Latest / Veteran Wellness Podcast / Why Veterans Need Each Other: War, Brotherhood & Building Bunker Bros | Eli Shultz
Transcript
- Erik Lawrence: once somebody gets down that spiral, you know, it'd be nice to have that app where you could just hit that button and you know, get somebody at least chatting with you semi close and then narrow it in. You know, that that's the Eli Shultz: Yeah. Erik Lawrence: best feature of that app, you know, when you told of told me about it previously, I'm like, that's that's the magic part, you know. Hanging out's one thing, but helping somebody that's spiralling out is much more important. Eli Shultz: Yeah. Well and hopefully like for me if I had all the guys like by the end of deployment you're annoyed with each other. But if I had all Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: those guys living by me, even though I'm like almost old enough to be their dad, my son's like three years younger than some most of them, I would feel like way more energized and empowered every day and like We can just talk about serious things like being in the military is like it kind of it's kind of crazy because I feel like at the same time that it can like break you down and destroy parts of you, it makes other parts Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: of you stronger than anyone else in the world. Erik Lawrence: Eli, how the hell are you? Eli Shultz: I'm doing pretty good, man. Pretty good. I just bought a farm. Erik Lawrence: Well haven't Yeah, that's what she told me. Yeah, tell me about it. Eli Shultz: Yeah, I just I went in with my in laws and our friends were selling their farm up the road and my father was like, Hey, I'm down if you are I'm like, Yeah and my wife's super excited, so we already butchered s our first batch of chickens, like forty of on Friday. I was at work, my wife did it. Erik Lawrence: Ha ha. Eli Shultz: But Yeah, so that was cool. So we got some chicken in the freezer. We've got some egg layers and then hopefully in the spring we'll get the fence finished and get s a couple cows. Erik Lawrence: Ice. Well you have to send some pictures. I'm sure it'll Eli Shultz: Yeah. Erik Lawrence: be spruced up. Good job on that. So, Eli Shultz: Yeah, thanks. Erik Lawrence: how do we know each other? How do I know a a Marine National Guardsman? Eli Shultz: well, you know, we have a mutual friend, Mr. Weston Scott, and you know, Hollywood, and we Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: met at his wedding and it was kinda like stepbrothers and you know, you call me dragon, you can call me Nighthawk, I think's pretty much how it went. And then yeah, I'm Erik Lawrence: Yeah, you were wearing my suit. We were look like twins. Eli Shultz: Yeah, th well I mean we had already hit it off the night before and then we showed up in the same suit basically. Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Only a little gay, huh? Yeah. Eli Shultz: Little bit. But that's all right. If you're like really uncomfortable, then maybe you're actually gay. Erik Lawrence: Ha ha ha. Touche. Yeah, that was a that was a fun wedding. We had a good time there. Eli Shultz: Yeah. Erik Lawrence: And they're still married, so it's even even better. Eli Shultz: Yeah. And now they have a beautiful baby I just met, 'cause he was up here for a little bit, a couple weeks ago. That was cool. Erik Lawrence: Yeah, I saw some pictures. Beautiful. Must got it from the mom there. But yeah. So where did you where where'd you grow up, Eli? Eli Shultz: I grew up in Southern California. I lived in the edge of LA County for a little bit, but pretty much from the time I was nine through high school I was in rural high desert areas on a horse ranch and yeah, so and even before I moved up there, we would go up there every weekend because my mom was boarding boarding her horses up there and that was her thing. So me and My sister and my mom just grew up doing the horse thing and building fence with my mom in high school and yeah, doing that kind of stuff. I didn't I wasn't really into the horses after about ten years old 'cause my Erik Lawrence: Ha ha ha. Eli Shultz: my mom would take me horse riding up in the mountains like next to a cliff and I'm like crying 'cause of nine. And I mean it made me tough, but Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: you know, I I was like, good, I don't need to do that anymore. Okay. Erik Lawrence: Yeah, I I could do it without what people call entertainment on horses. Eli Shultz: Yeah. Erik Lawrence: they have their own brain, so let's let them do it on their own. By just by a book or something. Use some pictures of You don't have to feed every day. Eli Shultz: Yeah. Erik Lawrence: So did that traumatization of your youth have you join the Marine Corps just to continue it? Eli Shultz: man. No, I think military's a huge thing in my family, at least the generations prior to me. So on my dad's side, I mean you could go way back, but or at least on my mom's side I could go way back. On my dad's side, my grandfather was in the Nebraska Army National Guard and fought in World War Two in the in Guam and the Philippines. From that whole MacArthur campaign in the infantry. So obviously that was cool. And then my dad, his oldest son, Michael Jay, who I never got to meet, was in the navy and he was doing those river boats in Vietnam. Wild Erik Lawrence: nice. Eli Shultz: stuff, from what I've heard. and then Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: my dad was second oldest. He joined the Marines right after Vietnam in seventy six. And so family on that side ends up finding out that, you know, on down my dad's side, two of my great uncles, one of hit Utah Beach was the main beach, right? Or is it the second one? Omaha Beach was the main beach in Normandy. Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Yeah, Utah, Normandy. okay, yeah. Eli Shultz: Y he hit Utah Beach and then did that, and then his brother fought in Korea. got shot and lost the lung and lived to be like ninety something. and then on my mom's side, my grandfather was in the navy in between World War Two and Korea and he was into boxing and stuff. And and then I later on, after I had joined the military, found out there's a huge military history on that side of the family as well. my great uncle on my mom's side was navy as well, so like it it just goes way back. I mean like World War One and Erik Lawrence: Yeah, no kidding. Eli Shultz: and then I'd be willing to bet that my mom's side and my dad's side fought each other in the French and Indian War 'cause both sides Erik Lawrence: Ha ha ha. Eli Shultz: of my family. My mom's side's French down ended up down in New Orleans from Canada. And my dad's side's, you know, like German and stuff. So they've been both sides have been in the country since like the s early sixteen hundreds, so Erik Lawrence: Yeah, that's funny. Yeah, that's probably true. That'd be it'd be hilarious if you could figure that out somehow. Yeah. Eli Shultz: I know. Well yeah, it's I just joined 'cause of family history and like I since I was five years old I would draw pictures of myself being a Marine and a LAPD cop 'cause I grew up around a whole bunch of LAPD guys. Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: So yeah. Erik Lawrence: So what did you do in the Marine Corps besides tolerate it? Eli Shultz: I would say that's pretty much I I wasn't like a lifer dude. I was a mortarman and I just I didn't really live up to what I should have been. I wasn't like a sh a shitbag, but I did my job and didn't get in trouble, but I didn't you know, I left a lot on the table, man. And but you don't really I mean it was a culture shock for me. like in high school I became a Christian at thirteen and they used to call me Jesus Boy in high school and I would like debate with my science teachers and stuff about evolution. It was fun. Erik Lawrence: Ha ha. Eli Shultz: and yeah, so it was like a bit of a culture shock. I also got married at eighteen to not the right person 'cause you're eighteen. and had a kid Erik Lawrence: Mm. Yeah, w a Marine eighteen. Yeah, come on. Eli Shultz: and it just I just didn't have life experience, man. I was very sheltered. not really in a bad way, but you know, it was just different. It was culture shock. I thought the Marine Corps was gonna be like the commercials like dress blues, honor, courage, commitment, everyone does the right thing or 'cause it's the Marine Corps and that's what you do. And you're like, No, this is this is wild, man. This is pretty wild. So yeah, I I did that and And then after I got out is when you realize like, wow. Cause I went straight out of high school. I'm like getting out of the Marines, going through a divorce. I got a little kid. He's three. I think two and a half, three. And I'm like I moved to Iowa where my whole family's from. And I was just like, Wow, I'm very different than everyone else who's twenty two, twenty three, you know. Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: y you don't really realize it like in there's I don't know how you can explain that until you do it, which is part of the veteran transition, right? But yeah, that was pretty wild. And then I was going through that and the guard recruiter, the army guard recruiter, my soon to be ex wife, we were still in the same house, was joining the guard. And the the guard recruiter, like, you know, I answered the door one time, he's like, What are you doing? I was like And this is two thousand eight when the economy went bad. I was like, I don't know, trying to find work and stuff and he's like, I'll give you twenty grand to do this part time and I was like Hmm, I could use a bonus. And he's like, Are you going to school? I was like, No, I don't really want to go to college. He's like, Well pay for your school and you can pocket the GI Bill and I was like, Huh. So and he was a marine vet too. Erik Lawrence: that's funny. Eli Shultz: So I he's like I promise you it's not the same, it's chill. It's like All right, so I did it. Erik Lawrence: In Iowa. Eli Shultz: Yeah. Erik Lawrence: How long did you stay with with that? Eli Shultz: so I s I was in Iowa for three years, joined the Guard and then like a year a year after I joined the Guard, let's see I joined November nine. A year after I joined the Guard I was in Afghanistan. Erik Lawrence: Mm-hmm. Eli Shultz: Which I I heard it was gonna happen. I like, I'm down. Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: I'll do it. And so yeah, I was there three years, did it my second deployment went to Afghanistan, ten eleven. And just kinda when I joined the guard, I said, you know, I'm gonna like go a hundred percent at this 'cause I realize the difference now and then I also really noticed the experience difference I had. with four years active plus a deployment to Iraq and I was like, all right. And I mean the guard definitely lacks discipline compared to the Marine Corps at and active duty, right? But I was also not in an infantry unit. I was in this little infantry platoon of that's like MTO's six infantry guys to do security for the brigade commander and the brigade sergeant major. And then you're surrounded by a whole bunch of pogs. It was like Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: I went from all guys, Marine Corps, to cooks, mechanics, admin, medics, engine like and just like sloppy, dude. I was like, what? So it was different mentality. I I made a getting ready for that deployment, I made a guy cry, and that was just Screening him to be ready for the worst, right? 'Cause like he's seen a few things in Iraq and it was like Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: and in the Marine Corps the mindset was be ready for the worst possible thing all the time. And like it was not the same where it was at. So I was just trying to Erik Lawrence: Well yeah, but it Eli Shultz: get him ready. Erik Lawrence: trying to get ready, I mean you're doing your job there, so not everybody's gonna agree with you, you know, especially with the lack of experience compared to you. So that that's that's Eli Shultz: Yeah. Erik Lawrence: part of being big boys. Eli Shultz: Yeah. So that mm-hmm. Erik Lawrence: But how long were you in the guard? 'Cause you're in the guard much longer than that. Eli Shultz: Yeah, I did I ended up doing seventeen years and I just retired in January of twenty sixth. Erik Lawrence: congrats, yeah. Eli Shultz: Twenty one total. Yeah. And yeah, so I was in Iowa, then I went to Maryland for a few months, and then I went back home to California. And I was there for several years. I ended up in a and then like a year I was home for a year and I volunteered to go to Afghanistan again, doing personal security again for the Army Corps of Engineers this time. So that was the most fun I've ever had on deployment because Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: the Army Corps of Engineers had so we ended up I did a little time in Kandahar, but I went down to Camp Leatherneck, which is and Bastion, so it's all British and Marines, and we're like there's a little special ops army section there, and then we're the only other army people. There's like seven of us. And Erik Lawrence: Wow. Eli Shultz: And then the Army Corps of Engineers, there's like one captain who's an engineer, and then a random volunteer Ogben T from either the Air Guard, Air Reserves, Army Guard, or Army Reserves, who's like the senior NCL, like E seven. and so like and then there's like five to seven security dudes to run the convoy, and then it's all civilian contractors to drive and do dismount security. So we're the gunners Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: and the drivers and the convoy commander. And then the all the rest is Army Corps of Engineers civilians who are engineers with like a couple admin people on our own compound. Like with our own gym and our single-man rooms. Usually some of it, some part of it was two-man rooms, but it it was chill, dude. So that's where I learned how to box. And I gained 30 pounds of muscle with no No cheating. Just eating protein and work but I was working out like twice a day and we'd only do like three or four missions a week. So Erik Lawrence: wow. Yeah. Eli Shultz: it was it was great, man. but that was a year. So it was a little long, but Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: Yeah, that was that was cool. Did that and while I was on that deployment, unfortunate thing happened. Someone from my second deployment took his life and he actually his death spawned both non profits that I've helped start. Which is kinda crazy. Like I think all good all even bad things can be used for good and there's things that you don't see, you know. I believe that's God. And so while I was there he took his life and I got I was like I can't just not do anything. Like what can we do? So I started thinking of starting foundation called the back to back foundation. And I had someone drop some art and it's like two soldiers and Marines like back to back, like in an alleyway, like in a firefight surrounded type of thing. But I didn't know exactly like I was just like, we need to like bring guys together. Somehow I already knew this. I think being a part time in the guard helps you realize these things that like All my buddies in Iowa that I met when I moved there, all my buddies were from my guard unit. So we're out there doing like going to school, doing our civilian job, and then showing up to drill. Like, but those are the dudes I hung out with on my free time. And I was even in a band with one of So anywho, like I I was like, we gotta do something, you know? So I had this idea. I came home And I was also I was part of the American Legion Riders at the time. And and then I came back and like we were getting me and some of my buddies were getting kind of annoyed with like how that chapter was run of the Legion Riders and we had like auxiliary members who are like wives, sons and daughters of service members who are American Legion members, like running the riders. I'm like, why is someone who's not even assert like telling Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: me not they don't tell you that much to do you're all helping do stuff together but like come on like no Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: I that's not what this organization is if I was in another organization whatever but and like we weren't really like raising a lot of money or like helping that many people and a lot of people just weren't very good at riding motorcycles either so one of my buddies left and then another one and then I left. And then I said, Hey, what if we started our own thing and called it All American Riders? We'll make sure no one thinks we're eighty second airborne. Erik Lawrence: Exactly. Eli Shultz: But so I just drew like thirteen stars, the colonial stars with all American riders in the middle one night, like on this is like in twenty fourteen on like Microsoft clipart or something, you know, paint. And I sent in a group chat and then my buddy in typical veteran fashion, got drunk in his garage and he drew this patch on a pizza box. Erik Lawrence: Classic. Eli Shultz: And he He took that, like the 13 stars, all American riders, and he put like cross bayonets in a wreath, and then we just changed the bayonets to cross rifles, switched it out, and then that became our patch. And so in 2015 we started. We're not like a three-patch MC or anything like that. We're just a riders' club like the Legion Riders, but you know, like same type of thing or C VMA. And We just started like actually raising money. the first thing we did was this sign behind me. in twenty sixteen there was a a a mass shooter incident in San Bernino, California, and it just so happened that one of our members' sister in law was actually shot and she survived. Erik Lawrence: wow. Eli Shultz: And this this guy actually covered her up and he died Erik Lawrence: Wow, that hit home. Eli Shultz: Yeah, so that was our first event. and then we actually had a good time like actually riding and it was cool man. And so we started that in twenty fifteen and then we started doing this you ever heard of Irreverent Warriors, they do the silkies hikes? Erik Lawrence: No. Eli Shultz: no? Alright. Yeah, it's more of a we're not cool guys like you, but a lot of us regular legs, you know? We do that kind Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: of stuff. And they started doing these silky hikes just to get together and be silly and have that camaraderie and they're really awesome. And I was like, What if we did a motorcycle ride at Silky's? And so I totally copied them. I met Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: a guy who runs the Detroit chapter last week actually. and I I was like, So we did the silky slow ride every year. We take like side roads because you don't want to be on a highway. silkies man. And you also gotta make sure you don't burn your leg, but in SoCal Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: more people more people ride with shorts. It's hot. But Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: it's still stupid. But you know, so we just started doing that kind of stuff. And that all stemmed from Jacob Hutchinson taking his life. you know I don't know all exactly what happened that led him there. I have a friend, which we'll get into how like kind of we got to bunker bros, but you know, he got hit in Afghanistan, rocked really hard, TBI, and then I can't remember if he broke his leg really bad. Like he was messed up, but Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: I don't he didn't lose any limbs, but you know, he had a pretty tough recovery for a while. And I'm sure, you know, looking back when that stuff happens, there's gotta be TBI's gotta be a huge factor there. Erik Lawrence: Yep. It it is. Eli Shultz: So yeah, went down that road, so all American writers still around. Most of the guys are in SoCal. I'm here in Michigan. Hopefully, like I've had a crazy life since I moved here. I went to Syria, bought a farm, had two kids, so I haven't had time to really start a chapter, but hopefully that's coming. Maybe by next year I keep saying that. But Erik Lawrence: Think you're busy enough. Eli Shultz: Yeah. And So yeah, that's been that's a huge passion of mine. I love that. And it it was I miss the guys a lot. I went back last year and went riding with everyone Memorial Day weekend and Yeah, so then I'm moved to Vegas. I have a I have an older son who's twenty now and he was in Vegas. So I just he moved there from SoCal and four months later I said, What the heck? I'm going. And just to be with him led me to meet my wife. Met her in Vegas. and you know my civilian career started taking off more. And yeah, that was kind of a a real time of growth for me. And I got promoted to staff sergeant. And then my wife's family, her brother moved back to Michigan where Him and his wife are originally from, and my wife's parents are originally from Michigan, and they were gonna split time from Vegas. I was like, hey, let's go to Michigan. Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: So we just went. but while I was in Vegas, here's where Jacob Hutchinson comes up again. I had my friend Alyssa who was in the guard with an Iowa. She was good friends with Jake. so when he took his life like it really hit her. But I'm in Vegas and she was like s in Northern California in the guard and she was like out on Veterans Day and she's at a bar and she I remember she called or texted at this point. It's been a long time. This was like twenty s seventeen I think. And she's like You know what'd be cool if we could just like find other veterans near you. Like I would wanna just go hang out with some vets right now. and I was like That's a good idea. What if there were she's like what if we did like a Tinder type thing? I was like, what if it's like more like bumble? Erik Lawrence: Ha ha ha. Eli Shultz: For vets. She's like, Alright. And then she came up with this cool name called High Caliber Community, which is super dope. And we came up with a logo and then we're like, let's build an app, social media, just for vets. And I was like, let's roll. And so me and her and our other buddy Chris, her friend Chris, and we started doing it and She was able to raise us some startup funds and we did it as a L L C for profit and we got the app out. We launched during SHOT Show of twenty seventeen and then it was just like crashing left and right, man. We just we didn't we don't really pick the right developer. But we got I think it was like five or six thousand people pretty quick. so it's a good strategy. It's just Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: We clicked the wrong developer and then it was that kind of didn't work out. so I was like, Man, this I never let go of that dream. I was like, that needs to happen. Like I would use that constantly. But I need veterans around me, or I feel like I get lost, man. I feel not the same. Erik Lawrence: yeah, totally. No, and that's where in soft I think we have a little better better ways to get a hold of each other, you know. Eli Shultz: Mm-hmm. Erik Lawrence: It's smaller, you know, it's you know, you'll talk to guys that you've known for twenty and thirty years quite often. Eli Shultz: Uh-huh. Erik Lawrence: And but I can see where, you know, if you're dispersed, you need some way to do a rally. Eli Shultz: Yeah. And you yeah, when you're conventional, there's like so many guys in your platoon and your company Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: and you know, there's a lot more dynamics there. You don't you're not as tight. but yeah, so I never let go of that. So I moved to Michigan, still in the guard, end up going to Syria. I was like, man after my third one I volunteered in fourteen, I came home, I was like, I'm done now, I gotta I don't want to go anymore. And then of course I have a kid. I'm married now. I got a great wife. Like getting into my career and like we're going to Syria, dude. Like I just moved to Michigan. I was like, dang it, man. So go to Syria. And I still have had like I still haven't let go of this idea and I'm just waiting for it to pop up somewhere. Like someone's have gonna do this before I do this again. And nobody has. So I'm in Syria, we get I mean I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure we're the only US troops, maybe I don't know if they shot any in Epic Fury since it happened, but we got cluster bombed by the Iranian backed militias in Syria one night. That was the scaredest I've ever been in my life for sure. But I mean you're talking those What are they two twenties? They're seven feet long and they each have Erik Lawrence: one twenty two's Eli Shultz: yeah, they have they have thirty sub munitions and each one's like a sixty millimeter border basically and they drop out. So you just hear getting closer and closer and you're in a tent. I mean I've I'm a bunker Erik Lawrence: With no bonkers? Eli Shultz: no, we have a bunker right outside the tent, but it's like alright, I've always been taught And if you read a you know, was it be a FM or a T An FM? Like get hit down, put your head down so the blast hits and goes over you. Well Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: on a cluster munition, it's the opposite, like you need to get under something. But you don't know what it is. I just thought it was they had enough firepower 'cause they got Russians over there and all this stuff. So it'll blow us off the map. So I thought each explosion was a rocket. So I And we're we're already like sleeping in our gear, like stuff was going down. And my buddy hauls on radio watch and it starts happening, he looks over at me like I roll out of bed. I'm like, get the fuck down. And so we get down on the ground and I said, Stay down until there's a lull in the explosions, 'cause maybe there's like volleys, right? So then there's like a tiny lull and I'm all go. So we start running into the bunker and then they just start again. And as we're running one of the not the submunitions, but like the warhead that carried it, landed like a hundred meters, maybe two hundred meters from us. and it was just like boom, you see the flash. We get in the bunker, and then once it stops, we run out to the mortars in case there's a fire mission or whatever. And but that was that was pretty crazy. But on that deployment, I meet this guy, Matt. And Matt. Tried to get in the army for years and years and he's like for he we're like the same age, he's a year older than me. I'm forties, forty-one now. so he didn't get in the army till his late thirties because he had to get like a medical waiver for his toe. And so he gets he finally they finally let him in in his late thirties and he goes And then he gets straight to airborne and he's in the guard and we're not an airborne unit, so he got lucky. He was just a stud and they're like, Cool, try to walk on and he did. So he gets the airborne school, he gets to the guard, he's doing his first appointment as a specialist, and he's like thirty let's say, what is this three so he's like thirty seven or thirty eight. Erik Lawrence: Ho ho ho wow. Eli Shultz: But he's he he's been in bands, but like way more than me. I've been in a few, whatever. a couple in Iowa like cover bands and a s some originals but and then back in high school. But he like legit was in bands and he still like plays music and stuff and he had a new rec new record that came out while we were there. So he's the and he does like he does art and like media and stuff. So he made our Bunker Bros logo and like this shirt and this hat and all that. And so he's like super talented in the music, but we met at a we had one of those nights they let us drink up at Camp Grayling and I'm wearing this Eagles of Death Metal t-shirt. It's this rock band. Weston knows them. Him and I went and saw them together. But he goes, You know Eagles of Death Metal? I'm like, Yeah dude, you do? So that's how we met and then we became friends. So he's our VP at Bunker Bros, one of our VPs. And then I met this guy Burke from so Matt was in second platoon and Burke was in E six and third platoon and Burke like just he does like funky art and like tattoo art and stuff that's just like fun. And I had this idea after we got hit. I was like, what if we started a thing called Bunker Bros? And like that's kinda cool. And Like so we drew I had Matt I had I gave the idea to Burke and Burke draws like a bunker like how they were set up at our place in Syria with the one of the rockets sticking out of it. So it's kind Erik Lawrence: huh. Eli Shultz: of funny and quirky, right? And I was like, That's close. But then I told Matt, I was like, Can you take a picture with your fancy camera and turn our actual bunker into art and then take Burke's rocket and stick it in it? He's like, Yeah. So we did it, and we made this sticker, and then I like that's how it started. So there's a sticker on our website, and you'll see that. so we get going, and I told him, I was like, Well, let's do like merge, and we could do a podcast, but like I have still have this dream of this app, and they're like, That's kind of cool. And so we started as the LLC, and then I was like, I think if we want to do this right, we need to be a non profit. Like we just need to bring this app to the people. Because if we go out if if we try to make a social media app and it's not a nonprofit, like people are gonna try to buy us out, or you're gonna have to give up stakes to people who don't have good intentions Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: at some point because of money and you need money. So so Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: We pivoted a bit and we've already been doing clothing in the podcast. And then we decided to go that route. And so now we're in this phase where we're well like that the app didn't die, like that whole idea didn't die because of Jacob Hutchinson, right? Like so we got all American writers, we've got the bunker app we're working on right now, all from him. And it's a terrible situation. He took his life, but I mean I think it's gonna be used for good for many years. Yeah. Erik Lawrence: Yeah, you turn it around. Yeah, you use it for good. So what do you what do you do with bunker bros? You do you get guys into treatments or are you doing fundraising to pay for treatments? What's what's your objective there? Eli Shultz: So that's not really where we're at. It's weird fundraising to be able to build the app because building a social media app is not cheap. so eventually if we get big enough, we can do ancillary things. Like our big thing is gonna I think be employment, like veteran employment, Erik Lawrence: Good. Eli Shultz: and and things like that, and maybe like Concerts. We have some pretty out like non regular ideas for veteran stuff, so but so the bunker app is a social media platform where you make a profile but you can't get in unless you go through ID.me. So there'll be no fake accounts, no Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: spam. Like we have nine thousand followers almost on Instagram for Bunker Bros. I bet three thousand of them are fake. Like they're just bots. And Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Yeah, but Eli Shultz: so but anyway, so you get screened, you make your app, and then you have your interests. Well, you have your featured military service, and you can put your service, your other links to your other socials, and then you can put your interests so like I like lifting weights, riding motorcycles, having a drink, Lots of other things, but like those are the main things I do, right? And so if I want to find other vets near me or into that, I can just go on there and you can either put in your zip code if you want to be like not so location based, Erik Lawrence: Mm-hmm. Eli Shultz: or you can turn your location on and then just find other people in the app near you. And then you also put your professional experience. So we can you can do professional networking and then eventually we build that into where we're recruiters can find vets to hire. Like you we just have to build a portal where that can be seen 'cause no one else can get in the app, you know what I mean? Besides vets. So Erik Lawrence: Yeah. So where are you at in the process of the app? Eli Shultz: So we're testing it and making like updates weekly, bi weekly, because right now our technical director is just doing this part-time. he's he's a very senior software engineer and he could build it by himself, but he has a full time job. So right now we need funding to hire a developer for him to be in charge of so that we can just get this thing out and then have the money. that once it's going, that it can keep going and some runway because on a social media app, every time you hit like, every time you comment, all that costs money. So this is Erik Lawrence: yeah, of course. Eli Shultz: yeah, this is not a cheap endeavor, but it's also the only it's really the only thing out there that can connect every veteran across the country and reach up to 14 million vets. Do I think 14 million tech enabled vets are gonna use it like I don't think too many Vietnam vets will use it or anything. I Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: know some will but and they use smartphones and Facebook but you know our target market really is post nine eleven which is four and a half million so Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: but we could easily get ten million I think or eight million vets in the app and then you can also be a current service member You know, maybe I know when I was active duty, I didn't want to see any of the guys I served with in my off time. So maybe you know there's a Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: there's another Marine on base who's into the same stuff as you in a totally different unit you could hang out with, and that's refreshing, you know. Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: So or from me, man, you're from the same area as me. Let's go fishing or whatever you want to do, you know. So and then there's a red flare button, and so the red flare. You hit this button, it's gonna have a pop-up. And do you wanna dial are you in crisis right now? It'll dial 988-1, so the veteran crisis hotline with one button, and you're good. no, I'm not currently in crisis, but I want to talk to someone soon. Do you want to do an anonymous chat Erik Lawrence: There you go. Eli Shultz: with other users in the app? So everyone's a vet, and then we'll have a radius where it sends an alert. You know, hopefully when we get enough users you could do a thirty mile radius or something. Erik Lawrence: Mm-hmm. Eli Shultz: Might have to be a little bigger at first, but the goal is you have an anonymous chat with someone, like, hey dude, I've been there before, I've felt the same way, or whatever. Or maybe you haven't, but just someone who can kinda understand you. And then like if you want to turn your anonymity off, you can and then you guys can meet up if you want and then you have a new friend to like back you up around you know so that's that's the goal with that and then eventually you find veteran owned businesses near you so like you pull up a map and it'll show you all the veteran owned businesses near you when you can do it by type if you want. and then all of your resources. So there's cool programs like I've had guys from Shield and Stripes Steven on my show before They do really awesome intensive program that's several weeks long for military and first responders or like post traumatic stress and things and but they go in and you get like spa treatment, you get a health coach, a dietitian, like psych psychological help. Yeah. And they Erik Lawrence: that's the ticket. Yeah. Eli Shultz: don't just leave you. There's a lot of great programs that do that. These guys for like the next I don't wanna misspeak, I wanna say it's at least thirty days. Might be ninety. After you leave, they check in with you and keep it going and make sure you're doing these at home so it's a lasting change and yeah. Erik Lawrence: Nice. That's that's needed by everybody. That's a great program. Eli Shultz: Yeah, so imagine I mean imagine being able to go in our app and find places like them easily and if you qualify and how to apply or you know all that stuff and yeah. Erik Lawrence: Well, it's networking. I mean it's veteran networking, which we should be better at, and I'm I'm surprised other people haven't tried to copy your idea. Eli Shultz: Yeah, I mean I there's several things out there that do like one of those things. And it's and they're usually like there's some great ones, but there's some other kind of clunky or they're web based only and not in a phone and so yeah if anyone's listening or trying to steal my idea, we're already ahead of you. But yeah, we're we're testing it on our phones internally in Bunker Bros. I just need we just need that money to press the go button and get this done. Cause I think Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: once we get that we're looking at I would about ninety days to beta test where we start bringing in, hey, do you want to sign up to test it? And then I would guess about ninety days after that it would be out. Then you gotta Erik Lawrence: Nice. Eli Shultz: have the runway where if we have huge growth, I mean that's gonna cost a lot of money to run it. Yeah. Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Won't be crashing on ya. Yeah, that's success is what you need to prepare for. Eli Shultz: Yeah, so that's where we're at in that journey and it's like all from unfortunately, you know Jacob and I weren't super tight but we were you know, we hung out sometimes and him taking his life, but you know, I just it it inspired me and other people to think of this and we're doing it, man. So Erik Lawrence: Yeah, well I mean TBI awareness is is critical because that's where all this comes back to quite often, I think. Eli Shultz: Yeah. Erik Lawrence: because you know, you you can't function I've been to a bunch of brain treatment centers myself and you can't do it on your own. You you can't fix your own brain. You know, you Eli Shultz: Mm-hmm. Erik Lawrence: can maintain things that other facilities have kind of helped you with and taught you how to do. But, you know, there's there's brain damage. So, you know, there's tons of different modalities, you know, the brain treatment center or ambio or there's just so many of I I w I went I think to all of just to figure out what to send somebody to. And they've worked quite well. But, you know, once somebody gets down that spiral, you know, it'd be nice to have that app where you could just hit that button and you know, get somebody at least chatting with you semi close and then narrow it in. You know, that that's the Eli Shultz: Yeah. Erik Lawrence: best feature of that app, you know, when you told of told me about it previously, I'm like, that's that's the magic part, you know. Hanging out's one thing, but helping somebody that's spiralling out is much more important. Eli Shultz: Yeah. Well and hopefully like for me if I had all the guys like by the end of deployment you're annoyed with each other. But if I had all Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: those guys living by me, even though I'm like almost old enough to be their dad, my son's like three years younger than some most of them, I would feel like way more energized and empowered every day and like We can just talk about serious things like being in the military is like it kind of it's kind of crazy because I feel like at the same time that it can like break you down and destroy parts of you, it makes other parts Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: of you stronger than anyone else in the world. And Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: but also when you stay together, I feel like you keep that strength. I mean, there's some things that like Over time we figured out like shell shock is now PTSD. where o obviously initial initial shell shock's still different, but you know what I'm saying, and traumatic Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: brain injury and all these things we're learning and how to deal with it better. You know, some of that you you need to get some professional treatment or help like or talk it through with someone different than your military buddies, but I like eighty percent of the time. You just need someone who relates to you to talk to, man. And like just Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: you can let go. Cause I think you know, I finally got diagnosed with PTSD. I think it's just the last deployment kind of pushed me over the edge a bit and I haven't been quite the same. But and my wife will tell you that. But it's like you're just like s like I'm stuck like this a lot of the time. Like that's how you feel. And then when you're Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: around the military buddies, it's just like I'm Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: good. That's weird. Erik Lawrence: Yeah, I know, but that's I mean, we're not the first. You know, it's Eli Shultz: Right? And and I there's also less of us, Eric, that in in World War Two, I just like did Erik Lawrence: Yeah, true. Eli Shultz: a brief about this. I think it was I'm going off the top of my head, I know it's close to these numbers. It was like twelve percent of the US population served in the military. That Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: doesn't even include the people building everything back home, rationing, Erik Lawrence: Factory workers, yep. Eli Shultz: seeing their losing their siblings or the Buddy down the street, you know, like everyone was hit. Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: Everyone was in it together. Then you get to Vietnam. There's still a draft. Like Korea and then Vietnam, there's still a draft. So like someone down the streets gone. It's your family, whatever, you know, like even though you're probably not rationing, but now you're seeing it on TV. Like everyone's affected, right? And it's really people are demonstrating like it's ingrained in everyone. Then you get post nine eleven. And everyone's like in it together for a few years Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: and then there's no clear mission and it turns into like I mean I'll say this having been Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria, it's like Vietnam, but not as wor not as bad, but like the same concept, like what are we doing? What's the end goal? What's the mission? Let's Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: do it. Where it's just vague, we're there. and but point five percent. Erik Lawrence: Damn. That's nothing. Yeah, zero five. Eli Shultz: Point zero five percent have served. So you're Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: yeah, there's a warrior class or no s five percent excuse me. Yeah, we went from no it is point zero five, sorry. I don't have it in front of me. No no no 'cause Erik Lawrence: It it couldn't be five percent. There's no way. Eli Shultz: three percent of the US population's currently in the military. Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: So but it went from like twelve it's way less. But i i you have this warrior class that got built 'cause on top of there being less people in it, people haven't had to ration and deal with consequences together, but it's also the same people deploying over and over and over. See Erik Lawrence: Correct. Yeah, it's the same people. Eli Shultz: like I went four times, I mean people have gone like twenty times or fifteen times in twenty years. I mean they might be shorter deployments, but still that's insane. Erik Lawrence: Yeah. And for no one knowing why pretty much, you know, just Eli Shultz: Yeah. Erik Lawrence: horrible, horrible strategy. Eli Shultz: Yeah, and now and it was crazy to go like early G Watt, like O five was my first deployment after I went into Fallujah after it was all blown to hell. And that was Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: cr one of the craziest things I've ever seen for sure. That was wild. People are just like picking up bricks, rebuilding their houses. Erik Lawrence: Yeah, yeah, they slayed there. Yeah, it was a real battle. Eli Shultz: and like every ever every building had bullet holes in it. Every single building in that city. Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: if it wasn't blown up. And but you go from like that and like patrolling the streets and IEDs and then in Afghanistan was probably a little more kinetic, but still IEDs. And then you get to Syria there's like no IEDs. And I mean there's like less conflict there between us, right? We're just kind of a stabilization force. But then I was kind of there when the drones like were starting to happen to US. Like it's already happening in Ukraine. Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: But so this is twenty two twenty three. But we're like adapting to this new thing and it's so weird. It's like a drone is way scarier than getting shot at. Erik Lawrence: yeah, for sure. I mean it's a whole different world Eli Shultz: Yeah. Erik Lawrence: there. Eli Shultz: Yeah. So and like the the regular like one twenties aren't really scary to me. They're whatever. If they hit ya, they hit ya. I'm used to that. But those cluster munitions are something else, man. Erik Lawrence: Yeah, we're not used to that kind of an an of an attack. But these drones are are getting out of hand. So I don't Eli Shultz: Yeah, it's a top. Erik Lawrence: want us near Eli Shultz: Yeah, and I mean some of my buddies I was in Syria with took like a year and then went to Kuwait when Epic Fury started and like we can't talk about most of that stuff, but I mean the drones and Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: the rockets like that is the terror of just sitting there I mean Erik Lawrence: Receiving. Eli Shultz: it's yeah, there's nothing you do. Erik Lawrence: Yeah. I've sat under Eli Shultz: You know that. Erik Lawrence: those one twenty two attacks and you're like, Well, I hope it doesn't hit 'cause Eli Shultz: Yeah. Erik Lawrence: there's not much you can do about it. You know, mortars you Eli Shultz: But they're like Erik Lawrence: can see coming in and you can kinda, you know, dip and dodge, but you know, those rockets Eli Shultz: Yeah. Erik Lawrence: are coming in so fast you're like, shit you can hear too. And Eli Shultz: Yeah. and they got I C BMs, man. Dude. Erik Lawrence: Yeah. that's not even funny. There, yeah, I have no idea what that would be. Yeah. No. Eli Shultz: So I it's just this changing thing and I think it just so happens I think Bunker Bros is gonna resonate a lot more with this current combat situation. Erik Lawrence: Yes, sir. Yeah. It's gonna make more sense. Eli Shultz: yeah. 'Cause I we used to make fun of dudes who ran in bunkers my first three deployments. Erik Lawrence: Ha ha ha. Eli Shultz: And then there I am like I'm getting in that damn bunker for sure. Erik Lawrence: Well you get smarter, you know. Eli Shultz: Yeah. Erik Lawrence: Yeah. No, I I I can believe that. I mean I've I've been to bases where they didn't have any bunkers. I'm like, have you lost your mind? I said, You better start building right now 'cause you've never been mortared, you morons. You know, and and they get real popular when things start visiting, you know, at high velocity. I I I Eli Shultz: I mean shout shout out shout out to my company commander last appointment 'cause he I was the mayor of the FOB, the mortarman. They're like, Yeah, you're not really gonna go on missions, so you're gonna run the place. Like, all right. He he ran me ragged, but we were building stuff, I was doing engineer stuff. Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: But it it saved it probably saved a lot of people. so Erik Lawrence: Yeah. yeah, y y you have to do it. That's I mean people you know, y y it should be quite easily understood, but you still have to explain it to people. Well what yeah, exactly. Yeah. Eli Shultz: We're lazy. Especially conventional force troops, man. Come on. You got like the stinky Erik Lawrence: Ha ha ha Eli Shultz: guy in the corner who you can't even get to take a shower and you want to go like fill sandbags and build stuff all day. Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Yeah, I I don't know that world, but I'll take your opinions on that. Eli Shultz: Yeah. Erik Lawrence: 'cause I think I was your first soft guy on your podcast. So yeah. Eli Shultz: You were, yeah. I was like, boy, I've gone to territory with the cool guys. Erik Lawrence: dude, I was in brain treatment at that time. I was probably slow as shit. So Eli Shultz: Yeah. Erik Lawrence: I was getting my brain zapped every day by a magnet, so Eli Shultz: Dude, I like I love how you did your book, because it's just like reading a TM and you made it very simple Erik Lawrence: That's what it did, yeah. Eli Shultz: and you get people thinking about things. And honestly, like so everyone says forty's not that old, but I think when you've been a grunt for twenty one years, it's definitely older than most forty year olds. Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: And I've had, you know, ankle surgery and both knees now. And dude, it's like It's so it's so important. 'Cause you always hear people around you like, man, I'm getting old and this and that. It hurts when you wake up and then you gotta stretch and it's like, dude, that is so real. And it yeah. And then on top of Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Daily detox, buddy. Yeah. Eli Shultz: that, you throw the injuries guys like us have. and then whether you've got it to the dome too and you're dealing with that, which is That w has to suck. And then you're just like and Erik Lawrence: yeah. Eli Shultz: then you have that fight of like you used to be the dude and now you're just a dude. And doesn't mean you still can't Erik Lawrence: Yeah. With issues. Eli Shultz: do something. Yeah. Doesn't mean you still can't do a lot of things, but you're like, I'm not Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: the man in the arena anymore, I'm just the guy. So Erik Lawrence: Yeah, and that's where you brought the book up, but that's why I did it as a reference book. 'Cause there's so many new things out there people don't know what they're asking for. Or they say you should go to this and they're like, Well, what the hell is that? You know. Now Eli Shultz: Yeah. Erik Lawrence: I haven't put it out yet, but I did a second one. But it's more of the how Eli Shultz: Okay. Erik Lawrence: to you know, how to do the different protocols, you know, once Eli Shultz: Okay. Erik Lawrence: once you've settled on what you want to do, it's it's more of the you know, how to get it done. And I'll I'll put that out soon. But Yeah. I really like the first one. But i I had to write the first one so the second one would make sense. Eli Shultz: Hundred percent, hundred percent. Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: And you know, I just I'm glad that I'm on with you in your space 'cause you know, just it it becomes really important and I think if anyone was listening that's like you know, younger than you and me, like if you could start getting a rhythm of doing those things now, Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: you can keep doing it. 'Cause I'm like the typical you ate like crap and you just you know, you went to PT, hungover, and you just powered through it and then all of a sudden you're like, I'm broken now. You have to live a different way. Yeah, Erik Lawrence: I don't recover well. Yeah. Eli Shultz: so yeah, man, I I think it's important if people can get ahead of that stuff too and you know, and now I'm forty and I have a four year old and two year old, so like I don't have a lot of time to take care of myself, but Erik Lawrence: I know, but you need to know Eli Shultz: you know when you do. Erik Lawrence: that so you can teach them. Eli Shultz: Yes. Yeah, just get used to it so it's just part of who you are. Erik Lawrence: Yeah, it's lifestyle. Eli Shultz: Yeah, and it'll help like 'cause I mean I gotta I gotta like stretch my ankles and my knees and my Erik Lawrence: Mm-hmm. Eli Shultz: legs every day, dude. Erik Lawrence: Yeah, I d I did four miles this morning with the dog and and then I sat down for a little while, you know. And when I went to get up, my ankles are like, You son of a bitch, you know. I was like walking on pins and needles and I'm like, Come on, man, we only walked four miles, you know. And Eli Shultz: Yeah. Erik Lawrence: I'm like, There's no way they hurt this bad and they were aching like crazy, you know, and I'm like, Come on, man, you know, I'm gonna go soak Eli Shultz: Yeah. Erik Lawrence: my feet now or something, you know. Eli Shultz: Yeah. Erik Lawrence: But you gotta keep moving. You gotta keep flexible. You gotta keep the mobility. It only gets worse if Eli Shultz: Yeah. Erik Lawrence: you don't, you know. I know too many of the guys that just got sedimentary and went to the shit nutrition and still drinking like fish and they're beyond miserable because you can't function Eli Shultz: man. Erik Lawrence: that way. Eli Shultz: Yeah. Hey I got two little ones keep me moving and a farm, so that helps. Erik Lawrence: Yeah. the farm will have to help. Come on, man. Yeah. Eli Shultz: Yeah, it's a lot of lotta walk and it I love it man when I'm fortunate to be in that situation. The winter in Michigan gets a bit rough. That's where you're like, All right, I gotta be really disciplined now. Erik Lawrence: Yeah. I I yeah, I've done plenty of bad winters and if you don't prepare, y you'll find out. I was stacking wood this morning. I stacked about Eli Shultz: Is it? Erik Lawrence: four pallets of wood because I'd rather do it in the nice weather than when you have to. Yeah. Eli Shultz: Exactly. Plus it'll get all wet in the snow. Erik Lawrence: yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, you gotta No, if you're lazy you'll pay for it. So but that's Eli Shultz: Yeah. Erik Lawrence: that's you know, you gotta build your whole normal life that way. And Eli Shultz: Mm-hmm. Erik Lawrence: you know, you can get away with not doing it, but I wouldn't count on it. Eli Shultz: Yeah. Eric, do you mind if I do a plug for my groups here? Erik Lawrence: Not at all, that's what I want. Send it. Eli Shultz: So the first organization I talked about, All American Riders. most of our guys are in SoCal. if you're out here in Michigan, definitely reach out. I got a couple guys in like New York, Pennsylvania border, but it's all American Riders dot org. So check us out. We're also on you know Facebook and Instagram and all that. And then what we're doing building the bunker app. and one thing too, if you need if you know in a veteran who needs assistance, hit up all American Riders dot org. We help people out, we screen it, make sure it's a real a real need. And we've done a lot of cool things for people. We don't just have wear a patch and ride motorcycles, like we really want to Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: help. So if they're act duty or veteran will help them out. And then bunker dash bros dot com. There's a dash in there 'cause someone I gotta buy the domain name from somebody. Erik Lawrence: Yeah. Eli Shultz: But bunker dash bros dot com. you can donate. Everything helps if you can do a dollar a month, if you can do ten dollars a month, five dollars one time, whatever. it's not cheap building this app. And we also have shirts that helps if you buy that. our podcast will be kicking back into full gear here in a few weeks. We've been taking a break and Yeah, spreading the word there and then we're also on social media as well. If you look at Bunker Bros, you should see this and you'll find us. So yeah, that's that's everything that I've been to, yeah. Erik Lawrence: We'll we'll include all that in, you know, you send that to me, we'll we'll pimp it out for you. Well, thanks for your time there, mister Eli. Eli Shultz: Yeah, man, I'll bring you there's no reason we can't have you on twice on our show, so you'll be back. Erik Lawrence: well yeah. I could do that. Probably a little better interview this time. I was I was in pretty rough shape back then. So yeah, any time man, just let Eli Shultz: Yeah. Erik Lawrence: me know. Eli Shultz: Next book release. Erik Lawrence: touche. You're you're the man. Great idea. Appreciate it though. Eli Shultz: All right, brother. Erik Lawrence: See ya. Eli Shultz: Thanks.