Eli Crane - Navy SEAL Sniper | SRS #025

there is good and evil in this world and. i know you've seen it. [Music]. you're gonna become a dirty politician. there's a bunch. of guys. that. did this. same types of jobs that we used to do. that are recognizing. how much trouble we're in. and they're like. okay. foreign and domestic. i'll go.

if you talk like that. you you get killed you're gonna be. thrown into prison. you have two choices. you surrender. where you're dead i know some people. have different answers for where that. comes from. but i think i think it's spiritual man. if and when you become a congressman. what are you gonna do. when that big suitcase full of money.

is staring at you right in the face. what's going down we got another. phenomenal srs episode coming at you. this one is a. former seal sniper running for congress. in arizona. we dive deep as always.

and. the second half of this episode is. actually on rumble i don't make the. rules i can't control it. it's not friendly on this platform so. it's over on rumble you can go down to. the link in the description. and uh head over there after this. interview if you want to watch that. portion if not that's fine too. but i do have an ask. i've said it before guys it really is. getting harder and harder to reach the. audience.

on this platform so. what helps is when you like comment. subscribe turn the notification bell to. all. hopefully get notified if you don't. there's not really much else i can do. but here is the good news here there is. good news. the gummy bear famine. is now over. so. head over to vigilanceelite.com.

get your hands on some while i last. cause they never last long but hey thank. you all for being here. love you guys. my family loves you guys. and uh if you need me. i'll be out here in the woods hiding out. from everybody else all right love you. enjoy the show bye-bye. hey guys let me tell you about this. subscription service that i've been. working real hard on. called vigilance elite. patreon basically on patreon we have it.

broken up into three different tiers. we've got tier one tier two. and tier three let's dive in our tier. one patrons get all the behind the. scenes footage of the sean ryan show. that could include behind the scenes. photos that could be side conversations. that we have in between breaks that. could be specific questions that our. patrons give us. for the guests on the sean ryan show and. a ton of bonus content that doesn't. really fit into any specific category.

for our tier 2 patrons they get access. to our tactical training library which. consists of well over 100 videos. we've broken those videos up into. separate categories and those categories. are rifle fundamentals pistol. fundamentals. drills. tactics. driving. gear and weapon setups and. everybody's favorite. mindset. also on tier 2 you will get a live.

update from me on the 1st and the 15th. of every month where we talk about the. upcoming guests on the sean ryan show. plus. all the benefits of tier 1. our top tier which is tier three gets. full access to all the other tiers plus. they get full access to me where we do. video teleconferencing. vtc once a month. we discuss anything from tactics to.

current events to who's coming on the. show i take suggestions and it's very. interactive no matter what tier you. choose the support is greatly. appreciated and it is the only thing. that makes this show drive on so thank. you for all the support. see you on patreon. eli crane.

welcome to the show man. so you are a navy seal sniper. entrepreneur bottle breacher company one. on shark tank and now. you're going into congress you're you're. running for congress and arizona. what i mean you're gonna become a dirty. politician. i know man just um having people even. say that. um. it's it's hard to even hear yeah.

politician because there's such negative. connotation with it and for good reason. well you know i i listened to a couple. of your podcasts and i heard you say i'm. one. that when you're going into the seal. teams that. you you had to stand up for the country. it was after 9 11. and when you said it you made it sound. like you were never gonna have to do. that again and now here you are again. standing up for the country doing.

something that i don't think you really. want to do you're doing it for the. betterment of the country and and uh. and uh that's very commendable. yeah it's. politics is never something that i. wanted to do and it doesn't mean that i. i haven't been interested in it because. i've always found it fascinating. but actually getting in that arena is. something that i never wanted to do. yes i think that's the biggest. difference when i look at.

because i see a lot of similarities. um when i look at. joining the navy the week after 9 11 in. in wanting to serve in that capacity i. see a lot of similarities between right. now wanting to run for office. but you know that's definitely one of. the biggest differences is that i always. wanted i wanted to be a seal for a very. long time and i worked very hard to get. get there. um. this is something that i really never. wanted to do.

never planned to do. but. i'm just so concerned about this country. right now. that. um. you can't complain about it if you're. not willing to do something about it. right. yeah. well. i gotta be honest you know. you seem a lot different than most of. the politicians that i've met most the. politicians have. they have like a little peppy. attitude and and and.

and it's almost like an elevator sales. pitch. and you're very calm collected to the. point. i don't think you really care what. people think uh you're just gonna say it. how it is and and uh i gotta be honest. like that's really refreshing to see. especially at dinner last night when we. were talking about all these different. things. but. before you do go into office. i wanted to give you a little present. here. and uh boy.

better be some damn gummy bears in here. yeah about the gummy bears i mean if you. do get elected maybe you can pass those. out over there in congress and lighten. some of these [ __ ] up are these as. good as harbor or gummy bears they're. better they're better than her. oh my goodness. and you got me something i do like some. gummy bears. thank you man that's an awesome cat. that is awesome thank you sean you're. welcome.

and then you got me something from your. company bottle breacher so that's right. we call that the moab the mother of all. breachers. oh damn. it's a 30 millimeter bottle breacher. that's serious it is serious man so. the case is real um. it once fired and then the projectile. has to we have to make we have to. machine those because you can't you.

can't get those this was fired the the. cases it's once fired brass yeah. that's awesome man. i'm gonna have you sign this and it's. gonna go. right over there on the set. so awesome dude this is cool thank you. but. well. i want to get right into the interview. but before we do. uh i just want to say you know we'll. start with childhood i want to talk a. lot about your sniper career uh because.

we haven't talked about that with any. other spec ops guests down here so i'd. really like to dig into that. get into your transition. how you became an entrepreneur. and then we'll get into the dirty. politics and uh so how i want to do it. is. we'll take break whenever we want when. we hit the dirty politics uh that this. show is going over to rumble so you want. to talk about some things. not everything's youtube friendly. and so i'm linking the rumble.

description below so when we get to that. point if you want to listen to the. politics and uh your opinions and views. and how. how you think we should uh be going is. uh in the how we should take the country. in a new direction. um. that will all be over on rumble so but. let's start with childhood where'd you. grow up. i actually was born. in tucson arizona. and i was raised in yuma arizona in yuma.

yeah. yeah um. my my dad. moved us down there he was a pharmacist. and uh he went to pharmacy school. at the university of arizona in tucson. and then moved the family down to yuma. because there were some good job. openings down there. and so it ended up being uh you know an. interesting place to grow up because. it's in the desert it's one of the. hottest places in the country. i think what looking back on my life to. this point i think one of the things. that made it funny was you know i spent.

i did three tours in iraq and a lot of. my buddies were always complaining about. the heat and i was like. this is kind of like being from yuma you. know with arabic street signs so. um and you know yuma has some of the. best mexican food in the world. you know uh. we've got sand dunes right outside of. yuma. um once you cross right into california. because yuma's right on the california. border but like if you like to you know. off-road. or you know go to the lake yuma's a.

pretty cool place really yeah would you. like to do as a kid. you know i love to play football i love. playing sports football was my passion. and uh yeah i also loved to shoot when i. got the opportunity to shoot i was just. you know fascinated with. um you know. hunting with my bb gun my pellet rifle. whatever yeah yeah. good family life. yeah yeah it was it was pretty it was.

pretty good um you know until right. around the time i was about 17 and then. my family was pretty much blown up um. but yeah you know i consider myself. lucky to have had both my parents until. i was 17. so do you want to go into that at all or. i don't mind going into it at all what. happened at 17. um my parents got divorced um you know. there was uh some infidelity in the home.

and uh you know my parents decided to. split. and uh. in a way. in a way i'm grateful for it because. i got to see. you know firsthand. what. what that can do to a family. and. um i think a lot of times stuff like. that can be generational. and um so it was. it was good for me because. in in ways because.

i wanted to make sure that. that was never something i brought into. my family. and to protect protect my family because. i saw that i saw the fallout i saw the. aftermath of it. um. and i never wanted my kids to experience. that. and it doesn't stuff like that when a. family you know gets destroyed like that. it doesn't just affect. you know that. the people directly involved i mean it. has collateral damage throughout friend.

groups and you know all sorts of things. and so. in a way i'm glad i got to experience. that and just the pain and the hurt that. comes with it so that i can. you know. re remember how it felt and make sure. that i never do anything like that. wow. did you have uh any brothers and sisters. yeah i've got uh two brothers i've got. an older brother. named zach. he's a chemist in colorado and then my.

younger brother gabe. he's uh he's a lawyer now but he was. um. and i think he's still in the marine. reserves but he was a cobra pilot. oh wow yeah graduated from the naval. academy. it's kind of cool um he's two years. younger than me but. it's kind of cool man for you know for a. good for a good while there my little. brother kind of became my hero because. you know i remember growing up and. wanting to play football and. um.

when i when i started to realize that. probably wasn't gonna happen that i. didn't have. uh the necessary skill to to make it as. far as i wanted to go. it was really cool watching him because. i you know being his older brother i'd. always give him a hard time. like he would you know he would in high. school he would go into his room and he. would just like study flash cards. you know and he'd study you know he'd. study sat books and you know how to get. his sat scores up and i'd give him a. hard time and be dude let's go let's go.

let's go throw the football or something. and he was uh you know but he he was. really diligent with it and then. um. i had. you know was just graduating from high. school and he was taking a lot of these. entry tests and applying for. scholarships and he got into. west point the naval academy. um and the air force academy wow i mean. just. and it was what was cool is like you. know the deal sean you see people on.

television or whatever. and they're you see them you watch we. all love to watch a success story right. i think that's why people love the shark. tank so much they want to root for the. under underdog they want to see how it's. how somebody can you know go from. nothing to something and it was just. cool because i got to watch my little. brother do it. right in front of me and i got to watch. the process too. not really being able to connect the. dots on hey will this ever amount to. anything or could we have just been. hanging out playing and you know.

run around the neighborhood. and uh it was really cool to watch him. be successful like that because it. really opened my eyes to what you know. what was possible if you applied. yourself. damn that's is he helping with your. campaign at all being an attorney or you. know what. he's not but we have had some we have. had some discussions about that because. i know that you know. if i get um the opportunity to go serve. in congress i know that there will be a. lot of legalese a lot of documents that.

i have to you know look through and. having somebody that speaks that. language and reads that language and. somebody that you trust yeah that that's. going to be huge yeah i'll bet. well. at what point did you. i mean 17 that's late you know in your. in your childhood yeah and uh basically. early adulthood what. at what point did you. [Music]. decide you wanted to be a seal. so it was right after that time period i.

was i think i was. 18. 19-ish. right around that time frame. i knew i knew that i wanted to be in the. military. um. you know my parents had done a pretty. good job i think raising us to. understand that you know freedom isn't. free. even though that's cliche. and it gets said all the time. they would point we grew up in yuma. there was a. marine corps air station in yuma.

and i remember them pointing out. marines at our church and even service. members all the time and being like hey. those guys do some those guys do. something that's way bigger than. themselves. you know make sure you show them respect. and that was something that always. registered with me. and that there were people. that once they became adults. their focus wasn't merely making money. or providing for their families.

health care. insurance etc. there were people out there. that devoted their lives to something a. service that was so much bigger than. them. and that was something that you know. always. resonated with me. and so i. thought to myself. that might be something that i want to. do when i get older. and so. as i was as i was. getting through school and realized i.

didn't have what it took to play. football at the levels that i wanted to. play. um. i started doing a lot of reading. and a lot of studying. okay if i'm if i'm going to make this. decision if i'm going to go into the. military. what route do i want to go because i. knew there were a bunch of jobs that you. could do. and the special forces community to me. was very attractive.

one of my favorite authors is a guy. named john eldridge. and he writes this book it's called wild. at heart. and he talks about and it's a. faith-based book but he talks about how. the biggest question that every young. man has is. do i have what it takes. do i have what it takes to be a man do i. have what it takes to be a warrior. do i have what it takes to be a good. husband. do i have what it takes to be a good. father and we're always asking. we've always got that question.

and so. this was long before i ever read that. book but that was definitely a question. that that i had. and you might have had the same question. yourself i definitely have did i have do. i have what it takes to to hang with the. best. do i have what it takes to make it. through the toughest training in the. department of defense. and initially the answer was no. really yeah. i didn't make it through seal training. on my first try.

what before we go into that um. what drew you into the seal specifically. versus green berets or marine. reconnaissance pjs. so the research that i was doing said. that it was the hardest in dod almost. almost across the board said it was the. toughest training in the department of. defense. and the other thing too was. i i loved the water like i loved.

swimming. um. or at least i thought i did. right. yeah. until i got to you know seal training. where they actually use the water. they weaponize it against you. to try and break you. and um. so those were a couple reasons right. there but then as i was researching and. looking through even though the seals. were. considered to be.

the water specialists. according to the literature i was. reading they still did everything that. everybody else did as well. and as you get as you go through that. pipeline and then you start working with. other groups you realize that yes. certain groups have certain specialties. but i just thought it had a really good. variety. and my dad gave me a piece of advice. when i was in high school he said eli. the trick to being happy in your career.

is to pick something in life that you. would basically do for free. he he wanted to make sure that i didn't. chase something because of money. or security. i think that was something that he did. and he wanted to make sure that his son. didn't do it. and um. and i'm glad that he did because. i think that's why a lot of i think. that's why a lot of individuals have. midlife crisis. because. once they get halfway through their life.

they realize that we only go around one. time. and life is short. and if you're not. living a purpose-driven life. if there's not more to your life. than just. paying the bills and i'm not knocking. anybody for doing that because some of. the biggest sacrifice. some of the biggest sacrifices i've ever. seen are. men and women. who. work a monotonous job that they don't. like to provide for their family and i.

think that that's fantastic. but i think that you can do. i think you can do that. and live a purpose-driven life and where. there's a mission outside of. that's greater than those things. i think you're absolutely right i've. seen a lot of that. with um when i used to train people you. i would get a lot of these. gents that would come in and they'd be. in their 50s. late 40s to early 60s.

and. it's. it's like they were making up for. lost time right you know they were. it's almost like there becomes. this isn't everybody you know what i. mean but there becomes like this. fantasy of what it would have been like. if they had done. x y or z in my in my instance what i was. seeing was what would it have been like. if i would have. if i would have been a seal and uh and.

a lot of that was. guys that chased the dollar that became. extremely wealthy. and. and what i've noticed with people that. become extremely wealthy is it just it's. like this never-ending. beast that you're just feeding you know. it's there's never it's never enough. it's never enough it's never enough and. then they figure out this is about. experiencing things not money. 100 you know so man i'm glad you said. that because i've never actually put. that into words like you just did but.

yeah interesting. no it is. i noticed you know i noticed that too um. so i be. after failing and then coming back and i. became a seal at 25. and then i made my. first million dollars at 35. and by all accounts. people looking from the outside would be. like oh man this guy's got it figured. out man he's.

he he's crushing it he's. but to your point. it's true. i mean there it doesn't. i've been poor and i've been wealthy. i'll take wealthy any day but. it does it in my opinion it doesn't. fulfill you. um. and i think that's why you see so many. celebrities. that. they get to this or pro athletes or. whatever it is that you put on a. pedestal. they get to this level.

and we all think. oh they've arrived right. and then they have. problems with addiction. often you'll see suicide. and a lot of it in my opinion is is. because when you get to the top or. whatever whatever that level is for you. or whatever you want to achieve. and you realize you're still the same. human being you still have the same. flaws you still have the same fears the. same the same anxieties that you did. before even now a lot of times they're. elevated because it's a lot further fall.

from the top right. and you know that's why my faith is. everything to me because. it's not something that the world can. take from me ever and um. but yeah it's just been interesting to. be able to experience some of those. things. and. see that. you know uh. you know king solomon talks about it in. the you know book of proverbs. how it's all. um.

how it's all a waste of time. you know how it's all vanity it's all. it's it's all a waste of time and it's. um. and i know that that probably sounds. depressing to a lot of people out there. that are chasing it. and i think most of us we're the type. where we need to we're like. well that's great eli but i'll figure. that one out on my own i'm gonna keep. i'm gonna keep chasing this and and do. chase it i think that i think that you. should experience it for yourself um but.

there are so many things bit that are. you know bigger in life than you know. title and money and. and uh that's one of the reasons that. i know i'm really not worried about. people ask me all the time they're like. so let's say you become a cr a. congressman. what makes you think you're not going to. be like everybody else. i've seen a lot of things that a lot of. people haven't i've experienced a lot of. things that a lot of people haven't. and i know where it leads.

and so this isn't this isn't about. another feather in my cap. it's about once again. service and it's once again this. country's in trouble. and it needs the next generation. to step up. and say. i'll go. i may not be perfect far from it. i don't have all the answers but i'll go. man that's refreshing to hear. very all of it. for where you're going you know that's.

it's like i was saying at the beginning. of this when you. when i talk to. politicians they're always. it's it's just never it's just it's. theater yeah it's theater it's put on. put on the blue suit. with the white shirt and the red tie get. the american pen flag. and this is the approved narrative. this is what you can talk about. and people are sick of it they really. are it's one of the only reasons i think.

that. a guy like me can even run. in today's world because people are just. like. well he might not. he might not say the politically correct. things he may not look like a politician. but. i think he's telling me. where he's really at yeah you know and. it's like. it's sad. it's sad that it's taken. the current events that we we've been. experienced to get to this place but.

i am grateful to see that it's not just. me. there's a bunch. of guys. that. did this. same types of jobs that we used to do. that are recognizing. how much trouble we're in and they're. like. okay. foreign and domestic. i'll go. i'll go i can't can't do much worse than. the people there now right no. so.

we'll get into that in a little bit. but. so you you went you joined you went to. buds you didn't make it the first time. what happened. reality happened. no it's i mean it's the toughest. training in the world and i was immature. and i i wasn't well prepared. and because i didn't. do what i needed to do to be prepared. and so uh.

you know it was interesting man i i. actually made it through hell week. which. i would say the majority of team guys. would tell you is the hardest part of. training some will say it's not it i. guess it just depends on. how you look at it. but. i made it through that week. and then about a week and a half later i. was performance drought from training. really yep. and then how was it.

what was what was it the runs or was it. it was a combination i'd failed life. saving three times oh and then um. that i went to an academic review board. and they were like look we know you're. tough. you made it through all week but we need. the best of the best here. and you're not measuring up you're like. you failed to run you failed to swim. you failed an obstacle course and. you ranked in the bottom 25 of your. class. damn yeah.

which is i mean it's like um. that you know that's hard. it's hard it's hard it's hard but. it's how seal training is designed it's. good. and i deserved it and. one of the biggest reasons. i believe i was ranked in the bottom 25. percent of my class was because i was. immature. and i wasn't. like if there was a job to be. you know it's it buds it's not just a. timed runs time swims and old courses.

it's like hey we need that office. cleaned over there. you know after hours once once the. training day is done who wants to get it. you know my hand wasn't flying up in the. air like hey i got it i'm on it. and it was just. my attitude was more. self-preservation than being a team guy. and taking one for the team. and i think a lot of the times that. comes with maturity. and i lacked it. and so. i i absolutely deserve to go away and.

i'm glad that they they keep the. standards and i hope they always do i. hope they keep those standards high. yeah how old were you. i was. 20. 22 22 yep. where'd you go. after i went to the uss gettysburg in. mayport florida. we called it the uss rick reddysburg but. [Laughter]. i thought that might get you dude oh man.

what were you doing there i was a. gunners mate. so. um you know like worked in the armory. um worked on this ship small arms and uh. i did a lot of sweeping i did a lot of. brass polishing a lot of cleaning. and it was good it was good for me. because i needed to grow up. i needed you know i needed that. an extra dose of tough love you know. i've never talked to anybody.

on this about fleet time really so. let's talk a little bit about fleet time. how long were you in there so they. recommended that i come back in a year. the the seal instructors. but um. if if the co from the ship let me go. then he wouldn't get a replacement for. me so they were like no we're not. letting you go. um early and so i did two and a half. years on board the ship. did two cruises on the ship.

and um. you know it's just. it's interesting to me and my hat is off. to. the men and women in our navy that. do that job for 20 years because it's. not an easy life man. it's not like to me. and guys like us it's kind of like being. on a floating prison it really is. i mean. think of. a 450 foot boat.

with 400 plus people on it. um. you work. if you're underway typically. you work from. revelli's at like six in the morning. your day will start at seven after. chow. you'll go to probably five in the. afternoon at least working your day job. and then you'll stand a night watch. every night every night every night so. you'll stand either the eight.

to midnight. the midnight to four. or the four to eight every night. and there's no there's no like days off. on saturday or sunday you're always. underway like it's it's just constant. and so like when you're out for a month. at a time which is. which was very. routine for us i mean you you're working. a month straight that schedule and it it. gets to the point where people get burnt. out. no and it's not like the teams where.

your reputation is based on um. performance. per se. it's conventional military so you don't. get in the steel teams you get treated. very well yeah. in the in conventional military you know. it's a it's a it's completely different. so. it's the point where they. you know at times will have to have. uh like an aft watch that sits at the. back of the ship and looks over the back.

of the ship you know. for. you know other vessels. but also for people that will. just jump over the side. did you guys ever have that happen no we. never did but it did it happened on. other ships. it never happened on our ship. but it it does happen damn that's like. watching. water boil. yeah. yeah it's. it's it's wide so it's a wild life man.

did you get a lot of flack coming from. buds was there a lot of. animosity towards you a little bit. and i think. one of the biggest reasons is because. guys that come from buds do not want to. be in the fleet so we have you have an. attitude a chip on your shoulder. and i think that's the biggest thing. and also i think there's like. probably a little bit of a superiority. complex that comes with it. like hey guys i wanted to be a seal not.

do this. not do this job over so i think it. we. they're called bud studs. you know so or buds failures or whatever. you want to say but. i think a lot of it is because of the. attitude that. bud studs show up to the fleet with. and i think that that's where a lot of. that comes from. and i i struggled with that attitude as. well. um i struggled to take ownership of my. failure for a while i remember showing.

up to the ship. and my master chief was talking to me. and. um. and he. you know looking back on it. he was. just talking about. he was i can't remember how the. conversation went but i remember getting. defensive. and and talking about how i didn't. deserve to be dropped because i'd made. it through whole week and i never quit. and i still hadn't taken ownership of it.

yet. and i could tell as an older wiser. leader like he. he knew that there that i. i needed to take some ownership of that. but i wasn't ready to take that. ownership yet. and because i was immature. and i think that. that's one of the greatest things that. you can ever. realize. is that hey. 90 95 of the time in your life.

you're where you deserve to be. now that now. and i want to preface that with. everybody starts from different places. but once you've been given the. opportunity and that's what i love about. america you know once you've been given. the opportunity to go out. and start working on things we have we. have people in this country. i think i was sharing with you last. night at dinner.

a third of the millionaires in the. united states every year. weren't even born here they're. immigrants. because they come here. they size up the landscape in the. situation and they say. you're telling me. what i have to do is i have to work my. tail off. i have to make really good decisions. and i just i have to sacrifice. and i just. do that over and over and over again and. sooner or later i can i can live in that.

house over there. yeah. and and the stats show it all the time. a third of the millionaires created in. the us every year immigrants. and that's that's to me that's. that's what i love so much about this. place is like if you're willing to. take ownership. of where you're at and where you want to. go. and if you're less focused on where you. start the race from. but just where's the finish line for you. and how how am i going to get there.

you can you can live you know you you. can live the american dream you can be. successful here. and. it was the same and it was the same in. the teams now everybody can't go into. the navy or the military i get that. right. but. uh you know that was just another. experience for me. um where i realized that if you work. your tail off.

and you're willing to take ownership and. you're willing to sacrifice. you can do something great. i'm glad you said that. so you went back to buds yeah. after two and a half years you got off. the uss for gettysburg. yeah how was it showing back up. you know it was interesting because. when i was there the first time i was in. e3. when i came back. i was in.

i believe i was an e4. maybe an e5. yeah. i should know that yeah i think i was an. e5 i was in e5 when i came back. um. so there was a little bit a little bit. difference there in that you had more. responsibility. but it was. it was scary for me because um as a kid. i was diagnosed with. asthma or exercise induced bronchitis.

and so um. i was horrible at the runs like. because my lungs. even after albuter like an albuterol. treatment only function at like 60. oh wow. what they're supposed to for their size. right. and. um. so like i was. every run. almost every run i passed like i i would. come in right at the bubble maybe maybe. 10 seconds to spare maybe more like.

usually like five like i remember how. you'd hear them counting down on the. beach like five. four three and damn crane comes across. the finish line. and usually i was dry heaving every time. but um. so. the second time i came back i caught. pneumonia like right in first phase. and so i failed my first two runs. in first phase oh [ __ ] and i was so i. was they were like.

hey look if you fail one more run you're. gone. so here i am. i had just signed orders to come back to. seal training. knowing that if i didn't make it through. i was gonna have to go back out to the. fleet for four more years. be back on that floating prison. knowing that i probably will there there. was a decent chance if i couldn't get. over this pneumonia i wasn't even going. to make it back to where i was the first. time so that. as you can imagine created you know just.

a lot i mean really there was a lot of. anxiety. and a lot of pressure and a lot of fear. just dealing just. knowing that. yeah. damn you failed the first two how did. you how did you uh i mean how did you. even get in with that did you lie on the. medical exam or well so like i said some. doctors had said that i had. asthma some doctors said i had to. exercise and do bronchitis. so um.

i told him that i had exercise induced. bronchitis but by the time i was older. like i could i could pass the the. navy physical. you know fitness test or whatever. with with decent scores and so they're. like okay yeah you know because they. there there's there's a lot of kids that. have like breathing issues or asthma. when they're younger and then as they. get older it kind of. you know levels out quite a bit and so. um. you know i i definitely didn't play it.

up i definitely downplayed it like hey. this isn't this isn't a big deal at all. but it was it was just something that. i really wanted to do and so. um. you know i found a way to make it work. and the way i was able to make it work. was by getting really light. um i walk around probably about usually. around 220 pounds but i got my weight. down to like 175. so that i could. you know. just. nimble yeah well just so i could my.

lungs could keep up with a smaller frame. right yeah. interesting yeah. well you made it yeah. i made it um. and uh. with. um. buds class 256 and then i went. uh immediately to seal team three. is that where you wanted to go was team. three you know i wanted to go to the. west coast i really. i don't. recall necessarily wanting to go to a.

certain team i just wanted to be on the. west coast if possible. well let's take a quick break real quick. i know you went to chris kyle's platoon. right. yeah. so we'll talk about we'll pick up right. there when we come back. hear an exclusive story about eli crane. is a navy seal sniper on vigilance elite. patreon. become a. [ __ ].

damn it. hear an exclusive story about eli. crane's time as a navy seal sniper only. on vigilance elite patreon subscribe now. all right eli so we're back from the. break you just showed up to seal team. three you're in chris kyle's platoon. is he is he a chief at this point or so. i'm not in chris's platoon yet okay so. um the very first thing.

we checked in and still team three was. deployed. and so. they. they had like a. command like somebody like a chief that. was running stuff at back at the team. that had also checked in. after the team was deployed and so we. would report to him every day there were. like five of us that went from my bud's. class to. seal team three and so. we were just showing up to the team we'd. clean a little bit and then you know.

they told us that they were going to try. and send us to some schools while the. team was gone. um. and we wouldn't be joining them and so. i was like oh this is. this is good because. um. my wife was living in tucson she'd just. finish up. uh her degree at the university of. arizona where i had dropped out of to. join the navy years years before that. and so i was like oh great we can start. our life together and so i was like why. don't you move out here.

and uh so she moves out. and uh. i'm like they're not gonna send they're. not sending us on this deployment we're. just gonna go to schools this will be a. good little. you know uh. one of the more chill times i think. while i'm doing this job and sure enough. she moves out two weeks later they're. like yeah yeah change of plans. you're going you're gonna you're gonna. deploy you're gonna go overseas and join. up with you know one of the deployed.

uh task units over there and so. they had to send us to seer school first. they sent us a sicier school. i can't remember what what happened but. the other guys i think the other four or. five guys they all went to the same seer. class. and then they had flown over before me. and i went like two weeks after them i. went to see your school by myself and. then. and then i flew over by myself so that. was kind of wild. flying over to a war zone by yourself.

you know no guns you you don't know what. you you have no context for what that's. going to look like and so. uh but flew over there joined up with uh. bravo platoon at seal team three. you know the oic was a guy named. denver oh good and uh. and then you know joined that group and. it was cool because they. they put us through a little bit of like. some fam courses. like making sure that we knew what we.

were doing. and then they they started bringing us. out on ops like they. they let us turret gun. they let us carry you know. the 48 the 46. um. what year was this. so this would have been 2006. so it's. hot so right yeah right as you were. getting out like i was you know getting. in. and um. so i i was in habenia. at the time. and uh. it was a it was a really good experience.

and by the you know by the end we were. work they were working us into the. rotation and just trying to make sure. that we were. you know. because when we when we went through an. skt they didn't have and i'm sure they. didn't have for eu either but we didn't. have night vision. we didn't have lasers so. all of that stuff we had to you know. kind of learn on the job. but. yeah it was. i mean i felt lucky because we knew that. we were the only guys in our class that.

were getting into the fight that quickly. damn so you went straight from bud's sqt. to seal team three and roughly about two. weeks later you're on the ground in iraq. so it probably would have been more like. a month a month a month and a half. probably on the ground but still real. time real quick yeah damn. were you nervous oh yeah yeah i i. remember. because my wife had moved out with me. and she. i remember.

one weekend like or right before i left. like she was you know. she was pretty. pretty upset with me because i i just. wasn't present. and my mind was just like i knew what. was in front of me. i knew i'd never been to into a war zone. like that before i knew i didn't know. and really any of the guys that. were already on the ground working. together in that platoon. um and i knew i was flying over by you.

know by myself and it was just like. that's a lot. that you know that's a lot and that's. where my head space was and so. yeah there was definitely a you know a. lot of anxiety there. was it literally just you on a c-17 and. a bunch of no so. um. some of my flights were civilian flights. going over and they had me dress you. know they had me dressed as a civilian. going over.

um. and. i can't even remember all the because. you have to take multiple flights. but. i remember i just remember the the final. flight the final flight in calling. somebody. um i was given a phone number called. this phone number and uh. you know somebody came and picked me up. at the airport. and drove me to where i was gonna be. and you know it was it was interesting. because. then i showed up and they were like hey.

go talk to uh. gm1 pierce and uh did you you probably. never knew dave pierce man but it's. probably the raddest. armor to ever live really. yeah ginger dude. like i show up they're like yeah go talk. to gm one pierce. about getting a weapon and so i find who. this guy is. i'm like hey uh gm1 i was told i could. come uh get a weapon from you where can. i get one and he's like. at the getting store. like he was just a total smart ass right.

off the bat and i'm like who is this guy. and he you know just had this straight. face but. you know you can't you came to. appreciate this guy and just love him. he's one of my best friends now but um. you know it's just like come on bro can. i get a gun. you know. could give me a hard time just give me a. gun dude. but. what kind of stuff are you guys doing. um. the platoon was doing a lot of uh sniper.

overwatch's and a lot of da's. and so. occasionally we'd get thrown in. on some of that. and we were just doing a lot of turret. gunning and as a new guy. obviously all the collateral duties make. sure that the. uh you know make sure that the trucks. are gassed up they're clean. uh make sure that the. heavy weapons or the crew serve weapons. are clean. we did we did a lot of that.

we did some fid as well um. you know it was our job to also. when the partner force. which i i'm trying to remember i think. it was. just some. habanera. or some some iraqi army unit that we. were partnering with when they would. come over they would usually come over a. couple hours before the ops. and uh i remember. i remember you know it was our job to. watch them and make sure that they. didn't get into anything or go anywhere.

they weren't supposed to go. and it was funny because we had this. little makeshift movie theater i. remember. and uh. you know we would we were told you guys. can let them have one snack and then you. know you just put on a movie for him. and uh. i remember one of my buddies nate. one day he put on um the movie team. america. and i mean just like i was just like oh. my god we're gonna get in so much.

trouble for this but. but it was pretty it was pretty funny. just watching these guys watch team. america you know. and uh so we we would do a lot of that. we would do a lot of the collateral. duties and uh you know every once in a. while we got to get in on a pretty cool. op what were you guys. hitting were they. what kind of targets. you know there was um. a lot of a lot of guys making you know v. bids ieds.

yep that type of stuff. um a lot of a lot of residents you know. resident homes just stuff stuff like. that but. um. yeah. for me it i wasn't really. as a as a new guy that came over three. months into deployment i wasn't involved. in you know the targeting or the intel. side of things at all it was just like. i was on a need to know basis yeah go. hit this house yeah were you guys. getting in a lot of engagements or was.

it a lot of dry holes. mixtures. um. yeah i would say. i would say it was uh. it was i would say it was more like a. mixed bag yeah. you know definitely um. you know definitely uh. you know a hairy event here or there but. for the most part it was just. you know overwhelming.

you know overwhelming our target or the. enemy before they could you know do. anything and you. you know how that goes i mean when you. roll in. to somebody's. neighborhood. with 15 or 20 team guys. and i mean can you ima can you imagine. being on the other side of that. it's like. you have two choices. you surrender. or you're dead that's it. you know i mean you might you might.

if you're good. you might get one or two of us but. you're not gonna you're not gonna. survive that yeah it's not. and i think. you see real quick. that most people. make. make the choice of survival yeah walk us. through. your first op. like your first real world up what were. you carrying what were you feeling. what was the anxiety like.

my first real world off i was in a. turret. really yep i was i was on a 50 cal. and it was interesting because. you have nothing to compare it to you. don't know. you don't know what that's going to be. like you don't know if it the moment you. leave the base people are going to be. shooting at you. um. and. like i remember. you know one of the things i noticed was. how they would use like telephone lines.

to try you know down telephone lines to. kind of restrict access and i remember. spotting at night you know down. telephone down telephone lines and uh. guys being like hey make sure you make. sure you duck back in. um. and just you know holding security for. guys while they while they went and did. their mission but. um. yeah i had a we had a 50 cal. i think i had my m4 in the uh in the.

turret with me a sig-226 on my side. and i think my m4 had a hipley laser on. it oh wow that's. yeah. it's like cool. they're big basically a big infrared. spotlight yeah with the cross with the. crosshair in the middle of it. and so. you know it was just pretty wild that. was you know for for me anyway pretty. pretty mundane up overall but just being.

you know a month and a half out of out. of buds it was pretty cool what do you. think your biggest fear was heading out. the door for that. just failing letting the guys down right. i think they they had shown so much. trust in us. to even bring us out on ops without. because. for the viewers and the listeners out. there. most the time you'll go through a year. and a half work up before you'll ever go. on a deployment. so just the fact that they trusted us to.

you know go on these ops with them and. watch their back. was a big deal and i definitely didn't. want to let them down man it's cool that. you said that you know i was expecting. getting shot getting blown up. your biggest fear was letting the team. down. yeah and i mean that doesn't mean that i. didn't have those other fears too. because i did i knew going in that. that the the biggest. risk was to get blown up. with an ied yeah and.

you know some would argue that. especially when you're turret gun and. you're you're pretty much the mo. the most uh vulnerable person because. half your body's sticking out of the. vehicle yeah. um but. um. you know. i'm just grateful that. you know. i got to. come home to my family and my kids and. but. there's a flip side to that too you know. i mean. you know that.

others didn't. and i think that. that's been one of the things i think. i've struggled with the most. is just some of my buddies that didn't. come home and. you know. what. you. you ask why me. why did i get to come home and you know. or or you know it's not it's maybe a. little narcissistic but even sometimes. you let yourself go there and. well if i was there. would it have changed anything you know.

yeah. did you guys lose anybody on that. deployment. um still team three did yeah. our platoon did not. but uh. task unit two bruiser. probably i don't know maybe a month. after i was there mark lee was killed he. was the first seal killed in iraq and he. was killed. down in ramadi which was like 30 miles. from us. and then so we had worked that night as.

well and i remember. coming back. and i don't remember if i was on the op. or if i if i stayed back but i just. remembered. we just hot washed the trucks. brought them back got them ready because. by that point. we knew that um. one of our guys had been killed right. down the road and so we just. you know re-gassed up the trucks got. them cleaned. and then we convoyed down to msr. michigan to ramadi for.

the uh memorial service we we held like. a little memorial service there and. um. yeah that you know. i remember. um. kind of feeling like a fish out of water. because. i'd never met mark. and. he was a he was a new guy like me with. that was his first deployment. but i remember.

wanting to show respect. you know to the to the older guys and to. his brothers who knew him. um. and uh. yeah. i mean it was. it was pretty it was pretty. crummy because. not long after. i think it was um. ryan jobe was shot. i think in that same. i believe in that same uh.

engagement and he was shot in the face. and um. and both of those were new guys. and so as a new guy you're thinking to. yourself well is it because they're not. wired tight is it because they're not. doing you know. what why is it new guys that keep. getting hit and so you're. you're running the math in your head. and it wasn't but maybe another month. and a half later that mikey monsoor.

in that same deployment. was killed as well another new guy. and so i just remember. you know. thinking. hey. you know the odds are. that it it's gonna be you know if if. somebody gets killed in this unit it's. for whatever reason it's going to be one. of us yeah but. um. and i know that that's.

silly but you. you do start you do start picking up on. the trend right. um. but yeah i mean it's it makes it real. really quick. when guys at the team. you know are dying yeah. so you wrapped up that deployment yeah. actually you know what if. if you're willing to talk about it what. was that memorial like because i've. heard. of guys having viking funerals out there.

on you know in country and and if you. don't then that's perfectly fine. yeah i just remember. i can't. i can all i can remember was. all i can remember was us an anxiety. level because guys were pissed. guys were furious. and i'm like this new guy peon. who just. you know wants to show respect.

and not. you know. make anything about. make anything about me and just like. head down. you know. i remember. like i i think i walked up to the casket. or something and uh. i can't we were supposed to do we were. supposed to do something. but. i can't remember if we were supposed to. salute it or or what we were supposed to.

do but. um. some somebody came up to me afterwards. and had you know said something like i. didn't show enough respect or something. like that. and i was like uh well man i apologize. dude you know and um. but it was. it was one of those it was one of those. moments i think where guys are. guys are pissed off they're looking to. take it out on somebody and when you're. a new guy in the team like you are you. are a prime target.

um but i i. i do remember. they were playing music in the. background and. you know one of the uh one of the songs. they played was crazy game of poker by. oar. and i remember that because it was one. of my favorite songs. but. you know i just. you know i just felt i felt awful. for. mark and his family i knew that he was. married at the time. um. and i felt awful for the the other dudes.

that just lost their brother. and i felt awful that i'd never got a. chance to meet him just because you know. i'd heard so many good things about him. one of the cool one of the coolest. things because i've got a chance to uh. be become pretty close with mark's mom. debbie oh really yeah mama lee. she's an amazing woman and she still. does a lot today for the community. um. and uh one of the coolest things that i.

learned about mark was that he would. carry the 48 without a sling. and if you've ever carried a mark 48. machine gun for longer than five minutes. you'll realize really quick that you. want to sling on that thing yeah. or to put the carrying handle like in. your carabiner. on your kit but he would he wouldn't do. it like he was just a beast yeah and i'm. like you know that made me respect him a. lot he was my uh headmate buds when i. showed up for was he yeah yeah he was a. really humble.

uh cool guy to be around was he yeah. yeah but. so you wrapped up that deployment you. come home. i'm back with a wife. yeah how's that going. uh. it was. um it wasn't good. it wasn't good um. and and and the the biggest i think one. of the biggest reasons it wasn't good. was because of immaturity.

uh you know on both of our parts but um. we also. we also just had. it's like pretty close after i got back. i got put into chris kyle's platoon. immediately. and then during. um. during ult i think it was we had our. first kid. and so. not only did i have chris kyle as my. opio. who loved to just hammer new guys like.

he like he loved it. um. and so i had that going on at work every. day and then i'd come home and i had a. newborn in you know in my bedroom at. night. and. so you combine that with immaturity. and two people that are trying to figure. out how to be married and and live. together. um. you know it was just. on top of. you know. i would say.

some you know extra stress that comes. with that job. and you know it was a combination for. i don't know what a good word is maybe. dysfunction yeah yeah. and it's not like. you know it's not i'm not saying it was. i'm not saying it was always bad or. anything like that but. one of the things sean that i want to do. for the rest of my life man is.

i just want to try and bless other. people and help other people man because. when you front and when when it's always. a facade and you're always trying to put. on this like oh everything's hunky-dory. all the time you're not helping anybody. yeah and most the people out there. watching this right now that's not their. reality they're struggling with. something. you know and it took it took me and my. wife a while. like. um. probably took 10 years. before i felt like we had a good.

marriage wow and i didn't know that that. would ever even i didn't. i was at the point where i didn't know. that that would it was even possible. like it was even in the cards for me. you know how you have a certain. experience. for even a year or two and you're like. oh this is. probably what it's going to be like you. know there's probably no changing this. well when when you've been at something. for 10 years and it's like. at best good. most often it's.

mediocre. you're like this is the ceiling i mean. this is this is the reality. and so um. yeah i mean at that point it was it was. tough because there were just a lot of. new brand new dad i didn't even want to. be a dad while i was in the. in the military because i didn't want to. be. um i don't want to be away from my kids. and i didn't want to be an absentee. father so. now we've got a newborn. sleeping in our room every night going.

dealing with one of the biggest. hazers known to man. he like you know it was just like. talk about walking around it on. eggshells at work. i mean i don't know what your platoons. were like i don't know what your new. guys your new guy experience was like. but when you know i had i had buddies. that we graduated were there were a. couple doors down in a different platoon. and they're like nah man that's chill. you know we don't get messed with much. and. not us bro really oh dude yeah it was.

like. we were always like watching each. other's back i mean it was always like. it's almost like you resume swim buddy. rules like hey. don't don't go in there without a swim. buddy you know. could get out of control quick but. you know looking back on it man it's it. was. it was good in ways just because what. doesn't kill you makes you stronger yeah. what was he doing. i mean it was just like um.

you know it was it was like uh. there were a lot of a lot of rules right. a lot of rules like i remember one of. the rules was. you know you have a crazy you have a. crazy week. you know training or whatever and then. you get a. go home spend time with your family on. the weekends right but that not in my. platoon bro like. you had to be the rule was you're. supposed to be at any bar. in san diego within 20 minutes ready to.

buy. buy a beer. get choked out and clean up puke out of. the. you know the the the restroom like. i remember and having like if it didn't. matter if you and your wife had like a. date night and you guys needed some time. you know some time. date night no. get your ass down here. be it be at danny's in 15 minutes and it. was just like it was just like. um thankfully because i had a newborn at. home and chris like was big on family he.

let me off the hook more than the other. guys but because i was the only guy. there was only like. i think two or three guys in that. platoon that even had kids. so chris did like you know he did give. me a little leeway because i had it i. had a kid. nice yeah. did you go to sniper school that platoon. well this gives me another great. opportunity to talk about failure. perfect yeah. um so.

i uh. i. i i did go to sniper school but i didn't. make it through sniper school i made it. through pick and then scout and i didn't. qualify. um. with the uh with with the m4. oh good and so you have to qualify um. expert. to move on and i didn't qualify so. that was that was hard because i came. back and basically you know i had to. tell chris that.

you know that i'd let him down. because he. i was the only one that he sent. oh man yeah i mean you can imagine yeah. especially of all the snipers out there. to have to tell that to yep. yep chris kyle yeah damn it it was rough. man. um. and i mean. you want to talk about like feeling like. a complete turd you know i did. and. thankfully. i got the opportunity.

um during the next workup. to uh go back through and they didn't. make me they didn't make me go through. pick and scout they just let me go to. snipe sniper school once i qualified no. nice for those listening sniper school i. don't know if it still is but used to be. broken up into three portions so yeah. pick was. learning a lot of taking pictures. sending them over a secure net over. satcom radios all that kind of stuff.

right scout is all stalking so basically. learn all the reconnaissance type stuff. building high sites. all that kind of stuff before you. actually get to. the shooting portion right correct yep. cool. yeah. and um. you know man it's it's crazy like when. you look at. just like. scout. for example like stalking. you know. the second when i was going through.

sniper school this the second time. um and i actually got into the third. portion which is actually this sniper. portion where you all you do is shoot. but you still have to do some stocks and. then some live fire. um some live fire shots. um in the midst of it it's it's wild. when you just look at what you have to. do. for for the audience out there i'll give. you like an idea of like what uh.

i remember out in attibury indiana which. is where we do our sniper portion they. had this like. this grass stock and it's a thousand. yards and so you don't have. you didn't really have i mean it you. when you when you show up. when you show up like they drop you off. on the edge of this field and then you. have to. you the the instructors will be a. thousand yards away where the targets. are. and so most of it is just grass and it's. like you know probably about.

probably about that high and there's a. there's a tree here or there but most of. it's just grass. and so you'll spend. and you had to get within i think it was. like 300 yards. of your target. and you don't have a range finder so the. only thing you can use to range is your. the the reticle in your scope your night. force scope which is what we had at the. time and so. what you would do is you basically spend. three hours crawling. in in the grass so that they couldn't. see you.

and you would have a drag bag so you'd. have your your gun. tied to your body. tethered to your body and you would drag. you would drag your gun so that it. wouldn't create like you wouldn't wear. it as a backpack to create like a bigger. profile so that they could see you so. you have like 40 guys on this grass. stock that you know you all take off at. the same time you you know you've got. four hours you've got to get within. build an ffp or like a final firing. position within like 300 yards.

of the target you've got a bunch of. instructors at the other end all of them. have spotting scopes and they know where. you're starting from they know what time. you're starting and so all they're doing. is just burning the the field like. looking at the field and then behind you. you have what they call walkers which. are other instructors. and so. how it works is you everybody takes off. and guys are like you know looking at. the field is there any dead space are. there any like high points of ground.

that i can use to stay behind so that. these guys over here can't see me and. everybody takes off and you hope you. pick a good you hope you pick a good. route to to start going down because. sometimes it's hard to tell like what. the terrain's gonna look like five six. hundred yards down the road. um and so. um you take off. and if they if you hear a whistle blows. everybody has to freeze right where. you're at. because the instructor has the. instructors down on the spotting scope.

have seen something. and so what they'll do is is they'll be. like okay um. and they so what they'll do is they'll. put the spotting scope on one of the. walkers one of the instructors that's. just walking the field with with the. snipers that are moving through. it'll be like okay say you're a walker. all right sean i got a i got us i got a. student he. take take 20 paces forward instructor. sean and so you'll take 20 paces forward. and then they'll be like okay. come right five paces and then you'll. come right five page faces be like okay.

back two paces left and then you'll take. two paces left okay and then he'll be. like all right there's a sniper at your. feet i can't i know i know that's where. i saw him duck in. and if if you if there is a student. you know. right right at his feet within a couple. feet of him that's one hit. right. and so you can only get. i think you can only get. three hits. per stock per stock and you cannot you. can't get you can't get the same you.

can't get the same hit twice if you get. the same hit like if. and it gets a lot harder than that. because. even that's even that's difficult but. then. once once. you know. um. you get within 300 yards that's where or. within within that. range where you have to build a final. firing position and take a shot this is. when it gets really hard. because now. you start building a final firing. position and so you've got clippers on.

you you know you're you're vegging up. you're taking veg that matches the. environment that you're in and you're. stuffing it in your ghillie suit you're. preparing your hat and you're doing it. all like really slowly so that the. because these guys. movement will pick up quicker than. anything else in their spotting scope. and so you find try and find a good. fight. bush or something to get into or even. just some tall grass and you're moving. really slowly um.

to try and make sure that there's not. you know. that that there's enough veg in between. you and them to where once they start. burning the area they won't be able to. see you but. once you say okay i feel good about my. spot i've got enough. related veg in my in my ghillie suit. i'm ready to take my shot i don't think. that they're gonna be able to see me. once they start burning this area what. they'll do is they'll. you you'll be like. oh say i'm the sniper i'll be like all.

right shooter ready. and i'll i'll call out because i'm still. 300 yards from them right so they can't. hear really my voice very well so i'll. be like hey instructor sean i'm ready to. take my shot. and then be like okay so you'll come up. over the radio and you'll be like all. right i've got a shooter that's ready. you'll make sure that you're not close. to me yet you'll make sure that you're. 10 yards from me and then you'll say. okay i got a shooter that's ready and so. what the instructors start doing is they. start they know that there's a shooter. 10 yards from you he can't be further.

than 10 yards and so they start burning. the bushes the grass can they see. anything can they see a glint off of. your scope can they see like a piece of. your shoulder that you didn't veg up or. whatever. and they'll be like okay. you know. um. move to five five yards and then. instructor sean you know we'll move five. yards from the shooter. and now they'll start burning five yards. around the instructor. it gets worse and if they hit you if. they see you at any point that's a you. know that's one hit.

in your ffp for you know being visible. to them so if you get one more you're. done. so. then they'll be like okay move within. two feet the so the instructor moves. like to where he's like right on top. damn near right on top of you and as. you're laying there behind your gun. you're like. of course they're going to see me i mean. you're damn near standing right on top. right on top of me but that's how it. works and you have to be so well. concealed that. even when he's two feet from you they. can't see anything.

and it's not done yet because then you. still have to take your shot. and it either whether it's a live fire. shot or it's a blank shot. you you have to set things up because. when your gun when when you shoot a shot. it expels a lot of the gases right so if. they see if they see grass move. right or anything that's a hit. and so. and it's still not over because you have. to be within 10 of what you range that.

shot at. so you have to do you have there's no. there's no range finder you're using the. reticle in your scope. to um range how far they are from you. and if you're if you're um more than ten. percent. off. you you fail and so. it's yeah and that's just this that's. just the that's just the stalking some. of the stocking portion wow yeah that's. wow yeah it's it's legit man it it.

really is because like especially once. you've been like. not all the stocks were grass stocks. where you had to crawl the entire time. but i remember one of them was a you. know no kidding at a. grass stock there was a thousand yards. and not you you crawled you had to crawl. for like three hours. just to get up. i mean that. crawford crawl for. 30 minutes and let me know how you're. feeling yeah you know. and. you know it's it's it's impressive what.

what the uh the guys have to go through. to get through. damn. so if you get three hits on the same. stock you're done yep you failed the. stock because it seems like. i mean. whatever you know i mean they're. producing the best snipers out there but. it seems like if you get caught right. off the bat. i mean. and you're crawling yeah i mean you're. not gonna. they could just track it. yeah the whole time yeah it's it's. so if they don't want you there you're.

you're gone. yeah i i think there's some. you know i noticed that um. hunters. did really well really yeah. guys that were just used to. you know always trying to outsmart the. game and you know be camouflaged. um. really well i i noticed that they just. did guys that really. spent a lot of time out in the field. hunting. seemed to do really well at sniper. school which which was pretty cool to.

see yeah makes a lot of sense yeah. how many guys made it through that. you know. we had a pretty. pretty high attrition rate we actually. lost. i want to say five or six guys not be. we lost a couple because of sniper. school but we lost probably four or five. guys because of a van fight. yeah. no kidding like they.

some guys went to uh i think bloomington. indiana where um iu is and got into a. van fight coming back and just. destroyed the van and. they. they the cadre wasn't having it even. though the guys were like we'll pay for. it out of our own pocket and so a bunch. of dudes got shipped home. damn. typical team guys [ __ ] yep. did you guys have murph. there teaching nope murphy no.

i just curious. so you went back to the team yeah i. guess if you want we can breeze over. that. second deployment. you went back to the team as a sniper. yep and then. and then what. um yeah and then uh. it was unfortunate. in ways because by that point. um we were no longer allowed to even. carry our weapons on ops.

yeah so yeah so um. it was 2010. and we were turning over. this was my third and final deployment. in the teams we were turning over. um with the iraqi. um with the iraqis. and they you know they wanted to. de-escalate everything yeah and so. snipers don't typically do that and so. we weren't. we we weren't doing sniper over watches. anymore. the majority of what we were doing was.

da's. a bunch of fed. and. one of the biggest missions we had on. that deployment was to try and find um. a guy that was m.i.a or k.i.a. and they hadn't. they hadn't found his body yet. and it was major troy gilbert. oh he was an f-16 pilot. and uh he was. uh shot down over fallujah he was.

bailing out some uh sf guys that weren't. a pretty pretty bad tick i think back in. 06 i think that that's when when this. whole thing went down and. he got his f-16 got shot down. and. they they got to the crash crash site. and there was enough. you know like blood in the cockpit. that they thought there was a good. chance that he was dead but they weren't. sure. but his body wasn't there and so.

um. they embedded a guy with us and i can't. remember what. who exactly he worked for he was a. former sf guy but. his job was to. help try and bring any kia mia guys home. and so we spent a good deal of that. deployment looking for the major. did you get them. we didn't. they did get them.

i think it was a group of team guys. maybe two years later finally. finally brought his remains home but it. was pretty cool i got i've got to meet. his wife. ginger and their kids. dude it was crazy man he had like five. kids. and uh he had two twin baby girls there. were like less than one when he was. killed oh man. and they are the. kindest sweetest people you've ever met. and i felt i. i remember i was at an event in.

scottsdale it was like a golf tournament. like raffle or something. and uh. i think we we donated some products to. be. raffled off and they asked if i wanted. to come up and be a part of it and i. didn't. i didn't really know who was going to be. there but when they were like oh. um. gold star um this gold star family's. gonna be here and uh i. you know did the math put the name. together and i was like oh man that's. uh.

a part of me wanted to. tell her you know tell her hey there. there really are guys overseas looking. for your husband. um but i i i didn't. i. felt a little torn i didn't want to. bring up any of you know like. upset or anything like that but i i went. and it i decided to go introduce myself. and i introduced myself to her and uh i. told her hey. there are guys looking for your husband.

i know we were we were looking for your. husband and she was just the sweetest. lady i'd ever met and she was. i could tell she was glad to hear that. because i know they get told that by a. lot of people. like a lot of high-ranking folks but to. actually have somebody that was on the. ground. you know um. watching you know. sledgehammers and pickaxes go into. concrete slabs in case he was buried. underneath it. you know i think. you could tell it meant.

yeah something to them damn. how where did they find them do you know. it was like in the same area that we. were it was in the within the same area. that we were working in so it was kind. of. you know unfortunate but i'm just glad. that they found him yeah i did feel bad. for the family though because i think. that they had like. three. you know. three funerals for him and i'm just glad. they finally got to. you know they finally got to uh.

actually bring his remains home. you know. was he. yeah he was dead yeah i mean was he. did they [ __ ] mutilate him or. anything. you know i didn't i didn't know a lot of. that i didn't i didn't hear about that. and i'm kind of glad. i didn't hear about it because. i remember when they were giving us the. brief on hey you guys are going to be. looking for. the major. um. i remember they showed us pictures of.

his kids. and his family and that was something. that always got to me. like. you know even when even was even when. chris was killed like i remember being. fine. what you know through the memorial. service but. he as soon as i saw pictures of his kids. man. because they don't get to choose yeah. you know they now they go through life. without a dad and. that just hurts man. yeah.

yeah that's something that always got me. at the at the memorial services when. you see a five-year-old. get a folded up flag handed to him yeah. then the bagpipes land. but uh. let's take a break yeah let's do it.

all right eli we're back from the break. we had a little discussion and um i was. gonna go right into kind of your. transition and and reintegrating in into.

civilian life but you brought up. a specific story so let's let's cover. that real quick it was on your first. deployment yeah yeah. you know peop sometimes people will ask. me like um. did you get were we ever scared. and. the answer is yeah. i was. and. um. one of the. one of the times that was the scariest. for me was.

um actually on a sniper overwatch on my. first deployment. where we started getting mortared. and. um. sort of like. kind of unpacked unpack that um. typically we would you know we'd we'd go. in. at at night and we would take a house. that we thought would give us. good sight lines for whatever we wanted. to watch.

and one. one day we were watching i think we were. watching msr michigan for people. planning v bids or not not v bits i'm. sorry ieds and we we also knew that. some partner forces were going to be. patrolling through that area so we. wanted to make sure that if they came. under contact that we could support them. and. so i remember we came in you know in the. middle of the night. um there was a family in the house and. when when there is and there often was.

you. you can do a couple things you can. either. you can either make them stay in the. house. or you can let them you can let them go. and either way. um especially at that point in the war. that was in 2006. the locals kind of knew what was going. on whether you let them out or you kept. them because they would kind of do check. in on people because they knew that type. of stuff happened like if if the ryan. family didn't come out send their kids. to school by you know 0-800 they knew.

there was a good chance the americans. were in their house. right. or if you let them go they're probably. gonna tell people hey there's americans. in our house and so. i remember. um going in there. and then you know. taking this house that we thought had. good sight lines. and then um. getting all getting all set up and ready. to go for the next day. and as a new guy. you know my job wasn't to be on a sniper.

rifle my job was to hold security and so. i remember my job was to watch the west. side of the house and so they. you know i found a good spot. by by a window a little bit. back into the room where i could watch. you know pretty much everything that was. going down on the left side of the house. and you know i took off a lot of my gear. but just had like my frags like laid. laid out by you know by the window. and i had a mark 48 machine gun.

and. you know as the sun came up. and most of our snipers we probably had. four or five snipers on the op most of. them were facing north watching. this msr michigan you know road that was. out in front of the house. and. uh. i remember. i don't i don't know maybe. maybe. i don't know maybe an hour so after. daylight one of our snipers took a shot. killed you.

know killed a bad guy. and then. probably. you know probably. three or more three or four more times. our snipers started just starting. engaging people. i remember one of them. you know one of them shot. this uh. this guy in this car. um. on my side of the house where i could. see it like it was. shot through a car windshield like the.

front. the front windshield. i remember looking out the side of my. window. and sure enough this right in the. driver's side. you know. front of this windshield had a big old. spider spider vein bullet hole in it and. this guy was dead one of our snipers. shot him through the head. and um. it was it was in. it was it got pretty eerie really quick. because. um he they the sniper shot him right in.

front of a school. whoa. and so within and i was so i was. watching this everybody's amped up shots. are being fired we're starting to kill. bad guys. and i remember um. probably 10 minutes later. a bunch of women and children first a. couple women or a couple kids i think. came out saw it. and then the screaming started right. these women and children are just. screaming and crying and i remember them. pulling his dead body out of the car.

and pulling him into the school. and my spidey senses were through. started going through the roof. it just made so like my spidey senses. knew yeah they were like there's no. there's no better way. to start a fight. than to rile up. women and children because as they get. riled up emotions start getting riled up. and then people want revenge and i just. knew it i knew we were gonna get hit. and so. sure enough like 45 minutes later you.

know the small arms start you know first. it's indirect you can just hear it. cracking over. you know cracking over the heads. and uh. and then it starts getting more direct. and you can start to hear it you know. you know hitting the building a little. bit. and uh you know all everybody's on full. alert just ready to rock and roll. and i don't know maybe. 10 or 15 minutes later the first mortar. hear it pop up in the air.

and uh. there's a guy named mike. one of our snipers who was on the same. level as me we weren't on the roof we. were on the the level below the roof and. he had. he had propped his mark 11 up on a desk. and that's what he was using as his. platform mark 11 11's a sniper rifle for. those mark 11 it's like a it's like a. sniperized ar-10 or a 762 magazine fed. sniper rifle. it with with a suppressor on it.

and uh i remember mike mike was a badass. like mike was you know. tough as nails but definitely the type. of guy you don't want to mess with and i. remember. as soon as that first. you know mortar round popped up in the. air. i heard mike's voice change. and he yells over to me he's like. take. cover. and uh. and i was like. if mike's telling me that and i can hear. it in his voice this is serious.

and so. first first more round comes up you know. here it is here it explode not a direct. hit. and then they just start popping these. mortar rounds up in the air and i'll. tell you sean i don't think i've ever. been as scared in my life because. it is like the movies man you know. you can hear those things whistling. through the air. and the difference like when you get. shot at. it happens so fast you don't really have. time to be scared. right but with with.

mortar rounds in coming like and you can. hear those things whistling for five six. seconds in the air. the whole time you're thinking is this. it i wonder if if this you know if this. is a direct hit this hits hits this. house we're done. and uh. thankfully. um. these guys really didn't want it. i could tell they didn't want an. extended fight they kind of wanted. to just um see if they could hit us with.

the mortar rounds and then and then get. the hell out of here so we didn't. pinpoint their location and kill them. but. because i think they only launched like. four or five mortar rounds one of them. i do remember one of them though hit on. the west side of the house probably like. 60 yards from my window and frag you. know flew up and through the window. and that you know that was. you know pretty pretty close but i'm. just glad that you know they they were. off on their. on their shots but. then um.

our aoic at the time. called in artie. and uh. from uh i think from from habaneria and. that was pretty cool to hear the big. guns start you know. start going off in the distance and then. the tree line that we thought we were. taking. um the mortars from you know started. getting started getting rocked and in. the fight the fight was over at that. point but that's always that's a scary. feeling man not only. not only.

hearing mortar rounds you know. you know whistle whistle through the air. and not knowing where they're gonna hit. you're taking small arms fire but. like when you're when you're in a sniper. overwatch or a situation like that. you're. you're usually in one of the worst. neighborhoods on planet earth and. there's like 10 to 15 of you. and you're in somebody else's city and. you're constantly thinking how many how. many bad guys can they muster to send at. us yeah and if you know.

when you know that you're probably not. going to get extracted till nightfall. because. nobody wants to risk the vehicles in in. the daylight which you know we didn't. always own we usually own the night. you know that we. we could be in for it you know for a. while. yeah it's that. it's like a feeling. i've been in a couple of similar. situations and uh it's like. the feeling of helplessness. there's nothing you can do yeah you. can't.

figure out where it's coming from. if you can like it's the tree line you. can't. yeah there's no target to shoot you're. just gonna eat it. and. hope it stops soon you know hope you. don't eat it and hope it stops soon and. there's. it's. completely out of your control yeah. but. yeah damn. how did you guys get out of there. uh like i said um.

they. i think i think on that op we were gonna. stay for a couple days. but i think they decided to pull us. i think they pulled us that night and as. soon as it as soon as it got nightfall. um. we uh we went to rally point and and uh. you know the. our guys came in and picked us up yeah. but other team guys or yeah yeah yeah. damn. and when you say 10 to 15 guys.

they're spread out in different ops. right. now on that one we were all in the same. we were all in that when we were all in. the same house but yeah that does happen. sometimes where you spread them out but. i want to say there were probably. there were probably 10 12 guys on that. op okay and then we had our partner. force was downstairs holding holding. security. um. but yeah it was uh you know.

it was. an interesting you know definitely and. that was probably. it wasn't the closest call i've ever had. but it was the most scared i've ever. been. in combat just because. the anticipation factor that come with. mortars and you just being able to hear. it for five six seconds before it hits. somewhere and. you're wondering where it's gonna hit. that you know that. yeah.

what was the closest call. the closest call would be would have. been on my next on my. on my next platoon my third and final. platoon and we uh we got ambushed by. three. three guys at about 110 yards. and. and i was like laying in the street. nowhere to go just watching tracer. rounds just fly over us oh [ __ ] yeah it. was it was pretty wild man um. i uh.

i was a point man that night and so. i was leading us we had like a 600. 600 yard patrol into. the target house that we were going to. hit and we were going after a dude that. was making v v bids and ieds and just a. really bad dude. and. unfortunately it was the first night. that we'd given our partner force the. eight-digit grid. coordinates of the target that we were. gonna hit and sure enough we got lit up. you know that's been going on in warfare.

for a long time you know just. partner forces playing both sides of the. yeah you know. the fence. and uh it was. it was kind of uh surreal just because. the uh. there were i think two guys had an ache. two guys had aks and then one guy had it. um. it looked like an rpk. a belt fed heavy machine gun and he had. he had belted together probably. two two belts probably 200 rounds of.

tracer. so you could just see every round just. like flying over your head and. thank god they were shooting. you know maybe a foot or so high and so. none of us got hit. but. when when i went back. that night and looked at it on the uh. because we had a pre we had a predator. we had two apaches and then a c-130. overhead and i watched the predator feed. and we actually used some of the tools. to like measure how far we were from.

them. and uh. it was 110 yards which is not it that's. not far for. those type of weapons. so. that was definitely the. my closest call. well let's talk about your transition. and um so you came home you did three. combat deployments yeah. come home do you have two kids at this. point. i had one kid at that point the other. one would come in about a year.

how was that reintegrating. you know. um. it was still like i said my marriage. didn't get good until like 10 years in. and. so it was still it was still pretty. tough. because. i came home and probably two years after. coming home. while i was on shore duty we started. after having our second kid we started. our small small business bottle breacher.

and so you bring the stress of running a. small business together. into a marriage that's not even you know. really good to begin with two small kids. and. you know in in my case. somebody who was dealing with. whatever mental issues i was dealing. with you know but i had some pretty. severe anger and rage issues at the time. and i think i had some pretty. legit survivors guilt um.

and maybe some other stuff going on but. um. you know it was. i was just in survival mode because i. knew. i knew at that point i was getting out. and i was watching friends of mine get. out and struggle. to to find something they could sink. their teeth into you know. not just some. find some job but. um. you know. so that was. it it was a very difficult time.

for us but it was a you know i'm. grateful because. i'd learned so much in the teams about. unconventional warfare. and i saw the application. in business. and so. just use that same. drive the same resiliency and tenacity. and. use the same type of tactics.

unconventional tactics to try and build. a business and so. it was a bittersweet time. interesting. so how. how long after you separated from the. teams did you start bottle breacher. i started it while i was in the team you. started while you were in the teams yeah. how old were you when you left the teams. i see. oh man are you gonna make me do math. yeah i thought you weren't gonna put me. on this spot well let's see where i'm. going is you made your first million at. 35. yeah so.

um i was probably 30. 33 years old when i started it. so you made your first million in two. years of being a business yeah that's. amazing yeah it was and obviously a lot. of it had to do. with shark tank. we. um and obviously it's not in business. it's not. it's not what you make it's what you. keep right but. um. in year.

in year one at bottle breacher. uh we were we did 150k which just blew. my mind when i started this thing. i i wanted. you know 50 you know or i'm sorry like. 500 a month that was my goal for like. supplemental income and. i wasn't even thinking about growing a. company necessarily just making some. cool products and selling them for. supplemental income. and so in year two. we really started ratcheting things up. and i think we were we were gonna hit.

about that we were projecting. about 900 000 to a million in our second. year. and then um. that halfway through the year was when i. pitched to go on shark tank. and we were doing about eighty thousand. dollars a month out of that one car. garage damn yeah eighty thousand dollars. a month yep and we had and it was a one. car garage sean so it was a. manufacturing facility. in a one-car garage and we had four.

laser engravers in there. we had a polishing wheel in there. i had a little honda efi generator. because my power my house couldn't. support all the all the drain from all. the equipment we had two laptop. computers in there. um like we had shell. shelving for uh you know our the. outgoing order rack and then we my kayak. was like still hanging in the ceiling. like it was it was crazy. but. it was wild. i remember going to an open casting call.

for shark tank after i applied the i had. applied online and not heard anything. from them so i went to an open casting. call which was like probably. 10 minutes down the road from my house. down the 163. and uh. i remember i didn't even practice my. pitch i just walked i. i had this cool cigar box. i laser engraved the shark tank logo on. it and my logo the bottle breacher logo.

and. um. i remember uh. did you know kevin lace you know kevin i. never met him i know who he is i've. never met him so he uh. he worked with clint eastwood on the. movie american sniper and kevin was in. my platoon. um from 06 to 08. and so. kevin was kind of tech you know like a. technical advisor on the movie. and he reached out to me. when he was uh when they were wrapping.

things up with a movie and asked me if i. would make. bottle breachers for the cast and crew. of the movie. so it was really cool i got to make. clint eastwood a bottle breacher. bradley cooper bottle breacher and just. all all the guys whatever names kevin. gave me so we did a really cool like. limited edition. uh bottle breacher for those guys and uh. um. kevin did me a solid and he got a a. picture with him and clint eastwood. holding up his bottle breacher oh that's. it so i took that picture and i put it.

on the inside cover the uh cigar box. and so i i. went to an open casting call. where only the first 500 people got. guaranteed the opportunity to pitch so. so i showed up like it one in the. morning so that i could pitch these guys. at like one in the afternoon the next. day. and uh. i got in front of this lady her name was. mindy and i i opened the cigar box and. it. it had the clint eastwood you know.

picture with him holding his bottle. breach and then i had an assortment of. the other some of the other skus that we. did because i wanted her to see it. wasn't just one thing like there were. there were varieties that we could do. right and it happened to be like. father's day weekend. and so i laser engraved happy father's. day on some of them. and i was like i was like man would you. believe it if i told you that i've sold. 80 000 of this product out of a one car. garage about 15 miles from this location. and she's like no you haven't i was like.

so i pulled up my phone and i had my. etsy app on my phone and i started. scrolling and i showed her this is how. much revenue we've done this how many. orders we've done. you know this how many messages we have. and then i showed her the product. you know. some of the i showed her the variety of. products because you only have like a. minute to pitch these guys and then it's. it's right you know they want you to. keep it real short so they can get. people out of there. and so. i said do you have any do you have any. men like a dad or a brother in your life.

that would think that this was cool and. she's like are you kidding me my dad and. my brothers would freak out over this. thing she happened to be from like iowa. or something and like just you know. um. and and i was like well i'm going to. leave these with you you this is how. much we've done in sales this is the. back story you know i'm still an active. duty seal. this is clint eastwood does he look. happy with this thing and she's like. yeah and. so they they told us when we did the. open casting call they were like look.

um. don't call us we'll call you right and. if you hear from us it won't be for a. couple weeks. that was on a saturday. monday morning at like 0 8 30 i had an. email in my inbox like hey we love the. pitch we love the product you're moving. on to the next round now you have a week. to make a video. so we had to call a videographer figure. out like a script and how we were going. to shoot this thing and then um. and we made a video and then we just.

started going down the shark tank. pipeline process. damn that is cool so you were in there. before you even separated. yeah it was crazy i uh i actually when i. when i went to sony picture studio to. pitch. that in the summer. of 14. um. i was still on terminal leave. so i had like a month left of terminal. leave. and uh so it was wild man it was wild.

like it. wait no no no that's not right i'm sorry. sometimes the days get mixed up but. so i separated i separated. in. october of 14. we went on the show in. like i think like july or august of 14. i was on terminal leave at the time. but then. when um. i got out of the navy like one the month. before our episode aired.

so it was it was just like boom right. from one thing to right from one thing. to the next. man. and it was. you know it's like. um. you know i talk i talk about my marriage. because i i realize there's people out. there that are struggling to you know. figure it out. and uh that's why that's why i talk. about it not because. i'm proud of. you know not you know not being a good. husband or something like that. but um. so yeah we went from.

seal teams two young kids right into the. kind of like the deep end. entrepreneurship-wise. and uh. we went. the day before shark tank we made like. 150. units on a good day. when i woke up the next morning i had to. make 60 000 units. and answer like 20 000 emails. and as you know for people out there. that make something. you know. you don't just. you don't snap your fingers and that.

happens overnight it takes a lot of. innovation because what. and we say this in the teams. but what used to work yesterday. no it's not going to work tomorrow you. have to innovate and figure something. new out. and we did yeah. what what is it that you think brought. you and your wife together. yeah. after struggling for so long you know it. was uh it was 100. um.

um. the catalyst was a christian men's. retreat that i went to. really yeah. 100. and i know that that does. that sounds um. like uh. something that. guys like us would typically avoid like. the plague but. and i did for a while my butt i had a i. had a good friend of mine who invited me. to come to this christian men's retreat. it was called wild at heart.

and uh he was also a shark tank business. owner he's like eli you got to come. check this thing out and i was like oh. man that sounds pretty lame. i was like. what are we going to be doing like. singing kumbaya or doing trust falls or. saying somebody going to break out. rattlesnakes or something like that. but no man it changed my life man it was. it was it was awesome. and uh. and it just showed me how. i hadn't been stepping up. i hadn't been.

i hadn't been fighting for my wife i'd. been so busy fighting with her. and and trying to be right. that i hadn't fought for her and i. hadn't fought for her heart. and it was so cool man because. um. they take you back they take you back. into their story and it's like 400 guys. that show up there it's like from all. walks of life every profession i've i've. met other team guys there i've met. rangers there i've met doctors. all sorts of all sorts of people you.

know all sorts of guys that are you know. struggling with a lot of the same things. and uh. it was just really cool because. um. like if you go back and if you go back. into. the biblical story in the biblical. narrative. we do have an enemy. who's come to steal kill and destroy. john 10 10 says the thief has come to. steal kill and destroy and it that that. ties into the whole good evil narrative.

do you believe in evil do you believe in. good. what's the origin of it right and if you. start asking some of those serious. questions. the bible has a lot of answers on that. now i get it not everybody believes the. bible i get it. but. it was just it was it was an eye-opening. experience for me because it framed it. up in a way that like. it just made so much sense for me just. made so much sense to me and it. um.

you know one of the things they cover is. why does god give you a masculine heart. as a man. because you were born into a world at. war and everything that you love you're. gonna have to fight for it. and i realized that not only. was i not fighting for my wife. but i spent a lot of my time fighting. with her. and you know it just made me want to be. a better husband it made me want to be a. better dad i knew that. unlike in the sealed teams.

i was given certain weapons for certain. jobs i knew i didn't have a lot of the. weaponry or the training to to be either. of those things but i wanted to pursue. it and i wanted to get better at it and. i wanted to work at it and so it kind of. lit a fire in me to just come back and. you know really work at those things and. it changed everything and it took it. took time. but. um. you know and and and there were other. there were other issues too like i was.

deal like i told you i was dealing with. a lot of anger and a lot of rage. and uh. there's a there's a verse in the bible. that says i stand i stand at the door. and i knock and whoever answers the. voice or whoever hears my hears my voice. and answers the door i will come in and. eat with him and eat and he with me. and i think just think it's so cool. that's something i love about the gospel. is that when you when you read the. gospel and you read how christ you know.

and jesus was here on earth he didn't. make anybody follow him he didn't make. anybody follow him. but he's he's not gonna he's knocking at. the door and i realized that there were. certain rooms in my in in my heart that. i didn't let anybody into because i. needed them. that's how i protected myself. yeah hey that room. you're not you're not allowed in there. sean. i don't care if you were a team guy or. not i need that. that's how i protect myself.

and if you get too close. watch out. and i realize man. that that. that mentality. was causing a lot of pain and a lot of. hurt. to those that are were around me it was. good at times. it was like. there was a dichotomy there i could use. it to protect us. but the moment you the moment you cross. that line. i'd use it against you. and.

and i remember praying about it and i. was like lord. will you tear this will you will you. just come into my heart and will you. tear all of this out. all of this baggage all of this anger. all of this rage. because i don't want it anymore. i'm tired of trying to carry it around. yeah. and. he did that worked yeah i did. good for you yeah man. how are you and your wife now. pretty awesome yeah yeah i mean we're. still.

we're still two human beings and we. still both struggle with selfishness. and i think that. there's a verse in ephesians it says as. husbands we're supposed to lay down our. lives for our wife like christ did for. the church and when you look at what. christ did for the church he died for. the he died he died for us. and i was i was i was dissecting that. verse i was looking at i was like. not only. you're not willing to die for your wife. you're not even. you're not even willing to.

you're not even willing to forgive her. or you're not even willing to. put your pride down and love her. and and fight for her and and it was. just like. it was so cool man because it just um. it gave me it gave me some like some. goals and you know some. a new perspective on. how much i'd let her down. and you know. and it was cool too because. you know it.

there is good and evil in this world and. i know you've seen it. i know some people have different. answers for where that comes from. but i think i think it's spiritual man. and so i think a lot of this stuff that. that we deal with. i think all of it has spiritual. connotation and spiritual foundation to. it. and it's like just like we were talking. about getting shot at. you can be getting shot at you can hear. those mortars whistling through the air.

but if you don't know where they're. coming from. good luck. you know. yeah. man that's a. i'm i'm really glad we covered all that. stuff yeah it's a real honor to be able. to interview you. well. i and i again man out of respect i know. that that's not the answer. a lot of people don't want to hear it. uh you know a lot of people would.

disagree. um. with a lot of that stuff and i'm i'm. cool with that. and i'm glad we live in a i'm glad we. live in a a country in a place where. you and i or. myself and whoever's listening or. watching. can dis. can disagree or not not believe the same. thing and we can openly talk about it. yeah because i realize there are places. around this world. if you talk like that.

you you get killed you're gonna be. thrown into prison. and to me that that. that right there is evil. i want you to be able to have a. different. opinion than me. you know i that's one thing i love about. this country man is it like. and i hope i hope it never changes. is that we can agree to disagree and we. can have difference of opinions and we. have the right. you know to worship however we want to.

worship or not at all. but the way i see it and we were talking. about some other stuff. at dinner last night but. if some if you if you've stumbled across. something or found something that worked. and you don't share that with others. you're not a teen guy at all yeah. very true.

let's start moving into politics so this. is the portion. where we cut. the show and from now on the rest of. this is gonna be over on rumble why do. we gotta do that dude well you know. there's there's a youtube friendly. version and then there's the not so. youtube friendly version but i thought i. just got done talking about. freedom of speech did i not just get. done talking about it.

you.