WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en-GB 00:00:08.210 --> 00:00:10.490 I'm Travis Bader and this is The 00:00:10.490 --> 00:00:11.660 Silvercore Podcast. 00:00:13.280 --> 00:00:15.140 Join me as I discuss matters related to 00:00:15.140 --> 00:00:17.180 hunting, fishing, and outdoor pursuits 00:00:17.450 --> 00:00:19.349 with the people in businesses that comprise 00:00:19.349 --> 00:00:20.009 of the community. 00:00:20.870 --> 00:00:22.760 If you're new to Silvercore, be sure to 00:00:22.760 --> 00:00:26.960 check out our website, www.Silvercore.ca where 00:00:26.960 --> 00:00:29.060 you can learn more about courses, services, 00:00:29.060 --> 00:00:30.350 and products we offer. 00:00:30.710 --> 00:00:32.720 As well as how you can join The Silvercore Club, 00:00:32.960 --> 00:00:35.120 which includes 10 million in North America wide 00:00:35.120 --> 00:00:37.760 liability insurance to ensure you are properly 00:00:37.760 --> 00:00:39.680 covered during your outdoor adventures. 00:00:43.090 --> 00:00:45.100 With remembrance day upon us, I felt 00:00:45.100 --> 00:00:46.870 this was a fitting episode to release. 00:00:47.650 --> 00:00:49.629 I speak with a good friend about how, as 00:00:49.629 --> 00:00:52.030 a Canadian, he joined the British army, his 00:00:52.030 --> 00:00:54.820 experiences doing SAS selection and more. 00:00:58.190 --> 00:00:59.800 So I'm sitting down with Jason Budd. 00:00:59.890 --> 00:01:02.530 Jason, I've known you longer than I 00:01:02.530 --> 00:01:03.310 haven't known you. 00:01:03.790 --> 00:01:05.740 You were over here in the office and we're looking 00:01:05.740 --> 00:01:08.020 to putting together some navigation courses that 00:01:08.050 --> 00:01:11.770 would be of value to the Silvercore members and 00:01:11.770 --> 00:01:15.010 to the general public and I figured while you're 00:01:15.010 --> 00:01:17.020 here, let's just jump on the podcast here cause 00:01:17.020 --> 00:01:18.820 you've got a really interesting background. 00:01:18.820 --> 00:01:21.310 You did a little over 10 years in 00:01:21.310 --> 00:01:22.190 the British army, 00:01:22.630 --> 00:01:24.770 Actually just short of 10 years Trav. 00:01:24.770 --> 00:01:25.869 Just short of 10 years. 00:01:25.869 --> 00:01:27.629 But, you know, 10 years. 00:01:27.739 --> 00:01:28.570 It felt like longer. 00:01:28.669 --> 00:01:28.949 Yeah. 00:01:29.835 --> 00:01:32.685 I always said it took two weeks to get in actually, 00:01:32.925 --> 00:01:34.035 this is back in 99. 00:01:34.035 --> 00:01:36.225 So they, it was like a fast track program. 00:01:36.255 --> 00:01:36.555 Yeah. 00:01:36.735 --> 00:01:38.205 But then I said it always took me 10 00:01:38.205 --> 00:01:38.865 years to get out. 00:01:40.005 --> 00:01:40.515 I love it. 00:01:40.875 --> 00:01:41.115 Yeah. 00:01:41.315 --> 00:01:42.795 Now, the fast track program. 00:01:43.440 --> 00:01:46.589 So you're a Canadian citizen and born and 00:01:46.589 --> 00:01:49.320 raised in Canada and you ended up over 00:01:49.320 --> 00:01:50.749 in the British army. 00:01:50.929 --> 00:01:53.080 Yeah, I guess my background prior to that 00:01:53.089 --> 00:01:55.249 was like, we actually met when we were in cadets. 00:01:55.249 --> 00:01:55.600 That's right. 00:01:55.600 --> 00:01:57.500 And it was, I think, a Vernon camp. 00:01:57.740 --> 00:01:58.100 That's right. 00:01:58.100 --> 00:01:58.639 I remember that. 00:01:58.669 --> 00:02:01.729 I was in Alpha company and you're in the rifles 00:02:01.729 --> 00:02:02.615 with Patrick Golden. 00:02:02.869 --> 00:02:04.580 It was actually Alpha company, then Bravo 00:02:04.580 --> 00:02:07.100 company, and then over into a rifle company. 00:02:07.610 --> 00:02:08.750 I worked my way through. 00:02:08.750 --> 00:02:10.400 I was like, man, I have this brand 00:02:10.400 --> 00:02:12.110 new rifle company, I want to be there. 00:02:12.110 --> 00:02:14.120 And so I worked my way from each one 00:02:14.120 --> 00:02:15.740 over the course of a week until I got into 00:02:15.740 --> 00:02:16.280 the rifle company. 00:02:16.280 --> 00:02:16.930 Into the rifle. 00:02:16.930 --> 00:02:19.030 And then Patrick and I were best friends 00:02:19.030 --> 00:02:20.460 back then and you were friends with him 00:02:20.460 --> 00:02:21.430 and that's how we. 00:02:21.820 --> 00:02:22.220 That's right. 00:02:22.220 --> 00:02:22.930 We connected. 00:02:23.170 --> 00:02:23.440 Yeah. 00:02:23.560 --> 00:02:26.500 That was like, what year in 92? 00:02:26.955 --> 00:02:27.995 Oh, yeah, bout that. 00:02:27.995 --> 00:02:28.435 Going back a bit. 00:02:28.435 --> 00:02:29.745 Yeah, 91, 92. 00:02:30.015 --> 00:02:30.205 Yeah. 00:02:30.285 --> 00:02:32.835 So I started in cadets and then 17, I joined 00:02:32.835 --> 00:02:36.195 the reserves and then I kinda like on and off 00:02:36.195 --> 00:02:39.075 became what we call, I guess full-time reserves. 00:02:39.125 --> 00:02:39.255 Right. 00:02:39.255 --> 00:02:41.385 Without committing to being in the full-time. 00:02:41.385 --> 00:02:45.825 And then I think at 20, I knew that I wanted to, 00:02:45.825 --> 00:02:49.305 of all things join the RCMP or the police, and 00:02:49.305 --> 00:02:52.345 I wanted to do something different than just join 00:02:52.365 --> 00:02:53.204 the Canadian Forces. 00:02:53.204 --> 00:02:55.024 And I looked at where mostly 00:02:55.070 --> 00:02:56.090 Canadian bases were. 00:02:56.250 --> 00:02:56.390 Right. 00:02:56.390 --> 00:02:59.480 Wainwright, Petawawa, Shilo and I'd been 00:02:59.480 --> 00:03:00.769 near enough of them as a reservist. 00:03:01.575 --> 00:03:04.545 And in Wainwright, the British army always 00:03:04.545 --> 00:03:06.495 trained there and I always saw their 00:03:06.495 --> 00:03:08.144 equipment, their morale when they're 00:03:08.144 --> 00:03:09.345 out and the training. 00:03:09.345 --> 00:03:10.865 And I just thought, I had to look at them, 00:03:10.865 --> 00:03:12.605 I spoke to a bunch of different regiments 00:03:12.905 --> 00:03:18.635 and I made a leap of faith in I think 98 or 00:03:18.635 --> 00:03:20.815 99 and off I went and. 00:03:21.185 --> 00:03:22.645 Wasn't there an exercise where the 00:03:22.645 --> 00:03:23.495 Brits came over? 00:03:23.555 --> 00:03:24.155 Yeah, that's true. 00:03:24.155 --> 00:03:25.894 So there was exercise they called Pawnshop 00:03:25.894 --> 00:03:28.195 West where the British would come to Wainwright. 00:03:28.755 --> 00:03:31.965 And at that time, I was actually in the Seaforth 00:03:31.965 --> 00:03:35.145 Highlanders of Canada and we were attached 00:03:35.355 --> 00:03:37.005 to the first battalion, the Highlanders, 00:03:37.035 --> 00:03:38.805 which was their affiliated regiment. 00:03:39.524 --> 00:03:41.924 And I went there with a Canadian section 00:03:42.105 --> 00:03:45.464 and it was attached to them for four weeks. 00:03:45.604 --> 00:03:45.714 Okay. 00:03:45.714 --> 00:03:46.404 Five weeks I think. 00:03:46.684 --> 00:03:48.285 They had a week of adventure training 00:03:48.285 --> 00:03:50.864 in Canmore with them and that was 00:03:50.864 --> 00:03:51.915 I think in August. 00:03:51.915 --> 00:03:55.154 And then I made the connections I had 00:03:55.154 --> 00:03:56.054 with the Highlanders. 00:03:56.114 --> 00:03:56.445 Right. 00:03:56.475 --> 00:03:57.945 Recruiting officers and everything else, 00:03:58.065 --> 00:04:02.024 and basically left the Seaforth and the reserves 00:04:02.114 --> 00:04:03.435 and had a one-way ticket. 00:04:04.125 --> 00:04:06.165 And you see if I win. 00:04:06.225 --> 00:04:08.445 The story I heard from other people was that 00:04:08.565 --> 00:04:10.975 during an exercise, the Brits came over, 00:04:10.975 --> 00:04:13.875 joined exercise and you said, this is for 00:04:13.875 --> 00:04:15.505 me, jumped on the back of the truck and that 00:04:15.505 --> 00:04:16.785 was it, the way you go. 00:04:16.785 --> 00:04:17.985 But I guess there's a bit more to it. 00:04:18.045 --> 00:04:19.175 There was a bit more to it, for sure. 00:04:19.625 --> 00:04:22.865 Now one of the processes that actually made 00:04:22.865 --> 00:04:26.015 it easier for me was that I had a British 00:04:26.015 --> 00:04:27.094 passport through my dad. 00:04:27.445 --> 00:04:27.645 Ah. 00:04:27.645 --> 00:04:29.555 So that actually facilitated the process, 00:04:29.705 --> 00:04:32.255 but they were actively recruiting Commonwealth 00:04:32.745 --> 00:04:33.775 in the late 90's. 00:04:33.795 --> 00:04:34.065 Right. 00:04:34.215 --> 00:04:36.495 Like they actually stopped in the downsizing 00:04:36.525 --> 00:04:39.765 2005, but there was a big influx of Commonwealth 00:04:39.765 --> 00:04:42.975 soldiers and maybe not so many Canadians. 00:04:42.975 --> 00:04:45.315 I met the odd Canadian in the Royal Marines 00:04:45.315 --> 00:04:48.675 or in some other, maybe English regiments, but 00:04:48.705 --> 00:04:51.615 I mean, there was a lot of Jamaicans and Fijians 00:04:51.615 --> 00:04:55.315 and South Africans, and that tended to be more 00:04:55.315 --> 00:04:57.510 the typical colonial. 00:04:57.780 --> 00:04:58.170 Yeah. 00:04:58.200 --> 00:05:00.530 Well, I remember around that time I figured 00:05:00.530 --> 00:05:02.510 I'd jump on a plane and go over and enlist 00:05:02.510 --> 00:05:06.720 with the Brits and I saved up all my dollars 00:05:06.720 --> 00:05:08.510 and had everything squared away with the 00:05:08.880 --> 00:05:10.080 recruiting officer. 00:05:10.080 --> 00:05:13.200 And went on over, went to the recruiting office, 00:05:13.200 --> 00:05:14.220 had my appointment. 00:05:14.370 --> 00:05:17.010 And when I got in there, the recruiting officer 00:05:17.010 --> 00:05:18.600 that I was dealing with who says, yeah, you're a 00:05:18.600 --> 00:05:20.160 part of the Commonwealth, not a problem, come 00:05:20.160 --> 00:05:22.590 on over, we'll get you signed up right away. 00:05:22.590 --> 00:05:24.450 He wasn't there, he'd been transferred 00:05:24.450 --> 00:05:25.680 and there was a new person in there. 00:05:25.680 --> 00:05:28.470 And what I didn't realize at the time 00:05:28.470 --> 00:05:30.210 and what you've told me afterwards, essentially, 00:05:30.210 --> 00:05:32.010 she was just pouring a bunch of cold water on 00:05:32.010 --> 00:05:35.300 me, but she says, well yeah your Commonwealth, 00:05:35.325 --> 00:05:37.605 but you can't do anything security related unless 00:05:37.605 --> 00:05:38.875 you're a British citizen. 00:05:38.955 --> 00:05:42.615 For, I think it was five years and I said, okay 00:05:42.615 --> 00:05:43.395 yeah, not a problem. 00:05:43.845 --> 00:05:45.255 What's security related? 00:05:45.255 --> 00:05:46.515 She says, well why don't I show you what 00:05:46.515 --> 00:05:47.715 isn't security related? 00:05:47.715 --> 00:05:50.625 And it was like janitorial duties 00:05:50.625 --> 00:05:52.275 and even some of the janitorial 00:05:52.275 --> 00:05:54.405 duties, they said are security related. 00:05:54.405 --> 00:05:56.835 And I said, well, hold on a second, five years. 00:05:56.895 --> 00:05:58.275 Oh, that's right, and your minimum, 00:05:58.275 --> 00:05:59.925 engagement's gotta be four instead 00:05:59.925 --> 00:06:00.705 of three and. 00:06:01.590 --> 00:06:04.260 Anyways, after all of the information she gave me 00:06:04.260 --> 00:06:06.240 and I went through and I process it and I thought, 00:06:06.270 --> 00:06:08.850 geez five years, I'm not going to be getting 00:06:08.850 --> 00:06:11.130 a trade or anything unless I'm in for what, 00:06:11.130 --> 00:06:13.450 like 12 years cause I can't start until. 00:06:14.060 --> 00:06:16.380 Anyways, I ended up using the money. 00:06:16.380 --> 00:06:19.919 I saved up and went touring around Europe 00:06:19.919 --> 00:06:21.900 with it and but you know, everything 00:06:21.900 --> 00:06:23.070 happens for a reason. 00:06:23.429 --> 00:06:26.460 I would imagine that had I just persevered there 00:06:26.460 --> 00:06:29.200 and just said, forget it, I'm in, once I'm in, I 00:06:29.200 --> 00:06:31.020 would be doing anything. 00:06:31.210 --> 00:06:34.215 I think it's interesting, had you just focused 00:06:34.215 --> 00:06:34.955 on the infantry. 00:06:35.234 --> 00:06:35.794 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:06:35.794 --> 00:06:38.505 You would have been, like for myself, why I didn't 00:06:38.505 --> 00:06:41.534 go there with the concept of getting a trade, I was 00:06:41.534 --> 00:06:42.215 going into the infantry. 00:06:42.385 --> 00:06:42.474 Right. 00:06:42.474 --> 00:06:45.265 And I wanted it to be in the RCMP, and I wanted 00:06:45.284 --> 00:06:47.445 to do three years, something different. 00:06:47.705 --> 00:06:50.364 And I said, I'm going to go to the 00:06:50.364 --> 00:06:51.885 infantry, best way to get the experience. 00:06:51.885 --> 00:06:54.255 I also had in the back of my mind that I wanted 00:06:54.255 --> 00:06:55.305 to go on SAS selection. 00:06:55.590 --> 00:06:55.890 Right. 00:06:55.890 --> 00:06:57.750 So what's interesting about SAS selection, 00:06:57.780 --> 00:06:59.700 is about that security clearance that 00:06:59.700 --> 00:07:00.450 you're talking about. 00:07:00.630 --> 00:07:00.900 Yeah. 00:07:01.200 --> 00:07:02.700 They regular get people with the 00:07:02.700 --> 00:07:04.980 same aspirations of Commonwealth coming over. 00:07:04.980 --> 00:07:06.000 They do their time in the infantry and then 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:07.110 go on SAS selection. 00:07:08.070 --> 00:07:10.710 We don't actually pass the security clients. 00:07:10.770 --> 00:07:12.210 I actually failed that prior to 00:07:12.240 --> 00:07:13.200 going on selection. 00:07:13.620 --> 00:07:14.070 Really? 00:07:14.100 --> 00:07:14.310 Yeah. 00:07:14.310 --> 00:07:16.800 I didn't pass it, but the SAS, they still 00:07:16.800 --> 00:07:17.640 put you on course. 00:07:18.054 --> 00:07:18.494 Okay. 00:07:18.525 --> 00:07:20.385 And then once you actually, if you 00:07:20.385 --> 00:07:22.065 were to be successful through their phase. 00:07:22.094 --> 00:07:22.395 Right. 00:07:22.575 --> 00:07:24.645 Now you're in the SAS, they just turn around 00:07:24.645 --> 00:07:26.594 and go back to whoever deals with the security 00:07:26.594 --> 00:07:28.354 clearance goin yeah, he's a badge member 00:07:28.354 --> 00:07:29.914 SAS and you just get rubber stamped. 00:07:30.544 --> 00:07:30.724 Ahh. 00:07:30.755 --> 00:07:32.864 So none of the colonials actually pass the 00:07:32.864 --> 00:07:35.314 security clearance prior to selection anyways. 00:07:35.344 --> 00:07:36.215 I didn't know that. 00:07:36.215 --> 00:07:36.424 Yeah. 00:07:36.424 --> 00:07:36.814 Interesting. 00:07:36.814 --> 00:07:40.745 So it doesn't matter like the, you know, you're 00:07:40.745 --> 00:07:42.724 in, you're in, so that's a concept with that. 00:07:43.204 --> 00:07:44.945 It's interesting story about myself, 00:07:45.395 --> 00:07:48.120 I was in contact with the Highlanders 00:07:48.120 --> 00:07:48.719 recruiting team. 00:07:48.750 --> 00:07:51.330 So prior to that, I wrote the Parachute 00:07:51.330 --> 00:07:53.580 Regiment, I wrote the Royal Marines, I wrote 00:07:53.680 --> 00:07:54.830 the Royal Green Jackets. 00:07:54.830 --> 00:07:54.930 Yeah. 00:07:55.150 --> 00:07:56.130 They're all Irish. 00:07:56.250 --> 00:07:58.680 And none of them were actually actively 00:07:58.929 --> 00:07:59.469 recruiting me. 00:07:59.929 --> 00:08:00.039 Okay. 00:08:00.130 --> 00:08:02.159 Same kind of roadblocks with you, but being 00:08:02.159 --> 00:08:04.140 attached to the Highlanders and 00:08:04.140 --> 00:08:06.150 the Seaforth, their affiliated regiment, 00:08:06.405 --> 00:08:09.435 their recruiting officer, Cam McKai actually took 00:08:09.855 --> 00:08:11.895 a real live interest in recruiting me. 00:08:12.765 --> 00:08:16.375 So that's what, where I ended up with them right. 00:08:16.375 --> 00:08:16.815 Got it. 00:08:17.125 --> 00:08:19.515 They actually said to me, send us your military 00:08:19.515 --> 00:08:22.440 documents, we're going to put you up, I think 00:08:22.440 --> 00:08:23.979 it's Cameron Barracks in Inverness, that's 00:08:24.000 --> 00:08:24.600 their headquarters. 00:08:24.600 --> 00:08:28.179 So we'll feed you, we'll put you up and just show 00:08:28.200 --> 00:08:29.560 up here, let us know where your paperwork 00:08:29.560 --> 00:08:30.780 is, we'll send it over. 00:08:31.020 --> 00:08:32.010 We'll facilitate it. 00:08:32.010 --> 00:08:34.500 You get fast tracked through training and you 00:08:34.500 --> 00:08:35.460 show up in the battalion. 00:08:35.760 --> 00:08:37.140 So one way ticket. 00:08:37.590 --> 00:08:42.080 I over-packed, ended up three bags. 00:08:42.080 --> 00:08:43.850 You want me to go to Europe for three bags? 00:08:43.850 --> 00:08:43.940 Right. 00:08:43.940 --> 00:08:44.330 I didn't know. 00:08:44.330 --> 00:08:45.900 I'm thinking I'm going here one way ticket. 00:08:46.079 --> 00:08:46.180 Yeah. 00:08:46.180 --> 00:08:48.090 And I got the train off to Inverness, 00:08:48.110 --> 00:08:48.890 I get to Inverness. 00:08:48.890 --> 00:08:53.490 I go to a bnb, check-in I let captain McKai 00:08:53.510 --> 00:08:54.439 know I was there. 00:08:54.439 --> 00:08:56.600 He sent a driver, picked me up, took me down to 00:08:56.600 --> 00:08:57.380 the recruiting center. 00:08:57.945 --> 00:09:00.315 And it came apparent that they weren't going 00:09:00.315 --> 00:09:01.665 to put me up in the barracks, they weren't 00:09:01.665 --> 00:09:04.045 going to feed me and they lost all my paperwork. 00:09:04.045 --> 00:09:04.485 Oh man. 00:09:04.645 --> 00:09:06.135 So I had hard copies when I came over. 00:09:06.135 --> 00:09:09.255 So there's no fast track in this, but the actual 00:09:09.555 --> 00:09:12.165 paperwork and process, it took me two weeks 00:09:12.165 --> 00:09:14.415 to get process through the actual recruiting 00:09:14.565 --> 00:09:15.675 application process. 00:09:15.975 --> 00:09:17.625 But I was running out of money too. 00:09:17.625 --> 00:09:20.695 I was staying at this Airbnb and I guess it 00:09:20.695 --> 00:09:21.835 wasn't Airbnb back then. 00:09:21.835 --> 00:09:22.535 Not then. 00:09:22.535 --> 00:09:23.485 It was just bnb. 00:09:23.485 --> 00:09:24.565 It was just bnb yeah. 00:09:24.565 --> 00:09:24.925 Just bnb. 00:09:25.255 --> 00:09:28.445 So they sent me down to the job centre and I'm 00:09:28.445 --> 00:09:29.555 like, I go down to the job centre, so I'm like 00:09:29.555 --> 00:09:30.455 a place to get a job. 00:09:30.485 --> 00:09:32.225 Cause now that's what was actually 00:09:32.225 --> 00:09:33.455 good about having the British passport 00:09:33.455 --> 00:09:34.475 is, I could work. 00:09:34.985 --> 00:09:35.255 Right. 00:09:35.255 --> 00:09:37.085 So got to the job centre became very 00:09:37.085 --> 00:09:40.515 apparent, it's their doll welfare office and 00:09:40.535 --> 00:09:42.645 a claims going to take a minimum of six weeks. 00:09:43.235 --> 00:09:43.415 Right. 00:09:43.415 --> 00:09:45.635 And I'm like, well, I can't wait six weeks, 00:09:45.635 --> 00:09:46.475 I'm going to be starving. 00:09:47.030 --> 00:09:47.590 Yeah, no kidding. 00:09:47.710 --> 00:09:50.670 So I said, okay, I said, let's do the process. 00:09:51.239 --> 00:09:53.939 So meanwhile, I go back to there to the bnb and 00:09:53.939 --> 00:09:55.020 the owners are like, well, if you're going to 00:09:55.020 --> 00:09:58.140 be here more permanent we have a friend that's 00:09:58.140 --> 00:10:01.109 living in France and he has his flat that 00:10:01.170 --> 00:10:02.670 we can rent out weekly. 00:10:02.819 --> 00:10:03.119 Yeah. 00:10:03.329 --> 00:10:04.920 So I think it was a couple of hundred pounds 00:10:04.920 --> 00:10:06.989 a week that, maybe a hundred pounds a week I 00:10:06.989 --> 00:10:08.040 was paying for this flat. 00:10:08.040 --> 00:10:08.880 So I moved into that. 00:10:08.939 --> 00:10:09.209 Yeah. 00:10:09.615 --> 00:10:11.625 But that night I went down, I thought 00:10:11.625 --> 00:10:13.094 I'd go check out the local nightlife. 00:10:13.094 --> 00:10:14.775 And I go into this club called mr. 00:10:14.775 --> 00:10:15.495 G's nightclub. 00:10:15.495 --> 00:10:18.525 And I see a sign that says help wanted, so I go 00:10:18.525 --> 00:10:20.475 to the bouncer and I say, hey, says help wanted. 00:10:20.594 --> 00:10:22.590 And he's like, brings out, goes and gets 00:10:22.620 --> 00:10:23.880 the manager and the managers like, can 00:10:23.880 --> 00:10:25.770 you come back for interview in the morning? 00:10:26.699 --> 00:10:27.540 So I'm like, sure. 00:10:28.140 --> 00:10:30.750 So I come back, had this interview and 00:10:30.960 --> 00:10:32.370 I'm thinking, I'm just going to be a bottle 00:10:32.370 --> 00:10:34.319 collector and he's like, great, you're 00:10:34.319 --> 00:10:35.220 going to be bartender. 00:10:36.750 --> 00:10:38.719 You don't need like a bar license right. 00:10:38.719 --> 00:10:39.810 Right, no serving it right. 00:10:39.810 --> 00:10:41.670 I'm going to be a bartender? 00:10:41.670 --> 00:10:43.740 He's like, yep, you start tonight. 00:10:43.829 --> 00:10:46.060 I'm like, okay, I've never poured 00:10:46.060 --> 00:10:47.160 a pint in my life. 00:10:47.579 --> 00:10:49.410 And it was a Saturday night, I leave mr. 00:10:49.410 --> 00:10:50.880 G's and it was mobbed. 00:10:50.880 --> 00:10:52.000 And it's not like in Canada where everybody 00:10:52.020 --> 00:10:56.939 lines up nicely, it's like everybody, five deep 00:10:56.970 --> 00:10:59.760 at the bar yelling their drink orders at you. 00:11:00.329 --> 00:11:03.780 And it was like, you know, Baptism under fire. 00:11:03.780 --> 00:11:07.689 And I really enjoyed it and I actually took it 00:11:07.689 --> 00:11:11.040 a couple extra months off to just enjoy being 00:11:11.040 --> 00:11:13.920 a civilian and being a bartender at mr. 00:11:13.920 --> 00:11:15.390 G's nightclub in Inverness. 00:11:15.689 --> 00:11:16.459 Very cool. 00:11:16.459 --> 00:11:16.780 Yeah. 00:11:17.089 --> 00:11:17.920 Very cool. 00:11:18.010 --> 00:11:19.819 But bartenders there, they don't 00:11:20.150 --> 00:11:21.079 make a lot of tips. 00:11:21.109 --> 00:11:21.379 Okay. 00:11:21.540 --> 00:11:22.930 And you're making a minimum wage. 00:11:22.930 --> 00:11:26.449 So I picked up extra shifts in the morning. 00:11:26.660 --> 00:11:28.760 I'd come back and help the cleaners clean. 00:11:28.960 --> 00:11:29.280 Okay. 00:11:29.599 --> 00:11:33.660 But even between cleaning and bartending I was 00:11:33.660 --> 00:11:35.490 only making enough to feed myself twice 00:11:35.490 --> 00:11:37.199 a day, basically. 00:11:37.319 --> 00:11:39.930 And then my life was just basically, so I 00:11:39.930 --> 00:11:42.930 would, let's just start from like, say the 00:11:43.110 --> 00:11:45.915 nightclub shuts down at 2:00 AM or 1:30. 00:11:45.915 --> 00:11:48.030 2:30 your back home. 00:11:48.449 --> 00:11:51.569 I would sleep to probably three till 00:11:51.569 --> 00:11:52.470 like eight o'clock. 00:11:52.470 --> 00:11:54.540 I did that, you know, maybe four or five 00:11:54.540 --> 00:11:58.230 hours, if that get up, I'd go help the cleaners 00:11:58.230 --> 00:11:59.250 for three, four hours. 00:11:59.820 --> 00:12:01.470 Come back have an afternoon nap. 00:12:02.430 --> 00:12:04.960 I would work out, run, weights, cause I'm 00:12:04.960 --> 00:12:07.770 still trying to maintain fitness for getting 00:12:07.770 --> 00:12:08.460 into British army. 00:12:09.030 --> 00:12:12.270 And then I would go and mr. 00:12:12.270 --> 00:12:14.880 G's nightclub had a pub attached to it 00:12:14.880 --> 00:12:15.590 called the nials. 00:12:15.910 --> 00:12:16.000 Okay. 00:12:16.000 --> 00:12:18.000 So I'd pick up early shifts there at six, 00:12:18.690 --> 00:12:19.550 helping in the nial. 00:12:19.920 --> 00:12:22.330 And then I'd rotate up to nightclubs around 9:30, 00:12:22.350 --> 00:12:23.250 10 when it got busy. 00:12:23.250 --> 00:12:26.505 And I did that for maybe two months, to 00:12:26.505 --> 00:12:30.015 October, and I realized it's fun, but I didn't 00:12:30.015 --> 00:12:30.765 come here to do that. 00:12:31.335 --> 00:12:33.195 And then what was happening as well was 00:12:33.195 --> 00:12:35.325 there was a change in the system where 00:12:35.505 --> 00:12:37.485 initially my enlistment would be three years. 00:12:37.485 --> 00:12:40.065 And if I didn't enlist before this date in like 00:12:40.095 --> 00:12:42.615 early November, I would be bumped to a four 00:12:42.615 --> 00:12:43.605 year minimum engagement. 00:12:43.875 --> 00:12:45.314 That's what the woman was telling me that 00:12:45.314 --> 00:12:46.275 recruiting office. 00:12:46.275 --> 00:12:46.665 Yeah. 00:12:46.694 --> 00:12:48.795 So I at the time didn't care. 00:12:48.975 --> 00:12:51.525 It was like maybe nine o'clock in the morning, 00:12:51.525 --> 00:12:53.084 like captain McKai sent one of the high, a 00:12:53.084 --> 00:12:55.275 couple of the recruiting Highlanders over in the 00:12:55.275 --> 00:12:57.855 land rover, knocked on my door and I'm like, get 00:12:57.855 --> 00:12:58.694 your ass to come to it. 00:12:58.694 --> 00:13:00.944 And he's like get in the land rover and then I 00:13:00.944 --> 00:13:03.344 went, you know, I had a chat with captain McKai 00:13:03.365 --> 00:13:05.665 and he's like, yeah, you gotta get this goin. 00:13:05.685 --> 00:13:06.165 So I did. 00:13:06.555 --> 00:13:08.385 One thing that they did do, was they 00:13:08.385 --> 00:13:10.729 send you down for a fitness assessment. 00:13:10.729 --> 00:13:10.909 Right. 00:13:10.909 --> 00:13:13.260 For a three day, I don't even remember, 00:13:13.260 --> 00:13:14.969 I think it was like the army foundation 00:13:15.599 --> 00:13:16.560 fitness assessment. 00:13:16.560 --> 00:13:19.020 It was like a two day program to see where you 00:13:19.020 --> 00:13:21.989 were and I scored really well on it, to the point 00:13:21.989 --> 00:13:26.699 where I came back to my recruiting Sergeant and 00:13:26.699 --> 00:13:28.050 said, how well did I do? 00:13:28.050 --> 00:13:29.040 He said, exceptionally. 00:13:29.459 --> 00:13:30.510 I said, good enough to go to the 00:13:30.510 --> 00:13:31.349 parachute regiment? 00:13:31.859 --> 00:13:32.819 Because I thought you I'm just going to go 00:13:32.819 --> 00:13:33.729 the parachute regiment. 00:13:33.729 --> 00:13:33.790 Yeah. 00:13:34.350 --> 00:13:36.160 And unlike maybe in American, Canadian 00:13:36.160 --> 00:13:38.370 Forces, that's you're, you joined straight 00:13:38.370 --> 00:13:39.630 from the street and you go to the parachute 00:13:39.630 --> 00:13:40.570 regiment, you do their. 00:13:41.180 --> 00:13:41.360 Right. 00:13:41.410 --> 00:13:43.970 Their training, B company and so on. 00:13:44.420 --> 00:13:46.670 The recruiting Sergeant is dealing with is 00:13:46.670 --> 00:13:48.530 that, hold on a minute, makes a phone call. 00:13:48.620 --> 00:13:50.870 And then down comes this major from 00:13:50.870 --> 00:13:53.680 the Highlanders, their training 00:13:53.700 --> 00:13:55.080 NCR officer right. 00:13:55.110 --> 00:13:56.820 He sits me down and he's like, you know Mr. 00:13:56.820 --> 00:13:58.710 Budd like, you're right, you could go to the 00:13:58.710 --> 00:13:59.400 parachute regiment. 00:13:59.400 --> 00:14:01.080 But if you come to the Highlanders, you're 00:14:01.080 --> 00:14:02.950 definitely going to get on junior branch 00:14:02.950 --> 00:14:04.410 and your section manager course earlier. 00:14:04.680 --> 00:14:05.760 And he goes, if we're going to do 00:14:05.760 --> 00:14:06.750 this for you all, let's do it for real. 00:14:06.750 --> 00:14:08.880 He goes, join the Highlanders, do your 00:14:08.880 --> 00:14:10.680 time, get on section manager course, and then 00:14:10.680 --> 00:14:11.670 go on SAS selection. 00:14:11.850 --> 00:14:12.180 Right. 00:14:12.630 --> 00:14:13.530 And I'm like, yeah, you're right. 00:14:14.010 --> 00:14:15.720 And then, so he retained me because I'm like, 00:14:15.750 --> 00:14:17.690 ah, let's just go to the parachute regiment. 00:14:17.690 --> 00:14:18.710 He knew exactly what to say. 00:14:18.710 --> 00:14:21.120 Yeah he knew what to, so that was that. 00:14:21.150 --> 00:14:24.735 Yeah so, I think I started when we did it, 00:14:24.735 --> 00:14:27.045 then it was they called the army foundation 00:14:27.045 --> 00:14:29.505 college and then off it was an Edinburgh. 00:14:29.925 --> 00:14:30.195 Right. 00:14:30.225 --> 00:14:34.835 So the Scottish division and dark, gloom, ,rainy 00:14:34.835 --> 00:14:36.505 place called Pennycook. 00:14:37.035 --> 00:14:37.655 Okay. 00:14:37.685 --> 00:14:40.215 And up in Glencorse in Edinburgh,in 00:14:40.485 --> 00:14:42.525 the pentlands, if anybody's been there. 00:14:43.275 --> 00:14:44.855 Very hilly, very wet. 00:14:45.165 --> 00:14:48.045 And I think that night I go into the, they 00:14:48.045 --> 00:14:48.855 call it the cook house. 00:14:49.065 --> 00:14:49.395 Okay. 00:14:49.995 --> 00:14:52.965 And there's a distinct song I always remember 00:14:52.965 --> 00:14:55.635 playing and it's Coldplay, why does 00:14:55.635 --> 00:14:56.445 it always rain on me. 00:14:57.315 --> 00:14:59.515 And I'm just like, it's depressed right. 00:14:59.515 --> 00:14:59.715 Yeah. 00:14:59.835 --> 00:15:01.875 And the food, my goodness, the food. 00:15:01.875 --> 00:15:02.985 Where do I even start with it? 00:15:03.795 --> 00:15:05.865 I had to get my friends to send me vitamins. 00:15:06.205 --> 00:15:07.085 It was that bad? 00:15:07.115 --> 00:15:08.265 To supplement the food. 00:15:08.265 --> 00:15:08.535 Yeah. 00:15:08.775 --> 00:15:10.845 It was like, we definitely can get 00:15:10.845 --> 00:15:11.715 malnourished here. 00:15:11.865 --> 00:15:12.345 Wow. 00:15:13.245 --> 00:15:14.355 Well, they got a nickname for the 00:15:14.355 --> 00:15:15.375 British army, right? 00:15:15.585 --> 00:15:16.965 Well, the British don't actually know 00:15:16.965 --> 00:15:19.875 that name, but we're not unaware of it. 00:15:20.535 --> 00:15:21.855 But the Canadians always called them 00:15:21.855 --> 00:15:22.975 the shit eaters. 00:15:23.145 --> 00:15:24.075 That's right. 00:15:24.075 --> 00:15:26.655 And, but the Brits are completely clueless. 00:15:27.145 --> 00:15:30.495 That's there, but yeah. 00:15:30.495 --> 00:15:32.655 So, you know, that was, I think back 00:15:32.655 --> 00:15:35.775 then it was maybe a 12 week basic training. 00:15:35.805 --> 00:15:36.045 Yeah. 00:15:36.405 --> 00:15:39.385 At the end of it, because I was a section commander 00:15:39.435 --> 00:15:42.495 in the Seaforth, at the end of it, my report 00:15:42.915 --> 00:15:45.915 indicated that I didn't, they said possibility 00:15:45.975 --> 00:15:48.565 of skipping the next trade would it be my 00:15:48.565 --> 00:15:50.235 infantry training and just go to battalion. 00:15:50.685 --> 00:15:51.135 Okay. 00:15:51.525 --> 00:15:53.745 So the next phase is we all traveled 00:15:53.745 --> 00:15:55.995 down to Catterick the infantry training 00:15:55.995 --> 00:15:56.845 center Catterick. 00:15:56.935 --> 00:15:59.535 So Catterick, they call it ITC Catterick, 00:15:59.535 --> 00:16:00.725 infantry training centre. 00:16:00.725 --> 00:16:01.725 Catterick, it's the biggest 00:16:01.725 --> 00:16:02.625 Garrison in Europe. 00:16:02.805 --> 00:16:05.295 It's also has the most CCTV cameras 00:16:05.445 --> 00:16:06.705 in your per capital. 00:16:06.795 --> 00:16:07.575 Okay. 00:16:07.755 --> 00:16:10.965 I had a meeting with the company commander of 00:16:11.025 --> 00:16:13.695 our training company I was in and he said, oh 00:16:13.695 --> 00:16:16.365 the reports from your basic training said, just 00:16:16.365 --> 00:16:18.615 fast-track Highlander Budd to the battalion. 00:16:19.425 --> 00:16:20.025 What do you think? 00:16:21.055 --> 00:16:23.745 Nah, you know sir, I'm open for anything, 00:16:23.745 --> 00:16:24.585 whatever you think. 00:16:24.615 --> 00:16:28.275 And I can't remember how it went down, but we 00:16:28.275 --> 00:16:29.235 may have flipped for it. 00:16:29.885 --> 00:16:30.415 Really? 00:16:30.435 --> 00:16:31.145 I can't remember. 00:16:32.705 --> 00:16:34.785 But somehow we ended up on training. 00:16:35.715 --> 00:16:36.615 I didn't go to battalion. 00:16:36.765 --> 00:16:37.125 Okay. 00:16:37.355 --> 00:16:41.275 So we were there for the first, the 00:16:41.275 --> 00:16:43.425 infantry training, I believe is 14 weeks. 00:16:43.545 --> 00:16:43.755 Right. 00:16:43.815 --> 00:16:44.445 That's a long haul. 00:16:44.535 --> 00:16:44.805 Yeah. 00:16:45.405 --> 00:16:48.045 Two of my best friends that I'm still in 00:16:48.045 --> 00:16:50.584 contact with is Marty Gray and Dean Nygen. 00:16:51.105 --> 00:16:52.845 Marty was from the black watch and Dean 00:16:52.845 --> 00:16:54.675 was from RGBW regiment. 00:16:54.915 --> 00:16:57.675 Taking a step back, my mom was, we found 00:16:57.675 --> 00:17:02.095 out was really sick and we actually 00:17:02.115 --> 00:17:04.754 brought Marty home to Canada on vacation. 00:17:05.264 --> 00:17:07.185 I call it vacation, on leave between 00:17:07.305 --> 00:17:09.305 the basic training and ITC Catterick. 00:17:09.555 --> 00:17:09.764 Yeah. 00:17:10.305 --> 00:17:12.075 Of all things Marty loved hockey, played, 00:17:12.585 --> 00:17:14.175 I guess it would be semipro in Dundee. 00:17:14.504 --> 00:17:14.865 Wow. 00:17:15.015 --> 00:17:15.285 Yeah. 00:17:15.345 --> 00:17:16.155 So he loved hockey. 00:17:16.155 --> 00:17:18.015 He loved our food here, obviously right? 00:17:18.585 --> 00:17:20.385 Well, Marty actually, like I said, he was a 00:17:20.875 --> 00:17:21.974 big lad from Dundee. 00:17:21.974 --> 00:17:24.054 So being a smart, colonial that I was, 00:17:24.054 --> 00:17:27.060 you befriend the biggest, toughest 00:17:27.060 --> 00:17:27.900 guy on the course. 00:17:27.980 --> 00:17:28.150 Right. 00:17:28.150 --> 00:17:29.070 And that was Marty. 00:17:29.150 --> 00:17:30.830 Right, there you go. 00:17:30.940 --> 00:17:31.990 The thug from Dundee. 00:17:32.070 --> 00:17:32.660 There you go. 00:17:32.790 --> 00:17:34.620 He's actually the RSM of the black watch or 00:17:34.620 --> 00:17:35.440 three Scott's right now. 00:17:35.440 --> 00:17:35.540 Wow. 00:17:35.540 --> 00:17:37.660 So he's done really well for himself yeah. 00:17:37.830 --> 00:17:39.980 Yeah, Dundee, now I know where it is. 00:17:39.980 --> 00:17:42.740 There's a Limerick about Dundee, but I 00:17:42.740 --> 00:17:43.576 won't repeat it here. 00:17:43.576 --> 00:17:43.974 Yeah actually from forthar. 00:17:43.974 --> 00:17:44.064 Okay. 00:17:44.064 --> 00:17:45.950 But Dundee was kind of like, they had a 00:17:45.950 --> 00:17:48.330 saying they called it bide away from Dundee, 00:17:48.449 --> 00:17:49.620 by away fae Dundee. 00:17:49.739 --> 00:17:49.949 Yeah. 00:17:49.949 --> 00:17:51.740 Scottish, jockaknees right? 00:17:52.320 --> 00:17:54.389 I just know jockaknees is its own language. 00:17:54.389 --> 00:17:57.030 It's basically Scottish slang mixed with British 00:17:57.030 --> 00:17:59.040 army slang and they've created their own 00:17:59.310 --> 00:18:02.400 language the jocks have in the British army and 00:18:02.400 --> 00:18:03.440 the jocks of the Scots. 00:18:03.500 --> 00:18:04.080 Jockaknees. 00:18:04.140 --> 00:18:05.129 Called Jockaknees right. 00:18:05.330 --> 00:18:05.750 All right. 00:18:06.470 --> 00:18:07.129 It was really hard. 00:18:07.129 --> 00:18:08.660 Like when I first got there, like 00:18:09.260 --> 00:18:10.639 during section attacks and training, 00:18:10.639 --> 00:18:11.930 I couldn't really understand anything 00:18:11.930 --> 00:18:12.830 being told to me. 00:18:13.600 --> 00:18:15.230 Like just point me towards the direction 00:18:15.230 --> 00:18:17.150 I'm going, because the jocks'd get fired up 00:18:17.150 --> 00:18:19.610 and then the different dialects you got the 00:18:19.620 --> 00:18:22.449 Glaswegians you got the Invernesians, 00:18:22.470 --> 00:18:23.910 you got Aberdonians. 00:18:23.910 --> 00:18:26.040 You've got, you know, by the time I came 00:18:26.040 --> 00:18:28.379 back three, three and a half years later, 00:18:28.379 --> 00:18:30.330 as an instructor, I could totally hear 00:18:30.690 --> 00:18:32.520 pretty much an entire British army, even the 00:18:32.520 --> 00:18:35.010 English regiments and know what regiment they 00:18:35.010 --> 00:18:37.600 were going to or what town they were from. 00:18:37.850 --> 00:18:38.190 Really? 00:18:38.190 --> 00:18:39.179 Just by their accents, yeah. 00:18:39.330 --> 00:18:39.750 Wow. 00:18:39.870 --> 00:18:40.110 Yeah. 00:18:40.139 --> 00:18:41.520 Like for example, the rural Highland, 00:18:41.520 --> 00:18:43.500 future leaders recruited from Glasgow. 00:18:43.919 --> 00:18:44.280 Right. 00:18:44.340 --> 00:18:46.409 So you just knew there, the Weegee's right. 00:18:47.490 --> 00:18:48.449 So yeah. 00:18:48.479 --> 00:18:51.389 So long story short, long weekend, prior to that, 00:18:51.419 --> 00:18:55.139 I knew my mom was really sick, I remember waking 00:18:55.139 --> 00:18:58.520 up when I was home on leave and her crying. 00:18:58.760 --> 00:19:00.110 I remember hearing her crying in 00:19:00.110 --> 00:19:00.669 the living room. 00:19:00.739 --> 00:19:00.909 Right. 00:19:00.909 --> 00:19:04.470 And I came out and I just hugged her, she 00:19:04.470 --> 00:19:06.900 was crying and her whole body was in pain. 00:19:07.050 --> 00:19:07.200 Yeah. 00:19:08.150 --> 00:19:09.800 I'm not going back, I'm going to go 00:19:09.800 --> 00:19:10.940 AWOL, hang with you. 00:19:11.090 --> 00:19:13.220 And my mom, like not a chance, no son of 00:19:13.220 --> 00:19:15.650 mine's going AWOL, you're getting back on 00:19:15.650 --> 00:19:17.000 the airplane and that was actually the last 00:19:17.000 --> 00:19:18.290 time I actually saw her. 00:19:18.500 --> 00:19:18.770 Right. 00:19:19.700 --> 00:19:21.470 Just prior to the long weekend, my dad called 00:19:21.470 --> 00:19:24.080 me, he goes, you know, Son, we've found some 00:19:24.080 --> 00:19:27.000 bad news and your mom has cancer and it's terminal. 00:19:27.280 --> 00:19:30.500 And she has a year live, so that hit me 00:19:31.020 --> 00:19:33.030 pretty, pretty hard, really devastated. 00:19:33.480 --> 00:19:33.870 Totally. 00:19:33.990 --> 00:19:35.260 I was a mama's boy, what can I say? 00:19:35.430 --> 00:19:35.600 Sure. 00:19:35.600 --> 00:19:35.930 Right. 00:19:36.020 --> 00:19:36.350 Yeah. 00:19:36.660 --> 00:19:39.780 And I go up on the long weekend and then on the 00:19:39.780 --> 00:19:43.170 Saturday my dad calls me, he's like, okay, your 00:19:43.170 --> 00:19:45.190 mum has 24 hours to live. 00:19:45.520 --> 00:19:47.790 So that, I'm like what is going on here? 00:19:48.510 --> 00:19:50.940 So I told Marty and his partner, I'm 00:19:50.940 --> 00:19:51.780 like, I got to go. 00:19:51.840 --> 00:19:55.050 I get on the train, Catterick has like, 00:19:55.110 --> 00:19:58.425 or ITC Catterick had, it was like, at the 00:19:58.425 --> 00:20:01.215 time, five training battalions in training. 00:20:01.875 --> 00:20:05.505 So I ended up calling, not my Sergeant major, 00:20:05.515 --> 00:20:07.005 ended up being the guard Sergeant major. 00:20:07.155 --> 00:20:07.545 Really? 00:20:07.605 --> 00:20:08.905 But I just called them, I just didn't 00:20:08.925 --> 00:20:09.555 have the right number. 00:20:09.555 --> 00:20:10.815 And I called them and I said, I'm on my way 00:20:10.815 --> 00:20:12.915 down, sir this is me, you know, I know you're 00:20:12.915 --> 00:20:13.605 not my Sergeant major. 00:20:13.965 --> 00:20:16.775 He got all my info, he passed it on to my 00:20:16.945 --> 00:20:18.435 company Sergeant major. 00:20:18.545 --> 00:20:21.805 They had a driver waiting for me in Darlington's 00:20:21.825 --> 00:20:22.485 closest town. 00:20:22.485 --> 00:20:26.415 Land Rover, straight in, pack my bags, jet 00:20:26.535 --> 00:20:28.785 down to a Heathrow and I was on the next 00:20:28.905 --> 00:20:30.145 airplane back to Canada. 00:20:30.305 --> 00:20:34.305 And then I got back shortly and my mom 00:20:34.305 --> 00:20:36.795 was already in a morphine coma and 00:20:36.795 --> 00:20:39.145 then, didn't really get to say my goodbyes 00:20:39.165 --> 00:20:40.025 and then she passed. 00:20:40.025 --> 00:20:40.455 Right. 00:20:40.775 --> 00:20:43.125 So I ended up staying in Canada for another 00:20:43.515 --> 00:20:46.365 four or five weeks, and then I went back. 00:20:47.085 --> 00:20:49.395 So by the time I went back, my training 00:20:49.395 --> 00:20:51.555 company was going on their final exercise. 00:20:51.645 --> 00:20:52.005 Right. 00:20:52.215 --> 00:20:54.855 So the training staff decided, even though 00:20:54.855 --> 00:20:56.175 I'd only done four weeks of training, 00:20:56.655 --> 00:20:59.445 I could go on final exercise with my batoon. 00:21:00.095 --> 00:21:00.675 That was good. 00:21:00.805 --> 00:21:01.035 It was. 00:21:01.035 --> 00:21:01.245 Yeah. 00:21:01.245 --> 00:21:04.469 So I only had to do the funnel X and then I 00:21:04.469 --> 00:21:05.399 was off the battalion. 00:21:05.699 --> 00:21:09.719 When I first met the training staff, they 00:21:09.719 --> 00:21:11.139 brought me in, because I know, you know, Jay, 00:21:11.139 --> 00:21:13.559 he was section commander in the NKR, they sat 00:21:13.559 --> 00:21:18.679 me down and they said, rate the platoon 1-30. 00:21:20.139 --> 00:21:20.499 Okay. 00:21:20.649 --> 00:21:21.879 So you never put yourself top. 00:21:23.649 --> 00:21:27.319 So there was a big Fijian that was from, Gus, he 00:21:27.339 --> 00:21:30.579 was an ex cop from Fiji, I put him number one. 00:21:30.759 --> 00:21:31.059 Okay. 00:21:31.359 --> 00:21:31.629 Right. 00:21:31.779 --> 00:21:33.699 So I put him one, me two and that's how they 00:21:34.059 --> 00:21:35.499 made the section right? 00:21:35.619 --> 00:21:36.069 Really? 00:21:36.219 --> 00:21:36.489 Yeah. 00:21:36.519 --> 00:21:37.989 They kind of, orbated everybody. 00:21:38.019 --> 00:21:40.569 So everybody had an equal share in 00:21:40.569 --> 00:21:41.469 this jock platoon. 00:21:42.099 --> 00:21:43.779 And, but you never, and I remember like 00:21:44.129 --> 00:21:46.439 halfway through the Black watch, the corporal's 00:21:46.439 --> 00:21:47.559 like, Budd you lied! 00:21:48.609 --> 00:21:50.835 Well, you never put yourself at 00:21:50.835 --> 00:21:52.031 the top do you. 00:21:52.031 --> 00:21:52.611 Your corporal right. 00:21:52.921 --> 00:21:55.599 Yeah so, I did the final X and then 00:21:55.899 --> 00:21:57.469 rolled into battalion. 00:21:58.719 --> 00:22:00.719 In the British, there's a few things that you 00:22:00.719 --> 00:22:02.069 did, which I thought were pretty neat. 00:22:02.249 --> 00:22:05.219 So one of them was you did some 00:22:05.219 --> 00:22:06.639 skiing over there. 00:22:07.279 --> 00:22:10.209 And whenever I think about that, I just 00:22:10.209 --> 00:22:13.419 conjure up these ideas of James Bond or Jason 00:22:13.419 --> 00:22:16.589 board or skiing for the British army. 00:22:16.759 --> 00:22:19.839 But you travel around to a few different 00:22:19.839 --> 00:22:22.839 countries to represent, I guess, England 00:22:22.899 --> 00:22:24.609 in a few different events, didn't you? 00:22:24.909 --> 00:22:26.579 Well, you know, being in a Scott's regiment, 00:22:27.189 --> 00:22:28.689 it's not England. 00:22:29.809 --> 00:22:31.559 It's such a travesty, right. 00:22:31.559 --> 00:22:33.189 They're very, I mean, the jocks don't want, 00:22:33.189 --> 00:22:34.059 they're freedom crazy. 00:22:34.249 --> 00:22:38.979 No, but yeah, so I grew up kind of skiing 00:22:38.979 --> 00:22:41.089 in Canada and then as a teenager, I bought 00:22:41.109 --> 00:22:42.609 my own snowboard and saved up for it and 00:22:42.769 --> 00:22:43.359 I was a snowboarder. 00:22:44.049 --> 00:22:46.419 So my first tour was to Kosovo. 00:22:46.569 --> 00:22:46.749 Okay. 00:22:46.749 --> 00:22:48.959 2000, 2001. 00:22:50.129 --> 00:22:52.419 And then I came back and I did my section 00:22:52.419 --> 00:22:53.079 commanders course. 00:22:53.139 --> 00:22:53.439 Right. 00:22:53.679 --> 00:22:54.759 14 weeks in Bracken. 00:22:54.969 --> 00:22:55.149 Yeah. 00:22:56.199 --> 00:22:58.869 And then that winter I'm back with my battalion 00:22:58.869 --> 00:23:01.149 in Edinburgh and I saw that there was 00:23:01.149 --> 00:23:03.849 the army championships for snowboarding. 00:23:04.119 --> 00:23:04.449 Okay. 00:23:04.719 --> 00:23:06.309 So I thought I'll have some of that. 00:23:06.579 --> 00:23:07.419 Yeah, no kidding. 00:23:07.449 --> 00:23:11.019 Set up a meeting with the QMSI, the quartermaster 00:23:11.019 --> 00:23:13.599 senior instructor, kind of our physical training 00:23:13.599 --> 00:23:15.909 instructor head guy. 00:23:16.089 --> 00:23:16.239 Yeah. 00:23:16.659 --> 00:23:18.279 And I said, you know, sir, I just saw this 00:23:18.789 --> 00:23:21.519 one, you know, like this competition 00:23:21.519 --> 00:23:22.479 for the snowboard. 00:23:22.509 --> 00:23:24.009 And he's like, do you ski? 00:23:25.139 --> 00:23:28.194 Said I can ski, I used to ski, I'm a snowboarder. 00:23:28.574 --> 00:23:28.834 Right. 00:23:28.854 --> 00:23:29.184 Sir. 00:23:29.904 --> 00:23:32.364 And he's like, well, the battalion is going 00:23:32.364 --> 00:23:35.334 to be sending a four man team to France to 00:23:35.334 --> 00:23:37.794 race downhill, six to eight weeks, depending 00:23:37.804 --> 00:23:38.634 how well you do. 00:23:38.814 --> 00:23:39.114 Right. 00:23:39.624 --> 00:23:41.514 You know, minimum four weeks, but it could 00:23:41.514 --> 00:23:42.495 be up to two months. 00:23:42.564 --> 00:23:42.794 Yeah. 00:23:43.274 --> 00:23:43.934 How does that sound? 00:23:43.964 --> 00:23:46.664 Or you could do one day snowboard competition 00:23:46.934 --> 00:23:48.104 and Aviemore Scotland. 00:23:48.579 --> 00:23:50.289 So I've only skied once in Aviemore, 00:23:50.289 --> 00:23:52.469 imagine Travis like, I don't think there's a 00:23:52.469 --> 00:23:53.889 chair enough, I think you get towed up. 00:23:54.759 --> 00:23:56.289 But it's like ski. 00:23:56.559 --> 00:23:56.739 Yeah. 00:23:57.339 --> 00:23:58.209 Take your skis off. 00:23:58.419 --> 00:23:59.529 Walk across the Heather. 00:24:00.099 --> 00:24:03.009 Ski some more walk across some more Heather. 00:24:03.249 --> 00:24:03.459 Yeah. 00:24:03.519 --> 00:24:04.509 So I'm like, okay. 00:24:04.869 --> 00:24:07.329 Yeah I think I'm going to ski again, sir. 00:24:07.539 --> 00:24:09.129 And then, yeah, so you just send this 00:24:09.129 --> 00:24:11.979 four men team and we spent a good portion 00:24:11.979 --> 00:24:15.759 in Val-d'Isère France and they actually race. 00:24:15.759 --> 00:24:17.439 So you start racing, I think we started 00:24:17.439 --> 00:24:18.819 in the infantries and then you can move 00:24:18.819 --> 00:24:19.569 through the armies. 00:24:20.499 --> 00:24:23.979 It's proper racing, it's super G, it's downhill, 00:24:23.979 --> 00:24:26.859 it's slalom, GS. 00:24:26.859 --> 00:24:29.469 So I had to get like back on it pretty quick. 00:24:29.829 --> 00:24:34.320 I remember in one of the areas is, Sersha Valley. 00:24:34.320 --> 00:24:34.469 Okay. 00:24:34.810 --> 00:24:37.059 And we actually downhill skied. 00:24:37.059 --> 00:24:38.259 Like they close it off, there's 00:24:38.259 --> 00:24:39.219 timers, everything. 00:24:39.609 --> 00:24:41.889 You're in your catsuit and there's a run 00:24:41.889 --> 00:24:44.679 there, it's an Olympic run and the final, 00:24:44.689 --> 00:24:46.889 you do this hard right hand turn, and then 00:24:46.889 --> 00:24:47.879 it's a one-mile tuck. 00:24:48.069 --> 00:24:48.309 Yeah. 00:24:48.639 --> 00:24:51.099 And I got clocked coming through there at 00:24:51.099 --> 00:24:52.419 about 78 miles an hour. 00:24:52.579 --> 00:24:53.069 Wooo. 00:24:53.169 --> 00:24:53.379 Yeah. 00:24:53.379 --> 00:24:55.169 Like skis are like 220 long. 00:24:55.169 --> 00:24:55.669 No kidding. 00:24:55.669 --> 00:24:58.029 It gets, it's proper racing and competitive. 00:24:58.629 --> 00:25:01.209 But yeah, so that was, I did that for, I think 00:25:01.239 --> 00:25:05.919 three seasons and then up to probably I think 2005. 00:25:05.919 --> 00:25:09.369 And by that time between Iraq and Afghan going 00:25:09.369 --> 00:25:12.339 on, the adventure training kind of dried 00:25:12.354 --> 00:25:14.874 up for me and it was like deployment so. 00:25:15.024 --> 00:25:15.324 Right. 00:25:15.654 --> 00:25:16.944 But yeah, I did three seasons of 00:25:16.944 --> 00:25:17.844 racing downhill. 00:25:18.224 --> 00:25:20.244 That sounds like, yeah, definitely sign me up. 00:25:20.244 --> 00:25:21.924 That's the that's a part of the British army. 00:25:21.924 --> 00:25:21.984 Yeah. 00:25:21.984 --> 00:25:23.084 I mean, that's one thing with the British, 00:25:23.084 --> 00:25:25.374 they always I'm big on adventure training. 00:25:25.394 --> 00:25:26.984 I mean, the very first time I ever rock climbed 00:25:26.984 --> 00:25:29.714 in Canada was with the British army in Canmore. 00:25:30.014 --> 00:25:30.494 Really? 00:25:30.554 --> 00:25:30.854 Yeah. 00:25:31.414 --> 00:25:32.684 That's where I got my taste for it. 00:25:32.744 --> 00:25:32.814 Yeah. 00:25:32.814 --> 00:25:34.724 Now you gotta do a little bit of rock climbing. 00:25:34.724 --> 00:25:37.094 Well, before we talk about that, I did 00:25:37.094 --> 00:25:39.014 you want to talk about selection? 00:25:39.589 --> 00:25:39.869 Yeah. 00:25:39.869 --> 00:25:42.719 So I thought I'd give a selection a go. 00:25:43.179 --> 00:25:46.309 What's interesting in the UK is, if you don't 00:25:46.329 --> 00:25:49.329 come from an infantry background, they make you 00:25:49.749 --> 00:25:51.849 do an all arms infantry skills course, it's a 00:25:51.849 --> 00:25:52.809 four week long course. 00:25:52.839 --> 00:25:56.119 So, you know, in the 2000's with the SAS 00:25:56.139 --> 00:25:58.209 being as busy as you were, they didn't 00:25:58.209 --> 00:26:00.699 really have time to facilitate this training. 00:26:01.509 --> 00:26:02.679 And this training is pretty important 00:26:02.679 --> 00:26:04.729 because they want to give the non-infantry, 00:26:04.749 --> 00:26:07.914 the core guys, a fair kick at the can. 00:26:08.134 --> 00:26:08.464 Right. 00:26:08.514 --> 00:26:08.824 Right. 00:26:08.844 --> 00:26:10.314 Cause the second phase is you go to 00:26:10.464 --> 00:26:11.214 the jungle, right? 00:26:11.474 --> 00:26:11.714 Hmm. 00:26:12.074 --> 00:26:14.554 So what they do is they bring one of the 00:26:14.554 --> 00:26:16.314 senior NCO's from the training division, 00:26:16.974 --> 00:26:18.404 usually the training wing Sergeant major. 00:26:18.824 --> 00:26:22.034 And what they do at this time, I was teaching, I 00:26:22.034 --> 00:26:24.344 went back to Catterick as an instructor, so I was 00:26:24.344 --> 00:26:26.694 working at ITC Catterick there as the section 00:26:26.714 --> 00:26:27.974 commander and instructor. 00:26:28.634 --> 00:26:31.274 And then they had an elemen called Som 00:26:31.274 --> 00:26:33.974 Company and they had a patoon there, the staff 00:26:34.004 --> 00:26:37.419 that was responsible for facilitating that 00:26:37.499 --> 00:26:39.339 alorm's infantry skills course, they call it. 00:26:39.459 --> 00:26:39.879 Okay. 00:26:39.999 --> 00:26:42.699 So you basically show up a Hereford first 00:26:42.909 --> 00:26:45.289 and they run a kind of like a one-week 00:26:45.309 --> 00:26:47.709 skills to make sure you're at the skills. 00:26:47.709 --> 00:26:49.419 They want you to teach the staff. 00:26:49.449 --> 00:26:49.539 Right. 00:26:49.929 --> 00:26:51.629 And then you move to Sunny Bridge. 00:26:51.829 --> 00:26:53.319 Sunny Bridge is the battle camp that 00:26:53.319 --> 00:26:54.039 you're based out of. 00:26:54.099 --> 00:26:54.399 Okay. 00:26:54.639 --> 00:26:57.309 So it's basically like a rifle platoon staff, 00:26:57.309 --> 00:26:58.939 you have the platoon Sergeant doing the 00:26:58.939 --> 00:27:01.149 logistics, you have the platoon commander and 00:27:01.149 --> 00:27:02.139 three section commanders. 00:27:02.219 --> 00:27:02.309 Okay. 00:27:02.339 --> 00:27:03.759 And the three section commanders, then get 00:27:03.759 --> 00:27:07.254 assigned a section, for the, you know, they're 00:27:07.254 --> 00:27:08.274 the core guys made up. 00:27:08.424 --> 00:27:08.754 Right. 00:27:08.814 --> 00:27:10.014 And then the training wing Sergeant 00:27:10.014 --> 00:27:10.944 major oversees it. 00:27:11.424 --> 00:27:11.634 Okay. 00:27:11.814 --> 00:27:14.634 So we're kind of, you're attached to the SAS in 00:27:14.634 --> 00:27:15.444 this training element. 00:27:15.474 --> 00:27:16.854 So it's kind of cool because then. 00:27:17.064 --> 00:27:17.484 Yeah. 00:27:17.514 --> 00:27:19.614 You learn their conventional drills. 00:27:19.794 --> 00:27:20.004 Right. 00:27:20.064 --> 00:27:21.684 You're not doing any of that, you know, 00:27:21.684 --> 00:27:22.524 black ops or anything. 00:27:22.524 --> 00:27:24.274 It's just conventional, a lot of it's jungle drills 00:27:24.274 --> 00:27:24.944 we're teaching them. 00:27:25.264 --> 00:27:25.354 Okay. 00:27:25.354 --> 00:27:26.314 For. 00:27:26.485 --> 00:27:27.014 For berni. 00:27:27.044 --> 00:27:28.733 Yeah, for berni, yhe jungle phase. 00:27:28.733 --> 00:27:29.714 So it's really great. 00:27:29.744 --> 00:27:31.694 And then the Sergeant major him and I got 00:27:31.694 --> 00:27:33.764 on really well, he's an interesting cat. 00:27:33.794 --> 00:27:36.284 Like he actually started in the, you 00:27:36.284 --> 00:27:37.934 know, he's English, but he started in the 00:27:37.934 --> 00:27:38.744 French foreign Legion. 00:27:39.174 --> 00:27:41.154 And then he worked his way, all the way up to 00:27:41.154 --> 00:27:44.424 whatever their equivalent to their special forces. 00:27:44.784 --> 00:27:47.514 Left and then he joined the British army and then 00:27:47.934 --> 00:27:48.784 worked his way up and. 00:27:48.784 --> 00:27:49.104 Wow. 00:27:49.104 --> 00:27:51.114 Then was training Sergeant major in SAS. 00:27:51.114 --> 00:27:53.604 So, you know, can you know, you meet the SAS 00:27:53.604 --> 00:27:55.224 guys, a lot of friends of SAS guys, and they have 00:27:55.224 --> 00:27:56.914 this look, but this guy had a different look. 00:27:57.124 --> 00:27:57.554 Yeah. 00:27:58.214 --> 00:28:00.024 But he was great, great guy. 00:28:00.174 --> 00:28:01.164 You know, he would tell me he's like 00:28:01.164 --> 00:28:04.984 Jase, stay healthy, you're through right. 00:28:04.984 --> 00:28:06.594 Because there, you do the four weeks in the 00:28:06.594 --> 00:28:08.184 hills, that's where you select yourself, 00:28:08.214 --> 00:28:08.994 the aptitude phase. 00:28:08.994 --> 00:28:11.184 And then you go to the jungle and the 00:28:11.184 --> 00:28:13.564 jungle is where they select you right. 00:28:13.584 --> 00:28:13.834 Right. 00:28:14.094 --> 00:28:16.014 That's, so you could actually complete the 00:28:16.014 --> 00:28:18.984 jungle phase and they may turn around and 00:28:18.984 --> 00:28:21.174 say, you know, sorry, you're not a good fit. 00:28:21.534 --> 00:28:21.894 Right. 00:28:22.014 --> 00:28:22.314 Right. 00:28:22.404 --> 00:28:24.174 But you know, I had proved to John that I 00:28:24.174 --> 00:28:25.314 was a good fit I guess. 00:28:25.314 --> 00:28:27.204 And he's like, Jay, stay healthy and your in. 00:28:27.204 --> 00:28:30.024 And that's the biggest thing is staying healthy. 00:28:30.174 --> 00:28:30.594 Right. 00:28:30.654 --> 00:28:32.994 And I actually, I did well on the hills. 00:28:33.084 --> 00:28:34.644 Can we talk about what the hills are like, when 00:28:34.644 --> 00:28:35.604 you say the hills is? 00:28:35.814 --> 00:28:37.064 The hills is, yeah. 00:28:37.064 --> 00:28:38.814 So the hills is, is the first phase, 00:28:38.814 --> 00:28:39.684 it's like four weeks. 00:28:39.744 --> 00:28:40.044 Yeah. 00:28:40.614 --> 00:28:40.794 Yeah. 00:28:40.794 --> 00:28:42.914 The first week is just kind of an 00:28:42.914 --> 00:28:43.864 organized thrashing. 00:28:43.864 --> 00:28:43.954 Okay. 00:28:44.274 --> 00:28:47.144 You know, you do their CFT, their combat 00:28:47.144 --> 00:28:49.284 fitness test, it's the eight miler and you 00:28:49.284 --> 00:28:51.624 have under two hours to do it in, but it's 00:28:51.624 --> 00:28:52.584 a pretty cheeky one. 00:28:53.034 --> 00:28:53.364 Yeah. 00:28:53.819 --> 00:28:56.619 And then, yeah, it was just for this first 00:28:56.619 --> 00:28:58.179 week they're just kind of, they call it 00:28:58.179 --> 00:28:59.709 Gilberts Gut Buster. 00:28:59.709 --> 00:29:01.889 So it's like a 12 mile run around this 00:29:01.889 --> 00:29:02.669 lake with hills. 00:29:02.789 --> 00:29:03.029 Okay. 00:29:03.099 --> 00:29:07.239 And there'll be certain phases where they'll stop 00:29:07.809 --> 00:29:10.389 and it'll be like pushups or a fireman carrying 00:29:10.739 --> 00:29:12.439 somebody up the hill. 00:29:12.729 --> 00:29:13.749 You do this for 12K. 00:29:13.899 --> 00:29:14.179 Yep. 00:29:15.219 --> 00:29:17.289 Or 12 miles, I can't even remember anymore. 00:29:18.509 --> 00:29:20.499 Kilometres just because the Brits are like 00:29:20.499 --> 00:29:21.939 the military uses the kilometres, but 00:29:21.939 --> 00:29:22.949 then we use miles. 00:29:23.529 --> 00:29:24.069 Really? 00:29:24.149 --> 00:29:26.874 Yeah, like if your, you know, your maps and 00:29:26.874 --> 00:29:28.044 everything is kilometres. 00:29:28.044 --> 00:29:28.444 Right. 00:29:28.564 --> 00:29:30.404 But then if you're doing a fitness assessment. 00:29:30.664 --> 00:29:31.154 It's in miles? 00:29:31.154 --> 00:29:33.044 Two mile or three mile or five mile, I can't 00:29:33.044 --> 00:29:33.704 remember anymore. 00:29:33.704 --> 00:29:34.184 That's funny. 00:29:34.294 --> 00:29:35.414 Might've been 12 miles. 00:29:36.014 --> 00:29:37.574 It's called Gilbert's Gut Buster right? 00:29:37.874 --> 00:29:38.024 Yeah. 00:29:38.054 --> 00:29:40.484 So I remember one of my friends from the 00:29:40.484 --> 00:29:44.664 Highlanders, he was a big boy, kinda like 00:29:44.684 --> 00:29:45.524 you Travis right. 00:29:46.214 --> 00:29:49.544 So I remember being told by friends who've 00:29:49.544 --> 00:29:52.344 done this before is that, always run with 00:29:52.344 --> 00:29:53.464 somebody your size. 00:29:53.904 --> 00:29:54.284 Okay. 00:29:54.444 --> 00:29:54.724 Right. 00:29:54.854 --> 00:29:57.384 So I was aiming for that and in the groups 00:29:57.414 --> 00:29:59.334 kind of spread off, like there's like on 00:29:59.334 --> 00:30:02.124 selection, like four to 500 people show up and 00:30:02.124 --> 00:30:04.464 it just gets weeded out day by day by day right. 00:30:04.524 --> 00:30:04.634 Right. 00:30:04.634 --> 00:30:07.074 So we set off, this is the day they do 00:30:07.154 --> 00:30:10.719 Gilberts Gut Buster, and I'm running along 00:30:10.719 --> 00:30:12.829 and I'm thinking I'm with the small guy we're 00:30:12.829 --> 00:30:13.779 in the middle group. 00:30:13.809 --> 00:30:15.189 And then we come to this hill and the next thing 00:30:15.189 --> 00:30:18.729 you know, grabbed me and he's fireman carrying 00:30:18.729 --> 00:30:22.359 me and I'm like, Oh my goodness cause now 00:30:22.359 --> 00:30:22.929 we're going to switch. 00:30:22.929 --> 00:30:24.299 Now you gotta fireman carry him. 00:30:24.369 --> 00:30:26.619 And I got him like, not that far. 00:30:26.979 --> 00:30:28.689 And then my knees, like I actually, I think I 00:30:28.689 --> 00:30:29.939 hurt my knee there in that point and then 00:30:29.939 --> 00:30:31.419 I had a knee injury from that point on. 00:30:31.449 --> 00:30:31.569 Right. 00:30:32.129 --> 00:30:32.359 Thanks. 00:30:32.969 --> 00:30:33.239 Thanks. 00:30:33.539 --> 00:30:37.499 Yeah, but I was like, I can't do this 00:30:37.499 --> 00:30:38.099 and I dropped him. 00:30:38.099 --> 00:30:40.229 He'd get on the, actually picked me up and threw me 00:30:40.229 --> 00:30:41.869 on his shoulder and then he went the whole way. 00:30:41.949 --> 00:30:42.019 Wow. 00:30:42.019 --> 00:30:45.489 Well, yeah, besides that with his injury, I made 00:30:45.489 --> 00:30:47.969 it all the way up the test week and in the test 00:30:47.969 --> 00:30:51.504 weeks, just a series of marches in areas like 00:30:51.534 --> 00:30:53.964 Elan Valley is probably the worst place on earth. 00:30:54.894 --> 00:30:55.404 We call them. 00:30:55.574 --> 00:30:56.154 In what way? 00:30:56.694 --> 00:30:58.214 Well, wet. 00:30:58.444 --> 00:30:58.764 Yeah. 00:30:58.764 --> 00:30:59.334 Everything's wet. 00:30:59.414 --> 00:30:59.584 Yeah. 00:30:59.764 --> 00:31:00.994 But they call them baby heads. 00:31:01.454 --> 00:31:01.774 Okay. 00:31:02.054 --> 00:31:04.404 So imagine a soccer ball that's growing 00:31:04.734 --> 00:31:05.604 in a grass ball. 00:31:05.794 --> 00:31:06.614 Right okay. 00:31:06.614 --> 00:31:06.814 Right. 00:31:06.924 --> 00:31:07.974 I've heard there's ?? Grass. 00:31:08.104 --> 00:31:09.294 Endless fields of this. 00:31:09.294 --> 00:31:09.654 Yeah, yeah. 00:31:09.714 --> 00:31:10.794 They're the ankle breakers. 00:31:11.314 --> 00:31:12.014 Baby heads. 00:31:12.044 --> 00:31:13.594 Baby heads you call them. 00:31:13.864 --> 00:31:16.434 And now those seem like you're navigating like 20 00:31:16.434 --> 00:31:18.884 K across this area right. 00:31:19.179 --> 00:31:20.739 In Elan Valley, it's called right and 00:31:20.739 --> 00:31:21.279 everything's wet. 00:31:21.279 --> 00:31:23.099 So every step, boots are soaked. 00:31:23.139 --> 00:31:23.489 Yeah, yeah. 00:31:23.709 --> 00:31:25.659 But if you're not sure on your step, 00:31:26.139 --> 00:31:28.319 you're stepping on the soccer balls of grass. 00:31:28.349 --> 00:31:29.359 And you're going to twist an ankle or. 00:31:29.359 --> 00:31:31.229 You've got 55 pounds, you've got 00:31:31.339 --> 00:31:32.649 the old SLR riffle. 00:31:32.699 --> 00:31:33.029 Yeah. 00:31:33.329 --> 00:31:35.459 And it's horrible right. 00:31:35.459 --> 00:31:36.449 So that's Elan Valley. 00:31:36.869 --> 00:31:39.219 I used to like ending the marches in the 00:31:39.219 --> 00:31:40.019 Brecon beacons. 00:31:40.139 --> 00:31:40.259 Okay. 00:31:40.479 --> 00:31:41.969 Because there wasn't a lot of baby heads. 00:31:42.569 --> 00:31:44.009 I love the Brecon beacons. 00:31:44.464 --> 00:31:45.864 There's a few other areas that they kind 00:31:45.864 --> 00:31:47.904 of go to, but it's basically, they just set 00:31:47.904 --> 00:31:48.924 you off in the trucks. 00:31:48.954 --> 00:31:52.734 You're doing 4k an hour and on test week, it's 00:31:52.734 --> 00:31:56.634 like, you might be, they start building up the 00:31:56.634 --> 00:31:59.094 weight and the kilometre distance every day. 00:31:59.154 --> 00:32:00.774 And it's like a seven day assessment. 00:32:00.804 --> 00:32:02.934 This is at the third, the fourth week now. 00:32:03.044 --> 00:32:03.144 Yeah. 00:32:03.144 --> 00:32:05.154 And it's just like, you wanna make 00:32:05.154 --> 00:32:06.054 four K an hour. 00:32:06.774 --> 00:32:08.904 You might, there'll be a checkpoint you gotta 00:32:08.904 --> 00:32:13.509 navigate to, and there'll be a couple of yes, 00:32:13.509 --> 00:32:14.619 directing stuff there. 00:32:14.679 --> 00:32:14.949 Yeah. 00:32:15.759 --> 00:32:17.439 You can't have any map, marks on your 00:32:17.439 --> 00:32:20.229 map and you'll just show up, get in line. 00:32:20.229 --> 00:32:21.759 Cause there'll be other guys there too. 00:32:21.939 --> 00:32:23.499 And you say, staff, this is where I am. 00:32:24.054 --> 00:32:25.164 Okay, you're going to this grid, they 00:32:25.164 --> 00:32:25.734 give you the grid. 00:32:25.734 --> 00:32:27.434 Show me where it is, okay, way you go and 00:32:27.434 --> 00:32:28.044 they take your name. 00:32:28.164 --> 00:32:28.494 Right. 00:32:28.624 --> 00:32:31.194 They could also, check your weight of your pack. 00:32:31.444 --> 00:32:32.064 Right, okay. 00:32:32.264 --> 00:32:32.714 And. 00:32:32.714 --> 00:32:34.474 Find it light you're out. 00:32:34.474 --> 00:32:34.944 If it's light? 00:32:34.944 --> 00:32:35.754 No, they give you a brick. 00:32:36.064 --> 00:32:36.404 Oh okay. 00:32:36.404 --> 00:32:37.674 Or a rock and you've got to carry it. 00:32:37.734 --> 00:32:38.844 And the problem with that, there's a few 00:32:38.844 --> 00:32:39.984 guys where they're kind of underweight 00:32:39.984 --> 00:32:40.944 and if you got this. 00:32:41.094 --> 00:32:41.334 Yeah. 00:32:42.474 --> 00:32:43.974 Physically, you don't really recover, 00:32:44.544 --> 00:32:45.414 if that happened. 00:32:45.414 --> 00:32:47.904 But yeah, those end, they also do kit check. 00:32:48.054 --> 00:32:50.904 So they'll give you a kit list and a lot of people, 00:32:51.729 --> 00:32:53.139 not a lot of people, there'll be a few people 00:32:53.139 --> 00:32:54.459 that didn't abide by it. 00:32:54.579 --> 00:32:54.729 Yeah. 00:32:54.729 --> 00:32:55.989 You'd want to call some stuff out 00:32:55.989 --> 00:32:56.679 for weight, right? 00:32:56.919 --> 00:32:58.539 Well, the weights the weight. 00:32:58.689 --> 00:33:01.149 So for example, if they say this is 55 pounds, 00:33:01.209 --> 00:33:03.849 then you pack 55 pounds, but they have a kit list. 00:33:03.849 --> 00:33:06.219 So it could be like a panel marker for 00:33:06.219 --> 00:33:09.129 helicopter or airplane marking, mess tins, water 00:33:09.129 --> 00:33:10.389 bottle, spoon, whatever. 00:33:10.419 --> 00:33:10.719 Right. 00:33:11.214 --> 00:33:12.774 And they'll ask us, show us your tarp, 00:33:12.774 --> 00:33:14.294 show us your first aid kit, show em that. 00:33:14.294 --> 00:33:15.984 But if you haven't got that, then 00:33:15.984 --> 00:33:16.464 you're flagged. 00:33:16.854 --> 00:33:17.334 Right. 00:33:17.364 --> 00:33:19.044 Cause they go, well, you can't abide 00:33:19.044 --> 00:33:20.264 by detail right. 00:33:20.264 --> 00:33:20.484 Right. 00:33:20.544 --> 00:33:21.324 That makes sense. 00:33:21.354 --> 00:33:21.624 Yeah. 00:33:21.834 --> 00:33:22.834 So that's not good. 00:33:22.834 --> 00:33:24.984 So that could happen at the checkpoints. 00:33:26.154 --> 00:33:27.374 Yeah and then you just basically, and 00:33:27.374 --> 00:33:30.714 so you know, the first day it might be 25 00:33:30.714 --> 00:33:31.944 kilometres you're going. 00:33:31.974 --> 00:33:36.324 Then the next day on test week or go on 30 and then 00:33:36.324 --> 00:33:37.644 so on and so on, so on. 00:33:37.644 --> 00:33:39.759 And then the final day, they kind of bring 00:33:39.759 --> 00:33:43.779 it back and you do, I think it's 25k we did. 00:33:44.449 --> 00:33:48.189 Got back to sunny bridge, you know, six o'clock, 00:33:48.189 --> 00:33:51.999 had dinner, packed up and then that night you 00:33:51.999 --> 00:33:54.559 start the 65 kilometre long drag they call it. 00:33:54.689 --> 00:33:55.199 Right. 00:33:55.589 --> 00:33:57.369 And I think the weights were like 65 00:33:57.369 --> 00:33:58.769 pounds plus rifle. 00:33:59.229 --> 00:34:00.070 It's the heaviest we had. 00:34:00.070 --> 00:34:00.979 That's significant. 00:34:00.999 --> 00:34:03.469 Yeah, couple hours sleep and I remember 00:34:03.489 --> 00:34:07.704 sitting down in, it was on this side of 00:34:07.874 --> 00:34:11.514 Brecon where we were in and it was storming. 00:34:12.024 --> 00:34:14.284 So it was raining, snowing, like not snow, 00:34:14.284 --> 00:34:16.554 it was snowing up in the beacons, but I 00:34:16.554 --> 00:34:17.934 remember looking out the truck and looking 00:34:17.934 --> 00:34:20.064 at all the seagulls hanging out here. 00:34:20.324 --> 00:34:23.384 So if the seagulls avoided sea in the 00:34:23.384 --> 00:34:26.564 middle of Whales, there's a storm on right. 00:34:26.594 --> 00:34:26.804 Right. 00:34:27.674 --> 00:34:30.644 So, and I remember the S were debating 00:34:30.644 --> 00:34:31.694 sending us up or not. 00:34:32.085 --> 00:34:32.534 Really? 00:34:32.864 --> 00:34:36.339 And then the course facilitator. 00:34:36.519 --> 00:34:36.849 Okay. 00:34:37.479 --> 00:34:38.830 And he was like, yep, they go. 00:34:39.429 --> 00:34:41.620 So off, we went and soaking wet. 00:34:41.679 --> 00:34:43.809 And as you started climbing up, it's 00:34:43.809 --> 00:34:45.999 going to sleet and then it's full on snow. 00:34:45.999 --> 00:34:47.409 So we're soaking wet, heading up 00:34:47.409 --> 00:34:49.599 into the hills. 00:34:49.689 --> 00:34:53.089 And I remember being on top of the fan petty 00:34:53.109 --> 00:34:55.539 fan and not being able to find my way down. 00:34:56.049 --> 00:34:56.469 Okay. 00:34:56.580 --> 00:34:59.960 I kept falling off the sides, it's stormin, 00:34:59.979 --> 00:35:02.359 I'm hanging on and I'm like, and I'd been 00:35:02.379 --> 00:35:05.029 up there probably so many times training. 00:35:05.139 --> 00:35:05.439 Right. 00:35:05.500 --> 00:35:07.240 I couldn't find my, finally found my way 00:35:07.240 --> 00:35:08.469 off the fan and down. 00:35:08.589 --> 00:35:10.519 And it started to get at first light and I was 00:35:10.540 --> 00:35:14.290 so cold and checked in and then they get the 00:35:14.290 --> 00:35:16.569 new grid and I look in the back of the four 00:35:16.569 --> 00:35:18.879 toner and it's full of guys that have pulled 00:35:18.879 --> 00:35:19.939 themselves off right. 00:35:19.939 --> 00:35:20.499 Right. 00:35:20.499 --> 00:35:21.359 Off I go. 00:35:22.119 --> 00:35:23.410 How's that feel when you see that? 00:35:23.964 --> 00:35:25.495 You know, I had a rough night up there though. 00:35:25.495 --> 00:35:27.335 Like I ended up not knowing it, but I 00:35:27.844 --> 00:35:28.904 cracked my ankle. 00:35:29.115 --> 00:35:29.415 Right. 00:35:29.804 --> 00:35:31.875 I had some bad falls going up there, but I 00:35:31.875 --> 00:35:32.594 was just nursing it. 00:35:32.594 --> 00:35:33.705 I'm like, let's just keep going. 00:35:34.455 --> 00:35:37.724 And then as I went to my next checkpoint, I came 00:35:37.724 --> 00:35:41.144 across and I think he was an RAF regiment guy. 00:35:41.174 --> 00:35:42.644 And the RAF regiment guy who was hypothermic. 00:35:43.785 --> 00:35:45.524 We're told that you don't abandon people. 00:35:45.915 --> 00:35:46.274 Right. 00:35:46.365 --> 00:35:46.694 Right. 00:35:46.724 --> 00:35:50.144 So I get there and they're just huddling 00:35:50.295 --> 00:35:52.950 and I'm like, let's get your half shelter 00:35:52.959 --> 00:35:54.969 or your ponchos and let's make shelter. 00:35:55.269 --> 00:35:56.799 Get this guy wrapped up in a sleeping bag. 00:35:56.799 --> 00:35:58.429 And then we have our emergency 00:35:58.450 --> 00:36:00.669 beacons, like our GPS beacons we activate. 00:36:00.729 --> 00:36:01.029 Right. 00:36:01.120 --> 00:36:03.519 They track us interesting for me, mine wasn't 00:36:03.519 --> 00:36:04.389 working that night. 00:36:05.019 --> 00:36:08.139 So when I came into the checkpoint, the 00:36:08.139 --> 00:36:10.865 course facilitator, like Budd, your 00:36:10.865 --> 00:36:11.625 Beacon's not working. 00:36:11.625 --> 00:36:12.295 They had no clue. 00:36:12.314 --> 00:36:13.844 So if I fell off the fan, they wouldn't have 00:36:13.844 --> 00:36:17.955 known they'd find me down in the bottom right. 00:36:17.984 --> 00:36:19.724 So they gave me a new one, so we activated 00:36:19.724 --> 00:36:22.215 it and then I'm like, okay guys, I'm off, I'm 00:36:22.215 --> 00:36:22.844 going to keep going. 00:36:22.844 --> 00:36:24.524 And I remember the look of one of the 00:36:24.524 --> 00:36:28.245 guys that was there like, don't leave me. 00:36:28.295 --> 00:36:33.125 And I'm like, okay, I'm going to stay 00:36:33.215 --> 00:36:33.995 and I'm like, okay. 00:36:34.234 --> 00:36:37.164 You know, and it took the directing staff 00:36:37.164 --> 00:36:38.544 with the Land Rover, they got up to us 00:36:38.544 --> 00:36:39.534 maybe an hour later. 00:36:40.404 --> 00:36:42.325 This time you're cold, starting to get 00:36:42.325 --> 00:36:46.464 hypothermic yourself, body shutting down 00:36:47.094 --> 00:36:48.804 and the DS go okay, you're all done. 00:36:49.374 --> 00:36:50.664 And I'm like, no, I'm going staff. 00:36:51.115 --> 00:36:53.304 So they radioed down to the course facilitator, 00:36:53.964 --> 00:36:55.944 came back up and they're like, great, 00:36:56.424 --> 00:36:58.404 but if you do this, you do this on your own. 00:36:58.795 --> 00:37:00.295 We're signing off, like this is your 00:37:00.295 --> 00:37:01.154 risk, you accept it. 00:37:01.344 --> 00:37:01.615 Yeah. 00:37:01.734 --> 00:37:02.335 Like I got it. 00:37:03.205 --> 00:37:05.184 Off I go and I had about, I went, no, 00:37:05.184 --> 00:37:06.455 I went another 15k. 00:37:06.474 --> 00:37:11.054 So I'm probably about 40, 35, 40K into my 65 00:37:11.054 --> 00:37:15.585 and I was just like, that, sitting for that 00:37:15.585 --> 00:37:16.844 hour and a half was just. 00:37:17.134 --> 00:37:18.215 Just zapped ya. 00:37:18.345 --> 00:37:19.015 Yeah just zapped. 00:37:19.545 --> 00:37:19.785 Yeah. 00:37:20.175 --> 00:37:22.154 And then I got there and I said, I can't go on. 00:37:22.154 --> 00:37:25.269 So I had a yeah, it took me a few months to 00:37:25.269 --> 00:37:28.059 recover from that cracked ankle and everything, 00:37:28.240 --> 00:37:29.679 because my goal was just, now I knew I was 00:37:29.679 --> 00:37:32.019 really injured ,or just complete the march. 00:37:32.049 --> 00:37:32.379 Right. 00:37:32.649 --> 00:37:35.229 And then hopefully they would have kept me and 00:37:36.500 --> 00:37:39.189 get better and then go on to the jungle phase so. 00:37:39.479 --> 00:37:42.359 Well, they do selection twice a year, right? 00:37:42.569 --> 00:37:42.999 Correct yeah. 00:37:43.149 --> 00:37:43.389 Okay. 00:37:43.439 --> 00:37:45.269 So summer selection, winter selection? 00:37:45.829 --> 00:37:46.429 Yeah. 00:37:46.490 --> 00:37:48.960 And you took it upon yourself to say, you 00:37:48.960 --> 00:37:50.939 know what, I'd rather do this in the winter time? 00:37:51.179 --> 00:37:55.374 You know, So you're right Trav, it just kind of 00:37:55.374 --> 00:37:56.245 worked on a timeline. 00:37:56.304 --> 00:37:56.665 Okay. 00:37:56.814 --> 00:37:58.825 And it was just like, I was coming to the 00:37:58.825 --> 00:38:01.524 end of my two years as an instructor. 00:38:01.524 --> 00:38:03.205 And I'm like, this is the time to go. 00:38:03.764 --> 00:38:06.115 And leading up to that though, like 00:38:06.115 --> 00:38:07.464 I had trained for a year for it. 00:38:07.825 --> 00:38:08.124 Right. 00:38:08.434 --> 00:38:08.694 Right. 00:38:08.724 --> 00:38:12.325 So I, as an instructor had, was alotted a lot 00:38:12.325 --> 00:38:15.414 of time to train and then also being for six months 00:38:15.414 --> 00:38:18.714 attached, as one, as the training team for this 00:38:18.714 --> 00:38:21.744 all arms, I was really like, I was peeking 00:38:21.744 --> 00:38:22.464 at where I should be. 00:38:22.644 --> 00:38:22.915 Right. 00:38:22.915 --> 00:38:24.894 Skills, fitness, and everything had just, 00:38:25.714 --> 00:38:26.634 this was the time. 00:38:26.724 --> 00:38:26.964 Yeah. 00:38:28.224 --> 00:38:29.035 I come back. 00:38:29.960 --> 00:38:33.410 Heal up, finished my time at ITC Catterick 00:38:33.429 --> 00:38:35.229 and then I go to my battalion and it was 00:38:35.229 --> 00:38:38.080 a time we were doing work up to go to Iraq. 00:38:38.189 --> 00:38:38.499 Right. 00:38:38.599 --> 00:38:44.179 So we had a big exercise in Suffield and then, 00:38:44.460 --> 00:38:46.179 off we went to Iraq. 00:38:46.359 --> 00:38:46.660 Right. 00:38:46.889 --> 00:38:50.889 And then I was up in LMR with Bravo company 00:38:50.889 --> 00:38:51.529 and the Highlanders. 00:38:51.580 --> 00:38:51.849 Right. 00:38:52.359 --> 00:38:54.309 About halfway through the tour I ended up 00:38:55.309 --> 00:38:57.804 doing a pre-chorus for my senior brecon. 00:38:58.094 --> 00:38:58.295 Right. 00:38:58.295 --> 00:38:59.245 Between sergeant's course. 00:38:59.694 --> 00:39:01.165 They were all Highland fusion leaders who were 00:39:01.165 --> 00:39:04.464 based in Cyprus, ran it because they weren't 00:39:04.884 --> 00:39:05.964 employed there in Cyprus. 00:39:05.964 --> 00:39:09.234 So a Highlander boat, maybe eight or 00:39:09.234 --> 00:39:12.375 10 of us left Iraq to go to Cypress to 00:39:12.375 --> 00:39:13.555 do our pre-course. 00:39:13.555 --> 00:39:13.684 Right. 00:39:13.705 --> 00:39:15.484 So for us to go on these career courses, 00:39:15.484 --> 00:39:17.545 it's a competition, so there might be three 00:39:17.545 --> 00:39:19.990 section managers to goin to Brecon and 00:39:19.990 --> 00:39:22.370 there might be three spots for senior Brecon. 00:39:22.370 --> 00:39:23.769 So it's a competition, the whole way is 00:39:23.779 --> 00:39:24.609 very competitive. 00:39:24.700 --> 00:39:25.059 Right. 00:39:25.389 --> 00:39:27.849 Did my two weeks pre-course to get 00:39:27.849 --> 00:39:29.589 selected and then ended up going down 00:39:29.589 --> 00:39:31.240 to Whales again. 00:39:31.319 --> 00:39:31.429 Right. 00:39:31.450 --> 00:39:33.049 I got to know Brecken really well. 00:39:33.089 --> 00:39:33.399 Yeah. 00:39:33.799 --> 00:39:39.130 2007, I decided to give selection another go. 00:39:39.250 --> 00:39:39.580 Right. 00:39:39.910 --> 00:39:40.990 The problem this time, I didn't have 00:39:40.990 --> 00:39:42.069 enough time to train. 00:39:42.189 --> 00:39:42.609 Okay. 00:39:42.790 --> 00:39:44.359 Because you know, being a platoon Sergeant in 00:39:44.359 --> 00:39:47.679 the battalion, it didn't help either like I 00:39:47.679 --> 00:39:49.179 was a single Sergeant. 00:39:49.240 --> 00:39:51.490 So being a single Sergeant, you got a lot 00:39:51.490 --> 00:39:52.660 of tasks and deployments. 00:39:52.920 --> 00:39:53.129 Okay. 00:39:53.769 --> 00:39:55.460 I remember being told, Hey Sergeant Budd, 00:39:55.460 --> 00:39:56.920 we're doing you a favour, we're sending 00:39:56.920 --> 00:39:57.729 you back to Canada. 00:39:57.729 --> 00:40:00.819 I'm like great recruiting NCO in Vancouver? 00:40:00.819 --> 00:40:02.950 They're like no range safety in Suffield. 00:40:03.700 --> 00:40:05.844 Just you know, rent a car, go home on the 00:40:05.844 --> 00:40:08.665 weekend and I'm like, you know, it's like a 16 00:40:08.665 --> 00:40:10.304 hour drive from Sufield. 00:40:10.304 --> 00:40:12.354 Like it's quicker to fly from Heathrow 00:40:12.354 --> 00:40:13.194 to Vancouver. 00:40:13.615 --> 00:40:14.335 No kidding. 00:40:14.665 --> 00:40:17.934 So I did, I think we did three months of range 00:40:17.934 --> 00:40:20.464 safety with the green jackets battle group. 00:40:20.814 --> 00:40:20.904 Okay. 00:40:20.904 --> 00:40:22.404 They're going to rock so that doesn't help 00:40:22.944 --> 00:40:24.384 getting range safety for my training. 00:40:24.384 --> 00:40:27.609 So that was like, September 00:40:27.609 --> 00:40:28.540 October, November. 00:40:28.599 --> 00:40:28.870 Yeah. 00:40:29.049 --> 00:40:31.689 So I basically had December to train and 00:40:31.689 --> 00:40:33.189 then I went back on selection January. 00:40:33.189 --> 00:40:34.839 Cause I'm just like, I'm doing it, I got to do it. 00:40:35.589 --> 00:40:38.109 It was kind of a double edge because I 00:40:38.109 --> 00:40:39.219 knew what to expect. 00:40:39.279 --> 00:40:39.639 Right. 00:40:40.450 --> 00:40:42.069 So I'm like, I don't need to train as much. 00:40:42.250 --> 00:40:43.750 I say, you know what to expect, like on 00:40:43.750 --> 00:40:47.160 Gilbert Gut Buster, I never left this Gerka. 00:40:47.990 --> 00:40:48.279 Right. 00:40:48.380 --> 00:40:51.399 This Gerka and I were partners, like I was like 00:40:51.399 --> 00:40:52.299 a bungee cord on him. 00:40:52.719 --> 00:40:55.149 So when it came to fireman carry, he 00:40:55.149 --> 00:40:57.580 was just like this little, little guy. 00:40:57.670 --> 00:40:58.059 That helps. 00:40:58.120 --> 00:40:59.479 A little Sherpa right. 00:40:59.540 --> 00:41:00.790 You need to carry me, no problem. 00:41:00.790 --> 00:41:02.380 So if people don't know who their Gerka's are, 00:41:02.380 --> 00:41:06.120 they're our elements of our British army that 00:41:06.120 --> 00:41:07.200 we recruit from Nepal. 00:41:07.769 --> 00:41:10.769 And that tradition, the gerka tradition is 00:41:10.769 --> 00:41:12.750 maintained in the British army and the Indian army. 00:41:12.779 --> 00:41:15.140 So yeah, I mean the average height's 00:41:15.140 --> 00:41:16.540 probably 5'1", 5'2". 00:41:16.750 --> 00:41:17.410 Perfect. 00:41:17.410 --> 00:41:18.439 It was perfect yeah. 00:41:18.910 --> 00:41:20.059 That element's good to know. 00:41:20.219 --> 00:41:20.519 Yeah, yeah. 00:41:20.580 --> 00:41:22.450 But I mean, the rest of it didn't do me 00:41:22.769 --> 00:41:26.109 many favours and I, because I didn't have 00:41:26.109 --> 00:41:26.910 the time to train. 00:41:26.910 --> 00:41:27.160 Right. 00:41:27.160 --> 00:41:29.259 For the first two weeks, I was really struggling 00:41:29.410 --> 00:41:30.370 making the times. 00:41:30.790 --> 00:41:33.684 Yeah, I didn't have the same mindset 00:41:33.684 --> 00:41:34.615 this time around. 00:41:34.854 --> 00:41:36.654 On week two at the end of it, they call it 00:41:36.654 --> 00:41:37.734 that the fan dance. 00:41:37.774 --> 00:41:37.965 Okay. 00:41:38.064 --> 00:41:40.014 You go up penny fan down their own road back. 00:41:40.165 --> 00:41:40.375 Yeah. 00:41:40.884 --> 00:41:42.234 For us, it's pass or fail. 00:41:42.234 --> 00:41:44.755 And then we go on to the third week and 00:41:44.755 --> 00:41:46.375 there was a new element started in the British 00:41:46.375 --> 00:41:49.064 army called the special reconnaissance regiment. 00:41:49.274 --> 00:41:49.444 Okay. 00:41:49.444 --> 00:41:51.564 And it was fitting under the SF tier. 00:41:52.045 --> 00:41:55.464 And they're a part of the hills for 00:41:55.464 --> 00:41:56.214 the first two weeks. 00:41:56.214 --> 00:41:56.404 Okay. 00:41:56.404 --> 00:41:58.254 And their pass or fail's fan dance. 00:41:58.254 --> 00:42:00.115 And then they go to their infantry camp and 00:42:00.115 --> 00:42:02.804 there was a guy I was on the back of the four 00:42:02.804 --> 00:42:04.644 toner are driving out to the story arms, just 00:42:04.644 --> 00:42:06.115 start our fan dance. 00:42:06.654 --> 00:42:07.944 And he was on my first selection. 00:42:08.424 --> 00:42:12.535 And then he was on selection for special 00:42:12.535 --> 00:42:13.234 reconnaissance regiment. 00:42:13.524 --> 00:42:15.944 And I'm sitting there, Oh man, I made 00:42:15.944 --> 00:42:16.644 the wrong mistake. 00:42:17.984 --> 00:42:19.964 But you know, all my SAS buddies that I did 00:42:19.964 --> 00:42:22.974 have were like, yeah don't, don't, don't 00:42:22.974 --> 00:42:25.165 join this special reconnaissance regiment. 00:42:25.295 --> 00:42:27.804 And I'm like, yeah, SAS or nothing right. 00:42:27.804 --> 00:42:28.635 Right, right, right. 00:42:28.635 --> 00:42:29.964 So I'm sitting there going, man, 00:42:29.964 --> 00:42:30.684 I made a mistake. 00:42:33.264 --> 00:42:34.075 But it is what it is. 00:42:34.854 --> 00:42:36.085 Everything happens for a reason. 00:42:36.085 --> 00:42:40.234 It does I mean, I got to test week again, but 00:42:40.255 --> 00:42:44.455 on day three and four, my achilles swelled up 00:42:44.934 --> 00:42:46.865 like a golf ball and then I got medically RTU'd 00:42:46.884 --> 00:42:47.875 again and that was that. 00:42:48.075 --> 00:42:48.455 Right. 00:42:48.939 --> 00:42:51.789 So, yeah, like that was January. 00:42:51.789 --> 00:42:54.999 So another glutton for punishment, I 00:42:55.450 --> 00:42:57.589 went back and did a summer selection. 00:42:57.589 --> 00:42:57.879 Okay. 00:42:57.939 --> 00:42:59.139 Like he came off on the hill, was 00:42:59.139 --> 00:42:59.859 my first one, too. 00:42:59.859 --> 00:43:02.290 He had a groin injury and he didn't make it, 00:43:02.639 --> 00:43:04.809 second one blew the summer away no problem. 00:43:04.870 --> 00:43:05.109 Yeah. 00:43:05.439 --> 00:43:07.419 And he just cruised through it. 00:43:07.660 --> 00:43:08.019 Really? 00:43:08.019 --> 00:43:09.309 And even said summer, summer, summer. 00:43:09.309 --> 00:43:10.179 But it was that timeline. 00:43:10.179 --> 00:43:11.389 I'm like, ah, I gotta do it now. 00:43:11.519 --> 00:43:11.979 Oh man. 00:43:12.160 --> 00:43:12.349 Right. 00:43:12.429 --> 00:43:14.620 Because you know, back in my head Trav, I was 00:43:14.620 --> 00:43:16.420 actually getting ready to leave the army I thought. 00:43:16.549 --> 00:43:16.849 Right. 00:43:16.849 --> 00:43:17.919 I was just ticking boxes. 00:43:18.189 --> 00:43:18.460 Right. 00:43:18.490 --> 00:43:20.740 Like seniors, I didn't plan to do seniors. 00:43:20.740 --> 00:43:22.029 I planned like junior Breckon, 00:43:22.379 --> 00:43:23.889 SAS, back to Canada. 00:43:24.040 --> 00:43:24.120 Yeah. 00:43:24.120 --> 00:43:24.879 It didn't work out. 00:43:24.879 --> 00:43:27.859 And then seniors came up and then, surprisingly 00:43:27.879 --> 00:43:29.889 enough, that was January. 00:43:30.910 --> 00:43:32.889 You know, that took up to February, I'm 00:43:32.889 --> 00:43:35.709 getting ready to, I was kind of in limbo. 00:43:35.709 --> 00:43:39.279 I couldn't really decide if our is 00:43:39.339 --> 00:43:40.159 staying or going. 00:43:40.159 --> 00:43:42.219 Cause I actually did really well, all in 00:43:42.219 --> 00:43:44.559 all, I think I made platoon Sergeant in 00:43:44.559 --> 00:43:45.459 six and a half years. 00:43:45.939 --> 00:43:46.849 That's pretty fast. 00:43:46.849 --> 00:43:47.599 It's pretty fast. 00:43:47.619 --> 00:43:49.509 Even like in the British army, that's 00:43:49.509 --> 00:43:50.479 like eight to 12 years. 00:43:50.499 --> 00:43:52.059 It kinda, I mean, I came in with a 00:43:52.059 --> 00:43:52.959 lot of experience. 00:43:53.079 --> 00:43:57.084 And in that time you know, I went to Kosovo, 00:43:57.084 --> 00:43:57.854 I went to Bosnia. 00:43:57.854 --> 00:44:00.564 I did, I only did a couple of weeks in 00:44:00.564 --> 00:44:01.344 Northern Ireland. 00:44:01.434 --> 00:44:03.084 I didn't go there long enough to get my medal. 00:44:03.684 --> 00:44:04.615 Well, that was one of the reasons why I 00:44:04.615 --> 00:44:07.044 did join my Northern Ireland medal, but 00:44:07.044 --> 00:44:09.075 yeah, it didn't happen. 00:44:09.575 --> 00:44:11.664 But you know, it did junior Brecon and 00:44:11.664 --> 00:44:15.504 then for us, like the part of your career 00:44:15.504 --> 00:44:17.754 development, you go to the depot to teach. 00:44:17.814 --> 00:44:20.744 And I had that exposure in Catterick and I 00:44:20.744 --> 00:44:22.865 actually did really well in Catterick. 00:44:22.884 --> 00:44:26.274 And you get graded and the highest grade 00:44:26.274 --> 00:44:27.904 you get is like, OI1. 00:44:27.904 --> 00:44:27.994 Okay. 00:44:28.414 --> 00:44:29.904 That's a highest, so that's like, they call 00:44:29.904 --> 00:44:30.774 it outstanding one. 00:44:30.984 --> 00:44:31.194 Okay. 00:44:31.224 --> 00:44:33.144 So that actually got me on my commanding 00:44:33.144 --> 00:44:34.044 officer's radar. 00:44:34.075 --> 00:44:36.205 He didn't realize that I was just another 00:44:36.205 --> 00:44:36.754 section manager. 00:44:36.754 --> 00:44:38.585 So that gets flagged OI1. 00:44:39.204 --> 00:44:40.794 I was a senior section manager when 00:44:40.794 --> 00:44:41.874 we deployed to Iraq. 00:44:41.964 --> 00:44:42.264 Right. 00:44:42.624 --> 00:44:44.544 We were an armored infantry battalion 00:44:44.544 --> 00:44:45.624 at this point because we were stationed 00:44:45.624 --> 00:44:46.284 in Germany now. 00:44:46.434 --> 00:44:46.674 Yeah. 00:44:46.854 --> 00:44:48.974 And we were in warriors and I hated warriors. 00:44:49.124 --> 00:44:49.404 Okay. 00:44:49.434 --> 00:44:50.724 Because everything I've done is rifle 00:44:50.724 --> 00:44:52.054 company prior to this or dismount. 00:44:52.255 --> 00:44:52.495 Right. 00:44:53.205 --> 00:44:54.325 Or light roll. 00:44:54.615 --> 00:44:54.904 Okay. 00:44:55.694 --> 00:44:58.334 So I facilitated, never being trained 00:44:58.334 --> 00:45:01.094 on the warrior, commander, commander. 00:45:01.604 --> 00:45:04.115 So that always defaulted me to dismount. 00:45:04.495 --> 00:45:04.604 Okay. 00:45:04.745 --> 00:45:07.314 That always made me, like I had some other 00:45:07.314 --> 00:45:11.575 roles, like I would be the, like the smaller 00:45:11.575 --> 00:45:13.194 arms coordinator for the company. 00:45:13.194 --> 00:45:15.045 So if there's any ranges need to be run. 00:45:15.264 --> 00:45:15.474 Right. 00:45:15.804 --> 00:45:18.564 Like we went three qualifying all the 00:45:18.564 --> 00:45:20.934 drivers who commanders and gunners with 00:45:21.174 --> 00:45:21.684 their handgun. 00:45:21.814 --> 00:45:21.995 Right. 00:45:21.995 --> 00:45:23.424 We were using Browning's at the time. 00:45:23.724 --> 00:45:26.154 So I coordinated all that training, so I was 00:45:26.154 --> 00:45:28.825 kind of like the small arms subject matter 00:45:28.825 --> 00:45:29.785 expert for the company. 00:45:29.875 --> 00:45:30.144 Right. 00:45:30.295 --> 00:45:32.394 So, and then for the platoon like I was the 00:45:32.394 --> 00:45:34.854 senior section manager, so I got another, 00:45:34.854 --> 00:45:38.785 OI1 assessment done, what do they call it? 00:45:38.785 --> 00:45:40.045 Your confidential report for the year. 00:45:40.104 --> 00:45:40.404 Okay. 00:45:40.434 --> 00:45:42.354 So that gets you kind of flagged really 00:45:42.354 --> 00:45:43.214 well at seniors. 00:45:43.214 --> 00:45:47.665 And what happens is, is that you sit the board. 00:45:48.009 --> 00:45:49.870 So how I can explain the board when you get 00:45:49.870 --> 00:45:51.189 promoted, there's a bunch of like Brigadier 00:45:51.189 --> 00:45:52.959 generals sit in around a castle and sit around, 00:45:52.959 --> 00:45:54.069 they actually grade you. 00:45:54.279 --> 00:45:54.549 Okay. 00:45:54.790 --> 00:45:58.479 So normally you need four years in rank and 00:45:58.479 --> 00:45:59.349 that career course. 00:45:59.799 --> 00:46:02.229 So, cause I had 2 OI1's and I'd only been a 00:46:02.259 --> 00:46:04.599 section commander for three years, but those 00:46:04.599 --> 00:46:08.139 2 OI1's allowed me to st the board early. 00:46:08.649 --> 00:46:09.490 Ah, okay. 00:46:09.509 --> 00:46:11.469 So that's how I got fast tracked through 00:46:11.469 --> 00:46:13.059 the system because I sat the board early 00:46:13.059 --> 00:46:14.439 and got promoted to platoon Sergeant. 00:46:15.370 --> 00:46:18.340 So, and then went off to selection, injured 00:46:18.340 --> 00:46:19.269 again on the hills. 00:46:19.929 --> 00:46:21.819 And then the RSM and I are trying to figure out 00:46:21.849 --> 00:46:22.620 where's my career path. 00:46:22.620 --> 00:46:24.040 Cause I'm like, well, maybe I'm done, I've 00:46:24.269 --> 00:46:25.149 ticked all my boxes. 00:46:25.149 --> 00:46:25.809 I'm done everything. 00:46:26.620 --> 00:46:30.160 And then he's like, well I need a training 00:46:30.160 --> 00:46:33.519 NCO to go to Africa, I can't even remember. 00:46:34.300 --> 00:46:36.069 And then at this time I thought 00:46:36.069 --> 00:46:38.189 about Pathfinders. 00:46:38.189 --> 00:46:38.410 Okay. 00:46:39.174 --> 00:46:42.874 In 16 aerosol was now kind of like it's growin 00:46:43.224 --> 00:46:44.844 to a larger, it used to be like a platoon 00:46:44.844 --> 00:46:46.434 and it's actually now tri-service and they 00:46:46.434 --> 00:46:48.004 actually have their tri-service selection. 00:46:48.044 --> 00:46:48.304 Okay. 00:46:48.594 --> 00:46:51.054 Similar to the hills, but they do 3K an hour 00:46:51.054 --> 00:46:53.035 versus four, and then they do their own camp. 00:46:53.214 --> 00:46:53.724 Okay. 00:46:53.814 --> 00:46:55.434 And then I believe that company commander 00:46:55.434 --> 00:46:56.634 was from two squats. 00:46:56.874 --> 00:46:58.324 Well, Scott, so I knew him from Catterick. 00:46:58.434 --> 00:47:00.764 So it was open tri-service. 00:47:01.689 --> 00:47:03.279 And then one of the options as well, I 00:47:03.359 --> 00:47:05.109 had been assigned to the sniper platoon. 00:47:05.200 --> 00:47:05.519 Right. 00:47:05.830 --> 00:47:07.120 In the Highlanders because we had a 00:47:07.179 --> 00:47:07.929 sniper platoon. 00:47:07.929 --> 00:47:09.429 And prior to that, I was always trained 00:47:09.429 --> 00:47:10.000 to sharpshooter. 00:47:10.899 --> 00:47:13.000 What the RSMs like, okay well, here's kind 00:47:13.000 --> 00:47:15.969 of the career path that I'm thinking is like, go 00:47:15.969 --> 00:47:18.099 to Africa for a month, I need you to go here. 00:47:18.490 --> 00:47:21.759 Then you go down and do your sniper platoon or 00:47:21.759 --> 00:47:23.830 your sniper course so that you can take over 00:47:23.830 --> 00:47:25.479 as a platoon Sergeant for the snipers. 00:47:26.184 --> 00:47:27.745 Because the sniper platoon in the 00:47:27.745 --> 00:47:29.904 Highlanders, it's the only platoon where 00:47:29.904 --> 00:47:31.495 the platoon commander is a color Sergeant. 00:47:31.854 --> 00:47:32.335 Okay. 00:47:32.455 --> 00:47:34.344 So that's a ranked staff Sergeant where 00:47:34.734 --> 00:47:36.115 the rest of the platoon is you always have 00:47:36.115 --> 00:47:36.865 a platoon commander. 00:47:36.894 --> 00:47:37.165 Right. 00:47:38.004 --> 00:47:39.474 So the platoon Sergeant would be 00:47:39.474 --> 00:47:40.224 the platoon Sergeant. 00:47:40.254 --> 00:47:41.964 And then the, a platoon commander 00:47:41.964 --> 00:47:42.714 is a color Sergeant. 00:47:42.714 --> 00:47:44.995 So I would have taken over as platoon Sergeant. 00:47:45.294 --> 00:47:46.615 And then he goes, I know you're going to 00:47:46.615 --> 00:47:49.540 train on the weekends and then you roll into 00:47:49.540 --> 00:47:50.799 your PF selection. 00:47:51.519 --> 00:47:52.839 I'm like, great, good plan. 00:47:53.290 --> 00:47:56.639 I leave and on the way out the battalion 00:47:56.719 --> 00:47:58.599 ??? like Sergeant Budd, happy where you're going? 00:47:58.599 --> 00:47:59.899 I'm like, yeah, I'm going to Africa Sir. 00:47:59.899 --> 00:48:01.250 He goes, no, you're going to Afghan. 00:48:01.990 --> 00:48:03.160 I'm like, I'm going to Afghan? 00:48:03.580 --> 00:48:05.349 And he goes, yeah, you're shipping out 00:48:05.349 --> 00:48:09.299 here in about seven to 10 days and usually. 00:48:09.309 --> 00:48:09.370 Yeah. 00:48:09.370 --> 00:48:10.069 There's a build up. 00:48:10.169 --> 00:48:12.149 Like count that six months to a year. 00:48:12.209 --> 00:48:12.479 Right. 00:48:12.509 --> 00:48:13.859 Britain's usually about three months. 00:48:14.849 --> 00:48:15.790 He's like, yeah, you're out of here. 00:48:15.790 --> 00:48:18.639 Well, and he goes, sir, we need to 00:48:18.639 --> 00:48:19.269 talk about this. 00:48:19.269 --> 00:48:22.210 So I go and have my meeting is like they 00:48:22.429 --> 00:48:24.460 Greneder guards are taking the omelet, 00:48:25.029 --> 00:48:26.589 which is the training advisors role. 00:48:27.129 --> 00:48:29.620 And there's a company of leftover privates 00:48:30.129 --> 00:48:34.819 that don't have any hierarchy or head shed. 00:48:34.819 --> 00:48:35.309 Right. 00:48:36.160 --> 00:48:41.304 So he's said they need a platoon Sergeant and I'm 00:48:41.304 --> 00:48:43.764 sending you and another Highlander, corporal 00:48:43.794 --> 00:48:45.684 section commander to go with his element. 00:48:46.884 --> 00:48:49.374 So what happened was the brigade commander 00:48:49.374 --> 00:48:51.474 realized that he had this rifle platoon that 00:48:51.474 --> 00:48:55.085 was being coordinated to guard camps. 00:48:55.085 --> 00:48:55.174 Right. 00:48:55.174 --> 00:48:56.844 That's what we thought this was, the staffing 00:48:56.844 --> 00:48:57.354 was going to be. 00:48:57.504 --> 00:48:57.644 Right. 00:48:57.644 --> 00:48:59.484 And it ended up was, I guess this is going to be 00:48:59.484 --> 00:49:00.474 a brigade strike company. 00:49:01.134 --> 00:49:01.644 Oh wow. 00:49:01.704 --> 00:49:04.224 So they ended up facilitating a lot of 00:49:04.224 --> 00:49:06.505 the command element from across the different 00:49:06.505 --> 00:49:08.904 infantry regiments, the staff up as 00:49:08.965 --> 00:49:12.045 this strike company. 00:49:12.595 --> 00:49:14.995 So they actually were building up, but what 00:49:14.995 --> 00:49:17.755 they needed was a continuity NCO to go out. 00:49:18.054 --> 00:49:18.354 Right. 00:49:18.444 --> 00:49:19.764 And get familiar. 00:49:20.424 --> 00:49:21.865 With the area we're going and all that. 00:49:21.894 --> 00:49:24.354 So I was planning on leaving and coming back 00:49:24.354 --> 00:49:25.825 to Canada, I'm like, I go to my dad, I got 00:49:25.825 --> 00:49:27.625 one more tour dad, got to go to Afghan. 00:49:28.285 --> 00:49:29.995 And I thought that'd be enough, cause prior 00:49:29.995 --> 00:49:31.254 to that, you know, done Northern Ireland, 00:49:31.254 --> 00:49:34.154 Coatesville, Bosnia, Iraq, and now Afghan. 00:49:34.264 --> 00:49:34.444 Right. 00:49:34.444 --> 00:49:35.564 In a short period of time. 00:49:35.854 --> 00:49:36.125 Yeah. 00:49:36.125 --> 00:49:36.745 Very short. 00:49:37.044 --> 00:49:39.535 So I'm like, all right, let's go. 00:49:41.254 --> 00:49:44.104 And I ended up getting attached to a four five 00:49:44.104 --> 00:49:46.705 commando through the company down in Garmasir. 00:49:47.064 --> 00:49:47.444 Okay. 00:49:47.764 --> 00:49:50.694 And Garmasir's the furthest South of 00:49:50.694 --> 00:49:52.674 any British element and its site. 00:49:53.244 --> 00:49:56.004 30 miles from the Pakistan border and 00:49:56.004 --> 00:49:58.615 it was a gateway for the Taliban coming 00:49:58.624 --> 00:50:00.194 across from Pakistan. 00:50:00.354 --> 00:50:00.624 Right. 00:50:00.684 --> 00:50:03.954 And then they co-locate in this area take on 00:50:04.564 --> 00:50:06.144 this company, British company and then 00:50:06.144 --> 00:50:07.014 bypass and go out. 00:50:07.014 --> 00:50:09.535 So it's kind of like a training depot for them. 00:50:09.984 --> 00:50:12.174 And the British in this area couldn't go 00:50:12.174 --> 00:50:14.964 any further because he needed that golden hour 00:50:15.354 --> 00:50:17.184 to fly back to camp bastion of your injured. 00:50:17.184 --> 00:50:18.264 So there was kind of like the Brits 00:50:18.264 --> 00:50:19.014 were dug in here. 00:50:19.705 --> 00:50:22.024 And it was interesting, they were on,there's 00:50:22.045 --> 00:50:24.835 this hill called J-tack hill that the British had 00:50:24.835 --> 00:50:29.125 occupied and made in the 1800's, 1850, or I'd have 00:50:29.125 --> 00:50:30.515 to look at the dates when they were there again. 00:50:30.535 --> 00:50:32.575 And here we are again on top of that with 00:50:32.575 --> 00:50:34.434 a union flag, British union flag on top of 00:50:34.434 --> 00:50:36.545 that, on the same mound. 00:50:37.135 --> 00:50:37.515 Wow. 00:50:37.975 --> 00:50:40.224 But yeah, that ended up being about a seven 00:50:40.224 --> 00:50:41.154 and a half month tour. 00:50:41.365 --> 00:50:42.865 So I was attached to the Royal Marines 00:50:42.865 --> 00:50:43.974 for about four weeks. 00:50:44.469 --> 00:50:45.759 One of the tasks was we had the new 00:50:45.759 --> 00:50:48.670 33H type rifle, learned that rifle. 00:50:48.670 --> 00:50:49.990 Like it wasn't even in the UK, it was 00:50:50.019 --> 00:50:51.249 literally elsewhere. 00:50:52.059 --> 00:50:54.069 Know the ground, get promoted to ground. 00:50:54.099 --> 00:50:56.229 And then when our company came out, that 00:50:56.229 --> 00:50:59.349 continuity can be carried over to the relief 00:50:59.349 --> 00:51:00.279 in place happenings. 00:51:00.819 --> 00:51:04.524 I was attached to the Company Cypress section 00:51:04.644 --> 00:51:06.535 for about four weeks and got them up to 00:51:06.535 --> 00:51:08.934 speed and then handed it, handed off to their 00:51:08.934 --> 00:51:09.714 section commander. 00:51:09.714 --> 00:51:12.594 And then I took over as a platoon Sergeant 00:51:12.625 --> 00:51:14.694 with my platoon, which I'd never met before. 00:51:15.115 --> 00:51:17.365 The only guy I knew was my section 00:51:17.365 --> 00:51:19.125 commander from the Highlander is big Alex. 00:51:19.215 --> 00:51:19.425 Yeah. 00:51:19.634 --> 00:51:23.005 And it was getting to know this new 00:51:23.005 --> 00:51:24.795 group of guys that had never met before. 00:51:24.825 --> 00:51:25.304 No kidding. 00:51:25.424 --> 00:51:25.755 Yeah. 00:51:26.365 --> 00:51:28.064 Wow, that'd be quite an experience. 00:51:28.394 --> 00:51:28.575 Yeah. 00:51:29.019 --> 00:51:31.779 You know, I remember when you came back and 00:51:31.779 --> 00:51:33.519 you said, Hey, Trav, let's go for a hike. 00:51:35.229 --> 00:51:36.639 Okay, yeah, let's go for a hike. 00:51:37.479 --> 00:51:41.069 Now, I'm what, 6'6", 250 pounds, we're going up 00:51:41.069 --> 00:51:44.349 the hillside and I guess there's a couple things 00:51:44.349 --> 00:51:45.309 that stood out at me. 00:51:45.339 --> 00:51:48.745 Like number one, your ability to just go, 00:51:49.044 --> 00:51:50.604 like, you'd pick a pace I'm like, Oh my God, 00:51:50.604 --> 00:51:51.745 why is he going so slow? 00:51:51.894 --> 00:51:53.875 But you don't stop and you just keep going 00:51:54.115 --> 00:51:55.615 and going and going. 00:51:55.974 --> 00:51:58.674 Which over time, of course, that's not 00:51:58.674 --> 00:52:00.944 slow, it's quite a bit more efficient. 00:52:01.194 --> 00:52:01.344 Yeah. 00:52:01.455 --> 00:52:03.144 But the other thing that really stuck out was 00:52:03.285 --> 00:52:05.334 there's another fellow that we're with, I think 00:52:05.334 --> 00:52:06.955 he was having an issue with his boots at the 00:52:06.955 --> 00:52:09.684 time and had a little bit of an issue and 00:52:09.684 --> 00:52:10.634 you said, okay, stop. 00:52:10.634 --> 00:52:13.450 We're gonna stop right here, you, Dennis, 00:52:13.719 --> 00:52:14.769 administrate yourself. 00:52:15.039 --> 00:52:15.429 Right. 00:52:15.609 --> 00:52:16.539 And then we're going to keep going. 00:52:16.929 --> 00:52:18.339 But of course at the same time, I had an 00:52:18.359 --> 00:52:19.859 issue I'm like, oh thank God, Dennis has 00:52:19.859 --> 00:52:21.569 got something here so I can take care of mine. 00:52:21.569 --> 00:52:25.049 But the idea behind, whenever something 00:52:25.049 --> 00:52:27.209 small, I'm like, you know, something small 00:52:27.209 --> 00:52:29.609 on my boot at the time right and just stop 00:52:29.789 --> 00:52:31.899 administrate yourself and keep on going. 00:52:31.919 --> 00:52:34.469 And that whole mentality of not necessarily 00:52:34.469 --> 00:52:36.240 slow and steady, but steady pace and 00:52:36.240 --> 00:52:38.249 whenever something comes up, attack it 00:52:38.249 --> 00:52:40.979 and deal with it was completely new to me. 00:52:41.590 --> 00:52:43.450 And the amount of distance that we covered 00:52:43.450 --> 00:52:46.479 in a short period of time and on subsequent runs 00:52:46.479 --> 00:52:49.540 the amount of mountains and hills that you and I 00:52:49.540 --> 00:52:53.500 have done together that prior to that, I wouldn't 00:52:53.500 --> 00:52:54.250 have been doing it. 00:52:54.609 --> 00:52:56.289 I had to be going as fast as I can and then 00:52:56.290 --> 00:52:58.129 burnout of the steam and then having a rest. 00:52:58.510 --> 00:53:00.519 And I don't know if that's something that 00:53:00.729 --> 00:53:03.519 you got from the British army, or if that was 00:53:03.519 --> 00:53:06.049 more something you got in preparation for 00:53:06.049 --> 00:53:07.029 SAS selection there. 00:53:07.450 --> 00:53:10.569 You know, Travis, that concept of fix a 00:53:10.569 --> 00:53:11.439 problem when it's small. 00:53:11.529 --> 00:53:11.950 Right. 00:53:11.979 --> 00:53:13.179 It's common, right? 00:53:13.269 --> 00:53:13.569 Yeah. 00:53:13.689 --> 00:53:16.539 And, you know, feet for an infantryman 00:53:16.660 --> 00:53:18.700 is your, probably your biggest asset. 00:53:18.910 --> 00:53:18.979 Yeah. 00:53:18.979 --> 00:53:21.729 Your boots got to fit. 00:53:21.729 --> 00:53:23.019 So I was the type of person I didn't 00:53:23.019 --> 00:53:23.740 believe in blisters. 00:53:24.729 --> 00:53:26.200 I don't believe in breaking boots in. 00:53:26.439 --> 00:53:26.709 Right. 00:53:26.769 --> 00:53:29.349 They fit out of the box or they don't. 00:53:29.649 --> 00:53:29.919 Okay. 00:53:29.919 --> 00:53:31.899 So I would buy a new pair of boots. 00:53:31.899 --> 00:53:34.104 So at the time that the boots were 00:53:34.104 --> 00:53:34.774 issued with crap. 00:53:35.044 --> 00:53:35.374 Hmm. 00:53:35.744 --> 00:53:38.124 One thing I did, am I able to British army 00:53:38.124 --> 00:53:38.785 were all in the infantry. 00:53:38.814 --> 00:53:40.495 We could pretty much wear anything we bought. 00:53:41.484 --> 00:53:45.174 Where as long as it was DPM or green or 00:53:45.174 --> 00:53:46.224 black, we could use it. 00:53:46.694 --> 00:53:48.774 So I always kind of proud that the only 00:53:48.774 --> 00:53:50.924 thing I went on SAS selection that was 00:53:50.924 --> 00:53:51.705 issued with socks. 00:53:52.664 --> 00:53:54.264 I had everything else I bought right. 00:53:54.575 --> 00:53:56.264 As a kit mongler, they called us. 00:53:56.264 --> 00:53:57.314 Yeah, yeah. 00:53:57.314 --> 00:53:57.524 But. 00:53:57.524 --> 00:53:58.825 You're not a kit monger anymore. 00:53:58.974 --> 00:53:59.484 Not at all. 00:53:59.484 --> 00:54:02.044 You should see my, I have a seacan of climbing 00:54:02.064 --> 00:54:03.244 and ski gear Travis. 00:54:03.244 --> 00:54:04.224 I know you do, I know you do. 00:54:04.354 --> 00:54:05.724 You don't know how many ski's I have. 00:54:06.344 --> 00:54:06.634 Yeah. 00:54:06.634 --> 00:54:09.304 So I would trial the boots once, I would 00:54:09.304 --> 00:54:11.714 allow myself to get blisters once and 00:54:11.714 --> 00:54:13.484 if I got the second time, they're gone. 00:54:13.694 --> 00:54:14.024 Right. 00:54:14.144 --> 00:54:15.584 Right ,so I didn't believe in blisters. 00:54:15.584 --> 00:54:16.274 It's like fix it. 00:54:16.604 --> 00:54:19.384 But for sure, like if there's a problem, I'd 00:54:20.044 --> 00:54:21.944 rather like, you know, because as you know, I'm 00:54:21.944 --> 00:54:24.134 an apprentice ski guide with the association of 00:54:24.134 --> 00:54:24.794 game mountain guides. 00:54:24.794 --> 00:54:27.865 It's like, client care, hey, I need you to tell 00:54:27.865 --> 00:54:28.974 me I have blisters. 00:54:29.005 --> 00:54:30.474 We have, need to fix this now right. 00:54:30.535 --> 00:54:30.844 Right. 00:54:31.224 --> 00:54:32.964 But you know, Travis, like that lesson 00:54:32.964 --> 00:54:34.224 doesn't always apply. 00:54:34.415 --> 00:54:34.564 Right. 00:54:34.564 --> 00:54:34.875 Right. 00:54:35.135 --> 00:54:38.245 For example, like I think three, four years 00:54:38.245 --> 00:54:40.375 ago, Mount Hector, I think it's 14,000 feet 00:54:40.554 --> 00:54:41.365 in the Canadian Rockies. 00:54:41.365 --> 00:54:44.165 I was building my resume to apply 00:54:44.165 --> 00:54:44.984 for a pet to ski. 00:54:44.984 --> 00:54:47.544 And we were ski mountaineering with 00:54:47.544 --> 00:54:49.104 my, partner Stephie. 00:54:49.495 --> 00:54:51.325 We looked at the wind, the weather window and 00:54:51.325 --> 00:54:52.615 it was cold and clear. 00:54:52.959 --> 00:54:54.429 But the avalanche conditions were stable. 00:54:54.459 --> 00:54:55.639 Like I'm like we got to go. 00:54:55.639 --> 00:54:55.699 Yeah. 00:54:55.909 --> 00:54:57.009 This is where we're doing it. 00:54:57.009 --> 00:54:58.839 We get up super early and we're heading 00:54:58.839 --> 00:54:59.649 up Mount Hector. 00:55:00.279 --> 00:55:02.629 And I had the biggest burley gloves, these 00:55:02.629 --> 00:55:04.179 Arc'Teryx gloves on. 00:55:04.240 --> 00:55:04.479 Yeah. 00:55:04.689 --> 00:55:07.389 And I didn't realize that there's a goalie 00:55:07.389 --> 00:55:09.069 that we had to boot pack up and I didn't 00:55:09.069 --> 00:55:10.089 have the draw strings. 00:55:10.089 --> 00:55:11.529 They were like these over cuffs for it right. 00:55:11.529 --> 00:55:11.589 Yeah. 00:55:11.919 --> 00:55:13.599 And there was snow crystals falling 00:55:13.599 --> 00:55:15.579 inside and then they were melting. 00:55:15.729 --> 00:55:15.909 Yeah. 00:55:16.389 --> 00:55:18.259 But I'm working hard, skis on the pack and 00:55:18.259 --> 00:55:19.329 I'm like, I'm warm. 00:55:19.569 --> 00:55:20.919 Probably minus 25. 00:55:21.049 --> 00:55:21.249 Right. 00:55:21.249 --> 00:55:21.709 But I'm warm. 00:55:22.674 --> 00:55:24.835 So part of that concept is like 00:55:25.044 --> 00:55:25.974 soldier on through it. 00:55:26.154 --> 00:55:26.464 Right. 00:55:26.865 --> 00:55:29.524 So now we're above the goalie and we're ski 00:55:29.524 --> 00:55:31.014 touring up and we're getting close to the 00:55:31.014 --> 00:55:34.075 summit and now the wind chill is hammering us. 00:55:34.734 --> 00:55:38.294 And it's probably, I think with windshield, 00:55:38.294 --> 00:55:40.754 Steph said it was like minus, probably 40. 00:55:40.964 --> 00:55:41.394 Wow. 00:55:41.415 --> 00:55:42.014 Already 50. 00:55:42.014 --> 00:55:42.285 Right. 00:55:42.764 --> 00:55:44.444 And thinking back to my first selection, I 00:55:44.444 --> 00:55:47.174 remember there's this night nav march, so after 00:55:47.174 --> 00:55:48.134 Gilberts Gut Buster. 00:55:48.194 --> 00:55:48.464 Yeah. 00:55:48.884 --> 00:55:51.415 That night you do a night nav and you're 00:55:51.415 --> 00:55:52.165 in a team of four. 00:55:52.345 --> 00:55:52.585 Okay. 00:55:52.795 --> 00:55:54.444 And you do like 16K. 00:55:54.564 --> 00:55:54.774 Yeah. 00:55:55.194 --> 00:55:56.514 So, and it's all night. 00:55:57.264 --> 00:55:59.115 And then you get about an hour of sleep 00:55:59.125 --> 00:56:00.415 and you get back and then you do a day. 00:56:01.005 --> 00:56:01.304 Wow. 00:56:01.335 --> 00:56:02.625 It's take that Thursday into the Friday, 00:56:02.625 --> 00:56:03.244 that's a long day. 00:56:03.244 --> 00:56:04.054 No kidding. 00:56:04.054 --> 00:56:06.194 I think the end of week one. 00:56:06.524 --> 00:56:09.854 But I remember going up in that evening and 00:56:09.854 --> 00:56:11.684 it was the last time ever used a Camelback. 00:56:12.204 --> 00:56:12.474 Really? 00:56:12.474 --> 00:56:13.194 My lesson learned. 00:56:13.194 --> 00:56:14.434 Yeah, we're allowed Camelbak, we still 00:56:14.454 --> 00:56:15.444 have to carry two water bottles. 00:56:15.514 --> 00:56:15.624 Yeah. 00:56:15.825 --> 00:56:16.764 But my straw froze. 00:56:17.134 --> 00:56:17.464 Okay. 00:56:17.844 --> 00:56:20.274 Going up on this ridge. 00:56:20.694 --> 00:56:22.344 My straw froze, I can't get water and 00:56:22.344 --> 00:56:25.134 then I think my right eyeball froze as well. 00:56:25.484 --> 00:56:27.654 And now I've got no water and I get up there and 00:56:27.714 --> 00:56:29.365 the group you're moving at this group's pace 00:56:29.544 --> 00:56:31.674 and it's like two in the morning and they're just 00:56:31.674 --> 00:56:32.894 going, you can't stop. 00:56:33.835 --> 00:56:35.724 The unsort, you need to sort myself out. 00:56:35.874 --> 00:56:38.844 And it's just like, you know, it was 00:56:38.844 --> 00:56:40.294 horrible dehydrated and everything. 00:56:40.294 --> 00:56:40.774 No kidding. 00:56:40.774 --> 00:56:43.825 So coming back to Mount Hector, I remember my 00:56:43.825 --> 00:56:45.374 hands being so cold. 00:56:45.575 --> 00:56:45.745 Yeah. 00:56:46.285 --> 00:56:49.375 And I remember it was the last break before 00:56:49.375 --> 00:56:52.344 the summit and I remember I had a new dry pair of 00:56:52.344 --> 00:56:55.014 gloves in my bag, but I'm like, there's no 00:56:55.014 --> 00:56:57.984 way, I didn't realize that the snow had gone 00:56:57.984 --> 00:56:58.644 down on my gloves. 00:56:58.644 --> 00:57:01.794 And what's happened is, is that it melted 00:57:02.394 --> 00:57:04.584 and there's a fleece element, like a liner, 00:57:04.734 --> 00:57:06.444 and then the hard Gore-Tex leather shell. 00:57:06.654 --> 00:57:09.244 So that fleece pushed all the moisture out. 00:57:09.374 --> 00:57:09.544 Yeah. 00:57:09.684 --> 00:57:11.064 But it couldn't pass through. 00:57:11.134 --> 00:57:11.664 The Gore-Tex. 00:57:11.664 --> 00:57:12.374 The Gore-Tex. 00:57:12.634 --> 00:57:16.825 So it was like this ice shell formed in between 00:57:17.214 --> 00:57:18.624 my finger and the shell. 00:57:18.684 --> 00:57:18.984 Right. 00:57:19.554 --> 00:57:21.234 My hands were cold, but manageable. 00:57:21.234 --> 00:57:23.754 I'm like, I remember seeing these dry pair 00:57:23.754 --> 00:57:25.254 of gloves, goin there's no way they're going 00:57:25.254 --> 00:57:27.939 to be as warm as the gloves I have on. 00:57:28.059 --> 00:57:28.189 Right. 00:57:28.189 --> 00:57:30.249 I didn't change, but my instinct said change your 00:57:30.249 --> 00:57:31.809 gloves, but it didn't. 00:57:32.749 --> 00:57:39.359 So we carry on, get to the summit, take our 00:57:39.359 --> 00:57:40.839 skins off for our skis. 00:57:41.229 --> 00:57:45.599 Drop in beautiful ski down, like going 00:57:45.599 --> 00:57:47.365 up, probably take us six hours, seven 00:57:47.365 --> 00:57:48.174 hours to get there. 00:57:48.295 --> 00:57:48.505 Yeah. 00:57:48.654 --> 00:57:51.024 We were back at the truck in like 40 minutes. 00:57:51.264 --> 00:57:51.835 Wow. 00:57:52.104 --> 00:57:55.014 We're high fivin, get some great photos, 00:57:55.045 --> 00:57:57.924 get into Tacoma and we're driving back 00:57:57.955 --> 00:58:01.045 to the hostel, where we had, we're moving 00:58:01.054 --> 00:58:01.884 hostels at nights. 00:58:01.884 --> 00:58:03.444 We had to grab our gear and we were 00:58:03.444 --> 00:58:05.634 going to head into another hostel in town. 00:58:06.234 --> 00:58:08.875 And I remember just two minutes driving down the 00:58:08.875 --> 00:58:10.634 road and I'm like, uh oh. 00:58:10.964 --> 00:58:11.634 Yeah, you did it. 00:58:12.250 --> 00:58:14.259 And the pain just hit me. 00:58:15.250 --> 00:58:16.359 We were just only a couple of minutes. 00:58:16.359 --> 00:58:20.109 We got to the hostel and I gave myself 00:58:20.109 --> 00:58:21.170 frostbite in my pinky. 00:58:21.309 --> 00:58:21.580 Yeah. 00:58:22.139 --> 00:58:25.719 And I gave a frostnip in every other finger. 00:58:26.019 --> 00:58:26.500 Right. 00:58:26.740 --> 00:58:29.769 And the pain was so, like that frostbite 00:58:29.769 --> 00:58:31.510 in the pinky, like I was incapacitated. 00:58:31.939 --> 00:58:32.410 Wow. 00:58:32.500 --> 00:58:34.870 Like I had to sit at the table and just moan 00:58:35.920 --> 00:58:38.170 and then like Steph had to do everything, load 00:58:38.170 --> 00:58:40.919 us up in the Tacoma, drive to the new hostal. 00:58:41.429 --> 00:58:43.559 And that night, like incapacitated 00:58:43.559 --> 00:58:44.160 didn't sleep. 00:58:44.189 --> 00:58:46.619 And then we go decided to go to the hospital. 00:58:46.919 --> 00:58:49.139 Like my pinky is black. 00:58:49.849 --> 00:58:50.139 Wow. 00:58:50.139 --> 00:58:50.479 Right. 00:58:51.054 --> 00:58:54.415 And the doc's like we already booked some 00:58:54.415 --> 00:58:57.134 more nights up in the Wapta, up in the bow hut. 00:58:57.594 --> 00:58:57.894 Yeah. 00:58:58.604 --> 00:59:00.625 Do some ski touring and the doc's like oh 00:59:00.625 --> 00:59:02.585 yeah, it's great, you get another reinjury and 00:59:02.585 --> 00:59:03.654 we amputate in August. 00:59:05.455 --> 00:59:07.325 So there you, I go, that's our trip done. 00:59:07.615 --> 00:59:08.264 Yeah, no kidding. 00:59:08.264 --> 00:59:09.684 So I think that was February. 00:59:09.684 --> 00:59:10.554 So we came back. 00:59:10.585 --> 00:59:13.434 So that, that lesson, yeah, Trav, like I have 00:59:13.434 --> 00:59:14.575 the gear, I know better. 00:59:14.785 --> 00:59:18.144 It's that, I find now, if that, if something's 00:59:18.144 --> 00:59:21.234 telling you, that instinct, that voice. 00:59:21.754 --> 00:59:22.874 That's huge, that's huge. 00:59:22.874 --> 00:59:24.865 That's huge, like you should do that. 00:59:25.064 --> 00:59:26.604 Listen to it, if it says change, I need to 00:59:26.604 --> 00:59:28.825 change my gloves, no, change your gloves. 00:59:29.245 --> 00:59:30.784 You know, I need to do this. 00:59:31.724 --> 00:59:33.354 That is, I think that voice has kept a 00:59:33.354 --> 00:59:34.285 lot of people alive. 00:59:34.514 --> 00:59:36.944 Gavin de Becker, a fellow by the name of Gavin 00:59:36.944 --> 00:59:38.955 de Becker wrote a book called the gift of fear. 00:59:39.465 --> 00:59:42.075 And essentially aside from it being a great 00:59:42.075 --> 00:59:44.944 big sales pitch for his company, which a lot of 00:59:44.944 --> 00:59:48.764 it is, the underlining thread in it was, we 00:59:48.764 --> 00:59:53.654 have a voice inside of us that is essentially 00:59:53.654 --> 00:59:55.434 an instinctual voice that we should 00:59:55.455 --> 00:59:56.455 probably listen to. 00:59:56.904 --> 01:00:00.835 If you, it talks about, you walk into a bar and 01:00:01.294 --> 01:00:04.434 spidey senses say this isn't right, this is 01:00:04.434 --> 01:00:05.634 not a safe place to be. 01:00:05.634 --> 01:00:06.924 But then you start trying to think about 01:00:06.924 --> 01:00:08.484 it, ah no, I'm safe. 01:00:08.484 --> 01:00:09.085 I'm a big guy. 01:00:09.085 --> 01:00:10.224 I can take care of myself. 01:00:10.524 --> 01:00:11.245 He says, you know what? 01:00:11.365 --> 01:00:12.594 Just, just listen to the voice. 01:00:12.654 --> 01:00:14.064 Maybe it's time to take off and leave. 01:00:14.654 --> 01:00:16.335 And, you know, I think that voice Trav, it's 01:00:16.335 --> 01:00:18.194 interesting that you brought that up because 01:00:18.375 --> 01:00:19.995 you know, the British army in Northern 01:00:19.995 --> 01:00:21.644 Ireland, they call it the absence of the normal. 01:00:22.464 --> 01:00:24.614 Training you to observe this. 01:00:24.614 --> 01:00:24.714 Right. 01:00:24.729 --> 01:00:27.910 So for example, like kids on the street 01:00:27.910 --> 01:00:30.639 playing soccer, football, and then no 01:00:30.639 --> 01:00:31.450 kids on that street. 01:00:32.109 --> 01:00:33.370 Well, that's a good common indicator. 01:00:33.370 --> 01:00:34.249 Don't go down that street. 01:00:34.490 --> 01:00:34.959 Right. 01:00:34.959 --> 01:00:38.240 So I kind of noticed in Iraq at nighttime, 01:00:38.319 --> 01:00:40.250 like during the night we did most of our 01:00:40.250 --> 01:00:40.899 work during the night. 01:00:41.620 --> 01:00:43.899 It seemed like we surrendered a lot of the 01:00:43.899 --> 01:00:46.240 area to the insurgents during the day. 01:00:46.870 --> 01:00:48.569 And then we took over at night. 01:00:48.569 --> 01:00:48.779 Fair enough. 01:00:48.799 --> 01:00:51.099 I like to do, we didn't operate a 01:00:51.099 --> 01:00:51.729 lot during the day. 01:00:51.729 --> 01:00:52.899 They didn't operate a lot during the night, 01:00:52.929 --> 01:00:55.689 but one thing I kind of noticed was that dogs 01:00:55.689 --> 01:00:56.729 really barked for us. 01:00:57.029 --> 01:00:57.569 Okay. 01:00:58.019 --> 01:01:00.870 But they're silent for the locals 01:01:00.870 --> 01:01:01.559 and insurgents. 01:01:01.919 --> 01:01:03.719 So that was a common indicator for me, was 01:01:03.719 --> 01:01:06.240 that if something was amiss, was silent dogs. 01:01:06.719 --> 01:01:07.319 Interesting. 01:01:07.709 --> 01:01:07.859 Right. 01:01:07.859 --> 01:01:09.089 I don't know if the owners took them in 01:01:09.089 --> 01:01:10.649 or what, but that was just an indicator. 01:01:11.219 --> 01:01:14.004 And then I kinda like in Afghan, I don't 01:01:14.004 --> 01:01:16.444 know how I kinda honed these senses, 01:01:16.464 --> 01:01:20.754 but I realized that animals sense energy. 01:01:21.044 --> 01:01:21.894 Okay, yeah. 01:01:21.894 --> 01:01:24.785 And just prior to maybe an ambush being sprung 01:01:24.804 --> 01:01:26.754 or something, I just found that the calmness. 01:01:27.954 --> 01:01:28.974 Calm before the storm. 01:01:29.124 --> 01:01:29.754 Interesting. 01:01:29.784 --> 01:01:30.084 Right. 01:01:30.144 --> 01:01:31.344 And even to the point where I even found 01:01:31.344 --> 01:01:32.484 mosquitoes not bite, and I don't know 01:01:32.484 --> 01:01:34.334 how we're here or anything, but I, but. 01:01:34.575 --> 01:01:36.894 Well, maybe it's something and maybe it 01:01:36.894 --> 01:01:38.444 was a mosquito thing, or maybe it's something 01:01:38.444 --> 01:01:40.334 that your spidey senses are going, you've 01:01:40.334 --> 01:01:41.174 got it back there. 01:01:41.174 --> 01:01:42.464 And you just happened to be noticing these 01:01:42.464 --> 01:01:44.414 other things that are correlating. 01:01:44.624 --> 01:01:46.594 And I think that that's exactly it, Travis, it's 01:01:46.594 --> 01:01:49.844 our powers to observe our surroundings around us. 01:01:49.874 --> 01:01:50.144 Right. 01:01:50.204 --> 01:01:53.594 So I remember when, you know, I'm back 01:01:53.594 --> 01:01:55.844 in Canada now and my girlfriend at the time, 01:01:56.814 --> 01:01:59.794 we went to watch a movie in Maple Ridge. 01:02:00.044 --> 01:02:00.314 Okay. 01:02:00.314 --> 01:02:01.694 In the new theatre they had there. 01:02:01.724 --> 01:02:01.914 Yeah. 01:02:02.094 --> 01:02:03.984 And I walk in and something just 01:02:03.984 --> 01:02:04.704 didn't feel right. 01:02:04.974 --> 01:02:05.334 Right. 01:02:05.514 --> 01:02:06.384 Just observing. 01:02:07.104 --> 01:02:12.054 And I go to my girlfriend and I'm like, we 01:02:12.054 --> 01:02:12.804 need to leave now. 01:02:14.064 --> 01:02:17.214 And she knew me well enough not to question 01:02:17.874 --> 01:02:20.504 my, just my sense of something's not. 01:02:20.575 --> 01:02:22.434 And just as we left, there was a big police 01:02:22.434 --> 01:02:26.365 take down undercover on some organized gang 01:02:26.365 --> 01:02:27.174 members out were there. 01:02:27.504 --> 01:02:28.254 Interesting. 01:02:28.434 --> 01:02:30.204 And she's like, I'm never going to 01:02:30.204 --> 01:02:31.934 doubt your sense. 01:02:32.024 --> 01:02:32.504 Never. 01:02:32.504 --> 01:02:32.604 Yeah. 01:02:32.934 --> 01:02:35.174 I can't advocate enough to listen to that. 01:02:35.174 --> 01:02:37.154 Whatever it might be big or small, 01:02:37.154 --> 01:02:37.984 just listen to it. 01:02:38.075 --> 01:02:38.404 Yeah. 01:02:38.545 --> 01:02:42.999 So that was just another example of, my gut didn't 01:02:42.999 --> 01:02:44.589 feel right about it and you know, I'm moving into 01:02:44.589 --> 01:02:49.719 the guiding world, that intuition is huge, right? 01:02:49.719 --> 01:02:52.959 That's so part of your train assessment. 01:02:53.499 --> 01:02:55.990 And, you know, in ski guiding is a lot of 01:02:55.990 --> 01:02:58.499 times it's like, what is my gut telling me? 01:02:58.649 --> 01:02:58.869 Right. 01:02:58.869 --> 01:03:00.429 And why is it telling me this? 01:03:00.519 --> 01:03:00.729 Right. 01:03:00.759 --> 01:03:02.249 So that's pretty important for sure. 01:03:02.580 --> 01:03:04.990 Maybe we should take a look at doing a 01:03:05.009 --> 01:03:07.649 bit more work on the navigation courses that 01:03:07.649 --> 01:03:08.519 we're putting together. 01:03:08.519 --> 01:03:09.809 And maybe we'll come back and talk about 01:03:09.809 --> 01:03:12.209 those at a later time too, because you're 01:03:12.299 --> 01:03:15.450 relaying some pretty cool stories about and some 01:03:15.450 --> 01:03:18.129 humorous ones as well about navigation issues 01:03:18.289 --> 01:03:19.679 with the British army. 01:03:19.679 --> 01:03:21.240 I think it went for an Africa there too. 01:03:22.149 --> 01:03:22.599 Yeah. 01:03:23.410 --> 01:03:25.000 Jason, thank you very much for taking the 01:03:25.000 --> 01:03:27.219 time to talk with me on the podcast. 01:03:28.269 --> 01:03:44.549 No worries Trav, thanks.