Podcasts about M1 Garand

Double Tap Episode 443 This episode of Double Tap is brought to you by: Midwest Industries, Primary Arms, Die Free Co., Night Fision, Second Call Defense, Bowers Group, and Swampfox Optics   Welcome to Double Tap, episode 443! Your hosts tonight are Jeremy Pozderac, Aaron Krieger, Nick Lynch, and me Shawn Herrin, welcome to the show! Text Dear WLS or Reviews +1 743 500 2171 - Dear WLS Chuckin Abox - Hello, I just bought a g-force jawbone 9mm AR9?PCC? It's got a 5.5"" barrel ,an adjustable pistol brace, and takes glock mags. Two questions. What gideon optic would you recommend and what pistol brace would you recommend. Use case will be home defense/truck gun. P.S. No Notes P.P.S. A guy just asked Jeremy if he remembered a cab driver outside ft.leonard wood with a gimpy arm. That guy owns a bar now called bottoms up and big louie's strip club is now Uranus Fudge Factory owned by the same guy Louie lol P.P.PS. I worked at Big Louie's adult store next to the strip club from 01-04 so it's very possible I sold Jeremy his gay porn back in the day.     Harold Ballzanya - I've recently moved to an area that has an indoor shooting range. Outside of normal safety rules, what are some things I should consider before going my first time. Is it acceptable to walk in with your gun in its holster, or should it be in a case. Can I use a holster at all, should it be left on the table when not firing? Are shotguns okay? I'm sure these rules can be answered by a range officer for each individual range but I don't want to come in looking like an idiot. Also what sort of range etiquette is there to be expected of me?     Baklava of Balaklava - Not that many years ago any review of a Turkish gun would be full of comments saying people would never buy a gun from that country as long as the islamofascist tyrant Erdogan was in power. This never seems to happen anymore. What happened with American gun buyers? Erdogan hasn't become less islamofascist or tyrannical in his old age - quite the contrary. And all Turkish foreign sales help continue the dictatorship. Are there countries where the regime is such that the panel would never buy a weapon produced there?     Ed - With all the new guns and gear gun-tubers and social media influencers talk about do you guys feel pressured into carrying all the new stuff? On one hand, I like idea appendix carrying a 17-rd comped pistol with light, optic and extra mag, but I find it to be bulky and uncomfortable most of the time. On the other hand, the simplicity of a pocket snubby or 380 is convenient and comfortable but it's not mainstream.   The winner of this week's swag pack is ED! To win your own, go to welikeshooting.com/dashboard and submit a question!   Gun Industry News Century Arms Introduces AP5-N & AP5P-N “Navy” 9mm Pistols Analysis: Century Arms updates their roller-delayed blowback line with "Navy" models (AP5-N and AP5P-N) featuring a threaded barrel (1/2x28 & tri-lug), ambidextrous lower receiver housing, and an extended safety selector. The AP5P-N is the compact "K" style variant. Price / Availability: ~$1,499.99 - $1,599.99 / Available now. The Hush Puppy Returns: B&T's Slide-Locking Sig P226 & P365 Analysis: B&T revives the "Hush Puppy" concept with modified Sig Sauer P226 and P365 pistols featuring a slide-lock device to eliminate action noise. The P226 kit includes a wipe-based suppressor, Romeo-X Pro optic, and subsonic ammo. Price / Availability: ~$2,999.00 (P226 Kit) / Available now (Limited/Exclusive). Bergara Gets Into the Silencer Game with the BTi30 Analysis: Bergara enters the suppressor market with the BTi30, a lightweight .30 caliber titanium silencer (12.9 oz). It features industry-standard HUB mounting (1.375x24), a muzzle-indexing mount, and swappable vented or sealed end caps to manage gas flow. Price / Availability: $1,099 MSRP / Available now. Galco Releases Brush Hog Holster Analysis: A field-ready belt holster made from premium steerhide, designed for outdoor carry. It features a protective flap with a glove-friendly release tab to secure the firearm against brush and debris while accommodating red dot optics. Price / Availability: $179.00 / Available now. CMP to Start Selling Surplus Shotguns Analysis: The 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) includes a provision authorizing the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) to sell surplus U.S. military shotguns (e.g., Remington 870s, Mossberg 500s) to the public, similar to their M1 Garand and 1911 programs. Price / Availability: Pricing TBD / Sales expected to begin after Army transfer (likely late 2026). Palmetto State Armory Adds Sabre BT5 Mini Inconel Suppressors Analysis: PSA expands its Sabre suppressor line with the BT5 Mini, a compact 5.56mm can 3D-printed from Inconel 718. It utilizes the "Plan B" taper mount standard and is designed for extreme durability and flash reduction in a short package. Price / Availability: $799.99 / Available now.   Before we let you go - Join Gun Owners of America   Tell your friends about the show and get backstage access by joining the Gun Cult at theguncult.com.   No matter how tough your battle is today, we want you here fight with us tomorrow. Don't struggle in silence, you can contact the suicide prevention line by dialing 988 from your phone. Remember - Always prefer Dangerous Freedom over peaceful slavery. We'll see you next time!   Nick - @busbuiltsystems | Bus Built Systems Jeremy - @ret_actual | Rivers Edge Tactical Aaron - @machinegun_moses Savage - @savage1r Shawn - @dangerousfreedomyt | @camorado.cam | Camorado  

Episode 269- The Nightmare Before Christmas Also Available OnSearchable Podcast Transcript Gun Lawyer — Episode 269 Transcript SUMMARY KEYWORDS Second Amendment, New Jersey Democrats, gun laws, machine gun conversion devices, digital instructions, firearm components, gun owner gulag, cash bail, pre-trial detention, carry killer bill, sensitive places, gun rights, constitutional rights, gun lawyer. SPEAKERS Evan Nappen, Speaker 2, Teddy Nappen Evan Nappen 00:15 I’m Evan Nappen. Teddy Nappen 00:17 And I’m Teddy Nappen. Evan Nappen 00:19 And welcome to Gun Lawyer. So, the New Jersey Democrats are going to give gun owners a Nightmare Before Christmas. What they are doing is pushing a package of Second Amendment oppression upon us, and they decided that the perfect time to do it is right before Christmas. On Monday, December 22, the Senate will be having a voting session. They’re going to be looking at bills that we’re going to talk about right now, and you need to take action. You know, you need to let the legislators know that you oppose this. Hopefully you belong to the Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs. If not, you need to join. That’s anjrpc.org. They send out the news releases where you can immediately take action and let the legislature know your feelings on their oppression of our Second Amendment rights as they continue to attack them. Evan Nappen 01:33 Now, we have some very problematic laws that they’re going to be trying to jam through, and I want to make sure that you’re aware of what they are and what they mean. So, we have what is A-4974, and its companion in the Senate is S-3893. (https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2024/S3893) This bill establishes criminal penalties for sale and possession of machine gun conversion devices. Now, of course, these things are already banned. They’re already banned under federal law and state law, but New Jersey just can’t ban something enough, right? So, they’re just duplicating here even more bans upon bans. This is supposedly addressing so-called Glock triggers, but New Jersey usually finds a way to expand it to all kinds of other nonsense. We’ve seen these things lead off into false charges over devices that are not designed to convert to machine guns, but instead designed to simply improve accuracy and a trigger or those kind of things. So, these things are just problematic, and they’re just putting bans on top of bans. And they just want to make sure their name is on a piece of law where they’re “doing something about it”. You know, to sell red meat to their base. So, we have that to deal with. Page – 1 – of 10Evan Nappen 03:16 Additionally, we have A-4975 and the Senate companion bill is S-3894. (https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2024/A3894) This bill establishes a crime of possessing digital instructions to illegally manufacture firearms and firearm components. Now, keep in mind, back in 2018 Murphy signed a law banning the use and sale these digital files already, but this bill is even worse. The mere possession of the files will result in incredibly harsh penalties, even if you unknowingly possess them on a long forgotten computer, etc. So, New Jersey is turning firearm information, pure firearm digital information, into the equivalent of possessing child pornography. Simple possession of the digital file itself. Evan Nappen 04:20 It doesn’t matter that you never had any intention to actually build a firearm, but this gun information is itself being turned into contraband. Now, of course, this brings in First Amendment issues as well as Second Amendment issues, and I’m sure this will as well be subject to challenge. But nonetheless, it puts gun owners at risk that utilize internet and such for downloads of different things. Strictly for informational purposes. Even though you had no intent to 3D print a gun or not, or to use it with a CNC machine to make guns or even gun parts. So, this bill is another oppression of Second Amendment rights, and this time an oppression of First Amendment rights. But since when do Democrats care about rights? So, you need to oppose this as well. Evan Nappen 05:25 There is another bill, Assembly 4978, and the Senate companion is 3897. (https://pub.njleg.gov/Bills/2024/S4000/3897_I1.HTM) Now, this bill requires the Attorney General to report data regarding shootings that did not result in bodily injury. This type of data accumulation is used so then they can twist it into political fodder to further pass other Second Amendment oppression laws. This is their game. So, this is a step in, you know, focusing on the potential discharge law, making accidents into crimes, and using it to become automatic licensing disqualifiers, what become essentially per se felonies. This is how their evil works. This is what they do. This is their machinations, and this is the beginnings of them laying the groundwork to do that very thing. We’ve seen this playbook before, as they put data together that they then abuse in the manner that suits their purposes. So, of course, we have to fight this. Evan Nappen 06:53 Another incredibly serious other bill that’s in the Nightmare Before Christmas is Assembly 4981. The companion is S-3900. (https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2024/A4981) Now, this bill is a Gun Owner Gulag enhancement bill. This law will take the Gun Owner Gulag and make it even worse. So, as you should be familiar, but I want to make sure you are, New Jersey has the Gun Owner Gulag, which is New Jersey’s elimination of cash bail. In getting rid of cash bails, like so many progressive blue states took those actions to do that in the specifically during the, you know, defund police movement and all that. You normally hear about the cashless bails being utilized, where actual criminals, bona fide bad guys, you know, rapists, murders, etc, are put in a revolving door and released very quickly out in the street, particularly if they have other characteristics that the Left is favoring, such as being, you Page – 2 – of 10know, illegally in the country and things like that. They want those people out fast. So, it gets used in that way. Evan Nappen 08:15 But when it comes to weaponization of it against gun owners, well, that’s a different story. They want to imprison us. Okay? So they want to make sure that any gun owner that has a problem, well, they’re going to be subject to the Gulag, where they’re going to be held without bail until their trial, because there is no more bail in New Jersey. And what happens is the prosecutor seeks what is called pre-trial detention. And if pre-trial detention is granted, you’re going to sit in jail, having been proven guilty of nothing, until your trial, and that can be months or years. So, this is the Gulag, and that’s how it operates. Well, that’s bad enough. We fight these Gulag cases all the time, trying to get gun owners out because just about any gun offense is a felony level. New Jersey calls them crimes, and they’re normally warrant offenses. You get arrested and then you’re put through the Gulag where you’re held for 48 hours while the prosecutor decides whether to seek pre-trial detention or not. Evan Nappen 09:20 And their policies are, generally, in every gun case, they seek the Gulag, which is to hold you without bail. So, you’re going to be held at least, normally, another five days before your hearing, where your attorney will finally get to argue to get you out. And if your attorney is not successful in doing that, you are staying in with no bail. Well, this bill is an enhancement to that. It will allow the court to take even more time on any firearm offense where they get to hold you for yet another seven days, so that an operability report can somehow be provided regarding the operability of a firearm, which is often irrelevant to the criminal charge, especially in New Jersey. Operability is not even necessarily required for a firearm conviction, but here the abuse of it will be added into the Gulag’s initial holding of the gun owner. So, now you’re going to be arrested on the warrant charge on whatever the allegation of the firearm offense is, even though you’re innocent, it won’t matter. It’s a gun offense. So, the 48 hours, the prosecutor by way of their policy is going to hold you seeking pre-trial detention. Then that pre-trial detention hearing has to get scheduled within, arguably, five days, and normally it’s about that, five days, before you have the hearing. Evan Nappen 10:57 But if we get to that hearing and they say, oh no, we want another seven days, at least, here the seven days to get an operability report. So, now you’re going to be in jail for approximately two weeks, two weeks, without bail, because there is no bail. And that’s just to get you to the hearing so your attorney can try to argue to defeat the prosecutor’s motion for pre-trial detention. And they’re going to now throw this into the mix. So, you can figure with any gun arrest, you know, you’re falsely accused of being in a “sensitive place” or you’re falsely accused of possession of an assault firearm, or you’re falsely accused of unlawful possession of your handgun. You know all kind of false charges and gun rights oppression that I deal with all the time in practice. Well, you’re going to be at least two weeks in jail now before we can even get you out so we can fight the charge that will eventually get you acquitted of. Isn’t that cute? And that’s if your attorney knows how to get you out and succeeds in doing so. Because if not, you’ll just sit in jail until your trial to finally prove that. So, this is the just horrible addition to the Gun Owner Gulag. Page – 3 – of 10Evan Nappen 12:20 These bills need to be fought, and they need to be fought vigorously. Make sure you make your voices heard. Make sure you belong to ANJRPC, the Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs. They have a full-time paid lobbyist. They have a vigorous process here trying to fight this, but of course, we’re dealing with a state where it is a tremendous battle for the forces of constitutional rights protection. Here to succeed, it’s a difficult, challenging environment, but we have to keep up the fight. We have to make our voices known, and we can make changes. As a matter of fact, that Gulag bill, the Association was able to change the original form where it was an indefinite amount of time until they finally got the report. At least it’s been modified to a mere seven days extra. So, now it’s only two weeks in jail, guilty of nothing. Simply because you lawfully exercised your rights in New Jersey. So, these laws are terrible. They are more oppression from our oppressors. We need to fight it and make sure you do. Evan Nappen 13:44 Now, on a little bit of a Christmas gift here, despite the nightmare that the New Jersey Democrats are placing upon us. I do want to mention that thanks to President Trump and his appointment of judges throughout the land, not the least of which, of course, is the Supreme Court, getting three conservative constitutionalist judges there. But also his ability to add to the judges of the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. And because of President Trump particularly adding the last two judges that are constitutional judges that understand the significance of the Second Amendment, the full panel of 14 judges has agreed to hear the appeal in the Siegel versus Platkin, which is the Carry Killer lawsuit that challenges all these sensitive places and the other onerous restrictions that were put forward in the Carry Killer bill. And as you may know, the initial appeal with the three-judge panel, the three-judge panel that had ruled not tremendously in our favor, has been wiped out, wiped out. Now, the full panel of 14 judges are going to hear and decide the Carry Killer bill. This is very good news for us. Evan Nappen 15:26 This is something that makes me cautiously optimistic that we’re going to see some protection and our Second Amendment rights enforced, and it’s very, very important. Of course, New Jersey fought tooth and nail to try to stop the full panel from granting the en banc full panel, but the Association, particularly my good friend and colleague, Dan Schmutter, was successful here in having that full panel take the case. So, this will also bode well, because by getting a decision that knocks out most, if not all, of the Carry Killer bill, it’ll also lay the groundwork for the Supreme Court of the United States. If we start getting split decisions in the circuits over these sensitive place gambit that the Second Amendment oppressionists have pulled after Bruen to try to limit our rights, we may, in fact, see even a national case killing it permanently for the country. But here in New Jersey, we stand in good stead at the moment. Evan Nappen 16:47 Keep in mind that, at the moment, where can you carry and what are the categories where you can and can’t carry right now, at the current state. Remember, you cannot lawfully carry, even with a New Jersey carry permit, within 100 feet of a public gathering, demonstration or event requiring a Government permit. You’re still barred from zoos, parks, beaches, recreational facilities or areas owned or controlled by the state, county or local government unit designated as a gun-free zone. Publicly Page – 4 – of 10owned or leased libraries or museums. Bars or restaurants where alcohol is served and any other sites or facilities where alcohol is sold for consumption on the premises. Entertainment facilities. Casinos and related facilities. And healthcare facilities. Evan Nappen 17:41 Now you currently can lawfully carry with a New Jersey carry permit, of course, while this appeal is not resolved. These things are still blocked, though, and you’re able to carry, and this isn’t a complete list. But essentially in vehicles. As you may recall, the carjacker protection law that was built into the Carry Killer law, saying that you couldn’t have your loaded gun on your person in your vehicle. That is still blocked, and we are, we may carry in our vehicle, in that manner. Private property open to the public is no longer and still is not a sensitive place. In public film locations, we are able to carry. Additionally, the ruling is still in effect blocking the insurance requirement. As you may recall, at some point, Murphy issued an Executive Order banning the sale of so-called murder insurance, where you had gun owner protection programs, and then proceeded in the Carry Killer bill to mandate by law that you get actual murder insurance. Meaning insurance if someone commits an intentional act with a firearm, essentially murdering somebody. That’s been blocked. So, we don’t have to have insurance to have a carry license. And blocking certain permit procedures and requirements that were more administrative in nature. Evan Nappen 19:23 So, this is where we’re standing. But the good news is, with the full panel reviewing it, I’m very excited to see that outcome, and so should you. So, there is still hope. There is hope that the judiciary is going to speak for our rights, and that same full panel will be also considering New Jersey’s magazine ban and so-called assault firearm ban. So we are hopeful for some very good outcomes here, and we’ll keep you informed here on Gun Lawyer. Evan Nappen 20:07 Let me also mention our good friends at WeShoot. That’s where Teddy and I both shoot and where we get our training. And you will love WeShoot. WeShoot is a great indoor range right in Lakewood, conveniently off the Parkway. They constantly run great sales, and they have great service, a fantastic pro shop and a state of the art range, great training. I really can’t give it high enough praise. We love WeShoot, and so will you. Check out WeShoot at weshootusa.com. They have a great website with beautiful photographs. And you don’t want to miss the WeShoot girls that are there posing with some of the finest guns that you will ever see. So, make sure you go to WeShoot and take advantage of that fantastic resource for gun owners, right in New Jersey. Evan Nappen 21:11 And let me also shamelessly plug my book, which is New Jersey Gun Law, the Bible of New Jersey gun law. Make sure you get the book, folks. You need this book. It is the guidebook to keeping you safe, out of jail and not committing GOFUs in New Jersey. It’s 120 topics, all question and answer. It fills you in so you will know what the law is. It is the guidebook used by thousands and thousands of gun owners throughout New Jersey. You can get your copy today by going to EvanNappen.com. EvanNappen.com. Hey, Teddy, what do you have for us today? Page – 5 – of 10Teddy Nappen 21:56 Well, one of the things you know, it’s the holidays, Christmas, and everything’s coming along, and all the wins that have been coming through, and all the crazy insanity that you’ve described. I always think back to the show that you introduced me to, Paladin. There’s a particular episode, I think it was even the Christmas episode where Paladin is there. It’s a whole deal with the fan, like, there’s a small, I think it’s like a house living out there. And the ending line to the whole episode is, it’s Christmas. He’s saying to the guy, it’s Christmas. This is the, this is the one day of the year where we pretend there’s no evil. And that kind of sticks with me in the idea of this is supposed to be the time spent with family, and particularly, we can pretend and not think about all the anti-gun jerks and the gun rights oppressors. This is the time to enjoy Christmas movies, particular ones that involve firearms. So, as I was scanning through the internet, I saw one, I love this article, the top 10 Christmas movies with guns. (https://blog.cheaperthandirt.com/top-10-christmas-movies-with-guns/) Hey. Evan Nappen 23:17 So, that is what Christmas should be about. Guns. Teddy Nappen 23:22 Yeah, exactly. And to start things off, of course, they go with the most controversial one, which is Die Hard. Evan Nappen 23:31 Which we will agree is a Christmas movie. Teddy Nappen 23:35 Correct. I’ve heard all the debates. Evan Nappen 23:37 Ho, ho, ho. I have a machine gun. How does it get any less Christmas than that. Teddy Nappen 23:42 And quite simply, it’s not Christmas without Hans Gruber falling off the Nakatomi building. Evan Nappen 23:49 Yeah, and you know what gun he had, right? Teddy Nappen 23:55 So, well, you had Bruce Willis with his Beretta 92 with the focus. Evan Nappen 24:01 Of course. Teddy Nappen 24:02 But there’s also the MP 5. Page – 6 – of 10Evan Nappen 24:05 Yippie IA, Yippie Ki A. Teddy Nappen 24:08 And the P7 M13s. Evan Nappen 24:12 P7 that what Hans there, I believe, had. Teddy Nappen 24:17 Correct. And it was very good gun play in that part, where he’s no bullets, and it tricks him. The next one, this is actually, it’s one of those where it’s like, what the heck is this movie? I had to watch it, though. I think you were there when we watched Fat Man. Evan Nappen 24:36 Oh god, yeah. Teddy Nappen 24:37 It is probably the funniest, like, weirdest film you could watch. We have Mel Gibson and is this whole plot to murder Santa Claus. It’s him fighting, fighting Boyd Crowder from Justified. Walter Goggins. Crazy gun play between a 1911 and the fat man using a Colt Walker. Evan Nappen 25:06 Yep, definitely. It’s an entertaining film. Teddy Nappen 25:12 Yeah, it’s just one of those. I was like, okay, interesting. Now, this is technically Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang, which is a Christmas heist of a film. I don’t know if you ever saw it. With Robert Downey, Jr. Evan Nappen 25:26 I may have. Teddy Nappen 25:27 Kind of an action comedy. They’re carrying their Vector CP One. Evan Nappen 25:34 Oh, Vectors are in it. Huh, okay. Teddy Nappen 25:35 Yeah. And, of course, another HK P7. It’s kind of one of one of those, you kind of spot there. But I was like, I didn’t realize it involved Christmas. Page – 7 – of 10Teddy Nappen 25:44 The one I will highlight, though I always thought was funny, he put on Home Alone, one and two. Here’s the reason. Because, remember, the kid, he plays that clip, the black and white movie where he keeps. Evan Nappen 25:44 Well, you know, the P7 used to be the pistol of the New Jersey State Police, but they had over 40 accidental discharges with it, and they gave it up. And that’s because, although it was marketed as being one of the safest guns, the problem is, it’s a front squeeze that cocks the gun, when you squeeze the front. Unlike a 1911 that has a safety on the back, this squeeze cocks from the front. And the problem is, if you, if you’re not practiced and trained well enough, when you draw the gun out of a holster, you’re cocking it as you pull it out, and that creates a situation that is not exactly the safest situation to be in. There were numerous ADs with that gun. So, something to keep in mind. I think they’re cool and a very interesting design, but I remember seeing Superintendent Pagano talking about it. And he basically said, hey, look, it’s not the gun’s fault. He’s blaming his men. How nice of him. Yeah, right. So that was that episode of the gun, in theory, seeming like it may have been one of the safest guns, but in reality, it was prone to needing a lot of training to make sure that you didn’t cock it until you were ready to. So, there you go. Evan Nappen 27:36 Oh yeah. Teddy Nappen 27:36 The bad guys, oh yeah, yeah. Well, I believe you, but my tommy gun don’t. And it’s like, you’ve been smooching with everybody. Snuffy, Dale, Leo, Little Mo with the gimpy leg, Bony Bob, Cliff, and the guy thinks he’s actually like sleeping with all these individuals. Evan Nappen 27:58 Great. Teddy Nappen 27:59 Yeah. The Thompson 1921 AC sub machine gun. The actual movie is Angel With Filthy Souls. Evan Nappen 28:08 Hmm huh. Okay. Teddy Nappen 28:11 Yeah. Evan Nappen 28:11 So, that was actually a clip from an actual movie? Teddy Nappen 28:14 Yeah, that was funny. And, of course, The Christmas Story with the Red Ryder BB gun. Page – 8 – of 10Evan Nappen 28:20 Oh, the classic of all classics. And in New Jersey, that’s a firearm. It’s not a BB, you know? It’s not just a little old BB gun. There it is, bona fide, defined as a firearm. Teddy Nappen 28:32 Yeah. And they threw in some honorable mentions, like White Christmas. Where it takes, the start is at the Battle of the Bulge. So, you have the M1 Garand coming into play of that. And then. Evan Nappen 28:46 As Patton said, the greatest battle rifle ever devised. Teddy Nappen 28:51 I’d agree. And then you have Scrooged with Santa wielding the XM 556 mini gun. Evan Nappen 29:00 Okay. Teddy Nappen 29:02 And then also Bill Murray with his, remember, he had a stainless snub nose revolver because he’s freaking out that a ghost is there. Evan Nappen 29:10 Okay, yeah. Teddy Nappen 29:12 They couldn’t determine that. Evan Nappen 29:14 He didn’t do much with him and guns, but yeah. Unless it’s some gun for taking out ghosts, right? Ghost Busters. Teddy Nappen 29:22 Oh, and of course, our Majesty’s Secret Service, James Bond and Christmas, what more could you want? With his Walther PPK. Evan Nappen 29:33 Oh yeah, James Bond sometimes had some screwy gun stuff. I remember in one of them where he has an AR7, and the guy’s talking about. And it’s a 25 caliber AR. I’m like, it’s not 25. It’s 22. But hey, what do they know? Teddy Nappen 29:52 Yeah, it’s, this is just a fun list, and it’s something I just kind of like, wow, I didn’t really consider some of these as, like, Chrismas movies. But I guess so. Page – 9 – of 10Evan Nappen 30:03 Well, as long as it has guns in it, we’ll declare them to be Christmas movies. Teddy Nappen 30:08 Fair enough. If it has a gun and it’s a Christmas movie, that’s it. Evan Nappen 30:11 That’s it. That’s the standard from now on. From now on, that’s the standard. Teddy Nappen 30:16 There you go. Evan Nappen 30:17 Oh, that’s good stuff, Teddy. And soon we’ll be enjoying Christmas guns. That’s the deal. That’s the deal. Hey, it is very important that we discuss this week’s GOFU, which is the Gun Owner Fuck Up. These are mistakes that actual clients make that causes them problems, expensive problems. You get to learn for free. And this week’s GOFU is about printing. And I don’t mean printing with your computer printer. I mean about your gun showing when you’re carrying concealed. Now, in New Jersey, it’s not illegal to print. Believe it or not. A gun has to be concealed, but it doesn’t address printing while concealed. However, in New Jersey, you don’t want to print. Because not only do we need to carry concealed, but you want to keep that concealment private and secret. Evan Nappen 31:20 New Jersey is loaded with all kinds of people that are scared of guns, aren’t used to guns, and they can end up calling police because they think someone’s carrying a gun. And next thing you know, even though you’re legal to carry. You also give away tactical advantage, if people can make you as carrying. And this is an issue where individuals can make false accusations against you if they believe that you’re carrying. So, you want to make sure you don’t print when you conceal carry in Jersey. Make sure you are as discrete as possible. Also, you don’t want to inadvertently end up in a sensitive place and have a gun identified on you because you’re printing. You shouldn’t be in a sensitive place, but if you’re printing and in a sensitive place, then you’re going to have a bigger problem. So, be very conscientious when you carry, whether or not you’re printing, or whether your method of carry allows for inadvertent display of your firearm, even for a moment, because you want to stay discrete. You want your concealed carry to be concealed carry, and ultimately that gives you, if nothing else, a tactical advantage of surprise should you need your gun. Evan Nappen 32:51 This is Evan Nappen and Teddy Nappen reminding you that gun laws don’t protect honest citizens from criminals. They protect criminals from honest citizens. Speaker 2 33:01 Gun Lawyer is a CounterThink Media production. The music used in this broadcast was managed by Cosmo Music, New York, New York. Reach us by emailing Evan@gun.lawyer. The information and opinions in this broadcast do not constitute legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney in your state. Page – 10 – of 10 Downloadable PDF TranscriptGun Lawyer S3 E269_Transcript About The HostEvan Nappen, Esq.Known as “America's Gun Lawyer,” Evan Nappen is above all a tireless defender of justice. Author of eight bestselling books and countless articles on firearms, knives, and weapons history and the law, a certified Firearms Instructor, and avid weapons collector and historian with a vast collection that spans almost five decades — it's no wonder he's become the trusted, go-to expert for local, industry and national media outlets. Regularly called on by radio, television and online news media for his commentary and expertise on breaking news Evan has appeared countless shows including Fox News – Judge Jeanine, CNN – Lou Dobbs, Court TV, Real Talk on WOR, It's Your Call with Lyn Doyle, Tom Gresham's Gun Talk, and Cam & Company/NRA News. As a creative arts consultant, he also lends his weapons law and historical expertise to an elite, discerning cadre of movie and television producers and directors, and novelists. He also provides expert testimony and consultations for defense attorneys across America. Email Evan Your Comments and Questions  talkback@gun.lawyer Join Evan's InnerCircleHere's your chance to join an elite group of the Savviest gun and knife owners in America.  Membership is totally FREE and Strictly CONFIDENTIAL.  Just enter your email to start receiving insider news, tips, and other valuable membership benefits.   Email (required) *First Name *Select list(s) to subscribe toInnerCircle Membership Yes, I would like to receive emails from Gun Lawyer Podcast. (You can unsubscribe anytime)Constant Contact Use. Please leave this field blank.var ajaxurl = "https://gun.lawyer/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php";

From aircraft maintenance officer to professional fitness champion to executive coach, Tanji Johnson Bridgeman '97 has exhibited leadership on many stages. SUMMARY In the premiere episode of Focus on Leadership, she joins host Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99 to share how resilience, self-care and feedback transform challenges into growth — and why caring for yourself is key to leading with presence and impact.   SHARE THIS PODCAST LINKEDIN  |  FACEBOOK    TANJI'S TOP 10 LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAYS Lead with a Whole-Person Approach: Effective leadership requires nurturing mind, body, and spirit, not just focusing on one aspect. Reframe Failure as Feedback: View setbacks as events and learning opportunities, rather than personal flaws or endpoints. Consistency Over Perfection: Strive for regular, sustainable effort and give yourself grace rather than aiming for flawless execution. Self-Reflection Builds Authenticity: Regular reflection (e.g., journaling, meditation) helps clarify values and stay true to yourself as a leader. Executive Presence Matters: Project confidence through body language, eye contact, and purposeful communication to influence and inspire others. Take Inventory and Set Self-Care Rituals: Assess mental, physical, and emotional health, then develop small, habitual self-care practices to maintain energy and focus. Recognize and Address Burnout: Leaders must be attentive to signs of burnout in themselves and others, emphasizing rest, breaks, and boundaries. Normalize and Model Wellness in Leadership: Leaders should model healthy habits and make personal wellness a visible priority to support team well-being. Focus on Connection and Service: Shift focus away from self-doubt by being intentional about serving, connecting, and empowering others. Adapt and Accept Change: Growth requires adapting to new realities, accepting changes (including those related to age or circumstances), and updating strategies accordingly.   CHAPTERS 0:00:06 - Introduction to the podcast and guest Tanji Johnson Bridgeman. 0:01:07 - Tanji shares her journey from the Air Force Academy to wellness and leadership. 0:04:13 - Discussing wellness strategies and advice for cadets and young leaders. 0:12:10 - Recognizing burnout, setting boundaries, and maintaining consistency in habits. 0:17:39 - Reframing failure as feedback with examples from Tanji's career. 0:27:58 - Exploring the concept of executive presence and practical ways to develop it. 0:38:07 - The value of authenticity and self-reflection in leadership. 0:44:21 - Creating sustainable self-care rituals and adopting healthy habits. 1:00:54 - Emphasizing wellness in leadership and the importance of leading by example. 1:02:18 - Final reflections and a summary of key takeaways from the episode.   ABOUT TANJI BIO Tanji Johnson Bridgeman graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1997, where she distinguished herself by navigating the rigors of cadet life with both determination and initiative. As one of the first women to serve as Group Superintendent during Basic Cadet Training for the Class of 1999, she honed her leadership and public-speaking skills by addressing hundreds of incoming cadets nightly. Following her commissioning, she served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force — initially in the Academy's admissions office as a minority enrollment officer, then as an aircraft maintenance officer at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, where she led over 200 personnel across six specialties supporting KC-135 air-refueling operations. After four years of service, Tanji pivoted to a second career in fitness and wellness, becoming an 11-time professional champion in the International Federation of Bodybuilding & Fitness (IFBB) and competing for 18 years in 54 pro contests. She later leveraged her competitive success and military-honed leadership into executive-presence and lifestyle-coaching, founding the “Empower Your Inner Champion” brand and offering keynote speaking, coaching, and wellness solutions.    CONNECT WITH TANJI LinkedIn Instagram: @OriginalTanjiJohnson   CONNECT WITH THE LONG BLUE LEADERSHIP PODCAST NETWORK TEAM Ted Robertson | Producer and Editor:  Ted.Robertson@USAFA.org Send your feedback or nominate a guest: socialmedia@usafa.org   Ryan Hall | Director:  Ryan.Hall@USAFA.org  Bryan Grossman | Copy Editor:  Bryan.Grossman@USAFA.org Wyatt Hornsby | Executive Producer:  Wyatt.Hornsby@USAFA.org      ALL PAST LBL EPISODES  |  ALL LBLPN PRODUCTIONS AVAILABLE ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST PLATFORMS     FULL TRANSCRIPT Guest, Tanji Johnson Bridgeman '97 | Host, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99   Naviere Walkewicz 0:00 If you love the Long Blue Leadership podcast, you'll want to discover Focus on Leadership, a Long Blue Leadership production of the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation. Here on Focus on Leadership, we move beyond the “why” and dive into the “how,” exploring the habits, mindsets and lessons that turn good leaders into great ones. In each episode, host, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz, Class of '99, sits down with accomplished Air Force Academy graduates and other influential leaders to uncover their stories, their insights and real-world actions that drive excellence. Focus on Leadership: Offering impactful and actionable lessons for today's exceptional leaders. Without further ado, sit back and enjoy this premiere episode of Focus on Leadership. Naviere Walkewicz 0:58 Welcome to Focus on Leadership, where we take a close look at the practices that make strong leaders even stronger. I'm your host, Naviere Walkewicz, Class of '99. Today we're joined by Tanji Johnson Bridgeman, Class of '97, an Air Force Academy graduate whose journey has taken her from aircraft maintenance officer to professional fitness champion, American Gladiator known as “Stealth,” entrepreneur and executive coach. Tanji is here to teach us about leadership through the lens of health and wellness, how caring for yourself physically and mentally fuels your ability to establish presence and lead others with confidence. Tanji, welcome to Focus on Leadership. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 1:36 Thank you, Naviere. It is so good to be here. Naviere Walkewicz 1:40 Such an honor to see you. I mean, as a ‘99 graduate to have a ‘97 trainer here in the presence, I'm already feeling wonderful. And you know, it's been about 10 years since you've been at your academy. How are you feeling? You came back last evening. What are your thoughts? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 1:54 Wow, I was here nine years ago for my 20th reunion. I just feel so much gratitude. I mean, it's so surreal. Even last night, we went to work out. And you know, you're driving up the hill towards Vandenberg, and all these memories are coming back to me from the good times. But the biggest thing I'm feeling is pride, you know, pride and gratitude. Because, you know, we don't always reflect, but just being here, it forces you to reflect, like, this is where it all started. I mean, it really started with my upbringing, but the Air Force Academy, my experience here, laid the foundation for who I became, and I'm so grateful for that. Naviere Walkewicz 2:29 Well, let's go back to the fact that right off the bat, you got off the plane, you met me and we went to work out. So wellness, no joke, is right at the top of your foundation. So how did you get into this space? Let's kind of introduce that to our listeners, because I think it's important for them to really understand the depth of what wellness means. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 2:46 Well, the funny thing about it is I never would have imagined that I would be doing what I'm doing today, because I was a die-hard — I thought I'm going in the military, and I'm staying in for 20 years. So when I was here, you know, I was on the cadet Honor Guard and I cheered, and that's when I fell in love with lifting weights. So I got into competing, even as a lieutenant, and I just I fell in love, and I turned professional. And so there was these transitions where I had an opportunity to be a professional athlete, and I took it, right? And so I became a professional bodybuilder, fitness champion. And then next thing you know, I'm on NBC's American Gladiators. That was wild. And so I did that for a while, and then I became a trainer and a coach and a promoter and a judge, and did all the things bodybuilding. And then I retired in 2016, and that's around the time I met my husband, and so really that's when my real wellness journey began. Because prior to that, it was heavily around physical fitness, but wellness for me began when I transitioned and retired from competing. And really, I had to figure out what is my fitness life going to look like, because it's not going to be working out three times a day on a calorie-deficient diet. Naviere Walkewicz 3:57 Three times a day… Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 3:58 Right, none of that. I was like, I'm done. I'm done. But I really had to design the rest of my life and really figure out what that was going to look like. So I got into functional medicine, health coaching. I married a chiropractor, so we believe in holistic medicine, and that's where it started. Naviere Walkewicz 4:13 Excellent. And so this is not a traditional career path. So let's kind of go back to the cadet mindset. For example: How would you — knowing what you know now — maybe talk to yourself as a cadet, or actually, cadets that might be listening, of what they should be thinking about in this priority space of wellness, in leadership? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 4:30 Absolutely, I think that's a great question. The disadvantage for young leaders, whether they're cadets or lieutenants, is that they don't have the luxury of having a lot of life experience. And so building a foundation is important, and it takes mindfulness and just, “What should we be aware of?” So what I would want to impart on them is to adopt the philosophy of looking at wellness from a whole-person approach, because high performance is going to demand it. And so when I say whole person, wellness is multi-dimensional. So we want to look at the mindset, we want to look at the body and we want to look at the spirit, and being able to start from a place where you're going to go into all of those. Naviere Walkewicz 5:13 Well, as a cadet, there are so many hats they have to wear. No pun intended. They have to be on top of their game in the academic space. They have to be on top of the game in the military, and then also athletically. Can you talk about, or maybe share an example as a cadet, how you navigated that journey of wellness and what that looked like? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 5:32 Well, let's go back to — so I didn't get a chance to break down. So mind, body, spirit. Why is that important? Because in anything, any philosophies that we adopt, we have to really see where it's important. So when you think of what is an officer, what is a leader going to have to do with their mind, this is where they have to have clarity. It's going to help with focus, creativity to innovate new solutions. And so we need to be able to prioritize our mindset and our mental health. And then there's the body, right? So a lot of us are going to be going on deployments. We're going to work long hours. Our body is what's going to give us the fuel and energy and the stamina to get through a day. It's literally bringing our energy. And then you think about the spirit, and this one is really special, and it's probably the most neglected. So when you think about the spirit, this is where you're going to anchor in with your emotional health. What is your purpose? What is your “why?” You know, earlier today, I was having a great discussion with Gen. Marks, and he shared with me that one of his goals for the cadets is that when they graduate, you know, they're going to be committed to being leaders, but are they committed — like really committed — and bought in to knowing what their purpose is going to be? And I think that a big part of that is being able to explore their spirit in advance, so they can discover their identity and their strengths in advance and to be able to go off into the leadership and fully own it. And so an example that I would like to present: When I was coaching bodybuilders and female athletes, I remember I started a team. And now this is going to be a team of women that they have the common goal of competing. So they're trying to pursue physical excellence with how they transform their physiques. But what I did was I brought this team together, this sisterhood of women. So a couple of things that I wanted to see, I wanted sisterhood and support. I wanted them to have the commonality of the same goal, and I wanted them to be able to support each other, and I wanted to be able to support them by elevating their mindset. And so one of the things that I did that was really unique at the time, that a lot of other coaches and leaders weren't doing, — when somebody wanted to work with them, they just sign them up. But I would have a consultation. It was kind of more of an interview, because one of the questions I would ask is, “Naviere, why do you want to compete?” And then I'd give them examples, like, you know, “Is this a bucket list? Are you trying to improve your health? Is this for validation and attention? Is this because you're competitive? Because, if you're competitive, and you're telling me that you just started working out last year, maybe we need to wait a couple of years.” You see what I mean. So when you go back to the “why,” it keeps you in alignment to move forward, in alignment with your why, but a lot of people don't know what that is, and sometimes all it takes is asking the question. Naviere Walkewicz 8:17 So the question I'd love to ask you then, is going back to the cadet side, because I think talking to Gen. Marks and the purpose piece, you know, you actually, I think as a cadet, remember, you were on Honor Guard. You were also a cadet… I think you were the cheer captain of our cheerleading team. I feel that that is such a great testament to the fact that you have to figure out, you know, the purpose of, how do I do more and give more and still stay connected to my purpose of where you said in the beginning, “I was going to serve 20 years in the Air Force.” How do our cadets get that same level of interviewer coaching with someone without having that life experience yet? Like, what would you share with them now, from your learning experience? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 8:55 So when I think back to… OK, so when you look at wellness, and you think of mental wellness, physical wellness, emotional wellness, you know, I think what happens here at the Academy — and I remember starting this way — we prioritize physical fitness, right? I remember being in that fight-or-flight mode like, OK, if I can just show that I am, you know, prioritizing physical fitness, that strength is going to get me respect, and I could definitely feel the difference in how I was treated. The problem sometimes with prioritizing physical fitness… It's great because, you know, it can strengthen your mind. So if your body's feeling strong, your mindset is strong, but it becomes problematic when your body fails. So what happens when you fail? And I have plenty of stories and memories, my goodness, of being on Honor Guard, one that I remember distinctly is, you know, if you had me doing push-ups or pull-ups, oh, I was in a zone. I was impressing everybody. I was passing all the tests, but you put me in a formation where the short people are in the back, you throw a helmet, M1 Garand, and we have to go run 3 miles now, now I'm falling out and I'm getting exhausted. And you know, the body goes — the stress goes up, the blood sugar goes down. It's just physiology, right? And so what happens is, now mentally, my mind is becoming weak. So when the body fails, my mind is getting weak,   Naviere Walkewicz 10:13 And you've been training your body right? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 10:14 Right, right. And so I look back, and I just, I remember those days in Honor Guard where I would feel doubt, like, “Am I going to make it do? I deserve to be here? Am I good enough?” I would feel discouraged, right? And I would go back to my room and then something happened. So after about two weeks of suffering through this pain and this big challenge, I remember thinking, “Gosh, every time they beat me down physically, I feel so weak mentally. But I was in my room and I remember having anxiety for the next day, like, “Oh, I'm going out there again.” And for some reason that meme, you know, with the Asian guy that says, “But did you die?” Right? That's always in my head, and I remember saying that to myself, like, “It was hard. Today was hard, but did I die?” No. And actually, after two weeks, I'm like, “It's actually getting easier,” like, because I'm getting more fit, right? I'm able to do the push-ups. I'm running further. And I remember that was the mindset shift where I realized, “OK, now, tomorrow, when I go out to practice, I'm not going to be as afraid, because I've already decided that I can do hard things.” And so now, when I was enduring the practice, right, and the leadership of my Honor Guard cadre, I was prepared with that mental strength, right? And so that's what we need. We need to be able to train so that when our body fails, our mind prevails, right? Naviere Walkewicz 11:39 Love that — those three facets of wellness, and that's a really strong way to explain it. And so you gave a couple examples about when the body fails, so when we think about how we're wired, and I think many of us are this way, as cadets, as graduates, as those who really want to succeed in life, right? Thinking about resilience, how do we balance? Or maybe balance isn't the right word, but how do we make sure we're very mindful of that line between healthy discipline and then harmful overdrive. How do you navigate that? Maybe, what would you share with some of our listeners? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 12:11 Well, you were asking like, how do we recognize when it's happened? You know, the good news is, your body will leave clues. You will have emotional clues, you will have physical clues, you're going to have behavioral clues. Your body will leave clues. So the first thing is, I think that if we can be willing to evolve — you know, look at what culture are we in now, like you and I, we come from a culture where the philosophy was grit at any cost. Push, push, push, push, and drive, drive, drive. You know, I think about, as an athlete, you know, especially if you're motivated. You're thinking, when I was training my body, I remember thinking, “I want to get these results, and so I'm going to do what it takes. So every day I'm doing the lifting, I'm eating the food, and I'm going to train every day.” And I remember on that seventh day, you know, I had done all the things, I took the supplements, I got all the sleep, and I went in to train, and my body was exhausted. And it's because I was physically burning out, and my body needed the rest. And then it really transferred into how I would choreograph my training and so with routine. So I was a fitness competitor. I did these fitness, crazy fitness routines where I'm doing push-ups and squats and gymnastics and flying around, right? And it's two minutes long. So think of doing like a crazy CrossFit routine for two minutes straight without stopping, and smiling. And so I remember being strategic, right? And how I would lay out those practices athletically, where I would do a portion, 30 seconds — I would train 30 seconds at a time, and then the next day I would do the next 30 seconds, a week later I would go for about a minute. But the part I want you to know is, right before the competition, I would decrease that training load. I would actually do less, because the year that I trained full out, all the way up into the competition, I didn't do well on stage because my body was exhausted. So again, our body is going to leave us clues, and we have to be willing to evolve, to say that self-care — it's not selfish, but it's strategic. And so we need to pay attention to those signs, because we're going to have a choice to either pivot and be intentional and strategic with taking care of ourselves, or we're going to stay stuck in this old-school thinking that's not going to serve us. Naviere Walkewicz 14:38 So if it's not the body telling you — because we talk about how wellness is more than just physical — how do you recognize signs on the spiritual side, on your emotional side, that you might be in this harmful space of it's too much give, give, give, and not enough fill, fill, fill. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 14:55 I think that's a great question. So here's some telltale… So going back to physical, you know, like the examples I gave, you're going to feel exhausted, you're going to have muscle tension, you might even start to have stomach issues. Those are all great physical signs that you're reaching burnout. Now, when you think of mentally, if you notice emotionally and mentally, that you start getting irritable and you've become more impatient and you're having a harder time making decisions, those are also great clues that mentally, you're starting to get burnt out. And then when you think of behaviorally, you know, let's say you had a great morning routine, and now all of a sudden, you find yourself in this season where you've abandoned that, or you have deadlines that you're usually very protective, and you can get things done, but now you're starting to procrastinate, and you're thinking like, “Who am I right now? I'm procrastinating. I've abandoned my wellness routine. I'm not even… I don't even have a morning routine.” That's when you should really step back. And I think one of the practical tools that everyone can do is check in with themselves on a regular basis. So I'm being very transparent. I check in with myself daily. So let's say I do three back-to-back hours of Zoom calls: Maybe ones with an executive coaching clients. Maybe another one is a team Zoom, where I'm training a group of folks, and then another team meeting. After that three hours, I will stop, and I'll check in with myself, and I'll take a deep breath and say, “How am I feeling? Do I feel like getting right back on a call? No, my brain is fried right now.” And then I'll pivot and I'll go take a 10-minute walk around break. And that's just one of my strategies. Naviere Walkewicz 16:30 So it does… A check in doesn't have to be this grand “I take time off and I spend a week.” It literally could just be a few minutes of [breathes deeply] and check in with yourself, because I think sometimes time is a challenge as well, right? We talk about, how do we prioritize all these things and we're within this 24-hour period. How do we make sure that the time piece is something that we can also utilize to take care of ourselves, and so when you said it doesn't have to take a lot of time to check in. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 16:58 And think about it. So we just talked about how to check in with yourself daily. What about like in your career? You know, I was helping physique athletes with poise mastery, basically teaching posing to athletes for over 15 years, and towards the end of that career, what I started to notice when I would mentally check in with myself, is I would notice that as I was driving to the office to go work with another client, I just did not feel as energized. I didn't feel as passionate. My motivation was going down, and this was a sign for me that I was getting burnt out from this specific way of serving, and it was my first clue that it was time to pivot and to look at something else. Naviere Walkewicz 17:38 That's really interesting, because when you think about when you're making big decisions, whether in career, whether in leadership or just, you know… The fact that you have these signs help you make those decisions, but I also wonder if it helps you at times think about part of the growth is maybe not totally pivoting, but it's recognizing that I'm supposed to go through this period of hardship. So what I'm kind of alluding to right now, is failure, right? So failure, as we go through some of our experiences are inevitable, right? How do we make sure we're using failure in a way to grow, as opposed to the easy button of, well, I failed, so I'm pivoting. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 18:18 OK, so that would be like a reaction. You're reacting to what happened, and you think what you need to do is flee from it. So you have to be able to discern, “Am I pivoting because I'm afraid, or because I feel like I'm not good enough, or because my purpose and my spirit is telling me that my work is done here, and I'm looking for innovation.” I'm looking for something new. I'm looking to impact new people. So going back to failure — like public speaking, it's one of the top two fears, right?   Naviere Walkewicz 18:52 What's the other? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 18:53 Oh, public speaking, flying, swimming [laughs]. No, I'm just kidding. Only if you grow up like me. But going back to failure, I think that people fear failure a lot because they make the mistake of connecting it to their identity instead of realizing failure is an event. It's not your identity. And so how many times do we do something, and maybe it's a competition, or it's an event or an application, and you fail. You don't get the desired result. It's an event. So what we need to do is reframe failure as feedback. That's it. So I have a great example. When I think about a great example of someone who was able to show in person, in reality, that when they failed, it did not disrupt their identity at all. So I don't know if there's any boxing fans out there, Naviere Walkewicz 19:46 Oh, we have some, I'm sure. Yeah. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 19:47 The Canelo and Crawford fight, it was a couple weeks ago. Did you see that? Naviere Walkewicz 19:50 I didn't, but I did hear about this. Actually, honestly, I fell asleep. I planned to watch it. My husband watched it, but I fell asleep. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 19:57 Oh, they went all the rounds, right? It was a great fight. Really, really great. You saw two physical specimens, you know, at the top of their game. They were both undefeated. I believe Canelo was favored to win, but he didn't. He lost the belt, right? And so Crawford wins. And so I'm always very intrigued with how people respond to failure when it's public, right? And so Crawford got to make his speech, and then when Canelo made his speech, you know, one of the first things they ask is, “OK, so you didn't get the result you were hoping for. You didn't win this bout. How are you feeling?” And he gave an answer that I totally didn't expect. He said, “I feel great.”   Naviere Walkewicz 20:39 Just like that?   Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 20:40 Yes. He was like, “I feel great.” He was like, “It was a great fight,” you know. He affirmed Crawford, you know, edified him. Talked about how great he was, you know, but he maintained his identity, and you could feel that in his spirit. He said, “I feel great. I came out here. I did a great job. I did what I was supposed to do. Obviously, there's room for feedback, to learn. You know, I didn't get the result I wanted. So whether it was endurance or I wasn't strategic enough, or I didn't prioritize my offense, there's feedback there.” He's going to learn from that. But he basically had such a great attitude. And he ended it by saying, you know, “I feel great and it was great time.” And I remember thinking like, “Wow, now there's an example of someone who did not own the failure and make it a part of his identity. It was just an event.” And his legacy will still be restored, right? And to be honest with you, it made me think about my own career. Naviere Walkewicz 21:31 Yes, so did you, have you experienced anything like that in your career? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 21:34 Have I experienced failure? Over and over again. Naviere Walkewicz 21:39 And how did you respond in your, you know, the wellness side of it, when you think about, you know, what you're trying to do, your purpose. How did you use that? Did you use it as feedback? Or what did that look like for you. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 21:50 So let's say in sports, if you don't win, then that event is deemed as a failure, right? And so if you think about it, I did 54, I've done 54 professional bodybuilding, fitness competitions.   Naviere Walkewicz 22:04 Wow. OK, what year did you start, just so we can get some perspective?   Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 22:06 I started in 2001 and retired in 2016, so about 17 years. And I won 11 of them. So that means out of, and that's a lot, actually. So out of that many, that means I lost all the others. And there's one particular competition that will always be dear to my heart, and it was the Arnold Classic. Yes, the Arnold Schwarzenegger. You know, he has this gigantic competition every year. And midway through my career, I started I got in the top five. So I would get fourth, and then the next year I'd get third, and then I'd go down to fourth, and then I'd get second, right? I think I got second maybe four years in a row. So basically, in my 10th year of competing, I finally won the darn thing. So Arnold comes from across the stage, and I'm already crying, and, you know, with his accent, “Why are you so emotional?” And there's a picture of me taking the microphone from him because I had something to say, and in that moment, because it was a special moment, I realized, yes, all of these years of failure, every time I competed, I missed the mark. I missed the mark. I missed the mark. But what did I do? I took that feedback and I went back and said, “What do I need to do differently? What does this mean? How can I improve my physique? How did I need better stamina in my routine?” And every year, I was coming back better and better and better. But guess what? So were the other athletes, right? And so when I won in that 10th year, I actually would not have had it any other way, because I don't think it would have meant as much to me. Because what was happening, I may have won the Arnold Classic on that day, but I was becoming a champion throughout that whole 10-year process. You see what I did there. So it's not your identity, it's an event. So if you look at it and reframe it as feedback, then you can leverage that and use it as an opportunity to win. Naviere Walkewicz 24:00 So failure, and we're going to say synonym: feedback. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 24:03 Exactly. Naviere Walkewicz 24:04 I like that. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 24:05 I mean, and I'll give you another example. So you know, I did my first TEDx Talk last year, and I was a part of this coaching group. And here's the thing: As leaders, we get to create and build culture. And I think it's very important for leaders to create a culture where they normalize failure and they teach their teams that it's meant to be for feedback. So encourage courage, and then help them leverage the failure or the mistake as lessons learned so that they can grow and move forward. So I'm in this coaching group, and they told us, “We're going to have you send out probably an average of 80 applications. Now we're going to guide you and tell you what to do, but every application is different, because the event promoters are different. So we can't tell you exactly what they all want, but you're going to find out when you apply.” So I remember applying, I think, to UCLA Berkeley or something, and I applied to do a TEDx Talk, and midway through my application, they asked me, what was my scientific evidence and proof of my theory and my great idea? And I didn't have one at the time. And I remember thinking, “I'm going to go ahead and finish this application, but yay, I just got some feedback that I need to include scientific data in my pitch and in presenting my idea.” And it was shortly after, I think I did five more applications and I got selected. And so now I have been so trained to see failure as an opportunity to grow and excel, that when I am afraid of something, I reframe it immediately, and then I actually look forward to it, like, “Oh my gosh, I can't wait to get out there and do this thing, because I'm going to get this feedback, and that's going to make me better.” Naviere Walkewicz 25:39 Well, I think that's really wonderful in the way that you frame that. Because, you know, in the military, and I was actually just at a conference recently, and they were talking about how failure should be a part of training. Failure is actually the most important part of the training, because when it comes time to actual execution, operationally, that's when we can't fail, right? So, like, you want that feedback through all the training iterations, and so, you know, the way you just, you know, laid that out for us, it was in a sense that, you know, you had this framework, “I'm getting feedback, I'm training, I'm training, I'm training.” And then, you know, of course, when you took the champion spot… Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 26:10 And I love… I think back to when I physically learned to appreciate failure was through weight training. And I know you've done it too, because can you go back and remember the first time you know, as a bodybuilder, when you lift weights, you're trying to grow your muscle, and to grow the muscle, the muscle fibers have to tear, and so there has to be a certain level of intensity and hardship in doing that. So if you're one of those people that you go to the gym and you're doing, you know, 15 easy reps, four sets, you never break a sweat, you're toning and you're getting some movement in, but you're not tearing your muscle fibers, and that's probably why they're not growing. So when I worked with the trainer and we were doing overhead military presses, and I physically felt like I was done at about 12 reps, but he was spotting me, so he just kept force repping me through six to eight more. I mean, until my arms were done, and I put my arms down, and they started to float up in the air. And he looks at me, because I'm looking at him, like, “Dude, what are you doing?” I'm like, “Wow, are you trying to hurt me?” And he just said, “No, but I do need you to learn that you're going to have to fail in order to grow and win.” And I was like… So then after that, we're going in the gym, like, “All right, Naviere, we're going to hit failure today. Oh yeah, we're going to learn how to fail.” “Did you fail at the gym last night?” “Yes, I did.” So in the bodybuilding community, it's celebrated. You know, it's a concept where that's we're trying to work through failure because we know it's on the other side. Naviere Walkewicz 27:34 Yes. Oh, I love that. That's fantastic. Well, and then you said you retired in 2016, so that was probably quite a transition in the fact where you had to… You probably have been doing all the wellness check-ins. “Where am I at? What am I thinking?” How did you make that transition into the executive presence space? Because it doesn't seem like it's a direct correlation from someone's body building to executive presence. Or maybe it is. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 27:58 So, in in body building, I developed a niche. So I started off as a trainer, and then very quickly, probably because of some of my Honor Guard background, I mean, we did precision drill, and I just realized that I can… I learned things really easily, and then I can teach it. I can see something and break it down in detail and teach it. And so I got really good at doing that for the athletes proposing to where I was able to build a whole career and get paid really well through poise mastery. Now what I think? You know when I think back to all the things we had to do as a cadet, from standing at attention, keeping your chest up, you know, your chin in projecting we were all we were already starting to work on our executive presence, but we just didn't know realize it, right? And so in the real world outside of the military, where people are not building habits of standing up straight on a regular basis, they don't. I go into board rooms. I go to events where I see people get on stage. They're looking down, they're fidgeting, they're not making eye contact, they're speaking too softly. And so executive presence is the ability to project confidence in how you show up and the way that you communicate and how you get people to experience you, because, unfortunately, we live in a society where perception shapes opportunity. So as a leader, if you're not commanding that authority right off the bat, you may you may be missing the mark on being able to influence, and that's what leadership is. And so I was basically elevating all of these athletes to just present the best version of themselves, and in leadership, that's what we want, too. We all have strengths, we all have learned skills. We all have something to offer. But if we're not projecting and presenting our inner power externally, a lot of times we miss that mark, and I want to connect the dots. And that's kind of what hit me when I thought about moving into the executive space, is, you know, I can… sure I can teach you how to stand in front of a red carpet and some power poses, but it goes beyond that. It's how we communicate. It's our body language. And so there's, there's a lot of skills that can be learned. Naviere Walkewicz 30:09 Well, let's start with maybe just sharing a couple. How can our leaders, our listeners start to display a stronger executive presence every day? What's the first couple things you might have them start thinking about? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 30:22 OK, so physically, I would start like, let's say with body language is eye contact. So my concern with this, the generation that we have now is they're dealing with a disadvantage that we didn't have to deal with. You know, when we were in school together 20 years ago, we were connecting all the time. It wasn't even a challenge. We were always together in person, building relationships, connecting, communicating. And now we're in a digital world where our attention is, is we're fighting for it, right? And so a lot of times I will watch people, and I realize whether they're going out to dinner and they are not maintaining eye contact because they're distracted, and they really haven't been, they haven't been trained to really be present. So for example, when you're speaking with someone and you're making eye contact with them. They feel seen,, you know? And so that's, that's one of the strongest ones. OK, Naviere Walkewicz 31:16 OK. I like that a lot. That's perfect. So as they're starting to think about the first thing is being present and making eye contact, from a — that's a physical standpoint. Maybe what, from a mental or emotional standpoint should be they be doing from a starting point for executive presence? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 31:33 OK, so being intentional. So when you think about your leader, and let's say you're going to speak in front of the Cadet Wing, or you're going to start managing a team, or you're going to a networking event as an executive, and you're trying to pick up a few sponsors. Before you even go to the event, you can be intentional about who am I meeting with, what is my goal and how do I want them to feel. So when you think about networking, a lot of times, there's people, I have a client. You know, she hired me because she has a little bit of social anxiety. She's younger, and so she's on a board where everybody's older than her. So there's a little bit of that mental insecurity of, you know, “Am I good enough? Do I have what it takes? Are these people going to respect me,” right? And so she's coming into the situation already insecure, and she's thinking about herself. “How am I going to be perceived?” instead of going there, focused on connection, right? So if she was to go there and say, “This is who's going to be there. This is how I want to make them feel. So I'm actually going to be very intentional about asking questions that's going to connect with them, that's going to make them feel a certain way. If I want this audience to feel respected, what do I what do I ask them, and what do I say? What do I highlight? If I want them to feel accepted and warm. What can I say?” And so it just gives you more power to show up, be present and be intentional, and you'll feel more confident, because now you've taken the focus away from yourself to how you're going to serve others. Naviere Walkewicz 33:02 That is excellent, and that leads us into a bit of the mental piece of it, right, the mindset. So earlier, you talked about how you had a mindset shift when you were getting beat down in Honor Guard, you know, you're in the back, you know, because of the vertical challenge, and you're running, you know, and you're hanging in there, and you got better. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 33:19 Well, it makes me think about when I was auditioning for American Gladiators. And again, I'm going to go back to this executive presence and where I use my mental training to serve me, so when I was auditioning, so if you guys don't remember, the old show was, there was no water, right? It was just everything was over big, you know, pillows and just a flat area, OK? So when I went in there to audition, I remember there was for the sake of diversity, there was like, two of everything. There was two Black women there, there was two redheads, two blondes. And I remember looking around thinking, “OK, both of us are not getting this job.” And so the very last part of the audition, after many rounds, is you had to go in front of the executive committee, and you had a one-minute pitch. You could say whatever you want, but they're all sitting there with their arms crossed, and you just get to go in there. And I remember thinking, “OK, I am shorter than her, but I'm more muscular. And, you know, she's been on tons of fitness magazines. She's, you know, super beautiful, more popular. I want to go in there, and I want to be intentional about showing them that what I'm going to present is the right fit for the show.” And so I walked in there and I called the room to attention. I used my Honor Guard diaphragm, and I called the room to attention. And then I went in and I started telling them about how during basic training, I was like one of the pugil stick champions. And they thought that was great, because we had an event for that, right? And so, you know, going back to that mental training, you know, part of it is just that intention of being prepared, you know, what is it that you want to achieve? What are you going to do? And then you strategize and have a game plan for how you're going to go in there. Now, another example: So once I got… I got the job, yay, right? And then we go to Sony studios, and I look at the set, and I realized that half of the set is over water. So half of the events, the joust, Hang Tough, the rock climbing, it's all over water. And you guys remember when I talked about a little bit not, not being a big swimmer. And so this was fascinating to me, but I didn't want anyone to know, because I didn't want to lose my job, right? And so here's where I tapped into my mental and mindset training. So as an athlete, I did this a lot: To preserve my physical body, because of all the gymnastics and routines, I didn't overtrain, because there's damage when you over train. But I would visualize myself going through my movements, and I would picture myself being successful, so I didn't visualize myself messing up or anything like that. And there was, there would be repetition after repetition after repetition. And so what I did to face that fear of having to do events that were going to land me in the water is I had to use logic, you know, so I literally would say, “OK, if I end up being in the joust and I get hit, I'm going to fall in the water. And this is how far away the edge of the pool is. I'm going to take a deep breath. I'm going to I know how to do the stroke, so I'm going to get over there.” But I had to visualize myself falling and then I use logic to just keep myself calm. So I visualize myself hitting the water and being calm, because I would prepare myself to be calm. If I wasn't, I probably would have panicked and drowned. And so I think back to that, and I never told anybody, but I was ready, and I was not afraid, because I had already went through the mental training to prepare myself to do something that I was uncomfortable doing. Naviere Walkewicz 36:50 And so did you fall into the water, and did it play out the way that you had mentally prepared it for? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 36:56 So here's what's crazy. I'm probably not even supposed to talk about this, but the way they film some of these shows, they're not in sequence. So imagine that I'm filming a water event from Episode 1, 3 and 8. OK, well, for me, like, my third day there, I actually tore my ACL falling off the pyramid. And so, you know, those viewers at home didn't know that. So actually the answer is no, I actually didn't even get put into a water event because I got injured beforehand. But I was ready mentally. Regardless, I was actually disappointed, because I was ready to see that courage come to the surface. Naviere Walkewicz 37:32 Oh my goodness! These are all such wonderful examples of how you have really almost embodied wellness throughout your decisions as a leader throughout your career. I'm really curious, as you think about how you've been true to yourself in this journey, because there's an authenticity to you that only Tanji could bring. And so I'm wondering, how do you know who is your authentic self as a leader, and how have you continued to really show up for yourself in that way? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 38:07 I think this is very important. And you know, my heart goes out to the young leaders, because, again, like I was saying earlier, they haven't had the experience yet. And I even remember when my sister, my younger sister, she was struggling to figure out what she wanted to do for a living, and she was a college graduate, and she still didn't know. And a lot of it is because when you don't have that personal life experience, you know — experience is a teacher. It tells you, it leaves clues. So when you don't have that, you kind of feel like you're just shooting from the hip trying to figure it out. And so what I think is important is to start the art of self-reflection early. I will never forget I was on a TDY during the Kosovo crisis. I was at RF Mildenhall, and I was a maintainer, and I remember having, you know, a lot, I think, over 200 troops over there, but it was kind of a lonely season for me, because all my peers were pilots, and they were all flying, and, you know, I didn't have anyone to hang out with, and I wasn't home, you know, I was, I was TDY. So I remember just spending my time. I would go to the gym, and then I would go for walks, and I did a lot of journaling. And I don't know why I had the foresight been but I would, you know, ask myself questions like, “Who am I? What matters to me? What values are important to me?” And the process of doing that really helped me solidify my identity. And so, for example, I knew that I thought self-love was really important to me. It was a value that I care about. So when I see people that are self-deprecating, they're talking poorly about themselves. They don't believe in themselves. This hurts my soul. It's a part of who I am, right? And so I've always believed in self-acceptance, you know. For me, as a Christian, you know, I want to celebrate how God made me and have that level of self-love. So when I was a cheerleader at the Air Force Academy, I remember I didn't have self-esteem issues with my body image. Nothing about it, right? And then I go off an become a professional fitness competitor — now I'm competing. And in that industry, breast implants were very prevalent and they were starting to get really popular. And it made me really insecure. So if you think about it, I did not change, but my environment changed. So as leaders, how often are we going to be in situations where your environment is constantly changing and maybe you feel that pressure to conform? And so in my environment, most of the women around me, as a means to an end, were getting breast implants to change how their body looked, to look more feminine, to be more accepted. And there's nothing wrong if that's what you want to do, but I remember feeling like, “Now I'm insecure about my body. Now I don't feel as pretty. Now I don't feel as feminine.” And I remember that being problematic because it wasn't in alignment with my identity. And so, again, knowing what my values are, I thought, “Well, I could go get the operation like a lot of people do. But this is problematic because I don't want to lead a life — and how am I going to go back and coach other women and lead a team if now what I'm saying is whatever is true to who you are and your identity, it's OK to abandon that.” And so, for me, that's why I chose not to have that surgery. And I started this journey — it took about two years — of being able to redefine beauty, redefine femininity. And this is kind of where all the different tools came in. So I started looking in the mirror and I would do positive — because it's self-taught. Instead of looking at my chest and saying, “You're flat and it looks masculine and you're not feminine enough,” I would say, “Girl, do you know what this chest cand do? We can do crazy push-ups.”  And I would say, “Wow, you're strong.” And over time, I changed how I felt about myself. And it was a very proud moment for me, because I look back, and that's why identity is so important. You need to take the time to reflect on who you are, what do you stand for, so that when those moments of pressure come, you're going to be able to make a decision to stay in alignment with who you are. Naviere Walkewicz 42:15 So you said — and maybe it's by grace — that you hadn't really planned. You just started journaling in those moments of quiet when you're feeling a little bit alone as TDY. Is that the best way, you think, to spend some time figuring out who you are? What's important to you? Or are there other tools you might suggest? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 42:33 There's going to be multiple tools. You know, for me, I like to write. You know, for some people, they will pray and they will just ask a higher being to guide me and to make me more aware, make things known to me. For other people, they're going to meditate. You know, I liked journaling. I also have the strength of curiosity. And so, because of that, I was always not only asking myself a lot of questions, but I was asking other people too. And so, for example, if people don't have that strength of curiosity and they're thinking, “I really don't reflect very much and I'm never asking myself those questions,” you know, you don't necessarily have to journal it, but you can just take time to spend in reflection. But some of the work that I do, I take people through identity activation drills where I will list several, several different lists of values, different lists of strengths, and they'll think about each one and they'll really start to think about, “Let me think of a time where I experienced one of these strengths.” Or, “What's the last thing somebody celebrated?” Or, “What do people tend to tell me or complement?” And then all of a sudden they realize,” I didn't realize this was a strength, but, wow, this is a strength!” And now they can own it because they're aware of it.  Naviere Walkewicz 43:48 That is outstanding. So, you've really taken wellness into practice with everything you've done. You started to elevate others around you to have this ability to discover themselves and then have this executive presence. You know, if all the things you are doing, it takes energy. How are you… Because I know you talked about not overtraining and making sure you preserve that and doing mental reps. Is that really the special sauce? The mental training so that you don't find yourself in a period where you just lack energy and burnout?    Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 44:22 So basically, how do you sustain energy when it comes to wellness? So again, you go back to mind, body and spirit. So what I would do is I would — and this is for each person… You just break it down. You ask yourself, “OK, mind. How am I going to keep energy in my mind? What can I do?”  One of the easiest things to do is to just take a short break. So when I gave you the example of how my mind was working at full capacity for three hours straight. So when I was done, it needed a bit of a reset. And so what I do every day when I'm at home is I go outside and I visit with my chickens. So I have chickens and I have four cats. And so I will take a mental break and it's a habit for me now. I get up from the table and I will walk, because it decreases your stress hormones when you have movement, and I will give my mind a break and I will allow myself to observe. That's my favorite thing: I call it mindful walks where I just go outside and I will just take a moment. You know when they say, “Just stop and smell the roses.” No, seriously.   Naviere Walkewicz 45:28 Or the chickens…   Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 45:29 So the chickens make me smile because when I come out there I typically have treats. But they just come… They bumrush me.  So I go out there and they make me smile and then something wonderous will happen, like I might see my cat just sprinting up a tree and I'm just thinking, “Wow, what a hunter,” right? They're so fast. Then, you know, I see my dahlias that have been sprouting and I just can't believe how fast they grow overnight with sunshine. And that's just 10 minutes. And then I come back in and I instantly feel recharged and I sit down and I'm restored and ready to focus again on the next task. So, mentally, I like taking breaks. When it comes to physically, just getting into movement. And, you know, a lot of times people will think, “Well, I don't have time to go to the gym for an hour.”      Naviere Walkewicz 46:16 Or, “I'm tired already. How am I supposed to go workout?”   Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 46:17 Exactly. So when I think about the body, you know, there's four pillars that you can focus on. And if you feel like you're not mastering any of them, just start with one. So food is one. Food is fuel. And then we have hydration. You know, my husband's mom actually went to the hospital because she works all the time and she had been out in the sun and we discovered that she was dehydrated and it put her in the hospital. So sometimes when we're going after the mission and we're doing one task after — you know, when people forget to drink water and eight hours later you're dealing with brain fog, you're irritable, you don't understand what's happening. But you didn't fuel the body. So hydration, movement, food and sleep. So those are like the four pillars. And I would just ask yourself — so if I'm working with a health coaching client, I would say, “Out of those four areas, where do you want to start?” They'll say, “Sleep. My sleep health is terrible.” And then I can take it step further and say, “Have you heard of a thing called sleep hygiene?” They're like, “What's that?” “Sleep hygiene is literally, what is your sleep ritual? What are your habits to prepare for bedtime? Do you have a consistent bedtime? Do you decrease blue-light therapy? Do you put the phone away? Do you take a bubble bath to relax?” When you think about your environment and what your habits are, when some people tell you, “I do not feel rested,” we look at your sleep hygiene. What's going on? There's things that we can fix, and that's just with sleep. And so I ask people, “Where would you like to start? And you just pick one habit that you can commit to over time and once you've mastered that, you start to habit-stack.” Naviere Walkewicz 47:57 Amazing. So that was — you talked about, from the energy, when it comes to your physical and then your mental. What about from the spiritual side?    Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 48:07 OK, so, this is — and I think this is important because, again, I talk about the spirit is the anchor for your emotional health, right? And so you want to think about activities that's going to feed your soul and your spirit. Now I'll give an example. If you're going through, let's say, a season where you're irritable and you're feeling ungrateful and you're pessimistic and everything just seems bad. We're actually kind of in a season like that right now sometimes. One of the things I do — so this is just an exercise, but it's a gratitude process. Write down 100 things you are grateful for. I did this for three months straight. It took me about 20 minutes, but I got really good at it. And when you have to list out 100 things, you know, at first you might do 20 and you're like, “All right. Where do I go from here?” But you're forced to dig deeper. And when I came up with my 100 list, first of all, I would think about my husband. And 10 things, I would get specific. Grateful for his provision. Grateful for support, for his sense of humor, for his hot, fit body. You know, I'd just go down all the things, right? And then every day I'm grateful for my home, for my physical abilities, for my flexibility, my mobility. You're just in a different frame of mind. And anyone can get there if they choose to do an exercise or a prompt that shifts them from their current circumstance. And that's why I'm most passionate about empowering people that they truly can design their life utilizing these tools. Naviere Walkewicz 49:47 Can you share an example when you've seen someone that was maybe in that season…   Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 49:53 What kind of season? Negative season?   Naviere Walkewicz 49:54 In the negative season. And how going through some of these, kind of, wellness check-ins or activities — what did it allow them to do? What did it open on the other side that changed for them with your help?   Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 50:06 OK, so, one example would be we have social media; we have digital devices. And we can easily… Everything is about habit management and that's one thing I would tell people to do, you know? If you were to take inventory, look at how you live your life every day, and if you were to put every single action you did down as a habit — brush your teeth is a habit. Stop by and grab the Diet Coke is a habit. Sit down on the couch to watch TV is a habit. If you put it in a category of what serves you; what doesn't serve you. You know, one of the most…      Naviere Walkewicz 50:41 So first list out all your habits and categorize them?   Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 50:43 Right, right. So then you would recognize, “Oh my goodness. I have a habit of scrolling Instagram. Or social media.” And then you ask yourself how much time do you spend doing that. “Oh, I get caught up in a loophole of 30 to 45 minutes. And then what are you consuming? You know, so let's say the things that have happened in the last couple of weeks, you know, say something negative happens in society that's getting a lot of public attention and you're just ina rabbit hole reading about that incident over and over and over again. And when you're done scrolling, the question is, “How do you feel after that activity?” And most people would say, “I feel tense. I feel angry. I feel disappointed.” They list off all of these negative feelings. And so what I do is I help them realize, “OK, so does that serve you? Because you were in this negative health space, when you went to dinner with your family or when you went into this next assignment, how did you show up? How did you perform?” And then they realize, “Oh, wow. Not very well. I treated my wife like crap because I was irritable.” And so then you go back again. Your experience… We leave clues with how we're living our lives. So then you go back and you realize, “That is a habit I need to change.  And I just need to make a decision, and I have to have a compelling reason. So let's say you want to work on your marriage and you want to show up better for your spouse, but you're always showing up with negative energy because of this habit that you do right when you get home, then you can — so we just come up with a plan, and it's different for each person. You know, “What could you do that would be more positive?” “I could come home play a game with my kid, because, you know, my kid is amazing, and it makes me smile and laugh,” and you're in a good mood, you know? And this is why, if I am stressed during the day, I already know if I get exposed to my chickens, my cat, or just go outside, I'm so mesmerized by the beauty of nature. All of those things I know fill me in a positive way. And so I am very intentional and aware of when I need to shift, and I know what my go-to are. So when I work with clients, I help them discover what their database of go-tos are going to be. The first part is just helping them become more aware of when it's happening so they can decide to shift. Naviere Walkewicz 52:57 Right. So that awareness is really critical, but then the next step is probably the discipline and actually doing something about it?   Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 53:07 Right. Naviere Walkewicz 53:08 How can you take the lessons that you've had in bodybuilding, and then, you know, in all of your journey to help those now move from the awareness bucket to actually…   Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 53:17 To making it happen? So I think that the first goal should be consistency, not perfection, right? And I learned this the hard way as a bodybuilder, because in the beginning of my career, I hated dieting. I've always hated dieting. I love food.   Naviere Walkewicz 53:31 You and I are kindred spirits in that way.   Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 53:32 I don't mind being, yes, I don't mind being on a structured, you know, meal plan. But, you know, being on a strict diet can be hard, so anytime you set a goal to do something that is difficult, you know, the first thing that I tried to do was be perfect. So I would hire a coach, and my nutritionist would tell me, “This is what you're supposed to eat for meal one, two, three, four, exactly down to the macros. And maybe I would do great for three days. And then, you know, I would fail. I would cheat or have something I'm not supposed to have, and I would feel so bad again. Going back to a lot of these principles are coming back up. I was letting the failure identified me as a bad person, so now I'm feeling shame, and that's making me feel discouraged. And I kept doing this thing, like, “Well, I blew it, so I'm just gonna take the whole day off.” Like, how dumb is that, right? Like, there's four more meals you can eat and you're just gonna sabotage the rest of the four. So think about if I did that every day. So if you messed up every day and you sabotage three out of the six meals every single day, where would you be at the end of the week?   Naviere Walkewicz 54:31 Worse off. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 54:32 Fat. [Laughs] No, I'm just kidding,   Naviere Walkewicz 54:33 Worse off than you were when you started.   Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 54:35 You would be, with no results.   Naviere Walkewicz 54:37 No more Oreos in the house so you wouldn't have to worry about eating them anymore. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 54:40 So that's when I realized, “Oh, I'm getting caught up with perfection, and that's causing me to sabotage.” So then I changed. I said 80/20, 90/10, I just want to be consistent. And so when you fail, you know you give yourself that grace, right? And so I always like to say courage, grit and grace. You have to have the courage to do something uncomfortable, the grit to endure and then the grace to embrace when you've messed up and then move forward. And so the first thing I would do with wellness habits is, you know, you build one habit at a time, and you do what you can to be consistent, and when you fail, again, here's that theme, you take that failure as feedback. “Why did you fail? Did you get hungry? Did you have temptation in the house? Did you not set your alarm?” Right? You know? “What could you do differently?” And then you just recommit to being consistent. Naviere Walkewicz 55:31 That is excellent. So talking about everything, this has been a wonderful conversation. When I think about lasting impact, right? So you know, you've had this incredible journey. You've helped people understand how to be more aware of their wellness, how to take action, be consistent and really drive change. What is one challenge you might have our listeners take in the w

*** VIDEO EN NUESTRO CANAL DE YOUTUBE **** https://youtube.com/live/IgrkYcNGo6M +++++ Hazte con nuestras camisetas en https://www.bhmshop.app +++++ #Historia #historiamilitar #SegundaGuerraMundial Armas de Infantería en el Pacífico: ¿Estaban mejor armados los estadounidenses o los japoneses? En este episodio especial de Guerra en el Pacífico, exploramos el armamento que acompañó al soldado de infantería en uno de los teatros más duros y sangrientos de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. ¿Era superior el fusil semiautomático M1 Garand frente al cerrojo del Arisaka japonés? ¿Qué papel jugaron las armas automáticas, las granadas y los lanzallamas en el combate cuerpo a cuerpo en la selva? ¿Cómo influyeron la industria, la doctrina y la cultura militar en la forma de armar al infante? Un análisis comparativo técnico y táctico entre el equipamiento estadounidense y japonés, con una mirada profunda al terreno, la logística y la experiencia del combate. ️ Ideal para apasionados por la historia militar, la tecnología bélica y la historia comparada de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. ✅ ¡Suscríbete a Bellumartis Podcast para no perderte ningún episodio sobre historia y actualidad militar! Activa las notificaciones y comparte este episodio si te apasiona la historia bélica y el análisis técnico del combate. Síguenos en nuestras redes oficiales para más contenido exclusivo: Blog de Historia Militar: https://bellumartishistoriamilitar.blogspot.com YouTube Historia Militar: @BELLUMARTISHISTORIAMILITAR YouTube Actualidad y Geopolítica: @BELLUMARTISACTUALIDADMILITAR COMPRA EN AMAZON CON EL ENLACE DE BHM Y AYUDANOS ************** https://amzn.to/3ZXUGQl ************* #SegundaGuerraMundial #GuerraDelPacífico #HistoriaMilitar #ArmasWW2 #M1Garand #Arisaka #Infantería #SoldadoWW2 #Bellumartis #PodcastDeHistoria #TecnologíaBélica #JapónWW2 #EEUUWW2 #CombateEnLaJungla #WWIIWeapons #HistoriaBélica #GuerraEnAsia #ComparativaMilitar #AnálisisMilitar

In This Episode Erin and Weer'd discuss: the murder and arson at the LDS church in Michigan; the Dallas ICE facility murderer and the media's continued demonization of bolt action rifles; the ATF's ruling on the Franklin Armory Antithesis; new information about the Everytown for Gun Safety's firearms training program, and reactions from inside the gun control world. David discusses firearms markings and their meanings; and Oddball gives us a review of his new Microtech knife. Did you know that we have a Patreon? Join now for the low, low cost of $4/month (that's $1/podcast) and you'll get to listen to our podcast on Friday instead of Mondays, as well as patron-only content like mag dump episodes, our hilarious blooper reels and film tracks. Main Topic Michigan LDS church shooting Michigan CCW Prohibited Places Anti-ICE shooter used Nazi battle rifle in deadly Dallas attack Did Dallas ICE facility shooter Joshua Jahn use M1 Garand rifle? Full details on shooting incident, ammunition messages and suspect ATF Franklin Armory Letter (PDF) Everytown wants stricter laws on guns. Now, they'll also teach you to use one Gun Lovers and Other Strangers SAAMI NRA Museum: Proof Marks British Proof Marks Gun Control Act 1968 (PDF Warning) Standard Directory of Proof Marks Official Guide to Gunmarks Remington Barrel Marks Marlin Year of Manufacture ColtAutos.com NRA Museum Serial Number Charts (PDF Warning) Waffenamt Forgotten Weapons: Introduction to Proof marks Gun Proofing Barrell Markings  Maker's Mark Frame Markings Brena Bock Author Page David Bock Author Page Team And More Oddball's Corner Pocket Microtech Out the Front Knives  

California politicians are trying to push AB 1127 — a bill that would effectively ban Glocks (and other common handguns) by targeting their internal design. But here in San Diego County, grassroots activism is making a difference. Watch the episode to learn how local leaders and 2A activists in Vista stopped their city council from endorsing AB 1127, proving that the fight for gun rights isn't just in Sacramento — it starts in your backyard. Also in this epsode: Gun Truth of the Week: Minority gun owners report higher rates of defensive firearm use than white gun owners. Legal Segment: How Vista activists and Mayor John Franklin stopped their city from endorsing AB 1127. Deployment: Join an event! GRPC, First aid class in El Cajon, and training With Massad Ayoob! Interview with Adam Kraut: Preview of the Gun Rights Policy Conference and why grassroots unity matters. Curtin Call: Akron woman uses her firearm to survive a violent home invasion. Interview with Michael Bircumshaw: Understanding Goldbacks and their role as alternative currency. Sam the Gun Man: Trivia challenge on semi-automatic rifles adopted before the M1 Garand. Dakota's Response Video: Clarifying revolvers for women shooters after Smith & Wesson interview. National Parks: What gun owners need to know about carrying in National Parks.     The right to self-defense is a basic human right. Gun ownership is an integral part of that right. If you want to keep your Second Amendment rights, defend them by joining San Diego County Gun Owners (SDCGO), Orange County Gun Owners (OCGO), or Inland Empire Gun Owners (IEGO). https://www.sandiegocountygunowners.com https://orangecountygunowners.com http://inlandempiregunowners.com Support the cause by listening to Gun Owners Radio live on Sunday afternoon or on any podcast app at your leisure. Together we will win. SUPPORT THE BUSINESSES THAT SUPPORT YOUR SELF DEFENSE RIGHTS! Get expert legal advice on any firearm-related issues: https://dillonlawgp.com Smarter web development and digital marketing help: https://www.sagetree.com Clean your guns easier, faster, and safer! https://seal1.com Get your cases & outdoor gear at C.A.R.G.O in El Cajon or visit them at https://cargostores.com

I'm joined by author Andrew Biggio who wrote The Rifle And The Rifle2: Back to the Battlefield.Andrew bought an M1 Garand, showed it to a WW2 vet neighbor and thus was put on a mission.Then I speak with Scott Powell, author of Rediscovering America, and we talk about Memorial Day, it's roots and meaning.

You can find Part 1 here: https://youtube.com/live/9fJkcUsZWQcThat episode was part of our live show, so use timestamps, but it has some excellent tidbits sprinkled throughout, including work on his games Jurassic Park game Trespasser, Darksiders, and more on MOH 1. Chris's website: https://coffeewithcross.com/Chris's Brain Arcade podcast (available on all platforms):Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4NIy0wwuBojbr2lsvwdavgApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brain-arcade/id1805214243YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Brain-ArcadeEltectracast: https://electracast.com/podcast/brain-arcade/ Chris is also featured on the documentary series "Game Changers", which is available on HBO Max & Discovery:https://press.wbd.com/na/media-release/discovery-channel/limited-series-game-changers-exploring-rich-history-nostalgic-gaming-premieres Chris's game dev credits: https://www.mobygames.com/person/11691/christopher-cross/credits/ Panel:  @CoffeewithCross   @retrotechdad   @StubbsStuff  Timestamps:[00:00] Intro: Welcome Chris Cross[02:12] Brain Arcade: Focuses on the psychology of game design[08:43] Chris's Early Career: QA tester at Blizzard (Warcraft, Diablo)[09:53] Fighting Champ: A story about his Street Fighter 2 days[14:33] Staying Fit: Advice for staying in shape after 40[26:11] Transition to Game Design: Moving to Activision and then DreamWorks Interactive[27:57] Becoming Lead Designer: How he landed the lead designer role for Medal of Honor[31:59] Medal of Honor Concept: The initial idea was "GoldenEye in World War II"[32:17] Technical Challenges: Creating a first-person shooter on the original PlayStation[37:35] Medal of Honor Frontline: The Game He Wanted from the Start[38:59] Game Weapons: Details about the M1 Garand and other weapons[43:33] Realism vs. Realistic: Explaining this concept in game design[45:45] Character Design: Behind-the-scenes details on character design and animation[57:47] Music and Rhythm: The use of music and rhythm in Medal of Honor Frontline[01:04:16] "Rule of Sevens": Applying this concept to game design[01:06:19] Recalls Stephen Spielberg's reaction to the first Medal of Honor game[01:11:35] His desire to work on different game genres besides FPS[01:22:09] A story about a missing comma breaking a game build[01:30:09] Space Marine: Discusses working on this classic WH40K title[01:33:52] Working on Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse[01:37:17] Working on Metro: Last Light[01:38:50] Chris reveals a Frontline glitch where looking down stops enemy animations[01:47:01] Discusses using AI as a tool in his current work[01:47:52] Reiterates the goal of the Brain Arcade podcast[01:49:32] The Importance of understanding the player's perspective[01:53:34] Anecdotes and funny concepts for games[01:55:04] There are no N words in the Medal of Honor games[01:57:02] Thank you Chris , check out his podcast![01:52:32] Discussion on potential titles for this episode[01:57:37] Thanks for watching! 〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰✨Became a Supporterhttps://patreon.com/RetroHandhelds or Discord sub• Access to Patron only Discord chat & marketplace• Earn merch, enter giveaways, and get free stuff• Device Modding Services

In This Episode Erin and Weer'd discuss: Henry Repeating Arms joining the many gun companies who have fled anti-gun states; the 9th Circuit's ruling that Hawaii's handgun purchase permit and police inspection is unconstitutional; the 9th Circuit's ruling that California's magazine ban is constitutional, and one  pro-gun judge's amazing dissent; the DOJ moving to make it easier for some people to restore their firearms rights. Lara Smith of the Liberal Gun Club talks about how a Senator in Minnesota is trying to weaponize the mental health system; and Myles talks about grail guns. Did you know that we have a Patreon? Join now for the low, low cost of $4/month (that's $1/podcast) and you'll get to listen to our podcast on Friday instead of Mondays, as well as patron-only content like mag dump episodes, our hilarious blooper reels and film tracks. Show Notes Main Topic Gun maker closes up shop in N.J., taking 146 jobs with it to the Midwest Trump Administration Moves to Revive Process for Restoring Some Convicts' Gun Rights Hawaii Handgun Purchase Limit, Inspection Requirements Ruled Unconstitutional En Banc Ninth Circuit Upholds California Ammo Magazine Ban Dissent video in 23-55805 Duncan v. Bonta Lara Smith Liberal Gun Club Minnesota bill labels Trump derangement syndrome as mental illness Minnesota lawmaker who introduced ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome' bill resigns after soliciting a minor charge Southpaw Corner Old Marine Reunited with his M1 Garand after 71 years Weer'd Beard- Family History Karabiner-S: The East German Unicorn SKS North Vietnamese SKS 9x19 Skorpion on the Range Shooting the Czech vz61 Skorpion: Machine Pistol or PDW? Guide to Colt Snake Guns  

In This Hour:--  For his 5-gun wish list, this guy wants 5 different M1 Garand rifles.--  New Year's Eve celebrations and gun safety.--  Perhaps make the trip to Camp Perry and the National Championship this year.Gun Talk 12.29.24  After Show

Brig. Gen. Gavin Marks '96 discusses the absolute importance of standards and integrity in leadership, and how a new, more rigorous approach at the Academy will build that in to cadets making them Day-1 leaders. SUMMARY Brigadier General Gavin P. Marks, Commandant of the Air Force Academy, shares his journey from being a young man in Atlanta, Georgia to becoming a pilot and eventually serving as the Commandant. He discusses his experiences at the Air Force Academy, including basic cadet training and the challenges he faced. General Marks emphasizes the importance of perseverance, leaning on support networks, and maintaining high standards in leadership. He also reflects on the impact of the Academy on his personal and professional development. General Gavin Marks reflects on his personal journey and the impact of his wife on his military career. He discusses the importance of being adaptable and humble as a leader and the unique responsibilities of command. He shares his decision to return to the Air Force Academy and the changes he is implementing to better prepare cadets for the challenges of great power competition. General Marks emphasizes the love and passion that the leaders at the Academy have for developing future officers and encourages listeners to continue dreaming big.   OUR FAVORITE QUOTES "How you do anything is how you do everything." "There's always somebody better." "I want to make sure that they feel like they got their money's worth from a military development perspective or military training perspective."  "The leaders at the Air Force Academy, from top to bottom, love deeply, deeply love the institution, and are incredibly passionate about the development of these young men and women into officers in the Air Force and the Space Force." "Continue to dream big. Don't let anyone dissuade you from goals that you have. And as it relates specifically to the Air Force Academy, it is absolutely worth it."   SHARE THIS EPISODE LINKEDIN  |  FACEBOOK   CHAPTERS 00:00:  Introduction and Background 01:53:  Returning to the Air Force Academy 02:52:  Young Gavin Marks: Childhood and Calling to Serve 07:04:  Challenges and Growth in Basic Cadet Training 08:29:  Lessons in Leadership and Perseverance 11:45:  Choosing the Air Force Academy and Pilot Training 15:06:  Reflections on the Academy's Impact 20:52:  Leadership Experiences as a Cadet 23:43:  Lessons in Leadership and Perception 27:55:  Successes and Career Progression 32:35:  Meeting His Wife and Reflecting on Tinker Air Force Base 37:25:  Personal Journey and the Impact of Relationships 57:54:  Changes in the Life of a Cadet 01:05:48:  Challenges and Partnerships 01:09:39:  Rigor and Expectations 01:11:09:  Love and Passion for Developing Future Officers 01:12:34:  The Value and Worth of Attending the Air Force Academy   TAKEAWAYS The importance of perseverance, resilience, and grit in overcoming challenges, especially during difficult experiences like the Air Force Academy. The value of having a strong support network, including family and friends, to help navigate challenging times. The significance of leadership roles and experiences during the Air Force Academy in shaping one's development and future success. The Air Force Academy's focus on evolving its training and development methods to better prepare cadets for the challenges of great power competition. The deep passion and commitment of the Air Force Academy's leadership in developing leaders of character who are ready to serve their country.   ABOUT GEN. MARKS BRIG. GEN. MARKS' BIO Brigadier General Gavin P. Marks is the Commandant of Cadets, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado. He commands the 4,300-member Cadet Wing and more than 200 Air Force and civilian personnel. He guides military, leadership, character development, Basic Cadet Training and Expeditionary Skills Training for the Air Force Cadet Wing in addition to providing facilities and logistical support.  Brig. Gen. Marks earned his commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1996 and his pilot wings from Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi, in 1998. Brig. Gen. Marks has served as a T-1A instructor pilot (at both the undergraduate and graduate training levels) and flight examiner, an E-3B/C instructor pilot and flight examiner, an Air Force Intern, a staff officer on multiple joint staffs, and has commanded at the squadron and wing levels.  Prior to his current assignment, he served as the Director, Electromagnetic Spectrum Superiority, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.   Brig. Gen. Marks is a command pilot with more than 3,400 flying hours in the T-3, T-37, T-1A, E-3B/C/G, RC-135S/U/V, TC-135W, OC-135B, and WC-135C aircraft.   - Copy credit:  AF.MIL   CONNECT WITH GEN. MARKS INSTAGRAM: @‌USAFACOMMANDANT     ABOUT LONG BLUE LEADERSHIP Long Blue Leadership drops every two weeks on Tuesdays and is available on Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Spotify and all your favorite podcast platforms. Search @AirForceGrads on your favorite social channels for Long Blue Leadership news and updates!          FULL TRANSCRIPT OUR SPEAKERS Guest:  Brig. Gen. Gavin P. Marks '96  |  Host:  Naviere Walkewicz '99   Naviere Walkewicz 00:01 My guest today is Brig. Gen. Gavin P. Marks, USAFA Class of '96, and currently serving as the commandant of the Air Force Academy. This is his third command position since becoming a member of the Air Force. Gen. Marks was drawn to service as a young man in Atlanta, Georgia, and joined the Junior ROTC program in high school before coming to the Academy in 1992. After he graduated, he became a pilot and flew for 26 years, in addition to continuing his personal and professional development. In 2000, Gen. Marks graduated with distinction from Squadron Officer School at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama. In 2015, he again graduated with distinction from the National War College at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C. He has held command positions at the squadron and wing levels. His attachment to the Academy has remained strong, so much so that 20 years ago, he committed to returning and had been working his way back to USAFA when he was called to service, assuming his role as commandant in 2023. Gen. Marks, it is a pleasure. Welcome to Long Blue Leadership. Thank you for being here.   Brig. Gen. Marks 01:03 Thank you very much. It is an honor for me to be here. It really is.   Naviere Walkewicz 01:07 This is an exciting time for us, because especially for me, being a Class of 1999 — “Gold will shine” — I had to get that in there. We go back to Arnold Hall in Basic Cadet Training, when you were the commandant of cadets during Basic Cadet Training for us. So I remember you vividly as your taps from your shoes hit the floor in Arnold Hall. So this is truly a pleasure, sir, thank you.   Brig. Gen. Marks 01:29 It is absolutely surreal to be back, and especially during this period that we're in right now during Basic Cadet Training, and as I interact with basic cadets and the cadre, it's hard not to reminisce about that time. It's hard not to share stories as well. I'm careful that I don't inundate the cadets with my stories of when I was the Basic Cadet Training commander. But it's just it's absolutely wonderful to be back here. Yeah, really is.   Naviere Walkewicz 01:53 Well, we'll get to hear some of those, I think, you know, from your perspective, back then, and also, more recently, as we weave through this podcast. But really excited. And where we like to start is when we go back to young Gavin Marks. So Gen. Marks, tell us about what you were like as a child.   Brig. Gen. Marks 02:08 My mother would tell you that I was precocious, that I was inquisitive. I was very, very talkative as well. So I have an older brother, and we are the sons of two parents that have been married for 55 years, and that's important, because 55 years is a long time, and it taught me the value of being committed. It also taught me the value of what love really looks like, up close and personal as well. I'm from Atlanta, Georgia, as you mentioned, so I'm a product of the South. I am a product of public schools, Baptist churches and Southern upbringing. So, I love sweet tea. I love this disgusting candy called Sugar Babies. And just about anything that you think of with regard to the South, you could probably say that that's pretty accurate as it relates to me and my personality as well. I call everyone ma'am and sir, regardless of rank, just based on my upbringing as well. I really would tell you that I got a calling to serve in the military by virtue of JROTC. I followed my brother into JROTC. We went to different high schools, and he enjoyed it, but it just wasn't his calling. I got involved in it and knew immediately that it was something that I wanted to do. I love shining my shoes. I love shining the brass belt buckle that I had on my trousers. I love marching. I love drill. I did Color Guard. I did Drill Team. It was wonderful for me. It was, I think, the thing that was missing in my life in terms of knowing what my niche was going to be. And so, my professor at that time in that particular JROTC program, I think he saw something in me, and he was the first one to actually bring up a military service academy. Prior to that point, I hadn't heard of anything about West Point or Annapolis or the Air Force Academy at all. And so, I took a trip with my father and we went out to all three and I can't swim, and so Annapolis was pretty difficult for me to wrap my mind around. West Point was too gray. You know, this is a 17-year-old at the time, or a 16-year-old at the time thinking these things. It's like, “Wow, this was really gray and dreary.” No offense to West Point. And then I got to the Air Force Academy, and I remember stepping off the plane and again, coming from Atlanta, Georgia, to see the snow-capped mountains, to immediately be able to feel the difference in the air, I knew that this was the place that I wanted to be. And so, I told my dad right then, as we stepped off the plane, I said, “This is it.” And he said, “What do you know about this place? You haven't even gone here yet.” But I knew, and the rest, as they say, is history.   Naviere Walkewicz 04:48 Wow. So, neither your parents served and your brother was the first kind of introduction to Junior ROTC. What was that like growing up without having that, in Atlanta, not having that military, I guess, presence around you, and you said that's what you learned was missing. But what kind of got you to that point?   Brig. Gen. Marks 05:08 So, I would say, just to be clear, so dad did not have a career in the military, but my father and my uncle both were drafted in Vietnam, and so to that extent, what I would say is, while there wasn't discussions or a lot of military impact in my household, I think, more than anything else, just through watching television, et cetera, there was something about the discipline. There was something about the professionalism. There was something about how revered those that are in service to their nation were in this country that really drew me to the profession of arms. It was just something about the fact that this is a career field. This is a profession that is extremely highly regarded across all facets of life, and I wanted to be a part of it.   Naviere Walkewicz 06:03 So, as a young man in public school, did you find yourself drawn to things, like, I started to think about programs that were like discipline-based, like taekwondo or sports in that manner. Did you have some of those experiences as young man?   Brig. Gen. Marks 06:16 I played — I ran track, following after my brother. My brother thrived in track and field. I followed him, and I absolutely loathed it. I was not athletically inclined, and try as I might, you know, I work out and I try to stay in good shape, but I would not call myself necessarily an athlete of the highest order by any stretch. And so that absolutely was an albatross around my neck coming to the Air Force Academy, especially during basic training, especially during Jacks Valley.   Naviere Walkewicz 06:52 Well, let's talk about that a little bit. Was there a specific instance in Jacks Valley where — because I feel like now you might be able to run circles around some of us.   Brig. Gen. Marks 07:01 Well, I will tell you — so, what I remember a lot about Jacks Valley, I remember the power-line runs. And back then we had the M1 Garand, 11, 12 pounds and we carried it everywhere. And it was heavy. You know, 12 pounds doesn't seem like it's heavy, but it's heavy when you're at port arms, and you're running for miles and miles on end, and the altitude, obviously, is vastly different. Jacks Valley is very dusty. You know, “Jacks Hack” is a thing. And so, all of those things, in aggregate, really caused me a lot of trouble. And so, what I remember is thinking often “I'm not going to make this. This is not going to happen for me,” in terms of graduating out of basic training, because I am falling behind in my runs, et cetera, et cetera. But I made it. I made it.   Naviere Walkewicz 07:56 I love that. And I think for some of our listeners, the key thing, even just in that one was, you know, you didn't give up. You recognized you just had to keep working at it, and you got through it. And you're now serving as a commandant of cadets. So, I feel like there's definitely a story here that talks about you and your grit and your perseverance and everything throughout these years.   Brig. Gen. Marks 08:15 The thing that I took from the Air Force Academy experience probably more than anything else — and there are several things that I took from it — is that this is a an incredibly difficult journey that is made better if you think about it from the perspective of just taking one step at a time every single day. Just show up, just show up, just be present, and that's 80% of it. If you just keep showing up, you are going to be OK. And so that was my mentality: They were going to have to kick me out. I was not going to self-eliminate at all. And so, no matter how slowly I ran back, then they were going to have to kick me out and I was going to keep showing up. The other thing is, I would say this: I had tremendous teammates. Our squad, well, in Jacks Valley, our flight, which became our squadron — we were so close, even back then. And if one of us was falling behind, “Come on, Gavin, let's go. Pick it up.” And that really helped a lot, because you didn't want to let your teammates down.   Naviere Walkewicz 09:22 So, we got a little glimpse of Jacks. So I'm just gonna' dial it back just real quick, back to the point where you said to your dad, “This is it. This is where I'm going.” So, what was that journey like from Junior ROTC to getting into the Academy? Because I think a lot of people want to know what that looked like for you.   Brig. Gen. Marks 09:38 So, I knew that from probably my junior year in high school that I wanted to go into the Air Force or to into the military. I didn't know which branch to be perfectly clear. So I applied to all three service academies. I applied to The Citadel and I applied to VMI and to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Those are all of the ones that I could think of at the time, and the visits helped a lot to crystallize in my mind what I wanted to do. But what really also helped was this fascination with flying. Originally, I wanted to be an astronaut, a dentist, a doctor, an actor, and so many different things when you're growing up, but the idea of flying was really at the forefront of my mind as well. I also knew I wanted to lead. And so, combining those two desires, it made sense to go to the Air Force Academy. And again, I couldn't swim. I tried as much as I possibly could to learn how to swim through the YMCA, et cetera. I'm a product of basic swimming at the Air Force Academy — twice. If I'm being completely candid with you and your listeners, if I could have swam at the time, it is likely that I would have gone to Annapolis, and it is likely that I would have been a Marine, because that is much more, at least in my thinking back then, in line with my personality. Because I am — I will just say the military pillar of the Air Force Academy was, as the young people would say, that's my jam, for sure.   Naviere Walkewicz 11:15 I can see that. While I appreciate that, I can see that. We're so glad that we were able to get you here at the Air Force Academy. So, let's talk about your time at the Academy. You wanted to be an astronaut. You turn the dials toward pilot. Let's talk about what that experience looked like.   Brig. Gen. Marks 11:30 So, the Academy was very, very challenging. What made it challenging primarily was the balance of so many requirements, and that's on purpose. It is rigorous on purpose because the profession of arms requires it, and the nation needs it, it deserves it. I wasn't prepared for it. High school — I wouldn't say high school came easy for me. I would say I did well in high school, and I did well in high school by virtue of cramming and by virtue of instincts. So, I came to the Air Force Academy not really knowing how to study. I didn't know how to prioritize tasks or manage tasks well at all. And the Academy humbled me tremendously.   Naviere Walkewicz Can you share a story about that?   Brig. Gen. Marks Oh, well, I would say this, and the dean, who I know has also been on the Long Blue Leadership podcast as well, she would cringe. So, I never got an F, I'm proud to say, but I certainly am on the team of Ds. I received a D in Aero, and, if I recall, Astro, civil engineering when we had that as a core as well. And that was an incredibly humbling experience for me, because prior to that point, I had never had anything in my career lower than a C in high school or anything like that. And so that kind of thing makes you think, “What am I doing wrong here?” And as you are engaged in that type of introspection, you're still having to get ready for the PFT, and you're still having to get ready for this chemistry test, and you're still having to shine your shoes and get ready for this knowledge test, et cetera, et cetera. And so it was just in my mind, based on my training to that point, not enough time in the day for the reflection that I needed in order to make some changes to my habit pattern. And you're just trying to survive, and you're just showing up every day, one step at a time. So that made it very difficult: the inability for me to study, to not know how to study, the prioritization of tasks. I loved the military piece, and I probably spent more time on that than I should have spent on other things.   My roommates would often comment on the fact that I would be shining my shoes for hours, and I would bypass the need to study until the last minute, until the test came. And that didn't work out very well for me. The other thing I would tell you is this: I wouldn't say that I got homesick, but it was a long way from home. It really was, and so going home really helped to fill my cup back up in terms of just being able to reacclimate with my family and those that were around me — extended family, church, friends, et cetera. It was a long way from home.   I developed a lot of great friends in my squadron. We were in the same squadron all four years, Way of Life committee, gospel choir at the time as well. And then this team of friends that I had on the Cadet Honor Guard as well. What an interesting year that was on the Cadet Honor Guard. But we became incredibly close, and they're still close to this day.   Naviere Walkewicz 14:47 So, I'd like to talk more about the Honor Guard, but before we get there, I think it's important for people to understand that when you find yourself in those tough situations in life and in experiences, how did you pull yourself out of that? You know, you obviously got through. So, something had to change. How did you maneuver that?   Brig. Gen. Marks 15:06 So, I will start by saying this: I talked to my parents a lot, and their support was incredibly helpful for me. They approached it from a different perspective. You know, I learned a lot of great things from both of my parents: hard work, my father's work ethic, my mother and unconditional love and what that truly means. And so, when I'm talking to my parents about the rigors of the Academy experience, my mom would say, “You know, baby you can just quit and come on home and go to Georgia Tech. It's right around the corner, and we'd love to have you, and you don't need this.” And my dad would say, “You better not quit. If you come home, it's for Christmas and you're going back.” And reflecting on both of those comments, my mother was basically saying, “No matter what, we're gonna' love you.” My dad was saying, “No matter what, you can do this, I know you can do it.” And the amalgamation of those emotions and those messages really helped me a lot. It let me know that no matter what, I have support, but I also have the confidence of my parents as well, that leaning on friends is — the friend groups that I talked about as well was really important. And then to a large extent, I would say this: The ability to dig deep inside and pull yourself up even when you are struggling, or even when you are faltering, to be able to show up the next day is really, really important, that grit, that resilience — the thing that we preach to our cadets about now we try to instill in them through the rigors of the Academy experience. It's really important. It's not only important at the Air Force Academy, it's important throughout life, because life obviously throws so many different curveballs your way, right?   Naviere Walkewicz 17:11 I appreciate that you shared that leaning into your support network, not only for their love and their confidence in you, but also it sounds like there was a bit of asking for help and what that was, and so I think that's important for people to hear too. While you are having to pull yourself up, there's no shame in asking for help along the way.   Brig. Gen. Marks 17:27 Not at all. And I would tell you, my mother has so many letters at home and letters that I don't even remember writing during my time at the Air Force Academy, where I was explaining to her different things that were going on that would bring a smile to my face now, because I would be shocked that I would have said these things to my mother or my father in terms of what was taking place and the help that I perhaps needed at the time.   Naviere Walkewicz 17:53 That's great perspective. So, you mentioned Honor Guard, and what an incredible year. I was not part of Honor Guard, but I did appreciate how they helped us stay militarily ready. What was that journey like for you?   Brig. Gen. Marks 18:08 Hard. It was very, very difficult. What I would say is this: So the Cadet Honor Guard attracted me because of the discipline that they had, that they have because of what they represented for the institution as well. These were the cadets that in every formation, carried our nation's flag. These were the cadets that were held up as the example of what a good uniform looked like and what military professionals should strive to look like and resemble and the precision with which they drilled was incredibly impressive to me. And so, when they had an opportunity to showcase what they were about to the fourth-class cadets at the time, so that we could show interest in different clubs, et cetera…   Naviere Walkewicz 19:02 Because you had to try out for honor guard. Is that correct, sir?   Brig. Gen. Marks 19:06 I'm trying to think if I would call it a try-out.   Naviere Walkewicz That's probably not the right word.   Brig. Gen. Marks I think it's probably one of the greatest examples that I can talk to about just showing up, which is to say, “Come one, come all, and there's going to be a lot of physical activity, a lot of running, a lot of drill work, et cetera, all meant to condition you and build your endurance for challenging times when you're in formation, and bad weather and things of that nature, because you know, when you're carrying the nation's flag, it's a no-fail mission, and you can't drop it. And it doesn't matter that it's 20 degrees and 50 knots of wind, you can't drop it.” And so how do I build that into you: the importance of what you're doing means to not only this institution, not only to the Cadet Wing, but to the nation as well? It was a grueling year. It was a hard year. And so I think we started probably with 70-ish fourth-class cadets, and our team ended up at the conclusion at about 16. And that was our team, and that was the team that we carried forth throughout the remainder of our time at the Air Force Academy. And again, I still stay in touch with them to this day. It was a fantastic group of people.   Naviere Walkewicz 20:35 That's incredible. So aside from Honor Guard and some of the time that you spent as a cadet, let's talk about your leadership as a cadet, because you've had multiple positions of leadership.   Brig. Gen. Marks 20:47 So, the two that resonate most with me right now, and that I gained a tremendous amount from — the summer leading into my two-degree year I was the Basic Cadet Training group training non-commissioned officer. That's a mouthful, and so the privilege of being able to, and I'm gonna' use air quotes, “greet” every new appointee as they arrived on the bus to the base of the ramp was given to me, and it was quite an honor. And so, I got to get on the bus and welcome every single basic cadet in the Class of 1998. I will never forget that. And then the next summer, I was the Basic Cadet Training commander, like you were talking about in your earlier comments,   Naviere Walkewicz I definitely recall that.   Brig. Gen. Marks I had a lot of fun, and beyond the fun that you have as cadre during Basic Cadet Training, I had a lot of fun in this regard. As the training NCO, seeing the progress, the development of the basic cadets from I-day, or from that first day of basic training, until the Acceptance Day Parade, if you will, or until we handed them off to the Jacks Valley cadre was something that I really appreciated, because it was very, very noticeable: the changes in drill, the changes in customs and courtesies, the changes in uniform wear, the changes in Mitchell Hall decorum, the changes in how they kept their rooms, et cetera. It was noticeable. And I really appreciated being able to see the fruit of the labor of the cadre. As the BCT commander in so much that you can learn executive-level leadership as a cadet, it taught me a lot about that. So this is the first time that I had an opportunity to conduct my own staff meetings, to build my own staff, to chart a vision, to set objectives, to hold accountable. It taught me a tremendous amount beyond the fun and the great memories of walking across the stage with my taps on during the Fourth of July at A-Hall, which I absolutely still remember to this day, I absolutely remember to this day. But both of those experiences are indelible for me at this point. And I talked to the BCT cadre about them now, because I want them to know that this time that they have is so precious, precious not only because of the memories that they're going to make, but precious because of the impact that they're going to have on these basic cadets. They will remember them forever. They will remember them forever.   Naviere Walkewicz 23:30 Truth. So, I think one of the things that is so unique about that: You said, it was the first time you had the experience of conducting kind of your own operations, or what that looked like, the battle rhythm, the vision. I think a lot of our listeners, you know, they look at you, you're a general, you've been a leader. You know all this. What are some of the things you learned about yourself in that experience that maybe you would share just some lessons in leadership in the early parts of your leadership journey?   Brig. Gen. Marks 23:55 So, I learned very early on, probably as a three degree, that standards really, really matter. It crystallized for me as a probably a three degree, and it just continued to resonate throughout the rest of my career that standards matter greatly in our profession, and perhaps across all walks of life. They matter because of the fact that if we allow someone to not be questioned about meeting standards, we will likely allow further deterioration down the road and erosion down the road, which could lead to catastrophic occurrences. And I've seen it in numerous instances, whether we're talking about accidents, aircraft accidents, whether we're talking about units that have toxic cultures. Because oftentimes it starts with the breadcrumbs that you can walk back to the erosion of standards. There's a line that I love in John Wick. I'm a big John Wick fan. The fourth movie, the bad guy, I don't remember his name, said that his father used to tell him, “How you do anything is how you do everything.” And that is so powerful to me. It is so incredibly powerful. “How you do anything is how you do everything.” I believe that. I truly, truly do. And I learned that for the really, for the first time, as a three degree. I would also tell you perception matters. And I learned that as a firstie as well. How you conduct yourself — as Patton would say, “You're always on parade.” It's important. And if your staff thinks that you are cutting corners here or showing favoritism there, whether that's true or not, it's their reality, and they are going to respond based on how they view their reality, how they view the world in that context. And so, I as a firstie through the experience of the BCT group commander, began to truly pay attention to what perceptions I was perhaps enabling. How about I put it that way? Those are two that come to mind in terms of lessons in leadership that I learned here at the Air Force Academy. When I talk about the idea of building a staff and running a staff meeting, they seem minor. Building the staff was important because it was at that time that I realized that while I may have some things that I'm pretty good at, there are a lot of things that I'm not, and I want to surround myself with people that are good in those areas that I'm not. And so I was very, very deliberate in who I surrounded myself with from a BCT group staff perspective. And then I would also say it's important to, especially when you walk into a group for the first time, to know what you're going to say, to have an agenda for how you want to run things. Because that first impression when you walk in as the leader, as the boss, as the commander, et cetera, it's gonna matter. It is absolutely gonna matter, and you will never have another opportunity to make a good first impression. And so, I could go on and on. I learned a lot from my experiences here in leadership at the Air Force Academy.     Naviere Walkewicz Those are excellent examples.     Brig. Gen. Marks That's why I wanted to come back. While I understood what standards meant and the importance of them as a three degree, I didn't fully put together the impact that the Academy had on me until I was a captain. Leaving here, probably like you and others, I drove away as fast as I could.   Naviere Walkewicz The rear-view mirror…   Brig. Gen. Marks Absolutely, and I told myself that I would never be back here.   Naviere Walkewicz Really?   Brig. Gen. Marks I really did at that time, because enough time hadn't passed to allow me to reconcile all of the wonderful things that had taken place in my development during that four-year period. And it wasn't until I was a captain that I realized that who I was as a function of the Air Force was in large part due to the development that I had received at the Air Force Academy. I credit my parents as well, for sure, but the Air Force Academy, for sure, had a lot to do with that, and I wanted to give that back to other cadets.   Naviere Walkewicz 29:03 Was that in a moment of reflection that you realized that, or was that — did something happen where you were like, “Wow, that's something that I kind of took from the Academy.”? How did you come to that realization?   Brig. Gen. Marks 29:15 I was having — a lot of positive things occurred to me in my career. At that point, I was having a lot of successes, and at some point, I thought about the fact that while certainly I am truly blessed, and certainly there is some luck that plays into that as well, I at some point, through introspection, just kind of look back on the journey that I had gone through from being the knucklehead kid from Atlanta, Georgia, to being this captain in the Air Force, and the metamorphosis that occurred and how that happened. And, so I can only attribute it — some of that, again, is the development over time, when your parents are teaching you things and instilling values and virtue into you, and at the time, when you're a know-it-all teenager, you don't think that it's sinking in, but it does, and it shapes you over time. So, some of it's that, but some of it was the Academy itself. I will tell you this: So, there was a program that I participated in as a junior, I guess, in high school, where I got to come to the Academy for an overnight visit. And I stayed with a cadet, and what I remember about that is this: So I think I stayed two nights. But the first night I went to a pay phone to call a friend, and there was a $20 bill at the top of the pay phone. And so, I went back to the room to tell the cadet, “Hey, somebody left some money there,” and he said, “Don't worry about it. Whoever left it, they'll remember that they left it there, and they'll come back and get it.” And I was bewildered. I was like, I don't understand how that's possible. OK, so the next night, I went to the same pay phone, and it was still there. And I was blown away, and I never forgot that, that this is a place where honor really, really matters. And certainly my parents have integrity, and certainly they, you know, preached and instilled those types of values, but here at the United States Air Force Academy, it was practiced every single day, and it was visibly discernible to me throughout all facets of the Academy experience that undergirding these, you know, push-ups that I was doing and this chemistry test that I was taking, et cetera, was this honor code and these core values that all of us together share. And I just absolutely love that. Reflecting on that over the course of seven years changed my life, truly, for the better.   Naviere Walkewicz 32:15 Thank you for sharing that story. And I actually got chill bumps just thinking about, well, I mean, but you're, right now, you can't think about a lot of places where you can leave something and it's probably still going to be there, or if it was identifiable, it would probably been returned. So, I think that is something we can be so proud of. So, you mentioned, sir, some of your successes. They were kind of, you know, happening outside of the Academy once you'd graduated. Let's talk about what your career looked like and what those successes were.   Brig. Gen. Marks 32:50 So, I was a casual lieutenant. And I guess the claim to fame that I have is that I was Gen. Lorenz's casual lieutenant. So Gen. Lorenz was the commandant immediately after I graduated, went on to become a four-star general, and he is still incredibly active here in the Academy community, and being his casual lieutenant, specifically, his special projects officer, was enlightening in a lot of different ways. Gen. Lorenz is a great leader. He's a unique leader as well. And I learned a lot from being in his space, being in his presence, and seeing how he conducted business. Interestingly enough, when you walk up to the office spaces of the Cadet Wing where my office is, in the hallway is a display of all the previous commandants and their biographies. That was one of my projects as a lieutenant, believe it or not, a long, long, long, long time ago. And so, it gave me an opportunity to be able to research all of the previous commandants to that point and see the commonalities between them as well. So I did that for a little less than a year, and then I went to pilot training. Pilot training was hard. Pilot training was very, very hard. In fact, I came back, if I recall correctly, either in the middle of pilot training or just as I was graduating to talk to the Cadet Wing, the Class of 1998 — one of the classes, '98 or '99 — invited me back to talk at M5.   Naviere Walkewicz I'd like to say it was us.   Brig. Gen. Marks I would like to say it was you all too.   Naviere Walkewicz Can I claim it?   Brig. Gen. Marks And you all gave me the bird, and it was wonderful, and I still have that bird in my office to this day. And I talked about how hard pilot training was, but maybe you'll remember this. I listed the top five hardest things that I've ever done in my life to that point, and I can't remember — I remember No. 1, but I can't remember the exact order, but it was something along the lines of the four-degree year, the entire cadet experience, pilot training, SERE at the time, and my four-degree Honor Guard experience was No. 1 for sure. But all of that to say, just being able to come back to the Academy was a tremendous honor, especially for this silly second, actually, I was a first lieutenant at the time. So went to pilot training and then was selected to be able to stay at pilot training and be an instructor. I went from Columbus to Vance Air Force Base and did that for three years in the T-1, which I absolutely loved. The T-1, that aircraft was probably, if I had the resources, if I was well healed, I would buy myself a T-1 and if I could afford the maintenance. I absolutely love flying that plane and enjoyed my time in AETC. And really, there's nothing special about me. When you enjoy what you're doing and feel like you have a passion for it, oftentimes you're going to do well. I think that's that holds true for just about anybody. I did pretty well in the T-1. After that, I went to an internship at the Pentagon, and so I was there on 9/11 and I got my master's in D.C., left there. After that, I went to Tinker Air Force Base. I did not want to go fly AWACS, and I love AWACS now, but I did not at the time. And I remember when I drove up to the gate for the first time after my year in D.C., and the Security Forces airmen that saw me at the gate asked me, “Are you OK?” just based on the, luckily, based on the look on my face after driving cross country. But what was special about Tinker is that that is where I truly learned, as I would call it, meat-and-potatoes flying, stick-and-rudder flying, no kidding, no thrills and frills. In the AWACS aircraft, you've got to know how to move that jet where you need it to move. You've got to know how to compensate for the aerodynamics of the roto-dome when you're refueling, you've got to know how to fly. And I so it was very enjoyable in that regard, and just being operational was enjoyable. Tinker, though, what I will always credit Tinker for is this: Tinker is where I met my wife.   Naviere Walkewicz 37:15 So I was gonna' ask when the magic happened.   Brig. Gen. Marks 37:19 Yeah, it happened at Tinker. We met through a mutual friend and so, interestingly enough, I always say that the two best decisions I ever made in my entire life, I show on my left and my right hand: my wedding ring on my left, my class ring on my right. Best decisions I've ever made for myself. My wife is retired Air Force 23 years, and she was a first lieutenant, I was a captain. We met through a mutual friend and became friends, and over time, over a period of about a year and a half, we started dating. I asked her to marry me after another year and a half or so, probably a little longer than I should have waited. So, I arrived in 2002, we were married in 2005.   Naviere Walkewicz 37:59 Was her uniform better than yours, sir.   Brig. Gen. Marks 38:05 Oh, goodness, no. So my wife, she will listen to this. My wife would tell you that she has had a wonderful 23-year Air Force journey. Started off with 13 years enlisted time and went to OTS, et cetera. My wife would tell you that I am, I think the term is, I am very “ate up” in terms of the military. Hopefully your listeners know what that means.   Naviere Walkewicz 38:32 Yes.   Brig. Gen. Marks She was not, at all. Not at all. That was not her personality.   Naviere Walkewicz They say opposites attract.   Brig. Gen. Marks 38:35 But I think really, more than anything, what I loved about her, beyond her candor and her honesty, was her compassion as well, her intellect, her ability to be able to see the world in a different way than I saw it — for us to respect each other's opinions about different things, for her difference of a net of opinion, but how she viewed the Air Force and her journey through the Air Force differently than I viewed mine. But we respected each other's nonetheless. And my wife is the reason why I'm still serving and I say that because of this, if my wife was not still in love with this Air Force journey, I would have stopped. I absolutely would have, because being married — and our family is, I hate to say it, is more important to me, truly it is. And so, I would have absolutely stopped. But she loves it. I loathe PCSing. Can't stand it. I'm in a great career field, but my wife loves it, loves the excitement, loves thinking about what's next. And so as long as she's enjoying it, I'm enjoying it too. Yeah, she's my best friend, my best friend for sure. So, we met after that, got married. Fast forward, I left Tinker and went to a Staff assignment in Suffolk, Virginia, stayed there for about three years, went back to the T-1 as a director of operations, a commander in the 99th of Tuskegee Airmen heritage. Then I went to National War College, went to Staff, went back to Tinker, 10 years as the vice wing commander, Offut as the wing commander, back to Staff again, and then here as the commandant.   Naviere Walkewicz 40:32 So, when did the idea trickle back to the mind of, “I want to get back to the Academy?” How did that come into play? Was that just a natural progression of your career? Or how? How does one navigate that?   Brig. Gen. Marks 40:43 So, it was at the time this realization that it had changed me so much and so positively. How can I be a part of another person's just incredible admiration for the experience and appreciation for the experience that they had while they were here? And so, I started investigating becoming an AOC, because at the time, that was where my status in life was in terms of rank, and was the most appropriate, if you will. It just didn't work out for me in terms of the timing.   Naviere Walkewicz 41:24 So, you'd already been looking throughout your career to come back.   Brig. Gen. Marks 41:27 At different points in my career, so about the seven-year point is when I said, “No, I would really like to go back and give back.” And now it's a function of trying to maneuver the timing and all of the other facets that make up an assignment and career progression to try to see how that could work. As an Air Force intern, that counted as my in-residence intermediate developmental education. And so, because of that, I was fast-tracked to staff immediately. And so, timing just didn't work in terms of that intermediate level, getting back to the Academy and making a difference. And so, the next opportunity for me was as a lieutenant colonel, because at that time, our group commanders were group AOCs and they were lieutenant colonels, the opportunity didn't present itself and command of a flying squadron did, and so I absolutely jumped on that with both feet. The idea kind of was off in the back portions of my brain after graduating from command and it didn't come back into the forefront until I got back to the Pentagon because I view the Pentagon as most people do. You know, it's a necessary evil. There is tremendous virtuous work that takes place at the Pentagon. It really is. And I certainly don't mean to poo-poo it. Staff work is important. It's necessary. I wanted to get back into, no kidding, base, desperately. And it had been 27 years-ish to that point. I'd come back for coronavirus. I was working for Gen. Brown and for Secretary Kim. I came back for corona and that was one of the first times that I had been back. And I knew I had to get back here. And interestingly enough, I brought my check to Doolittle Hall. I wanted to be a life member, and I had my $800 check in my pocket. My wife gave me permission, and I was like, “I'm ready.” And I'll never forget this. I don't remember who I talked to, but she said, “Hey, if you wait just a few more months, it'll be free for everybody.”   Naviere Walkewicz Membership for all graduates!   Brig. Gen. Marks I was like, “Sweet!” And then she happened to look at my ring, and she's like, “You got a chip on your ring. Why don't you hand that over to us? Your buying this ring came with a lifetime warranty.” And I was like, “This is unbelievable. This is like, divine intervention. I gotta get back to this place. I love it.” Yeah, I'm so happy to be back here.   Naviere Walkewicz 44:18 That is wonderful. So maybe before we go into arriving back here, kind of some of the surge of what that experience was like — what were some of the leadership nuggets, or the leaders that you worked either under with as peers, those you learned from that worked under you, that you kind of continued to evolve yourself as a leader. What were some of those that shaped you?   Brig. Gen. Marks 44:39 So, I think I will start with my time at Tinker as a flight commander. I think one of the things that I learned then was the importance of being credible in an operational flying squadron. Yeah. Your worth is, especially in a flying squadron, especially as a CGO, your worth is in how well you fly, speaking for pilots in that career field. And so, when you fast forward that to now, what I tell junior officers is this, “As a CGO, your No. 1 objective, your sole objective, is to be a master of your craft. Nothing else really matters. Being a master at your craft is the recipe for success, and if you are not able to do that, it is going to be difficult for you.” So, I learned that at Tinker Air Force Base, I would say, fast forwarding a little bit further to some of my Staff assignments, I would imagine, one of the reasons why I have never been incredibly fond of Staff is because I have — there has never been a good fit for me in terms of the staff assignments that I've been in. I could argue maybe the last one was perhaps, but where I'm going is this: It taught me the need to be able to be adaptable to learn as you go, to be open to learning, and to be humble enough to ask a lot of questions. And I think that that's a tremendous leadership trait to have, to humble yourself to your team, to come in and say, “I don't know everything. I don't know all that you all are doing.” Your stories even, “Please help me to understand. Please teach me.” So Staff, for all of the pains at times, really has developed me to have a better appreciation for that. I would tell you in command, “Oh, my goodness, command is all I ever want to do,” which is both naive and probably a very elementary way of thinking about things I just love command, and command has taught me so much.   Naviere Walkewicz 47:16 What do you love about command?   Brig. Gen. Marks 47:20 So, command is special because there isn't really, not really. There isn't period another position in the military where you are statutorily and regulatorily responsible for mission and people, nothing else. There is no other position in the Department of Defense military like command and to — especially at the unit level, the squadron level — to have such an immediate impact on mission like you are able to, as a squadron commander, and have such a positive impact, direct impact on airmen's lives. It is so incredibly fulfilling. And as you progress and command at higher levels, the direct impact on individuals lives lessens, but the direct impact on mission grows exponentially. I absolutely, not only that, but as you command at higher levels. While the impact, and I probably should have said it this way, the impact that you would have on so many individual airmen's lives' lessons, the impact that you can have on an individual airman's life magnifies based on rank. It is significant also. And I always — one of the things that I tell people all the time is the… it's an oversimplification, but the only reason to have rank is to do good, is to do good things, to make things happen in a positive way that affect positively mission and benefit airmen's lives. That's it. That's all. And if it if rank becomes something different than that for you, you are in the wrong business, or we've given it to the wrong person, if I'm being honest with you.   Naviere Walkewicz 49:11 Thank you for sharing that. So how did you find out that you — how did it work to become the commandant of cadets? Is that something that you're selected for? How did you find out?   Brig. Gen. Marks 49:23 So, I — well for your listeners, there's a dream sheet, if you will. We have a module that we go into and identify things, jobs, positions, perhaps even locations that we think that our skill-set matches up nicely for or that match our family circumstances, and in that module, I talked about the fact that I wanted to be able to give back to the Air Force Academy in this way. And talked about the fact that for 20 years or so, give or take, I have been trying to get back here to be able to have an impact. And I listed some of the things that I felt enabled me to have that type of impact. And then I got a call from the colonel's group or the general officer's group. I can't remember which one, probably general officer's group, that said, “Hey, the superintendent would like to interview you.” And I said, “OK, very good. I look forward to talking to a superintendent.” And what I will tell you is this: It is very difficult to prepare for an interview like that. Number one, you know, in the short amount of time that you're given to prepare for it. And then two, you just really don't know what you're going to be asked. And my knowledge of the Academy was very, very dated, you know, for 27 years ago when I graduated. But I said, “OK, let's go. Let's do it.” And so, I talked to him on the way home from the Pentagon in my car driving home, and we had a really nice conversation. And I remember parking in our driveway, and I remember staying in the driveway for about 15 more minutes as the conversation concluded, and I remember going into the house, and I remember talking to my wife, and I said, “You know, there are probably a number of people that interviewed, and they are, I'm positive, incredibly well suited for the position. There's always somebody better.” That's another great lesson that the Academy taught me, is there's always somebody better. But I said, “I think I feel like that went well. I don't know that I could have given any more to that interview.” Eventually, the superintendent made a decision. The superintendent had to vet that decision through higher levels as well. And eventually you come out on a list and it is announced that this is your next job.     Naviere Walkewicz That's how you found out? You saw the list?   Brig. Gen. Marks So admittedly, you know, birdies are talking to me ahead of time. But at the same time, you are just as a professional, more than anything else that is, that's meant to be private information for just and your family to kind of get your mind wrapped around those types of things. Because, as we've seen over the course of numerous years now, sometimes these lists come out later, and if you were to find out solely by that, that's not a lot of time to house hunt. That's not a lot of time to arrange schools. That's not a lot of time to arrange PCSing, you know, those types of things. So, and in this particular case, I needed to PCS from the Pentagon. I needed to perform a promotion ceremony. I needed to work a change of command ceremony here as well. And so, my wife and I joke, now this last move was the most difficult move we've ever, ever had, because I did all that in 30 days.   Naviere Walkewicz 53:27 Wow, it was a lot, but this was probably one that you were both excited for, not just her.   Brig. Gen. Marks 53:31 Oh, we were. The amount of YouTube videos that we watched in our household about basic training and about the Wings of Blue, just to get our kids excited about this, which is why, I mean — there is no excuse for not knowing what you're walking into at the Air Force Academy, because there are thousands of videos out there. Yeah, and so we were very excited, and the kids were incredibly well educated on what they could expect, everything from the wildlife that's on the installation, to the climate and the altitude, to what cadet life was going to be like. And so, we were really excited. And I remember — and because the kids had never been here at all, my wife and I had taken a trip here early in our marriage, our kids had never seen it and the excitement over the five days of driving was just really, really building up. And so, when we finally were able to see the big white box on the horizon,     Naviere Walkewicz Yes, the chapel-in-the-box.   Brig. Gen. Marks Yeah, when we were able to see that, and I was pointing to it as we were driving, they were just, they were just absolutely bubbling over with excitement. It was amazing.   Naviere Walkewicz 54:34 How did you feel when you saw it?   Brig. Gen. Marks 54:38 Very, very excited. A little overwhelmed. Also, I would tell you, I was really — I was both naive and I was also incredibly humbled and respectful of what I was walking into. Naive in this regard: I felt like, my goodness, I don't know that I've ever been more prepared for a position that I'm walking into than being the commandant of cadets at the Air Force Academy. Because I graduated from here. I surely have to be well prepared and well suited. You know nothing about the inner workings of the Air Force Academy as a cadet. Nothing, nothing. And so, there was so much to learn about governance, not only that — I will tell you this: I had some troubles academically. I never had any run-ins from an honor perspective. I never had any discipline issues, either. And I don't say that to sound self-congratulatory. I say that to show my ignorance, because there were significant gaps in my knowledge and my understanding of how to manage the Cadet Wing, because I had never had any experience with honor, I'd never had any experience with discipline, and so I had to dive into those when I got here and learn that where somebody else might not have had to do that. Very respectful of what I was — the Academy is an incredibly special place. It is also, I don't say this, I don't mean this pejoratively, it is also a lightning rod for attention. There is always attention being drawn to the Air Force Academy and coming into the institution knowing that, it certainly had my attention up front, and I realized also that the opportunity to shape 4,000 cadets and to be able to be the one with a great, amazing team responsible for their military development, their character and leadership development, to ensure that on graduation they had achieved everything that they needed to do in terms of commissioning education to be responsible for their honor education, to be the one that is ultimately overseeing cadet life, it's an awesome, awesome responsibility, and I had a tremendous amount of respect for it when I came into the institution. So overwhelmed in that regard.   Naviere Walkewicz 57:22 I almost could feel through your eyes what you just expressed in coming back and seeing the Academy again and I think this is a wonderful time, because some of us have had the opportunity, whether it's been recent reunions, to hear you speak at reunion briefings, to catch a glimpse of you know, some of the changes or some of the things that you've brought back. Maybe this is an opportunity to share what's Academy life like now, but through the eyes of the commandant. What would you like to share with our listeners?   Brig. Gen. Marks 57:49 So, I would tell you and your listeners that the life of a cadet has changed and is going to change even more. So, I would start much more strategic and talk about this geo-strategically. Being in an era of great power competition, we recognize that because of who our competitor is, because of the advances that they have made, et cetera, it is incredibly important. It's critical for us to rethink how we do just about anything. Rethink how we train, how we develop, how we organize, how we employ force, how we sustain that employment of force, everything. At the Air Force Academy we're in a developmental business and so it's important for us to step back and ask ourselves, with no indictment on the past and the cadets and the lieutenants, rather that we have created and that we have graduated, but right now today, are we doing everything that we can to ensure that the lieutenants that we graduate are ready to lead on Day 1 and win ultimately, should deterrence fail in great power competition? In that deep dive, we have to explore some of the training techniques that we employ here and whether they are applicable on the outside and the force the greater force, or whether they are potentially creating a hazard of negative transfer, we have to ask ourselves whether some of the traditions that we enjoy, or that we have enjoyed here at the United States Air Force Academy, are appropriate for this day and age, send the wrong message, or are potentially harmful in terms of our culture and our climate. Deep diving into all those things, one of the things that I've come to the realization about is this: What I want to be able to do is ensure that a cadet that has graduated — and I know that I won't be here for four years, but assuming that I was — meeting a cadet on I-Day and walking with them through four years, I want to make sure that they feel like they got their money's worth from a military development perspective or military training perspective. And here's what I mean by that: Anecdotally, as I talked to cadets, hundreds of cadets, and talked about their journey at the Air Force Academy, one of the things that I found is that the institution and the curriculum challenged them as a four degree. I think that is universal. But I would also say, and I would imagine, that many of your listeners who are grads would agree that once you were out of your four-degree year, the institution allowed for it to be, if this was your desire, very easy for you to coast militarily, or, dare I say, potentially hide militarily. And I didn't want that. I wanted essentially the same level of rigor that is placed on you academically and the same level of rigor that is placed on you physically and athletically to be placed on you militarily. Said another way, the same sweaty palms that you get in anticipation of your GR are the same sweaty palms that you get in anticipation of your PFT. I want you to have an anticipation of your inspection, or an anticipation of your formation, or an anticipation of your knowledge test, et cetera, throughout your four years. And so, we have evolved our thinking and more importantly, our focus to developing across all four years with the same level of diligence and the same level of rigor that we placed in our fourth-class development. And so the moniker, or the catch phrase, the bumper sticker that we use is that we have transition from a focus on the fourth-class system, to a four-class system, where you can expect, as a rising three degree, or as a rising two degree, to be taught what we need you to do in terms of your military development, expectations and responsibilities, let loose to go practice those things, those supervisory skills, et cetera; assessed on those things, taught warfighting skills as well, that will prepare you for great power competition, et cetera, et cetera. And I can go into a lot more detail, but suffice it to say, this is a significant shift in how we've been operating, and it's a shift for the better, because this is what our nation needs. This is putting us in a better position to be ready on Day 1 to lead and to win on Day 1. So, I'm really excited about it.   Naviere Walkewicz That is exciting. Brig. Gen. Marks We're also bringing some rigor back into expectations about what it means to be a member of the Cadet Wing. So, in other words, we are increasing the number of formations. We are increasing the number of inspections. We are putting our money where our mouth is with respect to the fact that we say and rightly so, that we value character. We are now adding that too as a function of how we assess from a military performance average perspective, how we assess character, because it's so important, it's so critical. There are a lot of changes that are happening for the better, and these changes are going to affect not only the readiness of our cadets, but it's going to affect the culture of our Wing as well in a positive way. It's just going to take some time.   Naviere Walkewicz 1:04:00 That's outstanding. Do you see that trickling up as well into some of the officers that are involved in this, with you, and shaping the cadets — so the AOCs, also your AMTs, and how they're doing that? Is that part of this as well?     Brig. Gen. Marks 1:04:13 It is, and I'll be honest with you, I don't want to be short-sighted or to minimize the impact that the entire institution is going to have. Believe it or not, the touch points that our faculty have, our coaches and staff have, they are abundant, and we would be doing ourselves and our cadets a disservice if all of us in lockstep were — not attacking the problem, but weren't in this together in terms of this development and this approach that we're taking. And so we are. We absolutely are. The dean and I are classmates. We have a tremendous and positive relationship, same with the athletic director and the executive director of Athletics as well. And together we have coffee on a regular basis, and we share ideas and talk about our approaches so that we can together positively impact our cadets. So yes, it is an all-of-USAFA approach and an all-in approach.   Naviere Walkewicz 1:05:22 Absolutely love that. Well, I have two questions. I want to give them to you so you have a chance to think about. The first one being, you know, as a commandant, what keeps you up at night? I think that's something on the minds of our listeners. But then also, would you share maybe, what's something that you're so proud of that's happened since you've been here kind of under your leadership, and maybe something that you're not so proud of? And you can answer those however you'd like.   Brig. Gen. Marks 1:05:48 What keeps me up at night is the resilience of cadets. And let me explain that just a little bit. In no way is that an indictment of a generational thing; this generation of cadets is less. Not at all. It's me talking about human behavior and saying that our program is difficult, it's challenging, and individuals respond in different ways to that, and what keeps me up is an individual feeling like there is no way out. That bothers me a lot. It really, realy, really concerns me a tremendous amount. And so I spend a lot of time talking to our command teams about this and about the need for us to administratively ensure that we are being as efficient as possible when we adjudicate certain matters, because what we don't want to do is leave someone dangling in terms of decision making for months and months on end, because that exacerbates that problem and my concern. In terms of what I am most proud of — so, the jury is still out, but here's what I'll say: I'm very proud of a lot of things. I'm proud of the team we've assembled. I'm proud of the work that is being done at the Staff level. I'm proud of the work that our commanders and our AMTs are doing. Our commanders, our AOCs. I am also very proud of the partnership that we have across the installation. That partnership has enabled us to make a significant change to what is called the schedule of calls, the construct that defines how cadets, day to day, spend their time, essentially. We have made a significant change to it that enables us to provide a more professionalized delivery of commissioning education. It has allowed for us to provide some white space in cadets lives, significant white space. It has allowed for us to build in time for unit fitness. Unit fitness being the operative phrase there, because the unit is so important and developing that cohesion is so important. It ha

Join us on Front to the Films as we explore the compelling stories of World War II veterans with our special guest, Andrew Biggio, author of the acclaimed book The Rifle: Combat Stories from America's Last WWII Veterans Told Through an M1 Garand. Hosted by Colonel Tom Rendall, this episode promises an in-depth look at the personal histories and remarkable experiences of the veterans who fought in one of the most significant conflicts in history. Andrew Biggio, inspired by his family's personal sacrifices during World War II, has dedicated his life to preserving the memories of the Greatest Generation. From serving as an infantry rifleman in the U.S. Marines during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom to founding Boston's Wounded Vet Run, Andrew's commitment to honoring veterans is steadfast. His book, The Rifle, uses the iconic M1 Garand rifle to connect the stories of WWII veterans, offering readers a profound glimpse into their lives during and after the war. Episode Highlights: Introduction: Colonel Tom Rendall introduces Andrew Biggio and sets the stage for an engaging conversation about his journey and his passion for World War II history. The Story Behind The Rifle: Andrew shares the inspiration behind his book and discusses the significance of the M1 Garand rifle in telling veterans' stories. Key Stories and Their Impact: Hear about some of the most memorable and impactful stories from the veterans featured in The Rifle. Reflections and Legacy: Andrew reflects on the importance of preserving these stories and the lasting legacy of the WWII veterans. Andrew also discusses his recent visit to Normandy for the 80th Anniversary of D-Day and his ongoing efforts to support and honor veterans. This episode offers a unique opportunity to connect with history through the voices of those who lived it. Don't miss this excellent episode of Front to the Films. Subscribe now and join us as we continue to explore the personal histories behind the crucial moments in history.

In this episode, we talk with Brian Williams who discusses his journey from decorated competitor at CMP events to CMP's Highpower Manager. He also gives us some tips on how to compete with that tricky M1 Garand!

Get ready to lock and load as Tim Slade and Joey from the Game Club Podcast travel back in time to revisit the game that started it all: Call of Duty (2003). In this action-packed episode, they take a trip down memory lane to explore the groundbreaking first-person shooter that revolutionized the gaming industry. Call of Duty (2003) thrust players into the heart of World War II, immersing them in epic battles across the European and North African theaters. Tim and Joey dive into the game's iconic campaigns, from storming the beaches of Normandy to fighting through the streets of Stalingrad, discussing how Call of Duty set a new standard for immersive storytelling and cinematic gameplay. But it's not just the intense firefights and explosive set pieces that made Call of Duty a gaming classic—it's also the unforgettable multiplayer experience that kept players coming back for more. Tim and Joey reminisce about the countless hours spent battling friends and foes online, trading grenades, and capturing objectives in adrenaline-fueled multiplayer matches. As they reflect on their own experiences playing Call of Duty (2003), Tim and Joey discuss the game's impact on the first-person shooter genre, its influence on subsequent titles in the series, and its lasting legacy in the gaming community. From its realistic weapons and authentic sound design to its immersive environments and gripping narrative, they unpack what made Call of Duty (2003) a game that continues to hold a special place in the hearts of gamers around the world. But perhaps most importantly, Tim and Joey celebrate the camaraderie and friendships forged through their shared experiences playing Call of Duty (2003). They share their favorite moments, strategies, and memories from their time spent in the trenches, highlighting the bonds that were formed and the memories that were made in the heat of battle. So grab your M1 Garand, load up your Thompson, and join Tim Slade and Joey from the Game Club Podcast as they reload nostalgia and pay tribute to the game that started it all: Call of Duty (2003). Whether you're a seasoned veteran or a newcomer to the series, this episode promises to be a thrilling journey through gaming history.

It's March mayhem, and we decided to sit down and have us a little fun. Hunter, Travis Barrett, Patrick Combs, Mike Gardner, and Scott Parker sat down to decide what is the most iconic WW2 firearm.Tune in and listen as we delve into the fascinating topic of World War II firearms and explore which weapon stands out as the most iconic. From the mighty M1 Garand to the fearsome MP40, join us as we examine the historical significance, battlefield impact, and cultural legacy of these legendary weapons. Whether you're a history buff, firearms enthusiast, or simply curious about the weaponry that shaped one of the most pivotal periods in human history, this episode is sure to fascinate and educate. Join us as we uncover the stories behind the guns that defined an era.

Join Slade on this special bonus episode of our podcast as he delves into the captivating world of Call of Duty: Finest Hour, a game that paved the way for the iconic franchise we know today. In this deep dive, Slade reminisces about the groundbreaking gameplay, memorable characters, and epic battles that defined this classic title. From the intense frontline action of the Eastern Front to the daring missions in North Africa, Slade explores how Call of Duty: Finest Hour revolutionized the first-person shooter genre and left an indelible mark on gaming history. So grab your M1 Garand and join us as we journey back to the front lines of World War II in this bonus episode dedicated to the enduring legacy of Call of Duty: Finest Hour.

Veterans of World War 2 are called the Greatest Generation for their uncommon courage and self-determination. Whether this descriptor is true or part of America's self-mythologizing during the 20th century is a challenging question, one that Andrew Biggio, a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, worked to answer.Biggio found that many were brave, but they were all ordinary men who also shared in humanity's weaknesses and flaws while responding to the call of duty. Biggio is today's guest and author of “The Rifle 2: Back to the Battlefield.” He shares first-person accounts from the last of the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who fought the most dreadful war in history.The idea for his first book “The Rifle” was simple: travel across the country with a 1945 M1 Garand, the basic U.S. fighting rifle of World War II, ask combat veterans of that war to sign it, and listen carefully as the sight, touch, and feel of that rifle evoke a flood of memories and emotions. In this follow-up book, Andrew Biggio once again reveals the astonishing effect his M1 Garand had on the old warriors who held it.

Andrew Biggio was excited to show his neighbor, a WWII veteran, the M1 Garand rifle he had recently purchased. The weapon was the most common rifle used in WWII, and Biggio thought his elderly neighbor would appreciate holding the gun. “When I put that rifle into his hands and he raised it into his shoulder and started waving it around the room and pointing and smiling, and we talked about the Battle of Okinawa for like three hours,” Biggio, a Marine veteran himself, recounts. Biggio was in awe of the stories his elderly neighbor had just shared with him. The rifle had not only triggered memories in the veteran's mind, but acted like a microphone, propelling the man to describe his war experiences in detail. Biggio asked his neighbor to sign the rifle becasue he wanted to remember the stories he had just been told, and this gave Biggio the idea to find other WWII veterans and ask them to sign the M1 Garand rifle. Today, “I have 320 names on that rifle,” Biggio says. “You can't even see the wooden stalk. The whole rifle's full of white ink names.” But the majority of the soldiers who have held the rifle have done much more than signed it, they described their war stories in detail while grasping the weapon, stories which Biggio has compiled into two book. His first book, “The Rifle: Combat Stories from America's Last WWII Veterans, Told Through an M1 Garand,” was released in 2021 but could not hold all veteran stories. In September, Biggio released the project's second edition, “The Rifle 2: Back to the Battlefield.” Biggio joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to share some of the stories of the WWII veterans he has had the privilege of meeting and writing about. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andrew Biggio was excited to show his neighbor, a WWII veteran, the M1 Garand rifle he had recently purchased. The weapon was the most common rifle used in WWII, and Biggio thought his elderly neighbor would appreciate holding the gun.   “When I put that rifle into his hands and he raised it into his […]

The King welcomes Andrew Biggio, author of The Rifle 2: Back to the Battlefield. A veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan as a Marine infantry sergeant, Andrew bought a 1945 M1 Garand rifle and handed it to his neighbor, a World War II veteran. The rifle unlocked memories, not only for his neighbor, but more than 100 other vets who signed the rifle. Andrew recorded their stories and shared them in his... Source

The King welcomes Andrew Biggio, author of The Rifle 2: Back to the Battlefield. A veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan as a Marine infantry sergeant, Andrew bought a 1945 M1 Garand rifle and handed it to his neighbor, a World War II veteran. The rifle unlocked memories, not only for his neighbor, but more than 100 other vets who signed the rifle. Andrew recorded their stories and shared them in his first book, The Rifle, and now's back with the sequel.Andrew now serves on the police force in Boston and as president of New England's Wounded Veterans, Inc. You can find his website here.Then Jon wraps up the news of the week, including the latest from Israel, Capitol Hill, and beyond.Subscribe to the King of Stuff Spotify playlist featuring picks from the show. For video versions of the interviews, subscribe to Jon's YouTube or Rumble channel!

The King welcomes Andrew Biggio, author of The Rifle 2: Back to the Battlefield. A veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan as a Marine infantry sergeant, Andrew bought a 1945 M1 Garand rifle and handed it to his neighbor, a World War II veteran. The rifle unlocked memories, not only for his neighbor, but more than […]

In this episode, we're joined by Andrew Biggio, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran with a deep passion for World War II history.He shares the inspiration behind his mission to honor WWII veterans and how it led to his book, "The Rifle." Learn about the powerful connection between veterans and the M1 Garand rifle, a symbol of their wartime experiences, in this touching conversation.Remember to subscribe, rate, and review Eyewitness History.Follow the Show on Social Media!Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EyewitnessHistoryTwitter: https://twitter.com/EyewitnessPodThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5351305/advertisement

When Iraq and Afghanistan Marine veteran Andrew Biggio purchased a 1945 M1 Garand rifle, the same rifle his uncle had used in World War II, it led him on a journey to find the last living World War II veterans and document their stories and have them sign his rifle. Newt's guest is Andrew Biggio, author of “The Rifle 2: Back to the Battlefield”.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we discuss the Fenian Raids, whereby the Fenian Brotherhood attacked Canada to free Ireland from Britain...or probably not that, but I have trouble paying attention. We also discuss Smashmouth, M1 Garand clip ejections sounds, and the Potato "famine" (read: forced starvation, RIP Sinead.) Enjoy?

In this episode, I interviewed Andrew Biggio about his book "The Rifle". Tales of American combat and comradery in World War II all connected to the iconic rifle of the era, the M1 Garand. An award-winning author puts one such rifle into the hands of a series of vets, records their stories, and gathers their signatures on the rifle, in a pilgrimage and homage to heroism.It all started because of a rifle.

The OL gun team takes over the podcast to discuss staff writer Tyler Freel's M1 Garand project. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rich Hull from Fulton ArmoryIntroduction: Welcome to Precision Rifle Media, the podcast that delves into the world of precision shooting and firearms. In this episode, your host Kirk Young engages in an insightful conversation with Rich Hull from Fulton Armory. Join us as we explore the realm of CMP shooting and discover effective methods for improving the accuracy of vintage rifles such as the M1 Carbine, M1 Garand, and the M14. Rich also sheds light on the array of services provided by Fulton Armory to assist enthusiasts in maximizing the accuracy of their cherished vintage firearms.Show Notes:Introduction to Kirk Young and Rich Hull from Fulton ArmoryMeet Kirk Young, your knowledgeable host with a passion for precision shooting.Introduction to Rich Hull, an esteemed expert from Fulton Armory renowned for his expertise in firearms.Understanding CMP Shooting and its SignificanceExploring the allure of vintage rifles, including iconic models such as the M1 Carbine, M1 Garand, and the M14, in the CMP shooting community.Strategies for Enhancing Accuracy in Vintage RiflesDive into the intricacies of making vintage rifles more accurate.Key considerations and techniques for improving the performance of the M1 Carbine, M1 Garand, and the M14.Rich Hull's expert advice on selecting the right modifications and upgrades to enhance accuracy.Exploring Fulton Armory's ServicesDiscover the wide range of services provided by Fulton Armory to cater to vintage rifle enthusiasts.Learn about Fulton Armory's reputation for quality craftsmanship and its commitment to precision shooting.Gain insights into the specialized services offered by Fulton Armory to help gun owners improve the accuracy of their vintage firearms.Understanding the process of working with Fulton Armory, from consultation to customization.Testimonials and success stories of individuals who have utilized Fulton Armory's services to enhance the accuracy of their vintage rifles.Conclusion: Join us for this engaging episode of Precision Rifle Media as Kirk Young and Rich Hull from Fulton Armory provide valuable insights into CMP shooting and share expert advice on improving the accuracy of vintage rifles. Don't miss out on the opportunity to leverage Fulton Armory's services to enhance the performance of your cherished vintage firearm. Tune in now for an episode filled with knowledge and practical tips to take your precision shooting to the next level.Www.fulton-armory.comhttps://instagram.com/fultonarmory?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Welcome to a riveting episode of "Military Guns in Civilian Hands," the podcast that explores the fascinating world of military firearms and their place in the hands of responsible civilian gun owners. I'm your host, a proud supporter of the Second Amendment, and I'm excited to delve into the rich history and practical applications of these iconic weapons. In this episode, we examine the transition of military firearms into the civilian market and the benefits that they offer to enthusiasts and self-defense advocates alike. From battle-tested rifles to legendary handguns, we'll explore the allure and versatility of military guns in civilian hands. Join me as we discuss the historical significance of firearms such as the M1 Garand, the AK-47, and the 1911 pistol, which have not only defended our nation but have also become sought-after treasures for collectors and enthusiasts. We'll dive into their design, reliability, and the impact they have had on the development of civilian firearms. We'll also explore the practical applications of military guns for self-defense, recreational shooting, and competitive shooting sports. Whether it's the accuracy of a military-inspired rifle or the proven stopping power of a battle-tested pistol, these firearms offer civilians an opportunity to experience the performance and craftsmanship that have defined military arms. Throughout the episode, we'll address legal considerations, responsible ownership, and the importance of proper training when it comes to owning and operating military firearms. By understanding the capabilities and limitations of these weapons, we can ensure safe and responsible use. Join us as we celebrate the rich heritage and practical advantages of military guns in civilian hands. Let's explore the legacy of these remarkable firearms and embrace the opportunities they provide for self-defense, recreation, and the preservation of our Second Amendment rights. Together, we'll appreciate the value of responsible ownership and the unique benefits that military guns offer to responsible civilian gun owners.

Welcome to an enthralling episode of "Historic American Guns," the podcast that celebrates the legendary firearms that have become an integral part of our nation's rich history. I'm your host, a fervent supporter of the Second Amendment, and I'm honored to guide you through a journey of the iconic guns that have shaped America. In this episode, we delve into the depths of American firearms heritage, exploring the legendary weapons that have defined pivotal moments in our nation's story. From the powerful muskets of the Revolutionary War to the lever-action rifles of the Wild West, we'll traverse the timeline of American firearms innovation. Join me as we pay homage to the Colt Single Action Army, the Winchester Model 1873, and other iconic firearms that became synonymous with the American frontier. We'll unravel the stories behind these historic guns and the individuals who wielded them, from legendary outlaws to brave lawmen who brought justice to the untamed West. Throughout the episode, we'll discuss the technological advancements that shaped these firearms, from the introduction of the first repeaters to the development of semi-automatic pistols. We'll highlight the craftsmanship, ingenuity, and American spirit that went into creating these remarkable pieces of history. But our exploration doesn't stop at the Old West. We'll also delve into the firearms that played a pivotal role in the defense of our nation, such as the M1 Garand, the M1911 pistol, and the iconic Thompson submachine gun. These guns not only defended our freedoms but also became symbols of American determination and resilience during times of conflict. Join us as we immerse ourselves in the rich tapestry of historic American guns, celebrating the craftsmanship, innovation, and indomitable spirit that they represent. Let's honor the men and women who wielded these firearms, and gain a deeper understanding of the profound impact they have had on our nation's identity. Together, we'll embrace the legacy of these historic American guns and reaffirm our appreciation for the role they played in shaping our great nation.

Last time we spoke about the battle of Attu. The American forces were gradually taking the high grounds from the Japanese. The stalemate at Jarmin's pass had caused severe casualties upon the Americans, but they managed to get the Japanese to withdraw from the Pass by May 17th. Jarmin's Pass would receive its name after Captain John Jarmin and his platoon died fighting atop it on May 14th. We also spoke about the silent service and how the Mark 14 torpedo was gradually fixed so the submariners would be better equipped to strangle Japan of her lifeblood, her merchant fleet. Lastly we spoke about the horrifying Changjiao Massacre that occurred during the West Hubei Offensive and the plight of the common Chinese people during the brutal second sino-japanese war. But today we are going to finish up the story of the battle for Attu.  This episode is the Fall of Attu Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.  So we left off in the Frigid Northern island of Attu on May 16th, with General Brown being relieved of command of the 7th division by the Aleutian veteran Brigadier General Eugene Landrum. Given the evidence on hand today, it seems Brown had really irritated Admiral Kinkaid and his other military superiors, coupled with miscommunication or better said lack of. The misunderstandings that arose saw Brown kicked out, but before he departed he had the chance to speak to Landrum. Landrum was shocked when he saw the situation for what it really was and sympathized with Brown. He ordered all of Brown's plans to continue as they were.  Now back on Attu, the Northern Force of Colonel Culin was making a major breakthrough by cutting off Lt's Goto and Honna and their forces in Jarmin Pass. They were forced to abandon their positions during the night of the 16th, slipping away and successfully eluding all the American forces as they joined Colonel Yamasaki's main body at Chichagof. The following morning the Americans failed to realize off the bat that they were no longer facing any Japanese atop Jarmin Pass, as a result of the thick fog. Eventually the lack of bullets coming down upon them brought the realization that the brutal massacre valley struggled which had to this point claimed 1100 American casualties had ended. Over in the south Colonel Wayne Zimmerman walked atop the crest of Jarmin pass where he stumbled upon the corpse of Captain John Jarmin and the bodies of his comrades surrounded by mangled bodies of dead Japanese. The pass which was called Massacre-Holtz pass was renamed after Jarmin who died on the 14th. The pass would receive a renaming There was an eerie silence over the pass that day. On May 18th the various Americans forces finally established contact through Jarmin Pass and now looked towards Chichagof where the Japanese were looking to make a stand. Despite successfully dislodging them, the Japanese had managed to withdraw in order, establishing yet again well-prepared defenses on the jagged heights of Chichagof Valley.  Landrum decided to give the men another day to recuperate and plan out their attack and as he noted later “I know this country and my heart bled for the boys. I had to send them up there. I know how cold and bitter it was on the mountains. But I knew death was bitterer.”.On May 18th the American officers got together to formulate a plan to assault the Japanese. Colonel Culin would lead one Pincer and Colonel Zimmerman the other, this was part of Major General Browns original plan. Zimmerman's 2nd battalions, of the 17th and 32nd infantry with the 3rd battalion of the 17th infantry in reserve would seize Clevesy pass. Once that was taken, the Southern force would then advance down Jim Fish Valley to seize Sarana Nose on the right side and Buffalo Ridge on the left thus securing the approaches to Chichagof harbor. Culin's Northern Force and the 1st battalion of the 4th regiment would capture the northern slopes of Prendergast ridge in preparation for the final assault against Chichagof. Culin and Zimmerman shuffled their more exhausted units into reserve, allowing fresher troops to take the lead. Meanwhile in his Kingfisher Colonel Eareckson flew reconnaissance missions almost constantly, scouting, coordinating and occasionally dropping messages to isolated units he could find. Eareckson relayed targets back to the bomber units so they could try to hit the enemy who had been alluding them heavily for days because of the deep fog. Colonel Talley's Engineers were also at work, building a road towards Engineer hill to help move the artillery piece further inland. Admiral Rockwell also sent a force of PT boats to carry further supplies ashore, hoping to reduce the enormous traffic jam of supplies along the beaches. During the night of May 18th, Zimmerman and Culin sent scouts to probe the enemy defenses at Clevesy Pass. On the morning of the 19th, the offensive began, with Zimmerman sending his 2nd battalion 17th regiment to hit Clevesy pass supported by an artillery barrage and Culin sent his two battalions against the Chichagof heights. By noon, the 2nd battalion, 32nd regiment joined the southern attack. Culins advance finds out the Japanese position at the Chichagof heights are quite formidable. Lt Honna has taken a position at a place called Point Able, a mountain blocking the Southern forces advance. Lt Honna who spoke perfect english notably would be spending the fighting at Point Able lobbing elaborate insults and taunts at the American invaders. For Zimmerman's men, they had the support of a ton of artillery and some aerial bombardments to soften up Clevesy Pass allowing the men to capture a toehold on the high grounds. However Zimmerman's men quickly found themselves embroiled in a major battle, as Dr. Paul Tatsuguchi tells us via his diary “The hard fighting of our 303rd Battalion in Massacre Bay is fierce and it is to our advantage. Have captured enemy weapons and used that to fight enemy closing under fog.” Lt Honna and his 303rd independent battalion fought like madmen to hold Point Able. The next day, Zimmerman sent some companies to perform an early morning attack to seize Cold Mountain while the Japanese reigned machinegun fire upon them. By noon the American attacks had reduced the Japanese to a force of 50 men upon Nees Point who were tossing back continuous american attacks. Meanwhile Culins men were fighting their way inch by inch over bloodstained hills. By the end of the 20th, they gained a few hundreds yards. Also on the 20th, the 1st battalion, 4th regiment entered the fray, hitting Clevesy pass and beginning their ascension to Prendergast ridge. General Buckner's men were able to reach the top of the ridges the following night before turning their advance towards Sarana-Holtz Pass. The USS Nassau launched its final mission of the day, sending some Wildcats to bomb and strafe the Japanese positions in the Chichagof Harbor in the afternoon. Again we hear from Dr. Tatsuguchi's diary “Was strafed when noon, amputating a patient's arm. It is the first time since moving over to Chichagof Harbor that I went in an air raid shelter… Nervousness of our CO is severe and he has said his last word to his officers and NCOs-that he will die tomorrow – gave all his articles away. Hasty chap this fellow. The officers on the front are doing a fine job. Everyone who heard this became desperate and things became disorderly.” After hitting the Japanese the USS Nassau left for Adak having lost 5 pilots and 8 aircraft to the bitter frigid weather. The next day, General Buckner came over to Attu to support his 4th regiment and had Colonel Eareckson fly him up Massacre Valley to look around Point Able. Buckner apparently even manned the aircrafts machine gun strafing the Japanese trenches. That day Eareckson's bombers managed to destroy every building in Chichagof village. Eareckson himself would later that day walk over to the frontlines, borrow a rifle from an infantry man and proceeded to shoot at Point Able. For this he was rewarded with an enemy bullet that wounded him. Buckner would get him a Purple Heart to pin to his chest and a firm kick in his ass upon saying “for being where you had no business being”. I think in Eareckson's defense, a General manning a machine gun on an aircraft was just as hilariously improper.  Zimmermans men continued to push up the mountains against the Japanese, and during the nightfall Company E of the 32nd regiment made a daring charge up the slopes of Point Able ferociously wiping out Honna company down to the last man. Honna would die from a gunshot wound having fought to the bitter end. To the north, Culins man successfully captured Hill 4, leading towards Prendergast ridge, when General Landrum suddenly ordered them to instead support the Southern Forces advance upon Fish Hook ridge. Fish Hook Ridge overlooked Chichagof harbor still held by Colonel Yamasaki who was suffering daily artillery and aerial bombardments. Yamasaki's men were ordered to hold the beach at all cost. To the left was Jim Fish Valley and Sarana Nose to the right. The defenses on both sides of the entrance to the harbor rendered a direct approach upon Chichagof harbor quite difficult.   Sailed from the west, Admiral Kawase was performing reconnaissance around the Komadorski islands and reported back that the size of the American fleet at Attu was enormous. It seems this report finally sunk in with Tokyo HQ, because they made their decision to evacuate the aleutian garrisons via submarine, thus ending anymore reinforcing. The following day, 19 G4M bombers launched from Paramushiro, and through the fog found a patch of clear sky over Holtz Bay where they dropped packages over Chichagof Harbor before they attacked the American vessels. They lost two Betty's for their efforts inflicting basically no damage upon the American warships. On the morning of May 22nd, Zimmermans forces ran into the remnants of the 303rd battalions, the 4th company and a few survivors of the 2nd company on Sarana Nose. Zimmerman ordered his reserve 3rd battalion, 17th regiment to hit the peak after the big guns got to smash it for 30 minutes. The big guns referred to 32 heavy machineguns, 14 37 mm anti-tank guns, 23 81mm mortars, a section of 75mm pack howitzers and 4 batteries of 105mm howitzers, a lot of shock and aye. THe bombardment devastated the entrenched Japanese allowing the men to take Sarana Nose with relative ease, annihilating the handful of Japanese. Meanwhile on the left flank, the 4th regiment advanced upon Prendergast Ridge supported by artillery. To the north, Culin attacks stalled due to heavy resistance, so Landrum ordered him to hold his position. Despite Landrums recent broken leg he assumed personally command of the southern force.  May 22nd's aerial photos showed that leading a direct assault up the valley floor would bring the southern force into an inferno of lead from the surrounding ridges that overlooked the valley. So instead they would secure Fish Hook Ridge first. Fish Hook ridge was a rugged semicircular snow covered, knife edge ridge which bent like a fish hook around 2 miles towards Chichagof Harbor. The Japanese had made a defensive line of snow trenches, rifle pits and machine gun nests connected by snow tunnels along the slopes of Washburn and Newman Peaks. These extended further south to the slopes of Brewer Peak, Buffalo ridge and to the floor of Jim Fish Valley. The entire defensive line blocked the Holtz-Sarana and Holtz-Chichagof passes and the entrance to Jim Fish Valley. Zimmerman sent his 2nd battalion, 32nd regiment to seize a high plateau to the left side of Jim fish valley. Again, before his men charged up the plateau, artillery made sure to pound the area, and again the Americans would find mangled survivors. At this point the Japanese situation was dire. They were desperately low on food, isolated and fighting a battle of attrition against an enemy enjoying every advantage. Yamasaki and his men were trapped behind their innermost defensive perimeter, but his delaying action left him in possession of a defensive firepower more concentrated than before. Despite the hundreds of casualties they had suffered, Yamasaki now counted with more soldiers to defend each yard of ground. May 23rd began with a heavy fog and very snowy weather, preventing Zimmermans men from launching their main attack. He was only able to send the  2nd Battalion, 17th Regiment and 2nd Battalion, 32nd Regiment to relieve the exhausted 4th Regiment. Company A of the 4th infantry had a horrible experience when 9 Japanese machine gun nests with attached riflemen pinned them down. Then an unexpected event occurred as told to us by Lt Winfield Mapes “quite suddenly a lone figure jumped up and ran across the open snow towards the nearest Jap hole. He had an M1 and bunch of hand grenades. He threw a grenade into the first hole and began firing. He moved right on into the circle of Jap holes around the machine gun. Deliberately, he walked up the edge of the holes one by one, […] then […] tossed a grenade. Nine times he did this […] [Private Fred M.] Barnett is just a guy […] who said, “Hell, I just got all fed-up and disgusted; and decided I'd get the damn thing over with,” and voiced the words of a nation” When Barnett reappeared he walked calmly downhill signaled the two companies to advance. Barnett had charged nine successive Japanese emplacements, wiping them all out without taking a scratch. Private Barnett received the distinguished service cross for his actions.  Other smaller units probed the ridge, but all were stopped by Japanese resistance on Buffalo Ridge. To the west, Culins men were pressing towards a junction beneath Fish Hook ridge, finally linking up again with the southern force, planning to coordinate an offensive the next morning. That day, General Butler's P-38 Lightnings intercepted a wave of 16 Betty's managing to shot down 9 of them while losing 2 Lightnings in the process. Because of these large losses, the Japanese would not commit anymore airforces from Paramushiro. On the morning of May 24th, a coordinated assault against the ridge began. The 2nd Battalion, 17th Infantry of the Southern Force moved over the southern slopes of Prendergast Ridge, while the 3rd Battalion, 32nd Infantry, plus two companies from the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry, advanced along the northern slopes. Heavy Japanese machine-gun fire, repelled both forces back to their lines of departure on Prendergast Ridge as they attempted to negotiate their way across the “Bahai Bowl.” The 2nd Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment and 3rd Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment advanced up Jim Fish Valley where Japanese fire from Buffalo Ridge halted them near the southern end of Lake Cories. The Americans were fighting for every inch of snow and ice covered muskeg they advanced upon and the casualties were mounting heavily. Dr.Tatsuguchi's diary tells us“Naval gun firing, aerial bombardment, trench warfare, the worst is yet to come. The enemy is constructing a position. Bn. Commander died at Umanose [Fish Hook Ridge]. They cannot accommodate their patients. It has been said that at Massacre Bay district, the road coming through sector unit headquarters is isolated. Am suffering from diarrhea and feel dizzy.” Aerial and artillery bombardment was carried out the entire day, unfortunately a bit too much so, as some friendly fire occurred, yet again the fog a constant enemy. Eventually Landrum was forced to order the 4th regiment to reinforce the southern advance because of the intense resistance. By the end of the day two companies of Culins 3rd battalion, 32nd regiment managed to get into the Holtz-Sarana Pass.  Meanwhile the American Engineers had built up the road to Engineer Hill allowing Landrum to order every artillery piece available to be brought along it up to Massacre Valley. On the 25th, artillery and aerial bombardments soften up the approaches for the 3rd battalion, 32nd infantry on the left and the 2nd battalion, 17th regiment on the right against the pass. While this assault began, the 2nd battalion, 32nd infantry and the 3rd battalion, 17th infantry resumed their assault but were met with intense resistance from the Japanese along Buffalo ridge. The defenders as usual enjoyed extremely good concealment, utilizing fresh snow to their advantage making them practically invisible. The 2nd Battalion, 17th Infantry supported by the 1st Battalion, 4th Battalion charged through snow and bullets, seizing Newman Peak, which overlooked the pass. By nightfall, Zimmerman controlled the base of the ridge with some isolated slopes in the hands of scattered companies. It was at this point the logistics for the Americans took a turn for the worse. They were not much further from their beach landings areas and the supplies were trickling up slower and slower. This was an indication that time was of the essence, the longer the battle went on, the more the chances were that logistical issues would strangle them. When May 26th rolled around, with it came some clear weather giving the American airforces a chance to bomb the defensive lines with rare precision. Again from Dr. Tatsuguchi's diary we receive this “Hit by naval gun firing, it felt like the Missumi barracks blew up and things lit up tremendously. Consciousness becomes vague. One tent burn down by a hit from incendiary bombs. Strafing planes hit the next room, two hits from a 50 caliber shell, one stopped in the ceiling and the other penetrated. My room is an awful mess from sand and pebbles that have come from the roof. First Lt. from medical corps is wounded. There was a ceremony to grant the Imperial Edict. The last line of Umanose [Fish Hook Ridge] was broken through. No hope for reinforcements. Will die for the cause of Imperial Edict.” Culin sent forces to secure the Holtz-Sarana Pass gradually pushing back the concealed defenders, foxhole by foxhole. Company K advance up a 2500 foot crest of Washburn Peak and found themselves face to face with Japanese trenches. Private Joe Martinez with his rifle in hand decided to walk into the enemy fire as he tossed grenades killing 5 Japanese. He managed to reach the crest of the ridge before collapsing from a mortal gunshot wound he received over 50 yards further down the hill. He was posthumously awarded with the medal of honor, the only one earned on Attu. The Northern force eventually overwhelmed the Japanese snow trenches and seized the northwestern portion of Fish Hook. The only remaining obstacle now in the war were the trapped Japanese upon Buffalo ridge. The 4th regiment advanced along Fish Hook ridge, pushing the Japanese all the way to the summit of West Peak by the end of May 26th. The next day the weather turned around on them, with frigid slush like weather and the typical foggy concealment aiding the Japanese. Yamasaki took the advantage by dispatching reinforcements. Zimmerman's reinforced the advance against Buffalo ridge, tossing the 2nd battalion, 32nd infantry and companies C & D from the regiments 1st battalion alongside a lot of artillery support. But yet again the Japanese held firm, successfully halting the American advance just 200 yards from the ridges crest. On the 28th, another assault was launched against Buffalo Ridge supported by artillery. This time, the 2nd battalion, 32nd regiment managed to reach the top of the ridge facing significantly less resistance. Yard by yard the Americans seized most of Buffalo ridge by the end of the day. While that was going on, the forces advancing along Jim Fish Valley reached the southern portion of Lake Cories where they established a defensive position to hold up for the night. Landrum expected the 29th to be the final offensive to take Chichagof. The Americans now dominated the high grounds. The 1st battalion, 17th infantry held the Holtz Bay area; the 3rd battalion, 32nd infantry were atop Fish Hook Ridge; 1st battalion 4th infantry held positions along the Holtz Bay-Sarana Pass and atop West Peak; the 2nd battalion, 17th infantry and 1st/2nd battalions of the 32nd occupied Buffalo Ridge; and the 3rd battalion, 17th infantry held Jim Fish Valley. 4 75mm mountain guns and a battery of 105mm howitzers were placed on Hogback ridge while 60 artilleryman took up spotting positions on Engineer hill to direct the bombardments. Everything was in place for a final battle. The Japanese had their backs to the sea, crammed into a crowded area of low flat ground counting only 800 soldiers left. Two Japanese soldiers had been captured a day earlier and they confessed the remaining strength of their garrison. This prompted Landrum to order leaflets dropped over the Japanese positions. The leaflets carried a message from General Landrum to Colonel Yamasaki informing him of his hopeless situation and asking for his unconditional surrender. Landrum also added in “that the Japanese soldierly conduct thus far had been worthy of the highest military tradition”. Landrum asked Yamasaki to send a delegation to the American lines under a white flag. Landrum was trying to avoid the senseless slaughter, hoping Yamasaki might prove himself to be different from the countless other Japanese commanders who chose to resist to the last man. Landrum also was trying to prod the common Japanese soldiers to see if they would surrender in the face of the inevitable. Yamasaki ordered all paper burnt and personally oversaw all his wounded men given a fatal dose of morphine and their comrades showered the dying men with grenades. The Japanese, knowing full well the submarines originally set to come rescue them were no longer coming, the American destroyer picket line was preventing this. There was nowhere to pull back to, but the Japanese did not surrender, no Yamasaki chose to go out in a blaze of glory, fit to make the late Saigo Takamori proud. Yamasaki took his ancestral katana, while his men fixed bayonets. They were going to banzai charge at the weakest point in the American lines during the night, the Jim Fish Valley floor. They hoped this suicidal thrust might see a breakthrough upon which they could charge towards the American position at Engineer hill, hoping to capture their artillery to bear down upon them and to destroy their supplies. If they could manage to destroy the american supplies, they could theoretically then flee into the southern mountains where they might delay the americans enough to be rescued. The slim hope of victory depended on lightning speed, defeat would see their complete annihilation. By nightfall Yamasaki got his men ready, the 1st company and remnant of the other 2 companies of the 303rd independent battalion took the left flank, Yamasaki, his HQ and non-combat forces too a rear position and the remnants of the 83rd independent battalion took the right flank. In the early morning of May 29th, nearly a thousand screaming Japanese charged, as described by Nisei interpreter Peter Nakao later on “ It was pitch black when the enemy began the banzai attack. […] All of a sudden, the enemy was upon us. We could not see anything in the darkness except for tracer bullets flying in every direction. […] Leaving bayonetted dead and wounded behind them, the Japanese went past us and continued to the medic unit station to our rear. Then they headed for the ammunition dump behind the medics” The Japanese had smashed into the reserve Company B, 32nd regiment. The inexperienced men of that company had set up camp dead-center in Chichagof Valley, and had also withdrawn to the rear during the night to make breakfast, so their deserted positions where quickly overwhelmed and they fled for their lives to Buffalo ridge. Yamasaki let them flee and took his men in the direction of Engineer Hill. Yamasaki's timing was brilliant, he had taken the Americans by surprise and his forces were sweeping up the base of Engineer hill easily getting past the enfilading fire from the ridges by daybreak. The Japanese savagely swarmed a field hospital, exterminating all the sick and wounded men inside along with its chaplain. 12 Americans in a tent outside survived the horror by pretending to be dead, though they were severely trampled upon twice by charging Japanese. At this point the American initial shock and panic had worn off and General Archibald Arnold rallied the men. He set to work organizing artillerymen, engineers and service troops to establish hidden defensive positions. They lacked automatic weapons, but the ragtag force consisting mostly of the 50th engineers met the charging Japanese with grenades and M1 Garand bullets. Eventually the 4th regiment came forward with automatic weapons successfully slowing down the Japanese banzai charge. The Engineers then fixed their bayonets and engaged the Japanese in hand to hand combat forcing them to fall back. Yamasaki was gunned down by an M1 Garand bullet and his men were unable to maintain the momentum. Nearly half of the Japanese, now isolated and surrounded began pulling the pins of their grenades as they held them to their chests, 500 men committed suicide en masse. Several Americans witnessed the Japanese squatting in a thick shadowy cluster in the first weak gray light of morning  seeping through the fog, with one man standing and appearing to speak to the others. The thumps of their detonating grenades and agonized cries of dying men created a crescendo, that died away leaving the grounds littered with disemboweled bodies. American reporter Robert Sherroid described the scene as such “The explosive charge blasted away their vital organs. Probably one in four held a grenade against his head. There were many headless Jap bodies between Massacre [Bay] and Chichagof. Sometimes the grenade split the head in half, leaving the right face on one shoulder, the left face on the other. […] Two bodies were burned to crisps, one atop the other, fused into one charred hump” After the battle was over, the Americans erected a wooden interpretive sign at the foot of Clevesy Pass honoring Yamasaki, a rare gesture considering the intensity of the war at the time.  The battle of Attu was done. The Americans found and interred 2351 corpses, but guessed hundreds more Japanese bodies were buried all over the place. They took 28 prisoners in all, mostly men knocked unconscious by shell explosions or too badly wounded to kill themselves. Scouring the landscape over the following days, a few dozen more Japanese were found hiding in foxholes, often in small groups. The US soldiers called upon them to surrender, but these men usually killed themselves with grenades or opened fire to receive a bullet back. Two Japanese gave themselves up willing however. One was from San Francisco, the other, a short, fat and good humored man dubbed “the Japanese 8-ball”, by the GI's was treated kindly and even allowed to eat in the mess tents. PFC Howard Sparrs described the 8-Balls capture as such “ [Private Emerson] Burgett pulled out a Jap battle flag which he held up in front of the little fellow. The Jap shook his head violently in the negative and gestured so not a doubt remained – “Take it away!” The inner pockets of his coat revealed an assorted, and incidentally excellent, collection of […] pornography […] on silk handkerchiefs. The little Jap smiled innocently as Burgett gazed appraisingly over the collection (which, by the way, he pocketed)”  The Japanese lost approximately 2850 men dead, the Americans had 549 deaths, 1148 wounded and around 2100 evacuated due to frostbite, trench foot, hypothermia and other ailments. A number of lessons were learnt from the battle, including new landing techniques, and the necessity for rubberized, thoroughly waterproofed boots. Can't express the importance of that last one enough, I once got a black toe in my stupid youth drinking outdoors with some friends in like -35 degree weather in bad boots, does not end well. The men on Attu had been given expensive, thick and insulated leather hunting boots, but these become absolutely useless once soaked in water. After Attu, improved winter kits emerged, and cases of hypothermia, frostbite or trench foot would become very rare among American soldiers even during bitterly cold campaigns in Italy and France.  I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The bitter and bloody and cold campaign for Attu was now finally over. Colonel Yamasaki decided to go out in a blaze of glory with his men, in a fashion that would make the last samurai Saigo Takamori proud. 

Welcome, fellow firearm enthusiasts, to a heart-pounding episode of "The History of the M1 Garand"! I stand alone as your host, an unwavering advocate for the right to bear arms, and today we embark on a thrilling journey through the chronicles of one of the most iconic rifles in American history. Prepare to be immersed in the gripping tale of the M1 Garand, a true marvel of engineering that redefined the battlefield. From its inception in the early 1930s to its triumphant service in World War II and beyond, the M1 Garand stands tall as a symbol of American exceptionalism and unwavering firepower. Join me as we delve into the remarkable craftsmanship behind this legendary firearm. We'll uncover the secrets of its gas-operated action, its seamless semi-automatic performance, and the unmistakable "ping" that echoed through battlefields, signaling the triumph of American firepower. But our exploration doesn't stop there. We'll uncover the untold stories of soldiers whose lives were forever changed by the M1 Garand. From the Normandy beaches to the snowy fields of Korea, this rifle became a trusted companion, delivering freedom's message with unyielding precision. Fast forward to the present day, and we witness the M1 Garand's enduring legacy. Collectors proudly showcase these historic treasures, while shooting competitions celebrate its accuracy and reliability. The M1 Garand lives on as a testament to the indomitable spirit of the American gun culture. So lock and load, my friends, and join me on this pulse-pounding odyssey through the history of the M1 Garand. This episode will leave you in awe of its power, inspired by its legacy, and ignited with a deep appreciation for the indelible mark it has left on the world. Get ready to immerse yourself in the captivating story of the M1 Garand like never before!

Too big for TV, Feinstein, Eric Sewagewell, Willes Lee out. Low Number Springfields, O3-A3, Rhineland Arms 2000, Vertelli in 6.5 Carcano, M1 Garand failure to extract.

In part 2 of this series Miyanovich and Mags discuss: the venerable Garand and its realties, semi-auto v. bolt action in the European theater, the M1918A3 BAR, the German K98 Kurz, hating fucking Nazis, the Luger P08 pistol and its weird-cool toggle action, expensive P08 holsters, the so-so P38, and various other pieces from Jon's collection. 

In this special episode, Danny and Ashley discuss what they want for Christmas and it involves cake, M1 Garand scabbards, and a PhD for Ashley.   Produced by Kamila Kudelska. Theme song by Corey Anco. 

• Ep. 49 with Reed Coverdale: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Of5YJUkAE8c&t=645s • Reed's M1 Garand video: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/GbbBSblfQ_A • Jeremy Kauffman's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyBzavZ40TQj-sVjP9Jmb8w • Reed's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/ReedCoverdale Follow me on Odysee: https://odysee.com/@MLiamMcCollum:f Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MLiamMcCollum My Linktree: https://linktr.ee/liammccollum

In this cream frother of an episode we tell stories about people traveling through dimensions and FBI documents that acknowledge it. Then we get into the Cold War's Second Korean War. We may even scrape on the James webb Telescope's new images for a minute or two. Stay stinky, grandchildren.

In this episode, Dan Berkholder is joined by his brother, Jason Berkholder to discuss one of the greatest icons of American history, the M1 Garand.

Happy Independence Day! Jon Bernstein and Sam Lichtman join Nick, William, and Nancy to chat about one of the most iconic weapons of war, the M1 Garand. Mr. Bernstein, who works at the National Museum of the Marine Corps is part of the team that is restoring and bringing a unique rifle from the Makin The post Scuttlebutt Ep 42: The M1 Garand, A True Classic appeared first on MCA.

Happy Independence Day! Jon Bernstein and Sam Lichtman join Nick, William, and Nancy to chat about one of the most iconic weapons of war, the M1 Garand. Mr. Bernstein, who works at the National Museum of the Marine Corps is part of the team that is restoring and bringing a unique rifle from the Makin The post Scuttlebutt Ep 42: The M1 Garand, A True Classic appeared first on MCA.

In this stink crack we talk about the Korean War's Battle of Chosin Reservoir and we dig deep into Colorado's early 20th century Coalfield Wars. Stay lubed with us and thanks for listening, grandchildren.

In light of DDay June 6, I have decided to rerun this interview made for Veteran's Day of last year.   The  M-1 Garand, the standard rifle for  World War II Infantryman. becomes a microphone for the living members of the Greatest Generation.  Join me in conversation with Mr. Andrew Biggio, US Marine, combat veteran, and Massachusetts police officer,  author of The Rifle: Combat Stories From America's Last WWII Veterans, Told Through an M1 Garand.. published by Regnery History.  Mr. Biggio traveled the country to speak with over 200 living veterans from World War II.    He shares with us their stories of war, deprivation, courage, and tenacity both on the battlefield and in the decades after the war.    This show is dedicated to my father-in-law, Colonel James J. McAloon who was truly the very best of the Greatest Generation. You can connect with Mr. Biggio's nonprofit to help wounded veterans Boston's Wounded Vet Run @ Theyfoughtweride.com. 

The M1 Garand may be the most iconic rifle in American history.It was instrumental in enhancing the lethality of our war fighters at the time and its impact on the outcome of WWII can't be overstated. Mark Boardman and Jimmy Hamilton grab Alexander Lewis and Ryan Muckenhirn to talk about the form, function, history and unique attributes of this wood and steel masterpiece.As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if there are any topics you'd like covered on the Vortex Nation™ podcast by asking us on Instagram @vortexnationpodcast

Did you know that Gun Owners of California is the oldest pro-gun political action committee in America? Gun Owners of California is “…against gun control and for crime control, and those are two vastly different things.” Learn more about what this amazing PRO2A organization is doing to restore the Second Amendment in California. TIME CODES:1:16 - California's PROGUN history25:51 - Riding Shotgun with Charlie Cook46:18 - Telling Marines' untold stories with Vic Ruble58:34 - M1 Garand: This is my rifle “Defense of the Second Amendment is not about saving guns. It's about saving lives; it's about saving freedom and liberty.” Learn more about Gun Owners of California with Executive Director, Sam Paredes. https://www.gunownersca.com/ https://www.gunownersca.com/product/confrontational-politics/ Who is Charlie Cook? Get to know this intrepid band teacher that moonlights as a valiant defender and advocate of the Second Amendment. Connect with Charlie at: https://ridingshotgunwithcharlie.com/ … or meet him in person a the San Diego Gun Prom on June 18, 2022! Stories matter. Deputy Editor, and Scuttlebutt podcast host, Vic Ruble joins in studio to share his mission to tell the untold stories of the soldiers serving our country. Get to know the most official un-official organization associated with the Marine Corps. https://mca-marines.org/scuttlebutt/ “Perhaps more than any other military rifle, John Garand's iconic M1 holds a special place in the hearts of military riflemen and civilian enthusiasts alike. From the jungles of the South Pacific to the infamous “Frozen Chosin,” Marines carried this revolutionary arm for nearly two decades, using it to deadly effect in some of the Corps' most famous battles.” Learn more about the M1 Garand with Sam Lichtman, accomplished author and firearm enthusiast. https://www.magloft.com/article/org.mca.marines/144015 #guns #gunowners #2a #2ndAmendment #2ACA #ca42a #gunownersradio #gunrights #gunownersrights #rkba #shallnotbeinfringed #pewpew -- The right to self-defense is a basic human right. Gun ownership is an integral part of that right. If you want to keep your Second Amendment rights, defend them by joining San Diego County Gun Owners (SDCGO), Orange County Gun Owners (OCGO), or Inland Empire Gun Owners (IEGO). Support the cause by listening to Gun Owners Radio live on Sunday afternoon or on any podcast app at your leisure. Together we will win. https://www.sandiegocountygunowners.com https://orangecountygunowners.com http://inlandempiregunowners.com https://www.firearmspolicy.org https://www.gunownersca.com https://gunowners.org Show your support for Gun Owners Radio sponsors! Get expert legal advice on any firearm-related issues: https://dillonlawgp.com Need a mortgage or VA loan? Call Chris Wiley! https://www.primeres.com/alpine Get the top legal defense for your self-defense: https://www.uslawshield.com Smarter web development and digital marketing help: https://www.sagetree.com Visit Leo Hamel Fine Jewelers, your one-stop-shop for all your Jewelry needs: https://leohamel.com Learn to FLY at SDFTI! San Diego Flight Training International: https://sdfti.com

In episode 2 of this 6 part series, Mr. Parker tells more stories of his teen years, riding horseback in weekend rodeo's and courting the girl who would later become his wife. He also discusses how he ultimately was drafted into the US Army in WWII and trained to be an infantryman using the greatest battle weapon ever devised, according to Gen. Patton: the M1 Garand rifle.

Tanner and I comb through some patch notes and talk 2 new Vanguard weapons in Warzone right now before getting into the startling reveal of RICOCHET: Activision's new anti-cheat system coming to Call of Duty. 00:00:00 - Intro & acknowledgments 00:07:03 - Announcements 00:16:44 - Warzone patch notes/STG-44 & M1 Garand in Warzone 00:37:47 - Vanguard zombies reveal 00:40:35 - Vanguard weapons will have 10 attachments in Warzone 00:54:58 - Warzone anti-cheat: RICOCHET 01:23:57 - Vanguard 2 & 3 in the works 01:31:07 - CoD 2022 will be "Modern Warfare II" 01:37:07 - iTunes review of the week 01:40:28 - Plugs, reminders, & outro The podcast is streamed live on our website (https://www.thedropshot.com/live) every Wednesday and Saturday night at 7 o'clock Pacific Time. We typically start the stream 30 minutes early to answer viewer questions, banter, and chat. Links for everything are below. Thanks for checking out the podcast!

Jack Lucas was just 14 when he forged his mother's signature and joined the US Marine Corps in 1943.  He hid is age throughout training and was eventually stationed in Hawaii.  At 16, he stowed away on a ship headed for Iwa Jima.  Once he was discovered, he was already 17, the official fighting age.  The next few days would define who he was and place him on a short list of elite men who lived to tell the tale.

On this episode of the Resistance Library Podcast Dave and Sam discuss John Garand, the inventor of the M1 Garand. One of the most iconic American firearms of all time, the M1 Garand was the standard issue weapon for WWII and the Korean War. This is the forgotten history of the man who invented this .30-06 semi-automatic rifle and how it became a symbol of the American military. “In my opinion, the M1 rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised.” - General George S. Patton Any gun nut – er, “firearms enthusiast” – worth their salt has heard of the M1 Garand (it rhymes with “errand,” by the way). This .30-06 semi-automatic rifle is one of the most iconic American firearms of all time, and was the standard-issue weapon for American infantry troops during World War II and the Korean War. Drill teams and honor guards continue to use this in the present day, such is its role as a symbol of the American military.   Fewer, however, know about the life story of the man behind the weapon – John Garand, a Canadian-American engineer and weapons designer. Born one of a whopping 12 children on a Quebec farm, Garand's father relocated the entire family to Connecticut following the untimely death of the clan's mother in 1899. All six boys in the family had the official first name St. Jean le Baptiste, however, John Garand was the only one of them who used “Jean” as his first name. The other five used their middle names.   The invention bug ran in the family, with several of his brothers sharing his penchant for innovation. Garand learned how to speak English while working in a textile mill sweeping floors. He later worked in a shooting gallery where he developed an interest in firearms, which, when combined with his naturally innovative nature and machining skills picked up in the textile mill, got him a job at a Providence, RI, tool-making company in 1909. In 1916, he relocated to New York City, where he continued working as a toolmaker, and practiced his rifle skills at shooting galleries on Broadway.   You can read the full article “John Garand: The Forgotten History of the Man Who Invented the Iconic M1 Garand Rifle” at Ammo.com.   For $20 off your $200 purchase, go to https://ammo.com/podcast (a special deal for our listeners).   Follow Sam Jacobs on Parler: https://parler.com/profile/SamJacobs1776/posts   And check out our sponsor, Libertas Bella, for all of your favorite 2nd Amendment shirts at LibertasBella.com.   Helpful Links:  John Garand: The Forgotten History of the Man Who Invented the Iconic M1 Garand Rifle Commercial Ammo: The Untold History of Springfield Armory and America's Munitions Factories History of .30-06 Ammo Resistance Library  Sam Jacobs

Andrew is doing something really incredible for the historic preservation of first hand accounts of World War 2 veterans. In his book, The Rifle, Andrew details these accounts while traveling around the country with an M1 Garand. He has collected over 200 WW2 veteran signatures on this rifle. Andrew is also a non-profit founder, a cop, and a former Marine who served 2 combat tours in the Middle East. Episode Notes This episode is brought to you by Head River Farms, your go-to shop for hand crafted, organic CBD and hemp products. I use Head River's CBD oil almost every day for its anti-inflammatory effects and to not only fall asleep, but stay asleep so I can wake up charged and ready to get after it the next day. Head River's commitment to sustainable farming practices really make a noticeable difference in the quality of their product. My favorite products include the Full Spectrum Hemp Extract (CBD Oil) and the unscented Feel Good Balm. Visit https://headriverfarms.com/collections/all and use promo code TRP20 for 20% off your purchase at Head River Farms.   To stay up to date on podcast releases and more, please follow the social media accounts below Instagram: @turnerrowlandpodcast @turnerrowland1 Facebook: Turner Rowland Podcast   Questions, suggestions, and guest inquiries for Turner can be sent to turnerrowlandpodcast@gmail.com   Thank you for listening, I hope you enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we discuss the M1 Garand. Quite possibly one of the most iconic firearms adopted by there United States. Not only are these firearms cool as hell but they are comply with all NY State laws regarding firearms.    We will also discuss the Civilian Marksmanship Program (aka The CMP) and how to get your hands on one of these beautiful American guns for a super affordable price point.   Corrections: Production of the Gas Trap Garand stopped at serial number 50,000 not 80,000 as mentioned in this episode.   LINKS: The Civilian Marksmanship Program Instagram: NYGunGuys Facebook: NYGunGuys Email: Info@NYGunGuys.com