 Yeah, well, she's more the writer. I told the story. Yes, she wrote. I told the story. I lived it. I mean, come on. Exactly. She's my ghost writer. Okay. I got here in August of actually July is when I arrived. My welcome ceremony was August of 2020, right in the middle of the pandemic. Yeah. Actually, my my predecessor was already gone. Now Brigadier General Mark Holler was the Comma not and he had PCS to Hawaii take command of 94th WMBC. So he was gone for about three, three and a half months before I arrived. I was in Korea. I was serving as X044 star and the transition because of the virus, you know, the transition kind of got a little elongated. Because when inbounds came in from the states, the Korean government had people stay two weeks, you know, in quarantine. So that added to my time. So I got here late July. And then we had a welcome ceremony on the on the OPQ, the field there and myself and the FA Comma not General Brooks will welcome along with our major's will welcome are doing that that ceremony. Almost two years. Yeah, almost two years. Okay. And whenever you came in, you were a I was I was a colonel waiting on Senate confirmation. So it's a unique position to be in, you know, kind of filling a one stars billet, but being a colonel, even non promotable too. So but the professionalism across FCO was was great. The officers in CO soldiers, they knew that being in this position that was a strong possibility that would be a general. And so he cheated me with utmost respect. So I can't say enough about what the climate that general camper has created here really is one that of mutual respect and respect for for everyone, not just, you know, kernels and now bigger general so but it was it was sort of unique. I'll tell you a story pulling up every day at my parking space behind the building seeing the one star on that placard. It was motivational. It was inspiring to know that one day that that star on that placard would be on my chest my uniform. So so when I parked my truck in mornings before I got promoted, that was kind of my motivation was to pull in there and see that star and go man, one day I'll have that on my uniform. So that was that was my time here. Initially how I felt. Okay, so how long did it take for you to get promoted? Oh, great question. I didn't get confirmed until March of 2001. And I got promoted on June 2 2001. Yeah, 2021. Yeah, so just not even a year yet. I've been a general show. Still a baby general. Thank you, ma'am. Thank you. Okay, so what if you had to sum up in like one word or one word? Once in a while, thank you appreciate that. What would you say like what what is your actual like your actual job as a common? Oh, great question. Really, my job is the proponent for the air defense branch show in terms of setting the the course in the future for our branch. How are we going to protect the maneuver force and protect the critical assets for our for our commanders out there? It's really training overseeing the training of the the training base here at Fort Zeal. So AIT students, you know, our Bullock students, our triple C students, our one officers, our NCOs that go to the NCO course here over at the NCO Academy. It's really setting the setting the course material for that. Also, a little bit in terms of how do you bring in new equipment into our branch? One of my key key responsibilities is helping with doctrine writing. We typically kind of bend the things in the dot mill P F domains, D being doctrine, I'm responsible for that dot D, helping with that along with our team, organization, the oh, we're responsible, the Ocata team helps with HRC of building the organization. Okay, let's say it's a it's a patriot battery. What types of soldiers and what ranks do you need a patriot battery? Our team upstairs along with the Ocata team, and the team over in over in the seated, they help us develop that organization. What that battery looks like. Also responsible for training, you know, how do we train at that battery? How do we get those soldiers ready to perform their wartime mission? So the team over at dot D helps my team develop the training requirements to certify a battery training requirements to shoot soldiers are prepared to do their wartime mission. The other domain that I focus on is leader development. That's when we do the schoolhouse. That's when we do the functional courses that we teach to the master gunner courses, the patriot master gunner, the Avenger master gunner to make our air defenders, you know, that much more, you know, proficient at the weapon system. And also how do we develop them to employ it with weapon system on the battlefield? So developing them to be leaders, and they leave here. So that's a key component. And then a lot that the other domains, the P domain, the personnel domain, how many people do we need in that battery? We help determine that. And we also determine where the Army needs to work levers to control the population of 14 series all across all MOSes. So we are key component in that. So that's some of the responsibilities that I have. When I first took over, General Rainey was the CG of CAC, and he said, Hey, I have two products for you is develop leaders and to drive change. I gravitate to develop leaders, because that's what I'm used to doing. That's why I enjoy doing the driving change was a little bit tough. And it was something that was, you know, foreign to me, I spent my time in force calm units. So this is my first trade off unit. So I kind of let the other folks the CDs of the world, you know, General, I'm sorry, Colonel Rauscher and the CFT General Gibson. I let that those team members work on, you know, kind of driving change into the organization, bringing in new equipment. I focus on developing leaders. And that's what General Rainey said. I wanted you to focus on develop leaders. And now that General Martin is taken over as a CAC commander, he's expounded on those two priorities and really wants us to continue to steward the profession, continue to show the army as a profession. It's the profession of choice, not the last resort. So I've made my way around to my hometown. I went back to ride North Carolina where I enlisted in the army in 1990, November 5th. You know, so almost 32 years ago, I went back to that map station, different building, but in the same general area. And I got a chance to walk around and talk to, you know, army new enlistees and to really share with them that 31 years ago, I sat right where you're sitting, you know, I was wide about joining the army. And now look what the army has offered me and afforded me to be a Brigadier General. So it's that part of my job is a commandant to go out and work the priorities of my bosses, stewarding the profession, being a steward of the profession, developing leaders and assisting in driving change really has been the cornerstone of what the commandant does. That's mentioned I signed the St. Barber's Awards as well too. Wow, you do a lot. Just a little bit. That helps me just know some more about what you actually do. And give me just one second. Sure. All right, good deal. I'm ready. Okay, so I actually didn't know about a lot of that stuff that you do. So you just taught me some things. Thank you. That's good. That's good. I'm feel tired talking about it. Exactly. Well, I just wanted to kind of go over and ask you, you know, like, what are some of the highlights from since you've been here? What are some of the fun things that you've gotten to do since you Oh, great question. Post or, you know, went TDY or whatever you've done. Sure. I think the highlight for me as I thought about this question is really going down and having brown bag lunches with the student population. When Sergeant Major and I would go and have lunch with the bullet class, triple C class, the ALC, SOC class, that was a highlight. I mean, because you walk in and they're all bright eyed and they're excited, you know, the general is coming in and a command sergeant major is coming in and they're going to be part on us some wisdom, you know, and I would be, I would tell my story, typically the first engagement with that population being a bullet class or triple C class. I tell my story and I tell what motivated me to continue service and what really got me into military service was my NCOs back in ROTC. You know, seeing something of me that I didn't see in myself. So I share that story with them, how really NCOs help officers become, you know, reach their full potential. And then I would, my second visit, I would take a video, a TED talk and I'd use that 15, 20 minutes so I could eat while they watched the video and then we'd get up and talk about the video, the lessons learned, the things that the person being interviewed or a person doing the TED talk, what they wanted to convey. We talk about that. General McChrystal was one that I used quite a bit. Just yesterday, we used Simon Sinek, you know, start with why. So it gives the student population a chance to spend time with our major and I, but also gives them a chance to think outside the box, to use TED talks and things like that to really pull the lessons out of there for leadership that they can employ when they go out to their first unit of assignment or if they go back to the forest. So I say the brown bag lunches were my exciting times. TV wise were fun. It was always great to get out of Fort Zeal for a while and to see the rest of the world. I had a chance to go to speak at Auburn University down in Georgia. Exciting because I've never been to Auburn first of all and I'm not a role-tied or an Auburn fan, either one I'm from North Carolina, so I root for teams in North Carolina typically, but it was just great to go and see a campus and see the program that they put together there for ROTC program to put together there and then just to be really treated as really a guest. Although I wasn't alumni, they still treated me, you know, I got the role treatment from the cadre and from the students there at Auburn. So that's really the exciting time. The last thing I'll bring up is Branch Night at West Point. When I had a chance to go to West Point and to see, I didn't attend West Point, I went to ROTC, but to see how they execute Branch Night where they bring all the cadets in this huge auditorium as a guest speaker there this year it was General Cody and the guest speaker gives a few remarks and then the under the, well actually they pass envelopes out, they being the cadre, the tack officers there at West Point, they pass envelopes to the cadets and they can't wait, they can't open them until one of the senior officers at West Point tells them to open the envelopes. And in that envelope is what Branch that cadet has for his or her future in the Army. So it's exciting to see their faces, you know, they're all, you know, nervous, it's like, you know, they're waiting for that, you know, that lottery ticket, you know, to be numbers to be called. And when they open the envelopes, you saw all types of emotions, you saw happy, you saw sad, you saw shock. And this one of those things where I can't imagine, you know, being there that night or going into that night, you know, wanting a branch and really putting everything you have into getting that branch and one getting it so excitement to not getting it so disappointment or three just knowing that I didn't get this branch, but I'm going to make the most of it. You know, so you had that those emotions kind of running high in that room. So that to me, that was exciting. And then I got a chance to the 61 air defenders that got branch ADA. I got a chance to actually pin on their uniform, the difference artillery branch. So they all came up there. I had my ADA hat on. I pinned the branch insignia on them. I took a photo with them. So it was a long night, shaking hands and taking photos. But that was exciting for me to these young air defenders now are going to be the future of our branch. And here I am, you know, the common not shaking their hand and welcoming them to to our branch. So that was a memorable night that and then I got a chance to tour West Point. My aid, John's a graduate West Point. So I got a private tour from John of West Point. So that was a good T. D. Y. Oh, that's not going to make things. So did you what and that thing over there is really begging me. What kind of stuff did you do as like, okay, so since you're the common not and you're over the school, which you can just talk to me like I don't know because there's a lot I don't know because we want people who are civilians that don't understand. Sure. Well, so like, what do you do for ROTC? Like as far as like, are you just a proponent for them? Like, like, you're just kind of like a mentor, or do you have like, do you have anything to do with the way that ROTC's operate and their setup or anything like that? Great question. Really, I don't have a lot of input into how they're set up. My purpose with engage with ROTC students is as my sessions mission is to getting those young students to branch ADA. So my, my it's not to belittle what I do, but it's a sales pitch. It's really getting them to choose my branch, our branch, so that they can become the future air defenders that take us into our next, our next century. So my goal is to really just talk to them about our brand. It's to sell the branch to them, but also serve as a mentor. I mean, I have cadets at West Point today that text me, sir, how are you doing? Or my first duty station. I'm thinking about going to Fort Bliss. What do you think about that? So I get a chance to connect with them. Like, I didn't have that back in my day. I wasn't talking to a general as a cadet. So I'm closing the gap really with with Army senior leaders and our future leaders in our Army, just offering them advice, you know, being a sounding board and and really learning from them. I mean, I learn as much as from them that they probably learned from me because I learned how they how they think what motivates them. And we take that back upstairs to our team in Okada. And they help build our marketing strategy. How do we how do we attract those young, you know, cadets, ROTC or West Point into our branch? By talking to them, you kind of understand how they think and what excites them. So I always talk about the lasers that are coming to our branch. You know, we're the first branch in the Army to have lasers on the battlefield, 50 kilowatt lasers. So that lights their eyes up. When I talk about that, oh, they're excited about that. You know, I even make the little laser sound like pew, pew, pew, because they love things like that. So so I try to use what we have in our branch as a marketing, a marketing tool to get them to come to our branch. Also want to build a diverse branch. I mean, I want to I want to make sure we're reaching out across all ethnicities, all genders so that our branch reflects one our nation too. We believe that strength and diversity. We gain so much by having diverse teammates, diverse soldiers on our team. So it's part of it too is going out to those universities that don't traditionally commission officers into the ADA branch and targeting them to say, hey, why aren't you talking about? And we found that universities that have an air defense cadre member in ROTC typically have more folks that branch ADA because they talk about it. They get the cadre member. My job along with Okada is to put our, you know, information into those universities that don't have an air defender on their staff. So we're there. We're the we're the voice of the branch to them. We also do virtual engagements now because of covid and because of just the cost of flying around, you do virtual engagement. So I've done virtual engagements with cadet course where I talk to 25, 30 cadets that are dialed into through NS teams or dialed in through through Skype or whatever means just sharing with them my experiences and answering their questions about the branch. So that's one of those ways where ROTC is really for us. It's a it helps us get out there our sessions goal. Okay. So let's see what else is I going to ask after that. Okay. So as far as ADA goes, okay. Now we can touch a little bit on, you know, current events. Sure. So where where did you where did you think ADA was whenever you first came over here? Maybe even whenever you first got into the branch? Sure. And you know, where do you think it is now and kind of where do you think it's going? Oh, great question. My first drawing the ADA branch. I went to a short range side. So really, we're supporting maneuver forces. So we were out there with infantry and armor providing air defense for those forces that they executed their maneuvers. So for me, it was exciting. It was, you know, I was a an officer on the ground in a maneuver talk, you know, a technical operations center. And I got a chance to really, you know, to feel like I was making the impact protecting the force. And then as I grew up in the arm, I saw that our branch had another side. Well, I didn't see it then, but I knew we had another side of our branch, the Patriot side. So it wasn't until I became a full grade officer that I had a chance to understand how our Patriot soldiers and our Patriot weapon system contributes to a much larger defense of a, you know, of a particular critical asset. So seeing now that man, we have a strategic impact. You know, so think about this all the the headlines that happened, you know, in the world when you hear a Patriot battery is sent somewhere, the headline starts to start to heat up. You know, US sends Patriot battery to Korea. US sends Patriot battery to Saudi Arabia. It sends a message to our any would be adversary that we're serious, it shows our resolve. So I'm a part of our branch that has a strategic impact that one that hits the news lines. We sent an infantry battalion somewhere. Nothing should always get into the news cycle, but we sent a Patriot battalion somewhere. It makes the news cycle. So I knew I was a part of our branch that was we are a strategic asset. We go somewhere and we change the landscape. We make any would be adversary nervous, you know, like putting a fad battery in Korea and places like that. It makes folks who are in competition with us that much more nervous. So we're a part of our branch that really makes a tremendous difference around the world. And then having to spend time partnering with other nations, you know, as other nations purchase Patriot and we have a Patriot battery or battalion in their in their country, we partner with them. We show them how to employ the weapon system. We spend time with them and teach them our TTPs on how we do things here in the US and how we fight our weapon system. So that's another aspect of the branch that really young officers just don't appreciate until they have actually done that when you spend time, you know, with an officer, your counterpart from a foreign nation, it is it is fulfilling, first of all, because you're giving back to that nation because they're defending their homeland. To them, it's a home game. You know, for us, we typically, we enjoy, you know, away games. For them, it's a home game. So being able to share with them and help them defend their homeland, it's it's rewarding. So our branch really, for me, has been increasingly more rewarding and exciting as I as I move up in the in the branch. And now, you know, being here as a commandant, it's I see it as sort of a pinnacle, you know, where you get a chance to really see all of that come together and and also a couple with you train that you train those soldiers are going to go out there. And also I get a chance to talk to future battalion brigade commanders here at the schoolhouse when they come here for the pre-command course. I get a chance to share with them my thoughts about leadership and my thoughts about my time in battalion brigade command. But more importantly, I get to share with them the new things that are happening in our branch. So they now go out into command more informed on where our branch is going so they can spread that to their soldiers. And it really increased the the the excitement really for the branch because it is exciting. New weapon systems coming on board, new formations coming on board. It's a great time to be there to fend under. OK, so did you want to say? Did you want to say kind of? You know, did you have any fair roles you want to? Oh, yeah, sure. Yeah, that'd be great. Really, I've been blessed to have a wonderful team. Since I arrived, this team has actually before I arrived, I'll take it back to prior to me arriving. This team has gone above and beyond to take care of me to integrate me and my family, although my family stayed back in Virginia when they did come to visit. This team did an amazing job taking care of them. Every day when I come to work, I really serve with one of the best teams on Fort Seal. Now, I'm biased because this is my team. But I've made my way around to shake hands with a lot of people on post. I've been to the Ratch, you know, the hospital here to award, recognize our medical professionals. And I'm thankful for my team. My team has done an amazing job. And really, from Mr. Summary's leadership, you know, as the as the deputy comadot, he is a civilian leader that has, you know, really commanded the respect of this team and certainly my respect. He's a really a miracle in terms of what he's gone through and still comes in every day with a smile on his face and really gives everything he has to this branch into our team. And how he leads our civilian workforce is simply remarkable. I don't have a concern with how he's leading our team because he's leading them well. And for the uniform personnel in our team, Commence Heart Major, and I are just really blessed and we watch the NCOs come in and the soldiers come in and they do an amazing job. Our NCOs in Okada, I mean, they really get after the mission of, one, bringing in the best cadets we can out of the commissioning sources, but two, updating our videos so that we can attract those great young officers and NCOs. Being professionals at what they do in terms of knowing the MOSes that they specialize in. You talk about Dave and about his story. And there's a tremendous job at really educating our young air defenders and some of our old ones, too, about the rich history here at Fort Seale, first of all, and about the legacy of our branch. So kudos to Dave and I'm trying to think the upstairs piece. I don't want to miss anyone, but I'd like to thank everyone. I mean, our Okada team, which includes Tentacon S. Ron and Mass Ron Wilford and our NCOs. Your staff, you know, Don, prior to you, now you are on board and Griffin, really, it's a first-rate crew. I have nothing but tremendous accolades for all of you. The podcast that you not only did for me, but you extended that. Hope you keep that going. That's a great asset right there, giving our air defenders a chance to have a voice on a podcast. That's amazing. And our team up there with the knowledge management, we do a great job at really putting together all the assets and resources that will help educate the future air defenders and also the current air defenders. And coming downstairs, you know, to my media staff, I got my EXO, my aid, both former and present have been phenomenal. I've been really blessed. I've had the opportunity to select two great officers as my aide and two great officers to be my EXO. And Dr. Davis keeps us all grounded. You know, she's the supervisor of all of us and just a joy they have around. And she cares deeply about what she does and what the team does. And our other teammates, I look at Jen and Kay as my counselors, my advisors on all things truck related. We share stories about trucks and just really a joy to go down and talk to them. They're not only their professionals at what they do, but they're great to have around. I enjoy really just spending time. When I'm sitting here in the office, I got a break, I'll walk down and I'll chat with them and bounce ideas off of them. So it's really a joy and I'm going to miss them. Our NCOs and soldiers, you know, my driver Herbert has been amazing, you know, to go from place to place and never got me lost. And he's so respectful. And when I see him when I walk out the door standing by the truck, he's holding my little placard, you know, and he's smiling with a salute. It really makes my day, you know. And then Messaran Johnson and now, you know, Sergeant Prince, they've been just amazing in terms of taking care of me. Messaran Johnson is one of the most professional NCOs that I've served with my military career. Not only fit, but just a straight professional. He is really someone that really epitomizes what we want our NCO core. I've had two great assistant commandants. You know, I've had Doug Simmons and now Todd Daniels. Both are amazing officers. I didn't know the gentlemen before we started working here together, but I go to war with those guys anytime. Very articulate, very smart. They care about what they do. They care about our branch. And both of them have done just an amazing job here and are great teammates. And the C-Wob Chief Brown has been an amazing C-Wob. Very knowledgeable. He really cares about the one officer cohort. He and now Chief Crothers have been just amazing in terms of taking our one officer cohort to another level and just continue to be professional. You know, and before Crothers, it was Hemingway who did an amazing job. Hemingway was my soldier back in 3-4 at Fort Bragg as a sergeant, you know, to see him now, you know, retired as a C-W-3. Just amazing and moving down the line. I mean, our techs, you know, our commos on Paris and our now new commo into our new commos civilian, Kevin, we couldn't do our job without those folks. You know, it's always, they're the unsung heroes. You know, when things are going well, you don't hear Paris's voice or name being called. You don't see Kevin. As soon as something breaks, they're the first name we call. You know, they're like the Maytag men for us and they've been amazing professionals. I don't worry about communication things with those two on the job. They've done an amazing job and certainly honored to have him as teammates. And certainly I think I've hit most of the folks here. If I'm missing anyone, I do apologize. Oh, our NCOs from the National Guard. Our NCOs in the National Guard team always there to lend a hand. Our great officer, Captain Cummings, has done an amazing job. He's new to the job. Serving as a captain in this job, his predecessor was a major who was promotable to Lieutenant Colonel. He stepped in and really has rolled his sleeves up and been a great teammate. So certainly proud of him to have him on our team and to be a part of the Commodots team. And really, I think last but not least, certainly my battle buddy, Sergeant Major Gray, he and I go way back. I knew him as a first sergeant, he knew me as a major. And he has been the same way the entire time. The consummate professional, tremendous character, loyalty to that entire team, not just me, the entire team, would give the shirt off his back for anyone. And I can't thank him enough for being a great battle buddy. I couldn't have picked a better Commander Sergeant Major and a better teammate. We've had tremendous laughs together. We've had some tough times together. And really, he's been there for me and certainly I hope I've been there for him through the times we had together. I'll never forget him. The Army, when he does retire, the Army will lose a tremendous leader who cares. I just like how he mentors his peers. You've very few senior leaders, senior NCOs in particular, spend time mentoring their peers. He spends time talking to his peers because it's lonely at the top. There's only one E-9 in a battalion and in a brigade. I take that back, the ops sergeant Major, but the command sergeant Major position is only one in that command position. And he goes above and beyond mentoring those command sergeant majors out there and making sure that they have a voice. Especially the ones that are in nominative positions at WMBC sergeant majors, they call him and they ask questions and they bounce ideas off of him. I think that's remarkable. We need more of that peer-to-peer mentorship and peer-to-peer just relationship building. So certainly I'm gonna miss him as I head off to his next endeavor. So is there anybody in particular like on Fort Sills? You know, as like your fellow officers and on your level of, you know, anyone that you're gonna be missing? Oh yeah. Anything about Fort Sills? Yeah, yeah, oh great, absolutely. One, the CG. And I'm not saying this because of my report card. But he's been an amazing boss. I met General Camper when he was my war cause classmate. He was our class president in war cause in 2014. He went after brigade command. I went before brigade command. So that's how he was there as a very senior colonel. But he's been the same way. And he's led this organization, this installation I should say, with dignity, respect, with care, compassion. We are better installation having had him as our CG cause he has that culture of really inclusiveness. Everyone's included the culture of just accountability also. I mean, he's the man that, hey, this is your responsibility. You own this and I'm holding you accountable. So I appreciate that. So I'm certainly gonna miss him. And just he's a great have around. He always jokes, always has a smile, always has a hunting story to share with you. He and I allegedly, I may have done some hunting together, but I'm certainly gonna miss him. I will miss the history of installation. When you think about it, I shared some of this during the Black History Month podcast. This installation was built by Buffalo Soldiers, the majority of it. And to be on this installation to walk around as a general officer, I can't imagine what those old souls could imagine that I would be here one day. We didn't have that back in their day. And for me to be here now, I just imagined them smiling down on me. And to be in the house there, I shared that during the podcast, built by Buffalo Soldiers, and I'm living there now. It's just amazing to walk by, or drive by the flipper ditch and know that what that young man did, saved lives here at Fort Seal by building that ditch to irrigate the land here so that we can protect against the malaria. So the contributions that Buffalo Soldiers and African-Americans made to this installation it's been great to be here, to be promoted here, to serve here, and installation to me has been something that I will never forget and I'm gonna miss it. The community, I like how, I shared this with my friends back home, is that when you talk to someone outside the gate in Lawton, they say Lawton, Fort Seal, it's not just Lawton to them, it's Lawton, Fort Seal. I go to Fort Bragg, they say Fayetteville and Fort Bragg, it's a difference. Here is Lawton, Fort Seal, it's no different and the community has really embraced installation and the installation has embraced the community. I like how the CG started the Frontier Friends Program where we bring community leaders onto the installation and show them what we do, give them a day in the life of a soldier and they come out and participate in our ceremonies, they come out to our stable calls. It really ties the community very close together. So what we've done here with tying the community and the installation together is better than I've seen anywhere else I've served at. So Dr. Davis, my EA, affectionately calls me the People's General. People in the community know about me and they talk about me and they're excited for me being here and they wanna know me. Just on Saturday I'm heading out to the VFW and I'm gonna talk to some of our veterans there at the VFW and they're so excited for me to come out there. When I went to the car show, I just wanted to go to the car show and see old cars and new cars and just have a relaxing Saturday and I wind up talking to four veterans who just were blown away when I told them that I was a Brigadier General. And it's just one of those things where this community really admires service, they really admire leaders in the Army and they wanna be connected. I've heard so many stories from retirees and I listen and I smile and I'm like, man, he just doesn't know that he's really making my day because I know that because of his sacrifices, his service that I'm allowed to be here as a Brigadier General, especially the African-American NGOs and soldiers who served years ago, they sort of paved the way for us and I'll never forget that. So to me, it's me giving back to them saying, thank you. My time is valuable, so they say, but for me, my time is everyone else's time. I get joy in engaging with people and spending time with people. That's what gives me joy and keeps me motivated. So let me ask you this. I've been going for a minute, am I doing okay? I thought I did. Okay, so let's see, I think we went over pretty much everything. Oh, family life, you talking about that? Oh yeah, do you wanna say anything? Yeah, sure. You know, to your family. Oh, yeah. To your family. Yeah, absolutely. Do you get embarrassing stories? I got tons of those. No, really, I just wanna say thank you to my family. I mean, they have endured a lot of me being gone, this tour being one of them, probably the longest actually, because before this, I was a year in Korea and I had a year of deployments. This has been the longest. And really to them, thanks for being just one, a great wife and two great kids. They are super resilient. They've continued to do well in spite of my absence. And they make me proud. My wife has gotten promotions every year that she's been back there in Virginia by herself. I went to Korea, she was a manager of her career field and in her career field. Then she got promoted to director and then next year she got moved to executive director. All the while, I'm away. She's back there being a mom and being a leader in the organization, that's amazing. It's astonishing that she can do that. And there's also she's gotten master degrees when I've deployed. My wife has two master degrees because I've deployed twice. If I deploy again, she'll be a doctor. So she does amazing things in spite of me being gone and still is a great mom to our kids. To my oldest daughter, Leah, she has really come into her own. She works at the Civil War Museum in Richmond, Virginia as the media manager. As in her career field, she has a master's degree in communications and she's really come into her own. She's got her own desk now and I bought her a nice nameplate for her desk and she has grown into a really, really great young lady and really responsible young lady. So super proud of her. My daughter, Alexa, I call her my baby girl, turns 21 on Sunday. And really I could not be more proud of her too. She is independent, she's smart, she's driven. When she wants something, she goes for it. Just recently, she's got a job at the Apple Store in the mall in Austin, Texas and she was on the floor greeting guests. That wasn't what she wanted to do. She wanted more. She studied and she interviewed and now she's a tech specialist at the Apple Store. Such example of her drive is that she wants something, she goes to get it. I feel comfortable about her. She's gonna be okay. She's my 401K plan. I'm invested in her. I'm gonna live with her when I get old. That's from Colin. He is just an easy young man. He is no trouble at all. He's super smart and he has the biggest heart. He asks his mom all day, every day, does she need anything? Can he do anything for just such a gentleman? And really, I credit his mom for that because I've been away quite a bit. He'll be 16 in June and I've been gone probably about six years of that, of his 16 years on this earth. And so I credit his mom for just his decombinator, his intelligence, his just drive to make sure everyone around him is comfortable. He spends his time helping others be comfortable and make sure they need, he loves video games. He and I do play video games together over internet and I win some and he wins some. We'll say he quit playing football with me because I went a lot on football but he beats me on Mortal Kombat. So but the idea that a father and a son can connect over a video game, it's the new way to connect. It's not always back in the day where you're tossing footballs around your son or you're doing other things. Now it's the video games. I went into his world. His world's been video games since he was a toddler and I went into his world and I enjoy it. I enjoy it. So they've managed to do exceptionally well in spite of my absence and I could not be more proud of them. I'm excited to go home. These two weeks can't go fast enough by so I can get home. This is my first time living in the same house with them in roughly three years. So I'm super excited about that. A bit nervous because I'm sure there's gonna be two-pace on the sink. I'm sure there's gonna be cabinet doors left open. I'm sure there's gonna be dirty clothes laying around and I'm gonna have to go back home and take a chill pill so that I don't, because I'm used to in my house I put things down, it stays there. No one touches it, it doesn't move. A little different back home. So I'm taking some patient pills right now. I call it. But I'm really just really relaxing a little bit and not going back home and trying to turn everything over. I realize they've been surviving doing great work without me and I'm just happy to be home. So I'll look past the two-pace for a while. I'll look past the open cabinet doors for a while until I ease it into the routine at home. All right, yeah, all right. So what is your, what's your next, what's next for you? Oh great, yeah. It's officially notified that, I was officially notified that I'm gonna be the next G357 of trade-off, training doctor command at Fort Eustis, Virginia. Well, joint-based Langley Eustis in Newport News, Virginia. It's about an hour and 15 minutes from my house. I intend to commute every day. At the hours get late, I grab a hotel room or stay, you know, stay with some friends there in the Virginia area, Taiwan area. But yeah, I'm excited about that. It's a first time for an air defender to have that type of job, the G3 of a four-star command. And I'm really excited about the opportunity. I really tie it to, I have 380 people on my staff. 255 of those are civilians. So I really tie it to my time at Fort Pickett. When I had a chance to work with civilians at Fort Pickett, that opportunity, like the Army, Army has a great way of building you as a leader, giving you opportunities to work leadership muscles that you don't necessarily work on a daily basis. So going to Fort Pickett, I work with civilians, the interagency, you know, Department of State, home and security. I work with contract doctors, contract nurses, who, they don't work with generals every day. It doesn't move them, you know, it moves soldiers, but it doesn't move civilians, contractors. But earning their respect, getting them to really understand that, one, I'm a person too. Two, I'm a general officer. Three, I care about you and what you do for the team. That to me really prepared me, will prepare me for my next opportunity to lead again of a mostly predominantly civilian organization. So spending time at Pickett for me was a dual purpose. One, working with civilians and growing as a leader, leading civilians, inspiring civilians to do, you know, their job and to do it well. Two, seeing Afghans, guests, we call them guests, because they were a guest in our country, seeing them come in with really nothing, closing their back and being a source of hope for them. You know, my team and I provided food, water, shelter and safety. The essentials, the bare essentials, we provided that to our Afghans. I guess for me, it's 110 days I did that. So that was probably the defining moment for my career. You know, having someone, you know, thousands of people, at the highest point, we had over 7,000 Afghans on the ground at Fort Pickett. 7,000 that look for you for food, water, shelter and safety, it's pretty, you know, one of the daunting tasks, a lot of stress, but I had such a wonderful team to help me with that. You know, we started out with Infantry Task Force, Infantry Battalion out of Fort Campbell. They were relieved by a Marine battalion and really, and then a Marine Brigade Headquarters showed up to help me kind of command and control the organization. But really, I saw services, Joint Force, come together there at Fort Pickett to really, you know, do a mission that really hasn't been done for years on the scoping scale that we did it on, you know, the safe haven we provided there for the Afghans. Working with local and state leaders, I mean, I met the governor of Virginia, came to visit our operations there at Fort Pickett. I got a chance to meet the Deputy Secretary of Defense, Dr. Hicks, came to visit our operations there. The Chief Staff of the Army came to visit. The Adjutant General of Virginia, you know, General Williams obviously came to visit several times. So working with the Guard was unique and a great opportunity for me to grow again as a leader working outside of my comfort zone. So I'm taking that back to my next job and I think those experiences will help me in that my next job there at Tredoc Headquarters. Is that good? All right. I know, I saw that. I looked down on that. I looked down on my note card. I found a way to weave it in. I said, I can weave that in. I got that. I think we covered pretty much. I think we did. Just, again, thank you for the opportunity to, one, to say thank you to the team. I'll say some things at my farewell, obviously, but certainly for you to capture the video, you know, for my family and for others to see, I appreciate that. You know, thanks for taking the time and getting on the callum to do that. A lot of people get on the callum and waste my time. This was a great opportunity, great use of my time. Okay, perfect. Yeah.