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The Afghans that we worked with, he dealt with them.
I remember we went on a mission, we did a MEDCAP up north,
and he was riding around.
He jumped on the horse and he played with the Afghans,
and to me, I was just amazed that he was doing that
because I was just being on the team and I was still worried about security.
If I could go back and do it again, I would have jumped on the horse next to him and rode.
Me being the medic, I was waiting for him to fall or hit his head along a tree
because there were some low branches.
So I was like, "I'm not going to jump on the horse just in case he falls [laughs]
and he needs me."
So I was like, "No, I'm just going to stand back and watch."
But now I kind of regret that. I wish I would have played with him.
But yeah, that was one of the coolest things I saw
because how often do you have a chance to play that game in Afghanistan with Afghans?
It was a unique moment.
Actually, it's probably not fair to compare any other guys who came after me on the team,
but I think he was the standard that I hold new team members to.
And him just spending time, not just time training but just time when the sun goes down,
drinking chai with them, eating and speaking with them in Pashtun,
to me, that's what a Special Forces soldier should do.
I mean, I'm guilty of it. I don't do as much as he did.
But he was what I picture a Special Forces soldier doing when it comes to that.
He took the time to learn the language and spend time with them, spend extra time.
When all of us are unwinding, going about our separate ways when the day is done,
he was out there spending time with them.
It showed also when I returned to the firebase
after he passed away.
I walked in and our interpreter was in there and the ones who worked with him.
They all had sad faces, and they all missed him.
It was a big loss.
I think them just having that look on their face,
to me, it shows how much time he spent with them, and they grew to...