WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.760 --> 00:00:03.640 Hey, guys, I want to tell you tonight about my 2 00:00:03.720 --> 00:00:06.799 new novel, The Most Dangerous Man, coming out June ninth. 3 00:00:07.559 --> 00:00:10.199 I think, like a lot of you, I read in 4 00:00:10.359 --> 00:00:13.800 high school the short story The Greatest Game, which is 5 00:00:14.240 --> 00:00:17.399 almost a century old at this point, but it's the 6 00:00:17.480 --> 00:00:22.679 classic premise of man hunting man for sport. This book 7 00:00:22.960 --> 00:00:25.960 is based off of that a little bit, but also 8 00:00:26.120 --> 00:00:29.000 on stories that I have heard over the years about 9 00:00:29.160 --> 00:00:33.200 Safari guides that have actually taken hunting parties, wealthy people 10 00:00:33.439 --> 00:00:38.320 hunting poachers in West Africa. That idea kind of cooked 11 00:00:38.359 --> 00:00:41.200 off in my mind when I was asked to write 12 00:00:41.200 --> 00:00:44.079 a novel and get back into writing fiction again. And 13 00:00:44.320 --> 00:00:47.479 this book is about a ranger with the Ranger Reconnaissance 14 00:00:47.520 --> 00:00:50.280 Company who's on a mission in West Africa and gets 15 00:00:50.359 --> 00:00:53.679 kidnapped and hunted for sport by a group of wealthy 16 00:00:53.759 --> 00:00:56.759 tech billionaires. I had a lot of fun writ in 17 00:00:56.799 --> 00:00:58.679 this book, and I think you'll have a good time 18 00:00:58.719 --> 00:01:03.679 reading it. It's quick, fast and furious, fast paced action 19 00:01:04.319 --> 00:01:07.560 action novel, and I hope you all check it out. 20 00:01:07.599 --> 00:01:10.439 It's up there. You can find it wherever books are sold, 21 00:01:10.480 --> 00:01:14.680 the hard copy, the hardback, the soft cover, and also 22 00:01:14.719 --> 00:01:18.000 the kindle ebook edition. We'll have some links down in 23 00:01:18.040 --> 00:01:21.079 the description for you. The book comes out June ninth, 24 00:01:21.480 --> 00:01:23.239 and I hope you all let me know what you 25 00:01:23.280 --> 00:01:36.920 think of it. Hey, folks, welcome to the Team house. 26 00:01:37.000 --> 00:01:41.040 I'm Jack Murphy here with tonight's guest Stephanie Rottolo. She 27 00:01:41.599 --> 00:01:45.319 is currently an Officer Civil Affairs Officer in the Reserves. 28 00:01:45.760 --> 00:01:50.040 Previously served in civil affairs across West Africa and also 29 00:01:50.239 --> 00:01:53.599 worked with the Cultural Support Team, the female teams that 30 00:01:53.719 --> 00:01:59.000 augmented special operations abroad, in her case in Afghanistan, working 31 00:01:59.040 --> 00:02:03.079 with rangers and victual forces. So, Stephanie, welcome to the show. 32 00:02:03.480 --> 00:02:04.959 We're really happy to have you here today. 33 00:02:05.760 --> 00:02:07.120 Hey, thanks so much for having me. 34 00:02:07.200 --> 00:02:09.719 It was really good to catch up with you at soft. 35 00:02:09.479 --> 00:02:10.080 Week as well. 36 00:02:10.560 --> 00:02:13.120 Yeah yeah, I mean that's what soft Week is good for. 37 00:02:13.199 --> 00:02:14.800 It's all these people do you only get to see 38 00:02:14.919 --> 00:02:15.639 like once a year. 39 00:02:16.800 --> 00:02:18.919 Yeah. Absolutely. It's a nice mini readion. 40 00:02:20.199 --> 00:02:23.319 But this year, man, that event, it has gotten so big, 41 00:02:24.719 --> 00:02:26.599 even just from a couple of years ago, it feels 42 00:02:26.639 --> 00:02:27.919 like it's tripled in size. 43 00:02:29.280 --> 00:02:33.199 I think they said it was like one third more 44 00:02:33.240 --> 00:02:35.639 people this year than last year. It was it was 45 00:02:35.719 --> 00:02:37.400 visible like you could feel it. There was like no 46 00:02:37.520 --> 00:02:39.080 room to move, but it was still a very good 47 00:02:39.080 --> 00:02:39.360 time and. 48 00:02:39.479 --> 00:02:41.680 They had more security than like at the White House. 49 00:02:41.719 --> 00:02:42.879 It was ridiculous. 50 00:02:43.800 --> 00:02:47.000 Yeah, which is crazy too because two of the guys 51 00:02:47.000 --> 00:02:49.520 that were working for Tampa PEED, one was a guy 52 00:02:49.560 --> 00:02:51.319 I was a lieutenant with and one was a guy 53 00:02:51.360 --> 00:02:54.919 I was in CAA with working for Tampa PEED. So like, 54 00:02:55.039 --> 00:02:56.919 the military is such a small world, but it makes 55 00:02:56.919 --> 00:02:57.680 it even smaller. 56 00:02:57.960 --> 00:03:00.680 That Tampa community down there is very small too. 57 00:03:01.439 --> 00:03:02.039 Absolutely. 58 00:03:02.120 --> 00:03:07.400 Yeah. So let's uh, let's get into you and your background, Stephanie. 59 00:03:08.120 --> 00:03:10.319 Let's start off a little bit with your origin story 60 00:03:10.319 --> 00:03:12.159 if you can tell us, you know, where you grew up, 61 00:03:12.199 --> 00:03:14.439 how you grew up, and sort of like what was 62 00:03:14.439 --> 00:03:16.800 that path that took you towards the military. 63 00:03:17.759 --> 00:03:18.000 Yeah. 64 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:22.439 Absolutely, So I grew up in Brookville, Maryland. It's like 65 00:03:22.879 --> 00:03:27.960 forty minutes outside of DC Montgomery County. Had a great childhood. 66 00:03:29.479 --> 00:03:32.080 My parents were both public servants, so my mom is 67 00:03:32.120 --> 00:03:35.360 actually still running ears to this day. And then my 68 00:03:35.479 --> 00:03:37.639 dad was in federal law enforce. In my whole life. 69 00:03:38.960 --> 00:03:42.759 One of four, so kind of a big family, had 70 00:03:42.759 --> 00:03:44.800 a great time, spent a lot of time outdoors, spent 71 00:03:44.879 --> 00:03:49.719 a lot of time reading. And then despite my my 72 00:03:49.840 --> 00:03:52.120 interest in reading, I was a really really bad high 73 00:03:52.159 --> 00:03:54.919 school student. I just had like it was just like 74 00:03:54.919 --> 00:03:59.039 the black Sheep wild card kid. Despite my parents' best efforts. 75 00:03:59.039 --> 00:04:01.840 They tried really hard, so that was nothing they did wrong. 76 00:04:01.879 --> 00:04:05.439 It was just I just had had the bug in me. 77 00:04:06.199 --> 00:04:08.560 So I was getting in a lot of trouble, doing 78 00:04:08.560 --> 00:04:15.039 really poorly in school. Somehow, by the grace of whatever deity, 79 00:04:15.400 --> 00:04:20.120 managed to graduate high school, went to community college, and 80 00:04:20.600 --> 00:04:23.160 was continuing to just like be crazy. But at least 81 00:04:23.199 --> 00:04:24.920 I figured out how to get good grades because now 82 00:04:24.959 --> 00:04:29.279 I was paying for it, so just being like absolutely wild. 83 00:04:29.399 --> 00:04:33.879 My dad was doing a couple trips overseas. They were 84 00:04:33.959 --> 00:04:38.920 still still looking for some of like the key nine 85 00:04:38.959 --> 00:04:42.160 to eleven bad guys, and so my dad was out 86 00:04:42.199 --> 00:04:44.519 and about and. 87 00:04:43.720 --> 00:04:44.920 Again my mom was running an. 88 00:04:45.040 --> 00:04:48.319 Er, really busy, had three other kids that she needed 89 00:04:48.319 --> 00:04:50.279 to take care of, and so she was just like 90 00:04:50.360 --> 00:04:52.519 done with my can I curse on here? 91 00:04:52.680 --> 00:04:53.399 Yeah? 92 00:04:53.480 --> 00:04:54.040 Okay, cool? 93 00:04:54.399 --> 00:04:56.399 She was just done with my shit, quite frankly. 94 00:04:56.600 --> 00:05:00.120 And I kept going out getting in trouble, like I'm 95 00:05:00.120 --> 00:05:05.639 just doing bad stuff, you know, rushing up against like 96 00:05:05.720 --> 00:05:07.920 legal trouble like things that probably would have impacted my 97 00:05:07.959 --> 00:05:11.079 trajectory for a while. And I came home one night 98 00:05:11.120 --> 00:05:14.759 after she had explicitly told me you cannot go out, 99 00:05:16.040 --> 00:05:18.720 and my dad was on one of his hunting trips 100 00:05:18.759 --> 00:05:22.240 as we called them, and I was like, whatever, I'm 101 00:05:22.680 --> 00:05:24.720 you know, I think it was eighteen, Yeah, I was eighteen. 102 00:05:24.839 --> 00:05:28.040 I'm eighteen nineteen. I'm like whatever, I'm an adult. I'll 103 00:05:28.079 --> 00:05:29.399 do what I want, even though I still live in 104 00:05:29.439 --> 00:05:33.600 my parents' house. So I went out and God left 105 00:05:33.639 --> 00:05:37.319 my mom. She was also a legal nurse consultant, so 106 00:05:37.399 --> 00:05:40.519 she would go to depositions and testify and so she 107 00:05:40.519 --> 00:05:42.839 had a lot of stuff going on. And I came 108 00:05:42.879 --> 00:05:45.800 home stumbled in and I'm drunk a little bit high, 109 00:05:46.800 --> 00:05:50.519 and she's sitting there working at the kitchen table. And 110 00:05:50.560 --> 00:05:52.319 my mom is from the South Bronx and she has 111 00:05:52.319 --> 00:05:54.600 this really thick accent and she says, where were you? 112 00:05:55.560 --> 00:05:59.079 And I'm like I was out and she just stares 113 00:05:59.120 --> 00:06:01.360 at me, and I'm like, okay, cool, I'm going to 114 00:06:01.399 --> 00:06:03.079 get away with this one. So I start walking up 115 00:06:03.120 --> 00:06:06.160 the stairs and it was like it's like three staircases 116 00:06:06.199 --> 00:06:09.360 and their wood and I'm starting to make it to 117 00:06:09.439 --> 00:06:11.759 my childhood bedroom, which again I'm like an adult living 118 00:06:11.759 --> 00:06:14.720 at my parents' house acting like this, and I hear 119 00:06:14.759 --> 00:06:16.439 the creeks coming up the stairs and I'm like, oh, 120 00:06:16.519 --> 00:06:18.839 this isn't good. So I'm in my room and she 121 00:06:18.879 --> 00:06:21.120 comes in again and again like where were you? What 122 00:06:21.160 --> 00:06:22.800 are you doing? Like who do you think you are? 123 00:06:23.519 --> 00:06:26.480 And I'm like whatever, Like you can't tell me what 124 00:06:26.560 --> 00:06:29.879 to do. I have a job, I'm an adult and 125 00:06:30.160 --> 00:06:33.560 no shit. She picks this giant wooden mirror off of 126 00:06:33.600 --> 00:06:37.879 my wall, my childhood mirror. It still exists to this 127 00:06:37.959 --> 00:06:42.240 day somehow, and smashes this thing over my head, probably 128 00:06:42.279 --> 00:06:45.360 as hard as she could, and I'm like down, I'm down, 129 00:06:45.480 --> 00:06:46.040 I'm out. 130 00:06:46.600 --> 00:06:49.680 She has one in one strike. It's like lights out 131 00:06:49.720 --> 00:06:49.959 for me. 132 00:06:50.600 --> 00:06:53.399 I wake up in my baby brother who would later 133 00:06:53.439 --> 00:06:56.279 become a marine. I don't know if this trauma did 134 00:06:56.279 --> 00:07:00.399 something ime what happened, but he's like grabbed her and 135 00:07:00.399 --> 00:07:01.879 like getting her out of the room, and I'm like 136 00:07:02.120 --> 00:07:03.879 coming to and trying to figure out what's going on. 137 00:07:06.319 --> 00:07:07.959 That was kind of when like the light bulb went 138 00:07:08.000 --> 00:07:11.399 off of like, man, I'm really making this difficult for 139 00:07:11.480 --> 00:07:14.839 my parents who are working so hard to give me 140 00:07:14.879 --> 00:07:17.920 everything and you know, make sure I do the right thing, 141 00:07:18.079 --> 00:07:20.040 and they tried really hard to send me up for success, 142 00:07:20.839 --> 00:07:24.360 and I'm kind of being like a giant loser. And 143 00:07:24.560 --> 00:07:27.480 I'm dating this guy that's like junior enlisted in the army, 144 00:07:27.560 --> 00:07:30.199 and like he has a car and a house and 145 00:07:30.360 --> 00:07:33.600 he's going to college and him and his friends are 146 00:07:33.639 --> 00:07:36.079 like doing whatever they want halfway across the country, away 147 00:07:36.120 --> 00:07:38.399 from their parents and being adults, and I'm like, okay, 148 00:07:38.439 --> 00:07:41.240 so maybe I should do that. So right after that, 149 00:07:41.360 --> 00:07:43.000 I went to the Army recruiter and I was like, 150 00:07:43.639 --> 00:07:48.399 what can you do for me? And uh, that's that's 151 00:07:48.399 --> 00:07:51.839 when I enlisted. I finished my associates and shipped out, 152 00:07:51.920 --> 00:07:53.959 and yeah, the rest is history. 153 00:07:54.000 --> 00:07:57.600 What did your what did your parents think about that decision? 154 00:07:58.879 --> 00:08:01.959 You know, I think they were well, I know they 155 00:08:02.000 --> 00:08:05.439 were like horrified and scared, and my mom didn't want 156 00:08:05.480 --> 00:08:09.639 to talk to me for a while, But I think 157 00:08:09.639 --> 00:08:11.879 that's probably natural, as like a parent is just to 158 00:08:11.920 --> 00:08:15.160 be scared. I think it turned to pride pretty quickly. 159 00:08:16.480 --> 00:08:18.720 And my dad always laughs that like the easiest time 160 00:08:18.759 --> 00:08:20.519 now looking back in my military career for. 161 00:08:20.519 --> 00:08:22.199 Him was when I was at basic but he like 162 00:08:22.240 --> 00:08:22.879 didn't think that. 163 00:08:22.839 --> 00:08:23.319 At the time. 164 00:08:24.759 --> 00:08:30.079 What about what year was this, twenty twelve? Okay, So yeah, 165 00:08:30.120 --> 00:08:33.600 I mean it's understandable that they're scared seeing the headlines 166 00:08:33.639 --> 00:08:35.919 for the last you know, previous ten years. 167 00:08:36.320 --> 00:08:37.840 Yeah. Absolutely. 168 00:08:38.919 --> 00:08:41.600 Uh And you came in the army as a mortician. 169 00:08:42.799 --> 00:08:47.480 Yeah, so mortuary affairs ninety two. Mic, it's under quartermaster. 170 00:08:49.639 --> 00:08:51.440 And I was going, you know, when you go through 171 00:08:51.480 --> 00:08:54.120 like the list of available jobs with the recruiter and they're. 172 00:08:53.960 --> 00:08:55.799 Like, oh, that's a good one. This is a good one. 173 00:08:56.440 --> 00:08:58.320 The recruiter is like, I'm like, wait, what is that 174 00:08:58.360 --> 00:09:00.960 mortuary or something, and like he's like, yeah, you don't 175 00:09:00.960 --> 00:09:03.519 want that. That's weird. And like I was a weird kid, 176 00:09:03.759 --> 00:09:06.320 like super like macabre and just like dark and like 177 00:09:06.399 --> 00:09:09.840 reading and yeah, yeah, just you know, and like going 178 00:09:09.879 --> 00:09:11.480 to warp Tour and think, you know, I was like 179 00:09:11.519 --> 00:09:13.480 so cool and piercing my ears in the bathroom. So 180 00:09:13.519 --> 00:09:18.120 I'm like, oh, that's like edgy. And so I'm like, 181 00:09:18.159 --> 00:09:20.200 all right, well this guy thinks it's weird, Like my 182 00:09:20.320 --> 00:09:24.759 interests are peaud and so yeah, I enlisted as a 183 00:09:24.840 --> 00:09:28.279 ninety two mortuary affairs. My first unit was at Dover 184 00:09:29.320 --> 00:09:35.360 in Delaware and super eye opening. Uh really learned a lot. 185 00:09:35.440 --> 00:09:38.559 I think set the stage for my career to come, 186 00:09:38.679 --> 00:09:42.440 like starting a career out with seeing the horrible final 187 00:09:42.480 --> 00:09:47.000 result of the failures of policy decisions and strategy decisions 188 00:09:47.080 --> 00:09:49.960 and the whole gamut. Like I did not realize the 189 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:52.360 weight of that at nineteenth. I knew at nineteen years old, 190 00:09:52.360 --> 00:09:56.000 like I knew this was a very serious, like sacred 191 00:09:56.200 --> 00:09:59.200 role and it needed to be taken seriously and I 192 00:09:59.240 --> 00:10:01.759 needed to be a profess and really make sure I 193 00:10:01.840 --> 00:10:03.279 knew what I was doing and I knew how to 194 00:10:03.279 --> 00:10:07.000 do it correctly because of the seriousness. But yeah, I 195 00:10:07.039 --> 00:10:09.360 think it only really came to me later, like how 196 00:10:09.480 --> 00:10:12.200 much that probably set the stage for how I view 197 00:10:12.279 --> 00:10:17.919 military service. And also are our leaders that deal in 198 00:10:19.000 --> 00:10:20.919 the blood of America's sons and daughters? 199 00:10:21.639 --> 00:10:23.360 Do you want to tell people a little bit about 200 00:10:23.360 --> 00:10:26.759 what mortuary affairs does? Because it is an important job. 201 00:10:26.799 --> 00:10:29.799 I mean, you guys receive the dead essentially. 202 00:10:31.000 --> 00:10:32.159 Yeah, I mean you're spot on. 203 00:10:32.240 --> 00:10:38.120 It's the processing and care of our fallen. So when 204 00:10:38.159 --> 00:10:41.000 I enlisted, there was only nine hundred across the active 205 00:10:41.000 --> 00:10:42.120 and reserve for. 206 00:10:42.039 --> 00:10:44.799 I think all of the branches, so like Army, Air Force, everybody. 207 00:10:45.720 --> 00:10:48.279 So it's pretty small. I don't know what the numbers 208 00:10:48.279 --> 00:10:52.000 look like now, but yeah, exactly as you said, I mean, 209 00:10:52.000 --> 00:10:58.080 it's from recovery to interment, so there's a lot involved 210 00:10:58.080 --> 00:11:00.840 in that. I mean, every death is pretty much treated 211 00:11:00.919 --> 00:11:03.840 like a homicide in terms of how the military process goes. 212 00:11:03.879 --> 00:11:07.600 So you do the full autopsy. There is like the 213 00:11:07.679 --> 00:11:10.120 chief medical examiner at Dover is in charge of everything, 214 00:11:10.200 --> 00:11:11.960 so you're not just like going in and doing your 215 00:11:11.960 --> 00:11:17.120 own thing as a private and like the folks at Dover. 216 00:11:17.360 --> 00:11:19.080 If you haven't had a chance to go to Dover 217 00:11:19.240 --> 00:11:21.840 at least like just kind of check it out and 218 00:11:21.840 --> 00:11:23.519 speak to some of the people there. I mean that 219 00:11:23.639 --> 00:11:27.679 is you want to talk about professionalism in the Department 220 00:11:27.720 --> 00:11:30.919 of War, like that is the cream of the crop. 221 00:11:31.039 --> 00:11:36.000 Those people really take it seriously, wake up every day 222 00:11:36.159 --> 00:11:39.159 like doing the worst thing and being there for people 223 00:11:39.159 --> 00:11:42.120 on their absolute worst day, and they do it well 224 00:11:42.200 --> 00:11:45.960 and they do it professionally. So yeah, I mean it's 225 00:11:45.960 --> 00:11:50.559 basically just the whole process. So it just depended on 226 00:11:50.679 --> 00:11:52.440 what part you were going to be assigned to. 227 00:11:53.879 --> 00:11:56.720 For our like clinical rotation things, I guess is what 228 00:11:56.720 --> 00:11:58.279 you would call them so you could get hands on. 229 00:11:59.759 --> 00:12:03.240 Because again, it can be very jarring to handle remains, 230 00:12:03.279 --> 00:12:05.320 like if you haven't done that or haven't been exposed 231 00:12:05.320 --> 00:12:07.080 to that. So it's kind of a they do like 232 00:12:07.120 --> 00:12:11.240 an exposure cycle. But we went and supported the Richmond 233 00:12:11.320 --> 00:12:13.679 Morgues in Virginia because it was like going through their 234 00:12:13.759 --> 00:12:14.600 Murder Capital of. 235 00:12:14.519 --> 00:12:17.039 The World phase for a minute there, so they were 236 00:12:17.080 --> 00:12:18.799 super overwhelmed. So we went there. 237 00:12:20.440 --> 00:12:22.360 Got some of that hands on training and then also 238 00:12:22.480 --> 00:12:27.480 like that diversity in cases because unfortunately, like what's coming 239 00:12:27.480 --> 00:12:29.840 through Dover or what was coming through Dover was was 240 00:12:30.759 --> 00:12:33.159 pretty much the same over and over again. It was 241 00:12:33.200 --> 00:12:39.000 you know IDs, that type of thing, or like severe 242 00:12:39.039 --> 00:12:42.559 head injuries as a result of an ID, or honestly, 243 00:12:42.600 --> 00:12:46.600 motorcycle crashes like that convinced me that like nobody should 244 00:12:46.679 --> 00:12:51.679 ride motorcycles because the amount of young men coming through 245 00:12:51.840 --> 00:12:55.840 on those tables that were perfectly healthy and had entire 246 00:12:55.879 --> 00:12:58.879 crews ahead of them and were only in that facility 247 00:12:58.960 --> 00:13:02.720 because of a motorcycle crash and largely not because of 248 00:13:02.720 --> 00:13:04.879 something they had done, but something that a driver near 249 00:13:04.919 --> 00:13:07.639 them had done, was like, okay, cool, I'm like a 250 00:13:07.720 --> 00:13:10.240 risky edgy kid, But like motorcycles. 251 00:13:09.679 --> 00:13:10.039 Ain't it. 252 00:13:11.200 --> 00:13:13.000 Yeah, I mean those are going to be fighting words 253 00:13:13.000 --> 00:13:13.720 with some people. 254 00:13:15.039 --> 00:13:16.200 I said what I said at least. 255 00:13:17.120 --> 00:13:19.039 Yeah, No, I get what you're saying though, And I 256 00:13:19.039 --> 00:13:21.480 mean I think motorcycles are like the bane of the 257 00:13:21.600 --> 00:13:24.720 Army's existence in some ways, because I mean this it's 258 00:13:25.000 --> 00:13:28.759 constantly an issue about the reflectives and the safety gear 259 00:13:28.799 --> 00:13:31.120 they want you to wear and being registered and trained 260 00:13:31.799 --> 00:13:34.120 for that reason because a lot of service members do 261 00:13:34.279 --> 00:13:37.600 wipe out and either hurt themselves or get themselves killed. 262 00:13:38.159 --> 00:13:41.840 Yeah, it was eye opening in that regard. But yeah, 263 00:13:41.840 --> 00:13:44.360 I mean overall, the experience, like I said, very formative 264 00:13:44.399 --> 00:13:48.399 for me. I'm very thankful. Again, it's kind of dark, 265 00:13:48.440 --> 00:13:50.720 but I'm very thankful that that was my entry into 266 00:13:50.720 --> 00:13:54.559 the army because I think it it gave me the 267 00:13:54.600 --> 00:13:57.600 perspective to take all of my decisions later on very 268 00:13:57.639 --> 00:14:01.240 seriously that like this isn't hall of duty, Like these 269 00:14:01.240 --> 00:14:05.720 are real lives and I have handled the consequences of it. 270 00:14:07.080 --> 00:14:12.080 So yeah, I was really glad that I made that choice. 271 00:14:12.320 --> 00:14:15.399 And about what time was it that you thought about 272 00:14:15.600 --> 00:14:16.559 becoming an officer? 273 00:14:18.360 --> 00:14:21.200 Pretty much when I was in like going to basic training, 274 00:14:21.360 --> 00:14:25.200 so my dad again, while he was terrified and eventually proud, 275 00:14:25.240 --> 00:14:26.480 he was like, if you're going to do this. 276 00:14:26.440 --> 00:14:27.960 You have to promise me at some point you'll become 277 00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:28.519 an officer. 278 00:14:30.799 --> 00:14:35.240 So I got into like an ROTC program, came back, 279 00:14:35.240 --> 00:14:38.039 weren't into the reserve status, and then was able to 280 00:14:38.080 --> 00:14:41.000 go to school and just finished two years because I 281 00:14:41.000 --> 00:14:45.399 already had an associates and George Mason. I applied to 282 00:14:45.440 --> 00:14:48.879 like so many colleges. Again, terrible high school student. But 283 00:14:48.919 --> 00:14:51.000 I only figured it out when I went to community college, 284 00:14:51.039 --> 00:14:53.840 and I did really well, probably because I was paying 285 00:14:53.879 --> 00:14:57.759 for it and nobody was like there to hold my hand. 286 00:14:59.320 --> 00:15:02.039 And so I was just applying to schools that I 287 00:15:02.120 --> 00:15:04.960 knew had good programs and that had money for RTC 288 00:15:05.120 --> 00:15:10.240 programs and more importantly, had slots that wouldn't delay commissioning. 289 00:15:11.240 --> 00:15:14.759 And George Mason is is a pretty big RTC battalion. 290 00:15:14.799 --> 00:15:19.120 I had to imagine it still is they had a spot, 291 00:15:19.639 --> 00:15:21.720 it would delay me by like a like a half 292 00:15:21.759 --> 00:15:24.000 a semester or so, but I was still going to commission, 293 00:15:24.039 --> 00:15:27.480 so I really didn't care. So yeah, I think like 294 00:15:27.559 --> 00:15:30.519 when I was going to basic training, once the reality 295 00:15:30.559 --> 00:15:35.039 of like going to basic training, started hitting, and I 296 00:15:35.120 --> 00:15:37.480 wasn't like the cool edgy villa of the ball anymore. 297 00:15:37.679 --> 00:15:41.679 And I had to wear my giant Coke bottled glasses. 298 00:15:41.480 --> 00:15:43.600 And you know, slick my hair back. 299 00:15:44.120 --> 00:15:47.120 I think I realized pretty quickly, like maybe I should 300 00:15:47.120 --> 00:15:51.000 listen to my father more. So. Yeah, that's when I 301 00:15:51.000 --> 00:15:55.279 made that decision. So I wasn't enlisted for for very long, 302 00:15:55.360 --> 00:15:58.759 but it was it was enough to at least kind 303 00:15:58.759 --> 00:16:00.919 of get some experience, kind of see what it's like, 304 00:16:00.960 --> 00:16:03.440 at least on the entry level. 305 00:16:04.159 --> 00:16:05.840 And you commissioned as an MP. 306 00:16:06.960 --> 00:16:08.360 I did I commissioned as an MP? 307 00:16:08.759 --> 00:16:10.679 Was that your choice or was it the branch given 308 00:16:10.720 --> 00:16:10.919 to you? 309 00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:13.879 It was, which I. 310 00:16:13.799 --> 00:16:15.559 Know is like I don't know. I kind of laugh 311 00:16:15.600 --> 00:16:16.000 about it. 312 00:16:15.960 --> 00:16:18.919 Now because everybody was like, go am I, go am I, 313 00:16:19.000 --> 00:16:20.360 and my dad was like, go am I. 314 00:16:20.720 --> 00:16:23.000 And I did not listen to my dad in that scenario. 315 00:16:23.039 --> 00:16:23.519 I went MP. 316 00:16:23.720 --> 00:16:26.080 But I will tell you I loved being an MP. 317 00:16:27.440 --> 00:16:31.879 I think the thing that kind of swayed me was 318 00:16:31.919 --> 00:16:36.159 I really appreciated the like wartime peacetime crisis mission of 319 00:16:36.240 --> 00:16:41.279 like pretty much, no matter what, if we're dealing with 320 00:16:41.320 --> 00:16:44.360 you stateside, it's like you're having a really bad day. 321 00:16:44.440 --> 00:16:46.559 So I think, again, that's that like trend of like 322 00:16:47.279 --> 00:16:49.679 if this is somebody's worst day, or this is a 323 00:16:49.759 --> 00:16:53.120 dark day for mankind, maybe I want to have my 324 00:16:53.200 --> 00:16:55.879 hands on it. And I thought being an MP was 325 00:16:55.919 --> 00:16:58.879 a way to kind of like be helpful in crisis, 326 00:16:59.039 --> 00:17:02.320 be you know, some kind of like support or guiding 327 00:17:02.360 --> 00:17:05.960 system when there's chaos going on. And I loved it. 328 00:17:06.000 --> 00:17:09.079 I had a great time. Got to do my platoon 329 00:17:09.160 --> 00:17:14.519 leater rotation. We went to Germany. We did a rotation 330 00:17:14.599 --> 00:17:16.920 through Germany, and got to work with the Polits Eye, 331 00:17:16.920 --> 00:17:20.000 which is like I'm sure you've been there, but the 332 00:17:20.079 --> 00:17:24.400 policing like wild, had so much fun with them, learned 333 00:17:24.400 --> 00:17:29.160 a lot, got to see some some crazy stuff because 334 00:17:29.160 --> 00:17:31.599 as we know, soldiers make really poor choices when they 335 00:17:31.680 --> 00:17:36.359 get overseas, and so got to work with like a 336 00:17:36.400 --> 00:17:37.839 lot of different agencies. 337 00:17:38.799 --> 00:17:41.359 You were doing, you were doing sort of like shore patrol. 338 00:17:42.720 --> 00:17:45.559 Yeah, yeah, I guess, so, yeah, it was yeah. And 339 00:17:45.599 --> 00:17:48.279 then also it was joint patrolling with the Pullet's Eye. 340 00:17:48.319 --> 00:17:52.039 So they had had a lot of the refugees from 341 00:17:52.079 --> 00:17:54.640 the Middle East had come in at that time, and 342 00:17:54.720 --> 00:17:58.039 they were having some pockets of areas where things were 343 00:17:58.039 --> 00:18:00.920 not going great, there was like a lot ofmmunity pushed back, 344 00:18:01.000 --> 00:18:04.160 and then of course US service members wanted to get 345 00:18:04.160 --> 00:18:05.680 in the mix of all of that, or it just 346 00:18:05.720 --> 00:18:07.519 so happened that the neighborhood was next to like the 347 00:18:07.519 --> 00:18:08.200 hottest club. 348 00:18:08.920 --> 00:18:12.160 So kind of getting to see how. 349 00:18:13.599 --> 00:18:16.799 A European entity, especially the Germans like handled that was 350 00:18:17.279 --> 00:18:19.759 pretty eye opening and then a great opportunity to work. 351 00:18:19.599 --> 00:18:21.359 With the Air Force. 352 00:18:22.920 --> 00:18:25.680 Hey guys, I'm Jack Murphy here at the team house, 353 00:18:25.920 --> 00:18:27.880 and today I want to tell you about the sponsor 354 00:18:27.920 --> 00:18:33.119 for tonight's show. 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These guys riggers. 413 00:21:49.480 --> 00:21:50.000 We all know. 414 00:21:50.119 --> 00:21:53.039 One of the craziest mls is in all of the Army, 415 00:21:54.079 --> 00:21:56.480 which is insane, because that makes no sense. If you're 416 00:21:56.519 --> 00:21:58.759 in charge of like making my parachute, I want you 417 00:21:58.799 --> 00:22:03.440 to like not use drugs. Poor choices. But they like 418 00:22:03.559 --> 00:22:06.759 beat this guy within an inch of his life, a 419 00:22:06.799 --> 00:22:09.960 cab driver in Germany. And then they tried to run 420 00:22:10.119 --> 00:22:13.359 and they ran into the barracks hammerre drunk. 421 00:22:13.400 --> 00:22:16.119 I mean, everybody was just three sheets the wind. 422 00:22:16.160 --> 00:22:18.160 But they were so drunk that they couldn't figure out 423 00:22:18.519 --> 00:22:20.680 like they should take their club clothes off and stuff. 424 00:22:21.559 --> 00:22:24.799 And I had just gotten off I worked a midnight 425 00:22:24.839 --> 00:22:26.759 shift for one of my soldiers. Like I was like, hey, 426 00:22:26.799 --> 00:22:29.640 I'll work it. You go like recover, you know, because 427 00:22:29.680 --> 00:22:32.599 that's what like leaders eat less and stuff like that. 428 00:22:32.640 --> 00:22:34.000 So I was like, I'm gonna be cool and like 429 00:22:34.039 --> 00:22:36.079 take the shift. And so I did the shift, and 430 00:22:36.119 --> 00:22:40.480 I'm like exhausted, and I come back and you know, 431 00:22:40.519 --> 00:22:42.799 I'd already turned in like my service weapon, and I 432 00:22:42.920 --> 00:22:45.680 just have my little like duty phone, and I was 433 00:22:45.720 --> 00:22:47.960 staying in the barracks, which is like MP's are not 434 00:22:47.960 --> 00:22:50.519 supposed to be co located in the barracks. But their solution, 435 00:22:51.759 --> 00:22:55.000 so they put like my soldiers on one side, and 436 00:22:55.039 --> 00:22:57.000 then they had the riggers on the other side. And 437 00:22:57.000 --> 00:22:59.799 then their solution for the MP officer to not live 438 00:22:59.839 --> 00:23:02.559 with her soldiers was to put me in the rigor 439 00:23:02.880 --> 00:23:07.200 side of the barracks. So I like, I'm like getting 440 00:23:07.240 --> 00:23:10.240 ready for bed, and you know, have my big sweatshirt 441 00:23:10.279 --> 00:23:14.039 on and my glasses again still super thick. I have 442 00:23:14.119 --> 00:23:18.440 my retainer in uh, and I start hearing like a 443 00:23:18.440 --> 00:23:20.000 commotion down the hallways. 444 00:23:20.039 --> 00:23:21.319 Like you know how barracks hallways are. 445 00:23:21.319 --> 00:23:23.720 It's rocket yes, yeah, so you. 446 00:23:23.720 --> 00:23:26.039 Can hear everything. And so I'm like, oh, that doesn't 447 00:23:26.039 --> 00:23:26.440 sound good. 448 00:23:26.480 --> 00:23:28.400 And I hear like the I hear like radio chatter 449 00:23:28.440 --> 00:23:30.720 and I'm like oof, like really not good. And I 450 00:23:30.759 --> 00:23:34.400 hear somebody yelling like stop stop, like stop military police, 451 00:23:34.440 --> 00:23:37.359 and I'm like, oh gosh, and like instead of taking 452 00:23:37.400 --> 00:23:40.480 like five seconds and I don't know, like putting pants on, 453 00:23:41.640 --> 00:23:45.079 taking my retainer out like any of these other things, 454 00:23:45.119 --> 00:23:47.480 I just like grab my little baton and my duty 455 00:23:47.519 --> 00:23:50.440 phone and I like ran out of my out of 456 00:23:50.480 --> 00:23:51.599 my barracks room. 457 00:23:51.720 --> 00:23:52.400 Like an idiot. 458 00:23:52.559 --> 00:23:54.599 Again, I had the sweatshirt was like down to my knees, 459 00:23:54.640 --> 00:23:55.839 so I'm like kin made as well have been wearing 460 00:23:55.839 --> 00:23:56.319 like a dress. 461 00:23:56.359 --> 00:23:57.759 But it was like very clear that this was like 462 00:23:57.799 --> 00:23:58.599 bedtime attire. 463 00:23:59.480 --> 00:24:01.640 And so I like out and I see one guy 464 00:24:01.720 --> 00:24:04.440 like whip past me and the other guy is the 465 00:24:04.839 --> 00:24:07.359 other MP is like crashing this guy into the wall, 466 00:24:07.400 --> 00:24:09.119 and I'm like, where's your partner, where's your partner? And 467 00:24:09.119 --> 00:24:11.240 he's like he's coming, he's coming. And so I'm like 468 00:24:11.319 --> 00:24:13.440 I start yelling like hey, we're down here, We're down here, 469 00:24:13.599 --> 00:24:15.960 because again I have nothing to assist in this scenario, 470 00:24:16.000 --> 00:24:17.799 like I'm I'm dead weight at this point. I'm just 471 00:24:17.839 --> 00:24:22.440 in the way. The next guy comes up and they 472 00:24:22.519 --> 00:24:24.559 start tackling with him, and I hear like you know 473 00:24:24.599 --> 00:24:26.559 that metallic click on, like the part of. 474 00:24:27.960 --> 00:24:30.240 On like a holster, like the old ones. 475 00:24:30.599 --> 00:24:32.480 I start hearing that, and this guy is so drunk 476 00:24:32.519 --> 00:24:35.799 he's like reaching for the MP's weapon, like genuinely trying 477 00:24:35.839 --> 00:24:41.240 to like and I hear OCOC. Nobody wants to hear 478 00:24:41.400 --> 00:24:43.240 in a tiny hallway in the middle of the night, 479 00:24:44.079 --> 00:24:47.000 and so they just start blasting this guy and so 480 00:24:47.039 --> 00:24:50.839 he's like he's in this hallway, shoved up against the door. 481 00:24:51.039 --> 00:24:56.079 They're just blasting OC, not their weapons OC. And there 482 00:24:56.079 --> 00:24:57.359 had been like a group of guys that had come 483 00:24:57.400 --> 00:24:59.240 through the hallway, and so I like grab them and 484 00:24:59.279 --> 00:25:01.079 I'm like moving on down the hallway and I'm like 485 00:25:01.480 --> 00:25:05.640 the military police with my retainer lisp, going like get 486 00:25:05.680 --> 00:25:08.519 against the wall. And they're like, who the who is this? 487 00:25:10.759 --> 00:25:13.079 Oh so very embarrassing for me, but I thought I 488 00:25:13.160 --> 00:25:17.079 was taking charge. And then the guy the door in 489 00:25:17.079 --> 00:25:19.200 front of where they're spraying this guy, he opens the door. 490 00:25:19.480 --> 00:25:22.000 That guy now inadvertently gets sprayed. And if you've ever 491 00:25:22.039 --> 00:25:24.559 been OC sprayed, which I have plenty of times, I 492 00:25:24.559 --> 00:25:27.079 would rather be tased over and over again for twenty 493 00:25:27.079 --> 00:25:31.720 four hours straight, like it is crippling to me, and 494 00:25:31.839 --> 00:25:36.160 so he starts screaming. Everybody starts screaming, and then I'm like, guys, like, 495 00:25:36.480 --> 00:25:37.640 I'm gonna go put pants on. 496 00:25:37.799 --> 00:25:39.079 What can I do to help? And they're like to 497 00:25:39.160 --> 00:25:39.680 have any water? 498 00:25:39.720 --> 00:25:41.319 And I'm like, sure do So I go in my room, 499 00:25:41.359 --> 00:25:43.640 put my pants on, start pouring water on this guy. 500 00:25:44.920 --> 00:25:47.680 They start escorting down the hallway, and that's when we 501 00:25:47.759 --> 00:25:50.000 realize right in front of the stairwell there's like now 502 00:25:50.799 --> 00:25:53.359 a gaggle of all of this guy's drunk buddies who 503 00:25:53.359 --> 00:25:58.400 are like, oh, there's two MP's, some chick in a 504 00:25:58.440 --> 00:26:02.440 sweatshirt with sandals on, and there's like six of us. 505 00:26:02.519 --> 00:26:03.880 So they're like, we're going to fight you. Like they 506 00:26:03.880 --> 00:26:05.720 start screaming, They're gonna like fight the pigs and all 507 00:26:05.759 --> 00:26:07.440 this stuff, and so just like gets out of hand. 508 00:26:09.240 --> 00:26:10.960 At that point, I had started calling like the duty 509 00:26:10.960 --> 00:26:12.559 sergeant and being like this is where we are, this 510 00:26:12.599 --> 00:26:15.000 is the barracks, like we need people to get up here, 511 00:26:15.119 --> 00:26:16.920 Like I don't have anything to assist with. I have 512 00:26:17.000 --> 00:26:19.519 no handcuffs, I have nothing. So that guy comes up 513 00:26:19.559 --> 00:26:21.440 the stairwell and thankfully he's a big guy, and so 514 00:26:21.519 --> 00:26:25.880 they like are all scatter, like you know, bugs. So 515 00:26:25.920 --> 00:26:28.799 we get outside and I'm trying to get into contact 516 00:26:28.799 --> 00:26:32.079 with the unit's first sergeant and commander, and turns out 517 00:26:32.119 --> 00:26:34.519 like the commander left the country but didn't leave like 518 00:26:34.599 --> 00:26:37.480 assumption to command orders. So there's just like terrified lieutenant 519 00:26:37.480 --> 00:26:39.480 that doesn't know what he's supposed to do, and his 520 00:26:39.599 --> 00:26:41.119 first sergeant is telling him that he needs to get 521 00:26:41.160 --> 00:26:42.640 up in the middle of the night and drive out there. 522 00:26:43.319 --> 00:26:46.079 And so we end up waiting for a while and finally, 523 00:26:46.119 --> 00:26:47.880 like the first stargeant shows up and is like, okay, 524 00:26:47.880 --> 00:26:50.119 everybody out of the barracks. So they just clear the barracks, 525 00:26:50.160 --> 00:26:52.119 like if you were in this section of barracks, you 526 00:26:52.160 --> 00:26:53.559 were coming outside in the middle of the night and 527 00:26:53.599 --> 00:26:56.640 you were lining up, and so we all line up, 528 00:26:57.559 --> 00:26:59.200 or they all line up rather, and we were like 529 00:26:59.240 --> 00:27:00.200 walking along. 530 00:27:00.559 --> 00:27:04.759 And they're like, well, ma'am, since you weren't on duty, we. 531 00:27:04.720 --> 00:27:07.680 Need you to help like validate who was there, who 532 00:27:07.720 --> 00:27:10.720 was part of the like fighting the cops gang, and 533 00:27:10.759 --> 00:27:12.200 like who you saw in the hallway. 534 00:27:12.519 --> 00:27:13.200 So I'm like okay. 535 00:27:13.240 --> 00:27:14.799 So I'm like walking around the thing and I'm like 536 00:27:14.880 --> 00:27:18.759 not you not this guy. This guy definitely not this 537 00:27:18.799 --> 00:27:21.279 guy and I point to one and I'm like this 538 00:27:21.319 --> 00:27:23.440 guy for sure, and he's like, man, fuck you bitch, 539 00:27:23.480 --> 00:27:27.880 and my soldiers is just like and so then it 540 00:27:27.960 --> 00:27:30.240 just turned to like a scuffle all over again, and 541 00:27:30.319 --> 00:27:32.799 it was just like it was just like a crazy night. 542 00:27:32.839 --> 00:27:34.519 I was like, this cannot be real. At least I 543 00:27:34.599 --> 00:27:37.960 put my pants on at some point during this. So 544 00:27:38.000 --> 00:27:41.400 all that happens fast forward. A couple of the guys 545 00:27:41.400 --> 00:27:44.640 that got arrested during that ended up getting arrested like 546 00:27:44.799 --> 00:27:46.759 a couple of weeks later. Like I don't know why 547 00:27:46.799 --> 00:27:48.799 they were out or what happened. I wasn't part of 548 00:27:48.799 --> 00:27:50.960 of that level of the investigation. But they're like in 549 00:27:51.079 --> 00:27:54.559 this barracks and somebody like pulls out a pistol and 550 00:27:54.599 --> 00:27:58.640 like pistol whip somebody's girlfriend. Which you're in Germany on 551 00:27:58.640 --> 00:28:00.680 a military Like where did you get like a free 552 00:28:00.799 --> 00:28:04.839 range pistol to like just hit people with? So I 553 00:28:04.920 --> 00:28:07.160 was honestly impressed, Like it was terrible, but I'm like 554 00:28:08.079 --> 00:28:11.079 this guy like knows people, we should probably talk to him. 555 00:28:11.519 --> 00:28:13.960 And so they end up going to like real prison 556 00:28:14.319 --> 00:28:15.880 and there was this little holding area. 557 00:28:15.920 --> 00:28:18.200 I want to say it was called Simbach. I don't 558 00:28:18.200 --> 00:28:18.839 know if you remember. 559 00:28:18.920 --> 00:28:22.279 It was like this weird bass that like felt and 560 00:28:22.319 --> 00:28:28.240 looked like it was abandoned outside of Kaiserschwaten. And I'm 561 00:28:28.279 --> 00:28:30.759 doing like prison checks one night and guess who's in there, 562 00:28:31.599 --> 00:28:35.960 those those two knuckleheads. So I think that was probably 563 00:28:36.000 --> 00:28:39.480 the craziest in terms of like US mill you know, 564 00:28:39.519 --> 00:28:41.519 I'm watching like the pollets, I get after it when 565 00:28:41.519 --> 00:28:43.559 people are not behaving is like fat. 566 00:28:43.240 --> 00:28:44.279 People do they do? 567 00:28:45.559 --> 00:28:48.440 Oh my gosh, Like people love to scream police brutality 568 00:28:48.480 --> 00:28:50.319 in the US and like I won't get into that, 569 00:28:50.440 --> 00:28:53.279 but I'll tell you what the polets I can be 570 00:28:53.319 --> 00:28:55.200 doing whatever they want to do. And people do not 571 00:28:55.240 --> 00:28:58.119 pull out their phones. People do not intervene, people. 572 00:28:58.200 --> 00:29:00.920 Mine their business. And it was very interesting. 573 00:29:01.480 --> 00:29:03.680 Ah those Germans, oh man. 574 00:29:03.799 --> 00:29:05.480 And if they want blood, they're taking blood. 575 00:29:05.519 --> 00:29:07.079 That was like the craziest thing to be like none 576 00:29:07.119 --> 00:29:08.720 of this refusing, Like we're just gonna pin. 577 00:29:08.680 --> 00:29:09.359 You down and get it. 578 00:29:09.440 --> 00:29:13.640 So yeah, yeah, uh, you know, things like that happen 579 00:29:13.759 --> 00:29:18.200 sometimes when MP's decide to go onto the Ranger Battalion 580 00:29:18.279 --> 00:29:21.720 compound and they end up getting bowled up by a 581 00:29:21.759 --> 00:29:25.640 bunch of privates and I may or may not have 582 00:29:25.680 --> 00:29:28.680 a photograph of a bunch of Ranger Battalion kids wearing 583 00:29:28.680 --> 00:29:31.599 Hawaiian T shirts sitting and laying on top of an 584 00:29:31.680 --> 00:29:34.480 MP car in the Ranger of Battalion compound. 585 00:29:36.039 --> 00:29:38.279 You know what everybody's got to like, Bully the MP's 586 00:29:38.319 --> 00:29:40.279 a little bit again. I had so much fun. I 587 00:29:40.400 --> 00:29:43.759 was so lucky to have like the best platoon sergeant 588 00:29:43.759 --> 00:29:45.359 in the world. I think that's like, I know, it's 589 00:29:45.400 --> 00:29:47.119 not really underrated. That's what they always tell you as 590 00:29:47.160 --> 00:29:49.519 like a new officer, But seriously, to have like a 591 00:29:49.599 --> 00:29:54.279 quality sergeant, just like an icon that's willing to train 592 00:29:54.359 --> 00:29:56.400 you and work with you and like keep you on 593 00:29:56.440 --> 00:29:58.920 the straight and narrow man. 594 00:29:59.079 --> 00:30:01.359 Yeah, just a great guy. We still talk today like 595 00:30:01.519 --> 00:30:04.240 ten out of ten. Very lucky for him. 596 00:30:04.920 --> 00:30:08.599 So you're having this big adventure in Germany. Uh when 597 00:30:08.640 --> 00:30:11.359 did it come or when did the you first hear 598 00:30:11.400 --> 00:30:14.000 about the cultural support teams? 599 00:30:14.279 --> 00:30:16.799 Yeah? So I got like a oh I had subscribed 600 00:30:16.839 --> 00:30:18.240 to Do you remember S one Net? 601 00:30:19.039 --> 00:30:19.240 No? 602 00:30:20.000 --> 00:30:20.839 I think it went away. 603 00:30:21.039 --> 00:30:22.640 There was this thing called S one net and it 604 00:30:22.720 --> 00:30:24.599 was like all of the mill purs that came out. 605 00:30:24.599 --> 00:30:26.720 You could enroll and they would just send the mill 606 00:30:26.960 --> 00:30:30.319 Purrs to your email and like they were very yeah. Yeah. 607 00:30:30.720 --> 00:30:34.880 And I was in Germany and I was running like. 608 00:30:36.559 --> 00:30:39.079 Half marathon to a marathon like every weekend with this 609 00:30:39.119 --> 00:30:41.200 first sergeant who was an ultra marathon or so we 610 00:30:41.200 --> 00:30:42.440 were like really getting after it. 611 00:30:42.480 --> 00:30:43.680 I was getting in great shape. 612 00:30:44.160 --> 00:30:46.680 It was a really big runner and I got this 613 00:30:46.839 --> 00:30:48.960 like mill per that was like, hey, this thing's coming up, 614 00:30:49.000 --> 00:30:50.720 and I was like, man, I want to get in 615 00:30:50.759 --> 00:30:52.599 on that, but I got to get back from Germany. 616 00:30:52.680 --> 00:30:53.920 I got to figure out when I can go to 617 00:30:53.960 --> 00:30:55.359 the selection and do all that. 618 00:30:56.880 --> 00:30:58.880 So yeah, I literally just found out about it from 619 00:30:59.000 --> 00:31:04.279 having base level milpers forwarded to me, like very very lucky. 620 00:31:04.319 --> 00:31:06.880 The timing was right because I had heard about it previously, 621 00:31:07.000 --> 00:31:10.039 like remember when Ashley's Wore the book came out. 622 00:31:11.519 --> 00:31:14.720 There was also some of the cadre in my. 623 00:31:14.880 --> 00:31:17.440 RTC program had kind of talked about it like when 624 00:31:17.480 --> 00:31:20.759 I was, you know, going through that, and they were like, 625 00:31:20.759 --> 00:31:22.359 you know, this might be something you would be interested 626 00:31:22.400 --> 00:31:24.599 in later in life. And it had just kind of 627 00:31:25.119 --> 00:31:27.559 it ebbed and flowed about when they were doing selections 628 00:31:27.599 --> 00:31:29.440 and if they were making new teams. And so when 629 00:31:29.440 --> 00:31:31.240 I saw that Milper. I was like, this is not 630 00:31:32.119 --> 00:31:33.920 a thing that I can wait on, Like if I'm 631 00:31:33.920 --> 00:31:39.079 doing it, it's happening now. And so I just started 632 00:31:39.079 --> 00:31:42.640 training really hard and thankfully my battalion command at that 633 00:31:42.680 --> 00:31:45.920 time was like super supportive and he was like, all 634 00:31:45.920 --> 00:31:47.680 steam ahead, we will not get in your way, Like 635 00:31:47.799 --> 00:31:49.920 as long as you finish your platoon leater time, Like 636 00:31:50.640 --> 00:31:51.480 good to go for us. 637 00:31:52.960 --> 00:31:55.200 So what was did you have to go to Fort 638 00:31:55.200 --> 00:31:57.240 Bragg and go to the selection course and all that? 639 00:31:58.279 --> 00:32:01.279 Yeah, yeah, so I got that had to go. We 640 00:32:01.319 --> 00:32:05.519 did CA selection, went through that, and then once you 641 00:32:05.640 --> 00:32:10.359 did the CA selection, if you got selected for C 642 00:32:10.519 --> 00:32:14.039 A selection, then you would continue into this little board 643 00:32:14.759 --> 00:32:18.559 with Ranger Regiment and then there would be another selection 644 00:32:18.720 --> 00:32:20.160 on top of that that then you would go through 645 00:32:20.200 --> 00:32:23.559 the next couple months of training. So it was like 646 00:32:23.640 --> 00:32:25.559 really great when I got C I had no idea 647 00:32:25.599 --> 00:32:27.279 what CA was like. They asked you, you know, like 648 00:32:27.319 --> 00:32:28.599 why do you want to be C A? And I'm like, 649 00:32:28.640 --> 00:32:30.480 I don't know what you guys are. It sounds cool. 650 00:32:30.480 --> 00:32:32.160 I'm having a lot of fun at the selection, Like 651 00:32:32.720 --> 00:32:35.440 your workouts are great. Everybody sounds really interesting. I don't 652 00:32:35.480 --> 00:32:37.039 know what you are I'm just here to try and 653 00:32:37.079 --> 00:32:41.240 be a CST. But thankfully did make it through that 654 00:32:42.599 --> 00:32:47.240 and got asked to continue to keep trying for CST selection. 655 00:32:47.960 --> 00:32:50.039 What was it like going to CSD selection? 656 00:32:51.480 --> 00:32:54.599 It was so hard, Like I said, it was a 657 00:32:54.599 --> 00:32:58.799 really big runner. So, like lifting weights wasn't really a 658 00:32:58.839 --> 00:33:01.119 thing to me. I mean, I had played ice hockey 659 00:33:01.119 --> 00:33:03.440 in high school and then I did one season of 660 00:33:03.519 --> 00:33:07.400 women's semi pro football in DC and I kind of 661 00:33:07.400 --> 00:33:09.319 like learned a little bit about lifting weights, but I 662 00:33:09.440 --> 00:33:12.279 was like running all the way and then showing up 663 00:33:12.319 --> 00:33:14.519 to CST selection and like all of these women are 664 00:33:14.599 --> 00:33:19.480 absolute muscle savages and they can run and they're smart, 665 00:33:19.559 --> 00:33:23.640 and so CST selection was awesome. It was very intimidating. 666 00:33:24.319 --> 00:33:27.039 It was very stressful by design. But even if I 667 00:33:27.079 --> 00:33:30.400 hadn't made CST selection, like just the quality of training 668 00:33:30.440 --> 00:33:34.640 even within the selection itself, Like to go with you know, 669 00:33:35.119 --> 00:33:37.920 rangers to the range every day and shoot for hours 670 00:33:37.920 --> 00:33:40.880 on end and have to train with them and learn how. 671 00:33:40.799 --> 00:33:42.519 They do what they do, Like you're not going to 672 00:33:42.559 --> 00:33:43.799 get that anywhere else in the army. 673 00:33:44.039 --> 00:33:46.319 Yeah, yeah, I mean, particularly at that time being a 674 00:33:46.359 --> 00:33:50.000 woman in the army, those kinds of opportunities weren't really there. 675 00:33:51.079 --> 00:33:51.839 It was so good. 676 00:33:51.880 --> 00:33:54.799 And like the medical training again, ranger medics like best 677 00:33:54.839 --> 00:33:58.279 in class, right, so to be able to train and 678 00:33:58.400 --> 00:34:01.839 learn all that stuff, and then like the tactical questioning and. 679 00:34:03.240 --> 00:34:04.680 Like the combative slash. 680 00:34:04.759 --> 00:34:06.839 You found yourself in a bad situation, now fight your 681 00:34:06.839 --> 00:34:10.559 way out of it. Like great training, regardless of if 682 00:34:10.559 --> 00:34:12.719 I made it or not. And again the women, like 683 00:34:12.800 --> 00:34:16.320 women that are going through that selection, like that's top tier, 684 00:34:16.400 --> 00:34:22.239 Like those are quality, cool, smart capable people. So just 685 00:34:22.320 --> 00:34:25.199 the friends that you make through the process too, was 686 00:34:26.119 --> 00:34:26.880 very thankful for that. 687 00:34:28.360 --> 00:34:30.800 What was sort of your impression of what the CST 688 00:34:30.960 --> 00:34:35.280 program was as you're going through the training, I didn't 689 00:34:35.280 --> 00:34:35.719 really know. 690 00:34:35.920 --> 00:34:38.719 Like it was very funny to me because in one 691 00:34:38.719 --> 00:34:41.719 of the like boards, they ask you like what. 692 00:34:41.519 --> 00:34:42.679 Do you think that we do? 693 00:34:43.000 --> 00:34:44.559 And I was like, what do you mean we and 694 00:34:44.599 --> 00:34:46.440 they and they were like us and it's all these 695 00:34:46.519 --> 00:34:49.760 rangers and I'm like, get terrorists probably, and they're like, 696 00:34:49.800 --> 00:34:52.039 we shoot people in the face, motherfucker. And I was 697 00:34:52.079 --> 00:34:56.599 like okay. They're like can you shoot people in the face? 698 00:34:56.599 --> 00:34:59.960 And I'm like yes, So, like I didn't really know, 699 00:35:00.039 --> 00:35:02.159 so I thought you know, like I had again like 700 00:35:02.199 --> 00:35:04.480 Ashley's War and stuff like that, and just trying to 701 00:35:04.639 --> 00:35:08.159 piece together bits of like news articles that came out 702 00:35:09.239 --> 00:35:14.280 around that. I understood it as like getting information off 703 00:35:14.320 --> 00:35:17.159 women and children in the battlefield because it was fifty 704 00:35:17.159 --> 00:35:20.679 percent of the population that couldn't be accessed, and ultimately 705 00:35:20.679 --> 00:35:21.400 that's what it was. 706 00:35:24.000 --> 00:35:26.320 Yeah, it's interesting. It sounds like from what you're saying 707 00:35:26.360 --> 00:35:29.199 that the Ranger Regiment was like very intimately involved in 708 00:35:29.239 --> 00:35:30.440 this whole program. 709 00:35:31.559 --> 00:35:33.960 Yeah, I think way more than I expected. Like we 710 00:35:34.039 --> 00:35:38.840 did all of our selection was at Fort Benning in 711 00:35:38.920 --> 00:35:42.159 like the little Rafts compound area. We had to take 712 00:35:42.519 --> 00:35:43.679 the rPAT and. 713 00:35:43.599 --> 00:35:45.119 Do all of those things. 714 00:35:45.840 --> 00:35:48.559 That was super fun. That's I learned how to lift 715 00:35:48.599 --> 00:35:53.119 weights there because I did not have a choice. Yeah, 716 00:35:53.159 --> 00:35:56.480 so we did, you know, all their ranges all like 717 00:35:56.559 --> 00:36:00.239 the battle drills, like you know that CQB training like 718 00:36:00.280 --> 00:36:04.000 all of that. So yeah, I mean Rangers were I didn't. 719 00:36:04.119 --> 00:36:05.960 I guess I should have known that there was other 720 00:36:06.079 --> 00:36:08.280 units we would go to once we got where we 721 00:36:08.280 --> 00:36:11.400 were going, But all of our training and everything was 722 00:36:11.639 --> 00:36:15.280 managed by Ranger Regiment, and I think that was great 723 00:36:15.280 --> 00:36:19.960 because again, like who's more professional at like mastering the 724 00:36:20.000 --> 00:36:21.639 basics and showing you. 725 00:36:21.559 --> 00:36:22.159 How to do it right. 726 00:36:22.360 --> 00:36:24.519 Yeah. No, that's really interesting because I think some of 727 00:36:24.559 --> 00:36:27.719 the csts we've had on this show before probably came 728 00:36:27.760 --> 00:36:29.920 into the program a little earlier than you, and they 729 00:36:29.960 --> 00:36:31.840 went through everything at Bragg as I recall. 730 00:36:32.920 --> 00:36:37.239 Yeah, so we bounced between Benning and Brag. Yeah, now 731 00:36:37.280 --> 00:36:39.119 that I'm thinking it was between Benning and Brag, but 732 00:36:40.480 --> 00:36:43.320 it was Regiment guys and then Jstack guys. But the 733 00:36:43.400 --> 00:36:46.639 bulk of like what I would call the actual selection 734 00:36:46.719 --> 00:36:52.119 and not the train up was Regiment and then Yeah, 735 00:36:52.159 --> 00:36:54.480 we did a lot of a lot of the ranges 736 00:36:54.519 --> 00:36:57.079 with the j Stack guys, but again they were guys 737 00:36:57.079 --> 00:37:02.199 that come from that, so a lot of overlap there. Yeah, 738 00:37:02.199 --> 00:37:04.280 So I mean it was half and half between Betting 739 00:37:04.320 --> 00:37:06.519 and Bragg. Brag was definitely a more fun time. 740 00:37:07.800 --> 00:37:09.920 A little bit more laid back than the range of Regiment. 741 00:37:10.960 --> 00:37:12.880 Yeah, and also you were just kind of like further 742 00:37:12.920 --> 00:37:16.039 along in the process, and it was easier at that point, 743 00:37:16.079 --> 00:37:19.880 like just being like sore and tired all the time 744 00:37:19.920 --> 00:37:22.639 to just be like, okay, cool, I messed that up 745 00:37:22.679 --> 00:37:27.960 next event. You, Like, there were so many you can 746 00:37:28.000 --> 00:37:30.360 only psych yourself out so many times during the selection 747 00:37:30.480 --> 00:37:33.000 that at like some point you're just like, I'm just 748 00:37:33.039 --> 00:37:35.159 giving it up to whoever is in charge at this point, 749 00:37:35.199 --> 00:37:38.280 and if I die, I die. So uh yeah, it 750 00:37:38.320 --> 00:37:39.719 was just I think it was a lot more. 751 00:37:39.519 --> 00:37:44.320 Fun any other specific training you want to get into 752 00:37:44.639 --> 00:37:46.639 before you actually graduate from the course. 753 00:37:48.760 --> 00:37:53.320 We did a lot of like the cultural training because 754 00:37:53.519 --> 00:37:55.960 me and my partner, I know, some of the other 755 00:37:56.079 --> 00:38:00.320 csts that you spoke to that program had so many evolutions, 756 00:38:01.119 --> 00:38:03.880 so I really admire them because, like you know, like 757 00:38:04.000 --> 00:38:06.960 Jess and Sam, like there was not nearly as much 758 00:38:06.960 --> 00:38:09.239 structure around what they were going into and how they're 759 00:38:09.480 --> 00:38:13.639 trained up and selected, So in retrospect and like knowing 760 00:38:13.679 --> 00:38:17.719 how their selections and train ups went, like very thankful 761 00:38:17.719 --> 00:38:20.199 that there was more of a structure around ours, and it. 762 00:38:20.199 --> 00:38:22.679 Was like, you know, actually targeted at what we would 763 00:38:22.679 --> 00:38:23.400 probably be doing. 764 00:38:24.280 --> 00:38:26.440 The cultural training was really helpful because me and my 765 00:38:26.480 --> 00:38:30.079 partner ended up getting the Dual Hat mission, so on 766 00:38:30.119 --> 00:38:33.360 top of our regular like combat missions to go out 767 00:38:33.400 --> 00:38:36.239 and you know, get info from women and children on 768 00:38:36.239 --> 00:38:42.679 the battlefield, we also were training the Afghan Special Operations 769 00:38:42.679 --> 00:38:48.840 female tactical batons, So the FTP, So I didn't know 770 00:38:48.920 --> 00:38:51.079 what to expect, Like I had never been anywhere in 771 00:38:51.119 --> 00:38:52.719 the world really, I mean I've been a europe but like, 772 00:38:52.760 --> 00:38:55.079 I didn't really know what to expect. So I was 773 00:38:55.199 --> 00:38:59.519 very glad for like the precursor training on just how 774 00:38:59.639 --> 00:39:03.480 women treated in Afghanistan. I mean, you can read about it, 775 00:39:03.519 --> 00:39:05.280 and you can hear about it, and people can tell 776 00:39:05.280 --> 00:39:07.400 you about it, but you don't get it until you 777 00:39:07.440 --> 00:39:10.199 see it and you live it and you watch it 778 00:39:10.239 --> 00:39:14.119 every day and you have to navigate it as you're 779 00:39:14.119 --> 00:39:15.880 trying to train with them. 780 00:39:16.360 --> 00:39:16.800 So I was. 781 00:39:16.719 --> 00:39:18.599 Thankful for that because there's a fair amount of trading 782 00:39:18.639 --> 00:39:22.039 on kind of how to navigate that space as well. 783 00:39:22.480 --> 00:39:26.480 I'll be honest, I never really understood what you guys 784 00:39:26.599 --> 00:39:31.039 do or why it matters for a while, because women 785 00:39:31.079 --> 00:39:34.039 don't really have any power in that society, so it's like, well, 786 00:39:34.039 --> 00:39:36.519 what intel are you really gathering off of them? But 787 00:39:36.960 --> 00:39:39.440 we had a lot of duffy in here. She was 788 00:39:39.519 --> 00:39:44.800 a counterintelligence NCO and when they go overseas they have 789 00:39:44.880 --> 00:39:46.480 them do a lot of human and they had her 790 00:39:46.519 --> 00:39:49.119 doing very similar things to what you did. And when 791 00:39:49.119 --> 00:39:54.519 she started describing about what a woman's scorned will say, 792 00:39:56.039 --> 00:39:58.840 oh man, it all kind of clicked and made sense 793 00:39:58.880 --> 00:39:59.199 for me. 794 00:40:00.199 --> 00:40:02.440 Yeah. Absolutely, I mean I have distinct memories of this 795 00:40:02.559 --> 00:40:05.800 on one old woman being like I don't basically rough translation, 796 00:40:05.840 --> 00:40:06.960 I don't give a shit about him. 797 00:40:06.960 --> 00:40:08.840 Please take him, Yeah, yeah, take them away. 798 00:40:09.079 --> 00:40:11.159 This is where he keeps his stuff that you guys 799 00:40:11.159 --> 00:40:11.719 are interested in. 800 00:40:11.760 --> 00:40:14.119 You see that shack over there, like, be careful because 801 00:40:14.159 --> 00:40:16.960 it's filled with explosives like please take his lazy ass. 802 00:40:17.039 --> 00:40:21.599 So very interesting. And then also, I mean the children, 803 00:40:21.719 --> 00:40:23.119 like children. 804 00:40:22.760 --> 00:40:24.119 Are one of our techniques. 805 00:40:24.159 --> 00:40:28.519 My CST partner, who is the most incredible person in 806 00:40:28.559 --> 00:40:35.039 the entire world, she had dyed her hair blonde, natural 807 00:40:35.079 --> 00:40:38.079 brunette died over there, and I was like, this is 808 00:40:38.079 --> 00:40:40.119 so reckless, Like how are you going to keep your 809 00:40:40.119 --> 00:40:42.880 hair dyet? And like I'm not even bringing razors, dude, 810 00:40:42.880 --> 00:40:45.480 I'm just like the hairyest person on you know, the compound. 811 00:40:46.000 --> 00:40:47.280 And she died her hair blonde. 812 00:40:47.480 --> 00:40:51.320 And that was such a tactical asset for us, let 813 00:40:51.320 --> 00:40:54.480 me tell you, because we would come upon like these 814 00:40:54.519 --> 00:40:56.760 like hordes of children, Like my favorite woman was this 815 00:40:56.800 --> 00:40:59.119 like riverbed where all these kids were getting pushed down 816 00:40:59.199 --> 00:41:02.480 because the terror we're doing things up further north, and 817 00:41:02.559 --> 00:41:06.760 they were like flowing through this river bed and we 818 00:41:06.840 --> 00:41:08.679 start talking to them, like the women are like not 819 00:41:08.800 --> 00:41:11.400 being helpful. Nobody wants to talk to us. The I 820 00:41:11.400 --> 00:41:14.119 think we were with seventh group, and seventh group is like, Okay. 821 00:41:13.920 --> 00:41:16.440 What do you guys want? And we're like cool. 822 00:41:16.559 --> 00:41:19.800 One rare occasion that we get two csts on one mission, 823 00:41:19.920 --> 00:41:22.760 which i was more common for the earlier teams, but once, 824 00:41:22.920 --> 00:41:25.159 like my team was only six women for to support 825 00:41:25.159 --> 00:41:29.039 the entire country. So you know, they had to decide 826 00:41:29.039 --> 00:41:31.280 where resources were going and how many seats we were 827 00:41:31.280 --> 00:41:34.559 taking and things like that, and long story short, they 828 00:41:34.519 --> 00:41:35.639 pushed them to the side of the riverbed. 829 00:41:35.760 --> 00:41:38.119 Nobody wants to talk to us. Nobody is giving anything. 830 00:41:37.800 --> 00:41:40.639 Even though we're pulling like all this money, like suspicious 831 00:41:40.719 --> 00:41:44.599 levels of money off of people, you know, passports and 832 00:41:44.599 --> 00:41:47.519 all sorts of things. And I think like the key 833 00:41:47.639 --> 00:41:50.119 thing that we got out of that little adventure was 834 00:41:50.239 --> 00:41:53.440 my CST partner like flipping her dyed blonde hair and 835 00:41:53.440 --> 00:41:58.000 this like probably six year old boy being like mesmerized 836 00:41:58.159 --> 00:42:00.400 and just ready to tell us exactly where he was 837 00:42:00.400 --> 00:42:04.320 coming from. Who was up there when they left, why 838 00:42:04.360 --> 00:42:06.920 they left, and it was all just like the blonde hair. 839 00:42:07.079 --> 00:42:09.800 So that's not obviously like the mission of the CSTS 840 00:42:09.840 --> 00:42:14.079 to like manipulate children into telling you things. But you know, 841 00:42:14.119 --> 00:42:16.119 it's just a it's it's a it's a group of 842 00:42:16.320 --> 00:42:22.000 they're essentially like flies on the wall, like they see everything, 843 00:42:22.239 --> 00:42:23.760 they're internalizing everything. 844 00:42:23.840 --> 00:42:25.119 They know what the routines are. 845 00:42:26.400 --> 00:42:27.960 A lot of times there are in charge of managing 846 00:42:27.960 --> 00:42:32.519 the routines right like they just like any woman anywhere, 847 00:42:32.519 --> 00:42:36.440 they want to keep their kids safe. So when it 848 00:42:36.480 --> 00:42:39.280 comes down to it, they they will talk. There's just 849 00:42:39.360 --> 00:42:42.559 ways to to try and get things out of them. 850 00:42:42.599 --> 00:42:43.920 But you got to come and prepared for that. 851 00:42:44.559 --> 00:42:46.719 And so you were based out of Kabul, and as 852 00:42:46.760 --> 00:42:49.719 you said, you had this dual headed mission where you 853 00:42:49.760 --> 00:42:53.239 were working with the female Platoon part of the KKA, 854 00:42:54.239 --> 00:42:57.039 but also going out on ops too and doing the 855 00:42:57.079 --> 00:43:02.119 more traditional I guess CST mission. I guess let's start 856 00:43:02.119 --> 00:43:06.000 with the with the female platoon. Tell us about them 857 00:43:06.159 --> 00:43:07.679 and what it was like working with them. 858 00:43:08.440 --> 00:43:14.480 Man, just incredible badasses like it. You know, I hear 859 00:43:14.559 --> 00:43:17.199 so much conjecture, especially today about like women's rights are 860 00:43:17.239 --> 00:43:19.159 being taken away and blah blah blah. I'm like, let 861 00:43:19.199 --> 00:43:21.320 me tell you about let me tell you about some 862 00:43:21.360 --> 00:43:25.519 women and women's rights. So you have the female tactical platoons, 863 00:43:25.800 --> 00:43:30.679 largely Hazara, right, so already a persecuted tribe. We had 864 00:43:30.719 --> 00:43:33.880 about forty two women. You know, they would answer these 865 00:43:34.679 --> 00:43:38.639 vague recruitment calls, often become the breadwinner of their family, 866 00:43:39.039 --> 00:43:43.719 often mothers, wives, daughters, whatever, have to get permission they 867 00:43:43.760 --> 00:43:45.840 sign up to join this thing. They know they're putting 868 00:43:45.840 --> 00:43:48.079 themselves at risk, they know they're putting up families at risk, 869 00:43:48.599 --> 00:43:49.639 and they are all about it. 870 00:43:49.679 --> 00:43:49.840 Man. 871 00:43:49.960 --> 00:43:52.519 Like. It was so funny to me too, because it's 872 00:43:52.559 --> 00:43:54.440 like I was like a first lieutenant when I showed up, 873 00:43:54.480 --> 00:43:56.760 and my deputy was a second lieutenant and we're like, 874 00:43:56.840 --> 00:43:58.719 we're here to train you and be in charge. And 875 00:43:58.760 --> 00:44:01.800 it's like, sure, but the female tactical platoon commander has 876 00:44:01.840 --> 00:44:04.760 been doing the shit for like fifteen years, so like, actually, 877 00:44:04.760 --> 00:44:06.840 she should probably be like trading us on some things. 878 00:44:07.320 --> 00:44:14.559 But it was just like the ultimate exchanging of TTPs. 879 00:44:14.599 --> 00:44:16.840 At the end of the day, you know, we had 880 00:44:16.880 --> 00:44:19.920 just come off of all of these ranges with Range 881 00:44:20.000 --> 00:44:22.280 Regiment and the JSAC guys, and so we're like shit 882 00:44:22.360 --> 00:44:22.760 hot at that. 883 00:44:22.920 --> 00:44:24.000 So we're like, all right, let's get you. 884 00:44:24.000 --> 00:44:27.039 Out on the range and like teach you this or 885 00:44:27.079 --> 00:44:28.880 at least like brush up on these skills and make 886 00:44:28.920 --> 00:44:31.599 you really good at this so nobody can. 887 00:44:31.440 --> 00:44:32.480 Say that you can't shoot. 888 00:44:33.760 --> 00:44:36.320 The physical fitness thing, like training was a big thing, 889 00:44:36.440 --> 00:44:39.199 like teaching them how to lift weights, teaching them how 890 00:44:39.280 --> 00:44:41.719 to do what they need to do physically, especially when 891 00:44:41.719 --> 00:44:44.199 they're so tiny, and you know, oftentimes they were like 892 00:44:44.480 --> 00:44:46.960 didn't have access to enough food or water, so. 893 00:44:46.840 --> 00:44:50.800 Trying to navigate around that also just navigating. 894 00:44:50.800 --> 00:44:54.119 I mean, the Katahas were much better about treating those 895 00:44:54.159 --> 00:44:58.159 women like valued humans. And I don't know how much 896 00:44:58.159 --> 00:45:00.599 of that was because we were watching or what and like, 897 00:45:00.719 --> 00:45:02.960 you know, me and my partner were the third gender, 898 00:45:03.000 --> 00:45:05.519 like we're not women and we're not men in their eyes, right, 899 00:45:06.679 --> 00:45:10.840 And so those guys were much better with them than I. 900 00:45:11.000 --> 00:45:14.679 Then I think that probably the rest of the military 901 00:45:14.679 --> 00:45:16.559 forces would have been. But again it was still you 902 00:45:16.599 --> 00:45:19.079 were like dealing with that aspect of it of like 903 00:45:20.360 --> 00:45:22.320 we are going to leave at some point, the US 904 00:45:22.440 --> 00:45:25.599 military is going to leave. The intent here is not 905 00:45:25.800 --> 00:45:29.639 for us to do every mission together. If we are 906 00:45:29.679 --> 00:45:33.719 going on a mission, it's because we are doing it together, 907 00:45:33.840 --> 00:45:35.800 so that you were prepared to take this from us 908 00:45:35.840 --> 00:45:39.559 when we inevitably depart, Like us withdrawing should not be 909 00:45:39.599 --> 00:45:43.559 a surprise to anybody. It is impending. We need to 910 00:45:43.599 --> 00:45:45.519 go out and do this thing. But it was really cool, 911 00:45:45.559 --> 00:45:49.639 like sending them out not partnered with US, Like being 912 00:45:49.639 --> 00:45:52.039 able to send the FTPS out is like just the 913 00:45:52.119 --> 00:45:56.440 FTP is going on this partner led mission, you know, 914 00:45:56.559 --> 00:46:00.639 no US CST was like that was really cool to see, 915 00:46:00.719 --> 00:46:04.079 is like they're integrated and also that the US is 916 00:46:04.119 --> 00:46:08.280 truly putting partner force missions they are leading them to, 917 00:46:08.440 --> 00:46:12.639 including their using their enablers, their version of the CST. 918 00:46:13.239 --> 00:46:17.199 So that was very encouraging to see. Yeah, just incredible 919 00:46:17.239 --> 00:46:19.719 women that I mean, they're English great, we did a 920 00:46:19.760 --> 00:46:24.960 lot of English classes, we did medical stuff, you know, 921 00:46:25.039 --> 00:46:31.159 sensitive sight exploitation, just kind brave souls. Like we we 922 00:46:31.199 --> 00:46:33.199 thought we were like so bad ass being these women 923 00:46:33.239 --> 00:46:35.280 that are like yeah, we're going into combat units, like 924 00:46:35.320 --> 00:46:37.480 we're putting special operations and then you're like, okay, but 925 00:46:37.559 --> 00:46:40.239 this is like way cooler because these are like forty 926 00:46:40.320 --> 00:46:44.079 two women out of this entire country doing that thing, 927 00:46:44.159 --> 00:46:46.440 but they're doing it from Afghanistan. 928 00:46:45.800 --> 00:46:50.719 As women, right, right, Uh. I wanted to ask you, 929 00:46:50.719 --> 00:46:54.599 you know, if there was a difference between how you 930 00:46:54.679 --> 00:46:59.960 saw the female soldiers approach specifically the Afghan female soldiers 931 00:47:00.079 --> 00:47:03.320 approached the job, and what the differences were between how 932 00:47:03.320 --> 00:47:08.079 the men approached it, be they American or Afghan, you know, 933 00:47:08.239 --> 00:47:10.320 was there a different way that they went about things. 934 00:47:11.639 --> 00:47:14.920 I think the Afghan women on like FTP side, were 935 00:47:14.960 --> 00:47:19.559 like very aggressive and very confident. 936 00:47:19.679 --> 00:47:20.280 I think. 937 00:47:22.000 --> 00:47:24.559 Because these are their countrymen, right, and so like they 938 00:47:24.599 --> 00:47:26.920 know what these women are going through there, it was 939 00:47:26.960 --> 00:47:29.440 easier for them to pick up on like subtle differences 940 00:47:29.480 --> 00:47:32.360 in like body language and translation. Like when I was 941 00:47:32.400 --> 00:47:35.119 going into a dark compound, I had a translator with me, right, 942 00:47:35.280 --> 00:47:38.920 Like I had my basic commands that I had memorized 943 00:47:38.960 --> 00:47:40.800 and things like that, but like I still. 944 00:47:40.599 --> 00:47:42.920 Needed a translator to know what is going on. 945 00:47:43.679 --> 00:47:45.440 They didn't need that, so they were able to be 946 00:47:45.599 --> 00:47:51.599 like a bit more direct and aggressive. I think I 947 00:47:51.599 --> 00:47:54.599 think they just like genuinely really had to give a 948 00:47:54.639 --> 00:47:57.679 shit to be there, Like there is not the hero 949 00:47:57.840 --> 00:48:01.800 worship that like we are we are given in the 950 00:48:01.880 --> 00:48:04.840 US military of like, you know, bless our troops and 951 00:48:04.840 --> 00:48:06.760 support our troops. And if you're in the military, like 952 00:48:07.519 --> 00:48:09.199 you know, for a day everybody wants to call you 953 00:48:09.199 --> 00:48:11.480 a hero. They don't get the luxury of that like 954 00:48:11.840 --> 00:48:15.280 at all, even slightly. So there's no like valor in that, 955 00:48:15.480 --> 00:48:20.360 particularly for the women. Right. So I think just that 956 00:48:20.360 --> 00:48:23.760 that commitment and how seriously they have to take it 957 00:48:23.840 --> 00:48:26.000 and how committed they have to be to the survival 958 00:48:26.039 --> 00:48:27.920 of their country to even be in that position, was 959 00:48:28.000 --> 00:48:31.199 like that should like make you stop and think. 960 00:48:31.519 --> 00:48:33.800 Yeah, I was going to ask, like, did you get 961 00:48:33.800 --> 00:48:36.920 to learn any of the like individual backgrounds of these women, 962 00:48:37.000 --> 00:48:39.440 because I mean that must have been a very interesting 963 00:48:40.039 --> 00:48:42.639 life path that took them to get to that place. 964 00:48:42.679 --> 00:48:47.159 And I'm wondering if they faced being ostracized by their families. 965 00:48:47.239 --> 00:48:50.480 They had to basically elope so to speak, to join 966 00:48:50.480 --> 00:48:51.119 the military. 967 00:48:51.920 --> 00:48:55.599 I mean a lot of them were for more progressive families. 968 00:48:55.679 --> 00:48:57.360 I mean at some point, you know, they had to 969 00:48:57.679 --> 00:48:59.760 either get permission or tell their families that they were 970 00:48:59.800 --> 00:49:02.960 doing this. And then again they were largely like making money, 971 00:49:04.360 --> 00:49:06.679 having to travel like to and from so like let's 972 00:49:06.719 --> 00:49:09.480 say they like went home on leave or something like 973 00:49:09.480 --> 00:49:11.559 that you know, they have to like stash their uniforms 974 00:49:11.559 --> 00:49:14.280 and all their military documentation somewhere because they couldn't be 975 00:49:14.280 --> 00:49:18.559 stopped on a bus traveling with that. But yeah, I 976 00:49:18.599 --> 00:49:22.920 mean I got I got to know them just great 977 00:49:22.960 --> 00:49:27.000 people like just I remain in all of them, very smart, 978 00:49:27.519 --> 00:49:33.960 like educated, if not formally like informally and seeking it 979 00:49:33.960 --> 00:49:36.719 out every day. You know, we all say like, oh, 980 00:49:36.719 --> 00:49:38.360 I'm going to learn another language, or I'm going to 981 00:49:38.400 --> 00:49:40.119 pick up a skill, or I'm going to like I'm 982 00:49:40.119 --> 00:49:42.079 always like I'm going to get into woodworking, and like 983 00:49:43.079 --> 00:49:45.400 I can't even like commit to buying the initial kit 984 00:49:45.440 --> 00:49:48.199 on Amazon, right, But these are not those type of people. 985 00:49:48.280 --> 00:49:50.320 Like they they were like I'm going to learn English, 986 00:49:50.559 --> 00:49:53.559 I'm I'm going to learn how to shoot, I'm gonna 987 00:49:53.559 --> 00:49:55.719 get really physically fit, and then they just get it 988 00:49:56.239 --> 00:50:00.400 because that's what they wanted to do. Yeah. Just just 989 00:50:00.440 --> 00:50:03.840 an interesting like spread of people, especially between like ages 990 00:50:04.039 --> 00:50:07.039 and where they were coming from. But yes, largely Huzzara, 991 00:50:07.199 --> 00:50:10.440 So that was that was a common trend there. 992 00:50:12.239 --> 00:50:13.960 What kind of operations did they do. 993 00:50:15.679 --> 00:50:19.119 In terms of like when they were on target, Yeah, 994 00:50:20.400 --> 00:50:21.559 same thing as a CST. 995 00:50:21.800 --> 00:50:22.199 So real. 996 00:50:23.039 --> 00:50:27.800 Yeah, so if we were going into a compound in 997 00:50:27.800 --> 00:50:30.280 the middle of the night and in and out they 998 00:50:30.280 --> 00:50:32.159 were there. If it was going to be a multi 999 00:50:32.199 --> 00:50:34.960 day type of thing, they were doing the same exact thing. 1000 00:50:35.039 --> 00:50:36.599 So everything we were doing, they were doing. 1001 00:50:38.719 --> 00:50:38.840 Uh. 1002 00:50:39.159 --> 00:50:40.920 And then at the same time, I mean, how did 1003 00:50:40.960 --> 00:50:43.519 it work. Were you getting pulled off of that mission, 1004 00:50:43.760 --> 00:50:46.039 off of that detail I guess to go out on 1005 00:50:46.199 --> 00:50:49.159 actual combat operations with the American side of it. 1006 00:50:50.000 --> 00:50:50.760 Yeah, exactly. 1007 00:50:50.920 --> 00:50:53.159 So, like I said, I had a partner, so her 1008 00:50:53.159 --> 00:50:57.559 and I would pretty much rotate out, and then when 1009 00:50:57.599 --> 00:51:01.320 we would do like the rare combine thing, we would 1010 00:51:01.360 --> 00:51:04.039 basically have to go brief the ranger commander and be like, 1011 00:51:04.119 --> 00:51:06.239 this is what the training plan looks like for the week, 1012 00:51:06.440 --> 00:51:08.920 this is who's handling it, this is what the ftps 1013 00:51:08.920 --> 00:51:13.400 are doing. And then another a CST from the previous 1014 00:51:13.480 --> 00:51:15.760 rotation had stayed back to kind of fill this like 1015 00:51:15.800 --> 00:51:18.840 weird civilian billet, and so we would work with her 1016 00:51:19.000 --> 00:51:21.679 to at least like make sure that the training plan 1017 00:51:21.840 --> 00:51:23.639 was staying on track. 1018 00:51:25.079 --> 00:51:27.360 But yeah, I mean you would just have to leave 1019 00:51:27.400 --> 00:51:27.760 that was. 1020 00:51:28.960 --> 00:51:31.599 Yeah, there was only six of us, so there was 1021 00:51:31.599 --> 00:51:34.239 only so much you know, moving people around, and then 1022 00:51:34.320 --> 00:51:38.440 you know, my teammates and other places were busy as hell, like, 1023 00:51:39.199 --> 00:51:41.599 so you know they got to take a knee, like 1024 00:51:41.920 --> 00:51:43.599 you're gonna be the one that goes. And also the 1025 00:51:43.639 --> 00:51:46.199 other thing is like if you were a CST at 1026 00:51:46.199 --> 00:51:48.360 that point fighting for a spot on a plane, and 1027 00:51:49.239 --> 00:51:53.599 like you understand the value of the mission, maybe you 1028 00:51:53.599 --> 00:51:56.000 don't have the krusty team sergeant that understands the value 1029 00:51:56.000 --> 00:51:59.159 of the mission. And it's like some new team commander 1030 00:51:59.159 --> 00:52:01.000 who's making the decisi know what the manifest is going 1031 00:52:01.079 --> 00:52:03.519 to look like, you do not miss out on an 1032 00:52:03.519 --> 00:52:05.639 opportunity to be able to go support and show the 1033 00:52:05.679 --> 00:52:09.800 value of the CST mission because CST will not be 1034 00:52:09.800 --> 00:52:13.840 included for that team's missions again. So like you better 1035 00:52:14.280 --> 00:52:17.480 seize that opportunity and you better try really hard and 1036 00:52:17.599 --> 00:52:21.320 do really well to make sure you basically don't like 1037 00:52:22.760 --> 00:52:25.519 solely the name, but also so that you were actually 1038 00:52:25.599 --> 00:52:28.760 value added and you're doing what American taxpayers are paying 1039 00:52:28.800 --> 00:52:30.639 for you to go do on their behalf. 1040 00:52:33.119 --> 00:52:35.239 What was it like going out on missions with the 1041 00:52:35.440 --> 00:52:36.199 Ranger Regiment? 1042 00:52:38.079 --> 00:52:40.559 Most of mine were with the ODAS. 1043 00:52:40.599 --> 00:52:48.719 Thankfully h Ranger Regiment was like fast and furious, crazy. Yeah, 1044 00:52:48.760 --> 00:52:52.280 the ODA stuff though, Uh those were that was super fun. 1045 00:52:53.079 --> 00:52:58.800 I'm very partial to Odias. I just think I got 1046 00:52:58.840 --> 00:53:01.360 along with them a little bit better. I'm sorry, I know, hope, 1047 00:53:01.400 --> 00:53:05.159 I'm not hurting any feelings, but you know, I just 1048 00:53:05.199 --> 00:53:07.239 loved like the energy of like a bunch of these 1049 00:53:07.239 --> 00:53:08.400 guys that you're like not. 1050 00:53:08.280 --> 00:53:11.280 Sure if in shape or what. 1051 00:53:11.639 --> 00:53:13.599 And then they'd be like running up of down mountains 1052 00:53:13.639 --> 00:53:16.960 like billy goats and stuff. But it was really fun. 1053 00:53:17.920 --> 00:53:21.199 I really liked the multi day ones. I liked the 1054 00:53:21.199 --> 00:53:25.199 complexity of it. I liked watching how those plans came together. 1055 00:53:26.400 --> 00:53:30.440 I liked watching how the odias like tag team problems, 1056 00:53:32.039 --> 00:53:37.239 you know, contributing into that decision cycle where I could 1057 00:53:37.800 --> 00:53:40.280 working with the eighteen Foxes to have a good understanding 1058 00:53:40.280 --> 00:53:42.719 of what we were going into and likely where I 1059 00:53:42.800 --> 00:53:45.760 was going to be most useful and preparing myself to 1060 00:53:45.760 --> 00:53:50.320 be able to pivot, you know, kind of getting like 1061 00:53:50.480 --> 00:53:53.119 swapped out between oda's depending on who was in like 1062 00:53:53.159 --> 00:53:56.239 what hot zone kind of thing. Especially for those multi day, 1063 00:53:56.400 --> 00:54:00.280 multi odier missions, that was a lot of fun because 1064 00:54:00.280 --> 00:54:02.079 you got to like kind of see how different teams 1065 00:54:02.159 --> 00:54:05.599 run and like what the book is, so you had 1066 00:54:05.599 --> 00:54:08.320 like your surfer bro teams, and then like your edgy teams, 1067 00:54:08.320 --> 00:54:09.960 which are always really funny to me, and then like 1068 00:54:10.039 --> 00:54:13.400 you're like jock dude bro teams. And so it was 1069 00:54:13.400 --> 00:54:15.199 a lot of fun, and I got to work with 1070 00:54:15.440 --> 00:54:19.440 a lot of like absolute legends in the community and 1071 00:54:20.239 --> 00:54:23.679 see how they do what they do. It felt like 1072 00:54:23.800 --> 00:54:26.000 it felt like almost reading like a war hero book, 1073 00:54:26.119 --> 00:54:29.360 like like reading like Loan Survivors. Sometimes you're like, there's 1074 00:54:29.360 --> 00:54:31.280 no ways, I mean some of that stuff not true, right, 1075 00:54:31.320 --> 00:54:34.360 we know that now, but like you're like in the 1076 00:54:34.400 --> 00:54:36.679 presence of these guys that like, this is what they do, 1077 00:54:37.440 --> 00:54:39.280 this is what they have done for the last twenty years, 1078 00:54:39.280 --> 00:54:40.679 and this is what they will do until they are 1079 00:54:40.719 --> 00:54:45.119 forced to stop doing it. And I found that the 1080 00:54:45.159 --> 00:54:47.320 older ones. That was the other reason why I really 1081 00:54:47.480 --> 00:54:49.480 matched with the ODEA as well, is like it was 1082 00:54:49.599 --> 00:54:53.159 just an older group of people, so the maturity was 1083 00:54:53.199 --> 00:54:57.639 there to understand how to use us effectively, and there 1084 00:54:57.800 --> 00:55:00.679 was less of the ego involved in like, oh man, 1085 00:55:00.719 --> 00:55:04.400 there's a girl in our treehouse, right, Like it was 1086 00:55:04.480 --> 00:55:06.719 kind of just like they'd seen it before. They didn't care, 1087 00:55:06.800 --> 00:55:09.960 they knew the utility. They looked at us as a resource, 1088 00:55:10.519 --> 00:55:11.840 and so they were going to use this as an 1089 00:55:12.000 --> 00:55:16.880 essentially like a weapon system for them, right in, essentially 1090 00:55:16.920 --> 00:55:20.360 an intel platform that they could weaponize. And so I 1091 00:55:20.440 --> 00:55:23.280 really very much so appreciated working with the odas and 1092 00:55:23.320 --> 00:55:25.960 particularly like the Foxes and then the Zoo's. 1093 00:55:26.800 --> 00:55:29.280 Yeah, I mean that's what a good ODA does, is 1094 00:55:29.320 --> 00:55:32.280 they see what assets they have available and bring them 1095 00:55:32.280 --> 00:55:33.480 in and make them part of the team. 1096 00:55:34.519 --> 00:55:35.800 Yeah, they were great about that. 1097 00:55:37.760 --> 00:55:48.639 Any particularly dicey operations that stand out in your mind. 1098 00:55:45.119 --> 00:55:47.400 There was one really horrible one where we kind of 1099 00:55:47.440 --> 00:55:53.880 got stuck in a compound and we were folks were 1100 00:55:53.880 --> 00:55:56.239 on their way to come help us out, and we 1101 00:55:56.280 --> 00:56:02.119 did lose service members that day. That's a tough one. 1102 00:56:02.159 --> 00:56:04.719 And it's like very weird because I still like I 1103 00:56:04.840 --> 00:56:07.639 was there, but I have this weird like and nothing 1104 00:56:07.719 --> 00:56:09.400 bad happened to me, Like I didn't get blown up 1105 00:56:09.440 --> 00:56:12.519 or anything, but I have these like ins and outs 1106 00:56:12.519 --> 00:56:17.719 of trying to piece together what's going on. That one 1107 00:56:17.800 --> 00:56:20.079 was really terrible, but I can't really like speak to 1108 00:56:20.239 --> 00:56:24.119 exactly the flow of that and what happened. Besides, it 1109 00:56:24.239 --> 00:56:28.320 was terrible and we were outside of the Golden Hour 1110 00:56:28.400 --> 00:56:31.199 ring and so it was just a lot of conflating 1111 00:56:31.239 --> 00:56:38.320 factors that just culminated in something very tragic. I think. 1112 00:56:38.320 --> 00:56:40.119 I can tell you like one of my favorite ones. 1113 00:56:41.400 --> 00:56:45.679 We were cruising alongside this like little like ridge over. 1114 00:56:45.519 --> 00:56:49.719 This valley, and I mean we are like we've been 1115 00:56:49.719 --> 00:56:51.159 out for like a couple of days at this point, 1116 00:56:51.199 --> 00:56:54.760 I think, and we started like taking pop shots and 1117 00:56:55.159 --> 00:56:58.880 from the other side of the river. And then somebody 1118 00:56:58.920 --> 00:57:00.880 noticed that there was like one of those tunnels like 1119 00:57:00.960 --> 00:57:02.800 coming out of the river, and so these guys were 1120 00:57:02.840 --> 00:57:07.000 just like popping out taking pop shots, and so we 1121 00:57:07.119 --> 00:57:09.400 ended up just setting up on the valley basically like 1122 00:57:09.480 --> 00:57:11.360 on the edge of the ridge, and like they would 1123 00:57:11.360 --> 00:57:14.239 pop out like whack a mole and like shoot it us, 1124 00:57:14.800 --> 00:57:19.119 and like everybody would just shoot back and one would drop, 1125 00:57:19.679 --> 00:57:21.280 and then another one would come out and it would 1126 00:57:21.280 --> 00:57:23.559 be like and then they would drop, and it was 1127 00:57:23.599 --> 00:57:25.760 like very like what are we doing here? 1128 00:57:25.800 --> 00:57:26.000 Man? 1129 00:57:26.119 --> 00:57:28.960 So finally they were just like calling out like these 1130 00:57:28.960 --> 00:57:30.760 people are just gonna keep jumping out of here, like 1131 00:57:31.280 --> 00:57:33.679 let's just push down. Clearly they have some kind of 1132 00:57:33.760 --> 00:57:37.000 like nest set up there. Let's just push down and 1133 00:57:37.079 --> 00:57:43.280 just drop firepower because this like Heidi hole like nonsense. 1134 00:57:43.320 --> 00:57:47.440 But it just struck me as like just so cavalier 1135 00:57:47.880 --> 00:57:53.800 like like because that was like the first the first 1136 00:57:53.840 --> 00:57:56.519 like no shit, I'm within like what I believe to 1137 00:57:56.559 --> 00:58:00.199 be like viable shooting distance right of like I could 1138 00:58:00.199 --> 00:58:02.480 feasibly shoot this weapon and hit somebody. And so it 1139 00:58:02.599 --> 00:58:05.679 was like, oh shit, this is like this is like real, 1140 00:58:05.840 --> 00:58:06.199 this is. 1141 00:58:06.159 --> 00:58:06.920 Not a range. 1142 00:58:07.039 --> 00:58:09.559 There's actually people shooting at us, Like this is this 1143 00:58:09.679 --> 00:58:11.440 is serious. But it was a very good opportunity to 1144 00:58:11.480 --> 00:58:16.639 see that ODA, like how they operate, how they communicate. 1145 00:58:16.800 --> 00:58:19.599 I mean it was like watching like a conductor of 1146 00:58:19.639 --> 00:58:23.519 an orchestra, right like just all the hand signals and 1147 00:58:23.599 --> 00:58:26.199 everything they were doing. I mean it was really it 1148 00:58:26.280 --> 00:58:29.880 was cool and it made me. It made me more scared, 1149 00:58:29.920 --> 00:58:32.079 but it made me more committed to like making sure 1150 00:58:32.119 --> 00:58:35.559 I actually integrated with the teams and I understood the 1151 00:58:35.599 --> 00:58:37.719 tactics that were expected of me so I did not 1152 00:58:37.760 --> 00:58:38.719 become a liability. 1153 00:58:40.519 --> 00:58:45.079 And what were the differences when you supported jaysock operations 1154 00:58:47.559 --> 00:58:51.239 between between the and the j sock side. 1155 00:58:51.400 --> 00:58:55.880 You know, I didn't really like know half the time 1156 00:58:55.920 --> 00:58:56.480 who we're with. 1157 00:58:56.519 --> 00:58:59.239 I think that's the big difference is like when you 1158 00:58:59.280 --> 00:59:01.239 would go with the it would be like, oh, this 1159 00:59:01.320 --> 00:59:03.719 is Chit and Brad and blah blah, and you'd be like, oh, 1160 00:59:03.760 --> 00:59:06.199 great to see you again, you know. And but then 1161 00:59:06.239 --> 00:59:08.239 when there was like other guys, like they would just 1162 00:59:08.320 --> 00:59:11.960 kind of show up and you never really knew who 1163 00:59:12.000 --> 00:59:14.440 they were or what they were notturally doing there, but 1164 00:59:14.480 --> 00:59:16.559 they would be part of like all the briefs and 1165 00:59:16.639 --> 00:59:20.400 the walkthroughs, and then you'd like march out and get 1166 00:59:20.400 --> 00:59:22.920 on the birds, and like they'd be there and they'd 1167 00:59:22.960 --> 00:59:26.800 just be like super chill hanging out. I kept calling 1168 00:59:26.880 --> 00:59:29.760 this one guy Dan because the guys in one of 1169 00:59:29.760 --> 00:59:32.960 the odas kept calling him Delta Dan, and so like 1170 00:59:34.599 --> 00:59:36.599 I just thought that was his name because you never 1171 00:59:36.679 --> 00:59:39.639 introduced himself. And then so like we get done with 1172 00:59:40.000 --> 00:59:42.639 this like nighttime mission thing we're doing, and it's like 1173 00:59:42.679 --> 00:59:45.039 snowy as hell. I'm like up to my like hips 1174 00:59:45.079 --> 00:59:47.159 and snow and you know, hauling all my shit back, 1175 00:59:48.159 --> 00:59:49.719 and we're like getting ready to get on the birds, 1176 00:59:49.719 --> 00:59:52.719 and I'm like, like, I hope you had a good mission, Dan, 1177 00:59:52.760 --> 00:59:56.880 and he's like, my name's not Dan. I was like, Oh, 1178 00:59:57.079 --> 00:59:59.239 how the fuck would I know? Because you never introduced 1179 00:59:59.239 --> 01:00:00.719 yourself he's. 1180 01:00:00.559 --> 01:00:03.079 Like they just keep calling me Delta Dan, and. 1181 01:00:02.960 --> 01:00:04.559 So it was a lot like that was like they 1182 01:00:04.599 --> 01:00:06.199 were just kind of like these like ghosts that would 1183 01:00:06.239 --> 01:00:08.559 just like show up to things, do their thing in 1184 01:00:08.639 --> 01:00:10.960 some part of the compound, and then like disappear into 1185 01:00:10.960 --> 01:00:11.320 the night. 1186 01:00:13.480 --> 01:00:16.000 Yeah, that was like very very funny. 1187 01:00:16.119 --> 01:00:19.400 I never really knew what they were doing there outside 1188 01:00:19.400 --> 01:00:20.920 of what I heard like in the briefing, but I 1189 01:00:20.960 --> 01:00:22.480 just didn't know who they were or they would show 1190 01:00:22.559 --> 01:00:24.519 up like right before we would go somewhere, right, So 1191 01:00:24.519 --> 01:00:26.599 there wasn't like a whole lot of time to and 1192 01:00:27.039 --> 01:00:30.840 realistically no need for me to be like briefing them 1193 01:00:30.840 --> 01:00:33.519 on anything. As long as I was doing my job 1194 01:00:34.440 --> 01:00:36.239 what I was supposed to be doing. With the intelligence 1195 01:00:36.239 --> 01:00:37.719 that I was supposed to be focused on, I would 1196 01:00:37.760 --> 01:00:39.760 be feeding into that cycle anyways, So there's no reason 1197 01:00:39.760 --> 01:00:41.840 for us to be like buddy buddy. But I do 1198 01:00:41.880 --> 01:00:44.639 wish I had been like a bit like just like 1199 01:00:44.920 --> 01:00:46.199 more confident in order to be. 1200 01:00:46.119 --> 01:00:47.960 Like no, seriously, what's your name and where like where 1201 01:00:47.960 --> 01:00:48.639 are you coming from? 1202 01:00:48.679 --> 01:00:51.800 But I was just like it's just really starstruck almost 1203 01:00:51.920 --> 01:00:54.840 and also just like really intimidated, like you know, it 1204 01:00:54.880 --> 01:00:58.159 was a twenty five year old woman dropped into this 1205 01:00:58.159 --> 01:01:01.360 this thing that I like really wanted to do and 1206 01:01:01.440 --> 01:01:04.760 have been thinking about for years, and then went through 1207 01:01:04.760 --> 01:01:06.679 the selection and you're like, yeah, I did it, but 1208 01:01:06.719 --> 01:01:09.000 the selection is just like get into the super Bowl, 1209 01:01:09.079 --> 01:01:11.360 like you still have to perform, and the super Bowl 1210 01:01:11.440 --> 01:01:15.119 guess what is month long? So I was just very like, 1211 01:01:15.639 --> 01:01:18.000 I think a little starstruck now. I you know, I 1212 01:01:18.239 --> 01:01:19.880 certainly would go up and be like, no, like, if 1213 01:01:19.880 --> 01:01:20.760 your name's not Dan. 1214 01:01:20.679 --> 01:01:21.639 Then what is your name, dude? 1215 01:01:21.639 --> 01:01:23.719 Because at no point did you introduce yourself, nor do 1216 01:01:23.760 --> 01:01:24.800 I know where you're coming from. 1217 01:01:24.840 --> 01:01:27.159 But you know, twenty five, you don't really have the 1218 01:01:27.159 --> 01:01:27.840 confidence for that. 1219 01:01:28.119 --> 01:01:30.360 Yeah yeah, oh I know those guys they like look 1220 01:01:30.400 --> 01:01:33.079 over both shoulders, then whisper. 1221 01:01:33.480 --> 01:01:37.920 Up with the or you'd be like on the birds 1222 01:01:37.920 --> 01:01:42.599 with them and they'd be like wearing some like with 1223 01:01:42.840 --> 01:01:44.880 gray Man outfit and you're like, do you realize you're 1224 01:01:44.880 --> 01:01:47.599 a gray Man outfit? Like draws even more attention because 1225 01:01:47.599 --> 01:01:52.199 you look like such a nondescript weirdo. It was. It 1226 01:01:52.280 --> 01:01:54.320 was like one of those things where you'd see them 1227 01:01:54.320 --> 01:01:57.199 all over, you'd be traveling with them, like because because 1228 01:01:57.199 --> 01:01:59.280 I was in couple, and I had to support you know, 1229 01:01:59.400 --> 01:02:04.880 Odier's wherever, you know, other units everywhere, Like Green Air 1230 01:02:04.920 --> 01:02:06.360 would come out and kind of just pick me up 1231 01:02:06.360 --> 01:02:08.199 from my compound and then we'd kind of do like 1232 01:02:08.239 --> 01:02:10.480 the rotation and whoever else was going wherever, and so 1233 01:02:10.519 --> 01:02:12.400 like guys would get on and off and again same thing. 1234 01:02:12.400 --> 01:02:14.360 It's like they're in the little gray Man outfits, just 1235 01:02:14.360 --> 01:02:17.920 like staring at the wall and you're like, you can 1236 01:02:17.960 --> 01:02:20.119 sit on this helicopter for like fifteen minutes and that's 1237 01:02:20.079 --> 01:02:22.199 say anything, that's fine, but it's a little awkward at 1238 01:02:22.199 --> 01:02:22.800 this point. 1239 01:02:26.119 --> 01:02:30.480 I And then what was it like rotating home after couple. 1240 01:02:32.159 --> 01:02:36.599 They come back to the States. Yeah, you know, this 1241 01:02:36.760 --> 01:02:39.440 is like one of the big things that I think 1242 01:02:39.920 --> 01:02:45.280 is underappreciated when you have units that are or programs 1243 01:02:45.280 --> 01:02:52.039 that are unique and different. There was no so okay, 1244 01:02:52.119 --> 01:02:54.559 so you come back with a regular unit, right, and 1245 01:02:54.599 --> 01:02:57.440 there's the reintegration and they do the little march out 1246 01:02:57.440 --> 01:02:59.199 in the field and see your families and then you 1247 01:02:59.199 --> 01:03:00.920 have to go clean weapons and you do the whole thing. 1248 01:03:01.440 --> 01:03:03.079 There was none of that. It was literally like. 1249 01:03:04.840 --> 01:03:06.000 Get on the plane and go home. 1250 01:03:07.519 --> 01:03:10.400 And so because all the all six of us had 1251 01:03:10.400 --> 01:03:14.320 come from every duty station imaginable. We were kind of 1252 01:03:14.360 --> 01:03:15.960 just kicked off to the four winds and it was 1253 01:03:16.000 --> 01:03:19.920 like okay, that like it's over now, and that was 1254 01:03:20.000 --> 01:03:23.840 really really hard. So thankfully some of the girls. The 1255 01:03:23.840 --> 01:03:27.000 program manager at the time was like, hey, if you 1256 01:03:27.000 --> 01:03:30.880 guys want to like take leave and be together, like 1257 01:03:32.039 --> 01:03:34.159 we will work something out and you guys can do 1258 01:03:34.239 --> 01:03:38.079 that because technically I still have like command authority over you. 1259 01:03:38.639 --> 01:03:41.039 And so she gave us the opportunity to take a 1260 01:03:41.039 --> 01:03:44.840 good chunk of leave and we all made a point. 1261 01:03:44.559 --> 01:03:45.559 To be together. 1262 01:03:46.519 --> 01:03:49.400 For those of us that could. I was living in 1263 01:03:49.679 --> 01:03:53.719 uh Savannah at the time, and so two of the 1264 01:03:53.760 --> 01:03:55.880 csts came out and stayed with me, and it was 1265 01:03:55.960 --> 01:03:58.800 just like, yeah, we just needed that like that wine 1266 01:03:58.880 --> 01:04:03.480 down time. It was very hard coming back to the 1267 01:04:03.519 --> 01:04:09.119 conventional army, especially to an MP unit. Again, love the MPs, 1268 01:04:09.159 --> 01:04:11.559 but there's a lot of like the machismo and like 1269 01:04:11.599 --> 01:04:17.400 the chest bumping, and I was like, I've just spent 1270 01:04:17.519 --> 01:04:20.039 so much time around this, but people that are like 1271 01:04:21.199 --> 01:04:23.480 entitled to bump their chest and like scream about how 1272 01:04:23.480 --> 01:04:26.119 they're big, strong men, So like I'm not going to 1273 01:04:26.159 --> 01:04:29.039 take it from these state side MPs right now. 1274 01:04:30.079 --> 01:04:31.000 So that was a little bit hard. 1275 01:04:31.039 --> 01:04:33.400 I like went kind of rogue and like, I'm like 1276 01:04:33.440 --> 01:04:35.440 a super rule follower in the Army, but I like 1277 01:04:35.480 --> 01:04:37.599 came home and like put these crazy red streaks in 1278 01:04:37.639 --> 01:04:38.960 my hair and I was like, I'm going to get 1279 01:04:39.000 --> 01:04:39.920 like another really. 1280 01:04:39.719 --> 01:04:41.360 Big stupid tattoo. 1281 01:04:41.000 --> 01:04:45.320 And like pierced my ear and so I just kind 1282 01:04:45.320 --> 01:04:47.440 of went like a little bit rogue. But yeah, I 1283 01:04:47.440 --> 01:04:49.320 would say it was it was hard because there wasn't 1284 01:04:49.320 --> 01:04:53.039 that structured integration program like back and then when you 1285 01:04:53.079 --> 01:04:55.400 go back to your unit, nobody knows where the hell 1286 01:04:55.480 --> 01:04:58.280 you've been for a year, right, So like everybody I 1287 01:04:58.320 --> 01:05:00.519 had known at that unit for the most part, had 1288 01:05:00.559 --> 01:05:03.159 PCSD or was about to PCs. So I came back 1289 01:05:03.199 --> 01:05:05.199 to like a unit that did not know who I was, 1290 01:05:05.840 --> 01:05:08.239 did not know where I just came from, and like 1291 01:05:09.400 --> 01:05:14.000 certainly didn't appreciate that like these things that I had 1292 01:05:14.079 --> 01:05:16.960 just done or these these emotions that I probably needed 1293 01:05:17.000 --> 01:05:20.480 to process on the back end. So that was tough, 1294 01:05:20.719 --> 01:05:24.239 but I was so I'm always I'm grateful to be 1295 01:05:24.239 --> 01:05:28.519 an American, every single day of my life, So grateful 1296 01:05:28.519 --> 01:05:30.679 to be an American. Getting off that plane and driving 1297 01:05:32.320 --> 01:05:35.519 from we landed in Baltimore, driving down to Georgia and 1298 01:05:35.599 --> 01:05:38.440 just that long stretch of highway just in my old 1299 01:05:38.480 --> 01:05:40.400 beat up truck that my dad, you know, brought to 1300 01:05:40.440 --> 01:05:43.639 the airport parking lot for me, and I got a 1301 01:05:43.760 --> 01:05:48.119 very serious speeding ticket, but I didn't care. Just to 1302 01:05:48.199 --> 01:05:52.559 drink like cold diet coke and speed on American highways. 1303 01:05:52.559 --> 01:05:54.559 I mean, what a lovely what a lovely. 1304 01:05:54.280 --> 01:05:58.039 Feeling McDonald's and Starbucks as far as I can see. 1305 01:05:58.639 --> 01:06:00.760 Man. Yeah, I just loved it, and that it didn't 1306 01:06:00.800 --> 01:06:03.960 sound like trash all the time, and that I felt 1307 01:06:04.000 --> 01:06:09.039 I didn't have like the grit of stand in my teeth. Yeah, 1308 01:06:09.039 --> 01:06:10.800 it was. It was a little bit hard. And then 1309 01:06:10.800 --> 01:06:14.199 that's ultimately why I was like, I can't stay conventional Army. 1310 01:06:14.239 --> 01:06:17.119 I need to find a way to keep doing something. 1311 01:06:17.199 --> 01:06:19.880 Yeah. I wanted to because you mentioned this this issue 1312 01:06:19.880 --> 01:06:23.199 that with a unit cohesion that the CSTS have. I mean, 1313 01:06:23.320 --> 01:06:25.119 was that the way it was designed to work, that 1314 01:06:25.159 --> 01:06:27.280 it's like a one year detail that you go and 1315 01:06:27.280 --> 01:06:29.280 do and then you're just back to your old job. 1316 01:06:30.079 --> 01:06:32.559 Yeah, I mean I failed to mention. 1317 01:06:32.679 --> 01:06:34.719 I did get to some of us to get to 1318 01:06:34.960 --> 01:06:37.800 like come back, slash, stay on and do like these 1319 01:06:37.800 --> 01:06:42.079 little like almost tidy things to help with future selections 1320 01:06:42.119 --> 01:06:45.239 for additional teams. So that was helpful, like because you 1321 01:06:45.280 --> 01:06:47.719 kind of all got to come back together and do 1322 01:06:47.800 --> 01:06:50.760 the CST thing again and then and then bring new 1323 01:06:50.840 --> 01:06:53.199 candidates in and teach them like the tips and tricks 1324 01:06:53.239 --> 01:06:58.320 that you had learned. But yeah, it was never It's 1325 01:06:58.360 --> 01:07:00.360 not designed to be like a standing unit. I mean, 1326 01:07:00.360 --> 01:07:03.239 this is a thing that you come in and you 1327 01:07:03.280 --> 01:07:05.199 do it, and you usually go home, especially when you 1328 01:07:05.239 --> 01:07:07.119 think about it, like from the officer side. I mean 1329 01:07:08.199 --> 01:07:10.400 I kept getting warned about what it would do to 1330 01:07:10.440 --> 01:07:14.000 my career progression that I was like going off of 1331 01:07:14.079 --> 01:07:19.840 the script, off the timeline script, and I don't really 1332 01:07:20.079 --> 01:07:22.320 like who I don't care about that, Like sure, I'm 1333 01:07:22.320 --> 01:07:23.800 never going to be like a four start John't who 1334 01:07:23.800 --> 01:07:26.440 gives a shit if I like did something cool one year. 1335 01:07:28.280 --> 01:07:31.960 But yes, it was never designed to be a standing unit. 1336 01:07:32.679 --> 01:07:35.159 Which is interesting though because now I hear these things 1337 01:07:35.159 --> 01:07:37.239 of like, well, we don't need CST because we have 1338 01:07:37.320 --> 01:07:39.400 women in SF and we have women rangers and I'm 1339 01:07:39.440 --> 01:07:47.400 like a female ODA engineer, medic whatever her job is 1340 01:07:47.440 --> 01:07:50.199 to be an engineer, medic whatever. Her job is not 1341 01:07:50.239 --> 01:07:52.199 to deal with women and children on the battlefield. It's 1342 01:07:52.239 --> 01:07:56.559 a totally different role. It's not simply the presence and 1343 01:07:56.599 --> 01:07:59.320 the ownership. Can I save vagina on this. 1344 01:07:59.320 --> 01:08:01.400 Podcast vagina is cleared? 1345 01:08:02.079 --> 01:08:05.239 Okay? It is not simply the owner being the owner 1346 01:08:05.280 --> 01:08:08.519 of a vagina that makes you just do that role. 1347 01:08:08.639 --> 01:08:12.159 There is, there's training, it's a specific role, it's a 1348 01:08:12.280 --> 01:08:16.760 specific techniques, tactics, things that you're doing. It's not simply 1349 01:08:16.840 --> 01:08:18.039 just being a woman in the room. 1350 01:08:18.159 --> 01:08:18.319 Right. 1351 01:08:18.399 --> 01:08:21.760 So, I think it's very unfortunate that it's not something 1352 01:08:21.760 --> 01:08:25.760 that's a standing program or that it can't readily be 1353 01:08:26.199 --> 01:08:30.000 pulled off the shelf and dusted off and be ready 1354 01:08:30.000 --> 01:08:35.159 to be operationalized again. I will say later teams like 1355 01:08:35.239 --> 01:08:39.640 we have like skill identifiers that indicate that we did it, 1356 01:08:39.680 --> 01:08:40.800 but the earlier teams. 1357 01:08:40.520 --> 01:08:41.279 Don't have that benefit. 1358 01:08:41.319 --> 01:08:43.760 Which is also why a lot of them are fighting, 1359 01:08:43.960 --> 01:08:46.640 you know, every single day to try and get their 1360 01:08:46.720 --> 01:08:50.399 VA benefits to be to help them with the medical 1361 01:08:50.439 --> 01:08:52.920 problems that they're they're facing as a result of their 1362 01:08:53.560 --> 01:08:57.600 of their service is because they didn't. They weren't given 1363 01:08:57.600 --> 01:08:59.680 that designated They were basically just told like go home. 1364 01:09:00.880 --> 01:09:02.960 So I'm thankful that some of us have that designator 1365 01:09:02.960 --> 01:09:04.680 at least because it gives us a little bit more 1366 01:09:05.119 --> 01:09:05.960 to push back on. 1367 01:09:06.199 --> 01:09:12.119 But yeah, well, the last part of Afghanistan I got 1368 01:09:12.159 --> 01:09:13.760 to get out of you, of course, is your dog 1369 01:09:13.880 --> 01:09:14.680 smuggling ring. 1370 01:09:16.039 --> 01:09:19.560 It was not a ring. First of all. 1371 01:09:19.600 --> 01:09:21.800 It sounds like a conspiracy to me, if. 1372 01:09:21.680 --> 01:09:22.840 My lawyer is listening. 1373 01:09:25.239 --> 01:09:31.800 No. Yeah, met this puppy the mountain right there. Uh 1374 01:09:32.039 --> 01:09:35.000 you know how cute those dang mountain dogs are over there. 1375 01:09:35.279 --> 01:09:40.119 I would not describe them as cute, they're cute. And 1376 01:09:40.199 --> 01:09:42.079 we had one kid get bit in the ass and 1377 01:09:42.119 --> 01:09:44.479 he had to get a series of rabies shots. Young 1378 01:09:44.560 --> 01:09:46.159 ranger getting bit out on the target. 1379 01:09:46.760 --> 01:09:48.960 Well, that's unfortunate. I'm sorry that happened to him. 1380 01:09:49.000 --> 01:09:51.239 But this was a very little puppy who is very 1381 01:09:51.279 --> 01:09:54.960 sweet and bold enough to hang out around us because 1382 01:09:54.960 --> 01:09:58.920 he had figured out that humans, especially Americans like dogs, 1383 01:09:59.159 --> 01:10:00.159 love his kind. 1384 01:10:01.199 --> 01:10:02.560 So he was willing to hang out with us. 1385 01:10:02.600 --> 01:10:05.000 So you know, brought him down, kept him near us 1386 01:10:05.039 --> 01:10:10.199 outside the compound, fed him, and he was really cute 1387 01:10:10.199 --> 01:10:13.560 because he uh, like he knew that I was like, 1388 01:10:13.600 --> 01:10:17.119 I would come and go, not an affectionate animal, like 1389 01:10:17.159 --> 01:10:21.479 this was purely a resource exchange to him, and he 1390 01:10:21.520 --> 01:10:23.239 would go and hang out on the flight line and 1391 01:10:23.279 --> 01:10:25.279 like when the helicopter would come in, he'd be like 1392 01:10:25.399 --> 01:10:28.600 hanging out, you know, like where's my turkey sausage? Like, 1393 01:10:29.079 --> 01:10:31.840 glad you're not dead, where's my turkey sausage? So he 1394 01:10:31.880 --> 01:10:34.239 really didn't give a shit about me. But I have 1395 01:10:34.319 --> 01:10:35.960 been a lifelong animal lover. 1396 01:10:35.960 --> 01:10:36.439 And. 1397 01:10:37.800 --> 01:10:40.119 Even you know, even with my CSC partner there, that 1398 01:10:40.199 --> 01:10:44.199 was a very isolating experience. I mean, only two women 1399 01:10:44.279 --> 01:10:49.239 basically on that Ranger compound and then that's me. 1400 01:10:49.560 --> 01:10:50.319 That's pretty much it. 1401 01:10:50.479 --> 01:10:54.399 So just like a bright sunny spot in like a dark, 1402 01:10:55.119 --> 01:10:58.920 dusty space and something hard to contend with when you're 1403 01:10:58.960 --> 01:11:01.479 like twenty five year brain still forming. So met this 1404 01:11:01.560 --> 01:11:06.640 dog took care of him. Finally, the rangers, similar to 1405 01:11:06.840 --> 01:11:10.359 the Raby story, started rounding up the dogs and shooting them. 1406 01:11:11.640 --> 01:11:14.359 And I had put a flea collar on this dog 1407 01:11:14.439 --> 01:11:16.039 because I was like I don't want to have fleas, 1408 01:11:16.079 --> 01:11:22.039 you know, And I got a very nasty message from 1409 01:11:22.039 --> 01:11:27.039 the Ranger company commander saying like, whoever's putting the flea 1410 01:11:27.079 --> 01:11:29.319 collar on the dog? He knew it was me, whoever's 1411 01:11:29.319 --> 01:11:30.960 putting the flea collar on the dog, like cease and 1412 01:11:31.039 --> 01:11:34.960 assist immediately. And I was like, okay, well I'm not. 1413 01:11:35.760 --> 01:11:37.720 So I called back and I'm like, well, technically like 1414 01:11:37.800 --> 01:11:39.920 this Jaysock Battalion commanders in charge of me. 1415 01:11:39.920 --> 01:11:41.600 And he's like really cool, So I'm gonna call him 1416 01:11:41.640 --> 01:11:42.359 and I'm like, hey. 1417 01:11:42.199 --> 01:11:44.119 Sir, I have mommy daddy games. 1418 01:11:44.239 --> 01:11:47.000 Yeah, I like, I don't work, You're not my real dad. 1419 01:11:48.039 --> 01:11:49.000 But I'm like, hey, sir, it was me. 1420 01:11:49.039 --> 01:11:50.399 I put the flea collar on the dog and I'm 1421 01:11:50.439 --> 01:11:52.119 not gonna stop putting the flea collar on the dog. 1422 01:11:52.199 --> 01:11:53.680 And he's basically like I don't want to hear about it. 1423 01:11:53.680 --> 01:11:57.399 Stephanie like live your life, but like, don't the rangers 1424 01:11:57.439 --> 01:12:00.960 like stop pissing them off. And so finally there was 1425 01:12:01.000 --> 01:12:03.319 like a series of incidents where dogs started getting shot. 1426 01:12:03.359 --> 01:12:05.840 Whether it was for good measure or not, I don't know, 1427 01:12:05.920 --> 01:12:08.960 but I was kind of like I'm gonna like snap, 1428 01:12:09.319 --> 01:12:11.239 like I'm gonna have a very hard time if somebody 1429 01:12:11.279 --> 01:12:15.439 kills this dog. And so I reached out to an 1430 01:12:15.560 --> 01:12:19.560 organization called Puppy Rescue Mission, and I was like, do 1431 01:12:19.640 --> 01:12:22.439 you guys know any Americans in the area, and they 1432 01:12:22.439 --> 01:12:25.239 were like, actually, we know this woman that's studying in Kabul, 1433 01:12:26.039 --> 01:12:28.439 So if you can get him out of the camp, 1434 01:12:28.680 --> 01:12:31.720 like we can start helping you. You just have to 1435 01:12:31.720 --> 01:12:36.079 send this money to this person and then keep us 1436 01:12:36.159 --> 01:12:38.840 posted basically, so I was able to get some of 1437 01:12:38.840 --> 01:12:42.600 his basic veterinary meds brought in and get him some 1438 01:12:42.640 --> 01:12:44.840 of that stuff. So he was at least like a 1439 01:12:44.880 --> 01:12:47.840 stronger start than he probably would have been at this point. 1440 01:12:47.880 --> 01:12:50.720 He was like outpacing his like half dead puppy brothers 1441 01:12:50.720 --> 01:12:52.920 and sisters. I couldn't save them all. Kills me. I 1442 01:12:52.920 --> 01:12:55.079 couldn't save them all. I had to pick one. And 1443 01:12:55.119 --> 01:12:58.079 you know, so he's ten times bigger than everybody. And 1444 01:12:58.119 --> 01:13:00.279 they keep telling me like, oh, at some point one 1445 01:13:00.359 --> 01:13:02.880 night she's gonna call, and I'm just like really hoping 1446 01:13:02.880 --> 01:13:04.760 it's not while I'm like out on mission or gone 1447 01:13:04.840 --> 01:13:06.640 or something. And finally, like, do you remember those like 1448 01:13:06.640 --> 01:13:10.760 shitty rochans Did you have to add minutes too? It 1449 01:13:10.800 --> 01:13:13.159 was like these like next Tell but these. 1450 01:13:13.000 --> 01:13:15.359 Like really crap like phone cards. 1451 01:13:16.199 --> 01:13:17.880 Yeah, and you had to like put them in these 1452 01:13:17.920 --> 01:13:20.760 like really crappy phones. And so one night I'm like 1453 01:13:20.800 --> 01:13:23.640 really low on minutes. But they start calling and she's like, hey, 1454 01:13:23.680 --> 01:13:27.560 I'm like on my way. So it's like she calls, 1455 01:13:27.640 --> 01:13:28.880 She's like how do I get on this space? And 1456 01:13:28.880 --> 01:13:30.600 I'm like, well, you don't, but like you can get 1457 01:13:30.600 --> 01:13:33.039 into like the outer perimeter and then I can meet 1458 01:13:33.079 --> 01:13:36.239 you probably, So she ends up calling. 1459 01:13:36.319 --> 01:13:37.680 She's like, I'm outside the outer perimeter. 1460 01:13:37.840 --> 01:13:40.119 So I geared up because I was gonna have to 1461 01:13:40.199 --> 01:13:40.680 leave the gate. 1462 01:13:40.880 --> 01:13:42.520 And this was not. 1463 01:13:42.560 --> 01:13:44.680 A good decision. I knew it was wrong, but I 1464 01:13:44.720 --> 01:13:47.720 was gonna do it. I don't think the Statute of 1465 01:13:47.760 --> 01:13:48.760 Limitations has passed. 1466 01:13:48.840 --> 01:13:50.039 This is probably unwise. 1467 01:13:51.199 --> 01:13:54.960 But yeah, basically me and my CST partner, who God 1468 01:13:55.000 --> 01:13:58.279 bless her, was like, you're not going alone. So she 1469 01:13:58.399 --> 01:14:00.560 suited up too, and so we put all of our 1470 01:14:00.600 --> 01:14:03.960 gear on and everything, grab our rifles and pistols and everything, 1471 01:14:04.600 --> 01:14:06.119 go out to the gate and we're like, hey, we're 1472 01:14:06.159 --> 01:14:10.479 gonna We're like gonna run the gate. We're gonna take 1473 01:14:10.479 --> 01:14:13.000 this dog and run the gate. And it's snowing like hell, 1474 01:14:13.279 --> 01:14:17.840 and they're like, all right, good luck, ladies. Like like 1475 01:14:17.880 --> 01:14:20.159 if something happens, like we're not responsible, like this is 1476 01:14:20.439 --> 01:14:22.640 you're not supposed to be doing this and I'm like, yep, okay, 1477 01:14:22.800 --> 01:14:26.279 but you know, and so we run him out. This 1478 01:14:26.359 --> 01:14:29.439 woman jumps out of the car, opens this car. There's 1479 01:14:29.479 --> 01:14:32.319 this Afghan man driving and there's a cat carrier, and 1480 01:14:32.359 --> 01:14:35.479 I like, shove this puppy in, kiss him on his 1481 01:14:35.600 --> 01:14:37.720 nasty face and tell him like, I love you so much, 1482 01:14:37.720 --> 01:14:42.319 I'll take you on the other side. And this dog 1483 01:14:42.399 --> 01:14:44.119 is just looking at me like I should have killed 1484 01:14:44.119 --> 01:14:47.920 you when I got the chance, and they just take off, and. 1485 01:14:47.880 --> 01:14:49.520 Then I didn't hear anything for a while, and I 1486 01:14:49.600 --> 01:14:51.319 was like, damn. 1487 01:14:51.399 --> 01:14:54.880 I think like they just like fleeced me for money, right, 1488 01:14:55.399 --> 01:14:57.520 And then finally I get this email that's like, hey, 1489 01:14:57.640 --> 01:15:01.560 Smokey is at this like safe house outside a couple. 1490 01:15:03.319 --> 01:15:04.880 We're gonna like try and get them on like a 1491 01:15:04.920 --> 01:15:08.119 cargo plane. We need this amount of money for whatever. 1492 01:15:08.159 --> 01:15:09.840 And I'm like, well, if they're still scamming me, they're 1493 01:15:09.840 --> 01:15:11.399 doing a great job, because I'm gonna send the money. 1494 01:15:11.880 --> 01:15:14.359 And one day I get a message it's like he's 1495 01:15:14.359 --> 01:15:18.319 making it onto the plane. Do you have somebody on 1496 01:15:18.359 --> 01:15:19.800 the other side they can get him? And I'm like, 1497 01:15:19.880 --> 01:15:21.800 I really didn't consider that we would get this far. 1498 01:15:21.960 --> 01:15:25.000 So like, no, I made no coordinations for this. So 1499 01:15:25.039 --> 01:15:27.760 I called my roommate at the time and I'm like, hey, dude, 1500 01:15:27.800 --> 01:15:29.960 if you take care of this feral animal that I'm 1501 01:15:30.000 --> 01:15:33.359 shipping to our house, you don't have to pay rent. 1502 01:15:33.840 --> 01:15:38.239 He's like what, So sure enough, good guy. He took 1503 01:15:38.319 --> 01:15:41.079 care of him. I got back like a month and 1504 01:15:41.119 --> 01:15:44.079 a half, maybe two months later, I don't remember, but 1505 01:15:44.159 --> 01:15:46.279 he was like ten times bigger than the last time 1506 01:15:46.319 --> 01:15:49.920 I saw him. He starts barking and like howling at me, 1507 01:15:50.520 --> 01:15:53.479 and then finally he like realized who it was. And man, 1508 01:15:53.920 --> 01:15:55.279 you talk about like homecoming. 1509 01:15:55.359 --> 01:15:55.920 That was like. 1510 01:15:57.399 --> 01:16:00.680 That like completed me just to see this, to go 1511 01:16:00.720 --> 01:16:03.279 from this little tiny puppy to that' like giant, nasty 1512 01:16:04.359 --> 01:16:07.960 mountain dog living in Georgia, and all his commands were 1513 01:16:08.319 --> 01:16:11.560 were in pasto, so like I had to work with 1514 01:16:11.640 --> 01:16:13.880 him on that too, because I couldn't go to like 1515 01:16:13.920 --> 01:16:16.720 a Georgia dog park and be like Bill Parasha like 1516 01:16:16.760 --> 01:16:18.239 this is like not a good look. 1517 01:16:18.560 --> 01:16:23.640 He caught his freedom bird home, So is he there 1518 01:16:23.680 --> 01:16:24.199 with you? Now? 1519 01:16:25.079 --> 01:16:27.439 He is? He's he's outside. 1520 01:16:26.960 --> 01:16:31.039 With my my Okay. I was going to say, extra 1521 01:16:31.119 --> 01:16:32.840 points if we could get him on camera but. 1522 01:16:33.600 --> 01:16:36.520 He's very he's very suspicious about cameras. He doesn't want 1523 01:16:36.520 --> 01:16:37.479 his likeness to be seen. 1524 01:16:40.479 --> 01:16:44.000 So you get this talk back to the United States 1525 01:16:44.039 --> 01:16:48.600 and you're not so much enjoying your reunion with the 1526 01:16:48.640 --> 01:16:52.000 conventional military. So what did you Where did you go 1527 01:16:52.079 --> 01:16:52.560 from there? 1528 01:16:54.119 --> 01:16:56.399 So I called c A called the CIA branch and 1529 01:16:56.439 --> 01:16:59.560 I'm like, hey, I want to know if this CIA 1530 01:16:59.640 --> 01:17:01.960 selection that I went to a very long time ago 1531 01:17:02.119 --> 01:17:05.840 is still good. And thankfully at that time they were like, yeah, 1532 01:17:05.880 --> 01:17:08.159 come on over. So even though I had done really 1533 01:17:08.159 --> 01:17:11.520 bad on my what was the D lab? Was it 1534 01:17:11.520 --> 01:17:12.439 the D lab the one. 1535 01:17:12.279 --> 01:17:13.920 For language language? Yeah? 1536 01:17:14.000 --> 01:17:17.359 Yeah, So I had taken that a week before I went. 1537 01:17:18.800 --> 01:17:23.279 I went to selection, I want to. 1538 01:17:23.279 --> 01:17:26.880 Say, yeah, it and basically the facility like lost power 1539 01:17:26.920 --> 01:17:28.760 in the middle of it. And so then they restarted 1540 01:17:28.800 --> 01:17:31.159 it and like it may as well have been like 1541 01:17:31.239 --> 01:17:33.600 sim language to me, Like it was so bad at 1542 01:17:33.640 --> 01:17:35.800 the D lab, I could have figured it out. So 1543 01:17:35.960 --> 01:17:38.840 they were like, yeah, I mean, you're like language based 1544 01:17:38.840 --> 01:17:41.000 scores like not very good, but do you promise us 1545 01:17:41.039 --> 01:17:42.479 that you'll like try and learn a language. 1546 01:17:42.479 --> 01:17:44.079 And I was like sure thing, and they're like, all right, 1547 01:17:44.119 --> 01:17:44.640 come on over. 1548 01:17:44.840 --> 01:17:48.520 So thankfully got to make the switch over to CA 1549 01:17:49.520 --> 01:17:56.039 went through soft Triple C. Had to pause the training 1550 01:17:56.039 --> 01:17:57.600 because I had to get my shoulder repaired. 1551 01:17:57.960 --> 01:17:59.199 I had a series of. 1552 01:17:59.119 --> 01:18:03.199 Like traumatic and to it, I was just trying to 1553 01:18:03.239 --> 01:18:06.039 like nug through it, tie in it to myself at night, 1554 01:18:07.239 --> 01:18:09.319 tying it to myself when I ran, you know, just 1555 01:18:09.439 --> 01:18:12.920 it was like basically useless, just like a wooden arm 1556 01:18:12.960 --> 01:18:16.039 that kept falling out. But that time that was really 1557 01:18:16.079 --> 01:18:21.279 helpful because they were looking for a captain to come 1558 01:18:21.319 --> 01:18:24.359 to the run the operations section at the Joint Special 1559 01:18:24.359 --> 01:18:28.520 Operations Medical Training Center. And that was right when COVID 1560 01:18:28.680 --> 01:18:33.159 was like really popping off. And I had been going 1561 01:18:33.199 --> 01:18:37.079 to grad school before I left for Afghanistan for emergency 1562 01:18:37.119 --> 01:18:39.680 and disaster management. So I was like, this is my 1563 01:18:39.840 --> 01:18:43.560 time to shine and so had a lot of fun 1564 01:18:43.680 --> 01:18:46.560 with that. That's just like such a cool professional organization. 1565 01:18:46.760 --> 01:18:50.279 I mean that schoolhouse, like all of my admiration goes 1566 01:18:50.319 --> 01:18:54.239 to the Special Operation medical community. I mean what they 1567 01:18:54.279 --> 01:18:59.760 do is truly incredible, just really really amazing people. So 1568 01:18:59.800 --> 01:19:01.880 to be able to be inside the Schoolhouse and like 1569 01:19:02.399 --> 01:19:06.119 keep them resourced, you know, make sure things were on track, 1570 01:19:07.239 --> 01:19:10.560 advocate for them, like that was a really good opportunity. 1571 01:19:10.600 --> 01:19:13.760 And then I resumed the pipeline, went through CAA and 1572 01:19:14.119 --> 01:19:17.760 was very blessed to be assigned to the ninety first. 1573 01:19:17.800 --> 01:19:19.000 So Africa, I'm aligned. 1574 01:19:19.520 --> 01:19:22.039 And did you end up having to go to language school? 1575 01:19:22.920 --> 01:19:28.359 Yes? I did French, not well, but enough to pass 1576 01:19:28.399 --> 01:19:30.119 the tests and honestly, at the end of the day, 1577 01:19:30.159 --> 01:19:34.119 that's all that matters. But yes, yeah, and we only 1578 01:19:34.119 --> 01:19:38.800 got four months of language, which is pretty tough. So 1579 01:19:38.960 --> 01:19:40.840 I felt really bad for the guys learning like Russian 1580 01:19:40.880 --> 01:19:43.039 and Arabic. But yeah, I just got French, which is 1581 01:19:43.039 --> 01:19:46.239 what I wanted because I really wanted Africa. Like I 1582 01:19:46.279 --> 01:19:48.359 was like, I will do everything that I have to 1583 01:19:48.399 --> 01:19:50.199 do to get Africa. I want to go to. 1584 01:19:50.159 --> 01:19:53.520 Africa, And you did, right. They sent you to West 1585 01:19:53.560 --> 01:19:55.119 Africa a bunch of times. 1586 01:19:55.359 --> 01:19:59.000 Yeah, I got to go to Senegal and then Benin 1587 01:19:59.399 --> 01:20:00.399 was the big one. 1588 01:20:00.439 --> 01:20:02.760 Benin was probably the most impactful. 1589 01:20:03.079 --> 01:20:06.239 Well, let's start with Senegal. Then what was that deployment? 1590 01:20:06.399 --> 01:20:10.600 Like that was really fun. It was thirty people. It 1591 01:20:10.720 --> 01:20:14.479 was very much like a get immersed, figure out what's 1592 01:20:14.479 --> 01:20:18.239 going on out here, similar to what. 1593 01:20:18.319 --> 01:20:21.960 You had talked about when we spoke before. 1594 01:20:22.039 --> 01:20:24.159 It was there was a kind of an ocent thing 1595 01:20:24.199 --> 01:20:27.039 that they wanted us to test out and do stuff with. 1596 01:20:27.119 --> 01:20:28.880 So that was a great opportunity for us to go. 1597 01:20:29.800 --> 01:20:32.039 Kind of hard to keep a low profile with thirty people, 1598 01:20:33.159 --> 01:20:34.239 but that was super cool. 1599 01:20:34.279 --> 01:20:35.800 I mean we went, we went all over. 1600 01:20:35.920 --> 01:20:39.600 We really like really went like very like local like 1601 01:20:39.680 --> 01:20:43.760 it was. It was really good. Yeah, just a good 1602 01:20:43.800 --> 01:20:48.600 time speaking as much French as humanly possible. That was 1603 01:20:48.640 --> 01:20:51.439 really the intent behind it was like get as many 1604 01:20:51.479 --> 01:20:55.119 people a bit of on continent experience as possible in 1605 01:20:55.159 --> 01:21:02.199 a low threat environment and like integrated with the embassy 1606 01:21:02.239 --> 01:21:05.960 because West Africa is going to become a thing, so 1607 01:21:06.000 --> 01:21:10.079 we need to start rolling people into here and you know, 1608 01:21:10.239 --> 01:21:11.640 getting some names to faces. 1609 01:21:12.520 --> 01:21:15.680 And it was the intent also sort of like developing 1610 01:21:15.680 --> 01:21:18.039 the relationship with the Senegalie. 1611 01:21:18.680 --> 01:21:23.039 Yeah. Absolutely. We went and met with the War College 1612 01:21:23.159 --> 01:21:25.880 and then met with some of like the soldiers and 1613 01:21:25.920 --> 01:21:31.319 then there was like a like a fight house type 1614 01:21:31.319 --> 01:21:32.760 of thing that a lot of soldiers were in. So 1615 01:21:32.800 --> 01:21:34.960 a bunch of the guys went and did like combatives 1616 01:21:35.000 --> 01:21:37.079 like in the sand and just. 1617 01:21:37.039 --> 01:21:39.479 Oh you're talking about that like that, uh, the native 1618 01:21:39.800 --> 01:21:40.840 wrestling that they do. 1619 01:21:41.520 --> 01:21:43.760 Yeah, I mean it was crazy. I didn't partner it again, 1620 01:21:43.840 --> 01:21:46.520 I have a fake shoulder, so like not good. I 1621 01:21:46.560 --> 01:21:47.119 will watch. 1622 01:21:47.760 --> 01:21:51.159 But it's huge there, huge yeah. 1623 01:21:50.880 --> 01:21:52.840 Yeah, super athletes. It was a lot of fun. 1624 01:21:52.880 --> 01:21:55.760 We joined like a gym in the community and it 1625 01:21:55.880 --> 01:21:58.199 was like such like a prison gym vibe, Like everything 1626 01:21:58.279 --> 01:21:59.439 was just like filthy. 1627 01:21:59.079 --> 01:22:02.680 Invested, and it was like such a good workout. Every 1628 01:22:02.720 --> 01:22:05.119 time that they have. 1629 01:22:05.600 --> 01:22:08.960 I've heard the kids state because it's a way. You know, 1630 01:22:09.079 --> 01:22:10.920 kids do that because they make a lot of money 1631 01:22:10.920 --> 01:22:13.479 if they become good at it. And I've heard them 1632 01:22:13.520 --> 01:22:16.199 like lifting weights in Cadence. The guys I call in 1633 01:22:16.319 --> 01:22:19.439 like one, two, three and you can hear the weights clacking. 1634 01:22:19.840 --> 01:22:22.000 It was incredible, Like those gyms were incredible. I mean 1635 01:22:22.000 --> 01:22:25.199 these guys were I don't know if they were using substances. 1636 01:22:25.319 --> 01:22:27.359 I never asked, it was none of my business, but 1637 01:22:27.399 --> 01:22:29.239 I mean some of the largest men I'd ever seen. 1638 01:22:29.760 --> 01:22:30.960 It's so encouraging. 1639 01:22:31.000 --> 01:22:33.199 Like I usually get irritated at the gym when somebody's like, ooh, 1640 01:22:33.359 --> 01:22:35.239 check your form on that, But like when these guys 1641 01:22:35.279 --> 01:22:39.000 gave me guidance, I'd be like, just sir, we'll implement 1642 01:22:39.039 --> 01:22:43.000 that immediately. Just a good time it was. It was 1643 01:22:43.039 --> 01:22:48.840 really just make some friends, understand the area, get some 1644 01:22:48.920 --> 01:22:52.399 faces to names, and ingratiate ourselves at that phase. 1645 01:22:53.199 --> 01:22:54.640 Do you want to talk at all about like the 1646 01:22:54.680 --> 01:22:57.760 leadership challenge that you faced out there? 1647 01:22:59.680 --> 01:23:04.680 Yeah, yeah, without like sharing anybody's like private information. We 1648 01:23:04.720 --> 01:23:09.880 had a pretty severe mental health crisis that happened, and 1649 01:23:09.920 --> 01:23:12.920 this was like a pretty formative like leadership lesson for me. 1650 01:23:15.159 --> 01:23:17.079 The company commander stayed back, so I was like the 1651 01:23:17.079 --> 01:23:20.119 ground force commander out there, and I was which meant 1652 01:23:20.119 --> 01:23:24.239 my peers, like I was responsible for reporting back on 1653 01:23:24.279 --> 01:23:26.359 behalf of me and my peers as well, so other 1654 01:23:26.479 --> 01:23:31.079 captains and one of the one of the soldiers we 1655 01:23:31.079 --> 01:23:33.640 took with us, had a very serious mental health episode 1656 01:23:33.680 --> 01:23:38.560 that we probably should have seen coming, like Echelon's above, 1657 01:23:38.640 --> 01:23:40.680 us probably should have seen coming. So I was very 1658 01:23:40.680 --> 01:23:44.600 frustrated by that, but it didn't matter. Like at that point, 1659 01:23:44.600 --> 01:23:46.319 it was like deal with it and do what we 1660 01:23:46.399 --> 01:23:49.960 have to do. And so again thankful to the Special 1661 01:23:50.000 --> 01:23:55.000 Operations medical community. The medics across the teams in that 1662 01:23:55.119 --> 01:23:58.920 unit were just absolutely fabulous, did what they needed to do, 1663 01:23:59.079 --> 01:24:03.960 got very creative, tapped in some embassy resources to help 1664 01:24:04.000 --> 01:24:06.239 us out and hold us over to make sure nobody 1665 01:24:06.279 --> 01:24:09.439 was in like an immediately life threatening situation, and then 1666 01:24:09.760 --> 01:24:14.520 we were able to coordinate a very interesting evacuation to 1667 01:24:15.039 --> 01:24:16.680 get that soldier out and get him the help that 1668 01:24:16.720 --> 01:24:19.920 he needed, which I mean, you've you've been over there, 1669 01:24:19.960 --> 01:24:21.439 that's like not a place where you go to like 1670 01:24:21.560 --> 01:24:25.159 local clinics or you right, yeah, like mental health is 1671 01:24:25.199 --> 01:24:25.600 not a thing. 1672 01:24:25.800 --> 01:24:28.760 Yeah, no, it's not. I remember I had a local 1673 01:24:28.800 --> 01:24:32.680 woman in Senegal tell me, she said, uh, what was 1674 01:24:32.720 --> 01:24:36.199 it that that like anxiety is a Western thing? Like 1675 01:24:36.239 --> 01:24:37.119 we don't have that here? 1676 01:24:38.039 --> 01:24:41.520 Yeah. Yeah. And also I mean let's also think like 1677 01:24:41.800 --> 01:24:43.520 I don't I don't want to speculate, but like let's 1678 01:24:43.520 --> 01:24:46.720 also think about like the the substances that are available 1679 01:24:46.760 --> 01:24:48.640 in those markets that you might not even know if 1680 01:24:48.640 --> 01:24:50.920 you're like out on the town, you might not even 1681 01:24:50.920 --> 01:24:53.600 realize that you're you've engaged with. 1682 01:24:54.560 --> 01:24:57.039 You know, probably not even on purpose, hopefully not on purpose. 1683 01:24:57.079 --> 01:25:00.319 So I don't really know precisely what ha and I 1684 01:25:00.359 --> 01:25:02.199 just knew that we had to we had to handle it. 1685 01:25:03.039 --> 01:25:06.159 And again the team like really rallied to to respond 1686 01:25:06.199 --> 01:25:09.920 to that and get that soldier out, and then you know, 1687 01:25:10.039 --> 01:25:11.800 we came back and there was a big discussion on 1688 01:25:11.880 --> 01:25:14.479 like what are civil affairs medics carrying when they are 1689 01:25:14.520 --> 01:25:19.319 overseas because if the ideas that were small autonomous teams, 1690 01:25:20.199 --> 01:25:21.800 we are not always gonna be in a situation where 1691 01:25:21.840 --> 01:25:23.720 you can call the embassy and say hey, come help. 1692 01:25:25.880 --> 01:25:29.600 And that's exactly what we had to do. So that 1693 01:25:29.720 --> 01:25:32.640 was that was an interesting learning lesson I think for everybody. 1694 01:25:32.840 --> 01:25:38.239 Yeah. Uh, and then you said Benin was kind of 1695 01:25:38.439 --> 01:25:39.279 a big one for you. 1696 01:25:40.359 --> 01:25:45.319 Benin was like my caa super Bowl. So we were 1697 01:25:45.399 --> 01:25:50.640 the soft civil affairs country opener for Benin. My team 1698 01:25:51.039 --> 01:25:55.399 had the best team, very lucky, so we did Adja 1699 01:25:55.479 --> 01:25:58.960 set with them. That was awesome. It was, like I said, 1700 01:25:58.960 --> 01:26:03.439 the first civil fairs ones. So the semic focus. Benin 1701 01:26:03.600 --> 01:26:09.000 was having a really hard time. The forces, uh Ben 1702 01:26:09.079 --> 01:26:10.880 and wah. So if we call them the fab but 1703 01:26:12.439 --> 01:26:14.000 they were having a really hard time because they're being 1704 01:26:14.000 --> 01:26:15.920 a bit heavy handed up on some of the border 1705 01:26:16.000 --> 01:26:20.159 regions and you know, rounding young men up, whether they 1706 01:26:20.159 --> 01:26:22.680 were actually affiliated with terrorists or not. You know, they 1707 01:26:22.680 --> 01:26:28.279 were still participating in general banditry to probably survive for 1708 01:26:28.319 --> 01:26:31.680 whatever reason, you know, but they were being pretty heavy 1709 01:26:31.680 --> 01:26:34.039 handed and so it's creating a really big rift with 1710 01:26:34.079 --> 01:26:34.720 the community. 1711 01:26:34.880 --> 01:26:35.319 And so. 1712 01:26:37.600 --> 01:26:39.920 Uh, soccaf and African were like, hey, this is a 1713 01:26:39.920 --> 01:26:42.319 good place to target a civil affairs j set. 1714 01:26:42.439 --> 01:26:45.439 Let's work through some of these sib MIL dynamics. 1715 01:26:45.920 --> 01:26:48.279 So we had a great time, went out there, worked 1716 01:26:48.279 --> 01:26:50.319 with them thirty days. 1717 01:26:50.640 --> 01:26:50.760 Uh. 1718 01:26:51.560 --> 01:26:54.279 We maximized it. We made the most of it. We 1719 01:26:54.359 --> 01:26:57.600 did everything with them, you name it, we did it. 1720 01:26:58.720 --> 01:27:01.119 And it was good because it was a totally different 1721 01:27:01.119 --> 01:27:06.640 group that had not benefited from the odas because they 1722 01:27:06.680 --> 01:27:10.199 had like their there are like more tactical units that 1723 01:27:10.560 --> 01:27:12.359 of course, you go to any country and you're like, 1724 01:27:12.359 --> 01:27:13.600 we want to do a j set and they're going 1725 01:27:13.640 --> 01:27:15.920 to give you their like their arranger regiment, right because 1726 01:27:15.920 --> 01:27:17.319 they're like, that's who we want to give all this to. 1727 01:27:18.000 --> 01:27:20.960 This was great because they were like they genuinely understood 1728 01:27:21.000 --> 01:27:23.439 that this does not necessarily need to be like their 1729 01:27:23.720 --> 01:27:25.760 their frontline guys that are like door kicking. 1730 01:27:26.239 --> 01:27:28.560 It probably needs to be dispersed throughout the force. 1731 01:27:28.640 --> 01:27:33.880 So they had like medics, vets, everybody in there, like lawyers, 1732 01:27:34.960 --> 01:27:36.960 and then some like some of the ground troop guys, 1733 01:27:37.000 --> 01:27:39.439 so that it could really disperse through the through the 1734 01:27:39.439 --> 01:27:44.760 formations and then we closed that out and thankful to 1735 01:27:45.039 --> 01:27:48.079 the gracious support of Spirit of America, we were able 1736 01:27:48.119 --> 01:27:50.760 to secure a lot more money than I expected, and 1737 01:27:50.800 --> 01:27:54.039 we were able to do a medical Civic Action program 1738 01:27:54.399 --> 01:27:58.520 UH in a rural community. We also brought in an 1739 01:27:58.560 --> 01:28:01.720 Odia to help trade in the fab that had done 1740 01:28:01.720 --> 01:28:03.079 the j set with us, and then we're going to 1741 01:28:03.159 --> 01:28:05.199 do this capstone event was going to be the medcap 1742 01:28:05.239 --> 01:28:07.279 for a couple of days, they came in and talked 1743 01:28:07.279 --> 01:28:09.439 to them about like setting up security for these types 1744 01:28:09.479 --> 01:28:12.000 of events. So it was like a lot of layering 1745 01:28:12.039 --> 01:28:16.079 effects and wouldn't have been possible without Spirit of America. 1746 01:28:17.520 --> 01:28:20.760 But that was really really eye opening. It was like 1747 01:28:21.720 --> 01:28:23.840 I felt like I was watching the baby birds fly, 1748 01:28:23.920 --> 01:28:26.520 almost as like I had just spent thirty plus days 1749 01:28:26.520 --> 01:28:28.800 with these guys, like teaching them everything I could possibly 1750 01:28:28.880 --> 01:28:30.439 know about what they needed to know, or at least 1751 01:28:30.439 --> 01:28:32.439 what I thought they needed to know, and doing it 1752 01:28:32.479 --> 01:28:35.439 in French right, and like we had so much fun. 1753 01:28:37.199 --> 01:28:39.039 And then that first day of the MEDCAP, I was 1754 01:28:39.039 --> 01:28:42.840 like being very micromanagy and just because I was like 1755 01:28:42.880 --> 01:28:44.600 you cited and jazzed up and I wanted it to 1756 01:28:44.600 --> 01:28:46.800 go really well, and it was like so great because 1757 01:28:46.840 --> 01:28:49.439 at one point one of the guys, like one of 1758 01:28:49.479 --> 01:28:51.680 like the junior officers, came over and he was like, 1759 01:28:52.560 --> 01:28:56.159 we'd got it, like we were doing this, We're okay, 1760 01:28:56.800 --> 01:29:00.800 Like it's okay, like you can go hands off, and 1761 01:29:00.840 --> 01:29:03.840 I was like cool. And then like for the rest 1762 01:29:03.880 --> 01:29:05.520 of that medcap over a couple of days, it was 1763 01:29:05.560 --> 01:29:12.159 like so much fun just observing helping, like using certain 1764 01:29:12.159 --> 01:29:15.239 things as training opportunities, but at that like micro level, 1765 01:29:15.880 --> 01:29:19.560 with the intent that would spread throughout the formation. And 1766 01:29:19.600 --> 01:29:21.920 then the Embassy did a really good job of amplifying 1767 01:29:21.960 --> 01:29:25.920 that story. And so it's great now because I see 1768 01:29:26.359 --> 01:29:28.359 the one of the kernels that was in that j set, 1769 01:29:28.680 --> 01:29:31.359 I see him like on the news now all the 1770 01:29:31.399 --> 01:29:34.800 time talking about Benin and like the work that the FAB. 1771 01:29:34.640 --> 01:29:37.239 Is doing in the local communities. 1772 01:29:36.680 --> 01:29:40.560 And how they're repairing relationships and they're hosting events to 1773 01:29:40.960 --> 01:29:42.760 get them a little bit closer to the population. So 1774 01:29:42.800 --> 01:29:45.039 it just I'm super proud of that one because I 1775 01:29:45.600 --> 01:29:48.239 think there was there was ripples from that, and I 1776 01:29:48.279 --> 01:29:49.960 don't think that you always get to say that, like 1777 01:29:50.000 --> 01:29:51.880 I didn't necessarily feel like there was ripples from my 1778 01:29:51.880 --> 01:29:56.640 time in Afghanistan, right, I feel like there was genuinely 1779 01:29:56.720 --> 01:29:59.720 ripples from the time and Benine and that to me 1780 01:29:59.800 --> 01:30:02.920 is like civil Affairs isn't always seen as like the 1781 01:30:02.960 --> 01:30:07.720 sexiest soft tribe, you know, but to me, that's like. 1782 01:30:07.720 --> 01:30:08.600 Why it matters. 1783 01:30:08.720 --> 01:30:13.319 That's that's really like the impact is that that human 1784 01:30:13.399 --> 01:30:16.159 terrain aspect of it. And so I was very very proud, 1785 01:30:16.520 --> 01:30:18.359 very thankful to be part of that that mission. 1786 01:30:19.560 --> 01:30:21.680 I mean, I'm really glad that you could explain to 1787 01:30:21.720 --> 01:30:24.079 people what civil affairs does because there's a lot of 1788 01:30:24.159 --> 01:30:27.479 misunderstanding or so it's more of a harder cell, I 1789 01:30:27.520 --> 01:30:30.159 think than like a Special Forces guy or a Navy cel. 1790 01:30:30.199 --> 01:30:31.800 People kind of understand. 1791 01:30:31.359 --> 01:30:34.479 That, yeah, we do that to ourselves. 1792 01:30:34.880 --> 01:30:37.000 I set my novel in Beneen. 1793 01:30:38.039 --> 01:30:38.920 Oh really yeah. 1794 01:30:39.039 --> 01:30:41.159 Yeah. Had I known you were there, I would have 1795 01:30:41.239 --> 01:30:42.560 called you up for some research. 1796 01:30:44.760 --> 01:30:45.239 I don't know. 1797 01:30:45.479 --> 01:30:47.439 I don't know about that. 1798 01:30:47.800 --> 01:30:50.359 I was busy. And also I got like heat stroke 1799 01:30:50.439 --> 01:30:52.720 like four times. So again, thank got for my medics. 1800 01:30:52.760 --> 01:30:55.600 Like I remember teaching teaching one of the classes with 1801 01:30:55.640 --> 01:30:57.680 like an ivy like running through my arm as I'm 1802 01:30:57.680 --> 01:31:00.319 like trying to like fight through my French translation of 1803 01:31:01.319 --> 01:31:02.319 how to speak to people. 1804 01:31:04.159 --> 01:31:06.920 And so as you start like winding down your active 1805 01:31:06.960 --> 01:31:09.800 duty time, I remember you had told me you spent 1806 01:31:09.880 --> 01:31:10.800 some time in Italy. 1807 01:31:11.760 --> 01:31:14.800 Yeah, So my final assignment on active duty, I was 1808 01:31:14.840 --> 01:31:18.079 the Aide de camp to the Navy four stars. So 1809 01:31:18.159 --> 01:31:21.359 that was super eye opening to work for the Navy, 1810 01:31:22.119 --> 01:31:27.640 really great experience. He was the commander Naval Forces Africa, 1811 01:31:28.800 --> 01:31:32.680 Naval Forces Europe and ally Jointed Force Command Naples, so 1812 01:31:32.760 --> 01:31:35.560 the NATO Command in Naples, Italy. And so that's what 1813 01:31:35.600 --> 01:31:38.119 I did for the last two years of my active 1814 01:31:38.199 --> 01:31:38.760 duty time. 1815 01:31:39.399 --> 01:31:41.920 Now, how do you like that? That sounds on paper 1816 01:31:41.920 --> 01:31:43.439 it sounds like a pretty cush assignment. 1817 01:31:44.319 --> 01:31:49.960 It was so not cush, like you know, my husband 1818 01:31:50.039 --> 01:31:51.359 came over there for a little bit and then he 1819 01:31:51.439 --> 01:31:53.159 was like, now I'm going to go back, because like 1820 01:31:53.399 --> 01:31:55.199 you're never here, and when you are here, you're just 1821 01:31:55.239 --> 01:31:57.760 like so stressful to be around. 1822 01:31:58.760 --> 01:32:02.159 It was an incredible experience. The exposure. 1823 01:32:02.279 --> 01:32:05.079 I mean I went to like over like think I 1824 01:32:05.119 --> 01:32:06.960 did account It was like over like twenty five countries 1825 01:32:07.039 --> 01:32:11.760 or something crazy some of those multiple times. The peak 1826 01:32:11.800 --> 01:32:14.359 behind the curtain. You know, if you're the person that's 1827 01:32:14.359 --> 01:32:19.479 attached the hip of a four star, especially in those commands, 1828 01:32:19.560 --> 01:32:23.479 like to see historical events playing out in real time 1829 01:32:23.640 --> 01:32:25.880 that nobody in the world but you and those people 1830 01:32:25.920 --> 01:32:27.760 in that room or know that are happening right then, 1831 01:32:28.479 --> 01:32:30.640 and then knowing you can't tell anybody about it, and 1832 01:32:30.680 --> 01:32:32.000 then you see it on the news a couple days 1833 01:32:32.039 --> 01:32:33.560 later and you're like, Okay, cool, now I can like 1834 01:32:34.039 --> 01:32:38.359 kind of talk about it. Just a really good learning 1835 01:32:38.359 --> 01:32:42.000 opportunity to the I would say to like anybody that's 1836 01:32:42.079 --> 01:32:46.319 still in the military and deciding like broadening assignments like that. 1837 01:32:46.479 --> 01:32:50.439 So I had to choose between that or an assignment 1838 01:32:50.520 --> 01:32:53.000 at first Group, and I really wanted the first Group one, 1839 01:32:53.039 --> 01:32:55.079 and that would have been an amazing opportunity as well. 1840 01:32:55.520 --> 01:32:57.319 But there was like something niggling in the back of 1841 01:32:57.319 --> 01:33:00.840 my brain that like a NATO assignment is like crazy, 1842 01:33:00.920 --> 01:33:04.439 and a NATO assignment in a four stars like personal 1843 01:33:04.479 --> 01:33:08.079 staff is like nuts. So I'm glad that I did 1844 01:33:08.079 --> 01:33:13.840 that because the NATO exposure fabulous, Like just to be 1845 01:33:13.960 --> 01:33:16.479 in an environment where you're not immediately like the big 1846 01:33:16.520 --> 01:33:19.039 dog when you walk in, like you know, you go overseas, 1847 01:33:19.079 --> 01:33:20.359 you go to all these places and you're like, I'm 1848 01:33:20.399 --> 01:33:22.439 an American but then you walk into a NATO command 1849 01:33:22.479 --> 01:33:23.960 and it's not always like the Americans in. 1850 01:33:24.000 --> 01:33:24.720 Charge of the thing. 1851 01:33:26.319 --> 01:33:30.560 So that was very humbling and very helpful. And then 1852 01:33:30.800 --> 01:33:32.520 again to go to some of those countries that like 1853 01:33:32.560 --> 01:33:35.640 in what world would I be going to like Serbia, right, 1854 01:33:37.000 --> 01:33:41.239 you know, or like watching like crises in Kosovo like 1855 01:33:41.399 --> 01:33:44.239 unfold from you know, the back of a plane and 1856 01:33:44.279 --> 01:33:45.560 trying to figure out what we're gonna do when we 1857 01:33:45.640 --> 01:33:48.760 hit the ground, like we had like an emergency landing 1858 01:33:48.800 --> 01:33:52.600 in Poland that was nuts, and like I was in 1859 01:33:52.640 --> 01:33:56.439 the cockpit with like the little GPS tracker, like trying 1860 01:33:56.439 --> 01:33:56.960 to figure. 1861 01:33:56.720 --> 01:33:58.399 Out where we were going and what needed to happen. 1862 01:33:58.520 --> 01:34:03.239 Like just crazy like that, because like you're responsible for 1863 01:34:03.279 --> 01:34:04.920 getting the four star where he needs to be because 1864 01:34:04.920 --> 01:34:05.840 he's a four star, he's. 1865 01:34:05.760 --> 01:34:07.760 Got a lot going on. He's the only guy that 1866 01:34:07.800 --> 01:34:08.399 can do the thing. 1867 01:34:09.520 --> 01:34:13.319 So very high pressure, but a lot of fun. Very 1868 01:34:13.319 --> 01:34:15.399 thankful to have worked for that commander because he was 1869 01:34:15.560 --> 01:34:20.479 very patient, very kind, very cerebral, and so my exposure 1870 01:34:20.520 --> 01:34:23.439 to the Navy in that regard was I think that 1871 01:34:23.520 --> 01:34:25.159 was good, good Navy exposure. 1872 01:34:25.319 --> 01:34:27.479 And then just such a professional staff around him. 1873 01:34:28.720 --> 01:34:30.920 But you didn't care for Naples so much. 1874 01:34:31.800 --> 01:34:35.600 No, And you know, I'm ethnically Italian, like Theresa is 1875 01:34:35.640 --> 01:34:39.000 my maiden name, Rittola is my married name. You know, 1876 01:34:39.039 --> 01:34:44.920 I'm wearing a Cornicello necklace, like I'm Italian. But Naples, 1877 01:34:44.920 --> 01:34:48.800 man Naples was the food ten out of ten, the 1878 01:34:48.840 --> 01:34:52.279 wine ten out of ten when you went down to 1879 01:34:52.319 --> 01:34:56.000 the Amafi coast beautiful. But living in Naples like felt 1880 01:34:56.239 --> 01:34:59.720 like Syria. It's just the governance is very poor. They've 1881 01:34:59.720 --> 01:35:04.720 been gutted in terms of the resources. In southern Italy, 1882 01:35:06.880 --> 01:35:08.640 it was just chaotic. It kind of felt like a 1883 01:35:08.680 --> 01:35:11.439 war zone. So I also, you know, I took the 1884 01:35:11.439 --> 01:35:13.520 assignment and thinking, ooh, my European vacation, and it was 1885 01:35:13.640 --> 01:35:17.239 very much so not a European vacation one because of 1886 01:35:17.279 --> 01:35:20.159 the nature of the assignment and too just the location 1887 01:35:20.319 --> 01:35:23.640 wasn't necessarily what I think one thinks of when they 1888 01:35:23.640 --> 01:35:27.000 think about going to Naples, Italy. But nice to be 1889 01:35:27.039 --> 01:35:28.439 able to just jump in the car on the weekend 1890 01:35:28.439 --> 01:35:31.359 and like go to Sirecto or go like you know, 1891 01:35:31.920 --> 01:35:34.279 rent a boat for like barely anything and just go 1892 01:35:34.359 --> 01:35:36.640 cruise around. Even though I'm like, in no way qualify 1893 01:35:36.720 --> 01:35:37.399 to drive a boat. 1894 01:35:39.760 --> 01:35:44.359 And now you are in the civil Affairs Reserves and 1895 01:35:44.479 --> 01:35:48.079 also out on sippy street work in a real job. 1896 01:35:49.279 --> 01:35:51.159 How are you finding that? How's that treating you? 1897 01:35:51.960 --> 01:35:56.319 It's good, you know. I got off activeduty with fourteen years. 1898 01:35:57.920 --> 01:36:04.039 Made that decision for my family because, as I think 1899 01:36:04.079 --> 01:36:05.960 a lot of people that are drawn to this community, 1900 01:36:06.079 --> 01:36:09.279 if we don't actively pull ourselves out of it, will 1901 01:36:09.319 --> 01:36:11.960 just continue to get on planes and go to other countries, 1902 01:36:11.960 --> 01:36:14.880 and we're gonna chase that feeling every time. So I 1903 01:36:14.920 --> 01:36:19.319 had to make a hard decision get out. My husband 1904 01:36:19.319 --> 01:36:22.439 had gotten out like four years before, so he was 1905 01:36:22.680 --> 01:36:26.199 he was pretty over the Army experience and went and 1906 01:36:26.199 --> 01:36:28.840 did good things from there. I was terrified because so 1907 01:36:28.920 --> 01:36:32.039 much of my personality is the Army. I mean, like 1908 01:36:32.079 --> 01:36:34.800 I said, I I genuinely believe the Army saved me 1909 01:36:34.840 --> 01:36:37.560 from a really bad future, like I was going down 1910 01:36:37.560 --> 01:36:38.920 a bad path, like I talked about. 1911 01:36:39.640 --> 01:36:41.039 So I owe a lot of my. 1912 01:36:43.520 --> 01:36:48.239 Like just my everything, my education, my confidence, my friendships, 1913 01:36:48.760 --> 01:36:51.319 everything I have to the Army. My dog, my husband, 1914 01:36:51.319 --> 01:36:52.800 I met him in the Army, right, like I owe 1915 01:36:52.800 --> 01:36:55.840 everything the Army. So very hard for me to make 1916 01:36:55.840 --> 01:36:59.239 that tradition transition, which is why I made the decision 1917 01:36:59.239 --> 01:37:03.800 to stick with reserve, So got off activity. The next 1918 01:37:03.880 --> 01:37:07.039 day I was assigned to reserve unit. That Reserve unit 1919 01:37:07.119 --> 01:37:09.760 is super cool. They're out in Virginia Beach. They're actually 1920 01:37:09.760 --> 01:37:15.840 getting after stuff, really good realistic training and super high 1921 01:37:15.920 --> 01:37:21.840 quality experienced people willing to learn but also teach. Just 1922 01:37:21.920 --> 01:37:25.560 a good time with with good access out there. Virginia 1923 01:37:25.600 --> 01:37:27.840 Beach is like incredible, So like sure, I'll go do 1924 01:37:28.680 --> 01:37:32.479 drill in Virginia Beach because it's just beautiful. And then yeah, 1925 01:37:32.560 --> 01:37:36.000 working on the civilian side, I work for an AI 1926 01:37:36.159 --> 01:37:39.520 enabled decision intelligence company. They're London based. 1927 01:37:41.239 --> 01:37:44.039 And I have a lot of autonomy. 1928 01:37:45.199 --> 01:37:47.520 Absolutely love what I do. It's a it's a platform 1929 01:37:47.600 --> 01:37:50.960 that I wish that I had had. Definitely would have 1930 01:37:50.960 --> 01:37:53.880 been helpful in Afghanistan, would have been very helpful in 1931 01:37:53.880 --> 01:37:58.479 West Africa, especially towards the soft and a regular warfare 1932 01:37:58.560 --> 01:38:02.600 mission set. So you know, if you you believe in 1933 01:38:02.640 --> 01:38:05.880 the in the platform that you're helping people get onto 1934 01:38:05.920 --> 01:38:08.720 and learn about, and the team culture is awesome, that 1935 01:38:08.840 --> 01:38:12.119 is really very much so making the transition easier. It's 1936 01:38:12.479 --> 01:38:16.439 it's a great team, really great company. Everybody's awesome. A 1937 01:38:16.439 --> 01:38:21.840 lot of former military soft from Allied nations as well, 1938 01:38:22.000 --> 01:38:24.640 so I still get that kind of like NATO feel 1939 01:38:24.720 --> 01:38:27.920 to it as well. And so it's been it's been 1940 01:38:27.960 --> 01:38:30.920 really great. But you know, I still keep tabs on everything. 1941 01:38:30.960 --> 01:38:34.239 I still get those those hunger payings for the Army sometimes. 1942 01:38:34.279 --> 01:38:36.000 But then I go on the Army subreddit and like 1943 01:38:36.079 --> 01:38:37.520 read all the crap that's going on, and. 1944 01:38:37.439 --> 01:38:38.279 I'm like, yeah, I'm good. 1945 01:38:40.239 --> 01:38:44.920 I was gonna say, it sounds like there might be 1946 01:38:44.960 --> 01:38:48.359 another adventure or two for you out there with the reserves, 1947 01:38:48.399 --> 01:38:51.199 if they some more time spent in Africa. 1948 01:38:51.239 --> 01:38:54.560 Maybe, Yeah, absolutely, I mean I think that's the seriously 1949 01:38:54.600 --> 01:38:58.039 like undersung aspect of the reserves is like if you 1950 01:38:58.520 --> 01:39:00.479 what I'm coming to realize is like, if you want 1951 01:39:00.479 --> 01:39:02.319 to do something and you want to get after it, 1952 01:39:02.479 --> 01:39:07.840 those opportunities available, and you're so much less at the 1953 01:39:07.840 --> 01:39:09.760 whims of timing, Like I feel like it is on 1954 01:39:09.840 --> 01:39:13.600 active duty, where like you missed the deployment by a month, right, 1955 01:39:13.720 --> 01:39:16.239 or you know whatever, you recycled to school so then 1956 01:39:16.239 --> 01:39:19.039 it delayed something like that. It's it's it's not like 1957 01:39:19.039 --> 01:39:20.479 that in the reserves. Like if you want to do it. 1958 01:39:20.560 --> 01:39:23.680 You want to contribute, even if it's for shorter stints, 1959 01:39:23.720 --> 01:39:27.000 like you can go do that. So there's definitely opportunities 1960 01:39:29.119 --> 01:39:31.960 that could come down the pipeline if if it makes sense. 1961 01:39:33.840 --> 01:39:36.800 So tell us about All True. 1962 01:39:37.119 --> 01:39:42.920 So All True was formed by former csts Jessey. You 1963 01:39:43.000 --> 01:39:46.560 had her on one of your episodes earlier and she 1964 01:39:46.840 --> 01:39:52.720 is incredible. So nonprofit founded by former csts, like I said, 1965 01:39:52.840 --> 01:39:57.119 and it has grown to be an amalgamation of women 1966 01:39:57.560 --> 01:40:01.880 and men from the soft community that are all about 1967 01:40:01.960 --> 01:40:04.000 empowering future generations. 1968 01:40:04.039 --> 01:40:06.239 So they're doing a lot of great work. 1969 01:40:06.279 --> 01:40:12.079 They've done some incredible stuff in Ukraine and then Kenya 1970 01:40:12.199 --> 01:40:13.600 was a recent one and they've got a lot of 1971 01:40:13.680 --> 01:40:17.239 great stuff coming up. But that has been so critical 1972 01:40:17.520 --> 01:40:21.840 to such a that that tiny community of women that 1973 01:40:21.840 --> 01:40:25.279 were csts of like just being like I see you, 1974 01:40:25.479 --> 01:40:28.199 I know what you did, I know what you're about, 1975 01:40:28.399 --> 01:40:32.279 and just the rallying around each other, advocating for each other, 1976 01:40:32.319 --> 01:40:34.039 and then all of the men that are part of that, 1977 01:40:34.039 --> 01:40:37.920 that worked with us or worked around us, that also 1978 01:40:37.960 --> 01:40:42.800 believe in that that operational imperative of of essentially like 1979 01:40:43.159 --> 01:40:45.760 I don't want to say weaponizing gender, but knowing there's 1980 01:40:45.840 --> 01:40:52.000 value in UH using that gendered aspect in for for operational. 1981 01:40:51.479 --> 01:40:57.159 Success and and also you want to talk about Guerrera. 1982 01:40:58.079 --> 01:41:00.319 Guerrera. Yes, did you watch Gera? No? 1983 01:41:00.520 --> 01:41:01.760 I haven't seen it. I'm sorry. 1984 01:41:02.800 --> 01:41:06.840 So. Guerrera is a three part series produced by All 1985 01:41:06.840 --> 01:41:08.399 True and Dulcinea Productions. 1986 01:41:08.640 --> 01:41:08.760 UH. 1987 01:41:08.880 --> 01:41:13.640 It tells the UH story of Jenny and Captain Jenny Morino, 1988 01:41:13.760 --> 01:41:16.119 she was killed in action when she was a CST, 1989 01:41:17.840 --> 01:41:20.680 but it also tells the story of the broader CST 1990 01:41:21.039 --> 01:41:26.680 story and also the Afghan Female Tactical Platoon story from 1991 01:41:27.039 --> 01:41:30.239 csts that were there, ftps that were there, and then 1992 01:41:30.279 --> 01:41:32.760 the men that we or at least those teams. I 1993 01:41:32.800 --> 01:41:34.800 was not on those teams that was early in the 1994 01:41:34.880 --> 01:41:38.039 in the CST program that were there and worked with 1995 01:41:38.039 --> 01:41:42.760 those women and saw their value and still beat the 1996 01:41:42.800 --> 01:41:46.680 drum for it. Like I said, three part series Apple, 1997 01:41:47.479 --> 01:41:53.279 Apple TV, YouTube Premium and then Amazon. It's really incredible, 1998 01:41:54.680 --> 01:41:56.640 if not just for like the footage alone, I still 1999 01:41:56.680 --> 01:41:58.399 don't understand how they got some of the footage that 2000 01:41:58.439 --> 01:42:01.279 they did, like archived footage, just really incredible. If you've 2001 01:42:01.319 --> 01:42:05.960 been to Afghanistan, like you will, you will be like 2002 01:42:06.000 --> 01:42:09.199 transported back. You can like you can smell it almost 2003 01:42:09.359 --> 01:42:13.199 like that that distinct Afghanistans. Then while you're watching this 2004 01:42:13.399 --> 01:42:18.800 but very moving, very important story captures a part of 2005 01:42:19.279 --> 01:42:21.760 uh our history that I think a lot of people 2006 01:42:22.359 --> 01:42:24.840 don't know about and probably would would never know about 2007 01:42:24.880 --> 01:42:29.520 unless they went looking for it, just because the CST 2008 01:42:29.680 --> 01:42:33.760 story has not been captured in that way necessarily before. 2009 01:42:34.439 --> 01:42:36.439 So I think if anybody is interested in that, they 2010 01:42:36.479 --> 01:42:38.680 want to learn more about the Odas and range A 2011 01:42:38.720 --> 01:42:40.840 regiment and all of that and how we worked with them. 2012 01:42:40.920 --> 01:42:43.880 That's a that's a really good primer. And then the 2013 01:42:43.920 --> 01:42:46.119 context of like everything that was going on for the 2014 01:42:46.119 --> 01:42:48.199 CST program to be stood up. I think that's an 2015 01:42:48.199 --> 01:42:53.680 important part to understanding the the the policy and the 2016 01:42:53.720 --> 01:42:57.279 strategic failures of the global we're on terror as well. 2017 01:42:57.960 --> 01:43:01.199 So just a just a different, different approach to capturing 2018 01:43:01.239 --> 01:43:01.760 that history. 2019 01:43:02.359 --> 01:43:05.920 Definitely, I'm looking forward to it off to check it out. 2020 01:43:06.840 --> 01:43:09.000 Is there anything else you'd like to talk about? Anything 2021 01:43:09.039 --> 01:43:11.159 I've failed to ask during this interview that you'd like 2022 01:43:11.199 --> 01:43:11.680 to get into. 2023 01:43:12.319 --> 01:43:14.560 Oh, I feel like we've been like talking for hours. 2024 01:43:14.600 --> 01:43:16.600 I've just been talking so much. 2025 01:43:17.760 --> 01:43:20.520 No, I really appreciate it I think what you're doing 2026 01:43:20.600 --> 01:43:24.640 spreading the word, capturing people's stories is really important, you know, 2027 01:43:24.680 --> 01:43:28.159 it's it's we were talking about before, Like this just 2028 01:43:28.239 --> 01:43:30.920 makes it's a small world, but the military makes it 2029 01:43:30.960 --> 01:43:33.279 even smaller. So I think it's really important to know 2030 01:43:33.319 --> 01:43:37.079 what our our our brothers and sisters are doing out 2031 01:43:37.079 --> 01:43:41.760 there or have done, because it informs what you could 2032 01:43:41.800 --> 01:43:43.760 possibly do or what you might be interested in. Right Like, 2033 01:43:43.800 --> 01:43:47.600 if people hadn't talked about the CST program, I wouldn't 2034 01:43:47.600 --> 01:43:49.439 have known about it. I wouldn't have known to keep 2035 01:43:50.119 --> 01:43:51.760 you know, I wouldn't have known to like key in 2036 01:43:51.800 --> 01:43:53.640 on that when it came out on the in the mill. 2037 01:43:53.560 --> 01:43:56.520 Per message because I would have had no context. 2038 01:43:56.920 --> 01:43:59.000 So I think it's very important to talk about these 2039 01:43:59.279 --> 01:44:02.760 these programs, even if they're sunseted they don't exist. I 2040 01:44:02.800 --> 01:44:06.199 personally believe there will be a need for a CST 2041 01:44:06.479 --> 01:44:10.680 or a CST like program again, and so I think 2042 01:44:10.720 --> 01:44:14.960 it it would benefit us all to learn about it 2043 01:44:15.159 --> 01:44:17.560 now and take some of the lessons from it, so 2044 01:44:17.600 --> 01:44:19.960 we're we're a little bit more prepared next time. 2045 01:44:20.199 --> 01:44:24.159 Definitely, where can people find you? Are you on social 2046 01:44:24.199 --> 01:44:25.840 media or LinkedIn or anything? 2047 01:44:26.039 --> 01:44:29.359 Yeah? The only social media I have is linkedin' I'm 2048 01:44:29.359 --> 01:44:32.319 a LinkedIn girl these days. You know, you make the 2049 01:44:32.319 --> 01:44:34.560 pivot to corporate, you got to be on the LinkedIn game. 2050 01:44:34.640 --> 01:44:36.760 So yeah, you can find me on LinkedIn. It's Stephanie R. 2051 01:44:36.840 --> 01:44:40.039 D Rotolo. If you want to see my dog, I do. 2052 01:44:40.199 --> 01:44:41.680 I have to put pictures of him on there. He 2053 01:44:41.720 --> 01:44:44.119 has his like very own branded aspect. 2054 01:44:45.680 --> 01:44:48.319 But yeah, that's where you can find me. I'm on 2055 01:44:48.359 --> 01:44:49.079 there all the time. 2056 01:44:50.600 --> 01:44:54.199 Yeah, okay, and yeah, we'll have a link down the 2057 01:44:54.199 --> 01:44:58.399 description of this podcast also for folks. Well, Stephanie, I mean, 2058 01:44:58.399 --> 01:45:00.760 thank you for doing this interview. Really appreciate it. 2059 01:45:01.479 --> 01:45:03.079 Thanks so much. It was super fun. 2060 01:45:03.399 --> 01:45:06.840 Yeah. Yeah, well stay in touch and everyone else. We'll 2061 01:45:07.359 --> 01:45:12.760 see you guys next week. Hey, guys, I want to 2062 01:45:12.760 --> 01:45:16.399 take a moment to tell you about the Teamhouse podcast newsletter. 2063 01:45:16.880 --> 01:45:19.760 If you go and subscribe, it's totally free, and what 2064 01:45:19.840 --> 01:45:23.159 it will do is aggregate all of our data, all 2065 01:45:23.199 --> 01:45:26.239 of our content that we put out, the things that 2066 01:45:26.319 --> 01:45:30.199 are on the Teamhouse on our geopolitics podcast, Eyes On, 2067 01:45:31.439 --> 01:45:34.439 things that I write journalistically with Sean Naylor on the 2068 01:45:34.520 --> 01:45:38.640 High Side, anything else that we have going on books 2069 01:45:38.680 --> 01:45:42.760 we recommend upcoming guests that we have coming on the show, 2070 01:45:43.199 --> 01:45:45.840 and also you know, filtering in some fun stuff in 2071 01:45:45.880 --> 01:45:48.560 there as well. If you go and check it out, 2072 01:45:48.560 --> 01:45:50.359 we send it out just once a week. We don't 2073 01:45:50.359 --> 01:45:52.720 want to spam you guys. It's just a kind of 2074 01:45:52.840 --> 01:45:55.920 roll up of all of our content on a weekly basis. 2075 01:45:56.359 --> 01:45:59.880 You can find our newsletter at teamhouse podcast dot kit 2076 01:46:00.199 --> 01:46:04.319 dot com slash join again. The website for that is 2077 01:46:04.359 --> 01:46:08.600 teamhouse podcast dot kit dot com slash join. Uh So 2078 01:46:08.640 --> 01:46:10.800 we hope to see you there. The link will be 2079 01:46:10.840 --> 01:46:11.600 down the description