Jay Collins spent 23 years in Army Special Forces, serving in South America and the Middle East as a Green Beret, where he was shot in the arm and ultimately lost a leg from injuries sustained in combat. A recipient of two Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star, and the Combat Infantryman Badge, Jay went on to serve in the Florida State Senate and now serves as Lieutenant Governor of Florida, currently running for Governor. In this episode, he takes us back to Firebase Anaconda in Afghanistan, one of the worst defensible positions imaginable, and breaks down the presence patrol where he took a round to the arm, the mortar blast that would silently cost him his leg years later, and what it took to keep fighting through all of it.

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CHAPTERS
00:00:00 - Intro
00:02:37 - Last Book Read
00:06:06 - Death Threats
00:07:17 - Constitutional Carry
00:10:36 - EDC & Carry
00:13:01 - Farm Childhood
00:18:22 - Military Calling
00:22:41 - Path to SF
00:27:03 - First SF Deployment
00:31:25 - Firebase Anaconda
00:33:48 - Getting Shot
00:36:38 - Mortar Injury
00:42:38 - Leg Deterioration
00:45:01 - Delta Selection Attempt
00:51:06 - Leg Amputation
00:51:56 - Mars Men Ad
00:53:43 - American Financing Ad
00:56:39 - Walter Reed & Odiero
01:00:21 - Re-qualifying One-Legged
01:02:23 - OSW & Medic Programs
01:05:01 - Retirement Decision
01:08:35 - Transition to Civilian
01:14:02 - Operation Barbecue Relief
01:18:44 - Entering Politics
01:22:48 - Running for Congress
01:25:41 - State Senate Win
01:29:33 - Banning China Land Buys
01:31:03 - Socialism/Communism Bill
01:31:52 - BEAM Ad
01:33:28 - QUO Ad
01:34:56 - America's Gold Company Ad
01:36:27 - Iran Discussion
01:44:05 - Marco Rubio & Messaging
01:46:54 - Florida Economy
01:51:04 - VA Reform Plan
02:03:36 - Federal vs State Budget
02:09:11 - Trump vs Reagan Comms
02:20:20 - Social Media & Kids
02:30:05 - Trump Decorum Discussion
02:42:27 - AI Regulation
02:49:54 - Data Centers & Hyperscalers
02:52:00 - Nuclear Energy Push
02:56:12 - Trades & Education Gap
03:03:07 - SF Lessons for Politics
03:05:08 - Lt. Governor Role
03:09:19 - Biggest Florida Challenge
03:10:19 - American Dream Reflection
03:10:26 - Faith in Leadership
03:13:22 - Governor's Race Pitch

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