1 00:00:00,033 --> 00:00:02,033 (crowd cheering) 2 00:00:04,166 --> 00:00:05,000 And yo boys and girls, 3 00:00:05,066 --> 00:00:05,700 it's time for another 4 00:00:05,766 --> 00:00:06,733 Jeep Talk Show interview. 5 00:00:07,166 --> 00:00:07,466 We're gonna be 6 00:00:07,533 --> 00:00:09,400 talking with Anthony Dreyer. 7 00:00:09,666 --> 00:00:11,966 And Anthony, all the viewers here know 8 00:00:12,266 --> 00:00:13,000 how bad I am at 9 00:00:13,066 --> 00:00:15,166 pronunsticating things, as I like to say. 10 00:00:15,599 --> 00:00:17,733 So you correct me on any of this. 11 00:00:18,033 --> 00:00:19,133 Actually, I was gonna ask you, 12 00:00:19,199 --> 00:00:21,666 is it Silva, North Carolina, 13 00:00:22,466 --> 00:00:23,466 that I see here in the intro? 14 00:00:23,766 --> 00:00:23,966 Silva. 15 00:00:24,500 --> 00:00:25,833 Correct, he has a born and raised 16 00:00:25,899 --> 00:00:27,666 and spent 18 years of my life 17 00:00:27,733 --> 00:00:29,066 before I joined the Air Force there, so. 18 00:00:29,333 --> 00:00:31,766 Okay, I just didn't wanna mess it up. 19 00:00:31,833 --> 00:00:33,799 It looks like Sylvia, but there's no I. 20 00:00:34,166 --> 00:00:36,266 Anthony Dreyer is a former US Air Force 21 00:00:36,333 --> 00:00:37,033 special missions 22 00:00:37,100 --> 00:00:38,566 aviator with over a decade 23 00:00:38,633 --> 00:00:39,500 of experience in 24 00:00:39,566 --> 00:00:41,100 special operations aviation. 25 00:00:41,533 --> 00:00:42,666 He flew high risk 26 00:00:42,733 --> 00:00:44,399 missions around the globe, 27 00:00:44,466 --> 00:00:45,266 earning multiple 28 00:00:45,333 --> 00:00:46,933 accolades, including Air Force, 29 00:00:47,399 --> 00:00:48,366 the Air Force's Jolly 30 00:00:48,433 --> 00:00:49,833 Green Rescue mission 31 00:00:50,166 --> 00:00:51,633 of the year in 2018. 32 00:00:52,233 --> 00:00:54,399 Originally from Silva, North Carolina, 33 00:00:54,466 --> 00:00:56,566 in the heart of the 34 00:00:56,633 --> 00:00:58,133 Appalachian Mountains, 35 00:00:58,466 --> 00:00:59,766 Anthony brings the same 36 00:00:59,833 --> 00:01:01,700 courage and gift and grit 37 00:01:01,766 --> 00:01:03,299 that defined his 38 00:01:03,366 --> 00:01:05,500 military career to his work 39 00:01:05,833 --> 00:01:08,566 as an author and mental health advocate. 40 00:01:08,900 --> 00:01:12,433 His book and memoir, "Moonchild" often, 41 00:01:12,966 --> 00:01:14,566 or rather offers a 42 00:01:14,633 --> 00:01:16,500 raw and compelling look 43 00:01:16,566 --> 00:01:18,833 at war, trauma, addiction, and recovery. 44 00:01:19,299 --> 00:01:21,433 Shedding light on the invisible battles 45 00:01:21,799 --> 00:01:23,033 that many veterans and 46 00:01:23,099 --> 00:01:24,633 service members have, 47 00:01:24,700 --> 00:01:25,700 or that they face. 48 00:01:26,433 --> 00:01:29,533 All right, so Anthony, as you can tell, 49 00:01:29,866 --> 00:01:31,233 I wear reading glasses, and 50 00:01:31,299 --> 00:01:32,200 that's why I chopped that up 51 00:01:32,266 --> 00:01:33,633 so badly, because I don't have them on. 52 00:01:35,333 --> 00:01:37,400 (laughs) I still read on a fifth grade level, man, 53 00:01:37,466 --> 00:01:39,433 so somehow managed to put a book out. 54 00:01:39,599 --> 00:01:40,533 I can't read. 55 00:01:41,366 --> 00:01:41,700 (laughs) 56 00:01:41,866 --> 00:01:42,533 I read books and 57 00:01:42,599 --> 00:01:43,599 pictures in them, you know, so. 58 00:01:43,766 --> 00:01:44,833 I can barely talk. 59 00:01:45,099 --> 00:01:46,666 (beep) I gotta read, too. 60 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:48,733 All right, Anthony, so this is cool. 61 00:01:49,099 --> 00:01:50,033 Is this your first 62 00:01:50,099 --> 00:01:50,966 book that you've written? 63 00:01:51,566 --> 00:01:52,900 It is, yeah, it's just 64 00:01:52,966 --> 00:01:54,466 over a year old now, so. 65 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:57,000 Just a relatively quick read, too, is 66 00:01:57,066 --> 00:01:58,166 about a two-hour read, 67 00:01:58,466 --> 00:02:00,099 but it'll take you through all the 68 00:02:00,166 --> 00:02:01,066 emotions in two hours, 69 00:02:01,133 --> 00:02:02,299 is what I like to tell people, 70 00:02:02,366 --> 00:02:03,733 so at least what I've heard from it, so. 71 00:02:04,266 --> 00:02:05,566 I got a dear friend 72 00:02:05,633 --> 00:02:06,833 that's written a few books, 73 00:02:06,900 --> 00:02:08,833 and a different subject 74 00:02:08,900 --> 00:02:09,933 from yours, of course, 75 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:13,533 but it's funny, this learning the process 76 00:02:13,599 --> 00:02:14,333 that I've heard from 77 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:17,500 her, it really almost is 78 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:19,366 just something that you gotta get out, 79 00:02:19,433 --> 00:02:20,833 the story that you have to get out, 80 00:02:21,133 --> 00:02:24,133 because unless there's a movie deal, 81 00:02:24,333 --> 00:02:26,099 you ain't makin' no money off of books. 82 00:02:26,599 --> 00:02:28,466 No, yeah, yeah, that's what, 83 00:02:28,633 --> 00:02:30,333 there is this sort of, you know, 84 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:31,133 people believe that 85 00:02:31,199 --> 00:02:32,533 there's thousands and thousands 86 00:02:32,599 --> 00:02:34,699 of dollars, and unless 87 00:02:34,766 --> 00:02:36,033 you're big time, big time, 88 00:02:36,099 --> 00:02:37,433 that's not gonna, at least for me, 89 00:02:37,500 --> 00:02:38,166 that didn't happen like 90 00:02:38,233 --> 00:02:40,199 that, but it does okay, 91 00:02:40,266 --> 00:02:41,866 and really, I tell people 92 00:02:41,933 --> 00:02:43,066 that every sort of veteran 93 00:02:43,133 --> 00:02:44,033 and first responder in 94 00:02:44,099 --> 00:02:46,533 these uncommon type jobs, man, 95 00:02:46,933 --> 00:02:47,966 very just normal men 96 00:02:48,033 --> 00:02:48,766 and women doing these 97 00:02:49,033 --> 00:02:50,566 very uncommon, unnatural things, 98 00:02:50,633 --> 00:02:52,699 so it's good to get that stuff out, 99 00:02:52,766 --> 00:02:54,066 and if writing that 100 00:02:54,133 --> 00:02:55,000 down's a good way to do that, 101 00:02:55,066 --> 00:02:56,800 and somebody may benefit 102 00:02:56,866 --> 00:02:57,733 from your words, you know? 103 00:02:58,233 --> 00:02:59,900 Oh, absolutely, and you never know, 104 00:02:59,966 --> 00:03:01,066 and I think a lot of people, 105 00:03:01,133 --> 00:03:02,933 and this is true for podcasting as well, 106 00:03:03,300 --> 00:03:05,900 a lot of people go, who am I to do 107 00:03:05,966 --> 00:03:06,866 something like this? 108 00:03:07,033 --> 00:03:08,233 Who am I that, you know, 109 00:03:08,866 --> 00:03:09,599 people that have known me 110 00:03:09,666 --> 00:03:11,000 for years barely listen to me, 111 00:03:11,266 --> 00:03:12,933 or are they gonna get a 112 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:14,433 book and read what I had to say 113 00:03:14,500 --> 00:03:16,533 or listen to me on a podcast? 114 00:03:16,666 --> 00:03:18,400 But you should do it, you know, 115 00:03:18,633 --> 00:03:19,566 because you don't know, if 116 00:03:19,633 --> 00:03:21,333 you don't do it, you don't know. 117 00:03:22,166 --> 00:03:23,233 Let me ask you about 118 00:03:23,300 --> 00:03:25,133 the title of the book 119 00:03:25,199 --> 00:03:27,766 without giving it away too much, 120 00:03:27,833 --> 00:03:28,533 because we do want 121 00:03:28,599 --> 00:03:30,533 people to purchase the book 122 00:03:30,599 --> 00:03:31,633 and get it, I'm assuming 123 00:03:31,699 --> 00:03:32,833 it's available on Amazon 124 00:03:32,900 --> 00:03:34,533 and you can get it on Kindle and stuff? 125 00:03:35,433 --> 00:03:36,566 Yes, sir, you can get it on Amazon, 126 00:03:36,633 --> 00:03:37,199 Barnes and Noble, 127 00:03:37,266 --> 00:03:38,466 basically anywhere they sell books 128 00:03:38,533 --> 00:03:39,699 and then trademarker media. 129 00:03:41,266 --> 00:03:44,233 So the name of the book is Moon Child, 130 00:03:44,766 --> 00:03:47,833 what's the reason for the name? 131 00:03:48,866 --> 00:03:51,066 Yeah, so I was born on a full moon there, 132 00:03:51,133 --> 00:03:52,400 in Appalachia, you know, in North 133 00:03:52,466 --> 00:03:53,433 Carolina in the mountains 134 00:03:53,500 --> 00:03:54,733 and then basically 135 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:55,900 that was April 7th of 82 136 00:03:56,066 --> 00:03:56,599 and then, you know, 137 00:03:56,666 --> 00:03:57,766 flying around in the gunship, 138 00:03:57,833 --> 00:03:58,599 you're doing this 139 00:03:58,666 --> 00:03:59,800 left hand turn all night, 140 00:04:00,466 --> 00:04:01,766 mostly during the night, you know, 141 00:04:02,266 --> 00:04:04,300 there's parts in the orbit, you know, 142 00:04:04,366 --> 00:04:05,000 where you can sort of 143 00:04:05,066 --> 00:04:06,800 get lost in time and space. 144 00:04:06,866 --> 00:04:07,400 Oh, I bet. 145 00:04:08,266 --> 00:04:08,833 You know, you'll 146 00:04:08,900 --> 00:04:10,533 remember where the moon's at, 147 00:04:10,599 --> 00:04:11,966 you know, sort of my get well point, 148 00:04:12,033 --> 00:04:13,000 like almost like a 149 00:04:13,066 --> 00:04:14,033 lighthouse for me, you know, 150 00:04:14,333 --> 00:04:16,699 and it's always been symbolic, you know, 151 00:04:16,766 --> 00:04:17,833 about like, you know, during those 152 00:04:17,899 --> 00:04:18,733 darkest nights, man, 153 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:19,333 that's when the moon 154 00:04:19,399 --> 00:04:20,166 needs to burn the bright ice 155 00:04:20,266 --> 00:04:20,833 and you find those 156 00:04:21,066 --> 00:04:21,933 moments of light, you know, 157 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:23,466 to get you and your fellow 158 00:04:23,533 --> 00:04:24,666 airmen, brothers, sisters, 159 00:04:24,733 --> 00:04:25,600 through all that, you know, 160 00:04:25,666 --> 00:04:26,666 so it's definitely like a, 161 00:04:27,100 --> 00:04:28,399 almost like a lighthouse to me, you know, 162 00:04:28,466 --> 00:04:29,500 and it made flying air 163 00:04:29,566 --> 00:04:30,533 for us with the terrain 164 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:33,033 and easier to pick up tracer fire on NVGs 165 00:04:33,100 --> 00:04:34,066 and stuff like that, you know. 166 00:04:34,866 --> 00:04:36,733 So would this be the 167 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:39,033 same, is it a C-130 gunship? 168 00:04:39,100 --> 00:04:39,866 Is that what it is or 169 00:04:39,933 --> 00:04:40,699 do they have others, 170 00:04:40,833 --> 00:04:42,133 the other gunships? 171 00:04:42,899 --> 00:04:44,866 Yeah, so it's only AC-130, 172 00:04:44,933 --> 00:04:45,833 the A would be attack 173 00:04:45,899 --> 00:04:47,133 and the C would be cargo 174 00:04:47,199 --> 00:04:49,066 and then a C-130 without the, 175 00:04:49,199 --> 00:04:50,566 not being a gunship without guns 176 00:04:50,633 --> 00:04:52,766 would be just a C-130 for cargo. 177 00:04:53,199 --> 00:04:54,866 But yeah, there's a, you know, back then, 178 00:04:54,933 --> 00:04:55,600 when I first started flying, 179 00:04:55,666 --> 00:04:57,600 we had the H model Spectre gunship, 180 00:04:57,666 --> 00:04:58,866 which, you know, it had 181 00:04:58,933 --> 00:05:00,600 tell numbers like 6-9 and 7-2, 182 00:05:00,666 --> 00:05:01,566 like Vietnam, so you're 183 00:05:01,633 --> 00:05:03,399 flying on the same skeletal 184 00:05:03,466 --> 00:05:05,000 structure of the same ones that flew over 185 00:05:05,066 --> 00:05:05,866 the Ho Chi Minh Trail. 186 00:05:06,366 --> 00:05:07,300 So there's always a lot 187 00:05:07,366 --> 00:05:08,300 of pride in that, you know, 188 00:05:08,366 --> 00:05:09,233 being a part of that unit 189 00:05:09,300 --> 00:05:10,533 and it really was sort of 190 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:11,833 built on giants, you know, 191 00:05:12,066 --> 00:05:13,866 and we have a saying in, you know, 192 00:05:13,933 --> 00:05:15,100 special operations is, 193 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:16,266 humans are more 194 00:05:16,333 --> 00:05:17,233 important in hardware, you know, 195 00:05:17,300 --> 00:05:19,199 so it's really about the men and women 196 00:05:19,266 --> 00:05:20,533 that provide that close air support 197 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:22,466 for those super ninjas on the ground, 198 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:23,333 as I like to call them. 199 00:05:23,666 --> 00:05:25,199 Then you had the U model, the Spooky, 200 00:05:25,266 --> 00:05:26,166 which was at Herbertville, 201 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:27,333 which is, you know, 202 00:05:27,399 --> 00:05:28,000 still at Herbertville, 203 00:05:28,066 --> 00:05:28,933 that squadron. 204 00:05:29,833 --> 00:05:31,166 So I did hear right, 205 00:05:31,233 --> 00:05:32,666 this is a gunship that you were on, 206 00:05:32,733 --> 00:05:34,399 so you were on the attack, okay. 207 00:05:35,466 --> 00:05:36,733 Yeah. So, and I don't mean to 208 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:37,833 be offensive about this, 209 00:05:37,899 --> 00:05:38,966 but my only, 210 00:05:40,199 --> 00:05:41,533 Molly, straight hand 211 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:43,966 information from a gunship 212 00:05:44,033 --> 00:05:45,633 that you have orbits and you shoot stuff, 213 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:47,500 is from a game, I 214 00:05:47,566 --> 00:05:48,666 think it was Call of Duty. 215 00:05:49,199 --> 00:05:50,600 And what a wonderful, 216 00:05:51,199 --> 00:05:53,033 what a wonderful segment that was 217 00:05:53,233 --> 00:05:55,266 to take on those guns 218 00:05:55,333 --> 00:05:56,866 and be at the gunship, 219 00:05:56,933 --> 00:05:58,600 shoot and shoot in the ground. 220 00:05:59,233 --> 00:06:00,666 And what do you call it? 221 00:06:01,233 --> 00:06:02,166 Not the nightlight, 222 00:06:02,399 --> 00:06:05,000 where you can see the little glowing 223 00:06:05,066 --> 00:06:05,966 people running around. 224 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:08,566 The iron broom and stuff like that. 225 00:06:09,033 --> 00:06:09,199 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 226 00:06:09,433 --> 00:06:10,133 Yeah, flare, yeah. 227 00:06:10,333 --> 00:06:10,899 Flare, yeah. 228 00:06:11,199 --> 00:06:12,866 So it's so horrible 229 00:06:12,933 --> 00:06:13,500 to actually, you know, 230 00:06:13,566 --> 00:06:14,366 be killing people, but 231 00:06:14,433 --> 00:06:15,300 these weren't real people, 232 00:06:15,366 --> 00:06:16,833 but you were in a situation where, 233 00:06:17,100 --> 00:06:18,166 I mean, they weren't 234 00:06:18,233 --> 00:06:19,266 shooting at the gunship 235 00:06:19,333 --> 00:06:20,633 that I was in in the game, 236 00:06:21,133 --> 00:06:22,833 but you guys could get shot at, 237 00:06:22,899 --> 00:06:25,199 and you could lose your life doing that. 238 00:06:25,266 --> 00:06:26,566 I mean, it's something that, 239 00:06:27,666 --> 00:06:29,133 but people is, it's a funny thing, 240 00:06:29,199 --> 00:06:30,233 people don't wanna die. 241 00:06:30,533 --> 00:06:32,366 So they may shoot back. 242 00:06:33,066 --> 00:06:34,433 Oh yeah, yeah, that's 243 00:06:34,500 --> 00:06:35,100 actually one of the, 244 00:06:35,166 --> 00:06:35,666 they'll tell you one of 245 00:06:35,733 --> 00:06:36,833 the golden rules in gunship, 246 00:06:36,899 --> 00:06:38,233 being, you know, is when shooting, 247 00:06:38,300 --> 00:06:39,699 expect to be fired upon, you know, 248 00:06:39,899 --> 00:06:41,233 and there's, you know, there has been 249 00:06:41,300 --> 00:06:42,233 some lessons learned, 250 00:06:42,300 --> 00:06:43,866 Desert Storm had the Spirit Zero 3, 251 00:06:44,333 --> 00:06:45,800 you know, the gunship, they got shot down 252 00:06:45,866 --> 00:06:46,933 with a surface air missile, 253 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:48,633 which is reasoning, we 254 00:06:48,699 --> 00:06:50,066 usually mostly fly at night. 255 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:51,666 But yeah, I mean, your whole 256 00:06:51,733 --> 00:06:52,933 reason for shooting would be, 257 00:06:53,300 --> 00:06:54,899 you know, basically there's these guys 258 00:06:54,966 --> 00:06:55,933 and gals on the ground, right? 259 00:06:56,266 --> 00:06:57,733 Like our nation's very best, man. 260 00:06:57,800 --> 00:06:59,000 And, you know, there's 261 00:06:59,666 --> 00:07:00,699 letters on that squadron 262 00:07:00,766 --> 00:07:02,466 where like my wife behind, I 263 00:07:02,533 --> 00:07:03,433 guess the mission was like, 264 00:07:03,899 --> 00:07:04,566 there was this ranger 265 00:07:04,633 --> 00:07:05,466 holding his baby girl, 266 00:07:05,533 --> 00:07:07,033 you know, and he's basically thinking 267 00:07:07,100 --> 00:07:08,233 the squadron from the rounds, 268 00:07:08,300 --> 00:07:08,766 he's able to go home 269 00:07:08,833 --> 00:07:09,666 and see his baby girl. 270 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:11,699 And to me, that was the why, you know, 271 00:07:11,766 --> 00:07:13,033 people get caught up on the, you know, 272 00:07:13,100 --> 00:07:14,000 the enemy killed in action, 273 00:07:14,066 --> 00:07:15,166 but really it's about 274 00:07:15,233 --> 00:07:15,899 making sure those guys 275 00:07:15,966 --> 00:07:16,966 get home to their family, you know? 276 00:07:17,833 --> 00:07:19,166 I tell you what, I was 277 00:07:19,233 --> 00:07:20,233 never in the military. 278 00:07:20,533 --> 00:07:21,600 As I've said before, I'm 279 00:07:21,666 --> 00:07:23,033 pretty sure that had I joined, 280 00:07:23,100 --> 00:07:23,600 I would have been 281 00:07:23,733 --> 00:07:24,833 killed by friendly fire. 282 00:07:25,866 --> 00:07:27,233 This stuff is too much of a smart ass 283 00:07:27,300 --> 00:07:28,000 (beep) 284 00:07:28,066 --> 00:07:30,133 (laughing) 285 00:07:30,199 --> 00:07:34,733 But I would, I have a lot 286 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:35,899 of respect for those men 287 00:07:35,966 --> 00:07:37,199 that get on the ground 288 00:07:37,300 --> 00:07:38,800 and their elbow to elbow 289 00:07:38,866 --> 00:07:40,066 with people trying to kill them. 290 00:07:40,699 --> 00:07:42,399 Now I think the military 291 00:07:42,466 --> 00:07:43,500 does a really good job. 292 00:07:43,566 --> 00:07:44,399 I mean, obviously air 293 00:07:44,466 --> 00:07:46,566 support that you guys were doing, 294 00:07:46,933 --> 00:07:48,500 but just the idea of them 295 00:07:48,566 --> 00:07:49,600 running around the ground. 296 00:07:49,966 --> 00:07:50,766 I mean, you have to be a 297 00:07:50,833 --> 00:07:52,233 certain type of bad ass 298 00:07:52,466 --> 00:07:54,633 and PTSD is completely understandable 299 00:07:54,899 --> 00:07:55,966 when you're ready to 300 00:07:56,633 --> 00:07:58,233 be killed at any second. 301 00:07:58,300 --> 00:07:59,433 You never know when 302 00:07:59,500 --> 00:08:00,533 that bullet might be coming 303 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:02,933 from a direct one direction or another. 304 00:08:03,333 --> 00:08:04,733 So, and I think you kind of 305 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:05,766 go over this in your book, 306 00:08:05,833 --> 00:08:06,133 don't you? 307 00:08:07,166 --> 00:08:07,933 Yeah, definitely. 308 00:08:08,133 --> 00:08:09,699 You know, when we were in Afghanistan, 309 00:08:09,766 --> 00:08:10,633 the surface to air threat 310 00:08:10,699 --> 00:08:12,133 wasn't like at that point 311 00:08:12,199 --> 00:08:13,466 that high, you know, but 312 00:08:13,533 --> 00:08:15,033 when the ISIS conflict started, 313 00:08:15,100 --> 00:08:15,733 that's when they really had 314 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:16,766 some stuff that could sort of 315 00:08:16,966 --> 00:08:18,100 reach out and touch us, you know? 316 00:08:18,166 --> 00:08:19,766 And I remember flying man and in the 317 00:08:19,833 --> 00:08:20,600 night you'd be scanning 318 00:08:20,666 --> 00:08:21,366 with your MBGs and 319 00:08:21,433 --> 00:08:22,933 there's these like, you know, 320 00:08:23,199 --> 00:08:25,133 beach ball size air 321 00:08:25,199 --> 00:08:26,433 bursts that you're six o'clock. 322 00:08:26,500 --> 00:08:27,666 So they could hear the, and 323 00:08:27,733 --> 00:08:28,600 they knew about the gunship 324 00:08:28,666 --> 00:08:29,733 and the props, what we 325 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:30,866 call the four fans of freedom, 326 00:08:31,733 --> 00:08:32,399 you know, and so they're 327 00:08:32,466 --> 00:08:33,733 basically trying to get a lucky 328 00:08:33,799 --> 00:08:34,566 shot on us, but once 329 00:08:34,633 --> 00:08:35,366 they did that, you know, 330 00:08:35,466 --> 00:08:36,500 it was self defense at that 331 00:08:36,566 --> 00:08:37,899 point and we would take care 332 00:08:37,966 --> 00:08:39,166 of them and stuff, but yeah, it was a, 333 00:08:39,533 --> 00:08:40,966 but the real, you know, I 334 00:08:41,033 --> 00:08:42,733 guess people that are really 335 00:08:42,799 --> 00:08:43,466 in harm's way, man, is 336 00:08:43,533 --> 00:08:44,633 those guys breaching that door 337 00:08:44,700 --> 00:08:45,700 and they're going in 338 00:08:45,766 --> 00:08:47,666 there to get a heavy hitter, 339 00:08:47,733 --> 00:08:49,033 if you will, you know what I mean? 340 00:08:49,366 --> 00:08:50,399 And again, you know, it's, 341 00:08:51,433 --> 00:08:52,533 you take a lot of basically 342 00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:53,533 pride, man, in getting 343 00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:54,766 that, those guys, you know, 344 00:08:54,833 --> 00:08:55,566 the one and the one 345 00:08:55,633 --> 00:08:56,600 Hunter Herakles talks about 346 00:08:56,666 --> 00:08:57,666 home to their family, so. 347 00:08:58,266 --> 00:08:58,533 Mm-hmm. 348 00:08:59,166 --> 00:09:00,299 I think it's great that 349 00:09:00,366 --> 00:09:02,000 here in this recent conflict 350 00:09:02,066 --> 00:09:04,033 that we were involved in with Iran, 351 00:09:04,833 --> 00:09:06,433 at least not publicized 352 00:09:06,500 --> 00:09:07,566 any boots on the ground, 353 00:09:07,833 --> 00:09:09,433 I suspect that we probably 354 00:09:09,500 --> 00:09:11,100 had some boots on the ground, 355 00:09:11,166 --> 00:09:14,233 if not ours, the Israelis 356 00:09:14,299 --> 00:09:16,066 or from one of the others, 357 00:09:16,833 --> 00:09:18,399 but I'm glad that we 358 00:09:18,466 --> 00:09:20,700 didn't have US soldiers 359 00:09:21,466 --> 00:09:22,766 put in harm's way more 360 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:24,000 so than what they were 361 00:09:24,066 --> 00:09:26,133 flying over it, and 362 00:09:26,533 --> 00:09:28,333 everybody did a stellar job. 363 00:09:28,700 --> 00:09:31,000 Are you happy or sad that you weren't 364 00:09:31,066 --> 00:09:31,799 involved in this one? 365 00:09:32,933 --> 00:09:34,299 I mean, you know, I'm 366 00:09:34,366 --> 00:09:36,299 sad because like, you know, 367 00:09:36,899 --> 00:09:37,700 in a way I have to get over 368 00:09:37,766 --> 00:09:38,833 myself with stuff like this, 369 00:09:39,066 --> 00:09:40,333 and realize this machine 370 00:09:40,399 --> 00:09:41,399 keeps turning right, like, 371 00:09:41,866 --> 00:09:44,133 you know, and you see 372 00:09:44,399 --> 00:09:45,266 the air power, right, 373 00:09:45,333 --> 00:09:46,866 and air superiority and stuff like that, 374 00:09:46,933 --> 00:09:48,566 and then you had the, you 375 00:09:48,633 --> 00:09:50,433 know, basically air superiority, 376 00:09:50,500 --> 00:09:51,266 people talk about just the 377 00:09:51,333 --> 00:09:52,766 presence of American air power 378 00:09:52,833 --> 00:09:53,766 over a certain area, 379 00:09:53,833 --> 00:09:55,299 right, and a lot of times 380 00:09:55,366 --> 00:09:55,933 they forget about the 381 00:09:56,000 --> 00:09:57,533 promise to that presence, 382 00:09:57,600 --> 00:09:58,899 I tell people, and that's 383 00:09:58,966 --> 00:10:00,266 when you saw on Easter Sunday, 384 00:10:00,566 --> 00:10:01,299 you know, ironically, 385 00:10:01,366 --> 00:10:02,933 that F-15, you know, 386 00:10:03,033 --> 00:10:04,233 Wizzo went down and you 387 00:10:04,299 --> 00:10:05,600 saw those mighty jolly greens 388 00:10:05,666 --> 00:10:06,766 behind enemy lines, like, 389 00:10:07,233 --> 00:10:08,166 putting it all out there, man, 390 00:10:08,233 --> 00:10:09,433 and those guys really do 391 00:10:09,500 --> 00:10:10,366 put it all out there to, 392 00:10:10,733 --> 00:10:11,100 you know, to make 393 00:10:11,166 --> 00:10:12,933 sure someone's worst day 394 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:14,166 is not their last, so, 395 00:10:14,533 --> 00:10:15,799 yeah, I miss the camaraderie, 396 00:10:15,866 --> 00:10:17,033 and I miss the brotherhood 397 00:10:17,100 --> 00:10:17,966 and sisterhood part of that, 398 00:10:18,033 --> 00:10:19,633 man, but yeah, you know, 399 00:10:19,700 --> 00:10:20,666 anybody that's ever been in a war, 400 00:10:20,733 --> 00:10:21,166 I'll tell you they don't 401 00:10:21,233 --> 00:10:22,000 want to be in another one, 402 00:10:22,066 --> 00:10:23,799 you know, so, you know, high inside, 403 00:10:24,266 --> 00:10:25,200 I wish we could do 404 00:10:25,266 --> 00:10:27,399 diplomacy 10 out of 10 times, right, 405 00:10:27,466 --> 00:10:28,433 but it's not always 406 00:10:28,500 --> 00:10:29,600 the case, and, you know, 407 00:10:29,666 --> 00:10:30,866 people a lot smarter than 408 00:10:30,933 --> 00:10:31,833 me make those decisions, 409 00:10:31,899 --> 00:10:33,700 but yeah, I do miss being 410 00:10:34,033 --> 00:10:34,966 actually in the aircraft 411 00:10:35,033 --> 00:10:36,500 with my family, you know. 412 00:10:36,833 --> 00:10:37,200 Right. 413 00:10:38,266 --> 00:10:40,733 So, you mentioned ISIS and 414 00:10:40,799 --> 00:10:42,766 the battle that you were in. 415 00:10:43,666 --> 00:10:46,799 There was a president prior to this one 416 00:10:47,233 --> 00:10:48,633 that left a few billion 417 00:10:48,700 --> 00:10:49,966 dollars worth of equipment 418 00:10:51,799 --> 00:10:53,799 for, you know, anybody to pick up. 419 00:10:53,866 --> 00:10:54,833 I mean, I'm surprised it 420 00:10:55,166 --> 00:10:56,833 hasn't been on eBay yet. 421 00:10:57,866 --> 00:10:59,933 Can people that are not 422 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:02,566 trained using that equipment 423 00:11:02,633 --> 00:11:04,600 figure it out if given enough time, 424 00:11:04,833 --> 00:11:06,333 I guess enough people to throw at it 425 00:11:06,399 --> 00:11:08,033 that get killed in the process? 426 00:11:09,133 --> 00:11:11,200 Yeah, so I would say it 427 00:11:11,500 --> 00:11:12,500 would take time, you know, 428 00:11:12,566 --> 00:11:14,500 and a lot of time, I 429 00:11:14,566 --> 00:11:15,233 guess, if you've never, 430 00:11:15,299 --> 00:11:16,399 like, you look at a helicopter, 431 00:11:16,466 --> 00:11:17,566 like, first time I saw one, I was like, 432 00:11:17,866 --> 00:11:18,700 man, how does this thing 433 00:11:18,766 --> 00:11:19,766 hover, how does this thing fly, 434 00:11:19,833 --> 00:11:21,766 you know, and I mean, just, you know, 435 00:11:22,033 --> 00:11:22,899 then there's checklists, we're 436 00:11:22,966 --> 00:11:24,533 very much creatures of habit, 437 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:25,566 so we've been trained to-- 438 00:11:25,633 --> 00:11:26,133 There's a lot of 439 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:27,966 mainnets to keeping these things 440 00:11:28,033 --> 00:11:29,433 in kiln or two. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 441 00:11:29,500 --> 00:11:30,600 you know, mainnets and everything, 442 00:11:31,066 --> 00:11:31,899 even though logistics 443 00:11:31,966 --> 00:11:32,700 for the mainnet, right, 444 00:11:32,766 --> 00:11:34,266 all that stuff, and yeah, 445 00:11:34,333 --> 00:11:35,500 I think it would be a lot 446 00:11:35,566 --> 00:11:36,666 of time and a lot of money 447 00:11:36,733 --> 00:11:37,899 that they could eventually get it, 448 00:11:37,966 --> 00:11:39,166 but nothing in the near 449 00:11:39,233 --> 00:11:40,000 future where they could just, 450 00:11:40,066 --> 00:11:41,133 you know, pick up 451 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:42,100 something and know how to use it, 452 00:11:42,166 --> 00:11:42,766 you know? Mm-hmm. 453 00:11:42,833 --> 00:11:43,299 Well, I think it 454 00:11:43,366 --> 00:11:44,866 sounds bad whenever you hear 455 00:11:44,933 --> 00:11:46,600 that you left seven 456 00:11:46,666 --> 00:11:48,166 billion or whatever it was, 457 00:11:48,466 --> 00:11:49,966 all that equipment over there, 458 00:11:50,366 --> 00:11:51,733 I mean, you could at 459 00:11:51,799 --> 00:11:53,266 least just blow it up. 460 00:11:53,333 --> 00:11:54,366 I think it's better than 461 00:11:54,433 --> 00:11:55,500 leaving it operational, 462 00:11:55,566 --> 00:11:57,399 and I think that's what the standard is, 463 00:11:57,466 --> 00:11:59,500 is to destroy the equipment 464 00:11:59,566 --> 00:12:01,333 or it can't be used against you, 465 00:12:02,100 --> 00:12:03,933 but I don't know that 466 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:05,233 it's, you think about it, 467 00:12:06,500 --> 00:12:09,433 they're not easy machines 468 00:12:09,766 --> 00:12:10,866 for the most part, you know? 469 00:12:11,466 --> 00:12:12,600 I think a tank probably 470 00:12:12,666 --> 00:12:13,833 would be the easiest thing, 471 00:12:15,033 --> 00:12:17,399 but I don't know. 472 00:12:17,700 --> 00:12:18,733 Anyway, I think it'd 473 00:12:18,799 --> 00:12:19,899 be fun figuring it out, 474 00:12:19,966 --> 00:12:21,966 but I could well imagine it could really, 475 00:12:22,066 --> 00:12:23,566 several people could lose their lives, 476 00:12:23,633 --> 00:12:24,200 especially whenever 477 00:12:24,266 --> 00:12:25,266 you're trying to learn 478 00:12:25,333 --> 00:12:26,233 how to drive the tank 479 00:12:26,299 --> 00:12:28,733 and you run over your buddy 480 00:12:28,799 --> 00:12:30,466 that's out there next to the tracks, 481 00:12:30,966 --> 00:12:31,666 by spinning it. 482 00:12:32,466 --> 00:12:33,399 Yeah, I think there's 483 00:12:33,466 --> 00:12:34,333 some interesting videos 484 00:12:34,399 --> 00:12:36,466 of those guys trying to fly a 60 485 00:12:36,899 --> 00:12:38,133 after we left the stuff like that. 486 00:12:38,200 --> 00:12:39,066 Oh, good Lord, that would be, 487 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:40,366 I mean, I would dearly 488 00:12:40,433 --> 00:12:41,600 love to fly a helicopter, 489 00:12:41,666 --> 00:12:43,299 but I've heard that flying helicopters, 490 00:12:43,566 --> 00:12:45,766 hovering a helicopter is so difficult. 491 00:12:46,299 --> 00:12:49,166 Oh yeah, yeah, you know, it's basically, 492 00:12:49,466 --> 00:12:50,500 and there was a point in my career 493 00:12:50,566 --> 00:12:51,166 where I went from fixed 494 00:12:51,233 --> 00:12:52,833 wing to rotary wing, man, 495 00:12:53,233 --> 00:12:54,399 and I really struggled, man, 496 00:12:54,466 --> 00:12:56,000 like having to like forget 497 00:12:56,066 --> 00:12:56,866 everything I thought I knew 498 00:12:56,933 --> 00:12:58,200 about flying and aerogunnery 499 00:12:58,566 --> 00:12:59,666 coming from this fixed 500 00:12:59,733 --> 00:13:00,666 wing platform, right, 501 00:13:00,933 --> 00:13:02,600 to a rotary wing platform, 502 00:13:02,666 --> 00:13:03,799 and I think there's a 503 00:13:03,866 --> 00:13:04,633 moment in the book, man, 504 00:13:04,933 --> 00:13:06,200 we're doing these minigun patterns 505 00:13:06,266 --> 00:13:07,566 and the racetrack type 506 00:13:07,633 --> 00:13:08,399 patterns in the helicopter, 507 00:13:08,466 --> 00:13:09,933 and it's August, July or August, 508 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:10,766 and Albuquerque, man, 509 00:13:10,833 --> 00:13:12,166 and I didn't eat right, 510 00:13:12,233 --> 00:13:12,566 I was sitting on the 511 00:13:12,633 --> 00:13:13,333 left for the first side, 512 00:13:13,399 --> 00:13:13,799 and I was getting 513 00:13:13,866 --> 00:13:15,100 malfunctioned after malfunctioned 514 00:13:15,166 --> 00:13:15,766 after malfunctioned. 515 00:13:16,500 --> 00:13:16,899 Man, there's this 516 00:13:16,966 --> 00:13:17,966 moment to where like, man, 517 00:13:18,033 --> 00:13:18,899 I was like, I'm gonna be 518 00:13:18,966 --> 00:13:19,799 sick for the first time 519 00:13:19,866 --> 00:13:20,666 ever in there, right, 520 00:13:21,166 --> 00:13:23,200 and so I was like, okay, 521 00:13:23,333 --> 00:13:24,399 well, if I leave my 522 00:13:24,466 --> 00:13:25,733 head this much out the door 523 00:13:26,100 --> 00:13:27,266 when I puke, it won't 524 00:13:27,333 --> 00:13:28,366 come back in the aircraft, 525 00:13:28,966 --> 00:13:29,633 lo and behold, we had 526 00:13:29,700 --> 00:13:30,933 both doors in my instructor, 527 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:32,766 my actually evaluator was in the back, 528 00:13:33,233 --> 00:13:34,933 and so I was like, right, and it came 529 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:35,666 back and just, boom, 530 00:13:35,733 --> 00:13:36,433 just fragged him in the 531 00:13:36,500 --> 00:13:37,166 back, man, he gives me, 532 00:13:37,633 --> 00:13:39,433 he gives me one of these numbers, 533 00:13:39,500 --> 00:13:41,433 but yeah, we're really good friends, 534 00:13:41,566 --> 00:13:42,899 we joke about it today, but yeah, 535 00:13:43,333 --> 00:13:43,933 but there's definitely 536 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:45,133 no, with rotary wing, 537 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:46,666 faking it to make it, man, like I said, 538 00:13:46,866 --> 00:13:47,899 those guys are really, 539 00:13:48,033 --> 00:13:48,966 they put it out there, man, 540 00:13:49,033 --> 00:13:49,933 for they are the 541 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:50,899 brothers keepers, you know? 542 00:13:51,700 --> 00:13:53,766 So I know in civilian flying, 543 00:13:53,833 --> 00:13:54,600 at least I think I know 544 00:13:54,666 --> 00:13:55,399 it's been a while now, 545 00:13:55,466 --> 00:13:58,899 but the pilot command in a 546 00:13:58,966 --> 00:14:01,266 fixed wing is on the left, 547 00:14:01,333 --> 00:14:03,133 and it's on the right in a 548 00:14:03,200 --> 00:14:04,899 helicopter, a rotary blade, 549 00:14:05,333 --> 00:14:07,299 and I don't know why that is, 550 00:14:09,366 --> 00:14:10,766 but is it the same in the military 551 00:14:10,833 --> 00:14:12,966 where you're pilot command 552 00:14:13,033 --> 00:14:14,466 on the right or the left? 553 00:14:15,166 --> 00:14:16,333 Yeah, exactly, so when 554 00:14:16,399 --> 00:14:17,433 I went from gunships, 555 00:14:17,500 --> 00:14:18,233 the aircraft commander's 556 00:14:18,299 --> 00:14:19,566 on the front left, right, 557 00:14:20,299 --> 00:14:21,966 you know, the left, and like you said, 558 00:14:22,033 --> 00:14:23,566 then helicopters, he was on the right, 559 00:14:23,633 --> 00:14:25,299 and what I could gather, 560 00:14:25,366 --> 00:14:26,399 so if we're doing a hoist 561 00:14:26,466 --> 00:14:27,733 like on the right side of the aircraft, 562 00:14:27,799 --> 00:14:28,433 because the hoist is on 563 00:14:28,500 --> 00:14:29,833 the 60, the right side, 564 00:14:30,233 --> 00:14:31,600 so he can just poke his head out 565 00:14:31,666 --> 00:14:32,100 and sort of see 566 00:14:32,166 --> 00:14:33,399 what's going on, you know, 567 00:14:33,466 --> 00:14:36,433 and we do practice to do cross cockpit, 568 00:14:36,500 --> 00:14:37,866 what we call crew resource management, 569 00:14:37,933 --> 00:14:39,100 and you know, you're doing 570 00:14:39,166 --> 00:14:40,033 all these different comms, 571 00:14:40,166 --> 00:14:41,033 and it's a very 572 00:14:41,633 --> 00:14:43,233 back-end enlisted driven thing, 573 00:14:43,299 --> 00:14:43,799 like a hoist or 574 00:14:43,866 --> 00:14:44,766 something like that, you know? 575 00:14:45,133 --> 00:14:46,633 Or like one little hovers, for example, 576 00:14:46,700 --> 00:14:48,766 a lot of coordination, man, so. 577 00:14:49,333 --> 00:14:50,766 So when you were learning 578 00:14:50,833 --> 00:14:53,000 to be a helicopter pilot, 579 00:14:53,299 --> 00:14:55,399 you had to do an auto rotator, right? 580 00:14:56,366 --> 00:14:57,866 Yeah, and I was a, you know, 581 00:14:58,066 --> 00:14:58,899 traditionally a gunner, 582 00:14:58,966 --> 00:15:00,200 and what they did was 583 00:15:00,266 --> 00:15:01,333 they combined the gunner 584 00:15:01,399 --> 00:15:02,466 with the fighter 585 00:15:02,533 --> 00:15:03,533 engineer and low master crew 586 00:15:03,600 --> 00:15:04,433 for it on the gunship, and 587 00:15:04,500 --> 00:15:05,533 then for the helicopters, 588 00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:06,899 it was a gunner and fighter engineer, 589 00:15:07,366 --> 00:15:08,500 but yeah, you would actually train, 590 00:15:08,566 --> 00:15:09,500 they would decouple from the 591 00:15:09,566 --> 00:15:10,666 freewheeling unit, you know, 592 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:12,233 and then you would auto rotate, 593 00:15:12,299 --> 00:15:13,166 starting about 1,000 feet, 594 00:15:13,233 --> 00:15:14,299 and the first time I did that, man, 595 00:15:14,766 --> 00:15:15,866 my stick buddy was laughing, 596 00:15:15,933 --> 00:15:16,899 because my eyes were like 597 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:17,866 huge, you know what I mean? 598 00:15:17,933 --> 00:15:19,000 But it was, I was like, 599 00:15:19,066 --> 00:15:21,133 man, what a pleasure an auto is 600 00:15:21,200 --> 00:15:22,633 to get paid to do this, man. 601 00:15:22,799 --> 00:15:24,233 Oh yeah, and the top 602 00:15:24,299 --> 00:15:25,633 of the line equipment, 603 00:15:25,700 --> 00:15:27,166 it's just, you know, you're 604 00:15:27,366 --> 00:15:28,833 cutting edge on things there, 605 00:15:28,899 --> 00:15:31,833 so from that aspect of it, 606 00:15:31,899 --> 00:15:32,399 I think it would have 607 00:15:32,466 --> 00:15:33,966 been very interesting to me 608 00:15:34,333 --> 00:15:35,733 to be involved in the military, 609 00:15:36,166 --> 00:15:36,833 but there's a lot of 610 00:15:36,899 --> 00:15:38,933 boring downtime as well, right? 611 00:15:39,933 --> 00:15:40,933 Oh yeah, there's a lot 612 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:41,799 of hurry up and wait, 613 00:15:41,866 --> 00:15:44,000 as they call it, you know, it's, 614 00:15:45,466 --> 00:15:47,233 the gunship mission was more like every, 615 00:15:47,299 --> 00:15:48,000 almost every night 616 00:15:48,066 --> 00:15:48,766 you're going out there, 617 00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:50,933 and you're doing these missions, 618 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:52,033 and you may shoot once a week, 619 00:15:52,100 --> 00:15:53,833 you may shoot once a month, 620 00:15:53,899 --> 00:15:55,000 depending on the situation, 621 00:15:55,066 --> 00:15:56,433 but you know, 60s on 622 00:15:56,500 --> 00:15:57,533 the rescue side of things, 623 00:15:57,600 --> 00:15:59,833 and I get it now, that's definitely a job 624 00:15:59,899 --> 00:16:01,066 you never want to have to do, right? 625 00:16:01,433 --> 00:16:01,633 Right. 626 00:16:02,366 --> 00:16:04,233 You know, so, but it does happen, 627 00:16:04,299 --> 00:16:05,000 and it's usually after a 628 00:16:05,066 --> 00:16:06,966 long waiting period, you know, 629 00:16:07,033 --> 00:16:08,933 and like I said, there's 630 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:09,700 things in the Air Force, 631 00:16:09,766 --> 00:16:10,266 like one of the corps of veterans-- 632 00:16:10,333 --> 00:16:11,933 Well, they're waiting for you too, right? 633 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:13,500 I mean, if you're doing a rescue mission, 634 00:16:13,666 --> 00:16:15,633 they may not know where the down pilot 635 00:16:15,700 --> 00:16:18,033 or crew member is, but 636 00:16:18,100 --> 00:16:19,366 they general vicinity, 637 00:16:19,666 --> 00:16:20,433 and all they have to do 638 00:16:20,500 --> 00:16:21,566 is follow the helicopter 639 00:16:22,233 --> 00:16:24,200 to pinpoint the area, so 640 00:16:24,266 --> 00:16:25,600 it's a very dangerous mission. 641 00:16:25,866 --> 00:16:30,033 On the 130 stuff that you did, 642 00:16:30,433 --> 00:16:32,233 did that ever get routine to you, 643 00:16:32,533 --> 00:16:33,533 or you were like, "Oh, 644 00:16:33,933 --> 00:16:35,533 another day, another 50 cents, 645 00:16:35,933 --> 00:16:37,299 let's go out there and get it done," 646 00:16:37,366 --> 00:16:38,500 because it would be 647 00:16:38,566 --> 00:16:40,033 really exciting to me at first, 648 00:16:40,100 --> 00:16:40,633 and also too 649 00:16:40,700 --> 00:16:42,466 terrifying, but after a while, 650 00:16:42,533 --> 00:16:43,633 did you kind of, that's 651 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:44,833 kind of get used to it? 652 00:16:45,933 --> 00:16:47,066 So I definitely like 653 00:16:47,133 --> 00:16:49,066 always chase that feeling 654 00:16:49,833 --> 00:16:50,700 that moment to where 655 00:16:50,766 --> 00:16:52,033 it's a troops in contact, 656 00:16:52,233 --> 00:16:53,700 and they call us in overhead, 657 00:16:53,766 --> 00:16:55,000 and you see the enemy through the flare, 658 00:16:55,066 --> 00:16:55,833 like you were talking about earlier, 659 00:16:56,166 --> 00:16:57,533 to see them start running like bees. 660 00:16:57,600 --> 00:16:58,399 Like I chased that 661 00:16:58,466 --> 00:16:59,933 moment as, I don't know, 662 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:00,866 as vain or bad as that 663 00:17:00,933 --> 00:17:01,733 sounds, you know what I mean? 664 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:03,399 But the bigger picture was 665 00:17:03,466 --> 00:17:04,433 we're getting our guys home 666 00:17:04,566 --> 00:17:06,333 because of our rounds, you know? 667 00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:07,799 So yeah, I think it was a 668 00:17:07,866 --> 00:17:08,700 sense of relevance thing, 669 00:17:08,766 --> 00:17:10,200 and I never always 670 00:17:10,266 --> 00:17:12,133 loved hearing those words, 671 00:17:12,200 --> 00:17:13,099 clear to engage, and 672 00:17:13,166 --> 00:17:14,500 definitely knew it was game time 673 00:17:14,566 --> 00:17:14,966 at that point. 674 00:17:15,033 --> 00:17:15,366 Well, you're out 675 00:17:15,433 --> 00:17:16,433 there, you're doing a job, 676 00:17:16,500 --> 00:17:17,233 and when you're clear to 677 00:17:17,299 --> 00:17:19,200 engage, you're doing that job. 678 00:17:19,266 --> 00:17:21,466 I mean, as distasteful as it may be, 679 00:17:22,166 --> 00:17:24,466 you don't have to be in that situation 680 00:17:24,533 --> 00:17:25,700 if countries got along. 681 00:17:27,533 --> 00:17:29,233 So yeah, you gotta get the job done, 682 00:17:29,299 --> 00:17:30,366 and you can't just say, 683 00:17:30,433 --> 00:17:32,733 "Well, I've found religion, 684 00:17:32,799 --> 00:17:33,833 "and I can't do this tonight." 685 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:35,566 Definitely, yeah. 686 00:17:35,633 --> 00:17:36,766 It's definitely, like I said, 687 00:17:36,833 --> 00:17:38,566 I loved being a close 688 00:17:38,633 --> 00:17:40,166 air support platform 689 00:17:40,233 --> 00:17:41,066 for those guys, you know? 690 00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:44,833 Now, did you ever get to fire the weapons 691 00:17:45,133 --> 00:17:46,900 from the gunship, or was 692 00:17:46,966 --> 00:17:48,266 that something that you did? 693 00:17:48,333 --> 00:17:50,266 Or I don't know, what was your job? 694 00:17:50,333 --> 00:17:51,166 Or I guess maybe it was 695 00:17:51,233 --> 00:17:52,666 different jobs inside the gunship. 696 00:17:53,466 --> 00:17:55,166 Yeah, so on the AC-130 gunship, 697 00:17:55,566 --> 00:17:57,333 the traditional gunner, or 698 00:17:57,400 --> 00:17:58,200 smod as they call it now, 699 00:17:58,466 --> 00:18:00,599 but you're basically, your meat potatoes, 700 00:18:00,666 --> 00:18:01,866 where you really make your money is 701 00:18:01,933 --> 00:18:03,066 malfunction analysis. 702 00:18:03,133 --> 00:18:04,200 So you're loading, 703 00:18:04,500 --> 00:18:05,233 basically you're clearing out 704 00:18:05,299 --> 00:18:06,433 malfunctions, and a lot 705 00:18:06,500 --> 00:18:07,400 of times you have seconds 706 00:18:07,466 --> 00:18:09,000 to get this gun back online, right? 707 00:18:09,166 --> 00:18:10,533 And you know, I know that sounds simple, 708 00:18:10,599 --> 00:18:12,366 but you could imagine this is great. 709 00:18:12,533 --> 00:18:14,533 Oh, it's a high pressure situation. 710 00:18:14,599 --> 00:18:16,200 And you're not the 711 00:18:16,266 --> 00:18:17,033 only one looking at it. 712 00:18:17,099 --> 00:18:18,666 Everybody else is looking at you. 713 00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:22,099 Oh yeah, yeah, and you can hear the comms 714 00:18:22,166 --> 00:18:22,866 and the guys on the ground 715 00:18:22,933 --> 00:18:23,633 when they're getting shot at, 716 00:18:23,700 --> 00:18:24,599 and like, "Come on, get 717 00:18:24,666 --> 00:18:25,433 that gun back online." 718 00:18:25,500 --> 00:18:27,299 And so there's this, it's a very, like, 719 00:18:27,533 --> 00:18:28,233 you find a lot about 720 00:18:28,299 --> 00:18:29,400 yourself in those moments, man. 721 00:18:30,066 --> 00:18:31,700 And definitely, they're 722 00:18:31,766 --> 00:18:33,000 only like pulling the trigger, 723 00:18:33,266 --> 00:18:34,333 as people like to say, 724 00:18:35,166 --> 00:18:36,400 for the 105 millimeter, 725 00:18:36,466 --> 00:18:37,066 which, you know, that 726 00:18:37,133 --> 00:18:37,766 thing's basically like, 727 00:18:37,833 --> 00:18:39,433 if you were to put a tank on the side 728 00:18:39,500 --> 00:18:40,733 of this cargo aircraft, right, 729 00:18:41,166 --> 00:18:42,366 there would be moments where the firing 730 00:18:42,433 --> 00:18:42,966 cylinder would go out 731 00:18:43,033 --> 00:18:43,533 and we would take 732 00:18:43,599 --> 00:18:45,000 parachute cord, 550 cord, 733 00:18:45,266 --> 00:18:47,366 and, you know, engine doing itself, 734 00:18:47,433 --> 00:18:49,299 and basically tie it to the firing pawn, 735 00:18:49,366 --> 00:18:50,799 almost turn into a flying artillery guy, 736 00:18:50,866 --> 00:18:52,033 and you'd get the red-raided fire call, 737 00:18:52,099 --> 00:18:53,099 and you would quote, unquote, 738 00:18:53,166 --> 00:18:54,366 pull the trigger at that point. 739 00:18:54,433 --> 00:18:55,866 But on 60s, you're 740 00:18:55,933 --> 00:18:57,133 definitely employing weapons 741 00:18:57,200 --> 00:18:58,799 as the smiler gunner, you know, 742 00:18:59,133 --> 00:19:01,366 with a minigun and or the 50 cal, so. 743 00:19:01,933 --> 00:19:03,033 Oh yeah, I was actually, 744 00:19:03,099 --> 00:19:04,533 I just saw a thing about 745 00:19:04,599 --> 00:19:10,400 the 130 attack aircraft 746 00:19:10,466 --> 00:19:11,033 that we were talking about. 747 00:19:11,766 --> 00:19:13,900 On TikTok earlier, and they were talking 748 00:19:13,966 --> 00:19:15,966 about the various guns and the 105. 749 00:19:17,166 --> 00:19:18,700 So this one also had the, what was it, 750 00:19:18,766 --> 00:19:19,633 a 20 millimeter 751 00:19:19,866 --> 00:19:21,933 minigun and a 30 millimeter? 752 00:19:22,299 --> 00:19:24,866 I wouldn't say it was rapid fire, 753 00:19:24,933 --> 00:19:25,466 because it's kind of a 754 00:19:25,533 --> 00:19:27,266 boof, boof, boof, boof. 755 00:19:27,566 --> 00:19:28,799 Oh yeah. But 30 millimeters, 756 00:19:28,866 --> 00:19:29,733 I mean, how many of those 757 00:19:29,799 --> 00:19:30,733 do you have to fire quickly? 758 00:19:31,799 --> 00:19:33,200 Yeah, so, and that's a 759 00:19:33,266 --> 00:19:34,533 very good question, man. 760 00:19:34,599 --> 00:19:35,666 So the H model guns 761 00:19:35,733 --> 00:19:36,833 here, right, the traditional, 762 00:19:37,233 --> 00:19:38,733 like the one I was talking about, 69, 72, 763 00:19:39,099 --> 00:19:39,966 when I flew on them, we had 764 00:19:40,033 --> 00:19:41,433 the 40 mil boforged cannon, 765 00:19:41,900 --> 00:19:43,299 which actually Chrysler Corporation, 766 00:19:43,366 --> 00:19:44,233 if you look at the back of it, 767 00:19:44,299 --> 00:19:45,433 if you look at the back of it, 768 00:19:45,500 --> 00:19:47,133 it's like CC for Chrysler Corporation, 769 00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:47,666 they'd ask you that 770 00:19:47,733 --> 00:19:48,366 sometimes as a gunner. 771 00:19:48,666 --> 00:19:50,433 And then the 105 millimeter was, 772 00:19:50,633 --> 00:19:50,900 you know, like I'm 773 00:19:50,966 --> 00:19:51,933 saying, like this tank that, 774 00:19:52,566 --> 00:19:54,233 It's a World War II, a 775 00:19:54,299 --> 00:19:55,533 Hollitzer, what is it? 776 00:19:55,833 --> 00:19:56,400 Yeah, yeah, yeah, and 777 00:19:56,466 --> 00:19:57,833 it reco's up to 49 inches 778 00:19:57,900 --> 00:19:58,866 before we have to shut it down. 779 00:19:59,233 --> 00:20:00,866 But at one point, you know, 780 00:20:00,933 --> 00:20:02,433 they had the 220 mils up front, 781 00:20:02,500 --> 00:20:04,333 and then the U model back then, 782 00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:05,933 the gunship was the 40 mil 105 783 00:20:06,133 --> 00:20:07,833 and the 25 millimeter Gatlin gun, 784 00:20:08,166 --> 00:20:09,700 sort of what I think he's talking about. 785 00:20:09,766 --> 00:20:10,799 And then nowadays, 786 00:20:11,133 --> 00:20:11,500 yeah, that's when you 787 00:20:11,566 --> 00:20:12,766 got the 30 mil Bushmaster, 788 00:20:13,533 --> 00:20:14,066 basically it's a 789 00:20:14,133 --> 00:20:15,799 literally driven air-cooled tank. 790 00:20:16,799 --> 00:20:17,933 Yeah, and it's 200 791 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:18,933 rounds per minute, man, 792 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:20,433 and I got a pretty gnarly video of that, 793 00:20:20,500 --> 00:20:21,533 but yeah, I mean, I 794 00:20:21,599 --> 00:20:22,500 think heats up quick too. 795 00:20:22,566 --> 00:20:24,833 So it's definitely turned into sort of 796 00:20:24,900 --> 00:20:25,799 like a bomb truck now 797 00:20:25,866 --> 00:20:27,366 with SDBs and the wings 798 00:20:27,433 --> 00:20:28,333 and griffins on the back. 799 00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:29,533 And, you know, so not a 800 00:20:29,599 --> 00:20:30,933 traditional like gunship, 801 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:32,666 like I started out on, 802 00:20:32,733 --> 00:20:33,566 but I was biased at 803 00:20:33,633 --> 00:20:34,466 first, to be honest with you. 804 00:20:34,533 --> 00:20:35,599 And I was like, man, I don't 805 00:20:35,666 --> 00:20:36,166 want to be on a bomb truck, 806 00:20:36,233 --> 00:20:37,099 I want to be on a gunship, 807 00:20:37,166 --> 00:20:37,700 I want to be on a gunner, right? 808 00:20:38,166 --> 00:20:39,099 But the first time you see what those 809 00:20:39,166 --> 00:20:39,933 weapons could do, man, 810 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:40,533 to our enemies, you're 811 00:20:40,599 --> 00:20:41,466 like, all right, man, 812 00:20:41,599 --> 00:20:42,933 this is where it's at, right? 813 00:20:43,299 --> 00:20:45,299 You know, I often talk about, 814 00:20:45,366 --> 00:20:45,966 if you don't want to get 815 00:20:46,033 --> 00:20:47,200 anything done, have a meeting, 816 00:20:47,500 --> 00:20:48,633 you know, where you have a big meeting 817 00:20:48,700 --> 00:20:50,000 and everybody's sitting around the table, 818 00:20:50,166 --> 00:20:51,733 but I can see, I can kind of 819 00:20:51,799 --> 00:20:52,866 go for this kind of meeting, 820 00:20:52,933 --> 00:20:54,833 like, well, we've got a big plane, 821 00:20:55,366 --> 00:20:56,733 what kind of can we put on it 822 00:20:56,799 --> 00:20:57,933 that just beat the hell 823 00:20:58,000 --> 00:20:59,000 out of people on the ground? 824 00:20:59,266 --> 00:21:01,733 Well, we got these 105s that we're not 825 00:21:01,799 --> 00:21:02,733 doing anything with, 826 00:21:02,866 --> 00:21:03,933 can we fit one in there? 827 00:21:04,099 --> 00:21:05,566 So I could just imagine, you know, 828 00:21:05,766 --> 00:21:07,233 because there was some sick 829 00:21:07,299 --> 00:21:07,599 (beep) 830 00:21:07,799 --> 00:21:08,433 coming up with what, 831 00:21:09,633 --> 00:21:11,533 and not just one gun, 832 00:21:11,599 --> 00:21:13,266 there's like the three big 833 00:21:13,533 --> 00:21:14,933 hawking guns on this thing. 834 00:21:15,233 --> 00:21:17,833 Do you guys have any kind of air support 835 00:21:18,133 --> 00:21:19,833 whenever you're flying your mission, 836 00:21:19,900 --> 00:21:22,500 do the A-10s or F-16s come 837 00:21:22,566 --> 00:21:24,233 and go, F-18s come and go? 838 00:21:24,933 --> 00:21:26,666 So in Afghanistan and, 839 00:21:28,266 --> 00:21:29,400 you know, the ISIS conflict, 840 00:21:29,633 --> 00:21:30,633 we didn't have like a, 841 00:21:30,733 --> 00:21:31,766 what we call like, you know, 842 00:21:32,233 --> 00:21:33,166 someone like a Sandy 843 00:21:33,233 --> 00:21:34,099 fighter or something like that, 844 00:21:34,166 --> 00:21:35,433 like supporting us, like the 845 00:21:35,500 --> 00:21:36,533 air to air type stuff, right? 846 00:21:36,599 --> 00:21:37,666 But sort of on your own 847 00:21:37,733 --> 00:21:39,333 at that point, you know, 848 00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:40,133 this new day and age, 849 00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:40,799 I don't know how they're 850 00:21:40,866 --> 00:21:41,833 doing things now over there, 851 00:21:42,099 --> 00:21:42,866 or if they're even 852 00:21:42,933 --> 00:21:44,066 over there, but you know, 853 00:21:44,133 --> 00:21:46,033 it's definitely, we'd had nobody but us 854 00:21:46,099 --> 00:21:46,966 besides getting a tank 855 00:21:47,033 --> 00:21:48,166 or getting gas, you know? 856 00:21:48,599 --> 00:21:49,533 Oh yeah, of course, 857 00:21:49,599 --> 00:21:50,533 you're there all night. 858 00:21:50,599 --> 00:21:52,066 So how many times 859 00:21:52,133 --> 00:21:53,433 would you have to fill up 860 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:54,733 during the night? 861 00:21:55,099 --> 00:21:55,900 And I would think that 862 00:21:55,966 --> 00:21:58,166 you're not doing any evasive, 863 00:21:58,233 --> 00:21:59,233 really any evasive, 864 00:21:59,299 --> 00:22:00,433 you're just flying in a circle. 865 00:22:00,733 --> 00:22:03,566 So I would imagine the fuel consumption 866 00:22:03,633 --> 00:22:05,666 is pretty much the same. 867 00:22:05,733 --> 00:22:07,066 I guess it all depends on 868 00:22:07,133 --> 00:22:08,166 the weather and the wind, but. 869 00:22:09,299 --> 00:22:09,933 Yeah, and that's 870 00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:11,500 another thing as a smother, 871 00:22:11,700 --> 00:22:13,299 especially as David, you're calculating, 872 00:22:13,366 --> 00:22:14,700 okay, about this point in the flight, 873 00:22:14,766 --> 00:22:16,066 what is my fuel gonna be at, you know, 874 00:22:16,133 --> 00:22:18,633 5,000 pounds per hour with fuel? 875 00:22:18,700 --> 00:22:20,233 So does the pilot do anything else? 876 00:22:20,299 --> 00:22:20,799 Does some of these 877 00:22:20,866 --> 00:22:22,366 pilots become NASCAR drivers? 878 00:22:22,433 --> 00:22:24,533 Because they're always driving in a turn. 879 00:22:25,599 --> 00:22:27,166 Man, you get it, actually, the other day, 880 00:22:27,233 --> 00:22:29,266 I compared it to a NASCAR with guns, man, 881 00:22:29,333 --> 00:22:31,266 if you're two guns on a NASCAR, but yeah. 882 00:22:31,633 --> 00:22:32,733 But yeah, the pilot does a lot, 883 00:22:32,799 --> 00:22:35,233 the aircraft commander, man, he's got, 884 00:22:35,299 --> 00:22:36,133 in the end, he has the 885 00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:37,299 overall responsibility 886 00:22:37,966 --> 00:22:38,966 for around leaving the aircraft, 887 00:22:39,033 --> 00:22:39,900 but we always like to say 888 00:22:39,966 --> 00:22:41,166 there's no rank on the aircraft, 889 00:22:41,533 --> 00:22:43,333 from the aircraft commander down to the-- 890 00:22:43,933 --> 00:22:44,466 What's a team? 891 00:22:44,866 --> 00:22:46,799 And the team has to be successful, yeah. 892 00:22:47,266 --> 00:22:48,599 Oh yeah, and they definitely, 893 00:22:49,500 --> 00:22:50,966 the 16th Special Operations Coordinator, 894 00:22:51,166 --> 00:22:52,299 they're real good about 895 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:54,033 crew resource management, 896 00:22:54,400 --> 00:22:55,299 everybody has an opinion, 897 00:22:55,366 --> 00:22:56,200 everybody has a vote for this, 898 00:22:56,266 --> 00:22:58,166 right, so a lot of times 899 00:22:58,233 --> 00:22:59,299 there's no black and white, 900 00:22:59,366 --> 00:23:00,066 right and wrong, it's 901 00:23:00,133 --> 00:23:02,299 either safe or unsafe, you know, 902 00:23:02,533 --> 00:23:03,466 as cliche as that sounds, 903 00:23:03,533 --> 00:23:04,099 and you're making those 904 00:23:04,166 --> 00:23:05,233 split-segues decisions, 905 00:23:05,666 --> 00:23:07,033 collectively as a crew, you know. 906 00:23:08,833 --> 00:23:09,599 Very, very good. 907 00:23:10,099 --> 00:23:10,866 All right, so I'm 908 00:23:10,933 --> 00:23:11,933 having fun talking to you 909 00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:13,733 about military stuff, and 910 00:23:13,799 --> 00:23:14,833 especially about aviation, 911 00:23:14,900 --> 00:23:16,033 aviation is so much fun to 912 00:23:16,099 --> 00:23:17,500 me, civilian side of things. 913 00:23:18,366 --> 00:23:20,133 But I haven't flown in years, 914 00:23:20,200 --> 00:23:20,766 I don't wanna give the 915 00:23:20,833 --> 00:23:22,500 illusion that I'm a regular flyer, 916 00:23:22,566 --> 00:23:24,400 I mean, it's been a very long time, 917 00:23:24,466 --> 00:23:25,400 but it's still a lot of fun. 918 00:23:26,366 --> 00:23:29,799 So do you have this 919 00:23:29,866 --> 00:23:30,900 type of stuff in the book 920 00:23:30,966 --> 00:23:31,900 that we've been discussing, 921 00:23:31,966 --> 00:23:33,700 or does the book go in another direction? 922 00:23:34,599 --> 00:23:37,266 Yeah, it has definitely some aviation, 923 00:23:37,333 --> 00:23:39,333 some operations I was on from the gunship 924 00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:40,666 and the rescue helicopter, 925 00:23:41,133 --> 00:23:42,066 and then it also has 926 00:23:42,133 --> 00:23:43,900 growing up in Appalachia, 927 00:23:43,966 --> 00:23:46,400 and sort of the roots part being that, 928 00:23:46,633 --> 00:23:47,633 sort of the morals and 929 00:23:47,700 --> 00:23:48,666 friendships and family 930 00:23:48,866 --> 00:23:50,033 that molded me when I was younger, 931 00:23:50,099 --> 00:23:51,400 then it's good to 932 00:23:51,466 --> 00:23:52,033 know where you come from, 933 00:23:52,099 --> 00:23:52,900 but to me it's always more 934 00:23:52,966 --> 00:23:53,599 important to know where you're 935 00:23:53,666 --> 00:23:54,566 going, and that's where the 936 00:23:54,633 --> 00:23:55,633 wings part in the Air Force 937 00:23:56,099 --> 00:23:56,700 definitely gave me that 938 00:23:56,766 --> 00:23:58,599 opportunity to see the world 939 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:00,900 to leave somewhat of a footprint on it. 940 00:24:02,266 --> 00:24:05,033 So did you get PTSD 941 00:24:05,400 --> 00:24:07,066 from your military service? 942 00:24:07,666 --> 00:24:09,366 I did, yes, especially on 943 00:24:09,433 --> 00:24:10,299 the rescue side of things. 944 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:12,200 Oh yes, of course. 945 00:24:12,433 --> 00:24:13,633 Yeah, sometimes man, you 946 00:24:13,700 --> 00:24:14,333 can see the worst thing 947 00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:15,133 that could happen to somebody, 948 00:24:15,200 --> 00:24:16,233 and I don't wish that on anybody, 949 00:24:16,299 --> 00:24:17,700 knowing it was a mission 950 00:24:17,766 --> 00:24:19,333 June 8th, 2018 in East Africa, 951 00:24:19,400 --> 00:24:21,299 and we saw the best side 952 00:24:21,366 --> 00:24:22,333 of combat search and rescue 953 00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:23,066 that day, right? 954 00:24:23,333 --> 00:24:24,400 You've been saving five guys, 955 00:24:24,466 --> 00:24:25,666 and one guy when he died, 956 00:24:26,066 --> 00:24:26,500 he got back on the 957 00:24:26,566 --> 00:24:27,633 operating table, he died, 958 00:24:27,766 --> 00:24:28,433 so we saw the worst 959 00:24:28,500 --> 00:24:29,866 side, and I tell people, 960 00:24:29,933 --> 00:24:31,133 man, another reason why I wrote it is 961 00:24:31,200 --> 00:24:32,433 because this is what goes 962 00:24:32,500 --> 00:24:33,133 on when you're sleeping, 963 00:24:33,200 --> 00:24:34,233 and I want to tell America that, 964 00:24:34,299 --> 00:24:36,066 and these stories die in the sand, 965 00:24:36,133 --> 00:24:36,599 and that's someone's 966 00:24:36,666 --> 00:24:37,400 brother, someone's son, 967 00:24:37,466 --> 00:24:39,533 someone's friend that made that sacrifice 968 00:24:39,599 --> 00:24:40,566 for our freedoms, you know? 969 00:24:42,200 --> 00:24:43,833 So I find it interesting, 970 00:24:43,900 --> 00:24:45,033 you said that you miss it 971 00:24:45,099 --> 00:24:46,500 and you'd like to still be doing it. 972 00:24:46,866 --> 00:24:48,400 Even after you've gone through all this 973 00:24:48,466 --> 00:24:49,466 stuff with the PTSD, 974 00:24:50,466 --> 00:24:53,533 you wouldn't choose to not go and do it. 975 00:24:53,966 --> 00:24:58,766 I mean, I'm sure it's changed your life. 976 00:24:59,733 --> 00:25:00,966 To me, it was everything. 977 00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:02,533 Actually, I'm gonna 978 00:25:02,599 --> 00:25:03,466 sum this up with a quote 979 00:25:03,533 --> 00:25:04,299 I heard the other day, and it goes 980 00:25:04,366 --> 00:25:05,066 something like this. 981 00:25:05,466 --> 00:25:07,033 The very definition of hell is, 982 00:25:07,099 --> 00:25:07,833 you're the last day on 983 00:25:07,900 --> 00:25:09,033 earth, the person you became 984 00:25:09,099 --> 00:25:11,099 meets the person you could have become. 985 00:25:11,966 --> 00:25:13,599 And my grandfather asked me one time, 986 00:25:13,666 --> 00:25:14,966 he was like, man, do you remember your 987 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:16,133 great, great, great, 988 00:25:16,433 --> 00:25:17,266 great, great grandparents? 989 00:25:17,333 --> 00:25:19,466 And I don't, I should have, but I didn't. 990 00:25:20,333 --> 00:25:21,666 The point that he was making is like, 991 00:25:21,733 --> 00:25:24,066 you can leave this earth, 992 00:25:24,133 --> 00:25:25,566 people can remember you, 993 00:25:25,633 --> 00:25:27,533 or they won't, for something good, 994 00:25:27,599 --> 00:25:28,833 or for something nothing at all. 995 00:25:29,066 --> 00:25:30,566 So definitely I wanted 996 00:25:30,633 --> 00:25:32,533 to be part of that fight 997 00:25:32,599 --> 00:25:34,466 and serve the highest capacity I could. 998 00:25:35,833 --> 00:25:38,200 I haven't said it, but I always do. 999 00:25:38,266 --> 00:25:38,799 Thank you for your 1000 00:25:38,866 --> 00:25:40,333 service, I really appreciate it. 1001 00:25:40,666 --> 00:25:43,933 I grew up, I was very young at the time, 1002 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:46,533 but I did grow up around the Vietnam War. 1003 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:49,166 And it was horrible, horrible. 1004 00:25:49,233 --> 00:25:50,666 I didn't have any kind 1005 00:25:50,733 --> 00:25:53,200 of, I mean, I was young, 1006 00:25:53,266 --> 00:25:55,400 so much of it, I didn't care more so 1007 00:25:55,466 --> 00:25:57,200 than just Americans being killed and 1008 00:25:57,266 --> 00:25:58,266 seeing it on the news. 1009 00:25:58,799 --> 00:25:59,700 They actually took film 1010 00:25:59,766 --> 00:26:01,833 cameras out there here in Vietnam, 1011 00:26:01,900 --> 00:26:03,400 and they were reported on the news 1012 00:26:04,099 --> 00:26:06,266 using the film that they had recovered, 1013 00:26:06,633 --> 00:26:08,333 gosh, like 14 hours earlier. 1014 00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:09,333 It's amazing where we are 1015 00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:10,633 now with our technology. 1016 00:26:11,299 --> 00:26:14,066 But whenever the 1017 00:26:14,233 --> 00:26:15,799 soldiers came back from Vietnam, 1018 00:26:16,233 --> 00:26:17,500 it was insane, I don't 1019 00:26:17,566 --> 00:26:18,366 know why in the world 1020 00:26:18,433 --> 00:26:19,333 anybody that's 1021 00:26:20,500 --> 00:26:22,133 protecting your way of life, 1022 00:26:22,666 --> 00:26:23,566 I mean, you can disagree 1023 00:26:23,633 --> 00:26:24,733 with a war that's fine, 1024 00:26:24,799 --> 00:26:25,866 but the people that went out there 1025 00:26:25,933 --> 00:26:26,766 to put their lives on 1026 00:26:26,833 --> 00:26:28,566 the line to protect us, 1027 00:26:28,866 --> 00:26:30,733 or to project our power, 1028 00:26:30,799 --> 00:26:32,599 to maybe even help a people, 1029 00:26:32,666 --> 00:26:34,066 kind of like what just happened in Iran. 1030 00:26:34,133 --> 00:26:35,733 I mean, they 1031 00:26:35,966 --> 00:26:38,299 supposedly, the Iranian government 1032 00:26:38,533 --> 00:26:42,633 killed 35 to 40,000 of their people 1033 00:26:42,700 --> 00:26:43,833 because they were protesting. 1034 00:26:44,833 --> 00:26:47,000 I don't like the idea of us being police, 1035 00:26:47,500 --> 00:26:47,900 but 1036 00:26:47,966 --> 00:26:48,733 (beep) 1037 00:26:48,799 --> 00:26:50,666 it, letting stuff like 1038 00:26:50,733 --> 00:26:51,700 this go on in the world. 1039 00:26:52,299 --> 00:26:53,200 And when you have the 1040 00:26:53,266 --> 00:26:54,233 ability to do something about it, 1041 00:26:54,433 --> 00:26:55,233 I don't think it's right. 1042 00:26:55,299 --> 00:26:57,766 I think you need to tell them, 1043 00:26:58,366 --> 00:27:00,400 ziplomatically first, stop that, 1044 00:27:01,200 --> 00:27:02,700 and then if they don't stop that, 1045 00:27:03,533 --> 00:27:05,466 go and encourage them 1046 00:27:05,533 --> 00:27:06,766 vigorously to stop that. 1047 00:27:07,733 --> 00:27:09,366 Yeah, and there's also 1048 00:27:09,433 --> 00:27:10,033 another quote that goes, 1049 00:27:10,266 --> 00:27:10,866 the only thing that's 1050 00:27:10,933 --> 00:27:12,133 there for the triumph of evil 1051 00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:13,633 is for good men to do nothing. 1052 00:27:14,200 --> 00:27:14,400 Exactly. 1053 00:27:14,700 --> 00:27:17,766 I definitely wanted to, again, 1054 00:27:17,833 --> 00:27:18,433 in the start of the country, 1055 00:27:18,500 --> 00:27:19,833 the highest capacity I could, 1056 00:27:20,700 --> 00:27:22,166 just made my family proud 1057 00:27:22,233 --> 00:27:23,766 and try to do it with 1058 00:27:23,833 --> 00:27:24,966 as much honor as I could. 1059 00:27:25,500 --> 00:27:26,633 And I did go through some 1060 00:27:26,700 --> 00:27:27,666 dark times while I was in, 1061 00:27:27,866 --> 00:27:29,099 and I got a lot of help for that, 1062 00:27:29,166 --> 00:27:31,333 and prolonged exposure on meds now. 1063 00:27:31,700 --> 00:27:33,000 And I'm not ashamed to say that, 1064 00:27:33,066 --> 00:27:33,833 but I think I'm a 1065 00:27:33,900 --> 00:27:34,966 constant work in progress, 1066 00:27:35,033 --> 00:27:37,233 but at least I could say I lived, 1067 00:27:37,299 --> 00:27:38,900 and I got to aviate, 1068 00:27:38,966 --> 00:27:40,166 navigate, and communicate, man, 1069 00:27:40,233 --> 00:27:41,599 in the best squad in the world. 1070 00:27:42,533 --> 00:27:43,299 Do you keep up with 1071 00:27:43,366 --> 00:27:45,233 any of the old people, 1072 00:27:45,799 --> 00:27:47,233 the teams that you were a part of? 1073 00:27:47,966 --> 00:27:49,333 Oh yeah, actually, I 1074 00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:50,400 do the flight simulators 1075 00:27:50,466 --> 00:27:50,966 here on Cannon Air 1076 00:27:51,033 --> 00:27:52,400 Force Base in New Mexico, 1077 00:27:52,466 --> 00:27:53,900 so it's rare, but I still 1078 00:27:53,966 --> 00:27:55,266 see some of the men and women 1079 00:27:55,333 --> 00:27:55,933 I used to fly with 1080 00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:57,833 anywhere from pilots to gunners, 1081 00:27:58,333 --> 00:27:59,299 and stuff like that. 1082 00:27:59,833 --> 00:28:01,333 And man, it's just 1083 00:28:01,400 --> 00:28:02,733 such an awesome life, man, 1084 00:28:03,033 --> 00:28:03,933 and just flying, man, 1085 00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:04,733 there's something about it. 1086 00:28:04,799 --> 00:28:06,266 Once you do it, you're hooked, man. 1087 00:28:06,500 --> 00:28:07,666 Once you do that first mission, 1088 00:28:08,099 --> 00:28:08,633 I won't do that for the 1089 00:28:08,700 --> 00:28:09,766 rest of my life in that moment. 1090 00:28:10,599 --> 00:28:11,266 Do you ever get to 1091 00:28:11,466 --> 00:28:12,666 get any simulator time? 1092 00:28:12,766 --> 00:28:13,866 Don't tell me yes if 1093 00:28:13,933 --> 00:28:14,700 you're not supposed to. 1094 00:28:15,666 --> 00:28:17,466 Yeah, I mean, we definitely get in there 1095 00:28:17,533 --> 00:28:19,366 and see if I can put it 1096 00:28:19,433 --> 00:28:20,299 on the ground as a gunner, 1097 00:28:20,366 --> 00:28:21,033 and stuff like that, 1098 00:28:21,099 --> 00:28:22,099 and see what the pilots 1099 00:28:22,166 --> 00:28:22,833 are actually going through. 1100 00:28:22,900 --> 00:28:24,133 And my whole job now 1101 00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:25,200 is to basically create 1102 00:28:25,266 --> 00:28:26,333 these scenarios for the 1103 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:28,033 AC-130s, the MC, and the U-28. 1104 00:28:28,733 --> 00:28:29,433 And basically, the 1105 00:28:29,500 --> 00:28:30,433 idea is that it could be 1106 00:28:30,500 --> 00:28:32,266 emergency procedure, could be a threat, 1107 00:28:32,566 --> 00:28:33,200 dodging the threat or 1108 00:28:33,266 --> 00:28:33,733 something like that, 1109 00:28:33,799 --> 00:28:34,900 and we're in the gunship 1110 00:28:34,966 --> 00:28:36,633 shooting actual targets, 1111 00:28:36,700 --> 00:28:37,733 and it actually moves 1112 00:28:37,799 --> 00:28:38,599 when we shoot the simulator, 1113 00:28:38,666 --> 00:28:39,366 so it's pretty crazy. 1114 00:28:39,533 --> 00:28:40,266 Oh, that's neat. 1115 00:28:40,900 --> 00:28:42,500 Yeah, man, and it's, I tell people, 1116 00:28:42,733 --> 00:28:44,700 I've never been a video game guy, man, 1117 00:28:44,766 --> 00:28:45,700 but I get to literally go 1118 00:28:45,766 --> 00:28:47,633 play an $80 million video game 1119 00:28:47,700 --> 00:28:48,933 every day, you know? 1120 00:28:49,299 --> 00:28:50,266 But the beauty of the 1121 00:28:50,333 --> 00:28:51,566 fruit in that labor would be, 1122 00:28:51,933 --> 00:28:52,633 you know, as you get 1123 00:28:52,700 --> 00:28:54,433 those guys, these scenarios 1124 00:28:54,500 --> 00:28:55,099 that maybe you've had 1125 00:28:55,166 --> 00:28:55,900 or someone else has had, 1126 00:28:55,966 --> 00:28:56,799 and like, when they get 1127 00:28:56,866 --> 00:28:57,766 down range and it happens, 1128 00:28:57,833 --> 00:28:58,766 they take a second, like, 1129 00:28:59,233 --> 00:29:00,133 okay, I've been here before, 1130 00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:01,000 I've been here 100 times in 1131 00:29:01,066 --> 00:29:02,166 training, this is what it is. 1132 00:29:02,566 --> 00:29:03,900 You know, so you see that sort of, 1133 00:29:04,599 --> 00:29:05,133 you know, that fruit's 1134 00:29:05,200 --> 00:29:06,066 from that labor, you know? 1135 00:29:06,533 --> 00:29:07,799 Yeah, I can well 1136 00:29:07,866 --> 00:29:09,200 imagine that there are some 1137 00:29:09,700 --> 00:29:11,200 virtual 3D stuff going 1138 00:29:11,266 --> 00:29:12,966 on, not in that simulator, 1139 00:29:13,033 --> 00:29:13,866 but some virtual stuff 1140 00:29:13,933 --> 00:29:14,799 where you put the headset on, 1141 00:29:15,233 --> 00:29:17,000 and especially for the round soldiers, 1142 00:29:17,066 --> 00:29:18,666 to go into an area and 1143 00:29:18,733 --> 00:29:20,000 study and learn that, 1144 00:29:21,233 --> 00:29:22,700 especially with our satellites and stuff, 1145 00:29:22,766 --> 00:29:25,000 I imagine the detail is very, very rich. 1146 00:29:25,333 --> 00:29:26,299 I recently got a VR 1147 00:29:26,366 --> 00:29:27,733 headset, and I was telling my wife, 1148 00:29:27,933 --> 00:29:29,233 I bet you the military has something 1149 00:29:29,299 --> 00:29:30,633 that's so beyond this, 1150 00:29:31,266 --> 00:29:32,233 because if you can go 1151 00:29:32,299 --> 00:29:34,299 and train in the area 1152 00:29:34,366 --> 00:29:36,933 that you're going in, it's so much 1153 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:38,266 better, I mean, it's-- 1154 00:29:38,333 --> 00:29:39,766 It's 100% right, 100% 1155 00:29:39,833 --> 00:29:40,533 right on that, yeah. 1156 00:29:40,599 --> 00:29:41,866 And the same thing with the simulators, 1157 00:29:41,933 --> 00:29:43,599 you can go and do these scenarios 1158 00:29:44,133 --> 00:29:47,433 that you probably will never have the, 1159 00:29:47,599 --> 00:29:48,133 I don't want to say the 1160 00:29:48,200 --> 00:29:49,500 ability or to enjoy it, 1161 00:29:49,566 --> 00:29:51,099 but it is, it's a challenge, 1162 00:29:51,166 --> 00:29:51,633 and then whenever you 1163 00:29:51,700 --> 00:29:52,433 go through the challenge, 1164 00:29:52,500 --> 00:29:53,066 you've learned it. 1165 00:29:53,633 --> 00:29:54,400 World War II, that 1166 00:29:54,466 --> 00:29:55,366 wasn't the case, I mean, 1167 00:29:55,433 --> 00:29:57,366 you had hours that you flew, 1168 00:29:57,433 --> 00:29:58,799 combat missions that you flew, 1169 00:29:58,866 --> 00:30:01,000 and that was your simulation. 1170 00:30:02,299 --> 00:30:04,000 But these simulators, I 1171 00:30:04,066 --> 00:30:05,133 have this vision in my head 1172 00:30:05,200 --> 00:30:06,333 of the simulators that you run, 1173 00:30:06,833 --> 00:30:08,866 some like the ones that I've seen 1174 00:30:08,933 --> 00:30:09,933 in the Intercontinental 1175 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:10,966 Airport here in Houston. 1176 00:30:11,333 --> 00:30:13,833 They're huge, absolutely huge, 1177 00:30:14,166 --> 00:30:16,500 and I can well imagine that 1178 00:30:16,566 --> 00:30:17,833 that would just be a blast. 1179 00:30:18,333 --> 00:30:20,133 You guys ever mess with the pilots? 1180 00:30:20,333 --> 00:30:22,233 Let's see what he can do with this one, 1181 00:30:22,299 --> 00:30:23,599 let's throw this one in there. 1182 00:30:24,333 --> 00:30:25,400 Yeah, can't get far 1183 00:30:25,466 --> 00:30:26,433 more than I, but you know. 1184 00:30:26,900 --> 00:30:29,133 Yeah, exactly, good, good. 1185 00:30:29,633 --> 00:30:30,299 There's no fun in the 1186 00:30:30,366 --> 00:30:31,066 military unless you can 1187 00:30:31,133 --> 00:30:31,266 (beep) 1188 00:30:31,333 --> 00:30:32,799 with somebody. 100%. 1189 00:30:33,033 --> 00:30:33,700 (laughing) 1190 00:30:35,633 --> 00:30:36,133 All right, well let's 1191 00:30:36,200 --> 00:30:37,200 get back to the book here. 1192 00:30:37,266 --> 00:30:38,866 So tell me more about the book. 1193 00:30:39,099 --> 00:30:40,000 What are the 1194 00:30:40,066 --> 00:30:41,266 highlights that you think people 1195 00:30:41,333 --> 00:30:43,266 should look for in the book, 1196 00:30:43,333 --> 00:30:44,433 and why they should buy it, frankly? 1197 00:30:45,500 --> 00:30:47,466 Yeah, definitely a kid, you know, 1198 00:30:47,666 --> 00:30:49,566 grew up in a small town, and basically, 1199 00:30:50,099 --> 00:30:51,033 decided to leave that 1200 00:30:51,099 --> 00:30:52,566 and serve my country, 1201 00:30:52,766 --> 00:30:55,400 and it's got anything from some 1202 00:30:55,466 --> 00:30:55,666 (beep) 1203 00:30:55,733 --> 00:30:56,433 good fart jokes, there's 1204 00:30:56,500 --> 00:30:57,233 some funny moments in there, 1205 00:30:57,299 --> 00:30:58,400 there's some very, the 1206 00:30:58,466 --> 00:30:59,799 darkest moments of my life in there, 1207 00:30:59,866 --> 00:31:01,200 man, where I decided to 1208 00:31:01,266 --> 00:31:03,133 choose better over bitter. 1209 00:31:04,000 --> 00:31:05,400 And basically, it's a 1210 00:31:05,466 --> 00:31:06,666 guy who wanted to live 1211 00:31:06,733 --> 00:31:08,000 a house money life, is the chapter, 1212 00:31:08,066 --> 00:31:09,266 I call that in the book, you know, 1213 00:31:09,666 --> 00:31:10,833 with life, how much more 1214 00:31:11,066 --> 00:31:12,233 aggressively would we get 1215 00:31:12,299 --> 00:31:12,799 before we were playing 1216 00:31:12,866 --> 00:31:13,866 on the house's money, man? 1217 00:31:14,266 --> 00:31:15,133 And basically, a kid 1218 00:31:15,633 --> 00:31:17,200 decided that, you know, 1219 00:31:17,533 --> 00:31:17,933 probably still a 1220 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:18,833 reasonable fifth year level 1221 00:31:18,900 --> 00:31:20,566 just to go get it, man, and 1222 00:31:20,633 --> 00:31:21,766 then to try to write it down 1223 00:31:21,833 --> 00:31:22,900 and paint a picture for one, 1224 00:31:23,433 --> 00:31:24,266 if one person gets 1225 00:31:24,333 --> 00:31:25,066 help reading this book, 1226 00:31:25,133 --> 00:31:26,099 we talk about the 22 a 1227 00:31:26,166 --> 00:31:27,066 day and stuff like that, 1228 00:31:27,433 --> 00:31:28,466 with mental health and veterans, 1229 00:31:28,533 --> 00:31:30,166 then that's a blessing, that's a win. 1230 00:31:30,533 --> 00:31:31,700 And again, the second point 1231 00:31:31,766 --> 00:31:32,700 to show the rest of America, 1232 00:31:32,766 --> 00:31:33,366 hey, this is what really 1233 00:31:33,433 --> 00:31:34,466 goes on when you're sleeping, 1234 00:31:34,933 --> 00:31:36,766 and freedom's definitely not free, so. 1235 00:31:37,700 --> 00:31:39,233 So correct me if I'm wrong on this, 1236 00:31:39,566 --> 00:31:40,433 this is for the people that 1237 00:31:40,500 --> 00:31:41,799 don't know about the 22 a day, 1238 00:31:41,866 --> 00:31:44,733 the 22 a day is a mission 1239 00:31:44,799 --> 00:31:49,200 to keep 22 military people, 1240 00:31:49,766 --> 00:31:50,833 current or former, 1241 00:31:51,333 --> 00:31:52,533 from committing suicide. 1242 00:31:53,433 --> 00:31:55,333 Yeah, and that was the 22 at the time 1243 00:31:55,400 --> 00:31:56,866 when they got that average, that number, 1244 00:31:56,933 --> 00:31:58,566 that was the amount of the veterans, 1245 00:31:58,900 --> 00:31:59,500 believe it or not, that 1246 00:31:59,766 --> 00:32:01,266 was taking their lives 1247 00:32:01,333 --> 00:32:04,599 within America, so even one is too many, 1248 00:32:04,666 --> 00:32:05,566 I look at it like that, 1249 00:32:05,633 --> 00:32:08,000 but if I look at it this way, 1250 00:32:08,066 --> 00:32:10,200 I can either talk about it, man, 1251 00:32:10,266 --> 00:32:12,333 or I can actually try to help someone, 1252 00:32:12,566 --> 00:32:13,966 and I tell people when you're 1253 00:32:14,033 --> 00:32:15,366 checking on your battle buddy, 1254 00:32:15,433 --> 00:32:17,299 wing man, even your four 1255 00:32:17,366 --> 00:32:18,233 quarters you call friends 1256 00:32:18,299 --> 00:32:19,400 and not your hundred pennies, right, 1257 00:32:19,733 --> 00:32:20,933 you know them and they know you, 1258 00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:23,033 so there's a difference between saying, 1259 00:32:23,266 --> 00:32:24,299 how's it going, brother, or like, 1260 00:32:24,366 --> 00:32:25,033 hey man, how you doing 1261 00:32:25,099 --> 00:32:26,400 really, bro, what's going on? 1262 00:32:26,766 --> 00:32:27,133 You know what I mean? 1263 00:32:27,299 --> 00:32:29,266 Yeah, it's not just the standard greeting 1264 00:32:29,333 --> 00:32:29,866 that you like, 1265 00:32:29,933 --> 00:32:31,099 everybody, how you doing, fine. 1266 00:32:31,599 --> 00:32:34,033 Do you just want the fine response, 1267 00:32:34,099 --> 00:32:34,666 or do you really want to 1268 00:32:34,733 --> 00:32:35,599 know, that type of thing? 1269 00:32:36,066 --> 00:32:37,633 Yeah, and every now 1270 00:32:37,700 --> 00:32:38,400 and then they'll tell you 1271 00:32:38,466 --> 00:32:40,666 what's really going on, man, and that's, 1272 00:32:41,166 --> 00:32:42,733 sometimes you could save someone's life, 1273 00:32:42,799 --> 00:32:43,433 you never know, bro. 1274 00:32:44,033 --> 00:32:45,966 Well, just talking about it, 1275 00:32:46,033 --> 00:32:47,833 it's amazing how much 1276 00:32:47,900 --> 00:32:48,900 you can get off your, 1277 00:32:49,233 --> 00:32:50,900 out of your brain and off your shoulders, 1278 00:32:50,966 --> 00:32:51,933 the weight by talking 1279 00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:52,766 to somebody about it. 1280 00:32:53,299 --> 00:32:56,233 Do you cover therapy in the book at all? 1281 00:32:56,299 --> 00:32:58,799 Because I think you 1282 00:32:58,866 --> 00:33:00,400 can't mandate therapy, 1283 00:33:00,466 --> 00:33:02,299 it should make it really 1284 00:33:02,366 --> 00:33:04,466 easy for people to get therapy, 1285 00:33:04,533 --> 00:33:05,599 to get through this stuff. 1286 00:33:06,266 --> 00:33:07,366 Yeah, Hunter Merci, so I 1287 00:33:07,433 --> 00:33:08,466 did the prolonged exposure 1288 00:33:08,533 --> 00:33:10,099 through, USOCOM has this thing called 1289 00:33:10,166 --> 00:33:11,733 the preservation of the force of family. 1290 00:33:12,033 --> 00:33:13,099 So each of these type 1291 00:33:13,166 --> 00:33:13,933 of squadrons, right, 1292 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:15,633 whether it's Air Force, Army, et cetera, 1293 00:33:16,066 --> 00:33:17,666 you have a psychiatrist, 1294 00:33:17,733 --> 00:33:18,933 you have a physical trainer, 1295 00:33:19,033 --> 00:33:20,533 and a physical therapist, 1296 00:33:20,599 --> 00:33:21,400 and these type of things. 1297 00:33:21,900 --> 00:33:23,133 And she was a civilian lady, 1298 00:33:23,200 --> 00:33:24,766 and what had happened, man, 1299 00:33:24,833 --> 00:33:26,400 was, especially after the castaway, 1300 00:33:26,466 --> 00:33:27,533 especially after this 1301 00:33:27,599 --> 00:33:28,700 loss of identity happens, 1302 00:33:28,766 --> 00:33:29,433 where I realized the 1303 00:33:29,866 --> 00:33:31,466 engineer at the past 20 years 1304 00:33:31,533 --> 00:33:32,900 at that point, and what was 1305 00:33:32,966 --> 00:33:34,000 the weekend drinking habit 1306 00:33:34,066 --> 00:33:35,066 became at least upon a 1307 00:33:35,133 --> 00:33:36,799 night with pills, man, 1308 00:33:36,866 --> 00:33:38,166 he named it to go to sleep, really 1309 00:33:38,299 --> 00:33:39,333 tearing up myself, man. 1310 00:33:39,400 --> 00:33:41,299 And my wife was a game of the ultimate, 1311 00:33:41,366 --> 00:33:42,133 and hey, it's either the 1312 00:33:42,200 --> 00:33:43,133 bottle or me and your daughter. 1313 00:33:43,433 --> 00:33:44,433 And I tell people, I've 1314 00:33:44,500 --> 00:33:45,533 been called many call signs, 1315 00:33:45,799 --> 00:33:47,666 arrow gunner, smile, Uncle Tito, 1316 00:33:47,733 --> 00:33:49,700 which is about drinking in itself. 1317 00:33:50,433 --> 00:33:52,233 And the best call someone 1318 00:33:52,299 --> 00:33:53,000 ever has when my daughter 1319 00:33:53,066 --> 00:33:54,833 called me dad, man, and that's when I 1320 00:33:54,900 --> 00:33:55,666 decided to get help, 1321 00:33:55,733 --> 00:33:57,400 and I did the prolonged exposure therapy. 1322 00:33:57,966 --> 00:33:59,900 I tell people, man, remove that stigma. 1323 00:33:59,966 --> 00:34:01,433 If you're in a leadership type spot, 1324 00:34:01,500 --> 00:34:02,333 no matter where you are, 1325 00:34:02,700 --> 00:34:03,533 when your troops see you, 1326 00:34:03,599 --> 00:34:05,400 get help, like I saw 1327 00:34:05,466 --> 00:34:06,133 other people get help, 1328 00:34:06,633 --> 00:34:07,466 it's contagious, and you'll 1329 00:34:07,533 --> 00:34:08,933 realize it is okay to get help. 1330 00:34:10,133 --> 00:34:12,199 Again, it's okay not to be okay, 1331 00:34:12,266 --> 00:34:12,800 but it's not okay to 1332 00:34:12,866 --> 00:34:13,566 do nothing about that 1333 00:34:13,633 --> 00:34:14,300 as a way to look at it. 1334 00:34:14,733 --> 00:34:15,966 Well, it's such a relief. 1335 00:34:16,033 --> 00:34:17,599 I went through a divorce 1336 00:34:17,666 --> 00:34:19,566 when I was in my early 30s, 1337 00:34:19,699 --> 00:34:23,266 and my now ex-wife and I 1338 00:34:23,333 --> 00:34:25,900 went at her request to therapy, 1339 00:34:26,333 --> 00:34:28,966 and she didn't wanna, 1340 00:34:29,033 --> 00:34:29,900 she just stopped going 1341 00:34:29,966 --> 00:34:30,566 because she didn't, 1342 00:34:30,833 --> 00:34:31,800 it wasn't all my fault. 1343 00:34:31,866 --> 00:34:32,800 She didn't like that, 1344 00:34:32,866 --> 00:34:33,800 so she stopped going. 1345 00:34:34,166 --> 00:34:35,033 But I kept going 1346 00:34:35,099 --> 00:34:36,133 because I didn't wanna make 1347 00:34:36,199 --> 00:34:37,000 the same mistake that 1348 00:34:37,066 --> 00:34:38,533 I had made that time. 1349 00:34:38,933 --> 00:34:42,500 And after that, I now look at it like 1350 00:34:42,566 --> 00:34:43,599 it's not a weakness. 1351 00:34:44,366 --> 00:34:46,633 It's a huge help because 1352 00:34:46,900 --> 00:34:48,099 even though we were raised 1353 00:34:48,166 --> 00:34:50,633 by great people and lived a great life 1354 00:34:50,699 --> 00:34:53,099 up to the point that we lived, there's 1355 00:34:53,166 --> 00:34:54,233 things that you miss. 1356 00:34:54,533 --> 00:34:56,566 There's things that you don't understand, 1357 00:34:56,633 --> 00:34:57,333 and especially in your 1358 00:34:57,400 --> 00:34:59,366 situation, you were doing things 1359 00:34:59,699 --> 00:35:01,733 that a lot of us don't have never done. 1360 00:35:01,800 --> 00:35:04,233 And so who's gonna teach you how to 1361 00:35:04,300 --> 00:35:05,266 handle these things? 1362 00:35:05,533 --> 00:35:09,000 So I think, I'm gonna 1363 00:35:09,066 --> 00:35:10,066 do a Star Trek reference. 1364 00:35:10,133 --> 00:35:10,866 So when Star Trek The 1365 00:35:10,933 --> 00:35:12,266 Next Generation came out, 1366 00:35:12,566 --> 00:35:13,666 they had a spot on the 1367 00:35:13,733 --> 00:35:15,800 bridge for a therapist, 1368 00:35:16,233 --> 00:35:18,566 and she was right there on the bridge, 1369 00:35:18,666 --> 00:35:19,533 and she would talk to 1370 00:35:19,599 --> 00:35:20,566 people about their feelings 1371 00:35:20,633 --> 00:35:21,199 and all that stuff. 1372 00:35:21,566 --> 00:35:22,633 I think everybody 1373 00:35:22,699 --> 00:35:23,633 should go through therapy, 1374 00:35:24,633 --> 00:35:25,900 whether you're having a problem or not, 1375 00:35:25,966 --> 00:35:27,666 so you can have some questions answered 1376 00:35:28,066 --> 00:35:29,000 about the right and 1377 00:35:29,066 --> 00:35:31,066 wrong, and this is my belief, 1378 00:35:31,133 --> 00:35:32,466 and I know it's right, but 1379 00:35:33,199 --> 00:35:35,300 I don't have that validation 1380 00:35:35,366 --> 00:35:36,966 as to me being right. 1381 00:35:37,233 --> 00:35:38,166 And I can well imagine 1382 00:35:38,233 --> 00:35:39,000 that some of the thoughts 1383 00:35:39,066 --> 00:35:40,199 and feelings that you had 1384 00:35:40,266 --> 00:35:41,466 in your military service, 1385 00:35:41,733 --> 00:35:42,866 you were confused about. 1386 00:35:43,933 --> 00:35:46,133 It just helps somebody guide you. 1387 00:35:46,433 --> 00:35:47,033 I mean, they don't tell 1388 00:35:47,099 --> 00:35:47,933 you if you're right or wrong, 1389 00:35:48,000 --> 00:35:48,666 but they guide you 1390 00:35:48,733 --> 00:35:50,533 through that reassurance 1391 00:35:50,599 --> 00:35:51,233 that you did the right 1392 00:35:51,300 --> 00:35:53,400 thing or so on and so forth. 1393 00:35:53,466 --> 00:35:54,533 So I think the therapy side 1394 00:35:54,599 --> 00:35:55,800 of things is very important. 1395 00:35:56,533 --> 00:35:57,166 Yeah, and I think 1396 00:35:57,233 --> 00:35:58,833 just like with your Jeep, 1397 00:35:59,033 --> 00:36:00,733 you know when the 1398 00:36:00,800 --> 00:36:01,699 scheduled maintenance is, 1399 00:36:01,966 --> 00:36:02,933 but some of those 1400 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:03,866 other bumps that may have 1401 00:36:03,933 --> 00:36:05,166 threw something off course in the way, 1402 00:36:05,500 --> 00:36:07,199 that's the ones that you should, 1403 00:36:08,233 --> 00:36:08,699 there's nothing wrong 1404 00:36:08,766 --> 00:36:09,566 with taking it into mechanic 1405 00:36:09,633 --> 00:36:10,333 just to see, right? 1406 00:36:10,866 --> 00:36:11,800 So I look at it as almost 1407 00:36:11,866 --> 00:36:12,900 like a checkup type thing 1408 00:36:12,966 --> 00:36:14,933 with a vehicle, and I 1409 00:36:15,000 --> 00:36:15,833 definitely tell people, 1410 00:36:16,966 --> 00:36:18,766 it's not if it's when in that life 1411 00:36:18,833 --> 00:36:20,366 where all this stuff bowls over, 1412 00:36:20,433 --> 00:36:22,666 you hit that pulling point and it's okay 1413 00:36:22,733 --> 00:36:23,933 to take that tactical knee, man. 1414 00:36:24,500 --> 00:36:26,466 And in the end, these type professions, 1415 00:36:26,833 --> 00:36:27,733 we have to be able to trust you 1416 00:36:28,099 --> 00:36:29,300 with our best friend's life. 1417 00:36:29,633 --> 00:36:31,666 And someone explained that to me once. 1418 00:36:31,733 --> 00:36:34,533 And that really hit home to seek help 1419 00:36:34,599 --> 00:36:35,933 and see that it's okay to get help. 1420 00:36:36,133 --> 00:36:38,166 And I did give the psychiatrist 1421 00:36:38,233 --> 00:36:39,233 with a very big chip on my 1422 00:36:39,300 --> 00:36:41,066 shoulder, the cliche of like, 1423 00:36:41,366 --> 00:36:42,466 she's like, "Well, you know," 1424 00:36:42,733 --> 00:36:43,566 I was like, "Well, you 1425 00:36:43,633 --> 00:36:44,366 wouldn't call your dentist 1426 00:36:44,433 --> 00:36:46,699 to fix your car or something like that." 1427 00:36:46,766 --> 00:36:48,066 She said, and I was like, 1428 00:36:48,133 --> 00:36:48,633 "Well, you know, what 1429 00:36:48,699 --> 00:36:49,366 if he's a mechanic?" 1430 00:36:49,433 --> 00:36:50,900 You know, and I may be an idiot, 1431 00:36:50,966 --> 00:36:52,833 but realizing like, this lady knows so 1432 00:36:52,900 --> 00:36:53,833 much about my psyche 1433 00:36:53,900 --> 00:36:55,000 that I never knew, you know? 1434 00:36:55,066 --> 00:36:56,233 So I said, "Give it a chance 1435 00:36:56,300 --> 00:36:56,533 and you'll be 1436 00:36:56,599 --> 00:36:57,566 surprised what happens, man." 1437 00:36:58,099 --> 00:36:58,300 Mm-hmm. 1438 00:36:59,566 --> 00:37:00,133 (laughs) 1439 00:37:00,266 --> 00:37:03,099 So I would imagine therapists 1440 00:37:03,166 --> 00:37:05,466 have some very interesting things. 1441 00:37:05,533 --> 00:37:07,266 I wonder who therapists talk to 1442 00:37:07,333 --> 00:37:09,866 about what they go through every day. 1443 00:37:10,900 --> 00:37:12,000 That's a good question, man. 1444 00:37:12,599 --> 00:37:13,666 I saw this thing and it 1445 00:37:13,733 --> 00:37:14,666 was a very real moment. 1446 00:37:14,866 --> 00:37:15,900 I didn't put this in the book. 1447 00:37:16,300 --> 00:37:17,166 I don't know if I should say this, 1448 00:37:17,233 --> 00:37:17,533 but you know, when 1449 00:37:17,599 --> 00:37:18,466 they're writing something down, 1450 00:37:18,533 --> 00:37:19,566 it was like a meme I saw the day. 1451 00:37:20,099 --> 00:37:21,233 I did something like this. 1452 00:37:21,400 --> 00:37:22,300 Can I see, you know, 1453 00:37:22,733 --> 00:37:23,599 and this laughing 1454 00:37:23,666 --> 00:37:25,066 moment with the therapist, 1455 00:37:25,133 --> 00:37:26,800 but you definitely, man, 1456 00:37:26,866 --> 00:37:27,866 that prolonged exposure therapy, 1457 00:37:27,933 --> 00:37:29,666 you're definitely getting uncomfortable 1458 00:37:29,733 --> 00:37:30,400 being uncomfortable, 1459 00:37:30,466 --> 00:37:31,099 man, and it definitely 1460 00:37:31,166 --> 00:37:32,566 made me a better father, 1461 00:37:32,633 --> 00:37:34,866 better husband, better airman, you know? 1462 00:37:35,533 --> 00:37:37,766 I think that we are put here 1463 00:37:38,233 --> 00:37:39,766 to learn how to deal with fear, 1464 00:37:40,666 --> 00:37:42,533 because fear will stop 1465 00:37:42,599 --> 00:37:43,800 you from thinking correctly 1466 00:37:43,933 --> 00:37:46,133 and you'll make wrong decisions. 1467 00:37:46,533 --> 00:37:48,866 So I think that is our reason, 1468 00:37:48,933 --> 00:37:50,400 dealing with fear and just 1469 00:37:50,466 --> 00:37:52,033 knowing it's gonna be okay. 1470 00:37:52,566 --> 00:37:54,333 It's a problem, it sucks. 1471 00:37:54,400 --> 00:37:55,333 I don't like being in this, 1472 00:37:55,400 --> 00:37:57,866 but you know, I'll just step 1473 00:37:57,933 --> 00:37:58,766 through it like I always do, 1474 00:37:58,833 --> 00:37:59,533 and I'll be a success, 1475 00:37:59,599 --> 00:38:00,633 having that confidence 1476 00:38:00,900 --> 00:38:03,166 to complete what you need to do. 1477 00:38:03,233 --> 00:38:05,900 So yeah, and I think that your book 1478 00:38:05,966 --> 00:38:07,333 probably helps people with that. 1479 00:38:07,400 --> 00:38:08,233 And also too, it gives 1480 00:38:08,933 --> 00:38:10,333 people that have no idea, 1481 00:38:10,633 --> 00:38:11,633 has never experienced 1482 00:38:11,699 --> 00:38:12,466 what you experienced, 1483 00:38:12,533 --> 00:38:14,466 just a taste of that. 1484 00:38:15,733 --> 00:38:16,233 Oh yeah, and that 1485 00:38:16,333 --> 00:38:17,300 definitely takes you through 1486 00:38:17,833 --> 00:38:18,566 to all the emotions 1487 00:38:18,633 --> 00:38:19,366 within a couple of hours, 1488 00:38:19,433 --> 00:38:21,199 is the most common feedback I get on it. 1489 00:38:21,599 --> 00:38:23,633 And it's got some of the, again, 1490 00:38:23,699 --> 00:38:24,833 the funniest moments of my life, 1491 00:38:24,900 --> 00:38:26,800 the happiest and then the darkest, man. 1492 00:38:27,166 --> 00:38:28,633 And there's a saying in the book 1493 00:38:28,800 --> 00:38:30,366 that I quoted Henry Ford, right? 1494 00:38:30,866 --> 00:38:31,900 When you're going through something, 1495 00:38:31,966 --> 00:38:32,433 you're going through the 1496 00:38:32,500 --> 00:38:33,699 worst moments of your life, man, 1497 00:38:33,766 --> 00:38:34,699 that he says that aircraft 1498 00:38:34,766 --> 00:38:35,699 takes off against someone, 1499 00:38:35,766 --> 00:38:36,400 not with it, right? 1500 00:38:36,466 --> 00:38:38,433 So we can't have lift without some drag, 1501 00:38:38,500 --> 00:38:39,466 that's very, very bad, right? 1502 00:38:39,633 --> 00:38:41,733 So I think that's part of life, man, 1503 00:38:41,800 --> 00:38:42,733 that's part of being human, 1504 00:38:43,400 --> 00:38:45,099 and as part of getting on the other side 1505 00:38:45,166 --> 00:38:45,766 of that dark tunnel, 1506 00:38:45,833 --> 00:38:46,666 man, to that light, man. 1507 00:38:46,733 --> 00:38:48,466 So it's a, get help if you need it, 1508 00:38:48,533 --> 00:38:49,766 and you'll be glad you did, so. 1509 00:38:50,266 --> 00:38:52,366 You know, you mentioned the Jeep 1510 00:38:52,433 --> 00:38:53,966 and getting, taking it to 1511 00:38:54,033 --> 00:38:55,566 somebody to be repaired. 1512 00:38:55,800 --> 00:38:57,466 I don't mind taking it to be repaired 1513 00:38:57,533 --> 00:38:58,599 on some things that I'm 1514 00:38:58,733 --> 00:39:00,033 questionable about doing, 1515 00:39:00,966 --> 00:39:02,266 but I'm standing there watching them, 1516 00:39:02,766 --> 00:39:03,833 and that it dawned on me. 1517 00:39:04,066 --> 00:39:06,233 You're getting in a plane every night 1518 00:39:06,933 --> 00:39:08,833 that somebody else has worked on. 1519 00:39:09,400 --> 00:39:10,500 Did you, are you ever 1520 00:39:10,566 --> 00:39:11,933 nervous about the mechanics 1521 00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:13,266 that were maintaining that plane? 1522 00:39:13,333 --> 00:39:13,933 I mean, after a while, 1523 00:39:14,000 --> 00:39:14,833 you kind of get used to it, 1524 00:39:15,099 --> 00:39:16,033 but they could have a bad 1525 00:39:16,099 --> 00:39:17,433 day, they could have a bad night, 1526 00:39:17,500 --> 00:39:18,966 and they could dismiss something. 1527 00:39:19,333 --> 00:39:21,733 I mean, I guess the worst case is, 1528 00:39:21,800 --> 00:39:22,466 as long as the plane 1529 00:39:22,533 --> 00:39:24,566 doesn't fall out of the air, 1530 00:39:24,633 --> 00:39:27,533 you can always fly back and tell them 1531 00:39:27,599 --> 00:39:28,566 to get it right this time. 1532 00:39:29,166 --> 00:39:30,033 Yeah, I will say, 1533 00:39:30,199 --> 00:39:30,966 from what I experienced, 1534 00:39:31,033 --> 00:39:32,699 our maintainers are the best in the world 1535 00:39:32,766 --> 00:39:34,000 at what they do in Air Force 1536 00:39:34,066 --> 00:39:35,033 Special Operations Command. 1537 00:39:35,766 --> 00:39:37,033 They're, man, they burn 1538 00:39:37,099 --> 00:39:38,000 them in that oil, you name it, 1539 00:39:38,066 --> 00:39:38,866 whatever they gotta do to 1540 00:39:38,933 --> 00:39:40,066 get that bird ready, you know, 1541 00:39:40,400 --> 00:39:41,966 I trust them with my life, 1542 00:39:42,333 --> 00:39:43,300 I'm sure they trust us 1543 00:39:43,366 --> 00:39:44,133 with theirs, you know, 1544 00:39:44,199 --> 00:39:45,833 so definitely it's, you see 1545 00:39:45,900 --> 00:39:47,333 the big picture, you know, 1546 00:39:47,633 --> 00:39:49,266 between the mechanics, you know, 1547 00:39:49,333 --> 00:39:51,400 and between the logistics people, 1548 00:39:51,466 --> 00:39:52,633 between the intel people, 1549 00:39:53,000 --> 00:39:53,833 and this big, beautiful 1550 00:39:53,900 --> 00:39:55,000 thing called air power 1551 00:39:55,066 --> 00:39:55,933 comes together, man, so 1552 00:39:56,000 --> 00:39:57,400 it's an awesome thing to see. 1553 00:39:57,933 --> 00:39:58,866 So would you say your 1554 00:39:58,933 --> 00:40:00,900 book is for military people 1555 00:40:00,966 --> 00:40:02,766 or civilians, or yes? 1556 00:40:04,333 --> 00:40:05,366 Yeah, I would say both, yeah, 1557 00:40:05,433 --> 00:40:06,599 and definitely for 1558 00:40:07,033 --> 00:40:08,333 people in uncommon, you know, 1559 00:40:08,400 --> 00:40:09,366 type jobs, I would say. 1560 00:40:11,500 --> 00:40:12,866 Any plans for an audio book? 1561 00:40:14,333 --> 00:40:16,900 Yeah, man, I've heard that a few times, 1562 00:40:16,966 --> 00:40:17,933 I wouldn't know how to do that, 1563 00:40:18,000 --> 00:40:19,333 I might've told my publisher about that, 1564 00:40:19,766 --> 00:40:20,966 but, you know, it 1565 00:40:21,033 --> 00:40:22,000 would sound very, you know, 1566 00:40:22,066 --> 00:40:23,266 Appalachian if I did 1567 00:40:23,333 --> 00:40:24,033 it, man, like I said, 1568 00:40:24,199 --> 00:40:24,699 telling you earlier, 1569 00:40:24,766 --> 00:40:25,466 man, I probably still read 1570 00:40:25,533 --> 00:40:26,366 the fifth grade level, 1571 00:40:26,699 --> 00:40:27,699 that twang that came out. 1572 00:40:27,766 --> 00:40:29,066 I would get Vin Diesel, personally, I 1573 00:40:29,133 --> 00:40:30,400 would get Vin Diesel, 1574 00:40:30,466 --> 00:40:31,333 and instead of him 1575 00:40:31,400 --> 00:40:32,733 actually speaking every word, 1576 00:40:32,800 --> 00:40:34,099 he just says Groot, so 1577 00:40:34,166 --> 00:40:35,466 over and over and over again. 1578 00:40:38,000 --> 00:40:41,400 The Groot, the Groot special edition. 1579 00:40:43,000 --> 00:40:44,033 What was that rock from 1580 00:40:44,099 --> 00:40:45,900 Guardians of the Galaxy, 1581 00:40:45,966 --> 00:40:46,599 the rock sort of 1582 00:40:46,666 --> 00:40:48,666 structure guy, was that not Groot, 1583 00:40:48,733 --> 00:40:49,199 what was his name? 1584 00:40:49,699 --> 00:40:51,033 I know there was one that 1585 00:40:51,099 --> 00:40:52,133 had the Australian accent 1586 00:40:52,199 --> 00:40:55,300 that was from Marvel that was with the-- 1587 00:40:55,366 --> 00:40:56,466 Was it Quakers or? 1588 00:40:57,533 --> 00:40:58,466 Yeah, the right guy, I 1589 00:40:58,533 --> 00:40:59,066 mean, somebody called me 1590 00:40:59,133 --> 00:41:00,533 that guy one time and said, I was like, 1591 00:41:00,599 --> 00:41:01,466 "That sounds nothing like that guy." 1592 00:41:01,533 --> 00:41:03,133 He was funny, he was really funny. 1593 00:41:03,199 --> 00:41:03,333 Yeah. 1594 00:41:05,733 --> 00:41:08,466 So, all right, so the books for everyone, 1595 00:41:08,666 --> 00:41:09,766 you can get it at 1596 00:41:10,733 --> 00:41:12,000 Amazon, what did you say, 1597 00:41:12,066 --> 00:41:12,533 Environments of 1598 00:41:12,599 --> 00:41:13,599 Noble, pretty much anyplace 1599 00:41:13,666 --> 00:41:14,833 you can get a regular book, right? 1600 00:41:15,366 --> 00:41:16,466 Yeah, exactly, yeah. 1601 00:41:16,800 --> 00:41:18,599 Oh, congratulations on getting somebody 1602 00:41:18,666 --> 00:41:20,333 to help you publish your book, 1603 00:41:20,400 --> 00:41:21,900 because that's an 1604 00:41:21,966 --> 00:41:23,133 ordeal as well, isn't it? 1605 00:41:23,800 --> 00:41:25,533 Oh yeah, because what had happened, 1606 00:41:25,599 --> 00:41:26,566 I had at least what I 1607 00:41:26,666 --> 00:41:27,666 thought was enough for a book, 1608 00:41:27,733 --> 00:41:28,966 and on the extent of 1609 00:41:29,033 --> 00:41:29,800 all things I received-- 1610 00:41:29,866 --> 00:41:30,766 Then they corrected you. 1611 00:41:30,833 --> 00:41:32,666 (laughing) 1612 00:41:32,833 --> 00:41:33,933 I reached out to a war 1613 00:41:34,000 --> 00:41:35,766 journalist on LinkedIn, 1614 00:41:35,833 --> 00:41:37,133 and I think I searched something like, 1615 00:41:38,466 --> 00:41:39,333 Editors for Military 1616 00:41:39,400 --> 00:41:40,199 Storage or something like that, 1617 00:41:40,666 --> 00:41:42,300 and she responded with him, 1618 00:41:42,366 --> 00:41:43,900 and it's Holly McKay, the war journalist, 1619 00:41:44,433 --> 00:41:45,866 man, she did a really good job, man, 1620 00:41:45,933 --> 00:41:47,166 because about like, 1621 00:41:47,833 --> 00:41:48,833 there's a Word document 1622 00:41:48,900 --> 00:41:50,066 going back and forth, man, she's like, 1623 00:41:50,133 --> 00:41:50,800 hey, what are you 1624 00:41:50,866 --> 00:41:51,833 really trying to say here? 1625 00:41:52,166 --> 00:41:53,866 What does acting mean here? 1626 00:41:53,933 --> 00:41:56,099 Like, getting everything out of me, man, 1627 00:41:56,400 --> 00:41:57,633 that I didn't think I had in me, 1628 00:41:57,699 --> 00:41:58,133 you know what I mean, 1629 00:41:58,199 --> 00:41:58,800 and give them my word, 1630 00:41:59,599 --> 00:42:01,033 it was then she recommended a publisher, 1631 00:42:01,099 --> 00:42:02,833 which is the hardware of your book, 1632 00:42:02,900 --> 00:42:04,199 you know, the cover 1633 00:42:04,266 --> 00:42:05,066 page and stuff like that. 1634 00:42:06,133 --> 00:42:08,000 Oh, I know you have a copy of the book, 1635 00:42:08,066 --> 00:42:08,866 show that for the folks 1636 00:42:08,933 --> 00:42:09,733 that are here watching us 1637 00:42:09,800 --> 00:42:11,266 on YouTube and Spotify. 1638 00:42:11,800 --> 00:42:13,166 Yeah, so it's Moonchild, 1639 00:42:13,233 --> 00:42:14,466 it's me and the H Model Gunshot, 1640 00:42:14,533 --> 00:42:15,733 and you see the cheeks on it right there, 1641 00:42:15,800 --> 00:42:16,833 that's how you recognize it, 1642 00:42:16,900 --> 00:42:17,866 and then it's got me 1643 00:42:17,933 --> 00:42:19,000 and my mask in the back, 1644 00:42:19,066 --> 00:42:20,366 was sort of mixed in with the moon. 1645 00:42:21,533 --> 00:42:22,099 I probably have many 1646 00:42:22,166 --> 00:42:23,166 craters on my face real, 1647 00:42:23,533 --> 00:42:24,699 but, you know, so, 1648 00:42:24,766 --> 00:42:26,733 it's an awesome experience to get to 1649 00:42:26,800 --> 00:42:27,433 write a book, you know? 1650 00:42:27,766 --> 00:42:28,699 Yeah, oh, I imagine, 1651 00:42:28,766 --> 00:42:29,566 and that's kind of a 1652 00:42:29,633 --> 00:42:30,833 therapy thing as well, right? 1653 00:42:30,900 --> 00:42:32,599 Because it's like talking it out, 1654 00:42:32,666 --> 00:42:33,699 but you're putting it on paper, 1655 00:42:34,000 --> 00:42:34,633 and then you have the 1656 00:42:34,699 --> 00:42:36,433 wonderful position to be in 1657 00:42:36,500 --> 00:42:37,400 where everybody's correcting you. 1658 00:42:38,933 --> 00:42:40,466 So, what the hell does this mean? 1659 00:42:40,633 --> 00:42:42,466 Do more of this, do less of this, yeah. 1660 00:42:43,133 --> 00:42:44,733 Yeah, it was an awesome experience, 1661 00:42:44,800 --> 00:42:46,733 but I will say what I found out, 1662 00:42:47,266 --> 00:42:48,199 what writing works for me, 1663 00:42:48,266 --> 00:42:49,699 and I'm not this huge famous author, 1664 00:42:49,966 --> 00:42:50,800 probably never will be, 1665 00:42:50,866 --> 00:42:51,733 probably never be a 1666 00:42:51,800 --> 00:42:52,733 man from writing books, 1667 00:42:52,800 --> 00:42:53,833 but what I will say, 1668 00:42:53,900 --> 00:42:55,400 what has worked a little bit for me is, 1669 00:42:55,866 --> 00:42:56,400 the thing you're 1670 00:42:56,466 --> 00:42:57,500 afraid to say the most, man, 1671 00:42:57,566 --> 00:42:58,500 throw that on paper, 1672 00:42:58,566 --> 00:42:59,366 and to see how far 1673 00:42:59,433 --> 00:43:00,366 your words travel, bro. 1674 00:43:00,900 --> 00:43:02,400 Exactly, so, "Moonchild" 1675 00:43:02,466 --> 00:43:03,366 is the name of the book, 1676 00:43:03,433 --> 00:43:05,666 and I gotta ask you before we wrap up, 1677 00:43:06,233 --> 00:43:08,333 tell us about all the UFOs and UAPs, 1678 00:43:08,400 --> 00:43:09,733 especially that one that you flew. 1679 00:43:10,633 --> 00:43:12,833 Yeah, I wish I'd have the opportunity, 1680 00:43:12,900 --> 00:43:13,466 somebody like, you know, Bob was hard. 1681 00:43:13,533 --> 00:43:14,533 That'd be a different book, right? 1682 00:43:15,099 --> 00:43:16,599 You wouldn't even talk about it, 1683 00:43:16,666 --> 00:43:17,800 you'd say, "Well, I'll tell 1684 00:43:17,866 --> 00:43:18,833 you about it in my next book." 1685 00:43:18,900 --> 00:43:20,166 That's a good teaser. 1686 00:43:20,933 --> 00:43:22,866 Yeah, I mean, I wish, you know, 1687 00:43:22,933 --> 00:43:24,500 I mean, I think that it is the, 1688 00:43:24,633 --> 00:43:25,300 what is it called, the age 1689 00:43:25,366 --> 00:43:26,400 of disclosure now, right? 1690 00:43:26,699 --> 00:43:27,466 And you're seeing this 1691 00:43:27,800 --> 00:43:28,733 stuff starting to come out, 1692 00:43:29,033 --> 00:43:30,366 and, you know, since 1693 00:43:30,433 --> 00:43:31,033 the beginning of time, 1694 00:43:31,099 --> 00:43:31,866 we've always wondered if 1695 00:43:31,933 --> 00:43:33,066 we're alone in the universe, 1696 00:43:33,133 --> 00:43:35,199 and, you know, I think it's 1697 00:43:35,533 --> 00:43:37,366 very probable and possible 1698 00:43:37,433 --> 00:43:38,833 for us not to be the only 1699 00:43:38,900 --> 00:43:39,666 intelligent life in this-- 1700 00:43:39,733 --> 00:43:41,000 Oh my God, there's so 1701 00:43:41,066 --> 00:43:42,500 much too at the universe 1702 00:43:42,566 --> 00:43:43,099 that we're learning 1703 00:43:43,166 --> 00:43:44,266 about, how in the hell, 1704 00:43:44,366 --> 00:43:48,000 what kind of mathematical idiot would be 1705 00:43:48,066 --> 00:43:49,133 that there would be one 1706 00:43:49,199 --> 00:43:50,233 intelligent life form? 1707 00:43:50,300 --> 00:43:51,566 It just doesn't make any sense. 1708 00:43:52,133 --> 00:43:52,866 Yeah, because I couldn't even, 1709 00:43:52,933 --> 00:43:53,766 I thought about the idea, I was like, 1710 00:43:53,833 --> 00:43:55,300 I can't even, in my mind, 1711 00:43:55,366 --> 00:43:56,933 process how big this universe is. 1712 00:43:57,433 --> 00:43:58,366 It's still growing, right? 1713 00:43:58,433 --> 00:44:00,666 Or how old this universe really is, man. 1714 00:44:00,866 --> 00:44:02,133 And, you know, and I think 1715 00:44:02,199 --> 00:44:03,133 that, yeah, like, you know, 1716 00:44:03,400 --> 00:44:04,666 there's a very good likelihood, 1717 00:44:04,733 --> 00:44:05,566 especially with all 1718 00:44:05,633 --> 00:44:06,433 this smoke now, right? 1719 00:44:06,500 --> 00:44:07,800 There has to be somewhat of a fire. 1720 00:44:07,866 --> 00:44:08,500 Yeah, absolutely. 1721 00:44:08,699 --> 00:44:10,900 I mean, you got some decorated aviators 1722 00:44:11,166 --> 00:44:12,199 and Senate hearings, man, 1723 00:44:12,699 --> 00:44:13,633 like, seeing some stuff. 1724 00:44:14,033 --> 00:44:15,500 I personally never seen anything I can't, 1725 00:44:15,733 --> 00:44:16,333 couldn't explain, 1726 00:44:16,400 --> 00:44:17,500 always wanted to, right? 1727 00:44:17,566 --> 00:44:19,766 But, yeah, man, I think we're not alone 1728 00:44:19,966 --> 00:44:21,000 if I would have to put money on it. 1729 00:44:21,099 --> 00:44:22,366 So this is so funny. 1730 00:44:22,433 --> 00:44:24,699 I've got a good friend, a fellow jeeper, 1731 00:44:25,033 --> 00:44:26,366 came out to one of the 1732 00:44:26,433 --> 00:44:27,433 Jeep talk show events 1733 00:44:27,500 --> 00:44:29,133 that is a naval aviator, used to be. 1734 00:44:29,199 --> 00:44:31,433 He's a pilot, commercial 1735 00:44:31,500 --> 00:44:33,066 pilot now for many years. 1736 00:44:33,400 --> 00:44:36,800 But he actually flew with and trained 1737 00:44:36,866 --> 00:44:39,733 with Captain Farber, 1738 00:44:40,300 --> 00:44:41,000 the guy that actually 1739 00:44:41,066 --> 00:44:42,766 had the TikTok video 1740 00:44:42,833 --> 00:44:44,533 and was in front of Congress and stuff. 1741 00:44:45,066 --> 00:44:45,633 Oh, yeah, yeah. 1742 00:44:45,699 --> 00:44:47,533 And you'll love this, 1743 00:44:47,766 --> 00:44:48,699 because you're military. 1744 00:44:49,000 --> 00:44:49,633 He told me, you know 1745 00:44:49,699 --> 00:44:51,133 how they put the call sign 1746 00:44:51,300 --> 00:44:54,133 or the name on the pilot's canopy, F-18, 1747 00:44:54,933 --> 00:44:55,766 side of the canopy? 1748 00:44:56,266 --> 00:44:57,466 He was sexual Farber. 1749 00:44:58,000 --> 00:45:00,266 So they were doing a little twist, 1750 00:45:00,433 --> 00:45:01,666 but they never talked about that. 1751 00:45:01,733 --> 00:45:02,599 They never talked about that 1752 00:45:02,666 --> 00:45:04,199 in front of the Congressman and stuff. 1753 00:45:04,633 --> 00:45:06,099 Oh, yeah, yeah, you know 1754 00:45:06,300 --> 00:45:07,300 what's funny about the guns? 1755 00:45:07,366 --> 00:45:07,900 I actually got a 1756 00:45:07,966 --> 00:45:09,466 picture, I may send it to you, 1757 00:45:09,533 --> 00:45:10,633 but it's aircraft number 73. 1758 00:45:11,266 --> 00:45:12,599 And you know the Tyree scene in 1759 00:45:13,566 --> 00:45:14,333 "Transformers," right? 1760 00:45:14,533 --> 00:45:14,833 Where he's like 1761 00:45:14,900 --> 00:45:15,800 bringing the rain, you know? 1762 00:45:16,066 --> 00:45:18,099 And they actually put a Decepticon 1763 00:45:18,166 --> 00:45:19,000 on the side of the gunship, 1764 00:45:19,066 --> 00:45:22,866 because sometimes the guys for tradition, 1765 00:45:23,566 --> 00:45:24,400 they would put a stick man 1766 00:45:24,466 --> 00:45:25,233 on the side of the gunship 1767 00:45:25,300 --> 00:45:27,433 and a certain one meant so 1768 00:45:27,500 --> 00:45:28,699 many enemy killed in action. 1769 00:45:28,966 --> 00:45:30,000 But yeah, somebody went ahead 1770 00:45:30,066 --> 00:45:31,800 and threw a Decepticon on there, man. 1771 00:45:31,866 --> 00:45:32,966 I always get a kick out of that picture. 1772 00:45:33,166 --> 00:45:34,333 Oh, yeah, that's really cool. 1773 00:45:34,900 --> 00:45:37,033 So, and I'll just wrap up with this. 1774 00:45:37,099 --> 00:45:40,300 We laugh and enjoy the idea 1775 00:45:40,366 --> 00:45:42,233 that we're taking care of the enemy. 1776 00:45:42,300 --> 00:45:43,166 Of course, they're people. 1777 00:45:43,500 --> 00:45:44,533 I don't think anybody 1778 00:45:44,599 --> 00:45:45,699 really wants to kill people, 1779 00:45:45,766 --> 00:45:46,800 but like I said earlier, 1780 00:45:46,866 --> 00:45:48,000 if countries got together 1781 00:45:48,433 --> 00:45:49,599 and did what was best for 1782 00:45:49,666 --> 00:45:50,666 them and the rest of the world, 1783 00:45:50,733 --> 00:45:52,400 then we wouldn't have the situation. 1784 00:45:52,666 --> 00:45:54,566 I'm not saying the US is always right, 1785 00:45:55,166 --> 00:45:56,233 but we don't have to be, 1786 00:45:56,300 --> 00:45:57,366 because we got the firepower. 1787 00:45:58,633 --> 00:46:00,099 Yeah, I mean, we got, 1788 00:46:00,533 --> 00:46:02,699 what was it, the richest, most powerful, 1789 00:46:03,099 --> 00:46:03,699 probably most feared 1790 00:46:03,766 --> 00:46:04,766 country in the world, man. 1791 00:46:05,133 --> 00:46:07,800 And I think it took a lot of, you know, 1792 00:46:08,099 --> 00:46:08,933 a lot of spilled blood 1793 00:46:09,000 --> 00:46:09,800 for that freedom, you know, 1794 00:46:09,866 --> 00:46:10,766 for that flag, so. 1795 00:46:10,933 --> 00:46:12,000 And I really appreciate 1796 00:46:12,066 --> 00:46:12,900 everybody putting together 1797 00:46:12,966 --> 00:46:15,900 all these amazing machines 1798 00:46:15,966 --> 00:46:17,233 and training the 1799 00:46:17,300 --> 00:46:18,933 amazing people, our soldiers. 1800 00:46:20,266 --> 00:46:21,466 I just don't know. 1801 00:46:21,533 --> 00:46:23,199 I just don't know if I was 1802 00:46:23,266 --> 00:46:24,533 in charge in another country 1803 00:46:24,599 --> 00:46:25,599 that I'd want to do anything 1804 00:46:25,666 --> 00:46:25,733 to 1805 00:46:25,800 --> 00:46:25,900 (beep) 1806 00:46:25,966 --> 00:46:26,933 the United States off. 1807 00:46:27,166 --> 00:46:28,633 I mean, I think we're slow to act, 1808 00:46:28,966 --> 00:46:30,833 but when we act, we 1809 00:46:30,900 --> 00:46:32,466 do it and get it done. 1810 00:46:32,533 --> 00:46:33,099 At least that's the way I 1811 00:46:33,166 --> 00:46:34,333 like seeing it as an American. 1812 00:46:35,300 --> 00:46:37,500 Oh, yeah, you know, and if I could, 1813 00:46:37,766 --> 00:46:39,966 to tie it to some Jeep stuff here, man, 1814 00:46:40,033 --> 00:46:41,400 you know, and talk about ingenuity, 1815 00:46:41,599 --> 00:46:43,066 there's something about Americans, man, 1816 00:46:43,133 --> 00:46:44,366 where when we have to 1817 00:46:44,433 --> 00:46:45,333 do something, we do it. 1818 00:46:45,400 --> 00:46:46,699 You ever notice, like 1819 00:46:46,966 --> 00:46:47,800 our greatest generation, 1820 00:46:47,866 --> 00:46:48,733 like World War II, right? 1821 00:46:49,099 --> 00:46:51,833 So Eisenhower himself said that the Jeep 1822 00:46:51,933 --> 00:46:54,833 and the C-47 aircraft was 1823 00:46:55,400 --> 00:46:56,466 two of the primary things 1824 00:46:56,533 --> 00:46:57,699 that want us that war, you know? 1825 00:46:57,766 --> 00:46:59,166 Absolutely. You know what I mean? 1826 00:46:59,233 --> 00:47:00,800 And I think that level of 1827 00:47:00,866 --> 00:47:01,900 awesomeness in the country 1828 00:47:01,966 --> 00:47:03,366 and togetherness and the 1829 00:47:03,433 --> 00:47:04,733 ingenuity and just, again, 1830 00:47:04,800 --> 00:47:06,433 just living bold, you know? 1831 00:47:06,500 --> 00:47:07,333 And it's still there. 1832 00:47:07,433 --> 00:47:08,366 It hasn't changed. 1833 00:47:08,433 --> 00:47:10,699 That ingenuity and the 1834 00:47:10,766 --> 00:47:12,033 honor of being American 1835 00:47:12,199 --> 00:47:13,166 is still there, just 1836 00:47:13,233 --> 00:47:14,300 like it was in World War II. 1837 00:47:15,266 --> 00:47:16,366 Like I said, where's that 1838 00:47:16,800 --> 00:47:18,099 spirit, there's freedom, and so. 1839 00:47:18,833 --> 00:47:19,466 Very, very good. 1840 00:47:19,533 --> 00:47:20,366 Anthony, I certainly 1841 00:47:20,433 --> 00:47:21,666 appreciate you being here with us today. 1842 00:47:21,733 --> 00:47:23,266 Good luck with the book. 1843 00:47:23,599 --> 00:47:24,266 I'll have to go over to 1844 00:47:24,333 --> 00:47:25,733 Amazon and check it out, 1845 00:47:25,800 --> 00:47:28,166 especially look for the Kindle version. 1846 00:47:28,566 --> 00:47:29,333 Kindle's so nice. 1847 00:47:29,400 --> 00:47:31,000 I mean, if you get the 1848 00:47:31,066 --> 00:47:32,633 physical book, that's cool too, 1849 00:47:32,933 --> 00:47:34,333 but really all it winds 1850 00:47:34,400 --> 00:47:35,099 up doing is, you know, 1851 00:47:35,333 --> 00:47:37,500 it goes in the shelf in the background. 1852 00:47:37,566 --> 00:47:38,599 You got all these books. 1853 00:47:40,266 --> 00:47:40,300 (both laughing) 1854 00:47:41,633 --> 00:47:42,233 Kindle's sold is 1855 00:47:42,300 --> 00:47:43,800 instantly available and it's a-- 1856 00:47:44,266 --> 00:47:44,833 It's with you. 1857 00:47:44,900 --> 00:47:46,933 It's on your phone, it's in a tablet, 1858 00:47:47,000 --> 00:47:47,800 it's on your computer. 1859 00:47:47,866 --> 00:47:49,599 So yeah, I think I really like that. 1860 00:47:49,666 --> 00:47:50,500 Actually get both, get a 1861 00:47:50,566 --> 00:47:51,666 Kindle and a regular book. 1862 00:47:51,933 --> 00:47:53,433 Are you doing, are you having any plans 1863 00:47:53,500 --> 00:47:54,933 on doing autographs on the book? 1864 00:47:56,233 --> 00:47:57,366 Yeah, every now and then 1865 00:47:57,533 --> 00:47:58,866 I'll send a signed one. 1866 00:47:58,933 --> 00:48:00,033 Some of my emails, me and 1867 00:48:00,099 --> 00:48:01,333 anthonyp.directgmo.com, 1868 00:48:01,400 --> 00:48:02,766 I do my best to try to, you know, 1869 00:48:02,833 --> 00:48:03,933 within my financial 1870 00:48:04,066 --> 00:48:05,400 means, get them a copy 1871 00:48:05,466 --> 00:48:06,599 that's signed and everything like that. 1872 00:48:06,833 --> 00:48:08,333 And yeah, and also I did 1873 00:48:08,400 --> 00:48:09,533 one book signing back home 1874 00:48:09,866 --> 00:48:12,599 last July in my City Lights bookstore 1875 00:48:12,666 --> 00:48:13,500 in Silver, North Carolina. 1876 00:48:13,800 --> 00:48:15,099 And that was an awesome experience, man. 1877 00:48:15,599 --> 00:48:17,333 So are you on the social media? 1878 00:48:18,199 --> 00:48:21,300 Yeah, so Instagram would be all lowercase 1879 00:48:21,366 --> 00:48:25,966 Marco_Brollo21 and then Facebook, 1880 00:48:26,266 --> 00:48:27,300 this is Moonchild and it's 1881 00:48:27,366 --> 00:48:28,733 me looking out the window 1882 00:48:28,800 --> 00:48:30,633 with some NPGs on in the moon, so. 1883 00:48:31,266 --> 00:48:34,066 So just, I think it would be fun to do. 1884 00:48:35,133 --> 00:48:36,500 It's not good PR. 1885 00:48:36,800 --> 00:48:37,633 I think it's just funny. 1886 00:48:37,733 --> 00:48:38,233 Self-deprecating 1887 00:48:38,300 --> 00:48:39,133 humor, I think it's funny. 1888 00:48:39,800 --> 00:48:42,199 You go to a book signing and you set up 1889 00:48:42,266 --> 00:48:43,633 to sign the books 30 1890 00:48:43,733 --> 00:48:45,800 minutes prior to the event time 1891 00:48:46,000 --> 00:48:46,866 and you just sit there 1892 00:48:47,133 --> 00:48:48,300 waiting to sign books. 1893 00:48:48,366 --> 00:48:49,500 (laughing) 1894 00:48:50,266 --> 00:48:51,333 Somebody, somebody. 1895 00:48:51,466 --> 00:48:52,166 There's been a few people here. 1896 00:48:52,633 --> 00:48:53,733 Come here, help me. 1897 00:48:54,333 --> 00:48:55,166 I'm all alone. 1898 00:48:55,400 --> 00:48:56,333 I just, I think people 1899 00:48:56,400 --> 00:48:58,000 would find that funny. 1900 00:48:58,633 --> 00:49:00,466 Yeah, I was so 1901 00:49:00,533 --> 00:49:01,400 nervous for that team, man, 1902 00:49:01,466 --> 00:49:03,566 because it was people 1903 00:49:03,633 --> 00:49:04,466 I hadn't seen in like, 1904 00:49:04,599 --> 00:49:05,466 I don't know, 30 years 1905 00:49:05,533 --> 00:49:06,266 or so, man, you know, 1906 00:49:06,333 --> 00:49:07,599 and it was just very 1907 00:49:07,666 --> 00:49:09,333 emotional, very overwhelming, man. 1908 00:49:09,566 --> 00:49:11,566 But they showed up, man, and I, you know, 1909 00:49:11,633 --> 00:49:12,966 went to trade my little small town there 1910 00:49:13,033 --> 00:49:14,599 and nestled an 1911 00:49:14,666 --> 00:49:15,933 Appalachian for nothing, man, so. 1912 00:49:16,199 --> 00:49:17,933 Oh, why do you not whistle 1913 00:49:18,000 --> 00:49:19,833 in the woods, an Appalachian? 1914 00:49:20,099 --> 00:49:22,433 Because it invites, basically, 1915 00:49:22,500 --> 00:49:22,966 when you're along the 1916 00:49:23,033 --> 00:49:23,633 woods and you whistle, 1917 00:49:23,833 --> 00:49:25,500 it invites whatever entity that is. 1918 00:49:25,566 --> 00:49:27,333 There's mountain hanks, there's the 1919 00:49:28,033 --> 00:49:29,133 Appalachian skinwalkers, 1920 00:49:29,199 --> 00:49:29,900 and basically you're 1921 00:49:29,966 --> 00:49:31,000 inviting that spirit in 1922 00:49:31,066 --> 00:49:33,866 is the tale behind it, you know? 1923 00:49:34,066 --> 00:49:35,033 So people still have 1924 00:49:35,099 --> 00:49:37,300 stills and drink a lot of booze 1925 00:49:37,366 --> 00:49:38,933 that is questionable in that area, right? 1926 00:49:39,000 --> 00:49:39,599 So that's probably the 1927 00:49:39,666 --> 00:49:40,500 reason for the whistling. 1928 00:49:41,500 --> 00:49:42,900 Yeah, probably, probably let them know 1929 00:49:42,966 --> 00:49:44,033 the feds are coming, you know? 1930 00:49:44,233 --> 00:49:44,699 Oh, yeah. 1931 00:49:45,933 --> 00:49:46,833 Like, that's really where 1932 00:49:46,900 --> 00:49:48,199 NASCAR started, you know, was-- 1933 00:49:48,566 --> 00:49:50,300 Oh, yeah, driving the booze. 1934 00:49:50,866 --> 00:49:52,133 Yeah, that's really cool. 1935 00:49:52,533 --> 00:49:54,166 All right, I certainly appreciate it. 1936 00:49:54,233 --> 00:49:54,966 Thank you so much, and I'm 1937 00:49:55,033 --> 00:49:56,400 glad that you go by Anthony 1938 00:49:56,466 --> 00:49:57,233 and not Tony, because 1939 00:49:57,300 --> 00:49:58,433 having another Tony on here 1940 00:49:58,500 --> 00:49:59,733 would just be rough. 1941 00:50:00,966 --> 00:50:01,733 Yeah, I was actually 1942 00:50:01,800 --> 00:50:02,800 thinking about that, too, man. 1943 00:50:03,199 --> 00:50:03,633 But yeah, it was 1944 00:50:04,133 --> 00:50:05,266 honestly a pleasure and honor 1945 00:50:05,333 --> 00:50:06,000 to be here, Tony, and 1946 00:50:06,066 --> 00:50:07,033 I appreciate, you know, 1947 00:50:07,099 --> 00:50:08,633 your platform and letting me get on here 1948 00:50:08,699 --> 00:50:09,733 and speak to some of 1949 00:50:09,800 --> 00:50:11,133 these things, so thank you. 1950 00:50:11,300 --> 00:50:12,300 Sure, absolutely. 1951 00:50:12,366 --> 00:50:13,266 You have a great day. 1952 00:50:13,933 --> 00:50:14,733 Thank you, brother, thank you. 1953 00:50:15,433 --> 00:50:17,433 You're my friend, you're my new friend.