Jocko Podcast 115 - Dakota Meyer

[mynewunit]

Podcast 115 Page

0:00:00 – Opening

0:04:21 – Dakota Meyer.

0:11:00 – “Into The Fire”, by Dakota Meyer.

0:23:35 – Deployed to Iraq.

0:26:35 – Deployed to Afghanistan.

0:45:00 - Ganjagol 
1:00:00 - The ambush is on. Dakota and Artillery react.
1:05:00 - To many people on the same frequency.
1:10:00 - Fire Support denied.
1:16:00 - Pinned Down in a house. Rollin in. at 6 AM.
1:19:30 - QRF says have to wait for orders
1:30:00 - Med Evac - Is he Army or Marine?
1:31:00 - I need your help. I can't find them.
1:55:00 - Finding them. Not paying attention.
2:01:00 - Going back in. Platoon didn't follow. Frustrations.
2:11:30 - They're all dead.  Body Bags.
2:17:00 - Missing the transport. Helping the Afghan Soldiers. 
2:40:00 - Ending it all. Normal reaction to an unnatural 
2:50:45 - Medal of Honor

3:01:54 – Final thoughts and take-aways.

3:12:50 – Support: JockoStore stuff, Super Krill Oil and Joint Warfare and Discipline Pre-Mission, THE MUSTER 005 in DC. Origin Brand Apparel and Jocko Gi, with Jocko White Tea, Onnit Fitness stuff, and Psychological Warfare (on iTunes). Extreme Ownership (book), The Discipline Equals Freedom Field Manual, and Jocko Soap.

3:40:37 – Closing Gratitude.

[steve myers]

Dakota feels like he failed his team-mates because he didn't get them out. Can I respectfully disagree? He did get them out. They are not still lying in Afghanistan. They were not alive, but he did not fail in that aspect. I think he means to say that he did not prevent their death. But think about what that is saying. Can Dakota promise his mates that he can control death? That is power that no man possesses. And in his trying to have control over his friends' very life and death, he is submitting himself to a task that he cannot do. That amount of control exists in God's hands alone. And Dakota is not God. I respectfully submit that Dakota did all he could do and "above and beyond." The enemy has his say. Dakota cannot stop that fact. I have the utmost respect for his service. I just feel like he has put himself in an unwinnable scenario to think he can stop death, or to hope that he can. Thank you for your service, Dakota Meyer.

[mynewunit]

I think Dakota did a fairly good job explaining his conflict.  To him their death is no accident.  All the problems they had could and should have been avoided.  He saw the majority of the issues before they happened. He raised the concerns to the responsible staff. He even planned his actions the night before, knowing they would be punishable.  
The mistake he made was waiting. He waited to disobey orders. And now that inaction can't be measured. Would it have mattered if he went in earlier? Would his team have died? Would he have died? He doesn't know. 
He saw every problem they had with the preparation of that mission. He got told no because he was just a corporal. And this cost the lives of every member of his platoon. His failure was not being someone who they listened to. He is a brash, charismatic, goofball. And because of that his thoughts were dismissed. 
And then being right on all of those accounts, still waited to take action.
His daily problem, is because of this day, We all know him. The thing he did at the time, was somewhere between failure to obey orders and insubordination. He could have easily lost a rank, been sent home, or worse. . . moved to a desk in logistics. And for this action that should have gotten him punished or killed, he is rewarded and honored. 
His frustration is that people, mostly officers, were making decisions based upon the emails they might receive the next week, rather than the orders and consequences of the troops with bullets and mortars hitting them. 
His mission is to let people know the mistakes made around him. What he did and What should have been done. So that is is never repeated.  Always Vigilant.