speaker-0: See, I remember walking off base here in the U.S. in uniform and people rushing up to us to thank us for our service. Where's the applause? I remember sitting down in a restaurant in uniform, either by myself or with fellow soldiers, and finding out somebody had paid for our meal. Where's the applause? And I'll never forget returning home from a deployment. And hearing strangers gathered together applauding as we entered the airport. Where's the applause? These moments stayed with me. They made me feel like people at least maybe understood that we were carrying something on their behalf and wanted us to know they appreciated. What happened to the applause? I don't see these moments the way I used to. And I wonder. What that feels like for the men and women serving today. Of course, I believe there's some people out there that still care. maybe they just show it differently. Or maybe we've grown tired of war. But when a country gets tired of war, are we making the people still wearing the uniform feel like we've grown tired of them? Welcome back to Four Titles, One Truth. Thank I'm Tommy. speaker-1: And I'm Lance. Today's conversation is: has America changed how it supports our troops? Let's get into it. speaker-0: Do you remember a moment when someone who didn't know you made you feel genuinely proud to be wearing that uniform? speaker-1: yeah. probably a a bunch of times. Every time somebody would acknowledge you know, just being out because it it wasn't something that was looking for. Yeah. 'Cause a lot of times you try to take this uniform off if we're going somewhere in public just not to draw draw speaker-0: Mm-hmm. speaker-1: the attention, especially during the ti 'cause we were we served in a time where we were in war for A long over a decade. Long time. So it was something when when somebody comes up or a kid com really a kid comes up and just tells you, Thank you for your service. And you know that the parent probably says speaker-0: Cinema. speaker-1: something Yeah says something to to come over. But I mean, but you when you think about it, it's like that's why we went over there. So these little jokers, when they get to be our age or when they're grow you know, absolutely they had they can live in the nation of the home of the free, the the land speaker-0: Land of the speaker-1: of the free, home of the brave, yeah. So so it it every time that somebody just and it didn't have to be a big thing and and it wasn't something that I was looking for I wasn't looking for, wasn't expecting. Right. Didn't expect it. 'Cause it honestly it it kinda made me f I felt a little like speaker-0: A little taller. Yeah. Yeah. A little pride. So speaker-1: You know, so speaker-0: for me, it's one of those things to where in the beginning it was very uncomfortable with people thanking you because, you know, we're going in this thinking it's our job, you know. and I'ma tell you when I r first raised my hand I wasn't thinking about the nation, I wasn't thinking about the sacrifice that I could possibly make for someone or somebody. that came with time, that came with maturity, that came with actually realizing that the schedule I was keeping is way different than most of the people in the world and the places I go to work in the morning are way different than most of the people in the world. So in that context, it went from t it's too much, you know, because it's just my job. speaker-1: Right. speaker-0: And then the more mature I got, the more I was like you could feel when people were being genuine. Right. And so I I I really had to make a shift in not just the way I received it, but I had to start telling my soldiers that, you know, y you can't let good intentions just fall to the wayside. And especially the sacrifices, because, you know, most of our career, at least the second half, was combat, combat, combat, you know. So it was come back and then go again. speaker-1: It was always present. speaker-0: Yeah, but I'ma tell you, man, the the thank you for your service thing, it like I said, it's it felt special and all that, but one thing I didn't expect, which is I don't know, shame on me or what have you, but When I joined there was a bunch of Vietnam era people still left. And to me they were scary, you know, intimidating type. because you know where they've been. And I was in the first infantry division. So, you know, they had the colored patch on their right arm. Right. You know, so they stood out in more than just one way. There was a disconnect between those leaders and Me new me, you know what I'm saying? The newbie. The most touching thing now is having been boots on ground multiple times, how much it bonds you with other eras of service members. You know what I'm saying? Like I'll I'll tell you, I've met so many men specifically that served in the Vietnam or post-Vietnam era, and you know, they've had to deal with their little scuffles and all that stuff. When they find out that I've served and then they find out I'm a sergeant major, it's amazing how comfortable they get sharing with you. And how comfortable you get in sharing. You know what I'm saying? speaker-1: Yeah, brother. speaker-0: A hundred percent. And that's something that I didn't anticipate or expect. but it's something that when I get a chance to sit down and talk to a veteran, 'cause you know we go on these cruises and these cruises, especially ocean cruises, they really try to bring to the forefront the the service that that veterans have provided and shine a light on it. And when they had these gatherings, because Nikki and I we were honored to give a speech when we sailed on Princess at the memorial ground the salute to the military gathering and just getting back in that mode and and remembering Your rank of sergeant major brings with it the the awe of it, but also it brings in to where subordinate former soldiers and leaders, they still come to you and just, you know, download their problems. You know what I'm saying? Like it's, you know, my whole life as a leader, I've been a mentor. Yeah, I've been a mentor and a a counselor. And just hearing some of the people that They haven't had opportunity to get some of the stuff off their chest, or you hear about some of the VA problems, and it's just like I don't want to serve again because I put in my time, you know, but I absolutely feel I cannot when when that shift happens post military, I I just cannot leave that. You know, I'm saying I can't leave allowing that that gentleman or or or whatever, or f a lady to sit down and and allow them to get that off their chest or or to talk to somebody and just give them, either a little bit of wisdom that I may have gathered and gained or just to listen and speaker-1: That's what I think a lot of folks me include, is like you especially when you're talking about something, an experience or something that happened while you were serving, it's like talking to somebody that also served. Yeah. They also understand. Absolutely. So you don't have to explain stuff. And it's not sometimes I know that folks might not even be looking for an answer. But just to just to be able to get it off and to know that the other person is like, ooh. Can relate, yeah. I I understand that as opposed to telling you know you're Talking to somebody that never served, yeah. Have no idea, so it's like they're like, okay, well speaker-0: Every good. And that's it. And I'ma tell you, the reason I don't talk so much about my service, specifically when it comes to civilians and when it comes to combat, is because I don't want to wait for the look I get. speaker-1: Uh-huh. speaker-0: And I don't wanna wait and see if they appreciate me or if they are angry with me because of my service or if they so much don't understand that it'll take hours to explain it to before I even get to the story. You know what I'm saying? And so speaker-1: and that's crazy 'cause it's if you really look at the amount of folks that have served in our general overall population, it is so small speaker-0: Less than one percent, yeah. speaker-1: so small. You know, and and even if you count the folks that are on active duty now and your veterans and not even saying the ones that didn't I mean counting even the ones that didn't retire. Yeah. It's still a a small speaker-0: Yeah. speaker-1: Tiny community, of folks that go and raise your hand and you say this is w I'm gonna protect and serve this words this nation. Yeah, you know, this nation. And I think when you when you're talking to like 'cause this is cool, I you're talking to some of the older, you know, Vietnam guys or even if you can still find a a a a a guy that World War's in World War Two Yeah, I mean those guys are up there you if you find one of those guys and talk to them, you can understand understand yeah, what they speaker-0: C O R E is is amazing how familiar it is. Yeah. speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-0: And I'm and and that's another thing, on some of the stuff we did, of course I didn't do anything like there's plenty of people that did way more than me in combat and saw way more than me in combat. But speaker-1: Everybody had your had their job. you you you you learn your job and I think when you whenever you do deploy and you do your job over there, you see where you all of the stuff fits in and you see why it's important to make sure that folks know how to do this, th you know, overall do this, this and this. Make sure you know, so it just you see that what the impact that's what I mean, you see the impact that that you You speaker-0: Your position, your job. speaker-1: and your unit, your people, your job whatever made, and you understand it a lot more where you're like, Okay. Absolutely. Absolutely I see why we're doing this. speaker-0: And then at the same time, though, being on convoys, you know, sometimes you get in some very crazy situations and you have to consider your battle buddies first. You have to consider everybody around you first. And it it makes you aggressive, it makes you want to fight for them, you know what I'm saying? And sometimes when once again to go back to why I don't always talk, is because sometimes You you just you you feel like you're being judged when you're telling a story because they don't have a context. You know, when you're talking to somebody that's not in the military, or even somebody who hasn't actually been, you know, boots on ground. So that's where I get quiet, but talking talking about how much I love the military and how much it did mu for me and my family, I'll talk about that all day. speaker-1: So we both traveled extensively over the years. Yeah. Have you noticed that the public appreciation for military service has changed? speaker-0: I have. once again, I'm not I'm five years from serving. So I don't know what every unit or individual that's serving right now has I don't know what situation they've been in, but I do know that when I was serving, especially during the war on terrorism, you couldn't return to an airport without people seeing you either in uniform or with the duffel bag or something like that, to where they used to have lined off areas to where people could just stand and applause, you know, when soldiers were coming in there. Mm-hmm. And and like I said, I I remember when my check was always getting paid, you know, to the point where you're like, no, no, no. And they're like, please let me do this. And then you're like, okay, you know, so can it be irritating? The thank yous and the applause and the the show that it can make, yes, it can, but I think we soldiers, we service members, we can tell when it's genuine. Right. And I I can I would say, no matter how hard of a soldier you are, if someone genuinely comes to you and thanks you and then has a little story to tell about their grandpops or grandmother or father, whatever. Absolutely. And that that's what I'm saying. It's it's it's a it's a welcomed appreciation when you have the context. You know what I'm saying? So but for me, yes, it's changed a lot 'cause I don't see it no more. And I'm in airports all the time. Local Conus as well as O Kona's and I don't see it like Atlanta. used to be almost like a party when you come when you'd coming down off the plane and there's that area before you get the baggage claim and people used to be be cheering and clapping and you like speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-0: who did I see? And then you realize it's for you. But yeah, I I I believe that there's a difference now. I think there's a difference politically when it comes to the ideas of s military. I think there's difference strategically on how the this war is that we're in now is being yeah just being showed to the people. Yeah. And I think that there are some people that are so frustrated with this war that it's I I feel like if we're not careful we're going to mess around and redo what we did to our Vietnam veterans. speaker-1: Well, some of it you can you can you can disagree or dislike the war. Yeah. But the folks that are going over there and putting their lives on the line they speaker-0: Did not make that decision to go to war. speaker-1: signed a contract, they that's they are going over there to f follow war. speaker-0: Follow orders and fight for their country. speaker-1: Exactly. So I mean so it's yeah, I mean and it's different wars. I mean, this is a different war than what we We're fighting in Afghanistan and speaker-0: Have you noticed a change in your travels or in your speaker-1: You don't you don't see the folks out as you mean sometimes here where we are in San Antonio, you'll see down at the edge they'll have that little boot thing and you might see a couple of it's not the speaker-0: There's nothing like it used to be. The applause speaker-1: the are even seeing like a lot of the ribbons and stuff, yellow ribbons and stuff. Yeah. You don't see a lot of those and stuff anymore. So it it is different. Yeah. I still see when soldiers are traveling, still see some people come say, Thank you for your search. I still see individuals doing that. But as far as like the outward where it was like, Okay, this is this is what we're doing today. Yeah, okay. That type of thing. You don't see it you don't see it as much. Especially stateside. speaker-0: Does it bother you that you've noticed a change? speaker-1: Does it bot I don't know if it b it it doesn't bother me, 'cause I'm not I mean I'm not in the military. I mean I'm not on active duty anymore. Right. what would bot b because nobody's coming up and throwing eggs at the soldiers out there. Not doing it because you can't 'cause you can't I guess my feeling is is that you can't force anybody to do anything that they don't wanna do. Yeah. Or to for it to be a fake thing. You know, I I would rather speaker-0: But everybody still say all the politicians still say they they love our soldiers, love our troops. speaker-1: Well, they take care of love but take care of while they're in there and and don't take away benefits and housing and things like that and improve barracks life where they're living and give modernize those norms and things like that that Yeah. That affect how you know that morale and how they feel about serving. speaker-0: Don't just say it. Serve yourself about it. And I'ma tell you, it bothers me. And it bothers me because my experiences serving in combat and coming home, of course, my anticipation is hurry back, make it back safe so I can see my family, see my kids, my wife, and all that. You know, but that intermediate space of flying back and then getting to your family. It's a large space sometimes. Mm-hmm. And there's there it there's there's soldiers, there's service members that that could help them. With future trauma things, right? speaker-1: but it's it's a different I feel like this war that's going on now is different than some of the wars of the past because we're not going I mean, we're not in the fobs in Iran. Mm. You know, I mean you have some set up in a the different places. Yeah. I mean it Yeah, speaker-0: But there's still enough people dying. speaker-1: I mean it it's not the same volume of speaker-0: People. Yes. So service members. Yeah. Agreed. speaker-1: Yeah, it's not the same volume. but they still deserve the same acknowledgement as going, you know, back and forth. But some of that you have to I mean, 'cause you sometimes I mean people are travelling onesies and twosies, you don't know everybody that's Yeah. speaker-0: But even then, it was like like I said, it was so like I said, it bothers me because if you step from this country to go fight for your country in whatever context that is, you deserve a pat on the back. Yeah. And sometimes in the military, sometimes you don't get that from your leadership. Sometimes you don't get that stamp of approval from your unit. Sometimes that stamp or that little bit of a thank you, sometimes it is up to the civilian population. speaker-1: Well sometimes that's who you wanna sometimes that's who you wanna hear it from. you that's who you'd rather hear it from because your unit and your that's speaker-0: Well you just want to make sure that speaker-1: your your commander or whatever's gonna Man, I appreciate what y'all did, blah blah blah, you made us speaker-0: Well, I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's one thing to tell you that you're doing a good job and and thank you for what you did when it's the people that's doing it with you. But when it's the people you're actually doing it for, yeah, and they seem to have an a a recognition that this person or these this group of people are sacrificing their life every second that they're gone from the United States that they're gone. They are doing what they can, doing their job, but doing what they can to make sure that whatever the politicians have sent them over there to do, they're trying to do to the best of their ability. A hundred speaker-1: Right. Try and execute. speaker-0: percent. And not getting that thank you from civilians, I think, can leave a door open to where it could affect your mental, you know what I'm saying? And I'm not saying that it's I have research showing that or whatever, but I do, I, my personal experience, do understand that when it feels like the civilians are in and support you for what you're doing, that adds a whole new level of confidence to me and it adds a whole new perspective to me. And I s I feel that if it's not happening and soldiers and service members are returning and they're not getting any of that besides the orchestrated ones of the band, the army band or the military band and and the family members gather around, if that's all you're getting, I I believe that that's that's there's a missing piece that could help. That's just my perspective. speaker-1: Okay. Yeah. as long as people aren't coming in attacking speaker-0: No, I I get that, but that's what I'm saying. speaker-1: Where the speaker-0: But that's what I feel. I feel that the pendulum, right? It went to almost overdoing it to now well, it went from nothing to Vietnam nothing, or very few, to almost overdoing it. That pendulum is going back and I just don't want it to get past what Vietnam was. That's what I'm saying. But that's the pendulum that I'm I'm I'm worried that it could go because it has to do with politics. It has to do with the the the heartbeat of the political atmosphere that we're in. So I remember January sixth happened, man. They beat up and killed some cops, man. It's only this far to where they could mess around if if God forbid the s the president that's serving at the time messes around and starts blaming the service members for some failures or what have you, or puts the wrong I keep saying it, but the wrong context in the political atmosphere. The way this cult is going, I I can ap absolutely see how it could swing the other way and now service members could be attacked and and yelled at and screamed at because That's that's the other end of the extreme that we're coming from. And I'm just hoping that that pendulum does not even go to nothing. I hope it stays over here. That's all I'm saying. Can in your opinion, can somebody disagree with a war, disagree with the decisions being made in Washington, and still make the soldier, sailor, airman, or marine feel supported? speaker-1: Yeah, that's what we were just talking about. Yeah, it that that's what you hope is happening. Cause you have a lot of folks that disagree with what's going on or disagree with past wars and stuff, but don't take that out on the people that are serving that are going to happen orders. Yeah, that are following the orders that are Yeah, don't don't take it out on those individuals. That that that's they're not the ones. Yeah. Your representative, your Senate, your Congress folks, your President that those are the ones that you 'cause they're making a decision. They're signing the Yeah, they're signing speaker-0: They're the ones pointing. speaker-1: the orders and the things saying, and in the checks. Yeah. For folks to be able to units and to go services to go over their and the policy that they're they're supporting and and doing. They're making those decisions. It's not the soldiers. We can't say we're gonna go let's go to war with speaker-0: Hey, y'all wanna go to war? speaker-1: Let's go to let's let's go get Italy. Let's get them up out of here. Let's go take that stuff. it's not one of those situations. So it's like you get mad at the wrong folks. Yeah. Don't get mad at the folks that are going over and taking out, taking the orders. Yeah, yeah. Taking the Yeah that are doing all of the things to actually in the end to protect your interests. speaker-0: Yeah, keep your way of speaker-1: Yeah. So that you can continue to to the move, you know, do whatever speaker-0: to be the jerk your beer. Whatever you wanna do. Yeah. And the reason I said jerk your beard 'cause if you're the one that's angry at the so the service members then you're jerk anyway. So speaker-1: It's like what what do you want me to do? Yeah. What what would you like me to do? Yeah. Have speaker-0: It's just less speaker-1: a discussion about this. Yeah. speaker-0: and I I agree. It's too simple to say. Yes, you can hate the situation but still have love in your heart for the people that answer the call. speaker-1: Yeah, still support those people that want to come home to their families and stuff because it's dang it's dangerous. Yeah. It's dangerous work, very dangerous work. Yeah. All right, we talk a lot about supporting the troops, but what about the people waiting for them at home? Did America really support our families the way it supported us? speaker-0: All I can say is what you mentioned before, civilians aren't supposed to or be held accountable for not knowing somebody's in the military or associated to the military. Because if you're in the military, and this is just me, when I was in the military, when I got off, I tried to not be sergeant, first sergeant, sergeant major. Of course I always got them phone calls, but when I'm going out, I I I of course still had I still was that guy, but I I would try to be a civilian. I'd try to enjoy, I try to be like absolutely try to to to blend in for better work because there was a time in my career and y and yours as well, when I was at Campbell and we were being there were people, not not the whole base. Not every soldier, but there were people who were being marked because they had the military sticker on their car and their cars were getting vandalized and stuff like that. So there was a time when not looking like a so there was a time when they told us not to wear uniforms in airports. You know? Yep. And so we know that there are hostilities out there, whether it be the enemy or whether it be our our our own citizens. And so If you're not identifiable as a soldier or service member, then you can't blame nobody for not saying thank you for that, right? And then of course, if you're a spouse or child or dependent of a service member, you don't really want them wearing my husband's in in Iraq. You know what I'm saying? Because you don't want your house to become a a target. You don't want your dependence and become a target. That's what I'm saying. So so it's it's I just say this. The military, when I was in and when we were deployed, I think they did a decent job of being there for the dependents that weren't deploying. Now did they do a great job? Sometimes family support groups were out of control. speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-0: Yeah. Yeah. And that yeah, readiness. but there are some times when they were out of control to where it became, you know, a soap opera. But there are some good ones to where, you know, they'd understand that somebody from their unit's yard was not cut. And then somebody would volunteer or somebody would coordinate and volunteer and send somebody over there to cut the yard. You know, so yes, there was a l there was support there. And I will say that They deserve the support. You know, if you're if your husband or wife is deployed and fighting for their country. So I can honestly tell you, I don't know how that's working now because I've been out of the system too long. but I can hope. I hope that the dependents, the ones who are back here while their service members forward fighting, I hope and pray. that they're being taken care of, that they're being helped, they're being paid attention to, and the units are doing everything they possibly can to make them as comfortable as possible while they're soldiers downrange. speaker-1: Yeah, I I feel like it's the through my my experience is the help and the support was where I expected it to come from. Yeah. You know, and that was really from other military families who knew you know, who understood, who knew what you were going through. So no, speaker-0: Yeah. speaker-1: and and being a dual military family and then having young kids. No, somebody might be gone. And then you're there doing the stuff 'cause first time Yeah. Yeah, first time that Audrey and then this was a little two month deployment or something she had to do, but Mackenzie was two, maybe. She might have been two. So just then I had her myself. So then I'm going to work and I'm trying to do girl speaker-0: Super dead. speaker-1: hair and all of that stuff, but some dropping her off at daycare and that stuff like that. And daycare ladies were like, Mr. Taylor Just bring her hair speaker-0: We'll do that. speaker-1: stuff, we'll take care of I was like, it's all right, and it's like my ponytails wasn't ponytails wasn't it was a new new style. Ponytails wasn't all even. But yeah. but I I expect it to come from post. Yeah. You know, to have yeah places on post and things on post and and from the unit to be making contact and make sure everything is going right. And then just from families that are even if you don't live on post neighbor other neighbor 'cause used a lot of times. If you're in a city or town that has a military post and if it's a big military post, everybody didn't live on post. Everybody, you know, some people live out in different neighborhoods and stuff. So you'll see that and and you'll have some folks come by us 'cause I remember stopping you know, 'cause we didn't live on post, we didn't live on post after Fort Fort Erwin, I guess. So, being at Bragg, you we out in the neighborhood, not real close to post, but it was still a lot of different military families of stuff out there. So if you knew that somebody's spouse or something was going, you'd be like, You all right, you need anything? Can I cut your grass for you? You know, just whatever. You need something. Yeah. just to make yourself available for But I I didn't never expect in anybody that didn't know. Yeah. Yeah, speaker-0: Jump in. speaker-1: to jump in or do anything, you know, for the for my family like or when I was gone or whatever. You know, my friends, friends that weren't in that were work that might not have been in the military or d they were retired or whatever. You'd be like, I got you, don't worry about the thing. We'll you know, let all the men know that's it. Yeah, you know, so that piece of it. So speaker-0: Yeah. Okay. So did you ever come home and realize or when you came home from deployment, just think about it for a second. How long do you think it took you to realize and understand that yeah, you were away from combat fighting and going through all these ups and downs, but so was your spouse and your family. Yeah, speaker-1: how long did it take me to speaker-0: to understand that. speaker-1: Probab a good month or something? 'cause it w 'cause when I w I went away, we got extended while I speaker-0: Jail or deployment? speaker-1: deployment. When I was when I was deployed, speaker-0: Okay, fool. speaker-1: we got extended. So it was one of those things where it's like we got extended like five months into our thing and into our deployment. Yeah. So then it was one of those things where it was and I had come home d I had done my mid tour earlier. So I ended up being over there for like I went, you know, went over there and then came back. I was there for like ten months. And hadn't been home. So just the I mean the change in everybody. I mean had to get used to that piece of just my family of kids getting older and changing, spouse. changing and getting just th those different things that they had to do and did and learn to do because I wasn't there. So me getting upset about I mean that that's one of them. I had to talk to the therapist. I mean, because that was one of those things where it was like get mad for no reason where it's like, why am I Yeah. Why am I getting upset? Because they can do this without you know, y you you wanna still feel your work. Yeah. You feel like you're still doing fatherly piece or husband piece, you know, all of that stuff and like you wanna feel needed. Yeah, you know? And it's like, yeah, instead of thinking about being like, I I'm proud. They can do that stu I don't have to do that. They can do that stuff. I can come back but you know, my wife was like, It's you I ain't doing it no more, it's yours. Boom. And you can I can do this too. speaker-0: Yeah. I I'd say it took me a little longer than a month because I I you get so you can get so caught up 'cause I did. You get so caught up in trying to get your head out of that environment. You just it's easy to get your body out. But getting your head out and not comparing this new life to what you've been doing the last nine or fifteen, seventeen months. And that's a lot. And then you come back and realize that, you know, for example, you know, I used to read your kid to sleep and now all of a sudden they're calling for the mama now. Or they don't even need a story no more. They don't need a night light no more 'cause they've grown a year. Yeah. So that that it took me a little longer to realize that b and this was before and you know, deployments before being married or in a serious relationship. You know, you come back home and it's it's hard to get back into some type of flow when you see your parents aged, you see your siblings speaker-1: Right. speaker-0: aged, you see your friends have pivoted and gone a different direction and you no longer have the vibe that you had with some of the people you live with. So there's a lot She gotta deal with coming back and yeah it's speaker-1: W work was harder. yeah. Work was harder for me just because we were coming from an environment where speaker-0: Back back. speaker-1: Yeah, I mean, and it was true for real emergencies. Yeah. And then we get back, you know, stateside to the hospital and you have and we were at a place where it was a teaching hospital, so you had residents and things like that there. And they're coming at you and we had an emergency, we gotta get it back in the room, and you like Get out of my face, stop. just you just want them say you shut up speaker-0: I don't hear no Yeah, I don't hear no incoming. speaker-1: trying to keep the professionalism you know, in in that environment and not that was extremely hard. speaker-0: For you yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I can see that. Trying to 'cause your your idea of danger has been exposed to real danger forever. So speaker-1: it's been changed. It's been changed. So it was like speaker-0: your sense of urgency is it's on a a new clock. Right. Yeah. And I I say what was the biggest thing for me? I think one of the biggest Hardships for me after coming back from deployment is you're not going to be in that duty station for long. So not only do you have to come back and then try to get back in your life, but then you're going to be uprooted again and move somewhere else. Yeah, speaker-1: And trying to learn it. speaker-0: absolutely. And that uprooting can also lead to another deployment faster than you expected. Especially before they start coming out with those deployment rules. So if the applause never comes back. And if the show doesn't ever come back the way we saw it, what does that meaningful support for those who serve and those who have served actually look like to you? speaker-1: I don't I don't think that it has to be just because we're having a war. And it should be done. So I mean so when you have like just your different military appreciation, your your Veterans Day and and some of those things like that, as long as folks are recognized and as long as soldiers and everything are g being taken care of. Yeah. Long I mean, and that's coming from that's speaker-0: That's the best. speaker-1: way. Yeah, the people that are in charge. I speaker-0: Yeah. speaker-1: mean that's what you have to that that's what you the most you can hope for. 'cause again, I never expected folks to come up and thank slap you up you know, thank me or whatever or come up and talk to me about that or whatever. I because again, I feel like I'm the one that signed the contract. I made the I'm yeah, speaker-0: I'm just speaker-1: I'm making sacrifice, I'm doing my job. This is what I wanna you know, this is what I wanna do. But when you go to war when you deploy, you know, and you're in a war situation, combat situation, you understand better now the the impact and the the the how big the the situation or what you're you know what you actually are absolutely representing and doing. that and but that makes my me it made me myself more prideful for what you know my choice, you know, that I was doing. And it was more of a be speaker-0: Yeah. speaker-1: able to direct yeah and be able to direct it back to the folks who you know, me meant the most, my family to make sure it's like everybody good with, you know, on board with what we're do you know, what we're doing or how we're doing this and but yeah, I I mean think as long as folks are being taken care of, it shouldn't be somet it it shouldn't be something that people are like, you know, looking looking around the corner and looking for because it's like you're not gonna I mean that's just you gotta if you understand The country that we live in and the society that we live in. Yeah. speaker-0: Yeah, yeah. speaker-1: Yeah, you're not gonna see it from everybody because everybody done have the same same respect or the same understanding of the sacrifice that you even speaker-0: If they did 10 years ago. I I'll just I'll say what you said earlier, and then I'll add a bit. the best way for America to show that they're thankful is to absolutely take care of the veterans. You know, absolutely. And I'm not talking about the veterans that served 30 years. I'm talking about everybody who served. and and and sacrifice something in them to to make this step into a world that is unapologetic. Right. Right. and when you get out, if you have PTSD, if you have brain trauma, if you have health issues, all that stuff, you should not ever be put in a situation to where you're begging for help and nobody's helping you. That's That's the best way Americans can do it. when we're talking about American civilians, I always say thank you for your service is great, but it's better to me when it becomes when I I see it's genuine. Thank you for your service is easy to say. But what's harder to say is how are you doing? speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-0: Or someone taking the time to explain to you why they're thankful you. speaker-1: Yeah, I like it when folks have a story about a uncle, a grandparent, a father, or even them that you know, they said I didn't stand that, I was only in for t it'd be like, nah, but you were you did it. You you know, you came in and did it. So you know, I think this conversation reminds us that supporting the troops is about more than thanking somebody in uniform or applauding when they come home. It's about recognizing the sacrifices they make and the sacrifices their families make right alongside them. We can disagree with the war. We can get tired of a war, but we should never get tired of caring about the men and women asked to serve or forget the families who are carrying the weight while they're gone. And as two men who have worn the uniform, we know the applause is nice. But what matters mo more is knowing that people haven't forgotten you when the cameras are gone, the deployment is over, and the uniform comes off. Because these men and women don't need our appreciation just when they're coming home. They need to know we stand behind them while they're serving too. The applause may fade, but the responsibility to those who serve should never disappear. speaker-0: And thank you once again for spending this time with us. Look, if you're serving, have served, or love someone who does serve, we want to hear your experience. Has the way people show their support over the last year changed? And what makes you feel supported today? speaker-1: Leave us a comment or send us a message and if this conversation made you think of somebody, share it with them, please. Subscribe or follow four titles, one truth so you can join us for the next conversation. As always, let's keep this conversation going, y'all.