the OBJECTIVE JERK

DID YOU SERVE, LEAVE, ONLY TO RETURN, OR WANT TO RETURN? Jerks personal military journey.

• Jerk • Season 4 • Episode 214

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We take aim at award-show hype and the media spectacle, then turn the mic inward to share a straight story of service, risk, and the hard stop that comes with a higher VA rating. Headlines fade; the real work is choosing purpose when the uniform won’t fit anymore.

• Why a paid award nod doesn’t define success
• Reaction to the Don Lemon arrest 
• Two Iraq tours and SRT point-man logic
• The toll on family after explosions and bad calls
• Attempt to join the Air Force National Guard as a jet engine mechanic
• MEPS delays, paperwork, and a move across states
• Life as a civilian on military posts
• Plan to join the Washington Army National Guard as a Black Hawk mechanic
• VA rating increase, PTSD care, and disqualification
• Closing thoughts on media trust and what counts as real work


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Please feel free to comment or send an email to theobjectivejerk@gmail.com

SPEAKER_00:

You're listening to the objective jerk and I am said jerk. How's it hanging? Hope everybody's staying warm, staying out of trouble, and not being crazy. You know, I was thinking about because I think the last two podcasts I did, I uh did like a kind of like a voice thing sort of. I kind of did like a racist Asian one on the last one or something. And I was thinking about doing it again, but I I can't do like accents or anything like that. Like I suck at it. My youngest kid, he can do like some accents pretty good, British accents and everything. Sounds kind of cool. But anyway, let's see. So my I get input from some family.

SPEAKER_02:

Not that my family listens to my podcast, because I know they don't.

SPEAKER_00:

But you know, they kind of know what I talk about. And when I'm when I say family, I mean like my wife and my kids. I don't know. Maybe I have family members that listen to it. I have no idea. And I I think if they did, they probably would have let me know. I have some friends that do. But anyway. So my wife's like, why don't you talk about like personal stuff? You know, why don't you talk about and I was like, well, I do share some personal stuff, kinda, especially when it like supports my opinion, you know, because this is why I have my opinion because of my experience or whatever. But she's like, Yeah, but just share like some kind of personal story, you know, and I don't I don't like to get too personal, but I understand what she's saying, and so that's what I'm gonna try and do. But before I get into that though, there's some stuff going on in the headlines that I can't not talk about. First of all, while back, they had the uh Golden Globes, right? And they have a new category, and it's for like the most popular, best podcast, and probably not most popular, but best podcast or best new podcasts or whatever. And you know, some actress won it or whatever. I can't think of her name. She was on SNL and stuff, but you know, everybody's like, what the crap, dude? How's it not Joe Rogan? You know, which yeah, it is the most popular, but it's not new, that's for sure. But this is the first time that they've had the category, so you know. But people are like, oh gosh, whatever. It's just more, you know, liberals sucking each other off, and oh, you're so grave, or you know, all that shit. And I was one of them, you know. I was like, stupid. There's been like other lists too, where Joe Rogan's like, dude, he's the most by far the most popular podcast over anybody, you know. But whatever, right? But so Rogan had what's his nuts? I can't think of his name right now, on there on his podcast, and he asked him about it. And then Rogan explained why. And it was because they asked him if he wanted to be in the category or whatever, but he had to pay like$500 to be in the category for the paperwork and stuff, and he was just like, no, I'm good, I don't care. And I think that's fucking awesome, really. You know what I mean? Like he just he knows he don't need he don't need all the fake, you know, you're so great. He knows he's got the number one podcast. So what does he need? A trophy to, you know what I mean? It's you know, it's just I don't know. It's it's it's like telling, you know, giving an award to Elon Musk because he's the richest person. Oh look here. You know, I don't know.

SPEAKER_02:

But it's hot, so I'm trying to like drink my coffee without burning myself. My glasses are all steaming up. Oh shit.

SPEAKER_00:

I gotta let that cool a little bit. So there's that, and the other thing, which is so awesome and hilarious, is Don Lemon was arrested. That's so great. So great. I actually saw that last night before I went to bed, and I was like, that's good, that's good stuff. Just warms your heart, you know what I mean? Because he's such a piece of shit. He is a garbage person, he really is. He doesn't care about the truth, he just cares about looking like he cares about the truth, man. You know, and that's why he got fired from CNN, and then he just and now he's like he's claiming to be an uh independent journalist on YouTube and this and that, but he gets like no, you know. I mean he has views, he has followers, but it's nothing, you know. And he's just trying so hard. And it's it's hilarious that he got arrested. Now, is he gonna go to jail? I doubt it. That would be awesome, but you know, he got arrested, so there we go. That's good. He'll probably just they'll go through the whole thing, and he's gonna get he's either gonna plea because he doesn't want to deal with it, maybe he's I could see him being like, no, I'm a journalist. I was doing it, and he's gonna go and actually go take it to court, and he's gonna have to pay fines, I think. You know, he's not gonna go to jail, I don't think, but he's gonna have to pay, you know, some fines and everything like that. But it's just it's just crazy to me how they just think the sea, and this is again, I talked about I think in my last one, how like that video of in Ilhan, I don't even know how to say her name, but Ilhan Omar, that fake video of her getting assaulted, is basically Democrats in a nutshell, you know what I mean? And then this whole thing with Don Lemon is liberals in a nutshell. They like they just they don't get it, they just do not get it. And everybody's like, well, he was journalizing. No, first of all, okay, yeah. So they went in, he knew at Wellkid, he was outside with them, then they went inside, and then they followed, he followed, which they were all breaking their amendment rights, right? Just because you have some sort of right doesn't mean you can break someone else's because you're constituting your amendment right, you know what I mean? So if the thing is, is like January 6th, right? Everybody talks about oh January 6th. You had people doing the same thing who recorded and did stuff, they went to jail, they got arrested and went to jail for the same thing. They were charged for the same, and they were just walking around just recording stuff, you know what I mean? So you can't really like, oh, he was just journalizing. Trying to journalism ming, journalism, journalist, journal, journalisming, I don't know. Anyway. But so these laws, the what was it, the the act of or was it called? And then it was something with the KKK, but it was this law was created because the KKK used to uh harass black folks when they went to church. And they kept doing it. So they made this law so they they couldn't do it, so then they stopped. Made all these laws to stop the racism and stuff, you know. And just because it's now a black person doing the harassing doesn't mean it doesn't it he's he's he's immune to it, you know what I mean? Like that's what he thinks, because he's gay and black or something, and he's a journalist, he can just do whatever he wants. But he's screwed though, because of two things. One because he went inside the church and he wasn't just recording and just kind of talking to the whatever, he talked to the pastor, and the pastor's like, hey, you guys need to leave. When he's like, Well, I'm doing my he was told to leave and he wouldn't, and he kept saying, Oh, I'm I'm doing my that's my first amendment right, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And he was just like constantly trying to like goat the the you know the pastor to say something or do whatever. So that's that's one of his mistakes right there. The other mistake is there was an email or it was a post. I can't remember what it was, but I saw where the individual who who organized it, who was arrested, she named, she threw some names of people who were involved, and Don Lemon's name was on there. And this was before the whole thing went down. So he was a part of it. He wasn't just like walking by with his crew, oh crap, something's going on here. Let me see. It's like, no, dude. It's just he got arrested. He deserves it. He should go to jail for a little bit, but I mean, if they did it to the you know, people at January 6th, then yeah, he should go to jail. But I mean, him getting arrested and getting fined is good enough for me. His career is over, though. I mean, it's already been over, it's just hilarious.

SPEAKER_02:

Because he's trying to he wants to be like the guy that broke open the fraud in Minneapolis, you know?

SPEAKER_00:

But he's creating the the stuff that he's re trying to report, you know. It's not he's not going after actual, he's not being a real journalist. He's not a real journalist, he's just a talking head that got fired. He's a piece of shit. Like, I I don't care one iota about that dude.

SPEAKER_01:

Like, yeah, so that's good. That's good. That makes me happy.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay, so on to personal story time, I guess. So, like I said, my wife was like, you know, share something to kind of let people kind of get to know you. And okay, yeah, and I mean, I guess I was like, well, I haven't talked. I know I've talked a little bit about myself, I've shared some stories, but it's been kind of a while, so maybe I'll do one. And what made me think of this is I was just talking to an old army buddy of mine, and we're kind of sharing some background information and stuff like that. So I was like, oh, maybe I'll talk about this. But anyway, so I'm just gonna do like a quick rundown of my everything that had to do with the military, but it's gonna be quick, and I'm gonna focus more on after I got out of the army and things I was looking at. But anyway, so after 9-11, I joined the army as an MP. I tested high in mechanics, but I wanted to be an MP, so that's what I was. And while I was in the army, I went to Iraq twice. I was on an SRT, which is like an army SWAT team. I was on the entry team, and I like to be in the uh primary, the point man through the through the through the door first, not because I'm like badass and I'm you know fearless, but honestly, because there's less you can't make a mistake being the first guy in, you know. When you're people behind you, you have to kind of get through and do the opposite or whatever, and the person in front of you, and based on what's going on. So when you're the first guy, you just pick a side, you're never wrong, and you know, so that's why I kind of like to be in point man. Point man or breaching was always kind of interesting to me. I wanted to go to the breacher school, but I never did. Anyway, so then I met my wife, and I got out in 2007. I was in the you know, inactive National Guard because that's part of the contract for like three years, and I actually got called up, but I didn't know it about it until it was too late. Like my dad had gotten the packet for it. I kind of think he did it on purpose. I think he was trying to trying to hook me up or help me out or something, maybe. I mean, I probably would have gone back, I don't know. It wasn't a good time with me working, and you know, I had a young son and trying to do everything, it wouldn't have worked out very well.

SPEAKER_02:

It would have been a pay cut, you know. Because when I joined the army, I took a huge pay cut.

SPEAKER_00:

But I found out like way late when it was like I had like a week to report or something, and then so I sent a letter and did everything, and I was released. So, and then I don't know, a year goes by or something, and you still, you know, not everybody, but I think a lot of people still have that itch for the military. There were a lot of things I didn't like that pissed me off. I've told the story about the nine mil and just different different things that just were to me just retarded. I hate, I hate not that I'm like the best at everything, but I just I hate incompetence with certain things or things that just don't make sense. Like if you you know, is there a is there a really a reason that we have to do this or whatever? I mean, I understand like uniformity and and support and all this kind of stuff, but sometimes when it doesn't make sense, like before we went to Iraq, I can't remember, I think it was the second time. Was it the second? I think it was the second time I went to Iraq, and they would have us all sit there and everybody's cleaning their weapons. Their weapons are as clean as an an operating room, you know what I mean? You can't get them any cleaner, but they keep you there in case something comes up and they're doing whatever. And I wasn't really upset for myself. So I'm oh no what? This was probably the first time, but I remember thinking because I was single and my barracks were there, so I mean, that's you know, when I was, you know, PFC or something. But I was like, you know, there's people here that got families and stuff. It's like, why not let them be with their families for as much as they can before we leave, you know? And so just little kind of odd things that, you know, to me, it just were, you know, again, there was probably some reasoning to it, but I think they could have handled it better. But for the most part, I liked being in the military. And so once I was out, I kind of felt I wanted to still be a part of it somehow, you know. I didn't want to do active duty because my wife didn't want me to get deployed because, you know, when I got when I got blown up and everything, she we were married, and that was like the worst day. She was, you know, it and it was kind of like a miscommunication thing. The guy in the rear detachment called her and was like, hey, your husband was involved in an explosion, we don't know anything, you know. And then so by the time I called her, she just was like, she was just I could, you know, I'm like, I'm good, I'm fine, don't worry. You know, so that kind of really she was like, Yeah, I don't want you to stay in, or I don't, you know, so and that's understandable, you know. But I started to get that itch. So I was like, okay, I was like, what if I what if I look at the Air Force? You know, maybe I'll join the Air Force, National Guard. And then I was like, if I do, I don't want to be an MP or SP for the Air Force. I was like, I want to learn a new trade, you know, a new job. So I went to a recruiter.

SPEAKER_01:

I think I told this story, but maybe not.

SPEAKER_00:

Anyway, I'm gonna try and get through it quick. Well, not too quick because I gotta, but so I I saw I spoke with a recruiter who was like an hour away, and spoke with him and found out some information, went home, and then the next time set up a chance or set up an appointment to take. Did I no, I didn't have to take ASVAB because I would I had only been out for like two years or something like that. What was it? I th I think it was something, or he had to find out something, or I don't know. It was the whole thing took forever because in the middle of it, this guy got he had surgery, and so he was out for a while. But it was like he was trying to figure out if it would work. So basically, I wanted to be a jet engine mechanic, and I was like, you know, I can do it as a civilian and then do it on the weekends, you know, put on the uniform, do it on the weekends. I thought that sounded good. And because like I said, I tested high for mechanics, but in the army, you if you test high enough and you want to go to an MOS, then you can you can go. You know, ones MOS is that they need people in, they'll have like cash bonuses. Hey, if you want to get a little extra cash, you can join the infantry or whatever. And but I was I wanted to be an MP for I don't know. I used to want to be a cop when I was younger, anyway. So, you know, when I went to this recruiter, he's like, dude, why were you an MP, man? You scored high in the mechanics, and I was like, Yeah, that's how they do it, or whatever. So that's what the route I was looking at. And I had everything lined up. I had my MEPS appointment, which is the appointment where you go and you get your physical and you do all the stuff, and then if everything's good, then you you know you enlist and all that kind of stuff. Like, I was ready to go. And then, like, two days or a day before my appointment, the recruiter calls me and he's like, Hey, we have to cancel your MEPS appointment because he my at the time I had like 10% disability with the VA. And he's like, I had we have to put in a what is it? I mean, I still could have went in, but it was he had to put in a I can't think of the word right now, a certain form or whatever, and he's gonna have to put it in and then you know have to wait for that, and then we'll do another map state or whatever. And so by this time, what is the word? Like an a certain authorization, you know. They had to send in, you know, fill out a form. Hey, is this still good? He's 10%, but you know, gosh, it's right there, but I can't get it. Anyway, and so by this time, though, it was like 10 10 years, almost like a year from the time I went and seen him to this point, and I think I have talked about this, but and I was actually kind of looking to move out of state, get a different job. We were kind of looking at that, so it was like, yeah, let's just hold off, things might be changing or something, blah, blah, blah, blah. So I didn't do it, and then I moved. And for three, three years. I wonder if it's just because I was around military, you know, because at this point I was working at Fort Polk, but as a civilian. And then, well, no, because that's a I don't know. That's I don't know why. But so then I got a job at another military testing site, which is a proving ground. And I didn't this was in Utah. I didn't think about joining any kind of National Guard or anything at this time. Like it wasn't, I don't know. I was I liked my job and things were going pretty good. Like I didn't, you know, I thought I was I was happy, and but then the proving ground was far from anything, and so it kind of got a little bit old after a while, and so we were kind of looking to see what we could do. And my wife, she was working all kinds of good positions and getting experience on the proving ground installation, but she was having a hard time trying to get something like in Salt Lake with the VA or whatever. And at this point in time, my mom was kind of like, Man, it'd be nice if you lived here. So we were like, Well, what about moving to Washington? We got Fort Lewis, you know, what about that? And then so that's ultimately what we ended up doing. So this was three, four years later. So what did I say 2009? So yeah, we left, yeah, in like 2014, 13, 14. And then yeah, so then when we're in Washington, I'm working as a civilian as a law enforcement for the hospital there on Fort Lewis, which is now joint, what is it, Lewis McCorn, Joint Base Lewis McCorn or whatever. They combined the Air Force and the Army installations together. And so I was there and again that I got that hair up my ass again and wanting to join.

SPEAKER_02:

And I was still within the time frame to, you know, I mean I have to pass a PT test and stuff like that, you know, but I still was good as far as you know all my stuff. Like, I think I had to did I have to take the ASVAP.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, I think I maybe I did this time though. I think I had to take it. I'm not sure. But anyway, so what happened this time, and I don't know why, maybe because I looked into it. It. I was I probably looked into the Air Force National Guard fridge, and there was just nothing or something. I don't know why I didn't look at that route again. But I ended up looking at the Army National Guard for Washington. And I looked at Black Hawk Mechanic. And I could have actually gone in as a higher rank if I went as an MP. And I almost did it. But I was just kind of tired of law enforcement and everything at that time. Security, law enforcement, just all that kind of crap. So I yeah, so I was looking to join the National Guard as a Black Hawk mechanic. And I was excited about that too. And then so part of that is like you're a mechanic, but then you're also a crew chief or a crew member, they call it crew chief, but so like I might, you know, man like a machine gun on the on the helicopter, on the Blackhawk, you know, on the mechanic, but I also do, you know, I go with the Blackhawk. It's not sometimes they have, I mean, mechanics where you're just, you know, at the air, the air, the airstrip or wherever they're at, and you work on the on the on the uh the blackhawks, you know, they have to go out of commission or whatever, and you gotta fix them. But they also have individuals that you know work that go with the you're part of the team, and you, you know, you'll most I think it's mostly the the the gun, they they'll control the gun. They'll be the gunner, and then you're also a mechanic, so you know when something happens, you can possibly fix it if if possible in the field, you know, which is a little more dangerous than just being, you know, staying back and working on, you know. So I don't know actually of the two. I don't think I got quite that far yet. I think everything was looking good. And why this is all going, I'm going to the VA and I'm getting stuff checked out. I'm going through some issues too, PTSD-wise. And I had gone and seen a therapist and they evaluated me. So, right about this time that evaluation went through, and again, my rating went up. So I was like, oh man, okay, which was good, you know, but you get more benefits, you get, you know, more medical stuff that's part, you know, prescriptions and whatever. But then the, you know, I didn't know if that was gonna affect me getting into the National Guard. And so I messaged my recruiter. I was like, hey, my rating just went up to this. Is this gonna affect it? He's like, Yep, I cannot take you and can't accept you. So I was just like, oh. So I was kind of butthurt. I mean, I was, you know, it's nice having the the rating with the VA and getting the help that you need, and it makes it much easier, but yeah, I was kind of bummed, to be honest with you. So that was, yeah, 2014, 15, something like that. So it's 10 years now. God, it's crazy how fast time goes by.

SPEAKER_02:

I remember like, why it's been five years since I got out. Now it's been twenty years. Over. Yeah. Man, when I crack my fingers, that's really low.

SPEAKER_00:

But yeah, it's kind of crazy. Anyway, that's kind of it. I think I just wanted to talk about Don Le Monde. Freaking retarded. He's such an idiot, man. He is just an absolute trap.

SPEAKER_02:

Let's see, are there liberal kind of see, it's you there's not even like I'm trying to think if there's like a good liberal reporter or journalist now?

SPEAKER_00:

You know, they've all kind of succumbed to being, you know, influenced by a network that like is there anybody that's become an independent journalist and is successful at it and they're not biased? You know what I mean? Maybe they are a little bit, but they still report whatever they find. Is there anybody out there that's known for being a left-wing journalist that's independent, that is working, and is doing good journalism? Is there? Let me know. Anyway, I appreciate you guys hanging out. And that's about it. I guess I'll see you guys next time. God bless. Alright, bye.

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