100 - EDDIE PENNEY | The Spiritual Warrior

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0:30 This is Undaunted Life of Man's Podcast.

0:43 I'm your host, Kyle Thompson. Let's get into it.

0:45 All right, guys, we have made it.

0:47 We are here. We are at Episode 100 of Undaunted Life of Man's Podcast

0:51 and just very, from the very jump.

0:53 I just have to thank you guys so much for listening in,

0:55 because I got to be honest, whenever I started this podcast at the end of 2017,

0:59 it's like, "Okay, let's just put this out there.

1:01 Let's see if anybody listens, if anybody likes it,

1:03 and if they like it, we'll keep going."

1:05 Well, we made it to Episode 100, and it's because you guys like it.

1:07 You're leaving reviews, you're sending us emails, sending us messages on Instagram,

1:11 letting us know that you like the content.

1:13 But I just got to be honest, all right?

1:15 I wanted to do something special for you for Episode 100 of this podcast.

1:18 I didn't just want to do the same old, same old with you guys.

1:21 And the number one question I get about this podcast is,

1:24 Kyle, I love this podcast, but why don't you do interviews?

1:26 Which is kind of funny, because it's like,

1:28 "Am I not good enough for you people?"

1:30 It's like, "Come on."

1:31 But the number one question is, why don't you do interviews?

1:34 And I always say, "Well, it's because I talk about these deep topics,

1:38 and I want there to be a narrative arc, and if I'm talking to somebody else,

1:41 you can't really keep control of that narrative and blah, blah, blah."

1:44 Which is the answer, right? That's not a BSPR answer, but that is actually the answer.

1:48 But just for you guys, just because I love you,

1:51 just because you've supported us so much,

1:53 I wanted to do a very, very special interview

1:56 for our 100th episode of Undaunted Life, a Man's Podcast.

2:00 And immediately when I started brainstorming

2:02 who I would want to interview for this podcast,

2:04 there was one name that came to mind, and I was Eddie Penny.

2:08 So if you don't know who Eddie Penny is,

2:10 he is the CEO and founder of Contingent Group.

2:12 So that was founded back in 2013.

2:14 But that is a worldwide risk mitigation and security consulting company.

2:18 They also do executive asset protection.

2:21 A lot of the training that he does has to do with, you know,

2:24 self-defense techniques, firearms, combatives, shooting techniques,

2:28 breaching execution, just a bunch of different things.

2:31 And the reason why he's a worldwide expert at that is because he spent 16 years

2:35 from 2000 to 2016 as an AV SEAL, and he wasn't dev-groove at the time,

2:40 and we will certainly get into that a little bit later.

2:42 But before that, from 1996 to 2000, he was a part of the United States Marine Corps.

2:47 He was an infantryman and the urban terrain instructor.

2:50 But most importantly, and the biggest part about his bio is two things.

2:55 Number one, he's the first ever guest on Undaunted Life of Man's Podcasts.

2:59 And number two, he is my friend.

3:01 So welcome, Eddie Penny, to Undaunted Life of Man's Podcast.

3:04 Thanks, Kyle.

3:05 I really appreciate you having me on here.

3:06 I'm super excited to get into this.

3:08 So thank you again for having me.

3:10 How's that for an intro?

3:11 Man, I just built you a lot.

3:13 That was good.

3:14 Hey, that's a good one.

3:16 I wanted to get you fired up and want you to get at least a little bit of a sweat going

3:20 just from the intro from the outset.

3:22 But, man, I want to go ahead and launch in.

3:24 A lot of these conversations can turn into your boring, typical interview.

3:28 So we're going to do our best to not let that happen.

3:30 But as opposed to you talking about, oh, where did you grow up and all that kind of stuff?

3:34 I want to start with, obviously, you are well-known for your military accolades

3:38 and even post-military.

3:40 A lot of things you've done to support the military.

3:42 But what I'm curious about, and I'm sure our listeners are curious about,

3:45 is growing up, did you always know that you were going to end up being in the military,

3:51 that you were going to end up being a commando?

3:53 When did that kind of come to fruition for you?

3:55 That's a good question.

3:57 As far as I can remember back, yeah, I was like, that was it.

4:01 I think it started, you know, probably when I was, gosh, old enough to kind of like go out

4:07 in the streets and go play in the woods, probably around when I was in the third,

4:11 fourth grade, whatever.

4:12 I was always in the woods, you know, and then my parents were divorced.

4:16 So I'd go over to my father's house and, you know, he's a man.

4:20 He's a man's man.

4:21 He's like my hero.

4:22 So he would always have like Rambo on or, you know, some kind of like total recall

4:26 or some Schwarzenegger film.

4:27 And I was just like, I was just glued to the street.

4:30 I'm like, I want that.

4:31 I want to be that person.

4:32 You know, I would like, how do I go get the Rambo necklace, the bandana around my head?

4:36 Like, anything that could just possibly get me there, you know, in my young mind,

4:41 I would do that.

4:42 So I mean, it was pretty much I wanted to do that.

4:44 I wanted to go be that guy.

4:47 You know, there was times growing up.

4:49 I'm like, you know, there's a couple of weeks or a month, like, oh, I should be a lawyer or a doctor.

4:53 But, you know, it always went back to the military.

4:56 And that's just, I remember one time where it all kind of started as I went to a Cincinnati

5:02 Redskins with my mother.

5:03 And it was, it was a nighttime game.

5:05 And it was during desert storms.

5:07 So it was, there would have been 90, I believe it was 90.

5:10 And, you know, everyone stood up for the national anthem.

5:14 You know, put your hand on your heart.

5:16 You know, the correct way to show respect for this amazing country.

5:19 And at the end of it, you know, these planes flew over and they're probably like, you know,

5:24 some fighter jet.

5:25 I don't know what they were at that time.

5:27 So so young, but I flew over and just the, like, the feeling that I got,

5:31 like the vibrations and the, the sound that filled my soul in, like all the flags.

5:36 And back then they had this, like, Eagle sticker that support our troops with the yellow ribbon.

5:41 And it was just awesome.

5:42 I just had that prideful feeling, like American pride.

5:45 And I loved it.

5:46 I'm like, so I talk to my mom and like, this is what I'm going to do when I get older.

5:49 And it wasn't so much to be a fighter pilot.

5:51 It was like, I want to support this country.

5:53 I want to serve this country.

5:54 And that's, that was, that was the day that it clicked.

5:59 Like, okay, this is it.

6:00 And then from then on, I was like, all right, what, what do I need to watch?

6:04 You know, I didn't know what I was doing, but in my mind, I did.

6:07 So that was the actual one point in my life where I like, I mean, I still remember.

6:12 And I remember, I can still visualize, you know, that image is in my brain.

6:16 And there's planes flying over and just the, but how I felt it was amazing.

6:20 Right.

6:21 I mean, everyone kind of has a different story.

6:22 Some people do it because, you know, they got in trouble.

6:25 So they had to go do it or some of them had planned that and then chart their entire life.

6:28 And for me, I grew up in Fort Sill, which is where I grew up in law, which is right next to Fort Sill.

6:33 One of the biggest artillery bases for the Army in the United States.

6:36 And so I was constantly around military.

6:38 When I was a little kid, I told everyone, I was like, look, I'm either going to be a major league baseball player,

6:42 but then I stopped growing at 510.

6:44 So that was kind of the question.

6:45 But then it was like, I'm either going to do that or I'm going to go into the army.

6:48 But then, you know, you go along, you start playing sports, get scholarships or other things.

6:51 And then you don't end up serving.

6:53 And then you end up kind of where I'm at now in my early 30s thinking, you know, [inaudible].

6:57 I missed, I missed this opportunity to really serve this country.

7:00 But for someone like you, you kind of knew that's where you were going to go.

7:03 And that's kind of where life took you.

7:05 But I mean, you started out in the United States Marine Corps.

7:09 So I want you to kind of give us an idea of, okay, you went to the Marine Corps in 1996.

7:13 You know, why did you choose the Marine Corps?

7:15 But then also, you know, just about four or five years later, you became a Navy SEAL.

7:19 So kind of talk us through that transition.

7:21 Okay.

7:22 So I always wanted to be a SEAL pretty much before I joined the Marines.

7:26 And then I had a buddy.

7:27 I started in high school and a good friend of mine.

7:31 He was one year above me.

7:33 So when he was a senior, I was a junior and he decided to go to the Marine Corps.

7:37 He went down to Paris Island and his family asked if I want to go to the graduation year,

7:41 travel down there and watch the graduation ticket tour of the base.

7:45 And I was like, yeah.

7:46 So I did.

7:47 And when I went down there, you kind of like the same feeling like I want to do this.

7:50 You're going to see the obstacle course and, you know, they're fine with the pupil sticks and just the marching information.

7:56 I mean, God, and then knowing now, I mean, that's just miserable.

7:59 But like at the time, it's like, wow, that looks so cool.

8:01 Like everything's, you know, with all the guns everywhere.

8:04 And I don't know.

8:05 I just liked it.

8:06 There was just pride.

8:07 Everything was clean and crisp.

8:09 And then when I got back, I'm like, definitely the military definitely leaning towards the Marines.

8:13 Talk to, I don't even think I talked to the Army.

8:16 I think I did talk to the Navy and I talked to the Marines and the Marine recruiters just seemed more on point for me.

8:22 I just, they're more organized, I guess, and then just, you know, being down to Paris Island obviously gave them a leg up.

8:27 So I was like, signing me up right now.

8:29 And so I, you know, I did the Marines.

8:31 That was pretty much it.

8:32 But I, you know, growing up, I wanted to be a seal.

8:35 Like I was going to be a seal and just.

8:37 And I'm glad I show like a lot of people ask like, are you, are you upset that you decided to get the Marines verse and absolutely not.

8:44 It's a great, great outfit.

8:46 It's, I got, I matured.

8:48 I mean, I was, I went in at 17, mom and dad had to sign for me in boot camp.

8:52 I had my 18th birthday.

8:53 I did not tell a soul.

8:54 Okay.

8:55 No kidding.

8:56 Oh, yeah.

8:57 I just don't do that.

8:58 So I was like, I'll just have my own birthday as I lay here in my rack and go to sleep.

9:01 Good night.

9:02 But no, it's just, it was, I matured a lot from 17 to, I guess, sort of be 22, 23.

9:08 And then around my three year mark, I'm like, this is not enough for me.

9:12 And I was going to go back, get out, go back to Cincinnati.

9:16 I was like, I'll just be a cop.

9:18 Not to just be a cop.

9:19 And I just wanted to give that like, just something in that arena, like where there's,

9:22 you know, fighting for freedom or something, keeping, you know, neighborhoods safe with something like that.

9:27 That's what I wanted to do.

9:28 And I kind of like debated that for about a month or two.

9:31 And I was like, no, this isn't, no, that's not going to be enough.

9:34 So what's in the Navy recruiter?

9:36 What do I have to do?

9:37 And it used to be, I guess, a couple years before I decided to do this transition that you could just kind of like swap over.

9:43 Go to Buds, and if you make it, you make it, if you don't, they would either, you know, maybe would retain you,

9:49 or they would send you back to the Marine Corps, depending on, I guess, the need.

9:52 I could be totally off on that, but that's what I was, how I was explained.

9:55 So I had to be completely out of the Marine Corps.

10:00 And for the last year, I just trained forward, ran, swam, you know, put on the cameras or go to the, you know, on base.

10:06 I would just go swimming all the time and just like really put myself, start hitting the weights real hard.

10:11 And, you know, got out and I was like, this is what I'm going to do.

10:15 This is it. And there was no, there was no looking back.

10:18 There was zero looking back. I'm like, this is it.

10:21 You know, my, my mindset was on point. I was like, this is what I'm going to do. And no one's telling me no.

10:26 And I had a lot of naysayers, a lot of, not really naysayers, like you're not going to make it, but like, hey, you know, kind of like the roundabout.

10:32 Like, hey, you know, not many people make that, but it's, it's kind of the same thing.

10:35 So I'm like, yeah, I do. And that's, I'm not going to be one of those. I'm not, I will not be that statistic.

10:40 It's just not going to happen because I'm very stubborn. So I'm not going to, that's not going to happen to me.

10:46 And I really believe that the only thing I really worried about was injuries, which I sustained one in the beginning of buds and indoctrination phase, but I just kind of worked through it and I was okay.

10:56 Thankfully, right before, you know, day one, week one buds, but yeah, I mean, that was it. I was just like, let's do this.

11:03 And, you know, great guys hung around with wonderful people and just, you know, you know, they say, you know, you are who you surround yourself with.

11:11 So I just made sure I picked good personalities, good, fun people, people that weren't that were positive and the rest is history.

11:18 Awesome. And we'll certainly talk more about how you kind of create a tribe like that later on. But, you know, you mentioned something earlier about the Marine Corps and the recruiters.

11:26 Something I've heard a lot of different places, people talking about how the Marine Corps has, you know, the least amount of resources, the least amount of money, like they don't have, you know, the prestigious university to point to and all those different things.

11:37 And yet they still crush it because the thing is, is when you come in and you sign up to be a Marine, there's no questions, right? There's, there's no, oh, what am I going to be doing?

11:46 Am I going to kind of be in the back or no, and like all these people, they want to go to war. They want to fight. They want to fight for this country.

11:52 And so you kind of, you know, got into why you joined the Navy and why you got into the seals.

11:57 But the thing with that's interesting about that is everybody wants to talk about buds, right? Buds is at the top of everyone's mind because it's in all the movies and we see the YouTube videos.

12:06 I'm like, okay, it's so brutal. And again, if I asked you about bud, you'd be like, yeah, it was really hard, you know, I had to work through injuries like you've already said.

12:13 But for me, what I want to know is was, was there anything that came up mentally during buds that you thought, okay, I'm really stubborn and I'm going to make it like I'm going to get my trident.

12:26 But this right here, I don't know if I'm good enough to do this. I don't know if I'm good enough to do drown proofing.

12:32 I don't know if I'm good enough to make it through the next mile of this run with this heavy boat on my head.

12:38 Was there a time like that that came up for you where you're just like, man, I'm going to make it through, but how?

12:46 No, it never came up. I never, I can never remember.

12:52 I think in hell week, a couple times, probably around day three or four.

12:56 I was like, man, I could totally quit right now. And then like two seconds later, if that I'm like, yeah, but you're not. So we're thinking about that.

13:02 Um, so no, I, you know, there was really, you just, you're surrounded by these guys, you know, like, um, it was on a movie or you hurt. I can't remember where I heard it, but like, you know, you got like the best athlete over here and you bet the best athlete.

13:14 Well, you got all these alpha, stubborn males coming into one place. And it's a competition between me. We're together working as a team. I mean, you heard it on Fearless, right? You know, the right Adam and I can remember the guy's name, but they just kind of like this little competition going on.

13:29 This unsaid, unspoken competition. It's like that with a lot of people over there and it drives you. It's, it's amazing.

13:37 So, you know, you watch people in front of you, like, say it's the 50 meter underwater swim, you know, I watch a couple of guys go and like, I don't know better than me.

13:45 You know, I'm, I know better than them. I'm just talking to quit. They didn't quit. I mean, it sucked. So I'm going to just go, you know, embrace the suck factor and go do it.

13:53 So I guess that was just kind of my mindset. Like everyone, people did it before me. I'm no different than them. There is no, like, they're not the Avenger or the superhero.

14:03 You know, they're human, just like me, created amazingly, as we all know. And I'm just going to go do it. I wouldn't let my mind.

14:10 There was one time during, it's funny to say, drown proving or it was during pool competes and second phase that kind of mess with you under water and stuff with your 20s, which is a, you know, the double to super tanks on the back.

14:22 And one of the, the task was you have to jump in with 20s on your back with fins on and keep your hands above water and tread water for five minutes, which I was a swimmer.

14:33 So I'm like, this will be so easy. There was no practice for it. You just jump in and did it. So all my buddies do it. A lot of them look like they did with ease.

14:40 And for some reason, I, it's not. I was like, man, this is so hard. I did not. It might be my quads or burning. But then, and like, and this is within the first 30 seconds. I'm like, I've got five minutes of this. This is a long, this can be a long five minutes.

14:56 But I'm going to look at on the, on the pole deck for all the rest of my class is sitting and they're just kind of watching and, you know, who knows what's going on through their minds. They're thinking the same thing. Like, I hope I do this with my past and just, you know, get this one down to move to the next event.

15:09 But like, I can quit right now and go recover for a couple minutes, but I don't have to be right back in here. So just, let's knock this out right now and be done with it. This is going to suck. And it's going to suck if I try it again, or, you know, a third time.

15:21 So, luckily, I just sucked it up and I knocked it out the first time. But that was the one time that I can that's distinct in my mind and buds where I was like, man, this is, this is tough. This is very tough.

15:33 Like, they're very good. They will find your week spot. They are so good at it. I can't. I don't know anybody that said, yeah, that, you know, someone has that story, maybe on a couple of events.

15:44 But that was definitely mine. And I mean, I was one of the best swimmers in our class and man, that they smoked me. I can still feel like my legs are burning right now. Just thinking about it. So, I mean, it's much.

15:54 It's not you by design, right? That's kind of what you're saying is they were going to find it.

15:59 Well, that's so that's interesting to kind of hear because, you know, if you do a lot of reading on buds and all that, you kind of get this idea that you can't make it through unless you have that stubborn mentality.

16:09 Even if you don't have the kind of that natural alpha quality to you, it's like you're doing this together, but it is an individual event.

16:16 It's almost like being on a wrestling team where it's like you compete as a team, so you win or lose as a team, but you're out there on the mat by yourself.

16:23 And so it's a little bit disjointed in that way, but so you make it through, you get through buds, obviously you get your trident and then you're a Navy SEAL.

16:32 And so you're placed on a team. You're placed out on the East Coast initially, weren't you? Correct. Okay.

16:38 So you're on team two, but obviously what everyone's going to be interested to hear about is you being in dev group, which, for those of you that aren't familiar, that's D, E, V, G, R, U, that's the development group.

16:48 And in order to get on that group, you have to go through kind of green team training and screening and those types of things.

16:55 And this team within the Navy SEALs has become incredibly popular.

17:00 It's become this part of legend and lore, but most of the people just know about a mission or two that this team that dev grew has been a part of, but there is so much more about dev grew.

17:13 And there's not a whole lot written about it, even in a lot of these memoirs that we see.

17:17 So I want to kind of get an idea from you as to, okay, how did you even get selected to even try and screen for green team?

17:26 What was that like, compare it to, you know, buds and how difficult it was.

17:30 But then obviously I want to kind of get a sense of what it was like when you finally got on dev grew and what did you do for us when you got on there.

17:37 I paid off a lot of people and I said, please help me.

17:40 That's right.

17:41 That's right.

17:42 That would have been easier out.

17:44 So what was explained to me when I went to what I remember checking into buds or the day before I went up there with a good friend of mine and he had a, he had a friend that was in the teams already I think a team five or something.

17:55 So before we even checked in for buds he like walked us around Coronado and, you know, same day again just kind of like showed us around and he kind of brought up dev group and I was like, what, you know, what is that really?

18:06 I mean, I kind of knew about it, but then known he's like, and he explained it is.

18:10 It's kind of like the Super Bowl of the teams like it's a Super Bowl team of the teams.

18:14 And that's kind of like stuck with me.

18:16 I mean, that's just the way he just tried it to me being there and doing it.

18:20 I mean, I just think they have a lot more assets and obviously, you know, the longer, like in the NFL, for example, if I'm in, you know, the NFL for five years versus a guy that's a rookie chances are to be a lot better if I'm not injured, right?

18:32 So kind of the same thing, just more training, more experience, more schools, more leadership you've been under to, you know, to lead in pretty crappy situations.

18:43 But no green team, it was a butt kicker. I think it was, in my opinion, it was harder than buds. It's more of a, it's kind of the same thing, but it's operational, it's operational stuff.

18:53 So you're going to real operational stuff, but it's a blood kicker.

18:58 I mean, there's there's guys that I never mind mentors that are getting kicked out.

19:02 And I'm like, what's happening right now? It's just, it's crazy.

19:05 It's just like you see the guys that you did, you know, did a couple deployments with already overseas into combat areas.

19:10 And they're getting kicked out like day two, it's like, it's going to be a long six months.

19:16 So I mean, you just go over, you know, real operational stuff and search and search and extraction platforms, you know, he loves stuff, jumping, all that kind of stuff.

19:24 But it's very intense. It was really cool. It was a great experience.

19:29 And the way you get there is you kind of have to do a couple deployments.

19:33 You have to go through a board, you have to be recommended by your command.

19:36 So you kind of have to have a clean slate, you know, not doing the right thing, not going to trouble.

19:42 Then you go over there.

19:44 Do a stand in front of a board. They ask you a bunch of questions. Why do you want to be here? You're in your dress uniform and they kind of just drill you a little bit.

19:50 Some of the guys you might know, some of the guys you definitely don't know.

19:53 And they just drill you and they kind of make their decision who's going to class up that year.

19:59 And I was fortunate enough. I was actually deployed in Afghanistan and then we switched over to Iraq's deployment.

20:06 And that guy that's been over there, he asked if I was got selected. I go, no, I got pushed. I'm going to go to training for six months and then I'll go.

20:14 And we formed a really good relationship. Happened to getting like a firefight together. I showed like a little bond was kind of born, born between us there.

20:22 And so he made a call. You know, I didn't know about this. And he's like, hey, you're going to the next green team. And I was actually about to cycle back home.

20:29 And green team was starting in a few weeks. I was like, Oh my God, I'm not running shape. I was like probably 225 just jack and still.

20:35 I was like, I mean, you don't, you don't tell them. No, you're like, okay, so I got to start running. So I mean, literally, I'm never, he told me that I'm like, I'm going for a run.

20:42 So I just started running and running and running is for me. That's my weak spot. Like, I, I'm not a bad runner. If I'm training for it, I just hate running.

20:50 I really don't like it at all. Also, I'm all day. I don't know what it is about running. I just, I'd rather get beat with a baseball bat than go running.

20:58 So just started training forward. And, you know, once I did that initial screen test and get that run out, I was good. I was like, all right, here we go.

21:07 I mean, you still be runs a couple long, long runs every week. And just like, I just, you know, again, embrace that suck. It's just part of the nature of the beast.

21:15 Cause I know on the outside of that, like, once I'm through this, you know, from what I heard is like, you can kind of do your own work out and kind of like, okay, cool, like running is going away.

21:24 And we're going to make sure this happens because that was enough drive for me right there to get rid of this running piece. So, but man, it was a, it was a great experience.

21:32 The instructor, Katherine, amazing individuals combat. I mean, especially what was going on in the world. They were all experienced combat fighters. And it was just that I was, I was so humbled just to be in like their presence, just being around.

21:46 Cause I mean, I went to combat a couple of times, but these guys, I mean, I mean, you're getting in firefights, you know, it's, it's not uncommon for, you know, overseas with this, which is alpha to, you know, being firefights a couple of times a week.

22:00 It's just a normal thing. You just kind of like, that's just, that's just part of the, that's the nature of the beast.

22:05 So, but it was great. It was, I'm so fortunate, so blessed. I, it was great. I can't say enough good things about the people that are over there.

22:14 The people that were running the show when I was there, I was very fortunate with my mentor, who kind of got me over there. So, yeah, it was great time. I loved it.

22:24 So how long were you actually in green team? It's six months for the training for green team. And then I was over there for about five, five and a half years.

22:36 Yeah, I think that's about right for timeline ones. And so what was the optimum like being on dev guru versus being on team two or one of the other teams.

22:48 It's just a longer, we call them workups. It's a little bit when you're on the, like, when I was at two, it's a little bit longer.

22:54 Workup where the optempo is a lot faster because you have to do other commitments while you're back in the States. So it's not, you know, you don't go into employment.

23:04 Come back and you're off into your next appointment. There's other things you need to possibly stand up for that could come up.

23:10 So it's without getting too crazy into the weeds. It gets, it's pretty, it's the optempo is crazy. It's, it's no joke. Guys get worn out. I wouldn't say worn out, but the experience that comes with it is crazy.

23:23 I mean, it's definitely hard on the family's mind, in particular, it was definitely hard on that.

23:29 But it was, I mean, it was a great time.

23:32 But yeah, the optempo is pretty crazy.

23:36 Yeah, I mean, that's why when you're on that elite level of a group inside of an elite level group inside an elite, you know, military, like it's kind of one of those things that can kind of be expected.

23:49 But I got to kind of tell the listeners about how I figured out that you were on dev group because you never told me, right, because you're a jerk and it's like I've known, I've known for years.

23:58 And just like, you know, drop that on. I knew you were in the military, knew you were a seal, but I'm reading a book for the first time, and it was fearless by Eric Blem, and it was about a deceased Navy seal named Adam Brown.

24:09 And so I'm about halfway through the book or so. And, you know, I'm, I text you and I'm like, Hey, I'm reading this book right now. It's pretty awesome.

24:17 And I don't even know if you remember this, but you're like, Hey, have you gotten to the part where they had the Humvee accident.

24:21 And so, for what I can remember, yeah, there were two Humvee's that were, you know, both, both Humvee's military. Yes, military Humvee's that, you know, in kind of the dust in the milieu and the confusion they had actually ran into one another.

24:35 Yeah, Adam Brown, six, I believe, and I think they had like four in their vehicle. So you got six come in one way and like four come in the other. So it was, it was a, it was a train wreck or Humvee wreck.

24:45 Yeah, absolutely. And so in the story, like, as I text you, I'm reading about this story, right.

24:50 Where Adam Brown's Humvee has flipped his hand, you know, was outside of the window. And so his hand kind of gets crushed. And you're asking me, like, Hey, have you gotten to the part where he basically had his fingers sewn back on in the field.

25:01 I'm like, yeah, I literally just read that like two minutes ago. You're like, yeah, I did that. And I was like, Oh, dude, that's crazy. Like, what a crazy timing that this was happening.

25:09 And then I text you and then this goes on. But then I'm so stupid that it took me like two days to realize, Wait a minute.

25:16 The only people that were on that mission at that time were in Devgroove. Holy crap. My buddy Eddie was in Devgroove. So like hit me all at once. And so first of all, you're a jerk still for not telling me that you were that for like the longest time.

25:30 Because that would have been awesome just to know that. But for the listeners out there that don't know about Adam Brown, which if guys, if you haven't read Fearless yet, I've only talked about that a hundred times.

25:39 Right. That is my number one book that I've ever read in my entire life. I think it's going to be turned into a movie. It's insane. But, you know, tell everyone a little bit about Adam Brown and obviously talk a little bit about whenever his, his hand got all mangled.

25:52 He was he was a stud. I mean, he was he was crazy. And I mean, that never a great way. That actually took place when we were a team to that accident.

26:01 So got you. I met Adam with, I think he did one deployment with four. And then he came over to team two and that was my first appointment. So I think he had one possibly two deployments.

26:12 More than I did when I checked in. I was a new guy there. And met Adam.

26:18 He's just that guy's heart is just insane. He's a he doesn't stop. I mean, he doesn't stop. The book really doesn't do it. I mean, the book's amazing. I actually just listened to it again.

26:29 I grew up to a high to see my family. And I made the kids listen to it because it's so awesome. And he's just so good. So I met and knew there we actually went to green team together. We were in the same green team class together and then we went to the same team once we got to dev group together.

26:45 So I was with them for quite a bit. A lot of deployments. I did a quite a few deployments with them. Great guy. Just a stud and just has always had like a good and it was kind of funny is I was not a Christian back then at all like the furthest thing from it.

26:59 But like there was just something in my brain like what is it? What is it about, you know, Christ and all this stuff. And I didn't know anything. And there's there's a story for that which we'll get told about later.

27:11 But I would kind of ask him once in a while, like questions about it. And he would, you know, he would vary. He was not pushy, which is awesome because we know pushy people that, you know, are trying to push that.

27:20 Oftentimes can deter people away from Christianity. And he never did that. Just very gentle, very methodical on the way he like talked to me because I mean, I mean, you know, one wrong word. I'm like, okay, you're through this. I'm out of here, you know, but like, I mean, very, very mature, very close minded.

27:38 But he was very good about it the way he described it. And he would put it in terms where I understood it more like Neanderthal terms. I think that probably would be the best way.

27:47 Like, it was just, he was just a great guy. Like he was just an amazing, amazing man. His family was first. And I didn't know about all I knew about some of that stuff. I didn't know how crazy, you know, the drug use was until I read the book and all that stuff.

28:01 But I mean, I knew about it until the book came out, then you really kind of get into the weeds on it. But the guy, the guy's phenomenal operator. I remember being, you know, doing jumps with him and we would have to because he had one eye towards the end.

28:14 And we would send him, he was always the last guy and he would be a couple seconds after because one eye is closed and we have all these canopies and air.

28:22 You know, we don't want, you know, you're taking out about 50% of your vision. So we would kind of, but he would still join the stack. Can we just always the last guy.

28:30 So it was just amazing. He had a, you know, relearned shooting. I remember being on the range of him kind of going over like, Hey, let's try this way, like to shoot with one eye. Let's try it this way.

28:40 And it was, it was, he's like, does it look weird? Do I look okay? You know, because you want to look good, like I'm shooting, you know, some of these do matter.

28:48 And I remember all those things, they all just kind of come back and it's like, man, just want to talk about a guy that will not stop, did not stop and inspired other people along the way that were.

28:59 In this, in this unit with him and he was just, it was amazing. And, you know, when we were, I was just in the book where he got hurt playing football.

29:10 Right. In the stadium. Yeah, it happened to Troy that because they're old stadium and we're like, Hey, let's play football. I think it was actually out in the pick of the ball is like, let's play like, yeah, we've got a half hour hour. Let's, let's play.

29:22 And we're like, man, we can't get hurt. We can't get hurt. And then literally every one of us kind of the same time, we're like, well, Adam's going to get hurt first.

29:31 He gets hurt. We have to stop. Sure enough, like two or three plays later, Adam gets hurt. We're like, right, this is getting this game's over.

29:38 We literally just had this conversation right before because it's usually Adam because he just goes, you know, a million miles per hour, no matter what he's doing.

29:47 And you just happened to get kind of jacked up on that one. So, but yeah, that's the thing about the thing that's interesting Eddie about how you talk about Adam is, I don't know if you noticed this, but you talk about him in the present tense.

30:02 You talk about, you know, Adam does this. Adam is this in, you know, obviously, if you've read the book and you know anything about Adam Brown story, he passed away a long time ago, but it almost seems like y'all had such a deeper level connection to where it's almost like

30:16 you know, you cognitively, you know, he's gone. Right. But yeah, I mean, you still talk about him like he's here. Yeah, I don't like, obviously lost a lot of guys and I don't, I don't really look at my guy. I know they're gone.

30:25 I know it's passed, but I still think of him like, I can still seeing him doing some of the things I can still hear them saying some of the amazing things they said, you know, choked up here.

30:35 Just, I guess that's kind of maybe a way I kind of like deal with it, but I like to me there, you know, we always say never forgotten and I don't forget like, I mean, I'll be going to get some food or, you know, walk to the grocery store and literally someone will pop up and

30:49 I'm like, I remember we were in the grocery store act like idiots and he did this and I just get a big smile and I'm like, that's right, he did.

30:55 And just happens all the time. It's beautiful.

30:58 I love thinking about them. And they, they definitely impacted my life and I know they like the families and everyone they came in contact with, they had to impact them in the same way. They were just amazing, amazing human beings.

31:11 I mean, just gosh, I mean, what you meet them and you just see all they did. And then once, you know, once they passed, you kind of look back and like, gosh, I was like, what a learning experience and at the time you don't realize it.

31:22 I mean, they're kind of kind of like life right there. Like, you don't realize it in the moment until like a little bit after like, wow, that was really special.

31:29 So.

31:31 Well, I appreciate you sharing that because that's that's the sense that I get at whenever I'm like reading these memoirs or watching these movies or something like that is that these are all very, very incredible people.

31:41 But to shift gears just a little bit that that kind of takes me to my next point, which is this, this seeming trend for us on the outside for us civilians of these famous seals.

31:52 Right. So you've got, you know, you got Robert O'Neill that wrote the operator and, you know, he's obviously the guy that took out Osama bin Laden.

31:59 You've got Marcus Lutrell and Lone Survivor. You've got Chris Kyle and, you know, the American sniper. You've got, you know, Jocko Willink and Lafe Babin, like, you know, they've written a bunch of, or they've written two best selling books together, but Jocko obviously has his podcast

32:13 and other things.

32:14 And so the thing though for me is because I eat all that stuff up. I love reading all that.

32:19 But you don't seem to get as much fanfare or as much of that from, you know, SF or green berets or marine recon or something like that.

32:27 So I just want to kind of get your generic thoughts on famous seals, because obviously the old Frogman from the past, it was like, we're the silent operator.

32:35 You know, we don't really talk about it. But at some point, you've heard Jocko especially talk about this a lot.

32:40 These stories need to get out there. And if you're going out there to be famous, we don't like that inside the community.

32:46 But if you become famous because of who you are, we were okay with that. But what does Eddie Penny think about that side of it?

32:52 I mean, there's definitely, obviously, you know, media, you know, we're talking about old Frogman.

33:00 You know, they didn't have Instagram, they didn't have Facebook, they didn't have, you know, it kind of, they also didn't have, you know, a decade plus war going on either, where all these heroic things happen.

33:12 So, you know, minus Vietnam, I mean, when there are some phenomenal stories and some great heroes that, you know, that I've met and heard their stories, but they didn't have that back then.

33:22 There are some books that these guys put out, but obviously we're in the present and, you know, some, unfortunately, some of those amazing stories and amazing accolades.

33:29 These guys did kind of like it pushed back a little bit just because we're kind of focused on what's in front of us, which was Iraq and Afghanistan and all this, this global war on terrorism.

33:39 I don't think there's any difference between, you know, an SF, SF book or a seal book.

33:47 I mean, we're just better marketers. I don't know.

33:50 I mean, they do wonderful things. I mean, wonderful things all the time.

33:56 I don't know if we're, I know that like we get put the unit I was with and army has won as well.

34:05 From what I was told we did towards the end of Afghanistan, we did 80% of all combat offensive operations.

34:13 That's a big one. That's a huge number. So a lot of people on the defensive, we were out there like every night, us and another counterpart unit with the army.

34:22 But operating pretty much every night or every other night. So 80% of all offensive operations. That's a huge number. So obviously crazy.

34:31 And this is not to take away from anyone else overseas, because like I've said before 1000 times, it takes every piece of the military to make that, that machine to work overseas in crazy situations.

34:43 So everyone is vital to the mission at hand, which is winning and taking down the enemy. So I don't want to take away from anyone. But there's just, that's just our part.

34:51 And that's what we signed up for. But no, I don't think there's any difference. And I obviously the media is going to give you tons of, you know, exposure and people.

35:04 And I agree, I used to be the guy, especially when I'm in one thing I learned is when you're in, you're like, Oh, those guys are talking about what we did, we're supposed to be in the shadows and stuff like that.

35:14 That's great. But like, you always use this example is Black Hawk down when we lost 19 Americans back in 91 or 92, I believe, in Somalia.

35:24 We've seen the movie, read the book a couple times.

35:28 That one operation, that one operation changed the special forces community forever on certain things about night vision, ammo counts, food and water assets.

35:40 I mean, it changed the way we operate. And it's, it's, and it happens quite a bit. It's like this bad thing happens when we learn from it and we move forward and we save more lives.

35:51 So, if that story was not told, we wouldn't, you know, they might not, people might know about it, especially guys that are operating and they need to know about it.

35:59 It's kind of like being a doctor, you have this amazing doctor that just learned how to, you know, make someone that's blind, they can see now.

36:06 You should go out there and tell other doctors about it. Sure. I think, I mean, what's, there's no, there's no difference.

36:13 This might be a little sex here and it's more in movies and, you know, younger generation loves it. Like, just like I did, you did it sound alike.

36:21 So I think that's really it. So I think it's huge to get it out there and let people learn and because I mean, we need to bring this generation in to fill those shoes because the military needs more people.

36:32 10 years or any more people. And those kind of stories, you know, they fill your brain, you get smarter. We've read gates of fire, you know, I mean, we just keep going down, we watch 300 all those things just kind of pump you up, get you ready for it.

36:45 So no, I used to, used to be a naysayer. Now I'm not, because I have a totally different view on it. And you should share your wisdom. Obviously some things don't need to be said or are not allowed to be said.

37:00 But, but no, I think it's, I think it's important to pass on to the next generation that people that are coming in and learning from these things. It saves lives, in my opinion, that my personal opinion, it definitely saves lives.

37:11 When I think motivation is obviously important because, you know, when, when the operation took place, it took out, that took out Osama bin Laden. Obviously that put a lot of focus on a particular group of Navy seals, but then the Navy seal general.

37:24 And then you have, you know, the lone survivor book, you've got American sniper, you've got the operator, you've got all these books that came out.

37:32 And, you know, you have these, these kids, these 15, 16 year old boys that are alphas. And they're like, well, I don't know if I want to play football for the rest of my life.

37:40 And then they find this. And then they're like, I'm going to be a seal. Or hey, I'm going to the Naval Academy. And then I want to go to buds right after I graduate.

37:47 And then you're going to get these elite level people that are going to be going into these elite level forces. And the, the since I get him from what I hear, obviously recruiting has gotten easier.

37:58 I mean, I say easier, but like recruiting people and you're getting more of those people and you still have a high attrition rate and you always will and you always want that.

38:06 But it is kind of one of those deals where, okay, if you wrote a book because you wanted to be famous and the reason why you went to buds in the first place is so that you could have a big podcast someday.

38:14 All right, that's a little shady. At the end, hey, to be honest, from a civilian perspective, Eddie, I don't even care about that. What I care about is when you're overseas, you're keeping my butt safe, right?

38:25 And so because I'm sitting here in my studio in the middle of Oklahoma and I'm not worried about someone coming over my fence trying to get me from another country.

38:32 You know what I mean? I'm worried about that. And it's because of the people over there on the front lines, but I want to go back to something that you said because I'm really curious about this just recently on the Jocko willing podcast.

38:42 He had on the guy who wrote outlaw platoon platoon. And so he was this young kid who's putting this leadership position and his platoon was overseas for an unbelievable period of time over a year.

38:56 And that they went through was absolutely insane. But in that book, I remember reading it and he since had to kind of when they did re reruns of the book, they put a letter in the back of it because he's kind of softened his stance on it.

39:09 But he remembers being so frustrated when he would get back to base after being out, you know, outside the wire for 10 days, no shower, you know, hardly any food, you know, going, you're getting thirsty at times and all that and just getting shot at all the time.

39:24 And then they get back to the base. And you know, these guys that have been sitting there, you know, running the mail or cooking the food or whatever, you know, they took all the hot water in the showers.

39:33 They said, Hey, you know what, I'm going to get in line in front of you. And he just remembers this unbelievable sense of frustration and anger towards these people that they would act that way. And so for me on the civilian side, I'm like, man,

39:46 for me, there is a difference between the frontline fighter and the support staff. So I will thank everyone for their service and I will pay for their meals if they're if they're eating in fatigues or whatever the situation might be.

39:57 But it's hard for me as a civilian to square what you said, which is, Hey, we can't be out there, you know, breach indoors and, you know, doing capture kill missions without the support staff, but help me as a stupid civilian understand why it's equivalent.

40:12 I wouldn't say equivalent is just different jobs. They chose to go be well, chances are they chose to go do whatever they're doing to support right. And some of those individuals did it for various reasons. I did it to support my country.

40:27 I wanted to be in combat. Some of those guys, you know, and ladies, they do it for a college education. Some of them do it like you said at the beginning of this podcast and do it because they got in trouble. They had an option jail or military.

40:39 So we all have our different reasons and everyone has our own little story, as you know.

40:47 But bottom line is when I come back, you know, from dawning up and there's food waiting for me. I'm appreciative that I like that. I like that it's warm. Is there times when there wasn't food and I was kind of upset.

40:58 Yes. I remember. I remember a Thanksgiving dinner being overseas and we were planning an op and they're like, hey, you know, dinner's here and it's like, it's supposed to be this nice Thanksgiving.

41:10 And I don't know if they didn't get the number right or whatever, but I went in there with like probably six or seven. That's our planning. We were doing some charge calculations for explosives or something.

41:20 And we go in there and there's literally some bread left and some gravy. I was like, well, this is funny. So I had like a can of tuna and and well breading gravy. So, I mean, this is like crap happens.

41:34 It does was I upset at the time. Oh my god. Yeah, I wanted to murder someone. But now I laugh at it's like that's that's actually kind of funny because I mean, it's just, it is what it is you're over in combat and, you know.

41:49 And then I looked at guys are in Vietnam or, you know, war two, like those guys, in my opinion, or studs, because I mean, we have all this stuff, you know, people are, they were getting all these packages over from people and, you know, these goodies and candies and food and all that stuff.

42:03 So, I mean, all and all it was good. I really can.

42:07 We're there at war. That's, that's the end game. We are there at war. That is our, that is our job.

42:13 So, any, anything that's nice and comforting is, is, is nice. It's a what's the word for it.

42:22 Hey, it's just nice to have because I really don't I would never not expect it like there was a weight room for me that that was huge for me like that was that was great. I loved it.

42:30 I always had water, always had food. I mean, don't get me wrong, you know, the opportunity you're talking about. I know exactly what he's talking about. Yeah, it sucks. Like you guys, I come back and like you guys have no clue what goes on outside these gates.

42:43 I remember thinking that, but you know what, that's, that's okay. That's all right. It's not. I have a mission. They have a mission and I'll carry out mine as long as you do yours will be good. So I guess that's kind of my stance on that.

42:55 So the, the cool thing about how long your military career lasted, it was from 96 to 2006, correct? 2016.

43:03 2006. Oh, yeah, 2016 is what I'm saying. So that's a long time in the military. And so the cool thing about being in for as long as you were in is you got to serve under a bunch of different administrations. So you started your military career, you know, under the Clinton administration,

43:19 over to the Bush administration, Bush the younger, and then you, you know, you kind of wrapped up with the Obama administration, but also you see guys in now.

43:28 And from the outside, it looks like people, especially in your community love serving under the Trump administration. And so kind of give us an idea of it might be a little bit hard because, you know, in Clinton administration,

43:39 you're in the Marines and you're just trying to like figure things out. But you know, then you're doing basically your entire seal career half with the Republican administration and George Bush and obviously we go to war at that point.

43:50 And then the other half, the other eight years are under the Barack Obama administration and he's very famously known for going around the world and apologizing for American might and decreasing the size of the military and decreasing the funding.

44:02 So just kind of tell us a little bit about what that was like serving under different administrations and what it's like for your buddy serving under Trump now.

44:09 Well, it's that's a tough question because world events change with each administration different things are popping up here things are going away then another thing pops up here.

44:20 A lot of it is due to the administration before a lot of it is just has nothing to do with the administration at all it's just turns want to be turns overseas.

44:29 I guess the biggest thing that I, that I really I mean when I was young in the Marines I didn't I wasn't deploying it really didn't understand that piece and understand money and funding that came in for military units.

44:42 I really I didn't understand it because I was so soaked up on my own little reality.

44:48 When I got over to the teams kind of learned a little bit more about funding because funding is huge because you need operational gear and training and all that stuff.

44:56 Remember I do remember under the Obama administration and in real quick let me say this real fast.

45:02 I, I am a Republican. I was vote Republican.

45:07 But regardless who isn't that office that is my president, the president of the United States of America and I that is that is what I will protect and follow orders for.

45:20 It's not you know kind of hear that like oh I'm you know I'm not going to do this because because he's my president like it's not of that stuff and it's still the president of the United States.

45:29 That's like telling your kid oh you don't like the principal will go tell that principal whatever you want because it's freedom of speech.

45:34 That's not right.

45:35 This respect.

45:37 So and it's not okay.

45:39 So I had to get that off like I didn't like I wasn't a fan of Obama at all.

45:45 But still I went on many ops of them I met him I've talked with him on the phone after certain operations.

45:51 Only thing I've ever is big thing that I can think of as like funding was a huge issue funding cuts for certain things that might not even pertain to you know national security or whatever.

46:03 So that was probably the only thing is probably funding cuts is the only thing I'm like wow okay they just took that percentage from us that's not okay because we need that for this with all that's going on.

46:12 But the crazy thing is is it was kind of explained to me is when I was younger is like Republicans like bigger, more conventional style fighting I guess you could say they don't they don't mind leaving a big footprint.

46:24 Obviously like you know all the stuff over in Iraq and all that that stuff but like Democrats side they kind of like leaving a small footprint which means more work for spec ops.

46:35 So Republicans still use them, but they mean they'll go to their go to spec ops they use the crap out of us a lot during that his administration, which I'm thankful for.

46:45 Do I agree with everything that was done absolutely not but I'd say the biggest thing that I recognized kind of going away is the funding especially when we're they go to you know like you're using us for all these things.

46:58 Maybe this this and this and you're just took away you know X amount of dollars.

47:02 And I had put it all money but you know money again it pays for training it pays for assets.

47:08 It pays for you know foreign relations on uncertain things so it's kind of a big deal.

47:14 Yeah so that I mean even for us on the outside looking in like we saw kind of the strain and if anybody lives in a military community you can like feel the strain on some of the families and especially people that are higher up in the officers.

47:26 But I mean make a great point about Barack Obama because ideologically he and I disagree on literally everything like there's not really anything right that I agree.

47:35 But here's the deal is if I had been invited to the White House for something right for whatever reason and I was going to get to meet the President.

47:42 I would accept the invitation I would show up in my best suit I would make sure that everything was straight and good to go when he came down the line I would shake his hand look him in the eye and say thank you so much for having me Mr President I appreciate you.

47:53 Because at the end of the day he is my President but for you in the military he's your boss's boss's boss's boss's boss's boss you know like that is the guy he's the head of the United States military so disagree with him disagree with the things that he says on CNN

48:06 or whenever he's out on a stump speech but it just kind of is what it is.

48:10 But one thing I really want to get your opinion on this guy because you know Trump has had quite a few characters in his administration and I'm not asking about Trump yet we'll get to Trump.

48:19 But my favorite person so far in his administration either still there or not there.

48:26 Number two would be Nikki Haley. I love Nikki Haley but is General Mattis because if there was if I were to create a mean old curmudgeon bulldog general.

48:37 I'm pretty sure I would create something close to General Mattis and anybody that in an interview I think it was with 60 minutes or something like that.

48:45 The guy basically asked him or you know like General Mattis you've been in a lot of operations a lot of people have died under your command you've killed a lot of people under your command.

48:53 You know does that keep you up at night and he goes nothing keeps me up at night I keep people up at night like people are up at night worried about what General Mattis is thinking so so what are your thoughts on General Mattis.

49:06 I don't know too much about him obviously I know all the case kind of made been turned into like a Chuck Norris character which is kind of funny but cool.

49:16 No I mean the guy brings one thing the table that a lot of people don't do and that's called intimidation and some of that intimidation is backed up and has been backed up and I think that's huge because at the end of the day there's a bad guy

49:27 and you know that guy is saying that okay well you know I might rethink some things so I don't know exactly the extent of everything that's gone on with the administration and with him but I had never had any problem with him.

49:41 I loved looking at him watching him listen to him speak the guy you know it seems like a tough as nails dude and I think that's what he's when we needed especially in this country right now where it's not tough as nails.

49:56 So I liked him. I thought he was awesome. I have no no problem with him whatsoever so and again I don't know the details I try not to I don't get into that unless I need to get into the political side because I'm just going to set.

50:11 So yeah I mean that's pretty much all I gotta say about that I really kind of ignorant on like his whole is the meter but I knew you know he his farm was in the right place in my opinion.

50:22 When you're in through you pretty much know that from the moment anytime you hear him talk so the last thing on the military side and then we'll move into some other subjects is and you and I talked about this I think when you and I when I kind of figured you and I were going to be good friends for a really

50:36 long time as we had known each other for about I don't know an hour and you know we're sitting outside at some some men's camp thing that that we were both that and you know we just start talking about just stuff just life.

50:48 And then we ended up talking about a particular subject and I hope you don't mind me sharing this but we were talking and you know you were in the middle of your spiritual journey at the time and the journey that we're all still on at all times.

51:00 But I remember you talking about some offset you went on and some guys that you lost you mentioned losing a lot of guys but this was a particular story that was very personal to you where you basically told a member of your team to go to go over to this side of this

51:16 and he went over to that side of that building and there was an improvised explosive device that detonated and then he was killed and I remember you telling me you're like Kyle if I hadn't told him to go over there he would still be alive.

51:32 And I've thought about that conversation a lot and you know I probably had a decent response when we were talking to each other at the at the moment but it was basically like you couldn't have known that was going to happen operationally you thought that that was the

51:47 best thing for him to do at that moment it was the best thing for everyone's safety.

51:51 It just didn't quite work out but you've you've had a lot of time now since you've been retired to look back on your military career to look back on all those micro decisions that had macro consequences.

52:01 For the enemy and for the people on the same side as you but but looking back on your military career.

52:08 What would you have done differently and that can you can take that in any way that you want to take that but looking back like would you have gone to the seals first I know you kind of mentioned earlier like you liked your time in the Marine Corps like would you have spent more time in

52:21 like you know what would you feel like you would have done differently if you could get a do over.

52:31 Yeah that story.

52:33 You know, I don't think I can say I would do anything over because I'm happy where I am I'm happy I have it.

52:39 I guess you know one thing that I always thought about is I always wanted to deploy more.

52:43 Do more deployments and and you know there's a good chance I wouldn't be having this conversation with you today. As you know I got custody of my children.

52:54 In that that that was a huge life changing experience for me I mean I wish I could have done more deployments.

53:01 But at the same time I wish I was there for my family more especially my children more when I was deploying.

53:07 Because I mean I was checked out I was so checked out I tell this to you know to some people.

53:13 There's there's a scene you've seen American sniper obviously we brought it up a couple times there's there's a scene where he comes back from I don't know what deployment.

53:21 And he's just drinking a beer and he's staring at a blank TV do you remember that scene.

53:25 Yeah absolutely.

53:26 And like I saw that man I just I started weeping I was like crap that was me like I was dude you're so I was so checked out like I just.

53:36 You're running around like hey dad am I hey baby and like I'm just like I'm my body's there but my mind.

53:42 My mind was overseas still or like hey like that was a you know some kind of graphic something that happened over overseas so it's just.

53:52 That's one thing I wish I knew how to deal with better.

53:55 And I don't know if there's an answer for that there is.

53:58 But you know looking back now it well kind of led me on my spiritual journey which I am so thankful for.

54:05 I wish I would I wish I would had Christ sooner that's what I really wish I would have had that's probably the one thing that's actually a really good question I think that's probably the one thing that I wish I had in my life sooner.

54:16 Because I mean I didn't really find Christ until that week and we spent together up in open Oklahoma at the men's retreat so that's really what all kind of really really started hitting home for me.

54:27 And was actually because of you did you know that I don't guess I did.

54:35 So we did our little fire thing and then you know I saw people getting just prayed for and I was like in like throughout the you know guys just start crying and they're getting hit and.

54:44 And at first I'm like man that poor guy like you know toughen up a little bit you know it's okay like just chill.

54:49 Just got going on and like topics are hitting you know about the you know the father wound or just other things you know your family.

54:57 And I'm like crap like okay this is starting to get to me and I'm you know praying for the first time which is the most awkward thing I've ever done.

55:03 So that point.

55:06 I was like man I really want someone to pray for me like what does that do like what is that.

55:10 And we're leaving the fire and you came up to me go hey can I pray for you.

55:13 I was like holy crap I got hit so hard and you came up and I'm like here's this I think you were 26 years old at the time and I was thinking I was 32 or 33 I'm like here's this 20 26 year old coming up to me.

55:26 You kind of know a little bit about me and you just went in right there and you're like taking a pray for you I was like you sure can and you did and I was like wow.

55:33 Like I walked away started crying it was amazing.

55:35 It was it was beautiful.

55:37 So I don't know if you do that story but there you go.

55:40 Well I'm glad I know it now for sure.

55:43 And I guess I guess the the corollary for for anyone listening to this is to.

55:50 If you hear that prompting because I kind of I can go back to that that point in my memory and you know there's there's probably 50 60 of us sitting around that fire and we're talking about some pretty deep things.

56:00 But then as you walked away the immediate thought came to my brain you need to go talk to him.

56:05 He just walked away for a reason he's trying to disengage go reengage but the thing about it is as soon as I thought comes to your head.

56:12 There are other thoughts that come to your head which is not that's weird he probably just has to go to the bathroom.

56:17 Like you know this.

56:19 Yeah it's a devil it's a devil whispering in your ear right it's it's scare tape letters it's just like hey hey just leave him alone give him some space.

56:26 Y'all will talk in the morning and then invariably if I would have waited you know we wouldn't have seen each other in the morning one of us would have had to leave early.

56:32 You know we got distracted by their conversations and so man I'm ecstatic that you share that with me.

56:38 I'm really glad to hear that.

56:40 And I said I was about to get off the military thing this is one more that that's kind of bridging the gap between moving from the military life to outside of that one thing I'm curious about for you is one thing that I'll say for me personally is I'm always concerned about loss.

56:53 Like I'm kind of a pessimist at my core which is not really a very Christian thing to do but I'm just kind of open about it so I'm always scared about losing people I'm scared about losing my wife.

57:04 I'm scared about losing my dad like there are times with my wife where you know if I can't get a hold of her for a long time so like for several hours maybe I've sent her a text or two and I know she's busy but now it's kind of getting a little bit weird that I haven't heard from her.

57:16 My mind goes to some crazy places as to where she is and what could have happened to her and it's just from this place of fear of loss.

57:24 But for you you spent a long time in the military I mean 20 years in the military and you experienced loss as a soldier but you've also experienced loss as a civilian but before you got into the military and after you left the military.

57:39 Is there a fundamental difference when when you lose a brother in arms versus you know somebody that's really important to you on the civilian side.

57:49 Is it different at all.

57:54 I would have to say yes I would have to say there's definitely a difference. I guess the way I look at I haven't lost anybody super close to me since after the military I've lost you know my grandparents and things like that and some friends.

58:11 I think the big difference and that's a really good question.

58:16 I want to give questions before this by the way this this makes it more like this.

58:25 I guess on some of the deaths that happened overseas you see you see your body that you you went you know you had fun with you trained with you went through a lot of hard things with and you see their body laying on the ground riddled with bullet holes or explosives or just crushed to death.

58:44 So seeing that and knowing that man who that man was and then now seeing them there lifeless on the ground.

58:52 That takes a toll takes a big toll.

58:54 A toll that I never thought about because you know what the movies never really showed that at all right they don't show the you know the house or real things get and I think that's a big thing that people don't get when they're going to the center of the military.

59:06 And that's okay it's just it's life.

59:09 But yeah I think it's a big difference doing that and I just you're so invested in the operations and you kind of know all the little ins and outs of it so when someone goes down you're like what we're wrong and you kind of like that you want to dissect it in your brain.

59:23 We're like hey they got killed in the car crash like okay yeah like this [inaudible] like that person ran a red light like it's pretty cut and dry I mean it's it's a tragedy don't get me wrong.

59:31 I'm not trying to take away from that person's life at all but yes for me personally my mind goes I just really dissect it I want to know every little detail.

59:43 I want to I want to see the body I want to think I don't know why I call me weird.

59:48 I'm just very invested in it because it's kind of like I'm almost like a student of war I guess you could say I've been doing it my for decades and decades and decades like I want to know everything about it you know from.

1:00:00 I'm kind of training to death I want to know it all.

1:00:04 And you know you know I always thought that I was going to be one of those guys dying or seas which I was totally cool with a male a lot of us were.

1:00:13 Which I've said in the previous podcast before that I was okay with that.

1:00:17 It would have been honorable death.

1:00:19 And people like all honorable death like no it's different when you your life is surrounded by this stuff it's it's totally different people don't get it they'll never understand that unless you're totally immersed in it.

1:00:29 What life is as a doctor or you know a teacher right same thing.

1:00:35 But yeah it's for me personally it's a hundred percent different it seems.

1:00:42 I think I hold on to the combat death over anything you know if I have a brother that dies you know in a car wreck and we're not deployed.

1:00:51 It will hit me as hard but when it's overseas and especially when you see it or the right next to you when it happens yeah that takes a little toll in your mind kind of goes to the law law land and kind of just a lot of things.

1:01:03 And then the devil really comes in he starts playing with your brain.

1:01:07 Right well I appreciate you sharing that and we'll take a slight break from the heavier topics but don't worry we'll get right back into it for too long.

1:01:14 Yeah so so on the heels of my question earlier about kind of famous seals and everything like that there's obviously some fairly prominent seals that have kind of risen to prominence in the military but then they've risen to prominence in politics.

1:01:26 And so I remember a few years ago I read the book resilience by Eric Greitens I think it's his last name and you know he it was a great book it was a fantastic book.

1:01:35 And you know I've said it to everybody and obviously resilience is probably my favorite word in the English language and then he becomes the governor of the state of Missouri and I mean people are looking at him like oh my gosh this guy's going to be the next president

1:01:46 and if you didn't know about his fall from grace you have Google so look it up but some pretty horrific things that he was accused of doing and you know this is a guy whose political career is essentially over and a lot of parts of his life are essentially

1:01:59 but then you've got the other side another Navy seal grout was my boat crew leader and buzz.

1:02:05 Okay so there you go so you obviously you know him.

1:02:09 Yeah and so you know this isn't a podcast we're trying to flame anybody obviously he's taken a lot of that on his own but then you've got the other side of it which is Dan Crenshaw.

1:02:18 So he is a house representatives member from the state of Texas he kind of roasted prominence really whenever he was he was maligned on Saturday Night Live he had the perfect response to it.

1:02:28 He went to Saturday Night Live and kind of did that whole deal but then he's been getting this huge following on Twitter and on Instagram he was just on the Joe Rogan podcast and was incredible.

1:02:39 And this is a guy that's in his mid 30s and people are looking at him like is he the heir apparent in the Republican party there's this one high former former seal is this the guy.

1:02:48 And so there's kind of a you know to use Jocka Williams favorite word there's a dichotomy there between you've got two guys that came up through the same system right there around the same age.

1:02:57 Same experiences but they've gone to totally different directions even though they ended up in the same place which was politics.

1:03:05 So for you when you see something like that when you see your brothers, one that you know made some bad decisions and one that made some good decisions like what comes up for you when you think about that.

1:03:14 You know a lot of it's a shame like the community is one of those there's a lot of communities are like this but if someone does one thing bad just one person.

1:03:24 They kind of look at the whole community as a whole as a bad thing and I always tell people there's there's 10% of well just to like vote out their turds in everything and we see with teachers you know molesting students.

1:03:36 We see it like malpractice and doctors you mean you see it in pretty much and you can go you can take your work and I guarantee you can pick out 10% that are just not doing their their end they're kind of shady they're doing some.

1:03:49 You know bad things over here over here. It's an it's an every career field in my opinion and I've witnessed it multiple ones.

1:03:58 I actually have the pleasure of meeting Dan a couple weeks ago up in Wyoming, and you know I was wearing my seal pen and of course I knew he was he didn't know me so we started talking started talking about operations and I was like so what's up man how do you like what's going on

1:04:14 how did you get out and we just kind of go on and I mean he tried to stay in he didn't want to get out just the medical side of the Navy the seal teams fought for him.

1:04:25 The medical side that they wanted they just couldn't keep him because he had one eye, which is weird because Adam stayed so I just like I just don't think you have the right people maybe fighting for him but he tried and you can just see it but the man's got a great

1:04:37 I love his beliefs see I can just feel like you know you talk to someone like this guy's good to go or this person's a turd like he is good to go in my in my book it was awesome to talk to him I was very fortunate to speak with him.

1:04:49 It's just like anything you know and and Dan's you know his experiences and Eric's experience is actually too different I think Dan's seen a little bit more real life things than Eric has.

1:05:01 I kind of know a little bit of background on both on what they did so that that changes a man it changes things in a man.

1:05:09 So some people join the military for a goal and it might not be a seal and it might be a political office.

1:05:17 So some people do have that agenda and and they knew who they are and a lot of the guys in the teams know who they are.

1:05:23 And that's okay like if that's what you want to do like you know being a seal is a check in the box to add credibility to what you're doing that's cool and that's like that's your thing that's that's what you want to do.

1:05:33 But cringe Dan was not Dan was not one of those guys he kind of got I wouldn't say thrown into it.

1:05:40 But I don't think he was thinking about it until he was approached about it and the guy is phenomenal speaker.

1:05:45 He's awesome to listen to. So, and from what I know about like Eric when I knew him he was an awesome guy like when I was in buds.

1:05:54 I did not know him. I did not operate with him I never did any deployments with him or wherever he went afterwards so I don't know operationally I just don't from buds.

1:06:03 So, but in buds and he was awesome we call him Obi-Wan Kenobi because he just make things happen. He was an officer got things done for us, which we appreciated but you know, some guys say different things here and there but like you said this isn't a flame session so

1:06:18 we'll cut it off there then. So, so the thing is is Dan Crenshaw obviously guys like me there there's strong hope that someday he transitions to being a presidential candidate maybe at least you know maybe Governor Texas Senate something like that.

1:06:33 But right now we're in the middle of the March towards 2020 and we've got Donald Trump obviously going for reelection and all the things that come with that.

1:06:42 And then you've got the 2020 Democratic candidates who seem to be stumbling over themselves to see who can make the most ridiculous statement possible.

1:06:49 And so you know Bernie Sanders will say something out abortion that's absolutely terrifying and then Beto O'Rourke will pop his head up and be like well actually here's a more terrible way of saying it but I mean you've got Kamala Harris and Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren and some of these these candidates

1:07:04 and from my perspective obviously I'm very fearful some of the things that they're saying out loud. It's like it's already a little bit scary that you thought that in your head but then it came out of your face and then you told the world with a microphone in front of you that's a little bit strange.

1:07:16 But for you and this just you as Eddie Penny not necessarily the military, the military guy but what are your thoughts on on 2020 on the Democratic candidates on Trump in general.

1:07:28 You know what do you think about all that.

1:07:31 I want to laugh right now to be honest with you. You can't. Yeah because it keeps us from crying.

1:07:46 Yeah I'm not I'm not a fan of any of them. I think they're all. Yeah I'm just not a fan of them. I don't believe in like really anything they say I think a lot of them are just there for show.

1:07:58 A crock of crap like that I really just think they're there.

1:08:02 I think they're moral compass is completely off.

1:08:05 So that right there it says like I'm just like the lead you like I just don't want to even really listen to you because I'm getting a good vibe from them like you know the ethics are not there.

1:08:16 In my opinion that whole party not every one of them is like that I understand that but that's what I get from that party and we can see it you know on the news and all this stuff of this and that in certain cities.

1:08:27 So I'm not I'm not a fan of any of them. I think the things that they said like you just said like I'm gonna I'm gonna do this as I'm a president but I won't do it if I'm not president it just makes no sense to me whatsoever so I think they're most of

1:08:39 a big joke in my opinion. So that's any opinions opinion.

1:08:44 Well and that's the thing Eddie is is we understand what what's happening right now they're running as far to the left as possible so they can win the nomination when they get to the general election they try to get towards the middle.

1:08:54 And at the end of the day I think it's I think it's silly and we don't have to go into a macro conversation about this but it's silly how much people worship at the altar of politicians.

1:09:03 If one if there's one thing that all politicians have in common it's extreme narcissism and it's like in in you know high school.

1:09:11 Would you have followed around the biggest narcissist and been like oh my gosh I love that person.

1:09:15 I mean maybe maybe they're the popular person you know the quarterback and football team and a 4.0 student and all that kind of thing but these these people love the camera they love being up in front of you.

1:09:23 And lying to your face is something that they love to do but I mean I'm with you that not all everybody on the blue ticket side is you know quote unquote a bad person but kind of for my money if you think it's okay to murder a baby in the womb.

1:09:35 I can't be down with you in any way shape or form and you know yeah we can debate about immigration we can debate about taxes and you know what what should we do with the Fed and I think that's all great but it is a little bit hard to square that whenever you have a party right

1:09:50 now that literally no prominent person in that party whether candidate or currently in office thinks that we should protect the unborn.

1:09:57 It's kind of my bug a boo topic but the thing that I feel like the 2020 Democratic candidates and you know for Trump on the right is everyone seems to be wanting to take advantage of outrage culture.

1:10:07 And so we live in this culture where there's this hierarchy of people that have been oppressed.

1:10:13 We have this desire this overwhelming desire for people I feel like there's people that get on Twitter hoping somebody says something mildly offensive so that they can jump all over it so they can feel good about themselves for that day.

1:10:25 And so you mentioned this a little bit earlier but it's like we have this outrage culture and it's like you're overseas fighting for people to sit at home on Twitter and to complain about you know Starbucks using plastic straws.

1:10:37 It's like there are so many real things on the planet that we can be outraged about and you're worried about straws and I'm not saying we shouldn't we should ignore the environment Bob while don't put words in my mouth but when you hear some

1:10:49 of the things that these candidates are tapping into and what some of the complaints are just in generalized culture like what do you think about that.

1:10:55 I think it's ridiculous because I'm like you just said that's a that's a minute thing we'll just use a straws and examples since it's already been brought up it's a minute thing.

1:11:03 Should we pop it as we throw straws in the ocean no does it kill animals no I love animals I love them I mean I love them all day long.

1:11:10 Excuse me it does kill animals or can.

1:11:13 Right but no that's not that's in my in my mind that's not a big deal another 911 in my mind would be a big deal like I don't want that to happen again.

1:11:24 And you know with like hey let everyone in or because that's my thing you know you're talking about the babies in a room which is a very serious thing.

1:11:33 You know like letting illegals in like that that's my thing okay you just said it right there illegal there's the word illegal legal is right illegal is wrong it's very simple.

1:11:43 But that that's my fear is another because obviously I have a security background and that's been like my world.

1:11:50 I'm a I'm fear fearful of another 911 because what's going to happen is like oh how do we allow this to happen the government sucks oh President Trump sucks.

1:11:58 No you're the one that want to let everyone in and I know a lot of those most of those people just law abiding citizens are will be in one a freedom.

1:12:05 Yes of course but it takes one individual to really do some damage and that's that's my big thing and we like you just said we go crazy in the political world but like I get crazy on that one like that just drives me insane.

1:12:19 You know that just people come in will do this they can do this and it's not and they can you just do it a legal way you're not to come here.

1:12:27 There's just a process do the process that many friends that came from other countries and they were they did it the legal way as a law abiding now citizen of this great country that's what you got to do.

1:12:41 Just sneak in and act like you're you know legal that's it.

1:12:45 It's pretty simple so that's that's so box now that that drives me crazy.

1:12:49 Well yeah I mean it's not a hard formula but it's hard for some people to follow for whatever reason but another another topic that everybody loves to talk about and it's a really charged topic is mass shootings.

1:13:00 And obviously you've been you've been on in our TV you've been asked about mass shootings before and obviously you're you're a defender of the Second Amendment you're a defender of people being able to own firearms you train.

1:13:10 People with firearms you train them in a way that they can be lethal with them so they can save their own lives or the lives of other innocents.

1:13:16 We've talked we've done two entire podcasts.

1:13:19 I think it's episode 10 and episode 93 of this podcast on the subject of mass shootings.

1:13:23 When you hear about mass shootings when you hear about Gilroy and El Paso and Toledo or not Toledo Dayton sorry I just I just pulled a Trump and said Toledo sorry guys don't don't you don't be out triggered because I said they're on city.

1:13:33 They know how they know how it happens but when you hear about these things are even just Chicago Chicago on a weekly basis.

1:13:40 Like when you hear about mass shootings like what do you think about as somebody that trains people to defend themselves with these weapons which are apparently evil.

1:13:49 I think a lot of people just need to kind of not think it's going to happen to them.

1:13:55 Well I also think about like hey this is why we need good guys with guns because instead of having you know 20 dead you might only have five dead because you had a good guy with a gun there.

1:14:05 That's obviously not every scenario.

1:14:07 But one thing that people really need to understand and I actually I think I did a post on this on my personal Instagram page.

1:14:14 It was yesterday actually is more laws are not going to stop evil it's not going to it's not going to happen like alright we're going to take away now you can only have five rounds in your magazine or now you can only have this class weapon or now you can only keep it in your house.

1:14:29 Okay bad guys if they're they're about to go to felony and they're okay with going to kill a school of like a bunch of students young young children.

1:14:39 They don't give a crap about your sign on the wall that says no guns allow they don't give a crap this is a safe zone sign they don't give a crap they don't care.

1:14:47 They're going to go do what they want so you really need good people a defense to to stop that stuff like you that's the only way like evil will always be around it's been around forever and it's not going away.

1:15:00 So the good guys need to rise up and stop that stuff and laws some laws are great.

1:15:05 But some laws are just the hindering and you can see it in California, New York City Chicago like no guns no guns no guns well guess what guess who still has guns.

1:15:15 The bad guys they don't care if they don't care about prison some of them would rather be in prison because they have food they have a bed they don't give a crap.

1:15:24 They just don't care.

1:15:25 It's sad I mean like oh ban all guns ban all guns because someone some bad guy shot someone okay didn't there was I think there was a stabbing him is either Baltimore Dayton.

1:15:34 I think it was like this week actually.

1:15:36 So we're going to ban all knives like we can't cut our steak anymore just pick it up and start eating it like it's not going to work if I take a hammer to somebody you can ban all hammers.

1:15:44 So it's a gun is a tool period of firearm excuse me.

1:15:48 It's the individual behind it that's causing the damage.

1:15:52 And you know people are going to say well you know there's 30 rounds in this.

1:15:55 It doesn't matter bad guys it's called the black market bad guys are going to get their 30 round knives or 50 round they don't give a crap they're going to find it to to get their point across or do what they need to do so.

1:16:07 Yeah that's I guess that's another topic right there.

1:16:10 I mean I'm a idiot almost 100% of mass shootings occur in gun free zones and so it's like you know you and I just talked about it on the last podcast where we talked about that where it's just like look adding more gun free zones

1:16:23 means there are more places for evil people for wolves to take advantage of the sheep and what a lot of these laws are intended to do.

1:16:31 They're intended to take the the you know force multipliers away from the wolves but what it's actually doing is it's taking the force multipliers out of the hands of the sheep dogs.

1:16:40 And so now you have sheep dogs that can't defend themselves and so but obviously you're a sheep dog I'm trained training to be a sheep dog and trying to do all those different things.

1:16:48 But I want to talk about your everyday carry so everyone's kind of obsessed with EDC and I remember whenever I was buying my concealed carry weapon I mean of course I'm just going to ask you hey Eddie what do I go buy right now.

1:16:58 I don't want to do research you got paid to do that and so I bought you know the SIG P P 938 and you have since got the P 365 for my wife to carry different things like that but for you on just a generalized day.

1:17:11 What's your EDC.

1:17:12 I usually always have a fixed blade on me usually you have a belly blade that I always keep my tooth and I'll usually carry one from dynamis alliance and another one from half face blades because they're like I go to.

1:17:24 Then I carry my SIG 320 carry all 17 rounds always on my side.

1:17:31 If I'm working out some of my blade on me and I'll have a little small revolver just because like obviously I can't carry my my sake on me.

1:17:39 So I always that's usually my go to depending on what I'm doing or certain areas of my throw an extra magazine.

1:17:44 You know the car always has like medical kits, extra ammo if I need me some other things in there always got my handy nandy lock picks that because you never know when you'd be the hero so it's just fun.

1:17:59 It's a big locks for some reason I just like I love doing that stuff.

1:18:02 So that's usually my that's my everyday care it's a probably 95% the time I've got my SIG on me and my 320 carry.

1:18:09 I love it trade with it all the time that's my baby.

1:18:14 Yeah that's probably my everyday carry right there and I know sometimes I put the light on sometimes I don't it just kind of depends on what's going on I change all the time.

1:18:21 Yeah that's what I was going to ask like when you carry do you normally carry it with with a light or a laser or some sort of combo or do you just kind of leave it without.

1:18:28 I don't do lasers I'd say probably 20 to 30% of the time I'll throw my light on put a new holster on just that that can obviously hold the lights.

1:18:37 And then I do the rest of the time I do without a light just because it's a little bit smaller because it obviously there just comes that comforts.

1:18:44 And I feel like the trading sites I can still you know I've got other flashlights and things like that if I need to use it but.

1:18:50 It depends on where I'm going what I'm doing how long I'm going and kind of just what feels right and what doesn't feel right that's kind of like what determines what I do.

1:18:59 Cool well we've had enough of a reprieve from all of the heavy stuff so we're going to we're just going to kind of ease our way back into the heavy stuff just a little bit but earlier on in our conversation we were we were talking about about your spiritual perspective.

1:19:13 When you're on the teams and kind of your early life and your spiritual perspective now and you share that story with me that I really appreciate about kind of our interaction and what that did for you spiritually.

1:19:24 But kind of give us an idea of what your spiritual perspective was when you're on the teams versus now and before you get into that.

1:19:32 I remember a post that you did on Instagram I don't know about a year ago or so, but you posted two pictures of yourself. There was a picture of you it looked like you were either just gotten out of a bird or something like that you were, you were deployed.

1:19:43 And so you've got your, you got your weapons on you you know you're still in your, you're still dressed for war type of thing. And then there was another one where it was just, you know, healthy Eddie not saying you weren't healthy then but.

1:19:55 You know the difference for you I guess if I can get my words out was that you know you didn't even recognize that guy that you were when you were in the teams and kind of what you thought in your worldview versus what you are now.

1:20:09 And for me I only know the Eddie from now. And so I don't even know the Eddie from back then and what was behind those eyes, but kind of again go into what your spiritual perspective was then versus now.

1:20:18 I guess I really had no spiritual spiritual perspective. I like you know I told at the time my wife I told her I was like you know I believe in Jesus I believe in God and all that stuff and, and she said one thing to me and she goes so does the devil.

1:20:34 And I was like, to she to she was like got it. And she actually kind of like got me to that camp where I met you which I you know can't think her enough for that awesomeness.

1:20:48 But you know I you know I was always would always think about it and you know when you're it's kind of funny there's there's no atheists in the fox oh you for that that saying, and I remember many times me praying without even realize I'm praying like God

1:21:03 give me out of this, not even realize I'm saying it like I'm getting shot at I feel like I'm about to get shot in the face.

1:21:08 Give me out of this like because there's only one person I'd be talking to.

1:21:11 But you know I just there wasn't that relationship and that was my thought process stopped and ever got back I was alive.

1:21:18 It was more like you know high fives I was awesome like we destroyed those dudes.

1:21:22 It was never like a let me go I'm giving me a second go to my room and you know kind of like say thank you God thank you for what you did thank you.

1:21:30 You're welcome. You're welcome really well at this that's good. I like it. I like real.

1:21:38 So I guess so that was kind of my perspective then you know it would kind of pop up here and there and.

1:21:45 I'd be like you know it's very prideful as a prideful man I was like I got this you know here I am I'm a seal and there's that freaking crappy facade we've discussed that quite a bit.

1:21:55 And you know without even realizing you kind of like you live that image you know like oh you're a seal and you're kind of like you know people are like kind of puffing you up.

1:22:02 And you know it's not your attention you know and that's why like you said I never told you I never really tell people.

1:22:08 I do now just because I've learned that my voice kind of inspires people and motivates people and I wish I had that when I was when I was young.

1:22:16 So I feel like it's kind of a give back thing it's not a hey look at me thing it's more of like hey crisis crisis cool crisis good.

1:22:23 He's great for you you can do whatever you want you'll get them like that kind of thing it's just like to pump people up because I think I think people need that I needed it.

1:22:31 So you know I don't think people are all human so we need that we look at the rock like for example like he motivates me like the dude's jacked.

1:22:39 That's some cool stuff that motivates me guys I know a lot about like their history and like that motivates me like crap I need to go pick up a book and read like.

1:22:47 Out of the tune I need to read that so so just that was kind of my perspective I really didn't have a really to think about him or that at all.

1:22:58 And then obviously was gradual kind of gradually got in and then we did that retreat up there in Oklahoma together and man.

1:23:06 What a life changing experience it was it was amazing it was the the greatest thing that ever happened to me.

1:23:15 And you know I've you know I wrote that high we've talked about the high and then you know kind of came down from the high then got that high and they kind of come down from that high.

1:23:24 And now I'm at a point now where I'm like okay and don't give me don't give me I'm like this like always on this high that's not it at all but I know I know right I know wrong.

1:23:32 I know what I should be doing I know I need to be in the word I know it's just like I know to go work out and I know to eat healthy like it's there's no difference I gotta you know treat my brain right in my especially the spiritual side of that right.

1:23:44 No difference now it's a very different.

1:23:47 I don't make the same decisions I don't think the same choices I kind of consult with him or I lean on them as a father like plain and simple like hey dad like.

1:23:57 I need you like I it's not me alone I'm not alone.

1:24:01 And that's a beautiful feeling I don't I don't hold back from him anymore.

1:24:06 I don't hold back my tears I let him flow it's beautiful as they drop from my face right now as we speak.

1:24:13 It's just it's so it's so amazing and I remember like we were we were doing that camp and this is you know this is no one's fault at all.

1:24:21 I just remember thinking like I don't know if I'm cut out for this like you know here like okay yeah you should be you know in your devotions every day into the Bible every day.

1:24:28 And oh here's typing you should give 10% because here's why and here's you should be in a men's group and here's why you should go serving your church and here's why.

1:24:40 You should go help out the community and here's why and we can go down the list right that's a lot of things for a new believer.

1:24:46 Like I'm like what like I've got to change right so pretty much like I've become a pastor is what I'm getting.

1:24:52 Right yeah and that's not that's not the case and I think that kind of like I wouldn't say the term mean because I still had him inside me is like no it's okay like that's just we'll get there.

1:25:03 And I've said this on my last podcast and it's like it's just that first step like what's what's Eddie's first step and you know my spiritual or am I walk with God what was my first step.

1:25:12 And for me it was it was reading books so I you know I read I think they said prayer life.

1:25:17 Which honestly I did not like at all it was just not my thing but then I remember them saying like the bondage breaker like this is more advanced is like cool I want that first.

1:25:26 Oh, I read that like three times I'm like and like wow I'm like oh my gosh this is this is crazy and it starts sitting in and then like I'm picking up all these books I'm like wow I really want to get into James now I'm like I'm just dissecting that and

1:25:38 But one thing I'd like to tell listeners and you know if this applies to you it does if it doesn't it doesn't.

1:25:44 But like you don't have to like when people say that they're not trying to like stuff all this Christianity down you like you need to go do all this good this like for me my first step really

1:25:53 the church was tithing.

1:25:56 You know I'd give 20 bucks here at church or here and then all of a sudden I started tithing religiously like set up direct deposits all that stuff I started tithing and started tithing more giving more.

1:26:08 And it felt good like I liked it.

1:26:11 So literally, excuse me, three days later I'm off to my first time but my heart said this is what you're supposed to do.

1:26:21 My pay increase triple literally three days later tripled and it hasn't stopped since I still time.

1:26:30 But it's just that was my first step.

1:26:32 And I still go to church and my next step was not to go you know I did a Bible study for a little bits.

1:26:38 I don't know if the group I had was was right for me I kind of it might have been forced a little bit I just really wanted to kind of take that next step.

1:26:46 But my next thing was a work on my kids and bring them into Christianity and and that that was that's been my step now was working with my kids and now, you know we pray before every meal which is huge for for me if I be saying this right now if you go back

1:27:01 ten years saying that I got my sons and daddy we need to pray I'm like you're right we do son we do and just you know I got a text my son was out with his friend and their mom and they just wanted to get ice cream or whatever and she texts me and she goes

1:27:15 that's what Tristan did and I go what do you do and he goes they're about to eat excuse me he goes we have to pray first and just as a father hearing that I just broke down I just broke down.

1:27:29 It was amazing I'm like and I'm doing that for my son he's 10 years old and I was 32 and I mean just the difference he's going to make in his family I mean it's and it's and it's not it's not me it's got doing all this and just kind of like laying in our hearts and just

1:27:44 kind of but really just be obedient. And it was just like that has been my walk right now is working on those kids and strengthen our family pretty deep stuff you know proud of your job.

1:27:57 Well I appreciate you offering all that up there's obviously a lot of things to talk about in there. I mean you know the example of tithing is I know it's hard for people and you know some some people think oh I need to tie so that I can make triple but that's you know that's not the way you approach it

1:28:12 just like this is I'm being obedient and it looks like God bless you but something you did bring up there at the end that I think is going to be huge for our listeners because there's Eddie you're talking to a lot of dads right now that have sons.

1:28:23 So what is your advice as you know a man that's had all these experiences but you know you kind of got into the spiritual side of your life later.

1:28:32 What is your advice to a dad of how they should treat their son and how they should walk them into more of a deeper spiritual life.

1:28:40 Yeah I would say you know sons and daughters because I have three you know I have two daughters and a son.

1:28:46 You know one thing I've learned and I still catch myself is those words and we talk about the tongue and how powerful that is and it's throughout the Bible and we hear it in church and words hurt.

1:28:57 They hurt you know they hurt they hurt bad and they can be detrimental to relationships was I've experienced I would do anything to go back and change things.

1:29:06 I would also not go back because it got me to my present day where I am which I'm extremely happy and very fortunate bless.

1:29:14 But I would say just before you I mean be delicate with them and don't force it and just kind of kind of give it to God let them take care of it like you know pray and just kind of show little things and reinforce and just like a prayer like a prayer

1:29:31 like why don't we pray okay cool well let's go see what the Bible says now we're doing a little Bible study quick.

1:29:36 And that will lead to other things I mean there's so many things what to do gosh because I tell you what man I've done every mistake times times 50 per mistake so yeah.

1:29:48 I'd like to say your words are number one watch those words when you want to say something just go go into your rooms stuff your face in a pillow and say whatever the hell you want to that pillow.

1:29:58 Or when I jump in the shower and I speak to the water might just let it hit me but you're just like calm down calm down calm down and then address it once you're calm and cool or whatever but I mean how can you you know we're going to preach Christianity

1:30:12 and then like I'm just spitting this foul crap out which again I mess up all the time actually last night I had an argument with my daughter and I probably said a couple things I shouldn't I get a you know have that apology session with her tonight but kind of explain my thing

1:30:26 and I just kind of it still happens daily I mean like man it's a it's a fight especially when my life was around a bunch of dudes and and you know the F bomb was very calm and it was kind of like the so.

1:30:40 It's a it's a transition and it's so excuse and it was right when it was wrong but it's just it's like you just said where it's a it's a it's a it's a walk.

1:30:50 It's an adventure to journey it's fun it's amazing and it's continuous and it just never stops that's one thing that's so cool about it just doesn't stop.

1:30:59 The book doesn't end it ends with revelations but the book for our for us it's you just keep going and try to get better and better and just be obedient and don't stop and just.

1:31:09 You know even if it's you know reading a little proverb here and there for them and or just getting kids books or you know there's all these cool like.

1:31:16 You know get the you version app we've got you know they got they have a kid app for the Bible just like little things like that is so big.

1:31:23 There's not a really one thing that one thing would be the tongue for sure.

1:31:27 But then there's just sorry about the tangent but there's just so many things that you can concentrate on but don't don't get overwhelmed.

1:31:33 It's not going to do anything that's probably the double right there just come in and say oh look at all the stuff you have to do.

1:31:39 You can't do this you mean we've heard that voice right I'm sure you have.

1:31:43 Sure sure no that's all great stuff there that's all great and and the thing that I'm sure if it hasn't come up for you as you're leading your your children into this.

1:31:54 I know it's come up for you and I we've talked about this and I know there's a lot of our listeners right now they're thinking about the same thing on the spiritual perspective because obviously here.

1:32:02 I don't don't to life we are constantly talking about spiritual mental and physical resilience cultivating those things daily.

1:32:08 But the obvious question here for someone that used to be a Navy SEAL well you're forever a Navy SEAL but you're no longer active duty.

1:32:16 How do you square the the job which is to destroy bad guys right and you destroy them by killing them.

1:32:24 How do you square that with being a Christian because we know the answer I obviously know the answer because you and I talked about it.

1:32:31 But there are people out there that maybe aren't as nuanced on the intricacies of what the Bible means when it says thou shalt not kill.

1:32:41 You know how that's different than murder but but but for you I mean when you think about that I know you've been asked out a lot.

1:32:48 How do you square what you did while you were in the seals versus you know your spiritual life.

1:32:54 Well my first thing I say was like I wasn't a Christian back then. But I'm going to do it again right now as a Christian I would go over there right now and do the same exact job and no problem with it whatsoever.

1:33:07 One I'd say pick up the Bible and read it and see that you know conflict evil is been going on all the time.

1:33:17 You know we have our and we don't have our our fights not here with you know flesh and blood it's more of the unseen world but there is the flesh and blood on the battlefield.

1:33:27 That's what we see.

1:33:29 But you know it's it's not like Eddie said I'm going to pick up a gun and go murder people.

1:33:35 It was it's for our country. It's for the greater good country that was based off God.

1:33:42 No I'd like for me like it's no I don't I don't even bat an eye on it. There was a time when I asked for forgiveness I was like please forgive me for all the killing I did.

1:33:52 And I was forget I was forgiven like that like literally that second was actually on the drive back from that.

1:33:58 That little getaway we did I was I was pretty much a tears my three hour drive from wherever wherever it wasn't Oklahoma to Tulsa.

1:34:04 I was in tears the whole time I couldn't even talk on the phone I can barely see I need like windshield wipers my eyeballs.

1:34:11 I was like I was a wreck I mean not it was a great wreck it was a beautiful train wreck is probably the best way to describe it.

1:34:17 But no it's just I just heard like you know and then you know in my head I'm like no it's it's okay like I know it's okay you're good.

1:34:23 It's fine.

1:34:24 And no I in my heart there's nothing that I did over there that was that was bad.

1:34:30 Not not one thing I would do it right now is Christian and I would come back and I would read my Bible and be like you know I would say you know if I would still say please forgive me my sins and all that good stuff but that that to me is not a sin that is not a sin at all whatsoever.

1:34:43 And it's not murder at all.

1:34:45 It's in my mind self defense and people can say well you're going to their house well guess what they're going to come to our house.

1:34:52 I don't go to theirs first so and you know we have certain ways to click that data and prove that stuff so that's kind of that's my stance on that.

1:35:00 Well good so that kind of that kind of covers the spiritual resilience side of things but let's go and move on to the physical resilience side so obviously if anybody follows you on Instagram it's it's pretty apparent that you still take really good

1:35:11 carry yourself obviously have to be in great shape while you're in the Navy. But let's talk about physical resilience kind of give the listeners an idea of what your workout regimen is like the things that you like to do the things that you do on a regular basis

1:35:23 how do you keep in shape.

1:35:25 One thing I'm going to throw myself out of the bus is I really need to work on my diet I love sweets I got to stop that I really do a blue bell ice cream has become the devil.

1:35:34 Eddie no good. No I you know for me when I started working out. The reason why I really started working out I worked out in high school when I swam I lifted weights and all that stuff but my real reason for like really jack and steel

1:35:51 is I was in the Marine Corps and this this is way back is I saw that guys are more physically fed kind of got more respect and got more things done is crazy and weird as that might sound or whatever.

1:36:04 So I just like also working out like I won't be the skinny kid because I was a skinny kid and then I just started doing it like I just started loving it like this is fun this is awesome.

1:36:12 And you know I fell in love with Arnold from obviously his movies within I start reading his books on like you know the modern book of inside the encyclopedia of modern bodybuilding and just like what he's eating and you know what he does for legs and all that stuff

1:36:25 I just fell in love with it I never want to be really a body builder and go do a show I just like to jack steel it's fun for me now it's like a therapy for me.

1:36:34 If I stopped on that my body will cease like it's just like, because my body's been through the ring or, you know, time and time again so, you know, I probably work out minimum two hours a day sometimes it goes to three hours depending on you know cardio, you know, usually tack on cardio at the end of my

1:36:51 life session I switch it up all the time just like body parts starting to do more functional training going to start yoga tomorrow not looking forward to it because I'm coupled by some very flexible people so which is which is which is fine.

1:37:08 So yeah, just it's just it's part of it should be a part of your rights should be part of your regime like period like that's our regimen that it should be a part of that like just like going to work.

1:37:19 You have to go to work you have to take your body.

1:37:22 And it's so we've read the compound effect by Darren Hardy.

1:37:26 No I'm not a great book it's a quick read awesome book if for guys listening if you haven't read it it's the compound effect by Darren Hardy great great read it's amazing I've read it a couple times.

1:37:36 Every year, so I put about five six times.

1:37:40 But if this talks about you just do one thing like for example if I you know if I have like say three so does a day.

1:37:47 Right.

1:37:48 And I just let's just say I cut out two of those two I only have one so day and I do that for a year.

1:37:53 You know me so does that is that I just took a lot that's a lot of sugar that's a lot of sugar and then, but that is a compound effect so I just took out all the sugar now I'm losing weights.

1:38:02 Now I feel better now I'm happier with my family now my family is happier with each other.

1:38:07 Now it's a happier household now they're going to work or school and they're doing better and just like it's a compound effect how just all these things stem off of one decision one choice.

1:38:17 So for me going to the gym gets me back to like normal like just to like a good I got the endorphin scoring like I'm feeling well, and then I'm a happier person so the people I interact with well they get a happier Eddie because when I don't work out for a couple days.

1:38:32 I can tend to get a little cranky and I don't like that. Neither do the people around me especially my children.

1:38:40 So it's just it needs to be a part of your lifestyle and there's no well I don't think I don't do effort well I'm just not a physical person, it's your body.

1:38:49 Take your body one thing that you're always going to have is your health like that health is with you until you die.

1:38:53 Like the job you're working with right now is probably not going to be there all the way to your demise so health is one thing you know eating right and I kind of said I've been slack in here with the blue ball ice cream especially in the summer time I'm horrible about it.

1:39:06 But I spike like okay but the way I look as like alright I'm going to add 15 minutes of cardio because I just did this so I try to make it up here and there.

1:39:15 But you know you got to take care of yourself you have to and if you've just given a shot not this like well I worked out for three days okay that's not how it works.

1:39:23 And you got to get your spot on you got your spot on you got to commit go commit to commit and just the reward is worth it and you're just going to fall in love and just people the gym are usually happy people because they're all working out and they just got a better lifestyle

1:39:37 and you're more active you can do more active things for your children instead of playing on a video game so there's no excuse really you should be getting out there and it doesn't mean you need to go lift weights.

1:39:46 The kayaking is your thing go kayak if you're running is your thing like it's not mine go run like but you have to do something you must do something you have to there's no excuse.

1:39:56 Yeah I mean Eddie that's why I tell people all the time is I was like you know I don't care what you're into what the hobby is but you have to be physical you have to cultivate physical resilience that's that's the ability to bounce back physically

1:40:06 because even like right now like everyone loves excuses right like oh you know I stubbed my toes so I can't work out for four years but like right now I had a little jujitsu snafu and so I tore all the tendons in my left thumb and tore the palm and so I had to get surgery I just got out of the cast like a week ago

1:40:23 and so the thing is is I can't I can't even move the thumb so I certainly can't grab a barbell or a dumbbell and so the things I'm used to doing so like you know bench press or pull ups or deadlift or any of those things like that's that's several months from now

1:40:37 maybe right but if I took that time to just oh you know Kyle this is a good time to relax and let your body recover I was like well my body can recover in about three or four days I don't need to take off three or four months

1:40:49 and so you know you get creative because if physical resilience is a lifestyle then you just do what you need to do so I've you know just this morning before we got on on the phone to do this I hit squats for the second time this week

1:41:01 and then I'm still hitting a lot of core things I'm running more sprints than I normally do because it's like okay well there's not a whole lot of things I can do and I try to get creative with my cast

1:41:09 I was like strapping stuff to my cast to like like bands and I'm like pulling the bands you know with my cast on and like just trying to get something to where you're working out your body but it just kind of has to be a part of your normal regimen as you mentioned

1:41:22 and so obviously we've talked about spiritual resilience we've talked about physical the last part is mental resilience and some of that comes from cultivating physical resilience so as you're doing difficult things like lifting weights like jujitsu

1:41:35 like swimming you're kind of building up that mental resilience but then there's the other side there's there's reading books there's you know having conversations with people that are a little bit beyond you but for you what do you do to kind of focus on or cultivate that mental side

1:41:48 mental side mental that's my baby right there I think you got that he got everything wrapped up pretty darn good because it all starts with that brain Wow another another good one I do a lot of mindset books I love mindset books I love them

1:42:05 a lot of them are redundant but I like hearing it again because it doesn't hurt at all I do a lot of audiobooks on that stuff I like listening to certain podcasts on that on that on that topic and I just it's awesome because it's so it's so

1:42:24 another thing I do is I follow a lot of on my Instagram is just quotes you know they got some of those pages like mindset quote pages or yeah yeah like my feed is literally fiddle that I will just read them all I like this I like this I like this and then in my brain

1:42:39 it'll stem something that's going on with my life or I'll be like wow that hits me I need to kind of get this out there and I kind of push it to other people and then like just the feedback I get from like hey thank you I really needed this

1:42:50 and then you know I needed it too so like why not get back a little bit and that's that's a big thing like I just read like a motivational quote it might sound cheesy or corny I ever really don't care it works for me and that's that's what I need

1:43:03 that just gets my mind I'm like you're right I can do anything you're right I can I can I can and I will believe it and I will do it and I don't change my mind said I don't let any native thoughts in I used to be a big warrior I really don't worry at all anymore I mean I've had times where

1:43:19 you know relationships things with children things with work a deal whatever it is and I'm like you know what's going to be is going to be so I have a choice to worry about it and stress and you know chew my nails off or I can just be like hey we're going to push forward

1:43:35 we'll let this come out what I'm going to do what I can do to to make try to make this happen but I'm just going to keep moving on to keep a smile on my face I'm going to enjoy life because at the end of the day you know in that like probably a couple days or a week what I'm worried about it's not going to matter

1:43:49 it's not going to matter obviously if it's a loved one that's sick it's a little bit a little bit more different but it doesn't mean you still have to go to a negative town and just be miserable there's no that's not that's how we're meant to be our brain

1:44:03 it's not programmed like that at all you know it's not so that's just that's my mindset my mindset's very huge I use it for everything I do I try I'm very optimistic I'm extremely I used to be very you know pessimist a big time and like all this is going to happen kind of you're like you were just talking about like oh you're

1:44:22 you know I'm afraid my wife's going to die or something like that like I've had that definitely had those thoughts but I have a choice do I want to think about those thoughts or do I want to like focus on like wow like my wife is so beautiful she is so

1:44:32 awesome my kids are so important to me they are kicking but the school life is good I've got a lot of good friends around me God rocks like look at all this cool stuff like they just does for me so like you have that choice we have that choice and the choice comes daily

1:44:48 hourly minutes every minute every second it comes you have that choice so it's kind of up to you as the individual what do you want to do what do you want to do you're going to focus on negative things we all have negative things you're not the only one out there

1:45:01 and I'm not talking to you Kyle I'm talking about like to the to our listeners there we all have negative things you're not alone you know it you know it says in the Bible you know everyone's going to the same thing

1:45:11 this you know this not so good thing sometimes but you have that choice to focus on the good or the bad of things and I choose to do positive don't get me wrong sometimes I go down the rabbit hole and I'm like wait a second back to it

1:45:25 and I'll crack myself really fast instead of you know something that would last maybe an hour it might last a minute now so my mindset's huge I feed with good things it starts with that Bible in the morning

1:45:36 which you know and then you know my mindset books on the way to on the way to the gym might throw in some crazy music some breaking bands or something and sometimes I'll just listen to an audio book while I'm working out because it still pumps me up I'm like yes my grain is powerful

1:45:51 like all that stuff so and I'm gonna work for everybody it might work for some of my work for everyone but just you gotta find what works for you and take it and run with it

1:46:00 that's awesome and so obviously we talk all the time about spiritual mental physical resilience but another thing I talk about all the time is cultivating you know male relationships community with guys kind of in your area and I actually get messages quite often about guys that are like

1:46:15 man I just I don't have guys in my area that you know we don't do we don't have the Sunday night jujitsu group like you do with your guys I get together read books and all that our man you know I don't have the police academy anymore I don't have the army anymore I don't have whatever the situation might be but

1:46:29 but for you what would you say to those guys as a guy who lived in those types of male communities those high alpha competitive brotherhood type communities for so long but you've been out of that for several years

1:46:42 and so you've kind of had to do what you can to cultivate that on your own without kind of the you know the the strictures of the government and the military basically forcing that upon you whether you wanted it or not what would you say to those guys are having trouble

1:46:55 making those connections and having that male community first thing I'll say is I know it sucks when you leave that community with that brotherhood and guys always got your back and you just feel like you're really a part of something which you are

1:47:06 that's still there it's still there like I still you know communicate with you know guys that I served with I've actually got a group here in Dallas that get together which I've been kind of bad about they get together for UFC fights

1:47:18 you know cook out Super Bowl party stuff like that so I still have my team guy buddies like my kind of like my my people but you know you make new ones like I kind of for the first time you know once I got out I was like you know I've got my family

1:47:30 so I made my family my crew which the summer like well no kidding but yet you like I'm telling you it's not a good place you know I just kind of like that like I have to raise these guys until until you know this day and then they go do their life

1:47:45 but I made my crew so like you know that's kind of brings into like you know the praying together and you know kind of like talking about the days and what you do and then they're asking and now they ask me about work and what's going on

1:47:59 what's going on you know what you know what countries gone over what's happened over here and all that stuff so you know I made them my crew and I never did that before and then you know I got new friends the people I work with they you know kind of bring in that we're kind of getting together

1:48:15 and kind of starting to talk about certain things that you know getting more personal which is great I think it's important but you can still you know it really just takes you know if you're if you need that then pick up the phone call somebody

1:48:28 text somebody hey let's get together let's go discuss this I mean you know a lot of times I found myself on this for years like man this is really boring like this I'm really out here alone

1:48:38 and you know what I did about it I mooped and do anything about it call set something up take the initiative and go do it that's I mean it really because chances are if you're going through it

1:48:52 they are too so they'll think oh my god so glad you called I've had that happen a couple times you know I've reached out to a buddy like ah so glad you called I need some man time let's get chill and then or let's go shooting or something like that so it's yeah it's on you you gotta do it

1:49:07 initiative once spoiler alert guys that's the same advice I give to everybody so when you email me or when you message me I'm like well what are you doing because everyone's kind of looking around him and and Han and you know kicking the daisies and they're like well there's no I don't have any friends

1:49:21 like well go make some more like well I don't have a jujitsu group I was like go on Amazon buy a couple of mats set them out in your garage and invite your neighbors like just do something because that is such an important thing to be able to have iron that you can sharpen iron upon right

1:49:36 and like when I tell people all the time when iron sharpens iron that's not a nice easy process that's not like you know two bottles of water hitting into one another I mean there's going to be sparks there's going to be fire there's going to be pieces that are flying off at different points

1:49:50 and so when you engage in that male community you need to be ready for it and I don't mean spend the next two years trying to figure out what you're going to do to get ready for it but you got to go out there and do it

1:49:59 well Eddie we've we've gone through a lot of different topics and so as we kind of get down here towards the end I want I want you to kind of give a sense to the listeners of what you're doing now like kind of what you've done post military the different things that you got going so specifically I want to talk about contingent

1:50:14 group I talked about that introduce that from the top in terms of kind of what that is but just from your perspective what is it that you're doing what made you start contingent group back in 2013 kind of give us that story.

1:50:24 So contingent group like you said before it's a risk mitigation kind of security services more higher end for people traveling outside of the country to keep them safe for their whole organization kind of design the security.

1:50:37 We also do it domestically for you know individuals families high net worth but we're starting to try to just mitigate risk for just every individual we start a thing called as simple as this you know wrist snapshot and if you're familiar with that it's on our website.

1:50:51 But like just people that are traveling like hey we're going to you know we're going to go to France to go to Paris, I mean for like 20 bucks you can literally get like here is the trending crime here's what's going on here's what not to do.

1:51:05 And it's a quick read it's a one pager, and it could literally save your life and you don't have you don't have to go purchase this you can just go do your own research like literally what's trending crime over in France.

1:51:15 You might not it might be a little digging and stuff like that but that's okay. If you want to spend the money but if you're one anywhere you need to really learn to do that.

1:51:25 With a lot of guys have their blinders on all we're going to go on this tropical vacation like to Maldives.

1:51:31 Okay well did you know that not so the government was a huge uprising that's the last place you wanted to go.

1:51:36 So like just little things like we don't use taxis or stuff like that like just that's what we try to push is get smarter about it and just kind of educate yourself.

1:51:47 A period of wherever you're going about what's trending what's going on and keep your you and your family safe so which we do a lot of that push.

1:51:55 But I mean we do everything a lot of kidnapping and extortion stuff keeping people safe that are traveling, tracking money for investments. I mean you name a physical security, designing security for me you name it we do it all.

1:52:11 It doesn't it's crazy I'm like well yeah we can do this sure of course we do and I'm like well we just reaching to that's right he's got this even to the school we can do that so it just keeps growing and growing and just the feedback we're getting is like thank you so much

1:52:26 and we do our tips on Instagram as you know and people love that they're like thank you so much for this and it's just good to keep people safe it feels good to like.

1:52:33 A lot of people don't know that like they don't know not to get in the taxi in Mexico because chances are you might get kidnapped because that's how some people make their money down there is by kidnapping yes it's a business.

1:52:46 Just little things like that and we just started to mitigate it for whatever the client is everything's customizable. We do a lot of traveling overseas just not so great places and we just keep our people safe and work with a little law enforcement and our vetted, our vetted crew of people and you know just kind of go from there but

1:53:04 it's it's so broad I could literally talk for probably hours on all the stuff we do you'd like to do that too. So we just you know background checks I mean anything and everything for everybody to mitigate risk for your business and your family

1:53:17 or person and organization that's what we do so big big thing right there.

1:53:21 Also, started writing a book. That's that's a big thing. So already got the agent set up got my ghost rider we've got a few chapters done pretty excited about that.

1:53:34 Really getting into the weeds about faith a little bit of military stuff but really about the faith piece.

1:53:42 So that's going to be coming hopefully I'd say probably in the next year and that's just me totally guessing so don't hold me to that.

1:53:50 And just some other little projects, some other little startup companies here in there so just just I don't know man and have an enjoy my family and having fun and just obviously working out.

1:54:01 So yeah so you're not bored so you got stuff going on but I will say this since we're out here on the interwebs people are listening to us. I remember like six or seven years ago or however long ago that was.

1:54:11 You tell me about the fact that you were starting a book and then you've kind of gotten off of it and then you got back on it so I hope this time is the time because I want to read it.

1:54:21 Whatever the thing is I wanted advanced copy. I want to do the edits. I want to do something like I want to read this thing because I know it's going to be awesome contracts are signed so there's there's no.

1:54:30 You know before it's like any vomiting on paper, fifth grade level so now it's actually got some context and chapters are a few chapters in and we're going to book cover designs and all that good stuff so it's it's it's definitely moving forward at a good

1:54:45 pace so we're pretty pumped about it.

1:54:48 Well and well apparently you're kind of a big deal because just this week I was looking on social media and you've got your own hat now.

1:54:57 So it's called the penny hat so it's it's Eagles and Angels and it's this this program called cloth of heroes and I think this hat for you is is going to support a nonprofit that you're a part of.

1:55:10 So tell us about about the penny hat. Tell us what it's going to support and kind of give us an idea how that all came about.

1:55:16 So the penny hat is really this guy he is a ex spec operator tier one guy out of on the army side started this this organization. And you take, you know, camouflage utilities stuff that we wore overseas and they cut some down and like

1:55:33 makes patches with them and hats. So there's only 96 hats they sold out in a couple hours so there's no more. He has to do another run.

1:55:44 I'll definitely do another run so probably in maybe the next couple months I'm going to send them top and bottom probably different patterns we're kind of working on a design to get some more of those hats out there.

1:55:53 But the proceeds some good to him so we can do what he's doing for the good things.

1:55:57 And then the charity I'm doing it for the organization is next one up in Baltimore.

1:56:02 And what they do is they take inner city kids and then I went out there for a speaking engagement and my friend runs it.

1:56:08 A good friend now runs it but he, he takes these inner city kids and we're all they knew is crime gangs and just not and not really studying and doing drugs.

1:56:20 He kind of takes an out of that environment and gets him an education. He's got him going to college now and score the sports scholarships.

1:56:27 He's got him working out. He's got him. He says that tutors. He deals with their schools.

1:56:32 Make sure he deals with the cops so they like get wrapped up and something that's so good but the things he's doing the life changing just being out there to see it my I fell love.

1:56:41 And I was like how can I help.

1:56:43 So I'm on the leadership team out there and help what I can and sometimes I got to help I talk to individuals that want to do similar things that I did and just kind of speak to him in a positive way because they don't have that.

1:56:56 And the Baltimore's not a great city. There's you know there's not at all and there's a couple cities and you know I'm hoping that this kind of spreads to other cities as well because some other cities desperately needed to get these kids out of here because I mean these kids just don't know any difference.

1:57:10 You know they're just like they know the gang life.

1:57:13 There's there's a better a better and bigger world out there than that so that's what they're doing out there but it's it's an amazing organization.

1:57:20 Next one up is them and they're out of Baltimore and just can't can't say enough good things about it.

1:57:26 That's awesome and well hey we've covered a myriad of different topics I mean so many first first interview first time we've gone this long on a podcast but buddy we really appreciate everything that you've done on this podcast.

1:57:38 I know that there's a lot of stuff here for guys in your community outside of your community but do you have anything else you want to get off your chest.

1:57:45 I'm good buddy just for the listeners always do the right thing I say that's number one just do the right thing you know what it is you hear those little voices do the right thing sometimes we kind of fall in that but pick yourself back up and continue on.

1:57:57 You continue on the fight.

1:58:00 Well awesome and well thank you so much and guys before we let you out of here we are going to do a quick resilience boost as you know by now we are men's ministry and our mission is cultivating manly resilience.

1:58:09 Basically we do that by providing content like this podcast that helps you forge spiritual mental and physical toughness so for today I'm going to kind of give you a rundown of everything that we've gone over so I want to give you a link to Eddie pennies Instagram page so you can follow him

1:58:21 and contingent group and I also have the website for contingent group there.

1:58:24 I've got the link for the penny hat so it's all sold out but you can at least go there and maybe save that into your bookmarks so you can come back whenever those go back on sale.

1:58:33 I've got the link to the next one up Baltimore website so if you guys want to check out what they're doing for those kids if you want to donate.

1:58:40 That's all there and then also I have a link to the Fearless book by Eric Bland which we talked about on here Eddie is there anything else you want our listeners to know.

1:58:47 I'm good buddy just thanks for having me on here it was awesome thanks for giving me out on my comfort zone and making me cry like a little girl I appreciate it.

1:58:54 It's good to you know let you know people know it's okay to let loose once in a while you don't always be put that aside about being a tough guy on there it's okay to let loose once in a while.

1:59:04 There's nothing wrong with that.

1:59:06 Right well thank you Eddie and thank you to all the listeners for listening to this podcast we really do appreciate it if you would please subscribe on iTunes SoundCloud Spotify or Google Play and refer your friends to listen.

1:59:15 Guys if we deserve a five star review on this podcast please leave us one that is how this podcast is going to continue to get out and continue to help more guys let us know why you like the content.

1:59:23 I'm currently booking speaking engagements for the remainder of 2019 and the beginning of 2020 so if you want me to come speak at your company to your men's event to your church whatever hit me up email info at undaunted.

1:59:35 You can check out our free devotionals on the U version Bible app just search undaunted life under plans and as always we want to thank the band August Burns read for allowing us to use their entire music library for our content.

1:59:58 We want to watch a track on this podcast is our song King of sorrow which is off their latest record entitled Phantom Anthem the links to all of this are in the description.

2:00:06 I'm your host Kyle Thompson.

2:00:08 Remember keep cultivating manly resilience.

2:00:11 Keep forging spiritual mental and physical toughness.

2:00:15 Keep seeking the lion of Judah.

2:00:29 I am your friend all the way.