Security Halt!
Welcome to Security Halt! Podcast, the show dedicated to Veterans, Active Duty Service Members, and First Responders. Hosted by retired Green Beret Deny Caballero, this podcast dives deep into the stories of resilience, triumph, and the unique challenges faced by those who serve.
Through powerful interviews and candid discussions, Security Halt! Podcast highlights vital resources, celebrates success stories, and offers actionable tools to navigate mental health, career transitions, and personal growth.
Join us as we stand shoulder-to-shoulder, proving that even after the mission changes, the call to serve and thrive never ends.
Security Halt!
Matt “Rendar” Klein’s Journey Through Service, Sketching, and Veteran Advocacy
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What happens when duty calls—and never stops? In this gripping episode of Security Halt!, we sit down with Matthew Klein, a post-9/11 military veteran, NYPD officer, and forensic sketch artist, to explore a life defined by service, creativity, and resilience.
Matthew walks us through his powerful transition from military service in a post-9/11 world to patrolling the streets of New York City as a police officer. He opens up about his combat deployments, the unique mental health challenges veterans face, and how his unexpected passion for forensic sketching evolved into a form of therapy and purpose.
🎨 From sketching criminals to capturing the emotional realities of war through art, Matthew is on a mission to build bridges between veterans, law enforcement, and the wider community. This episode is a raw, real look at how creativity, camaraderie, and community can become lifelines for those who serve.
🫡 Whether you’re a veteran, law enforcement officer, or someone who cares deeply about mental health—this story is for you.
🎧 Tune in now and discover:
· Life after 9/11 and the call to serve
· Transitioning from combat zones to NYPD patrols
· Using art to heal trauma and tell the untold stories
· The power of community in the fight for veteran wellness
👉 Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to Security Halt! on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts. Your support helps us continue to serve those who served.
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Produced by Security Halt Media
Securepodcast is proudly sponsored by Titan's Arms. Head over to the episode description and check out Titan's Arms today. I wonder if it's gonna get any better, you know? Yeah, I don't know. The funniest fucking situation I had was this past summer. I was outside working doing some gardening and lawn stuff before we moved and my left eye started having issues again, like I lost vision completely, like no vision at all. I was like like what the fuck? Like okay, like normally, just like anybody else. I would have been like ah, fucking, you know it'll buff out. And then I'm like, nope, I'm gonna go to the va. I go to the va, go through optometry. Like yeah, you can't see anything, can't see a fucking thing like. And it's like all right, we're gonna get you a referral. Get me a referral. It's Crestview and the doctor's still there. I have never experienced this. I wish I was making it up. I walk in and it's a small mom-and-pop shop and it says neurologist and the doctor is 100% fucking Chinese. Get out of here.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm very fortunate. My VA is like I think it like one of the top rated as far as I know. I go to the one in um long island it's on north court and then there's the one in brooklyn which is like supposed to be a big deal. Yeah, I've had like little issues but like I hear some of the stories from other people, I'm like, good god, I guess like you, you know like, and I'm getting rid of moving from new york. So I'm terrified, you know like. You know I'm in montana. What's the va? Look out over there.
Speaker 1:It's like well, you're going to montana. No, no, no, no I was gonna say it awesome, I was single.
Speaker 2:Yes, I've heard so much good stuff about montana. Yeah, I've heard so much good stuff, but probably going, probably staying on the coast. You know nice east coast people do yeah, it was a.
Speaker 1:It was a horrible appointment, but at least I got some really good takeout. It all buffed out. That's funny, matthew Klein. Welcome to Security Out Podcast man. How you doing.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1:Doing good man. Thank you for having me finally, absolutely, man.
Speaker 1:You have been drawing our GWAT collective fever dreams for decades, for what it feels like forever man Dude, it's great to see what we all we we are all nerds. I don't care who you are, if you're a combat guy, if you're a service member, if you've served through the g, you have a. You have an affinity and a passion for nerd culture. Jurassic park, star wars all these things are constantly reflected in uh, in your artwork and it makes us feel like finally we have somebody that's like us, that can interpret how we feel. Nothing's, nothing's more refreshing than sitting down with your friends and like thinking up some crazy ideas and then seeing it reflected through your artwork. Uh, one of the common themes is like when you realize that you're not the rebellion but in fact, you're part of the empire that's just the point of view man.
Speaker 2:I don't know. There's a lot of good people working on the death star.
Speaker 1:It's so funny, oh man yeah, dude, but uh, before we dive into the the world that you're in now and all the great things you're doing, man, it's important to understand and highlight that man, you're just like us, we, we had a call to service man and I want to hear that story. When did, when did this all begin for you?
Speaker 2:Like the military experience, yes, yes, like. So, growing up, I was born in 81. So I'm so born in 81, so I'm so, I'm so glad I did in the 80s and 90s, like I can't, I can't stack that time period against anyone else. I'm just like I'm glad, but, um, just growing up with that culture and everything but um, one of the main pillars in my life was, uh, my grandfather, and he was a world war two veteran, so he was a pilot in the navy. He was a dive bomber pilot, so he was on the us taekwondo roga. So a lot of action, irijima, guadalcanal, philippine islands and shit and um, really. So I grew up with that experience. And then his brother was a um, a b-17 navigator and was actually shot down on his 39th mission over romania and germany. So he got, you know, he got killed. So I grew up with the stories of him in world war ii and that movie that came out a couple years ago Midway. Yeah, he wasn't at the Battle of Midway, he got there afterwards. But, like, the great thing about that movie is it shows the main character is flying a plane he flew. So he flew a McDouglas Dauntless dive bomber. So just growing up with those stories about him bombing Japanese tanks and like island hopping and you know strafing ships and everything like just always had that.
Speaker 2:So you know it grew up. You know you had all the different things that in the military you had. You know Black Hawk Down, desert Storm, you know Kosovo conflict, but like you never really thought anything was going to happen. So then you know, obviously I'm a New Yorker 9-11 happens and I just felt the calling. That was like my Pearl Harbor. I remember hearing my grandfather talk about Pearl Harbor. Him and his brother were like yo, we're signing up, we gotta get into the fight. Me personally, I wasn't really doing anything, so I felt like it's my fucking duty to side up and fucking go over there and get into the fight, these people that attack our country. I just felt the calling, like so many other americans and stuff, because 9-11 was a big deal. Yeah, it's like it's a little sad that it's kind of like it was. How many years later it's kind of slipped away a little bit from the conscious. But like, not me man, you know like, but um, that was it. Man just got into it and then just began the journey in the military pipeline.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and what'd you enlist as I went in the Army?
Speaker 2:And I ended up going to the 3rd Infantry Division. Hell yeah, I heard like so, like they started talking about like the invasion of Iraq, and I'm like so my thing it's insane too, looking back on the shores of everybody else's. Like you grew up with Desert Storm Flash in else is like you grew up with desert storm flash in the pan, you know operation, just cause you know flash in the pan. Like I thought like the invasion, of invasion iraq, was going to kick off and if you didn't get there you're going to miss out. You know, in a couple months it'd be wrapped up and done. So I was just like I got. So my recruiters were like, well, I didn't know anything really about the army, so they're like oh well, um, all I heard was like 101st, 82nd, you know, like all the big, the main ones, and they're like dude, 3rd ID. And I'm like 3rd ID, I'm like what they're like? So they actually had me talk to like the recruitment XO at MEPS and he's like listen, kid. He's like you want to see IP, you want to go see combat, all the combat you want I. He's like you want to see IP, you want to go see combat, all the combat you want. I swear to God, he's like my friends in intelligence or whatever. He's like first brigade is going to be the spearhead. He's like you're going to be right there. So I was like I trusted him. I was like, all right, he actually I remember he flipped like a laptop around and he's like you're going to go.
Speaker 2:So I'm like all I ended up not getting there for the invasion oh, they actually staged in January and then the uh, the kickoff was March 19th was for the, the main forces Um, they, they, they were the ones. But I ended up getting there later on as a replacement what do you call it? In April. So I ended up flying over there and, um, with a small truck of guys maybe like 50 guys and we replaced people that had to go home on emergency leave and you know people that were injured and stuff like that. But you know there's nothing more I could have done, like I did everything I could in my power to try to get there. But yeah, no, it was pretty wild. So you know it was basic AIT go right into the fray, and that was pretty much it Dude, that was the Wild West man.
Speaker 1:Those were the early g watt era guys like that was not a that was not an easy situation and it continued to get out of control.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, how do you? What was it like as a young man? Like our nation's attacked, they attack new york. That's like an identity thing like that's deeply rooted in every new yorker that I know, that, enlisted in that time period, it's like I'm going in there, I'm going to fight. Was that young man bravado, tempered by the more senior, more more seasoned veterans that are already been in the fight? Like, hey kid, calm down.
Speaker 2:Yeah, oh yeah, yeah, so it's so funny. So like it was like, well, like one of the, I was all Black Hawk down, man, black Hawk down was coming out. I was going through training and everything and the movie came out and we were allowed to read the books in the barracks. And one of the guys in my basic training platoon was the brother of one of the guys, sergeant First Class Watson. He was in charge of truck four, so he was like opening the book and he only had a couple of pages in the book but like, so like, go to iraq. I'm like, I'm living the movie. I even had my um dust goggles.
Speaker 1:I 50 quarter to my helmet.
Speaker 2:I remember one of my sergeants like what are you fucking, sergeant eversman? You know, like, like mad, hot dude, I was fucking. But like, honestly, like um, I had an awesome platoon so I linked up. I ended up flying in out of doha into um baghdad. Baghdad was freshly captured and we, we get picked up by um, my, uh, my company. They bring us in. We were down at this place called hotel hell. It was down near the um olympic stadium. I mean, it wasn't an official olympic stadium but yeah, I had like the things up there, but like, honestly, really didn't see that much action. You could see the devastation.
Speaker 2:Like they went in there, they tore the place up like the insurgency was such in its infancy there wasn't any combat operations going on, sporadic attacks in here. You started hearing 1st Armored Division came in at that time to replace 3rd ID. They were starting to get attacked and you started hearing different things. A guy in my platoon, my sister platoon, they ran over a landmine, but the IED thing really didn't happen. When I first got there the Iraqis really had the fight taken out of them and it was just like so for me it wasn't like this big action-packed combat thing like that. But I was starting to see all the people in my platoon because a lot of them returned for my second deployment and I got to see the environment and what to expect and how to act and how to be in it.
Speaker 2:So it was kind of like a um, like a preview of my my second tour, which was pretty frigging wild, in 2005 and Samara. But, um, everybody in my platoon was aces, you know, like I was, just I just shut the fuck up, I didn't say where to just do what I want, but but I, you know, 11 flights of stairs. I'm like, oh, okay, you know. But it was definitely wild seeing the magnitude and scope of US military. Like landing at Baghdad Airport, you know, seeing like 30 black box fly across and then seeing an explosion on the runway. I'm like, oh, are the engineers blowing stuff up? And they're like, no, no, that's insurgents that are shooting mortars at us. I'm like, oh, okay, cool, so, but yeah, it was a very. It was like a slow burn but an introduction to like how it was going to be.
Speaker 1:That's a very when you look at the way that you could have been introduced to combat and that's like a very favorable turn of events. Yeah, slow, easy progression with senior guys. Not everybody gets that, not every experience is like that. And combat isn't templated like a hollywood movie where it's a slow beginning, chaotic middle and then a very poetic, nice wrap up at the end like end.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but also, too, the guys that I'm talking about in my company. They were like first dudes in my platoon was in the Kabbalah. There's some big fights that really don't get talked about. I mean, this is my opinion, whatever. A lot of the media went with the Marine Corps push and the Marines didn't get to die until three days later and 3rd ID did the giant flight. They went through the Kabbalah Gap, which was going to be a big fucking shit show if the Iraqis really defended and like knew what they were doing, because it was like a choke point. There was like marshes on both sides. It was up a giant hill and stuff dude, the guys in my platoon they went up there and they were just like I heard some of the stories and stuff like they were bad dude, some of those bradley gunners killed tons of people, like yeah legit.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, that's something we don't. We don't do a good enough job. We don't understand everything gets highlighted. If it's special operations, if it's a cool fucking seal team or oda or ranger platoon like we have to understand that the main effort is infantry, these young kids going through and then doing the job that is. It's a hard, insane job to think, to put it on the back of an 18, 19 year old kid with a 20, 22 year old squad leader and a fucking 30 year old. If that platoon leader like these are young men, these are young men tasked with doing fucking war, fighting, and then those stories, unless we talk about them, get left out of the the, the history books. They get left out of the limelight, relegated to you know, just you know conversations like this. So it's important to talk about it. Man, and when you went back, that second trip, how were you prepared for it? Were you ready for it? Were you ready for it? Were you anticipating a bigger fight? Like, what was that? What was your mindset going into that second deployment?
Speaker 2:You know what it is. It's like I go to my first deployment, I don't really see anything like that much action or anything, and but I got a lot of accolades. People are like, oh, you went away. I'm like, yeah, you know, you know, you know, missed all that, you know. So, like my thing was, I'm going to fucking prove myself, I'm going to be the fucking man and I'm going to. I want to do my job. You know, I want to be on, I want to always for the rest of my life. I want to say you know, I served in a line platoon and I did my fucking job and love me, hate me, you can never disagree with that. So I just did it.
Speaker 2:So there was a rumor. There was a rumor that Sergeant Major needed a driver. Dude, I was going to cry. I didn't fucking join this shit. Drive a fucking Sergeant Major. I want to fucking fight and kill.
Speaker 2:That happened to one of my friends you know, they almost made me a driver. I'm like, I just want to be so I got everything I wanted. Man, got everything I wanted, but like. But like you know that happens. I didn't want to be the guy you know I didn't want to be. What's his name's character in black walk down you know, I joined the rangers. But I can type you know I'm forgetting crimes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's like people you know, yeah, that was the the most constant theme throughout my career wanting to go on a deployment and people oh, they're always somebody in the background saying, yeah, by the time we get there's going to be over. Uh, flash forward to 2019, 2020, we're still deploying. Yeah, it didn't end fast. We, we thought it would, we thought it was going to be this thing that would come. We throw all our forces at the enemy and then it would be over, mission accomplished. And it was uh, 20 fucking years, man, 20 years. It's wild. When you were coming through that deployment, coming on the other side of it, getting that definitive combat experience, or at least getting to the point where you're like, oh shit, this is a two-way fucking firing lane. Like, yeah, it's legitimate, yeah, it's not. You can't tell a young man not to want it, not to crave it. But on the other side of that deployment, did you find yourself saying, okay, I got what I wanted.
Speaker 2:Yeah to a degree, you know. So, like I, yeah, I went and, like you know, I got all the, all the experience, all the stories you know I got. You know what's the flavor story? All right, I got that and it was really eye-opening. You know, it was just a pretty bloody friggin. You know, just going out there and just like all types and we were doing doing all types of crazy shit. You know we were doing like four-man teams and doing OPs, looking for insurgents and stuff. I'm like you know I got ambushed one time, the scariest fucking time of my life. But you know I got to do it all and shit. But what actually happened was the year before actually, when I got back from Iraq the first time.
Speaker 2:One of my team members in my platoon he was a New Yorker too. He's like, hey, the NYPD is giving out a police test at the officer's club and I'm like, get out of here. He's like, oh, you should take it. And I kind of blew him off Like yeah, whatever. And when I get out he's like, no, you need to take it. I'm so glad I fucking listened to him in there and nypd was there. They flew him down from new york down to georgia at fort stewart. Get polls on. Hey guys, you know we love military guys. You know, take the test, send you your score when you go get the ceo to sign a letter of deferment. We'll hold your score the day you get out and just give us a point and start your process. So I was like, all right, cool. So that was in, I think october of 2003. So I got my ceo to my CO was like sure, you're going to be a cop. I'm like I'm going to see what's up.
Speaker 2:So when I was getting out, so I was ETS in April of April, 4th of 2006. So I was getting ready to get out. So they were like, oh, do you want to reenlist? And I was kind of like I don't know, all my friends stop loss had started.
Speaker 2:So all my friends that were getting out october, november, december of 2006 were all re-enlisting because they knew they were going to get might as well get that bonus, because they're going to get sucked into another giant deployment that ended up being a 15th month deployment. So for me I was like you know, this might be like god's sign, like, hey, why don't you just try this avenue? So I was like, listen, I'll get, I'll get out of the army. I'll try this NYPD thing. If it's cool, I'll stay, if it's not, I'll just come right back to the military, I'll jump right back into it. So I literally get out of the army in April of 06. I'm on I-95 driving back up to New York. I pull the NYPD, I start my investigation three days later and I three days later and I was in the police academy three months just hit like that and then I just rolled into that and then just that became my world and never looked back it just worked out.
Speaker 2:That is not a traditional transition story they needed people really bad at that time and the salary was like really low. I was at a barbecue with cops and they was like really low, like there's. I was at a barbecue with cops and they're all like I would never take that job for that and I was just like I had nothing. I'm like I have a one-year-old kid and a wife in a basement apartment. Like I need a job, you know, like you know. So you know, and if it didn, the policing didn't work out. I would have went right back into the military. It's one of those things where, for a lot of guys, police work is something.
Speaker 1:Being a first responder is very attractive. You're already somebody that's of service. You already like the discipline, you like having a uniform and having a purpose and a mission on a daily basis. That attracts a lot of guys and that's why we're for a lot of people. They're willing to look past the, the pay. Uh, for the most part, like it's not. Yes, it's important, but at that time period I would, I would venture, I would venture to say like the pay probably wasn't the most important thing right there. It was having that, that purpose, and like at least having a mission, especially being back in new york.
Speaker 2:Yeah, man, yeah, but like you know, like it had the structure, you know it had awesome benefits and like you were gonna make decent money, you just had to wait like five years. And also, too like I was financially responsible in that tour in iraq, I saved up excuse me all my money and stuff so I wouldn't be like at, you know, at the end of the world and stuff, so I plan that's. Another thing too is like you know, like everyone says it, but like if you're gonna, if you're an enlistment and you're planning it out, save your money. You know you don't want to come out ground zero, you know and have a plan, but um, the police department worked out and that was a whole another, another adventure you know and like we gotta dive into that, because new york and ira, iraq seem very similar.
Speaker 2:That's what's cool. The experience I had is like I had the crazy combat and then I go into the Copland shit and just seeing it and they're totally different animals, and just to experience it. It was good. Man, nypd, all these organizations gave so much back to me. I'm very, very humbled to be a part of both of them yeah, it's um.
Speaker 1:I would imagine the first few, first few years after 9-11, the police departments, the people around, did you feel that that camaraderie, that that support was still there?
Speaker 2:like a little bit. You know, obviously it was really like right after nine, 11, like probably it'd be year after it was hot, it running high, but then, you know, it kind of settles out. Yeah, nobody cares anymore especially to the bad guys.
Speaker 1:I was going to say, man, like, how did? What was it like having to be that on the street cop? That representation of you know New York's finest? I mean, there's a reason why we have so many TV shows that focus on New York cops, whether it's the gritty crime dramas, talking about all the different ways that cops can be corrupted, or highlighting the dangers of policing in New York. Like, what was it like? Being boots on the ground and arguably one of the most chaotic cities that we have in the United States, Like it, but at the same time one of the most attractive cities we have in the United States. This episode is brought to you by Titan's arms. Head on over to titansarmscom and buy a stack today. Use my code, See Denny 10. To get your first stack, I recommend the lean stack to. To get your first stack, I recommend the Lean Stack. 2. Start living your best life. Titan SARMs. No junk, no bullshit, just results.
Speaker 2:No it was awesome. I mean, you know you have all the prestige and everything. But like the main thing is like NYPD's huge. You know I got a tight 33,000 cops. There's so many units like SCUBA and, like you know, again it's high at 33,000 cops. There's so many units like scuba and, like you know, emergency service and and there's this like forensic chief going on. There's so many units and so like the old, like the old law enforcement kind of looks at NYPD. You know, like what are they doing and stuff.
Speaker 2:But the one big thing too is like it's a giant city. So you have a humongous amount of jobs that come over the radio and, like you know, shootings, like everything is just multiplied over and over again just because of the population. So like you, just you just have you're exposed to all this stuff where a smaller police department might see, you know, you know something here and there and stuff, but NYPD, it just it just not stop. So having that experience it was just uh, you know, on that level, magnitude of just population and you know everything was uh, pretty, pretty wild, you know yeah and how did you find your way into doing the uh forensic sketching?
Speaker 2:yeah, complete, complete yeah. And then on the winter, when the water, so I did that, I did midnights and I ended up working in conditions and conditions as those whatever like the precinct commander wants. So sometimes, like we'd be playing clothes, we'd be doing this, and that got a lot of cool training. So my one army buddy that told me to take the nypd test, he ended up getting into the police department too. He made a contact and he called me up one day and he's like hey, man, I'm doing an interview with tom brokaw. You want to do it? Because, like, I told them our story and I think it's really cool, it's going to be on the Intrepid. Do you want to do it? I'm like, yeah, man, I went and we did a short interview with Tom Brokaw for American Movie Classics. It was Veteran Weekend or something. When I was there I met a guy my friend says you know how to draw Real quick, my whole drawing thing is. My dad was like a professional artist, animator, worked in disney cartoons, all types of shit.
Speaker 2:So like I grew up with that like wow he showed me what to do and, like I just always drew, but it was always a hobby and like being an artist was always peace and famine. He had good years, bad years, so I was kind of like I don't, I don't really like turned off, yeah, yeah, and like that stability is like.
Speaker 2:I like I really want the stability. So. But I always drew. It was a hobby. I put it in my back pocket. So high school drew, military drew, pop still drew.
Speaker 2:So this guy's like yo, man, my friend says you can really, you're like a pretty good artist. You know like there's a sketch artist unit in nypd. I was like, get out of here. He's again. Man, it's three-man unit. My boy, he's a detective over there. You want to go for an interview? I mean they're not looking for anybody because it's such a small unit, but you should just go over there and make contact. So I end up going over there. They set me up with a phone call. I go over there and the guy's like oh, what tour is this for you? I, he's like oh, dude, you come here on job time. Man, I'm like this is like the opportunity of my life. Man, like I'm coming here like you know, no problem. So really good guy.
Speaker 2:Detective perez, awesome artist, worked there. I think he was there since the 80s and stuff done tons of high profile cases. I showed him my portfolio. My portfolio wasn't really that great but he's like all right, you know, that's cool. Like you know, we'll schedule for the art test. So I took an art test, came in, took that, did well, thank God. And he's like. He's like ah, he's like you got talent, you know, you just got to wait, we're going to see, we'll pick you up. So I end up like yeah, we'll pick you up. I was like I'm just finding out. Here's the thing about it. It's a three-man unit and if somebody else came along and tested better than me or had a pull or whatever, I would have been asked out. And that was my, you know. So finally, I'm just waiting for him to retire. I actually called one of the guys in the office. I'm like when is he retired?
Speaker 1:and he's like yo, he put his papers in if he doesn't come back after august 14th or whatever date it was.
Speaker 2:He's done so. Like, is he dead yet? Yo, I was good, I was sorry, sorry, juan, I was gonna assassinate you. He would have rammed in a street. So I actually called like the next day. I'm like did he leave? Like yeah, he left, he's gone, like he can't come back. That was in August or September. I just waited and waited January 15, 2015,. They called me up and they're like you're officially transferred, come in. That was it. I began that whole adventure. It's a whole different world, from the military running around the streets to office job.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I took it and that took, you know, some adjusting to to get to yeah, I have to imagine, after spending so much time, you know on the line, being being on the ground, being a grunt, then coming in doing it, you know in the blue uniform. Now you're removed completely from that role, now you're just drawing. Did you have any like any part of you like really struggle with that like identity and wanting to get back on the road, get back out there? Or were you able to swiftly like shift into that mindset of like, okay, now I'm an artist, now I'm doing sketching, yeah?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, I shifted into it and just like, the one thing is you really. And here's another thing too, and this works with the artist thing is like when you move into a new job, like coming from the military you know, I did a tour in Iraq. I get back in January of 06, and then I'm a cop. And then I got cops telling me what's up? You know you gotta eat it, man. You know, like no one's good, you can't walk in with a chip over your shoulder. You know, like all right, cool dude, you're working at Target now like nobody fucking cares. Well, bye. Yeah, no, that's serious.
Speaker 2:I feel like I just shut my like even the police academy shut my fucking mouth. You know, and you see, and you see people that can't help themselves. Like you know who the fuck I am. Like you know, but you haven't even passed the academy yet and you just say so you have to read the room and adjust and you know, you know accomplish what they want you to do and move on. So like so becoming, you know, so going into that job.
Speaker 2:I didn't walk around like oh, who the fuck I am, you know, I just like this is an office job I'm in, you know, a support detective unit. Now that's my job, let me. Let me do that to the best of my extent and that's what I did. I just had to. I just had to. I had to change and adjust you and then. So then it's pointed up, it's like it was pretty much an office job. I would do details here and there, like parades and stuff, nothing, nothing crazy. But then you know COVID hits and the riots hit, so then they start pulling everybody back into the streets and like I had some wild stories there. And then you're like I had all those past experiences, help, you know, and just got after it with that, dealing with that. You know that was right at the end of my time before I retired. I'm not getting hurt at the end here, you know, yeah, not wild, wild stuff, but yeah, just adjust. You know you have to adjust.
Speaker 1:And what was that like? I have to imagine there's a difference in being a creative artist, drawing and sketching things from your imagination. What was it like having to sit down and take details and create the sketch of somebody that that is wanted, that somebody that that's a real human being that may have done something horrendous and created a crime like? How do you go into that process of trying to like sketch out that individual?
Speaker 2:so I mean it's the first sketch is stressful, I would say. It took me like a year to really get into my stride. But there's a whole process that you do um, um, you interview the so it is the shortest version of it is you interview the victim, kind of get an idea what the guy looks like. You know you find out. I would, I would draw like a little doodle kind of like. Kind of like, oh, you know what's happening to those. This and that, based on the race and age group, we'd pull out, um, what do you call it? Uh, her picks, picks up a different. We had boxes, like every race and age. We show them and the person would pick out features they like, like, oh, I like his eyes, I like his nose. Why do you like his eyes and they tell you, oh, he was wearing this. You know, oh, he's wearing a Kango hat and Google a Kango hat. So we get all these.
Speaker 2:So then we would I would never bring up the crime ever. You know, like you just got to make that rapport with the person because if they don't like you or they like, they're embarrassed of the crime. You know, like we do lots like sexual crimes, like rapes and something sexual assault. You're not going to unlock the crucial details. That would help you have a highly successful picture. So I would just wouldn't talk about that stuff. You know like really relaxed, like you know you need a break. Whatever they pick out all the features, I'd have them hang out. You know they play on their phone, whatever, and I would do a rudimentary sketch of like kind of what they look like.
Speaker 2:So then, when I got to a certain point, I'm like, all right, I'm gonna do a reveal and then you tell me how much you like it, you hate it. Doesn't look like the guy, whatever. And and you know we'll go back and forth and we'll, we'll push different parts, pull different parts to make it as close. Because and the one thing too, I would use it as like an empowerment thing like this is you getting back at that scumbag? You know that guy that violated you, the guy that criminal, that.
Speaker 2:So I'd flip it around and then they'd be like, oh, it looks like that. But sometimes, sometimes like, yeah, that was the family guy episode where they do it. It's awesome, they got, they got a YouTube, that one, that's good. But so I flip it around, sometimes I go like oh my God, that's him. You know, don't change a thing. That looks exactly like him. Sometimes I go, oh, that looks good, but, like you know, his lips are a little thinner or his hair is like this, and we go back and forth and we just get as close as possible. And then the detectives you know I's making it happen they go out there and they find him and I got to pull our text. I go, we got the guy and we do the side by side. You see how close they are.
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Speaker 2:And just being able to help the detectives bring somebody to justice, big deal it's fucking huge man. I'm a regular dude. I've been a detective bureau for a couple months. I'm not even a detective yet. I'm waiting to get promoted from a cop and all of a sudden they're like yo man, we got a homicide here. This guy witnessed somebody getting shot. They bring Like yo man, we got a homicide here. You know, this guy witnessed somebody getting shot, you know, they bring the victim in and stuff.
Speaker 1:It's like you can't be like yo, it's like take it till you make it man.
Speaker 2:But yeah, I got it, I would. They would call me up with crazy cases and I'd be like, yeah, I got it and I'd hang up the phone. I'd be like, like you know, had like one crazy case like can you reconstruct a guy's face? We don't have photos of him, but we have his family members. He was killed. I think it was 1978. He was killed in the 70s and we had his dna record. Can you just like make a face happen? I'm like yeah, yeah, any, any, yeah, no problem, that's a, that's just an average tuesday here. I hung up the phone. I'm like what?
Speaker 2:the fuck man, just give me a swab of his dna and I can recreate it so but you know, I took, but I I went at it like a math problem, like it's just any problem. You know, I put everything out and like, all right, you know, I just kind of figured it out, you know, just piece by piece. Yeah, dude, but it's really cool stuff and what you know.
Speaker 1:We, we sit down and we explore these journeys, man and, and we hear all the great stuff. We hear the, the passions as to why you love the job and why you did it. And at what point did you find yourself saying, you know what, like it's time to retire, it's time to hang it up.
Speaker 2:So I started doing um, so going on like with the art I do on Instagram, like battle tribe and stuff, yeah, so I started really doing it like 2018. So it's like coming up on eight years, it's. It's pretty wild. One of my friends was I worked with. He's like oh, this is this platform, instagram, you know, like you should, you should. It's great for artists, like. And he was right too. He was like you should put your stuff up there. I'm going to text out. I'm like alright, whatever. So I started putting it up there and I just started doing my thing and started gaining traction and it blew up and then it was just doing really well. I guess there really wasn't anything too much like it in the veteran community. Now there's so much stuff now.
Speaker 1:Dreads everywhere and skulls and skulls. You're. You're one of the originals and one of the most frustrating thing it things is younger guys are coming in and they're copying your stuff, thinking, thinking that people won't understand. To be like bro, you're taking this shit from my guy man, it's, it's wild, right, it's just like.
Speaker 2:Uh, that's the thing. Like like. I never go like crazy after anybody, like like whatever, but it's just like. It's such a small community, you know. Like it's just like and like I've, you know, if I ever, I always acknowledge other people's work and stuff like that, and it just sometimes it sometimes it gets annoying. You know, you see somebody do something and they're like like oh, this is the greatest thing ever and it's just like yo, it's been done before, you know, and like I'm like, yeah, it's just what I got an idea of skull with an op score no vision.
Speaker 2:Yeah, man, I'm telling you, yeah, I'm a victim of it too. You know like I was doing it, you know, but I've, but I've now I've done a lot of things now, like poking fun at it, you know like yeah, there's a reason why that's my logo for my podcast it's awesome, it's so funny.
Speaker 2:So I do like the skeleton cartoons like that, bro, like I just had the new shirt and it's a skull like nods on it. He's like more skulls. There's like more skulls, more like pilot t-shirts like perfect, and it has like skulls all over it's so like death mayhem, you know it's funny.
Speaker 1:Add a beard on it. Add a beard on it and slap it on a t-shirt.
Speaker 2:Same thing with police, the police too. It's like every time I see thin blue line I feel blue line, so funny, man, it's so funny. But um, but yeah, no, it's it. You know it's. It's a the community's tiny man, the artist community's. It's. The community is tiny man, the artist community, the veteran community, and then the artist community. That's like a subculture of the veteran community. Yes, you know it is man, but I I always try to be respectful like other people's work and stuff. And like I did one design like a while ago and somebody was like yo, somebody did that. I was like like oh shit.
Speaker 1:So I was like acknowledge it like because I don't need that, no, to do that, yeah, there's so many good ideas out there. It's like you can. You can make it happen yourself. Just a little effort. And in in that time period of like, going back to like 2018, is that when you finally had enough confidence to say you know what? Like, I'm going to put my money on me, I'm going to bank on my skill set and I'm going to fucking, I'm going to put my money on me, I'm going to bank on my skill set and I'm going to fucking, I'm going to go ham.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So you know, the one thing about the NYPD is they're really pro-military. So I was able to buy back my active duty time so I was able to like retire early as if I had, you know, over 20 years. Wow. So, yeah, very, very blessed. A lot of police morons don't do that, some do, but nypd is very pro-military so I kind of like so the riots were going on, all the nonsense was going on, like under manpower and everything like that, and I was just like you know, and my son actually enlisted in the military. So I'm like, yeah, yeah, so he's, he's an 82nd airborne now. Oh, hell, yeah, as a saw gunner. It's awesome man. I went through his last jump in airborne school. He jumped that Awesome man. That is so cool. But, like one of the things was there's so much, the manpower is so little. Everybody's getting tasked out for details.
Speaker 2:My seniority, like my summer vacation pick, was like the first week in May. I was going to just miss everything from my son. So I was like you know, I'm just going to retire this going on that battle tribe. You know, blah, blah, blah. So you know, I retired. I ended up retiring January 1st of 2023. And, you know, never looked back. You know a great chapter in my life it was, you know I got everything out of it. You know, very blessed, had a awesome career and on to the next thing. And you know I to, you know, go to all my son's stuff and you know, not miss any graduations and everything like that. And you know, next chapter, hell, yeah, well, tell us about battle tribe. So battle tribe, yeah. So when I first started out, I just draw what I like, you know, willing to pop culture, a lot of the old movies, 80s stuff, and everything just has a vibe like.
Speaker 2:I remember, like like one of the jokes, like just in iraq, you know, just walking, I remember being in the back of the bradley. I'm like I'm not in the bradley, I'm in the apc from aliens with the colonial marines we're going in. You know, yes, that's my one, my battle buddy garrett. He was a soul getter in my team. I always do. I always tell him we'd be driving out the gate in the bradley. We lived in a little patrol base and it was called patrol base yubani, in the middle samara, and as we're rolling out, I used to like 90 percent of the time I'd be like, oh, I got a joke for you and he'd be like what's the joke? I was like I asked my girlfriend some pussy, I do that joke from predator. Yeah, every time yo funny, and you can barely hear us because of the tracks hitting the pavement and stuff. Yeah, so funny. But, like you know, just just like I remember walking out, you know walking out the gates, like at night and stuff and I'd have like the starship trooper music, you know. So I bring all that to my art and I just throw it out there and a lot of people have the same feelings and same likes and everything and just enjoy it.
Speaker 2:My take on the pop culture and the military you know g the g-watt and um people just enjoy it. So I started the military. You know G G watt and um people just enjoy it. So I started just merchandising. You know t-shirts and stickers and um art prints and just all types of stuff out there, you know, and it just kept going and going and people really, you know, took it and enjoyed it and there's a lot of good feedback and it inspired people, like people dress, people dress up, do cosplay, some of the characters I draw. I was able to work with different brands that like my stuff. So I got to work with a lot of cool different brands like Oakley, crag, precision, a bunch of different companies and stuff, and I just meet everybody and the world became really small. It's just great to see people enjoy my art and then I was able to make some money out of out of it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you've partnered up with some amazing companies and make some amazing stuff for them. It's, it's insane, like seeing it from the start, seeing where it's at now. I mean it's it blows my mind, seeing like what. What at first seemed like an artist that was creating art for our small little collective of GWAC guys is now making artwork that's all over the world, representing some of the biggest brands out there, and it's not just Vetbro brands Like it's fucking Oakley.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, it's, it's really cool man. And also to like there's, I have like a whole bucket list in my head like I really cool man. And also, too, like I have like a whole like bucket list in my head, like I want to do this, I want to write a children's book, write a children's book, you know. And then, like I want to do an album cover. You know, my friend Brad has a band, so I worked on his album cover. Like just all these, like little, like hey, you want to do a book together. I'm like fuck, yeah, bro, let's do it, you know.
Speaker 2:I did a book. Yeah, it was just like.
Speaker 1:I always how did you guys meet? Cause I saw that and I was like the.
Speaker 2:When the incident happens, like the day later it's reported and you just see this guy mask and the purple and the purple shirt and he's in the robe and he's killed these couple terrorists in this hotel attack and I'm like the thing is it's cool. It's like I always want to be like the first, you know, like I, you know like if I see something really cool, that's the thing that motivates it like I guess a little bit of ego, like that little thing, like you, you know. So I'm like this is the coolest fucking shit ever, like this guy, his whole unit, like running through with the, with the Baka lava. So I did a picture of him and I posted it like the next day and I like people went out like, oh my God, that's the coolest thing ever. Blah, blah, blah, obi-wan and Robi. So people start calling them yeah, yeah, really cool man, you know who dares win, because you know it's, it's awesome man. You have this guy on his own, took matters in his own hand, jumped into the fray, you know, saved a bunch of civilians. Really, you know, really like who dares wins is like exactly what that man did. You know.
Speaker 2:So a couple months, oh so a couple months later a friend of his contacted me and said hey, I'm like really good friends with him. You know, I I um friends with him. I bought whatever the shirt you made and this, and that Really I'm like that's fine. I didn't have it out there that I was an NYPD detective. I just didn't want any drama. So I was like I'm actually an NYPD detective, I would love to send you a care package of stuff. I want something like a challenge coin, you know patches, all this crap. And like this person could have been totally lying, like I don't know, but I just like she sounds normal. So I sent it to her. You know, I made it to her. So I made it to him. So the person contacts me back like a month later oh, did he ever like, did he ever text, send you a message or anything? I'm like no, no, no, it's not about that. So he's like, oh, I'll talk to him again. So he ends up contacting me. He's like hey mate.
Speaker 2:He's like I get your number and I guess me all. I get the fuck out. So he called me. He was actually in Africa at the time. So this is like one in 19,. Like the summer, august, whatever. He's like dude. He's like oh, it's awesome. He's like my mates my swadra mates bought me your print, got framed with coins and like all different shit and everything, and he sent me. He's like dude. He's like it's really cool, man. You know, I really appreciate it. I'm like yo, you're like a big deal man. You know, like a lot of respect man, that is like iconic, like that photo of him kicking in the door.
Speaker 2:Very, it's just like all right, I'm coming to New York. We got to go out for beers. I'm like, all right, man, let's go. So we freaking met. So this is like this is the fall of 2019. So we go out for beers and everything. I go out to dinner and he's like the next time I come back. So me and him, we just stayed. We stayed friends going back, and anytime he comes to New York, we hang out, whatever. So in the end, so the um, what do you call? I think it's like 2020. He was talking about coming out, you know, on social media and stuff. So he was like you know, can I use one of your pictures as my profile picture? I'm like absolutely dude yes, so he came out.
Speaker 2:Oh so he came out, whatever. So I remember, I don't know, some people were commenting or messaging like matt, you don't know this guy, so so I'm like, I'm like all right, we're worried about you, bro. So they see his profile picture of my art. And then he actually one day he's like I'm going to post a picture of us. I'm just going to blur my face. I'm like, all right, so you did it. And people are like this is an old picture. They're like, yeah, dude, I'm not fucking like.
Speaker 1:I'm not delusional, I swear.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, that was it and it just became a really cool friendship man over the years and stuff, you know, going back and forth and hanging out and stuff like that. He's an awesome dude man down there. So he was just on Fox News a month ago. He's on the Gut Hill Show, so he hit me up hey man, let's go for steaks, mate, let's go, we'll go to the bar get some Guinnesses. Then we'll get some cocktails, we'll be good. So, yeah, he's just a good dude. You know, just a really you know a legitimate guy in the veteran space and you know it's very nice that he's over here. You know doing this thing in, uh, america. But then we did the book. The book was really cool, did very well and, um, just just the most relationship. If I didn't have art and instagram, like we, we didn't have to bump into each other. Yeah, you know, like that's the thing is the world's so small, you know. Going back to my grand my grandfather.
Speaker 2:He would do reunions in pentacol floor like once every two years with his squadron mates. You know that's all they have now. It's like it's all probably. I call my, my uh, one of my team leader at my swally hey, what's up from iraq, you know, 20 years ago. I think you know how's everything going.
Speaker 1:You know it's the world's very small, it's nice, it is, and it's important to continue reaching out, man. Um, and that's why, dude, the veteran epidemic of suicide isn't going to be solved by science, by advocates that are up in washington. Um, it's going to be solved by just staying connected, man like, just being able to reach out and talk to your friends and be vulnerable enough to put up your drawings. If you're a creator, put it out there. Connect with people, man like. That's one of the greatest things that we have is the ability to create something, even if you don't draw or paint. Write something, write your book, share your story. Stay connected. If, if anything, you, sir, have shown us that if you just lean into what we love and what we're passionate, it'll resonate with people and it can be your next calling. So, yeah, be out there and be willing to be, be bold, be daring and put yourself out there, man man.
Speaker 1:Yeah, matt, I can't thank you enough for being here today, brother, your story is phenomenal and I love everything that you're doing. If people want to check out more of your work, where can they go? Instagram?
Speaker 2:Matt Rendar, m-a-t-t-r-e-n-d-a-r. That was my Heidi Star Wars name when I was still in law enforcement.
Speaker 1:Which that was my, my, my, my Heidi Star Wars name when I was still like law enforcement, which is by far one of the greatest characters ever.
Speaker 2:It's so funny so you want to hear the quick story. I got that so it's so funny, man. So and I was like I think it was 1996. I think Nintendo 64 came out, which they did like the Shadows Empire thing.
Speaker 1:And that game was awesome.
Speaker 2:Yes, dude, I got it. Like I, and that game was awesome, I got it. I think my parents were like stop failing school. If you get all A's we'll get you in the 10th grade. So I got all A's, that was the game. When you play the game, there's a save file and it's a dash rendar. I'm like delete, delete, delete. I wrote Matt Rendar never thought anything about it.
Speaker 2:Flash forward, like 3 years later the Phantom Menace is coming out. So we all cut school. We, we get tickets. I graduated in 99, so we're like, yeah, this is our CD. It gives a shit. We cut the night I stayed over at my friend's house a bunch of we're all sleeping over.
Speaker 2:I get out, go to Lowe's big stadium seating theater and see Phantom Menace, so I bring my Nintendo 64 over. So like oh, empire, they gave him the shit. They're like what the fuck is this matt rendar? Like who's gonna save the world from the galactic? At matt rendar. So they just kept calling me, they just kept fucking dogging me like rendar, rendar, matt rendar. I just kept catching.
Speaker 2:So then I started becoming friends with other people and they just told me matt rendar all the time and like nobody knew I had my real last name was clyde and then, like one of my I was going to. I was going on a trip one of my I was going to. I was going on a trip, one of my friends. He bought me plane tickets with Matt Render on it. So he gives me the ticket. I'm like dude, my name's not fucking Render. I'm like what? I'm like it's Klan. They're like get out of here. I had to pay like $50 to change my name on this fricking ticket, so I just kept using that. And then people that don't know are like oh, it's so funny. But I saw a friend today. They're having their cell phone. Matt Rendon, you know, like yo, is Matt Klein coming. They're like who the fuck is that guy?
Speaker 1:Rendon yeah.
Speaker 2:Rendon.
Speaker 1:Yeah, rendon, who is by far the greatest hero. Oh man, disney fucked up. They retconned him.
Speaker 2:God, it would have been great to get a movie. It's so bad, it's a crisis. That's the thing. You get older. I still don't care anymore, yeah.
Speaker 1:Andor is good. At least we have Andor Dude. Thank you so much for being here, matt. I really appreciate it. Brother, it was a fucking absolute blast. And uh, if you guys are listening, go ahead. Pause goes up to the description. Uh, click on those links, help support matt, go buy a t-shirt, some stickers, and uh, if you're copying his artwork, stop being a dick, don't do it. Look, he's been around for so damn long. We all know whose art it is like. Like, come on, just make some original shit. It's not that hard. It's not that hard. All right, it is. I've tried drawing. I can't draw, worth the fuck. That's why I get everything from Adobe stock, but at least I buy the license. That's it, man. Thank you all for tuning in. We'll see'all next time. Until then, take care. Securepodcast is proudly sponsored by Titan's Arms. Head over to the episode description and check out Titan's Arms today.
