War's Realities, Overcoming Failure, and Ethical Dilemmas

Normally scheduled Friday Q and A for today:
1. First, a listener's concern about a controversial statement: "I love killing people." What are the realities of combat, and what does such a declaration truly mean within the context of military service and its psychological impact.
2. Guidance to a young man wrestling with the stigma of quitting. After leaving Army training just weeks before completion, he's now engaged and considering a career in law enforcement. What are some strategies to overcome self-doubt and rebuild confidence to face new challenges head-on.
3. An ethical dilemma faced by a government employee who's discovered a covert plan that could unjustly harm his manager's career just weeks before retirement. Torn between protecting his own position and doing what's right, he seeks advice on how to proceed without repeating past mistakes.
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[@bradoncampbell2626]

That last line is gold for almost anything in your life. "You have to answer the question. What kind of man do you want to be?" That sh*t right there is solid gold for almost any situation!

[@robbkeele1590]

I've never walked a meter, let alone a mile, in your shoes, but I have never questioned your comments, or Glover's, or Kennedy's, or any other Vet when they have said, "I loved killing bad guys." Some of us get it, even from the sidelines. Your smile after dropping that Javelin in the intro says everything I need to know. It pays to be a winner!

[@reyesI165]

Yeah I was conventional military and i understand there’s a level of savagery that’s absolutely needed in infantry or spec ops jobs. If that savagery isn’t there, those units will lose lives or objectives. The average civilian will want to commend members that say things like that but there’s zero room for political correctness in the military or public safety jobs. And this is coming from someone that leans more to the left. People that think otherwise are just plain ignorant.

[@FuryOfCalderon]

Plenty of Taliban feel the same way.

[@JR-ju3kj]

Agreed. But I think that some people will automatically take it the wrong way whenever they hear someone say that they enjoyed/ loved killing people( even if it's bad people). I've seen that happen with some veterans like James Mattis( who famously said once that it's fun to shoot some people), Chris Kyle( who even described it the same way as Mattis and saw it as fun and he said that he loved doing it) Nate Fick and Ant Middleton( of the British SBS) who have talked about how they enjoyed killing people in war and then people take it the wrong way and call them psychopaths. But on the flip side of that, there are veterans like Carlos Hathcock who said that they never enjoyed killing people and that it was more about the hunt and not the killing. Everyone's different. I think that people who have served will understand what veterans mean when they say that and even some of us from the sidelines who aren't veterans get it, like you said.

[@lynchaa78]

Love your candid honesty. Side note- when visiting one of my buddies whom I had recommended your podcast, I was tickled to find Black Rifle Coffee in the pantry.

[@TheRealtorYouKnow]

“When you pull back the curtain of the US GOV and it’s a donkey with a fly buzzing around its head” lol spot on 😂

[@go06bolts]

Love this channel! Really love the different topics.

[@DRFelGood]

🇺🇸My father taught my brother & I at a very young age. In war or in dealing with people of bad intent. There is only two choices winning or losing ! (Respectfully my father was a WWII & Korean veteran in the 82nd.) thank you Andy for all the content we enjoyed and gain enlightenment from ❤🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸❤

[@metalhead375]

I have a little bit to add for the "quitting" question. For a little background... I was in a position during my enlistment to either go to Infantry Squad Leaders Course or give my slot up to someone else. I had just gotten back from two schools in a row... and scout/sniper platoon was throwing an indoc during the time that ISLC was running. I had wanted to be a Marine Scout Sniper since I was like 16 and read Generation Kill. I was in the prime of my life. I had just gotten back from Assault Climbers Course and Mountain Leaders Course. I had been training intensely at altitude for two months. Long story short, I quit. I gave up my slot for ISLC, which would have gotten me promoted to Sergeant within the next six months, and I just up and quit the sniper indoc on day two, and it wasn't because I wasn't fit enough or tough enough. I felt bad that I was leaving my machinegunners behind. A month later, I was involved in a training accident with my machinegun squad, which destroyed my back and got me a medical separation. My choices surrounding this whole debacle absolutely tormented me for the last decade. I don't really have a recipe for how to solve this issue in your own head, but, one thing that really helped me was this simple mantra: "We don't quit, we fail ourselves.". If you look at it this way, you can start to frame your situation as a failure rather than giving up. I failed myself in attaining my childhood dream of becoming a scout sniper. What the fuck do champions do when they fail? They try again until they succeed. Success, to me, is measured by how many times I bounce back from failure. You failed yourself getting into the ARMY (a branch of service). Dust yourself off, adjust your mindset, remember what made you fail, and don't make that mistake again. Become a cop. You got this. Another mantra: "You cannot fucking control the past. All you can do is prepare for tomorrow.". Semper.

[@internet_internet]

I am having a good Friday, Andy. Thanks.

[@LionAstrology]

Thanks for another episode 👍

[@natureatitsnature5546]

Please bring former US Army Pilot Amber Smith , the author of Danger Close

[@jaftb2012]

Another solid Friday episode!

[@michaellee2652]

You never have to quit! I agree full hearted...F right off!! I work in government and the micromanaging is 100%! It's like anything else. You either get good leaders or not. It's that simple! I work now for the AMC which is a 4 star command in the Army and I love it! It's big boy rules. You are hired to do a job so do it! Good shit Andy!

[@larryapl]

Failing and quitting are two different things.

[@dennisberson9649]

It’s easy to understand why Veterans don’t vote so often though , any carrier will span both Rep and Dem and the feeling is both have screwed them ..! Especially in the GWOT ..!

[@JayDubb3BCT]

Failure is part of the process of success. Its not a sexy part but it's definitely a major part of the process.

[@juancamilobarberanduran5529]

You should interview John Kiriakou

[@EdSileo]

"Once you interact with the government"... Brother, you NAILED it! As a former elected office holder, I couldn't be more pessimistic about the effectiveness of the bureaucratic overlords. But I can't bitch if I don't vote.

[@mpression1]

Every County in America has a place online for registering to vote. It's not difficult to do.

[@maryfletcher3607]

BRCC was mentioned on NPR marketplace.

[@davidforbes1656]

Awesome Andy! I HATE BULLIES!!! Thank you!!

[@michaelborucki2896]

It pays to be a winner.

[@Paisan06]

I am loving your thumbnails... saw the convo with Chris Williamson, seems like you're no longer the FNG when it comes to Midjourney...

[@kevos823]

Class act to answer question #3 as you did after they basically said I listened to you last time and you were wrong. My first question to that is why are you asking another question? Second would be how do you keep finding yourself in these information secrecy/personal accountability scenarios at jobs maybe you need to look into a career field without rank ladders to climb or work for yourself.

[@jacobdelmonico1323]

hey man, you should look up willy oam's guest the young american boy who fought in ukraine he did two seperate videos and i really think you should have him on here. i think hes earned it and hes honest and genuine about what he saw whlist fighting for AZOV

[@AJohnSmith]

*”If voting mattered, do you think they’d let you do it…?”* We’re too far gone, Andy. It’s rebirth time one for this nation, what that holds, I foresee balkanization as the safest form of evolution.

[@KeithBook-eu3xn]

Great answer Andy !! Also my answer Fuck bullies

[@SpookEOD]

As far as I’m concerned if you don’t vote then you don’t have a voice nor do you have the right to complain about who is voted into office.

[@squatch2461]

👍🏻

[@lifeofv6249]

🇺🇸

[@drumtravelfun]

Andy, take The Hare Test. If your score is over 30 - you're in Patrick Bateman world.

[@dropshot5948]

"Its not the people who vote that count, its those who count the votes that are important" -Stalin. If he wins will he be allowed to assume office

[@stephbrandenburg9957]

Used to be a cartoon…. duck&cover. Or quote from famous WW2 General. Makes it completely comfortable, n’est pas?

[@malcolmsoh5648]

If there's a conglomerate group of people who wants to ban me from achieving say a higher degree, no matter how much I put effort into it, no matter how I invested money into it, still come to zilch.

[@sidbobby3233]

🙏😎👊✌🇬🇧

[@americanfathers]

Democracy? hahahahahaha

[@hulkangry5546]

Andy those of us that watch you regularly know what you meant to say " I love killing bad guys". 🇺🇸🤘🇺🇸🤘🇺🇸🤙

[@dannyhayes664]

DJT 2024 !! Have a great day FrogMan !!!

[@alexandercampbell0001]

I'm telling all of my friends who are veterans to vote Harris/Walz because they love America. You're welcome.

[@innatedrum16]

Black rifle is trash Yuka that shit it gets zero out of 100

[@imm0rtalitypassi0n]

Not fan-girling here, especially towards a married man. But I gotta say, Andy, that red & black lumberjack flanel is very flattering on you. I hope you sell a lot of those. It's a timeless classic. 🪵🪓