Gear: Chapter 4

Ray Christian· Guest0:00

Platoon, halt. Right face. On my command. (drumbeats) Chapter Four.

Avery Trufelman· Host0:10

This gentleman you hear doing the drill sergeant introductions for each chapter is Ray Christian.

Ray Christian· Guest0:16

Just for shits and giggles, as we used to say in the army. Truffleman, front and center. What the hell are you even doin' here?

Avery Trufelman· Host0:24

He's good, right? Ray is a professional podcaster. That's how we know each other. He has a beautiful show called What's Ray Saying? But he's also the real deal.

Ray Christian· Guest0:33

I spent a couple of years as a drill sergeant. Like all, uh, people in my occupation, I was an infantryman.

Avery Trufelman· Host0:39

An infantryman is a ground combat soldier. The infantry is the foundational element of the army. They're the ones who actually pull triggers. When you think of an infantryman, you can think of those little green plastic army men. But there aren't as many little green army men as you'd think. The infantry is only 15% of active duty army.

Ray Christian· Guest0:59

So there's only a few people that serve in that. There are probably more policemen in New York City than there are infantrymen than the whole United States Army.

Avery Trufelman· Host1:11

Really?

Ray Christian· Guest1:11

So, everybody is in support of that tip of the spear. And I happened to have been one of those. You know, I was in the infantry. So I was a rifleman and a grenadier and a machine gunner, all at pretty much at the same rank, private, then sergeant in