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.
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Security Halt!
From Panama to the Special Forces: How Jristos "T.J." Tjonajong Found Strength Through Struggle
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From surviving the chaos of the Noriega regime in Panama to earning his place in the U.S. Special Forces, Jristos T.J. Tjonajong’s journey is a powerful story of grit, identity, and brotherhood.
In this inspiring episode of Security Halt!, T.J. shares the highs, lows, and life-changing lessons from his upbringing, his transition to American life, and his military career. He opens up about:
· Growing up in Panama under political instability
· The life-altering moment he joined the U.S. military
· The emotional strength it took to overcome identity struggles and cultural shifts
· How brotherhood, service, and mentorship became his anchors
· Why community support is vital for veterans and future leaders
This episode is a raw and uplifting conversation about navigating change, honoring where you come from, and choosing to lead with resilience. Whether you’re a veteran, military family member, or someone who believes in the power of perseverance—this story is for you.
🎧 Listen now and take the first step toward informed, empowered healing.
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Produced by Security Halt Media
Securepodcast is proudly sponsored by Titans Arms. Head over to the episode description and check out Titans Arms today. Yeah, man, it's going to be a good one. Dude, you got an amazing personal story and we'll just dive into that from the start. Man TJ, welcome to the show. Dude, you're a member of our Red Empire family with a remarkable story, I think anybody. I think the stereotype is that anybody that speaks Spanish is automatically goes to seventh group, but it's a. Once you get down to the real truth, you see that there are so many remarkable individuals from every walk of life, but, man, like your story is truly unique.
Speaker 2:So today, my man, we're going to dive into it, appreciate it, man, I like I say thanks again for this opportunity and everything you're doing. You know. You know, for all the soldiers, member right got the opportunity to share a little bit about the background, who they are, stuff and things like that. It's about me, damn the jungle boy. I literally grew up in the jungles of banama, back in the dates, coming from adoption. I would have to say this is actually for me a first opportunity to talk about myself, my transition from the cv uh, civil life, civilian life to the military uh, experience, you know, and thanks for this, a great opportunity yeah, before we get too deep, uh, if you can move, move a little bit to your right, uh, that way you're centered on the screen.
Speaker 1:Yeah, there we go.
Speaker 2:Oh, here we go sorry, sorry, here we go, sorry. So there we go, now we're doing. There we go, look good, look good, and I destroyed everything here, man, there we go. Now we're good, there we go. You know, like I say, uh, it's a little tough sometimes about talking about this kind of stuff, but you know me, I come in from panama, coming from adoption.
Speaker 2:You know my real parents, they walk away. My dad woke up with three years and then I was raised by a Panamanian family. You know, I remember when I started growing up in that family being, you know I was King Color from Colon, panama, when everybody's dark color, you know, yeah, hey, there was a boxing every day in the school. You know, fighting for light up a deal. You know I was bullying all the time, people harassing me when I was a kid, all that kind of stuff. But in my family the thing is, when we're talking about skin color, everybody was different. That's the beauty of my family. You got the black, you got the one that look like a Chinese, you got my white mom. You know that kind of stuff.
Speaker 1:People don't understand how much of a cultural mixing pot panama really is, people don't understand within your own family you can have so dude varies in color light skin and if you have darker relatives, chances are your grandparents are going to favor the light skin relatives. Like it's insane.
Speaker 2:It's insane man like I said I grew up in danua for colon city. My dad, he, used to work in the field. I remember I was about six, seven years old when I got my first machete and my dad told me to take me to a little finca, right on to the land to work the land. So I didn't start working the land since I was a kid, hey, you know, years passed by and then when I grew up I started. You know planting. Know planting the corn, getting the corn mill the corn, making the Panamanian tamales.
Speaker 2:I take it to the market. You know I was selling the bucket of tamales seeded and after everything was sold, grab my bucket, give it to a friend and then go straight to university. You know, just trying to do something, you know, back in the days. But I'm grateful for that type of life. You know, I always say, man, life was a struggle in the beginning. You know we got a third floor. You know small rooms, everybody sleeping in the same room top of the hill. I remember my husband, my brothers and I. We always make a joke, we know when my dad was a paycheck for my dad, because that was the day that we got noodles and meat.
Speaker 2:You know it's like oh, we got meat, that's a payday, like we know it's a payday, it's meat on the table, but then you know, we used to, I used to go to fish, you know, like all that kind of stuff, and then there's passed by man, now we got the joe scouts we have. You know, I live on the the general norega regime. Yeah, I got a bunch regime. Yeah.
Speaker 2:I got a bunch of friends. They got killed. Got a bunch of friends that disappeared. When I was in high school, I remember the students used to go to the street to protest, do the protest against the government. Hey, by the way, when I'm talking, English is my third language. So, yeah, I got that steel Latino accent, man, you know.
Speaker 1:It's perfect TJ. It's fucking perfect man. It's funny. I was a little kid in that time frame in Panama I was still like five years old in that very chaotic period in time. The Noriega regime and the American response with Operation Just Cause I only remember bits and pieces and we were in Panama City proper during the initial engagement. What was it like on the ground? As an older kid, you're seeing this happen and experiencing it firsthand.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so for me, because I was not living in the city, I was away from the city, right. I remember I was sleeping and my mom woke me up. Hey, you know, united States attacking what? Yeah, so we come outside to the ground, to the field, to the front yard I would see the earthlings by then. We call it La Vaca, the cow. That was a C-130. You know, that's a nickname we used to call it because it was so huge in the air, like, oh, look at it, it looked like a cow. So the nickname was La Vaca, like hey, no, la Vaca is fine around, you know, but you can see it bullets coming down, and they know it's stuff like that, you know, and I went away from the city, right, I was like, oh, my God, you know, but at the same time everybody was celebrating, you know, because the regime was over when I was in high school.
Speaker 2:Man, one day we're walking on the streets and the students are doing riots, a bunch of students are running, and we look around and we got, they call it the Dobermans. The Dobermans was like the riot control for the General of Nueva York, right, and they come in the street to us. So we started running, I jumped inside the church and inside the church these guys turn around by the door and they start shooting inside the doors to the students. You know, nobody got hit, thanks to god, but you can see how they destroyed the altar and everything. So that's the time that we used to live, when I was there, right, and of course, all the riots, all the people disappearing, all the deaths, and then when we saw that we was like, man, it's happening, you know. So we expected, okay, let's see what's happening next day, right?
Speaker 2:So next day myself, I went to my little barrio, you know, with my friends, you know, see what's going on. And I remember we got a hill and it's a river, it's a huge river. I used to live. My river used to live. My river used to be one of the main rivers to the panama canal, so I used to paddle a lot like a four hours down street just to go to the lake to fish. Well, yeah, it was about six hours, you know, against the current, against the street, you know. But we are at this seal man, when we can see that, and we hear a noise, and when we talk around, we see this uh, air force, airplane coming really fast and then they just flip upside down and when he passing by, he give it the tongue. Saw, and you know, by then I was about what? 16 years old. So then I went like, oh yeah, you know, you're celebrating all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 2:Then in my bathroom we got the black hole came down and you see the, the guys kicking the mrs, you know, throwing the mrs on the floor, everybody grabbing, and you know the kids, you can see they got the heaters up and trying to eat the heaters and stuff, because we don't know all that kind of stuff, right? So and then we got the homebies passing by, you know, and then one of my friends showed to the boss. I was like, hey, come on, we got to go get something to eat. So we go down city, down city. Pretty much Everything there was, the police stations, was completely destroyed, you know, they actually got hit really, really hard. But all the criminal activities in the main cities, they start trying to take control of the cities. You know, and that was the biggest problem for us, all the merchandise, all the stores were actually broke, everybody was stealing everything, all that kind of things, right? They passed by and, crazy story, man, me and my friends were sitting in the bus stop and I remember we see the home base. I didn't know the home base. We're a bunch of soldiers and stuff in the cities and start talking to the little primates, you know, and the chicas and stuff like that, and we started getting jealous because that was our girlfriend. But at the same time we celebrated, right, and we got the freedom.
Speaker 2:So about four days after that I went to my finca because I was working on my land and I remember hearing a lot of noises. And then I just hide in the bush and I can see a bunch of military from the General Noriega running away from the actually US forces up the street, right. So I had to hide because when that happens, man, these guys start going in the main roads and they start killing people, stealing cars, doing all kinds of stuff just to run away from the Americans. And then they were blaming the Americans. The Americans were doing all these bad things on the ground, which actually was not true, you know, and everybody knows that. Well, the people that knew there we know what wasn't true. But I tell you, man, I was so scared hiding in the bush when I saw this guy with all the weapons and stuff passing by, man, I don't make any noise, man, just let these guys.
Speaker 2:As soon as that happens, I start running, going back to my house, talk to my family, talk to my friends, you know, and everybody just on alert in the neighborhood. Two days later after that we sit on the bus stop and I talk to my boys and I go. You know what? That would be good if one day I can do one of those guys. Man, you know, I always was a dreamer, since I was a kid, you know, trying to be one of those guys, do something for whatever. Right, short story man, I remember I came to the United States, so Joe's Cows happened, right, about, everything happens.
Speaker 2:Pretty much about six months after that, somebody come to my mom's house. I knock on my mom's house Like, hey, like, yes, cristo, because that was my nickname, because my first name is Cristos in Greek. In Spanish it means Cristo, in English Christ, it's Cristo. Like, hey, cristo's here. Like, yeah, like your mom is looking for you. Like what do I mean? My mom, my mom died years ago. Right, because it's always because my mom gave me to one of her friends I have friends, man. She treated me like trash She'd been.
Speaker 2:I was about three, four years old. She beat me every day. She used to have a older son send it to me to fight, you know, fighting with me every day. And I remember that day we got an old lady used to work for that, for that woman, right and she told us hey, you don't want this kid, you can give me to me. She's like, ah, take it, I don't want it. And that lady become my grandma. She gave me to her son.
Speaker 2:There actually was a teacher in elementary school. He become my dad. So I was really good at school thanks to him, you know, and I'm really proud of my Panamanian roots, I'm really proud of my Panamanian family. I had to say this because I know maybe some of you are going to see this and I had to say I am who I am today thanks to them, because justice was not achieved when I went to the TV show. We'll talk about that now, when that night they come to the house and I can say that my mother is looking for me. So I was in shock because for me she was already there. So finally, after a couple of weeks, I got the first phone call after actually 21 years of my life Right. I was 21 when she showed up, right, and my love 21.
Speaker 2:21. Right, and she got the phone and we talk, you know, on christ years, all that kind of stuff, and she's like, yeah, I want to help you. You know my mom in panama, actually the one that raised me. She's like, hey, we never changed your last name, we never changed your name, right, because you had the rest to know where you're coming from. If that's you want, that's what you desire, hey, take advantage of that.
Speaker 2:So I talked to my mother in Panama her name is Nikki or Michelle, sorry, michelle and I talked to Michelle and I said, okay, I was trying to go to America, trying to be somebody. And she's like okay, I'm going to help you. The reason it happened is because she got a lot of connections with Telemundo back then, in 1994, she got a lot of connections with Telemundo and Telemundo reached back to me. By then I was in the university and I was working as a security guard. Because, man, in Panama I did everything, from black marketeer working the land security janitor, you name it. Man, my first job I got a tray full of fruit, vendo, vendo, fruta, fruta, you know, and the street is screaming in the barrio and stuff, man, man, I used to go all the time.
Speaker 1:You're a street entrepreneur man. That's it, man, and anyway so the opportunity show.
Speaker 2:And they told me like, hey, we're looking for you because we want to do a TV show in Telemundo with Cepsec. Cepsec was a TV show back in the days in Telemundo when parents can meet actually kids. The kids are never with it. I was like, oh yeah, great. So they arranged everything for me the visa, the passport, the flight ticket and everything, and actually I was able to go to the TV show. So here I am in 1994, june 1994.
Speaker 2:In Telemundo, ready to be in the show, right, and I am backstage listening to the stories of Michelle. Right, michelle's like yeah, I gave my kid to a friend. Her friend used to have a mate and the mate stole my kid, knocked that kid away from me and my kid was stolen. Friend, her friend used to have a mate and the mate stole, kidnapped that kid away from me and my kid was stolen. And I never saw my kid away. So I ended up backstage and I go that's BS, man, that's a bunch of lies, that's not actually true. And I remember I talked to the producer like I don't want to be in that show. She's like well, that's, that's not true, you know. And I remember the producer told me like, hey, why are you getting punished? I said, well, nothing, I was trying to survive. Pretty much. She said, well, you're already here, just take the opportunity and just flow with the flow. I was like, okay, I'll do that. So I show up in the show, right, tears, everything. I told my story, all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 2:Man, when that story came in the air, pretty much the story, the set, was everything she said, because you know they edit everything, right. So my family in Panama got hurt because they got labeled as the bad people, the bad person, when actually they're not. I was alive, I am who I am now, thanks to them and that's why I told you guys that this is a good opportunity for me, because they deserve that respect. They deserve, you know, to know about that and to know that the bad person was the one that actually gave me birth, because I met her in June 1994. In November 1994, I ran away from her house. Damn, she was trying to send me back to Panama. She said she hated the family in Panama. You know I mean all kinds of things that I couldn't handle. It's like I know I came here to be, to be constant, but you know I run away from that man From then. That's a lot of crazy stuff.
Speaker 1:Damn man. Yeah, that is. Let's pause on that. Man Like that is, that's manipulation. That person just wanted to be on a TV show. That's the only reason why she reached back out.
Speaker 2:Well, the thing is she was already known on the TV show. She used to be a friend of Christina. Remember the Christina show? Yeah, yeah, she used to be a friend of him because, michelle, she worked in the church, right, and she was a minister of the church and she'd make a lot of exorcisms, so that's why she was really popular for that kind of stuff, right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah, I respect, there was a lot of TV shows in that time frame covering that stuff in Telemundo.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that kind of stuff. But she used me as a ¿Cómo se dice el hijo pródigo In the Bible, the prodigal son? Yeah, prodigal son. Yeah, all the way from California to Washington State we stopped in so many churches and I was the son that was away and came back. You know, she exploited that on me and of course I tell you, man, the way I compare myself even when I joined the army at 27, is, coming from Panama, with 27 in the army, a kid that was graduating from the high school got more street smart or more life in America than I. For me, I was completely lost, right, Everything for me was new in this big country and this big freaking country, right, but I learned from that man she was actually manipulating, she was actually using me and so I had to run away from her house.
Speaker 2:One of the days, man, I got caught by La Mira you know the famous eyes back in the days I was in California picking on oranges man. So me and my boys, my Mexican boys, we are in the van and we drive it and we got caught and they put me in jail. I said I got. What's your name? Pedro Jimenez senor. Okay, where are you from? I am from the DF, you know. So I changed my accent To completely Mexican. Level 3 by nature. Man, I'm level 3 by nature. I tell you what by nature. The guy said Okay, we're going to send you To Mexico, right? I was like you know, I'm going to Entire lingo, right? So here I am Waiting my bus to go to Mexico. My boy's like hey, don't worry, man, we're crossing Mexico Tomorrow. I'll be back here, man, no worry, it's a 94, right. But then I was like damn, if I go on there, I'm in illegal weather too. He's like I don't have nothing down there. They got to figure out where I'm coming from.
Speaker 2:So I talked to the guy like hey, come here, this is the truth, this is who I am. I came for a TV show. This is what happened, this is what's going on. You guys are like why are you lying to me? What do you expect, bro, I'm not scared, right? I came here to make a dream. You tried to kill my dream, right? I told you straight up. So they called. They're like hey, we got the answer machine and she sounds like she's one of the 800 numbers. Like yeah, I can predict the future type of deal. I was like, well, pretty much, man, pretty much, you know well, they let me go.
Speaker 2:They let me go in Bakersfield, california, with 25 cents in my pocket about 9 o'clock in the morning, close to a Grand Haunted Stitch. I remember that day, that 25 cents, I make a phone call I don't know if you guys know, but back then we used to have I pay for them 1-800-CALL-COLLECT. It's Saturday, right. So I memorized one of the guy's numbers and I called him and he said he used to live in Fresno, not in the Beckerfield, and he said, yeah, I can pick you up. It's going to be like 8, 9 o'clock in the night. So I said, yeah, no problem. So I still got the clues.
Speaker 2:I was ready to go to the field, right, to pick it up the orange. It's in Beckerfield, walk the streets down in the ground. Finally, I sit down in a place close to a McDonald's place. I remember these people came outside the McDonald's because I was sitting outside and they gave it to me because they thought I was homeless. I was homeless, right. So they gave me the food.
Speaker 2:Man, I got tears in my eyes. I was like, well, this is what it is. My mom, you know, she always told me al país que fuese hacer lo que viniese. So, pretty much wherever you go, man, you have to do whatever it takes, right? So that's me, man, just down there with a sad face eating my burger, man in the middle of the street thinking about everything I went through the life.
Speaker 2:I used to Panama the dream. Because, when I was 18 man, every time I see a shooting star, I was like a estrellita estrellita asking buy my mom. The dream. Because, when I was a teen man, every time I see a shooting star, I was like a Estrellita Estrellita asking me, my mom, to come back. Hey, shooting star, shooting star, make my mom come back to me. Right. And when she finally did it, right, man, that was painful. Resilience number one, right? That's what I heard and that's what I learned, right? Everything in life happens for a reason. Time for me to happen. Right, I was right in the right spot for me to have that experience with her. Because I was able to survive.
Speaker 2:Because during my teenager stage, I got a lot of dark areas where actually my body started getting weak. I was getting harassed by people. I was getting, you know, just put on the floor by people with money, you know all that kind of stuff. People always step on me, right? Well, I always say no, no, no, I want to be somebody one day, right? So here we are in Bakerfield. My guy picked me up. By then I got two members of my family from my Panamanian family living in Puerto Rico. So I called my sister hey, this is what's going on. She's like don't worry, I've got to buy you the flight ticket. All right, so you buy me the flight ticket, but remember you should keep all my passports, all my documents 1994. I got zero documents. The only thing I have is the ID card for the University of Obama. So here I am.
Speaker 2:I show up in LA the night before about my boy dropped me off down there about nine o'clock in the night. My flight was seven o'clock in the morning. My friends, on the way out, they gave me a guitar and they gave me like a jacket at the start, like, come on, man, you have to look good at the airport you broke, but we got to throw you away, man, all kind of stuff. I I wear my jacket, you know. And I show up down there like I didn't need it. I talk to the lady like hey, here's my notification. She's like what is this? I'm like you see that base down there. I slept down there last night.
Speaker 2:Somebody stole my wallet and this is the only thing I got. Right now she's like where you got this one? Where you going? It's like a phone call. I'm going to Puerto Rican and I went like hey, can you say carro? No, I say carro. I can't say carro, I say carro. So I said my accent to Puerto Rican and explained that lady, my sad story that was sitting on my guitar. Somebody stole it. It's like the university in Panama are cheaper than Puerto Rico. You know you got brothers or sisters. You don't have to sit down there. I'll tell you what. Just like you know what, here's your ticket. Have a blessed day. She gave me that ticket, bro.
Speaker 1:That shit would not happen right now. You know, not today, man. You'll be back in an ICE detention center. Not today, man. Not today.
Speaker 2:A.
Speaker 1:Panamanian that's been a Mexican, now a Puerto Rican.
Speaker 2:Bro, now I am the fly on Atlanta, puerto Rico. Right, I open, I walk in, you know, but the first thing I say bienvenido, a Puerto Rico Customs. I got to go to customs again, right. Well, you know, puerto Rico is always about tourism, right, tourism, all kind of stuff, right. When I was in California, the only English I knew was good morning, you know, that's it and I spell it the way I say it good morning, just like that, right.
Speaker 2:So I showed up down there and these people from Puerto Rico right, they give stickers to everybody. Like, oh, welcome to Puerto Rico tourism man. I got the sticker and stuff put it in the guitar. But yeah, you know, you're a celebrant. And then I got to go to Costco. It's like, are you coming here for tourists? Like, oh, yes, sir, señorita cerveza, my guitar, musica, whoa, the guys just start laughing, man. It's like, hey, here we go, you can pass. So they thought that I was the American coming to Puerto Rico to have a good time. Nice, my sister is. We gotta go before these guys figure it out.
Speaker 2:That's how I made it to Puerto Rico, where I actually joined the army in Puerto Rico in 1998. I was 27. Yeah, I was 27. I got married down there the first time, Went there with the mother of my kids right now. Sadly, after nine years of marriage we got divorced. But I met her over there overseas, in Puerto Rico.
Speaker 2:I started working as a janitor Once I came in I got to go through the struggle Like, oh, you're an immigrant, people are taking up answers for me, all that kind of stuff. Funny, I got the famous green card. You know, with this guy, dude, let's go for a federal job, federal job, you know what this guy do, let's go for a further job. For a job is security. So I did that. I joined the rms, infant zero english, right. So what? They sent me the ally.
Speaker 2:So I went to texas, to the little velita right and the ally institute right to the defense language institute down there for three months and then after that I went to basic trainingroen. You know, bay Citroen, I mean, for me was a joke because I grew up in the jungle. Yeah, I was in my foxhole digging the hole under the rain. I was like man, I got mosquitoes, rain food and I'm getting paid. This is awesome, man. I used to do all this for free, minus the food, you know. So I was like, oh man, that's crazy, send me to NTC. And NTC that's when I started. I went to my selection for Special Forces. Right, I did it in 2000. When I finished it's like, hey, great, you did it, but you cannot go to QCORS because you know our citizen, you're just resident. You have to wait for your citizenship. I was like oh, my God.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So by then it's like my time to release men, come right. By then I made it all the way to solo the year in, uh, in free, in, uh in NTC. And I laughed because I remember my boys always used to say, like man, you go, you went in all this for the boards, you know why? Why, they don't understand what you say, but you sound some confidence. They said, yep, that sounds right, con fuerza. Yeah, man, you know. But then by then I was like man, if I am an infantry guy, for some reason I get hurt. Why can't I be a police guy, security guard? So I switched anyways and I become helicopter mechanic.
Speaker 1:Shit, I didn't know that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was a helicopter mechanic and my commander sorry, my commander first was like hey, check this out, if you stay as an infantry I'll give you a random school, one year college. You know? I was like no, sir, I want to share my MOS. So I go right and send me to Korea. So I went straight to Korea as a helicopter mechanic. In Korea I was in a small airfield, but they find out that actually I was selected for special forces. So they put me pretty much in charge of the base defense type of deal, teaching all the soldiers all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 2:Finally, my citizenship show up and then I call here Like, hey, I got my citizenship, I did my selection, and of course we're talking about I did my selection in 2000. This one was 2002. Why? They say oh, we don't have any records for you. Well, guess what A old vet always told me. You know, back then we used to have paper. Hey, get a copy of everything. So guess what I was like hey, no problem, man, I got my documents, I'll send it to you via FedEx. I send it to them via FedEx and they said yeah, you're good to go to the Q course. And that's how I made it to the Q course, brother Damn. And finally I made it to the 7th group in 2004. That's when I actually came to 7th group in 2004. I started as the 18 echo communication sergeant over there. And how old were you by that point? By that point in 2004, I was already 33.
Speaker 1:33, that point. By that point in 2004 I was already 33, 33, damn fuck dude. That, just that. Just you already had a damn good career in the military. That I mean, if you would have just stayed doing what you were doing, hey, that's a good enough career. But man, the perseverance to keep going, dude like that, takes guts. That takes fucking guts. Man, that takes guts.
Speaker 2:And actually, when I learned the Brotherhood, you know, the Brotherhood opened the world to me to a lot of environments that I never experienced Because I did not grow up in this culture. A lot of stuff was not new and, let's be honest, I got submerged in a lot of stuff that was not the right thing to try and I did a little messed up in 2010. And in 2010, I did something bad. A general rule number one overseas, you know, if a guy stands up a deal says like, hey, sorry, you know you did this, so you have to keep in the shadows for a while. So I was in the shadows since 2010,. Almost until 2012.
Speaker 2:During that period, they gave me the opportunity to work in the basement. You remember the basement in the 7th group, everything that happens down there, right? Yeah, and that's when I become a guru in level 3 operations. Yeah, you know, I started becoming that and actually I was instructor for Broken Axle for the level 2. I developed the Broken Axle in Florida. Yeah, I developed, developed the broken axle in Florida when we moved from here to.
Speaker 2:Florida. Yeah, I was the one that actually created the broken axle over there.
Speaker 1:Dude, that's, that's a testament to what you can do. When you, you know a lot of guys look nobody's perfect. You will at some point in your career think trouble or sidined, and God forbid, god forbid. You know you have perfect career wherever you go, perfect life. But more often than not you're gonna have a pitfall, you're gonna have something, you're gonna stumble, and you can do two things you can lean into it and make the most of the situation and fight through it, or you can give up and, dude, it sounds like you didn't give up and you started working through it because when I went through that course, it was probably one of the best courses. It was hard, it's supposed to be hard, but it was well frigging, developed, man, it was well developed. So kudos to you for fighting through that, because it's not easy, man, it's not an easy tasking to sit down and say you know, it's easier to give up. It really is, it's easier just to give up. I know, man, I know, and I'll tell you.
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Speaker 2:No junk, no bullshit, just results. Old friend of mine. He always told me like I never met somebody with so much resilience like you, the way you always bounce back. Because I tell you, man, I just like what you say. Man, sometimes it's hard for the guys and it's easy to take the dark path or make the wrong decision. I went on my knees Looking back nobody wants to run because the Brotherhood is the best Brotherhood ever. When the same times the teams get rough and you fuck up, you got to be isolated. You got to learn your lesson and isolation was the worst thing that could have given for the Brotherhood back then. And it hurts. It hurts, you know, because I know I isolated some people at the same time. So I got isolated back then. So I learned my lessons and I learned my lessons. But then I learned how to come back from that. Then I come back from that. Actually, I went to some other stages in my career that actually put me in challenge again, but always winning, always in the top. So I came here to use us and I used us all. Then I put myself isolated for the seven. But the beauty of that is I learned how to become more professional. I still eat7. By then. I still working as an instructor related to course.
Speaker 2:I did some title, sometimes as an NCYC. In my career as an E7, I was team sergeant as well. I was assigned first class and acting assignment as well. By the time the EA list came out, I was already in the process to Med Bowl, so my main board process started in 2019. I came in the list in 2020 for the EA because I was like man. If I make Sergeant Major, this kid came all the way from the jungle. Come here eating rice and tuna right, go to the lake right. Become Sergeant Major of the Special Forces Like man, that's awesome, right. But at the same time, I was like man. Everything happens in life for a reason. Maybe, if I become a team sergeant or become a sergeant, maybe I'll be dead by now. Yeah, plus, at the same time, everything that I learned, man.
Speaker 2:I saw many cases similar to me. I was like come on, brother, you know, let me talk to you, let me tell you what you need, let me tell you the words that you're looking for, because I wasn't there when I was looked up and nobody was there. But I know what I was looking for, so I learned to be that individual. When I see people's behaviors and I see demeanor, it's always like come on, man, what happened to your house? What's going on? Okay, why are you acting like this? That's not you. What's going on? You know, trying to make the people talk right. And I tell you, man, that's a great feeling for me.
Speaker 2:At the end I got med board. I got a 100% disability. I got a permanent lung damage. That lung damage took me to the hospital about two, three times per year. The last time I was in the hotel having a vacation, I got my problems with the breathing and stuff. I walk out of the lobby. The cop, the security cop, down there is like hey, where are you going? Like I'm driving to the hospital. Like no, you're not going driving, you're going to hurt somebody in the road. I was like, ah, why do you have to involve some people? Because remember Sear, when we went to Sear, left and right, left and right, I don't care, as soon as they bring somebody else. It's like man, now I have to think about this. So that's exactly why, when he said that, I was like, oh, wait a second. So he called the ambulance. So the ambulance came and picked me up.
Speaker 2:My O2 was an 87. Yeah, my O2 normally is 92, 93. My O2 levels is always up, always, always up. Sometimes he made it really hard. We actually spent sometimes like a week in the hospital, you know, cleaning my lungs, getting all the stuff out, you know. And on top of that, tbi, ptsd, you name it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but I got med board and I did my entire career in Jesus Hawk. My last couple of years Awesome experience. I remember when I was teaching over there in the 18th folks course, because that's what I was working, the, because I remember the intelligence almost for Jesus, 14 years now. I got the fluent degree in homeland security and level three certification in homeland security as well. And I remember one of my boys like, hey, how we can do all this stuff in a regular computer. It's like I don't know.
Speaker 2:Then, finally, I get involved of public available information, research. That's where I work in this list. Supporting is still supporting. I'm the force, right. I got my little LLC. I should have gone to take advantage of this to promote. Yeah, dude, throw it up there. It's a consultant service. 507 ITP LLC, all right. And then I got a YouTube channel. It's coming up soon, all right, so that's what I did, and, of course, I'm a writer in Amazon, right? So the first book I did was about resilience. You know how to come? I struggles over over life how to deal with stuff like that.
Speaker 1:Right, let's talk about the book right now, man, like let's just dive into that because a lot of people make. When you start suffering you, you tend to think that only I'm I'm the only one suffering through this stuff, I'm the only going through this. Your, your scope of the world gets really narrow, your view of everything gets really small and you're only focused on your own suffering. But if you start opening up that aperture and started thinking about the reality is that this entire life, everybody around you, people, are suffering, people are going through shit. You're not the only person that's suffered through this. That can help you gain some new perspective. You can reframe things and your story is definitely like can help a lot of people going through something. They can realize like, oh shit, like I'm having a pretty bad day, but I didn't start my life off in the jungles of Panama, I know, man.
Speaker 2:And, like I say I'm grateful, and because I'm grateful, this email right here, so I don't know if you can see it on there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'll put it on the episode description and we'll put it up there Because sometimes my skills people that get kidnapped, people that got killed or criminal activities or whatever sometimes I support the law enforcement you know doing that kind of stuff. Sometimes I support the law enforcement you know doing that kind of stuff. Sometimes I support organizations that are doing operations against child pornography or against human trafficking, type of stuff. I volunteer a couple hours just for free because I got no other skills. Nobody can hide them these days and I know how to find things, so I'm trying to use that. I've been blessed that individuals that follow me on LinkedIn they know the organization I'm working for everything that I learned so far, everything that I do right, I implement in that organization, all the skills that we learn as a special forces, all the personal life I have from receiving it or things that I see in the ground in my real life. Man, I apply everything to the organization that I work in. But I tell you man, yeah, special forces for me, even as a seven. My wife, because I remarried again. Right, my daughter is going to be five in December. My other daughter is going to be two in December. So I started all over and actually, because I never saw my other kids, I always watch Deploy, always, always, always Deploy. Now I got an opportunity to actually see these ones growing up. You know that's the lesson. Well, bottom line man coming from into Panama to have that SF life of course, one hour man is never going to be enough. To all the details, all the life experience I got why not? But my wife always told me the only reason you made it, all the details, all the life experience I got went up. But my wife always told me the only reason you made it all the way to E7 is because that was a decision made from God, because he put you in the pattern, he put you in the path. How many people you talk, you know, and you path. Actually, when you were an instructor and you said, well, let's go to all the rest of the brothers, they were going through struggles and nobody was there. Yeah, several then because I was able to talk to people. It's like, well, that's the reason. So just feel awesome and look all the way how you made it all the way from the jungle in Panama, right, living in the countryside, right, all you have to be proud of it, right.
Speaker 2:And I remember, for the first time in my life, I took my son 50 years old. I took him to Panama and I saw where my mom lived from these days, because I've been trying to put my mom out of that house. And I remember I told her Mama, here's the money we got to move out. And she's laughing in the face, right, my mom, the mom that raised me. She's only 5'1", I'm 6'6", right, and she's like come here, come here, what it's like, what your dad built this house. I don't care how ugly it is, I don't care if it's coming apart. I would die in this house because your dad built it. You know it's like. What can I say about that? You know? So I give you the reason for that.
Speaker 2:So I took my boy down there and I took everything in my environment. He's like holy cow, dad. I mean, you got your house, you got four cars, now all this stuff, but you're beginning, man, you are humble. I go, yeah, and you see this kid, this family here, they don't even relate to you, they don't even blood. But then we die for you, family, why? Because they raised me and you are family and you need to understand.
Speaker 2:Family is not only about blood. Family is about the love and how to take care of others. It's the same in the sense of a brotherhood man. They're really a brotherhood man. They take care of the issue. You know the good times and the bad times, man, and when you see somebody man that's going down, don't let that brother down, man, because, guarantee, when he starts fucking out, it's because something is running his life. He's asking for help, but he don't know how to do it, and that's why you, as a good brother, need to approach and find the specific words to tell them like, hey, come on, man, what the fuck that's not, you Get out from there. You know, as human beings, man, sometimes we feel good about ourselves when somebody's in a bad situation.
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Speaker 2:Not so much us, but people normally. Always they criticize the bad teeth and others so they can feel good about themselves.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, you have this, you know, and that kind of stuff I remember. After 10 years, finally, I went back to Panama after I become a military. I went to my barrio, took my friends beer for everybody, food for everybody I just started spending money with everybody. And I sit with my two friends we actually were still friends. We've been friends for 45 years and we still contact and WhatsApp all that kind of stuff Every day. Good morning. Como estas, buenos dias. You know, blah, blah, all that stuff. We're still there.
Speaker 2:I was sitting down and they tell me hey, do you remember when we're sitting in the bus station, when the JustCop happened and you told us that one day you wish to be one of those? Look at you. And I remember, man, when they told me that stuff, I realized that it was heavy, that was good. I mean, that was big for me because I made it. And they told me straight up look what you're doing. You can't help but to do the same stuff they do for us here in many other countries. You went to more. You went to so many other countries you did.
Speaker 2:And that's when I realized, like holy cow, I never cashed on. Today, you know talking back to me after 10 years, man and after 10 years, all the people they always push me, you know, put the foot on my throat and push me on the ground, man, I ran the best SUV, I got my mom and the best restaurant, supermarkets and stuff and I was walking with my head high man, all these individuals, you know. Actually they were really bad situations, but even then I don't even smile, I don't even feel happy for that situation. I was feel sorry for that situation, you know, because that's the way I was raised. You know, poor man, but we go hard and like I say, I'm not perfect. I love the brothers. No, I did a lot of mistakes. One of the mistakes was and then I always push forward to become resilience and be the best for me, and I'm still doing that today, yeah, trying to do the best I can.
Speaker 1:That's the greatest thing we can do really Continue to pay it forward, continue to help people out. And, man, like I want to go back and reflect on that young man on that bus stop, Like sitting there looking at those soldiers and saying I'm going to do that. A lot of people look at the impossible and they look at their dreams and say, well, that's impossible, I can't do that. I'm like, is it really, or are you just telling yourself that you can't do that? Can you do it or are you just telling yourself you can't?
Speaker 1:It's, more often than not, If you dedicate yourself to what you really want in life, you can go after and you can achieve it. Man, the fact that we're here talking, having this moment, this little, this small moment of reflection on the life we'll lived on, a dream that was through hard work became a reality, like proof's in the pudding, like all of us have the same amount of ability, I really believe that, yeah, sometimes a little bit of luck helps, but more often than not, hard work and determination will get you there. Like being able to reflect on that journey today, man, looking back, like taking this moment to be here, like do you still find yourself waking up and saying holy shit, like fucking made it.
Speaker 2:Yes, it is, man, I was saying the same time. It's a blessing and I want to talk. I know the timing. But two anecdotes, that's really quick. And I think you were in Afghanistan with me. Do you ever hear the story about me being at the top of the HME? No, no, no, no. That was the same rotation when we went to Afghanistan. We were in Afghanistan and this pickup truck with the NA they blew up right.
Speaker 2:So by then I had an 18 Fox doing SSC. So I went to the truck getting you know quote to my mind, all the 18 Charlie, rimex, pluses, xperia give me all the training type of stuff. So I went down there, pressure plate out, stuff like that. So I start collecting stuff. I'm under the vehicle, right, just picking up the stuff. I got the cable, put the cable and the cable is stuck. I was like what the fuck? Then I follow the cable, follow the cable, follow the cable. I was landslide, landslide, landslide.
Speaker 2:There were two $5 HME. One went off and the other one is just under my chest Shit. So this is me with the cable on the second SME right there. It's like whoo, all right, well, I'm ready here, let's take care of this. So I call my AT, charlie Castillo. I was like, hey, give me some block of C4, man. So he gave me the C4. I put the C4 down there and prepared everything and I was like, oh my God, this is the time, this is the time you know. And then I walked out of there and we blew it up, right. I remember by then my sign made your tie. So it was like what the hell you were thinking? Remember, cross-training, man, you need to trust your skills. You need to trust your skills right, all the time, all the time. Do you remember Kalmaholik, the mountain in the back? I used to climb that one solo, climbing the face with no rope. I did it three times during the war. No, just for shits and gigs, that's it.
Speaker 2:The other day was one day. I'm in my house drinking a hot tea, got my baby here in the rocking chair just drinking my tea. I open my eyes the cup is already on the floor, hot tea all over me, and I no longer got the baby. My wife is in the corner with the baby. I was like so what she explained was I drink the tea and I start coughing. But remember, I got the lung problems right, so my breath got up so I couldn't breathe. And she said she saw my eyes going back right, and then the white phone started coming out of my mouth.
Speaker 2:I didn't know what to do. The first thing she did she brought the baby, she grabbed my mother by the shoulder and she pushed my body forward. When she pulled my body forward, everything that was here just came up, you know, and then I just catch my breath again. It's not worth for there, man, that one couldn't be actually my time. And, like I say, these low conditions sometimes can be good, sometimes can be bad, but the thing is, all these events that happen right, and I see you here it's because something happened, it's a risk. So I had to be grateful. I had to be grateful the way I did, right, I was in X country, myself, my only three, top of the team. They pulled us out of the vehicle, heads and guns in the head.
Speaker 2:What I did? I changed my accent to Colombia like crazy, really fast. Tranquilo, parce Nos equivocamos, parce Tranquilo, vamos a brindar con el aguacate aguardiente. You know what I'm saying? Anyways, I flew away from that. But Vamos a brindar con el aguacate aguardiente. Anyways, I flew away from that.
Speaker 2:But I mean, we got so many anecdotes, so many stories right, so many things that happens to us right To you, to all the SF brothers, you know, and things like that.
Speaker 2:We are here for a reason. Look at you, you know you talk about me doing stuff, but look at you, you are a door, you are a window for all these other individuals, right, and not only the guys but the girls too, you know, men and women, right, the service and the military to have the opportunity right to present the stories and stuff like that you not do is going die without using our skills to help shoulder. Yes, right, we cannot do that. We cannot do that and I refuse to do that. I refuse to do that. My wife told me hey, one of these days you go to get killed. You know, here in my office where I work now, we got the famous sword story. You know, this is cj going with my wife to the store in the parking lot and this homeless guy got a lady, this general manager of the store, by the neck against the wall. I was like, hey, what are you doing? And then by then we go to a lot of racial stuff in America.
Speaker 1:So the guy?
Speaker 2:turned around what do you want, white boy? He went to the back and he put a big knife. I was like I'll be back. I went to the car but I forgot to have my toy. So I was like but I went to Honduras in the past and I got a harmonic. You know the handle of the axle, you know solid wood man. I was like all right, this is all I got.
Speaker 2:When I went down there, the guy had the knife and he pulled a piece of pipe right and he started throwing it. Man, and this is me and him just blocking it, blocking it, and you can see my wife is screaming don't kill the guy, don't kill the guy. So I was like I come in, so I want to bring the guy out of the store because a lot of the people walk here, so I want to take him to the parking lot, right. So he followed me and threw it and I was like man, like yeah, I got it in the neck, I got it in the knees, but I was like I don't want to hurt, because at the same time we got a lot of veterans that, believe it or not, I recognize him because the clothes he was wearing right and the tattoos that he has. He actually had got previous service right and sometimes man backlog Not everybody got you know, the support that you require, right, man?
Speaker 2:I got there and I remember this lady. They start recording right and she's like look at this white guy trying to break the neck of this 40 block homeless white. Turn around, lady, he's not even white, he's brown. What are you talking about? I was like, oh my God, man, wait, they're both minorities, we don't care.
Speaker 1:Keep going, keep going.
Speaker 2:Oh, man, I got love for everybody. I was raised with everybody. Love, man, by the end. The cup's short, take care of this. But that's the thing, man, I don't know. We have a team and a brother. You always got that switch. Sometimes, you know, I retire, I got it off, but when it happens, it happens so fast, you know. We know, because we made the oath to protect and to press, liberate, right. We made that oath and that oath is to us, to the core man, and sometimes, without noticing it, we react because somebody needed help. But in the end, man, I'm being blessed, I'm here today. Man, god thanks for this opportunity.
Speaker 1:I mean like I said, it's my pleasure, my honor, brother, you're somebody that is well known, well respected within the brotherhood, and I mean you're you're the only panamanian that I know. That's like six foot seven. You're the only panamanian you should be playing for the national panamanian basketball league. So many different. You missed opportunities, man, but it's truly a pleasure. Man, guys like yourself, like you're, you have a huge impact on younger green berets that met you along their way. Guys like aguayo, another great Green Beret that again very influential on so many careers.
Speaker 1:And if you're lucky, you get to meet TJ once or twice and it leaves an impact and guys like you are all throughout the regiment and I hope to have as many as possible on this show to share their journeys. Man, because your story needs to be told. It needs to be told in a book, it needs to be told in a frigging movie. Like people, they, they it's not luck, it's not just blind luck or sheer like divine powers intervene in your life and your Testament and your story shows everybody, like man, like somebody's watching out for us, like somebody's out there guiding us along our journey, because we don't get here on our own, man, so I certainly hope that we can someday see your story on the TV screens, on Netflix or a Hollywood movie, because, man, like you know, as a proud Panamanian, it's amazing to see somebody's life.
Speaker 1:There's so many parallels, dude, so many great things that I can say like, can say like, oh shit. Like you know, I, I can continue going and I can continue reaching, because if tj didn't quit, then I'm not gonna quit. And I certainly hope the people listening at home like, if you take anything away from this story, it please take away that you should always be willing to dream. You should always be willing to bet on yourself. It always be willing to bet on yourself. It's not easy to get through airport security but he made it several fucking times.
Speaker 1:It's not easy to make it through your dreams when you're fucking in Korea as a helicopter mechanic and they say, hey, like uh, you're gonna have to go through selection. But you know what? I have my paperwork. So no, we're not doing that again. I that again. I can't thank you enough for being here One more time. Where can people go for your book? Show us all your links real quick and I'll put them on the episode description.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so right now, this is my pain name.
Speaker 1:JD to John Wolf, and what books do you have published on Amazon so right now? I?
Speaker 2:put some of the books out already, but some of the ones I got right now is related to AI Working in another two. One of those, of course, is placed in my bio. I'm just trying to find some guidance, some help how to do the bio book, currently Just similar to this with the story I'm working on. You know that kind of stuff, but I got more publications coming out in that aspect. The other one, of course, like I said, my consultant services. I do it right now the consultant services for the Latino community. You know, helping businesses to identify the vulnerabilities. You know TVA stuff right, using the 507 and stuff. You know, like I say, people that want to help. Every time when I help the police, you know that's my email, right, which actually means protecting the oppressed, right. So that's exactly what we do. We're still doing it right. So I try to help with that kind of stuff.
Speaker 2:Another one story, man, I want to let you go. So, here at the office, they know my story right and they know I got the loan problems or whatever, and they tell me. They always say like, hey, tj, one day we come here and you're dead. We find your body dead in that freaking table right there and they share whatever. We go to grab your butt. We go to put your AR-15 and a pistol. We go to take you to the little battery what is it? All the gas and stuff like that? We go to drop your body down there. Drop a couple bullets in the air. Somebody think that you died fighting right, not like I'm just watching a computer screen and you just got a heart attack or something that's another way for you to go.
Speaker 2:I was like fair enough. Thank you so much To good friends. Yeah, man, Because I always talk to my wife and my wife support me. My wife, man, she's been a great support in my life. You know. We've been together for 10 years, right Up and down. She actually retired this year as well, you know 100% as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, 100% as well. She supported me the idea I'm going to have a nonprofit organization for parents next year. I got another parents. I am part of the FNP Foreign Medical Program Right, and that one is in Dominican Republic. You don't know about it. Just follow me on LinkedIn, give me ask for LinkedIn, find me more information about it. Like I said, it's a great program. Just imagine, man. They did my head to toe in one week X-rays, mri, yeah.
Speaker 1:I got a buddy down there that he helps veterans get down there and live abroad. The VA system in DR is phenomenal Phenomenal. It's like the videos, the pictures. I mean I don't understand how it's not the same here. You want to live in paradise, you want to have a great VA. Go to DR, Right.
Speaker 2:I still have my four appointments per month on my cell phone. I got my psychologist, I got my neurologist, I got my personal doctor. They were the one time there. That actually because when I retired they put me zero PTSD in my retirement. So when I went down there I was like, oh man, you are, they must. I mean, they dig all the way to my shop. You know my military career and everything and and everything. And yes, they understand that we got issues right. We have everything that we're doing in life because me and you we talk. We can talk about the most terrible things that can happen in the world and for us that's not a conversation. Well, it's not. We're out of place but we are in the environment to make it look like in the perfect place, but it's not. They help me with that. It's just like I say, more to come from TJ in the future, you know, helping the veterans and we push into that as well.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, man. Anytime you want to come back and share something new with the audience, please let me know. You got to play this year, Guys take the opportunity.
Speaker 2:Yeah, let's see how this one goes, man, if a lot of people like your show and everything. I come back, man Just to. I liked it I always tell stories about rice on beans. That's next.
Speaker 1:Oh hell. Yeah, Guys, if you do me a favor, hit the pause on the episode. It's almost over, so just hit pause. Go to episode description. Click those links. Head on over to LinkedIn. You'll see a link in the bio, in the description for TJ. Hit him up, let him know what you think of the episode. If you want to connect with him, freaking reach out. He's a real dude. I happen to be a big, big, big, big, big fan of him, not only because he's Panamanian, but he's also a great individual. Did great things for me as a young Green Beret, so please hit him up. Thank you all for tuning in TJ. Thank you for being here. We'll see you all next time. Until then, thank you, my pleasure.
