1 00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:02,760 mm hmm . 2 00:00:12,660 --> 00:00:16,500 My name is Master and Troy Thompson 3 00:00:16,510 --> 00:00:18,343 currently assigned as the acting 4 00:00:18,343 --> 00:00:20,860 operations chief for the 26 mu I joined 5 00:00:20,860 --> 00:00:23,400 the Marine Corps in the summer of 1997 6 00:00:23,410 --> 00:00:25,466 right out of high school reasons for 7 00:00:25,466 --> 00:00:27,688 joining the Marine Corps was number one 8 00:00:27,688 --> 00:00:29,950 to have a challenge number to see the 9 00:00:29,950 --> 00:00:32,172 world a little bit and number three try 10 00:00:32,172 --> 00:00:33,839 to better myself in life . Mm 11 00:00:36,290 --> 00:00:38,750 hmm . When I found out I was going to 12 00:00:38,750 --> 00:00:40,806 Afghanistan , I was pretty excited . 13 00:00:40,806 --> 00:00:42,861 Every marine around that time during 14 00:00:42,861 --> 00:00:45,083 September 11 , you know , wanted to get 15 00:00:45,083 --> 00:00:47,430 into some kind of action and support in 16 00:00:47,430 --> 00:00:50,350 order to be a part of what this country 17 00:00:50,350 --> 00:00:52,572 is about having the ability to actually 18 00:00:52,572 --> 00:00:54,628 do that during that time frame was I 19 00:00:54,628 --> 00:00:56,628 felt like it was actually a part of 20 00:00:56,628 --> 00:00:58,739 something big and had some purpose to 21 00:00:58,739 --> 00:01:00,750 it . Mm hmm . 22 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:06,630 I joined roughly around 23 00:01:06,630 --> 00:01:09,810 December 1 , 2014 . Wanted something 24 00:01:09,810 --> 00:01:12,530 better to do . Uh civilian life wasn't 25 00:01:12,530 --> 00:01:14,740 cutting it for me . I grew up around 26 00:01:14,740 --> 00:01:18,310 the military . So it just seems like 27 00:01:18,310 --> 00:01:20,250 that's what I should be doing . 28 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:24,760 My dad actually was the 29 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:26,760 one that recommended it for me . He 30 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:28,982 thought I would excel a lot more in the 31 00:01:28,982 --> 00:01:30,982 Marine Corps versus the Air Force . 32 00:01:30,982 --> 00:01:33,038 I've never really been that great at 33 00:01:33,038 --> 00:01:36,670 studying but physically wise , I've 34 00:01:36,670 --> 00:01:38,670 always been interested in that . So 35 00:01:38,950 --> 00:01:41,061 Marine Corps was just a better suit . 36 00:01:53,540 --> 00:01:55,373 I think the operation that we're 37 00:01:55,373 --> 00:01:57,860 currently conducting is very important 38 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:00,920 By my count . There's at least four 39 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:04,240 times that I can remember in the last 40 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:05,851 40 years where the people of 41 00:02:05,851 --> 00:02:07,962 Afghanistan have gotten the short end 42 00:02:07,962 --> 00:02:10,073 of the deal and everything that we've 43 00:02:10,073 --> 00:02:13,320 gone through . So given how we recently 44 00:02:13,330 --> 00:02:16,390 exited Afghanistan I really feel that 45 00:02:16,390 --> 00:02:18,501 the people of Afghanistan and more so 46 00:02:18,501 --> 00:02:20,723 the allies in there that worked with us 47 00:02:20,723 --> 00:02:22,779 for the last 20 years are definitely 48 00:02:22,779 --> 00:02:24,890 deserving of the support that's being 49 00:02:24,890 --> 00:02:26,460 provided . 50 00:02:31,570 --> 00:02:34,730 You're doing it working with different 51 00:02:34,730 --> 00:02:36,786 agencies that I've never worked with 52 00:02:36,786 --> 00:02:38,850 before and trying to figure out 53 00:02:38,850 --> 00:02:42,300 solutions on how to solve problems as a 54 00:02:42,300 --> 00:02:45,410 whole unit versus just sticking to the 55 00:02:45,410 --> 00:02:47,730 Marine Corps side of things and only 56 00:02:47,740 --> 00:02:50,760 working with green gear and military 57 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:53,170 members D . O . D . Wide . We got to 58 00:02:53,170 --> 00:02:57,010 work with civilians as well as the red 59 00:02:57,010 --> 00:03:00,060 cross Samaritans purse . It's just a 60 00:03:00,060 --> 00:03:03,980 different form of organizations that we 61 00:03:03,980 --> 00:03:06,490 had to help and logistically figure out 62 00:03:06,500 --> 00:03:09,690 and assist them with helping the 63 00:03:09,700 --> 00:03:12,060 guests that we have here . 64 00:03:14,540 --> 00:03:18,530 Thank you . Yeah . I don't think the 65 00:03:18,530 --> 00:03:20,530 work is done just yet . I know it's 66 00:03:20,530 --> 00:03:22,697 getting close . I think we're going in 67 00:03:22,697 --> 00:03:24,586 the right direction . I think the 68 00:03:24,586 --> 00:03:26,641 Afghanistan people that are here are 69 00:03:26,641 --> 00:03:28,697 getting the proper support that they 70 00:03:28,697 --> 00:03:30,530 need to start their new lives in 71 00:03:30,530 --> 00:03:32,530 America on the right foot . They're 72 00:03:32,530 --> 00:03:34,641 excited to get out in society and try 73 00:03:34,641 --> 00:03:37,110 to do something here in America that's 74 00:03:37,110 --> 00:03:39,221 different than what they've been used 75 00:03:39,221 --> 00:03:41,166 to for the last , 2030 40 years in 76 00:03:41,166 --> 00:03:42,888 Afghanistan with a little more 77 00:03:42,888 --> 00:03:44,999 semblance of freedom and without fear 78 00:03:44,999 --> 00:03:47,221 of repercussion or tyranny that they've 79 00:03:47,221 --> 00:03:49,221 experienced over there during their 80 00:03:49,221 --> 00:03:51,550 time I think . Mhm . 81 00:03:55,640 --> 00:03:58,460 Thank you . Yeah . 82 00:04:05,340 --> 00:04:06,340 Mhm . 83 00:04:10,570 --> 00:04:15,980 Yeah .