← The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
The Truth with Lisa Boothe: War, Sacrifice, and Reflection with American Hero, Sean Parnell
01:02:12
Loading summary
Transcript74 lines
- [00:00]
Podcast Host
This is an iHeart podcast.
- [00:05]
Ameca Insurance Representative
@ Ameca Insurance we know it's more than just a car. It's the two door coupe that was there for your first drive, the hatchback that took you cross country and back, and the minivan that tackles the weekly carpool for the cars you couldn't live without. Trust Ameca Auto Insurance Amiga Empathy is our best policy.
- [00:35]
Greenlight Representative
Get this Adults with financial literacy skills have 82% more wealth than those who don't. From swimming lessons to piano classes, us parents invest in so many things to enrich our kids lives, but are we investing in their future financial success? With Greenlight you can teach your kids financial literacy skills like earning, saving and investing. And this investment costs less than that. After school treatment. Start prioritizing their financial education and future today with a risk free trial@greenlight.com iheart greenlight.com iheart Come on. Why is this taking so long?
- [01:09]
Lisa
This thing is ancient.
- [01:10]
Lenovo Representative
Still using yesterday's tech upgrade to the ThinkPad X1 carbon ultralight. Ultra powerful and built for serious productivity with Intel Core Ultra processors, blazing speed and AI powered performance that keeps up with your business, not the other way around.
- [01:24]
Greenlight Representative
Whoa, this thing moves.
- [01:26]
Lenovo Representative
Stop hitting snooze on new tech. Win the tech search@lenovo.com Lenovo Lenovo unlock AI experiences with the ThinkPad X1 carbon powered by Intel Core Ultra processors so you can work, create and boost productivity all on one device. Since its invention, the TV has been just that, a tv. But what if it could be something more? Meet Samsung Vision AI Whether it's upscaling classic content to look brand new, or translating and English broadcast subtitles to Spanish in real time, Samsung Vision AI helps you get more from TV than you ever thought possible. Redefine what it means to watch TV with Samsung Vision AI. Visit Samsung.com to learn more. Vision AI features vary by model. Upscaling utilizes AI based formulas and results may vary based on source content. Translation accuracy not guaranteed.
- [02:14]
Sean Parnell
I already love same day delivery with Shipt, but it's so much better since I signed up for target's circle 360. Why? Because I no longer pay price markups from the majority of stores through Shipt. Only a handful of alcohol retailers and items don't count. That means no markups on groceries, pet food, even home goods and makeup. So to recap, I have more time to catch up on life while someone shops for me and I spend less. It's a win win order now@shipt.com 360trees apply.
- [02:44]
Lisa
So it's Memorial Day and obviously, on Memorial Day, we take a moment, we take a day to remember the fallen, to remember the heroes who paid the ultimate sacrifice to defend this nation, defend our country. We honor the families who have lost loved ones in the pursuit of freedom to protect this great country. But beyond taking the time to remember, shouldn't we also reflect and shouldn't we also reflect on mistakes that we've made as a country and things we could change moving forward and being more judicious with the lives of our military men and women? Shouldn't the people in charge, shouldn't their sole duty with our military men and women be to avoid casualties, avoid sending them to unnecessary wars so that we have less men and women who have to pay the ultimate sacrifice in the pursuit of freedom? So that's why I wanted to do this, Memorial Day, not only honor the fallen and honor their bravery and honor the people who give everything for this country that they love and that we love, but also take a time to reflect. And one of those wars is Afghanistan. You know, it was a the longest war in American history, 20 years. We lost so many service members, so many service men and women in Afghanistan. So what are the lessons we could learn there? What should we take from that and do differently moving forward? And who better to talk to than Sean Parnell? He is a former U.S. army Airborne Ranger who served in the legendary 10th Mountain Division for six years, retiring as a captain. He received two Bronze Stars, one for valor and a Purple Heart as well. He wrote the New York Times best selling book outline Platoon and he also wrote man of War Outlaw platoon details his 16 months in combat in Afghanistan. 16 months in combat in Afghanistan. While he was there, his platoon repeatedly was outnumbered, repeatedly outgunned, and they displayed such tremendous bravery to the point that over 85% of his platoon received Purple Hearts for wounds that they incurred in battle. Sean was also injured in battle, day in and day out, fighting for freedom in the mountains of Afghanistan. He was 24 at the time. Can you imagine being 24 and leading a platoon in the mountains of Afghanistan, day in, day out, outnumbered, outgunned, fighting bravely and fearlessly next to your, your brothers in the military and in the Army. So we are going to get Sean Parnell's take on what lessons we should learn from Afghanistan, what we could be doing different moving forward, and how we can truly honor, to the best of our abilities, the men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice and the pursuit of freedom. I hope you enjoy this conversation. He's an absolute hero and he's an absolute badass. Sean Parnell. Sean Parnell, you are such a badass and such an American hero. It's an honor just to have you on the show, so I really appreciate you taking this time.
- [06:00]
Sean Parnell
Oh, well, thanks, Lisa. I don't know if I'd call myself a badass, but I was. I was in the army for a time and was surrounded by badasses every day, so I guess I was pretty lucky.
- [06:09]
Lisa
I'll call you badass, so I'll be enough. I'll do it. Because you can be humble, I will take the humility out of it for you. You know, we're recording this before, but this is going to air on Memorial Day, and obviously a day to honor the individuals and so many who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the name of defending freedom, defending this great country that we love. But shouldn't we also take this time to learn lessons from, you know, wars like Afghanistan and. And also use it as a time to be more judicious in sending our military men and women to war?
- [06:43]
Sean Parnell
I think so. I mean, you know, I think. I think it speaks directly to the importance of, you know, warriors coming back. You know, American men and women who fight our wars coming back and being involved with regards to where our country goes and the decisions that we make pertaining to the future of America and the wars that we get ourselves involved in. You know, after I spent time in Afghanistan back in 2006 and 2007, we were there for, what, like, 20 years. You know, it's a long, long time that I think most America. Most of America. America, it's difficult to wrap your mind around that length of time, you know? And so I feel like you look at what happened in Afghanistan and all the blood, the treasure that we spent there, right? After 20 years there, you look now and it's like, well, what do you have to show for it? You know? And look, I will tell you this, like, I'm proud of my time in Afghanistan. I don't regret it for a second. I joined after September 11. One of the best experiences of my life was serving this country. So I am not a victim in any way. I'm a volunteer, and I would do it all again in a heartbeat. And I'm proud of what we did in Afghanistan, you know, but. And critics would say, you know, when I say, well, what do we have to show for it? Critics would say, well, look, I mean, you know, look at what you do, what you built for the Afghans, you, wells and villages. You know, little girls know how to Read. And, you know, boys are part of the economy now, and they understand what, what freedom. Freedom is, even if it was just for a brief time. And I, And I would just say to that, yes, that is all true, but I would rather have my friends alive. You know, and you look at what's happening today, and the Afghan, you know, things in Afghanistan just collapsed, what, like, less than a year ago, Lisa. Right. Like August 2021. And it seems like you have members of Congress on both sides of the aisle in the House and in the Senate that are clamoring to go right back into the fight in Ukraine, which, from a geopolitical standpoint is it's far more complicated than Afghanistan. Without even taking a breath after the Afghan war and saying, wait, is this really worth it? Should we, like, take time to hit the reset button as a country and figure out if this fight is worth Americans dying for? Because that's the question that American moms and dads need to ask themselves. Lisa, is like, is Ukraine so important that you are willing to sacrifice your son or daughter for that? If the answer to that question is no, then we shouldn't be doing anything for Ukraine. And look, Lisa, I feel bad for the people there. My heart aches for the civilians and children who are caught in the middle. Like, this is not me saying we should ignore it completely. Few people in this country understand the humanitarian disaster and people stuck in the middle of a fight than me. I get that. But. But again, I would say I would rather have American sons and daughters alive. You know, I think we need to take care of ourselves here at home a little bit first.
- [10:05]
Lisa
We just see politicians, you know, beating the drums of war with Ukraine. Joe Biden said something today about Taiwan, about, you know, us would take military action. But you just hear these politicians, and it almost. There's a callousness to it, to be honest, because it doesn't take into account that, as you pointed out, it's. Would they send their son or daughter? You know, it just. It doesn't take into account, like, I, I just lives or. American people should be the most important to us that lives. The precious lives of our military men and women should be the most important to us. And it just doesn't. It doesn't seem to be the case, and it makes me sad.
- [10:41]
Sean Parnell
You. Look, you're right, Lisa. I mean, you're right. It's. It's. I think part of the problem is that you. You only have 0.4% of the people in this country who've served this country during Iraq and Afghanistan. So 20, 20 years of war, so longest period of war in American history, only 0.4% of the country actually experienced what it means to protect and defend freedom. And so I think as a result, you have, you know, most of America, 99% of America who enjoy freedom on a day to day basis in this country, and you have less than half of 1% who protect it. So there's a significant gap between those two groups. And I think that's part of the reason why you have politicians who really never served anything but themselves for the majority of their lives talk so callously about sending American sons and daughters into the fight. Because the reality is they don't have any real understanding of what that means for American families who are actually doing the fighting. For example, when I got back from Afghanistan, a 16 month combat deployment. 16 months, like 485 days. It's like if you had a kid, it's like, have a good first grade year, have a good second grade year. I'll see you on your way to third grade. That's crazy. You know, and you know, we got back, we hit the reset button. You know, most, we weren't even back for a couple of weeks. We already had to go right back down to Fort Polk, Louisiana. So we got back home, hugged our families, went back to do training down at Fort Polk, Louisiana and prep for another combat deployment to Afghanistan. That was nine months later. I mean, it's an incredibly heavy burden that we place on a very, very small percentage of Americans. And most of the time our politicians are unaffected by that. But I guess it sounds cool when you're up there at the podium, you know, hey, if China invades Taiwan, like we're going to get involved militarily with no real understanding of the geopolitical consequences or the fallout for the American people or how that would affect people who serve. I mean, it's, it's just irresponsible, especially Lisa, when you consider just how much suffering there is here within our own borders, at home, that I think a lot of our, a lot of our attention should be focused on.
- [13:02]
Lisa
Well, and I think President Trump really changed at least my thinking on foreign policy, because what he was able to show us is that you can be strong, you can flex muscle, you can deter the bad guys without sending troops, without invading, without beating the, you know, the, the drum beat for war. And you can do it like he did when he was sitting with President Xi, you know, having chocolate cake, telling him he's sending 59 Tomahawk missiles to see it, right? It's such a baller move or striking these peace deals on the Abraham Accords. And it just changed the way, you know, I thought about things because he just showed us a different path.
- [13:36]
Sean Parnell
He really opened my eyes to, you know, there, there is a different way, you know, and when you're in Washington, I mean, really, whether you're a Democrat or Republican, there, there is think, right, where everyone sort of thinks the same way about a lot of things. And I think that's why you hear a lot of people talk about the Uni Party, you know, where you have, you know, people like, you know, as ideologically different as Adam Kinzinger and Ted Cruz both talking about the importance of defending Ukraine to even certain Democrats talking about the importance of defending our ally Ukraine, even though they're not an ally. You know, it's like, you see, you see these certain groups of people that think alike. Lisa and what I always admired about President Trump is it takes an unbelievable amount of mental toughness to resist that type of pressure and group think, right? And in Washington, President Trump was, I mean, gosh, at any given moment in D.C. in the White House, both Republicans and Democrats were fired up and angry at President Trump for different reasons. And that's what I admired about him the most. And that's ultimately why I think the American people sent him there, because there is a level of dissatisfaction in this country that if people just got outside the Beltway or New York City or LA and they took a stroll through, you know, middle America, they would feel that sense of discontent about the direction of our country. And President Trump tapped into that. And you look at what he was able to accomplish in four years in the face of, I mean, what that man faced in the White House was criminal. It was criminal. I mean, now we're learning of what Hillary Clinton did. It was like, maybe legitimately criminal. I don't know, but, but, but the things that he was able to accomplish in four short years, I never thought possible. And, you know, the Abraham Accords and peace in the Middle east, never thought that was possible, but he did it. And, yeah, like you said, it really opened my eyes to a new way of being and that, you know, we don't have to deploy and get locked down and, like, almost become cliche now in these, in these forever wars. But that's really what they are. I mean, 20 freaking years in Afghanistan is a long time. I mean, 20 years. I mean, think about it like this. Like, I'm 40 years old. That's half of my Life. We were in Afghanistan like half of my life. The only profess, the only thing that I've known is war in Afghanistan. Lost 35 plus friends there. I mean, that's a long time. And I think what President Trump showed us was that it doesn't have to be that way. We can still have peace as long as we're focused on the right stuff and focusing on ourselves at home. And unfortunately, a year and a half of Joe Biden, he's unraveling that pretty quickly.
- [16:41]
Lisa
I mean, I never thought it could get this bad this fast. I mean, it's just. It's really sad. But I. But I honestly think. I think the turning point for him was because, you know, people thought he would restore order. He do all these things that obviously people like us knew he wasn't going to do and he wasn't capable of it. But his ratings really started to take a nosedive after Afghanistan, and it was the disastrous exit, the abandoning, like, the Bagram airfield before getting her people out, getting 13 service members killed, leaving Americans behind. And I think that was the turning point when that all was going down. You tweeted out that the Afghan debacles on the suits, not the boots. Talk about that disconnect in the military between the suits and the boots and how that played out with Afghanistan so disastrously.
- [17:24]
Sean Parnell
What was so frustrating to me, part of what I do, like coming back home after I got back from Afghanistan, was realizing very quickly that a lot, there are a lot of men and women here who serve this country that needed help. And, you know, there's a way in which you come back from war. War changes you in some pretty deep and fundamental ways. And you can, you know, you come back and you meet and talk to your family, and you feel like your family doesn't know you because you've changed. And you talk to your best friends. And there was a moment for me, like, where I'm from, Pittsburgh. And so, like, the first thing I do when I get back from Afghanistan is like, text my buddies, you know, who I went to college with and stuff, and, like, open up my, like, little flip phone and text them. And they text me back their address. And, like, I look at it, read the address, I'm like, oh, my gosh. Like, these dudes are still living in the same address they've been living at for 10 years. And I just got back from Afghanistan, feel like a totally different person. Show up at their. I show up at their apartment, I walk in and, like, they're like, all sitting in the Same spots on the couch, like drinking the same Iron City beer, talking about the same girl problems. And I'm like, Simpsons posters on the wall and Family Guy magnets on the fridge. And I'm thinking to myself, like, oh my God, like nothing has changed here at home, but I'm a different person in every way. And so if I was feeling like that, there are probably millions of Americans feeling like that. Come home for more and just feel like they're different and maybe they feel like exiles in their own country. And so I started doing everything I could to make sure that, like, the war is really what I'm. I guess I'm getting to, Lisa, is that the war for a lot of veterans really starts when you get home. And I wanted to just help veterans come home in the most productive way possible and not just survive on a day to day basis, but, but really, but, but thrive, you know, and when I tweeted that about Afghanistan, about it being on the suits and not the boots, was really, it was in that spirit because I knew there would be a lot of veterans thinking like, what the hell was all this for? You know, why the hell did I, why did I lose my best friend in this country? Why did I go to this country and sacrifice a piece of myself there? You know, why did we do all of this just to have some moron in the White House throw it all away? Because, I mean, quite honestly, he's a bumbling idiot. Leadership matters. And he's a commander in chief. So the term commander predisposes chief, his job, first and foremost, an obligation to our American military. And it was a dereliction of duty of the highest order of what he did in Afghanistan. And it's not just, it's not just leaving Americans behind, which is horrific. Horrific enough. Right? I can't even believe I have to say this, but the sacrifice that 20 years of Americans bled the ground red in Afghanistan just to cede it back to the Taliban in a few weeks, I mean, that's a crime. It's a crime and it's going to do unbelievable moral damage to people who serve there. The ramifications of which I don't think we fully understand yet. And so it's just like unbelievable to have to witness the fall of Afghanistan and the speed at which it fell here in America after having been there for 20 years. And again, never, ever, ever, ever would have happened under President Trump or really any American president that could speak in coherent sentences without having to read off a sheet of paper. I mean, just unbelievable. And you can't help but think. You cannot help but think. Like, I used to joke around in the campaign trail when I was running for the House and the Senate. Well, mostly when I was running for the Senate, but about like, just utter incompetence. But I don't think it's incompetence. I think it's. I think it's intentional. I think that this is. You can't be this good. I mean, he's Joe Biden in his administration, a bunch of Obama appointees 2.0 right back in the White House, some of which are sermon in the same cabinet positions. It's like they're unbelievably efficient, ruthlessly efficient at destroying almost every pillar in this country. I mean, every pillar of strength in your country. Like, it's unbelievable that they. The level at which they're failing. And I think Afghanistan was just one of those pillars.
- [22:08]
Lisa
Well, I think we all just felt such an amount of shame with the way that we exited. Just the loss of military men and women or the 13 service members and just leaving Americans behind. Quick commercial break. Back with Sean Parnell on the other side.
- [22:24]
All Family Pharmacy Representative
When it comes to her health, you shouldn't have to beg for permission. You've seen how the system really works. Faceless bureaucrats and billion dollar companies playing God, deciding whether you get care and what you're allowed to take. And ultimately, whether you live or die. It's time to take your power back. All Family Pharmacy puts the control in your hands, not theirs. No more waiting rooms, no more red tape. Just fast direct access to over 200 trusted medications like ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, mebendazole, antibiotics, and emergency kits. A licensed doctor reviews your request, writes your prescription, and your medication is shipped directly to your door. They believe in medical freedom, that you have the right to choose what's best for your body and your family. Over 100,000Americans already trust All Family Pharmacy. Maybe it's time you did, too. So Visit all family pharmacy.com USA promo code USA10 Again, that's allfamilypharmacy.com USA and use code USA10 for 10% off all family pharmacy. Because your life shouldn't be in someone else's hands.
- [23:30]
Ameca Insurance Representative
Every day, our world gets a little more connected, but a little further apart. But then there are moments that remind us to be more human.
- [23:43]
All Family Pharmacy Representative
Thank you for calling Amica Insurance.
- [23:45]
Sean Parnell
Hey, I was just in an accident.
- [23:47]
All Family Pharmacy Representative
Don't worry, we'll get you taken care of.
- [23:49]
Ameca Insurance Representative
At Ameca, we understand that looking out for each other isn't new or groundbreaking. It's human. Ameca Empathy is our best policy.
- [23:59]
Greenlight Representative
Did you know that parents rank financial literacy as the number one most difficult life skill to teach? Meet Greenlight, the debit card and money app for families. With Greenlight, you can send money to kids quickly, set up chores, automate allowance, and keep an eye on what your kids are spending. With real time notifications, kids learn to earn, save and spend wisely. And parents can rest easy knowing their kids are learning about money with guardrails in place. Try Greenlight risk free today@greenlight.com iheart since.
- [24:31]
Lenovo Representative
Its invention, the TV has been just that, a TV. But what if it could be something more? Meet Samsung Vision AI it makes your old favorites look picture perfect with AI upscaling for optimal clarity. Watching the game with a bilingual crowd, your TV can translate English broadcast subtitles to Spanish live. Or maybe you're watching Samsung TV and you're wondering who that actor is. Samsung Vision AI already knows and even recommends you more content to watch. With Samsung Vision AI, you get more from your TV than you ever thought possible. It starts to make you question, can you even call it a TV at all? Redefine what it means to watch TV with revolutionary AI powered experiences with Samsung Vision AI. Visit samsung.com to learn more. Vision AI features vary by model. Upscaling utilizes AI based formulas and results may vary based on source content. Translation accuracy not guaranteed. Click to searches on certain models only.
- [25:26]
LifeLock Representative
Not everyone who handles your personal information is going to be as careful as you are, and it only takes one mistake to expose it to hackers and identity theft. Maybe that's why there's a new victim of identity theft every five seconds in the United States. Fortunately, there's LifeLock. LifeLock monitors hundreds of millions of data points a second for threats to your identity. If your identity is stolen, a LifeLock US based restoration specialist will help solve identity theft issues on your behalf, guaranteed or your money back. Plus, all LifeLock plans are backed by the million dollar protection package, meaning LifeLock will reimburse you up to the limits of your plan. If you lose money due to identity theft. You can't control how diligent others are with your personal information, but with Lifelock, you can help protect it. Act now and save up to 40% your first year. Call 1-800-LIFELOCK and use promo code iheart or go to lifelock.com iheart for 40% off. Terms apply.
- [26:23]
Lisa
Talked about sort of. You know the challenge with coming home when you've been at War like that. I'll say one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had in my career was doing an honor air flight for Vietnam War vets from Wisconsin for FOX and friends. And I. I went on this trip with them, and I'll tell you, it was just such a moving experience talking to these, like, big, strong guys who were just brought to tears of just feeling the honor of having served because they didn't get the welcome they deserved when they came home. And, and so just doing the interviews with them and seeing these, you know, grown men and, you know, cry and just. It was just incredibly moving. And I, I learned a lot from it. It was just a really, you know, humbling and just incredible experience, you know, spending time with them and just being able to bless them and being part of this with the trip.
- [27:10]
Sean Parnell
Yeah, well, Vietnam vets are. I mean, we owe them so much. And obviously, because, as you mentioned, they didn't have the welcome home that. That we did. And so much of the reason why my generation was welcomed home was because after, like, what these Vietnam, what the Vietnam era went through, they made themselves a promise to never allow another generation of veteran to experience what they did. And because of that, like, we had, by and large, a very positive homecoming, you know, and I. When I talk about feeling like an exile in your own country, I should say, like, almost everybody that you talk to says thank you for your service. I'm not. Again, like, we're lucky to live in a country like, like America and come home to people that, that appreciate you, and that. That is because of Vietnam veterans who went through hell when they came back, went through hell in combat, through hell, and they came back and then, but didn't give in. And they made a promise to, you know, subsequent generations of Americans when they came home from the fight. And that promise was to never allow what they went through to happen again. And I mean, really, my generation is standing on the shoulders of giants with them and World War II veterans and Korea veterans before them. So, yeah, we're. We're lucky. We're lucky to live in this country, but there's still a lot of work to do, that's for sure.
- [28:38]
Lisa
Can't imagine how it doesn't change you, particularly some of the stuff that you endured. You know, I know you very humbly, you know, didn't take me saying that you're, you know, a complete badass and a hero, but you really are. I mean, you retired a highly decorated captain. You're awarded two Bronze Stars, one for valor and a Purple Heart. You wrote the New York Times best selling book, Outlaw Platoon. It's about your time serving as commanding the Army's 10th Mountain Division in Afghanistan. As you mentioned, you served in combat for 16 months. You guys were repeatedly outnumbered, repeatedly outgunned, yet your platoon killed over 350 enemy fighters. Why do you think your platoon was able to be so effective in the face of so much?
- [29:19]
Sean Parnell
It's a great question. I think when you look at the things that the American military can bring to the fight, you know, like we've got lots of cool and sexy technology, like we've got great guns and, and weapons, and we've got air superiority, helicopter and fixed wing aircraft and all that. Believe me when I tell you, all that really, really helps. But I think really our secret weapon was the, the love and brotherhood that we shared for one another. You know, we, we spent a lot of time training leading up to our deployment in Afghanistan, and I feel like I was very blessed to lead one of the most diverse platoons that you can imagine. And it's funny when you hear a lot of these politicians talking about diversity in America being a strength, and it's like, well, of course diversity is a strength, but not in and of itself. What makes America so truly exceptional is that we unify beyond like our many differences, right? It's not just diversity for diversity's sake. And really my platoon was a microcosm of that strength. Like, we had black next to whites, Christians next to atheists, Democrats next to Republican, rich next to poor, young next to old. We were like as wildly different as you can imagine. Yet there were no real hyper, there were no hyphenated Americans out there in Afghanistan patrolling those, those mountains. And it was the very fact that I think we were able to put aside all of our differences and unify beyond them into one cohesive fighting force. That was what allowed us to go through 16 months of absolute hell, 16 months of heavy combat and make it, you know, we made ourselves a promise. I think what drove us every day on the battlefield, Lisa, was the fear of, not the enemy, but the fear of letting each other down. You know, I would have soldiers that would get, that would get shot in the head, soldier that got shot through his helmet. His helmet slowed the round down enough where it penetrated his skin, but not his skull. And skirted around the side of his skull and back out the other end. And that guy went back to the base, wrapped his head up, and was back out on patrol 24 hours later. So when you're, when you're serving with men or Americans that have that much like the level of toughness and tenacity and dedication to duty that someone. That someone like that has. How do you fail somebody like that? Like, if you twist an ankle or you take some shrapnel or you get maybe a shot, but it's a grazing wound. Like, how do you. How do you. How do. How do you not saddle up when you're surrounded by men like I just described? And so it was the fact that we were able really to unify beyond our many differences and fear of letting each other down that really drove us to accomplish, I think, extraordinary things. And really, I mean, it. Like, my platoon really just accomplished. It was just one unbelievable triumph of the human spirit after the next. I mean, we were not like Navy seals or anything. You know, we were light infantrymen, so we were in the 10th Mountain Division. We were light infantry. I mean, we were real well trained and stuff. Don't get me wrong. But, you know, we weren't Special Forces. You know, the. Most of the jobs that a lot of these kids had, like, prior to carrying a machine gun in the mountains of Afghanistan, the job prior to the military is like, high school shortstop. Yet these. These kids were to just accomplish unbelievable things. And I think it's because we relied on one another, and that's what's what allowed us to. To get through it all.
- [33:23]
Lisa
And you're 24 at the beginning, right, of this demanding.
- [33:27]
Sean Parnell
Yeah.
- [33:27]
Lisa
I mean, how do you do that at 24 and be responsible for all these brave men that you just talked about? I mean, what an incredible amount of responsibility. I was an idiot when I was 24, Sean. So.
- [33:39]
Sean Parnell
So was I.
- [33:40]
Lisa
How do you do that? Yeah, but how do you do that?
- [33:44]
Sean Parnell
I don't know. I don't know. You just. You know, I had a conversation with my mom when I got back from Afghanistan and maybe a couple years after, and my youngest brother. I'm the oldest of four, and so my youngest brother was like. Like, helping my middle brother move down to Texas or something like that, or. And my mom was like, oh, I'm nervous that your younger brother Andy's gonna have to drive. Drive, you know, his brother's car all the way down to Texas. And I'm, like, thinking like, ma, and he's 23 years old. Like, I think he'll be all right. I was leading people In Afghanistan at 23 years old, you know, So I don't. I don't know, you know, point of comparison. Yeah. Yeah, it was just like. It was Just something we were laughing about it, you know, I don't after. So I think part of that, Lisa, is like, I was a sophomore in college when 911 happened and that, that hit me that like, like it did millions of other Americans, you know. And I think you, if you live through 9 11, you can probably tell me exactly where you were, what you were doing and what you had plans to do that day. And I, the only thing, like I was kind of like a, I was kind of a screw up as a kid. Like my grades were okay, but I didn't really know what I wanted to do. I was elementary education major, but again as a sophomore in college, I must have changed my major A like. But when 911 happened, I knew that I wanted to join the army, go in the infantry, go to airborne school, go to Ranger school, like be on the front lines of our collective response. And you know, I just knew, I knew it in my heart of hearts that that was, that was the path that God intended me to walk at that specific moment, my life. And that's, I think, I think it's my faith in God and that that was my purpose. I think that that's how I was able to do it. And you know, 23, 24 years old, when you, when I just feel like when you know what path you're meant to walk and you know that like no matter how bad things get, this is where you're supposed to be. I've got no regrets. I just think it gives you a sense of clarity, you know, about what you're supposed to do. And in my case, it was lead troops In Afghanistan at 23, 24 years old, you know, and as horrible as that combat was, I mean, seriously, like we, like you think back to 2006. I don't know if you're doing stuff at Fox back then. I sure as hell wasn't. I mean, it was like a staff.
- [36:28]
Lisa
I can't, I'm trying to think 24. I think it was like working on Capitol Hill doing, you know, like nothing of nothing like you were doing. It wasn't of note, I'll tell you that much.
- [36:36]
Sean Parnell
You know, I, I don't know. I mean, we're probably, we're probably the same age, you know.
- [36:40]
Lisa
Yeah.
- [36:42]
Sean Parnell
So I'm a little, I'm a little older than you, but, you know, I'll.
- [36:44]
Lisa
Take those couple of years, but for, you know.
- [36:49]
Sean Parnell
I don't know, I, I feel like it was the path I was, I was meant to walk, you know, and you know, get back and you see, I was able to take a company command and then did a battalion rear detachment command. And so at the age of 28 years old, ended up being in charge of like 18 or 1900, like, people where I was in charge of training young soldiers to go to war and taking care of the wounded when they came home and then looking after the families who were left back at home and then ultimately doing the casualty notification, which was 10 times worse than, than combat. So I've seen both sides of the fight. I've seen. I've seen combat up close and personal, and I've seen the fallout here at home. And what I was saying earlier is that, like, no one expected my platoon or our experience in Afghanistan, Lisa, to be like, what it was like. If you think back to 2006 and if you were a congressional staffer working on the Hill or something like that back then, then, you know, the talk back then was the Iraq War and whether or not there were weapons of mass destruction there or should we. Should George W. Bush send more troops to the surge in Iraq or not. Should we even be there or not? At the time, Afghanistan was just a stability and support operation. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. And, man, like, we just got thrown into the meat grinder. We are in eastern Afghanistan, about five clicks, five kilometers from the Pakistan border. Our mission was, like, about as simple as you can. You can get, find Osama bin Laden, close with and destroy the enemy. That's it. And man, we just got attacked every single day. We were outnumbered every single day. I mean, my base, my base probably took 4,000 rockets and 485 days, 4,000, you know, hundreds of direct fire engagements just sort of this, like, got thrown in there. You know, so much of the focus of this nation was on Iraq that we couldn't even get up armored Humvees because all of it was going to Iraq. Like, before we were supposed to come home after, after a year, we got extended for four more months, 16 months. Why? Because the soldiers that were supposed to replace us in Afghanistan got sent to Iraq in support of the surge. So we were sort of like an afterthought. And we went through absolute hell. And ultimately, Lisa, that. That's why I wrote the book, because I thought to myself, like, oh, my God, like, nobody knows in this country and nobody knew how bad Afghanistan was way back in 2006. Nobody. And I just felt like it was my job as the leader of that platoon to make sure that the legacy of my soldiers was kept alive. And you Know, even if Outlaw Platoon ended up being a word document on my computer that I emailed all of my troops that like, maybe once every 10 years we read through and drank beers or whatever, like, that would be. That's worth it. At least their experiences on the page preserved forever. I didn't know that. I didn't know that it would take off and become a bestseller in its first week. And I was. I feel like I was also lucky. It was also. Maybe it was just fate when Outlaw Platoon came out. Do you remember that story way back in the day where soldiers at Bagram got in trouble for, like, burning a Quran or something like that? And that was like, all over the news. It was like headline news for like a week. Well, Outlaw Batun came out at that exact time. And I was like the young kid with an Afghan with the new Afghanistan book. And you know how that goes on Fox News and stuff like that. Like, I was a new guy with the book, so I was able to go on there and promote it, and the rest is history. I was just. It was just. It was just a blessing to be able to have that opportunity, you know, and tell. Tell the story of my troops.
- [40:44]
Lisa
You had talked about, you know, obviously we had superior, you know, equipment being the U.S. but you're on their terrain and you're in the mountains. How difficult is it to try to navigate that when, you know, you're on their home base, right? You're in their mountains.
- [41:00]
Sean Parnell
That is. That's another great question. It was. It was ridiculous. I mean, there's another thing about Afghanistan. Like, if you want to go back to a time where Jesus Christ walked the earth, add the AK47, like the ICOM walkie talkie type radio and a pickup truck, and you've got Afghanistan there. When we were there, there was like one paved road in the entire country. No running water, no electricity, no economy. All finding age. Males would do all the men and the villagers that we were around would cut down wood all summer and prep for the winter, and that was it. That's all. Like, there was nothing. Nothing. And it's just all tribal. And so when we were where we were in Brumel, like Burmel district was. We were in the valley. Our base was in the valley, but fighting up in the mountains. I mean, we were probably at 14, 15,000ft there, you know, in the Hindu Kush mountains. And so if you're like a football fan, that's like playing a football game at Mile High Stadium times three. And the enemy that we faced over There again, like you hear the media talk about, and you certainly saw this during the collapse of Afghanistan, but the media talks about the Taliban as if they're a monolithic force and they are not. I mean, you have so many different enemy factions that you face over there on a day to day basis, whether it's the Haqqani network or Hekmati or, or Al Qaeda or Taliban or just crimes that happen on a day to day basis like any other country that, like any other country in the world. And as a young leader, you've got to like navigate all that somehow and be almost like, you know, an ambassador, an American ambassador with a gun, you know, ready on a moment's notice to either, you know, fire your weapon in defense of your troops or cradle a baby in a village where you're doing a humanitarian. I mean, it was one of the most complex, rugged environments that I certainly have ever been in. And you know, you add to that the fact that all of those enemy factions that I just told you about, like most of those, most of the enemy that we face in Afghanistan cut their teeth against the Russians in the 80s and then fought in the Afghan civil war in the 90s and then against us in a post 911 era. And you know, the average Afghan that we were fighting had 10 years combat experience on 18 year old American private. You know, this was not a group of farmers with pitchforks or some sort of ragtag insurgency that they just mustered up at the last second. No, the people that we fought there, the level of tactical acumen that they displayed on the battlefield on a day to day basis was just as good, if not better than us. And they weren't weighed down with £100 of gear like we were. And they knew the terrain better, better than we did, at least initially. Because what you know, as obviously being in Afghanistan for 16 months sucked something fierce. It was horrible. But what was interesting is this. I don't mean to sound crass, but we killed so many of them over there that we were getting intel in May of 2007 that Pakistan families were sick and tired of sending their sons into the fight. They were no longer going to commit male fighters to the war in Afghanistan. And what we saw is that a lot of the new fighters that had replaced the older ones that we had killed didn't know the terrain as good as us. So it was a real odd dynamic where at first they were better than us, they were faster than us, they knew the terr. But slowly over time, because we never broke contact, we never Surrendered. We always pressed the enemy. We would never give them that moral victory on the battlefield. We just slowly whittled away at their force and killed them one by one to the point where at the end of 16 months, we knew the terrain better than they did. And all of this culminated in an attack probably in January. It was early January of 2007. We had built, my platoon had built or my company had built the first combat outpost. And I'm sure you've seen like, you know, can't remember some of the movies names, the movie where you see in Afghanistan a combat outpost getting overrun. Probably every year after I was in Afghanistan, a combat outpost had been overrun, Lisa. And like, I was highly critical of that strategy because, like they would be manned with almost no combat power, with like a squad and all. They would, they would just be simply relegated to a defensive position there. And all along the border of Afghanistan you had like a main base with what they call cops, like combat outposts. And it almost looked like a modern day version of the Maginot line, thinking, well, if we have all these bases along the border, there's no way the enemy will be able to get by us. And that's complete bs. So anyway, like they tried to attack this base that we had built and we ended up killing, killing, I think like 200 plus fighters just in that one engagement, decisively, because we caught them just prior to them kicking off the attack. And I mean, I would wager to say that from a strategic and tactical standpoint, back in 2006 and 2007, we had, we had decisively won the fight in Afghanistan. And then we shifted from a counterterror mission, which the basic premise of a counterterror mission is going after and killing the enemy. And through killing the enemy, you secure the people, to counterinsurgency mission. Like after the surge in Iraq. I think there are strategists that would say that surge in Iraq was successful. I think I would tend to agree, at least in the moment. Back then it was pretty successful. Well, they tried to implement that exact same strategy in Afghanistan, which is an entirely different country. And once we shifted to counterinsurgency, we lost the initiative and Afghanistan went slowly downhill from there.
- [47:21]
Lisa
We've got more of our Memorial Day episode. But first.
- [47:26]
I
Hey everyone, Laura Ingram here and I have a quick message for you. Let's be honest, what we went through during COVID showed us just how broken and biased our health care system really is. It blocked access to medications that could have saved lives. Doctors were silenced, even threatened. People were told to just wait it out. But we're done waiting. That's why more and more people are turning to All Family Pharmacy. They're not part of the system that failed us all. Family Pharmacy is redefining health care, making meds like ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, antibiotics and methylene blue easy to access without jumping through the hoops. A licensed doctor handles your prescription, and your meds arrive at your door fast. They're on a mission to make America healthy again by putting control back into your hands. So take control of your health today. Go to AllFamilyPharmacy.com USA and use the code USA10 to get 10% off your order. Again, that's AllFamilyPharmacy.comUSA with the code USA10 to save 10%. Because when the system doesn't work for you, we choose a better way.
- [48:39]
Ameca Insurance Representative
At Ameca Insurance, we know it's more than just a house. It's your home. The place that's filled with memories. The early days of figuring it out to the later years of still figuring it out. For the place you've put down roots. Trust Amica Home and she Insurance Amica Empathy is our best policy.
- [49:08]
Lenovo Representative
Since its invention, the TV has been just that. A tv. But what if it could be something more? Meet Samsung Vision AI. It makes your old favorites look picture perfect with AI upscaling for optimal clarity. Watching the game with a bilingual crowd. Your TV can translate English broadcast subtitles to Spanish live.
- [49:28]
Lisa
Remember?
- [49:29]
Lenovo Representative
Maybe you're watching Samsung TV and you're wondering who that actor is. Samsung Vision AI already knows and even recommends you more content to watch. With Samsung Vision AI you get more from your TV than you ever thought possible. It starts to make you question can you even call it a TV at all? Redefine what it means to watch TV with revolutionary AI powered experiences with Samsung Vision AI. Visit samsung.com to learn more. More Vision AI features vary by model. Upscaling utilizes AI based formulas and results may vary based on source content. Translation accuracy not guaranteed. Click to searches on certain models only.
- [50:04]
Sean Parnell
It is Ryan here and I have a question for you. What do you do when you win? Like are you a fist pumper? A woohooer? A hand clapper? A high fiver? If you want to hone in on those winning moves, check out Chumba Casino. Choose from hundreds of social casino style games for your chance to redeem serious cash prizes. There are new game releases weekly plus free daily bonuses, so don't wait. Start having the most Fun ever@shambacasino.com no purchase necessary VGW Group void where prohibited by law 21/ terms and conditions apply.
- [50:35]
Podcast Host
For some of us, personal finances aren't just personal. They include a lot more people than ourselves. Loved ones, neighbors, the communities we call home, and the causes we hold in our hearts. At Thrivent, we help plan your financial picture with the bigger picture in mind. Because even though our business is helping guide your finances, our ambition is to make it mean so much more. Thrivent where money means more. Connect with us@thrivent.com.
- [51:06]
Lisa
Take us back to, you know, June 10, 2006, your platoon was outnumbered by almost 10 to 1. Ended up leaving you with injuries. You know, talk about that day and what happened.
- [51:17]
Sean Parnell
So June 10, we had been tasked, we were tasked with finding a high value target. And we had been out for a week up into that point and we sat up in an, what we call an observation post and we were just watching infiltration routes from Pakistan into Afghanistan. We knew that this Al Qaeda leader was using a cave complex to navigate from Pakistan into Afghanistan, which is how he was avoiding like our intelligence and reconnaissance and surveillance drones. So we perched up on this hill, we laid our sights in on this cave site which we thought he was using, and set in for the night. Woke up the next morning. And all throughout the night I had plotted target reference points and confirmed them with our base. Target reference point is like when you've got, at your base you want to be able to. Artillery is basically like big guns and you want to be able to get those guns into the fight as fast as humanly possible should you make contact with the enemy. And the best way to do that is not like trying to plot it in the middle of a fight. Right. I think is the best military commanders would look at a map and pick key terrain and say, okay, this hilltop here is key terrain. If the enemy takes this hilltop, they'll be able to attack us here easily. So I'm going to plot this out is target reference point one. And then you can coordinate with the, with the guns and say, look, this is my target reference point 1. When I say fire TRP1, this is what I mean. And you just, you set in target reference point 1 through 10 prior to even leaving. And so I had been, I'd studied those throughout the night. Sun crested the hill the next morning and I remember walking out and looking at some mountaintops to directly to our east that were a lot higher than the one that we were on. And I just thought to myself, that's not a good tactical position to be in. And so I don't have the manpower to occupy those hills with troops. In a perfect world, you would just occupy terrain that was higher than yours with boots. But I didn't have that. I just had one platoon. So I figured I'd occupy those hilltops by fire. And if enemy was watching us, they would think twice about setting in there, because I know that I have those positions dialed in. And so I fired those target reference points with my forward observer. Watch those. Watch the rounds, land on point, on target. And I remember walking back to my truck and. And it's just like somebody threw a veil over my entire world. Like. And I remember. I don't remember much, but I do remember waking up in a smoldering hole about 20ft from where I'd been standing, laying flat on my back. And I couldn't see. I couldn't really hear, but I could feel the stinging on my face. And it just felt like. Like. Like someone was slapping me. And as I blinked, blinked my eyes open, I see one of my team leaders, Tim Stalter, slapping me and trying to get me to wake up. And I finally wake up. I open my eyes. I look at him. He's got this big smile on his face. I'm like, what are you smiling at? What's going on? He goes, sir. He's like, you got blown the F up and started laughing, like, what the hell is he laughing at? And I remember just, like, looking beyond him at these trees, because we had these big, huge trees up on the hilltop with us that a lot of my men were taking cover behind, and the tops of these trees that look like they hadn't been touched since prehistoric era, they were just getting blown to smithereens, like, just crazy. And I remember looking to my left hand, which was shaking, and it just, like, kind of laying in the Afghan dust, and I could see rounds landing between my fingers. Like. Like the level of fire that. That we were being hit with was like nothing I've ever seen before or felt before. Like, it. Like I felt like laying there on the ground with one of my soldiers on top. Like, if I moved even 1cm to the left or the right, I'd get shot. That's how heavy the fire was. I remember looking to my left, and I see my platoon sergeant, Greg Greason, and his back is, like, covered in blood, and he's pointing to himself, like, saying that he's hit. And all around my perimeter, I had five gun trucks on the hilltop that day, and I had 24 soldiers on the ground along with one interpreter. But all along the perimeter, at every one of my trucks, almost everybody was hit. Like, my platoon sergeant was hit. He's my number two in chain of command. Squad leader Phil Baldwin was shot in the leg. He wasn't really trying to deal with that injury, but he was trying to furiously stop the bleeding of his team leader, Bennett Garvin, who was shot in the arm. I watched Mike Emmerich up on the. Up on his.50 caliber machine gun up on his truck. He got shot in the head, fell in the truck, popped back up without his helmet on. I mean, it was. It all hell was breaking loose within. Within 60 seconds of getting attacked that day, almost every key leader in my platoon had been hit, including myself. And as I sat up, like, Stalter, the kid that had, like, brought me back sat me up straight, and I remember feeling this, like, clear liquid leaking out of my nose and my ears. And I didn't know it at the time, but it ended up being like cerebral spinal fluid. I had. I had fractured my skull very slightly after getting blown up. And I just remember thinking, well, okay, I'm not bleeding. It must be something else, and got up and got back into the fight. And I'm trying to figure out at this point, like, how many people are injured, how many of my trucks can drive, what weapon systems are up versus down, how many rounds of ammunition that we have left. Like, I've got to get the artillery at the base firing back on these guys. I should be calling for air support. I gotta get back to my truck to do it all. Looking at those hilltops that I had called for fire on, Lisa, the enemy had in place 3 machine gun nests on each hilltop that I called for fire on. So they had six machine guns dialed in on our position, and they were firing in, in what was like an X. Like if you had to draw an X over my hilltop, my hilltop was right where that. Where the X intersected. So they had us in a wicked crossfire. They were at an elevated position, so they were hitting us with what's called plunging fire. So they were arcing the rounds down on top of us. The reason why people do that is because if you're like, taking cover behind a rock or something, you want to be able to, like, drop the round in on top of them. So it just minimizes. Minimizes your. An enemy's ability to take cover. And I'm watching them hit us with plunging fire and thinking, like, holy hell, like, how the hell do they know how to do that? You know, And I'm watching the guns, the support by fire positions that they had, the two separate ones, they weren't just firing all at the same time. One gun would fire and stop, the next gun would fire and stop the next one, you know, and so on and so forth. And the reason why they did that is because if they fired those guns on like a cyclic rate, their barrels would melt. So they were firing and letting their barrels cool, like all the way up and down the line. Again, never fought. Like they. That's what we do, Lisa, that that's how we fight. And so the enemy had hit my position with airburst mortars to keep the head, keep our heads down while they simultaneously emplaced two separate support by fire positions. And the next step is I'm trying to like unpack everything that's happening. And really, like, when you're in a moment like that, it's like you remember, like you ever look through like a kaleidoscope when you're a kid and you turn the kaleidoscope and you see all those colors move around like that. It's all sort of happening at once. That's like that. It's like being like that, it's like combat is like that. A million different things happening all around you all at once. And I'm trying to figure out what they're gonna do. And I'm thinking, oh my God, like if I were them, I'd attack. And no sooner did I that I think that they did. From both of those hilltops, two platoon size elements, like 40 men plus so rushing down those hilltops and up to our position. But it wasn't just like a human wave attack. Again, they were one fireteam moving, the other one shooting, and they were bounding. And with squad leader, like giving fire team commands, it was the craziest thing I'd ever seen. So I ended up getting to my truck and calling for fire. I called for fire danger close on our position, which essentially means like right on top of us ourselves. The whole intent of that is to just try to keep them off of us and give our. Give, give my men some time to react, reload, consolidate, reorganize, and fight back. And I'm watching these rounds land with ruthless efficiency and like vaporize. Like these guys as they, they bound towards us and it didn't matter how many rounds landed, they had people to replace them. It just, it was just an unrelenting assault on our position. And they got so close to us that, that we had to blow claymore mines. Like we put claymore mines in around our positions just in case, like we're about to be overrun. So we're like blowing claymore mines like people. All my squad leaders are saying they're going black on ammunition. Every member of my platoon is hurt. I've got all these casualties out there stranded. You know, I'm watching my medic try to carry one of my, one of my squad leaders back to the casualty collection point. He lifts up this guy, watch him get shot in the face. He falls down. I think my medic is dead. He's Jose Pantoha. He's this kid from Mexico. It came to America because he loved, he loved the country and wanted to serve the country. And I remember he got shot in the face. Even a citizen of the country who's supposed to get his citizenship July 4, a month later, like, oh my God, he just got shot before he can become a US citizen. And. But he got back up. Entire left side of his face was, was completely destroyed. But he got one of my squad leaders to the casualty collection point. That was the kind of day it was, Lisa. And we, that fight took probably eight, at least eight hours. We dropped probably 112000 pound bombs and at the end had to bring in B1 strategic Lancer, a B1 bomber to drop like probably 10 more. And what had ended up happening, Lisa, was that I called for fire on those target reference points earlier. But it looked, what we had come to learn is that the enemy at night had planned to attack us. And I had hit him just before they were going to attack. And so it was like hitting a hornet's nest with a baseball bat or something. They were already in position ready to attack us. I just hit him before they hit us. Which I guess in hindsight being 20 20, I'm glad that I did because it would have probably not gone as good for us as it did is even though it wasn't. I mean, all things considered, wasn't good. But I would have much. I was glad that we attacked first, you know, and every one of my trucks was, was destroyed. They had to be towed off the hilltop and got back to the base that day after like that long, that long firefight. And I think like every member of my platoon got treated. We took another platoon's trucks and went right back out after the enemy. Like after we, after we got back, went right back out after them to hunt them down. And we set in that night and we did. We hunted them all down and we got them. I think we killed. Probably. Oh, man. Probably killed. Probably killed like, a hundred people that day. Like bad guys trying to attack us. And so. But that's the kind of deployment. That's the kind of deployment that we had. It was absolutely hell. I. I look back on it. You're like, you asked me, how did you do it? And the answer is, I have no freaking clue. I can't believe I lived through it. I can't believe I made it through.
- [63:32]
Lisa
All that, you know, shot. As we recount this and as you. You look back and. And, you know, talk about those times and, you know, we talked about Ukraine going on now, you know, Taiwan. What should our lessons. What lessons should we learn from Afghanistan as a society? What do you hope that politicians learn? What do you hope the country learns from our time in Afghanistan?
- [63:53]
Sean Parnell
Just be more careful with America's sons and daughters. You know, I. I know. I know that freedom is worth fighting for. Freedom is worth dying for America. My God, if we were attacked, I'd be the first in line, ready to. Ready to fight back. But we should not be getting ourselves locked down in these fights that take 20, 30, 40 years, cost tens of thousands of American lives or wounded Americans, people whose lives are changed forever. You know, if you lose a loved one in Afghanistan, the ripple effect from that is profound. You have family members, moms, dads, sisters, brothers, spouses that will never see that person again. And the hole that that leaves in people's hearts, the void that it leaves in their lives, is something that it lasts forever, like, every second of every day. And again, please don't misunderstand me. This is not like a poor me thing. I. Again, I would do this again in a second, but every second of every day. The war in Afghanistan is with me. Doesn't mean that I'm broken, has nothing, you know, I'm fine. I can handle it. I do it all again. But it's like. It's like spyware on your computer. It runs without you even knowing. You know, like, my troops that I lost in Afghanistan, first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing I think about when I go to sleep. And over 20 years in that fight, lost so many people in that country that I wish were still here. And I think what's even more tragic than that is that in however many combat deployments that my men went on, and they. Some of my soldiers even went on combat deployments after the one that I took them on, I mean, we probably lost in my small unit, we've lost more people to suicide than we have to combat. What does that tell you about the way in which we take care of our soldiers or our men and women who serve this country here at home? Not that the VA isn't amazing. I'm grateful and glad that we have the VA but the problems that we face here are far greater than maybe going to see a doctor or being given some drugs in a paper bag and, hey, send on your way on behalf of a grateful nation. The problems that veterans face here at home are largely existential problems, cultural problems that I think America as a country needs to face. And so what I'd like to see is that I'd like to see our politicians be more careful with America's sons and daughters, number one. I'd also like to see America like our country as a whole. And that means, like, these little communities that we all live in, like, do everything that we can to recognize our men and women and serve. And I think it needs to. We need to go beyond, like, thank you for your service. Like, I think we need to bring these people, like, into a high school gymnasium and have them tell their story, if they're willing, in front of a bunch of high school students so that those kids not only learn about what it means to defend freedom, the legacy of that soldier and the people that that person lost lives on and the people that hear that story. Like, I think as a society, we need to do more with regards to bringing our men and women home. And so, yeah, be more careful with America's sons and daughters and American society getting in the fight from a cultural standpoint to. To appreciate and love our vets.
- [67:46]
Lisa
Well, that's why I really wanted to have this conversation with you. You know, one. Not only to just, you know, obviously to honor the, you know, those who have served and have lost their lives serving this country and defending this country, but really just sort of bringing awareness to what it takes and what you guys go through and why we should be judicious and why we should be careful with our. Our people's lives. And I think our, you know, our lives are the mother. Our military men and women or our own people. Like, their lives. That's the most important thing, right? That's our most cherished asset. Like, we left a bunch of weapons, whatever, behind in Afghanistan. Obviously, that's a challenge, but it's the lives, it's our people that we should cherish and be careful with. And so, you know, that's why I really wanted to have this conversation with you about that. And again, your April tune was so bright. Over 85 receive Purple Hearts for wounds they incurred in battle. And I wanted to get you on this real quick before we go. You talked about sort of that. That brotherhood that brought you guys together day in and day out. Didn't matter what you're facing, you know, you looked beyond. It wasn't about looking at, you know, race or religion or any of these other things. You just saw him as, you know, your brother, more or less, right? And now it's like we're sort of injecting all these things in the military, Whether it's critical race theory, whether it's things like, you know, gender pronouns, and what kind of impact does that have on. On our military?
- [69:07]
Sean Parnell
It's. It's devastating. It's devastating because, again, it's not. Like, the military is not about diversity, okay? Like, it. I'm grateful to have intellectual diversity in my platoon or in my units that I commanded. I'm grateful to have racial diversity or people from a lot of different backgrounds. Like, that makes us better. But the problem with a lot, like, critical race theory being injected into the military or some of these other, like, I got these people with their pronouns and their bios and stuff and all this other stuff, and, like, hey, do what you want to do. But the military is about unifying beyond those differences, not celebrating them. So anytime. It's like, the whole point of going through basic training, right? The whole point of it, Lisa, is you go in there and individual. You know that you come out a member of a collective team. The whole point, the reason why you have drill sergeants screaming in your face and yelling at you the whole time, is to whittle down, break down your sense of individual self and teach you in a very, like, rubber meets the road kind of way that the individual doesn't matter here anymore. What matters is the collective, and you're only as fast as your slowest person. And going to Afghanistan the way that we did and experiencing the things that we did, if that. If our dedication to our team and our unit wasn't first and foremost, we would have not survived. 100% guarantee you. We would have not survived. And so this focus on, oh, like, oh, look how diverse we are. This is a strength. Yeah, it is, but it's only a strength in a military if you unify beyond it. That's where the strength is. And so I think it's. I think it's dangerous. I think it's real dangerous.
- [71:04]
Lisa
Is there anything else you want to leave us with before we go a.
- [71:07]
Sean Parnell
Lot of people, you're gonna see a lot of people on Memorial Day talk about, like, well, hey, this isn't for barbecuing, you know, And I would just say, like, you celebrate Memorial Day the way that you want, because, you know, I feel like my soldiers who haven't been who, you know, who didn't make it back, they don't get to celebrate at all, you know, And I think it's incumbent upon all of us. I think it's really our duty and responsibility to live freely and enjoy the freedom that they sacrifice themselves to protect. I mean, of course, you know, if you get a minute, like, you know, if you're drinking a beer or walking on the beach or reading the book or just sitting on your deck or watching your kids play, like, just say a silent prayer. And just for the men and women who didn't come home. But you celebrate the way that you want in America because that's what the men and women who sign up and volunteer to serve this country, that's what they gave their lives to do. So just don't forget, never forget them, and have a good Memorial Day.
- [72:15]
Lisa
Sean, it's an honor to have you on the show. You are a hero. And I thank you so much for your service, sir, and just sharing what you went through in Afghanistan and the bravery of your platoon with my audience and me. And thank you so much for coming on the show. I really appreciate it.
- [72:31]
Sean Parnell
Thanks for having me, Lisa.
- [72:32]
Lenovo Representative
Since its invention, the TV has been just that, a tv. But what if it could be something more? Meet Samsung Vision AI Whether it's upscaling classic content to look brand new or translating in English broadcast subtitles to Spanish in real time, Samsung Vision AI helps you get more from TV than you ever thought possible. Redefine what it means to watch TV with Samsung Vision AI. Visit Samsung.com to learn more. Vision AI features vary by model. Upscaling utilizes AI based formulas and results may vary based on source content, translation accuracy not guaranteed.
- [73:03]
Podcast Host
For some of us, personal finances aren't just personal. They include a lot more people than ourselves, loved ones, neighbors, the communities we call home, and the causes we hold in our hearts. At Thrivent, we help plan your financial picture with the bigger picture in mind. Because even though our business is helping guide your finances, our ambition is to make it mean so much more. Thrivent where money means more. Connect with us@thrivent.com.
- [73:36]
Sean Parnell
Clorox Sentiva smells like grapefruit.
- [73:42]
Ameca Insurance Representative
Cleans like Clorox and feels like.
- [73:48]
Sean Parnell
Yeah, okay, we could be here all day.
- [73:55]
Greenlight Representative
Try Clorox Scentiva for a trusted clean.
- [73:58]
Podcast Host
With long lasting freshness.
- [73:59]
Greenlight Representative
Also available in lavender and coconut. News as directed in the heat of battle, your squad relies on you. Don't let them down. Unlock elite gaming tech@lenovo.com Dominate every match with Nexlo level speed, seamless streaming and performance that won't quit so you can push your gameplay beyond performance with Intel Core Ultra processors for the next era of gaming. Upgrade to smooth high quality streaming with Intel Wi Fi 6e and maximize game performance with enhanced overclocking. Win the tech search power up@lenovo.com.
- [74:38]
Lisa
Travel smarter, not harder at America's Best Value Inn by Sonesta with convenient locations from coast to coast and value packed comfort at every turn and when you're a Sonesta Travel Pass member, staying at America's Best Value Inn means earning points toward free nights, upgrades and more. Go to sonesta.com to book your stay and unlock their best rates with Sonesta Travel Pass. Keep here today, Rome tomorrow. Join now@sinesta.com Terms and conditions apply.
- [75:07]
Podcast Host
This is an iHeart podcast.