

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<v Speaker 2>like commission and they're like, you got to find a

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<v Speaker 2>college in like two weeks, pow. And that was like

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<v Speaker 2>one of the greatest moments I've ever lived through.

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<v Speaker 1>Ever did they need the countermeasures?

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<v Speaker 2>I don't think we ever needed it on that mission,

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<v Speaker 2>Like we didn't get a signal an indication, thank god.

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<v Speaker 1>So how long were you on this deployment over there?

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<v Speaker 2>I think it was about three months because I had

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<v Speaker 2>to go to school.

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<v Speaker 1>What's the most intense moment related to enemy fire?

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<v Speaker 3>I think it was on our base.

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<v Speaker 2>We got a report that not the Taliban, but another

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<v Speaker 2>unit was trying to take the base, like they were

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<v Speaker 2>trying to invade the base, and everyone was woken up.

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<v Speaker 3>We all ran to the weapons cash get our weapons.

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<v Speaker 2>And we're running toward the fence, like, hey, you got

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00:19:26.519 --> 00:19:28.519
<v Speaker 2>to meet the enemy, right They can't. They can't get

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<v Speaker 2>onto the flight line. So I'm running with this weapon

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<v Speaker 2>and it's at altitude. I thought I was going to die,

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<v Speaker 2>Like I get behind a building. There's a picture of

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<v Speaker 2>me with this too, and I get behind this building.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm going to die Before you even meet the enemy

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<v Speaker 2>and that was that was like one of my huge

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<v Speaker 2>realizations that like fitness is super important, not just mental

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<v Speaker 2>but physical fitness.

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<v Speaker 1>That's retired usir Force Lieutenant Colonel Ken Kurrigliano. He's a

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<v Speaker 1>veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan and his passion for

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<v Speaker 1>our physical fitness is where we'll take the discussion. Next,

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<v Speaker 1>Kyrigliana will share his story of a horrific bike accident

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<v Speaker 1>and the serious brain injury that came with it, and

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<v Speaker 1>he will tell us about his difficult journey trying to

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<v Speaker 1>convince the Air Force of his injury, how a total

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<v Speaker 1>commitment to physical fitness was a huge factor in his recovery,

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<v Speaker 1>and how that led him to pursue very tough competitions

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<v Speaker 1>like Beast Master and American Ninja Warrior. That's all Next.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm Greg Corumbus and this is Veterans' Chronicles. This is

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<v Speaker 1>Veterans Chronicles. I'm Greg Corumbus. Our guest in this edition

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<v Speaker 1>is retired US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Ken Kurigliano. He

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<v Speaker 1>is a veteran of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

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<v Speaker 1>We now shift to perhaps the greatest challenge Kurrigliano has faced.

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<v Speaker 1>In our next few moments, he'll explain his traumatic brain

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<v Speaker 1>injury suffered during a biking accident in Florida, how physical

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<v Speaker 1>fitness became a huge factor in his recovery, and how

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<v Speaker 1>it led to him taking on some of the toughest

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<v Speaker 1>physical challenges in the world.

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<v Speaker 3>So this is this is funny.

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<v Speaker 2>So after that moment of where I thought I was

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<v Speaker 2>going to die before I even met the enemy, I

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00:21:14.880 --> 00:21:18.519
<v Speaker 2>go back home. I join a college, Saint Leo University.

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00:21:19.079 --> 00:21:21.480
<v Speaker 2>I get into ROTC to become an officer. We have

424
00:21:21.559 --> 00:21:24.839
<v Speaker 2>our first fitness tests. I fail the fitness test. I

425
00:21:24.839 --> 00:21:28.279
<v Speaker 2>couldn't eve run half a mile straight, and you have

426
00:21:28.359 --> 00:21:31.680
<v Speaker 2>to run two miles straight non stop, just doesn't matter

427
00:21:31.680 --> 00:21:32.599
<v Speaker 2>if it's a total minute pace.

428
00:21:32.920 --> 00:21:34.400
<v Speaker 3>Can't stop. I stopped that half mile.

429
00:21:34.519 --> 00:21:38.880
<v Speaker 2>They disenrolled me, and they were they they wanted to

430
00:21:39.000 --> 00:21:40.839
<v Speaker 2>take all of the money that they had spent on

431
00:21:41.000 --> 00:21:44.960
<v Speaker 2>me back, and so they essentially sued me for the

432
00:21:45.440 --> 00:21:48.279
<v Speaker 2>tuition that they paid to my school. And so here

433
00:21:48.279 --> 00:21:51.920
<v Speaker 2>I am coming in Metal of Heroism, right air metal,

434
00:21:53.319 --> 00:21:54.960
<v Speaker 2>and I come in and they don't care.

435
00:21:55.000 --> 00:21:55.720
<v Speaker 3>About any of that.

436
00:21:56.039 --> 00:21:58.079
<v Speaker 2>It's like, hey, you got to meet standard right. I

437
00:21:58.079 --> 00:22:02.799
<v Speaker 2>was totally unprepared and it was a huge sobering moment

438
00:22:02.839 --> 00:22:05.960
<v Speaker 2>in my life. And I was like, I will never

439
00:22:06.480 --> 00:22:11.000
<v Speaker 2>be unprepared for a situation ever again. Matter of fact,

440
00:22:11.200 --> 00:22:14.279
<v Speaker 2>the gap between me and unprepared is going to be

441
00:22:14.400 --> 00:22:17.319
<v Speaker 2>so large that there's not even going to be a

442
00:22:17.400 --> 00:22:21.640
<v Speaker 2>question of success. And so I walked onto the cross

443
00:22:21.640 --> 00:22:23.960
<v Speaker 2>country team at Saint Leo and I was like, I'm

444
00:22:24.160 --> 00:22:27.359
<v Speaker 2>I'm going to crush this. I remember the coach, Kyle Saige,

445
00:22:27.400 --> 00:22:29.480
<v Speaker 2>still a good friend, laughed at me. He's like, where

446
00:22:29.519 --> 00:22:31.799
<v Speaker 2>did I remember him biking past me? As I was walking,

447
00:22:31.880 --> 00:22:33.480
<v Speaker 2>Like where do they find these people?

448
00:22:34.359 --> 00:22:36.920
<v Speaker 3>I'm walking? I'm on the cross country too, say.

449
00:22:37.000 --> 00:22:40.599
<v Speaker 2>At that moment, Greg, I was like, there's no way

450
00:22:40.640 --> 00:22:43.119
<v Speaker 2>I'm not going I'm going to be mediocre anymore.

451
00:22:43.960 --> 00:22:44.759
<v Speaker 3>Like this is it.

452
00:22:45.480 --> 00:22:47.960
<v Speaker 2>And I started training, started trying to fine. What's the

453
00:22:47.960 --> 00:22:50.680
<v Speaker 2>hardest thing? I asked Wrung, I'm sorry, triathlon, Okay, let's

454
00:22:50.720 --> 00:22:53.480
<v Speaker 2>do it. Sign me up rock and roll.

455
00:22:53.759 --> 00:22:58.480
<v Speaker 1>So I guess twenty twelve when this accident occurred, as

456
00:22:58.839 --> 00:23:01.559
<v Speaker 1>eleven eleven and occurred, explain what happened.

457
00:23:01.599 --> 00:23:04.000
<v Speaker 3>I was doing really good at trafon. I was applying

458
00:23:04.000 --> 00:23:05.920
<v Speaker 3>to the world class athletic program in the Air Force.

459
00:23:07.039 --> 00:23:09.400
<v Speaker 3>I had went to the Beijing Olympics as an observer

460
00:23:10.039 --> 00:23:12.559
<v Speaker 3>and I've been I was training very hard, but I

461
00:23:12.599 --> 00:23:15.119
<v Speaker 3>was still act to duty Air Force. So I get

462
00:23:15.160 --> 00:23:16.000
<v Speaker 3>deployment orders.

463
00:23:16.440 --> 00:23:19.640
<v Speaker 2>It's like, oh, crap, I haven't even gotten the opportunity

464
00:23:19.680 --> 00:23:23.279
<v Speaker 2>to get points to compete. So you need points to compete.

465
00:23:23.440 --> 00:23:25.480
<v Speaker 2>And so so it was the next race. Wow, that

466
00:23:25.519 --> 00:23:27.920
<v Speaker 2>happens being Florida where my family is. So I call

467
00:23:28.000 --> 00:23:28.480
<v Speaker 2>race director.

468
00:23:28.519 --> 00:23:29.240
<v Speaker 3>She's like, hey, come on.

469
00:23:29.599 --> 00:23:31.880
<v Speaker 2>So I fly down to Florida with my bike everything

470
00:23:32.200 --> 00:23:35.039
<v Speaker 2>days before I'm supposed to deploy to Iraq for six months.

471
00:23:35.519 --> 00:23:38.039
<v Speaker 2>Family all flies in with everything, go on a bike ride.

472
00:23:38.039 --> 00:23:40.319
<v Speaker 2>The first day I'm out on a bike ride, I

473
00:23:40.400 --> 00:23:43.319
<v Speaker 2>go to Siesta Beach, which is very famous in Florida.

474
00:23:43.599 --> 00:23:46.200
<v Speaker 2>I swim two miles, get back on my bike going

475
00:23:46.240 --> 00:23:50.599
<v Speaker 2>down the road, and it was a long traffic jam

476
00:23:50.640 --> 00:23:53.000
<v Speaker 2>of spring break. And I remember a little gap right

477
00:23:53.000 --> 00:23:56.279
<v Speaker 2>in front of this suv and I look through the

478
00:23:56.279 --> 00:23:59.200
<v Speaker 2>window of the suv and I see this lady in

479
00:23:59.240 --> 00:24:01.839
<v Speaker 2>a sports car on her phone. I remember this before,

480
00:24:01.880 --> 00:24:04.599
<v Speaker 2>like texting and smartphones and stuff, right, And she's like

481
00:24:04.640 --> 00:24:08.079
<v Speaker 2>this driving and I'm like, oh, she's not looking. She's

482
00:24:08.119 --> 00:24:10.039
<v Speaker 2>not going to turn in this gap. Right, there's a

483
00:24:10.039 --> 00:24:13.519
<v Speaker 2>little apartment complex. So look, I'm going twenty five miles

484
00:24:13.559 --> 00:24:15.640
<v Speaker 2>an hour my bike, right, I mean like I'm hauling,

485
00:24:16.000 --> 00:24:17.640
<v Speaker 2>And I remember just pumping a little bit and she

486
00:24:17.720 --> 00:24:20.640
<v Speaker 2>cuts across just at the time where I'm right in

487
00:24:20.680 --> 00:24:23.640
<v Speaker 2>front next to this suv and I just remember this

488
00:24:23.720 --> 00:24:28.039
<v Speaker 2>car coming and everything slowed down like a thousand times,

489
00:24:28.240 --> 00:24:29.920
<v Speaker 2>and I remember looking at the car and going, if

490
00:24:29.960 --> 00:24:32.240
<v Speaker 2>I continue my speed of rate right now, she's going

491
00:24:32.240 --> 00:24:34.400
<v Speaker 2>to run me over and I'm dead. If I slow

492
00:24:34.480 --> 00:24:36.200
<v Speaker 2>down too much, I'm going to hit the side. My

493
00:24:36.240 --> 00:24:38.559
<v Speaker 2>head's going to go into the window, which is, by

494
00:24:38.599 --> 00:24:40.960
<v Speaker 2>the way, not like the front where it's breakable like that,

495
00:24:41.000 --> 00:24:43.200
<v Speaker 2>Like the sidelines are very strong, Like I'm going to die,

496
00:24:43.279 --> 00:24:44.319
<v Speaker 2>Like my head's going to hit the thing.

497
00:24:44.319 --> 00:24:44.880
<v Speaker 3>I'm going to die.

498
00:24:44.960 --> 00:24:46.799
<v Speaker 2>So I need to hit the tire right there. I

499
00:24:46.839 --> 00:24:50.200
<v Speaker 2>remember pumping just enough to hit that tire so that

500
00:24:50.240 --> 00:24:53.240
<v Speaker 2>my tire two rubber pieces hit and so there's a

501
00:24:53.240 --> 00:24:56.880
<v Speaker 2>little bit of cushion and I can roll across the hood.

502
00:24:57.079 --> 00:24:59.160
<v Speaker 3>That's exactly what I did. I remember flying through the air.

503
00:24:59.319 --> 00:25:02.200
<v Speaker 2>My bike is up and pieces and going check out

504
00:25:02.240 --> 00:25:04.400
<v Speaker 2>by a new bike before Saturday, because I got a race,

505
00:25:06.359 --> 00:25:08.640
<v Speaker 2>and I remember shopping in my head Greg of all

506
00:25:08.720 --> 00:25:10.359
<v Speaker 2>the bike shops in the area where I can pick

507
00:25:10.400 --> 00:25:13.240
<v Speaker 2>up a bike before Saturday. As I'm flying through the air,

508
00:25:13.240 --> 00:25:15.720
<v Speaker 2>and then I hit the windshield as lights out, I

509
00:25:15.759 --> 00:25:17.759
<v Speaker 2>slide across the windshield. All the glass that you know,

510
00:25:17.759 --> 00:25:20.240
<v Speaker 2>a little pieces of glass just fill up my back.

511
00:25:20.640 --> 00:25:22.839
<v Speaker 2>Took years from the come out, years for all that

512
00:25:22.880 --> 00:25:25.039
<v Speaker 2>glass come out. And then she slams on the brakes.

513
00:25:25.039 --> 00:25:28.079
<v Speaker 2>Obviously he realized there's a human being that's flying through

514
00:25:28.079 --> 00:25:30.400
<v Speaker 2>her windshield. So I fly off into the gravel and

515
00:25:30.400 --> 00:25:33.200
<v Speaker 2>slide across the gravel, hit my head and I'm gone, right,

516
00:25:33.240 --> 00:25:35.440
<v Speaker 2>I'm up. I'm floating above my body.

517
00:25:35.559 --> 00:25:38.079
<v Speaker 1>You had a traumatic brain injury, but it didn't manifest

518
00:25:38.119 --> 00:25:44.160
<v Speaker 1>itself in ways that are considered common. Explain how it

519
00:25:44.240 --> 00:25:45.400
<v Speaker 1>what symptoms you were dealing?

520
00:25:45.480 --> 00:25:48.720
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, sure, man, you did your homework, so yeah.

521
00:25:48.759 --> 00:25:51.200
<v Speaker 2>So up until that point, we'd have like seven years

522
00:25:51.240 --> 00:25:52.920
<v Speaker 2>in her ack, and the brain injuries were like people

523
00:25:52.920 --> 00:25:56.200
<v Speaker 2>missing parts of their brain, right, and so executive level

524
00:25:56.279 --> 00:25:58.920
<v Speaker 2>processing was really like the benchmark of brain injury, where

525
00:25:58.920 --> 00:26:03.160
<v Speaker 2>I didn't have that, like my reptilian brain was hit,

526
00:26:03.599 --> 00:26:05.680
<v Speaker 2>and so like I could still sort of function. I

527
00:26:05.680 --> 00:26:09.279
<v Speaker 2>couldn't really speak or read, but like I still could

528
00:26:09.359 --> 00:26:13.880
<v Speaker 2>like look like I'm okay, and so you know, I'm

529
00:26:13.920 --> 00:26:16.680
<v Speaker 2>calling back and going, hey, I'm like messed up here,

530
00:26:16.880 --> 00:26:18.720
<v Speaker 2>Like I'm really messed up, and they're like, well you

531
00:26:18.759 --> 00:26:20.839
<v Speaker 2>sound okay. You need to come back and get care,

532
00:26:20.920 --> 00:26:23.359
<v Speaker 2>and I'm like no, Like I like I don't even

533
00:26:23.359 --> 00:26:25.559
<v Speaker 2>know what's going on. You need a gay hair or

534
00:26:25.599 --> 00:26:28.640
<v Speaker 2>we're sending you know where you're going to be a wall?

535
00:26:28.720 --> 00:26:28.920
<v Speaker 1>Right.

536
00:26:29.359 --> 00:26:31.440
<v Speaker 2>It was just actually a deserted because I had a clearance,

537
00:26:31.480 --> 00:26:33.319
<v Speaker 2>and so like I'm like, okay, I gotta figure.

538
00:26:33.079 --> 00:26:33.720
<v Speaker 3>Out how to get home.

539
00:26:33.839 --> 00:26:35.720
<v Speaker 2>So I remember being at the airport like totally lost,

540
00:26:36.000 --> 00:26:37.839
<v Speaker 2>just like I see a police officer, Hey, you know

541
00:26:37.839 --> 00:26:38.599
<v Speaker 2>where I'm supposed to go.

542
00:26:38.599 --> 00:26:39.119
<v Speaker 3>I couldn't read.

543
00:26:39.119 --> 00:26:41.880
<v Speaker 2>The science can do anything, and so it manifested in

544
00:26:41.880 --> 00:26:44.440
<v Speaker 2>such a way that the medical community was not prepared for.

545
00:26:44.720 --> 00:26:45.640
<v Speaker 2>Neither was a military.

546
00:26:45.680 --> 00:26:50.000
<v Speaker 3>There's no disqualifying deployment for people who can't who all

547
00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:51.920
<v Speaker 3>of a sudden just had a brain injury, can read,

548
00:26:52.160 --> 00:26:55.000
<v Speaker 3>can't speak, couldn't remember anything. I can't remember anything, so

549
00:26:55.039 --> 00:26:57.839
<v Speaker 3>I still had to deploy. That's where we're at.

550
00:26:57.960 --> 00:27:00.680
<v Speaker 1>I still sent you to Iraq, and from what I understand,

551
00:27:00.759 --> 00:27:02.160
<v Speaker 1>it was completely miserable.

552
00:27:02.319 --> 00:27:03.079
<v Speaker 3>It was miserable.

553
00:27:03.519 --> 00:27:06.720
<v Speaker 2>It was I was embedded with special Forces, some seals, rangers,

554
00:27:08.319 --> 00:27:11.400
<v Speaker 2>and uh, it was. It was unforgiving. And I was

555
00:27:11.400 --> 00:27:13.200
<v Speaker 2>an air Force guy embedded in the army in it,

556
00:27:13.720 --> 00:27:17.079
<v Speaker 2>which is not really viewed very well, you know, and

557
00:27:17.119 --> 00:27:19.920
<v Speaker 2>so that was tough. And then not remembering things. It

558
00:27:19.960 --> 00:27:22.480
<v Speaker 2>was very to right them on my arm I think

559
00:27:22.480 --> 00:27:25.000
<v Speaker 2>God was very like creative in the way that I

560
00:27:25.039 --> 00:27:27.880
<v Speaker 2>was trying to like mask this, you know, and still

561
00:27:27.880 --> 00:27:30.160
<v Speaker 2>get the mission done. At one point, Greg I was

562
00:27:30.200 --> 00:27:33.839
<v Speaker 2>in charge of all the air reconnaissance and surveillance assets

563
00:27:33.880 --> 00:27:36.359
<v Speaker 2>in the entire country. It was like fifty I was

564
00:27:36.400 --> 00:27:38.519
<v Speaker 2>in charge of all of them. It was crazy, no

565
00:27:38.599 --> 00:27:40.960
<v Speaker 2>idea what was doing. It's like ninety chat rooms up

566
00:27:41.200 --> 00:27:43.400
<v Speaker 2>on my little chat box to control all these aircraft

567
00:27:43.480 --> 00:27:44.000
<v Speaker 2>talk to people.

568
00:27:44.039 --> 00:27:45.920
<v Speaker 3>I was like, oh my god, how am I gonna survive?

569
00:27:46.039 --> 00:27:49.119
<v Speaker 3>I was sleeping at my desk and this was it was. Yeah,

570
00:27:49.200 --> 00:27:52.759
<v Speaker 3>it was miserable. In addition to the heat and shells

571
00:27:52.839 --> 00:27:56.039
<v Speaker 3>coming into our compound. I mean, it was it was mayhem.

572
00:27:56.480 --> 00:27:59.079
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it was not the place to recover from a

573
00:27:59.079 --> 00:28:00.400
<v Speaker 2>brain injury, that's for sure.

574
00:28:00.960 --> 00:28:03.680
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I'm shocked that they sent you, but I guess

575
00:28:03.759 --> 00:28:06.319
<v Speaker 1>because you didn't present in the way they expected you to,

576
00:28:07.160 --> 00:28:09.359
<v Speaker 1>they didn't think it was serious enough to right change

577
00:28:09.359 --> 00:28:09.759
<v Speaker 1>your orders.

578
00:28:09.839 --> 00:28:12.400
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, and if I can't articulate too, Like I can't

579
00:28:12.440 --> 00:28:15.480
<v Speaker 3>really articulate what was going on with me? So that's

580
00:28:15.519 --> 00:28:17.160
<v Speaker 3>that was that was a problem too. You know.

581
00:28:17.279 --> 00:28:19.079
<v Speaker 1>So this is a slightly different assignment. It seems like

582
00:28:19.160 --> 00:28:22.559
<v Speaker 1>that you're embedded with these special operators. What's what's going

583
00:28:22.599 --> 00:28:22.960
<v Speaker 1>on with that?

584
00:28:23.160 --> 00:28:26.519
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, So my first assignment as an officer was Air

585
00:28:26.559 --> 00:28:31.359
<v Speaker 2>Force one and the Presidential Airlift Group and the VIP missions,

586
00:28:31.400 --> 00:28:34.599
<v Speaker 2>so faring around the nation's leaders back and forth. Right

587
00:28:34.640 --> 00:28:37.720
<v Speaker 2>after that, I went to Cannon Air Force Base where

588
00:28:37.720 --> 00:28:41.039
<v Speaker 2>we did the rpas, which is basically m Q nine's

589
00:28:41.720 --> 00:28:44.799
<v Speaker 2>drones people call them, right, So we provided the overwatch

590
00:28:44.839 --> 00:28:46.680
<v Speaker 2>on all these strike missions, and so we were the

591
00:28:46.759 --> 00:28:51.359
<v Speaker 2>experts on like rolling people up, like going to compounds,

592
00:28:51.920 --> 00:28:55.799
<v Speaker 2>you know, and so like they needed expertise to do

593
00:28:55.960 --> 00:28:56.839
<v Speaker 2>in house.

594
00:28:58.920 --> 00:29:01.640
<v Speaker 3>Support and that's what we were sourced for that. And

595
00:29:01.720 --> 00:29:03.079
<v Speaker 3>so that was my deployment.

596
00:29:03.319 --> 00:29:06.799
<v Speaker 2>I had wanted it originally, like I'm like, yeah, man,

597
00:29:06.880 --> 00:29:07.759
<v Speaker 2>rock and Roll, I don't care.

598
00:29:08.559 --> 00:29:11.240
<v Speaker 3>I'm like, who cares? Bring me wherever you need me

599
00:29:11.400 --> 00:29:15.279
<v Speaker 3>like rock and Roll. So yeah, so that was it

600
00:29:15.359 --> 00:29:17.599
<v Speaker 3>was just one of the rotations.

601
00:29:17.079 --> 00:29:19.559
<v Speaker 1>For US mentioned air Force. One is this Bush Obama?

602
00:29:19.680 --> 00:29:20.920
<v Speaker 3>Both? Yes? Both?

603
00:29:21.039 --> 00:29:22.960
<v Speaker 1>Okay? Any cool stories you can share?

604
00:29:23.119 --> 00:29:25.440
<v Speaker 3>Uh oh okay. I'll say this.

605
00:29:26.319 --> 00:29:28.720
<v Speaker 2>Not a lot of people know, but the entire staff

606
00:29:28.799 --> 00:29:32.440
<v Speaker 2>is for the aircraft is air Force, and so the

607
00:29:32.480 --> 00:29:36.480
<v Speaker 2>flight attendants, pilots everything, they go to like special schools.

608
00:29:37.000 --> 00:29:40.000
<v Speaker 2>Like even the flight attendants who cook and care for

609
00:29:40.079 --> 00:29:43.160
<v Speaker 2>the nation's leaders as they travel overseas and even in

610
00:29:43.200 --> 00:29:45.440
<v Speaker 2>the United States are professionally trained by like five star

611
00:29:46.119 --> 00:29:48.240
<v Speaker 2>Michelin like level chefs.

612
00:29:48.480 --> 00:29:51.039
<v Speaker 3>It's amazing. Not a lot of people know that. So

613
00:29:51.119 --> 00:29:54.119
<v Speaker 3>that's probably one of the stories I can I can

614
00:29:54.160 --> 00:29:54.680
<v Speaker 3>talk about.

615
00:29:54.880 --> 00:29:57.640
<v Speaker 1>No, not a ton of personal interaction you can you

616
00:29:57.680 --> 00:29:58.160
<v Speaker 1>can share.

617
00:29:58.319 --> 00:30:03.119
<v Speaker 2>Well, I will say, like people seeing our nations leaders

618
00:30:03.279 --> 00:30:06.119
<v Speaker 2>who have to say one thing on TV but be

619
00:30:06.240 --> 00:30:07.920
<v Speaker 2>another behind closed doors.

620
00:30:08.200 --> 00:30:09.240
<v Speaker 3>It was very revealing.

621
00:30:09.440 --> 00:30:13.279
<v Speaker 2>You know, some people have like an aura of kind

622
00:30:13.279 --> 00:30:15.920
<v Speaker 2>of empathy, but then you know there may be troubled

623
00:30:16.200 --> 00:30:20.039
<v Speaker 2>inside and so they would be less kind and then

624
00:30:20.160 --> 00:30:23.160
<v Speaker 2>other people like like bulldogs.

625
00:30:22.559 --> 00:30:25.200
<v Speaker 3>In the news and the nicest people you could think

626
00:30:25.240 --> 00:30:28.559
<v Speaker 3>of when you know, behind closed doors. So that was interesting.

627
00:30:28.640 --> 00:30:29.640
<v Speaker 1>How many earth did you do? That?

628
00:30:29.720 --> 00:30:33.759
<v Speaker 2>At about three? And that was the assignment. I convinced

629
00:30:33.759 --> 00:30:35.960
<v Speaker 2>them to send me to the Olympics too.

630
00:30:36.799 --> 00:30:43.200
<v Speaker 1>So obviously the injury derailed your Olympic dreams. What was

631
00:30:43.240 --> 00:30:46.440
<v Speaker 1>your recovery process like once you got home and how

632
00:30:46.440 --> 00:30:48.559
<v Speaker 1>did you eventually transition into some of these other things

633
00:30:48.599 --> 00:30:51.079
<v Speaker 1>like Beast Master and American Great.

634
00:30:51.640 --> 00:30:53.960
<v Speaker 2>So when I was in Iraq, I was in a

635
00:30:54.000 --> 00:30:56.200
<v Speaker 2>lot of pain, but I couldn't really feel my body

636
00:30:56.200 --> 00:30:56.759
<v Speaker 2>all that much.

637
00:30:56.799 --> 00:30:58.759
<v Speaker 3>I just didn't feel good, but I felt good when

638
00:30:58.759 --> 00:31:02.240
<v Speaker 3>I ran run, I just run. And then we had

639
00:31:02.279 --> 00:31:04.680
<v Speaker 3>a pool were I don't want to Saddam's pool pools,

640
00:31:04.920 --> 00:31:07.119
<v Speaker 3>and so I bought a tether and tied myself to

641
00:31:07.200 --> 00:31:10.480
<v Speaker 3>the to the wall and I swam in place. So

642
00:31:10.519 --> 00:31:13.440
<v Speaker 3>I realized that like when my body's in movement, like

643
00:31:13.839 --> 00:31:16.359
<v Speaker 3>the pain goes away. I don't have to think about

644
00:31:16.400 --> 00:31:17.000
<v Speaker 3>my injuries.

645
00:31:17.680 --> 00:31:20.079
<v Speaker 2>And I just felt really good. So when I came back,

646
00:31:20.160 --> 00:31:22.000
<v Speaker 2>I was like, I'm going to keep this up like

647
00:31:22.119 --> 00:31:24.319
<v Speaker 2>this is this is wonderful. I'm going to see what happens.

648
00:31:25.119 --> 00:31:28.000
<v Speaker 2>But I do remember like coming back and like not

649
00:31:28.200 --> 00:31:30.480
<v Speaker 2>wanting to do anything also, like I just want to

650
00:31:30.519 --> 00:31:32.599
<v Speaker 2>say this, I don't want to do anything at all.

651
00:31:32.920 --> 00:31:33.839
<v Speaker 3>And that's where I got.

652
00:31:33.960 --> 00:31:37.359
<v Speaker 2>I started getting really like upset, you know, just about

653
00:31:37.359 --> 00:31:40.640
<v Speaker 2>things like I had this great trajectory that I was

654
00:31:40.680 --> 00:31:45.640
<v Speaker 2>on and now I'm now I'm barely walking right. And

655
00:31:45.759 --> 00:31:48.039
<v Speaker 2>when I coached these little kids and swimming, and this

656
00:31:48.079 --> 00:31:51.240
<v Speaker 2>one little girl was like, you know, Coach Ken, are

657
00:31:51.279 --> 00:31:52.599
<v Speaker 2>you going to like come back?

658
00:31:52.759 --> 00:31:56.759
<v Speaker 3>Are you going to be normal again? And I was like,

659
00:31:56.839 --> 00:31:57.400
<v Speaker 3>oh my god.

660
00:31:57.559 --> 00:32:00.279
<v Speaker 2>And she's like can you like continue working out, like

661
00:32:00.319 --> 00:32:02.640
<v Speaker 2>continue training? Can we want to see where you're going?

662
00:32:02.680 --> 00:32:04.839
<v Speaker 2>And when she was like come back, like I was like,

663
00:32:04.839 --> 00:32:08.279
<v Speaker 2>oh my god, I've changed, like a change that hits

664
00:32:08.319 --> 00:32:10.400
<v Speaker 2>hard when a little kid sees that and says it,

665
00:32:10.480 --> 00:32:14.079
<v Speaker 2>you know. And that's when I was like game on,

666
00:32:15.759 --> 00:32:17.759
<v Speaker 2>game on. And I remember like I went to the

667
00:32:17.759 --> 00:32:21.400
<v Speaker 2>World Championships a few months later, like very fast, like

668
00:32:21.480 --> 00:32:22.119
<v Speaker 2>super fast.

669
00:32:22.839 --> 00:32:23.880
<v Speaker 3>I was really motivated.

670
00:32:24.119 --> 00:32:26.519
<v Speaker 1>What does the does the regiment look like to get ready?

671
00:32:27.480 --> 00:32:31.160
<v Speaker 1>Is there a particular type of training that brings you

672
00:32:31.200 --> 00:32:32.200
<v Speaker 1>to an elite status.

673
00:32:32.319 --> 00:32:34.920
<v Speaker 2>Oh there's a I will tell you there's a there's

674
00:32:34.920 --> 00:32:37.480
<v Speaker 2>like a secret recipe and you got to find it

675
00:32:37.640 --> 00:32:40.160
<v Speaker 2>and you have to stick to it. And it's very

676
00:32:40.200 --> 00:32:43.359
<v Speaker 2>hard to do that to balance all your systems to train,

677
00:32:44.000 --> 00:32:48.200
<v Speaker 2>and so the real secret to success is sequencing and

678
00:32:48.279 --> 00:32:51.960
<v Speaker 2>peer what's called periodization and specificity, So be specific to

679
00:32:52.039 --> 00:32:54.200
<v Speaker 2>what you want to train and do it over a

680
00:32:54.240 --> 00:32:55.160
<v Speaker 2>certain point in time.

681
00:32:55.200 --> 00:32:58.519
<v Speaker 3>That makes sense. And so it's really hard to answer

682
00:32:58.599 --> 00:32:59.039
<v Speaker 3>the question.

683
00:32:59.160 --> 00:33:04.279
<v Speaker 2>But basically got to be real comfortable being uncomfortable.

684
00:33:04.640 --> 00:33:06.920
<v Speaker 3>You know. Can you imagine going you.

685
00:33:06.839 --> 00:33:08.880
<v Speaker 2>Know, two three, four five hours with your heart rate

686
00:33:08.880 --> 00:33:11.319
<v Speaker 2>at one hundred and fifty five hundred and sixty.

687
00:33:11.799 --> 00:33:14.440
<v Speaker 3>I mean, that's what you gotta with sand that's a lot.

688
00:33:14.599 --> 00:33:16.400
<v Speaker 3>It takes a huge toll.

689
00:33:16.240 --> 00:33:20.480
<v Speaker 2>On somebody mentally and physically. And so really it's like

690
00:33:20.599 --> 00:33:23.680
<v Speaker 2>training at the level so that when you perform, your

691
00:33:23.680 --> 00:33:26.240
<v Speaker 2>body will perform without you wanting to give up.

692
00:33:26.519 --> 00:33:26.759
<v Speaker 1>You know.

693
00:33:27.720 --> 00:33:30.000
<v Speaker 3>I know it's not a super specific it's.

694
00:33:29.839 --> 00:33:32.759
<v Speaker 1>Not a one size fits all thing necessarily, but maybe

695
00:33:32.440 --> 00:33:36.400
<v Speaker 1>the general recipe would be the same, right, okay.

696
00:33:36.200 --> 00:33:38.839
<v Speaker 2>And nutrition's gotta be dialing because nutrition won't help you.

697
00:33:38.880 --> 00:33:41.920
<v Speaker 2>People are confused people. Nutrition will help you, but wrong

698
00:33:42.000 --> 00:33:45.079
<v Speaker 2>nutrition will destroy you, and so there's not a lot

699
00:33:45.079 --> 00:33:48.119
<v Speaker 2>of benefit. That's what people get messed up is to

700
00:33:48.359 --> 00:33:50.400
<v Speaker 2>just lack on the nutrition because they don't think that

701
00:33:50.440 --> 00:33:53.359
<v Speaker 2>it helps. It doesn't, but it can hurt you. So

702
00:33:53.359 --> 00:33:54.720
<v Speaker 2>that's why nutrition is really hard.

703
00:33:55.000 --> 00:33:57.480
<v Speaker 1>And so the more intensely you're training, you said that

704
00:33:57.519 --> 00:34:00.599
<v Speaker 1>exercise made you feel better. Yeah, yeah, as you exercise

705
00:34:00.759 --> 00:34:03.680
<v Speaker 1>more intensely does make you feel even better.

706
00:34:03.759 --> 00:34:06.400
<v Speaker 2>Oh yeah, there's there's lots of science out there on

707
00:34:06.440 --> 00:34:09.960
<v Speaker 2>the benefits of exercise. You know, in order to endure

708
00:34:10.000 --> 00:34:12.599
<v Speaker 2>that kind of activity, your brain releases all types of

709
00:34:13.719 --> 00:34:18.599
<v Speaker 2>dopamine and hormones and your body changes, your mind changes,

710
00:34:18.920 --> 00:34:21.760
<v Speaker 2>and people can get addicted to it. Actually exercises a

711
00:34:21.760 --> 00:34:25.440
<v Speaker 2>great addiction remedy for people who have who are prone

712
00:34:25.480 --> 00:34:29.000
<v Speaker 2>to addiction. And that what became sort of my outlet

713
00:34:29.400 --> 00:34:32.599
<v Speaker 2>is to train and winning didn't hurt, Like, winning felt

714
00:34:32.719 --> 00:34:33.280
<v Speaker 2>pretty good.

715
00:34:33.599 --> 00:34:35.719
<v Speaker 1>You know that's going to say, I'm sure it's both

716
00:34:35.840 --> 00:34:38.480
<v Speaker 1>the answer to this, But is it about challenging yourself

717
00:34:38.840 --> 00:34:42.079
<v Speaker 1>or about being super competitive and wanting to prove you're

718
00:34:42.119 --> 00:34:45.239
<v Speaker 1>the you're the best and to defeat your competition.

719
00:34:45.480 --> 00:34:50.400
<v Speaker 2>Sure, I think over my entire career, I never thought

720
00:34:50.519 --> 00:34:53.480
<v Speaker 2>of like I want to beat my competition. I always

721
00:34:53.480 --> 00:34:54.840
<v Speaker 2>thought like, I want to be the best one who

722
00:34:54.840 --> 00:34:57.840
<v Speaker 2>shows up, Like I want to be fully prepared in

723
00:34:57.880 --> 00:34:59.400
<v Speaker 2>such a way. I want to know how to be

724
00:34:59.559 --> 00:35:02.400
<v Speaker 2>the best prepared when I show up, And I want

725
00:35:02.400 --> 00:35:04.440
<v Speaker 2>to push the envelope. I want to see I want

726
00:35:04.480 --> 00:35:06.400
<v Speaker 2>to change the way people do things. And I've done

727
00:35:06.400 --> 00:35:09.760
<v Speaker 2>this in obstacle course racing. People emulate the crazy things

728
00:35:09.760 --> 00:35:12.400
<v Speaker 2>that I do now, Like on obstacles I was doing

729
00:35:12.440 --> 00:35:14.599
<v Speaker 2>ten years ago. You know that would scare the hell

730
00:35:14.599 --> 00:35:17.199
<v Speaker 2>out of people. But I want to push the envelope

731
00:35:17.199 --> 00:35:19.480
<v Speaker 2>and see, like what can we do? What can we

732
00:35:19.559 --> 00:35:21.239
<v Speaker 2>really do? So yeah, those two things.

733
00:35:21.400 --> 00:35:23.760
<v Speaker 1>You're an innovator on technique as well. It's not absolutely

734
00:35:23.880 --> 00:35:25.000
<v Speaker 1>just intensive training.

735
00:35:25.079 --> 00:35:28.519
<v Speaker 3>Absolutely I can I can count very few times someone

736
00:35:28.519 --> 00:35:31.679
<v Speaker 3>has beat me off an obstacle just doesn't happen.

737
00:35:31.800 --> 00:35:35.119
<v Speaker 1>That's retired to US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Ken Kurrigliano.

738
00:35:35.760 --> 00:35:39.719
<v Speaker 1>He's a veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan. When we

739
00:35:39.760 --> 00:35:43.840
<v Speaker 1>come back more on Kurrigliano's exploits on Beast Master and

740
00:35:43.920 --> 00:35:48.000
<v Speaker 1>American Ninja Warrior. The organization that he says saved his

741
00:35:48.119 --> 00:35:53.320
<v Speaker 1>life and his advice to anyone facing major challenges. I'm

742
00:35:53.320 --> 00:35:59.400
<v Speaker 1>Greg Corumbus and this is Veterans Chronicles. This is Veterans Chronicles.

743
00:35:59.639 --> 00:36:03.679
<v Speaker 1>I'm right Corumbas. Our guests retired US Air Force Lieutenant

744
00:36:03.719 --> 00:36:07.800
<v Speaker 1>Colonel Ken Kurrigliano. After all of his work to recover

745
00:36:07.880 --> 00:36:12.440
<v Speaker 1>from a serious brain injury, Kurrigliano pursued physical fitness to

746
00:36:12.519 --> 00:36:16.400
<v Speaker 1>an even higher level on popular programs like Beast Master

747
00:36:16.920 --> 00:36:20.199
<v Speaker 1>and American Ninja Warrior. And we now pick up our

748
00:36:20.199 --> 00:36:24.440
<v Speaker 1>conversation with Karrigliano as he explains what contestants faced on

749
00:36:24.599 --> 00:36:25.280
<v Speaker 1>Beast Master.

750
00:36:25.719 --> 00:36:28.039
<v Speaker 3>It is Ninja Warrior on steroids.

751
00:36:28.800 --> 00:36:29.280
<v Speaker 4>It is.

752
00:36:30.960 --> 00:36:36.920
<v Speaker 2>Fear factor immersive, right, So going through four different stages.

753
00:36:36.960 --> 00:36:43.039
<v Speaker 2>Each stage has elimination fifty percent elimination and very difficult

754
00:36:43.079 --> 00:36:46.400
<v Speaker 2>to interpret the obstacles and we don't get to play

755
00:36:46.440 --> 00:36:48.320
<v Speaker 2>with them ahead of time. We can look at them

756
00:36:48.599 --> 00:36:52.000
<v Speaker 2>and sign that you know, we've seen this and that's it,

757
00:36:52.079 --> 00:36:54.760
<v Speaker 2>and then the cameras come on, the mics come on,

758
00:36:55.320 --> 00:36:59.960
<v Speaker 2>and it is like go And actually the different most

759
00:37:00.079 --> 00:37:03.119
<v Speaker 2>difficult part. We had an incredible array of talent on

760
00:37:03.880 --> 00:37:06.480
<v Speaker 2>my season. Like some of the best people I've ever

761
00:37:06.559 --> 00:37:10.199
<v Speaker 2>seen in my entire life, and a lot of them

762
00:37:10.199 --> 00:37:15.000
<v Speaker 2>cracked because of the cameras in the stress like like

763
00:37:15.039 --> 00:37:18.519
<v Speaker 2>we were in a trailer for hours, ten twelve hours,

764
00:37:18.719 --> 00:37:21.199
<v Speaker 2>not knowing when it's time to go, and so these

765
00:37:21.239 --> 00:37:24.239
<v Speaker 2>people on my level, like I know what time, the races,

766
00:37:24.400 --> 00:37:28.039
<v Speaker 2>I know what nutrition, how many grams of carbohydrate, how

767
00:37:28.039 --> 00:37:29.159
<v Speaker 2>many ounces of fluid?

768
00:37:29.320 --> 00:37:32.360
<v Speaker 3>I'm ready to go here, It's like should I eat?

769
00:37:32.400 --> 00:37:34.480
<v Speaker 3>Should I not eat? Like what the hell is going on?

770
00:37:34.760 --> 00:37:37.519
<v Speaker 3>And then it's like, hey, your turn up. It's like,

771
00:37:37.559 --> 00:37:38.440
<v Speaker 3>oh my gosh.

772
00:37:38.639 --> 00:37:41.639
<v Speaker 2>So that was that was the most stressful part is

773
00:37:41.679 --> 00:37:44.480
<v Speaker 2>that this is TV now, man, this this is not.

774
00:37:44.480 --> 00:37:47.000
<v Speaker 3>Like a course that I've trained for and I know

775
00:37:47.079 --> 00:37:49.639
<v Speaker 3>what's going on. That was super hard.

776
00:37:50.000 --> 00:37:53.159
<v Speaker 1>How'd you figure out inventive ways to deal with the

777
00:37:53.199 --> 00:37:56.960
<v Speaker 1>obstacles when you weren't given a chance to play with them.

778
00:37:57.079 --> 00:37:59.800
<v Speaker 2>So this goes into a result of my brain injury.

779
00:38:00.039 --> 00:38:04.199
<v Speaker 2>I have synesthesia and I have very interesting ways of

780
00:38:04.239 --> 00:38:08.920
<v Speaker 2>seeing things, and so my cause effect relationship is like

781
00:38:09.039 --> 00:38:12.360
<v Speaker 2>amped up like ten thousand times. So I see an object,

782
00:38:12.400 --> 00:38:14.480
<v Speaker 2>I can make it move around in my head, look

783
00:38:14.519 --> 00:38:17.960
<v Speaker 2>at the physics of it, and then picture myself on it,

784
00:38:18.079 --> 00:38:20.480
<v Speaker 2>like not only just in like first person view, but

785
00:38:20.559 --> 00:38:24.320
<v Speaker 2>like second even third person, like watch someone else, you know,

786
00:38:24.360 --> 00:38:26.800
<v Speaker 2>and I can see myself do it. So I can

787
00:38:26.880 --> 00:38:30.360
<v Speaker 2>interpret obstacles pretty well just from this gift that I

788
00:38:30.400 --> 00:38:34.480
<v Speaker 2>was given, And so that's super important to do novel

789
00:38:34.719 --> 00:38:36.320
<v Speaker 2>crazy stuff that people.

790
00:38:36.159 --> 00:38:38.320
<v Speaker 3>Are like, oh my god, Like I would never think

791
00:38:38.320 --> 00:38:38.960
<v Speaker 3>about doing that.

792
00:38:39.519 --> 00:38:43.280
<v Speaker 2>So it's really just sizing it up, judging my own abilities,

793
00:38:43.360 --> 00:38:44.400
<v Speaker 2>and then matching the two.

794
00:38:44.880 --> 00:38:48.360
<v Speaker 1>So once you've climb that mountain, you're the beast Master champion.

795
00:38:48.519 --> 00:38:49.400
<v Speaker 1>Where do you go from there?

796
00:38:49.559 --> 00:38:53.519
<v Speaker 2>So I took some time off with my career and

797
00:38:53.559 --> 00:38:57.159
<v Speaker 2>my body. So at that point, like twenty fifteen sixteen,

798
00:38:58.199 --> 00:39:01.679
<v Speaker 2>my injuries were starting to pile up. So I started

799
00:39:01.719 --> 00:39:05.159
<v Speaker 2>to feel my body now, so I had this degradated

800
00:39:05.320 --> 00:39:08.199
<v Speaker 2>feeling of over my whole body since the accident, like

801
00:39:08.199 --> 00:39:10.800
<v Speaker 2>I couldn't feel it, and I started feeling like pains

802
00:39:11.320 --> 00:39:13.800
<v Speaker 2>and like fatigue, and I was like, oh man, this

803
00:39:13.920 --> 00:39:16.239
<v Speaker 2>is like this might not be super good.

804
00:39:16.920 --> 00:39:17.480
<v Speaker 3>And then I.

805
00:39:17.440 --> 00:39:21.440
<v Speaker 2>Started having some troubles with you know, cognition, you know,

806
00:39:21.519 --> 00:39:24.719
<v Speaker 2>like really like it started to pile up because I

807
00:39:24.760 --> 00:39:27.840
<v Speaker 2>started to rank up get more responsibility I can hide

808
00:39:27.840 --> 00:39:30.159
<v Speaker 2>stuff as a lieutenant and a captain, but as a

809
00:39:30.199 --> 00:39:32.639
<v Speaker 2>major and lieutenant.

810
00:39:32.320 --> 00:39:34.079
<v Speaker 3>Colonel, it's a lot harder that way.

811
00:39:35.079 --> 00:39:39.280
<v Speaker 2>And so I really focused on on circling back on

812
00:39:39.440 --> 00:39:42.159
<v Speaker 2>trying to fix my body and get adjusted. And then

813
00:39:42.199 --> 00:39:46.480
<v Speaker 2>I also got severely burned. So my right arm is

814
00:39:46.519 --> 00:39:49.599
<v Speaker 2>super loose, like I can, I lose things. I dropped

815
00:39:49.599 --> 00:39:51.119
<v Speaker 2>things and everything, and I was I had a.

816
00:39:51.039 --> 00:39:53.960
<v Speaker 3>Whole pot of like boiling water and my hands just

817
00:39:54.000 --> 00:39:56.519
<v Speaker 3>like let loose, and it just built and just went

818
00:39:56.559 --> 00:39:58.880
<v Speaker 3>all over me. So I went to burn you. I

819
00:39:58.920 --> 00:40:00.320
<v Speaker 3>was like, oh man, this is like arrible.

820
00:40:00.519 --> 00:40:02.599
<v Speaker 2>And then so I finally was like, look, I need

821
00:40:02.639 --> 00:40:05.159
<v Speaker 2>to get some help, man, you know, like something's going on,

822
00:40:05.519 --> 00:40:07.159
<v Speaker 2>and so they put me in a poly trauma unit

823
00:40:07.199 --> 00:40:09.679
<v Speaker 2>for a while. So so that time period after that,

824
00:40:10.239 --> 00:40:13.639
<v Speaker 2>I was like focused on, like I'm probably going to

825
00:40:13.719 --> 00:40:16.760
<v Speaker 2>get broke here soon because beast mass you can probably

826
00:40:16.760 --> 00:40:20.199
<v Speaker 2>recall like they carted me off in a stretcher, you know,

827
00:40:20.360 --> 00:40:22.440
<v Speaker 2>like you know me, like I'm gonna I'm gonna go,

828
00:40:22.480 --> 00:40:25.159
<v Speaker 2>And I'm like I tell people, I line up on

829
00:40:25.199 --> 00:40:27.079
<v Speaker 2>the start line, I go, are you guys prepared to

830
00:40:27.119 --> 00:40:29.599
<v Speaker 2>die on this course? Because I am and they're like,

831
00:40:29.639 --> 00:40:30.840
<v Speaker 2>I don't know if I don't know if I want

832
00:40:30.880 --> 00:40:31.400
<v Speaker 2>to go that RD.

833
00:40:32.199 --> 00:40:34.440
<v Speaker 1>It's a good intimidation tactic even if you didn't mean it,

834
00:40:34.480 --> 00:40:37.320
<v Speaker 1>but you do it is yeah.

835
00:40:37.559 --> 00:40:37.800
<v Speaker 4>Yeah.

836
00:40:37.800 --> 00:40:39.800
<v Speaker 2>So I took some time off and then Ninja Wori

837
00:40:39.880 --> 00:40:43.000
<v Speaker 2>reached out to me again and was like, we'd love to.

838
00:40:42.920 --> 00:40:44.960
<v Speaker 3>Have you on the show man as I love to go.

839
00:40:45.599 --> 00:40:46.599
<v Speaker 3>So I trained for that.

840
00:40:47.119 --> 00:40:49.280
<v Speaker 1>You mentioned something in passing about your Air Force career

841
00:40:49.280 --> 00:40:51.360
<v Speaker 1>that I don't want to skip past, and that's that

842
00:40:51.519 --> 00:40:54.440
<v Speaker 1>you mentioned you had a medal for heroism that you received.

843
00:40:54.800 --> 00:40:56.320
<v Speaker 1>What does that mean to you to be recognized for

844
00:40:56.760 --> 00:40:57.800
<v Speaker 1>excellence and service?

845
00:40:58.039 --> 00:41:02.719
<v Speaker 2>I think coming like from where I came from, it

846
00:41:02.800 --> 00:41:06.559
<v Speaker 2>provides motivation to continue on, you know, like the military

847
00:41:06.559 --> 00:41:09.239
<v Speaker 2>gives awards and decorations and people joke about it, you know,

848
00:41:09.280 --> 00:41:12.360
<v Speaker 2>but it really is to look up in my office

849
00:41:12.400 --> 00:41:15.320
<v Speaker 2>now and see all that stuff on the wall. Like

850
00:41:15.679 --> 00:41:19.320
<v Speaker 2>when there's challenges in the world or to me or

851
00:41:19.360 --> 00:41:21.719
<v Speaker 2>my family, I'm like, look what everything I've done, man,

852
00:41:22.320 --> 00:41:25.559
<v Speaker 2>I can handle this and really like press on. So

853
00:41:25.840 --> 00:41:29.679
<v Speaker 2>for me, it's an instrument of motivation and commitment.

854
00:41:30.119 --> 00:41:33.280
<v Speaker 1>You've overcome so many challenges in different ways. In your life,

855
00:41:33.360 --> 00:41:40.960
<v Speaker 1>from difficult teenage years and obviously being in war suffering

856
00:41:40.960 --> 00:41:44.280
<v Speaker 1>a brain injury that you were determined to come back from. Obviously,

857
00:41:44.320 --> 00:41:46.800
<v Speaker 1>there are people dealing with all sorts of different challenges,

858
00:41:47.199 --> 00:41:50.000
<v Speaker 1>and your never give up attitude is certainly one that

859
00:41:50.079 --> 00:41:52.679
<v Speaker 1>I think would encourage a lot of people. You probably

860
00:41:52.719 --> 00:41:55.719
<v Speaker 1>do hear from people who want advice from what you've

861
00:41:55.760 --> 00:41:56.880
<v Speaker 1>been through. What do you tell them?

862
00:41:58.400 --> 00:42:02.360
<v Speaker 2>I think the number one thing is the reason to

863
00:42:02.519 --> 00:42:07.280
<v Speaker 2>persevere is huge, And so what I ask people is,

864
00:42:07.320 --> 00:42:09.880
<v Speaker 2>I what would you die for before you let happen?

865
00:42:10.880 --> 00:42:13.880
<v Speaker 2>And it's a little bit of play on words intentionally

866
00:42:14.400 --> 00:42:18.280
<v Speaker 2>to see where people's heart and really where your DNA is,

867
00:42:18.360 --> 00:42:21.320
<v Speaker 2>because I think people have like a programmed purpose in

868
00:42:21.360 --> 00:42:25.199
<v Speaker 2>their DNA, and unless you're tapping into that, like, you're

869
00:42:25.239 --> 00:42:28.159
<v Speaker 2>just going to be continually frustrated and things are going

870
00:42:28.199 --> 00:42:31.800
<v Speaker 2>to happen and your body's going to like manifest disease

871
00:42:31.880 --> 00:42:34.119
<v Speaker 2>and all this other stuff. And so I ask them, like,

872
00:42:34.519 --> 00:42:37.239
<v Speaker 2>deep down, like what is your driving force? What would

873
00:42:37.239 --> 00:42:39.840
<v Speaker 2>you lay your life down for before you'd let happen?

874
00:42:40.519 --> 00:42:46.280
<v Speaker 2>And that typically forms the center and the core of

875
00:42:46.360 --> 00:42:48.840
<v Speaker 2>everything else that they want to do. If I can

876
00:42:49.039 --> 00:42:52.280
<v Speaker 2>if I can identify that in you, I can link

877
00:42:52.599 --> 00:42:55.599
<v Speaker 2>anything that you're working on to that purpose and you

878
00:42:55.599 --> 00:42:58.239
<v Speaker 2>will wake up every day like I have to do

879
00:42:58.280 --> 00:42:59.519
<v Speaker 2>this otherwise.

880
00:42:59.079 --> 00:43:00.000
<v Speaker 3>This thing's going to fail.

881
00:43:01.039 --> 00:43:04.800
<v Speaker 2>It could be legacy, could be kids, could be spouse, parents,

882
00:43:04.920 --> 00:43:06.880
<v Speaker 2>whatever or purpose you know.

883
00:43:07.920 --> 00:43:10.079
<v Speaker 3>So that's what I tell people, is you got to.

884
00:43:10.119 --> 00:43:13.559
<v Speaker 2>Really deep dig into your purpose and then the journey

885
00:43:13.559 --> 00:43:14.599
<v Speaker 2>will reveal itself.

886
00:43:14.840 --> 00:43:16.840
<v Speaker 1>How much do you credit the Air Force in your

887
00:43:16.840 --> 00:43:19.239
<v Speaker 1>time in the military for helping to develop that mindset?

888
00:43:19.559 --> 00:43:27.800
<v Speaker 2>A lot provided structure, provide a camaraderie, provide a vertical ability,

889
00:43:29.000 --> 00:43:33.639
<v Speaker 2>provided like stability. You know, there's a lot of instability

890
00:43:33.639 --> 00:43:37.519
<v Speaker 2>in the world and people get stressed. And that's why

891
00:43:37.559 --> 00:43:39.840
<v Speaker 2>we have a permanent paycheck, why we have free health care,

892
00:43:40.119 --> 00:43:42.599
<v Speaker 2>because there's a lot of stress. And if I reduce

893
00:43:42.639 --> 00:43:45.079
<v Speaker 2>those stress is I can focus on the important thing,

894
00:43:45.079 --> 00:43:48.280
<v Speaker 2>which is the mission. And so yeah, it's super important,

895
00:43:49.000 --> 00:43:50.000
<v Speaker 2>like it's totality.

896
00:43:50.159 --> 00:43:52.440
<v Speaker 1>Last couple of questions here, Ken, what are you most

897
00:43:52.480 --> 00:43:53.880
<v Speaker 1>proud of from your time in the service?

898
00:43:54.280 --> 00:43:59.079
<v Speaker 2>I think having respect and honor for everyone who's come

899
00:43:59.159 --> 00:44:03.880
<v Speaker 2>before me. And I didn't really get this until they

900
00:44:03.920 --> 00:44:06.800
<v Speaker 2>were like I was an officer to realize all the

901
00:44:06.840 --> 00:44:12.519
<v Speaker 2>sacrifices that were laid down before I came, so that

902
00:44:12.559 --> 00:44:16.159
<v Speaker 2>I'm standing on the shoulders of giants, you know. And

903
00:44:16.199 --> 00:44:21.840
<v Speaker 2>it's so humbling to know like how powerful people were

904
00:44:21.880 --> 00:44:26.039
<v Speaker 2>before me and how intuitive and how they laid down

905
00:44:26.119 --> 00:44:29.840
<v Speaker 2>things that they would never see manifest so that I

906
00:44:29.880 --> 00:44:33.480
<v Speaker 2>can benefit. And that's what I do, like every day,

907
00:44:33.800 --> 00:44:36.800
<v Speaker 2>like I lay I lay down. I lay down the

908
00:44:36.800 --> 00:44:39.280
<v Speaker 2>foundation that I may never see or the world may

909
00:44:39.280 --> 00:44:41.320
<v Speaker 2>never see for like five hundred years, you know.

910
00:44:41.679 --> 00:44:44.639
<v Speaker 3>And that's that's that's got to be it.

911
00:44:44.840 --> 00:44:46.440
<v Speaker 1>And lastly, what does it mean to you to have

912
00:44:46.519 --> 00:44:49.119
<v Speaker 1>us capture your story and share it with not only

913
00:44:49.280 --> 00:44:51.039
<v Speaker 1>folks today, but generations to come.

914
00:44:51.199 --> 00:44:54.599
<v Speaker 2>Well, I thought you called the wrong person, you know,

915
00:44:54.760 --> 00:45:00.199
<v Speaker 2>but it's a it's a huge honor, like pro well,

916
00:45:00.239 --> 00:45:01.679
<v Speaker 2>it's like the top.

917
00:45:02.400 --> 00:45:04.599
<v Speaker 3>I mean, just to be recognized and to be here

918
00:45:04.679 --> 00:45:08.719
<v Speaker 3>sitting in front of the lights, microphone and you and

919
00:45:08.800 --> 00:45:11.920
<v Speaker 3>everything that you've accomplished and what you've done for us

920
00:45:12.039 --> 00:45:13.199
<v Speaker 3>to tell our stories.

921
00:45:14.280 --> 00:45:19.559
<v Speaker 2>You don't have to do this, man, It's like it's warming.

922
00:45:19.679 --> 00:45:22.400
<v Speaker 2>It gives me purpose and I hope that people will

923
00:45:22.400 --> 00:45:26.320
<v Speaker 2>watch this and they'll go, Man, that's like that's incredible,

924
00:45:26.559 --> 00:45:28.599
<v Speaker 2>like what I'm going through, like I'm going to persevere

925
00:45:28.719 --> 00:45:33.000
<v Speaker 2>because there's a meaning to it, and folks may join

926
00:45:33.639 --> 00:45:37.119
<v Speaker 2>our service because of this video. And I'm really honored

927
00:45:37.159 --> 00:45:40.639
<v Speaker 2>to everyone who's involved. There's so many of you behind

928
00:45:40.679 --> 00:45:43.960
<v Speaker 2>the scenes, and I'm just I'm just here to tell

929
00:45:44.000 --> 00:45:46.239
<v Speaker 2>my story and to be very grateful and.

930
00:45:46.159 --> 00:45:48.719
<v Speaker 1>Thankful or honored to have you. And I do have

931
00:45:48.760 --> 00:45:50.880
<v Speaker 1>one extra question because I know you're connected to the

932
00:45:50.880 --> 00:45:53.679
<v Speaker 1>Transcend Foundation. Correct, tell us a little bit.

933
00:45:53.599 --> 00:45:57.880
<v Speaker 3>About that Transcend Foundation is what saved my life.

934
00:45:58.400 --> 00:46:05.400
<v Speaker 2>I was still really affected by brain trauma, anxiety, body aches,

935
00:46:06.159 --> 00:46:11.880
<v Speaker 2>and I met here at the American Veteran Center Brendan Quisenberry,

936
00:46:12.079 --> 00:46:15.920
<v Speaker 2>executive director of the Foundation, and he heard a little

937
00:46:15.920 --> 00:46:17.440
<v Speaker 2>bit of my story and he asked me a question,

938
00:46:17.679 --> 00:46:18.719
<v Speaker 2>what's your blood work? Say?

939
00:46:19.760 --> 00:46:20.159
<v Speaker 3>I don't know.

940
00:46:21.360 --> 00:46:23.599
<v Speaker 2>Can you imagine in twelve and thirteen years to be

941
00:46:23.679 --> 00:46:29.159
<v Speaker 2>included in a inpatient polytrauma and never have a comprehensive

942
00:46:29.159 --> 00:46:32.639
<v Speaker 2>blood work panel done and be shuffled through three hundred

943
00:46:32.639 --> 00:46:35.119
<v Speaker 2>and fifty doctors and tried to be out processed from

944
00:46:35.119 --> 00:46:38.199
<v Speaker 2>the Air Force twice, you know, not have a pension,

945
00:46:38.760 --> 00:46:42.199
<v Speaker 2>and like man, the stress that I went through, and

946
00:46:42.199 --> 00:46:43.559
<v Speaker 2>he's like, let's just run your blood work.

947
00:46:43.559 --> 00:46:44.440
<v Speaker 3>See what it says.

948
00:46:44.920 --> 00:46:49.400
<v Speaker 2>I got on a comprehensive panel that I've never seen before,

949
00:46:50.239 --> 00:46:51.599
<v Speaker 2>and I swear to god, I went tell you, I

950
00:46:51.639 --> 00:46:54.719
<v Speaker 2>kind of walk like a quarter mile when I got

951
00:46:54.719 --> 00:46:57.000
<v Speaker 2>my blood work done. Three weeks later, I.

952
00:46:56.920 --> 00:47:00.519
<v Speaker 3>Was running a ten k and no knowing where my

953
00:47:00.559 --> 00:47:01.639
<v Speaker 3>car was in the.

954
00:47:01.599 --> 00:47:05.119
<v Speaker 2>Parking lot as stressfully as a grown adult with kids

955
00:47:05.800 --> 00:47:09.639
<v Speaker 2>to not even remember, Like it's just emotional, you know,

956
00:47:10.719 --> 00:47:13.320
<v Speaker 2>and especially with all the decorations that I've had and

957
00:47:13.800 --> 00:47:15.920
<v Speaker 2>what I've done with my life, to have these simple,

958
00:47:16.000 --> 00:47:21.159
<v Speaker 2>really embarrassing things, and like three weeks I saw like

959
00:47:21.679 --> 00:47:27.239
<v Speaker 2>real benefit. And now it's been you know, two years,

960
00:47:28.639 --> 00:47:32.159
<v Speaker 2>and I am now the chief Data and AI Officer

961
00:47:32.320 --> 00:47:36.360
<v Speaker 2>for the Transcend Company, having never finished the math class

962
00:47:36.360 --> 00:47:39.480
<v Speaker 2>in my life, but having the focus and dedication that

963
00:47:39.559 --> 00:47:42.079
<v Speaker 2>I want to heal other people that have gone through

964
00:47:42.079 --> 00:47:45.800
<v Speaker 2>what I'm going, what I went through, you know, that's

965
00:47:45.840 --> 00:47:46.360
<v Speaker 2>my mission.

966
00:47:46.800 --> 00:47:50.800
<v Speaker 1>That's retired US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Ken Kurrigliano. He's

967
00:47:50.800 --> 00:47:55.239
<v Speaker 1>a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, among other deployments. He

968
00:47:55.280 --> 00:47:58.719
<v Speaker 1>also recovered from a serious brain injury to compete in

969
00:47:58.960 --> 00:48:04.920
<v Speaker 1>and excel at rigorous competitions like Beastmaster and American Ninja Warrior.

970
00:48:05.599 --> 00:48:20.039
<v Speaker 1>I'm Greg Corumbus and this is Veterans Chronicles. Hi. This

971
00:48:20.159 --> 00:48:23.400
<v Speaker 1>is Greg Corumbus and thanks for listening to Veterans Chronicles,

972
00:48:23.599 --> 00:48:27.599
<v Speaker 1>a presentation of the American Veterans Center. For more information,

973
00:48:27.880 --> 00:48:32.559
<v Speaker 1>please visit American Veteranscenter dot org. You can also follow

974
00:48:32.599 --> 00:48:36.000
<v Speaker 1>the American Veterans Center on Facebook and on Twitter We're

975
00:48:36.119 --> 00:48:40.880
<v Speaker 1>at AVC update. Subscribe to the American Veterans Center YouTube

976
00:48:40.960 --> 00:48:45.360
<v Speaker 1>channel for full oral histories and special features, and of course,

977
00:48:45.519 --> 00:48:49.199
<v Speaker 1>please subscribe to the Veterans Chronicles podcast wherever you get

978
00:48:49.199 --> 00:48:52.840
<v Speaker 1>your podcasts. Thanks again for listening and please join us

979
00:48:52.880 --> 00:48:54.880
<v Speaker 1>next time for Veterans Chronicles