187 - How The VA Failed This Disabled Military Veteran ft. Tejano Space Cowboy | Unsubscribe Podcast Ep 187

Summary

Unsubscribe Podcast Episode 187: How The VA Failed This Disabled Military Veteran ft. Tejano Space Cowboy

In Episode 187 of the Unsubscribe Podcast, hosts Brandon Herrera, Eli Double Tap, and Donut Operator engage in a profound and heartfelt conversation with Sebastian, also known as Tejano Space Cowboy. This episode delves deep into Sebastian’s military service, the severe challenges he faced due to inadequate support from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and his inspiring journey toward self-advocacy and technological innovation in prosthetics.

1. Introduction to Sebastian

The episode begins with the hosts warmly welcoming Sebastian, a disabled Marine Corps veteran whose experiences shed light on the systemic issues within the VA. Sebastian introduces himself humorously, setting a candid and relatable tone for the discussions to follow.

2. Military Service and Injury

Sebastian recounts his enlistment in the Marine Corps in 2007, specifically aiming to serve in Afghanistan to confront the Taliban. His deployment in 2010 to Helmand Province during the surge was marked by intense combat, where he was tragically wounded by a submerged Improvised Explosive Device (IED). Reflecting on this harrowing experience, Sebastian shares:

"I began to put my own tourniquet on. Dude, it was terrible." [00:00]

He further elaborates on the chaos of the battlefield, the camaraderie, and the heavy losses his unit endured, including the death of his squad leader.

3. Struggles with the VA for Prosthetics

Post-injury, Sebastian faced significant hurdles in obtaining prosthetic limbs through the VA. The process was marred by long wait times, bureaucratic delays, and limited resources, especially for upper limb amputations. He expresses his frustration:

"This arm would not have come if the VA wasn't doing such a bad job." [04:10]

Sebastian highlights the disparity between the VA’s capabilities and the actual support veterans receive, emphasizing that the VA's administrative focus often overshadows critical medical needs.

4. Self-Made Prosthetics and Engineering

Determined to regain functionality, Sebastian took matters into his own hands. He modified his prosthetic arm extensively, drawing inspiration from his Mexican heritage and practical needs. His efforts led him to collaborate with George Schroeder, a millionaire with an aerospace background, who custom-built a superior prosthetic for him. Sebastian humorously likens his creation to a makeshift version of Iron Man’s arm:

"It was the Mark 1 version of like Iron Man." [02:42]

This partnership underscored the potential for innovation when private individuals and veterans collaborate, bypassing the often sluggish VA system.

5. Comparison with International Prosthetic Technology

Sebastian draws a stark contrast between the prosthetic advancements in the U.S. and those in countries like Ukraine. He notes that due to higher amputee numbers and urgent needs, international companies are rapidly advancing prosthetic technology, often outpacing U.S. efforts:

"Ukrainians, I think they're going to have a lot more prosthetic technology advancements come out of that war." [30:50]

This comparison highlights the inefficiencies within the VA and the urgent need for reform and investment in veterans' healthcare.

6. Impact on Civilian Life and Fatherhood

Becoming a father marked a pivotal shift in Sebastian’s perspective. The responsibility of caring for his young son intensified his need for a functional prosthetic arm. He shares the emotional and practical challenges of parenting with a disability:

"I never had that fear of being disabled until I became a dad." [09:14]

Sebastian emphasizes that his son's dependency became a driving force in his advocacy for better prosthetic support and technology.

7. Humor and Coping Mechanisms

Throughout the episode, the hosts and Sebastian discuss the role of dark humor as a coping mechanism for trauma. Sebastian shares anecdotes about awkward social interactions and the stigma associated with his prosthetics, illustrating how humor helps mitigate the emotional burden:

"It's just a funny thing, like, whenever my shorts take long sleeves, all you see is my hand." [90:01]

This segment underscores the resilience of veterans and their ability to find levity amidst adversity.

8. The Role of Support Networks and Organizations

Sebastian acknowledges the importance of organizations like Creative Vets, which provide creative outlets for veterans to share their stories through music and art. He highlights his collaboration on the song "Dark Horse," dedicated to his unit, as a means of healing and advocacy:

"We wrote a song dedicated to my unit, Dark Horse, from Creative Vets." [51:36]

These networks play a crucial role in supporting veterans’ mental health and fostering community.

9. Advocacy and Call to Action

A significant portion of the discussion centers on Sebastian’s advocacy for improved prosthetic access and technology in the U.S. He passionately calls for domestically manufactured, affordable, and high-quality prosthetics, criticizing the VA’s limited capacity and outdated systems:

"America should have the best prosthetics." [83:37]

Sebastian urges listeners to support advancements in prosthetic technology and to advocate for systemic changes within the VA to better serve veterans.

10. Conclusion and Takeaways

As the episode concludes, the hosts reflect on Sebastian’s journey, emphasizing the importance of resilience, community support, and the urgent need for VA reform. They highlight how platforms like the Unsubscribe Podcast play a vital role in amplifying veterans' voices and fostering a supportive environment for healing and advocacy.

Notable Quotes:

• "This arm would not have come if the VA wasn't doing such a bad job." – Sebastian [04:10]
• "America should have the best prosthetics." – Sebastian [83:37]
• "I never had that fear of being disabled until I became a dad." – Sebastian [09:14]

Final Thoughts: Episode 187 of the Unsubscribe Podcast delivers a compelling narrative of struggle, innovation, and unwavering determination. Sebastian’s candid discussions shed light on the critical flaws within the VA system, the transformative power of self-advocacy, and the importance of community support for disabled veterans. This episode serves as both an eye-opener and a call to action for listeners to support and advocate for the heroes who have sacrificed so much.

Transcript

[Sebastian]

I began to put my own tourniquet on. Dude, it was terrible.

[Brandon Herrera]

It's that train.

[Eli Double Tap]

America should have the best prosthetics.

[Sebastian]

I did all this myself.

[Eli Double Tap]

Antonio Stark over here.

[Brandon Herrera]

Dude.

[Donut Operator]

How many arms do you have?

[Brandon Herrera]

One.

[Sebastian]

They're thinking, I'm gonna die. And I'm, like, yelling at them.

[Brandon Herrera]

You're, like, in and out of consciousness. You're still a dude. Yeah. Pop it.

[Eli Double Tap]

Pop.

[Brandon Herrera]

Are you a big drinker?

[Sebastian]

I do drink. I do. Oh, I'm so sorry.

[Brandon Herrera]

Wait till we come down.

[Sebastian]

I'm so sorry. Damn it.

[Brandon Herrera]

Military jersey. God, you lose one army think you're special.

[Eli Double Tap]

God damn.

[Sebastian]

He, like, he told me to. Oh, God.

[Eli Double Tap]

All right, we ready to pop this off?

[Brandon Herrera]

Yeah. Three, two, one. Ah.

[Donut Operator]

Hi, everyone. Welcome to the Unsubscribe podcast. I'm joined today by Eli Double Tap. Space Tiano. Right. Is that. We wanted to meet, introduce you.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. Tahano Space cowboy.

[Donut Operator]

Honda Space guy. Sorry, I got that. I messed it up again. Brandon Herrera, myself, donut operator. Thank you for joining in.

[Brandon Herrera]

Heck, it's so good to see you, dude. Okay, I. We met in the past, and I completely. We sent. I think show sent is like, hey, we should have. Sebastian. I was like, yeah. I was, like, looking. I was like, I. I swear I've met this dude before. And I think the first time we met, I made a joke or something, and then you're like, huh. You didn't know me at that point, so you're like, oh, he's just an asshole. That was at the old. The ranch. The cooking show. We were at the cooking show. I wanted new.

[Eli Double Tap]

Okay.

[Brandon Herrera]

The cooking show.

[Sebastian]

I just. I was with Logan, and. Because Logan was in 3, 5. And I just remember it was. It was like, Y's content. Content house. And I had a blue arm at that. I had a different arm at that time. It was a really ghetto. It was gigantic arm. So it was, like, really hard to, like, be low key in that arm. It was like fucking the size of a leg, dude.

[Donut Operator]

How many arms do you have?

[Brandon Herrera]

I have one.

[Sebastian]

Yeah, I have one, technically. You know what? Like, it does get confusing because you're like, how many arms? You have real arms. I was like, to me. I was like, this is a real arm to me. But I have. I have two prosthetics. Three prosthetics just based on, like, which ones actually work right now. But that one, I have it. It's. It's like. It was, like, decommissioned, but I. I don't consider it, like, in use because it was so huge. It's really hard for me to move around with and stuff like that. Because if you remember, which is. It was gigantic. It looked like something from a fucking anime cuz it was so big.

[Brandon Herrera]

It was the Mark 1 version of like Iron Man.

[Sebastian]

Yeah, it was a gigantic arm. And it was like the first time that VA in San Antonio had ever built a prosthetic, an upper extremity prosthetic. So they were terrible at it. And that's. That kind of began my journey on like getting into prosthetics myself. Because I didn't know that not everybody could build prosthetics, upper extremity prosthetics at the level of like the best people.

[Brandon Herrera]

It's crazy. The VA is definitely. Yeah, we have the money, we just don't want to spend that much of it.

[Sebastian]

Yeah, it's. Go on, Brandon.

[Eli Double Tap]

I was just going to say it's like. Oh yeah, you, you saw the joke face. It's not as, as much of a joke as it just sad like. Oh, we'd rather spe on administrative staff bulletins and talk about how to use pronouns on the high level in the va. Yeah, your arm, you don't really need that, but we really need these bulletins, you know?

[Sebastian]

Yeah, like I, I fucking. I would, I would really love to talk about the VA at some point, but. Yeah, I'm sure we'll get there, brother. I feel bad. I feel bad talking about my situation. But this arm would not have come if the VA wasn't doing such a bad job. Because this guy may, this guy who built this army heard about my story and heard about my difficulty getting prosthetics from the va. No background in prosthetics and he built this for me from scratch. His background was aerospace and so yeah, the va like I always tell people like, like, oh, the VA guy. Because I get a lot of that. Like the VA made us like, this is nothing to do with the VA The VA did not do this. This is not a. It's a different level of prosthetic.

[Eli Double Tap]

But I'm just noticing things like the picatinny on the thumb.

[Sebastian]

Yeah, I put that on there. I got that from people commented on Tick Tock for me to put a rail on there. And I was like, for a flashlight and I had done that before lower. But I didn't do this. I never want to insult the guy who made this work. I mean, I did this. He did all this other stuff. I did this because I, I wanted to take a bite out of this notch right here. Cuz I'M a dad, and whenever I carry my son, this notch would dig into his. His back. So I just wanted to soften up that notch. And you can see, I try to build up, but they put a little.

[Eli Double Tap]

Pec unit on it. So if anybody pisses you off, you could just blind them with ir.

[Sebastian]

I do put it on there.

[Brandon Herrera]

Let's rewind. So tell your story. I know probably a bunch of people have heard it through your social media, but what year did you enlist?

[Sebastian]

I joined the Marine Corps in 2007.

[Brandon Herrera]

Damn, you were. You were an OG. You did surge time then?

[Sebastian]

No, no, no.

[Brandon Herrera]

Afghan Afghanistan surge.

[Sebastian]

Afghanistan surge. Yeah, I. I think I. I always say Iraq was a little bit before my time. I joined the Marine Corps to. To go to Afghanistan and specifically the Taliban. I still tell people, you know, I still think they're terrible people. And you kind of have to, like, educate people about why they're terrible people to, like, explain, you know, like, what they're doing to women. But, yeah, I joined in 27 and 2007 specifically for the Taliban, and I was wounded in the surge in 2010 and saying in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, it.

[Eli Double Tap]

Was an IED blast.

[Sebastian]

Yeah, yeah. Stepping into a canal and actually don't talk about it that much on my social media just because I, you know, it's something that you like. I mean, you know, like, you just don't talk about it because it's like, for me, it just recently passed. And to commemorate, like, whenever I talk about it, like, yeah, I, you know, I lost my squad leader and as it gets further away, gets easier to talk about. But, like, you know, whenever you have that kind of thing, it's not something that I talk about just because we lost so many people there, you know, Dark Horse, we lost so many Marines that I feel like I don't like talking about. It's because, like, it's kind of like, to people, because you don't want to take them to a dark place. Civilians, you know, to me.

[Brandon Herrera]

Oh, yeah.

[Sebastian]

A lot of my. A lot of my stuff is like, kids are asking questions and stuff like that. And so, like, I'll explain to them like, you know, Avengers and stuff. Like, you don't take them to, like, I don't know, they don't want to know, you know, all the darkness. But specifically, like, to me, you know, whenever I was wounded, I was a rifle team leader and stepping into a canal, my squad leader took the brun of the blast. It was a submerged ied and like, all of the shit tied to that Whenever I think about when I was wounded, I don't think about me. I think about, you know, a little girl who doesn't have a dad, you know, so that's something that I think later on got easier for me to talk about. But people are like, you know, why I didn't always talk about it was because, like, I'm so close to with all my gold star families, that it's not something that I was like, you know, like, you know, didn't feel appropriate to talk. Yeah, because they're. Because to them, they're like, you know, you're. Whenever you're first, you're inundated with family members asking you questions about, like, their son's last moments and stuff like that. So you kind of feel like, it's not just my story, it's that hard.

[Brandon Herrera]

One, because it's going through those, experiencing yourself, and then how do you handle that? Is it. Ask yourself the questions, how do I honor them? And then it is that older man. It's like the World War II vets you always hear, it's like, oh, Grandpa wouldn't talk about his war stories. You have some that talk about it with more ease. And then some people like yourself, where you're like, ah, it's not my story to tell. But as time goes on, you're healing through it. You're coming to terms with it. And now you're like, okay, I can. I can start talking about this or explaining.

[Eli Double Tap]

It was a different generation, too. Like, my grandfather would just drink and beat my grandma.

[Sebastian]

So spending spending time with Vietnam veterans really made me feel like, oh, I'm doing okay, you know, because they're like, you know, I got no POWs who were like, you know, they went to fucking prison. My dad was a Vietnam veteran, and he was drafted into Vietnam. And like, I didn't know anything about his military service. And, And. And one of the reasons I joined the Marine Corps was I resented how quiet he was. He didn't speak at all. And then now, you know, as an adult later on in life, I was like, I understood, like, oh, like, you know, they were spit on. And so they had this shame and stuff like that. And. But talking to Vietnam veterans, like, so many of them, especially the combat veterans, they spent time in prison, bars, fights and stuff like that. And I know that from my own people. We have some of those people, too. But, yeah, it definitely is a different generation.

[Brandon Herrera]

What was when coming to terms with that, now that you're saying, hey, later in life, it is becoming easier to talk about what was one of those turning points for you to make that possible.

[Sebastian]

For me, becoming a dad, becoming a dad really, really changed, like, because I think before I was so prideful, I was so proud, especially talking to my gold star families. Like, I didn't tell them everything that happened until my son was born. My son was born. And I was like, oh, you should really know every detail about your son.

[Eli Double Tap]

What was the. Was the time gap there?

[Sebastian]

My son's 2. 2 years old, so about like 8. Like, I mean, like 8, 10 years. Because even in college, went to UIW and I remember, like, taking pride in my professors not knowing that I was military because that arm was so. It was like. It's got a Katrina Calavera on it. It's like a Mexican sugar school. And I just remember one time her telling my professor that I had to, like, miss something for a VA appointment. And she was like, va? What's that? And I was like, oh, it's like the. Like, you can't get out of those. And she was like, what's the va? And I was like, it's the veterans whatever hospital. And she was like, I didn't even know you were a veteran.

[Donut Operator]

You had a college professor ask you.

[Sebastian]

What the v. Yeah, I mean, she's. It's a private school, you know, nothing. UIW is a very rich, rich, rich, rich. Good, Great education. But I think that, like, I, you know, she wasn't originally from America too, so, you know, I. You're. I guess I'm always surprised by, like, people who don't have exposure. Academics.

[Brandon Herrera]

Yeah.

[Sebastian]

Academia. Academia is something, you know, that's people.

[Eli Double Tap]

Who lived a very insulated life.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. Their own. Their own very. It is a private school. Smart people.

[Brandon Herrera]

This poor Hispanic just born with only one.

[Sebastian]

Yeah, that's what she thought. And I was like.

[Brandon Herrera]

What the fuck? White lady?

[Sebastian]

Let me guess.

[Eli Double Tap]

A lawnmower accident.

[Donut Operator]

That weed eater just popped back up.

[Brandon Herrera]

She brings the prosthetic with the weed eater attached. I got you this.

[Sebastian]

By the way.

[Eli Double Tap]

I'm free on third Thursdays.

[Brandon Herrera]

What's your schedule?

[Sebastian]

Yeah. Ironic. I did break my. My other arm mowing the lawn. And that was something that. It was funny. Like, everybody's like, why are you mowing your own lawn? And I'm like, I'm Mexican. Like, I don't know. I just. Not. Like, I get. I might have pay somebody to mow my lawn. Holy.

[Donut Operator]

This is the first time I'm a minority.

[Sebastian]

That's true.

[Eli Double Tap]

Yeah.

[Brandon Herrera]

Three browns in white.

[Eli Double Tap]

Ba laza.

[Sebastian]

Am I? Yeah.

[Brandon Herrera]

Oh, man. So you got. You were like, okay, we going through that? Started opening up to your kiddos? Did you open up. When did you start talking about it? I'm assuming just with your friends. If you did speak about the incident and then around the new friends, was it ever talking?

[Sebastian]

Yeah. So new friends is something that's like, you know, it's. It's really. It's. It's a weird space because, like, I'm in. Like, a lot of my friends weren't veterans and stuff like that, so I just didn't feel, like, inclined to, you know, like, a lot of my life I would just lie. I just, like, there's people in this world who believe. Like, I was. I was a shark attack victim, motorcycle. I would just lie. Just, like, avoid the conversations for.

[Donut Operator]

Also hilarious.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. I mean, because it's like, you don't. It just makes it easier for not have to negotiate, like, all those emotions. So it's just easier to lie. I swear to God. I've told people that, you know, for the longest time, like, I always say, whenever I was in the hospital, I used to have an arm, that I had a shark on it, and I put shark attack victims.org on it. For real. Until. Until I know. And, and. And that. That one. That one famous surfer came by the therapy center and all of the occupational therapists and physical therapists were like, the soul surfer. Yeah. They try to push her my way. It's like, you need to talk to this one guy. You see his arm. I was like, I was so scared. So after that I was like, no, they're a real shark attack victim, so you can't, like. And I think one of them, like, hit me up on Instagram, like, there's an Australian shark attack victim. But so I stopped using that Specific.

[Brandon Herrera]

True issue Shark born ied.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. Yeah, people. That funniest thing.

[Eli Double Tap]

And she just comes up. It's like her, like the make a wish kind of thing. She's like, oh, well, what kind of shark were yours? Taliban?

[Sebastian]

Middle Eastern sharks. I don't know.

[Eli Double Tap]

Middle Eastern sand shark.

[Sebastian]

I think there's sharks in the Red Sea somewhere or something like that.

[Donut Operator]

Did you just discover a new slur, Sandshark?

[Sebastian]

Well, I was. I was. I was wounded in the water, so it was like.

[Eli Double Tap]

Well, actually. All right, that's very funny.

[Sebastian]

Yeah, it was like. It was just something that was a natural because I did have a fear of the water when I first got into it because I was drowning. Yeah. I was drowning for, like, what was like, five minutes because they didn't know I was injured because I was a team leader. And so everybody, you know, everybody was, like, confused. And my squad leader obviously got injured, too, so everybody's confused. So that Mexican arm, I call that, it's a. It was an ode to Huitzapotle. And Huitzapotle is the Aztec God of war. And the sun. And so it's blue. And so whenever I was wounded, I was drowning, and all I could see was the sun. And it was so beautiful. You know, in Afghanistan, like, or it's. You're, like, some parts middle of the desert. For me, it was all green. And so I would open my eyes, and it was, like, super beautiful water. And the sun kept poking in my eyes. And so I thought it was dreaming because it was so beautiful. And, like, I think about that still to this day. Think about it, the beauty of it. And that the sun kept flickering in my eyes, and it wouldn't let me go to sleep. And then I realized that I was drowning because I. Like, I saw blood flow and, you know, I couldn't move my. I didn't know I was missing my arm. So I was, like, trying to grab. To try to, you know, stop drowning. But I was drowning for so long that, like, even after I got, you know, out of the surgeries and stuff like that, I was in the hospital for, like, three years after everything. My therapist told me at the time that the things that I was scared of, I was scared of the water, but I couldn't even close my eyes in the shower because I was so scared of drowning. I had no idea that was a drowning thing until a therapist explained to me I would get bloodshot eyes from not being able to close them in the shower because I was so scared of closing my eyes in the water.

[Eli Double Tap]

Just entirely subconscious or like.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. I had no idea it was a thing until he brought it up. And I was like. I was like, yeah, I do get blood. My eyes will go bloodshot just from refusing to close them, just even in the shower. But I was born in San Antonio, so, like, I couldn't get close to the riverwalk, and water was a real big issue for me. And then, like, I conquered it later. I did triathlons and stuff like that.

[Eli Double Tap]

I mean, very specifically. I mean, the. It was. The ID was a canal, right? Yeah.

[Brandon Herrera]

It was just wild by itself.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. Like, these mother truck.

[Eli Double Tap]

I've never even heard of that.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. They're so tricky because, you know. You know, like, because. Because you were in Afghanistan, right?

[Brandon Herrera]

Iraq.

[Sebastian]

Iraq. Okay. Well, Because. But you're like, I think that a lot of people. I'll take, I'll take it as an insult when people, I've had people, I think sometimes trying to pay a compliment to Americans. They'll insult the Taliban's fighting capacity. And I was like, no, like, don't do that. You take away from them how hard it was to fight them when you do that, because they were so intelligent and like complex ambushes. But like, so they would put it in the water because, like, they'll be like, you know, we were dismounted everywhere in singing. And so they would put them in the water because, like, they're like, the Marines are not like these other guys. They will cross the worst possible terrain possible to avoid IEDs. So, like, we would never take roads, never take open spaces. In theory. That's what you're trained to do. And so they would submerge the IEDs in the water because they're like, these guys are gonna cross and go in the worst possible terrain possible. So towards the end of the war, it was like the opposite. Go on roads. Because they learned from your little tricks of like, you know, just cutting through these corn fields and like going in and out of the canal in the worst possible area. And that's where they started to put the IEDs, because, you know, like, you wouldn't think that when I tell people that I was fully submerged in water when I got hit, they're like, you know how. And I'm like, oh, yeah, they're. They're really, really tricky, not just with their IEDs, but also like, their tactics. Yeah, they're super.

[Eli Double Tap]

Yeah.

[Sebastian]

And I just get a little bit insulted. And people are like, they're stupid. They're cowards. I was like, no, there they defeated. You know, I don't think they beat up, you know, we killed 600 Taliban and they killed 30 of us. Those. When you put the number, you just quantify it like that.

[Eli Double Tap]

It's amazing what happens when you have no rules to fight with.

[Sebastian]

Yeah, there's no. That's what people don't understand. Like, we could have just destroyed, leveled that place. And I think that sometimes whenever I talk to people, especially internationally, like, they don't realize that the infantry exists because America is putting a human toll on the war. And it's like, we could just level these cities, but we didn't do that. We put men with kids and women with families on the lines so we could mitigate casualties instead of just dropping 500 pound bombs on there.

[Eli Double Tap]

Look at, look at the Difference between America going into Afghanistan versus when Russia went into Afghanistan. Yeah, you got a massive, massive gap there.

[Brandon Herrera]

Yeah, we just don't do that anymore. And as you're saying, it is like to pay testament to that fighting force, Iraq, Afghanistan, it's always that like, what would you guys like the U.S. what would you do if you had to fight the US military? There's nothing you can do. I was like, I assure you they did quite fine with AKs and IEDs. They created what, $12 trillion war. Yeah, 9 trillion. Yeah, yeah. Just because they had AKs and that they didn't need air support. They didn't need any of that stuff. It's like, okay, we just use guerrilla.

[Sebastian]

Tactics and yeah, they're willingness like cuz like, I mean my biggest thing is like dealing with the, the injured civilians. Their willingness to put civilians like in danger is something that. It's like talking to some veterans from that area. I still to this day, like, because we lost 111. There's 111 Royal Marines killed in Sangin before we got there and replaced them. And it was just like, you know, you're operating under, you know, we have Geneva, NATO has their own rules or whatever.

[Donut Operator]

Okay.

[Sebastian]

And so people, people like don't realize, like that's why we took so many casualties. If we were just willing to do the things they willing to do, it would be, it would, it would be, you know, way less casualties. And I think that like whenever I talk about it, like if there's good guys and bad guys, like I'll obviously have everybody's bad in war, but there is levels to, you know, like what they're willing to do versus what we're willing to do.

[Eli Double Tap]

It's not like we didn't have the capability. Yeah, we did. We had, we had what they didn't have, which is restraint.

[Sebastian]

Yeah, yeah. I think that that's something that I like especially now that the Taliban's taken over. I think about that like, I think because you know, Malala, he, that's.

[Brandon Herrera]

He's experienced that with that his business was based out, he was helping putting kids through, females through college, little girls through schooling and all in Afghanistan with the combat flip flops and then just shut down instantly.

[Sebastian]

Yeah, it's so sad. I remember talk. I talked to a prosecutor a couple weeks ago, the Harris county da, A DA for Houston. And she was, she ran a foundation where she, she took female legal experts and trained them as an American prosecutor about the law systems or so training them to be prosecutors in Afghanistan. Women specifically She's a female DA and she was so sad because when the Taliban took over, like, she, she was able to get one person out, one of her female prosecutors that she trained up. But it's like people have no idea. They ripped them out of Congress. They were elected congressional members, you know, ripped them out. And then much less, you know, like two months ago, they ripped them out of being able to leave home without a man. And so just an idea, like, it made me so sad. That's why I still talk positively about, like, you know, putting as much hurt on them as possible because people don't know what rights they took away from women. And specifically like that DA hearing her talk about it and getting female academics out because, you know, they, before they said they weren't going to take them out of Congress or whatever, but then they did. Then they took them out of being able to leave their houses without a male escort.

[Eli Double Tap]

So the west has this natural inclination to assume that every culture across the planet is just like us. They're just like us, but slightly different. And they just, they really don't have any idea just how wide that gap can be.

[Sebastian]

Eli.

[Brandon Herrera]

I'm a ghost. What are you doing?

[Sebastian]

I'm here to tell you about ghost Bag.

[Brandon Herrera]

Is this an ad?

[Sebastian]

It might be an ad.

[Brandon Herrera]

Why are you in my bedroom?

[Sebastian]

I don't know. Scoot over. Let's talk about it. Every ghost Mattress has a 20 year warranty. Some even have a 25 year warranty. And you can try them out for 101 nights worry free. If you don't like it, just send it back.

[Brandon Herrera]

I don't like this. No hard feelings.

[Sebastian]

One of our favorite things about Ghostbed is that it has cooling technology.

[Eli Double Tap]

So if you get hot at night like we do down here in Texas, it's a lifesaver.

[Brandon Herrera]

I'm uncomfortable.

[Eli Double Tap]

But you're not hot, are you?

[Brandon Herrera]

I'm uncomfortable.

[Sebastian]

But you're not hot, are you? Ghostbed also offers bundles, so they have everything you need. Just choose one of their four mattresses and pick your bundle.

[Brandon Herrera]

Why are you doing this to me?

[Sebastian]

Four mattresses.

[Brandon Herrera]

Four.

[Sebastian]

Right now, Ghostbed is offering 50% off all their products. Just use code unsubscribe at checkout or go to ghostbed.com unsubscribe.

[Brandon Herrera]

Please buy some ghostbed.com unsubscribe.

[Sebastian]

I'll be under your bed if you need me.

[Brandon Herrera]

It's that idea of not understanding what evil is. You have like, oh, someone like cut in line.

[Eli Double Tap]

That's their to them. That's not Even evil, though, it's normal. Like, they don't have any other concept.

[Sebastian]

Yeah.

[Brandon Herrera]

They're like, oh, well, this. But they can't conceptualize the idea of just, like, people over there will just kill you to kill you, and then it's just part of everyday life. Like, the idea of human life having value. We understand that there are places that is not. That is not a thing they don't carry. It's like you have Brazil or some South American countries where it's like, kill you just to steal an iPhone.

[Eli Double Tap]

It's like a less educated GTA server.

[Brandon Herrera]

Yes.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. Yeah, it is. It is a little bit like that. I mean, it sucks, but, like, I feel like I. Like, I'll tell people, like, America's got a lot of issues, but one of the biggest things we have is, like, I. In theory, the rule of law, and those laws tend to be way more liberal than other places.

[Brandon Herrera]

I love it here. I ain't switching. This is my.

[Sebastian]

Huh.

[Brandon Herrera]

So you got blown up. You had a. How high was.

[Sebastian]

I'm a transhuman amputee, so I'm above the elbow. I have a really trans.

[Eli Double Tap]

What was that?

[Sebastian]

Transhumeral. So right at the delt. So I. One of the reasons that I think that I was. So I became such a big prosthetic advocate is because there's only. There's less than 400 combat wounded, upper extremity amputations from Iraq and Afghanistan total. So that's crazy. People don't realize. Because it's just too high of an injury. Yeah, yeah. So people don't typically survive higher because anytime you get closer to the upper body, you get closer to the heart arteries and the neck.

[Eli Double Tap]

That's harder shit to survive.

[Sebastian]

Yeah, yeah. So anytime you get closer to the neck and heart, it's a lower survival rate then even in even modern wars. In the Ukraine, they have a lot more amputees because they're at war in their country. They have hospitals and ambulances that can drive to and from there. They still have an issue with surviving high blasts and gunshots and stuff like that. So I was above the elbow, and I think that's why I became such a big prosthetic advocate, because a lot of people are below the elbow. There's hundreds of below the elbow. And a lot of them will use their elbow to do things. So you'll see them. Like, a lot of people bring up Leroy Petrie. He's missing his hand. He's missing his hand. And so they won't rely on their prosthetic so much because they'll use their elbow to do things. And so because I have such a high amputation, I have a useless limb because it's so short and it's so painful to do things with. So without a prosthetic I'm kind of like very disabled.

[Eli Double Tap]

Do you still find yourself like your natural inclination being to try to use the phantom. The limb like forever?

[Brandon Herrera]

How I. Phantom limb?

[Eli Double Tap]

Yeah, the phantom limb. Or for however high it is like to try like you. You naturally want to do that or is it just not a non starter?

[Sebastian]

Um, I do. I don't. It's hard to tell if I've trained or not because since I was born with two arms, I do think about. I. This arm has so many injuries. I have a nerve injury on this side and I broke my wrist and missing the outside two ligaments. So I do force myself to. Because a lot of people specific questions that I'll get is like why I do things a certain way with weightlifting and shooting. And it's because I was like, they think I'm like, why don't I just overuse this arm more. But I have to explain, like you feel bad, like explain all your injuries and I'm like, actually I'm missing out these two outside ligaments. So stabilizing things like shooting is not something that I can do. It's not. I can't out train that. I'm just missing the ligaments. And so this I forced myself to use in part because the Marine Corps spent a lot of money on my recovery. So one of like the arms that the other arm that I brought has this thing called targeted muscle reinnervation. And so they grafted my ulnar and medial nerves, which are the nerves that control your hand open and close to my bicep and tricep heads. So with that hand, I think hand open and close to open and close it. Yeah. So that, that made it so fucking wild to me. I thought it was more widely. I thought that surgery was more widely done until I got more into the prosthetic field and traveling and I was like, oh, okay. So that's a. Still a very rare surgery at the time. It was experimental, but so I think hand open and close and it open and closes the hand. So it does make it. So I. It does feel like prosthetics aren't caught up to the level of the level of advancements of that surgery. It's kind of like their reasoning was to future proof me for prosthetics.

[Eli Double Tap]

And so why do you think that is. Why do you think that hasn't caught up yet?

[Sebastian]

Well, it's an expensive surgery. It's an expensive surgery. I remember whenever I got it, all of these surgeons asked to be able to watch that surgery specifically so they could teach it. And I think that one thing is survival. And then hospitals. So less than. So less than 7% of amputees are upper extremity. And so that's. That would be specific to the trauma of losing an arm. So most amputees are leg amputee. So that's like, one of the reasons why people are like, why is his arm look so different? There's just so many more leg amputees that you're like, you know, so many guys that are missing their legs.

[Brandon Herrera]

Oh, yeah, a lot of people.

[Sebastian]

And it's like, I get this a lot. It's like, why is your arm metal? And I was like, well, you don't ask that to leg people because all legs are metal, because they're all to that level where they can be used in the Paralympics. And they're all tough. And so it's just that legs are more finished products. So it's just that surgery is so niche that it's like, I remember talking about it in the Ukraine, and they have, you know, 10 times more amputees than we have from Iraq and Afghanistan. And that's just because they have higher survival, cyber survivability because they learned from us the tourniquet thing that happened halfway through the war.

[Eli Double Tap]

That. And they're more on, like, level, pure warfare.

[Sebastian]

Yeah, they have, you know, quick access to hospitals. They're literally, you know, ambulatory, as in driving them to the. You know, I was like, just the.

[Eli Double Tap]

Casually. The casualty count, though, per day is wild for that war. Like, I don't think people realize, like, just how big of a deal that was. Like, people kind of knew in the beginning, but then they forgot. But, like, the amount of casualties in the. The Ukraine, Russian wars is. I mean, it's. It's crazy high compared to even the gwat.

[Sebastian]

Yeah, that's what I would say. A lot of people don't know that. And I didn't know that until I got. I didn't know that. So I didn't know that until I got there. I went there specifically with the protest foundation to. To talk about this arm because they wanted to be able to use it to fight the Russians. And I thought it was like, I kind of, like a sitting joke was like, because everybody calls me the Winter Soldier. And I was like, you Know, the Mexican Winter soldier. And I was like, let me go to the Ukraine just to rub it in Putin's face. Yeah. And I. And I. But I, I. Talking about that. Yeah. I was like, they. They have thousands of arm amputees, which is why that's cool. I went there and I'm like, there's so much technology is going to come out of that war. I mean, there already is.

[Eli Double Tap]

Yeah.

[Sebastian]

But the companies that are coming out of there, there's a couple advanced prosthetic companies I got a. That I got to visit there. One of them is Esper. I'll always talk about them because they, they make a metal hand, and they're barely getting available in the U.S. but, yeah, they have so many more amputees that I think that a lot of the prosthetic technology advancements will come out of there, unfortunately, if Americans don't do it, just because, you know, it's a lot of necessity. Yeah, just necessity. It's just necessity. Yeah.

[Brandon Herrera]

It's wild getting that. Oh, Cody, you have a question?

[Donut Operator]

No.

[Brandon Herrera]

Oh, okay.

[Sebastian]

No, I'm just.

[Donut Operator]

I'm just. I'm enthralled by.

[Brandon Herrera]

That's what.

[Donut Operator]

I'm just listening.

[Sebastian]

It's.

[Brandon Herrera]

It's wild. So with yours, you, as you're saying, upper limbs are a lot rarer to survive or during the gwa, and you got, I assume, super lucky for the blast to close the wound. And then they tourniquet it right after.

[Sebastian]

Well, no, I put my. I began to put my own tourniquet on. Dude, it was terrible. You know, it's so funny.

[Brandon Herrera]

It's that training. You're like, oh, oh, that sounds in my fucking mouth.

[Sebastian]

My boys. My boys later on were like, my boy. My saw Gunner was like. He was like, is insane because, like, you cried out of this canal and you're just bleeding out. And he started yelling at us to get on the line and, you know, lay down cover fire. And I was like, thinking to myself, like, you know, that stuff that I don't remember. I was so. Muscle memory, dude. I weigh. I weigh like 200 pounds an hour. I think I weighed like 189 at the time. And when they measured me, I weighed 165. I lost so much blood. And I was thinking to myself, I was like, I must. Like, I felt so weak and so cold that I was like, you know, you don't remember till years later, like, things. And I, you know, you piece together what happened from different people. And he was like, yeah, man, you were yelling at us. They're like, you're missing your arm. You think you're still gonna be in charge of us. And I remember, like, an award coming up later in the Marine Corps about that. And I was like. I was like, that's so badass. I don't even remember that. But I do think I would be yelling at you guys, like, get on the line.

[Brandon Herrera]

You do push ups.

[Sebastian]

Because you still.

[Brandon Herrera]

You're still a dickhead, dude.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. I was like, I can't believe you were yelling at us, like. And I was like, we thought you were gonna. They're like, emotional crying, and I, like, you know, thinking. They're thinking I'm gonna die, and I'm, like, yelling at them. So it's like an emotional.

[Eli Double Tap]

That's wild.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. An emotional thing that I. It's funny, like, thinking about that dude who was. I. I was with the guy the other day and who was a singing veteran who's. Who's a Marine who's like, in hall trying to get in Hollywood. He's in film school right now, but he does, like, cinematography and stuff like that out in California. And we were talking about, like, all these crazy little things, little moments like that, But. But I was thinking about him because, like, now I was like, okay, they thought I was gonna die. That's why they were treating me that way. They were like, what are you doing giving us orders still? And. But I remember, like, I was like, I don't know if I'm ever gonna tell this story, but I had. I was. Since I was a team leader, I had two or threes on my leg, and I'm lucky that they didn't get. They didn't blow up. Because people say that they need, like, 12.7. Whatever rotations not to blow up, but that's only.

[Eli Double Tap]

That's only to arm.

[Sebastian]

Yeah.

[Eli Double Tap]

Still a motherfucking explosive.

[Sebastian]

You're, like, more knowledgeable in that kind of stuff, so. Because I've heard that. But we did lose Marines to team leaders, to them blowing up.

[Eli Double Tap]

Because you just need an explosive that is violent enough to set off the explosive that's inside it. Because that really. It can daisy chain.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. So we did lose people from that. Yeah. And because people said first, like, that wasn't a risk, but then we lost people from them getting hit, unfortunately, and them going off because the ID was big enough for that. But on all my two or three rounds, I had a different Ninja Turtle on every one of them. And whenever I got injured, I had Leo in the chamber. And it's my son, like, I was like. I remember, like, another team leader came up. Baxter. He came up to me and I was bleeding out. And I was like, you're trying to treat for shock. So I was like thinking, like, how can I calm him down? Like, you know, because he's thinking, I'm gonna die. If I'm gonna die, I don't want him.

[Brandon Herrera]

Oh, you're actually calming him down. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sebastian]

Everybody think. You know when your team leader, everybody thinks you're invincible. And so I remember telling him, like, hey, man, like, you just got to kill somebody with Leo. Cuz I got Leo in the chamber. And he's like, okay, okay. Like, I love you. And he was like, I'll kill somebody with Leo. And I just remember, like later on asking him about that. And he was, like, mentally disturbed by that question because it was a very rough. He was like, yeah, I did.

[Brandon Herrera]

He's like, what do I do? And you're like, kill somebody with Leo. He's like, I think he has lost his mind now.

[Eli Double Tap]

That guy has never watched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to this day.

[Brandon Herrera]

Yeah. He's like, no.

[Sebastian]

I remember thinking about that, like, whenever they got back, you know, he was like bringing that up and he was like, so it was such a horrible deployment for them that I was just thinking, like, just to, you know, try to take them out of the fucking darkness. But I love it.

[Brandon Herrera]

That's how we survive a lot of the times. I mean, depending on your job, your occupation. But we always talk about gallows humor, and that's. Even in the midst of it. It happens like you're in full combat, your arms blown off, and you're still yelling at your dudes.

[Sebastian]

Yeah.

[Brandon Herrera]

You're telling them to use Leonardo to kill somebody. It's just the perfect example of how we.

[Donut Operator]

Bro, don't put the tourniquet on my neck.

[Sebastian]

Stop. Dude, I've had that happen. One of my. Are you serious? So, George Jordan. Yeah. You got shot. Shot so high up with an ak and you know, they roll after a certain amount, so eventually he had to lose his leg from the round, but. Because, like, well, you're an id. He's like, no, he got shot in the leg and. But I remember his. That he had one of his balls in the tourniquet, got shot. Yeah. So high up. And it just. And it's just like, you have to go as high as possible when it's. When it's above the thigh, when it's above the knee, you know, really? Because it's like, they're gonna bleed Out.

[Eli Double Tap]

Yeah. That's what you're told to do.

[Brandon Herrera]

Yeah.

[Sebastian]

You have to do it. And it's something that. It's just like, ah, fuck it. It sucks to be in that situation. But like, now. Now it's a joke. At the time, it wasn't a joke.

[Brandon Herrera]

No, it's nuts. Just like, I would. That's like, you're rushing him and you're trying to protect your body. You're like. You're like, you'll thank me later, dude.

[Sebastian]

Yeah, it's some. There's some dark. Every time I hear, like, a different story about that, I'm like, oh, man. Like, that's good. Because, like, there's. There is. There is good versions of that and there's bad versions of that, but we're like. People are able to still use humor, and then there's, like, the opposite, where people, like, panicked and people, you know, died and like it. Because people will die from the shock. Yeah, it is that. Humor does save lives because, like, you know, you. I run into guys where, like, they're screaming when somebody gets hit, and then, like, somebody's missing their legs, and then they're, you know, you're. You're gonna literally, you know, put them into shock. Meaning. I mean, because you're supposed to be calm and, like, we've had people scream, but yeah, I remember the other day, like, I was doing this thing in Maine when you guys hit me up. I was, like, at some cabin writing a country song, and this. This guy was telling me about one of his guys, had that situation happen, and he lost one ball, and one of the guys ran up and was like, talking about, like, oh, he lost the ball. And you're like, dude, like. And this guy is a nurse now. He's a. And I was just like, man, what a piece of shit. That he would, like, tell him that while he's still getting casback that, like. Because that's the first thing guys to.

[Donut Operator]

Look for is like, yeah, it's my dick there.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. And then so that, you know, he did have that injury, and the guy was like. And so the other guy, you know, eventually became a nurse. He was the 101st, okay? And he was in the clear in Iraq. And talking about how, like, this guy came up and was, like, screaming and panicking. Oh, man, your balls. And it's like. And so the guy lied, was like, no, you're good. You're gonna be good, bro. Like, you're all intact and stuff like that.

[Brandon Herrera]

You have to lie. You literally. You're like, man, It's. You look great. You're doing great. Hey, just stay with me. Hey, let's keep you awake.

[Sebastian]

You're doing good.

[Brandon Herrera]

You're fine. You're fine, dude. You cannot show any emotion in that situation because you want to keep them as calm as possible to keep blood flow down.

[Eli Double Tap]

Which is. Which is kind of funny because, like, anytime when you have. Like, if I was to get fucked up tomorrow on range day. Let's just say I've heard people say this before were like, this has happened to them, or like, if. If Cody's around me or Eli's around me, they're like, you're good, bro. You're good. Like, everything's going to be fine. You're good. Just like, let's get the fucking truck here now. Like, you're fine, man. You're fine. If you guys started telling me I'm fine, I'm.

[Sebastian]

I'm terrified.

[Brandon Herrera]

Like, Brandon, you dumb. God, you're so stupid. You're just. Hold on.

[Sebastian]

Cody.

[Brandon Herrera]

He is.

[Sebastian]

Fuck. Yeah.

[Eli Double Tap]

If you guys started telling me how good I was doing, I'm losing it, dude.

[Brandon Herrera]

I just. I love you.

[Sebastian]

Oh, no.

[Brandon Herrera]

Oh, no. Starts freaking out.

[Donut Operator]

Gentle forehead kiss.

[Sebastian]

I love you, buddy.

[Brandon Herrera]

Cody brings out a cross. Where did that come from?

[Sebastian]

No, no, no, no.

[Eli Double Tap]

It's funny with the dark humor element of that, too, because I've had people that, like, will make. They'll be irritated with the jokes that we make on the podcast. It's like, you've never met a veteran, have you? Yeah.

[Sebastian]

You don't.

[Brandon Herrera]

People have dark.

[Sebastian]

Like, yeah, I think that the darkness, like, because. Yeah, that changed so much, obviously, because the military and now, like, I feel like I relate more to people who are, like, in anime and stuff like that. Because you don't have that light. Because he. Like, I think about, like, all my idols, it's very hard to, like, relate to people because you're like, man, like, if I would have been in that place, I would have died. You didn't mean, like, we're talking about Marcus Aurelius and, like, some of his quotes. And I changed some of his quotes thinking about it. I was like. Because, you know, even in Vietnam, I would have been. I would have died. And so, like, you look at anime characters and you're like, oh, man. Like, these are these people that maybe they weren't real, but they created this violent story that's easier to relate to.

[Brandon Herrera]

Oh, you're good.

[Sebastian]

And, you know, sometimes it's easier to. To. To communicate in those kind of terms because it's like, you know, and. And if I was a Spartan, I would have fucking died, you know, so I'm lucky to be alive in 2024 because, you know, the advancements of medical.

[Brandon Herrera]

Technology and stuff like that, because those chances of your. I mean, DNA literally making up to that moment, they've got all your family members up to that. Probably did war or something, and then you're the one that survived. Yes. You get blown up, but you're like, okay, at that moment with technology.

[Sebastian]

Yeah.

[Eli Double Tap]

Your DNA has made it millions of years to be able to get to the point where you could survive.

[Sebastian]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Dude did not. And, like, now, like, as a dad, I think about it, like, holistically like that, where I'm like. Or macro. Because my dad was Army Special Forces, and he was. He was in Panama, Vietnam, Desert Storm. Yeah. And. Yeah. Yeah. So he served with first, seventh and third group, and he actually served with Master and Benavidez and fucking just the Hana Warrior. But I was like, he was such. He was more beast. He was way more decorated than me. And I think about, like, how tough I was, that I'm, like, religious a little bit religiously. I think about it, like, God took care of me and that I was able to survive that, because me and my boys have even talked about it. Like, I don't know if anybody else would have been able to survive that because I saved myself. Everybody was like, you know, who saved you? Or whatever. I crawled out of the canal myself. I lost so much blood. They didn't know I was wounded because I was in the front. And so, yeah, unfortunately, the person. My squad leader passed away because, you know, they didn't recognize that he was hurt. We were both in the front. And so I think about how tough my dad was getting all through all these fucking wars unscathed. And, you know, all the training that he spent, you know, years. He spent 20 years in the army. And for me to be able to. To get to where I am. Okay, so some of that is just grit from, you know, my fucking family having hard lives for years.

[Brandon Herrera]

When Cody started his crazy business of podcasting, you know what? He didn't think about merchandise. But now he's selling what merch.

[Eli Double Tap]

And it couldn't be easier.

[Brandon Herrera]

All because of Shopify.

[Eli Double Tap]

If you've shopped on bunkerbranding.com you've used Shopify.

[Donut Operator]

Shopify is a global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of.

[Brandon Herrera]

Your business, from the launch your online shop stage, to the first real Life store stage, all the way to the did we just hit a million orders? Exclamation point. Shopify is there to help you grow.

[Eli Double Tap]

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[Brandon Herrera]

Once you start selling, Shopify makes getting paid simple by instantly accepting every type of payment.

[Donut Operator]

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[Brandon Herrera]

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[Eli Double Tap]

Shopify powers 10% of all E commerce in the United States. And Shopify is the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's and Brooklinen.

[Brandon Herrera]

My favorite companies.

[Donut Operator]

What is that?

[Eli Double Tap]

No clue. But they also power millions of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries because businesses that grow, grow.

[Sebastian]

The Shopify sign up for a $1.

[Brandon Herrera]

Per month trial period at shopify.com unsub pod all lowercase.

[Eli Double Tap]

Go to shopify.com unsub pod now to grow your business, no matter what stage.

[Donut Operator]

You'Re in, go to shopify.com unsub pod.

[Brandon Herrera]

It paid off and now you're. Now you're adjusting to it. It probably took years to get to that adjustment period because depending everyone handles trauma differently. I know all of us have our own demons and how we handle that. And it's PTSD either from military, from policing. Like, it just how you learn to cope with stuff. I, I got lucky. How I cope with it is I don't have as much emotional response to things. But then I watch my buddies that did the exact same deployment and I see how that affected. I'm like, holy. But you, you've like, hey, Cody. Even Cody like stuff you've done.

[Sebastian]

No, we like. I talk about like now after you're like, man, there's so many more combat veterans from, from, from being cops than there is from combat. And so like, I didn't know that until, you know, like working with some organizations and then family. Like, you know, one of my, one of my cousins, one of my primos in Houston, you know, he's a SWAT now. He's not swamped. Thank God he got out of it. But he was swat and his first, his first call was, he was a sniper. His first call was responding to Santa Fe. And my little sister was at that school too. And his very first call was my sister was like a sister to him because they lived together because we were really poor. And so he's my cousin. And his first call was responding to her mass shooting. And it was just like, I don't know if you remember Santa Fe, but It was like 10 shooters. That was his very first call as a SWAT officer. And like, that's insane amount of trauma to be able to deal with that as your first call. Your sister's school is, you know.

[Eli Double Tap]

Did he stick with it after that?

[Sebastian]

Yeah, he stuck with it for like, you know, I think like, seven more years. Eventually got out. He just had a daughter and he's like. Unfortunately, I think that it's like most of you guys, like, SWAT tends to be too, too. Same thing with the military. There's just. It's too hard physically. It's just too hard physically, I think. And the smartest people don't want to stay in. They want to get out and be successful on the civilian side. So it's just like he stayed with it after that. But there was a. Yeah, I think that we're lucky because a lot of those people don't want to stay in because physically, if you take it seriously, it's very hard. It's harder than the majority military because the training physical, physically side is like being in the infantry.

[Eli Double Tap]

And mentally, this is not the thing that, like we talk about, like, or we've. When we get together, the last thing we talk about is, you know, fucking drama or anything like that. But something I've always heard is when you're talking about policing or SWAT or whatnot, the thing that fucks you up the most is that you're thrown into high adrenaline situations, high stress environments that are highly traumatic to most people. But it's not in the context of, you are 5,000 miles from home, you are in your county you live in.

[Brandon Herrera]

So you don't. You lose that safety net. Cody can probably talk more on that. I know that is. It's that unknown, the hyper vigilance and then walking up to each car and you don't know. It's the unknown versus, like, when we were there. It's bad guys. We're like, yes, it's like a vacation.

[Sebastian]

Like a vacation. You're like, I'm gonna go fight the bad guys versus, like. And. Yeah, like, because of dealing with people, all my family in Texas, that. Another one's a police officer in Houston talking about it where it's like, that's your neighborhood. It's like, yeah.

[Eli Double Tap]

So you get home from a deployment and you're three blocks away.

[Brandon Herrera]

Yeah.

[Eli Double Tap]

From where weird thing happened. Yeah.

[Brandon Herrera]

That was your biggest thing with it, like, policing what Was like that. What was the most. What was the hardest part about that transition? Going from like, hey, this like the bad shit to right back home your kiddo?

[Donut Operator]

Well, I mean, you know, you would go out and you would catch some child or someone who committed a murder. And then, you know, I'd go downtown with John to a restaurant and I'd see that same in the restaurant after bell.

[Brandon Herrera]

Yeah, I didn't been thinking, like, I'm with my.

[Donut Operator]

I'm with my kids and my girlfriend, like, oh, that dude's just sitting over there. That guy that I arrested for last week or that guy that I arrested for attempted murder. Some DA let them out on the streets and they're standing there looking at me and I'm looking at them and I have John beside me. It's like, yeah, it's. It's home.

[Eli Double Tap]

Yeah, that's the craziest part about it too, is just thinking that, like, oh, this is not just like thinking how many people haven't been caught for this? How many people have been caught and just made bail and are just out walking amongst you?

[Sebastian]

Yep. Yeah. I think that's why the attrition is so high for first, for, for, for cops and especially SWAT is really physical. So it's like, you see it when they want to get out of it because it's like you're just getting the worst calls and it's just, it's just terrible.

[Brandon Herrera]

What was the. Like, I don't go down the line, actually. It's like, what was your biggest thing where you. That helped you the most and breaking that. This is, by the way, this is. We're going to talk about this before. This is like an entire month of veteran. We wanted to make November big on veteran months. Just like, hey, we're going to do good. We're raising money for non profits, like kicking ass and giving back to the communities that give us so much. And all. You all thankfully have done so much for it. So we're just. That's. That's part of this month. It's hearing these amazing stories and then also hopefully helping others. It's like, man, I didn't have a way to cope. But hearing from Cody on how he coped or hearing from Sebastian on how he go, that helped me push through. Because at the end of the day, we do. We care about all y'all more than you will ever know. Like, we are blessed to have to be in the positions we are and to be put on that level, which we're terrified from because we don't want to fail you all, but we try our hardest to give back, especially during, like, months like this. It's like, hey, we thank you. And then you get to hear our stories, and hopefully we can help some of you.

[Eli Double Tap]

It's one of the things that I hear most about unsub, which I think is awesome, because there's a lot of people that, like, you know, they. They come home and then they. They feel they try to reintegrate back in society, and nobody understands their sense of humor. Nobody understands what they've been through. Nobody even attempts to get where they're coming from. And then they just feel isolated, which, like, I think that that's rad. That unsubscribe has kind of filled a hole in that world where it's like, hey, this is, like, hanging out with the boys again.

[Brandon Herrera]

We're good at filling holes.

[Eli Double Tap]

I'd say we're okay at filling holes.

[Brandon Herrera]

We're okay.

[Donut Operator]

Damn skippy.

[Brandon Herrera]

What was some of your, like, hey, what was that big thing that helped you the most during, like, when you were transitioning out of being a police officer? You're like, okay, this is too much. You still have your ptsd, but was that shift for you? That's like, oh, this helps me at least calm my nerves or anything, bro.

[Donut Operator]

Video games, Come on.

[Brandon Herrera]

Oh, yeah, Never mind. Yeah, you're like, that's your decompression, which is.

[Donut Operator]

It's always.

[Eli Double Tap]

It's.

[Donut Operator]

I think it's like most of our decompression is that. That, like, gallows humor is the start to that. And then finding video games that have gallows humor in them, which, you know, Hollywood making video games these days is gay as shit. But, like, you know, video games always is, like, such a great transition. Like, I don't know, to find your. Just find a good headspace and get away from the world for a moment.

[Brandon Herrera]

Yeah.

[Donut Operator]

You know, come home after seeing, like, baby on the highway, you know, like, catapulted out the window and spaghetti all over the road. Come home, you know, just play some Minecraft.

[Eli Double Tap]

I just see you, like, coming home from a very traumatic day. A fucking Spartanburg P.D. you're like, huh, if I kill the hooker in GTA afterward, I get my money back.

[Brandon Herrera]

Just going home or walking up to a scene. You have Minecraft music playing in your.

[Sebastian]

Head.

[Brandon Herrera]

Like, I'll make the best of this.

[Donut Operator]

John's like, dad, what happened to nothing? Do you want to play Minecraft?

[Brandon Herrera]

Dude, that's rough. What about.

[Sebastian]

No, you made me, like, a. Specifically wanted to mention an organization Creative Vets. I just. The people I wrote that we wrote a song dedicated to my unit, Dark Horse from Creative Vets. Yeah, Creative Vets. They. They actually, they're. They're. They're huge fans of you. I remember when I told them I was going on this podcast, they were so excited because they. They were. They wrote in a lot of famous country music songs. My people, John and Heidi, like, you know, for Libre, Craig Wood, like, Lonely Eyes is one of the songs they wrote, but. But they, they help. I know it's funny, cuz, like, you'll get this. I got. Remember, I got hit up by them through a wounded warrior project. Hit me up on dms and I remember just seeing the thing and I'm having so many issues get prosthetics from the VA that I just told them to fuck off. They're like, for me to help. You want to come write a country music song with somebody? And I was like, like, I just think, like, this is like a billion dollar organization. I, you know, probably be helping people get prosthetics and stuff like that if. Because that's what people think they do. And I remember I was like, nah, fuck you guys. Like, I don't. I don't, like, I don't want to give y'all any credence to what you do or whatever. And then this guy comes up to me in Nashville and he's a Marine veteran, Purple Heart recipient, Nashville, and asks me about, you know, helping write a song to just like, to tell my story. And my song was Dark Horse, but it was about my unit, just named about my unit, but it was about, you know, my son, my dad, my dad's journey. Because, like, I think my dad had demons from. I mean, he had way more combat than me and. And like that. I really love the idea that creative it. So they. They take veterans, Vietnam veterans and. And, you know, and. And parts first responders, and they. They get them with people to tell their stories. And I thought that was so cool because, like, typically, you know, in that space, it's like, if somebody's asking to do something with. Especially with veterans or first responders, it's like a fucking ruck or like a Spartan or something like that. And that's good physically to an extent, but like, a lot of those people are getting out of the military or whatever, you know, because they so much wear and tear on their body, so it's like they're not, you know, they're not thrilled about.

[Brandon Herrera]

Welcome. Okay, we're gonna pop fireworks next to your head for 20 hours.

[Sebastian]

Yeah.

[Brandon Herrera]

Are you.

[Eli Double Tap]

I've heard some of those complaints where it's like, it's from friends of mine and things like that. They're like, oh, yeah, my. Whoever's in charge of me has decided to do a veteran awareness run where we're now forced to go run three miles in the morning to prevent veterans. It's like, you could have just let me sleep in.

[Sebastian]

And that's what I mean. Like, it's for real because you get. Because it's like, I don't want it. It's like you're like, what? How does that. And to me, that was really cool. They did have an arts program where they teach people art and they teach them how to write songs and in theater, like screenplays and stuff like that. I was like, that's so unique versus it takes you to a mental space. I think that, like, getting in the mental spaces is. Is so much different than. I think a lot of people do respond to, like, the physical stuff, you know, like my. My cousin that's. That was SWAT, you know, he still does. He's big in a CrossFit and stuff like that. But I think that that's just because he's so young and he's still in like the mentality of the fear of having to protect his family. And I have that too. You know what I mean? I do train a lot, mostly probably because I'm disabled, but I think that I thought it was really cool, creative. It's founded by a Marine Purple Heart recipient, Fallujah veteran. And I was like. I was like, you know, and he looked like you. Just a really good looking guy, you know, big, strong. And I was like. I was like, oh, man.

[Brandon Herrera]

Like, go on.

[Sebastian]

Because trying to take Eli home, dude, just, just, you know, unsuspecting. You wouldn't know this guy's, you know, you wouldn't. He's not. To me, I have the benefit of having a fucking metal arm. I said that in a speech to somebody and somebody responded to that where I was like, there's a lot of veterans, they don't have a metal arm, you know, look like the Winter Soldier. So people see my trauma and that works against me a lot. Like, because that means that people are weirdos with me and they always try to take me to like the worst day of my life. But like, you know, guys like that that are just going through the struggles and not having that thing that tells people what they went through or whatever. So I thought it was really cool that he created that space where partners, people with country music, especially. I'm from Texas. I was born in San Antonio, and I thought it was so cool that I was like, man, I danced to these songs so many fucking times, and for these people to come out. And it was in Maine, and that's why I was like, whenever y'all hit me up, I was there and, you know, in the middle of nowhere writing a song, and. And I thought it was so cool. A unique take on getting veteran stories. And they're big into Vietnam veterans, which is so cool to me, because my dad, you know, didn't get to tell a story because he was like. He's just super quiet. Didn't even. I wouldn't know until I. Till I was in the Marine Corps. I didn't know how decorated he was until I was like, oh, shit. You did all that? And I'm like. I'm like, oh, man, I feel like such an idiot now. Yeah.

[Eli Double Tap]

You completed the tutorial?

[Sebastian]

Yeah. Yeah. So you're like, I think that's really cool that they're like. Because a lot of. A lot of civilians forget about that war. And, you know, he was drafted, and so it's just. I thought it was cool that one of their focus was.

[Brandon Herrera]

That's what's crazy. Like, that idea of getting drafted. That's voluntold. You're in the military and then going Special Forces afterwards. A lot of the guys. I mean, you. You were like, probably as a Marine, I want to shoot shit. Like, I. All of us had that image of what we want to do in war. That is a time when it was like, hey, bud. Yeah, you're doing this. Like, you have no if, ands, or buts about it. And then to be like, I'm gonna join the green brace. I'm gonna make team wild.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. It's like I Talking to some of the guys that served with them later on, I was like. I was like, oh. Like, a lot of it had to do with Panama and the groups wanting to recruit people who spoke Spanish because he's. I'm from the valley. I'm from, like, five minutes from the border, and he's from the valley. So he spoke Spanish, and he looked like he was from the fucking jungle. And so I just. Learning from that, I was like, oh, like, seventh group had a. Had a big Mexican influence just because of the wars in Latin America. And I didn't know that until later on, people teaching me that, you know, because he was. He was an instructor at the jfk, JFK Special Warfare School for A little bit. And, like, a lot of those people don't know that. That history is not taught like you. It's only taught in that school specifically. And so if you don't have access to that, you don't really, really. It's not taught in American history, which sucks, because even if it's a little bit dark, I do think that it would be cool for people to learn about all those kind of, like, jungle wars and that kind of shit. But, yeah, so it's like, when I tell people that, like, I was like, yeah, man, it's crazy how much more obviously, like, trained he was in me and stuff like that. But so many of those guys got pulled there, you know what I mean? And in the army, because the Marine Corps wasn't really drafting people the same way that the army was. And then a lot of them stayed in, and they're just like, oh, fuck, I love to fight. You know what I mean? They're like, I. Like, this is, like, where I grew up, you know? So it's. I love hearing those cool stories of, like, where people came from specifically for those Latin American wars, because it was, like, something that was like. I like thinking about it now, having traveling abroad where I'm like, oh, America's got this, like, really cool, diverse military where you go somewhere other. Other places, and it's like, they all look like one thing. And I'm like, this is why we're so much better than everybody else, because we have people that can do well. I fucking did well in the desert. I'm from the Valley. It's nowhere. There's nowhere hotter in the world than there is in South Texas. Like, everywhere. Like, how do you do so well in fucking Afghan? The jungle? And I'm like, oh, man. Where I'm from, it's, like, way hotter than this.

[Eli Double Tap]

Meanwhile, you got a guy from Arizona, Florida, Alaska, Maine, Nevada. Like, everybody in one group's like, all.

[Sebastian]

Right, you got these mountain men, you got these Vikings, and you got these people that, you know, like. It's just. It's crazy thinking about it now that.

[Eli Double Tap]

I think it's one or two Florida guys, you know.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. Some swamp motherfuckers.

[Brandon Herrera]

And it's forced together and to work together, which is wild, too. You don't have much options on your teammates. They're your teammates, for better or worse, and they're going to be deploying with you.

[Sebastian]

Yeah.

[Brandon Herrera]

That's crazy.

[Donut Operator]

You notice he's wearing a berserk shirt.

[Sebastian]

Oh, dude. I wore this for him because, like, last time I Met him. Well, you know what?

[Eli Double Tap]

The time that Eli didn't remember. Go on.

[Sebastian]

Well, I had a blue arm. I had a blue arm.

[Brandon Herrera]

That's what. I don't. I don't see skin color. I see arm color.

[Eli Double Tap]

That's not better, Eli.

[Sebastian]

Well, you mentioned that you're such a huge fan, and I was like, all of the. Now I know, like, because of. Because of. Because of, like, tick tock and YouTube. Like, all. I know all the animes that people have robotic arms on. And for a long time, I didn't, like, berserk because it was too dark, but then, like, going through worse and worse, and I was like, man, like, it's hard for me to relate to, like, like, happier, unfortunately, happier animes. And you're like, man, like. Because, you know, like, my situation wouldn't have, like, fighting the VA has been such a big part of my life. And then getting prosthetics and, like, this wouldn't have happened if I wasn't doing, like, crazy breaking all these prosthetics and then, like, you know, just get into a situation. And now I feel like I relate even more to, like, the darker anime is.

[Eli Double Tap]

Did you just say that Fighting the VA made berserk. Tolerable by comparison.

[Brandon Herrera]

Like, they're the apostles. That's right. The VA is the apostles. They fucking suck. They're evil. And our boy guts, you're like, wow.

[Eli Double Tap]

I thought this was super dark. And then I started dealing with the VA and realized it's really not so bad.

[Sebastian]

No, man, it's. I feel bad. Like, I feel. Because I feel bad telling my story sometimes as an American.

[Brandon Herrera]

Don't.

[Sebastian]

I've told it so many times abroad. And you're like, because I working for prosthetic companies in Germany and like, you working with, like, all of these Brits and Spaniards and Ukrainians and Germans, and you're like. You talk about how hard it is to get prosthetics from the VA system, and they're like, like, that's crazy. Like, we have this conception of how people are treated. And I'm like, yeah. Like, I. Sometimes I feel embarrassed to talk about it. But then, you know, like, it. I think if I didn't talk about.

[Brandon Herrera]

It, like, China, big spotlight on that. Like, we all like everyone. That's why, like, Brandon, one of the biggest things he was when he was having his congress run was about the va. Like, you. You were like, dude, why the Is this so jacked up all alone? Time to trim the old pubes.

[Eli Double Tap]

Hey there, beach babe.

[Sebastian]

Are you ready to soak up those.

[Eli Double Tap]

Summer vibes and get the perfect beach bod.

[Brandon Herrera]

I don't have pants on.

[Sebastian]

Yeah, I noticed. Well, you're in luck, because our friends [e-mail] have you covered from head to toe with the Performance Package 5.0 Ultra. They'll have you looking and feeling good this summer. Trust Manscaped to unlock the confidence you.

[Eli Double Tap]

Need to turn heads this summer season.

[Sebastian]

Join the 10 million men who already trust manscaped and use discount code unsub at checkout to get 20% off your order plus free shipping. Let's make this summer your smoothest one yet.

[Brandon Herrera]

Save me. Keep your ear and nose as tidy as your hedges with The Weed Whacker 2.0 Ear, Nose, Head trimmer. You'll be looking classy as ever.

[Sebastian]

The Updated Lawn Mower 5.0 Ultra Groin & body hair trimmer. Got a summer makeover? It's waterproof now for all those times you need to shave your groin or body hair at a pool party.

[Brandon Herrera]

So get 20% off plus free shipping using [e-mail] the Summer sun is here to stay, so trust manscape to keep those pubes at bay.

[Eli Double Tap]

I didn't know, especially having a veteran congressman in this district. I didn't realize how neglected veterans were in, you know, west Texas. It's. It's embarrassing.

[Sebastian]

It makes me. It's embarrassing. And then it's in the Texas because you're. As a Texan, you know, it's really weird because you're like, I have so much support in Texas, just not from the people that are paid to do it.

[Eli Double Tap]

Yeah.

[Sebastian]

And, like, when I told people, like, I spent years in between, like, that I have a leather harness that I made, and I spent years in between getting appointments for the prosthetics. And I never felt so scared until I became a dad that I was like, I really need prosthetics because, like, being able to change diapers, bathe my son. I never had that fear of being disabled until I became a dad where I was like, man, like, I really have to figure this out because, you know, my son doesn't really care if I'm. He doesn't know I'm disabled. He doesn't know that I can't do certain things. He's 2, and he can already do things better than me, especially when I don't wear my prosthetic. And so it comes from, like, a. Being a Texan. It's weird because, like, this arm was made because one Texan who's like I call him Tony Stark. He's a millionaire. George Schroeder, he's famous in San Antonio. He if you've been outside to like Randolph and Lackland or downtown San Antonio, he made all of the metal structures or Houston, he made metal structures for Synergy. Obviously he's done work for SpaceX but wild.

[Brandon Herrera]

But yeah he wants ever be on.

[Sebastian]

Yeah dude, I like he's. He's not even in Texas right now. Like I, he just dude, this guy. I'll tell the story. Right before I went to the Ukraine I broke this unboxing and yeah to Lane to the veteran thing. I had a.

[Brandon Herrera]

Wait, hold the fuck on. Just don't grease over boxing. Who you.

[Eli Double Tap]

Guys A car.

[Brandon Herrera]

Don't Worry, it's a 10 ounce glove.

[Sebastian]

As a guy, I think people like why I trained so much. I was like where I grew up, like I got you know and this is something that I like I take with me now that I'm like, oh, it's kind of a weird thing. I grew up in a, in a, in a. In the valley which. And so to non Texans it's like five minutes from the border. And like I got jumped so many times that like people think I have PTSD from the Marine Corps. And I was like no, no, no, that, that comes from growing up in the valley where I have this thing where I can't let people behind me and just always have an awareness. Situational awareness is because I got jumped so many times. And so that played really well into the Marine Corps. And like people don't. People didn't know that about me in the Marine Corps, but I was just like where I got that from. And so I was having that mentality to train, especially being disabled. I never felt so disabled until I got into a couple situations where I was like, man, like people could like if they wanted to, especially without a prosthetic really hurt me like just holding my arm. And so after getting injured I like I always wanted to train with whatever prosthetics that I had and so. But I do box at this arm and you know, that's why one of the reasons it's so popular is because nobody has prosthetics that you can fucking box with, shoot with or whatever arms because they're so, they're so fragile typically. But I, I did break this one part that he didn't make. So it was a sense of pride of him that I broke it three days before I went to the Ukraine because he made this, he made this party came In. And I love telling this story. I told him last week because he made this other part right here, right before he left to fucking, I think Minnesota, Michigan or something.

[Brandon Herrera]

But what's that part?

[Sebastian]

Do this. There's a steel roller right here, and it's where the cable rolls. But he hand laid that. I remember one of his workers was like. Was like, did you just see and see that machete? And he's like, no, actually just hand lays that. And I was like. I was like, that's his dedication. Where I was like. Because he has all these people that work for him now and lot of.

[Brandon Herrera]

Building it for you.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. That he. That.

[Eli Double Tap]

I would love to talk to this guy.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. George Schroeder. He's like, I'm. So. I. Because you're. You're. You're from Texas. Like, I got to talk about it at the Grand Ole Opry. You know what the Grand Ole Opry is? It's like a. It's like a country music place in Nashville.

[Brandon Herrera]

Yeah, Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.

[Sebastian]

Yeah.

[Eli Double Tap]

Next year we're playing, we're doing that.

[Sebastian]

Dude, that would be. I got to talk about this on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. And I was, like, talking about how bad it was, you know, getting. Unfortunately, the VA issues are why I got this, because I had trouble getting prosthetics. He heard my story and was like, I bet you I can build you something better than you've ever had before. And. And I did get to talk about. So now, you know, having traveled to talk about it, I, you know, I climbed Kilimanjaro with this. And ironically.

[Eli Double Tap]

Yeah, dude, you can't just drop shit like that.

[Brandon Herrera]

If you. I feel like a lazy piece of shit. This is why I love individuals like you. If you make a excuse, it's like, well, I'm just tired. I get winded easy. Homeboys just dropped the bomb of I climb, killing majora.

[Sebastian]

So this part, specifically, what these things were for. This. This was put on there for ropes because I was like, like, you. Like you. Brandon was asking about, like, how much I use this. This arm is so injured that I get scared to overuse it because it'll wear out if I use it too much. So here's where I put the ropes. And I told him, like, before I went to Kilimanjaro, I told him, like, if you build me this, like, I'm gonna let you know right now, I'm gonna. I'm gonna put my life on the line. No, I told him. I was like, I'm gonna rely on it. So, like, whatever you do, like, just no pressure, but I will rely on it to the point where I'll put ropes around it and trust my life with it. So I put the ropes here, around here. And this is steel. And so people are like, why? Because there's, like, fallout. And people have said that it looks like the armor from fallout.

[Brandon Herrera]

Oh, it looks like the.

[Sebastian]

What's.

[Brandon Herrera]

The suits? The power.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. And I was like, that was specifically for Kilimanjaro. And. But it's so funny because, like, some of the scratches I have from here are from the obsidian on. On Kilimanjaro. And that shit cut right through. Oh, yeah, yeah, it cuts right through that. But this part was specifically for mountain climbing. So I could put the ropes here so I could pull because I'm so strong in this side. That's where I would put the ropes. And. But that was, like, one of the first things that I did. I brought multiple prosthetics, and I broke my bionic prosthetic, like, the first day because it was raining. And I didn't even think about the fact that I tried to make it, modify it to be rain proof. But the bionics, they're not remotely waterproof.

[Brandon Herrera]

No.

[Sebastian]

And so I broke it. I had it on my pack, and I fucking. And I left it there at the base camp because I broke it. And I was like, how, man? I can't believe I broke it the first day. And so. But I had this arm, and I didn't know it was gonna be so tough. And I finished the. I finished them. Kilimanjaro with it. And I feel bad sometimes talking about Kilimanjaro because we did lose half of our team. Like, half the team didn't make it.

[Brandon Herrera]

And, like, they didn't make it to the top.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. No, no, no.

[Brandon Herrera]

Okay.

[Eli Double Tap]

Who the fuck are you climbing with?

[Sebastian]

No, we had a couple amputees. This was with the organization that they help first responders, specifically, like law enforcement and firefighters and military. And they'll take them on trips like that. But, you know, like, you know, whenever you do things like that, it is. Teach their own, like, how much training you do. And obviously, it wouldn't be a challenge if people weren't able to, you know, if it wasn't difficult, people would, you know, do it. So we had a double amputee that he didn't finish, and then we had a Noah Galloway. He's. He's a famous. He was on Dance with the Stars. He didn't make it. And it sucks because it was just the prosthetic limitations, and that's what's crazy. He had an experimental knee. He had experimental knee that Autobox sent him.

[Brandon Herrera]

Oh, he was above.

[Sebastian]

Above the knee.

[Eli Double Tap]

Yeah.

[Brandon Herrera]

Which is crazy. And they're just now refining that show. Like, yeah, dude. It's crazy. Like, the. How recent bone into the. Like the titanium. Yeah.

[Sebastian]

Awesome.

[Donut Operator]

Derek.

[Sebastian]

Yeah, dude.

[Brandon Herrera]

Those are some of the. Derek's one of the first ones, I think. Crispy. I don't know if Chris. No, Crispy doesn't have it, but I remember talking to these guys, and this is. As of the last five years, they're the first ones having this integrated into their bones.

[Eli Double Tap]

Like, Derek show was super experimental. That was terrible.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. People ask me about that all the time, and I'm like, no, I'm too. I'm too, too young and too active because I know so many of. It's such a small niche community that I was like, it wasn't worth the risk because I already had so many experimental surgeries that I was like, I do have a really short amputation. So that's why they asked me, because they're like, I know you can barely use prosthetic because your amputation is so high. But I was like, I spent such a long time in the hospital that I was like, I just want to move on with my life. And I know he's had a lot of issues with it too, and it sucks. But that's the people making progress.

[Brandon Herrera]

They're trying because, yeah, it's like, there's nowhere else to test it, dude.

[Sebastian]

Like, here in Texas, like, that's what I'm so proud of this. And some of the stuff that I've been able to do with it, like, I went to the Ukraine to talk about it because all their soldiers were hitting me up on. On. On YouTube and tick tock about it. And, like, because people. I remember Logan brought up to me neuralink, and I was like, not like before Tesla, because Tesla started getting into the prosthetic space like, two months ago. So before they jumped, they just jumped into it. I actually moved to Austin specifically for prosthetics. I was like. I was like, man, because it sucked. I didn't know such. If I would have realized earlier such a part of my life was going to be about prosthetics, I would have done things differently. Because at first I was like, if I get into prosthetics because people wanted me to get in prosthetics, I was like, I won't really have recovered. Because then so much of my life will be dedicated to the injury. And then because of where legs were, I really thought that arms would be that same thing, you know, like plug and play. A lot of legs are so tough that people are not. Special Forces were the first people to get the best legs. Ottobock made them. And that was. I was telling Brandon before we started about the best leg was actually from a company that I worked with before. I still have. I still, you know, have really, really. They hired me and I worked for them in Berlin for some campaign and for just consultation. And the best knee in the world is metal and it's made by them, but it was made through DARPA as a program with darpa. And so people are like, where did this super advanced knee come from? And it's referenced a lot because we compare this to that.

[Eli Double Tap]

Well, the crazy part is what you told me before that or while we were talking about it was why they developed it.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. So there's like. There was like three guys. You probably know them. I think one of them was Nick. He messaged me on Instagram. It was specifically for Special forces to return to duty.

[Brandon Herrera]

Not surprised at all.

[Eli Double Tap]

That's like you got your leg blown off. They're like, oh, how do we get you back in?

[Sebastian]

I mean, there's such an investment, especially in the sports.

[Brandon Herrera]

Yeah. Millions. I mean.

[Sebastian]

Yeah.

[Brandon Herrera]

I think it's like 1.2. How much was spent on you, Griffith. Yeah. Like, for your military worth, for all your training. You've done millions. Yeah. Yeah.

[Sebastian]

There's such a huge investment that it's like now that would be.

[Eli Double Tap]

Because now the bottlenecks. An $80,000 leg. All right.

[Sebastian]

Yeah, exactly.

[Eli Double Tap]

That sort of thing.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. Because that, that like the arm that I have that it's like. It's funny. The arm that I have is like 2 to 270 hundred thousand. And they're so much more expensive than knees. But the best knee came from. From DARPA working.

[Eli Double Tap]

Because that's what blew my mind. And that's why, like, I'm sorry. Like, I'm just like staring at this the entire time.

[Sebastian]

No, I'm so stoked that y'all asked me about. Cuz like, I'm so proud of it. And we're like still grinding to get it more for more people. Because like, I feel like that's.

[Eli Double Tap]

The accessibility of. That feels so superficially. Or just it limited for no reason. Because that. There's no reason in my mind that this arm should cost a Lamborghini Huracan.

[Sebastian]

It's insane. Especially when you, like, where's the cost coming from?

[Eli Double Tap]

Yeah.

[Brandon Herrera]

Like yours with.

[Eli Double Tap]

And I'm sure your friend did a great job. Like, it's just. I'm. I'm.

[Brandon Herrera]

It's.

[Eli Double Tap]

It's blowing my mind, like, why this would cost so much.

[Brandon Herrera]

I'm guessing the. Because you. We will. It's hard to figure out what order to talk about because I'm like, dude, even the idea. If you think open the hand, it opens.

[Sebastian]

So. So I brought. Actually brought. Because. A hand.

[Eli Double Tap]

A hand.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. This is. This is a. I like to educate now and Brent and just. Because I wish I would have known earlier that I was going to have to play such a big role in educating people because, like, since I was injured such a long time ago, I would have been able to influence people to shut up. Get into that field, you know, earlier. But, like, like he was saying, I think that the cost comes from actuators and computers that. That are within the process because that has like a. I think four. Four individual actuators. And it's just that a lot of that you're paying for R and D, so you're paying for the R and.

[Brandon Herrera]

D ton of money.

[Sebastian]

And so I think that the knees, they're able to bring down that cost because there's so many more knee people. And just on the civilian side, too, because, like, a lot of. A lot of leg injuries are still the survivor stateside for traumatic amputations, motorcycle accidents, car accidents. I was just with the. At the. I was at this, like, celebrity softball thing in Dallas with the. With the. Above the knee amputee who just climbed a mountain in Peru, and she had a knee that wasn't waterproof. And we were talking about that because she can't get the X3 because it's too expensive. That knee that It's. It's still expensive for most amputees. Even military have a hard time getting it because it was originally just created for people that were. For. For special forces guys.

[Brandon Herrera]

Yeah.

[Sebastian]

And now they considered it. It's so. It's so tough that they consider it a specialty knee. So it's like, it's an insurance thing that even veterans have trouble getting it because since it's so tough, they consider it a water knee. And so, like this, for example, I just got in a fight with the VA about this, about getting a new prosthetic because they didn't make this.

[Eli Double Tap]

And so are you trying to do.

[Donut Operator]

Eli's gonna break the fucking thing.

[Eli Double Tap]

Also the knuckles, like, the. The paint job on the knuckles, if you could face that to camera, it looks like the. The hot bitch from Atlantis. The Lost Empire.

[Donut Operator]

Well, do you get the space cowboy thing from Jet, dude?

[Sebastian]

Yeah, no, it's so funny because people call me that on. On people called me that. Not even on my people.

[Donut Operator]

Because Jet, his right arm isn't real. He lost it in a policing accident.

[Sebastian]

Yeah, I got that from, from, from tick tock and YouTube people. Before I even got on social media, people were making videos about my arms and I switched that because I used to. Yeah, the Hano Space Cowboy Tahano is just Mexicans from Texas. Like my family is from Texas before Texas was America and in Mexico and. And that came from people calling me that. And I thought that was funny because. Because, like, just because I would wear a cowboy. I wore a cowboy hat with it and people were like, oh, like a space cowboy. And I was like, I love that shit.

[Eli Double Tap]

Rad.

[Sebastian]

And. And. But just to get to the. That is just like it's. It's a fucking Medicare thing. Like the insurance. I think that insurances and getting that cost down is like part of it's. They're not made in America. And I think that there's a bunch of young companies that.

[Brandon Herrera]

There's like one made in America.

[Sebastian]

Yeah, that was my big point. We're so proud of that because. And this is not to rub anything in their face because I've worked for them before. They're a four billion dollar company. They are the best prosthetic manufacturers in the world still. But having worked for them overseas, I was like, hey man, if you guys made things in America, not only would like, this is broken. I don't have any working hands right now. So I'm waiting on that to get a new one from overseas because they're made in Austria, so the turnover and getting them repaired is really. Is really high. But there's a couple of young companies in America that are making prosthetics to that level that are not plastic. And I think that before I handle this too closely.

[Eli Double Tap]

Have you jerked it with this?

[Sebastian]

No. Everybody. Dude, everybody asked about the stranger.

[Eli Double Tap]

Look at. I feel really weird.

[Brandon Herrera]

He's like wanting to ask that I've.

[Donut Operator]

Been holding back this.

[Sebastian]

So people that are below the elbow have rubber covers. And I hear that like, they do try shit like that. Since I'm above the elbow, I don't have that level of control. So I'm like. I feel like I would just rip that. Rip it off.

[Eli Double Tap]

Just guy to guy. I figure I had to ask.

[Sebastian]

I Fixed this myself with the. Just some steel cable. Oh, yeah. And so I was like, it's so jagged. Can you just imagine?

[Eli Double Tap]

Oh, yeah. No, that's a new. What is that? They call that a saint. Saint. The piercing on your fucking.

[Sebastian]

A Prince.

[Eli Double Tap]

Prince Albert. There you go. Look to me for confirmation.

[Brandon Herrera]

Yeah.

[Eli Double Tap]

Well, here's the thing you did. You knew the answer.

[Brandon Herrera]

Which saint was it that jerked his dick?

[Donut Operator]

We always look to Prince Salmon for.

[Sebastian]

Dude, that's like the number one question on fucking saint masturbation, like, the stranger or whatever. And I was like, I know that there's amputees that have rubber covers. This hand, it's open, and that makes it easier for me to repair, so that's why I liked it. But they're closed ones that are all rubber and that, like, I know that there's some dark fucking amputees out there that have tried that because they've told me about it and they talk about it, and I was like, no, like, not me. My injury levels too high. And, like, do.

[Brandon Herrera]

What's crazy is the pit. Like, to give you props for the art direction, though. Like, it.

[Sebastian]

Dude.

[Brandon Herrera]

An okay with this wrap, this paint and the blues, like br.

[Sebastian]

Yeah.

[Brandon Herrera]

People would put this up. If you ever get rid of one of these, we'll buy it from you. Just the hand so we can put it.

[Eli Double Tap]

I don't think we can afford them.

[Sebastian]

You know what? So that's another. That's another issue that. It's funny that you say that I have. Dude, I have a bunch of these because the company does make them obsolete, so. Planned obsolescence.

[Eli Double Tap]

Yeah.

[Sebastian]

So, like, the pro. It's a software.

[Eli Double Tap]

Planned obsolescence. Obsolescence is wild.

[Brandon Herrera]

It's a good rock.

[Eli Double Tap]

Yeah.

[Sebastian]

For amputees. Sucks, man. It sucks because, like, having got into the space a little bit, traveling to, like. Like, I talked to some guys in Egypt and. And I want to go to Mexico to talk about this arm in the Ukraine. Some of the places that they're making tougher ones, they're making them tougher because amputees can't really afford them. Yeah. You know, like, in America, for instance, you get them, like, once every five years. And so. Yeah, so I have. I have some of these. I. I did the art just. I call it Mexican camouflage because it's just. I just. I just, like on this one, literally just camo, because my other ones are kind of colorful. And I was like, I want an arm that I can hunt with, and I want to. Whenever I was in Africa, I felt really bad In Tanzania, we got, like, chased out of this village. And I felt really bad because the arm was all shiny and metal. And I felt so bad for the group I was with because, like, literally, like, our security was running and ahead of us, and I was like, damn. Like, I spotlighted us because my arm was so shiny.

[Eli Double Tap]

Is it like a cloak or something?

[Sebastian]

Well, I was like. I was like. I had. I painted a little bit of camo on it. And then after that, I was like, I was in the jungle and I was thinking to myself, like, I saw pictures and I was like, oh, I could disappear. I. I could make it camo to make it. Like, not because, like, having a super shiny arm is, like, cool. I mean, like, I use it so much, but I was like, I do have that mentality of, like. Of. I don't know if it's ghetto mentality of, like, I don't like people being able to see me before I see them. You know what I mean? And so, like, childhood trauma.

[Brandon Herrera]

Yeah.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. It's getting jumped. Especially thing like, because the. The training, the boxing and stuff like that. The part that I broke before I went to the Ukraine, like, I've always trained. Cuz, like, especially whenever you're traveling overseas.

[Eli Double Tap]

I see you adjusting that every now and again. What are you. What are you locking that in and out of and why?

[Sebastian]

Yeah, this is.

[Eli Double Tap]

God damn it, Brandon.

[Sebastian]

You could do the Trump thing for the best prosthetics I've ever had. The best prosthetics. Yeah. I think we should have the best prosthetics made in America. I think we do. That is a goal of mine. For them to be made in America would be really, really cool.

[Eli Double Tap]

America should have the best prosthetics.

[Sebastian]

But the Maybe ever tiny ones of it that specifically. For a long time, we were, like, scared to talk about the. The inner mechanics of the elbow because we're, like, worried about trade secrets and stuff like that. But after talking to George, the guy's like, this is so hard to build that he wanted me to the Ukraine. He's like, give it away. Like, show it to people. Like, his goal is to. Is to build it better so people are not dealing with broken prosthetics that they're, like, relying on to, like, feed their families. And so, like, open sourcing. Talking about it is this is how the elbow moves up and down. So it's a pylon. And so typically that would be all inner. That would be located in the elbow. So all my other elbows, it's. It's inner It's. It's. It's. It's not accessible to somebody to work on. But they're typically plastics. Typically a plastic gear, and so that limits it. And even sometimes the steel ones, A lot of prosthetics, upper extremity are limited by the fact that they. They try to make them look like arms to contain all of that movement right there, but the materials are not tough enough to do something like that. So, like, there's a metal elbow that whenever you try to make it, steel is nowhere near as strong as muscle fibers are, so we don't realize that. But, like, if you get a metal pylon, like rebar, and you. And you and you, like, tensile strength is one thing, but bending it, there's nothing like over and over and over.

[Eli Double Tap]

Yeah, it's like aluminum. That's one of the arguments. Like aluminum over polymers or polymer over aluminum, Rather, like, polymer isn't quite as strong.

[Sebastian]

Dude.

[Eli Double Tap]

As aluminum.

[Sebastian]

So glad you brought that up.

[Eli Double Tap]

Okay. Yeah. Because it's. It's one of those things like polymers, even though that they're not as strong as aluminum, they will bend. They will misshape themselves to be able to fit whatever they need to in the moment, and then they'll go back to the normal shape. Whereas aluminum will just fucking bend. It will break. It will.

[Sebastian]

Like being stronger those lines.

[Eli Double Tap]

Bingo. Being stronger is not necessarily better.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. So once you break or fray carbon fiber, that's why people ask about why metal? And I was like, well, there's a reason all knees are metal. So that's like. That gets into a really niche thing. But this was made specifically to protect the carbon fiber socket because I've broken carbon fiber sockets, and carbon fiber is so uniquely fragile when it comes to, like. So when I was on Kilimanjaro, you could see the digs of the obsidian into the aluminum.

[Eli Double Tap]

Oh, yeah.

[Sebastian]

And it dug right into it. And it was funny because this was originally carbon fiber, but we converted it to metal and cut this part out because we're like, only metal where it needs to be metal. And. But I broke carbon fiber wings because it's so fragile that once you drill into it, you actually. Yeah, you should be drilling. Like, the guy who made this arm was like, man, I can't believe the VA drilled into this.

[Eli Double Tap]

Just splintering into your shit.

[Sebastian]

And it's. It's poisonous.

[Eli Double Tap]

Yeah.

[Sebastian]

People have no idea that, like, as a material, it's really weird that prosthetics are still carbon fiber because it's dangerous and fragile, especially if you're somebody's using it for more than a few years.

[Eli Double Tap]

You ever seen those pictures of the guys who, like, accidentally put the carbon fiber arrow through their forearm or their hand, and the carbon fiber just splinters out 80 different directions? It's awful. As soon as you split. Have you not seen that?

[Donut Operator]

Yeah, no, I've seen that before.

[Sebastian]

Yeah.

[Donut Operator]

Archers doing that. That's why, like, if you have a. If you have an arrow. Eli knows now, too. You just got an archery. If you have an arrow, you always, like, roll it a little bit to make sure it's not splintered, because if you let it go, it'll just. It'll destroy your winner.

[Brandon Herrera]

Open everything, dude. Arrow. Like, it is so much fun, but also, you see those little things like that. I was like, well, that's why you. The only time I won't cheap out, like, ammo. You'll buy cheap ammo. Sometimes arrows are the one thing I was like, you know what? I'm just spending. I'm gonna spend a little extra money so just in case it's not opening.

[Donut Operator]

Up and destroying any archery event I've ever been to. They're like, hey, take your arrows. Just, like, roll them down your leg real quick. If it splinters, throw that arrow away because it'll. It'll just fucking explode your arm. Wild. All I can think about is, like, how easy it would be to put a gun in that and sneak on an airplane.

[Sebastian]

Dude, somebody hit me up from. Oh, no, no. Oh, that.

[Brandon Herrera]

Cody, why did you. Why does your brain go to sneak.

[Eli Double Tap]

That's okay.

[Sebastian]

That's okay that you brought that up. Because I get violated so much for the TSA that I'm like. I'm so used to it, like, really getting through the airport. I do. I know. I'm like, it's the beard, too, people. Whenever I. Dude, whenever I'm overseas, especially with the other arms, like, they're like this. Now this motherfucker, like, I'll get. I've literally gone through. Especially in Germany, mother. Like, this is why you guys have a reputation. But they'll send me through the airport security twice and go to the back room twice. And I'm like. I'm like, listen, man, until there's a couple of guys that German special forces that were, you know, served with us in NATO. They're, like, cooler, but, like, the security is, like, you get the terrorist treatment. And it's like. But this arm, specifically is actually easier to get through the airport because there's no batteries. So lithium. Lithium is a real issue Man, I had a arm, the blue arm that I met you with. I got stuck in Germany for like six months because I checked it in and I didn't know you couldn't check it in because it's got lithium batteries, even though they're completely encased within carbon fiber. Layers of carbon fiber. It got. It got stuck. But this one, since it's hollow, actually, it doesn't go off whenever I go on the scans because they can see everything through it. Yeah. So there is a setup that I have that's shooting for shooting specifically, that I stopped wearing through the airports because it was so hard to get through. But yeah, it depends on what country I'm in. America's like the worst, really. But not. Not Texas. Texas is like. People usually know who I am. They're like the guy with the metal arm, like, he's. You know what I mean?

[Eli Double Tap]

Like, like your home airports or whatever.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. But then like, cuz like. Like getting. Getting airports in the US like, where if they're like, bum fuck nowhere, that. That's the worst because they're like, they're like, I've never seen this before. Like, I'll. They'll want me spread my legs. And for a long time. I hate holding people up too, so I feel bad. So it's like almost better when they're like, take me to the pirate room. I'm like, just ready for it.

[Eli Double Tap]

Because like, meanwhile they're thinking in their head, they're like, brown guy beard, you were the bad IED maker.

[Sebastian]

Yeah, I swear to God, it's so. It's. It's. It was. It's useful, you know, I mean, it's like, it's useful. Like I like being able to like, even with a metal arm, disappear a little bit. Because I can fit in anywhere I go. And I speak posh to a little bit still too.

[Eli Double Tap]

I'm sure TSA loves that.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. No, it's not funny. Like, no jokes. Yeah, it's. Yeah, there's no joke. I like, no joke in front of TSA anymore because it's just like, yeah, they have too much power. But yeah, it's just really weird when you get stopped in America. You're like, look, this is of all the countries that I get stopped in. You're like, man, this is like one country. They'd be like, you would think that would be easier to get through, but como stuff.

[Brandon Herrera]

Nice try. Terrorists.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. In Africa, like, they don't give a fuck. Like in Africa, they're like. They're like, oh, yeah, man. Like, you're, you know, you're disabled. Whatever. Like, they're. They're almost nicer to you because you're disabled.

[Eli Double Tap]

And I mean, try.

[Brandon Herrera]

Go on, Brandon, finish it.

[Eli Double Tap]

Fine. Try playing soccer in most of East Africa without hitting a landmine. So they understand prosthesis.

[Sebastian]

No, it's true. It's real. That's why I was there. You know what I mean? Like, to talk about the amputees there, you know.

[Eli Double Tap]

Thanks for pushing me into that, Eli.

[Sebastian]

Appreciate it.

[Brandon Herrera]

You're one of us.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. Ironically, the tsa. Yeah. You're like, I don't know what, the goal, the gift, the goals. It is a little bit like, you know, obviously, the Marine Corps sent me this fucking language school because I looked, you know, whenever I was in Afghanistan, they told me to tell people I was Persian. Iranian. Yeah. That's all. You make up a story. Tell them. Yeah. Like, I had to make up a story about being. Being. My dad was my ran. And, you know, I had three kids, you know, just, like, big.

[Brandon Herrera]

Yeah. Go into that culture where it's like.

[Sebastian]

I didn't know that that was like a. That's a thing that they. They have people do. I thought it was just me, but not everybody who goes to language school in the Marine Corps and then Special Forces, like, that's all they do, right? They're like, yeah, be shady as fuck. Lie about everything. Like. But. But it is funny because, like, that is why they sent me a language school, because I spoke my first language, Spanish, and I look Mexican. So, you know, over there, you look. A little bit. Before I was wounded, I looked Middle Eastern. So you.

[Brandon Herrera]

You don't look Mexican. You are Mexican.

[Sebastian]

It's just, as, you know, it's a fucking. Ironically, that's. That's some. That's some uses of the diversity of the military. Super useful for that kind of thing. And there's history to that, too, because, like, it's. There's history to that because Arabs invaded Spain, and so, like, we have some language structure that's the same, but also looks so. Like, the nose, you know, it could come from that. Because Arabs invaded Spain and they left, like, you know, cognates like mez is table in posh, too. Like, kamisa shirt. They left language structure for Arabic. And then also, like, some of the words are the same too, so people are like, why do so many people in the Middle east look, you know, Mexican? And it's like, oh, it's like, that's because of Spaniards and, you know, colonialism stuff.

[Brandon Herrera]

They are.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. Really Same, same genetically that we are kind of the same.

[Eli Double Tap]

That's, you know, it's easy to think that everybody's the same until you realize like history, it's like, oh no, all these places. Like there was a, you know, the invasion of the Moors into Sicily, for example. If you've seen true romance history. I read a lot.

[Sebastian]

You know, it's useful. It's useful because it is, it's.

[Brandon Herrera]

You get to see like how Hume humanity did spread and conquer. It's like funnels that point to a place and then that builds into a funnel and then it goes to another spot.

[Eli Double Tap]

That's always why I've kind of had an issue with like the 23andMe like the DNA tests because it's like, okay, well you're Mexican. Cool. Are you 20, 24 Mexican or are you 1800 Mexican or are you pre Spanish Mexican? It's like the. All of human history is just a history of conquest and different countries and civilizations melding into each other. It's like genetically speaking, which version of that country are you? Because if you go on 500 year increments, that is radically different.

[Sebastian]

Yeah, that's. I love educating because I educated myself on it. Like, I remember one of the only times I've ever talked about my story on social media was like years ago on TikTok and I. Yeah, well, the God, the Aztec God arm, Quichapotle. Like I remember telling people that I said that I put that the arm was. This is from it. That's why it's blue. His color is blue and he's the Aztec God of the sun. And, and his color is blue. And the Aztec God of the sun in war, he's a very violent God. And I remember people, a lot of Christians getting super mad at me for saying that. I thought my ancestors woke me up because nobody saved me. And just this light wouldn't, wouldn't, wouldn't stop flickering in my eyes. And you know, my family's from Nova Leon and they're like indigenous to Mexico on one side and then indigenous Texas on the other side. And I thought it was a cool history because I was able to, I don't think like a lot of people know that, like, why. And this is me, I would consider myself Christian, raised Catholic. You know, my middle name is Guadalupe because. Yeah, David, Guadalupe in Mexico. But I was like, I. People don't know.

[Eli Double Tap]

Mexican Catholic. No.

[Sebastian]

Yeah, dude. People don't know. You know, like you have to educate yourself on, on, on how that history was spread, you know, I mean, that, that, that religion was spread by the sword. And so people were like, I remember all this hate that I got from Christian. I was like, well, I can't neglect one side of my history and not like, know, you know, how Catholicism got to Mexico specifically and all the gods, you know what I mean? And like. But all that, it goes back to some sort history because like Christmas, you.

[Eli Double Tap]

Know what I mean?

[Sebastian]

Like, that was a pagan holiday.

[Eli Double Tap]

Yeah.

[Sebastian]

And so it's all Christmas, Easter, pretty.

[Eli Double Tap]

Much everything we see in a modern sense is.

[Sebastian]

Yeah.

[Eli Double Tap]

It's derived from something that was hundreds of years before us.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. You get in trouble whenever you don't like, because you almost always have to like, educate yourself on those kind of things whenever you're talking to people about that. And then you have to like, go from, you know, how much do they know about it? You know enough to be offended.

[Eli Double Tap]

Would you two quit holding hands?

[Sebastian]

Yeah, I'm so glad. Like, I'm trying to find.

[Brandon Herrera]

Dude, there's these. I'm so interested in anime versions of Aztec warriors and God squats of color and like all of them. But this is one. But dude, anime. They did really cool drawings at Aztec gods. They look vicious.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. Art is a super big. Yeah, because even on my arm, the spear, I have 26 dots there. The spear is supposed to be. We lost 25 Marines without attachments on that deployment. And this is an Aztec spear. And that's why I call it just Mexican camouflage, because I just did designs in camo form and this is supposed to be an obsidian tipped Lanza spear. And. But just I did like a camo rendering of that and. But it's cool. Like art, the art. The art in Mexico is like super, super unique.

[Brandon Herrera]

And I love watching the, like your anime, watching it blend with like the Japanese style artwork and then the Mexican style.

[Sebastian]

Yeah, you're just like, Mexico gets so love. I remember when I was talking, I had that arm. I had the, the leather arm in the Ukraine. And I remember this Ukrainian soldier, wnpt, asked me about this guy on my arm, and it's Emiliano Zapata. And he was an indigenous freedom fighter from Mexico. And he's famous. He's real. He's real famous Mexican warrior. And he's like a famous quote of his. Like, I'd rather, you know, die on. I'd rather, you know, die on my knees than, you know, live on my feet. Live on my feet fighting for a Mexican free. He was eventually killed and he's got a famous bandolier. And I thought my Sorry, it was backwards.

[Brandon Herrera]

It was.

[Eli Double Tap]

I'd rather live on my feet or die on my feet than live on my knees.

[Brandon Herrera]

Yeah, that doesn't sound right. Yeah, I was like playing in my head. I was like, maybe it's a weird Mexican dude.

[Sebastian]

He's super famous all over.

[Donut Operator]

All you fucking Mexicans over here.

[Eli Double Tap]

Yeah, I'm learning a lot today.

[Sebastian]

No, it's.

[Brandon Herrera]

I think it's a Cody, goes by the Weest.

[Sebastian]

I want to be like you.

[Eli Double Tap]

I wanted to learn about your culture, so I went to Home Depot.

[Sebastian]

I mean, you can't be ashamed because that's the hardest workers in the world. Like now go in other places, like I travel where I'm like, I'm like, oh man. Like where people talk about like me positively. I'm like, oh man. Like where I'm from, like the hardest workers in the world. That's why SpaceX is in the Valley, man, because it's just the hardest. The reputation, if Mexican specifically the work ethic is, is legendary all over the world now. And even like, like, because you talk.

[Eli Double Tap]

About the grass is immaculate.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. I mean, that's why I broke my, I broke this hand lawn mowing my lawn. And I was like, it was just something that's like a work ethic that's unique, that I think that like people in Texas really appreciate because they're like, are like all those motherfuckers are just. That's a cool stereotype to have where you're like the hardest.

[Eli Double Tap]

Yeah.

[Sebastian]

I mean, I built that harness. Like people are like, why I got into prosthetic. I was like, because, you know, you can't really let people feel sorry for you so long. Are you. Even if you have valid reasons, like be depressed or whatever, like, you know that mentality of being like, well, fucking nobody else is gonna do it. I'll do it myself. That is something that I, that I do take a pride in that, that culture aspect where you're just like, nah, I'll work up with it myself.

[Brandon Herrera]

Don't be a victim. You have. You can make the excuses and you know, people would validate your excuses. Instead you're like, no, that I still want to work hard. I want to better myself. I want to better even what I have right now to like my day to day life. I'm going to make that as best as possible. I'm not going to quit.

[Eli Double Tap]

Which was actually one of the first times you ever came across my feed. Naturally was a video of you basically explaining, you're like, yeah, people call me the, the Tejano, you know, Winter Soldier and everything. Like, this is so cool. But you're just like, hey, just a quick reminder to everybody, this is actually a disability. Like, there's. I can't do, and that's kind of up. But the ability to go from, you know, something that obviously was a very traumatic experience to having something like just taking on a life of its own and making it so cool and making the best of it that you have to remind people, like, hey, by the way, this is. You know, it's not great. This was not my ideal situation, but just the. The idea of making the best of it to the point that people forget how bad it actually is is fucking rad.

[Sebastian]

Yeah, like, the. That came. That came as far as, like, learning how to talk negatively, but positive, because I felt like I never realized I was gonna have to educate people on the VA side of things, where I was like. I was like, I don't want people to know. I don't want. I never want somebody to go through what I went through with the va fighting for prosthetics. I never thought I was gonna have to, like, beg for. Because people are like. Like, you know, you're wounded in combat, you get everything. I was like, no, it's not that easy. It's not. It's been so difficult. And talking to other amputee veterans where I, like, now I know how hard it is fighting the VA for. For prosthetics, and it's been. Become such an issue that I was like. I only start to tell people that I'm, like, disabled because, like, becoming a dad, that changed my view of things where I'm like, man, like, all of, like, the quiet struggles at home that especially as a guy and you're Mexican, like, a machista mentality, like, you have that thing of, like, my dad super silent, you know, like, you never heard him talk, would never complain. Never talked.

[Brandon Herrera]

Mexican toxic trait, too.

[Sebastian]

It is a toxic trait.

[Brandon Herrera]

Home. No.

[Sebastian]

Great for work.

[Brandon Herrera]

Give me the vix. I'll put it on my chest.

[Sebastian]

I'll just. It's.

[Brandon Herrera]

You're having a heart attack, dad. No, I'm fine. It's good that way. You're having a heart attack, dude.

[Sebastian]

It's great for war, man. We make great warriors. But. And then as far as, like, advancing and things and not, like, passing. Passing on, like, generational trauma and stuff like that, that's, you know, I. I was like, one of my things after my dad passed away and my son was born. I was like, I want to make sure that I like my. I think it's Maya Angelou that has a quote like, if you. If you. If you don't tell people about your suffering, they'll say that you were happy. You know, I think there's a quote about her. She used a quote like that, and I was like. So I wanted people to know that.

[Eli Double Tap]

I'm, like, talking about this easy or something like that.

[Sebastian]

Yeah.

[Eli Double Tap]

I can't remember.

[Sebastian]

I feel bad talking about, like, I'm like, hey, man, this guy privately funded this arm, built this arm, you know, because of my struggles getting prosthetics from the va. Let's not. Let's not talk about the fact that I've had. So I built my own harness. I went years without appointment. I went years without prosthetics.

[Brandon Herrera]

It's hard to. It is that it's extremely difficult to talk about your trauma. I know probably a lot of guys at this table and guys out there, gals out there. It is. You don't want to have the victim. You don't want to play victim. And the second you bring up somebody like, no. Like, you feel bad about it for whatever reason.

[Sebastian]

Complaining.

[Brandon Herrera]

Yeah. You feel like you're complaining in a military. I mean, you know, even in the Mexican growing up.

[Sebastian]

Yeah.

[Brandon Herrera]

Not allowed to complain about stuff. You're just like, no, I'm gonna shut the up. I'm gonna just push through it. But it is awesome for the next generation. Like, your kiddo. And you're like, okay, I need to do this to bring light to it. Because, like, one of the biggest things. How long did it take for the VA to even start working on a prosthetic for you? How many years?

[Sebastian]

So I would say two and a half years. So this is like, that reaction, right? Because wild. Other amputees, whenever I tell them this, they're like, it's insane. I've actually. I retired in 2015. I. I've only had two prosthetics built from the VA since I retired. And whenever you tell that to people who know anything about. Who know amputees, they're like, that's insane. And I was like, yeah, I didn't know that. That's why this guy made this arm for me. Like, I feel bad because I feel like a sense of responsibility talking about it, because I owe him. And just for other amputees now and then, never wanting other combat with amputees to deal with that, I, like, it's been such an issue, like, for me in San Antonio, like, my congressman got involved twice, and it was like, such an issue where they're like, I had to break that mentality of being like, because if you don't complain about it, that's fine, but then like, you know, complain about it. So hard to make things happen. And it wasn't until my son was born that I was like, I can't be disabled because my son, you know, like, whenever he needs me, you know, and I'm taking care of him alone, I'm like, it just really, really sucks. I always tell a story about like, changing diapers with one arm is so hard. I always, whatever. My son's mom's not there. I always wear my prosthetic because I need it to be able to carry him and to move him. And like, you know, toddlers, it's so scary. Like they're, they're, they have no idea how many times they put their lives in jeopardy.

[Donut Operator]

So yeah, they're just constantly trying to do this.

[Sebastian]

Terrifying. And like two year old veterans. Yeah. Make it this far. And doing that with one arm, it's like I never felt the need to be undecipate my disability as much as possible until I became a dad. Where I was like, this is not just about me. I have to be able to get prosthetics so I can be able to take care of my son and be a dad. And it was just something that I was like, never. I would have really continued to try to do it alone myself. And actually one of the guys that found me to make this army was a, was a special forces veteran who heard my story and heard my dad's story. So he was like, so, so upset by the fact that my dad served so many wars and, and the guy was from 7th Group and. And then a lieutenant colonel for 7th Group. They're like, your dad fought so hard in Panama and for you to still be going through this. I couldn't get. Okay. So one thing was I couldn't get prosthetics made at the center for the Intrepid in San Antonio, which was built for veterans. And so there was a big thing there that I was like, because people.

[Eli Double Tap]

Like, people had no idea down to build bigger buildings. They really love that I bring it up.

[Sebastian]

I didn't, I didn't know to educate myself on that. Where I was like, people are like, why talk about the VA negatively? Or I'm like, well, because these are taxpayer fund. Like people have no idea that these are million dollar facilities employing whole teams. And I was like, there's not that many amputees for them to be saying that they don't have the capacity to build prosthetics.

[Eli Double Tap]

Where I'm like, they love spending hundreds of millions of dollars to build a bigger building to tell you no inside.

[Brandon Herrera]

Look at this giant prosthetic we built, dude, to represent prosthetics. Can I just get a prosthetic though?

[Sebastian]

It's like, how can you dedicate? Because I feel like I have a sense of responsibility to talk about it. Because I'm like, hey, man, civilian side, they're not as funded well as the va. So I'm like waiting for weeks in between appointments to get it on the civilian side. This guy has nothing to do with prosthetics. He's doing it specifically to advance them. Heard my story. Get into it. Get into the weeds with me specifically just to better to make it arms or whatever for the future. But like, it's so sad when you, like I tell people, like, why am I pushing the V2? I'm like, because they have million dollar facility. They have fabrication capacity that small civilian side don't have. And if they're not going to use that, people need to understand that then we shouldn't be spending millions of dollars on those facilities because there's not that many combat wounded amputees. For them to be like, because I got turned down.

[Brandon Herrera]

Justify spinning. And then you're so why do you.

[Sebastian]

Have the facilities that are just million dollar like Audie Murphy, The VA is huge. And people when I tell them, like, I have the biggest. What's the biggest va, which has been such an issue for combat with amputees to have such an issue getting prosthetics from what is supposed to be the biggest va. And I'm like, you have all of this staff that don't do anything and if they don't want to work. I remember taking part in study this year with the VA tech, with the army nurse who retired and here heard her telling I got like a part of the study to improve the va. And she was telling me about how she was an officer in the Army, a nurse in the army, and she just got out and she had appointments canceled. And I had mentioned about my getting me getting my appointments counseled for, for like group meetings, like worker meetings multiple times. And she was like, that's so weird. Like I've had my appointments counseled for the same reason. Like just nonchalantly, like two weeks for an appointment that you've been waiting six months for. They're like, actually, we don't have spots. We're. We're working the doctor's not gonna be in the office that day. Can we schedule you for this many months out? And I told her that story and she thought it was so weird because she just got out of the IO army and she's now dealing with the VA side of things and now, you know, helping on the admin side to improve va. She's like, I'm literally an officer. I work for the va. I get out and to help, you know, improve the va. And I keep hearing this story about veterans getting their appointments canceled that they had to wait months for because the doctor doesn't come in. And I'm like, and when I tell people it's just a work ethic thing because this guy's a millionaire. This Guy's a millionaire. SpaceX, private company flying all over the world to do all these different things for metal techno, shorter metal technology. Is this company specifically for that. And I'm like, how does this guy. And then have make time for me to make an arm? And then when I worked for Ottobock, they're a four billion dollar company. I fly. I would work for them in Berlin, I would fly to Germany and back before I could get an appointment for the va. And I was like, it's so embarrassing to tell that to a tech company where you're like, I can't get an appointment at the VA in time to get my arm working on my arm worked on. And they're doing this 10 million dollar campaign based around me and my art on my arms. And I'm like, it's so embarrassing.

[Brandon Herrera]

Million dollar campaign.

[Sebastian]

And they're like, look, it's the opportunity.

[Brandon Herrera]

They just want the photo op. They literally. It's just a photo op. Like, that's the shit that smile, smile going.

[Donut Operator]

No, I just said, big government spending your money wise.

[Sebastian]

Well, no, like I couldn't get an appointment for the va. And the Autobok worked on my arm, the company who built the arms. Because they were like, listen, we need you. We need your, we need your, we need your face. We need this to work.

[Eli Double Tap]

Private funding.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. And it's like. But it's like on the private side of things, it's like, because if you don't want to work, they'll fire you. And that's, that's a different thing. I think the structurally with the VA is that people, when they don't want to work and they want to make excuses or they don't want to come to work there or whatever, okay, they, they. It's so hard to fire them because I've had, yeah, I've had so many better. I mean, even my congressman, my congressman Castro. I don't want to talk negatively about him because, well, I will.

[Eli Double Tap]

He's probably going to go to jail.

[Brandon Herrera]

Like, I will take that bullet.

[Eli Double Tap]

I'll do that.

[Sebastian]

But, like, I don't think.

[Eli Double Tap]

I hope it happens. I really do.

[Sebastian]

I don't think he ha. I don't think he. He didn't, he didn't believe my story until I was like, deal with the va. Talk to them yourself. Like, if I'm having these issues, if I'm lying and dealing with the VA is like, yeah, it's insane that it's taking so long. And like, it was. I was like. I was like, yeah, I don't know why, why that problem is. And I was like, this is the best va. This is Texas. Like, I have so much support here. I've specially. This motherfucker built me an arm, you know, down the road, and he has time to make me appointments. A billion dollar company has time to work on my arm overseas. And I don't, I can't get an appointment at the VA in that time. Like, oh, I remember I waited a year for an appointment at the VA, and I was like, listen, there's less than 400 combat wounded amputee, arm amputees, and there's 10,000 leg amputees. Like, you guys have the most money out of all the VAs. Like, why do you guys have such a hard time getting people appointments? And I was like, it's just that. I think it's just a cultural work ethic thing because, like, people who don't want to do their job get hired at the va. So if you don't, like. Because on the civilian side of things, if you don't want to do that work, it's contractor stuff. So it's like they get work. They get paid per prosthetic, so they're like, as much work as I do, I'll get. I'll get that money right on the va. Like, if they want to take their time, they don't want to do things, and it's hard for them. They're like, okay, well, like, makes mine. I still get my paycheck. Yeah, I still get paid every week. I said that, like, whenever. Whenever my son's mom was pregnant, I was like, taking care. I was going to the grocery store, working multiple jobs, and I was like, I had this arm. Thank God I had this arm. Everybody's like, why don't you do more crazy shit with this Arm, like, you know, YouTube stuff, and I'm like. Because I use it to work. Like, I. You know, I don't have other prosthetics and. But I just remember talking about, like, they don't care because they still have their two arms. While they're not giving me appointments and working on my prosthetic. They're not disabled, so they have. They don't rely on the va and it, like, makes me sad. They don't care that, like, my, you know, that my girl's pregnant or that my son has a disabled dad. They get to go home every day, and they get to, like, cook and shower and bathe themselves with two arms. So they're not thinking about that sense of responsibility that, like, the guy who made this arm is like. Like, oh, man, you're using. Carry your son. Like, I'm gonna make it the best. I'm not gonna break it. I'm not gonna let it break.

[Brandon Herrera]

Well, that's the thing. You're like, it is that human connection that. And that plays. It's no different than policing at your level versus the randoms. It's no different than, like, if Brandon, you were taking on, like, you're already fascinated with that thing and the above and beyond, you would go to. To help. You're like, cool, I can do. You put a gun on it. But whatever you'd want to do with it. But it's still your engineering side.

[Eli Double Tap]

That wouldn't be my. That wouldn't be my second thought.

[Brandon Herrera]

But it is that, like, actual having a connection. I think a lot of entrepreneurs, when you have a billionaire like that, he's like, this dude has his struggles. I'm going to allocate my time to bettering this because, yes, it benefits you, but it's also something you can roll out. Yeah.

[Sebastian]

It's a sense of pride in engineering.

[Eli Double Tap]

The thing that's just egregious to me still is thinking about why a singular arm like that costs several hundred thousand dollars. That blows my mind. Because I'm just looking at this, and, like, I'm still awestruck because I'm like this. If this was any other widget that we outsource to Amazon.

[Sebastian]

I look at textiles in the production, and I'm like. I think a lot of it is the fact that it's not made in America. Because. Because you're right. Like, when I look at things, I. Like, I meant, like, if some of the t. Because before I had this arm and that harness, I would work on, like, I would buy tactical things and Modify them to be able to use them in a prosthetic sense. And I was like, man, if I could get fucking Nike like they. To the shells that I had like their ability to make shells and stuff like that and just to produce high quality products like Yalls metal, you know, all of Yalls equipment, you know, your, your mic stands, all this kind of stuff. Yeah, it's just a lot of that is it's manufactured in such quantity and so that competition obviously makes things better. But yeah, it's just that there's not. That's why I. Our selling point on this arm is that it's made in America and bringing that price down. This is actually cheaper than the other.

[Eli Double Tap]

Arms because there any electronics in it.

[Sebastian]

No, this is all hydraulic. This is all mechanically operated. And I get confused.

[Eli Double Tap]

I'm looking like most of that's like 550. You probably can't see it on camera. That's like 550 cord and.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. It's so funny. Yeah, yeah. This is, this is the. That's. That's the one that has all the computers in it. That one has all the computers in it.

[Eli Double Tap]

What's the cost on this?

[Sebastian]

So this would be. Right. I've just. I mean. 40,000. Yeah, this is.

[Eli Double Tap]

40,000 is way more reasonable with that one, you were saying a quarter of a million dollars.

[Sebastian]

Yeah, yeah. So that one. This is, this is the issue with this I think is, you know, I don't really. Well, I guess I can, I can be honest is that there's, there's patents.

[Brandon Herrera]

So.

[Sebastian]

Well, it's because I've worked for this company before and they are the best. But so to give you an idea, they bought this company. They bought the company that made this hand. And so one of the reasons that we've been careful about, because we have been approached about making about somebody buying this arm and bringing it to manufacturing capacity in America. And we've said no one time. And it's just because experiences in the prosthetic industry made me understand that people will sometimes buy patents just to take it off the market.

[Eli Double Tap]

Yeah.

[Sebastian]

And so they just not competing with their product. So if that's the most. That's actually the most.

[Eli Double Tap]

We have no experience with that.

[Sebastian]

So yeah.

[Eli Double Tap]

Can't say anything about that.

[Brandon Herrera]

Yeah, we will own that space.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. So like. So. So this, this is the most popular arm on the market right now. Right. So they own 60% of the market share. And so in order for them to. It's the overhead is so expensive to be able to just change like little colors on that thing. And so for them, all of that R and D that gets done that like, people are like, why is it still plastic? And I was like, I can be critical of them because their knees are not plastic. Their knees, they do have a knee that's waterproof. Water isn't. This has an open circuit. So this right here is an open circuit. So people are like. I remember one time I was embarrassed at school because a veteran asked me why I was carrying an umbrella with that arm at the time. And I was like. I got pissed because I was like, man, this motherfucker doesn't know. He put me on the spot. All these kids are like surrounding me like I. Like I'm a freak. Because he asked like why I had an umbrella. And it was a. It was a Navy kid. And I was like, well, it's because, like I didn't explain to him tomorrow. I was like. I was like, just. It's because in case it rains. I just said, in case it rains. You know what I mean? Instead of being like off, I was like, all right, in case it rains. But I've actually ruined $110,000 elbow getting caught in the rain. Because they're an open circuit. So this is an open circuit. So there's no battery in this, right? The battery is in the arm. And so this is exposed in order to get the battery from. To move the actuators within the fingers. It's actually in the socket covered by carbon fiber. And I actually covered it myself. This arm. I made it tougher. That's. That's another open circuit right there. And that covers the charge port. And that's where I turned it on.

[Eli Double Tap]

No.

[Sebastian]

And I did all this myself before I found this guy. I was like, I'm gonna. I'll be built all that myself. Yeah. Because it was like, I wanted. So Mexican.

[Eli Double Tap]

You're really like Antonio Stark over here.

[Sebastian]

Because people are like, why?

[Brandon Herrera]

I. I am worth hundreds of dollars.

[Sebastian]

Yeah.

[Brandon Herrera]

Antonio Spark.

[Eli Double Tap]

You built this in a one bedroom apartment with a box of scraps.

[Sebastian]

I know, it's. It's fun because you do it yourself. And a fucking Mexican mentality. I remember, like, I'm in Austin now. This guy came up to me to like a bug control guy. And he was Mexican and I was wearing that arm. And he was like asking about all of it. And I was like, I made it. I made it specifically. I worked on it. And I was like, if I did leather work beforehand. And I was like, no, like, I just wanted to be able to Work. I needed it. And I had this opportunity of a lifetime to work for this company. So let me build it myself. Because I wasn't going to wait on the VA because at that time, I waited a year for the appointment. And he's Mexican. And he was like, oh, you're Mexican, huh? And I was like. I was like, what do you mean? Like, it's like, because you just. You just built it yourself. And I was like. I was like, yeah, man. Like, that's. I guess, like, my dad was the same way. Like, like, you know what I mean? Like, I have so many friends that are like, they have, like, whole houses in their backyard that they built just because they're like, old school. They're like, I'll do it myself. And appreciate the, like, inner work workings of that.

[Brandon Herrera]

Because it's especially. Dude, again, like, you're a king cosplay.

[Sebastian]

Yeah.

[Brandon Herrera]

You're like, I've watched a few animes. I'm gonna put some leather and make this dope.

[Sebastian]

Some of. Some of the straps that. For specifically, I got inspiration for how to put it on from animes because I was like, in animes, you're like, how do you hold it on? Because it's hard, man. I do. I accidentally punched this country singer the other day.

[Brandon Herrera]

What? How do you accidentally.

[Sebastian]

You forget. Because I'm so used to fist bumping on this side. Because it's weird being I'm missing my right arm. And people ask that because sometimes the videos are like, left or right. I switch them because of, like. And. But he was, like, going to give me a fist bump and like, I was second nature because, like, everybody shakes hands with their right side. And so I took a swing at him because he was giving me a fist bump. I was so excited. I was at this fucking. This softball classic. And you. You don't think about it because you're like, you know, I did this to him and I punched his hand and he was like, oh, my God. And I was like, I actually never punch with the side. I get so scared of hurting somebody.

[Brandon Herrera]

That'S a weight over him.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. But it's just like. Because people with my right side, just because it's like. It's just everybody reaches to the right side, so it's awkward if you don't. You didn't mean, like, they get that, you know, get that weird.

[Brandon Herrera]

The turkey. That's what I always say. It's the turkey, bro.

[Sebastian]

What? Missing my right arm. It's so weird because you're like, yeah, I get so many awkward Interactions we were like, what do I do? And I'm like, I'm confused too. I don't know what the to do. But yeah, like, I just kiss them. Yeah, you just like going for a kiss.

[Brandon Herrera]

Yeah, you just kiss their hand. They'll never do that.

[Sebastian]

Well, like sometimes, because like, I'll get people that get weirded out. They're like, do I shake the claw? And that's why I just bump it. And it's like, yeah, but sometimes like, you know, you get carried away that you're like. Because like, you know, my best friend, you know, he's a, he's a big old guy. He's MMA fighter. He was with the 82nd and like, I'll always fist bump him because I know I'm not going to hurt him. Because he's like, you know, he'll, he knows, he's a big boy. Yeah, but somebody you don't know, you're just like, you know, it's a weird thing, right? You just brace yourself or whatever. I remember I hit this guy.

[Eli Double Tap]

You also know the speed to go at a metal object with.

[Sebastian]

Yeah, yeah. Because I do do a little bit of MMA training and I can only train with people.

[Brandon Herrera]

This arm bar is not working.

[Eli Double Tap]

Yeah. How does that work, MMA wise?

[Sebastian]

Only good people. Only good people. Yeah, only good people. Because like, I remember I got asked to do this boxing thing and they wouldn't let me use my arm, which I thought was bullshit, which was like, there's so many different things that are obstacles for amputees. But I remember thinking like, they want me to box with one arm. Literally with no, like, cool.

[Brandon Herrera]

I can't protect my entire right side.

[Sebastian]

Versus a guy who had it who was missing his arm below the elbow. And I was like, we can be to beat this out of me. Like, what do you mean? Like, because he's gonna be able to put up a glove on that and just hit me and I'm like, here like this the whole time. And I was like, I thought you guys asked me to do this because you saw me training with my prosthetic that. Because I was like, just for an exhibition, I'm not gonna hurt anybody. Like, I'm just gonna, you know, just like point and. But one, my saw gunner was the somebody how I have trained with besides my best friend. But he, because he's a really high level MMA guy. And so I told him like, he, he let me, he's so good, he's so much better than me that like, I could throw full swings at him and not worry about hurting him. You know what I mean? Like, he was just so good at, like, dodging and showing me technique and stuff like that. Punching pads, it's just like, unfortunately, I felt better in the MMA space because they're. They're so good with their bodies that they're good with avoiding things. Because boxing, it's like, there is a lot of worry about, like, me hitting somebody's head, you know what I mean? Like. But I do have an MMA hand that I train with specifically that I would. It's rubber, you know, would be soft that I could. I do train with to, like, not hurt somebody.

[Brandon Herrera]

What is it? Is it. Does it bend? Does it.

[Sebastian]

It's just. It's just like a. They call it a Dragon td. It was made specifically for martial arts.

[Eli Double Tap]

It's got spikes on it, so.

[Brandon Herrera]

Just dipped in glass.

[Sebastian]

I still put it in the glass, you know, I still put it in the glove because this right here, this is like, one solid piece of aluminum. So if you miss somebody, you know what I mean? Like, you. If you miss.

[Brandon Herrera]

Oh, yeah, gotcha.

[Sebastian]

You still hurt them.

[Eli Double Tap]

Six hypodermic needles covered in ketamine.

[Brandon Herrera]

I went again.

[Sebastian]

So I'll use, you know, big gloves, big boxing gloves to wrap it. So I don't hurt anybody, right? But it does. That is the one I train with. And I broke. That's. I broke that hitting a tree right before I went to the Ukraine.

[Donut Operator]

Hidden trees for.

[Sebastian]

Dude, I'm just. I was just. Poor, man. I don't have a gym on the south side. Like, I was just.

[Eli Double Tap]

You were punching the tree?

[Sebastian]

Yeah, I just punched in the tree.

[Eli Double Tap]

Oh. I didn't know if you're on a four wheeler or something like that.

[Sebastian]

No, no.

[Eli Double Tap]

I was like.

[Brandon Herrera]

Sure, you like it? Drinking your coconut water.

[Sebastian]

Do a line work. Like you. You do line work where you're just like, you know, you moving, ducking out like that. Your line. And. And so. And now I patted the tree because everybody's like, why don't I use a glove with the tree? I was like, because this is. I just stole my arm. I don't want to break it. So I patted the tree. Work loves. And I would just hit the tree and not, like, really, really hard, but I broke it. It was. It was apart from a bicycle. And so, like, I remember, like, three days before I went to the Ukraine. I always tell this story about George because he's got this huge facility in San Antonio. And I went there, and his secretary was like, george is not here. And I was like, I thought it was funny because I was like, well, he's texting me on the phone around. He told me to come here to. I'm going to the Ukraine, fix this arm. I'm going specifically to talk about this arm because these guys want to be able to use it to fight these Russians. So I'm like, of course I'm going to take that opportunity because, like, one of the only benefits of being me and our background is that I have that I'll fucking go to a combat zone just to sell an arm. You know what I mean?

[Brandon Herrera]

Yeah.

[Sebastian]

Because these guys want to use it to, you know, fight Russians. And so his secretary's there and she's like, well, he's not here. And I was like, I'm texting him right now. And then George comes about. Comes out of. Of the back of his facilities. Like, I'm sorry. Like, my secretary, you know, she's like. She was told not to tell anybody or not to disturb me because I was in a meeting with SpaceX. And I just thought that was so funny because this motherfucker is in a meeting with SpaceX and he's coming here to make this part in three days specifically for me to go to the Ukraine and talk to their soldiers about that. And he was, like, so insulted by the fact that it broke, even though he didn't make that part. We used a bike part. And he was like, man, like, I can't believe how you broke it. Because that's his level of engineering.

[Eli Double Tap]

Yeah.

[Sebastian]

Where he's like, that sense of pride.

[Eli Double Tap]

How was that able to break?

[Sebastian]

Yeah, he was, like, so, so mad about it. And he, like, fucking told me, like, he's like, man, now, like, this. This part won't. Wouldn't break for, you know, to take, like, £10,000. And I was like, george, I'm not gonna break. I'm. I don't know what you think I'm doing, but, you know, like, if you're.

[Eli Double Tap]

Shadow boxing an oak tree.

[Brandon Herrera]

Thousand pounds.

[Eli Double Tap]

That's impact.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. Because I was like. Because people asked of the limits of the strength, and I was like, it's limited by my strength because I've deadlifted £400 with it, and that's limited by that. That's me. Like, that's like, in the weightlifting world, that's like, no, I didn't exactly. And, yeah, so that's the most I've ever put on it before. But after that, I felt way safer shooting guns with and stuff like that because a crack had developed in it, right so, you know, shooting guns, you know, it does take a lot of torque, you know, just the recoil, Impact torque.

[Brandon Herrera]

It's like. Yeah, quick, like.

[Eli Double Tap]

Because it's sharp.

[Brandon Herrera]

Yeah, yeah, it is.

[Sebastian]

You know, shoot. People ask about it, and that's why the Ukrainians were so interested in it, because they kept breaking theirs. This is the vulnerable part in the arm right here, because there's like a little bit of a spring in there. I don't know if you can tell that absorbs something. This is plastic, so this is a $40,000 hand. This is plastic. So this is super vulnerable to breaking right here. Anytime you break it, those ball bearings fall out. It's completely useless, and it's like a huge repair. So it's super fragile right there. And the Ukrainians, for their part, they have an arm that they're making that's mostly metal. It's all metal right here on the wrist, so it doesn't break. But they, they built it specifically for shooting. And they're like, it's a lot tougher than, than what this is, but, you know, because these are made for people to be able to, like, do desk jobs and stuff like that, the Ukrainians, I think that a lot of tech's going to come out of there because to prosthetic companies, I'm like an outlier. Somebody who wants to lift weights, shoot guns, swim, you know, do fucking triathlon, stuff like that. That's. That's an outlier for them. So they're not making upper semi prosthetics for people like that. Ukrainians, I think they're. They're going to have a lot of tech come out of there because they are building them to fight wars.

[Eli Double Tap]

Yeah, go back out a lot.

[Sebastian]

Like, the best knees, the best knees, the best knees were made from darpa being like, we want our boys to be able to get back in combat. And so I think that me and them got along because we were like, shared that sense of engineering integrity. They were like, hey, how did you break this? Well, the only time I've broken that was boxing. And, you know, shooting guns was. I never risked shooting guns, breaking it because it was so tough. Boxing specifically was something. I remember I met an MMA fighter there visiting the hospitals and I gave my cowboy hat because he was like, so stoked about meeting me because he saw my videos online and I was like, I was like doing training and he was like, before he was wounded, before Russia invaded, he was, you know, MMA fighter. And then, you know, you get invaded, then you become a fucking soldier. And he Was missing his arm above the elbow. And so they made me visit him. So. Because it was like that relation where he was like. He was like, oh, I'm not gonna be able to do these things again. Then I was like, well, I had that same thing in me where I was like, just Mexican growing up in the Valley, where I was like, you tell. People were like, why do you train so much? I was like, because I have that thing as a man where, like, you want to be able to take care of yourself with or without a gun. Because there's places where you can't take a gun. Bars. And, like, I'll get tried all the time because, like, motherfucker would be like, oh, like a guy with the metal arm did like, you know, alcohol, people. People will try me. And so I do train. I do train.

[Brandon Herrera]

So I've never seen a guy with an amputee to be, like, crispy. I want to fight you. You for your burns.

[Eli Double Tap]

With this guy.

[Sebastian]

I think, like, I don't know. I think that you need to move people.

[Brandon Herrera]

I know.

[Sebastian]

Be my own people, man. Like, yeah, like, I always tell a story in San Antonio, and this is a work friends now, so I always talk about it, but, like, this guy was a marine. This guy was a marine. You know how Marines are. So this guy was at a. At a bar, and he was actually a. He was not a detective at the time. He was sapd. He was a San Antonio police officer. This is years ago, and. But I remember I was like. I was all, like, penado. I was all, like, dressed. I was, you know, real dressed nice. And at the time, I had an arm so good that I could fit under her clothes. And somebody told him I was a Marine or whatever. But you couldn't really tell because I only had my hand. So whenever my shorts took long sleeves, all you see is my hand.

[Brandon Herrera]

Yeah, like.

[Sebastian]

Like, you so sticking out. Yeah. I could be low key. And. And this guy came up to me. Yeah. Like, it's. I could be more discreet.

[Brandon Herrera]

And again, if you're buzzed or you're like, afar. I'm not gonna. I'm a. I might glance and not recognize.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. That one is brown for a reason. So, like, it's more. It's. It's easier to. I. My reasoning for that was breaking up the shape of the patterns. The colors on it specifically are for me to be able to. Whenever it's dark, to be able to look what the fingers are, because I'm tracking that with my eyes. I can't feel it.

[Brandon Herrera]

That Makes sense.

[Sebastian]

So I look like when it's down here, I want to be able to see what directions the fingers are pointing. So that was a thing. But this dude, this dude got really mad at me because he was like, I heard you were Marine. At the time, my hair was all spiked and I was like in a dress shirt and I was like, I was like, yeah, I was. And. And he was like, well, you don't look like Marine. And I was like, I was like, I was like, I was like, this dude. I was like, I was like, you know, first of all, this is language I don't even like using anymore. But I was like, this little poke motherfucker is like, you like that. I wasn't a Marine anybody. Yeah, but that's how Marines are. Like, bro, I. That Marine culture, like, I love that, that violence to protect the culture where they're like, you don't look like you're Marine. I was like, I was like, well, I guess I wasn't like, I. If, you know, if you say I wasn't, I wasn't. I don't give a. I started laughing and walking away and this guy got so mad, he was like, you stole another. You weren't a Marine. And at the time, like grabbed your arm. Dude, all, yeah, he tried to. He tried to grab me, right? He grabbed me and he started swinging on me, bro. He tried to hit me like three times and he didn't hit me. Every time I was laughing, he got so mad at me because he was swinging on me, but he couldn't hit me. I trained so much. I was like, all I do is train. And I was like, I just kept laughing. And all his friends tackled him. They're like, what the fuck are you doing? This dude's a cop and he's still a cop. And he's the detective now. But we talked about him the other day because I guess he's. He's a hot headed mother, but he's a marine combat veteran. Like, you understand? Like, I just thought it was so funny that it'd be your own people. Mexican, Marine, like drunk, belligerent, trying to fucking start a fight with you because you're not a Marine.

[Donut Operator]

Mexicans.

[Brandon Herrera]

Understands now. You said no.

[Sebastian]

He was getting so minorities.

[Donut Operator]

Yes, browns.

[Brandon Herrera]

Go on.

[Sebastian]

That's why. Be your own people. I was like, this some drunk ass. It's like, but that's who it is, man. It'll be like that. Where I'll be like, like, I, like I've had people like literally stop me walking out of A bar. Or I'm like. And it's. It's the Valley. It's growing up where I grew up, where I have that mentality of like, like I'm have to kill this guy. Where they'll say, I've had like a couple things that are memorable. Where a guy's like, bro, can I fucking punch you? And I'm like, I'm like, I'm outside.

[Eli Double Tap]

At least they're polite enough to ask, I guess.

[Sebastian]

You know what I mean? Like multiple guys. Like where I grew up, I've been jumped before. So I'm like, you know, people say they're gonna do something, you have to like, take their word for it.

[Eli Double Tap]

Yeah, just.

[Sebastian]

Just worse. And I'm like, I don't.

[Eli Double Tap]

Can I punch you, dude?

[Sebastian]

It's a weird man. It's a weird. Like I remember this guy's face. He was a big old. No steroid out motherfucker.

[Brandon Herrera]

No, no punch Cohawk.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. And I was like, I just, I think about that and I was like, I was like, oh man. Like, like, usually I'll carry like fucking brass knuckles on me or something like that. But I was just thinking like, people are the op. Like, people see it, I think it's an arm thing. They see a metal fist, a metal arm, they're like, they want.

[Brandon Herrera]

They, they never wanted to fight somebody. When I say, I'm like, haha.

[Sebastian]

Yeah, but you obviously, you train the people who train the most are the least violent. I think that people that are like my, you know, I don't even think.

[Eli Double Tap]

You need to train. You just look like, wow, a disabled man.

[Sebastian]

Especially with my other arms, it's wild to me. My other arms, I'm way more vulnerable because they're, they're. They were made by the va, so they're terrible. So I can't move as fluidly.

[Brandon Herrera]

You're like, I love. I am glad you're on this soap box out Bath VA sucks because you get zero. No, no, don't defend it.

[Sebastian]

Because you, you see my other arm, it's so big and so gigantic I could barely move it. So I'm like moving. So disabled. Like I could barely, I could barely lift it. You know what I mean? So like I was. Sue. I was super scared, paranoid of getting a fight with that arm because it was very hard for me to block on my right side. And that's something that I know. It's because I've been in. I've been in a few scuffles since I got wounded. I know that the first Thing people do whenever I get to fight is grab my arm, which is fine. Now it's fine because I've trained around it. I'm like, okay. The first thing people do whenever they're gonna, you know, drunk, and they grab me is they grab my arm.

[Eli Double Tap]

Especially now that you use the Taser function. You built that thing.

[Brandon Herrera]

Crazy flamethrower Taser.

[Eli Double Tap]

Okay.

[Donut Operator]

Okay. Speaking on real quick, it looks like the gun that Gary Oldman used in the Fifth Element gave the Goblin people. Does anyone else see that? Like, the top. Top part right there?

[Eli Double Tap]

Oh, yeah.

[Sebastian]

The forearms.

[Donut Operator]

Yeah.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. This form is like. I just made this form to be able to carry things. And it's actually leather under here. There's a. There's an actual. There's a Mexican Aztec warrior. There's an Eagle Warrior and Jaguar Warrior under here, but it's all leather. And I made this. And then there's. There's metal under here. But that design, like, that's just for me to be able to.

[Donut Operator]

Is there a red button you shouldn't push on that?

[Sebastian]

No. Nothing to start adding.

[Brandon Herrera]

You hang out with us some more.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. Brandon will get you.

[Eli Double Tap]

I'm already sitting here just like.

[Sebastian]

I'll say that like, somebody. I'll get up. I'll get hit up by, like, random producers and stuff like that. These fucking. The Discovery Channel people hit me up about making.

[Brandon Herrera]

Jesus.

[Sebastian]

Making a gun arm. And I was like.

[Brandon Herrera]

We seen an injured Mexican.

[Sebastian]

Yeah.

[Brandon Herrera]

Oh, you're a veteran. That's crazy. I didn't even care about that.

[Sebastian]

Yeah. Like, that's why, like, people are like, why I haven't done more with that. And I was like, this is my arm. And. But now, like, having got into the space where I'm like, fuck, man. Like, the things that you have to do to be able to make, like. Sadly, I'm like, now I'll be like, I wish I would have. I said no to so many things before that I wish I would have said yes to if I would have known it. To help me get prosthetics from the va. Because I remember I did the Warrior Games thinking that doing that with a DOD would, like, help me get a better situation with the va. And they were like, that didn't help at all. And I was like, fuck, you don't even care about, like, espn. I was on ESPN because I was.

[Brandon Herrera]

Doing, like, you send their resume and they're, like, cool.

[Sebastian]

Like, yeah. Like, they don't. I mean, there's just no. The dod Wild. The DOD is much better at making prosthetics than the VA because they care. Because they're, like, worried about getting their people back in combat. And I've had some DOD people reach out to me to be able to. To fly to D.C. to be able to. Because they're like, hey, we hear the VA is terrible. We'll do this. They have, like, you know, black budgets where they're like, we'll do it out of pocket, whatever. We're not worried about the VA Bullshit. Yeah, man. One of the guys that. That came down, I'm honored that he came down. I mean, I don't know if I could talk about it too much, but there was a guy here.

[Brandon Herrera]

What we can do actually on the now is, hey, if you want to hear this story, go over to Patreon before Cody. You're going to close out with that.

[Sebastian]

Where?

[Eli Double Tap]

Where?

[Brandon Herrera]

Sebastian, I'm so happy you're here. Thank you for hanging out. We're gonna have the after show. If you're down. Where do people find you?

[Sebastian]

I just mostly Tick Tock. Tejano, Space Cowboy. T E J A N O Te John Owl. Tejano. Tejano. It's just Mexicans from Texas. That's what the hano is.

[Eli Double Tap]

Arriva derchi.

[Sebastian]

Yeah, Riva der. But yeah. God.

[Eli Double Tap]

Using your Italian speak.

[Donut Operator]

The second best.

[Sebastian]

I left it in that fucking position too.

[Brandon Herrera]

Cody closes out you. Oh, wait, we go on, you guys.

[Sebastian]

No, no, it's just on Tick Tock. And I started YouTube because people. People on YouTube kept asking me to make a YouTube and I was good. I'll do YouTube. Yeah. Donald Space Cowboy.

[Brandon Herrera]

Yeah, go check it out. We have the links below. Cody, do the honest.

[Donut Operator]

Oh, yeah. Guys, thanks for joining the Unsubscribe podcast. We're going to be over on Patreon now for the after show. You are more than welcome to join us. I'm joined today by Eli Double Tap, T hono, Space Cowboy, Brandon Herrera, myself, Donut Operator, the only white guy in the audience. I'm really happy to see you guys on Patreon.

[Brandon Herrera]

Thank you, white man.

[Sebastian]

Bye.