 There, of course, is some fear of lightning. It is a very powerful force. If we can redirect that power, this could be a world-changing discovery. So I joined the Marines at the age of 18 because I was a person who was really committed to trying to better himself, and I heard it was most challenging. Getting to really learn how to focus, that was probably one of the luckier things that could have happened to me. Each time that I went out to the field to do training, I was getting a lesson in crazy weather patterns. This is something that has been with me since I was a boy. Growing up in the southeast, a lot of interesting electrical storms take place. Always interested in watching the weather channel and trying to understand what was happening above me. There's been many greats like Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, all of these scientists that were before me were fascinated with the sky, and often they had an experience. While I was on a new deployment, we were parked off of Iwo Jima. The Marines won Iwo Jima. I imagine that as the men planted the flag at the top of Mount Sarabaji, that lightning struck it because they had shortened the distance just enough to the charged cloud above to bring the ground to the sky. It was the exposure and being able to put together all of those pieces that helped me unlock this mystery of how to absorb lightning. After the Marine Corps, I wanted to work towards something that could benefit humanity and fully embody the core values. And so I started Project First Light. We started out as a think tank. The goal was to look for the more efficient battery, some of the processes that we've had to go through to try and acquire battery resources. It's been adversely impacting our environment. It's been literally creating global heat. The potential of lightning as a renewable energy source has been misunderstood for years. But the average strike that takes place these days can power 56 homes for a single day. The question is, how do you store lightning? Asteroids are comprised of the materials that we are searching for. Our technology will improve the quality of life for people across the planet and reduce toxic waste. I came over here to D.C. to meet with the Energy and Commerce Department and the Marines, the things that I learned, the core values on our courage and commitment. This project, it helps me embody those values in fight for the rights of others who aren't able to stand up for themselves. I'm so, so fortunate to be here and I'm proud to call myself a Marine.