WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.120 --> 00:00:05.040 Special Operations. 2 00:00:06.280 --> 00:00:15.480 Cobert Sbiona The Team House with your hosts Jack Murphy 3 00:00:16.440 --> 00:00:17.480 and David Park. 4 00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:24.640 Hey, everyone, welcome to episode three hundred and fifty five 5 00:00:24.640 --> 00:00:26.960 of The Team House. I'm Jack here with Dave and 6 00:00:27.079 --> 00:00:29.199 our guest on tonight's show. I'm very excited to have 7 00:00:29.239 --> 00:00:33.039 here tonight, Thomas Rathsak. Thomas is the author of Yagger 8 00:00:33.200 --> 00:00:36.439 at War with the Elite, a book that I helped 9 00:00:36.560 --> 00:00:40.240 have translated and brought to the English language readers. So 10 00:00:40.280 --> 00:00:41.960 it's out there for you guys if you want to 11 00:00:42.039 --> 00:00:45.119 read his memoir, which is super I mean, obviously I'm biased, 12 00:00:45.159 --> 00:00:47.079 but I think it's a great story and I hope 13 00:00:47.079 --> 00:00:50.399 you guys will check it out. Thomas's background is that 14 00:00:50.799 --> 00:00:54.039 he served in the Danish Yagger Corps, which is Danish 15 00:00:54.039 --> 00:00:57.240 special forces, with deployments to Afghanistan in Iraq. 16 00:00:57.479 --> 00:00:58.439 He also served with the. 17 00:00:58.479 --> 00:01:01.159 Danish d Mining Group before four nine to eleven, even 18 00:01:01.320 --> 00:01:06.439 in Chechnya in Afghanistan, and then afterwards, I mean, he 19 00:01:06.519 --> 00:01:09.560 wrote his book. There was some controversy about it back 20 00:01:09.599 --> 00:01:13.640 home in Denmark, and he's moved on to writing some novels, 21 00:01:13.680 --> 00:01:16.519 some television projects and some other things we'll get into here. 22 00:01:17.000 --> 00:01:20.200 So Thomas. Thank you for joining us tonight. Thank you 23 00:01:20.239 --> 00:01:20.719 for having me. 24 00:01:22.640 --> 00:01:25.439 So the first question we always ask is our guest's 25 00:01:25.480 --> 00:01:27.439 origin story. Can you tell us a little bit about 26 00:01:27.480 --> 00:01:29.480 like how you grew up in you know, what your 27 00:01:29.680 --> 00:01:32.480 initial interest was in the military as a young guy. 28 00:01:34.280 --> 00:01:40.159 Yes, well it started actually because I was very what 29 00:01:40.200 --> 00:01:44.159 you call it, insecure, young young child, and I was 30 00:01:44.200 --> 00:01:49.120 searching for answers. And I remember one day when I 31 00:01:49.200 --> 00:01:52.519 was walking by them with my mother in the street 32 00:01:52.799 --> 00:01:53.599 just close. 33 00:01:53.359 --> 00:01:55.359 To my my, my, my. 34 00:01:55.159 --> 00:02:00.239 House, and a new book was released and I just 35 00:02:00.439 --> 00:02:03.480 it caught my attention. On the cover of the book 36 00:02:03.640 --> 00:02:06.400 was a guy with a cigarette in his mouth. He 37 00:02:06.519 --> 00:02:09.159 was dirty, and I would just look at that face. 38 00:02:09.360 --> 00:02:12.000 That must be something special. And it turned out that 39 00:02:12.039 --> 00:02:15.039 it was a Danish guy from my special forces unit, 40 00:02:15.159 --> 00:02:17.680 the Yegga Court and he was just some few years 41 00:02:17.719 --> 00:02:21.319 before he attended the ranger course and his name was 42 00:02:21.360 --> 00:02:25.199 Carston Mark and he became number one at this ranger course. 43 00:02:25.680 --> 00:02:28.759 I think it was nineteen seventy eight, and my mother 44 00:02:28.840 --> 00:02:32.000 gave me that book, and that book sort of opened 45 00:02:32.039 --> 00:02:35.120 a window to a world that was for me extremely 46 00:02:35.240 --> 00:02:36.879 interesting and appealing. 47 00:02:37.439 --> 00:02:41.120 So it was not that it was you know, the military. 48 00:02:41.159 --> 00:02:43.840 It was just a story and narrative about, you know, 49 00:02:43.919 --> 00:02:46.879 a bunch of guys working together in the nature and 50 00:02:47.199 --> 00:02:53.199 using their physics, and that was extremely appealing to me. 51 00:02:53.319 --> 00:02:55.520 And I decided in a very young age that I 52 00:02:55.599 --> 00:02:57.560 wanted to be a part of that unit because then 53 00:02:57.599 --> 00:03:01.159 I have all the answers in my confused had all 54 00:03:01.199 --> 00:03:03.800 the questions in my confused head that that they would 55 00:03:03.840 --> 00:03:04.599 have an answer then. 56 00:03:04.919 --> 00:03:07.879 So that was that was the beginning. 57 00:03:07.960 --> 00:03:12.319 And so yeah, and so you grew up and you 58 00:03:12.400 --> 00:03:13.319 joined the military. 59 00:03:13.360 --> 00:03:14.159 What what year was this? 60 00:03:16.719 --> 00:03:19.439 I joined the military in nineteen eighty five. I was 61 00:03:19.479 --> 00:03:25.680 eighteen years old. I joined the National the National Guard, 62 00:03:26.360 --> 00:03:29.360 and I served there for five years in infantry. 63 00:03:30.560 --> 00:03:34.080 And then as thirty twenty three years old. 64 00:03:33.879 --> 00:03:39.280 I I I took the the. 65 00:03:39.240 --> 00:03:41.280 Selection course to the Yega Corps. 66 00:03:42.439 --> 00:03:44.680 You had a bit of like a winding path to 67 00:03:44.960 --> 00:03:47.240 like like was it selection or was it your training 68 00:03:47.280 --> 00:03:50.479 course got postponed because of was it the golf War? 69 00:03:52.960 --> 00:03:56.039 No, actually it was. 70 00:03:57.080 --> 00:04:00.240 I became Yega in nineteen ninety and as a as 71 00:04:00.280 --> 00:04:02.319 far as I recalled, it was was in ninety one 72 00:04:02.360 --> 00:04:02.919 and ninety two. 73 00:04:03.039 --> 00:04:04.120 Did the first golf war? 74 00:04:04.960 --> 00:04:07.120 Okay, I might be thinking of something else that I 75 00:04:07.159 --> 00:04:09.439 read in your book about how like a course you 76 00:04:09.560 --> 00:04:10.919 were going to attend got delayed. 77 00:04:11.840 --> 00:04:15.080 What what I wrote about was that during the First 78 00:04:15.080 --> 00:04:18.680 Golf War, and that's that's one of the reasons why 79 00:04:18.759 --> 00:04:21.959 I left the Eco COO in the first place. Anyway, 80 00:04:22.319 --> 00:04:27.079 we didn't even consider, you know, preparing our gear. It 81 00:04:27.120 --> 00:04:30.480 was the Americans and the British who went to the 82 00:04:30.480 --> 00:04:33.519 Gulf War. But nobody in my unit even talked. 83 00:04:33.240 --> 00:04:35.240 About getting prepared to the First Golf War. 84 00:04:35.600 --> 00:04:38.399 And I just remember it was extremely demotivating for me, 85 00:04:38.480 --> 00:04:41.839 because I mean I want I joined the armitude, you know, 86 00:04:43.160 --> 00:04:46.079 to to to to get some missions, not just you know, 87 00:04:46.160 --> 00:04:49.480 running around in my unit and my and the barracks 88 00:04:49.519 --> 00:04:52.120 and just train and train and train. So I was 89 00:04:52.199 --> 00:04:55.079 very disappointed in the in the beginning of the nineties, 90 00:04:55.920 --> 00:04:58.199 in the in the first period I was in the 91 00:04:58.240 --> 00:04:58.800 ECA Corp. 92 00:05:00.120 --> 00:05:02.439 Before we talk about you know, you had a break 93 00:05:02.439 --> 00:05:04.720 in service because of that. But before we get there, 94 00:05:04.839 --> 00:05:06.560 I mean, tell us a little bit about the selection 95 00:05:06.639 --> 00:05:10.199 and the training and for our American audience, what is 96 00:05:10.240 --> 00:05:10.920 the Jagger Core. 97 00:05:12.600 --> 00:05:17.000 The Yegger Coat was established in ninety sixty one as. 98 00:05:16.879 --> 00:05:18.480 Alert unit. 99 00:05:20.120 --> 00:05:23.680 And until mid nineties it was alert unit and then 100 00:05:23.839 --> 00:05:25.000 in the nineties it. 101 00:05:24.959 --> 00:05:27.680 Was transformed to a special forces unit. 102 00:05:29.120 --> 00:05:36.519 And my selection course it lasted sixteen weeks. 103 00:05:37.680 --> 00:05:40.480 It's divided in two parts. The first eight weeks you 104 00:05:40.560 --> 00:05:40.879 have to. 105 00:05:40.920 --> 00:05:45.959 Pass and be among I don't know the word in English, 106 00:05:45.959 --> 00:05:50.240 but you have to get the highest evaluation in order 107 00:05:50.279 --> 00:05:52.519 to continue to the last eight weeks. 108 00:05:54.680 --> 00:05:58.399 And it's we started, I think it was ninety eight. 109 00:06:00.079 --> 00:06:04.519 Started and we finished eight and I was among these eight. 110 00:06:04.959 --> 00:06:07.800 And it's classic disciplines. 111 00:06:07.920 --> 00:06:11.000 It's a lot of marching, it's a lot of orienteering, 112 00:06:11.439 --> 00:06:14.639 it's a lot a lot of swimming, especially in cold water, 113 00:06:14.839 --> 00:06:22.800 which I really really hate. It's it's a lot of exercises. 114 00:06:23.079 --> 00:06:26.600 You know you've done it. Nothing to eat, nothing to sleep, 115 00:06:26.720 --> 00:06:32.319 no restitution. So it's just sixteen sixteen weeks of pain 116 00:06:32.399 --> 00:06:33.160 and misery. 117 00:06:33.600 --> 00:06:36.720 And Denmark's climate is quite harsh, isn't it. 118 00:06:38.720 --> 00:06:41.399 Well, it's difficult for me to compare with the other unit, 119 00:06:41.439 --> 00:06:43.600 but I think it's it's quite I think it's quite 120 00:06:43.759 --> 00:06:47.399 quite strict. It's only these ten percent of the students 121 00:06:48.360 --> 00:06:50.480 who you know, fulfilled. 122 00:06:50.680 --> 00:06:51.879 They cause so. 123 00:06:53.720 --> 00:06:56.040 I was very prepared because I was. I was I 124 00:06:56.079 --> 00:07:02.040 was training throughout my teen years. I was extremely ambitious, 125 00:07:02.079 --> 00:07:05.720 so I was very very well prepared for the selection. 126 00:07:06.480 --> 00:07:10.439 So I normally say that I was a better student 127 00:07:11.000 --> 00:07:14.079 than I became a yegger because because I never really 128 00:07:15.160 --> 00:07:19.040 had had strong difficulties at the selection courst because I 129 00:07:19.120 --> 00:07:22.120 was so prepared. I mean as as before I joined 130 00:07:22.120 --> 00:07:25.000 the army. Sometimes I was walking, you know, eighty kilometers 131 00:07:25.079 --> 00:07:29.920 one hundred kilometers alone and swimming during the winter in 132 00:07:30.439 --> 00:07:32.360 the local harbor and all this. 133 00:07:32.480 --> 00:07:35.120 So I was very serious about my preparation. 134 00:07:35.319 --> 00:07:38.560 So selection cost, of course it was tough, but for me, 135 00:07:38.639 --> 00:07:42.160 I was so prepared, so I was never in the 136 00:07:42.240 --> 00:07:44.879 extreme red zone. 137 00:07:44.920 --> 00:07:49.480 So yeah, and after the selection course, what is the 138 00:07:49.560 --> 00:07:50.480 training for a yager? 139 00:07:50.720 --> 00:07:56.480 Like you have one year a sort of probation before 140 00:07:56.519 --> 00:08:01.439 you are you were putting into an rational team. So 141 00:08:01.519 --> 00:08:04.639 this year you you you you you are being taught 142 00:08:04.639 --> 00:08:10.720 the basic skills. It's medic it's it comes all all 143 00:08:10.959 --> 00:08:15.319 all these all these things, and then you're getting ready 144 00:08:15.360 --> 00:08:19.120 and you're you're getting your JEGA status status after one year, 145 00:08:19.160 --> 00:08:21.639 and first after that you are allowed into the into 146 00:08:21.639 --> 00:08:26.199 the teams. It's it's a very small unit compared at 147 00:08:26.279 --> 00:08:28.120 least to American standards. 148 00:08:28.800 --> 00:08:30.120 We have always been. 149 00:08:29.959 --> 00:08:33.919 Struggling for for selection because the Danish Army is so small, 150 00:08:33.919 --> 00:08:37.840 so it's very difficult to to to get enough people 151 00:08:37.919 --> 00:08:40.799 to to get enough people into the selection. 152 00:08:41.120 --> 00:08:42.320 So it's a very small unit. 153 00:08:42.360 --> 00:08:48.039 It's about it's about fifty max max fifty shooters, so 154 00:08:48.080 --> 00:08:51.440 it's a very small unit. And the organization organization in 155 00:08:51.440 --> 00:08:55.919 total is three other people. And then the called the 156 00:08:55.960 --> 00:08:59.440 teams is only about these fifty fifty shooters. 157 00:09:00.039 --> 00:09:04.200 And Denmark has Jager Core, the Frogmen Core and then 158 00:09:04.240 --> 00:09:07.279 serious patrol is also considered a special right. 159 00:09:07.480 --> 00:09:08.240 Yes, exactly. 160 00:09:08.360 --> 00:09:11.639 Yeah, and the serious patrol in Greenland, as as you mentioned, 161 00:09:11.720 --> 00:09:16.000 is even smaller. It is I wouldn't say it's a 162 00:09:16.080 --> 00:09:18.840 joke because that's not very polite, but it's so small. 163 00:09:18.840 --> 00:09:23.080 I mean, they have false late slid patrols patrolling an 164 00:09:23.120 --> 00:09:27.360 area of the size of Spain. It's it's the world's 165 00:09:27.360 --> 00:09:32.559 biggest national park. The serious patrol is patrolling on the 166 00:09:32.600 --> 00:09:37.000 east side of Greenland. But now because there is this 167 00:09:37.159 --> 00:09:41.240 focus on Greenland, uh, quite a lot of resources are 168 00:09:41.279 --> 00:09:43.440 being being deployed to Greenland now. 169 00:09:44.360 --> 00:09:46.879 And I would recommend for our viewers. We interviewed your 170 00:09:46.919 --> 00:09:50.279 buddy Casper Domso on a previous episode of this show, 171 00:09:50.480 --> 00:09:53.240 if guys want to go back, Casper was a serious 172 00:09:53.279 --> 00:09:55.320 patrol member, super unique mission. 173 00:09:55.440 --> 00:09:57.080 I hope you guys will take a look at that. 174 00:09:58.200 --> 00:10:01.559 So, Thomas, you had a you know, you were a 175 00:10:01.559 --> 00:10:04.679 Special Forces soldier. You wanted to test yourself and felt 176 00:10:04.759 --> 00:10:07.679 like you weren't getting that combat experience that you were 177 00:10:07.720 --> 00:10:10.720 looking for at that time in the nineteen nineties, and 178 00:10:10.759 --> 00:10:12.559 so you had a break in service. What did you 179 00:10:12.559 --> 00:10:14.879 go and do outside of the military at that time. 180 00:10:19.159 --> 00:10:22.600 Well, I finished in ninety four and I really didn't 181 00:10:22.639 --> 00:10:24.360 want to. I didn't know what to do at all, 182 00:10:24.399 --> 00:10:26.960 because all my life it was all about being being 183 00:10:26.960 --> 00:10:31.120 a Jeger. So it was a very frustrating situation, not 184 00:10:31.399 --> 00:10:34.480 you know, not to have any goals. But what I 185 00:10:34.480 --> 00:10:38.480 did was I went to South America for two years, 186 00:10:38.600 --> 00:10:43.639 lived in Chile and worked as a photographer for various magazines. 187 00:10:44.720 --> 00:10:47.279 I did that for yeah, almost three years actually, and. 188 00:10:47.240 --> 00:10:49.480 Then I went back home to Denmark and I worked 189 00:10:49.480 --> 00:10:55.759 as a computer salesman for three years and that was okay, 190 00:10:55.799 --> 00:10:59.159 but it was very boring. And then I, by coincidence, 191 00:10:59.679 --> 00:11:05.240 I was offered an UD course, so old guys from 192 00:11:05.320 --> 00:11:08.320 from the Yeca Coo. They have made this cooperation with 193 00:11:08.559 --> 00:11:14.039 the army and some humanitarian Demaine organizations and they hired 194 00:11:14.159 --> 00:11:18.399 a recruited old former ex Jegles and gave them this 195 00:11:18.679 --> 00:11:23.440 ud course which lasted about four months. And I did 196 00:11:23.480 --> 00:11:29.960 that course. It was around nineteen ninety nine. And after 197 00:11:30.000 --> 00:11:32.879 that I had my first well you can call it mission, 198 00:11:33.000 --> 00:11:36.480 that was to Chestna, or rather it was the republic 199 00:11:37.720 --> 00:11:41.720 just west of Chestna, because during the nineties there was 200 00:11:41.720 --> 00:11:45.639 some civil wars in Chestna. The Russians tried to control 201 00:11:46.360 --> 00:11:49.639 the these these regions. 202 00:11:49.480 --> 00:11:51.399 So there was a lot of a lot of refuge 203 00:11:51.519 --> 00:11:58.679 refugees in the neighboring province region called Incocheche. So I 204 00:11:58.799 --> 00:12:03.639 traveled between and Ingushetia to educate the refugees in the 205 00:12:03.639 --> 00:12:06.159 refugee camps so when the war was over they could 206 00:12:06.279 --> 00:12:09.080 they could return to their villages and be aware of 207 00:12:09.120 --> 00:12:12.039 how it is to live in an area infected by mines, 208 00:12:12.720 --> 00:12:15.480 how how do you choose the pathway can go? Which 209 00:12:15.519 --> 00:12:19.399 which where is it Safere's it not safe? So I 210 00:12:19.440 --> 00:12:20.240 did that for. 211 00:12:21.600 --> 00:12:25.919 Yeah, for one year, and then I continued in Afghanistan 212 00:12:26.080 --> 00:12:30.639 as a program manager and cleared some huge Russian minefields 213 00:12:30.720 --> 00:12:34.559 just around Kabul, the capital in Afghanistan, and I did 214 00:12:34.600 --> 00:12:35.399 that for that. 215 00:12:35.440 --> 00:12:37.120 We are now in two thousand and one. 216 00:12:37.879 --> 00:12:40.759 Uh in two thousand and I did that for a 217 00:12:40.840 --> 00:12:42.000 little over over a year. 218 00:12:42.759 --> 00:12:45.200 What was it like interacting with the Taliban at that 219 00:12:45.279 --> 00:12:47.919 time as a Danish d minor. 220 00:12:49.080 --> 00:12:53.679 Yeah, I mean they're just completely assholes. 221 00:12:53.840 --> 00:12:57.080 So what we have to do with them because we 222 00:12:57.120 --> 00:13:00.320 came with our old money, but we still had to 223 00:13:00.360 --> 00:13:03.960 get their permission to clear minds in their country for 224 00:13:04.080 --> 00:13:08.039 our money, after their warsh and still we. 225 00:13:07.879 --> 00:13:09.159 Were treated like like shit. 226 00:13:09.720 --> 00:13:13.159 I refused to to to wear a beard, which was 227 00:13:13.600 --> 00:13:16.120 you know, mandatory for all men at that time. When 228 00:13:16.159 --> 00:13:19.159 I refused, and I was almost kicked out of Afghanistan 229 00:13:19.399 --> 00:13:24.240 because I refused to have this this stupid bed, and we. 230 00:13:24.240 --> 00:13:25.039 Have to deal with them. 231 00:13:25.039 --> 00:13:27.879 We had to apply for permissions in order to to 232 00:13:27.919 --> 00:13:30.799 clear the minds. So I have almost on a daily 233 00:13:30.840 --> 00:13:34.320 basis meetings with tiny bands in the ministries in Kapul 234 00:13:34.559 --> 00:13:36.759 where I have to go there and ask for permission 235 00:13:36.759 --> 00:13:41.200 to clear minds. So it was it was surreal to 236 00:13:41.200 --> 00:13:44.679 to be in Afghanistan in its in this this stage, 237 00:13:46.639 --> 00:13:47.320 terrible place. 238 00:13:48.159 --> 00:13:51.240 Hey, guys. 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I love ghost Bed. 287 00:16:16.120 --> 00:16:17.480 Thanks guys. 288 00:16:18.519 --> 00:16:20.559 Were there any close calls? 289 00:16:20.879 --> 00:16:21.039 Uh? 290 00:16:21.519 --> 00:16:25.120 And I remember there's also a funny story about the 291 00:16:25.120 --> 00:16:26.879 the street lamp that fell down. 292 00:16:28.000 --> 00:16:32.480 Yeah, that's fine, I forgot that actually, yes, I with 293 00:16:32.519 --> 00:16:37.799 my Swedish buddy, we were called out to the outskirts 294 00:16:37.879 --> 00:16:42.039 of of Cabul and a huge amount of people together 295 00:16:42.440 --> 00:16:48.000 around this suspicious item on the ground and my, my, my, 296 00:16:48.000 --> 00:16:50.519 my Swedish buddy and I we we we made we 297 00:16:50.600 --> 00:16:54.000 made this hookah line, you know, put a very easy 298 00:16:54.039 --> 00:16:56.799 to put a put a hook in the edge of 299 00:16:56.840 --> 00:17:00.559 this item because we believed it was uh, you know, 300 00:17:00.840 --> 00:17:05.559 explosive device. And from a distance, we pulled this this 301 00:17:05.640 --> 00:17:09.079 device and then approached it and we discovered it was 302 00:17:09.279 --> 00:17:12.480 just it was just the lamp from from above from 303 00:17:12.559 --> 00:17:15.119 the land post, which was just you know, falling down 304 00:17:15.160 --> 00:17:17.599 and then covered in dirt and it looked like a 305 00:17:17.640 --> 00:17:19.519 mine or or an explosive device. 306 00:17:19.720 --> 00:17:24.759 So yeah, And then were you in Afghanistan when nine 307 00:17:24.799 --> 00:17:25.599 to eleven happened. 308 00:17:26.359 --> 00:17:30.599 Yes, I was my my boss from Denmark here he 309 00:17:30.680 --> 00:17:33.880 came and we were sitting on the in the garden 310 00:17:34.319 --> 00:17:36.599 and drinking gin and tony. 311 00:17:36.880 --> 00:17:38.480 We smuggled some some booths in. 312 00:17:38.599 --> 00:17:41.440 That was forbidden, of course, and there was a curfew 313 00:17:42.039 --> 00:17:44.880 after eight o'clock in the evening was it was was 314 00:17:44.880 --> 00:17:49.039 not alive, allowed to leave our premises. So we were 315 00:17:49.039 --> 00:17:51.640 sitting in the garden and that we didn't have any radio. 316 00:17:51.640 --> 00:17:55.000 We didn't have any TV because that was also forbidden. 317 00:17:55.400 --> 00:17:59.720 But the satellite phone rang in the basement and I went, 318 00:18:00.440 --> 00:18:04.079 I went downstairs and and and answered it was it 319 00:18:04.119 --> 00:18:07.400 was from the h Q in Copenhagen, and quite nervous 320 00:18:07.519 --> 00:18:10.960 voice said, have you heard about what happened in the 321 00:18:11.039 --> 00:18:11.880 in the States? 322 00:18:12.200 --> 00:18:12.839 And I didn't know. 323 00:18:12.880 --> 00:18:14.559 I don't have a clue because we don't have any 324 00:18:14.599 --> 00:18:17.599 access to TV or radio. And then he explained about 325 00:18:17.640 --> 00:18:21.079 the the nine to eleven attacks on on On on 326 00:18:21.200 --> 00:18:23.920 twins hour and and UH and the Pentagon as well, 327 00:18:24.720 --> 00:18:29.279 and soon we just realized that all the fingers were 328 00:18:29.319 --> 00:18:33.759 pointing at at at at Afghandistan and al Qaeda, and 329 00:18:33.839 --> 00:18:36.400 it didn't make any sense to stay in Afghanistan. 330 00:18:36.480 --> 00:18:38.240 So three three. 331 00:18:38.039 --> 00:18:42.119 O'clock in the morning we we evacuated me my Swedish 332 00:18:42.359 --> 00:18:45.160 body and my Danish boss and at my dog by 333 00:18:45.200 --> 00:18:48.200 the way, I find found the dog some some months earlier, 334 00:18:48.480 --> 00:18:54.599 and we drove this trip to U through the Gayper 335 00:18:54.599 --> 00:18:58.720 Pass in Afghanistan toui Islamabad in Pakistan. It's twelve hours, right, 336 00:18:59.279 --> 00:19:01.680 and then we were stand standing by there for the 337 00:19:01.720 --> 00:19:04.559 for the for the coming weeks, and and you know, 338 00:19:04.799 --> 00:19:08.519 B A C N N. I got updated on what 339 00:19:08.519 --> 00:19:12.759 what was happening in in in the in Afghanistan and 340 00:19:12.839 --> 00:19:14.599 what the Americans were planning to do in all this 341 00:19:14.720 --> 00:19:16.000 article five nature and all this. 342 00:19:17.440 --> 00:19:19.559 That's a hair raising experience. 343 00:19:19.599 --> 00:19:22.359 I imagined being kabol when that happens, and all of 344 00:19:22.400 --> 00:19:25.519 a sudden, all the news is about America wants to 345 00:19:25.519 --> 00:19:26.319 bomb this place. 346 00:19:27.799 --> 00:19:28.680 It was interesting. 347 00:19:29.160 --> 00:19:31.240 Yeah, that was why it Also it didn't make sense 348 00:19:31.279 --> 00:19:34.000 to stay there because he knew that the Americans quite 349 00:19:34.319 --> 00:19:38.759 promptly would react, which yeah, you also did. But then 350 00:19:39.200 --> 00:19:42.680 in in Afghania or in in Pakistan, I I my 351 00:19:42.680 --> 00:19:48.240 my old yega kre Uh spirit woke up and I 352 00:19:48.640 --> 00:19:52.079 called the Yega cor and told them about my my 353 00:19:52.079 --> 00:19:53.279 my stay in Afghanistan. 354 00:19:53.319 --> 00:19:55.599 And at that time there was no Danish people. 355 00:19:55.319 --> 00:19:58.759 In Afghanistan, very few foreigners, so it makes past, yes, 356 00:19:59.200 --> 00:20:03.559 but very very few d minors. So I told them, well, 357 00:20:03.599 --> 00:20:06.839 I've been here for ten years, ten months, and I 358 00:20:06.880 --> 00:20:08.359 have some experience with the country. 359 00:20:08.359 --> 00:20:11.920 I know about the culture, the. 360 00:20:11.240 --> 00:20:16.119 Geography, and I have a database of all the minefields 361 00:20:16.160 --> 00:20:19.519 in Afghanistan. Can you use me to some purpose, I 362 00:20:19.559 --> 00:20:23.200 asked them and became quiet, and they said, of course 363 00:20:23.240 --> 00:20:25.279 we can. So I quit my job and took the 364 00:20:25.319 --> 00:20:29.319 first flight back home to Denmark, briefed the Yekako about 365 00:20:29.359 --> 00:20:34.279 all my experiences from Afghanistan, went to the American Embassy. 366 00:20:33.920 --> 00:20:34.400 And code making. 367 00:20:34.480 --> 00:20:37.359 By the way, they have heard about me as well, 368 00:20:37.400 --> 00:20:39.279 and I went there to give them all the information 369 00:20:39.359 --> 00:20:43.000 I had pictures and the database and all this. And 370 00:20:43.039 --> 00:20:46.319 then a few months later, a few weeks later actually, 371 00:20:46.319 --> 00:20:48.759 I went back with the Yekako to Afghanistan. 372 00:20:49.119 --> 00:20:51.279 Wow, so that's I mean, really quick that you went 373 00:20:51.319 --> 00:20:54.519 from being a civilian in too back in special forces 374 00:20:54.559 --> 00:20:56.160 and you were thirty four at this. 375 00:20:56.200 --> 00:21:01.240 Time, exactly, Yes, and I had to make some physical 376 00:21:01.279 --> 00:21:03.599 tests and had to be updated on all the new 377 00:21:03.640 --> 00:21:06.880 equipment because as I mentioned before, the Yega Core has 378 00:21:06.920 --> 00:21:10.039 been transformed from from a lab unit to to to 379 00:21:10.039 --> 00:21:13.440 to to spacial forces unit during the dances, So of 380 00:21:13.480 --> 00:21:16.400 course I had to to learn fast about the new 381 00:21:16.440 --> 00:21:22.519 procedures about you know, new webon systems, comes. Everything was new, 382 00:21:22.920 --> 00:21:27.279 so I really had to to to focus in the 383 00:21:27.279 --> 00:21:30.039 next weeks before I could get into a team in Afghanistan. 384 00:21:31.599 --> 00:21:34.319 And when you got to Afghanistan, I mean, where did 385 00:21:34.400 --> 00:21:36.359 your team get sent and what was sort of like 386 00:21:36.440 --> 00:21:39.160 the mission that you guys anticipated at that time. 387 00:21:40.680 --> 00:21:43.960 We were part of a Task Force KABA which was 388 00:21:44.000 --> 00:21:46.960 based in Kandaha, and we are some of the first 389 00:21:48.039 --> 00:21:50.839 setting up the camp with the Americans and and and 390 00:21:50.839 --> 00:21:54.920 and some other and then some other units from from 391 00:21:55.039 --> 00:21:58.039 Task Force KABA. It was I think it was some 392 00:21:58.200 --> 00:22:01.720 Navy seals. I think it was German cars, car Norwegian 393 00:22:02.119 --> 00:22:09.599 uh Special Forces, New Zealand, Australia, Canadians. 394 00:22:10.720 --> 00:22:11.440 Were in in. 395 00:22:11.400 --> 00:22:16.200 This Task Force CAPA and we were only one hundred 396 00:22:17.000 --> 00:22:20.680 Frogmen and and Jegas in in our task force which 397 00:22:20.799 --> 00:22:24.160 was a part of Task Force CAPA and was as 398 00:22:24.200 --> 00:22:28.240 I mentioned UH stationed in located in Kanadaha at the 399 00:22:28.279 --> 00:22:33.839 old Taliban al Qaida base. Actually, I don't know whether 400 00:22:33.920 --> 00:22:35.359 you have heard about Tonic Farms. 401 00:22:36.039 --> 00:22:38.480