Ben Owen

Ben is no longer a college student. You know, I was, I think, a mechanical or maybe chemical engineering major at the time. I'd changed so many times.

Ben is no longer a college student. You know, I was, I think, a mechanical or maybe chemical engineering major at the time. I'd changed so many times.

Ben is no longer a college student. You know, I was, I think, a mechanical or maybe chemical engineering major at the time. I'd changed so many times.

i'm gonna i'm gonna list i'm gonna get an army um and so they scheduled me for an ass fab uh i got a 99 on it um still had most of my brain cells thank god and i was an engineer engineering student so like all the the math and stuff on it was like super familiar to me uh they found me a slot um for 97 bravo counterintelligence sounded super cool and i was gonna go spend uh

i'm gonna i'm gonna list i'm gonna get an army um and so they scheduled me for an ass fab uh i got a 99 on it um still had most of my brain cells thank god and i was an engineer engineering student so like all the the math and stuff on it was like super familiar to me uh they found me a slot um for 97 bravo counterintelligence sounded super cool and i was gonna go spend uh

i'm gonna i'm gonna list i'm gonna get an army um and so they scheduled me for an ass fab uh i got a 99 on it um still had most of my brain cells thank god and i was an engineer engineering student so like all the the math and stuff on it was like super familiar to me uh they found me a slot um for 97 bravo counterintelligence sounded super cool and i was gonna go spend uh

I think it's 17 weeks in Fort Huachuca, Arizona. I was going to get a security clearance. I was going to get a $20,000 signing bonus. And so, you know, I let my parents know, and the process drags out a little bit. It's a few months that go by, and I go down to Maxwell Air Force Base to do MEPS the first time.

I think it's 17 weeks in Fort Huachuca, Arizona. I was going to get a security clearance. I was going to get a $20,000 signing bonus. And so, you know, I let my parents know, and the process drags out a little bit. It's a few months that go by, and I go down to Maxwell Air Force Base to do MEPS the first time.

I think it's 17 weeks in Fort Huachuca, Arizona. I was going to get a security clearance. I was going to get a $20,000 signing bonus. And so, you know, I let my parents know, and the process drags out a little bit. It's a few months that go by, and I go down to Maxwell Air Force Base to do MEPS the first time.

And I'm there, and I meet this little brunette from Dustin, Florida, and get fucking trashed, right? And we hook up, and... I show up to do MEPS the next day still drunk, still drunk. And my whole life, my dad, I think, carried a chip on his shoulder that he was Ranger qualified, an infantry officer, never deployed because he served during the Carter years. I wouldn't say a chip on his shoulder.

And I'm there, and I meet this little brunette from Dustin, Florida, and get fucking trashed, right? And we hook up, and... I show up to do MEPS the next day still drunk, still drunk. And my whole life, my dad, I think, carried a chip on his shoulder that he was Ranger qualified, an infantry officer, never deployed because he served during the Carter years. I wouldn't say a chip on his shoulder.

And I'm there, and I meet this little brunette from Dustin, Florida, and get fucking trashed, right? And we hook up, and... I show up to do MEPS the next day still drunk, still drunk. And my whole life, my dad, I think, carried a chip on his shoulder that he was Ranger qualified, an infantry officer, never deployed because he served during the Carter years. I wouldn't say a chip on his shoulder.

It was a regret he had. He always wanted to get to go do cool guy stuff. And I didn't want that to happen. And I fully believe that war was going to be over in six weeks. But, you know, in hindsight, looking at it now, like, holy God, I was dumb, right? That was America's longest war, and we just walked away from it.

It was a regret he had. He always wanted to get to go do cool guy stuff. And I didn't want that to happen. And I fully believe that war was going to be over in six weeks. But, you know, in hindsight, looking at it now, like, holy God, I was dumb, right? That was America's longest war, and we just walked away from it.

It was a regret he had. He always wanted to get to go do cool guy stuff. And I didn't want that to happen. And I fully believe that war was going to be over in six weeks. But, you know, in hindsight, looking at it now, like, holy God, I was dumb, right? That was America's longest war, and we just walked away from it.

But at the time, I was convinced that if I didn't do something fast, I was going to miss out on everything. And I only shot at impressing my dad after all these fuck-ups that I've got. This is how I could finally redeem myself in my parents' eyes. And I want to be abundantly clear. This is not something my parents put on me. They never made me feel like I was a disappointment.

But at the time, I was convinced that if I didn't do something fast, I was going to miss out on everything. And I only shot at impressing my dad after all these fuck-ups that I've got. This is how I could finally redeem myself in my parents' eyes. And I want to be abundantly clear. This is not something my parents put on me. They never made me feel like I was a disappointment.

But at the time, I was convinced that if I didn't do something fast, I was going to miss out on everything. And I only shot at impressing my dad after all these fuck-ups that I've got. This is how I could finally redeem myself in my parents' eyes. And I want to be abundantly clear. This is not something my parents put on me. They never made me feel like I was a disappointment.

You know, they never made me feel like I had anything to prove. I put all of this weight on myself that I had to please my parents. And the only way I could do that is to become just like my dad. I held this man on the pedestal my whole life. I think a lot of little boys do that, you know, but I maybe took it to an extreme. Well, anyway. I'm telling... You know, we go through the duck walk.

You know, they never made me feel like I had anything to prove. I put all of this weight on myself that I had to please my parents. And the only way I could do that is to become just like my dad. I held this man on the pedestal my whole life. I think a lot of little boys do that, you know, but I maybe took it to an extreme. Well, anyway. I'm telling... You know, we go through the duck walk.