Mark Turner - The Russia Ukraine War | SRS #040

Hey everybody, back by popular demand. Mark Turner from the Overwatch. Foundation is coming back on to give us. an update of exactly what is going on in. Ukraine. 6 months ago, the Overwatch. Foundation was basically just an idea. He took it, ran with it. Now, he's been. back to Ukraine four different times, and he's been down to aid with the. hurricane down in Southwest Florida. Ladies and gentlemen, please subscribe,

like, and comment to the Shawn Ryan. Show. That really helps us out. And go. ahead, please jump over to iTunes and. Spotify. Leave us a review. Tell us what. you thought of the show. With that being. said, Gummy Bears, if you're on the email newsletter, they're coming back real soon, probably. around Black Friday. But the only way. you're going to find out is by signing. up for the newsletter. Anyways, love you.

guys. I hope you enjoy the show. Happy November. Cheers. One last thing everybody. I just want to. say thank you for always being there and. supporting me, this show, and the guests. that come on this show. It means the. world to all of us that you're giving us. this platform and that you want to hear. what we have to say. Love you all. Enjoy. the show. See you soon. [Music].

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Mark, welcome back, man. I'm back. Thanks for. having me back. Sean, number two. Mhm. I know why you're here. You just came. back for the gummy bears, didn't you? Just that's it. You can't buy these. things, right? I don't know what the. deal is. You can't get them anywhere. I. think you're just trying to like. artificially affect the gummy bear. market. So, I have to come all the way. down here to get gummy bears. Yeah. They're releasing uh Black Friday.

Oh, yeah. Black Friday. There's going to be a big. release. Nice. Can Can we do like a thing where I. get first crack at them before anybody. else? Absolutely. I got I know a guy. Okay, good. You got to be signed up for the. newsletter to get notified. Okay. Cuz that's all we're going to we're not. going to post. I'll get signed up then signed up. But dude, super excited to have you. back. First time you were here. Overwatch Foundation, I think, was kind. of more of an idea than than a reality. Mhm.

Came on, got a bunch of funding. You've. been to Ukraine how many times? Five times now. And how many? It's only. been like six months ago. Since February. Yeah. Five times. Five times. Five times since February. And you've. been down to Florida for the hurricane. relief. Yeah. Once. Twice. Twice already. I actually came straight here from the. hurricane. I arrived yesterday and you. know, God help the people that had to. sit next to us on the plane. My feet.

still smelled like nasty hurricane water. and all that kind of stuff. So, um, was. able to get here and get changed and. take a shower for you and all that kind. of stuff. So, uh, yeah, we just came. straight here. I didn't even go home. That's amazing, man. You know, I just. little background on you for the. audience. You came on. I can't remember. what episode, but it was back in. February. March. It was. It was Was it March? Mhm. Uh, Ukraine had just just kicked off.

you were already over there training. these guys, training local farmers all. the way up to Ukrainian special ops, correct? And um you made such an impact over. there that there's a there's there's a. very high demand for Overwatch. Foundation in Ukraine and I think you. have teams over there. Do you have team. right now over there? No, our team. actually we just finished up um our. fifth trip in Ukraine and um two of the. guys flew straight from Ukraine to the.

hurricane. Wow. So, I mean it's uh you guys are working. your asses off. Mhm. It's and it's solid work. You know, I just wanted to say, man, to starting. off, there's a couple things I want to. bring up. one is obviously the Ukraine. Russia conflict is very political and I. really respect the fact that you've left. all the political [ __ ] out and the. only thing that you and Overwatch seems.

to be interested in is human aid and um. and I think that that just speaks. volumes, you know. Um, on top of that, we had a great conversation at dinner. last night on where you guys are at now. compared to where you were, and it still. blows my mind that you're spending your. own money to send all the supplies and. everything that that um that everybody. donated. And there was a massive um.

influx of both money and gear. And so, I. want to I definitely want to thank the. audience for that. Um because of you. guys, Mark's and his team's gone over. five times now. They're doing hurricane. relief down in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Santael, Captiva. Mhm. Um and you got some. really eyeopening footage on that. And. um so anyways, uh I want to donate I if. you want to donate to Overwatch. Foundation, the links are in the.

description uh right up top. your money. is definitely going to a good. organization. You can actually see the. impact that you're making. So, thank you for that, man. No, thank you. It's uh and you know I I. I'm going to take some time at some. point during all this to to talk about. what the people have done because you. know there are people that are literally. just writing on email or or faces when.

they send a message here or there with. pictures that have done so much for us. all the way up to people who are. actively involved in in donating and and. gear or money or whatever. It's just. been it's been incredible. So, you know, it's it's been it's been nuts. We have an amazing audience here. It's I I can't even It's hard to get. words, you know, to describe like how. incredible it's been. It's awesome, man. Well, you don't have. to cuz your actions are louder than. words, but.

wow. Here we go. All right. Here we go. Let's see. Any guesses? Oh, I I don't have any guesses. It's a. different size box than last time. I. hope there's gummy bears, but Oh, nice. There is. There they are. These You have to get. these. There they are. Mhm. These are going right in the. freezer. I already have plans, right? This bag I'll be eating before I get. home tonight. These ones are going in. the freezer when I get home. Legal in all 50 states. Exactly. Yeah.

Not that that matters cuz you're from. Illinois anyways. But. fantastic. And look, I'll I'll tell you if you're. at home and you're like, "What's the. deal?" Everybody that comes on so. worried about these gummy bears, listen, these are not like those cheap gummy. bears that you could just get from some. c-acker and fire into a bag with some. branding on it. They're really really. good gummy bears. And I'm kind of a. gummy bear snob. Like I am. I really I. really I don't eat a lot of candy, but I. like I like gummy bears, right? Um they. go good with my whiskey that I drink all.

the time, right? Freeze some gummy. bears, sit and drink some whiskey, and. just pop a couple gummy bears in. And so. I'm picky about my gummy bears, you know, and I gave you a chance last. time and then I was I told you I was. like, "Man, I'm impressed with these.". So get them, right? I mean, you don't. need me to help sell them. They sell out. in no time. But if you're out there and. you've been on the fence about the gummy. bears, pull the trigger cuz they're. they're fantastic. Thank you. All right, Mark. So, let's start diving. in.

I want to cover a little bit about what. you guys are doing down in Florida. Okay. And then we got to talk about Yuri. The whole reason that you even went to. Ukraine uh was Yuri. So I asked you to. bring Yuri in who is a Ukrainian. And um so we'll be hearing from him. later on in the interview. But yeah, we'll start off with hurricane relief. real quick and then move into what's. been going on in the five trips that. you've been to Ukraine and um and kind.

of what the morale is going is uh is. over there for for the for the people of. Ukraine, right? Let's start with let's start with. Florida. Yeah. So, the hurricane came and I. actually, you know, I do all of kind of the the forward. field operation type stuff with. Overwatch, right? We have a guy who does. uh my my partner Brad. He does a lot of. the backend. um side of the house stuff and then Yuri. is kind of helping with a bunch of the.

logistical stuff and especially with. Ukraine. Um but with the teams and all. that kind of stuff, you know, we call. them task forces. That's kind of me who. runs that, who comes, um, schedules of. where we're going and when and all that. Um, when hurricane season comes, I track. all the hurricanes, you know, I track. them from when they're tiny little baby. windstorms all the way up to when they. actually hit and they're now the. hurricane. And we we use some technology. to do all that kind of stuff. Um, so. this hurricane's coming. Of course,

we're kind of planning on going and. making the the difference that we can. make. we kind of excel on the day zero. to day four or five um kind of time. frame, right? Where we can get there and. and make the dynamic impact that's. needed, you know, helping people that. are really stuck um before some of the. authorities get there before some of. the, you know, FEMA and Red Cross and. all that takes them a little while to. get set up. Um, on that kind of level, I.

mean, we end up doing search and rescue. before the police and first responders. do first and rescue. Like, we're very. fast on that. We have the level of guys. that can do that. So, hurricane comes, obviously, it hits the Fort Meyers area. and we. had an advanced team that was going down. ahead of of the team that I was with. They had the truck with all the gear, um, chainsaws, all the equipment, and. they had, um, food and water that we.

were going to distribute to. hurricane happened. How how when are you. there? Uh, this hurricane, we were there the. day after. You were there the day after. The day after. Yeah. And that was the. same with the hurricane in Louisiana. last year, you know, and um because. that's when we can make an impact and. that's when people really need. that kind of help, you know, and and I'm. I'm going to say this and I know it's. going to sound bad and I'm I'm not. putting this type of work down cuz it.

needs to be done. The guys we take to. something like a hurricane can do a lot. more than clear trees off your front. lawn. Do you get what I'm saying? Mhm. Um so we go down to do the work that's. not clearing trees off someone's front. lawn. Um. you know and so so we punch down we sent. the team down ahead cuz we're in Chicago. and it takes 18 20 hours to drive down. there. So these guys need to head down. there. Then me and a few guys flew down. and this was last week. We're we're very.

close to when the hurricane hit here, you know, as we're filming this. So, this was a week ago, kind of the first. weekend of the hurricane, we'll say. Um, when the hurricane hit, we flew down, met up with those guys, and we had a. plan to go distribute the food and and. our initial plan was we were going to go. to the east coast of Florida and follow. the hurricane as it gained more. speed and and kind of power heading. towards Georgia, uh, South Carolina,

that kind of thing. That was kind of. what we were thinking. But on the plane, I got a message or saw there was a. message from the Recon Sniper Foundation. that said there was a Marine on. deployment who whose aunt was kind of. missing. She was they were had contact. with her. He had had contact with her, 74 years old. She was in the Fort Meyers. area and hadn't heard from her in. whatever it was a day or something. And. the last kind of calms they had was.

water was coming in our house. A lot of people drowned in their houses. Yes. Yeah. And I mean, you know, I'm. sure you'll post some of the pictures. We have pictures of those water lines in. houses. And you just the the the. devastation and the magnitude and the. power of these storms. It's, you know, I. sit there and I just say I like I can't. get my head around the physics of of of. a storm like that. and you know and how. that affects our houses and our cars and. and what it does and and so yeah, she.

has water coming in our house. They. don't know anything else. So, you know, I'm on the plane, we're flying. down and uh you know, I'm on the Wi-Fi. and it's like, okay. So, I reply back, "Hey, I'm going to Florida. Wasn't. planning on going to that area, but get. me in contact with this guy and we'll. sort it out." Right? So, the uh the. Recon Sniper Foundation does that. Now, we're in like a three-way chat with, you. know, with uh that marine, and he's. given me all the intel he has, name,

address, all this kind of stuff, the. situation and all this. So, we land and. I split our team, you know, our we were. going to meet and then all head out. there together. Um, I grabbed another guy, uh, our comm's. guy, and said, "We're going to just go. and take care of this and make sure this. Marine's aunt is okay." and those guys. were going to continue on and do the. food drop and the water drop and start. working out that way. So, we arrived, it. was like 10:30 or something and we drove.

all night to get from Atlanta, Georgia. to Fort Myers. And um after flying down, drove all night, the two of us, you. know, we got there. It was like 7:00 in. the morning, beautiful Florida morning. And it's like, now we're in this lady's. driveway kind of thing, right? It's. like, all right, let's go knock on the. door. And um yeah, she was in there, you. know, a ton of distress. She was really. freaked out, obviously. Um house was.

underwater, right? I mean, it was it was. just crazy. She had done the best she. could trying to get everything up off. the floor. Her generator was all jacked. up, so she had no power. Everything was. kind of going crazy. The water had. receded a little bit um by the time we. got there. And then we just kind of. spent the day. helping her, helping a bunch of people. She lived on a canal, so you can. imagine, right, those um those kind of. little canal areas in Florida. And she. was showing us video and pictures and.

she actually had like imagine we're. inside this room or at home you're. inside your living room. She had waves. crashing against the walls of her living. room. Oh man. You know, it's like you can't get your. head around that. Yeah. And um you know, 74 years old. And so we. just helped her and her kind of area. Then we start the guys are up in. Jacksonville doing their thing. Everything's good to go. Very successful. up there. Um and we saw obviously Fort. Myers was just decimated. That was the.

epicenter. Um much the same way that. Lelass, Louisiana was in Hurricane Ida. last year. And so then it was just like, okay, we need to get these guys down. here because this is where we're going. to stay obviously. So, we kind of dealt. with that all day, you know, and it was. a bit of a mess trying to get the guys. down. Um, and that was our first trip. We just kind of did all that. But the. some of the scenes, you know, um and and.

the difference between the hurricane in. a small town of Lelass, Louisiana, and. that being the epicenter to a place like. Fort Myers, which is pretty big, pretty. built up, and obviously there's a lot. more going on there with the the boats. and bridges and and all this kind of, you know, you're from that area, you. know how it is. It's there's a lot more. going on there that if a storm like that. hits a place like that, it's causing a. all kinds of problems. Um even just. trying to move from one side of the town. to the other with the rise in flood. waters and all that becomes a bit of a.

nightmare. Um something that was going. to take us an hour ended up taking us 6. hours. Yeah. Just because you have to navigate and. you know for us it's learning who to. talk to and who not to talk to. Um a lot. of people just want to shut you down and. like nope you can't go that way or you. can't do this or you know who the hell. are you? and you just kind of have to. learn to navigate around that stuff so. that we can actually get stuff done. So. that was the first trip. Then we went. home and um.

and there's a reason we kind of went. home and a reason we went back. We went. back there this last weekend and helped. out a bunch. We had a boat so we got out. to Santael. The bridge is all jacked up. there but you could get on the islands. by boat. So we had a boat. We did some. of that. We went to Fort Myers Beach. again where everything was just. decimated and did um you know our. wellness checks. The the difference with. going to the hurricane this late on like. day 10 and 12 is that there's a lot more.

bureaucracy there now. There's all these. contracts that are out. Um people are. getting paid a lot of money to go and. help now with different things and just. a lot of red tape. You know, we ended up. doing a lot of wellness checks. It was. more like search and recovery more than. Is Overwatch getting paid? No, no, no. We don't we're not we're not. getting paid. Um, so you're saying there's just a bunch of. nonprofits and companies down there that. are waiting on big money to come in, right? And then they want to maybe keep. people like us out, you know? They're not there for the people.

They're there for the money. Yeah. I mean, and I I'm not going to. speak for them. You'd have to ask them. if they're there for the money. But I. mean, you know, it got to the point. where there was a red tape issue. We. were talking to a bunch of first. responders like um police and sheriff. guys that were manning a checkpoint that. wasn't allow or that was controlling. traffic going over the bridge into Fort. Myers Beach. Um and. um they. were all for sending us over there, but.

they didn't want to get themselves in. trouble. Um I'm trying not to get them in trouble. now either. Um, they ended up giving us. enough hints that I picked up on that we. were able to use the boat we had to get. onto that island. to help people. to help people. And, you know, we had to. go through this mangrove swamp to to get. there and we had to kind of do a bunch. of stuff. It's one hell of an insert.

just to get onto this freaking island. Um, but we got there and we started. working, you know, I mean, and the. alternative is. you just say, "Okay, and you go try and. find something else to do and you're. going to end up just helping people pick. up stuff off their lawn, you know, but. that's not us." So, it's like, you know, I I say this all the time, like an. obstacle is just an obstacle. An. obstacle doesn't mean no. An obstacle. just means you have to figure out where. what do you have to do? Do you have to. climb over it, climb under it, smash.

through it? like it's just an obstacle, you know, so you just figure it out. And. we obviously have the guys to to be able. to do that. And I mean, they'll do. anything, right? Um, and so we were able. to get on there and and do some recovery. type search and recovery type work and. clear some houses and and make sure. everything was okay. And and then um, you know, we went to Santael twice. We. were kind of working with the fire. department there. Um, those guys are.

working so hard. They they have a lot of. help from people from all over the. country and all over Florida, but. there's a lot of miscommunication and. disorganization and and the guys that. are working hard are are we could see. they were this was now day 10, 12, very. tired. And it was actually Yuri who. basically helped these uh firemen from. probably hurting themselves on a 30ft. ladder. they didn't have the ladder set. up correctly and they just were trying. to get up on the roof and do something.

and that was probably going to end in. tears, you know. Um, so connecting with. them, the fire chief, the police out. there, you we just saw on that second. trip that. people were very overworked, very tired, very just like they would rather just. tell you no than have to think about it. at that point. They're just really. gassed out. but they're working their. tails off for the people of Florida, the. guys that actually are stepping up and. getting stuff done. And. you know, I learned a lot there this. weekend, like the last, you know, this.

whole time since the hurricane came. Um, number one, I I made a mistake was I. had sent we had sent a team and I went. with the with the advanced party. It. just was kind of we'll talk about it, but our our fifth trip to Ukraine. at the time during hurricane season and. it was a kind of star-studdied group. Everybody really good on that group that. it was like our A team guys that went to. to Ukraine and then when the hurricane. came. I needed those guys and didn't. have them. So, it kind of was a mess.

They came on the second trip. A bunch of. those guys came on the second trip. Like. I said, they came straight from Ukraine. to the to the hurricane. But, you know, next year we can't have anything going. on in Ukraine or anywhere else during. hurricane season. We need to make that. the focus was the biggest thing that I. learned. Um, because we could have had. two teams and we could have had guys. that were typically going to be our. support guys. We they couldn't be. support guys. I needed them like out in. the field doing stuff. And so, we were.

stretched kind of thin and that was. totally my fault, you know. Um it it. would we could have done so much more if. we would have had different guys there. Um so next year, you know, learned that. lesson. Um for sure there it just and. that's something we never had it. It's. kind of cool when you look back at it. that we had a team in Ukraine and a team. at the hurricane at the same time. Two. different continents doing two different. missions and really doing good work. But. I mean that that alone is amazing. I.

just I want to reiterate to the audience. this your the Overwatch foundation was. an idea 6 months ago. Now you got a team. in Ukraine and a team down in Florida. Yeah. And and I mean it it does it is I. guess impressive, right? I mean we're. doing good work. We made stuff happen. obviously on both both fronts, but it. could have went a lot better in my mind, right? Like and and in actuality on the. ground it could have went a lot better.

So those kind of things and as we grow. and as we're expanding and all this kind. of stuff, those are lessons I have to. learn, you know. Yeah. Um the other thing was too I was a. little bit too um especially on it goes. into the fact that we need to when it. comes to a hurricane, we need to focus. on day zero through day four or five. because there's too much red tape after. that. people start getting involved and. you know. I tried to play by those rules. First of.

all, I didn't know those rules were. going to be there when we got back down. the second time. Um because our. experience the last two trips to. hurricanes we did, we didn't there was. no rules, right? I mean, it was. wild west and we could just get involved. and and and help. So, I tried to play by. those rules um. this last weekend and we ended up just. throwing the rule book out the window. and doing it our way anyway and being. creative and finding ways to to get our. work done. And a lesson there was I. should have just done that from the.

beginning. You know, we have the guys that can do. that. We had the capability with the. boat and and some of the people we had. down there with us. I should have just. done that anyway, but I'm learning, you. know. Yeah. you you brought up of when we. spoke on the phone when you were down. there, we brought up I asked, you know, how's it going? I have family down. there. Yeah. Um and it's weird because. I feel like I have more knowledge or I. think that a lot of the people that are. outside of that area have actually more. knowledge on what's going on down there.

because they don't have any cell phone. service. They don't have any TV. They. don't have I mean my family just got. power yesterday and um they're. completely oblivious uh to what's going. on around them other than the immediate. area and so when you were telling when. you told me on top of that one of the. reasons I left Florida is hurricanes um. because there goes even if it doesn't. hit there goes damn near a month of your.

life get two weeks preparation almost. you know stores are empty, the looting. that comes after the crime, um, and then, you know, the actual. disaster, but. and I'm used to seeing all the looting. Mhm. So, when you told me, you know, I think. you said 0 to 5 days, all you saw was communities of people. coming together, helping each other out. Uh, that was really refreshing. And then.

I mean I think a lot of guys that are. have been in the military and deployed. to. you know the various places that we've. deployed to across the world. We see. what desperation looks like and nobody. nobody understands. what desperation looks like if you. haven't experienced it or seen people. that are experiencing it. And when you. said I think what day six to 10, desperation started sitting in. You.

started seeing people. heading over to Santael, looting the. island on boats, getting back on the. boat, coming back. Um, a lot of crime. happen, a lot of lot of desperation. crimes happening at at gas stations. Did you guys run into any of that? Um, we did a lot last year in Louisiana. Um, and it it is it's like society. deteriorates really quickly when you.

have no food, no water, no power, you. know, um, no gasoline. And, you know, we're guys that are riding around with. food, water, and gasoline. Yeah. So, it's um we're very careful on where. we go and and how we go. Um, we. obviously can protect ourselves. We put. ourselves in positions where, you know, that benefit us. Um but. for and when we went to this last. hurricane, we didn't see too much of it. actually happening. We saw stuff.

starting to break down a little bit um. to where people just, you know, they're. congregating where they shouldn't be. congregating and all this, but at that. time we didn't have the capability to go. out to the islands and do any of that. Like Pine Island, I think there was a. lot of crime happening. Um Santael as. well. Um, it's just it's very it's very. weird to see the arc of, hey, we're just. so happy people are here helping. We're. so happy that we're alive and that we. can kind of start getting through this.

and then at some point for some reason. it just tilts and people get desperate. like you said. And you know, somebody. said it said this line. I I don't. remember who it was, but it's like we're. three meals away from kind of this. dystopian crazy going off the rails kind. of thing. And it's true. I've literally. seen it. I've seen it in two different. locations, you know, same reason, the. hurricane, but like it's real, you know, and and I I put a thing on Instagram.

about um you know, people say, "Well, why don't those people just prepare?". like, you know, hurricanes come in, get. food, get water. And and I kind of. thought that as well. I'm not a prepper. by any means. Like, I'm not one of those. people that, you know, Hold on. You're Overwatch Foundation is. a disaster relief organization. And. you're not a prepper? No, I'm not a prepper at all. Right. I. mean, I because because of Overwatch, I. probably have a couple MREs here or.

there. I'd have to dig through like a. war box and find them or something, right? Yeah. Um, you know, but I'm not a. prepper. And I'm I don't knock anybody. that is. It's just not me. My basement. is not full of like food and water and. mark this and cataloging that. It's just. not what I do, right? Um, but I saw people in Florida who were. preppers and I saw cases of water with. the tops blown off the water and the the.

bottles full of sand. Oh man. and you know food stores that. had just been like just basically blown. up, right? Like and now that food's. ruined. So it's like. and they had them in all the tubs with. the airtight whatever and you know it's. not like they're just stuff was sitting. there. It was all. packaged and stored and prepped the way. it should have been for something like. this to make sure it doesn't go bad. But. you know these storms are incredible. And you know some of the pictures I've. sent you some of the stuff you're like.

that was a house. Yeah. or that was a steel warehouse or. that was a boat and you look at it and. you're like, "How did that boat the the. water line's 500 m that way? How is that. boat 500 m this way behind the house? Think of what it takes to do something. like that, you know, and and then when I. saw that, it's like, okay, so these are. people that actually did prep. They had. all this water and now they can't drink. that water.". Yeah. So,

you know, it is important to kind of do. some of that stuff and try and prepare. yourself, but you can only do so much. And then, you know, when that does happen to your. stores, you can't even spend a couple minutes. thinking about it. It's over. Like, it. happened. You need to still figure out. how you're going to deal with this. disaster. And the best way I see from. everything I've seen is just you need to. leave, right? If you're in one of these. areas that's going to get hit, just. leave cuz you don't know. Sure, you.

could ride it out. Sure, you might have. ridden out four or five or you may be. doing this for 20 years, but that one. could be the one, right, that that ruins. everything for you, you know. Yeah. You know, you brought up um some other. interesting points last night as well. about body counts. You know, we talked. about. uh a lot I knew a lot of the people were. drowning in their house as a storm surge. came. On top of that, a lot of people. that decided, "Oh [ __ ] this is a little.

worse than we thought and tried to. evacuate at last minute, drowned in. their cars." And one thing that I found. interesting um that you had mentioned is. that it seemed that the I believe you. said the county uh. doesn't want those numbers. Yeah. So, we talked to a lot of locals. down there um and got a lot of. information about that that they don't. believe what's being put out there as. far as um numbers of this that or the.

next thing including body counts. Last. week they had closed up Fort Meyers. Beach because there were bodies rolling. up on the beach. And I know that because. I talked to a fireman that was there. collecting those bodies. Um, and I think what they're worried about. is. for instance, if the countyy's taking. care of that from a first responder. level, that can kind of be first of all,

that's terrible, right? It's terrible. um. god forbid that anything like that. happens, they want to get that taken care of, but. they want to get it taken care of with. as least amount of publicity as possible. for obvious reasons. I mean, it doesn't. mean anyone did anything wrong. It. doesn't mean there was poor preparation. by local, state, or federal government. or anything like that. It's just not a. good thing to see bodies washing up on.

Fort Meers Beach. Yeah. Right. And so I understand they want to get. that taken care of as quietly as. possible. And they may be thinking. someone like me or another NGO or. something. will just show up and take a bunch of. pictures or live stream that on. Instagram or or whatever the deal is. And you know what? Maybe there's nothing. wrong with that. It's obviously. someone's family member. It's all. obviously was a person, but it's a real. life story. Yeah. And it's something that, you know,

I'm not saying I would take a picture of. that and post it or not. What I'm saying. though is if someone does, that doesn't mean that someone's trying. to smear a polit state politician or a. or or anybody. It could just be this is. the level of devastation that happens. here. And when this is coming to you, you need to realize that this. could happen. This could happen. And this does happen. Not that it could happen. It does. happen, right? It could happen to you,

but it definitely happens. So, there's kind of that there too. But the. residents don't believe I think when we. So, I was just there on on Saturday, we. spoke to someone that said that the body. count was somewhere around 100. And I. could tell you, I was in neighborhoods. that if those people would have stayed. in those neighborhoods, there'd be a lot. more than 100 ju dead just from that. neighborhood. Um, so to think in that entire area there's.

only been 100 people. Now maybe that's. 100 confirmed. I don't know how they're. dicing this up. You know, we were in. places where it was like, okay, we're. going to search for anything. It's going. to be hard to find something even if. it's there. Yeah. You know, you can't even go by the smell. because everything the whole place. smells like. the whole place. Just to give you an. idea, smells like you know when you go. in a portagon in Iraq in July and it.

smelled that mixture of pee and poo. smell. It's one of my favorite smells. That is the smell coupled with salt. water. Oh man. And it's just you can't get away from. it, right? You can't get away from it. You're in your vehicle, you're out your. vehicle, you're trying to go to sleep, you go to this side of town, you go to. that side, the whole place smells like. that. So it's not like you're going to. smell a body when you go into a house. Yeah. Um many of the houses had been. searched by cadaavver dogs. We could see. that they were cleared with the markings. with the canine and all that kind of. stuff. So they are looking. Um but we.

found areas too where it's like you. didn't look too hard because we can see. footprints of where you someone was. before us and you didn't search over. here cuz there's no footprints, right? Um so and again that could be that could. just be down to. hey I popped my head in. Okay, it's. clear. I don't know who's running these. searches. I don't know who I don't know. to the depths that they're going. It's. obviously nasty in there to be searching. some of these places.

You know, it's humans that have to do. the searches, but it's just very weird. on there's probably more than 100 people. when this is all said and done. Um, that's sad. It's very sad. You know, it's very real. and and we stood in neighborhoods and. I'm talking to some of our guys who are, you know, experienced operators and. stuff. They're just standing there like, "Never seen anything like this.". Damn, it's unbelievable. Well, if you're listening to this on. iTunes or Spotify or any of the other.

platforms um on YouTube, we're putting a. ton of um feed video that Mark and his. team took of the of what the devastation. looks like down there. So, if you want. to tune in to YouTube, it's there. On. that note, let's take a quick break. When we come back, it's all about. Ukraine. Perfect. [Music]. News of a new terror attack, this time. in West Africa. Special forces in the.

capital of Mali have stormed a luxury. hotel where gunmen are holding up to. 170 hostages. The standoff at the Rison. Bloom. [Music]. How many bodies. were you seeing? The first few um were just kind of like.

sporadic. in the forier area. and then did you know any of them? This one American just like called and. said that he's trapped in a room on fire. and he's hiding under one of the banquet. tables and they're shooting over top of. him. Please come get me. Come help me.

I can't do this alone. The gunmen are. like coming down the stairs and they're. on the landing and then we lock eyes. and then he yells all Akar at me and. [ __ ]. those moments of blacking out. Heat. [Music].

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right, Mark, we're diving into Ukraine. now. You've been there, I think, six. times. Five total. Five times total. Okay. So, four times since the last time. you've been here. Yes. And uh we've kept in contact quite a bit. since you've been here last and. hearing. the frustrations that you're going. through and and I just I really. appreciate the honesty. you know, you've. made a huge impact over there. I want to. talk about some of the frustrations that.

we talked about with the Ukrainian. people, some of the red tape you've had. to go through, some of the current. situations that are going on right now, especially the pipeline that was blown. up uh from Russia to Germany, what their. feelings are on that, and uh this. nuclear nuclear weapons uh that. increasingly seems to becoming a more. prominent threat uh as time goes on. And. as we discussed on the way here just. last night, they did they hit they used.

75 rockets and um and on civilian. locations in Ukraine. So let's just start with the trip. Yeah. So we uh obviously came back here. and sat with you and the response was. was incredible. um so much so that we. were able to quickly plan another trip. to go back um for our second trip.

Um. that trip. happened in April. So we were here in. March. Uh that happened the end of. April. Um like let's say the 20s. something of of April. We went and um. our focus then was on um medical. training, tactical training and medical. training. Uh I went with Tommy Santos. who is our uh medical director at.

Overwatch. He did a bunch of stuff with. seventh group and and was a goat lab guy. and all this in the army and and just. very high level medic. Um. he's done a lot of courses since then as. well to keep his skills sharp. It's not. like we're living off his training from. x amount of years ago. I mean Tommy's. wire tight, right? He's relevant. Oh, he's he's incred and he's. incredible. He's I can't say enough good. things about him. He's been on all of.

the rest of our Ukraine trips. He's been. on our hurricane trips. He's our guy now. medically at Overwatch. all of the. Sarkcs and and and different, you know, 18 Delta guys that we are getting in our. pipeline now to to be on our teams are. being funneled through him. Um, and he's. coming up with all our curriculum and. all this kind of stuff for the medical. stuff. So, we wanted some good gear to. take as well. We were given a very large. donation. At that time, we were not a.

501c3. Now, we are um but we were not. So, it. was very difficult for us to raise large. amounts of money. We were getting by off. of just amazing people donating to us, you know, 5, 10, $100, a,000, $5,000 at. a time um to help us kind of stay. afloat. But we got a a large donation, $100,000 from a um from a charity. that uh was a 501c3 and basically raises.

money for hospital nonprofit type stuff. Um, it was a Ukrainian man with. Ukrainian or where a man with Ukrainian. heritage heard about what we were doing. at like a speech we were giving about. what we were doing in Ukraine or what we. did in Ukraine on the first trip and he. gave us this money but the condition was. obviously it was to be used on medical. supplies. Okay, no problem. Right. So. what are we going to use? Because.

remember on the first trip, Zach and I. were going through uh a neighboring. country that we fly into and we were. just raiding pharmacies and grabbing all. the gauze, everything that you know two. marines thought would be good to kind of. fashion if we were just grabbing it, right? So it wasn't the best of gear. Um. regardless of how how hard we tried. So we wanted some good gear. We. connected with the guys at GBRS and and. Cole um kind of let me know like, hey, we're working on some stuff. They were.

kind of developing what they were going. to do from a medical level at that time. as far as like IFAX and what they were. going to put out in in their training. and to their to their people. And um. they had the expedition trauma kits from. Focus Research Group. Um, and I can't. say enough about Focus enough good. things about Focus Research Group and. their product and and you know, we'll. get into we use these now. These are the. facts we use and we've had incredible. success with them in Ukraine in combat.

um for the guys. And so Cole was able to. kind of hook us up with that and his. team was fantastic of, you know, getting. them to us and and just taking care of. all the logistical end for us um to get. those kits. So, we bought $100,000 worth. of those. Um, and. how many kits is $100,000 buy? Oh, I can't remember at that time what. we got because we got different prices. Let's just say I mean it's hundreds. Oh, hundreds, right?

Um, like 600 or something like that, right? And you know, we could Yeah, I I told. you about this like we could have. cheaped out and just went and got any if. these Ukrainians don't have much and. they don't have the training. We could. have just cheaped out and got all kinds. of different IFAXs from other companies. or we could have got certain ifs that. have kind of a bunch of stuff in there. that you don't need that you or I would. probably just field strip anyway and. throw half the stuff away. The thing I. like about these um is that everything.

in there is like stuff you need and it's. what you want and it's easily. accessible. It's organized really well. as far as like you rip that thing open, everything's where it needs to be. Um. they're just. absolutely incredible uh focus research. group and and you know obviously it was. great to me it's like hey if if there. these level of guys that are using this. equipment we want to use this level of. equipment I'm not going to cheap out on.

it we're trying to do our best in this. country for these people we're going to. take the best gear so we had that gear. we took it over and um started. we actually raised a medical platoon Uh. Tommy, we went there, the same group. that we went to before, and they had been training. They had. continued their training that we that. Zach and I had taught them. And I got. there and I said, and Tommy wasn't there. on the first trip. I said, "Okay, let's. get a look and see see how far they've.

fallen, right?" Like, we haven't been. here in what, 8 weeks or whatever it. was. Like, let's see how good they are. and and you know, we had them doing the. squad rushes and all this kind of stuff. before and and breaking contact and all. this and and and team rushes and all. this. It's like, okay, let's see some. weapons handling. And they really. impressed me. It was clear that they had. been training and that the leadership. had been making sure that they were. training and it was like, "All right, so.

let's do this." Tommy raised a whole. medical platoon and it started off by. how many how many people? Oh, in the medical platoon I think it. was 10 guys, maybe 12 guys, something. like that. And it was basically like. the way you kind of do it in the. military. Who's interested in medical. [ __ ]. The little hands start kind of kind of. going up, you know? Okay, boom, let's. go. And um cuz our thought process was. we don't want to just pluck people. because you know what it's like. you get.

plucked to do something you don't want. to do. And these guys are going to. combat. If you're one of those dudes. that, you know, you cut your finger and. you get queasy, you don't want that guy as the medicic, right? So, um, he would take them and start. training them and get them using the. focus kits and and and teaching them all. kinds of medical stuff and he was. sticking the nasoparangal up their nose. and they were doing decompression stuff. Um, I mean, you know, his extent of. knowledge and what we pushed on those. guys was really good. And then I started.

working more advanced tactics with the. guys. Uh, ambush, counter ambush type. stuff. Um, and they were doing really. well. I think I showed you some of those. videos way back then, too. Um, you did. They really were. You know, if it's like. anything else, in the beginning, they. kind of struggle with it, and then it's. my job to obviously funnel that training. in to to see where they're slipping and. plug those holes and and give them the. path to to be successful with this stuff.

cuz they're going to use it, right? And. then we would incorporate the medics. into the tactics. And again, that was a struggle, right? You see these guys who. know A, they know B, but they can't put. A and B together kind of thing. And and. so we worked through all that and and. they got to the point where on that. second trip where if they were fairly. impressive like they could run up and if. anybody went down they could handle it. and and get back to the mission you.

know. How many guys overall including the. medical team and. that was I think about. about 40 guys. had they gone out and come back. They had just been training. They had just been training. They had. been doing their security patrols and. all that kind of stuff, but they hadn't. been to the front. Okay. Um, so we did that that trip there. Um, and on that trip, we actually started. working with some of the Ukrainian.

special operations guys. There were guys. there from different intelligence units. And there was a guy there. Um, I. remember we got there, we got there on. that second trip and they had a bunch of. people there that I had seen before and. it was like, oh, so these are the guys. that have been helping them train a. little bit with the tactics we had been. using and it was kind of like a. standoff, right? It's like me, Tommy, Yuri, and then there's like these guys. Well, who the hell are these guys? Well,

one of the guys had 32 years experience. in uh the Ukrainian alphas, which is, you know, their version of special. operations equivalent to SEALs and all. like Green Berets, this kind of stuff. So then there's me standing there, right? And I'm like, all right, well. this dude has and you just take one look. at this guy, his name's Andrew. You take. one look at him, you're like, he's kind. of the guy, right? and he's kind of. looking at me and it's like, "All right, well, I'm not here. I'm not here for.

vacation. Like, I'm running this thing. I don't care who you are. Like, I'm. running it or I'll just go home, right? If you don't need me, I'll go home. Not. getting paid to be here, right?" So, on. that, that was my mentality like in my. head. And so then it's like, okay, I. need to put out enough to show that I. can say that. So, we get to work and I'm. we're talking to Tommy. It's like, we. can't mess this up, man. Like, we have. to put this down. They had some other. guys there, high level intelligence guys. from Ukraine. Um, and then they had one.

guy there who was like some kind of. competition champion shooter Olympic. level kind of thing. So they wanted to. show us what they had been doing, running them through their tactics. And. they were very old Soviet level tactics, like guys running around in in twoman. kind of like little bundles, very tight. And so much so when they got behind. cover and were laying in the prone, they. did this weird thing. They interlocked. their legs or whatever. And I mean, I. had never seen anything like that.

before. It's like, okay, I I have a. question. How do you get up? Like me and you. laying in the prone with our legs. interlocked shooting at opposite ends of. a piece of cover. Yeah. Stand up, right? Like how's that gonna. happen? Or if I want to stand up and you. don't, we're like, it's weird, right? Playing scissors with each other. So. we're like, okay, we're not doing this. Like this is not a thing and this is. kind of your problem. Yeah. You know, like we need to update this a. little bit. This is not like 1978 where.

you're fighting somebody somewhere. Like. we're not doing this anymore. And um. so we showed them, we had them run us. through a couple courses of fire that. they were doing. We saw it. and then we showed them and right away. you could see especially the the guy. from Alpha was like, "Okay, yeah, this. is good." The same way on the first. trip, the colonel kind of saw what we. were doing. The army colonel saw what we. were doing, was like, "Yeah, this is. what I want." And the colonel even so. much so like I think he went home and.

was watching movies and was like, "Hey, can you do tactics like this? Can you. teach stuff like that? Like they want. updated stuff, but their leadership at a. high level is very old and either comes. from that old time or was taught by. people from that old time. And there's. just been no change in tactics in my. opinion since way back when. Wow. And so then when it comes to like. well now. so you're you you in the Overwatch.

foundation. is essentially rewriting the special. operations handbook for Ukraine when it. comes to CQB tactics and. you mean like ambush and CQB stuff. Yeah, it. it's weird to say that, right? Is it. weird to think that? It's weird to do it and and that's that. wasn't the plan. And I mean, of course, we wanted to help those guys. And we'll. talk about a little bit as well, cuz I. have this weird feeling of. essentially what me and my organization. is doing. It sounds really bad when I. say it, right? Because we're a.

nonprofit, but like we're training a. foreign army, but in my opinion, it's. not training a foreign army. It's. helping those men. Mhm. Like it sounds stupid. on a on a humanitarian level because. these men don't have training. It's not. like when you do FID in a SEAL team or. in a recon platoon and you go and you're. doing FID with a foreign army and you're. just exchanging tactics or you're like. how could we work together using our.

tactics and your tactics together and. like how can we do this? We'll show you. a little bit. Like they have no tactics. Yeah. These are the same guys that were. when Zach and I were there that were the. butcher, the baker, the candlestick. maker. They haven't been trained. They. don't have they haven't had a basic. training. They haven't went to infantry. school. Um. well, we are talking about everything. from. the baker, the butcher, the carpenter to. the alpha guys. Yes.

Okay. Yeah. And you know, and you can see the. alpha guy, Andrew's like, "Yeah, this is. good to go. this is what these guys need. and. but they need it too. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And so this leads us. into where we go, you know, towards the. more present past. Um. we start training these guys, get them. to this level during that trip. And. Tommy was incredible. You know, the the. whole medical stuff we did then and. implementing that was good. I mean, Zach.

and I, we could patch you up, you know, like if you get shot, I can stuff gauze. into you. I can throw a tourniquet on. you. Um, you know, I can put a chest. seal on you kind of thing. But when you. have a guy at that level, you know, and. you've seen some of these guys in your. platoon, those medical guys are. fantastic. They're just they're wizards. And having him there to be able to. implement his knowledge on those guys. was. kind of what helped elevate us to the. next level with their military. um.

and being able to, you know, run at that. level with those guys and and have them. plug into us cuz now now it's not like. we're the dudes that just show up. A lot. of the guys they we know those guys now. cuz we were there on the first trip and. so they're they're on the edge of their. seat wanting to put out and and wanting. to learn. And so we did that. That trip was I. think. I'm kind of spotty on the days it runs. together 16 17 days let's say um.

and then we came back and we had. distributed many of the focus kits that. we took were also going to units that we. support out at the front lines. Remember. we do have this um. organization in Ukraine now that is. actually it's changed. It's now. Overwatch Ukraine. We have a branch like. an affiliate. Yeah. At that time it. still was the original one that we. worked with before. Um but what they were able to do for us.

were they were able to get that medical. gear out to the front lines to the guys. that were actually fighting in that. moment. Like not the guys we were. training, the guys that were actually. out fighting. So we're able to get that. equipment out to them and get them. trained up just kind of via via video. and that kind of stuff. made videos and. sent it to them um on how to use that uh. the equipment. But that equipment as. soon as it landed there and we got it. there was being put to use in the front. lines. What kind of feedback are you getting.

from the front lines. as far as um. the focus kits? Yeah. So our guys are using them. after that first trip. or sorry the second trip. this one where. we took the focus kits. Those guys did. so well, they they must have impressed. somebody because they got sent to the. front. And I remember it wasn't long. after we got home. And it was probably. the influence of the military. intelligence guys, the alpha guys that. were there being like, "Hey, these guys. can go." You know, and these were guys.

that this was now end of April, beginning of May. in February and January, they were. regular civilians and they went to the. front and we started getting text. messages about um you know the training. in the gear saving life and limb for. those guys on the front. That's amazing. And you know I remember we got a text.

message about that like a guy we know. and he had uh. you know, he he needed a tourniquet to. basically. survive and, you know, he got shot. He. needed the, you know, that silly little. hack in the training saved that dude's. life. And I remember I was sitting, it. was a Monday morning. I was sitting in. my kitchen eating oatmeal and that text. message comes in. And the first thing you think about,

it's like, "All right, we have to we. have to [ __ ] get back over there. We. have to do this again. I need another. $100,000. I need to get on the phone to. Cole. I need to I need to get a team put. together. We need to go do this again, right? Cuz. without that, you know, those guys don't have. anything. They don't have IFAX. They're. out there. They run and gun until. whatever. And you know, that's a guy. that probably would have been dead if it. wasn't for what that what our team did.

And it's just. I never expected that when we took Yuri. back the first time. Like I didn't. expect that to happen a few months. later, a couple of months later. And you. know, it's the same on that trip. We did. some CQB stuff. And it was like they. wanted us to start doing CQB stuff. in the beginning with them, like their. leadership. And I was like, no. Like you guys, you're not ready for that, right? Like.

you need to learn how to like patrol. Like the rear security guy needs to. learn to. look behind them. Like we're not doing CQB, right? We're not there yet, you know, slow down grasshopper kind of thing. But. then during that trip, we started doing. just very basic stuff. Very basic. And and look, I'm no, you. know, dev group CQB type guy. I have a. ton of experience with CQB obviously and. in and in in my job. um did a lot of.

that kind of work, but I'm not at that. level, right? But I can kick a can. around a room when it comes to to CQB. So, teach some very basic stuff. Weapons. handling for CQB. Um room entry, you. know, 1 2 3 four man. Really focused on. that first and second man type stuff. Um. just kind of talk to them how to. actually clear a room, this kind of. stuff. very basic level. They had never. done any of it. And some of the videos.

are actually very funny of us like, "Okay, let's go get into this room." And. it's the same as, you know, you probably. saw when you first started it. You're. guys stopping in doorways and we were. launching things at them. We're like. pegging them with stuff to show you. can't be standing in the doorway. Can we put some of this up right now? Yeah, we can put we can put it up. Um, you know, and and and C could be so. difficult. It's so nuanced. It's so. dynamic. There's so much that goes along. with it. It's like how do we get these.

fundamental principles across to them. instead of highlevel technical stuff. when it comes to CQB, right? Because you. can paralyze yourself thinking about how. to clear a house. So, we needed to avoid that. And so, okay, we get them through this basic. course that we threw together. And and. the guys were um really working hard to. pick up some of that technique and those. principles. And again, you get that text. message. I think I sent it to you from a. guy who said, "Hey, thank you very much.

for those classes on CQB. It saved my life today." Damn. You know, on a room entry, saved my. life. And yet, you're just like, "This. is ridiculous." You know what I mean? Like this is. this is ridiculous. And and it makes me. so happy. It makes me so emotional to be. able to help somebody like that. Yeah. It's not helping the Ukrainian army. It's helping that guy. That guy, right, who.

volunteered. He's not a military guy. He. volunteered to go fight because of what. happened in his country. You know, this. is not us on a contract training a. foreign group or even training whatever. a county SWAT team or anything for a. ridiculously. expensive contract. That's not what. we're doing. Like I'm over there. We. don't get anything for that. It costs us. money to go do that. And thank God we've.

had the people that have supported us um. to the level that they have um you know. so that we can go and do that because. it's saving lives. And you know one. thing we did was one of the groups that. we worked with you guys have seen some. of the video before in the last episode. They didn't have uniforms. They didn't. have any kind of ballistic plates. They. didn't have any gear. We were able to. actually go out and and buy. ballistic plates for them for that whole.

company and uniforms for that whole. company. And we went there and we handed. those uniforms to them and gave them. those plates. And. you know, we talked about that on the. last show, just how important that was. And and that's something that we told. them we would do and we made it happen. for them. And that's cool. That's a cool. thing, right? And it's it's practical. They're going to use that stuff. They're. at they're at war. They're going to use. uniforms. They're going to use ballistic. plates obviously.

But the training when someone comes back. and it's like, "Hey, I saved my buddy's. life because you showed me how to use a. tourniquet or I saved, you know, we. saved this guy's life because you handed. us a focus kit and Tommy showed us how. to use it in detail." And even like. you guys raised a medical platoon. We. kind of just came in and told their. their colonel, the the head guy of their. whole unit, like, you know, hey, sir, we. want to raise a medical platoon.

He just kind of was like, "All right, you know, he trusts us obviously after. everything we've done, and here's Tommy. Here's who he is. We're going to have. him. We're going to create a medical. platoon for you guys full of medics.". And uh, you know, he could have said, "No, I don't want that." But he trusts. us. We did do that work. people support. us enough to get the equipment that it. takes to make something like that happen. and to get our butts back over there and. next thing you know we're saving. people's lives. Like I don't care if. we're helping them win the war. I care.

that we save those guys lives when they. have to go and and do what they have to. do. That's what the whole thing's about, right? And again, there are people and there have been. people and it could be me that can. charge a lot of money on a contract to. do this and probably. you know, live a nice life off of it. And that's not what we're doing. It's. not what I want to do. It's not what I. need to do, you know. Um, we obviously. need donations to stay afloat. We're a. 501c3,

but it's not about that. And it's not. about Ukraine. It's about those men. Yeah. How how much combat are these guys. seeing? I don't know exactly enough, right? I. mean, they're out on the front lines and. and that's kind of some of the problem, too, is as we've been there longer and. we're doing these trips and we're. learning more about kind of how this. whole war is going on. is um.

how the war is being fought. I highly. disagree with. What do you disagree with? Well, it's very complex. Well, let's let's backtrack. We'll get. into that kind of stuff. We'll get into. opinions and media, what's real, what's. not in a little bit. Right now, let's. keep keep on task with what you guys. Overwatch is doing. What I'm curious. about also is I mean, you've been.

training these everybody from farmers to. the alpha guys. You spent five different. trips over there. Have any of these guys that you trained. cycled through the front line back to. wherever you guys are training at? And. what kind of feedback are they bringing. you in person? Yeah. So now um so on that on that that. was the the second trip, right? The. third trip Tommy and I ran over and um. again this will get back to the question. when we took the gear. It's very.

difficult to get gear in there, right? I. mean, obviously when it comes to. ballistic plates, you're dealing with. different ITAR type stuff and all this. It's just a nightmare, right? I never. thought, Sean, it would be so difficult. trying to freaking help people in the. world. It really they make it really. difficult trying to help somebody. Um, you know, it's kind of like if you fell. down and and busted up your knee and. you're asking me to help you up, I kind. of have to say, "Well, do you have this. form filled out kind of thing before I. help you back up off the ground?" So, we're trying to do all this. Well, we.

took a bunch of stuff and it got lost. Like, of the $100,000 we took over. the gear. Yeah. The gear, probably 80 grand worth. of it got lost initially. Oh my god. So, it was ridiculous. We got most of it. back. um in the first couple of days, you. know, and a lot of it is you just kind. of have to I think what's going over. there now going on with this and I'm. sure it happened back in our day with.

Iraq and Afghanistan too was stuff goes. missing and if someone makes a big. enough stink about it, the stuff. mysteriously reappears. But if someone. just kind of bends over and takes it, okay, well that stuff stays missing, you. know? Yeah. Um, which I is standard. If. anyone's at home and is surprised by. that, you shouldn't be. This is just. kind of what happens, right? So, we obviously start making enough. stink stuff comes back, a couple things. here or there missing, but okay, the.

majority of it's there. Well, one bag. had about 20 grand worth of gear in it, and it was missing. And we were working. every day trying to find it, trying to. locate it, and all this kind of stuff. Turns out we just kind of thought so. never we're never going to see her here. from this this gear again. We got back. from Ukraine on that second trip and. mysteriously it popped up 3 and 1/2. weeks later something like that almost a. month later and it was at that point. it's like okay do we allow them to ship.

it back to us? Do we have someone from. Ukraine try and deal with the borders. and go down and get it? Do we let them. try and send it to Ukraine? and the. answer was nope. Let's get back on a. plane, go get it. We went back that. third time and again it was more just. kind of medical stuff and and making. some contacts with people. Um that led. us into kind of the the the. fourth and and fifth trip. So.

after that um we started working heavily. with the special operations guys there. Um Tommy and this other guy, another. medic, an 18 Delta guy went over and. this for the fourth trip and they. started working with um the special. operations guys. They're called CORD. They're basically the um. they're like a hostage rescue team, kind.

of like a HRT team, like for the FBI kind of thing. Um now. they're obviously doing military. operations. Um, but that's kind of what. they they do. They're a very kind of. high-speed unit that Ukraine has. Again, their tactics are very old. Um, surprisingly old. And Tommy and Dio went. over and. gave them all kinds of medical training. at that time very heavily into because.

these guys are a legit unit that is. being sent. They're being tasked with. all kinds of stuff. What what kind of. stuff are what kind of stuff is a HRT. team, a hostage rescue team, what are. they being tasked with in in this war? Because this conflict is. it's we're going to take your country. This is part of the problem is, you. know, it's kind of like if you take a. basketball team that's really good at. basketball and you're like, well, hey, we need you to go play volleyball. Yeah. Like just cuz you're good at basketball. doesn't mean you're going to be good at.

volleyball, right? but they're a legit basketball. team and they're very good, so let's just plug them in over here, right? It's it's not like that. Things. are very very, you know, and and say what you want. Like look at our special operations um. community. If you take development group. guys and you throw them into like a CQB. type hostage rescue thing, that's what. they are. They're incredible. Can they. do other stuff? Of course they can,

right? That comes down to the levels of. training that we have for groups like. that um within our military. But like. they're not the best at that stuff. They're the best at this. And if you. need this done, you call those guys and. you don't even think about calling. anybody else, right? They're just plugging them in. They're plugging this these cord units. into the war. So they're. take all their. whatever exper hostage rescue experience.

and throw it out the window because. that's not what they're doing. Yeah. I mean I I don't. I mean it seems like. what are they doing though? Are they Cuz. it seems like everybody should be in. some type of a defensive role. Actually, it seems like it should be going. offensive at this point. Yeah. And that's that's we'll we'll talk. about that. But they um yeah, they're. doing a lot of stuff. Obviously, they're. trying to get them involved in more. urban areas. You know, right now in Ukraine, there's.

a lot of artillery going on. It's very. old school, still old school, like we. talked about before, where they're just. happy to lob artillery at each other, which is ridiculous. Um, so they're trying to put them in more. urban areas. And it's not like it's not. like there's something going on like we. had in Fallujah where it's like we need. to clear this whole city like street to. street, house to house, room to room. It's not like that, right? But they're. kind of trying to put them in more urban. areas cuz at least it's somewhat more. familiar to to what they do. Um and.

they're just out there. They've had some. training. Like I mean they've had their. level of training and the expectation is. well you guys know what you're doing. better than anyone else and we need you. so. go do this over here. They're not. tasking them with what they do. Yeah, I understand that. They're just trying to get them involved. because they have training. They can. shoot, move, communicate a little bit. and they need bodies. Are any of the Ukrainian forces. advancing?

Uh it's okay. The word advancing is an. interesting word, right? And I've argued. with many people over this. Many. Ukrainians over this. In my opinion, if you're sitting in that chair and you. get up and you leave and you go. downstairs and then I go sit in your. chair, I didn't really advance. I didn't. really. liberate that chair. I didn't take that chair over. You just. left and I just sat in the chair. To me,

advancing, liberating, taking something. over is you're in the chair and I kick. your ass out of the chair and I throw. you down those stairs and now it's my. chair. Mhm. Right. Do you agree? I 100% agree. That's not what's happening in Ukraine. right now. Well, I'm glad you brought that up. I. wanted to wait, but. we're in it, so we'll talk about it. right now. I remember very distinctly. during that conversation,

you were extremely frustrated uh with. what was going on and and cuz I had. called about this was when the villages. were popping up in the media and you saw. these mass grave sites that you know the. Russians you know basically look like a. massacre, right? and um and the media was. portraying that the Ukrainians are. advancing, basically making it seem like. there was a skirmish or a fight to. regain that ground. Then when I talked.

to you, that wasn't the case at all. The. Russians had basically invaded, killed a lot of people, and then just. left. And then the Ukrainians just. go in there, walked back in there. Yeah. And it's. after it had already been abandoned, basically. There was no danger. Right. Right. And look, I guarantee you someone can send me a. message or talk to me about their. cousin's brother's goldfish was in. Ukraine and and he was in a town where.

there was fighting and they fought for. that town. Yeah. Okay. Sure. Of course. I hope so. Yeah. Like I hope so. Right. But that's not. happening on any kind of large scale. That's not the convention. That's not. what's going on. That's the exception. Yes. And what's happening is Russia's. obviously very. bad at this. All the stuff that we've been brought up. to learn about Russia and their fearsome. military and their, you know, advanced.

whatever, it kind of has all been. smoking mirrors for the last 50, 60. years, it seems, because they're pretty. terrible at war fighting. Ukraine is a. huge example of this. They get they push these units up. These units get to the point to where. they start to struggle logistically. Food, water, you know, bullets, band-aids, communication, like even where to go next. Like, you. just kind of left us here. We're here in.

this town. We've massacred it. We've. done whatever we've done here. Now, what. kind of thing? And what they're doing is. this accordion style thing of pushing. guys out to do whatever. And then when. the logistical side of that gets too. taxing, they pull them back in towards. that eastern line that Russia's been. well established on since 2014. And so this big offensive. that was in the media, this Ukrainian.

offensive, um, you know, again, if you. want to compare it to Fallujah, Fallujah. was you took freaking battalions of. Marines, you put them online, you know, and and our special operations community. as well, and you just cleared that city. from top to bottom, left to right. Mhm. That's a thing, right? them leaving, Russians leaving an area, a town, and a Ukrainian unit moving into. that town and waving their flag and.

everyone cheering and all this. That's. not liberating that town in my opinion. Yeah. Right. Everybody's already dead. It's great that they're there. It's. great that they're that they went there. for sure. And now maybe they can give. some assistance to what's going on in. that town to their own people, you know, whether it's medical, humanitarian, whatever, right? and hopefully they can. defend that town if anything ever. happens again. But in my opinion, that's. not liberating that town and that's not. winning a war. Why do you think the Russians left.

ground? I think it's they're so bad at. reinforcing their lines and you know. whether it's that bullets, band-aids, food, water. Um. you think it's a total logistical. nightmare and that's the only reason. they left. Yeah. or or that group's needed somewhere else. kind of thing, right? Um because what. they're doing right now, if you look at. how Russia's fighting this war is it's a. it's an indirect fire war. It's very old. school. It's we have these indirect fire.

positions, anything from mortars. obviously all the way up to all kinds of. heavy artillery. And the Russian. lines are built to just defend these. indirect fire lines, right? Um, and when they push out from there, if. something happens and maybe there's a. Ukrainian unit getting too closer, they're pulling these lines back. But it. seems to be more. just the logistical nightmare because my. thing is this,

and this leads into kind of stuff going. further down the line, too, is Ukraine. can't have it both ways. You can't say. you can't be posting all this propaganda. about these Russians being drunk. criminals and and they're stealing. microwaves and washing machines and. they're they're you know they're. terrible at war fighting and all this. kind of stuff. They're blowing up their. own whatever and they're just really bad. at this. Then at the same time then why are they. still in your country? Mhm. You know, like if if that level of.

Russian that you that Ukraine is saying. is the people that they're fighting. against, they don't really want to be. here. They're not really war fighters. These guys want to leave and all this. If they were in our country, I mean, we. wouldn't probably even need to call up. the National Guard to get rid of them. You could get civilians to get rid of. them. Mhm. Right. And there'd be enough civilians. lining up with all their gear that still. has the tags on it from Blackhawk. Tactical to go take care of these. Russian invaders. Right? Because you.

don't need anything more than that. So. if these guys are so bad, my question to. Ukraine is then why are they still in. your country? Why can't you get rid of. them? Well, that's a damn good question, right? And that's part of my frustration. with this whole thing. And you know, we've had incredible success training. these people and we built on it each. time. You know, the fifth trip there, we. did a we did a massive trip there where.

we were actually training, you know, those special operations units, the. tactics in the medical, like the same. thing. It's like, okay, so you can do. that there. Can you do it here? Can you. build up that here? Can we add this to. the training? Can we We're building on. this. We're we're really creating. guys that can actually go out and warf. fight, right? guys that can actually go. out and run operations and that can take. it to the enemy and can make a. difference in their country. And it's. building on that. You know, we sent uh.

another recon guy over with the last. group. The last trip was kind of. interesting because. we we got another fantastic donation. We. were trying to raise $50,000. for that trip and uh for the fifth trip. and I called the same gentleman who. helped us the first time and I said, "Hey, here's what we're trying to do. We're uh you know, here's our plan and. and I told him about the training and.

some of the stuff we were looking to. do." And um he said, "Okay, well, how. much are you trying to raise?" I said, "We're trying to raise 50 grand and we. were going to try and like crowdsource. it." And he goes, "Okay, I'll give you a. hundred.". Damn. And it was like, "Okay." Same thing. again. On the phone to Cole, he's. hooking. He's like, "All right, well, I. can get you more than last time, but. it's going to take me a second cuz like. we're putting in huge orders for these. things, right?" Like, and uh. you know, his team helped out again. It.

was fantastic. And now though, the we. had that same problem of well, how do we. get the stuff there? Mhm. On a financial level, for sure. But on a. logistical level, too, because I don't. want that nightmare from before where. we're losing this stuff and we have to. go find it and and and possibly might. lose it forever kind of stuff. And I. don't want people It really bothered me. that people took some of our stuff. They. didn't take a lot, but like people were. taking some of our stuff. So, what we did was we took guys that.

would go just for the insert, just to. basically as pack me mules. Okay. Right. And we were going to carry. all this stuff on from Chicago to where. we go to get into Ukraine. And then uh. our Ukrainian connection and our team. there would come down, pick everybody up. and pick up the gear. They would push on. into Ukraine and the rest of the guys. would just go home. So we were taking.

guys just to be mules. So you're corers. Just to get the just to get the gear in. without any hassle. Yeah. you know, and I mean it was uh. it'll go a lot smoother. Oh, it was fantastic. It was perfect, you know, but it was more expensive. Yeah. A lot more expensive. So, but in my. opinion, you know, it was a good use of. that extra money that needed to be spent. cuz it was more like it was insurance. Mhm. you know and and and I because.

right now it's very difficult this whole. what we're doing how much it's grown and. it's like the mission has grown. substantially the mission has grown but. the bank account hasn't. right um in the beginning there was no. bank account there was no mission now we. have a very blown up mission like it's. very expansive and it's growing all the. time but the bank account hasn't grown. to match it. maybe you can start to get some deals. from from the people that you're buying. these kits from and they can give you a.

discount. That might help. Yeah. And and again, it's like we have. to learn all of that. Yeah. You know, we have to learn all of that. and and I could probably go out and find. a company that just wants their name out. there that has an inferior product. But. again, this is real now. These kits are. going to Ukraine. They're going on these. guys gear and they have to bust them out. and they have to pull that rip tab open. and they have to use it. Yeah. And I don't want that text message. or that phone call or that highle.

officer being told, "Yeah, the gear was. just garbage.". Right? The gear that those guys gave us. was just garbage. I won't do it. Yeah. You know, I'm not going to do it. And. it's nothing to do with my name or my. reputation or my organization. It's those guys. It's literally those guys. Like, why. would I? I know what that guy's about to. go do. and because his buddy, it happened to. him. So, why would I hand him something. I wouldn't use myself? Yeah. Well, let's move back into We've.

covered the nonprofit and the donations. and everything. Let's move back into. Have you had any guys cycle from the. front line back in and what are they. needing? So, they're coming back and when they. come back, they're plugging right back. into the training. Um, and they're not bringing them all. back at once. I don't really understand. their rotation. It doesn't really. matter, but they're they're not bringing. everyone back at once and sending a new. group out. They're leaving some of those. guys there and rotating guys back, which.

is great for training because, you know, now those guys have some experience and. and they go into the training and. and they um are start working. And. the problem is they're not doing that. offensive type warf fighting that they. should be. I mean, in my opinion, from a. 10,000 ft level, there's invaders in. that country. Let's say there's invaders. in our country. It's our responsibility. to push them out. Mhm. They came here. We need to get them out. of here. And that's really not what's.

going on. And this all started coming. out. to me from guys who had seen your show. and. they are working with the foreign. legion, former Marines, former army guys. that are over there fighting for the. foreign legion and they're getting paid. and they're, you know, whatever they're. being and they were being used in the. beginning and the way they mainly were.

being used guys who have experience. Brits Canadians, Americans, um, that. have Giwa experience, they were using. them in forward ops, like observation. post type positions because if they. started taking indirect fire, they knew. how to get off the X and break contact, right? They were skilled enough to do. that. And they also were using them. heavily to go where Russian armor.

was prevalent and plant mines on. roadways and pathways that armor was. moving through. Okay. So, they were sending these guys out and. I know this because I've talked to a. bunch of guys, you know, via text on. phone and I've, you know, I have all the. the pictures and all this kind of stuff. I know this to be fact. this is what. these guys were being tasked with. They. weren't sending them out to go and you. know. hit Russian positions.

um at all. Why? Why? Why. Sean this is the question I'm saying? And this is the question they're saying. Imagine and I'm Look, is this from like top like Zalinski. down? It's from it's from the Ukrainian. So. the way the foreign legion works is they. have their kind of internal command and. that answers to the Ukrainian Ministry. of Defense. So whoever in their military. lines, there'll probably be some colonel. or general that is working that chain, right? But they are being told not to do that.

I'm not someone that would go sign up to. fight someone else's war. There's all kinds of opinions about. that. It's not something I would do, I. don't think. Right. But these guys have, they've literally put their life on the. line. And a bunch of them have. experienced obviously in Iraq and. Afghanistan. A bunch of them have. experienced doing this kind of thing in. Syria, right, with YGP and all those. kind of groups when all that was going. on. And now they're doing it in Ukraine. And. you could say they're mercenaries, whatever. I don't want to hear it.

They're putting their lives on the line, whatever. Whether they're getting paid. or not, right? They're still there. They're still trying to do the job and. they're trying to help. and they have a. ton of experience and they're being told. sit there and do nothing, right? And. they're asking the same thing that you. said, same thing I said. Why? Why if. you're Ukraine. and you have Russians in your country? I. still can't get my head around that. These people are in your country and. they're doing these things to your. people, right? And now you have even.

foreign fighters with a ton of. experience. We're not even going to talk. about your army and the lack of training. and the lack of money and you know even. though Russia's been fighting against. your country since 2014, you haven't. invested in your own military and all. this. We're not talking about any of. that yet. We're saying there are large. amounts of proven war fighters with a. ton of experience that can make a. difference. Why won't you use them?

Do you know why? I don't know why. I My opinion, my opinion is they don't know how. Do you think that's what it is? I think it's they just. Or do you think it's the money trains. going to stop if they become too. effective? That obviously is a very strong. possibility because you know.

the line now is it's like look what. happened to one of our towns. Look what. happened to our civilians. We need more. help. It's a victimized. help yourself. Yeah. Help yourself. my opinion, if I. was the president of our country, if I. was Congress, I'd pull the plug on money to Ukraine. And I'm the I'm the Ukraine guy. I love. these people. My organization's been. there five times. I'm heavily invested in these people,

but I'm I think we should be done. I. don't want any of my money, any of your. money, or any of our children's money. going to Ukraine. Well, you know, that's. another thing, another this was actually. the same phone call, I believe, uh that. I'm talking I still remember because I. was in a hardware store when I was. talking to you, but um but uh. I remember that phone call. Yeah. You. were me you had mentioned to me that to. your knowledge none of the all the money.

that has been spent on the Ukraine war. from Ukraine. is either US dollars of foreign aid. Yes. And none of the money has come from. Ukraine itself. Yeah. I think I I saw something. Um. why are they not investing in. themselves? So, this goes back like. since the war started in 2014. when that kind of cleared up, when it. calmed down, right? Um, and wasn't so.

prevalent. If I was Ukraine then and Russia just. came in and took like, you know, did. what they did in Donbass and was doing. what they were doing in Crimea and. you're able to quell that a little bit. through international pressure and all. this kind of stuff. When I come home and. I take my boots off, the first thing I'd. be thinking is, okay, we need to put. money into our military. We need to. defend the eastern part of our country. and build up defenses there in case. Russia comes in and does this again. So,

we need to kind of get into defense. spending now, obviously. Mhm. I mean, you should have been you could. argue you should have been doing that. anyway because Russia lives to your. east, right? I mean, so what they Yeah, but. they haven't done anything. Yeah, but. they're there. It's a threat. we should. be putting some money towards, you know, building a fence or something, right? Like we should be doing something. and it never happened. A lot of it has. to do with the previous president was. very he had a lot of business in Russia.

Um big business and um was very. sympathetic to Russia. Much of the. eastern part of Ukraine is very. sympathetic to Russia. They speak. Russian. Is it worth defending? Honestly, yes. So, that's a question for a. Ukrainian. In my opinion, it's like it's not the same and please. don't help hate me people from Texas. But it's like saying, well, is Texas. worth defending, right? Because Texas.

kind of thinks they should be their own. thing. It's like a joke, right? Well, I mean, I think a way a very. relevant way to have this conversation. is how much China is investing in US. real estate in farmland. You know, eventually the influence from all of. that in from all of those investments is. going to be all Chinese influence in. particular parts very particular parts. of the US. And that's what's happening. in Ukraine. is the. it's not the Russian government. It's.

Russian influence. Everybody has an. alliance to Russia because they are. Russian. and that's how that influence happens. There's people in eastern Ukra in. eastern Ukraine who consider themselves. more Russian than Ukrainian. And that's. a problem because then these people get. into the local and kind of state. government over there. They get into the. police departments. They get into all. this kind of stuff. They get into. business. And obviously then that. influence spreads, right? I mean, if you. think you're something, you're going to. align with those things. And and that.

has happened. I mean, so much so that. they speak Russian. They don't speak. Ukrainian. and um like they don't even. speak the language. And that's a big key. to me, right? I mean, I'm a big history. buff. Much of history is deter has been. determined by language. It's very it's. very interesting, very nuanced, but if. you look into who took over this and why. and all this, much of it has to do with. language. And so that's kind of a. fundamental thing that always sticks out.

to me is okay, you have this issue with. Russia, yet most of your eastern part of. your country speaks Russian. That's we I have questions. You know. what I mean? Like at least I have a. couple questions about that. And so this. is what this was what was going on since. 2014. You have these highle politicians. in Ukraine that are very sympathetic to. Russia, business, all this kind of. stuff. They didn't put that money in their. defense spending for obvious reasons.

You know, they're in bed with them. Well, then something like this pops off. and it's very easy for them to have a. massive foothold, for the Russians to. have a massive foothold in the east. Many of the eastern Ukrainians and you. know, many of my Ukrainian people will. kind of not be happy that I'm saying. this now. They would move to the west of. Ukraine. obviously warn very war torn. areas, destroyed areas. They would move. there and they have a very negative.

thought about people from western. Ukraine. Oh, these people are this, they're that. They almost like hate. them. And they would go into the houses. like people from western Ukraine would. open their houses to people from the. east and they would trash their houses. and just they just there's a very weird. cultural thing between western Ukraine. and eastern Ukraine and it's affecting. the war you know it's it's society. affecting what politics and pol and all. of that affecting war.

So was Ukraine a very divided country. before this all happened? um divided how like. well you're talking about east and west. Yeah. I don't think it was very like um. it wasn't to the point where it was like. the east wanted to be part of Russia. It. wasn't really that because those people. even though they were heavily Russian. influenced had a better life as. Ukrainians as they would if they were. Russian. They kind of wanted their cake and eat. it too if you know what I mean. Um but there was a big divide. Like if.

someone from the east went to the west, they're kind of like, "Oh, look, there's. someone from that place." kind of thing. It's and it's very kind of segregated. that way with very negative connotations. towards people from this part of the. country or that part of the country, you. know, and obviously as we're there more. and and we're meeting more people, you're learning this about their. culture. Um, we don't have that here, you know, and and people who want to cry. racism or whatever here, like we don't. have that level of divide in this.

country. We have an artificial level of. divide in this country, but that's real, right? We don't have that here. People. from New York don't hate people from. California. It's not a thing. You know, you make jokes about them or whatever, but like you you don't have this. fundamental like I don't think we're the. same thing. I don't know, Mark. It's looking pretty. divided. Well, yeah, we might be headed that we. might be headed in that direction, right? This could be a lesson we could. learn. Um. I don't think it's uh geography. I think. it's. Yeah, we're there. It's more geography.

because Russia's on that eastern part of. of the country, right? So geography um. connects it more so like politically. probably is where the divide starts in. our country, you know? Um so that starts. factoring in as well. And you know, my. whole thing is. if you come to me, if you told me, "Hey, Mark, I need you to come down to. Tennessee. There's people on my on my property, right? And I need help getting rid of them.".

And I say, "Look, I can't come down.". Right? The US is saying, "We can't send. dudes over there. We're not sending our. guys over there to fight this for you.". And then you say, "Mark, okay. Can you. send me money to help them because I. need to do some stuff? I need to fund. this. Getting rid of these guys off my. land. Okay, I'll fund you now. I fund. you to the tune of $60 billion. Mhm. And you're still standing there with. your hand out. Give me more money. I'm. probably going to want to peek in and. say, "What did you do with the $60.

billion. that you can't like, you want more? And. if I give you more, what are you going. to do with it?". Yeah. Because. you can't be telling us or we can't be. seeing that these Russians are so. terrible yet you can't push I just can't. get over that. You can't push them out. of your country. And why aren't you even. taking it to them? How offensive would we be if something. like this happened in our country? I would hope extremely offensive. I I have no doubts. I don't care who the. president is. I don't care what politics.

are. I have no doubt we would be. ferociously offensive if something like. this happened, you know, and they're. just not. And and I get it. You may not. want if you're Ukraine and you know. yourself that you haven't you don't have. a well-trained army, which you don't. You may not want high numbers of. casualties coming out, but you have. foreign fighters that you're not even. taking their leash off. And the other. thing, and this bothers me,

we went to that country at the end of. February, and we will take the guys that. we took that were brand new. They. enlisted, they enlisted the weekend. before we got there, right? And they were the butcher, baker, candlestick maker, and we were. essentially their basic training. Let's. say they didn't have basic training. They were being these guys that are. being. either drafted or are volunteering are. basically being told, "Here's kind of a. uniform. Here's maybe a rifle. You're.

with this unit over in this town and. you're just going to basically be gate. guard in this town." That is okay. That's them joining the army. Now, my. let's take my route. Okay. You sign up to go to the Marine Corps. It's three months of basic training, right? You go to Paris Island, you go. MCRD San Diego, three months of basic. training. At the end of that, you're in. shape. You're in much better shape than.

when you stood on the yellow footprints. when you first got there. You're in. shape. You're a basically trained Marine. and you're ready to move on. Right? So. then let's take in the case of what. Ukraine needs, infantry. Okay? So that's. three months. So if you took it from. what we were saying, that's March, April, May. Okay. To have a basically. trained guy. School of Infantry is 2 months long. You. go there, you learn everything. You.

learn basics of shoot, move, and. communicate. You learn ambush tactics. You learn weapons, heavy weapons. tactics, right? 50 cals, Mark 19s, all. this kind of good stuff. 240s, all this, you know, whatever, right? If you're going to be a mortar man in. the Marine Corps infantry, you learn 60. and 81 millimeter mortars and boom. At. the end of school of infantry, you've. had 5 months of training and you can. literally check into a Marine rifle. battalion and do a work up to go on a.

deployment. And in the case of the GWA, you could go to Iraq and Afghanistan. You're ready to start doing your job. You're still the bottom man. you don't. have any experience but you're basically. trained as a marine and as an infantry. marine to go and do that job to go. fight. Okay. So again we said uh March, April, May, June, July. So if they would. have when they had 200 when and when I. say they I mean Ukraine Ukraine proper.

they had 200,000 people enlist that. weekend before Zach and I got there. It's incredible. Wow. It's incredible. We talked about that. Imagine if. 200,000. 200,000 civilians signed up because. Russia invaded their country. That's. incredible. It's so heroic. It's so I. mean, it brings tears to your eyes to. think that men just stood up and were. like, "We're going to go do something. about this. Don't know what we're going. to do, but we're going to go do. something about this." 200 men you had. since the end of February. By July, those 200 men could have been basically.

trained war fighters. and they didn't train them. I was the. idiot that trained them. And not them. I didn't train 200,000. people. I trained like a company's worth. of them. right. by July you could have had basically. we're not talking about guys going to. Buds or BRC or you know um. talking about very basic. to create a basically trained infantry.

guy and I'll tell you what right now. it can be done in 9 weeks. the army does it in eight weeks right. basic training and all this kind of. stuff and it's like. now. this will piss people off too these guys. that been some of those guys that have. been in the army since February. You see. pictures of them now. They're fat still. They're not in shape. They couldn't run. from me to you, right? They're requested. to send cookies. We need food. They're. out they're out not at the front lines,

but they're in like a forward position. where like um you know, they're just. kind of holding down a town. They're not. in any combat. They're not taking. indirect fire. They're just kind of. there. the the unit that was there moved. to the front and they moved in behind. them just to kind of you know they have. checkpoints they're running checkpoints. every day um gate guard of their little. compound and everything but they're not. actively war fighting they're serving. their country I'm not putting them down. but what I'm saying is they're fat. they're out of shape and they're. requesting cookies from home that's not.

a war fighter. and there's Russians in their country. and you could say well it's up to the. individual man and that's somewhat true. right I And we both had that. responsibility. It's like, I need to do. this so I can stay on this team. I need. to do this so that I can be there for. the guys. But remember, they don't have. that mentality. Many of them were. civilians. Nobody trained them. They joined up to. do what they needed to do. And in my. opinion, their country let them down.

I was trained. You were trained. I mean, did you ever. feel in your career that you didn't have. the training you needed to do your job? No. Never. Never, never, never. They got no. training. The ones that stumble that we stumbled. upon, they got training as the best we. could. And those ones got sent to the. front. Why? Because they had training. So then why don't you train everybody? What did What did the local Ukrainians.

think of all this? I don't think they understand how it. works. They don't. And I've had conversations with Yuri. about this, too. And he obviously. doesn't understand how it works. We've. all had conversations with different. Ukrainians about it and you know like. okay let's start here. If a guy enlists. or you draft a guy send them to six. weeks basic training. Create a basic. training school course for these guys. Have a little bit of drill to teach them. some discipline, right? Have them freaking march to go.

get food every day or whatever. Whatever. you want to do. Get them get them in. shape. These guys now I can show you. I. mean I've showed you pictures. These. guys are When did he enlist? End of. February. Why does he look like that. right now? Damn. How is it possible? How is it possible? Oh, but in the beginning, we just had to. get the guys in and it was a scramble. I. get it. If 200,000 people joined the US. Army, the US Navy, the US Marine Corps, or Air Force over a weekend, it would. put a strain on the system. It would, right? You know, you recruiters are out there.

like, I wish that would happen, right? Um. especially right now. Especially right now. Yeah. But it would. put a strain on the system. But you know. what? You have a problem. Like that's. just an obstacle for you. Like we. mentioned in the beginning, the problem. is there's Russians in your country. Figure that problem out. Yeah. Right. That's a blessing. 200 200,000. people sign up that weren't there. yesterday wanting to go take care of. this problem for you. Figure that out.

I mean, I don't care. Sounds like. a complete disaster when it comes to. management. You're talking about you. have very capable men from foreign. countries, US, Canada, Brits. working for the Legion who could. probably put a major dent in what's. happening, but they are improperly. utilized. Then you have 200,000. Ukrainians who are standing up who want.

to take their country back. Yes, you can't necessarily blame them because. they've never been in war. They don't. know what it's like. They don't know. what to expect. But you have a country that is. completely blowing off the asset of. 200,000 people. And. and so. how the [ __ ] do you even fix this? I. mean I yeah I don't know if I if I could.

I would set up. a basic training curriculum. I would. work with whatever drill instructors. they see. If you ask a Ukrainian and or. you talk to a Ukrainian, you say, "Look, this is what needs to be done." When a. dude comes in, you get 20 guys and it's. time to like like a Mets type thing, right? They come in, they enlist or they. get whatever. You give them their. medical checks. Now, it's time to send. them somewhere. You send them to basic training. They go. there for x amount of weeks. They learn. what to do. Give them give them another.

month. Let's say it doesn't have to be. like the Marine Corps where it's 3. months basic training, two months school. of infantry. You give them 6 weeks, give. them another month of kind of more. infantry type tactic stuff. and then you put them in a unit, right? Mhm. I I get it. Maybe there's not enough. time for them to do any kind of workup. or anything like that. Okay. But you put. them in a unit now and and at least they. know what they're doing and they're in. shape. I'd have no problem. Like that would not. be difficult to set up for them. I'd.

have no problem doing it for them, showing them how it's done. When you. talk to a Ukrainian about that and you. map that out, they're like, "Yeah, but. that's just not what we do. We've never. done it that way and it's not going to, you know, the commanders are old and. that that's just not the way we've ever. done it.". Okay, listen, man. Okay, then do it that. way then. Do it your old way. Damn. You know, like that should not be your. response. And every Ukrainian I've talked to, including the ones I love, that's their.

response. That's just not how we do things here. Okay. Well, you might end up not having. a country, you know. And to be honest, at that. point, remember, I'm the love Ukraine. guy. At that point, you don't deserve to. have your country, right? I mean, if we can't defend our. country and we can't keep our country. going, we don't deserve to have it. Like if if you're not going to change.

this now when there's people standing on. your soil raping your women totally. decimating villages, women and children, blowing up like actively targeting, you. mentioned it today at the beginning, you. know, 75 rockets actively targeting. civilian places in your cities and. towns. and you're just going to say, "Yeah, but. if that's what we need to do to affect. this happening, that's just not how we.

do things here." Then how do you deserve. to have your country? How do you des. like and the problem is it's not the. people. The people people generally are. idiots. We know this. People generally. are sheep. It just is fact of society. If that's what you've always known, that's what you know. But when you're. these highlevel commanders, you're these. politicians, you're you know, like I. talked to to someone the other day and. it's like, "Yeah, but the way we have to.

for something like that to happen, like. if we were going to institute this new. way of how the military does stuff, that. has to get done in parliament through. law and some of these polic and you're. like, "All right, I'm done with this. conversation.". You're saying the obstacle to actually. doing something about this is that the. parliament doesn't normally do it this. way. Okay, then we have nothing more to talk. about, you know, and it sounds like I'm. talking out of both sides of my face. I. don't care about Ukraine. I You're not talking out of both sides.

of your face. We addressed this at the. beginning. and that's what I love about what you're. doing is you're do you're helping. people. You're not getting involved in. the political. I don't care about Ukraine. And I know. you could take that clip and you could. twist it and you could say, "Oh, don't. give that organization your money." He. says he's helping Ukraine and he also. said I don't care about Ukraine. I don't. I'll say it three more times. I don't. care about Ukraine. I care about those. people, right? Because they're the ones. that are going to suffer. All the.

politicians at the end of the day, if. Russia takes over this much land or that. much land, those politicians are going. to make deals at the end of the day and. they're going to be well taken care of, right? We know that. That's how that. stuff works. The people, the Yuris that. live in Ukraine are not, right? They're. the ones that are going to suffer. And. the reason they're going to suffer is. because they're trying to trust their. government and their country. You know, I don't think government. should have a big role in people's. lives. But it should defend people. It.

should defend the people. And kind of. that's it, right? I mean, I don't have a. tank. I don't have an F-35. If you have. one government, can you help me with it. if it ever comes to that? Like that's. all the government should really do. And. I feel their government's letting them. down. And they're so patriotic about. their country, which is a relatively new. country, right, and their history that. they just are okay with it. And it it really frustrates me because,

you know, sending them money isn't the answer. Giving them more money isn't the wasn't. the answer to begin with. You know, what is the answer? I think it's in the terms of first of. all the answer is finding out what the. hell they really want. What do you want. to do? Do you want these Russians out of. your country? Do you want to make a deal. with them over certain land? Do you just. want money so you can wash it and do.

whatever you want with it? Like what do. you really want? If the answer is no, we. want to win this war. We want to kick. Russia out and we want to make sure this. never happens again to our country or. our people. Okay, then your answer is. you need training. You need you need to. build an army that is. formidable, organized, modern, and can actually do something about this. because lobbing artillery at each other,

I don't want to say that's not war, but. you can't really get anything done. Yeah. And the other thing that's. happening, Ukraine is not attacking Russia in. Russia either. And that's a whole I get. it. You're like, "Yeah, but Mark, that's. can't be a thing." Well, says who. It. can't be a thing, right? I understand. why they're probably not doing it. Part. of the deal is, look, we'll give you. money. I'm Great Britain. I'm Germany. I'm the USA. I'll give you money, but. don't be lobbing artillery into Russia.

Don't be firing any missiles at Moscow. or this or even border towns. like don't. do that. Keep it in your country. We'll. fund you, but don't be firing definitely. don't be firing anything that we give. you into Russia. But my thought is at. this point, why the hell not? Does it appear that the money is being. disseminated? All 60 billion that we've. sent, is it being Are you seeing it. change the battle space at all? You sat.

there last night at dinner and Yuri said. what? Hey, we just made that deal for. the boots, right? We tried to raise $60,000 to buy. x amount of thousands of pairs of boots. because winter's coming and those guys. don't have boots. So, we sent $60 billion to Ukraine and. they don't even have boots on a dude's. feet. Can't even put boots on a guy's. feet. I'm the one that's taking IFAX there. These guys get these if they're blown. away. They can't believe they have a. piece of gear like that.

You know, we're the ones and and the. viewers for this show are the ones. Sean, I had guys sending me their. personal plate carriers. Yeah, don't worry. I'll get another one. I'll. send you this one. I was thinking about. getting a new one anyway. Those are what. the guys are wearing in Ukraine. The. There was an ATF unit in Texas. I told. you they changed all of their tactical. gear from one color to another and they. sent us all their old mag pouches and. camel back holders and chest rigs and.

admin pouches and all kinds of stuff. Right. That's what these guys have. You. say I wouldn't have to ask for that. stuff or I wouldn't be so excited about. receiving something like that if $60. billion was buying it for them. Yeah. You know, and I get it. Javelin missiles. cost a lot of money and you know I mean. we're not sending them tanks. They're. not running around with M1A ones and. stuff, right? Um I don't know what the. money's being spent on. You know, it's. not my thing. You know, I I hope it's.

being spent. You're not seeing what you thought you. would see with that. No, I mean, I thought initially. listening to some of those. talks and speeches about giving them. money was to help them fight the war. To. me, war fighters fight wars and war. fighters need gear. So, yes, I get it. Some of this other highlevel stuff is. import is obviously important, but so. are boots on a guy's feet when it's. October going into winter in Ukraine. So.

is a rifle for a guy who's supposed to. be able to go to war, right? I mean, a. place for him to put his magazine. We. were training guys. They're putting. magazines in pocket in pockets. They. were, "Okay, well, yeah, it goes to. bullets and all this." Okay. Well, these. guys run around with one magazine. because that's all they could have. One. magazine. That's what 20 rounds AK 47. Yeah. 30 rounds. 30. Yeah. And so it's like, you know, and I. don't need a itemized inventory of where.

my tax money is going. I don't need. that, right? I mean, we should have it. You could argue, but I don't need that. But I'm there. Our guys are there. We. should definitely see a change in the. tides with. the special operations guys, which you. think would some of the money would go. to. Every time we go over there, the. guys we work with say, "Hey, can you. guys get us this? Can you guys get us. that? We need two of these. Can you help. us get this?" And it could be everything. from drones to chess rigs to.

various other things. will say IR type. stuff, strobes, um, phones, like, hey, we need phones to communicate with each. other cuz we don't have radios. Holy, the special operations unit does. not have [ __ ] radio. Just different all kinds of things that. they want that you're thinking like that. should be issued gear backpacks. Like I need a day pack.

What do you mean? You can't get a day. pack. How many day packs did you get to. choose from? This big one, this small. one, this one I could dive with. This. one I could jump with. Right. I mean, how many packs could you choose from? This one I'm going long range, whatever. Right. I mean, you have no place to put. all this gear in your locker or. whatever. Mhm. And they are asking me, why am I giving. Ukrainian intelligence soldiers a. backpack? I mean, I'll do it. I'll do it. a 100 times over. You know, makes you question, but why do I have to do it? And why is.

there, you know, like can we get a. couple backpacks with the 60 billion. dollars? You know, can we shave off a. couple backpacks? Yeah. And I get it. That's that's a silly. thing to say, but like. No, it's not. It's not a [ __ ] silly. thing to say. These guys don't have the. equipment they need to take their. [ __ ] country back. And the money is. not showing up where it needs to be. and. that with the Legion thing, there are a. lot of guys who are going over there and.

um. you know, they're they're there ready to. do something. Some of them are just. sticking it out, you know, and I don't. know what their home situation's like or. whatever, but they're sticking it out. hoping they can make a difference. Some. of them are like, I'm not doing this. Like, this is I came here to help and. now you're telling me to sit on my. hands. You know, I think I think this would. actually be a really good time to get. Yuri up here. I wanted to push that more. towards the end. And I wanted to go over.

some of these missing Marines and. soldiers uh on the US side that have um. been captured by Russia. But we'll cover. that after we talk to Yuri. Let's get. Yuri's opinion on as a Ukrainian. Sure. Um on what's going on over there and. what he thinks about the Ukrainian. government. I want to give a big thank you out right. now to all the Vigilance Elite patrons. out there that are watching the show.

right now. Just want to say thank you guys. You are. our top supporters and you're what makes. this show actually happen. If you're not. on Vigilance Lead Patreon, I want to. tell you a little bit about what's going. on in there. So, we do a little bit of. everything. There's plenty of behind the. scenes content from the actual Shawn. Ryan show. On top of that, basically. what I do is I take a lot of the. questions that I get from you guys or. the patrons and then I turn them into.

videos. So, we get right now there's a. lot of concern about self-defense, home. defense, crimes on the rise all. throughout the country, actually all. throughout the world. And so we talk. about everything from how to prep your. home, how to clear your home, how to get. familiar with a firearm, both rifle and. pistol. For beginners and advanced, we. talk about mindset. We talk about. defensive driving. We have an end of the. month live chat that I'm on at the end.

of every month where we can talk about. whatever topics you guys have. It's. actually done on Zoom. You might enjoy. it. Check it out. And if Zoom's not your. thing or you don't like live chats, like. I said, there's a library of well over a. 100red videos on where to start with. prepping, all the firearm stuff, pretty. much anything you can think of, it's on. there. So anyways, go to. www.patreon.com/vigilance.

elite or just go in the link in the. description. It'll take you right there. And if you don't want to and you just. want to continue to watch the show, that's fine, too. I appreciate it either. way. Love you all. Let's get back to the. show. Thank you, Yuri. Sean, welcome. So, you are the whole reason that Mark.

and the Overwatch foundation even went. into Ukraine. kind of started as an idea. and we got that whole backstory uh the. first time I interviewed him and uh I. just want to say it's I've been dying to. meet you. I'm glad you came out and uh. I'm. really looking forward to picking your. brain on what's been going on over. there. But where were you when this. whole thing kicked off with Russia. invading your country? So I was at home. I was asleep already.

I went to bed earlier and uh my wife. just woke me up and she's like it's all. happening right now. She's like in tears. and crying and I was like I was in shock. like woke up cuz I never faced war in my. life. I'm like just a regular guy just. very simple regular guy and I was. shocked and until we we went there like. all the time was just on the phone like. on the phone checking on my sister. So I. just called them right away. I said. like, "Hey, make sure you have that. emergency bag ready. Just make sure you.

like cuz I didn't know what to expect.". How how many family members you have. over there? Your home is in Illinois, correct? Yes. So, in America, just me, my wife, and my daughter. Just three of us. Everybody else is in in there in. Ukraine. Okay. Okay. What is your as the war has developed, it's come a long way as a lot of new. developments have come out. What is your opinion on how the war is.

being run on the Ukrainian side? So, it's it's kind of hard for me. because I didn't understand I didn't. know what's war, right? Like I said, like I know what's war, but like. obviously talking to guys like Mark and. everybody else like on Overwatch and. talking to guys in Ukraine like cuz I. talk to them every day. I talk to guys. who's on the front line, who's getting. ready, who got wounded, injured, like. all this. I talk to them. So the way I. see it and we're doing so great great.

things. We're advancing. We're taking. stuff back and we we fighting back with. the world like helping us like we really. like using the weapon that we're. getting. But I do realize it's not going. to be quick and it's not going to be. like fast. It's it's not going to be. done like by let's say by winter. It. won't be it won't happen. And I think. that people in Ukraine they start. understanding it too cuz they just start. to live their lives like they're just. like okay this is what it is. This is.

new reality. We just have to adapt to. this. Are you. happy with the response from the. Ukrainian people with how they're. reacting to all of this? Yes and no. What are you happy about? So, I'm happy about how they're trying. to to help the UAF, Ukrainian armed. forces. They they doing really great. stuff. So Ukrainians. were uh like basically collecting money. for biractar which is the drones that.

the Turkish making making the drones. that the that um you can like you can. like drop bombs and stuff like that. Ukrainians donated money in two days. over a million dollars out of their own. pockets to buy those three drones. So. Ukraans are really supportive right now. Like they trying to help. But other. people I've heard like on the last trip. what I've heard people just said like. there's no bombing here. There's no war. here. There's no what? There's no bombing here. No [ __ ] Like.

basically bombs are not like coming into. this town, this region. So there's no. war here. Okay. Which is like crazy to understand. And. they don't realize like they they think. like some sometimes people even saying. like oh I I never sent you there cuz. like you know soldiers are there the. front line and they fighting and they. like oh I never sent you there so why. would I care about you? But this is all. like elderly people like all their. mentality like USSR mentality, communist.

mentality. Okay. Now younger generation they trying. to support like and do everything. because like look if I cannot serve like. at least I'm going to do something for. the for those guys cuz they there they. like uh sleeping on the ground that I. have something that I have like we have. to be honest like Ukraine like just. getting to to be like um trying to reach. western world and trying to be on that. level right so we don't have that. ammunition we don't have that gear we. don't have that stuff so people buying. out of their own pockets right and.

Ukrainians. I think in the future it would be cool. like to have a film or even a book about. how volunteering movement going into. Ukraine cuz there is a saying like. people even say like there's no such a. thing the Ukrainian volunteer cannot get. in this world. We we recently like. couple months ago we bought the. satellite and access to different. satellites so we can get like better. pictures like which is which is crazy. It's like I'm happy about that. I'm. happy but the younger generation. realized like hey we have to look west.

We have to stop looking east. We have to. turn our back to east like Russia and. Belarus like all those countries because. they're behind. They behind really. behind and they they're not looking for. the freedom. Like especially me being. here for 11 years like I started. understanding what is freedom. Like I do. understand like from talking like to. like good people, good guys. Freedom is. something that you don't get for free. So right now it's time to earn your. freedom. Wow. So I'm happy about that. not happy but.

that we still have like all that. corrupted people because the reason why. we go through Overwatch and we have an. office in Ukraine Overwatch sister. company basically Overwatch Ukraine. that's what they call the the reason for. having that because we didn't want to. send the supplies through somebody. because we know it's going to get robbed. steal all the corruption stuff it's. still going on like I mean I I love. Ukraine I'm Ukrainian like in my soul. right but I have to be honest I cannot. just just wear those like pink glasses.

and be like, "Oh, everything's super. cool. Like, we're fighting." Yes, we're. taking losses. We're taking losses and. people steal stuff. And it's sad. That's. what's I'm not happy about. Are you happy with how your government. is? I guess not your government. Are you. happy with how the Ukrainian government. is handling all the funding in in the. war as a whole? Because talking to Mark, he. seems to me that Mark is very.

for the Ukrainian people and he's very. unhappy with the way that the Ukrainian. government is handling the funding from. the US, from Europe, from the UK, and. how they're handling. all these foreign fighters showing up at. the Foreign Legion uh to. get rid of the Russians. I I I see what you're saying. I would. say I'm like 60 70% happy with what they. doing.

You are? I'm not like fully satisfied because. like we actually had this just recently. this conversation with Mark like if God. forbid something like that happens here. like it would be kicked out like like. that in a moment like the enemy will be. out of this country like never would. something happen in this soil right over. there. they just trying to be corrupted like. like to be honest with you when the. revolution started in 2013. the whole the whole thing started I was. like super excited about that because no.

like excited kind of like quote because. I I thought like okay it's time to wipe. the all these like USSR mentality. communist out of my country so we can. start living good like we can join. Europe EU we can join Europe we can live. those standards but it looks like they. are so deep in the government that it's. really really hard to get It's still. corruption going on. Like they still. stealing stuff. Like the amount of money. and supplies we're getting is it's it's. ridiculous. I I think it never something. like that happened in the history. Like.

it's just it's just crazy amount of. money. The whole world is helping you. And I just don't know how people can. steal it this time. How can they take. it? Yeah. What what do you think the biggest. fear? What are I guess what are some of. the biggest fears that the Ukrainian. people have? You got the nuclear. weapons, you know, which is on the. entire the whole world's watching this. What are they are they how scared are. they about that?

So, they are pretty scared cuz there is a. good reason to be scared. nuclear weapon. is is not a thing to joke around and. Ukraine had in in the history in 1986. the Chernobyl situation like so I'm like. my region where I'm from is pretty far. away from Chernobyl but through the. clouds and everything all their. radiation like traveled like and we have. people like who who've been suffering. from that like a little bit like people. older than me like probably like two.

three years older than me they they face. the like u. problems with the with their health like. from reg. So people do realize like what. it is. It's a serious thing and it's a. serious threat because they don't know. it's war like it can happen like if if. if if Russians saying they can do it. like and and technically and. hypothetically they can they have. ability to do that right and like like. today's even events like showing us that. they're not scared of anything. I don't.

know if they stupid, they they just like. believe in theirel or there's such a. propaganda going on in that their. country. I don't know what's the reason, but they're not scared. They like really. can use it. And people are scared of. that cuz where my wife from, it's not. that far away from the plant, the. nuclear plant. There was like a lot of. things going on around that. People were. scared. They're like, "Oh, we want to. move a little bit western Ukraine. because it's like closer to EU." And. they think that the Russians won't shoot. it because because it's too close to EU.

So, they don't want to like get in into. the fight like direct fight with the EU. and and NATO and all the all those. countries. What. What is The reason I'm asking this stuff. is because we only hear what the media, you know, wants to tell us. And so you. being from Ukraine, you kind of have a. lot more feel on on what the mentality. is of the actual people of Ukraine. versus what. major news stations are telling us. What.

are some other concerns. that the Ukrainian people have fear-wise. as far as maybe something along the. lines of the nuclear weapons, chemical. weapons? So I would say this, I would say, yeah, nuclear would be the biggest one, right? But then just they don't know what's the. future, right? Because they don't know. how long the war is going on. And. economy is collapsing right now. Like. it's collapsing. Like I have to be. honest like when before the war the. currency rate was like $1 to 220. Right.

now on my last trip it was 42 already. Oh wow. So it's doubled. And it like our first. trip it was 31. So it's like slowly but. crawling going up going up. and. we don't have like shortages yet. But. even going to to like neighboring. countries in EU, it's it's cheaper to. buy uh like just groceries like it's. cheaper to buy there than in Ukraine at. the moment. Like which is which is. insane because they they have euros like.

it's supposed to be much more expensive, right? And it's it's cheaper and people. just don't know what's going to happen. in the future. And also like they cannot leave home, right? Ukrainians are like when the. whole thing started, they left left the. country, but they with the intention to. come back. They're not leaving for good. Yeah, there a percentage of people who. left for good. Like, okay, we're going. We're not coming back. Most of the. people want to come back cuz it's just. like women and kids. So, they came back. and they don't know what to do and they.

struggle because there's no work, right? Like there's no jobs. Like it's very. hard to find job. And. people who's working like uh let's say. law enforcement and like uh doctors. they're scared too because as we can see. those those places getting bombed right. all the like plants like the like power. plants all that stuff people scared to. go there too because like you don't know. what to what to wait for like you just. don't know what to expect. the power. workers and the medical people are.

scared to go to work because they're. worried that they're going to get bombed. because it's a power facility or medical. they just don't know what to wait like. we don't know what to expect like what. what's going to happen like could be. here tomorrow could be now. you know talking to Mark also I didn't. realize how much of a. I don't know if divide is the correct. word but eastern Ukraine sounds like. it's all under Russian influence. a lot of the people speak Russian there.

A lot of the people are consider. themselves Russians there. Do you what. is what is the pulse of the Ukrainian. people when it comes to. should you guys give up the land? No. You don't think you should? We don't. Is that the overwhelming majority of the. Ukrainians? Yes. like pe there is like people who. think that because like you said but. since since the war started like the. whole nation just united we're like no.

we're like we don't want to give it away. like even Zilinski saying that like we. we're going to take ours back like and. people believe in that people people. want it like we just want to like look. we just want to be independent and free. and just don't touch us like leave us. alone. you know like we want to be like here we. have our own country, beautiful country, beautiful soil, like beautiful people. like just want to be free. Why are you. taking us like so the whole world the. whole country is united because of war?

Yes. It was it was really divided like. central and eastern Ukraine was like. really under Russian like it was like. speaking Russian like I remember so my. grandfather he's from central like. central Ukraine and I I'm from western. so I grew up like as a like Ukrainian. Ukrainian hardcore Ukrainian and I. remember once I came uh we went on a on. a tour to leave and I came back home and. I had like a little like coffee mug and. it says like thank god I'm not Russian. and my grandfather saw it So he went.

straight to my mom. She's like, "What. kind of education is this? Like how you. raising your son?" Like there's like. Russians, they are our brothers. They. are like they are now neighbors, you. know. So it was like that. But now like. even my mom said like we're never going. to forgive them. Never. Like they've. done bad stuff to us before, but right. now we won't forgive them. So, your job at Overwatch Foundation. sounds like a lot of it is.

translation, translating what Mark and. the team is saying when it comes to. medical training tactics, whatever the whatever they need. translated. You're going to have a lot more of a. gauge on how motivated the Ukrainian. people are that you guys are training. Are they able to. what's the word I'm looking for?

How much of this information are they. taking in and how motivated. are they to learn these tactics and the. medical training? So here's So I'll split this in two, okay? Because we we've done three trips. So I'll split this in two. like first. two trips. most of the people who were trained were. volunteers the war hit time to defend my. country time to grab some weapon and. time to do the good stuff what I'm what. the man's supposed to do for his country.

and for his family so it was like those. guys were like a sponge you know like a. little kid whatever you gave them they. were just absorbing it like like. absorbing it like no tomorrow they've. been training after like after we left. like they you can see it like you can. see when the people train like even if. you leave. So it was like it was crazy. Second time we came back same thing. It. was it was crazy like people like really. trying doing stuff that we show them. They realize that what we teach them. what Overwatch teach them it's it's very.

useful and it's very easy. It's not like. you know like old style like when you. they throw like bunch of information and. you and then you just get lost. You're. overwhelmed with information. You don't. know what to do. You're like mixing. stuff up in your head. So this is like. very effective, very useful. So in this. third trip, it's already becoming mix. So probably like 25%. is already kind of like taking it kind. of like h you know like you're here. Okay, I'm just like I was told to be.

here. 75% is still like legit. They they. good to go. They're ready to go. They. motivated. They see what's going on. But. I think because of the the action kind. of slowed down a little bit, right? It's. it's going the long way, right? So you. kind of slow down. People start like. being relaxed. Like they're getting used. to it. That's me and my wife discussed. like people getting used to war. Mhm. They realize. Huh. complacency. Yeah. They like, "Okay, this that's it.". Like so and people being drafted right. now. People there's a patrols that going.

outside and they just stop and they're. like, "Hey, let me see your paperwork.". Our our medic told me he got stopped and. they check his paperwork. So people getting stopped like like from. 6:00 a.m. to 6 p.m. just patrols like. two people just walking around like and. they check paperwork like your documents. and they can give they they can draft. you right and that's what I think like. that's a little problem right now. It's not major problem but there is a.

little bit problem because when you. draft it and you volunteer like it's two. different things. Mhm. When you volunteer you're super. motivated. When you draft it it's kind. of like somebody made you do this. Yeah. And. it's sad, but those people like like. what happened with with us when we came. like they were like like joking around. at the beginning like kind of like ah. okay like cuz we we were you know we're. trying we we're trying to praise them. for good stuff cuz in the first day they. did good but the new guys like who never.

like saw us never meet us they they. started like uh joking around and we're. just like slam like hey guys if you. think you're so so cool and you know. everything is time for for jokes like we. can go home like we all have families. we're volunteering here like we're not. you know like we we took off from work. and stuff like if if you want we just go. home and that kind of like put them back. a little bit put them in place it's like. and I I I know their commander I came to. commander I said like look tomorrow we.

come I don't want to see this anymore. cuz this is like I'm not here for this. like you guys need it like I give you we. give you knowledge so take the knowledge. like it's it's knowledge it has been. tested in a combat like so it's not like. something in the books that nobody knows. what to do with that it's practice like. so take it and it kind of changed a. little bit but still it was like kind of. a little bit shocking to see that people. like 25% like I said 25% kind of like. fooling it out which is that was. shocking for me.

are Ukrainians worried about the energy. prices that's about to happen you know. those pipelines just were blown up going. in from Russia to Germany He he said. he's going to turn the gas off this. winter. How. worried are people of Ukraine about the. power situation? They are. They are worried because So, do you think they understand how. catastrophic that's going to be? They. have a slight understanding because um. prices went up like two years ago in.

Ukraine like energy like uh prices went. up a little bit and right now it's even. worse like so just just fresh. information. got a lot of bombing today like recently. today this morning from 5:00 to 10 p.m. 5:00 p.m. to 10 p.m. There's like people. sending messages and government saying. that please shut down like electricity. Do not use as much electricity. Do not. use those electric electrical heaters, boilers and all that stuff and try to do. not use gas a lot because it's a lot of.

like a lot of pressure on the whole. system like energy system because like. plants has to go to work crazy and they. all been like hit. So people realizing. and they realizing that prices will go. up for sure. There's no no no no no no. question about that and but people don't. have that much money right because of. war the economy collapsing so they they. do understand it maybe not to the level. like of how it's going to be but do.

understand so for instance my mom we. have a two-floor building my home my mom. bought the uh little like electric. heater and they turn on in different. rooms. just to get heat up like warm it up a. little it and they shut it off for the. night and they just like like that till. the morning and in the morning everybody. go to work. So there there is no need. until evening. So they're trying to to. kind of save and and get ready for this. like so they have like one heater that.

just goes between rooms and they just. turn on the gas just a little bit so the. the the actual like batteries that they. warm up so they just don't blow up. because they full of water. We have like. old system so they just don't blow up. from from from ice water inside. Oh wow. So yeah, they they just do like that and. like if you need to take a shower, they're like, "Okay, we're going to turn. on this boiler today. So everybody get. ready to for like shower, like wash your. head and and stuff like that.". Damn. How how bad do you think it's.

going to get. this winter? This winter. Do you think they're going. to make a major advance into Ukraine. this winter? Russians. Mhm. I mean, I don't think it's going to look major. They're going to be like, so I think my. personal opinion, it's going to be like. a scenario of of war that's going on. since 2014. On a major scale, it's kind of dies.

down. So the whole world it kind of. takes the attention away from it but. they still like bombing and shelling. like once in a while here you go like. take these rockets take these rockets. here like now those Iranian drones over. there like a major problem I was talking. to people it's been crazy problem cuz. they they it's new they they didn't know. what to do now they start adapting I. think so one of the guys who I'm talking. there he he told me that they were able. to capture one drone like undamaged so.

they're trying to like take it apart and. figure out like what's inside and how. does it work so they can make progress. with it like taking those downs cuz they. they cause a lot of problems now and if. the. if Russian will keep bombing like plants. our like power plants energy plants. that's going to drain much more than. than just just take an open fight with. Ukrainian armed forces. Would you like to see Ukraine become a.

little more aggressive? Yes, you would. Yes. I think so. That's my um we had. this conversation as well and just my. understanding like. we get all these weapons right all the. funding and everything but we take it on. the conditions right there's certain. condition and I don't know those. conditions of like all of them right. like nobody knows besides government and. high high people over there right but I. think they just don't let us to use it. like to the full power and we still have.

this kind of mentality oh we're just. going to like slowly take it back take. it back and yes personally me I would. like to see more aggressive like when. when Ukraine start taking part like. Hersobia. region all those places like people were. super happy about that it's like the. whole Instagram real like and and old. friends just talking about this cuz we. started being aggressive so Russians. just like took off and they left and we. started like taking back and taking our.

stuff back. It was just crazy like. people were super happy. So everybody. wants to be Ukraine to be a little bit. more aggressive because the more. aggressive you are, the faster it's all. going to end and everybody is looking. for faster ending of this world. Like. nobody wants it. How would you like to see Ukraine become. more aggressive? What would you like to see happen? Stuff that we do on a bigger scale. like what Overwatch is doing in Ukraine. just on a bigger scale.

More training. More training for everyone. But like. like for real training and they do have. do do get training like people go like I. know there's places in Europe where they. train them and I know some people like. who's working on all the weapons like. they get trained right because the. beginning nobody knows how to use like. all like javelins and laws like and now. like all this advanced weapon right like. and but like for all of them right yeah. it's artillery war right it's a lot of. artillery working and everything but we. just just need to be more aggressive.

Would you like to see Zilinski utilize. these war fighters that have been coming. from Canada, US, Great Britain, any anywhere else? Utilize them more in taking out maybe. certain Russian positions. cuz they have a lot of experience there. They do sitting on the sideline, not. I I see what you're saying. I would like. them to get involved in more training. Ukrainian force because.

So you would like to see Ukraine make. all the advances. and take out Russian positions and you. would like the foreign fighters to. conduct all the training. Yes. And I'll explain myself why. Here's. a couple of reasons for that. First of. all, cuz their experience. is is is ridiculous, right? Like they. have crazy experience. They know what. war is and they can teach soldiers like. they they just transfer knowledge, right? That's number one. Cuz if if if.

we lose a like good fighter who knows. what war is, like if we lose him on a. battlefield and he didn't transfer. knowledge, it's it's bad. You know, if. he was able to train the know to. transfer knowledge and become like. commander of like like unit or or. something like that, you know, like just. train people, show them how to do it. And I know it's happening. I know all. those like volunteer uh uh like groups. of people like who's doing like. different tasks over there. They have. like foreign fighters in it like who's. teaching them tactics and they've been.

advancing like they've been doing good. stuff good work you know small units. they just do the stuff that that that. they were taught by by foreign religions. right now. That's the number one reason. Number two reason because. my personal opinion if Russians will. start seeing like foreign like fighters. like like taking them out then they will. take them out like Russians they're not. strong they're like from what I see and. from I what I hear like Russian army. it's so almost a joke right they have.

some technology yeah but they are. fighters it's a joke come on but so. these they can take them like pretty. quick I think but it's going to cause. like a big problem Because that guy, he. will go crazy. He will start shooting. everything and every single day because. he's going to be like, "Oh, whole world. is helping you with the weapon, right? And now you actually have fighters." So. they will start like playing this card. like, "Oh, and there might be even like. they're going to start bombing somewhere. in in in Europe, right? Because like,

oh, your fighters are fighting here, so. we're defending ourselves.". Mhm. You know, so that's that's two. reasons that I think the fighters should. be involved in the training and helping. like Ukrainians to do that. And they. doing it just on a bigger scale probably. like more advanced. Not not advanced. No, it's the wrong word. More like more. often and more like between like. different units, right? Instead of just. just going and taking a fight. What is your opinion of Zalinski?

Honestly, like if I would see him, I. would probably like hug him and like I. and I cry like that. I I have an honor. to meet such a person like in my life. Like you you have to understand that. before he became a president, he was. like everybody been saying like he was a. comic like not he was a comic. He came. from like all this comedy show in Russia. like in '90s and one day they just threw. him out because he's like so in order to. open your own show you have to ask them. for a permission. He's like, "Oh, I'll.

open something on the site." And they. didn't grant him a permission. They said. like, "No, no, no. You're going to be. under us. You're going to go do what. what we saying," Moscow said. And he's. like, "You know what, guys? I'm going to. open my own company and we'll do what we. think is right." And he was super. successful. But you know, when all this. things started, he's like, "Oh, I'll be. the president after that show, right?". He had like a show that he will he. became a president. and he started like. doing good things. and it start started like talking about. like yeah I'll do it I'll do it like.

people were thinking oh it's a joke like. what is this you know but. he came and he started making things. happening like so like you can ask Mark. you can ask Tommy you can ask Zach like. what kind of roads in Ukraine they're. like bad so all eastern and central. Ukraine he did all the roads they were. perfect like America like amazing Now. it's all gone obviously, but he did. stuff. He said something, he did it. like and people like and especially.

after after what happened right now, like after war and how he stood up like. like there it's it's almost like like. everybody like having in their own home. like the I don't need ammo. I don't need. the ride. I need ammo. Like so that's. what people just keep saying this. They. like they amaze like and he's he's doing. great. Yes, his team probably he had. some like scumbags in his team and and. some rats that not doing great and. screwing him over, but he is a person. He's a leader. He took the whole country.

and he's leading a country and he's like. saying like, "No, I'm not scared." Yeah, Ukraine is big, but like much smaller. than Russia, right? And but he's like, "Oh, I'm not scared. I'm going." He's. not scared to call all the presidents, prime ministers like of different. countries and talking to them. Yes, he's. asking for a lot of money, but. personally him, he's not going to steal. that money. You don't think he is? I I don't think he is. He was pretty wealthy at at the time he. became a president cuz he was super. successful. I don't think personally him.

is stealing money. And no one in this in. in that country that like who I know. like who I talked to, no one think that. way. They just they just they really amazed. like they. they're not happy like like with. government, right? Cuz they they making. mistakes with his team. Let's say not. government. I don't want to talk about. everyone like but you know about his. team. There's like scumbags there. They. do bad stuff. They do steal money. They. do like lobby what they want. But him in general like you know he. cannot be everywhere. He cannot do.

everything. That's why he has a team. So. some and he's he's do he's like cleaning. stuff up stuff up like basically like uh. like a couple months ago he he fired the. SBU head of SBU which is like uh. um BPI Ukraine which is uh protective. service of Ukraine kind of like you know. special forces of Ukraine the head of it. he fired because there was like bunch of. like people in the region like workers. right they were betrayers they just been. sending in to Russians they and they.

start working on it like they like okay. you're not doing good job like how come. like so many of your of your workers. betrayed this country so you out next. he's not scared he's like on his second. day of being a president he he came to. parl and said like okay guys thank you. very much you all done next people I. need new people I need people who wants. to work who's not scared to work and. who's ready to go like and and I think. he's been pretty successful not 100%.

obviously But I think he was pretty. successful at that. Well, that's good. I'm actually. surprised to hear that. It's good that. you have that much faith in him. Yeah. Like a little lots of Ukrainians. The the only the most important thing. that they said like he didn't leave the. country. So he was like he stayed. like all those days like he stayed there. like in the worst days at the beginning. of war worst days he stayed there. And. the second best thing about him he. united the whole country. Yes. Like you. said, we were divided and he just united.

and that's that's what the strong leader. and good leader should do. First of all, he has to unite everyone and then like, hey, this is the direction we're going. Let's go everybody. When are you heading back over? When or where. when are you heading back to Ukraine? So, like I just recently came back like what. two like 3 days ago and um right now we. just we're going to like come back and. just get money like we need to like get.

donations like as soon as we have money. to go there like cuz we don't want to. show up over there with empty hands, right? Training is is is great. It's. amazing but you need to like bring stuff. as well, right? Like you have to care of. boys like who's coming with you like. because those people they just volunteer. like so you have to help them. Like we. need money for that. Like just so you. understand like how what kind of like. impact Overwatch is doing right now. Like we found a people in New Hampshire.

who donated 30 pallets of medical gowns. 30 pallets which is like over 30,000. people uh 30,000 pieces. Sorry. We just. didn't have a money to take it and. deliver it to Ukraine to all the. hospitals and everything. like I found. another u another foundation like. another nonprofit. He was able to do it. and I connected them. All this stuff in. Ukraine already. It's been picked up. like in a week and everything went there. but it's like 30 pallets. We found a guy. who messaged us and who helped us. He's.

like, I can get you 1,600 combat boots. for a price that no one can beat. No one. can beat that price. He's like, I'll do. it for you like now. We just didn't have. a money. I had to connect again. Like I. had to find a people like a month like. Ukrainian nonprofits in in US so they. can take care of it like take it and. like buy it right away. They bought it. right away. This week it's going to. Ukraine already. What do you think the people need the. most? If you had an endless bank. account, what would you bring? The one item.

Oh wow. That you would bring the the the. volunteers or Ukrainian military. What. is the one item that if you had in your. bank account you would. ask the question like it's it's pretty. hard question. probably like uh I would say gear. what kind of gear. just clothing first of all and second of. all like all the what's his name.

all the like plate carriers plates. tactical gear Yeah, tactical. just just that because like look, we're. getting like artillery, right? Like the. whole world is sending us. but who's going to take care of of the. soldiers? Just regular guys. And so. people saying like, "Oh, you're getting. paid a lot of money for being on the. front line." And one of the guys, he's. he posted a picture on Instagram. He. posted a picture of himself in the whole. gear. He's like, "Here, that's where my.

money is. That's what I spend my money. on." Right. And just just tactical gear. Yeah, that would be that would be. amazing. And tactical gear and probably. like IFX and stuff like that. Medical gear. Medical gear. Obviously like medical. gear has to be always there cuz I mean. we were not like and it it's hard to say. because I never served, right? But we. were we don't have such this kind of. knowledge. Now it's a lot of changing. But you have to realize it's going to. take time to break the USSR and.

communist standards and bring it to the. modern world. Yeah. Yeah, like even you saw the. effects that we brought, right? Amazing. amazing stuff. I' I've seen like doctors. I've talked to combat doctors over there. and they're like, "This is great. This. is amazing. It's it's very compact. You. can put it where you need it. You're not. going to get dirty." But people didn't. know how to use it. Like, and you know, like if. some like people who's trying to buy it. here, they buy them crappy stuff and. send it. They don't know how to use it. They don't know what to do with that.

Like, so like, yeah, like just go back. Sorry, I got off the track a little bit. Let's go back to to your your original. question. Yes. Tactical gear for the. guys cuz winter is coming. They need. gear, right? Like clothes, like some. some warm gear and medical. Yes, that. would be two two the most important. things I think at the moment. Roger that. Do you have anything else. you want to say before I bring Mark back. on? I mean, I just want to thank like Overwatch. I.

want to thank you and I want to thank. all the guys who help us because. you have to realize like I came I came. here when I was 21 right and I had this. like I I didn't know what's what's. freedom is I thought I did but I did not. because like yeah we were free like. independent but we are not like all the. way free right now here talking to to. you like veterans like especially like. our like at our gym like I talked to.

like law enforcement. I I talk to. veterans and see what what they doing. I. just want to say thank you cuz you guys. taught me how how it is like what. freedom is and how it's supposed to be. And yes, like it's like right now, especially right now at this time, like. we have our own problems here like in in. US, right? But standards are still high. standards for for people being a human. being and it's like, "Hey, this guy. needs help.

Got it. Stood up. Going to hell, you. know. And. yeah, thank you for that. Thank you for. changing my mindset and changing my. mentality in that cuz like I I'm not. 100% there. Like cuz it's hard. It's. going to take time. But understanding. like what this why this country is is is. free and so successful, right? Even with. the bad stuff as well. Like we're still. successful. because we're doing great because. because of the people, not because of.

like who's there up like just because of. people. Yep. All right, Yuri. Well, hope to see you again and good. luck over there. Thank you. You're going to need it. Thank you. Cheers. Thanks.

All right, Mark, you and Yuri have some. very different opinions on uh what's. going on over there. Yeah, definitely. It's interesting. You said that was. going to happen, but it was interesting. to hear the the difference of opinions.

But what I want to kind of move into now. before we wrap this up is um. several months ago uh I think maybe. you'd been back there one or two more. times since the since our initial show. was. some of the US fighters that were either. killed or captured or on&. hoping you could talk a little bit about. that.

Yeah, there's been um I think at one. time there was over 800 people in a. Russian P camp and some of them were. actually western. fighters that had went over with the. Legion. I don't have any affiliation or. connection to the Ukrainian Foreign. Legion. Um I have helped some guys find. their way there. they've asked I've. helped them find their way there and. I've talked to some guys um that have.

that are serving there or have served. there but I don't have actual any kind. of connection there. Um, we got involved in a kind of. trying to help locate and recover a. Marine. captain, former Marine captain, scout, sniper, platoon commander who was MIA. over there. Um, some Marines that knew. him and had served with him had reached.

out to me and our organization and said, "Hey, can you help?" gave us the whole. rundown of everything that happened. Um, they were very thorough. They're. obviously really trying to find this. marine. Um, you know, kind of combat action reports of the. engagement in which he went missing. What were those reports? There were reports afteraction reports. from people who were actually there um.

during the firefight and during the. engagement. Um, I'm not going to mention. anybody's names obviously, but uh, they. basically were in a forward OP. OP is an. observation point for. and they were they were doing a. reconnaissance on a Russian unit that. was in their area. and they were discovered and were. attacked with.

um small indirect fire and I believe. some kind of like small scale ambush. type stuff but it wasn't like an ambush. where anyone was assaulting through them. or anything. It was just basically. people firing at them and then some. indirect fire and. you know we had all the kind of. satellite imagery. We had some very you. know I had recordings um of interviews. of some of the other guys that were. there and we were helped we were working. with a team who was helping trying to.

piece some of this together to try and. locate this guy. Um, and it was kind of needle in a hay stack. hay sack stuff because you have to. remember like when it comes to something. like the Foreign Legion, there's many. people who have a bad connotation about. guys that go and do something like that, right? But here was a, you know, a. Marine captain who's very well trained, right? School trained sniper, um, who.

had a stellar. service record. seen it, right? They sent it to me. They. wanted me to not think that they were. just randos who were looking for help. with something that was silly, like to. legitimize the whole thing and us. getting involved. So, I mean, he was a. legit guy with a legit background just. trying to help the way that he could, right? Which was actually going out. there and taking what he had learned as. a Marine Corps officer and trying to.

help this whole situation. And. you know, I don't think. to me he's an American Marine, overseas, MIA. Doesn't really matter that he's. working with their foreign legion. It. like none of that kind of stuff. The. foreign legion seemed to kind of I don't. want to say abandon the whole thing of. trying to recover him, but they weren't. really too interested in putting a lot. of effort into it. Not like if one of.

our guys went MIA during an engagement, we'd be going to go find them, right? I. mean, obviously, think of guys like. Marcus Latrell and and and his team and. and these kind of guys. We don't do that. to people. Like, we go get them. And and. even if you know, God forbid someone. turns up KIA, we go get them, too. We. don't leave bodies laying around. It's. just not what we do. I learned kind of. quickly that. other countries don't really feel the. same way that we do about that, unfortunately. So, there wasn't much.

help. um from that side of things to get it. done. There still was Russians in the. area, Russian units in the area, and. that obviously made people. really not interested in going back in. there to find him. And in my opinion, and this is just my opinion, if anyone's. watching this and has any kind of. connection to this situation, this is. nothing more than my opinion. I'm not. trying to.

hurt anybody or anything. I think one of two things happened. I. either think from everything I've saw, read, everyone I've talked to, um, including some active duty intelligence. people that were helping with the. project of trying to locate this guy. that he either was MIA. because he was wounded during that. engagement and crawled off the X and. possibly succumbed to his wounds. somewhere in undercover.

or he was taken as a P, which doesn't. really seem to make sense to me as much. because if Russia had a American. Marine officer, you'd think they would. be parading him around somewhere. But. it's possible that prison complex is so. big and there's so many different people. and this guy wasn't talking a lot that. he could just be lost in the shuffle of. PS. Um, it's still actively ongoing, but it's.

definitely much colder than it was. closer to when it happened. Um, but we. were, you know, definitely involved and. still are trying to pull some threads. on, you know, finding him and making. sure he's okay, even to the point where. I'd committed to if. if we can even find, you know, god. forbid the worst has happened. If we can. find him, I don't care. I'll go with a. team and we'll go get them and bring.

them back, you know. Just because I don't I don't think we. should leave people over there and I. don't think anybody else will go get. them. So, we'll go get them. Are you personally attached to this. gentleman? No. Nope. Nope. How many other Americans do you think. have been captured, killed? I don't know exactly. I know there's. been um I know there have been people in. the foreign legion that have been um. taken prisoner and killed obviously. because they were doing a lot of the.

fighting initially and um I know of a. couple of guys um and spoke to some guys. in the Legion where yeah they were they. were seeing a lot of action and then all. of a sudden they had kind of the the rug. pulled out from under them. Um, you. know, it seemed to me, in my personal. opinion, they were going out on these. kind of recon missions to just kind of. put observation posts up and and report. back or like I mentioned before, they.

were doing that. They were heavily being. involved in doing that land landmine. planting the landmines. Um, and then I think they just were finding. things to do as well as you would, right? Like, okay, let's engage and. let's, you know, go a little further. I don't. know if that pissed off some of the. foreign legion leadership and and that. made them pull those guys back. Um, you. know, cuz they kind of were doing more. like out there. It was supposed to be, let's say, an observation post kind of.

set up or or a recon patrol turning into. let's go poke a hornets's nest kind of. thing. And I don't know if that pissed. people off and they pulled them back. because of that or if they've pulled. them back for um some other reason, but. um it does seem like a lot of those. units they were keeping the Brits and. Americans and Canadians together. Um obviously for language reasons and. all this kind of stuff, similar tactics, that kind of thing. Um, and those units,

at least in my opinion, seemed to be. pretty effective with some pretty good. experience, but for whatever reason, they kind of got pulled back and shelved. and told to sit on their hands and, you. know, that kind of stuff. Interesting. Very interesting. You know, I asked Yuri about what he thought, you. know, if he would like to see Ukraine. become a little more aggressive, and he. leaned really into the training. Um,

taking this with a grain of salt because. you're the war fighter, and Yuri is not. But, um, he thinks it should be Ukrainians out. there doing it, not foreign guys. He. would like to see the foreign guys doing. more what Overwatch is doing and. training people and. thought that was an intelligent. response. Yeah, I agree. Yeah, you know, I agree. And. you know, I I can't really see the I can.

see the argument in the beginning of, hey, we don't have money. Okay, well, now you have money, right? But they. don't have the training. And again, I. don't. I'm not going to sit around and listen. to the excuse of, "Well, that's just not. the way we do things or we don't know. how." There are many people that can. teach you how, right? I mean, put it this way at this. point, Yuri can teach you how. Yeah. We we have that joke that like, you know, many civilians now are are. actually going out and and I think doing. a great thing and trying to learn how to.

defend their household or or, you know, defend themselves and their families, whether it's with firearms or empty hand. or, you know, just these kind of things. and and they're spending a lot of money. on a lot of classes to learn these. techniques and these tactics. It's like. Yuri could teach you after, you know, especially like, you know, advanced. infantry type tactics now, that kind of. stuff. I mean, he's translated. everything for me and Tommy and Zach and. Rob and, you know, I mean, you could throw him on. a on a Marine recon team and he'd be.

he'd be just fine as far as as far as. tactics go because he's uh, you know, he's been exposed to a lot of it since. since February. And and you know, I. think that's the key. And and look, it. doesn't even have to be me that does it. This is not about me. It's not about. Overwatch or anything like that. It's. about, you know, the thing I just can't. get over is you have this massive group. of people, citizens of that country that. don't want this going on in their. country. I mean, it's horrendous the. atrocities that are happening. Their.

whole way of life's been changed and. they want to do something about it. And. so many of them, especially the males, sign up for the military. they get. drafted into the military. to essentially be in a position where. they can do something and it kind of. stops there because you know they're not. being trained properly and so then of. course you can't put them in that role. and if it's a leadership thing where you.

just don't know how if you're the. country of Ukraine I am sure you know. obviously you have the the. rest of the western world. ready and willing to help you. I know it. gets sticky when you talk about sending. active military people to foreign. countries to train and and I understand. the global kind of politics of it all, but there are other ways they could. reach out that government, the Ukrainian. government, Ukrainian military could. reach out and get training for their.

men. You know, again, if they do ask me, I'll do it on a larger scale. I'll. create a basic training for them. I'll. create an infantry school um for them. with the men that we have and the. infrastructure that we have. And even if. it's something as simple as here's a. curriculum and here's a couple guys to. run it. You know, if they just don't. know how, that's okay. There's no I. mean, at this point with what's going on. in their country, it's not a time for. ego. It's not a time for this is how.

we've always done it. Cuz how you've. always done it is not working. Like. you're not winning this war right now. You're not. and to say you are and to. have all these cool little videos on. social media and on all these Ukrainian. government and and and all these ch. what you propaganda. it's propaganda right we're talking. about like I've been there I've seen it. I've seen these people I've seen what's. happening it's like that's not real. what's happening in your country is real. and you need to you need to fix it like.

the winter is coming that adds a whole. new dynamic right to to how this thing's. going to go. I don't think there'll be a lot of. movement in the winter there. I think. people will sit on their hands more and. there'll be more artillery and there'll. be that kind of stuff. So, I don't. really see them saying winter's coming. Let's get pumped up to push these guys. out of our country. I don't see that. Do you think. Do you think Russia's going to tone it. up a notch when winter comes?

I think Russia just needs to keep doing. what they're doing. I think if Russia, the longer this goes, the more it. benefits Russia. And that's been a. tactic they've used in every war they've. ever fought in, right, or tried to use, if they can drag this out, it benefits. them. You know, they have the money. They have the support from China. They. have the support from Iran. You know, the the Ukrainian military shot down an. Iranian drone a few weeks ago, like a. drone, an armed drone. And so, you're like, they they have the.

support they need. They just need to. keep going. And and look, if they. continue to target these civilian. cities, when that happens in Ukraine, it's. devastating for those people. I mean, it's devastating no matter where it. happened, but it really does affect them. on a huge level. Uh even if it's nowhere. near their cities, right? I mean, that. thing happened this morning and he's. been uneasy today because of that. It's. a real real thing. And I mean, if I was.

Russia and I'm playing the bad guy, look, they're targeting these civilian. cities, they have been since the. beginning, and nothing gets done about. it, you know? Now, if if if you attack. civilian cities and I punch you in the. mouth, you're going to think twice about. attacking these civilian cities. It's. not happening to them. So, they can just. do this. And. I think Russia's thought right now is if. they do anything too crazy, like if they. do fire, if if Ukraine does retaliate.

and fire back into Moscow or into some. Russian city on the other side of the. border in Russia, well, we can just. dangle that threat of a tactical nuclear. weapon, you know, and the stuff's been. going on recently here with Biden. talking about how he's really worried. about this and all that kind of stuff. And it's like that becomes a real threat. and then the political pressure gets. turned on in Ukraine from the rest of. the world. Like you can fight them, but. don't do anything too crazy. Like don't.

really piss them off. And again, if it if they're in my. country and you're you're my support. system and my support system is telling. me fight back, but don't do anything too. crazy. It it's just that's a very how are you. supposed to really get things done? I. mean, anything too crazy, I need to do. what it takes to get these guys out of. my country. Yeah. Should be the response. So, it's very, very complicated that way. Um, and if. you know, if Ukraine stays away enough.

to where it keeps the West happy, that. doesn't mean that Russia's not going to. use a tactical nuclear weapon somewhere. Yeah. Right. You know, I've I've. if Putin was smart, I think he would be. making a move this winter. He those. pipelines are gone. He's going to turn. the gas off. He said he's going to turn. the gas off. That's going to create a. major energy crisis all throughout.

Europe and Ukraine. It would be very smart of him to. have a follow-on plan. You know what I'm. getting at? Yeah. And I think no one's no one's. going to do anything about that. I mean, no one's done anything, including the. Ukrainians. against anything Russia's done. I mean, there Yes, they are lobbing the. artillery thing. My opinion, when it happened, the first. time during the pullback, and this was.

during the pullback when there was still. Russians in and around Kev, right? Then. they pulled back once, then they pushed. out a little bit, and now they've. recently pulled back again. Those. pullbacks, I think, are the time where. if you're Ukraine, you drive into them. They're they're moving back for whatever. reason. We talked about that earlier. Is. it just um a logistical thing and. they're trying to consolidate to to. support those forward lines and you just. need those lines tighter for the. mismanagement that you have. It doesn't.

really matter at that point. If I'm on. the Ukraine side and I'm seeing that big. of an orchestrated pullback, I'm pushing. into that pullback. I mean, that's just I mean, that's basic. basic chess, basic anything when it. comes to tactics, right? I mean, if. they're really pulling back and and and. let's just say it is because of. disorganization, then why not drive into them at that. point? They're the ones that are in your. country. Yeah. And they're they're moving out of that.

space. I mean, don't take that. opportunity to roll into that town on. tanks with flags on top and everybody. cheering and just to post it on. Instagram and make it look like you're. winning the war. Go win the war. Yeah. What's your opinion of Zalinski posing. for Vogue? I think he's just trying to do anything. he can to get support for the country. Do you think that was a good move? I don't I don't think it was needed. I.

don't know what it does. Like I don't. know. I mean, what's the objective here, right? You're is the objective to win. the war? Then when you wake up in the. morning and you scratch your balls and. you brush your teeth, you should be. thinking about what it's going to take. to win that war until you have to lay. down because you're tired for that day. And then repeat, repeat, repeat. And I don't know if that. affects that outcome of trying to win. the war. I mean, they had all those.

funny memes when the hurricane came of. Zilinski in a little kind of lifeboat. with a life jacket on talking about he's. going around Fort Meyers asking people. for donations and stuff. And I mean, it's kind of getting to that point. like you're talking about, right? That that's the equivalent of him posing. in Vogue. Yeah. I don't know the guy. I don't know his. politics. I don't care, right? I don't not like. him. I don't like him. I just think that. I I do like in the beginning of the war,

I liked him being out there. I liked him. not leaving this the Kev, right? I liked. him staying in there. I liked him showing that like I'm here, we'll be here. I like that. I like that. forward facing kind of like I'm here. with the people. kind of reminded me a. little bit of President Bush at 9/11, you know, and and I'm not a big fan of. of presidents going to different crisis. areas and all this, like hurricanes and. all this, but that was different. 9/11.

was obviously a little different. And I. thought that was good. Like, hey, I'm. here. We're going to do this. And I. liked when Zansky did it. I just don't. like the kind of I'll do anything now. for a dollar, you know, because he sees. what it's like to get money now. And. it's like, oh, if we I can get more, I. can get more. I can get more. I just I. don't like that because I don't think it. really helps. I I think what he needs to. do is focus on the military. There's no. way that that guy looks at his military. and thinks he has.

something that could be considered a. dominant fighting force even within the. I'm not talking about within the world. I'm talking about within the conflict. he's in. Mhm. They're not a dominating fighting force. And if I was him or I was a high level. military commander, which I've never. been, my. thought and my like the next step I. would take would be to create what I. have, turn it into. like a fighting force that can dominate.

this conflict that I'm in and and and. get these people out of my country come. September so that on October 10th, the. thing that happened this morning doesn't. happened this morning. 75 rockets went. into civilian villages in Ukraine. All over Ukraine. Yeah. Is there any uh is there a we got a head. count on that? I haven't I haven't looked. I've been. lucky enough to spend a day with you and. haven't really been on my phone checking. that kind of stuff. So, lucky you.

Um so, yeah, that that's kind of what I. would do. I mean, I get it. There seems. to be a big PR thing with him. He comes. from that kind of background. I get it. I don't think it's terrible. I just. wouldn't really do it. I don't think it. I I think their key is training and I. think they need to get the fighting. force that they have to the level where. they can push that opposing force out. Especially because it seems like the. West is putting some rules on them on.

what they can do and can't do, right? Yeah. I got another question for you and. then we'll wrap this up. coming out of. Ukraine. This is just your personal. opinions and it's got nothing to do with. Ukraine, but I guess maybe a little bit. But this Russia Ukraine conflict has. unveiled. this new alliance that's forming between. Russia, China, Iran, Korea. Could be missing some, but those are all.

enemies. of the United States. and we're seeing. NATO. and we're seeing this new alliance being. formed. Is that. alarming you at all? Yeah, I mean. I was very I'm very worried because we. talk about the money the $60 billion. reportedly that we've given over the. course of this whole thing. We as in the. United States, that's not including the.

rest of the Western world, right? That's. just us. That's a lot of money. Why would we give. that much money, right? Why would it be. I I understand supporting another. government, another military, especially. in time of conflict, but that's a lot of. money, Sean. Like that's not just, hey, we supported them. No, you supported. them. How much? 60 60 billion. That's a 60 billion, right? To me, that's more than a sign of. support. That's proxy. That's us.

fighting China. in a proxy type thing. It's not even. about Russia anymore because I think if. you worked in any kind of US. intelligence or any kind of government. level, including, you know, our elected. government, you can see based on what's. come out of this conflict with Ukraine, that Russia really isn't as a big of a. worry as we thought they were. They are. on the nuclear side obviously because. they have that but from a conventional.

you know groundtoair type. issue even on the water they just seem. they're just it's it's almost like. keystone cops type stuff. It's comical. It's ridiculous and it's ridiculous that. we've been worried about them for so. long you know. So this is more than. Ukraine against Russia. It's almost. getting to the point now where we're. fighting this proxy war in Ukraine. against Iran and China,

you know. And I hope the future of the. United States. and how we do. defense of kind of our beliefs and our. values and what we do on a foreign, you. know, scale isn't done by this kind of. proxy type stuff. You know, we've always. done proxy stuff for a long, long time. And you know, I mean, even when I was in. Iraq and you were in Iraq, a lot of it. was like that. Many of the people we. were fighting were not Iraqi insurgents. They're from Jordan, Syria, all this.

kind of place, right? It was a place to. go and fight the Americans. But when. you're talking, okay, if we have a. problem with China and we need to take. that that problem needs to get some kind. of resolution, I'm not talking about. allout war with China, but something. needs to happen. I don't think our way. of doing it should be these little proxy. things with other nations. We should. step outside and handle it like the man. we're supposed to be. And I'm not. talking about allout war. I'm not a. wararmonger. I'm not I'm just saying if. we have a problem, let's do it. Let's.

not do it in Ukraine. Let's address it. Yes. And let's get it out there in the. open. And if it causes some kind of. geopolitical. uneasiness, then that's okay. Let's have that to. avoid war. And I get it. You could say, "Well, we are avoiding war." Yeah, but. we're putting we're helping with war on. other people. Mhm. You know, and especially with these. characters that you mentioned, if. something has to happen, look at Russia. They're not fighting the Ukrainian army. all the time. They're killing innocent.

civilians. That's not war. You know, we. would never do that. And why are we. tolerating that? And why are we. participating in that? you know, they're. Ukraine's probably going to have to give. up a lot to end this thing. You kind of. mentioned that earlier. That's not for. me to say. Like I know there's been a. lot of American commentators being like, "Look, the offramp is very simple. Give. them this, give them that, divide this. up, make sure this, they can never join. NATO, all this kind of stuff." I don't. think it's for us to impose that on.

another people, you know, to draw a line. and be like, "All of a sudden, you guys. on this side of the line, you're. Russians now." Like, it's not gym class. We're not picking teams for dodgeball, right? And I don't think we should have. a say in that. And I don't have an. opinion on that, but something like that. is more than likely going to happen. I don't know if that just makes Russia. end this thing. I don't know. I don't. think so because I don't think this is. about Ukraine and Russia. Yeah. Now, a lot of people.

a lot of people are very concerned that. this is going to spark World War II. Well, I think it was about Ukraine and. Russia in the beginning last time we. spoke. But again, opportun the. opportunity presents itself and. opportunists then see, you know, like if. you want to talk about um Iran, China, North Korea, especially Iran and China. in this case, they see, oh, we can get. involved in this and it's going to. benefit us. You know, even on the way. of, well, look, they're giving all their.

money to these people. that giving away. 60 billion dollars weakens our country. significantly weakens our country and it. will for a couple of generations. You. don't just grow $60 billion on a tree. So. helping Russia stay in this thing. benefits China, benefits Iran on all. kinds of levels. And if we just keep. playing along and every time, you know, Ukraine puts their hand out, we put.

money in there just to kind of keep this. going, it's just it's kind of like. petals just falling off a flower, right? Yeah. And then who knows what happens after. that. You know, the World War II thing. is interesting. It's there's always I think we talked. one time there's always that one little. event that happens when you look back on. it whether it's World War I, World War. II that triggered the whole thing and it. didn't seem like a big deal in the. beginning. Revolutionary War was like. that as well. And and it's like, oh,

that's what sparked that whole big. thing. It doesn't seem like it, right? It's not some big massive event. It's. it's the small one that sparks it and. then these little things that trickle. after. Next thing you know, it's World. War II or or whatever the case is. And. you know, this could be that spark for. something else down the line. I hope. not, right? Um and I hope the people. that, you know, that are paid to look at. things like this, I hope they're looking. and I hope they're trying to find, you.

know, something to put those sparks out. rather than fanning the flame. You know, you're. you're frustrated. You're frustrated. with some of the things that are going. on in Ukraine, yet you still continue to. go there and help the people. Mhm. Is there anything that could happen that. would keep you or Overwatch Foundation. from going back and helping those people. in Ukraine? Mhm. No. Nothing. Nothing. No. I mean I mean short of.

Ukraine turning on the United States or. something like that. No. Which obviously. is probably not going to happen, right? Um No. Because again, we're not there. for Ukraine. I literally do not care. about Ukraine. I don't care about. Russia. I don't care about Ukraine. I. care about those people. Um you know, those people need help. And you know, the. the romantic side of me sees those men.

signing up to do that job and. not being helped, not being enabled to. do that job, not being trained, and you. know, if I go to the hurricane and I. hand somebody a couple meals and a. bottle of water, I'm helping that. person, yes, for a meal, right? But I'm. helping that person. If I can teach that. person how to go do their little tour of. duty in in the war and come back alive, then that gets that guy back to his.

family. That gets that guy, you know, allows him to have his future wherever. that is, whether it's in Ukraine or. somewhere else. It's it's those little. things that's why we're there. You know, I want those people. I I couldn't. imagine having invaders in my country. I. couldn't imagine it, right? and I know. what I would do if it happened. And. they're in that position now. And. they're trying to do what you would do, what I would do, but no one's even.

giving them telling them which door to. go through. No one's giving them. anything. And. you know, the more we've been there, the more we've seen that that's kind of. their issue is they just don't know how. to play this game. They And I'm I'm. talking about war fighting, like they. just they don't know how to do it. They're relying on old tactics probably. from older generations of people before. them. And you know, thank God Russia's. kind of the same because if they were.

fighting against a more modern army, it. would be disastrous, you know. Um, it would probably be over. Oh, it'd be over very quickly, you I. mean, look, we fought we have fought in. wars against people who. had old school conventional armies and. it was over in a flash, you know, and it. wasn't until, if you think of Iraq and. Afghanistan, especially in Iraq, where the insurgency. popped up and started using very.

creative, very modern um tactics that. they even were able to stand in there. and have a chance and actually do. somewhat well in different situations. against us, right? Because they adapted. And and look, if these if these Middle. Eastern insurgents from all kinds of. countries can see what they need to do. against us with our technology and our. might and and figure out things that.

they can do to change to to have some. positive effects on their ends against. us, I don't understand why Ukraine can't. do it. I mean, if Ukraine right now. asked, I mean, I don't even care what. you do. You could take active duty. green beret teams, like Army SF teams, put them in Germany, and send tons of. Ukrainian guys there to learn how to, you know, do small unit tactics and how. to war fight. You could have you they.

could they could take that $60 billion. and they could pay American contracting. companies full of guys with a ton of. Giwa experience that are no longer. active. So you're not messing with that. kind of geopolitical stuff and you could. have those guys setting up little. training camps and training Ukrainians. all over the country, right? You know, something though has to happen. I don't. think sitting down with the Ukrainians, someone telling them what to do and them. taking their existing infrastructure and.

their existing people from top down and. saying, "Okay, yeah, we're going to. change and we're going to do it." I. don't think they can. I don't think they. will. I don't think, you know, Yuri. always says like I don't think it's in. their mentality. They're not going to. listen to someone tell them that and. all. And they don't know how to do it. either, right? They need someone from. the outside. teaching them how to do this. Yeah. And and again, it's not about me. It's not about Overwatch. That's kind of. wasn't even our mission. It's not. supposed to be our mission. We're just. doing it because the guys we're using.

can train those men to do that job. And. we're trying to plug that hole the best. we can. I think if Ukraine or someone else. wanted to look at what we've done as a. like microcosm, like a tiny little. sliver of what could be done in that. country with training, they could do. that and they could see the successes. that we've had. I mean, we're a bunch of. idiots over there showing guys how to, you know, do L-shaped and V-shaped.

ambushes and and how to counter ambush. and and just do basic infantry tactics. and and help these guys be able to. patrol and this kind of stuff. But it's. working, you know, how to clear a room. It's working. These guys are using it in. real life and it's affecting, you know, forget it's not really affecting the big. picture of the war, of course, but it's. affecting their ability to be able to do. that job. And I think if Ukraine did. that on a larger scale and used some of. the influence of the West that they.

clearly have, I mean, the West seems to. love that country. I know people who. have nothing to do with Ukraine that are. driving around with Ukrainian flags on. their cars and in their lawn. And you've. probably seen it here as well, right? They have our support. They need to realize though that support. means more than money and it means more. than sending boxes of clothes for. civilians that have lost everything. Like you want all this to stop, there's. a very easy way to get this to stop. You. get those people out of your country and.

that's it. Yeah. And they need to be they need to have. the men to be able to do that, you know, cuz we can't go do that for them, but we. can go train them. When are you heading back over? Do you. know yet? We don't know. We have to um you know, everything's crazy right now. We just uh. at the moment I'm sitting here, we just. got done with the um Ukraine trip, the. fifth one um with the cord guys, getting. them all going um and then uh the.

hurricane. So, you know, I'll get home, take my shoes off, and then we'll sit. down and uh kind of reassess what's. going to happen through the end of the. year. I don't know if we'll get there by. the end of the year. We kind of have to. raise some funds and and you know, get. some supplies. I mean, we can't really. go there now without taking over. um that kind of medical gear. We just. that has to be a thing because. um how effective it is when we go over. there and do that kind of combat medical.

training and then we implement some of. the tactic stuff and then the. humanitarian stuff we're doing there. We. could go do that anytime. But again, our. missions in Ukraine now are so. expansive. We're doing the humanitarian. thing there with civilians, doing all. the medical training with, you know, these units and the tactical training to. go over and only do one of those. It. almost is a disservice. So, we we have. it's just getting becoming bigger and. bigger. Um, we still need more guys, you.

know. We have a good roster now. Since I. was last on here, many guys reached out. to me. Um, and we're building that. roster, you know. Um, are you still looking for special. operations only? Yep. Yeah. Um, we will have some stuff. in the future where we could use some. other people in certain support roles, but right now we need um kind of that. different level of of of guys. And we we. have a bunch we have a bunch from the. from the reconnaissance community. obviously um some from the army. And um.

we kind of just got access I'm very. excited about it to the um a large. amount of SRCs from from that medical. community. Um. which I'm excited about. It's about 30. guys that we are going to start kind of. kicking the tires on and looking at and. that will help a lot because those guys, you know, special amphibious. reconnaissance corman are they do. everything a recon marine does with kind.

of the 18 delta medical package as well. So they're, you know, they're studs. So. having access to to those level of guys. is is really good. you know, they'll. tell you they're not as good kind of. tactically. um because the medical thing is more. their thing, but those guys are redot. and um we're happy to have, you know, those kind of guys as well. But we need. we need more guys for sure. Well, everything will be linked below, your your Instagram, your website, where.

everybody can donate. Yeah. Thank you. Put a resume in, fill out your contact form. Once again, taking Ukraine out of it. What are some things on the horizon that. you see Overwatch Foundation getting. involved in? Um, yeah, more of the natural disaster. stuff. We need to build that out a. little more. Obviously, where we're. based right now in Chicago is kind of. far when we have a lot of tornadoes. which we can respond to in a flash. Obviously anywhere in the Midwest like.

that, but coming down or going down to. like, you know, the southeast, going. into Texas and all that kind of stuff, the logistics of that get difficult just. having to drive equipment down there, right? Um so coming up with some of the. logistical stuff there to build out what. we do on a natural disaster thing to to. just be that like faster and more. efficient and um that kind of stuff. We. anticipate in the future getting to the. point where we have some regional. locations with guys in those regions.

that can mobilize faster and if we kind. of have a headshed type unit that can. make it down there or secondary type. unit to to back fill later then that's. okay to take that time because we have. units that can respond even faster than. we can coming from Chicago. So we're in. the early stages of kind of just talking. about that and sketching that out. That's good. There's going to need to be. obviously funding for that kind of stuff. as well. Um, but we're, you know, we'll. make the plan before we before we need.

the money kind of thing to make sure. that we can be fast and and execute. there. Um, we want to get involved in other places. as well where there are crisis type. areas like Africa, um, South America. We sent a guy to go do. kind of to scout out Southeast Asia. um. specifically Vietnam just to see if. there's um to take a look and see how we. can get involved there and there's some.

beginnings of some stuff there that we. might look at doing. What are you looking to get involved in. in Vietnam? Um there's a lot of I don't want to say. too much, but we'll say there's a. medical component to it. Um, yeah. I don't want to say too much cuz. it's still very early stages and we're. Is there something going on there that. No, nothing to like. specifically like genocide, sex. trafficking. So, there's a lot of like the tra the.

trafficking thing is what we're. interested in getting involved in as. well. Obviously from a humanitarian. level it's um it's disastrous and I I. kind of have been looking into that a. lot the trafficking and I knew it was. happening. I knew it was happening a lot. but when you look into it you just want. to stop looking into it like. it's horrendous and it's very prevalent. and it's everywhere you know and I have. I have small children. and I have a. young daughter and it's like, you know, there it's happening to the point where. it's like if you can get 120 grand for a.

child age 4 through 8 or whatever, people then are just like, hm, if I go. out and get five of those, that's a. pretty good year, you know, and they. don't care, right? It's just and and and. everything in between that you can put. on it. So, we've talked to some state. and federal law enforcement about what. they're doing to combat human. trafficking and and if there's any. support needed there and all that kind. of stuff. And I was blown away.

to learn. I sat down. I'm not going to. mention who. I'll we'll I'll talk to you. after, but the response was basically. like we just don't have the bandwidth to. hit that as hard as we need to. Um, on. the police level, it's unions and people. working overtime and and not having. enough staffing as it is. And and on the. federal level, it's just kind of. bandwidth with everything else they have. going on that Yeah, they're they're.

trying, but they don't have they don't. have the ability to. spend the time doing the surveillance. and building the target packages to put. a case together, right? because. there's no point in them like the way it. seems to work with them. I've never been. in law enforcement, but the way it seems. to work is like they build the case to. the point where they think they can get. convictions and prosecutions done, then. they go hit and break that thing up,

right? Okay. Um, which makes sense. There's no point. in going and actually, you know, doing a. hit on some child trafficking ring, then. you bring them in and you can't charge. them with anything or charges drop or. whatever, right? Um, but they struggle. with the resources needed and the time. that's needed to actually build out what. we would kind of essentially say like a. target package to actually get. convictions off of that. So there are.

some other NOS's out there that help um. do some stuff with child trafficking and. we are looking at ways that maybe we can. help. build those target packages for them cuz. we have guys that can do that and that. will do that. Um. and it almost being like it just comes. in as a super tip. We obviously can't go. kick the door down, right? Um, but if we. can do the leg work and then that leg.

work gets looked at and they can take. what we've done and they can actually. use it, you know, then if that helps. out, then that helps out. Um, and so. we're in the beginning of looking at. stuff like that because that's something. that's just so unbelievable and so it's. just so crazy that it's so prevalent in. this country. Yeah. Um, I've been looking to dive into that as. well. and no one's really talking about it. Yeah. Um, it's hard to find the right fit. A lot.

of people doing a lot of things. with nonprofits in the sex trafficking, human trafficking ring. A lot of it's. [ __ ]. right? It's hard to find the good ones. I mean, there's a lot of good stuff. Like, for. instance, after the fact where, um, you know, uh, 10 women get taken from a sex. trafficking ring and there's a nonprofit. that helps get them back on their feet. and teach them a skill or gives them. counseling and all this kind of stuff. and and you know, those are fantastic,

right? But that's all after the fact. That's after they've been trafficked, after they've been abused, after they've. their life's been ruined. I'd like to. get more involved in like making sure. that that situation is not even dirty. Yeah. That's not even needed. You know, I found that a lot of the nonprofits in. that arena, their mission statement actually is to. just bring exposure to what's happening. and they're not actually involved in.

anything. and and um anyways, I've been. looking for a good fit of a nonprofit. that's actually [ __ ] combating sex. trafficking, not just telling us, "Yeah, this shit's happening." Yeah, no [ __ ]. it's happening. Go [ __ ] do something. about it, right? Yeah. We're trying to actually, you know, get there and stop it and be a. part of the the solution and and part of. the reason why it doesn't happen, right? I mean, if there's enough deterrent out. there to like if I do this, someone's. going to catch me, that does help. That.

is a deterrent, right? So, you know, and. we have the guys that can do that. I. mean, you know, I know guys that'll sit. and watch a house for 5 days kind of. deal. So, without without blinking an. eye and they'll, you know, they're high. level professionals. So, uh, with training to to be able to do. that and and build those kind of target. packages. So, if we have those guys, that's what we're looking to do. So. between some of the other humanitarian. stuff in the other countries, obviously. in Africa that happens a lot too, and. the the slave stuff over in Africa is.

big as well. Um, you know, just looking. at the stuff where I just I'm getting to. the point as I look into this, I really. have a thing for people who are being. victimized. Yeah. Like just absolutely victimized to where. it's out of their control. the. hopelessness that comes out of that in. these people, right? And let's say. you're 33 years old and something like. that's happening to you and like you. have the rest of your life to live, you're probably going to purposely. shorten your life.

Yeah. After some of this stuff that's going on. out there and it's like that's crazy and. and if if me and my teams can affect. that and and and change some of that, then that's what we're looking to do. So. the stuff in the other countries and. then you know as well as our country and. I never really thought about doing. anything in other countries until I've. seen what we can do in Ukraine and then. you know those guys can bounce straight. from Ukraine to come to Florida and not. even go home and and and.

you know have a glass of whiskey in. between. It just goes to show like we. can be anywhere very very quickly with. the guys that we have and they're more. than willing to go. You know, Justin, um. I told you the story about him last. night. He uh uh recon guy, just savage, the nicest savage guy you'll ever meet. in your life. He's incredible. And um. last week I wanted to bring him to the. hurricane. I needed to bring him to the. hurricane. And he was at home 104°ree.

fever, lives in Phoenix. And he's like, "Just send me a redeye ticket. I'll be. there." And I was like, "All right, Justin, calm down, dude. Like, relax, man." Right. And uh, you know, he. recovered and he came on this trip and. and he's just he's an incredible guy. And our teams are full of guys like that. that are just, you know, they're not. glory hunting, they're not. wararmongering, you know, they're they're just getting. to share time doing a good thing with. good people. And that's something that I.

never expected. out of this whole Overwatch project that. we've kind of stumbled upon and have. started to grow. You know, we're giving. it sunlight and water and it's growing. is what the veterans are getting out of. it. You know, I never noticed that. And like. Rob went over to Ukraine on the last. trip, another recon guy, and he was. training the the cord guys and and he. was working with him. And you know, I. check in with him every day. In the. beginning, he's like, "Look, I've kind.

of been out for a while. I don't know. how if I'm going to be a lot of the, you. know, guys from our kind of backgrounds. are very humble about their ability.". And he's no different. And it's like, "Rub, you're going to be fine, man. You're going to you're going to kill it. You're going to do fantastic." So, I'm. checking in with him, making sure he's. all right, you know, all this kind of. stuff. And and he just said, he's like, "I I would do this every day. I'm. getting so I'm getting so much out of. this." And you know and and you just see. the lift it give th those guys to be. doing something that's directly.

affecting someone else's life or. affecting a bigger picture and to be. doing it with guys like them. Yeah. You know that that used to be a. something and then we all get out for. whatever reasons. We all get away from. from that past life for whatever reason. and to kind of give them that feeling. again. You know, I see that in the guys. and it's something I never expected to. get out of this, you know? That's awesome. And it's.

really really cool cuz it's like it's. twofold then. Like I know if I take a. guy for the first time to go do. something a hurricane or whatever, he's. going to get so much out of it more than. he more than he knows. Yeah. you know, and so on the ride down. or the ride in on the plane or whatever, it's like you're, you know, you don't. even know what's going to happen when. you come over here and start doing this. job or that job, how much it's going to. benefit you. And then, but that creates. a problem for me, too. Like Tommy was a. massive problem. He came on the first. one, uh, you know, our medic and he came.

back and it's like, man, I need to find. something else for this guy to do cuz. now he's like, you know, now he's. drooling. He's salivating all over. He. wants to go do more. He wants to go. help. He wants to go do this. And you. know, um, these guys, they're getting purpose out of it. Yes. And they can see that they can. really do something, you know, like you. get out and you go work, you get out of. the military, you're doing these kind of. jobs and you go work for a company and. okay, you get a nice paycheck or. whatever and you're doing your job and. you're accomplishing some stuff, but you.

just, it's not the same. You get them. doing something like this again and it. it goes right back to to the same. feelings that we got from doing our job. and and they just the lift and and it's. it's really crazy. It's almost like. if someone asked me like what does. Overwatch do? Yes, we talk about our. humanitarian relief and and all the. things we're doing, but I like I and our. group also affects veterans.

Yeah. Now, it's kind of weird to say. that because I never even thought that. that would be a thing until I saw it in. the guys. Yeah. And and that is what we do. Like that. that's part of what we do. It's it's. kind of twofold. And and and I know. there are guys out there that, you know, could really benefit from help from. being a part of Overwatch. Um, yeah, and. that's why I want more guys on the. roster so we obviously so we can send. out more teams to do more work, but it's.

also to reach those guys that might just. need it, you know. Well, again, what you're doing is [ __ ]. awesome, man. And and um I'm sure. there's going to be a ton more resume. showing up. Hopefully more funding to. get these guys with the resumes to where. they need to go. And I want to end this. with something and I'm going to forget. some names here, but you know on this. show we dive into a lot of corruption. We dive into cartel stuff. We dive into.

Ukraine. We dive into all you know what. veterans are facing when they come home. and how [ __ ] ugly that actually. looks. And. at least half the emails that we get are. especially when it comes to things like. Ukraine cartels, the fentanyl crisis, China, all this kind of stuff is well, what the [ __ ] can we do about it? What. can I do about it? You know, and I'm not.

I'm not used to coming from where we've. come from, I'm not used to that. mentality. Well, what am I going to what. am I what can I do about it? And so what. I want to say is, you know, and I'm just. going to talk about recent guests who. are making who is one person started. with one person grew into a a big idea. and it's making major [ __ ] impacts. and you with Overwatch Foundation, you're making major impacts in Ukraine.

You're making major impacts where these. natural disasters are happening. It's. going to continue to happen. Scott man, the guy that put together task force. Pineapple Express, pulling all these. interpreters and our Afghan allies that. unfortunately we [ __ ] abandoned. You. know, look at the impact that that guy. made. That was a recent interview. Machine gun preacher. You know, he's out there saving. countless numbers of lives in Africa. started with an idea, one person, you. know, and so what I'm getting at is it.

doesn't take an army to make a [ __ ]. impact in this world. It just takes one. person with some dedication and an idea. and you're [ __ ] doing that and uh I'm. just really proud to know you and and um. what you're doing is amazing. No, and thank you and thank you for. everything. And I know, you know, you. and I check in all the time with each. other on everything, you know, and and I. appreciate that for sure. And and that.

helps me a lot. And and I tell you every. time, like, thank you for everything. you've done and you are doing for for me. and and for for Overwatch, it's been. incredible. And to all the all the. viewers and and everybody that listens, I mean, you guys, you don't even know. how incredible you are. you know, everything from people sending tons of. gear, boxes of gear to to those people. that sent one magazine pouch or or one. plate carrier. Like that made a huge. difference. Like a soldier fighting in. the war is using that, right? If you.

sent stuff to us, and I'm telling you. this right now, if you sent stuff to us, it's in Ukraine. It's there. All that medical stuff you. guys sent, all the all the tactical gear. that you sent, some of it still had the. freaking tags on it, you know, it's all. in Ukraine being used in the war. We got. it there and and I couldn't believe it. We don't have a facility right now. We. kind of use we use my uh jiu-jitsu. academy and it was ridiculous. We had so.

much stuff piled up in there, you know, waiting to go over and get shipped over. Um it's just when I looked at I was like. I can't I can't believe this and people. would ask like who is that from. everybody you know so these pe all you. guys really really help. Mark. pleasure knowing you man I'm sure you'll. be back I know you'll be back so. I'd love to Yeah. You know those gummy bears aren't going. to last forever. I only come back for the gummy bears.

It's like come back and sit and talk to. me for a couple hours. I'll give you. some gummy bears. Done. All right, man. Well, best of luck to. you. Yep. Thank you, Sean. We'll be keeping in touch. Yep. Thank you. [Music]. Hey everybody, I'm Shawn Ryan. Click. here to subscribe to the Shaun Ryan Show. YouTube channel for the hottest and most. compelling interviews that you will not. see anywhere else. I've also made a.

playlist of all the previous SRS. episodes so they're easy to find. You. can find that right here.