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Urban Christian Veterans
Urban Christian Veterans
When Institutions Fail Who Still Holds The Line - w/ Gregory Henry
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The Epstein files force a question most of the country keeps dodging: if crimes were committed and victims have spoken, why does accountability move like it’s trapped in slow motion. We sit with that discomfort and follow it where it leads, including the unpopular idea that the people with the most to lose may exist on every side of the political aisle and far beyond politics. When power is the common language, silence becomes a strategy, and the public is left arguing while nothing changes.
From there, we widen the lens to the systems that make cover-ups easier: weakened oversight, ethics rules with no teeth, suspicious government contracts, and financial markets that react to “news” like somebody already knew the outcome. We also talk about how faith shapes our read on what’s happening, why spiritual blindness can look like political confusion, and why some stories feel bigger than scandal and closer to a battle over values, truth, and control.
We close with the reality of war and service. We talk moral lines in the military, the danger of leaders who can’t explain the why, the Strait of Hormuz and real-world ripple effects, and the mental cost veterans carry long after the uniform comes off. If any of this hits home, listen, share it with someone who needs the conversation, and leave a review so more people can find the show.
Books Mentioned:
Welcome Back And Current Events
SPEAKER_01Brother Greg, welcome back, my brother. Welcome back.
SPEAKER_05Thank you. Thanks for having me. Dr.
SPEAKER_01Dennis Rose. Oh.
SPEAKER_00I had to I was waiting to say that. I was waiting to say that.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. I appreciate that, man. I appreciate it. Well earned. Hey, man. It was rough. It was rough. But uh, yeah, I'm glad I'm past that now. So thank you again, man, for um sitting down with me uh yet again. And um, I want to get right into some of these current events that we have going on. Roger that as a whole bunch. Um, so if you had to take your pick, where would you start?
Epstein Files And Shared Culpability
SPEAKER_01Epstein.
SPEAKER_05Let's start right there.
SPEAKER_01Epstein, let's start right there. Let's start right there.
SPEAKER_05All right.
SPEAKER_02Uh well, um, I I believe that both political parties have culpability in this.
SPEAKER_05And what I'm saying is there was times when somebody from one party or the other could have done something leading up to this point. Um when I look at this fiasco that has occurred, number one, I let's start where where does a 13 to 17-year-old child be put into this environment? How does that happen? So let's start there. How does a 13 to 17-year-old child, especially a female child, I know how how I was with my boys and how stringent we were. How does a 13 to 17-year-old girl be put into this situation where these men have access to them like that? So that's number one. That's a that's a question. I've I've had I've been in discussion with people and I've asked uh how does a 13 to 17-year-old young lady be put into a situation where these uh middle-aged, older men have access to them in that way. That's number one. Number two, we know that crimes were committed. I I don't think anyone will argue that fact. Whether you're Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, whatever, right, would all agree that crimes were committed.
SPEAKER_02If crimes because crimes were committed, then why hasn't there been movement toward convictions and punishment? Okay. Good question. What do you think? Um I'll get back to that. The third thing is we have the victims. Have said such and such did this to me. Again, why hasn't this been approached or handled?
SPEAKER_05You ask me what I think. I think it's people of power that it involves. We saw that Prince Andrew was one of the individuals that was brought forth. The British family uh took his title and I guess put him to the side. And now I I think he's probably faced another uh charges when it comes to this.
SPEAKER_02Um you have people in positions of power, I I think I think it's Ephesians 6 talks about this.
SPEAKER_05We wrestling out against the flesh, but um principalities, principalities and governments, and I'm paraphrasing. Yeah, yeah, I got you. Uh I think there's a lot of powerful people that this is affecting, that there's not gonna be any movement on it on either side, because I think there's people on both sides that's involved in this. And um being in the military, you know the deal. Uh I I I I am no saint, but I will say this there is no young lady, woman from my past that can ever come and say, I did something to her that was inappropriate, and there will be no person from that time that was underaged. Right, let me stress that was underaged that can come and say that I did anything inappropriate.
SPEAKER_01So uh you know it's okay.
SPEAKER_02Let me throw this
Power Faith And Dark Incentives
SPEAKER_02in there. Uh since you you did mention the the scripture. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Along those lines, um if we are going to uh fully embrace that scripture and understand that this is not flesh and blood that we're dealing with.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_01Um then we just you know, I'm not a conspi conspiracy theorist. Okay. However, I'm a believer. Yes. And when I put two and two together and look at some of the things that have been, you know, public knowledge in terms of what has happened at some of these things, some of these events on on the island. Um I have to believe that many of the things that took place weren't simply about uh some pleasure.
SPEAKER_02Right, many of the things that took place have the characteristics of requirements uh from those who are separated from from God, from Jesus.
SPEAKER_01And when you look back, you know, biblically, you see the sacrifices, you see all of the I'll just put it out there, some of the nasty things that was happening, you know, way back when. And if you bring that forward, where we a lot of times ask the question in today's world, how could this happen? Why would people do that? Well, what if they don't believe like we believe? And what if their belief is in someone else? And that someone else requires that. And you know, if that requirement is one that's in place that says you are required to do this if you if you want to keep that power that you talked about a minute ago.
SPEAKER_06Yeah.
SPEAKER_01So of course the court system is not going to recognize that. You know, it just and and maybe that's why when you mention people on both sides who were um turning a blind eye, if you will, it could be that you know, of course I can't say anything, I don't have proof, but when all else fails and and uh it's hard to find explanations, it's easy to do one of two things. Either just say, oh, they just nasty, or it might be a requirement. And if you want to get dip deeper into the requirement, then pick up the good book. There's a lot in there. Yeah. So, you know, I'm such saying it's a possibility that we we're we overlook, and because society doesn't lean to a Christian belief first, it gets overlooked. That's what I'm saying.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_05So we will see what time will do with this situation. I I don't believe it's going away. I think there's this is one time where you could have a lot of other distractions and things occurring, but I don't believe that this one is gonna go away. Uh so it's gonna be here. It's either someone, some people will have to take the fall, but I I don't believe that this is going away.
SPEAKER_01I agree. I agree, and I think the only the only reason why it's not going away is because there are enough unpowerful people raising noise about it to where it can't go away. Because, like you said, uh people on both sides of the aisle have allowed it to continue, and people on both sides of the aisle, quite frankly, are in positions of power beyond just the political stuff we see.
SPEAKER_05That's right. You know, uh yeah, I don't I don't think uh a lot of people once they taste power, they don't want to relinquish it once they get that taste.
SPEAKER_01You say that.
SPEAKER_05You can say that again. Yeah, I think when when some folks get to the a certain level and they see what that level can bring them, they cannot walk away. Uh, I think that the brother uh Dave Chappelle was one person who did walk away. And he would not acquiesce to some of the things that were being required of him, and he walked away.
SPEAKER_02He went to Africa, figure that. Figure that to find peace, to find grounding, to find himself.
SPEAKER_01So you know, every time when you say that, the the the image that popped into my head was like every time I see uh someone in a an elected official, let's just say, uh get interviewed and spin and justify some of this foolishness. And I'm looking like now I understand having a difference of opinion. Don't get me wrong. We can have a difference of opinion. Of course. But some things are just so blatantly obvious. I'm like, come on, man. Yeah, yeah, it's are you serious right now? Are you you really I I don't believe that you believe what you're saying?
SPEAKER_05Yeah. And I think some folks are under the belief if I say it enough, it'll become truth. Well, I'm not that guy that's going to fall under the auspices of that statement. Um I'm gonna look at you, and you're always gonna be that person who did whatever, no matter what anyone else says. If I've always been like this: if I've experienced something in my life or seen it with my own two eyes, you're not gonna make me believe different no matter how much you you try to uh spin it. Uh for instance, when I was afforded the opportunity to go to Egypt back in the 90s and see the pyramids for the first time, and go inside the Egyptian museums and see the artifacts, then there's certain things you can say right now, and you're not gonna sway my mind one way or the other.
SPEAKER_02One way or the other, you're not gonna sway my mind.
SPEAKER_05Because I I I I've seen it for myself, I've experienced it for myself.
SPEAKER_01I wish, you know, my wife and I have talked about that. That is that's on the bucket list. I've never got the opportunity to uh the closest I got to Egypt was it was a stop on the way to the desert. You know, it was the plane stopped, we had to get off, we got back on. Yeah. Right on the Saudi. We, you know.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, I don't know why we stopped. Yeah, I think everyone should have uh opportunity to get that experience. I really should I I want to have the experience again because the time we spent in the Egyptian Museum, it was ours, and I think that alone may need a day, day and a half by itself.
SPEAKER_02Uh yeah, by itself. So I I think that's something we all could could learn something from.
SPEAKER_05But the Epstein files, it's not going away.
SPEAKER_02I I think the noise is gonna be continue to be made, and there's gonna be some folks who are gonna have to take the vowel for it.
SPEAKER_01Well, you know, one thing I don't understand
War Timing And Media Blind Spots
SPEAKER_01in terms of why no one's questioning this, but a few. There's a there's a few out there when it comes to the Epstein Files, I don't hear mainstream media making the connection between the files and this war. The timing was, I'll just say, extremely curious. Yeah. You know, I mean, if I recall correctly, the very week that this thing jumped off, there were new allegations or new revelations that came out of the files. And I believe, I don't want to misspeak, but I thought that there was a specific allegation from someone who was underaged at the time against the president that same week. I was like, ooh, that's the first time I've actually heard that. Yeah, and the next thing I know, we we attack it. I'm like, hmm. That was curious.
SPEAKER_05I heard uh oh Bannon, he's a Republican guy. I I heard him say this, he says, if there's a change in the government, he said, we're all going to jail. I heard that.
Contracts Ethics And Market Manipulation
SPEAKER_05Did you hear that too? Yeah, yeah, I did. He said, because I'm seeing things that are are done, say for instance, every year, and and I'm sure you might have to do this too, there's a series of training that you have to take. There's privacy and security training, there's government ethics, there's the no fear act, there's EEO. There's a series of training that every government employee has to take. And let me hit on the government ethics part. When and I and I saw this, and I was very cautious of people trying to tempt you with things when they're trying to get government contracts. Um I'm not saying it occurred directly to me, but people started tapping close to that line, and I immediately shut it off to let them know I'm not the guy, you better try somebody else. Because I there's no way you put me in in striped clothing or orange clothing uh for pennies on a dollar. No, not happening. I'm not that guy. But we all go through these types of training, and I'm seeing things, and I'll just list one. I wrote it down. A company was given a $143 million contract.
SPEAKER_02One of the subs was connected to Christy Gnome. Now, this company at the time didn't have a headquarters, didn't even have a website, and was incorporated eight days before the contract award. Curious.
SPEAKER_05And that information I heard from Representative Nagus from Colorado's 2nd uh congressional district, very sharp brother. And there was a similar contract done, I think, when Hurricane Maria came through. There was, I think it was a 345, 340 million dollar contract that was awarded now that was pulled back after it came out. That I think it was like two employees to the company and it just got you know created. But stuff like that, and that was just one example I gave. There, there's uh many others. Um because I I noticed something, and even uh my brother-in-law, we were talking about this. When the president started saying things about the markets, and we were watching, you would see the market be up, and then it'll be uh tremendous drop. So I got hip to it. So I went what I did, I went on to my TSP and I looked at you know the different funds and what was being affected, and I put some on the government securities, but then I put a whole bunch, I think, in the iFund. And I was like, oh, and after that, everything went up. So I kept watching that, and um I've gotten more and more in trading, and a lot of us we don't do that, we don't watch the market because we weren't taught this. But it seems like when something was said, and you went and looked at the market, you saw if you looked at some of the bigger uh stocks, NVIDIA, Palantir, anything AI, if you looked at certain things that were said, you saw uh uh maybe a dip in the market previously, and then when something was said, all of a sudden it shot up, and you would have you would have saw that there was a lot of action on certain stocks the day before before they went right up. And there's yeah, go ahead.
SPEAKER_01No, I was just gonna say that that market manipulation. Yeah. Um we know that it's it's been going on for decades, right? Yeah. Um but man is so blatant with it. Right. You know, it it's but the crypto with uh amongst a slew of other things. Right. You know, it's it's so blatant. And you know, the now the big thing is the uh what do they call the predictive uh where where the betting, I don't forget what the name of that stuff is, where people making placing bets on world events and they curiously placed a big bet on the attack on Iran, like hours. Was it even hours? Was it like within the hour? And somebody came up big and like how? How do you know that that's gonna happen? And so everybody, you know, it's I guess it's all about what you can prove, but after a while you're like, come on, man, you know, yeah, we know, we know what you're doing.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, I I think it's not I I I believe well let me let me set start say this statement one thing I think Trump has done correctly, and stay with me, he's exposed, he has exposed the inadequacy and workings of our government. He's exposed. That because and and the reason why I say uh you in the past you would see things from the judicial branch that would make sense that would move accordingly, you would see things from the legislative branch that would not let things happen. Um I have seen some things that's occurring and still occurring that um, for instance, I'll give you an example. I I still know that there are still people on administrative leave still getting paid since February of last year. There are people still in the government that have been put on administrative leave that are still getting paid. There are people who have lawsuits going, and I believe that they will take time, but eventually I think those people will win those lawsuits. That's my opinion. I I believe those people will win those lawsuits.
SPEAKER_01Well, you know, in terms of exposure, I take it a step further. Yes, he has exposed the cracks in you know our our government. However, well, not even however, in addition to I think that he has exposed people's hidden ideologies where they feel emboldened to come out and say what they really feel.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And I'll tell you, when I what was it, uh when you when you two years ago, when they started to expose the ideologies of these Supreme Court justices, yeah, I was like, come on, man, you know, that's that's the one place you're supposed to be above all this foolishness. And humans are humans. Oh, yeah, yeah, I get it. But to have a Supreme Court justice to be found, or to have been found, you know, in the back pocket of a billionaire with all these gifts and whatnot, another one to have been found flying the flags of you know, these white nationalists don't like, and then he blames his wife, you know, like so. But when I saw that, I'm like, okay, these cats are at the highest level in the highest court making these decisions, and they have these hidden ideologies. And you know, even then, it you know, that for me, I might have been late to the game, but when I started to look around and saw, oh, oh, you got all these enablers in Congress. Yes. Like they were strategically placed that normally would be to stop, you know, the the guardrails. They're just enablers now. Yeah right? Guardrails. Right. And and I think, you know, I think that the founding fathers of the country assumed, you know, there was such a thing called a gentleman back in the day. Yes. And these gentlemen would do the gentlemanly thing when it came time to, regardless of party affiliation, regardless of, you know, personal beliefs, they would do the right thing. I think that that's what they banked on. And the exposure is now that money talks. Yes. And don't forget that requirement that comes with certain power that leads to things like the Epstein files. Let's just say that. So those of us who are not there have an uphill battle and it's rough.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_05I don't well, I it's not a thing. I know I wouldn't be there. Uh uh there are certain industries that I don't believe that I would flow into because I'll put hands on somebody or it it would be because I still put it.
SPEAKER_01You're gonna put hands on somebody.
SPEAKER_05Uh the gentlemanly thing, man. Yeah, gentlemen thing can knock you out. Yeah, I still I still stay in the gym and I still throw these hands, you know. I can't get the DMV out of me. You know, you can take me out the DMV, but you know, DMV is still there.
SPEAKER_01Right off.
SPEAKER_05You know how we grew up, you know how we grow up, whether it's stop boxing or going to the body, you know what it is. You know, I still box. Yeah, but uh it's uh there's a lot of things that that's gonna occur, man. Uh I I I came across this video
Reforms To Fix Broken Government
SPEAKER_05and I saw this guy, and there's some things that I agree with because I've been saying this. I think number one, there needs to be limits on your your time and service for the legislative branch and for the judicial branch. Uh I think there should be time limits. I f I believe also, uh, I think it was I forgot how many years ago that the Supreme Court voted that a corporation was a person. So therefore, you can contribute all this money to these candidates. That's where the PACs come from, the super PACs and all that. I think we need to get rid of that. And it should be brought back into the people's uh hands. That'll force candidates to really have to hit the ground and meet the people and express what you're trying to do and your views and hear their views. I think that needs to be brought back. I believe there should be some type of committee created on ethics to oversee the judges of the Supreme Court. And I also believe that the Inspector General departments of all agencies have been hamstrung. And I believe they should somehow, some way should be uh a separate entity where the executive branch has no parity over them. Um there's a lot of things from what I've just sat back and just seen have occurred over the last year that needs to be fixed. I uh if there is a change in parties as far as who's over the legislative branch, I think first order of business is to break a broken government. I mean, do what you need to do to keep everything flowing from Medicare, Medicaid, uh snaps, benefits, whatever. But first order of business, they need to fix the government so that something like this does not ever occur again. That should be the first order of business because it's just been over a year, and there's a lot, a lot of things that have been broken and and will need to be corrected.
SPEAKER_01Well,
Military Service And Moral Red Lines
SPEAKER_01so what about the military? Right? So In what aspect? Okay, two two aspects. One, we see the dismantling from above, right? The top generals being let go, those who uh have a backbone being let go. So that's one aspect, but then the other, like if you had the opportunity, seeing what's happening right now with the war that's going on, um if you could say one thing to young people thinking about joining today, like what would you say to them?
SPEAKER_05I would say if you're not willing to stand on your morals when given direction that is immoral and outside of regulation, that's very key, outside of regulation and immoral, if you're not willing to stand on your laurels, don't join.
SPEAKER_02Um join.
SPEAKER_05Because you go in there and with what's going on now, if you do stand on your morals, there's a good chance you might get a dishonorable discharge, and you know what that could do to a career.
SPEAKER_02That that's like a a scarlet letter on you going forward.
SPEAKER_05While you know, the honorable discharge like you and I have, it can be uh very helpful for you. Right. So I I I think I would say think very clearly because you may be asked to do something that you do not agree with morally, and uh it might just be way outside of operational regulations.
SPEAKER_01So the so the young people who may get put in harm's way.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Um me and someone else, my previous guest, were discussing this. He's a former first sergeant, and I asked him the question. Well, made the statement and asked the question. It's like statement being these young people who may get put in harm's way would be going up against individuals who, unlike them, are not concerned with coming home. Like when we join and people get shipped off, our culture is such that the families all gather around and we talk about what we're gonna do when you come back home. Yeah. But you're going against an adversary who is not concerned at all about coming back home.
SPEAKER_05Because they are home, you're fighting on their soil.
SPEAKER_01Well, not only that, but their willingness to die for what they believe in. Yes. Whereas a lot of our young people go in for college benefits and things of that nature.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Uh enlistment bonuses and such. So I asked them, man, what do you what do you say? Like, how do you question is is it your job to prepare them mentally to go against an adversary who has a different mindset than you? And that was a difficult question, you know. And so I asked you the same thing. If you had the opportunity to sit down with somebody across the table, and you know what they're going up against, they don't. Yeah. How do you break that down?
SPEAKER_05I I remember maybe two years ago, I was possibly urging a nephew of mine to join the military.
SPEAKER_04Okay.
SPEAKER_05Because I I I feel that it afforded you a lot of opportunities and skill sets that you didn't have to pay for, as well as the benefits that it offered. And I I think if you're an individual and you do not have any direction, you don't know what you want to do, I think the military is a good stepping stone for that. And it doesn't mean you have to do the whole thing, you're gonna be, you have to be in the dirt or whatever. There's a plethora of jobs you can do in a support role that gets you these benefits and gives you opportunities to maybe travel and experience different things. And I've always thought that about the military. Uh, for an individual who may not have the direction like I didn't, or I didn't sit down with the guidance counselor, I didn't have anyone uh saying, you know, you gotta pass this SAT score or this ATC ACT score, and you know, keep your grade point average so you could get into this college. That wasn't on my radar, but the military served as an avenue for me to where I was able to parlay that into a a good career and uh giving me the ability to support my family.
SPEAKER_01But now, talk to me about now. Two years later.
SPEAKER_05When you have top generals, highly decorated generals, admirals, colonels, senior NCOs, senior officers who are not on the buy-in, who are stepping away. And these are people when you I I've looked at a lot of these people looking at their resume. These aren't some Rudy Poop ate up individuals. These are some very sharp people, some coming from West Point, some coming from the Naval Academy, some coming from the Air Force Academy. A lot of these folks are very sharp, and when they are stepping away because of what's going on, that should tell everyone something.
SPEAKER_02That should tell now, granted, they're supposed to be that's supposed to be political when you're in the military.
SPEAKER_05But we all know you could always tell what side certain individuals sway to. You and I, we could tell about it. Yeah, we could always tell. But by the same token, at least there was some type of, okay, yeah, I might not believe what you you believe, but there's a certain code of conduct and standard that's set that even though we might be on a different political venue, we're gonna be like, we're gonna hold to this. We're gonna hold to this.
SPEAKER_02And I don't see holding to this, whatever that is, that's standard. It's fraction. It is fraction.
SPEAKER_01So uh you know I thought I I thought I knew the answer. I thought I knew what I what I would say to a young person. And right now, I I gotta be honest with you, I I don't anymore. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Because there's layers to this now where, you know, one I stand firm on my faith.
SPEAKER_01That's one aspect of it. The other aspect of it is when a young person goes in, it was a time where you could at least have confidence in the top levels of our military to do the best they could to take care of those lower enlisted people.
SPEAKER_02Yes.
SPEAKER_01And when I see those individuals getting taken away and being replaced by, look, DEI replacements, right? I mean, getting replaced by lesser qualified individuals, um, lesser experienced individuals. I I get concerned about the lower enlisted. And so I think the the exclamation point for me was the very first casualties, the first six that lost their lives in this war that wasn't even necessary and still can't be explained.
SPEAKER_02That changed things for me. That's another aspect.
SPEAKER_01But then I guess, you know, I think about my sons, and obviously, you know, it it's like the military needs soldiers, airmen, marines, what have you, sailors, what have you, to you want people at the gate that are willing to do what they need to do to keep us safe. And it would be unfair hypocritical to say, okay, son, no, you stay home or you do the you go the safe route and let somebody else's kid do that. You don't, you know, that that that's that's not that's not the right thing to do. Um the right thing to do in my mind is to say, here's the possibilities of what could happen, and we're gonna have faith. Not only am I gonna have faith in the most high, but I'm confident in those above you, at all levels above you, that they're well trained, they know how to handle things. Well, now that we've eroded that top level, I I can't I can't say that anymore. You know, and so I don't know what to say right now. Like I don't, I honestly don't know. Yes, I have faith in the most high, obviously I do, but um, we're dealing with, like you said, some forces that are not flesh and blood right now.
SPEAKER_02And spiritual wickedness, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01And I'm like, I'm like, and it's impacting the top levels, and uh I honestly don't know how I would answer that. I don't know what I would say. Luckily, my kids are, you know, we're beyond that now. But for a younger person, I'm like, man, uh this is this is um, we still need people at the gate, right? We still need them there. Yeah, we do. So so if you're gonna be there, I need you to have the right mindset. That's that's all I can do.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, well, there's an ultimatum if uh certain things don't occur by, I believe, noon tomorrow.
SPEAKER_01Oh, eight o'clock tonight, I think.
SPEAKER_05Oh, is it is that okay, but by noon tomorrow, you're gonna find out. Well, no, we'll see. Um, I think there's a uh a few countries that have never been
The Combat Mindset Gap Today
SPEAKER_05um conquered.
SPEAKER_02I think Afghanistan is one, Ethiopia is one, and I think Iran is another. The territory, the people.
SPEAKER_05Um like let me let me let's let me explain it this way. A friend of mine, he was swapped for uh PG County. Okay, so they were going through to clear this house and got in there, found suspects, you know, and somehow, someway, one of the suspects got in a tussle with one of the SWAT guys.
SPEAKER_02And he got in a a few of them on this guy, and the guy, my friend was telling me, this is my friend's telling me, uh, he was just cowering.
SPEAKER_05And I guess he was telling me while they were doing the debrief, he's like, What happened in there? What's going on? Uh why aren't you fighting back? And basically, the guy had never been in a fight. Now, you and I growing up, DC, PG County, people, Compton, all your projects in New Orleans. People from certain areas, we grew up, we got in fights. Even if somebody pushed you on your bike, this one of your questions you asked, you've never been pushed off your bike and had to, you know, defend yourself? He's like, nah. So I say all this to say, unless you are special ops, 30 to 75th Ranger Battalion, guys who are constantly in it in the mix, you get regular military in there who've never really gotten to a fight.
SPEAKER_02And you throw them in with these people who, by history, have been fighting, just asked the Russians in Afghanistan, going back to the 80s, and what happened with them. You get people who are who grew up fighting, you're gonna have a problem. A real problem.
SPEAKER_05Now we obviously we have the equipment, we have the bombs, we have the drones, autonomous drones.
SPEAKER_02Uh but there's a point where you gotta get face to face.
SPEAKER_05And once you get face to face, everybody ain't grew up in the DMV or in Baltimore or in Compton or Watts or New Orleans, Houston. I could go on and on in that type of, you know, you had to have some diddy bop about yourself, some get up and go about yourself. Everybody didn't grow up like that. Regardless of whether you're carrying a M4 or a Saw or whatever the new variant that they're using right now, you know, there's gonna be a point where you you're gonna have to get gritty.
SPEAKER_01You know, what's funny is as you were talking, you're saying words and memories are popping into my head, right? No, but I think one of the most important things you you're saying there is like for us, and and it's funny, throwing hands, right, was done as recreation. It wasn't it didn't even have to be enemies, right? A lot of times you'll get out there and and throw hands and it and it wasn't and and and here's the thing, I used to hate that. Like, I didn't like that, but somebody always wanted to throw hands with you, and it's not a we're not enemies, it's just a thing to do. Yeah, you know, so when you grow up in that environment, like if if if any of the cats I grew up with are listening to this right now, they know what I'm talking about. Yeah, they know, you know, the Rose wasn't wanting to be out here, you know, like I wasn't that dude, but it's like you causing me to throw hands on the regular, and I don't want to, but after a while, it just became it's a norm. What we doing? Like, who what we doing today? Like who yeah, you know, like and and it, you know, I was a late bloomer, so it took a minute for me to understand that all these cats around me, they're jockeying for position. Yeah, you know what I mean? The hierarchy. So that hierarchy thing is happening, and that's when I learned at an early age, you know, when when people say, Oh, I don't play that. You either play or you get played. Like you win the game. If you live in this neighborhood, you win the game. Yeah, and so but but my point is that you know, that generation of I said for wreck, it used to be a saying. We used to say, like, wreck ain't hard, you know, like you know what I'm saying? It's like that was what we used to say, and we didn't hate the cats. You know, I I remember our school buses used to pull up next to each other, and we would be hollering that out the window, like, oh, wreck ain't hard, you know, like what we you know, and it and it was a tussle, but it wasn't, we didn't hate these cats. We didn't, it just that's just what we do. And so what I'm saying is that generation, like you said, I mean, think about it, the football in the street generation, where you just got, you know, I I think about like my sons have never experienced what I did coming up with the bruises coming home with with fun bruises. These weren't, you know, it was just, oh man, you know, you're gonna shoot Baltimore? Yeah, but my, you know, my arm is a little, yeah, I'll be out there. They didn't come up like that. So now you take this new generation who did nothing but play PlayStation. And when they play these combat videos, video games, and just say, Oh, I'm just gonna, I'm gonna respawn. You know, yeah, I got took out, but I'm gonna respawn. That's the respawn generation. They think, well, I'll be back. I'm just gonna be in the lobby, you know, like while and so I can imagine this cat you're talking about, who had to really knuckle up going against somebody who was desperate trying to get out of that situation. I think about our young service members today. That's exactly what they're running into or gonna run into. Somebody who was willing to throw hands when you was looking for a college education, man. I'm just here for some benefits. So that concerns me. It's a little different mental perspective. Yeah, that concerns me, man.
SPEAKER_05So yeah. It's uh
Strait Of Hormuz And Real Costs
SPEAKER_05it's where we are, it's definitely where we are. Uh Strait of Her Moose. What did you think about that?
SPEAKER_01Bruh, you know what? Until this happened, I really hadn't never heard of it. Like I never really thought it was a thing until this conflict happened. And I'm saying to myself, okay, even if it's a problem, why don't they just why don't they just go handle it? But then when I started, I wasn't even doing research. Information was just coming my way. It was like, okay, our military, um, our naval ships have to be far enough to wear. If they're gonna launch cruise missiles, it takes 45 minutes for the cruise missile to get to any target over there from where we are, from where the boats are parked. Because they have shoulder-fired rockets that can reach them from the shore, firing for you know, firing forget and take off before anything happens. I'm like, and so that's how they're holding this, right?
SPEAKER_05They're like the most rudimentary pop out of a hole, sink a ship, disappear, and your nearest this this is this is currently warfare. This is nothing new. The Viet Cong did it during Vietnam. Um the Japanese did it. Uh Afghanist Afghanis did it against Russia. We really uh our our forces experienced some some things similar in Iraq and Afghanistan. Uh hit, hit, go, hit, just like a one of a little nap that keeps bothering you. You know, you keep swinging at it, it's there, but it it is being an irritant. And that's that's that's something that's that's going on. Uh but there's always a money aspect to this. And uh I haven't had a chance to really look, but uh I know all companies they're they have no problems with it because all they're gonna do is pass the increase in price on to the consumers. People have to get the gas. I saw when my uh son was still in school in Southern Cal, all his friends uh with some other fancy cars, they wanted to ride with him because he was driving a Toyota Prius. And that Prius that could get about 50 miles a gallon when the gas prices are over six dollars a gallon, it makes a difference when you're driving that Jeep Cherokee over there. But people have to go to work, man.
SPEAKER_01You know how many, how many soccer moms is about to get jacked, man. Pushing these pushing these Priuses, man. Yeah, man. No, that's a that's a that's a very good point, man. And I I just I'll just say, man, I hate it for like all the service members that are in and are about to go in, that have to go deal with this because we know that you know you're going into a battle, but these these battles don't end when the uniform comes off. That's right. And and we're we're we're gonna have a whole
PTSD The Price Of Unclear Wars
SPEAKER_01slew of people. We already do, in fact, that have come back injured, that are now having to live with something. And here's the here's the the difficult part. It's one thing to to get injured in battle when you at least have some idea of why you're even there. But when you have no clue and no one can explain to you why you're even there, and then something bad happens, and then you have to come home and deal with that. Mentally. Mentally.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, it's uh it's a it's a it's a lot, it's a lot to say uh for for those veterans that might be listening who may have your rating, especially for PTSD, it's it's a real thing. Uh and you somebody asked me who do you talk to some of these things about? I say other veterans who can relate. Other veterans, other veterans who can relate. That's who I talk to. So uh I I hope this doesn't go to a point where we have to put a large amount of boots on the ground. I I hope it doesn't lead to that because that will be a situation where I I believe it will be a high casualty rate on both sides. Uh I I remember during Dead Shield Desert Storm from where we were on my first deployment, I could see the glow in the sky from our bombers going uh and just raising havoc uh on that big push. And then you see them mid-morning boogie and back, and you hear the sonic boom uh over the desert. Or I remember I remember something that stays in my head. Uh I was at a first I was a security and a driver for a colonel who was over the largest medical supply unit for all the mass units. Everybody who saw the show mass, those are our hospitals. Um, we had one of the main mass units about two miles off our site. Uh so if it was anything severe burns, any anything really critical, that was the combat mass unit you were brought to in that theater. You were brought right there before they could get you out of there to, like say, Lawnstool in Germany. And I remember I saw the build-up of M72 tanks. And imagine, like I said, it was two miles from our front uh security gate to their site.
SPEAKER_02Two miles.
SPEAKER_05And imagine tanks lined up behind each other, stretched that far, moving up north. I I saw that, I was like, somebody about to get messed up.
SPEAKER_01Man. Oh, you know, think about this, man. Remember how, remember that the the big word back then was sorties, they're flying sorties. Sorties, yeah. And the bombers were doing what they were calling carpet bomb, right? Just constantly doing carpet bombs. Now watch this. Do you remember? It's something that I know you gotta remember, that the sound of a scud getting hit by a patriot.
SPEAKER_02Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_01The just the one explosion, right? I mean, it's it's something I can't explain to people. You just had to be there. I can't put it in.
SPEAKER_05I remember in the Haran right there. Absolutely. If you were in ever at Cobart Towers, that that famous picture that people wrote. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01So, so the thing is, so you remember if you you understand the sound and the vibration and just how loud, like it's an explosion where the sound is everywhere. You can't even tell. It verberates. Now, that was us, right? Scud, boom, you know, big explosion. Wow, that's crazy. But then I put myself in the shoes of those on the other side that were getting carpet bombed. You know what I mean? Oh, yeah. Like, like, I mean, they were getting carpet bombed for hours at a time. So those explosions we were hearing times 50 per hour or more for several hours at a time. In fact, it's for as long as it was dark, I was like, man, you know, from a from a human perspective, I know what that still does to me. Devastating. Right. But when I put myself in the shoes of individuals on that side that may have survived, I'm just saying you talk about boots on the ground that may happen. Bro, we're in a situation right now based on what I'm what I see, the only way to get out of this is to just drop everything and come home. Take the loss, take the L. Like it didn't go like it was supposed to, because in order to win, you gotta go above and beyond boots on the ground. You gotta do you gotta do the big one. Right? And if you put boots on the ground over there, you're gonna need boots on the ground over here. Because those people who got carpet bombed while we were over there, they got kids now that have grown up with certain ideologies. And all this new administration did was stoke the fire. Yeah. Yeah. So I I don't know what he's gonna be talking about tonight. I don't know what's gonna happen tomorrow at noon. But I'll just say that there's an escalation, and if you if pride gets in the way and you just can't learn to take the L and be like, you know what, my bad.
SPEAKER_05Right before the fall. That's Nebuchadnezzar. Yeah, yeah, for the fall, man.
SPEAKER_01Nothing new under the sun, right? I mean, so that's where it is, man.
SPEAKER_05And um, I did I just
Zero Trust And Knowing The Enemy
SPEAKER_05can only do all we can do is is yeah, I am uh I'm stocked up here.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_05I feel you I'm stocked up here and um everything's clean, ready to go. Uh got my gear, I gotta get a new uh uh walkies. Um I looked at these new ones, I might get those. I think that's the last thing I got. But uh I'm I'm look I'm looking I'm looking pretty good here.
SPEAKER_01Can I just say this, man? And I and I hate to have to say it. The problem that we face is that you're looking pretty good, as as many of us are. But the problem is the last few years have shown us that we don't necessarily know who the enemy is. You know? That's that's concerning to me.
SPEAKER_05Verify everything, zero trust. That's that's an IT term, you should remember. Zero trust, verify everything.
SPEAKER_02That's how I am. Verify everything.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, but uh, you know, when when you're the only one in the household that, you know, has even has a clue of the possibilities, and and some might say, no, no, I get it, I understand. But your your day-to-day activities don't don't show me that you you understand, right? So anyway, I I don't want to even have to think about that, but the point is um I'm really concerned about you know that there there was a time, especially I don't I don't know that since the military, when when stuff jumped off, like you said earlier, it didn't matter what side of the aisle you were on, it didn't matter what beliefs you might have had. When stuff jumped off, we were shoulder to shoulder, back to back. That's right.
SPEAKER_05You got my right, I got your left.
SPEAKER_01That's right. Didn't matter what you look like, that's it. That's right. Now though, I don't know.
SPEAKER_05I don't know. Uh is this guy, you know, when I turn this way, is he gonna shoot me?
SPEAKER_01Right, right. And and and and what's even worse, that Joker might look like you. You know what I mean? He might even look like you, man.
SPEAKER_02And it's like, oh that's why I only deal with people everybody I deal with, I've known basically 30 plus years. And it so happens that those individuals I serve with. Now I have about, I think, a few from high school.
SPEAKER_05There's only maybe a handful of people from high school that I still deal with. And I ain't talking about friends on Facebook. I'm talking about pick, you know, I call. You know, yeah, yeah, we friends, okay, yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02But the people I deal with, I've known for 30 years, and I serve with them.
SPEAKER_05And that's it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I get it, man. I get it. Look, man, I I know we we had to get an earlier start today because I think you have some stuff going on. Yeah.
SPEAKER_05So I'm gonna have to step.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_05This this definitely gotta do another part to this. Oh, yeah. You and I could get on here, we can we could really roll. And I I I hope that that panel that you're talking about, I I I pray that you can get that going because I I'd love to be a part of that. Oh, yeah. Yeah, we to support the brother and uh because you're doing a positive thing. So um I I you know you keep the faith, stay ready so you don't have to get ready, as the saying goes. Um be ready. Respectful to all people, regardless of you know where they're coming from. But uh I tell my boys, you know, being light is uh overrated. What you want is respect. I don't care if you don't like me, but uh I implore you to respect me. Okay. And uh as long as we have respect, you know, if you don't if we have different uh opinions and views, fine.
SPEAKER_02Just be respectful. Wow.
Books Legacy And Next Conversation
SPEAKER_02Just be respectful.
SPEAKER_01Listen, man, when is the book coming out? I know you look, I know you got one up just leave. Look at here.
SPEAKER_05Look, I applaud anyone who gets a doctorate because I in my office I had, let's see, one, two, three individuals a few years back doing it. And I helped, you know, read the dissertations and you know, make help, you know, make suggestions here and there. I'm like, look at here. I'm a technical guy. I hate writing. I hate I hate writing. I'm a technical put a system in front of me and say, make it work.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_05That's dude. Tell me to write a 20-page paper. And you that's like torture.
SPEAKER_01Come on, man. We I we like torture, man. I hear it, man. You got a book in you, man. You got a book in you. You know what I mean? And and I think you ought to consider. Consider. Okay. You know, putting putting pen to paper and letting it out because I think you have uh a perspective that would be um valuable to some folks out there. So um, you know, we'll see. Maybe maybe I'm planting some seeds, maybe you'll water them a little bit and you know, um, they'll sprout. But I I honestly I think you ought to consider it. Um because on top of that, it's a legacy, right? Yeah. You you um you know part of the uh the motivation for me writing mine was you know, I got a little granddaughter. Yeah. And uh when she gets old enough to read and old enough to understand stuff, you know, long after I'm gone, she sees pop pop picture on the on the cover, you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_05Like yeah, I'm waiting for mine to come in. And let me show you something right quick. Okay. Show me something. Let me show us something right quick. Because it's in the family. Okay. Uh my cousin in Canada did this little children's book a few years ago.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_05Okay, and uh, I just got a copy from my wife's nephew. I think this is his second book that he's read.
SPEAKER_01Here's what I want you to do. I want you to send me the info and the links to where we can order those.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_01And when I publish this episode, I will put those links in the in the description.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_01And um, you know, I'm all about supporting them. Never met them, but it doesn't matter.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And I'm gonna I'm gonna put that in there.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, I haven't read this, but this was for nice little children's book. Uh, that looks like us. Okay, right on. Right on. So I I I I'm I'm gonna big up my cousin. He still ain't signed this bad boy, but when I go up to Canada, this uh he better be signed so I can put this up in uh Theopolis Williams.
SPEAKER_01Sound like a sound like a writer.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, Theo Williams, but his name is Theopolis.
SPEAKER_01Okay, well let's do that. Let's let's let's um let me send me his info, send me the the link to where we we and I'm gonna purchase some myself. Well a copy of each one of those.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And um, you know, we we're gonna we're gonna put them out there and uh who knows, maybe even discuss a tad bit. You gotta read the books though, right? You gotta read them.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, no, I gotta read my nephews, but I I mean I've read this this this little thing. But I will plug, I think I plugged um a book, uh Cry Like a Man by Jason Wilson.
SPEAKER_01Uh I think you you you know you you had me to buy that book. You know, you remember that? You know I bought that book.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, that that that was a good read. I yeah, it was a good read. As as I told you, I hadn't read a book in years, and when I picked that book up, I finished it in a day and a half. The only reason why I took a day and a half is because I just had other things going on, or else it would have been within the day.
SPEAKER_01The brother had a had a compelling story, man. Yeah. Um, so yeah, I read I read the book. In fact, um put it, I just put it back on the shelf because it had been on my desk for the longest.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And um, so yeah, um, shout out to him, man. And yeah, uh, we're looking for yours. So we gotta get yours in there, and um, we're gonna make this thing happen, man. So we're gonna water them seeds. But yes, um, we need to do this again. Hey, uh we need to continue.
SPEAKER_05That's right. Yes, yes, I'm a phone call away, man.
SPEAKER_01Okay, I appreciate you, brother. Again, Mr. Greg Henry, thank you so much for sitting down with me. Always a pleasure. And um, as always, man, uh, much love. I'm praying for you, brother. Thank you.
SPEAKER_05I appreciate that. And I'll do the same for you, Dr. Dennis Rose. Thank you, brother. I appreciate you, man. All right, take care.