Hey, this is Jason overcome Redmond. Thanks for tuning into the Jr. Overcome show. If you love this show we would love for you to do us a huge favor. Go to iTunes subscribe leave a five-star review. Leave a comment and share with your friends. Everybody wants to be on top of the problem nowadays is people want to get dropped off at the top of the hill. I'm just that I overcome mindset that makes all the difference. Either way. We're taught is you're going to call going to scratch gonna bite. You're going to dig you're going to do whatever it takes to. Get to the top of that mountain bad unequivocally is how I have managed to keep myself moving forward and finding success to sealed One mission the Jr. Overcome show and welcome back to the chay-ara overcome show. This is episode 18 man. What a run dude I tell you why last week's episode our last episode episode 17 with Taya Kyle. I have had people blow me off right and left man. Yeah. It was a steamroller man. We are just crushing it at every Every week, I don't know how we do it. But we seem to out top the guess that we had the week prior and once every week I say we can't top this guest. It's true. It's true and I tell you what, this week's guest is pretty amazing. The story is absolutely incredible. But going back to teh. I mean people just wrote me laughing and just and and Ryan I got to tell you you suck at editing because you didn't tell any of my my game show your name edit out a single thing. I told you it was a total train wreck funny. Train wreck. The world's worst games video was going to work with it. And that's why I didn't edit it out. So well, it was dude. I listened to it and cringed although I will admit that we got to call this a certain things. I'm not even going to repeat them again. But yeah, the two words rock-hard you had so many people that texted me or were like you got to be kidding. It's so hot. I translate that the giant cock remember yeah conquer conquer. Yeah. She conquers she'll good. It was good stuff Ray. What do you got going, brother? Still working on the camps. I'm getting ready to head. Let's see. I'm heading down to Texas to do a little filming project. I'm then heading out to Chino Hills California with the man the myth the legend himself bedros. Keuilian s turquoise, then I'm going right out to go see. Mr. Josh all going to do a little one-on-one week training in Wisconsin. And then right after that, you know me and you've got some things coming up. Maybe you want to talk about that. Yeah, maybe the we got some we're working on some of the conquer and overcome Camp. So we're going to be putting some things together raise going to be bringing the Thunder to build you into highly motivated disciplined Elite performing teams, and I will be laying down some leadership teaching you how to get off the X and lead people through those life ambushes and we're putting all that together. It's going to be pretty amazing. So if you were on the edge of your seat right now and you're like, I want a little love My life it's coming. It's coming. So I got excited. I legitimately you welcome. I raised I raised the bar so to it. So I'm what am I doing? What are you doing Mom? I'm heading out tomorrow and I'm going to be with the man bedros his business partner Craig Ballantyne down in Florida, and he working with him at his Mastermind both learning and laying down the Thunder teaching people how to get past these life Ambush as micro. Minor and major life Ambush as we all encounter them. I encounter them you encounter them Ryan and counters. Mmm. Our Guest has encountered them. Yeah and more than more than his fair. Share. My God. Are you got the really speaking at this Mastermind? I am that's epic. That is the definition of speaking it at one of mr. Vallot. Yeah, that's insane. I just leave it on super honored. I'm super honored and I'm going to I'm going to spread some love and thunder and then from there. I'm heading to Las Vegas for a speaking event for a company RPS that does a lot of amazing. In drone work. So it's a lot of X Air Force guys ex military guys, and we're going to be talking about leadership and teamwork before I head home and then I'm out in Vegas. I'm sorry. I'm out in Chicago the 15 through like the 20th and doing an event doing several events. I'm going to be talking about mental health with the Chicago Police and Fire Department. Dude. They are struggling man. There are struggling we had to Law Enforcement Officers. Just last week who took their own lives. So we've Got to beat this epidemic man in the military and law enforcement are First Responders. This is not the answer if you were hurting right now and you're listening to this show, you got to reach out and got to get help man both Ray and I and so many other Tier 1 tier high-tier operators. It is not the answer no matter how dark you feel like it is brother. You are not alone. You are not alone. And that is not the answer. That's what we're going to be talking about on the 15th up in Chicago and then Brent Magnuson and I are doing an event wake up. Overcome at the VFW. So if you want to hear about a little bit of structure and discipline and how to get off the X we're going to be doing that and then I'm doing some more with the Chicago Police Department's out there. So that's what I got coming on over the next couple of weeks. You got me beat. Well, you know, we're both a we're both grind and grind and we are entrepreneurs we are making things happen and you know what it's going to catch fire this year. So it's good to go. So let's let's jump into the show. Let's do it. Are you ready? I'm ready bam. Let's do it. It I love it. I love it. So, you know the the individual that we have and last time we flip things up last time we flip things up and we did the introduction and then we got into the word of the day and I think we need to do that again. I like the flow of better that way. Yeah, it's load. Okay, let's flow let it flow. So I want to tell you guys about this individual. He reached out to me on social media and I'll be honest. I wasn't familiar with this story before he reached out to me and he wrote me and I read through and I Blown away I was so impressed and I forward it to my brother Ray cash care and I forwarded it to Ryan our producer and I said, what do you guys think about this and whether they were like, this is an amazing Story the jar overcomes show is about leadership and overcoming adversity and this story is just built on those foundational principles actly. So I want to tell you about our guest Our Guest was born in Iraq and in grew up under saddam's rule on and it just an oppressive just tyrannical Rule and from a young age. He just fell under this and ended up being a young man who went into one of the prisons in Iraq, and he was beaten almost every day in this prison and when American forces decided to come into Iraq to overthrow Saddam and provide freedom for the Iraqi people from that moment forward. He said I want to help I want to see my country free. I want to help the Americans who are trying to help us and from that day forward it changed his life. He joined the Iraqi Army. He was he saw some of the most intense fighting in the beginning of the war as a young Iraqi troop on one engagement and we're going to talk about this in the interview. He went in with 29 teammates at the end of that firefight at the end of that engagement only nine people. People came out alive and it was so devastating to his unit. He was provided a battlefield promotion and we don't see these things in the American Military that used to happen like in World War II and I know I'm Vietnam it still happened, but we haven't seen a battlefield promotion in a long time in the American Military and our guest was promoted at the age of 22 command sergeant major. This is a position that's reserved for individuals that have been in for like 30 years exactly. He was 19 years old. He is the youngest command sergeant major ever in the history of Iraq from there. He went on to become a Intel operative working heavily entrenched with American forces and became one of the most critically important assets working with the American government at that time during that period of history and he just made a tremendous impact he saved lives. He is directly credited with thwarting specific attack. X and from there it got so dangerous for him that he had to leave Iraq, and he came here to the United States. He has now an American citizen. He has written an incredible book called the terrorists Whisperer. He has an amazing documentary that is not out yet, but we got to see a sneak peek man's it is absolutely awesome. So it is my great honor to invite and welcome to the show. Mr. Sergeant major Hamada just seemed brother. Welcome to the show take you guys. It's really an honor to be here with you guys. Yo, man. We are glad to have you you have an absolutely amazing story. It is just incredible brother. I mean it is the foundation of what this shows about. You know, when when we try to select our guests and things like that, you know, we have a process, you know that we go through a process of elimination and you know, obviously I knew who you were ahead of time and soon as we you know, we Did the research it's like it was a no-brainer. We're like this guy is the epitome of overcoming conquering and doing things. I consider you the ultimate the ultimate servant because you really served not only your country but you serve the United States to you did what was boast both you did what was best for both Nations? So we both salute your brother. Thank you. It's an honor being here with you guys. And I think that I will be able to release why I wanted to be in this podcast and I think I'll be able to tell you this Secret. End of the show. Alright, man. We love it. Yeah, we love it. So as we do with every show we have the word of the day and we reach out to our guests and the show is built around that word and we reached out to Hominy and I said to him. Hey, man, what word describes you and describes your life. And I love some of our guests. It takes them a little while. It may be a day before they get back to me. They'll say hey, I need to think about it others of our guests. It's instant. And how many was one of our guests that it was absolutely instant he replied back. Immediately and he said my word is detailed. So, mr. Kerr would you do the honors? I would detailed it is to find it here. I want to make sure I use the right one giving a lot of information with many details, which I think specifically Defines who you are in which you did there's a couple different definitions of detailed. But what I try to do is find the right one, which would represent what you did when you started collecting data and information, but without further Ado sir, what is your definition and rep representation of the word detailed? Detail for me comes from attention to detail and attention to detail was literally everything for me during that time of War its intention to detail not only have saved American lives and during the war for me back then but it also has helped foil. A lot of attacks against American soldiers and Iraqis during that time. So in addition to detail it was truly the main key success. For me it during that era during that time and it was there truly the one weapon that was in my Austin area. That was keeping me going and keeping me Victorious during those tough times in Iraq. You know, it's funny when you were when I read this and I started thinking about it. Actually, you know, the SEAL Teams we talk about it all the time we talk about. Hey, man attention to detail it is those little details that will get you killed if you're not paying attention and it brought to mind a story. Three that actually happened to me because I had failed to pay attention to detail and it almost cost me my life. So when I was going through school through college, I still had to maintain my qualifications for jumping and shooting in order to maintain our special pays because I was still active duty. So I'd come back to the SEAL Teams comedy. Probably. I don't know once a year and I go jump with the team and I'd go shoot and I'd blow stuff up to keep my qualifications while I was still on active duty while I It's working towards getting my commission. So one night I came back and they were doing a nighttime water jump and I hadn't jumped in probably a year and jocked up with a platoon. I was the last guy out of the bird. It was late at night and the wind had picked up this night. We were probably right on the edge of what the what the winds were. They were probably blowing at least 18 knots and so I came down in the darkness and there's a sequence that you have to do in order to prepare to hit that that water so that you can immediately get out of your harness and I knew I needed to get out of it fast with these winds. I knew that the water was going to be whipping and I came down and I hit the water and I had forgot to release my chest strap. I totally forgot to release my chest trap. I had everything else ready, you know Reserve parachute belly band out of the way and I tell you what the wind caught my shoe and pulled me forward and started launching me across the water and I was planning on my back under the water. I could not I could not sit up and literally I was getting ready to drown when this little voice inside me was like dude reach up there, you know grab a line Pull It in Pocket cave. Well, yeah, and finally I managed to get it but dude, I was choking seawater. I mean I was like a few seconds away from blacking out and it was all because I'd failed to pay attention to detail. I had missed a step because I was Rusty. I had not done it in a long time. So how many I love you? Or word because it is critical that saves lives and obviously what you've done as save lives, you know, so you ready to dive into this. Let's get to it. You ready? All right, let's let's let's go. So tell us about the terrorist Whisperer what led you to write it and what part of the book stood out most to you and have the most impact while you were writing it, you know, according to your life truly that since I arrived in this country 2008. I was ready to walk away from that life as it remind me of A lot of lost a lot of losing my buddies. It was a very different world for me. So when I came to this country, I was really ready to start a new life and new family and just walk away from that life and live totally another life until about Isis started taking a rocky territories and I was watching the army that I fought for it to build was losing its the ground getting demolished by ISIS and I lost honestly the majority of my soldiers and majority. A of my teammates during this recent fight against Isis when they were losing I'm Barbara Province territory to Isis muzzle and all these events were happening. I was literally sitting home hearing every day. I would get a message. Why didn't wake up. This guy died. This guy. We lost him. This guy got captured a life. We don't know what happened to him and it was in a point where I wish I could have walked away from my life here. And got back to the fight and I would look into the face of my wife my kids and decided just really to release my anger by grabbing a pen and I wanted to do something to honor their service, you know, not just Iraq also to America a lot of them love this country. A lot of them loved the movies left the cowboy movies about this country. A lot of them believed in loved Americans that train them and we're thankful. For that and I wanted to do something that they would be remembered as through and that's when I really realized that I needed to release my story. There was always a security risk about releasing a story like mine, but I can't do the point is is that if my buddies were given their lives in the battle. I shouldn't be scared about giving my life here in this country. So I decided to release the story release talk to all the intelligent officers. I worked for back in the day got their opinion told him what I thought and all of them supported me. Not one of them have said don't do it. You know, you might get killed. Somebody might find you you're going to release this has been a mystery for them. They never knew who you were and now you're going to tell them that you're here you're alive because when I left in 2007, all of them thought that I was dead and I was announced dead and a hospital and when I grab that pen this is when I realized that you know, this is was a a way that was going to book me back in the fight with my buddies and it was the best decisions I ever made. I love it honey. You were talking about the Isis moving in and I got to tell you as a guy so I fought pretty heavily in 2007 in Al anbar. We were we were operating in Fallujah and in Carmen. I know you talked about karma in in your in the documentary and we were working with both the Iraqi Special Forces and some of the Iraqi National Police and I know for a fact And a lot of those guys were killed when Isis swept through al-anbar. I am always frustrated watching and seeing where we came because I knew when there was Talks Of Us pulling out in 2010 that that the Iraqi forces were not ready yet that that we weren't quite we hadn't reached a level at least that's what I felt. I was really worried about us pulling out too soon. What are your thoughts because you know you were there and you were leading. And it's just so frustrating for me. We lost teammates when we were there in 2007. We lost some of the Iraqis we were working with and to have given up this ground that we fought so hard for and really to see some stability in 2008-2009 into 2010 from a lot of the efforts at so many forces put in part of the surge you were contributing to that is it was really really hard for me to watch so for you? What what did you see? I mean, obviously you lost friends and you help you help build this level of stability before it imploded. This is actually a whole entire chapter in my book. And I beside this as I've been mentioned also in the book because I and the film as you saw I did not get into the political side of it. It's really pulling the troops out of Iraq back in 2012. It was one of the worst decisions that we ever made As Americans as a Iraqi soldier that I know there were projects in the ground that we are being built to have the American advisers being part of it walking us through as Iraqi soldiers and Iraqi leaders through these programs that were going to take years to establish the quality of military that we need the quality of soldier over Iraqi soldier that we were building at the time and these things were going to take years to have so our plans and the US of plans back then is to work together with the Americans as long as we can. To get these projects done and the Iraqi military. We're not anywhere near being ready to be left on its own. Unfortunately. What have happened. Is that our leaders in DC back then during President Obama administration have what we say is that they have bought they have bought the debt traps that the terrorist organization has set for them in Iraq. They have convinced them that Iraq want to be in its own and we need You guys to leave and pull out and within 45 days of the u.s. Troops have pulled out of Iraq. Most of these Isis Fighters that you saw that you fought in 2014 and 2013 were not actually coming from Syria to Iraq. That was actually not true media have been reporting about that. It was not accurate at all. These were the same Fighters that mean you'll have fought in 2005 during The Surge who actually escaped out of prison after 45 days. And one attack about 700 of them broke out of the Abu ghraib prison. So this was like a reset for a fighting game. Yeah. We just reset it. We love them out. They're all back there. Now they got out and they are more vicious more violent because they already knew who we are. They already seen the Americans they been in a u.s. Detaining facility and this is pretty secure and I know that for sure that when we was to get Terrace and locate him when they go to u.s. Detention, T that the possibility of them escaping out of that is very low but once the troops got pulled out they got transferred from these detaining facility. They almost went to a building that look like a high school in America and within 45 days, of course, they planned that tax from this side and they knew this was the time to get out. Yeah, it is frustrating and I think we could spend an entire show talking about this and we try you know that we never go political on this show. We want to focus. On leadership and overcoming but I feel your frustration. I watched it and was just I was angry to be perfectly honest and I thought about you know, what a travesty I want to I want to jump. I want to go back to a spawn point because you talked about the Abu ghraib prison and you spent time maybe not in that prison, but you spent time in Iraqi prison. I want to know about that. I think so many of our listeners want to know I mean our prisoners here in the United States of America are so So fortunate they're so fortunate because we have regulations we have you know, we have civil rights. So obviously we have to take care of our prisoners. They get fed. They get AC often times. They get TV and a five-star hotel can yeah. Yeah. Exactly. I went to the prison in Fallujah when I first got there my my commanding or my My Ground Force Commander and I went to the prison and we stepped. And and I've dude it was horrendous. So tell me about that time in the prison and how it built this overcome mindset within you that you wanted to drive forward and Conquer and and set you on this path that you went down and let me cut you off right there, sir. Let me ask you to add to this too. If that wouldn't happen to you at 12 years old. This is the question like when I watch the documentary and I've read everything is if you weren't imprisoned and you can get into all that do you think you would have still taken? In the same path because I always talk about it with my conquer mindset. There's a time when a man has to face reflection in there's those Pinnacle moments in a young man or a man's life this to me. Is that Define moment. Would you do you think you would have taken the same path? If you would have either given your money up and you can get in that story or that would have never happened on top of the prison. So just keep that in the back of the mind sure. I think to answer that question pretty fast. Is that absolutely not Because it's all until I walked into an Iraqi prison. I was a kid. I was just a 12 year old kid that refused to give his money to a corrupted member of the time of the police and when I went into that prison and I got treated the way it is is because I end up cursing that person and when I curse them this was a big deal in our culture. I got booed in prison. He wrote a false report put me there and when I got beat in that prison in a 12 year old kid, I was in a prison called I test for Rod which is inside of the rock. He Ministry of interior back then and I was being treated as an enemy of a state not as a child back. Then when I walked out of that place after my family have bait a ransom to the person there. And this was a common process back then if you have faith cash, you can delete all these reports and walk away. And the point was it is that for me not to face a trial and if I have faced a trial as a person that was doing something and yes this state it would have been Would have cost me my life and once you are considered an enemy of that regime or an enemy of movement, you're not going to be looked at as a child anymore. They going to look at you as An Enemy of the State and they can put you on execution immediately and my family have to pay to get me out a one. I walked out of that place. I was beaten I was tired and my personality has changed about a hundred and ninety percent and when I walked away from that sliding door of that prison to go. Go home. I didn't have shoes. I was in a very tough Scheib. I have not eaten. Well, I have not been to the bathroom and weeks and I just looked back and I looked at myself and I said one day I'm going to get an opportunity to kick your butts. And I don't know when I don't know how but if ever I come back to this opportunity to stop these guys from doing what they're doing. I will take it whatever it will take me and I'll Going to take the opportunity and my opportunity was right in front of my door in 2003 when I opened my door and I saw an American Soldier standing there. Amen, man. That is awesome, man. What a powerful story, you know so many people go their whole lives without I know it's crazy because pumps so many people go their whole lives without a pivotal moment like that and and and some are even when they're older they're in their 20s and 30s and they still don't know where they're going and one of the things I love about your story hominy and you even talked about it right there how you ended up in prison as you had somebody that was trying to take your money and you write about this in your bio on your website, you know, right or wrong and and everything for you was grounded in that principle and it goes back to that foundational moment that that puts you in prison and then launched you to become the leader and Warrior. You became yeah and what I think so amazing about this story is you know, obviously I don't want to bring up a lot of memories, but you know you were I think in prison for three weeks Four weeks four weeks. I apologize and I don't want to sell it short but I thought you went through traumatic events daily. We talked about this and wait wait wait, so okay because if it was three weeks I was getting ready to stop the I was getting ready to stop the interview. So now that I know it's for we children weeks three weeks. She does he know I was told it was four weeks when I got out. I never remember lose track of time exactly never when I went in. It was a later in the evening and I never even was able to To because of the trauma and the beating that I was going through and being hit in my head a lot. I was not I lost count on the day. So I would ask the prisoners after the first week and what what would day was and what time is it or any of this because I didn't have anything at the time not to mention. You're 12 years old. I'm not yeah mentally and physically ready. No one's really mentally and physically ready to be tortured let alone at 12 years old, but what I love and again, I'm going to use Jason's word versus mind is how you came. Out and you overcame a situate would have been so easy to cower down and just for the rest of your life. Just I've been beaten. I've been broken I give up and what I love about it and that's why we were like hell yes, as you changed you change lives not only your life and you started with your life, but you changed many lives you saved many lives in the thing is is you know, I know me and I speak for Jason me. We applaud you for that because there are people that we see and deal with you know, we do. A tional coaching and speaking that don't deal with a tenth of what you deal with and they're throwing their hands up gone. I won't quit. I'm done time down to 1% It's ridiculous. So then you know, I would love to next time. I do one of my coaching sessions. Have you come on and tell them what you went through for four weeks and then go, you know, maybe if you put in perspective the shit that you're going through isn't really that bad, you know, so thank you my pleasure. So how many from from there man that day that that Soldier was outside. Your door in 2003. How old were you at that point 2003? I was 17 years old. Okay 17 and you you went out and you wanted to join the Iraqi military at that point you did you joined and one of the first things that you had to do with fighting was really picking up and Haifa Street for those who don't know at that point in time was one of the most dangerous places in Iraq and you were instructed to go down and help recover the bodies of individuals. Who were Were trying to join the Iraqi military and I wasn't sure if it was accredited Al-Qaeda or the Insurgency. But either way it doesn't really matter. They these individuals who wanted to fight for the freedom of their country were mowed down and executed right there in the street and you had to go down there and help with that. I just want to know what was going through your mind. You've already been through some horrific instances, and now you've joined the Iraqi Army and now you're helping to Our bodies of individuals who all they were trying to do was join. They weren't even in uniform yet during that day. This was like I you know, these days are very memorable like member of days in my life because when I when I got out of prison, I was not a kid anymore and when I went to Haifa Street before I went to High Street, I was barely not a leader yet and I was just a young Mattoon sergeant that got cold. By his Commander to go Retreat these bodies. I was already defending their racket recruiting center, which is almost on the air for base to defending that place to get recruits in into the building to want to fill the paperwork and there was already so much explosions car bombs going on and when I got that call from my commander that day and he told me the location of the dead bodies of these Iraqi civilians something cold winds through my heart because I was already A mile and a half from - Street and I was already getting enough heat in my friend checkpoint. And now I was being told to go all the way down towards the end of it to retreat dead bodies to take them to Iraqi hospital where their families can pick them up. I knew that day something something terrible that was going to go down. So when me and my Batoon leader back then got on these trucks got on a pickup trucks and as you know, there were a key Army at the time was not equipped with The best quickness back then we didn't even have armored Humvees. We had pickup trucks are Soldiers the biggest gun that we ever owned was a pkc which is equal to an M249. And that's all we have and never realized what was going on that day. We drove through that road and it was not usual to see that road not busy and not crowded and something not right that you were smelling there. So when we realized as we drove in silence, That road that something doesn't look right. We have a drove in and the location where the bodies were placed. We knew something wasn't going to go down. All right that night and we got down. It was under the bridge that ended in the end of Haifa Street. The bodies were all piled up right under the bridge near the water and the fire fire started literally after three minutes of us walking down to the dead bodies and we realized once we walk down to them. This was an ambush. That was designed by a terrorist named say it hits him back. Then who is known as say it hits him who was a former Republican guard staff officer that was more of the designer of these kind of ambushes in Haifa Street and what this was the mind of Haifa Street. This was the guy that designed all these ambushes for the Iraqi soldiers for the ICBC back then and for the first American first Cavalry unit, so when we got there so homely, let me I gotta interrupt. Cause I think I was a little confused, you know, which happens sometimes I will be the first to admit it. But so when you went to go help recover the bodies is actually when that huge fire fight broke out. I thought those were two separate incidents, but that huge fire fight where 29 and you went in and only nine came out. It was the same. That was an ambush. I did not realize. Yeah. Wow. Okay. Okay. Yeah, so please keep going and where order to pick up the bodies and just literally before we even touch the first body to put them in the pick up a truck. That's when an RPG flew into one of our pickup trucks and they were hiding behind the walls which faced the river and where we were located which put us at a disadvantage because they were much more in Higher Ground than we are. So there are potentially drove us to get there. They put the bodies there that day there are planning to capture an Iraqi soldier in uniform to but him on national TV, so that way there Rocky people stop joining the racket. Sorry, because their tactics of a blowing up there I can recording Center where I was working and protecting originally was not really working. Well, so they decided to figure out a way to capture and soldier in uniform and to put that on national TV. So that would put more fear and their Rocky people that are willing to join the Iraqi military and it truly it made such an impact because after we left I had never had a count of how many my soldiers still alive. I have lost contact. Act with my Batoon commander of the time who was a lieutenant and I did not see him until I walked out of that place escorted by an American Soldier an American medic and I saw his body was hanging right in the intersection of Haifa Street, and I realized that he was beheaded he had run out of ammo and they have captured him and cut his head and hang them right on the intersection on Haifa street. So I lost control of my guys. I didn't really realize how many people we lost it was the first day. My life to actually realize that the training with the opposite hand on how to use a gun at paid off that day because I end up as you can see closer in the camera. I have a cut here above my eye. Yeah shit shrapnel that I got hit so my eyes opened up and I was a bleeding so I lost sight with my right eye. So I end up switching my gun to the left side and our Marine Corps structures probably were the best people that that you know of that I should dedicate my whole life into because they taught me how to use my opposite and and it truly that was the day that I realized my left hand had as a use and I was able to switch my gun and used left side and I didn't even have to close my right eyes because was already shut down. So I was using my left eye and what I got out I was ordered before I got in the ambulance to count my guys and when I counted I realized that I only had a Eight people that was around me and looked back and I was asking for everybody else. I thought we got separated into different groups and I realized that everybody was gone. They had a sniper that's set in one of the buildings that was taken the high ground and he has a plow through our soldiers one after another and I lost one of my best buddies there that day that literally slumped and the bunk bed. That's right above me and came back to the unit. People were scared in my unit. They looked at me and looked at everybody and what happened to us. However our unit quit their jobs that day literally just took off the uniforms backed up their civilian clothes and realized that a hundred and fifty thousand Iraqi dinner, which is equal to about $100 a month. It wasn't going to be enough to lose your life and they walked out of the door and not only that but the repercussions that could happen to the family for the for the listeners in the Viewers are you know, whoever's listening to this is you know, there could have been so many repercussions for the family. I like I said when I watch the documentary, I knew that was going to happen. I mean literally like as I was watching it, I knew well that was her attack. Yes, you know 29 go in nine come out. It's just a matter of time before people sit around and go that's not going to be me. But the question I have with that is I mean that is thank goodness. You're still here. God bless you bless you and not as a hell of a a story obviously nothing but respect for your Fallen comrades, but how long after that you weren't a commands you you didn't get the feel promotion until after that event correct exact. So it was actually at that two days after so two days after so a couple questions I have with that, you know, there's a few things maybe the listeners don't know you are want the youngest field promoted sergeant majors in the history of Iraq. Can we all agree on that? 19 or 20? I mean you can I'll let you give the exact. Are the numbers on that and then correct me if I'm wrong when I was listening to it. You were number six, right? You are number six of the new Iraqi Army. Am I correct like you were you know, so that is like I got to have some fun here the OG of the new Iraqi Army. I mean that is huge. I mean that is your one of the founding fathers of the new Iraqi Army. How did you feel and how do you still feel about you know carrying that because when I was watching Watching the documentary the movie. Someone said in one word at 19 or 20 years old he has and I quote some sterile Burke. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, he has some serious street cred. So go ahead and expand on that if you and I got one thing I want to add just in this harmony is and I'd like to know if this was going through my I imagine it is because I mean so many people when we talk about leadership who get put into leadership positions unexpectedly nowhere near what you were a But unexpectedly or they get asked to move up and they feel like I'm not ready for this. Did you feel that because your man I don't want to show you her 19 year old kid because you'd live more than the vast majority of men who walked this planet at this point. But what were you thinking when they said hey, we're going to make you the command sergeant major after all that. I mean, it's incredible truly. This brings me back to a conversation. I was having the day right after this happened. We were getting the bodies of our soldiers. Bag we were trying to notify their families. Let them know to come pick them up and watching our soldiers walking out of them offend the aerofoil Airfield Base with their bags and just going home and quitting their jobs and remember that conversation with some of my team members and looked at each other and said, do you want to go home? If you go home? This is really what they want. They want you to take off this uniform and go home and that's exactly why they were killing you in the first place and I looked at everybody and I said, you know, I don't have anywhere to go if I go home most likely they'll put a nice is through my throat in my neighborhood and I said, you know, I already seen what a bullet feels like already felt with a strap and I'll go through your body. Like I said, you know if I was gonna die, I'm gonna die fighting them. So I decided to stay and I turned around and I went back to my room and I said I didn't want to watch anybody leaving and my commander came over and said, you know, they needed just tomorrow to be in the ministry of Defence to be rewarded. For all the battles that we dealt with through and he said the rocky Minister himself at the time has a Michelle on wants to meet us personally and I went there and there was an American Special Forces team. That was a present during that time. I was the only Rocky & Co that time that was the highest in CEO of that led that battles remained after my commander was killed so when I got there and I got promoted immediately the US Special Forces how requested me to be the command sergeant major for the Iraqi Ministry of defense and Was the day that actually transferred out of my unit and I brought my whole entire team with me to lead the Iraqi Ministry of Defense man. I tell you what and that is the day that changed your life because you stepped into the ministry of Defence and people need to understand this literally is the Hub of the Iraqi government at this time and the Iraqi military and man there were the Enemy Within all around because you had America forces that were working in there trying to establish how we were going to fight this war and how we were going to build our relationships and you had the Iraqi military that was in there and you know, we had the Insurgency there was so many different loyalties if you will and you started to see this and you saw an opportunity and your Allegiance was you basically picked right from the start. I'm going to help the Americans and this led you down a road truly to become a All collection officers what you really became you became an amazing asset to the United States of America. So tell me about that progression and then I want to talk a little bit about two specific incidents to attacks that you forwarded that would have cost. A lot of people their lives truly that event was very interesting because as I went to the recognition defense it was in order that I received like just like any other soldier in any military I even order to a commenda place and I went there and when I got to that building I kind of looked at my team and I said, you know, this is a probably easier Mission than what we're dealing with. So, hey, we're out of Haifa Street. This is a new Mission but probably won't be as violent as what we were in Haifa Street and I was wrong until about I walked into the building and I was being introduced by American counterparts telling me about the security of the building the checkpoint and about how many Iraqi employees that would be walking into the building and Something got my intention as I walked into the building that the Americans wanted me to protect the building from the outside and to secure the entry of their rackets. The employees are coming in every single day. But as I was looking at the faces of their Rockies that were working inside of the building and some of the generals that was working already or hired already in the ministry of Defence. It kind of like it made me take a seat and a corner and just laugh and my American counterpart Latin, you know, the time looked at me with a weird look and say Said you know why you're laughing and I said it's kind of interesting you wanted me to protect the building from the enemy and the outside while the enemy is already inside of it. And multicolored lights kind of like being in a hen house and then they want you to put up more fences, but they're the wolves are already sent any other I'm so I can their chops. Exactly. So what was interesting is that you know, we're secured the front of the check when we secure the building but then I look to the inside of the building and I'm like, well, this is not this is going to be very interesting. So I was a briefing my teens and we're looking the politically they recommend history of defense was changing based on the political. The situation and the Iraqi government things were getting divided based on your religious background. So the Sunni that she had everybody was taking Ministries based on that religious background. So it was pretty interesting because we had a shot minister of the time and all of a sudden things changed and shifted in the Iraqi government and were received as Sunni Minister from The ambar Province who is coming into the ministry of Defence and when we were watching the political shift at the time and it Very interesting moments while I was dealing with the car bombs that was blowing up every single day and the front checkpoint. I was also watching the changes that were happening inside and I think personally that until about that time. The Insurgency in Iraq were afraid of the Americans. They thought the Americans have some kind of magical glasses that they would see everything they would know everything until about that time. They realized that the Americas really didn't know who is who in Iraq. And they don't have to hide anymore. They don't have to be behind walls anymore. They can just come and form a political party and be part of the Iraqi government because under Saddam we only had the bath party which the Downs political party and now all of a sudden you have multi hundred parties coming through. So a lot of these terrorist organizations took advantage of that moment and kind of shifted themselves in into the Iraqi government, which gave them a place in the Rocky Ministry of Defense. So the Rocky Even though the Iraqi government was getting divided by the Iraqi Ministry of defense was it was getting caught like a piece of a cake and all of a sudden you had a groups were controlling the finance department the contract and debarment their Rocky joint of the chief of staff and you'll find yourself right in the middle of yeah all with different alliances. I got it was amazing, you know the colonel that you worked with he when he was talking about, you know, going out on smoke breaks with people and knowing That especially the individual who ended up you ended up forwarding the attack like he knew this guy was bad. But you know, it was just part of the life that you guys lived in the ministry of Defence. I mean, you know you had to I mean my God, it really was like this. I don't know Game of Thrones thing going on like you're you know having to be nice and interact with people but you never know when you're going to turn around and they're going to try and kill you truly and it was really hard keeping a track. On everything that was going on. I have deployed the best team that I have inside of the Iraqi Ministry of Defense called the PSD team. These are the same members that are graduated with in 2004 that was trained by Marine Corps instructors who are specialized in personal security detail and I have deployed specifically at Team inside of the ministry of defense and their job was to hold every corner of that building to be able to visualize everything that was happening in front of them and to start really get to know the groups and there are individuals that we are dealing with and what God thinks very interested is that we got a minister from The unbar Province and the time was so don't delay me and when he came usually in the Iraqi government when they take up positions like that, they usually let a family member or somebody another time. He brought his nephew from bombard problems who actually brought about 200 members of from I'll garma and I'm bar province. Charter members of his tribe as a as a bodyguards. So the minister showed up got into his office and there was 200 of these guys who just got body armors and AK-47s showed up in the building and one of my team members of the time was hitting me my bag and said take a look at these guys. And I when I looked around they all military age, they all had dark elbows and they all look beeble like from that area. Most likely have served in the special guard or the Republican guard are known to be pro-military Pro Saddam Hussein's of the time and I'm looking at the faces and we just looked at these guys who were like how many we have them in there? Like we have 200 of them and all of a sudden you have 200 of these guys deployed inside of the building things were very terrifying and and the most enjoyable moment for me. It was like we have about 45 American advisors that walk it from where job Petraeus has commanded what's called me? Dicky multinational Force Iraq to the rocky mod to lead the Iraqi Ministry of Defense to to build the infrastructure of every Department inside the Iraqi Ministry of defense and these Americans would walk in with just a 9-millimeter and their legs and that's all they have and the lowest-ranked we would have is a major going all the way up to a full bird colonel and it was interesting to look to see these guys watching American walk by himself and to the building and the building was not in the greatest. Shayzon, it was actually outside of the gray zone. So it was not concerted a US base. It was literally between the Red Zone and the green zone. So people are Iraqis that were in that building. We're not going through the proper background checks that they would do on any Iraqi that's entering the green zone. So this is where the enemy have taken advantage of that situation because it was the only ground in Iraq where you can actually put your hands on an American officer. Without being checked or cleared God because all we do in our checkpoint is check their ID cards for a key mod ID card let them in and it took them about I think about a few days for them to realize that we are struggling in the ambar province during these were obviously members of Al Qaeda. They have one of their leaders at the time named sebab delay me have Cayman requested if one of the towers get emptied near the river so His men can sleep in and of course as the command sergeant major I had a garden that Tower and I wouldn't let him anywhere near the tower do use or use the rooms and their the tower so raised a red flag for us. We knew this guy was looking for something and he was looking for an area within that specific wall because that wall right behind it as a road that leads straight to the Red Zone without being checked by any American or any Rocky so we knew this guy was some kind of a operative of some sort. You can tell he's a Former Intelligence officer. Somebody that is making his moves. And once we have their red flag, we were raising our security levels and they were watching every movement that the Americans were initiating that day and every American would leave the building around 4 p.m. After all the Rockies empty the building and leave to go home comedy, sir. Go ahead. Yeah, man and just because I tell you what we could spend literally probably days you you have So much so many experiences but you guys ended up forwarding the kidnapping of an American officer and American intelligence officer. That was their plan. They were going to take this American intelligence officer and there were going to torture him and use him as a propaganda tool and your efforts and your intelligence collection and your deep attention to detail. Yeah. There you go is what made the difference you ended up also thwarting a suicide bomber a double agent. That was right inside the In the innermost levels and and you were doing so much damage to these alliances that were occurring inside the building that it ended up costing you the life of one of your teammates who left and was killed and then you realize that you yourself were in grave danger and it was at that point. I believe in 2008. Yep that you left Iraq and headed to the United States of America and I really want to hear about that. And your journey because from 2008 obviously for nine years you made your way here in America this brand new land that you had been fighting for and in 2017. You got your citizenship and I think that's the most amazing story. I tell you what Ray and I have talked about it. My mom's a naturalized citizen. I think are naturalized citizens are some of the most patriotic people I know so I want to hear about that Journey leaving Iraq and coming here to America. Erica and what it what it meant to you for those of you who can't see how many right now has an amazing beautiful American flag behind him in the video. I mean and I've seen it man. They're just such Patriots. I want to hear your I want to hear about that journey and what it felt like to be an American obviously, I've Sarai, you know, when when I end up stopping that suicide belt and the rocky mod things were really got difficult for me. I couldn't be in the Iraqi mod anymore at the time. I was not not as secretive intelligence Source videos intelligent anymore. The enemy has already known who I am what exactly I do. So leaving the rocky mod was a must after I lost lost one of my teammates and of course, you know, these cowards would take advantage of any any situation and unfortunately, I didn't have kids and family back then so when one of my team members have left the building they were able to get him while going home to see his kids so leaving Iraq in It was definitely a must for me. I was going to cost my team members their lives if I have a state and continue to do what I did and in that country. I was being considered a traitor. I was being considered someone who who is just have caused damage to bigger to two of the biggest terrorist organizations and and Iraq at that time. We're in the world and they weren't going to let that go. So I was gonna continue to states of the last moment and cost us much damage is I can and and elaborating about that is that I enjoyed the fact that they realize it was just a kid who was a 20 year old that was stopping them on their track. And that is truly what I enjoyed the most is that I was watching the biggest terrorist organizations in the world having their face going on dirt and being able to be stopped and they couldn't kill me because I couldn't I didn't have a left the building. I was surrounded by my soldiers. I never went home. So fortunately after I lost one of my Team members I realized that they were going to get as vicious as possible to get me or get me out of there and I realized is there for the sake of my team members to leave. So I left in July 27th 2008. My paperwork was all done and I came to this country boom and it was it was looking back. So what's it feel? Like what's it feel like to be an American? Everything I think I enjoy being an American more than any other American in this country. You said everything and I think that I enjoy everything about being an American God. I enjoy being a free I enjoy speaking English without being hated on for speaking English. Hello. I enjoy a steak every Thursday. I enjoy saying my opinion without being afraid someone with the brother with it. How do you like your steak cooked medium good man. That's right. Are your one word you gave the right answer everything and I love that. So let's move on real quick as we're running out of time here. So I know you lost a lot of people friends you made it your documentary is made in memory of u.s. USMC major Meghan when make sure I say this right McClung, is that correct? The clock a clock? Okay, and there's a picture of you in Arlington at her grave site. Why did you dedicate the documentary to her? She was the first American to the first American the friend that I ever had like when I when I met her back in 2004. She was a civilian working as a civilian as a contractor and when I met her this was the first a friend that I met over lunch every single day in the defect and I think that she was the first person to reduce me to the American people because I was a person that grew up under a regime that All they taught me is about how to hate America. So I wasn't really sure about the American culture and this person had came out of her way to take her time every single day and have a lunch with a 17-year old Iraqi every single day to speak to me about American culture the American people the American democracy and I was so and uninformed about Americans that she was a redhead. I have never seen. A red hat in my life at that point. So I was even about I was even questioning her about the freckles that she had in her skin. I was even asking if this was real or this is a tattoo and should explain to me. This was just a natural part of her body, but she never laughs. She never made fun of me. She understood that was coming from a place that I didn't understand anything about America and she was pretty much more of a mentor educator sand and fortunately in 2006. She was the highest ranking. Marine female to be killed in combat by an idea and I'm Imani well brother, I think that's yeah. I mean, I think that's amazing that yeah, it is incredible to find those people that transcend race Creed color everything and welcome you into their arms and so many people in this country never see that in ever get to experience that and it is truly amazing. So we'll listen man. You are an absolutely incredible human being you weren't incredible America. In and Warrior where can people find you where can they get the terrorists Whisperer? We talked about the documentary. I know that's not out yet. But I tell you what, everybody needs to check that out. They need to read harmonies book how many you are getting out there and you're spreading your message of overcoming and attention to detail. So tell everybody where they can find you. Honestly, my books are available and every website, but if you want them autographed you just have to go to Ew, the terrorist Whisperer.com. This is what you can get the the book autographed or you can get it from Amazon or any other websites or Barnes and Noble and the hopefully the documentary is now being secreting all over the country and we've been doing private screening of it in a certain places for veterans. So if you guys ever want a private screening of it in your hometown, I would love to do that for you guys. And as I said towards the beginning of the show that there was a reason why I asked to be in this podcast, I as a person sometimes I would lose motivation I would fall and as I mentioned before I was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor and I myself needed the motivation one day to get up and go get the treatment and go face all this through my life. And for those who don't know that I was diagnosed with a brain tumor it due to the road radiation. I was exposed to in Iraq because my checkpoint and the rocky mod was a place that was air strike. during the liberation of Iraq in 2003 and many people have been diagnosed with illness recently who served in that place and I myself lost motivation and starting point and I was hurting and I was going through I thought this was the end of my life and I just looked at my phone that day and I saw right cash care was going live and I just listened to it nice and I felt you know, whatever Ray was saying that day it was talking to me Amen brother that day. I changed my clothes and I went to the doctor and and started getting ready for that battle. So that was the main reasons that I wanted to give back and I wanted to make sure the podcast get the right sponsors and get what it deserves because it made a made a change in my life brother that that is awesome, man. And everybody needs that push man. All of us everyone gets on the axe. Everybody needs a teammate to help get them off the So truly truly amazing. So terrorist whisper.com hamadi just seemed you guys. You need to check him out as story is incredible. So this has been the jar overcome Show episode 18 wouldn't incredible episode how many what we always do at the end is we do our two-minute. Well, actually our minute of motivation because everybody gets one minute and we talk about the word of the day we closed on why that word is so important and why this show Is on that word. So right you want to do the honors point, you know, take it off. I'm gonna start with attention to detail listen, ladies and gentlemen, if you want to be successful if you want to overcome, if you want to conquer you've got to learn attention to detail. It's the ability to achieve thoroughness and accuracy when accomplishing a task. All right, no matter how big or small that task is you have to have attention to detail take point of the Finer Things. Not just the big things. Okay. Don't look at the big picture. It's a lot of the little things that behind the scenes which make things happen, you know. Become a Navy SEAL to by just showing up and going to buds. It's the little finer points. It's the things that happen when social media is not there. It's about staying on the course. It's about staying focused saying staying mentally physically and emotionally ready for the fight. So guys attention to detail. Hang in there pay attention to what you're doing because sometimes it can save lives. Yeah, man, how many you want to take it? I might my advice for anybody that's listening. I wanted to what I did back. There is I lie. I was I was a commander and not a demander and at a 19 years old I wanted to do something different is that I went down to the personal lives of each of my soldiers and made sure that I was improving their lives to a positive way. So my advice would be to lead with love and be to be a commander. Not of demander. Wow, that is awesome to be a commander and not a demand of that hander ship. That's how we lead. I don't even think I'm going to close. I think I'm going to leave it at that trademark that shit or I'm going to steal it because I was out of my side like that how we should be speaking on that brother. Listen, that is awesome. And I'm not even going to weigh in man. I you get that final word. So Jay Jason overcome Redmond is going to just lock it Dan down. So listen, this has been an amazing. I show how many thank you. Once again, brother for everything you've done everything you've sacrificed your a brother of mine. You are a warrior and this has been the Jr. Overcomes Show episode 18. I am Jason overcome Redmond, and I'm raycast chair and we are out boom. Thanks for listening to the Jr. Overcome show tune in next time and please remember to subscribe on iTunes and SoundCloud please visit Jr. Overcome show.com. Hey. Hey, this is Ray cash care. Thanks for listening to Jay overcome show if you love the show, ladies and gentlemen, we would love for you to do us a huge favor. Go to iTunes subscribe leave a 5-star message. Leave a comment and share with your friends. Boom.
 JR Overcome Show - Episode 18 - The Terrorist Whisperer - Ray' Cash" Care and Jason "Overcome" Redman interview an incredible warrior, patriot, spy, leader and Overcomer, Hamody Jasim, Hamody gives an INCREDIBLE Interview about growing up in Iraq and being arrested and thrown in jail at the age of 12. After his family bought him out of prison, he vowed to do everything in his power to overthrow the Saddam regime. Five years later at the age of 17, In 2003, American Soldiers showed up at his doorstep and he immediately volunteered to serve in the new Iraqi Army. Within two years he saw some of the most intense fighting in Iraq and lost 20 of his 29 soldiers. He was meritoriously promoted to Command Sergeant Major at the age of nineteen, the youngest Command Sergeant Major in the history of the Iraqi Army. He went on to become an invaluable spy for American forces before the price on his life grew too high and he was brought to America. He earned his  American citizenship in 2017 and wrote an incredible book called, The Terrorist Whisperer chronicling his amazing story. Throughout the interview we come back to Hamody's word of the day - DETAILED - which Hamody credits as the key thing he focused on and enabled him to stay alive in the midst of death, chaos, and corruption. This was an AMAZING Episode and you will not want to miss It! As Always we close with 2 Minutes of motivation - shotgunning our views on the Overcome Mindset & the word of the day Time to get your Conquer & Overcome on! Email us at connect@jrovercomeshow.com for comments, questions or just to sing our Awesome praises! 