In the stillness of an ordinary Tuesday morning, the world changed.  Smoke rose, hearts broke, and a generation was called to arms.

We remember not just the attacks of September 11 attacks, but the long shadow they cast — a shadow our brothers walked into without hesitation. They carried the weight of that day on their shoulders, and many never came home.

Men like Rick Barraza, with his infectious laugh and love for a cold Corona–reminded us to savor life.

Men like Kristoffer Domeij, whose unmatched mastery of CAS embodied the “TYRANT” spirit — relentless, precise, and fiercely protective of his brothers.

Their stories are woven into ours — every mission, every laugh, every quiet moment of remembrance.  Wherever you are, and however 9/11 touched your life, take a moment today to raise a glass.

Speak their names.

Carry their memory forward.

Never forget.

Writing a letter to you about this felt most appropriate. You've supported our mission for years and for the majority of us--it's personal.

Throughout history, it's always good to remember--All things are built just to fall apart.

As you know, we began this company and mission with the intent to rally compassionate people to help those overlooked by the media, government, and major corporations.  Build products in war zones to create jobs and the accompanying security, put footwear on bad ass people committed to being better humans, and use profits to fund girls schools in Afghanistan. 

Admittedly, it was an audacious mission that many believed would fail.  10 years later, we're all still here.  Unfortunately, the final part of our mission came to an end in August of 2021. 

With the fall of Kabul and the new government, Aid Afghanistan for Education had to close its doors to the 13 schools in Northern Afghanistan.  

To say it's a loss is an understatement.  If you know me and been in the circle of Combat Flip Flops, you know it's been a struggle.  But regardless of how tough the struggle, the entire team would saddle up and continue forward because somewhere in Afghanistan, a little girl was sitting in a classroom learning to read.  It was our purpose.   And now that purpose is gone. 

In reading this, I hope you mourn the loss alongside us. 

How do we move forward from here?  We do what we always do--saddle up, recognize the good we did in the world while we had the time and stage, then refocus on another equally positive endeavor. 

Be proud that you're part of a community that put over 1,000 young girls in school.  Without you, they never would have had that chance.  And because of you, they have a chance now.  If they made it out, they can attend school elsewhere.  If they didn't, maybe they're the voice that will bring women's education back to Afghanistan.  But neither of those groups would have had that chance if it weren't for you.

Thank you. 

It's been a tough couple of months settling in with the reality of the situation.   Inside the front cover of my journal is a Venn Diagram with two circles.  On the left, "What you can control."  On the right, "What matters."  In the overlap, "Focus Here."

We can't control the gross ineptitude of governments and the current stranglehold on Afghanistan. So for the time being, we have to let it go and focus elsewhere. 

We will continue to make quality products in post conflict areas.  We will continue to help veterans at home. 

What we can control.  What Matters.  Focus. 

With the Utmost Gratitude and Respect,

Andy, Griff, Lee

Founders, Combat Flip Flops

Folks, buckle up for a story about democracy, island style. Apparently, in the paradise of Hawaii, the will of the people goes about as far as a mai tai on a hot day – it evaporates quickly and leaves you feeling a bit parched.

Let's talk about Senate Bill 3196, a little ditty relating to firearms. Now, according to reports, the good people of Hawaii weren't exactly chomping at the bit for this bill. In fact, testimony against it ran 5 to 1, which, in most places, would be a pretty darn clear message. But hey, who needs public opinion when you have... well, whatever it is they have in Honolulu these days?

So, despite the resounding "nah" from the folks who actually live there, the powers that be decided to push this bill through anyway. It's like ordering SPAM sushi at a fancy restaurant – sure, they technically have it on the menu, but does anyone actually want it?

Now, before you grab your pitchforks and leis, I'm not here to take sides on the specifics of the bill. That's a whole other can of worms (and pineapples, I presume). But what I am here to point out is the rather impressive feat of ignoring your constituents with the enthusiasm of a tourist dodging a timeshare salesman.

This whole situation is about as smooth as a pineapple upside-down cake that's been left in the sun. It leaves you wondering, what's the point of having public hearings if nobody's actually listening? 

So, here's to Hawaii, the land of beautiful beaches and, apparently, selective hearing. May your mai tais always be strong, and may your voices, one day, be heard as loud as a Don Ho impersonator at a karaoke bar. Until then, well, there's always next election, right? 

Let's be honest, the U.S. has been the reigning champ of remote-controlled mayhem for a hot minute. We've buzzed weddings, funerals, you name it – under the noble guise of fighting terrorism, of course. But hey, collateral damage is just a fancy word for "oops," right?

Now, countries we don't particularly like are getting in on the action. Suddenly those drone strikes don't seem quite so cool anymore. It's like we handed out matches to a bunch of pyromaniacs and are surprised when things start catching fire. The hypocrisy is so thick you could cut it with a butter knife.

We scream about sovereignty, civilian casualties, and international law when it's someone else pushing the joystick. Yet, when it was us behind the controls, well, those were just "precision strikes," no biggie. It's the classic playground bully move: "I can dish it out, but I sure can't take it."

Let's face it, we paved the way for this drone-filled free-for-all. We set the precedent that it was okay to wage war from the comfort of an air-conditioned bunker. The problem is, drones are a heck of a lot easier to come by than a full-fledged air force.

So, here we are, stuck in a hypocritical pickle of our own making. We can either keep whining about everyone else's drone programs or, and this might sound crazy, start treating international laws like, you know, laws. Maybe we could even stop bombing countries and see how that works for a change.

Of course, expecting a little self-reflection and consistency from world powers is like expecting a cat to give up on chasing birds, but a guy can dream, right?

Seems spot on.  Feel free to comment below. 

After a few years of diagnosis and unsuccessful conventional treatment, Heroic Hearts Project offered me an alternative treatment in Costa Rica. It changed my life and created a path to recovery. Five years later, I’d confidently say that my memory is 95% recovered, I’m happier, and just about everything in life is better.

Because of our culture and legal system, we can’t talk about it openly. And it’s a shame because I’ve personally witnessed this type of treatment work for veterans and first responders. When the Psychedelic Medicine Alliance of Washington helped get Senate Bill 5263 in front of Washington State legislators, it was time to step up and help our community receive a natural treatment for post traumatic stress and TBIs.

If you want to support this effort you can click this link to support. If you want to learn more, visit the Heroic Hearts Project website.

I learned a lot in this legislative process, but it’s not what you think.

Getting any legal change pushed through takes time, effort, and money. The process involves hiring a professional to coordinate meetings with representatives and session testimonies–it’s boring AF. Instead of doing the standard swiping of social media while waiting for my turn to speak, I sat and listened.

Testimonies ranged from issues surrounding Hepatitis A, universal health care coverage, drug addiction screenings for inmates getting released, manufacturing challenges, etc.. The volume, variety, and depth of the challenges felt overwhelming. But those that spend their time preparing, rehearsing, and executing per the process tend to get things done.

Whether we like it or not, our “tac/mil/le” community is exceptionally judgmental of those that don’t look like us, talk like us, or think like us. And that was the overwhelming majority of people sitting beside me at the testimony. I can’t say that I agreed with everything they said, but I had to respect the people putting in the work.

As I sat there, my questions about Washington’s anti-gun laws were answered. The anti-gun community simply put in the work, time, and money. “Our” community’s response wasn’t suits and well rehearsed testimony–it was derpy 2A advocates that don’t believe in cardio toting guns around the Capitol to “exercise their rights.” (Super bad look) If it wasn’t the public media shitshow, it was frantic online banter that had zero impact on legislators.


Photo Cred ( The Olympian )

Look, I get it. Criminals don’t obey laws. The Government is evil. The ability to own a firearm is a right granted to Americans by the Constitution. And even if it wasn’t, people should be able to defend themselves, family, and communities from criminals. We’ll “Molon Labe” with the best of them.

But the constitution is a living document. Look it up. It will change if a mass of people put in the time, effort, and money.

What I learned: They’re simply outperforming us.

Maybe if we want to keep our rights or change our communities for the better, we should get a haircut, trim the beard, exercise, plan, rehearse, and execute in a professional manner. Trying to broker any deal with a gun in plain sight is sketchy at best and adds fuel to the opponent’s fire.

For all you keyboard commandos and 2A tacti-bros, you've spent the last few years criticizing administrations and prepping for the future that will probably never come. Maybe it's time to step up, put in the work and defend your rights in a meaningful way.

They’re showing up and outworking you.

OPERATION AFGHAN WOOBIE

THE MISSION
 Provide food, medical treatment and warm clothing to displaced Afghan military and police waiting for evacuation. 
 
SITUATION
Tens of thousands of Afghan men, women, and children that served alongside our countrymen have been left behind.  As they're on the run for their lives waiting for Department of State to fulfill promises made, they're cold, tired, and hungry.  

THE PROJECT
Leveraging 11 years of Afghan manufacturing experience, we're working to help those waiting for evacuation.  Funds used will be sent forward to buy clothing, pay for medical care, and purchase textiles to be manufactured in Kabul--creating jobs for the unemployed. 

This is a mission of pure love for our Afghan brothers and sisters.  100% of the funding is used toward the mission with no overhead other than transaction fees.

46&2 Transitions is a registered 501c3 partnered with Combat Flip Flops to make your donations tax deductible.  

尊敬的员工

Although most won’t recognize your historic effort, I wanted to be one of the first to do so publicly.  You executed one of the best military campaigns in history.  This will likely be written as one of the most pivotal moments in human history.   A tale as large as Alexander the Great, executed with the brutality of Genghis Khan, and more sinister than Hitler.  

In less than two weeks, you leveraged a proxy force to defeat a standing army funded and trained by the “greatest” Western powers in the world.  The planet stared in shock and awe of humiliated heroes while fear permeated a nation.  The effort was so precise and coordinated--you had to be involved.  

We heard whispers of your voices, but didn’t understand the information until the next morning.  Through a steady stream of HKIA reports, the tactical proficiency was beautiful.  Your forces  caused locked gates with a light skirmish as the sun broke the horizon--inspiring a panicked rush in the following silence.  Images of Western powers failing in front of scared masses were distributed via social media show confusion within minutes.  Then you took it one step further.   Your containing forces rolled in to encircle the trapped crowd.  Your high value targets were fish in a barrel.  Tactically, it was genius.  

Two weeks of this madness caused your target to shame itself.  Leaders and military figures caught in lies surrounding the death of their fallen, military morale plummeted to a state of depression, and a population normally divided met in a place of common understanding--the leadership is corrupt and needs to go. A multi-level sweep without firing a single bullet.

It took a couple days to figure it out, but the answer came in a dream on Monday morning.  Images of Native Americans running buffalo off a cliff flashed through my mind.  Kamair 737s were the cliff with your forces pushing the herd West.  Make the only escape a gauntlet of 17 armed checkpoints, biometric scans, and phone scrubs.  Once your proxy thugs finished robbing passengers, your targets were pulled from the lineup.  Buffalos off a cliff.

With the unconventional long game in mind, I’d like to think we’re aligned on radical fundamentalists.   Historically, the three major players on the battlefield dislike the Taliban.  With their forces in the open, exposed, and encircled, will you take the final long game step and remove them from the equation?  

From the beginning, it was the long game.  Multiple steps that defied Western logic, executed over years, and blossomed into the annals of military history in less than two weeks.  As a student of war, fighter, and leader of people--that was a respectable effort.  

此致

敬礼

Griff 敬上

2021年9月3日

This was a war that you didn’t have the stomach to fight.  But I’m glad you tried.  

We bled you the same way we bled the Soviets in our Holy Land.  We bled you the same way the Vietnamese bled you in their home land.  We did it patiently and deliberately.  

Patience.  Something Westerners never learn.  

Our history is millennial.  We don’t yearn for an early victory when the Infidel ravages our Holy Land.  Our victory is celebrated decades from now.  We’ve endured, then ravaged every standing military that crossed our borders.   Why?  How?  We’re patient.  

In 30 days, we’ll be stronger, richer, and have control over precious natural resources that you need for your pathetic life dictated by comfort.  We will have women, riches, land, guns, and ownership of one of the greatest chapters in military history. 

You lose. 

If you want to try again, we welcome the challenge.  You will fail regardless of how much money you burn in our deserts. For pity, here is free advice that may contribute to your future success; should you ever decide to invade again.

You recruit your warriors and supporters from a drug addicted, distracted, disillusioned population that’s obsessed with comfort and entertainment.  A population obsessed with altering their mundane reality.  Alcohol, marijuana, pills, and our new favorite -- Tide Pods.  Every time your doctors prescribe opiate painkillers, you line our coffers with gold.  Your population’s thirst for our pristine heroin has never been more lucrative for our warrior tribes.   We will keep feeding you poison for as long as you keep your hands out.  

If your population wasn’t so spineless, undisciplined, and self-loathing, then you might be able to compile a raiding party with enough tenacity to outthink ours. 

Our fighters are born into war.  Raised in it.  It’s a way of life that evades your “first world” nations. They live a life of such immense misery and pain that they’re willing to fight barefoot in the snow for the opportunity to martyr themselves. They yearn for the opportunity to die.  When they do have the blessed opportunity to sacrifice themselves, they sit above Mohammed at the right hand of God.  Blessed in Allah for eternity

What honors do your fighters receive?  Their empty sacrifice is remembered in the form of a “three day weekend.”  The majority of your population uses this sacred time to get drunk and grow more fat as a way to celebrate their fallen warriors.  Sadly, we pay tribute to their death more honorably.

The colored pieces of cloth you pin on their chests are similar to the jewelry worn by our women.  What good are accolades and vanity if you don’t have the stomach to endure a fight?   We don’t offer the burden of healthcare to our fighters as they often want to die for Allah.  Your fighters fight to live.  Their inability to reconcile the inevitable outcome of our patience leads them to kill themselves.  Your medications, counselors and non-profits will never undo the pain and suffering you’ve forced them to endure.  It will never remove the pain we’ve caused your broken nation.  You are your own worst enemy. 

We will give your fighters credit.  Some are creative, tenacious, and fierce. They outgun us in every way possible.  But again, we simply wait them out.  Allah is patient.  You cycle them through our Holy Lands every 3 to 12 months for their combat rotations.  After their tour is complete, they return to the comfort of their warm beds and endless entertainment.  If you left them here, in our Holy Land, with no way out but to win, then you might of have had a chance of success.  The longer you poisoned our Holy Land with your presence, your “rules of engagement” only strengthened our position. There is only one rule in war - that is to win. 

Your commanders made you fight with your hands tied behind your back. Your rules also confused our fighters too.  “We’re clearly the enemy; why are they letting us go?”  Thank you for your compassion as it allowed our fighters to kill more Infidels.  We began to feel as if your commanders were on our side.  We’re thankful your most vicious dogs were never allowed off their leash. 

Your showcase Generals make us laugh.  You spend millions of dollars flying them around our country, inventing new ways to win while ignoring the guidance of our most capable foes.  Your Generals make decisions to minimize risk to their fragile reputation with the ultimate goal of securing a lucrative retirement--jobs with suppliers that fuel your losing force. A self-serving circle that’s built on the backs of your youngest and most naive fighters.

Your retired Generals “earn” tens of thousands of dollars talking to your political, industrial, and financial leaders about “teams, winning, and discipline.”  It’s a mockery of the war they refused to fight.  It’s a mockery of the Infidel warriors who died in our lands. We urge you to continue following their vacuous personalities so we can further watch your once great nation collapse. 

Your statesman and elected officials are spineless, narcissistic, and more cowardly than your Generals.  They crave power over you above all else.  They come to our country, hide behind blast walls, and only heed the word of the indigenous leader they put in power.   I believe your soldiers call this a “self licking ice cream cone.”  

They’ve burned billions of dollars in a wasted effort to bring clean water, electricity, business, education, agriculture, and exports to a region that didn’t ask for it.  You should have saved yourself the effort and simply given the money directly to us.  Don’t worry; your diplomatic friends gave us plenty of your American tax dollars.  If you want to give it another shot with your “soft power,” send those with real experience, not fancy degrees and silver tongues. 

Over the next few months, we will  make the world understand that you failed worse than any fighting force that’s ever invaded our lands.  Today we celebrate victory.  

As you evacuate your embassy, our fighters will be standing in the shade.  Our RPG marksmen will be patient.  We thank you for the parting gifts.  You’ll find surface-to-air missiles staged in the back of Toyota pickup trucks that you purchased for us.   

We saw what Extortion 17 did to your nation and the morale of your fighting force.  Do your citizens even remember that victory? We’ll be repeating and improving upon our victory while your citizens and sympathizers evacuate in disgrace.  Every one of your foes around the world will know exactly how to break you. 

You are welcome to fly your empty drones, target our cell phones, and send your spies.  But they, too, will ultimately fail.  We’ll use their failures to show the world that you’re not all-powerful.  You’re a false front--an empty shell. You lie, cheat, steal, and are easily defeated because you lack the spine to fight.  This is your history now.  We’re grateful Allah gave us the opportunity to show the world how to defeat the Infidels. 

We look forward to seeing you again across the battlefield.

Praise be to God,

The Taliban


***Authors’ Note***

If you’ve read this far.  Thank you.  I’ve spent the past week trying to find a way to communicate this to the American people in a manner that would cause anger, rage, action, and understanding.  Writing in the voice of a Taliban felt right.

If this made you angry, cry, or contemplative--then our goal is achieved.  Our hope is that it inspires you to take action with your elected officials.  They’ve been repeating the same failing playbook since World War II with your sons, daughters, and tax dollars.  If you want this to keep happening, do nothing.  If you don’t, then do something.  If we all do a little, together we do a lot.

About the Authors: 

Matthew Griffin is a 2001 United States Military Academy Graduate, Army Ranger, Combat Veteran with the 75th Ranger Regiment (3x Afghanistan, 1x Iraq), CEO of Combat Flip Flops, author, and 2019 Henry Crown Fellow with the Aspen Global Leadership Institute. 

Scott Chapman is a 2000 Murray State University Graduate, Army Ranger Fire Team Leader from Alpha Company 2/75th Rangers (‘01 - ‘05), OGA Blackwater Alumni, entrepreneur, and author. Combat Veteran ( 21x Afghanistan, 1x Iraq)

Veterans who fought in rough conflicts such as World War II, the Vietnam War, and the Korean War, deserve our utmost respect and consideration, as they were exposed to unimaginable dangers while defending our country. Toxic exposure is only one of these dangers. Contrary to popular belief, toxic exposure in the military is not a thing of the past, as current members of the military are still in contact with hazardous agents. Asbestos is just one of the numerous toxic agents that veterans came in contact with while they were on active duty. Other harmful substances that are responsible today for the physical and emotional suffering of veterans are Agent Orange, PFOS and PFOA, mustard gas, and lewisite. If you are a veteran injured by a toxic agent, we strongly encourage you to seek our legal assistance and will help you file a claim with the VA to recover financial compensation. Furthermore, we will also file a personal injury claim if one or multiple companies are at fault for your suffering.

      It’s been a while since I’ve sat down and penned something out to you.  I’ve been putting it off for a while, but started tearing up over morning coffee and thought putting it down on paper would help.  

      11.  11 of you.  I still wear the blank silver bracelet.  People stare and think it’s a hippy thing.  Very few ask about it.  But when they do, 1SG Griffith’s line, “If I wore a bracelet with every name, they’d go up to my elbow,” seems to get the point across.  No matter how many movies, books, Youtube videos by notable Veterans, the majority of Americans still don’t seem to get it.  How could they? 

     Our country is weird right now.  Regardless of how good we have it, people can’t stop infighting, social groups are cancelling anything that challenges their own personal perspectives, freedoms and privacy are mere words, cops have been bested by criminals/lawyers/media/politicians, and the war is ending without any notable recognition by the people.  And the worst of all, nobody is taking accountability or behind held responsible for the failures. 

     Estella saw me struggling this weekend and asked why I’ve been so quiet over the last few weeks.  My response, “The war is ending, more people are dying now than when we first started, nobody seems to give a fuck, and your children will be back at it in a few years,” generated a proud parent response.

     “Really?  I haven’t seen anything about it in the news.  Why isn’t that bigger news?”  She questioned.

     It’s not that we watch the news consistently, but she’s pretty in-tune given the AP world history and political science classes in school.  Her teachers don’t even talk about it.  Maybe nobody talks about it because they’re embarrassed?  Embarrassed that they can’t explain in kid speak why we started, why we kept going, and why we are leaving with the knowledge that thousands of people will be slaughtered.  Guess it makes people feel dumb, so they just ignore it.

     I went to the Afghan embassy in D.C. last week for an event.   It was what you would expect.  Two out of the 535 members of Congress showed up.  One gave a talk with the political catchphrase bingo words of, “Hope.  Hard work. Blah, blah, blah.”  You heard the talks when you were alive.  They really haven’t changed.  People without any skin in the game stating soft words from behind pulpits--knowing that it’s just to look good for the press in attendance. Nothing’s changed there either.

     Maybe it’s the fact that this year I truly “know” it was all for nothing. The speculation is gone.  There is a knowing now.  

     How could we have known then?  We all believed in it.  Watched the movies.  Read the books.  Listened to the speeches.  It was all so in-line.  How can anybody know what it’s really like? 

     I can’t blame the 99% either.  They’re kept in the dark.  And they can’t even be empathetic because they haven’t sacrificed anything for it.  On weekends like this, the sympathetic ones ask.  And I feel bad because the honest response conflicts with their beliefs--generating a predictable level of cognitive dissonance.  

     The best response I can give in the hopes of inspiring action is, “Afghanistan is a place where you can wage war with no consequence.  Defense contractors make billions, politicians embezzle millions, people die by the thousands, veterans unable to reconcile the pain are lost by the hundreds, and the handfuls remaining are commended on long weekends.  The American people pay for it all.”  For those emotionally intelligent enough to understand, the sadness in their eyes is apparent.

     I’m sorry we didn’t do better.  I’m sorry you’re not with us this weekend.  I’m sorry that more people aren’t taking action to prevent it from happening again.  I’m sorry for tearing up like a bitch.  I’ll get my shit together and get the team pushing the boulder back up the hill tomorrow.   Miss you homies. 

‘Til Duty is Done

RLTW

Griff

“Military Grade.”  We get more responses to these two words than anything we’ve published to Facebook.  

If you saw this ad, it’s because the Facebook machine thinks you’re the type of person that might like our products, the mission, and generally a good person.  Most of our customers are related to the military, so you maybe even served.  If so, “thanks” from a few veterans to another.    

Unfortunately, Facebook became a place for most people to comment and vent with no response or repercussions.  We’ve all done it.  We see a new ad, shared post, whatever and feel the need to comment positively or negatively without actually clicking on the article --demonstrating the cardio endurance of the thumbs and eyes to consume information. 

There’s just so much on Al Gore’s internet.  How can one person be a functional human being, read everything, and respond intelligently?  Unless you’re a trust fund baby with a Good Will Hunting aptitude to consume and process massive amounts of media, it’s impossible.  

If you’re reading this, it’s because we dropped the link in response to your “military grade” response.  You may have commented from a position of experience, skepticism, or just drafting everybody else. 

Regardless, this blog is for you. 

If you weren’t aware, the founders of Combat Flip Flops respond to every comment.  It’s company policy.  We do our best to respond with kindness and facts to every comment in the hopes you’ll join our mission to create security and safety through business and education.  So let’s get to the kindness and facts.

Military Grade is a ubiquitous term to describe materials durable enough to withstand the rigor of use by a U.S. servicemember.  Technically it needs to follow the Military Specification MIL-W-4088K.  This specification was written in 1988. Anybody that wants to supply to the U.S. Military needs to meet this standard and must submit test results to qualify for DoD contracts.  This is the way.  

Since 2001, the need for stronger, lighter, infrared resistant, and more durable personal protective equipment (PPE) drove the industry to increase nylon quality to simply perform better.  The nylon provided to the military today is the best it’s ever been. That said, the material you may have worn went through a competitive process governed by the Federal Aquisition Regulations and was chosen by the criteria below:

 Technically Acceptable at the Lowest Cost.  

Yes, lowest cost.  Sometimes it's "best value," but mostly the job goes to the lowest bidder.  The DoD uses taxpayer dollars to outfit an Army to wage war.  This isn’t REI and Uncle Sam doesn’t care how cool it looks.  This isn’t the best gear by far.  It’s gear that was specified based on millions of use cases, bid out, and made by American workers. 

The Berry Amendment is a statutory requirement that restricts the Department of Defense (DoD) from using funds appropriated or otherwise available to DoD for procurement of food, clothing, fabrics, fibers, yarns, other made-up textiles, and hand or measuring tools that are not grown, reprocessed, reused, or produced in the United States.  Congress originally passed this domestic source restriction as part of the 1941 Fifth Supplemental DoD Appropriations Act in order to protect the domestic industry base in the time of war.

Simply put, Americans make Military Grade or Mil-Spec equipment from the fiber-forward in the United States of America.  America does this to protect the supply chain for the Department of Defense in case of something like… War.   Not only does it protect the supply chain, it creates a stupefying number of jobs for Americans.  

If you’ve made it this far, the "Military Grade" as referenced in the ad that drove you here is made in the United States by Americans.  So when people crack on the term, we cringe a little because the second most passive-aggressive comment and question on this ad is, “Are they made in America?”    Typically, the person that makes this comment is the same person that cracks on the term, “Military Grade.”  Maybe it’s just the agro nature of social media these days, but it’s tough to tell what lane people choose to be agro about. 

Getting back to the subject at hand, let’s get down to our rationale on the term and product that drove you here.  

Before Combat Flip Flops, we were Army Rangers.  Not Ranger qualified--Ranger Regiment.  If there is a collective group of people that know how to destroy anything put on them or in front of them, it’s Rangers.  As the joke goes...

"You can give an Army Ranger a cannonball in each hand and tell him to cross the street.  Before he gets to the other side, he’ll eat one and break the other." 

Destruction is a large part of the game and a stigma held with pride. 

Since 2001, the PPE issued to Army Rangers improved drastically to support the most effective, most destructive, and most deployed unit in the DoD.  This isn’t the stuff you get in the basic training or the conventional military.  Crye, Patagonia, Arc’teryx, Eagle, etc.  All the big names pimped by IG influencers is made in the U.S., by Americans, to feed the Ranger machine.  The gear is a testament to the hard work, creativity, and persistence of USSOCOM, American textile manufacturers, and Special Operations GWOT funding provided by the U.S. taxpayer.  

Unless you served under USSOCOM, you unlikely saw any of this gear and your negative “military grade” experience holds weight.  In this case, it doesn’t.  Combat Flip Flops sources the same nylon for the Floperators that is issued to USSOCOM.   We could source the nylon elsewhere, but we haven’t found a nylon that looks, feels, and performs as good as the U.S. made material in every pair of Floperators.  We uphold the Ranger Standard. 

We purchase premium nylon from domestic manufacturers, ship to our production facility in Colombia, employ people affected by conflict, and then donate a day of education for an Afghan girl with each pair sold. 

If you can’t see the goodness in any or all of that, Facebook’s machine didn’t do a good job of serving you the ad because you’re likely never going to be happy with anything we do.  That said, we truly appreciate you reading this far. 

But wait, there’s more…

People either don’t research where we came from or why we do what we do, but we’re waging war with Business, Not Bullets.  This is our life’s work.  Our experience downrange in the military and afterward led us to the conclusion that nothing stops war like business.  

Instead of saying, “Thank you for your Service,” slapping a support sticker on a car,  flying a Flag on the 4th, or sharing a post on Veteran’s day, we go to work every day with the hopes that our friends, your friends, or somebody’s son/daughter/father/mother doesn’t have to deploy downrange to return home missing a limb or worse, entombed in a flag draped box.  Every job created, every girl educated, every person spreading that message gets us one step closer toward that goal. 

So what do we do?  We make cool products in war zones, snap cool photos, and pay for ads on Facebook.  We could do that all day, every day--and have absolutely zero effect.  Facebook is a pay to play game and unless there’s ***engagement***, they don’t serve the ad. 

You know what happened when you commented on “military grade?”  You engaged.  You made our ads more effective.  You helped us reach somebody able to see the goodness in the mission.  And if you clicked on this link, you helped us gain site relevance with more traffic.  The two words, “Military Grade” funded over 50 girls in school this year.   Most people would be mad about people trashing their product in the comments without research, but we only have one response:

Thank you. 

If the Grinch had a year, it'd be 2020.  Available with custom engraving, this gift will surely bring smiles and open tasty beverages this holiday season. 

GoRuck - GR1 - Sale price $199.00 (20% off MSRP)

Designed and built by Special Operations commandos, this pack is built to adventure anywhere.  

Eighth Order - Men's Button Down Shirt - $98

A business shirt for those who know how to get down to business.  Support a new special operations veteran small business by rocking this unique look. 

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You and your wallet will need an accountability partner when you visit this website.  Don't say we didn't warn you.

When you sit and listen to Veterans, you can to learn a lot.  The best lesson learned from a fellow veterans was the power of saying, “I love you.”

No Shit, There I Was…

It was about midnight in Salt Lake City.   A group of five or six veterans and a handful of athletes were in town for the Outdoor Retailer Show.  The group was departing the bar for the evening in a mixture of handshakes, high fives, and bro hugs.

The most vocal of the veterans was Special Forces Green Beret veteran, Johnny Primiano.  Imagine if you will, Deadpool and Rambo genetically meshed, covered in tattoos, and a darker sense of humor.  That’s Johnny P.  As one of his friends departed, Johnny gave a hug, leaned back, looked him in the eye and said, “I love you.”  They nodded in manly agreement, then the friend departed.

One of the athletes commented, “Do you tell everybody that you love them?”

Johnny replied, “For guys like us, we know it may be the last time we see each other.   There’s no embarrassment in telling your friend that you love them.”

The comment silenced the group and eventually generated more loud, humorous commentary from Johnny. 

But that comment was probably the best lesson I learned from a fellow veteran.  Don’t be afraid to tell your friends that you love them.  Not twinkly-eyes, hands holding type of love.  It’s the “I got you man.  To Hell and back.  We’ll skip, sing Kumbaya, and crack dirty jokes the entire way. You ever need anything, I'm there for you.” kind of love.   

If you’ve made it this far, more than likely you’re a veteran or related to a veteran.  Hope you’re having a great day and take the opportunity to call your friends and tell them you love them, remind them you're always there for them, then commence with the jokes. 

   It's Monday and time for your update on the Afghan Peace talks.  We're in week two of the talks and things seem to be moving at the pace you would expect to reconcile a two-decade long war with key international players involved. This is going to take a while...

   While the talks are going through their political processes, the Taliban is continuing to strengthen their positions around the nation with lots of money, drugs, and violence.  They've been pretty successful with it to date, the roadblocks are minimal, and it's a proven recipe for success.  Here's the brief updates on each of those endeavors and a bit of good news at the end.

Moral policing leads to "F your Music"

In the Northern Afghanistan province of Faryab, Taliban moral policing is preventing music from being played at events and weddings.  This is apparently at the top of their priority list along with bans on beard shaving, fashion, and restricting employment and education for women.

However, they do allow a frame drum, the daf, to be played at weddings.  

Illegal Gold Mines Raise over $500B annually for the Taliban

Considering the GDP of Afghanistan is $19.3B and the U.S. has $576M earmarked for Afghan foreign aid (83% military, 17% economic) this number should cause some headshakes.

In a recent article by Foreign Policy, Taliban is mining over $500B in Gold Annually from Afghanistan.  Gandhara also reported on this as well.  If wars are won with funding and dollars, it's a pretty simple conclusion to state they're going to continue mining for gold and render all the foreign assistance paid for by taxpayers useless.  

Drugs Baby.  Drugs.

In spite of the best efforts by the international community, opium production has been on the rise in Afghanistan since 2001.  Prior to 2001, opium production was estimated at 180 tons, swelled to 3000 tons/year in the immediate years following the invasion and reports states that production reached over 8,000 tons/year by 2007.  In 2017, the UN reported nearly 9000 tons of opium harvested.  The reports are fuzzy after 2017, but the trend and worldwide opium epidemic would lead us to believe it just kept going up. 

And who controls the Opium?  The Taliban.  With demand strong and production good, why stop making money on a high margin product.  How else are they going to pay for the recruitment, training, arming, and sustainment of their low dollar fighters?

Violence Seems to Be King

Since the beginning of the Peace Talks in Doha, attacks and violence in Afghanistan ramped up to reach near record levels.  While the rest of the world watches Politicians make statements behind pulpits, the Taliban is taking the country village by village.  You can read some of the reports HERE and HERE.

What's Stalling the Peace Talks?

"An agreement has been made on 18 of the disputed points. Our contact groups today continued their discussions on the two remaining items. The perspectives (of both sides) have come closer; however, they have not reached a final agreement on these points so that we could move toward the agenda of the talks," said Attaullah Ludin, a member of the republic's negotiating team.

The two points that are outstanding: 

1) The Taliban demand the recognition of the US-Taliban agreement as the "Mother Deal" underlying the Afghan peace negotiations

2) The Taliban wants the Hanafi Figh as the sole religious legal guideline for the talks. 

We'd summarize for you, but it's better to just read the back and forth HERE (super short read)

And some Good News--Lady Genius

In spite a suicide bomber exploding a vest in a school with nearly 200 of her classmates, Shamsea Alizada, 18, aced the national placement exam for students attending university.  She beat nearly 200,000 other students with her perfect score.  You can read her story and triumph in a NY Times article HERE.  

Fawzia Koofi -- Peaceful Warrior

There's a saying we came up with while serving time in Afghanistan, "The only thing tougher than an Afghan man is an Afghan woman."  They live in the same environmental conditions, political strife, and warfare, but they doing it while being oppressed with little hope of relief.  Here's what happens when women like that become empowered.

Fawzia Koofi is one of four women in the Afghan Delegation at the Peace Talks in Doha.  The Afghan born woman had hopes for becoming a doctor, but that was taken from her in 1996 when the Taliban forbade women from going to school.  Days after her wedding, the Taliban arrested her husband and he died years later from Tuberculosis contracted during his time in prison.  When she was a member of Afghan parliament, she and her daughter survived a drive-by shooting into their vehicle.  And on 14 August 2020, she was attacked by gunmen as she rode in the backseat of her car.  

Talk about a woman scorned... 

She survived the attack, had the bullet removed from her arm, and is seated at the table in Doha with her arm in a sling.  When asked about her presence, Fawzia commented, “It's always not easy to talk with somebody who has so many political differences with you to the extent that they try to kill you."

She's the one to watch in the upcoming months or years as these peace talks progress.

The Battle Continues to Rage On

In spite of the new peace talks, fighting is still the thing to do in Afghanistan.  On 19 September, militants and Afghan government forces clashed.  The engagement lasted about an hour and ended with an Afghan government air strike that took the lives of 10 civilians and an estimated 30 militants.  The Taliban isn't claiming credit for the attackes, but if it walks like the Taliban and acts like the Taliban...   

The 21st of September was the bloodiest day in Afghanistan since the Peace Talks began.  Recent reports state that 57 Afghan soldiers were killed, dozens wounded, and an estimated 80 Taliban fighters met their maker.  Interior ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said Taliban attacks had killed 98 civilians and injured 230 others in the last two weeks across 24 provinces.

And a Shiny Spot Amidst the Chaos

On 21 September 2020, The Afghan and Taliban delegations held a working session to discuss the framework and working principles of the upcoming meetings.   There seems to be agreement on the majority of points and some uncertainty on which points are not ready for positive discussion. 

From our reading across multiple news sources, the sticking points revolve around the religious interpretation of the agreement and women's rights.  The Taliban is pushing for a conservative, strict interpretation of the agreement and the Afghan government is pushing for a more internationally recognized interpretation.  As for women's rights, the Taliban stated women will be able to attend school and work, but how that's interpreted by strict religious code is yet to be determined.  

And that's it for today's updates.  Drop your thoughts and/or predictions below.

Do a quick Google Search of "Afghan Peace Talks," then sort by date.  You'll find a shortage of American media reporting on it.  Have no fear, we're here for you.  

Here's the skinny as of 17 0630PST Sep 2020. 

Member of the Taliban Dream Team Meets with Secretary Pompeo

One of the "Taliban Five" captured in 2002 and held in Guantanamo Bay for 12 years met with Secretary Mike Pompeo in Doha on September 13th.  Faiz Mohammad was captured by U.S. forces in 2002 and released in 2016 in the Bowe Bergdahl prisoner exchange negotiated by the Obama Administration.  

(Photo Cred: @fayezalkandary via Twitter via BBC)

In a statement in 2016 regarding the release, Congressman Pompeo stated,“I’ve seen nothing that causes me to believe these folks are reformed or [have] changed their ways or intend to re-integrate to society in ways to give me any confidence that they will not return in trying to do harm to America.”  It's 2020, maybe this situation isn't that crazy--comparatively.

Pompeo (Again)

Can't say we're disappointed in the honesty of the recent statements by Secretary Pompeo.   We've been at this for nearly 20 years and somebody is finally doing something about the cost of the Afghan War.  

In a statement to the Atlantic council, Secretary Pompeo stated,“We are now delivering a set of outcomes that will reduce the costs in blood from our American servicemen and women, in treasure from the American taxpayer and risk to the USA.”

In a following statement, Pompeo Stated, “For the first time now in 20 years, Afghans sat down together to begin to pound out what a reconciled peaceful Afghanistan might look like. Under no illusion about who we are negotiating with, who these parties are, how difficult that process will be."

The Afghan problem is complex, constantly shifting, and unlikely to be solved before the U.S. elections, but it will be interesting to hear about the stated "wins" in the upcoming months. 

US Peace Talks Ambassador Khalilzad Interview

It's still early and the jury is out on America's Afghan-born Peace Talk Ambassador, Zalmay Khalilzad, but this interview shows that he's a competent negotiator, interviews well, and is doing his best to place the problem where it belongs--in the hands of the Afghans.   This 24 minute interview covers a lot of topics with the majority of responses pointing responsibility to the responsible parties.  

In an Al Jazeera interview, Khalilzah clearly states that U.S. presence is condition based and once those conditions are met, the U.S. will bounce.  This is a different tact than taken by the Obama administration from 2012-2014 when the U.S. committed to ending the war in 2014.  It's been six years and we're still there.  Only time will tell if the U.S. will keep it's word this time. 

20 Afghan Security Forces Killed by Taliban 2 Days After Peace Talks Begin

If you've seen the Combat Flip Flops Ted Talk, there's mention of Veteran's today feeling like Afghanistan will be "our Vietnam."  That statement happened in 2015 and it's more true today than ever.  

With the pandemic, race tensions, forest fires, and an election, there is very little news in mainstream media regarding the conclusion of America's longest conflict that cost the lives of over 2400 service members and injured over 50,000, and killed over 100,000 Afghan civilians. Let's not forget the $$$Trillion+ pricetag for the American Taxpayer. It's like a big "whatever" by the U.S. media and American population.  So frustrating, but not surprising given the attention to the war by the citizens and leaders of our nation over the past couple administrations.

Very few people seem to care.  But if you're here, we're going to assume you care and interested in what's going on.  So...

I'll do the Googling for you regarding the Peace talks and post updates in the most entertaining, skeptical, and searchable means possible.  It ain't going to be pretty, but you'll get the information in a concise format with neat little bullet points.  Cool?

Here we go...

New U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan

11 Sep 2020 - U.S. Navy Veteran William Ruger is nominated as the new Ambassador to Afghanistan.  Takeaway quote: 

“There is no longer a sound reason for the United States to continue sacrificing precious lives and treasure in a conflict not directly connected to our safety or other vital national interests."

We couldn't agree more.  The guy stepped into a tough job the day prior to the peace talks commencing in Qatar.  "Good luck" would be a fitting comment and history proves he's going to need it. 

The U.S. Conceded on Pretty Much Everything to Get People to the Table

To get the Taliban to the table, the Afghan government had to release a large number of sh!theads.    The U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad commented, "you have to make hard decisions."  The Afghan President, Ashraf Ghani, commented, "Until this issue, there was a consensus on the desirability of peace but not on the cost of it."   

You really don't need a crystal ball to predict what's going to happen.  Foreign Policy did a study and guess what the prisoners did after getting their freedom?  The majority returned to their Jihadi brothers and committed to renewing their fight.  

I'd say the Ghani was correct.  This is going to cost a lot of lives.

Peace Talk Opening Comments by International Leaders 

Don't expect anything more than what you'd expect by foreign diplomats.  Lots of complements, hope, and positioning.  Nothing to tell your friends about, but if you want to read them, you can find a good summary here.  

Terry Taliban wants your Tax Dollars

In reading through all the articles regarding the peace talks, this one got the largest "WTF" head tilt.  Over 90% of Afghanistan lives in severe poverty.  The nation is heavily dependent on foreign aid which is primarily a burden of the United States taxpayer.  Yes, you.  You pay for it.  Not the government.  You.  Read that again.  

The Taliban always sucked at raising taxable income due to their policies of enforcement over education and prosperity.  But they are great at putting their hand out.  The New York Times article didn't list a source, but they stated the Taliban expects the foreign aid to continue after coalition forces leave...  

hahahahahaha.  OMG.  That is so funny.  

The sad news is that it's probably going to happen because nobody is going to pay attention to what's going on in alignment with their actions over the last 19 years.  You again will be sending good tax dollars behind bad to keep Terry happy.

Secretary Mike Pompeo did allude to holding purse strings if the peace doesn't last in this statement to the groups in Qatar, "As you make your decisions, you should keep in mind that your choices and conduct will affect both the size and scope of future U.S. assistance.” 

Afghanistan is Nothing Like Vietnam 

Yes, lots of sarcasm.  

You can read the Paris Peace Accords, or you can read the summary in the next few sentences.  In 1968, Nixon committed to pulling out of Vietnam.  They squabbled over the details until January 1973 and U.S. troops withdrew in March 1973.  

The North Vietnamese overran Saigon in April 1975. 

If you're like me, you're probably calculating the over/under date on when the Taliban are going to retake Kabul.  Manifestation is a thing and it's bad to give that thought energy, but the likelihood of falling back to old ways is way more simple than finding peace in a nation that's been destroying empires for millennia.  

The Deepest Eye Roll

According to Yahoo News, "The U.S. peace envoy for Afghanistan was in Pakistan on Monday to express his gratitude for Islamabad's role in helping launch the much-awaited negotiations between the Taliban and Afghan representatives, the Pakistani military said."

Seriously?  You're going to trust the statement of the Pakistani military that the U.S. told them we're thankful for their support?  (Insert Eye Roll)

That's today's update.  Enjoy.

Matthew "Griff" Griffin comes from a long military line, starting with a great-grandfather who fought in WWI. It was a natural to go to West Point and ended up in Special Operations. He met Donald "Lee" Lee in Afghanistan and between the two of them, spent seven tours in the middle east. Lee went Special Ops because he knew he would be fighting, so he'd rather fight with alpha-male meat eaters than soldiers who enlisted for college money. Lee found getting back in the civilian workspace was difficult. There was much gray area, not the clear-cut accountability and results-expectations of the military. For Griff, being a manager for a construction company was his first job, and his military background proved helpful, but his leadership style needed to be softer than in the service, which was a great learning lesson. Their company, Combat Flip Flops is a mission-driven apparel company, with the manufacturers family companies in less developed countries.

Veteran Founder Podcast with your host Josh Carter

We record the Felony Inc Podcast inside NedSpace in the Bigfoot Podcast Studio in beautiful downtown Portland.

Audio engineer, mixer and podcast editor is Allon Beausoleil

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Listen to the Veteran Founder Podcast every Friday at 1:00pm pacific time on Startup Radio Network at startupradionetwork.com

"When the schools closed, I was advised by the school management to stay at home. My family couldn't afford the costs of the self-learning materials. So, I had to continue learning without the needed materials. When I received the learning materials from AAE, since then, I am effectively learning, and I can read and write by myself."

Find out how Combat Flip Flops used mantras from Bruce Lee, Zombieland, and the military to manage COVID times. 

45 Minute Podcast on American Warrior Radio with Scoti Domeij and Matt Griffin discussing the historic D-Day 75th Anniversary Jump to Honor SFC Kristoffer Domeij.

     It’s June 3rd and I’d like to address something I saw yesterday that truly broke my heart.  There’s been a lot going on, and I’ve had a lot of people ask if we're going to speak up.  But we’ve held on social commentary because it hasn’t been our place and our voice isn’t the one that’s needed right now. 

That was until I saw a photo of armored and masked soldiers on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.  Literally standing on the same ground that Martin Luther King Jr gave his “I Have a Dream” speech.

Does nobody else see the irony in this?

So this message is for senior military leaders.  After witnessing the officer corps' inability to have a spine regarding immoral wars over three administrations, I’m not speaking to them.  There is little trust in that group of humans to act morally and selflessly.  I’m talking to the the senior enlisted soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines.  You’re the heart of our military and plead with you to do the right thing at every step now.  Do what’s best for your troops and citizens.

We need to de-escalate the situation right now.  Over the past 20 years is that body armor, guns, masks, and military might only escalates the situation and eventually leads to both sides taking losses.  Take a serious look at what you’re doing right now and if you want your legacy to be one of escalation and oppression during a pivotal time in our nation.  Do you want to be the one writing letters to the family members of lost soldiers on home soil?  Do you want to be the one watching your soldiers commit suicide because they can’t reconcile what happened when this all ends?  Do you want that?  

I don’t believe in complaining without a solution.  So here’s what I think “right” would look like.  

“Right” would look like National Guard Soldiers building a podium at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial for Minority Leaders to speak.

“Right” would look like first aid tents set up to take care of injuries and dehydration.

“Right” would look like meal tents set up to feed peaceful activists to keep people from getting hangry.

“Right” would look like uniformed service members without armor and guns providing a positive face to those that defend the Constitution.  You’ve been doing the tough work for the past 20 years.  Let local and federal organizations take up the weight.  This is their mess.  They can clean it up. 

The military isn’t an “easy” button to hit whenever politicians can’t get their act together.  They’ve been playing politics and making a mess of D.C. since all of us can remember instead of taking action on the issues that promote equality, prosperity, and progress.  Please don’t give them the satisfaction of making it easy for them. 

We preach "Lead by Example" in the military.  Racism isn’t just an American issue.  If you travel, you see it everywhere.  America isn’t perfect, but we’ve taken the lead over the past 60 years to promote equality.  If you lead in the streets with force and oppression, all you’re doing is leading by example for other nations all over the world to further oppress their own populations and they will justify it with your actions from this moment forward.  

So to all you senior enlisted leaders, please do the right thing for your troops and citizens.  Strive to de-escalate every situation, use your assets to promote good will, and allow your fellow Americans to act in accordance with the rights given to them in the Constitution that you serve and protect.

Stay safe and Godspeed.  

About the Author:  Matthew Griffin is a West Point Graduate, Army Ranger, Afghan and Iraq Veteran, Entrepreneur, Author, and 2019 Henry Crown Fellow

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Part 2

Part 3 (Featuring Combat Flip Flops)

Part 4

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