America's Army: Inside The World's Most Powerful Military Force | American Military Documentary

[Music] disaster has just hit a small American town houses destroyed and a whole neighborhood flooded the Army was deployed in an emergency [Applause] [Music] [Applause] hundreds are injured some are in serious condition This Disaster scenario is actually a large military exercise simulating a nuclear attack the structure is unstable so have to stabilize it with a raker before they can get him down specialized units attempt to find mannequins in a radiation contaminated area make sure he gets it back here we got more rescues good job guys in this Indiana base the U.S army has recreated a 400 hectare model City where 2500 soldiers gather each year for training it's made to be as realistic as possible including this fake parking lot that collapsed along with dozens of cars at the on-site Hospital the Army even recruited hundreds of extras to play the role of victims who have been exposed to radiation oh this is scary I don't know where we're doing where's my kids they're all Medics we're here to help you man traumatized by the past attacks on their territory [Music] U.S military wants to show that it's ready for any eventuality Homeland response is one of our main priorities so we do have like a 60-minute rapid deployment notification to get from the call to the unit and get ready to go somewhere else in the United States the most powerful military in the world close to 1.5 million soldiers and a colossal budget of 700 billion dollars a presence on all continents from Iraq to Korea from Italy to Australia America's instrument of power and the country's Last Resort in case of natural disasters yet the world's largest army has got itself into trouble in Vietnam Iraq and Afghanistan in this deeply patriotic country soldiers are considered Heroes each state has its regiment its port or its military Airfield we were able to gain exceptional access into three of their bases for several weeks we followed the ruthless training of the soldiers yeah Journey let's go I got other people that got killed this damn walk hurry up get off my wall under constant pressure from drill sergeants this isn't a game you're America's future Fighting Force if you treat it like anything else you're gonna be obsolete to this organization in America Special Forces soldiers are living legends the best Ranger competition collects the best of the best in a grueling series of Trials [Music] it's a marathon just maintain a steady Pace throughout the whole thing and try not to do bad in anything every year the Army recruits 150 000 young men and women the golden knights parachute team plays a part in inspiring them we can hear the crowd at about 1500 feet and that that noise never gets old the military also inspires parents thousands of American children live in military boarding schools where discipline is Relentless so what's all this stuff excuses no excuses yeah company leadership what are we going to do about this we will go to meet America's former soldiers some have become wealthy but many are suffering from psychological trauma we sacrificed a lot you know we're not asking for we're not asking for a huge parade every day you know what I mean we just want to be treated respect every year they drive their motorcycles to Washington to show their course paratroopers millionaire veterans and extreme hardship and exploration into military America the Carolinas in the south of the United States their white sandy beaches and military bases where Young American recruits come to prove themselves there are 35 Barracks here 150 000 soldiers and their families who have brought life back to entire cities like in Colombia the capital of South Carolina where the largest U.S army training center is located at the airport 700 new recruits arrive every week most of them come from Southern states such as California Texas or Florida they are mostly men from the American middle class this afternoon 50 young people are getting ready to wear their uniform for the first time as I've they are immediately put in line to the airport the last words if you have any rings watch it every necklaces bracelets everything else including your watch needs to be secured inside your bag do it now they are barely 20 years old most of them have never lived away from their parents this young man traveled 900 miles from his home state of Ohio then secure it inside your bag yeah do it now hey Dad I don't think I can have too long of a conversation I can't do too long with the conversation I'll I'll talk to you guys later this young man is not very reassured by the difficult training ahead obviously a bit nervous but I feel like I can all right if I just listen to what they're saying and I don't that my mind overwork me then I'll be okay in this very patriotic Town residents have come to cheer on America's future Heroes good luck everybody [Music] the US Army's newest recruits head to Fort Jackson in this space 50 000 young people are transformed into Fighters every year make sure that the straps don't get twisted as soon as they arrive they are put to training 12 hours a day all right next training let's go Colonel Evans is in charge of the training from the first week are you nervous he puts the recruits Under Pressure good good that's the correct respond I expect for soldiers this is just the first step of a voyage that's going to last you for the rest of your life so continue to focus on those fundamentals that's going to make you a better Soldier and because of that we're going to be better for it as an army okay proud of you guys today is the first time young soldiers are introduced to recall and in the U.S the training is especially tough training let's go I got other people that gotta give this damn wall hurry up get off my wall let's go drill sergeants constantly yell at the recruits to put them under stress Jody put your guy hand back on the road 4 AM they're exhausted and no mistake is Forgiven 440. continue in this business wow next event the ropes course nothing too strenuous it resembles an acrobatic Park more than a Commando event but some of them are frozen in fear oh my God come on don't swing your leg please don't get all shaky this is probably one of the scarier events for uh for the trainees just because of the fact that they're facing down and they're looking straight at the ground and it's just it's one of the Fear Factor if they can accomplish this there's nothing they can't do here in basic combat training obviously not everyone here is used to these kinds of physical exercises the world's largest military isn't resistant to the Obesity epidemic that is plaguing America nearly one in five soldiers is considered obese all right talk talk all right roll all the way down the reason the Army is able to turn these inexperienced youths into real soldiers is thanks to expert combat teachers Sergeant David Castello is a respected Firearms instructor he fought in Iraq and Afghanistan now build a rooster there you go a war machine uncompromising on discipline [Music] hey put your mask off as he knows that some young people will be going to the front line in a few months and that their lives are at stake hey stop kids stop your America's future fighting force that's what you're building upon right now if you treat it like anything else you're gonna be obsolete to this organization this isn't a game you understand me yes sir all right kids rough training but once their contractor signed the Army offers these soldiers very comfortable living conditions hey sweetie hey we're we're on the way okay okay David and his family live on the base a close city of twenty thousand hectares in which three thousand inhabitants enjoy a comfort worthy of a vacation residence there's a water park here on post there's a full goers there's a bowling alley alligator so everything that a militarily fan military family would want to do that have access to it here on Fort Jackson which is nice David doesn't have a reason to leave the base he can go shopping go out to restaurants or bars go to church or the hospital the Army even has its own emergency service this is the senior military housing bill it's here every dependent that you have will have their own room and they all have two-car garages [Music] David earns almost four thousand dollars a month and the rent of his grand house is entirely paid for by the Army on a daily basis the sergeant has almost no expenses I don't pay any bills yeah so I don't pay a water bill I don't pay an electric bill I don't pay anything the gas nothing it's all it's all a part of this house every week The Lawns and especially this Terence it's maintained and then they even bolt around the house to give it some Aesthetics the reason the U.S army is so generous with David and his wife Brittany is that it requires them to be available at any given moment every two and a half years they must move to the other side of the country this is a way for the Army to diversify the training of its soldiers but also to prevent them from becoming too attached to their regiment and their comrades each of the three children were born in a different state and David has sometimes left without returning for over a year so when we first had Addison that was what like 19 months Addison was born in Italy and two weeks later I deployed to Afghanistan for nine months so I left my wife and newborn child in another country much longer missions than for French soldiers and constant moves So to avoid disrupting her children's lives too much Brittany decided to homeschool them rather than sent them to the base School okay we have human happen and reason so it can be hard on the kids because they're constantly you know having to go to new places and new schools and um I thought it might just be easier to try it the family just found out that they must move again in a few months they will be moving to a y 7 000 kilometers away once again the Army has planned everything David will not have to pack a single box but one good thing about it is the Army is going to hire a company they're going to come in here I don't have to lift a finger they're going to pack and wrap everything and once I get there they're gonna unpack it for me in my new house despite these comfortable conditions one in six soldiers leaves for the private sector each year for those who retire the Army has 150 000 positions to replace so the institution is constantly looking to recruit and to wow the young recruits the Pentagon doesn't hesitate to show off and this hidden corner of Louisiana the Army flaunt its power the Blue Angels are in full swing [Music] oh my gosh [Music] an American style show where an aerobatic plane races a truck pelting at full speed but above all it's a staged recruitment operation by the U.S army away from the crowd the team of acrobatic parachutists rehearses their show one last time the golden knights are all parachutists for the Army they are about to deliver a spectacular performance four thousand meters in the air [Music] that's just a smoke so you can actually see us in the sky while we're free for and it makes it just easier for the audience to see us they don't aim to be visible simply for the spectacular show of skydiving the golden knights are part of the U.S Army Recruiting directorate our goal is to get people um join the Army um serve their country and and be a part of the best team in the world this morning the team can't afford any mistakes this is the anniversary of D-Day when many American paratroopers landed on Normandy so remember uh all those that came before us and what they did for us all right it's uh something we can strong yeah the golden ice the parachutists must land at this very spot right in front of the crowd a performance from a moving plane the eight soldiers Jump Then joined together in the sky with their smoke bombs at 900 meters from the ground they trigger the parachutes and perform a series of figures have you seen to the sound of the national anthem Captain Nick lands first with the American flag right on target the golden knights receive a hero's welcome [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh it's wonderful uh we can hear the crowd at about 1500 feet and that that noise never gets old Nick and his colleagues go to enjoy the crowd yeah thanks guys we're just the face of the army everybody else I mean the Army's full of Heroes we're just the ones who get to come out here barely on the ground the parachutists turn into recruiters almost got it they teach the Chow to packer Paris we're going to slide our hands up as we walk towards the parachute their goal to inspire younger kids to One Day become a parachutist or my favorite Carson 16 seems convinced it's like every three to four years but also jobs pending I don't know if you have already talked to the recruiters and stuff like that have you done that I've seen him at my school though they usually come to high school today Carson is passionate about Aviation after meeting the golden knights he seems ready to take the plunge and I love my country so Carson will have to wait until he turns 17. the minimum age requirement before joining the Army you guys want a brochure to recruit thousands of boys and girls each year the Pentagon has a huge budget of over a billion dollars the will to fight and determination to win the money invested into these clips that resemble Blockbuster films to appeal to young people they are increasingly aiming to look like video games in poor Southern States like here in Louisiana the Army also deploys hundreds of Recruiters in America where inequalities are high they promise attractive benefits to the underprivileged youth this morning Owen and Carter 18 have an appointment at a recruitment center Carter hi Miss let's just have a seat we can talk a little bit about this a few months ago the two teenagers were approached by Sergeant Williams at their high school as long as you're under 35 have a high school diploma and passed the tests anyone can join I mean you guys did any research you know anything about the Army at all Special Forces all the cool cool guys over there pretty much exactly see we have roughly over 150 jobs you can choose from you don't have to have a you know HR background you're going to teach you everything to convince them to sign up the sergeant will tell them very little about their future job his main argument is all the social benefits that the Army can offer them so you're not paying for medical and dental um the Army's going to take care of that we're going to give you housing I'm sorry we talked about housing you get meals as you guys are going to definitely get education benefits available we have your tuition assistance is roughly roughly about four thousand dollars a year for school so like myself the Army helped pay for my degree in a country where health insurance can cost up to to eight hundred dollars per month and 50 000 per year to go to university these promises immediately hit home Owen's plan is to go to college the Army will pay for it on the condition that he enlists for six years for like five years I've got it right now uh no not right now not right now at all I'm really excited for the educational benefits because it'll give me a chance to further my education I haven't decided what I want to do yet but I thought about going into teaching and for the most exposed units the Army offers a 34 000 bonus again under the serious condition that they will become an infantry fighter once a complete basic training their job training that that forty thousand dollars or so it's in their bank account so where do I sign hey um aren't you scared of dying or taking care that's where I am but at the same time it's like I I mean it's for the country um so and I don't want my family doing it I want all on me by the end of the interview both teams decided to enlist I mean it's a pleasure meeting you yes sir [Music] by joining the Infantry they can earn up to 42 000 a year the military career is a way out of poverty that continues to entice new recruits especially women they represent 16 of the workforce one of the highest rates in the world this single mother is reluctant to enlist she's worried about going on a mission away from her baby [Music] so you talk about like a deployment and stuff like that they let you know way in advance like he knew he was going to Africa way in advance oh it's gonna suck I'm not gonna lie to you know being away from your child of course um but at the end of the day you kind of know I'm doing this for a bigger cause you know and even single fathers that kind of come in and they're starting looking at uh different opportunities because again they look at the the benefit how does not only going to benefit myself but you know be able to provide for my child as well so it definitely helps out in this office alone 100 women and men sign up each year many have hopes of joining the Special Forces famous for their daring operations and unusual standards in particular the Rangers and Elite unit of only 3 500 members [Music] in a small town in Georgia Two Soldiers enjoy their last moments with their families [Music] Joshua 36 and Ryan 31 are about to take part in one of the most difficult tests of their lives Daniel turn around bud coming up we got uh the best Ranger competition that we're going to be doing and uh Ryan here's my partner we're gonna be partners on a team and uh our lucky number if you will is uh 42. so you got running uh ruck march shooting swimming uh repelling obstacle courses you know the whole plethora the best Ranger competition three days without sleep the best fighters of the American Army compete tonight Joshua and Ryan are taking a break after months of intensive training and dieting additional half is maybe covering many many many miles so that's what it basically boils down to getting as many miles packed into one week I mean guys capped out at like 80 85. so each and a week yeah there's no other competition that compares the best Ranger but just about the amount of stuff that people that the competitors are asked to do um physically physically and skills wise these two soldiers have endured strenuous combat in the mountains of Afghanistan the challenge that awaits them will put them to the test 4 30 a.m at the Fort Benning base hundreds of relatives are already there to encourage the candidates in a jovial atmosphere this year we had 51 total teams Joshua and Ryan got up at two in the morning [Music] first class Peterson and Sergeant First Class van Hart [Music] each of the elite units sent their best and brightest to compete against each other the first event 10 kilometers in combat gear just to warm up [Music] now is where it gets difficult for Joshua and Ryan with the dreaded obstacle course at the beginning the two teammates look pretty confident [Music] [Music] Joshua and Ryan get through the first obstacles with ease but as they cross the gap Ryan feels his strength falter he gets a second try there you go bro it's all good Shake It Off brother it's all good after this setback both soldiers must start the competition at the bottom of the overall ranking Ryan counts on making up for it at the shooting event let's go this Special Operations fighter is an expert in close combat shooting with an assault rifle or shotgun it's almost like a fitness circuit go the team must then storm this enemy building in a minimum time The Descent is more complex than the ascent [Music] both Partners Finish First in this event [Music] for them hope has returned shooting with a sniper rifle leading the rescue of a wounded pilot in an enemy Zone [Music] blow up an enemy position with a grenade or a rocket launcher [Music] the competition reflects the unique skills of the Rangers the elite of the US Army fighters who like Ryan are always the first to land in hostile Terrain I wanted to be a part of a unit was you know kind of the tip of the spear they got they get to do things that other units don't get to do they have capabilities other units don't have and you really get the opportunity to make a difference in any situation that pops up worldwide because they're going to be one of the first unions that gets called on to go handle the situation recently the Rangers made a spectacular show-off skill by participating in Syria in the elimination of terrorist al-baghdadi the leader of Isis an operation that made America proud last night the United States brought the world's number one terrorist leader to Justice the Rangers first day of competition ends Joshua and Ryan's wives will finally get to hug their husbands briefly oh yeah the kids are also eager to see their dads who arrive in style in a helicopter assault at the end of a rope hey Daddy hey so you were going in the helicopter yeah the next few hours are crucial as at the end of this first day the jury will eliminate half of the teams they encounter a problem the endurance challenge Ryan and Joshua experience fatigue and delays they arrive amongst the last and they're not really in the mood to talk to us anymore legs fine in the provisional ranking the team is 31st below the elimination bar I don't know I don't know what it means we've got to get about three we need three more spots yeah knock some teams off despite their optimism by the end of the last race of the day both soldiers are taken out of the competition the next day yahshua comes to encourage his comrades at the finish line [Applause] in three days these soldiers will have covered 112 kilometers and triumphed in about 20 events these images of the special forces are a part of the American dream for many some parents would like to see their children become a general or chief of staff of the army to give them every chance of reaching the top of the military hierarchy these families don't hesitate to prepare them from an early age [Music] in Missouri a conservative state in the center of Rural America for 130 years young boys have ended each day with the sound of a bugle meticulous ceremonies and impeccable uniforms it's like being in a barracks the Missouri Military Academy does not belong to the Army it's a private high school which offers an education and Military values the 200 students are mostly sons of bankers lawyers and doctors [Music] at the head of the school is Colonel Rick grabowsky this former Marine personally oversees the strict standards of discipline they could have done a little bit better so they're going to get some submission instruction denied on formations we always want Perfection give the boys the opportunity to get out and be leaders get them out of their comfort zone and teach them leadership [Music] these teenagers are between 13 and 19 years old and in this boarding school every minute of their lives is regulated the days are drooling starting at 6 a.m standing at attention in their pajamas let's get in the room keep squirting away let's go get a shave you gotta get yourself cleaned up let's do so good morning good morning Michael on the other hand has been ready for a long time at 17 this model high school student has been named dormitory commandant everything else to be organized because everything has a place yeah every we just attention to detail we always have somewhere something else they always be somewhere and that's just what we do the second he wakes up Michael must be an exemplary leader as here it's students like him who make the rules let's go hurry this up shouldn't take this long the students only have 30 minutes to get dressed clean their rooms and make their bets walk around every like two minutes we're expected to make our beds like this every morning make sure that there's no wrinkles in the bed here it's supposed to be 12 inches and here it's supposed to be six and it's not supposed to bend like this and then when you make a hospital corner here which is a 45 degree line like this and that's how you make some details pretty much yeah preparing rods are extended Company Five five four at 6 30 on the dot everyone must stand outside of their rooms two uniforms ready finish up anything else in your rooms be ready for inspection reviews each student your privacy is like way too high it's fine don't fix it now you know about face you need to get your paneling done all right do you know about face and no one would dare to contradict the young leader [Music] I'm a company Commander everybody in this company has to listen to me and then even when Cadets are in my company since I'm a hiring team so they'll listen to what I say I use a doll yeah you just get punished the life under constant surveillance with no privacy every move is made at marching pace even to go to breakfast [Music] it's noise down carry on [Music] despite the uniform these boys are still teenagers with an attitude and this morning an incident occurs a youngster has just thrown away his breakfast his group leader gets angry and is about to get physical he was immediately pushed aside by his classmates and told to stay in a corner the adults did not intervene it may seem surprising but in this school its young leaders like Michael who must learn to handle conflicts between peers when I tell him like take his arms off the table take his back off the table you're gonna do it and I'm like thank you yes next time it's soon as soon as he's like says anything he's like no I don't want to do that don't try to have a physical confrontation with them go get it uh go get a tour yeah or yeah go get something like that Michael's parents pay 34 000 a year to send him to this boarding school his mother works for an insurance company and his father is a railroad engineer for this upper middle class family it's a heavy sacrifice but they know that their son will receive a top quality education here small group classes an extensive Library a 40 hectare campus and a variety of sports activities there are few opportunities to rest but the colonel assures us that the military rigor is producing results [Music] most of our parents see an instant Improvement in their grades in the school because of just the fact that they have there's things here that they cannot do like go out at night and relax and do whatever they want they're in study hall at night every moment of their day is scheduled to do something and uh and so the academic side typically goes up pretty quickly the students are constantly put in competition with each other to push them to excel in a few days a ceremony will present Michael and his band to all the other classes of the school so their teacher Robert a former musician and the British royal Navy doesn't forgive any mistakes [Music] thank you they give it 100 I asked for 120 percent I'll always push them as much as I can isn't it too much sometimes for kids in the young age um yes and no uh at the in the moment yes but later on in life I think it builds character a stamina endurance so we all know in life things happen uh which we don't expect and you have to be able to deal with that only a few days left to improve before the end of year competition as a good band leader Michael motivates his troops one last time [Music] uh make sure your uniform is together make sure it looks good um nobody is too special to be in the van not even if you're a senior that's been here for uh three years 19 years it doesn't matter so uh yeah we're we're all the band so uh just just take care of each other [Applause] it's the end of the week for the students but at the boarding school there's never time to slack off in the dormitories a surprise inspection is under preparation attention Bubble company attention Bubble company five minutes till inspection it may be a Saturday morning but the young leaders don't hold back on one of their classmates that shouldn't happen a young man has left his clothes in a pile in his laundry basket so have you just not turned in laundry for the past three weeks or this is terrible that was a question I need you to answer it so what's all of a sudden no excuses no excuses yeah company leadership what are we going to do about this hey take this laptop yeah yeah go give that down to the mentor and when he's done cleaning all this stuff up you can go get it back you're messy not everyone can withstand this military discipline after a year at the Academy this is one test too many for the boy are you back thanks dear oh no definitely not so no definitely not coming back next year why not huh why not I don't actually want to live like like a normal teenager the punishments are kind of more of like it's like go run around the school or face the wall sit like this at the mess hall like stuff like that you know but that's just like I mean I would be if I was if I had the power of another 17 year old I'd do the same thing that's why teenagers shouldn't be able to Reign open other teenagers because it just doesn't make sense right like him 15 of students drop out of military high school before graduation the final day of the year competition has finally arrived every class in the high school will parade in front of the colonel they all hope to win first place for the best performance foreign [Music] it's really competitive all the companies are in competition and then we get graded um Ben usually wins but like I hoping hoping that we can win today the ceremony will be broadcast online and will be watched by parents all over the country ladies and gentlemen Mother's Day review I'm sorry each gesture has been rehearsed hundreds of times high school students deliver a parade worthy of a professional Army in the front row the colonel scrutinizes each group and scores each uniform he must choose the company which performed the best parade it is Michael's band's turn to be scored it's going to be difficult to choose the winning team [Music] all right foreign [Music] and the winner is Delta company Delta company won first place the colonel also chooses the student who will command all the high school students in the new school year and it is Michael [Music] oh you did it the best of the high school students will go to the most famous military schools like West Point or the Naval Academy they know that the US Army will open up opportunities for them for life in American society in this very patriotic country many former soldiers take advantage of America's love for the military to build fortunes after the military one in 20 veterans start a business all right go ahead boys Lock and Load in Southern Arizona a businessman takes a break in the middle of his work day Ellie crane 41 years old all right move up to the tree is a former member of the prestigious Navy Seals nice too star the ex-sniper has lost none of his old reflexes [Music] little rusty it's just fun because it uh you have to focus in on what you're doing and so it makes you block out all the other distractions in your life and there's no shortage of things to worry about since Ellie founded his company eight years ago in his Tucson Workshop his past as a Soldier is Never Too distant [Music] what is up Chris good how you doing man not too bad good morning there's plenty of ammunition on the shelves here trying to get some new photos for the website I like it after 13 years of shooting thousands of bullets Ali had the idea of using them in a much more peaceful and friendly way he turns the bullets into a harmless bottle openers it's the mother of all breachers and we say that no beer is safe because I mean look at this thing look how big and awesome this thing is Ali sells these bullets for twenty dollars on the internet [Music] he ships 400 a week amongst his customers are celebrities like actor Clint Eastwood and former President George W bush the next candidates are a military couple her success started with a stint on a famous TV show with his wife Jane we made each one of you guys a personalized 50 caliber beer bottle opener to set himself apart Ellie highlights his background in the Special Forces you know I'm so so honored to be able to serve with the guys that I got to serve with the last eight nine years I did three combat deployments to Iraq I like the story it's very simple I've made money with military guys because they're focused I'll do it for 20 you guys are awesome day Ellie walked away with 150 000 worth of Investments I didn't go to business school but I took a lot of the training that we got in the military and I think that that works on the battlefield and I think it also works in business today Ali has a turnover of 1.2 million dollars and employs 15 people most of whom are former soldiers [Music] thanks to his business he was able to buy a grand villa overlooking the city with a breathtaking view of the desert he lives there with his wife and two daughters [Music] how was your day today we are learning about spiritual work but like all former soldiers Ellie is still haunted by the memory of his years on the front lines he lost several comrades there [Music] he got shot by the scar it makes me miss it it makes me miss the guys I got ambushed by three guys with machine guns at like about 110 yards and it was like I was really close to getting killed and I yeah you go big without the house Ellie's next challenge is to use his image as a soldier to get into politics a possibility As Americans like to elect veterans in the United States 17 percent of the members of Congress are former military but on the other side of the country other ex-combatants feel that America has forgotten them in the hills of Virginia the graves of soldiers stretch as far as the eye can see seven thousand of them died in combat and Iraq and Afghanistan alone but many have been victim of the suicide epidemic which claims 6 000 veterans each year in this house lives a former Marine who has dedicated his life to his country so this is my I guess a retirement gift or parting gift from my last unit it's a nine millimeter that's the civilian equivalent of what we carried as a sidearm so it was kind of a reminder you know of those times from his 15 years of combat in the Marines zuke doesn't only have good memories hey bro what's up this is Howie like his friend Hogg he suffers from post-traumatic stress for them motorcycling is more than a passion it therapy this is the bike I came back from a deployment and I needed a healthy distraction and so coming back you know from a long deployment my first Afghan deployment mentally and emotionally I just wasn't in a place to cope you know I mean in a new alcohol I do tell people sometimes this bike the reason I don't sell it or get rid of it is I feel like in some ways it kind of Saved My Life depression nightmares a daily occurrence for 500 000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who have been diagnosed by the military with combat related trauma it's a good Outlet especially for US military guys um I can only speak for myself but a lot of times [Music] stuff that happens on your head gets to be a little too much so it's nice to be able to jump on the bike and just forget about stuff zuke is the founder of the sons of Blackwater a motorcycle club dedicated to fighting veteran suicide every year over 6 000 ex-soldiers end their lives a suicide rate almost twice that of the general population across at the clubhouse zuke and his friends meet on weekends to support each other it's my brother grumpier retired Soldier Army and to spread some military fun D this of course our Mattis Shrine which we're very proud of General Mattis led the invasion into Iraq he's had very notable quotes that we all love as Marines you know he used to say you know I love that Marines can be polite and be professional but they have a plan to kill everyone in the room from the military these former soldiers have kept the spirit of camaraderie Mac I need you to do me a favor and go behind the bar yeah and do an inventory check real quick please thank you thank you appreciate it at 70 years old Mac is always willing to help out at the club every year he organizes a big event in the heart of the American Capital as a matter of parking ten thousand or Twenty Thousand or thirty thousand of our closest friends this Vietnam veteran demands that the psychological injuries of veterans be better taken care of they say there's about 22 veterans a day are taking their own lives and that's that's that's not acceptable and you'll hear all these motorcycles we're leaning really hard on the throttles making as much noise as you can so people inside the capitol will get their attention the next day thousands of people were already gathered at this parking lot on the outskirts of Washington DC you can't miss Mac who guides the arrivals making a bigger Loop these ex-soldiers come from Indiana Kentucky or Mississippi some ride for 20 hours demanding a major national plan against suicides [Music] this is a way of reminding our our nation's leaders that we have not forgotten and we don't want our government to forget either 25 000 bikers drive to Washington DC in front of the capital the seat of the parliament they make sure to make their engines raw to remind their elected representatives of their fight given the scale of their event there is no doubt that the veterans will be heard [Music]

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Length: 54min 15sec (3255 seconds)

Published: Thu Aug 10 2023