Lessons of a combat Veteran, Carl Baltes

Alex Martinez Daily Chop · Jan 15, 2026 · 1h 4m

There’s a version of every man before the uniform, during the uniform, and after the uniform comes off.In this conversation, I sit down with Carl Baltes to talk honestly about all three.Before the military, life often looks one way. Identity is still forming. Direction can feel unclear. Discipline might exist in pieces, or not at all. For some, structure is missing. For others, purpose feels distant. Carl and I talk about what life looked like before service, the influences that shaped us, the mindsets we carried, and the decisions that eventually led us toward the military.Then comes…