When Failure is NOT an option- Daniel Carlton, 2x Purple heart recipient

What happens when everything you thought defined you… is taken in a single moment?

For Daniel Carlton, that moment came in 2012 while serving as a U.S. Army Special Forces Green Beret, when he stepped on an IED—losing one leg and nearly losing the other. It was a near-death experience that would have ended most people’s story.

It didn’t end his.

In this episode of the Crackin’ Backs Podcast, we go far beyond injury and recovery. This is a conversation about identity, resilience, purpose, and what it really takes to rebuild a life after everything changes.

Daniel didn’t just survive—he chose to push the limits of what’s possible. From endurance rucks and extreme physical challenges to beekeeping, and leading others through suffering with purpose… he’s redefining what strength actually looks like.

This is not motivation.
This is perspective.

In this episode, we explore:

1. The moment everything changed—and the decision that followed
2. What the darkest days actually looked like after limb loss and trauma
3. How to rebuild identity when your body and life are no longer the same
4. Why people who suffer often choose harder paths—not easier ones
5. What endurance rucks reveal about pain, trauma, and human connection
6. The mindset that allows someone to keep going when most people quit
7. How to turn loss into purpose—and help others do the same

If you’ve ever faced adversity, loss, or a moment that forced you to question who you are… this episode will stay with you.

About Daniel Carlton

Daniel Carlton is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Beret) soldier, Ranger qualified, and 2? Purple Heart recipient. A husband and father of eight, Daniel survived a catastrophic IED blast in combat that resulted in limb loss and severe injuries to his remaining leg.

Since 2012, he has committed his life to pushing physical and mental limits—participating in endurance rucks, extreme challenges, and community-driven events that help others confront pain, trauma, and growth. Beyond the battlefield, Daniel is also a beekeeper, leader, and advocate for resilience, proving that purpose doesn’t end after tragedy—it begins there.

If you’re looking for a conversation about what’s possible after everything falls apart—this is it.

For more information on the group he is working with.

We are two sports chiropractors, seeking knowledge from some of the best resources in the world of health. From our perspective, health is more than just “Crackin Backs” but a deep dive into physical, mental, and nutritional well-being philosophies.

Join us as we talk to some of the greatest minds and discover some of the most incredible gems you can use to maintain a higher level of health. Crackin Backs Podcast

Transcript

Dr Terry (00:01)
All right, everybody. I'm like so pumped about this show and I've been ⁓ sharing the text back and forth with Daniel. But man, when I read his bio, father of eight kids, the man was overseas and blew himself up on the IED. And then the last thing that caught my mind was he's a beekeeper. And all I could think about is one of my favorite movies. And I'm like, my God, I'm going to be able to talk to a real beekeeper. This is the coolest thing ever. So anyway, we have a lot to talk about. It could go so many different directions today.

but I love the welcome to the stage. Daniel Carlton, how you doing buddy? ⁓ I can't wait. And you know what? Some people lose a limb, whether it's physically, metaphorically, mentally, they tend to lose their identity. And that's one thing you refuse to give up is that identity. So I can't wait to talk about that, but I kind of want to set the stage. Can you kind of take us back to that moment?

Daniel Carlton (00:35)
Good sir, how are you? Thanks for having me.

Dr Terry (01:00)
I want to get into your head about what it's what was like. I you stepped on the ID and and they told you your legs weren't going to work and you refused to give up. Can you kind of just take us back to the story that you've probably told a million times, but just to set the stage?

Daniel Carlton (01:16)
No problem. Oddly enough, it's not a story I haven't told a lot because to me, there's not a whole lot to it. Just a workplace injury. ⁓ so. But I mean, it's true. mean, you volunteer for combat or for service. I was a Green Beret guy knowing that I was going to.

Dr Terry (01:26)
workplace.

Dr. Spencer Baron (01:27)
Place injury. ⁓ Right off the start, man. It's great.

Daniel Carlton (01:42)
more than likely, there's no question I was going to be put in probably some very dangerous situations and this was part of the job and when it happened immediately I knew what what had just happened and so you just work through your you know what will you train on you know look for your rifle look for your tourniquet and then I couldn't do any of those my eyes were ripped open I mean I was a mess you lost part of my finger and I was yeah I was a real bad shape

⁓ But you just rely on your buddies more than anything to come by and let them ⁓ do what they've been trained to do. And at the end of the day, I realized like, look, as long as I stay alive, I will figure out the rest. And that's been my mentality the whole entire time. And that was in November of 2012.

Dr Terry (02:33)
So when they told you you were going to lose your leg and you said like, ⁓ can you take a work where sports medicine doctors and people come in for a sprain or a break and, and, they want to give up everything. Can you kind of talk about when you heard that from the doctor and kind of what through your mind and how you made that decision.

Daniel Carlton (02:54)
Well, initially I knew at least my foot was gone. I couldn't see it, but I knew from just being there with the guys. And that was my left foot. Eventually over time, an unknown infection ate the rest of my leg above the knee. Now I remember the orthosurgeon saying, hey, we want to keep you below the knee. That's a great place to be. Threw knee is okay. Above knee is not where we want to go. And the day he told me we got to go above the knee, I was crushed.

But at the end of day, was like, look, I'm still alive. It does not matter. I will figure it out. My right leg was filleted open. It's in bad shape. I got a lot of issues with it. And they said, hey, we can just cut this one off because it's useless, essentially. And that's when I kind of tried to get out of the bed and choke the guy. Yeah, because I was like, just give me a chance. Let me try. And if limb salvage is too much.

then we'll talk about an amputation down the road, but I was like, I gotta try. So I think people don't realize you don't need all of your limbs to live a good life or to live life period. ⁓ It certainly helps make it an easier life at times, don't get me wrong, but it's not a requirement by any means. So it's just having the mentality of like,

appreciating what you have and at the end of the day that's being alive for me and so since I was alive it's like okay I had the rest I can figure out so.

Dr Terry (04:29)
You know, a lot of people out there listening, I kind of want to grab them in before we get to the real meat and the fun, but a lot of people sometimes can't even get out of bed. And, you know, we always see everybody when it's social media, everything like that, we see the good, you know, we see all the whatever he's doing and the power and you're doing the endurance fence now, which we'll get into and strength and all this purpose. he taught, but, you know, just to kind of hook the audience, you had some dark days, I'm sure.

How did you get through those when the camera's off, the pain was real and there wasn't much going on?

Daniel Carlton (05:06)
It's just having a grateful attitude. mean, certainly when I was laying in bed in San Antonio at the military hospital there, I went through three days, three nights of just complete darkness where I was, probably the darkest I've ever been where I was.

Literally having this battle inside of me recalling calling out to the devil to come say look Let me go back to Afghanistan get me better So I can kill the person that did this to me and then you can have my soul. It doesn't matter I just wanted revenge and I did that for three nights, you know wasn't sleeping just in a real bad spot and I came to the crossroads and realized like you can't live like this You can't live with like that that darkness in your heart and like that burden on your shoulders

and you just got to move forward. You got to be able to just understand the situation. Like said, have a little gratitude of what I had left and just charge forward and just be a good person. So to live like that, it doesn't do anybody any good.

Dr. Spencer Baron (06:15)
Hey Daniel, you always been like that before the injury? What was your youth like? Do you always have a positive mental attitude?

Daniel Carlton (06:27)
I believe so. Generally a really easygoing guy, really soft spoken kid. ⁓ My mom's Hawaiian, so we got a lot of jokes that, you're just living on island time all the time. It's in your blood. And that's just my temperament. Even in just everything from gunfights and stuff like that, just kind of.

being able to keep a cool head, making jokes. And I got my leg blown off. know, first thing I did when my friend George came over was tell a joke. And then from there, I just kind of like leveled out and just had to stay calm because being able to control your mental state is such an advantage in the worst scenarios. And...

I knew that at the time, even though I was messed up, I realized like, okay, you cannot let yourself go off the deep end here because that will, I think, spiral out of control.

Dr. Spencer Baron (07:27)
I'm going to ask the audience to listen to your words very closely because I noticed from the moment you started talking, even the words you use play down what actually happened. To most people it'd be, the trauma was, they get emotional about it and they use big overwhelming words that put you in a state that's negative. I really...

I don't know if you learned that, but how did you rewire your brain to speak in a way that makes everything okay?

Daniel Carlton (08:07)
perspective. By this point, having been in combat for a few years and being deployed, I've seen, you there's 10 guys I know that died, bringing back pieces of a person in the back of your truck. And it will change you. You know, seeing horrible things happen to children and to civilians and I mean,

being in combat really changed my perspective on life. And because I know there's a lot of people, there's a lot of families in America, and even our coalition partners that would do anything to have like their husband or their son back or their daughter back for one more day to do the little things we get to do every day, you know, go to a movie or have dinner together or take their kids out for ice cream, stuff like that. And so having experienced that,

throughout my time in the military. And that's why I told the doc, was like, hey, just keep me alive, I'll figure it out. Because at the end of the day, I'm able to go back home, you know, play catch with my kids, even if I'm in a wheelchair, I'll be able to throw the ball, have some fun. I said, I was like, I don't need four limbs to live. I just wanna live and not take anything for granted.

So that for me was the switch of like, okay, you're alive still, don't waste it. There's a lot of people wish they had a loved one out still alive. So get after it and do good things.

Dr. Spencer Baron (09:40)
Alright, fess up man. Did you ever want to take your life?

Daniel Carlton (09:44)
Not one time. Never occurred to me. ⁓ Yeah, it wasn't a question because that's a slap in the face to the people that who, like I said, my buddies who are dead. ⁓ You know, that I have this opportunity to live and if they could come back and have what I have without question, they would do it. So there's, to me, it's like, there's no sense in living in a bottle, popping pills, you know. ⁓

considering taking my own life because life is so precious and I have like a pretty good life, you know, like a great family and great friends. So ⁓ yeah, and just an insult to the people that made the ultimate sacrifice that would do anything to be here today. So yeah, it wasn't even a question.

Dr. Spencer Baron (10:34)
So far so good. I mean, so far so impressive actually. All right, Daniel, so I'm gonna challenge you again. When you make a joke about whatever you've got going on, is it to hide pain or do you really feel that sense of humor?

Daniel Carlton (10:52)
think it's a sense of humor. ⁓

Dr. Spencer Baron (10:55)
He's answering all the right questions. All the right questions,

man. That's fantastic.

Daniel Carlton (11:00)
I mean, like I said, it's just, I mean, it can always be worse. You know what I mean? And that's kind of how I look at things. well, because I mean, doing rehab in San Antonio, I was doing rehabs with 19 year old kids who were in the infantry, you know, young men who have no legs left or just have an arm left. And so guys who were burned 40, 50, 60 percent of their body.

And I look at myself, you know, I'm like, man, I'm gone above the knee, my other leg's hammered, but it's still there. I like, I got off pretty easy. And then you hear the stories, you know, like a 19, 20 or a 22 year old kid who's like, every time I go to the bar.

I get laughed at, I get looked at. Girls don't want to talk to me. My life is over. And that really kind of hit me hard to hear it from a perspective of a young service member of like, man, these kids have the rest of their life in front of them. And they've already kind of seen, they're going down that negative pathway because they're, know, everywhere they go, everywhere I go, people look and stare and they just want a normal life.

hanging out with their buddies, having a few drinks, chasing girls, getting a girlfriend, that kind of thing. And they feel, and a lot of them still do to this day, that they will never be able to achieve that because of how they look.

Dr. Spencer Baron (12:26)
You know, it's funny, Terry, we're only a few minutes into this conversation and he already makes David Goggins look like a puss. Just saying. Yeah.

Daniel Carlton (12:37)
I don't know about that, but.

Dr Terry (12:39)
I don't know about that, but he's right up there with them. I'm not sure about that.

Dr. Spencer Baron (12:44)
And I'll segue right into the fact that not only do you comfortably deal with what you have, but you also do things at a high level. How do you perform at a high level like you do? I won't even say it. Tell the audience what you just did that nobody else would imagine doing.

Daniel Carlton (13:11)
⁓ So just a few days.

Dr. Spencer Baron (13:14)
You're so humble,

man. You know that? He's so humble, right?

Daniel Carlton (13:17)
A few days

ago as of this recording, I applied, I think the end of last year of 2025, I applied for, it's called the three of seven right of passage, which is run by a Navy SEAL chap right out in Georgia. And I just happened to see a video of it and it's a 24 hour movement with a rucksack on your back through the mountains of Northwest Georgia and you can't sit down. The rules are you eat, you drink and you move.

and there's a few resupply breaks which is about 10 minutes apiece and the rest of the time you're just moving. And so for me I was like I can do this. I know I can do this but I have to apply and if I get accepted I'm going to show up and just do the best I can. And these people get thousands of applicants and there were eight I think 26 or 25 that were accepted.

and 18 of us showed up and 17 of us finished and it was not easy. ⁓ Just the mechanics of being an amputee of walking and especially with a limb salvage type leg with foot drop and all these other issues. ⁓ It was very, very difficult and to be honest with you, I couldn't have done it without my teammates. And it is a team building leadership exercise, but also it's an exercise of really seeing what you're made of.

And so I was the first and only MPT ever to apply. And when I show up and these guys kind of look at me, you know, they're like, we'll see what you can do, man. And ⁓ I kind of expected it to be run like a special operations light kind of course, you know, with Chad's, with Mr. Wright's background. And there was a little bit of it that I saw, but you coach your teammates, you know, the night before we're like, Hey guys, this is kind of.

what I think's gonna happen and everyone's giving their input and you just do your best to put your teammate before yourself, before me, to make sure that they succeed. And I think that's in life is a huge part of success, is taking care of someone else before yourself. And so this course, that's how I approached it. was like, look, just be a good teammate. The rest will happen and don't quit.

you know, like don't ever think about quitting because it was cold, it was dark and it was hard. But ⁓ I wasn't going to quit. was like, there's no way like Mr. Wright and his team will literally have to drag my body down this mountain before I quit. So it was a great experience. It was.

Dr. Spencer Baron (15:53)
What was

the, what was the, tell me one of the hardest parts of that whole event for you.

Daniel Carlton (16:02)
to be honest with you, it was just going up mountains because ⁓ in order to not have my prosthetic foot drag across the terrain, you have to engage the hip and of sling it around. And so doing that for 24 hours, like my prosthetic was starting to fall off.

you work in working harder. I think there's a weird stat of like above the knee amputee ⁓ uses up to 80 % more energy than a regular person because of how the body reacts and how you got to move your prosthetic. So I already knew I was going to be burning through more calories and use more energy than the next person. But yeah, just

overemphasizing that gait just to make sure my foot would clear so I don't fall down and get disqualified for being immobile and then sitting down. So I was just really focusing on that.

Dr Terry (17:05)
Wait, how many vertical feet did you actually climb? Did they record that?

Daniel Carlton (17:10)
That's a good question. Unclear. So they were not allowed to have any kind of timekeeping device or any kind of tracking device, so you don't look at the phone and things like that. I think one of the instructors said, we got away from that of keeping the stats. We have a general idea, but at the end of the day, it's about.

succeeding as a team and seeing individuals grow, not necessarily the miles. So I think they used, I imagine they probably used that as a benchmark, you know, how the altitude that the people gained in the miles they went, they realized that lots of teams went very far, but they fell apart.

teammates were fighting amongst each other, guys were quitting and no one was encouraging them to get back out of the van and carry on with the mission, versus teams that would work really, really well together and maybe not go as far.

So I think they're like, you know, let's not focus on the kind of the data, but let's really, really make sure that these folks are getting what they came here for and helping these individuals grow because everyone showed up with their own reason why they were there. And that was pretty powerful too. But man, they did a great job. I will say that my hat's off to the three of seven guys.

Dr. Spencer Baron (18:36)
Let me go back before any of the events of ⁓ losing body parts and things like that. When you were training ⁓ in the military, what do they call it, BUDs? that Terry?

Daniel Carlton (18:53)
For the seals, for buds, but for a green beret, you call it

a Special Forces Assessment Selection, SFAS.

Dr. Spencer Baron (19:01)
How was that for you, knowing that this event that you just went in was probably harder than going through that previous ⁓ training? How was that for you?

Daniel Carlton (19:15)
I mean, it comes down to the basics, right? You make a goal, you set your goal, and then you create a pathway to meet those goals, right? Whether you're going to BUDs or SFAS or Ranger School or whatever it is or an endurance event, it all starts with planning and commitment. And I think that goes for anything in life. ⁓ And these events are no different. So for SF, for Special Forces, I came from what's called a soft skill.

MOS like a job in your army where I was a truck driver Not a traditional job that feeds in the special operations. It's mostly they're getting guys for infantry or Ranger that you know these kind of things so for me I was like look I got to put in a lot of work to make this happen and Here's my plan and you just do it and you assess and see where you're getting stronger or weaker You adjust your plan and you show up in the best shape physically and mentally possible

and you just make a commitment to yourself like I said earlier and when I went to special forces selection I was like these guys will have to drag my body out of here before I quit and so that's a huge part of anything we do is just our mindset.

Dr. Spencer Baron (20:29)
Speaking of which, know, teammates can make and break you. know, teammates, you know, when you have that close camaraderie and you have those conversations, those deep conversations, what are some of the things that you would talk about? Or better yet, what were some of the things that they would say to you to push you or move you along? And what would you say to others that were struggling when you might have been doing better than them?

Daniel Carlton (21:00)
Well, I think by me saying this, and I've said this to other people too, is, man, this is gonna hurt, okay? We volunteered to be here knowing willingly that it was gonna hurt us. But I was like quitting is going to hurt more. And that resonates with people. And someone told me that before I went to Special Forces Selection, they're like, look man, you're volunteering yourself to just get wrecked without knowing what's gonna happen because there is no information about it. ⁓

And so I've really kept that close to my heart in all the things I do where I'm, I mean, that's a good life lesson, you know, like you can persevere, but when you quit, not to say you can't bounce back and recover from tapping out at a time, you know, in your life, but.

you know, it hurts and you can learn from those lessons from being hurt, that's for sure. ⁓ But having great people around you who there to pick you up is absolutely critical in all of our lives, that community, people who are there to support you.

Dr Terry (22:05)
Hey Daniel, why do you think people that have suffered like you search for the hard shit instead of the easy stuff?

Daniel Carlton (22:15)
I it's just a reminder, well, I can't answer that for the general population, but I know for me, like I said, it comes back to the premise of, man, I'm alive. I get to feel these things. I get to challenge myself. And through those challenges, I've also met quite a few people who said, you know, I had my leg cut off or I'm dealing with limb loss or I'm about to lose my limb.

and they've seen me doing some crazy events and they're like, you've given me hope. You've inspired me and shown me that things are still possible, which was never my intent. I just wanted to go out and do some cool stuff. Really, I don't wanna say selfishly, but kind of selfishly to keep the edge sharp in my life. so, but people post things on Instagram or whatever platform it is.

And I've met people who like, saw you do these things and it was crazy for me to see that. Now I've started this journey in my own life and they're doing great things for themselves. So I think that's why people do these things. They choose to. They want to show what the human spirit is capable of.

Dr Terry (23:37)
And on that note, would you see the people that said, boy, I just had rough, I've earned the right to hang on the couch for a while.

Daniel Carlton (23:45)
Don't do it. Take the break if you need it, but don't get comfortable on that couch. We're all guilty of it, know, like, you know, that's for sure. But enjoy it, have a little reward, but don't fall into that false sense of, ⁓ like, you know, great accomplishment where I think for some people, it lures them into being really comfortable. And then they just kind of start going back to where they were. You know, it's like, you know,

Pressed up, find the next great thing, work hard at it, set your goals, and do it. That's what it's all about.

Dr. Spencer Baron (24:25)
I gotta ask him this because I had a coach in high school that used to... ⁓

We wrestled for years and this coach left a mark on my memory, a positive inspiration and he would always, we were dragging our ass on the floor and he would just chant, gotta go, can't stop, gotta go, can't stop. And my question to you is, is there a chant or something you say that occupies your mind when the shit's hitting the fan?

Daniel Carlton (24:58)
It's changed over the years and I don't like to swear, but it, I'll say it. It's like, I, when things get hard, it's like, don't be a bitch. Like that's, it's plain and simple. Yeah. And I've said that even when I was in Georgia, I was like, it's cold. We were wet and we were just moving for 24 hours. You know, I was like, don't be a bitch. Just.

And then just like you hammer that into my own brain. was like, okay. And then it's just somehow makes me feel better. So that's kind of like that mantra that I've kind of adopted over the last few years because it's self-degrading. I'm like cursing at myself. And to be honest with I don't want people to think of me like that either. I want people to...

to say, man, look what this dude has done. You know, like not for the sake of lifting myself up, but to show other people what we can do. Cause you know, you can quit. And I think too, it's like, tell my kids, you know, be humble in victory and be humble in defeat. ⁓ You know, you're going to win some, you're going to lose some. So, but in order to prevent yourself from losing, you just don't be a bitch. So.

Dr Terry (26:19)
You know Spencer, you know the song.

Dr. Spencer Baron (26:21)
I know what you're gonna say. I

know what you're gonna say. Go for it.

Dr Terry (26:25)
Every time I'm about ready to quit, Spencer turned me on the song we first started the show, it's Crying Like a Bitch. Every time I'm about ready to quit, that song always seems to come up on my hit list and I'll be about ready to stop and God damn it, that song comes up and I gotta keep going. It's just so funny you mentioned that was your mantra.

Dr. Spencer Baron (26:46)
The moment he said that, go, ⁓ I know it's running through Terry's head right now. That's great, That's fantastic. I love that.

Daniel Carlton (26:49)
you

Dr Terry (26:55)
I do want to ask one question that Spencer was going to ask, but I did a lot of mountaineering a while back and ⁓ I'd be gone for three weeks up in the mountains and the high ones, the 20,000 foot ones. And after a while, when you don't have cell phones, you don't have anything like that. And you've been rucking for a week at a time. The conversations started kind of coming out.

when you're with a group of people because there's nothing else to occupy your time. I we've already talked about the beauty of the mountains and the solitude and the quiet and this and all that. That's one of the things I asked you on the text. What are some of the stories that comes out in these long rucks when it's brutal and you don't have a distraction of a phone or anything like that? What are some of the stories that have come out that have impressed you?

Daniel Carlton (27:44)
It's a great question. You never know who you're going to meet on these things. I've rocked. I did a rock with it's called Official Project Grit. Rock Club out of central Texas changed my life. The way these people operate. ⁓ I did a 75 mile rock, which I'm actually getting ready to do two days from now. Again, so 75 miles from Gonzales, Texas to the Alamo.

And last year's first year I did it and the stories I heard from people, why they were there, people talking about losing a child, people talking about looking for a way to deal with their addictions to alcohol and drugs, ⁓ or people who are just there because they think it would be fun.

It's amazing and you have these great conversations. then again, you also, those conversations turn a different direction as the day goes on. Cause I think we did it last year in 33 hours of just, just walking. You take your breaks and you just keep rocking. But so as the night happens and it gets really quiet and it gets really dark, you know, people start opening up about trauma, abuse.

because, you know, as the, literally, the environment gets dark and lonely.

they kind of adopt that darkness too, which is really interesting in the human psyche. And people will just open up to each other, talk about these horrible tragedies in their lives. And I think that fuels a lot of people for doing these hard things to kind of break out of that or leave that trauma behind or overcome that obstacle in their life or that darkness. It's really, it's...

I can't tell you the amount of conversations that I've had that were just, was not expecting. And probably the most tragic ones come from a loss of someone that they knew, like a suicide or a loss of a loved one or a child. And it breaks people down and you just want to be there to support them and help them not only finish that event, but get through that next mile or the next step, but be there with them from that point on until, you know,

today or tomorrow. So you never know what you're going to get into, that's for sure.

Dr. Spencer Baron (30:18)
Yeah, unbelievable. So if you don't mind, because I'll tell you, we've been doing this for four years now and we've interviewed like over 275 guests. And I got to tell you, Daniel, there are a few stories that we've been told.

that it's like one is worse than the other and each one, including yours, makes you go, my life is great, what am I upset about? And you look at it and you go, I'm so, I'm upset about something stupid, you know? Is there one or two, or there a story that you could vividly describe about somebody else that made you sympathetic?

Daniel Carlton (31:05)
That's a great question. ⁓

I mean, people that are still here with me today, you know, there's some like Garrett George, you know, or what a story that guy, you know, one of your previous guests, and he's a great friend of mine. ⁓ My friend, Terrence Ogden, the official Project founder, when I first met him and heard his story about overcoming addiction in jail, you know, in and out of jail and just turning his life around.

Dr. Spencer Baron (31:16)
Yeah.

Just thinking of that, yeah.

Daniel Carlton (31:39)
and dealing with some physical stuff, I'm like, man, I got it pretty good. And then like I all the wounded warriors that I've met over the last decade, 12, 13 years, dealing with the physical and mental burdens of war and the trauma that they've had, there's no place in my heart to feel sorry for myself.

You know what mean? Cause I was like, man, there's, could always be worse. And I truly believe that. Not to say that I don't have bad days. Everyone has bad days. But if you can find something that ground yourself in like really, really back to kind of your own reality. And it's these stories and the people that I've met. I'm like, you know what? You know, it's not that bad. So.

Go do stuff, know, enjoy your life a little bit.

Dr. Spencer Baron (32:38)
You know, it's funny that my grandmother is not around anymore. We would go to her with all sorts of, know, whacked stuff and she would come back with the same thing. And she was from Romania, so she would have an accent. She would say, it could be worse. And I go, it could be worse.

And then you realize, I say it till this day, and you're right. So you're speaking the same language. Could be worse. It's something to be grateful for. You have quite a few children. You obviously live for them. And how is that connection? There's eight of them, right? Eight children? Yeah.

Daniel Carlton (33:08)
Yes, sir.

Yes.

Dr. Spencer Baron (33:25)
How is that connection with all of them ⁓ or one in particular or anything? Is there any background on that?

Daniel Carlton (33:34)
It's great. When I first met my wife when we were dating, she was like, I want eight kids. And so I was like, no way. I was like four five, I think would be excellent. But I mean, it worked out perfectly. They're great kids. I will say this, when I lost my leg, we had four at the time. And that really put them in, and they were young. mean, this was in 2012. So I was at 14.

13 years ago, something like that, ⁓ bad at math. And so my oldest son, Danny, and Elvis is about 18 months younger than he is, but it really forced them to grow up, seeing what happened to me and seeing kind of what mom was going through.

And I didn't realize it at the time and it wasn't until some time later. I'm like, man, these kids stepped up because they had to and no one told him like, hey, you got to step up. You're the, you know, like you're the man of the house now kind of deal. They naturally did it. And it was amazing to kind of look back and see how that molded them into the men they are today. The young men, know, Danny will be 21 this year and Elvis will be 19.

And being grateful for how they responded to that because you see a lot of families dissolve when you're dealing with trauma, know, and injuries and things like this that are life-changing. And our road wasn't easy, but ⁓ because of how our family was just formed in the things we instilled in our kids and our values that we put in place, you know, like they stepped up and just absolutely just...

were rock stars and they still are today. I give them a hard time. ⁓ But yeah, I mean, I can't say I can't connect to one better than the other, but they're all special in their own ways. ⁓ You know, and it's interesting because my younger kids who never knew me as a whole person, know, air quotes, they don't know any better. You know, so it's funny to be around little kids who were just like.

Oh, look at your dad. He's got a robot leg. And they're like, yeah, this is, you know, he's a robot, you know, because they never knew any better. And they're still young. So that's always a fun conversation to have with little kids.

Dr. Spencer Baron (35:55)
Actually, that was the segue for me to, cause you had four that were around before the accident, correct? Right? And so, in fact, I don't even like calling it an accident because you're so, so cued in on the right wording. I'll call it an event before the event. So the four,

Daniel Carlton (36:04)
Yes, sir.

Sure.

Dr. Spencer Baron (36:18)
How do you, can you determine how old the oldest one was after the act, during the event?

Daniel Carlton (36:25)
He was I

think 70. Yeah, he was like six probably almost seven years old when it happened. We're about to turn seven.

Dr. Spencer Baron (36:34)
Did you, how did you talk to him about what happened?

Daniel Carlton (36:38)
I didn't. just told him the same thing. like, you know what, Dad had an accident. You know, like I got hurt. Because at the same time, it's kind like how I answered the question today, because there's a ton of kids who say, hey, mister, what happened to you? I'm like, had an accident, you know, a long time ago, whatever. I don't want to tell this kid, like, I got my leg blown off in the war, son. You know, and that kid's like.

What? You're gonna like traumatize this little kid. So like that's how it's always been. Like, hey, I had an accident. You know, obviously years later as they grew up, they knew what happened. But back then I was like, hey, I just had an accident. I'm okay. It's gonna be fine. You know, cause like I I didn't wanna scar my own kids even more like, you know, because when they showed up in San Antonio, we were living in Northwest Florida, near Destin, Florida.

Dr. Spencer Baron (37:02)
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Daniel Carlton (37:30)
special forces, I had a beard, my hair was longer, and so they show up, I'm already looking kind of unusual, you know, to them to begin with.

And so now I'm missing body parts. got hoses all over me, tubes all over me. And so they're like, they have to wear these gowns, you know, because of intensive care and I have these infections. And so they're like, what is happening here? Why are all these tubes coming out of you? And why you got this ridiculous beard and this ridiculous hair? And I'm just like, you know, all I wanted was to hug him like, hey, come here, come here. Like, I want to see you guys and play with you guys.

But you know, was like, I just had an accident. I never really thought how to address it other than that, I was like, yeah, I don't want to mess these kids up even more.

Dr. Spencer Baron (38:17)
So it was natural for your character to play it down, or not even play it down, but just be natural about, this is what went on, they absorb what you feel. So you led by example, and I think that's fantastic. You're welcome. We had a guest, Matt Blanchard, ⁓ who...

Daniel Carlton (38:36)
Thank you.

Dr. Spencer Baron (38:44)
got paralyzed twice. That's a whole nother interview. the one thing that moved me most about his conversation is when he's rolling down his hallway to his home in a wheelchair and he hears his kids talking in the kitchen and he stops to listen because he hears them talking about him.

And one of the children spoke up and said, man, I am so glad dad's in a wheelchair or that accident happened because he's now at all our games and our school functions and everything. And while he's telling us this story, not only was I in tears, shut up, Terry, I know what you're gonna say.

I'm an emotional guy, but and he was in tears telling the story, but it is it is so what you how you your perspective just carries over into your kids. And I think that's a fantastic way to be. So thanks for sharing that.

Daniel Carlton (39:43)
Thank you.

Dr Terry (39:44)
I gotta ask, do any of your kids wanna go in the military?

Daniel Carlton (39:48)
My oldest wanted to, he's deaf, he's deaf in one ear. And so I think he felt, cause my wife's in the military still. So I think he felt it was like his duty or his obligation to serve because I did it and she was doing it. ⁓ But they, you know, they're like, Hey, you're deaf. not taking, we can't take you. It's not waverable. So he will, same thing with law enforcement. He's like, maybe I can serve as law enforcement. They're like, no.

come back later and see if this is a waverable condition. And so he finally was like, I'm gonna just go do my own thing. And he's offline in Florida right now at a university. Elvis, he's thought about it, we've talked about it. He's like, maybe I go in the Rangers. Probably a great place for him. He's a great athlete, he's a baseball player. ⁓ But outside of that, I mean, the other kids are still kind of young.

But it's something that I never really forced them to do. I want them to make their own decisions. We want to advise them on the best way to live their life. If that's through the military, they want to try it they like it, then so be it. If they don't want anything to do with the military, so be it also. It's definitely a choice for them to make.

Dr Terry (41:05)
You know, a lot of people talk about video games and some of the movies come out that desensitizes ⁓ war injuries and all that, because in the video game, the guy, you know, gets into life and the movies, the movie ends and you see the actor that I show. Your kids have seen the reality. Have they ever made comments about video games or going to these war movies?

Daniel Carlton (41:31)
No, not really. ⁓ We used to play shooter games like Call of Duty and stuff like that. know, like, of course they were like really good at it so they'd smoke me, you know, and it never came up. Like I enjoy those. I love watching war movies still and shooting guns and playing video games, stuff like that. But it never, that's a great question. It never really came up of, ⁓ you know, they will make some comments to give me a hard time like. ⁓

You know, kind of like I said, they'll be like, man, I smoked you. You know, just like that other guy smoked you in Afghanistan. I'd be like, give me your phone. You know, I would, you know, have fun paying your own car insurance. You know what I mean? Like just giving each other a hard time. So like there is some humor involved in it, but ⁓ I mean, that's part of life though. It's just accepting what's good and bad and learning to laugh about it and just moving on and just, you know, so.

Dr Terry (42:27)
Alright, I gotta ask another question, sorry, Spence, but I love rucking. know, Spence will look at me and goes, ⁓ you keep going up those mountains and he's a gym rat. And ⁓ how do you train? I'm fascinated, how do you train? You have eight kids and they're young. You have a job. I know how much it takes to train. How do you train for these gnarly 75 mile things?

Daniel Carlton (42:52)
I mean, it's commitment, right? So it's like, okay, I know I have to, I should be about X amount of miles, you know, from this start date with X amount of pounds. So that means getting up at 4 a.m., like you gotta do it. You know, because at 6 a.m., like I'm generally cooking pancakes, eggs, waking up kids, and I'll take them to school. And I come back and I do stuff around the house or you need do some work.

And then next thing you know, it's like, yeah, it's time to start picking up kids. And then they got baseball and ballet and gymnastics and volleyball. So it never ends. But then you're like, well, it's 1030 at night. Everyone's asleep. I got to do 10 miles. And so you just go do it. Because the alternative is you show up and you're not ready. And you don't perform like you were hoping to perform. And grit will only get you so far. Like you have to put the work in to condition your body.

because it'll break people off, especially me. I'm already broke down. So if I'm not putting in the work, I know it's not going to happen. So like I said, it's just goal setting, commitments, and then not making excuses. It sucks. Yeah, it sucks to walk from 1030 at night to like 2 AM and then getting up to feed your kids and take them to school and then do stuff all day. Of course it does. But the benefit, you know.

far outweighs the alternative of just not doing something, so not even trying.

Dr. Spencer Baron (44:33)
So Daniel, we've been talking about kids, kids, and obviously those are very important to all of us. What about your wife? How did she handle all that where most women might have left? I mean, aside from the eight kids that she's tied to, how did that pan out?

Daniel Carlton (44:55)
You know, I'll never forget. I didn't really ask her. It never came up till years later. And she's like, I didn't care how you came home. I just wanted you home. And she told me that like a few years after that happened. I mean, it wasn't easy. Like it certainly caused problems in our household. You know, I was trying to do my thing and you know, I probably wasn't the best person all the time trying to go through recovery. You know, I'm not saying I probably wasn't. wasn't. And, um,

You know, that hit me pretty hard and she was like, look, we got to do this together and we're going to do this together. And even when we were married, when I was before I got hurt, I mean, the special forces lifestyle is not conducive to a family home. Like we were gone years away from our family between combat.

our other deployments across the globe. And then you got train ups and you have military schools and then you have military, you know, there'd be, there's, there's so many things that happen that take you away from the family in, the name of service. And so like the divorce rate in our community is very, very high. And then you throw Iraq and Afghanistan in there, it just got even worse. And so.

I don't deserve her, that's for sure. She is an amazing woman and man, you're right. It takes a toll on people. I've seen people just get divorced and just marriages and families fall apart. I certainly don't deserve her, ⁓ but she stuck with me through thick and thin and still going great today.

Dr. Spencer Baron (46:39)
me turn this around a minute. If we were interviewing her, what would she say about her inspiration with you?

Daniel Carlton (46:51)
That's a good question. The real answer was she'd be like, yeah, this guy's a big dumb animal. Like, I'm not surprised. Like, he's going to keep doing these things. And this is exactly why I married him because he works hard and he doesn't quit. ⁓ And I'm like, you know, think there's some truth to that. But I mean, I think she was...

Dr Terry (47:11)
What kind of

animal would she call you? A big dumb one, but what kind?

Dr. Spencer Baron (47:14)
Yeah, yeah,

Yeah.

Daniel Carlton (47:16)
Probably

like a gorilla or something, you know, like a mole or something that just keeps going and it's stubborn. You know, that's why I tell people I'm like too dumb to quit, too stubborn to die, you know, so it's kind like a mule, so.

Dr. Spencer Baron (47:21)
It's good.

Daniel Carlton (47:34)
But yeah, I said, I don't deserve her. And I took a lot of things for granted. The things that she did while I was gone for all those years. You now I find myself doing those things. I'm like, yeah, being a domesticated, like, ⁓ you know, being at home all the time. was like, this is not cut out. I'm not cut out for this lifestyle because it takes a lot to manage everything from grocery shopping to cooking to bills.

You know, sweeping, mopping. I'm like, yeah, this kind of sucks. I'd rather, I tell people half jokingly. was like, would war fighting is easier than running a house. I would rather go back to the war than run a household. And I mean it. It's like, it's. So she's in the army. She's an officer and she is logistics and acquisitions.

Dr Terry (48:14)
What does she do in the military?

Daniel Carlton (48:22)
So, and right now she got picked up to go do the border mission right now. So they're pretty busy with everything that's got, especially with all the things happening in Mexico right now, it's been out of control, so.

Dr. Spencer Baron (48:32)
Yeah, wow,

that was pretty cool. Let me ask you, ⁓

How come you don't seem to have PTSD? How is it possible? Or do you?

Daniel Carlton (48:47)
That's a great question. love, so when I was going through rehab, you're required every 90 days to see a shrink. And so I was like, okay, I'll go talk to this guy. And I'd ask him, was like, look, I don't think I have any problems. I was like, I don't have nightmares, I don't have anxiety. I generally just don't care. I'm like, eh, it could be worse. know, like I just go on living like a normal person. And he's like, I don't know. Well, one time he's like, I think you're lying to me.

You know, I was like, why would you think that? was like, this is like the safe space, right? The trust tree in the nest. You know, but I was like, none of the typical symptoms of like being in a crowd or fireworks or going to the range of shooting guns where you start seeing people like freak out. Um, was like, none of this stuff bothers me. And, you I don't, I have no desire to drink all the time or pop pills or isolate myself from, from anyone or anything.

And I don't know. ⁓ I had to have a conversation with myself a long time ago of like, look, you can't live your life being suppressed by fear. You can never live like that. And I was like, yeah, I think that's fair. Because I've seen what it did to people.

Dr. Spencer Baron (50:10)
Mm.

Daniel Carlton (50:11)
fear of going out, fear of being a part of a family, fear of all that stuff, you know, and then that led to drinking, and that led to drugs, abuse, and just self abuse, and all these things. I'm like, yeah, man, like this is not a way to live. And again, I can't help myself, but go back to the same comment I made earlier. like, you cannot waste your life by living a certain way because those who sacrificed,

you know, everything they had would do anything to be here today, do the little things that we get to do still. And so the shrink never could give me a good answer, you know, of like, you know, but it's like, yeah, like this has been happening since beginning of time. Some people, you know, it affects everyone differently. And I really do believe that because there's, I've seen people who'd never seen combat who were deployed somewhere.

and are absolutely traumatized because they had to stay, you know, in Kandahar Airfield where the threat was still there, but it was a lower threat versus being out patrolling or on a raid and you're shooting someone in the face, you know, or like what happened to me, you know, I'm like, you know, I'm like, it's not a big deal. But there's some people who are just like living, breathing, just messes, sadly.

I don't know if that's a good answer. I don't know if that's an answer that makes sense, I do believe people, how they deal with trauma on their individual level is, I mean, up here, like it's, you know.

Dr. Spencer Baron (51:54)
Yeah, that's powerful. No, that's a good

answer. And you're reinforcing the thought of it being a perspective, but you are definitely wired up a little different from the start. So that helps. It's good. It works.

Dr Terry (52:12)
So when you're doing these physical challenges, mean, how much weight are you carrying on your back? You have the one leg with the foot drop, the other one, and you're going 24 seven. What's...

How do you keep yourself going? How do you keep your, what do you say to a teammate? What do you need to hear from a teammate to keep yourself going?

Daniel Carlton (52:39)
So the weight it varies like I typically won't do more than 30 pounds Because I have to keep in consideration my prosthetic limits for the foot and that kind of thing so it doesn't get overloaded So I won't go higher than 30. I think that's that's way too much for me. And then What was your other question? I'm sorry

Dr Terry (52:59)
What do you say to others to keep them going and what do you need to hear?

Daniel Carlton (53:06)
Man, it goes back to the quitting comment we talked about earlier. It's like, man, this is gonna hurt, but it hurts a lot more when you give up on yourself. Like that quitting, it hurts more. Like this pain will go away. And for a lot of people, the pain of quitting and regret stays with them their entire life. So.

I really use that phrase because I mean it. I think we all seen it where people live with regrets because of something they didn't do or they didn't finish and they look back at their life and they're like, man, I wish I would have done this or I should have done that or finished this. And so I think really hammering that into people, you know, be like, look, this will end, you know, like on the ⁓ 24 hour rock.

I was like, tomorrow will come. We had two guys who tried to quit and we were just like, no, you cannot quit. Get back in formation. Let's go. I was like, tomorrow will come. Okay. Where you're at tomorrow is going to be the difference. You're going to be driving home, know, boo boo lip, you know, with regret, or you're going to be in the van with us, mission complete.

I was like, tomorrow we'll still be here. So think about where you want to be. And guys were like, OK. And people said those things to me because they look at me and they're like, this dude, he's in the pain cave. He's kind of hurting. Just shake me and slap me and they're like, let's keep moving. Yeah, I needed that.

Dr Terry (54:43)
I've never heard boo boo lip, I love that. You have the Spartan mask behind you, have you ever thought of the Spartan death race?

Dr. Spencer Baron (54:45)
Yeah.

Daniel Carlton (54:45)
Ha

I've seen them, I would try it, but I think that's next level. I don't know if I can do it. I can't run crawling around through the mud or my leg, because it's a one way air valve, vacuum sealed. So the minute I sit down or I'm crawling, my leg falls off.

You know, so I'm like, yeah, I just don't think those types of things are applicable. And that's why I think I tend to do stuff like just rocking. But even that has its own problems. After I start sweating, literally my stump or my prosthetic will just start sliding off. And so it changes my gait where I'm like, I step, I have to get back into it. I step and get back into it. You know, I choose my battles wisely. So my punishment wisely.

Dr Terry (55:37)
That makes sense. Yeah, we hear a lot of fandom limb pain. Do you ever have stuff like that?

Daniel Carlton (55:43)
Phantom limb pain is very rare, but when it happens, it hurts. It hurts so bad. Matter of fact, I was on a, and I didn't think about it, but when it's a full moon, it'll beat me down. And I did a 13 miler, we called it the Comanche Moon Rock. And it was a full moon and there's no lights. It's kind of like moving like the Comanche Indians would go on a raid or a patrol. They used the full moon so they can navigate. And so it was about mile nine.

Like I sat down and I was like, I can't do this. I was like, cause my phantom limb pain was hurting me so bad. Physically I felt okay. But I told my buddy Terrence, I was like, dude, and I had to walk probably another, maybe another half a mile to get to like a vehicle recovery point. But that night my phantom limb pain was hurting me so bad. And I was like, dude, I didn't think about it, but it's a full moon tonight. And I was like, this is typically when it kind of kicks off.

But I deal with it. You know, the pills that they have for that, medication, the side effects are awful. You know, and I was like, I would rather just push through it and learn to kind of grit and laugh at it versus just popping pills and worrying about some weird side effects. So.

Dr. Spencer Baron (57:01)
Well, I think it's time for our rapid fire questions. What do you say? You ready? We got it.

Dr Terry (57:08)
I'd almost like

to ask the last one.

Daniel Carlton (57:11)
Okay.

Dr Terry (57:12)
No, the last question that I wrote for Spence, if someone's listening right now and is in their own version of a rock, they've lost pain, they've lost their identity, and they've lost everything and they only want to get out of bed, what is the one thing you want them to understand about the possibilities of, like you say, that next day?

Daniel Carlton (57:14)
⁓ yes sir.

Man, I mean, it's this too shall pass. I mean, you got to have some patience and understanding of kind of where you're at in life and realize like it's not going to last forever. Whatever you're going through, whether it's pain or whatever it is, we all have something that we deal with every single day. These things don't last forever. And don't be afraid to ask for help because if you need help.

Like you will find somebody who will help you and they will not stop until you're squared away. And I think that's a huge part of, that's a huge part of it is knowing that, you know, whatever you're dealing with, it won't last forever. It'll pass and never be afraid to ask for help.

Dr. Spencer Baron (58:31)
Ready? Rapid fire. Now, rapid fire, the rules of the game, of the mission. How about that? Brief answers. And this is what dictates the end of the show. It's usually quite powerful. question number one, Daniel, if you could go back to the version of you lying there being told your leg wouldn't work, what would you say to that person now?

Daniel Carlton (58:33)
Not really.

It'll be okay.

Dr. Spencer Baron (59:03)
And he really believes that I mean he really feels it in his heart. love that question number two What's something people assume about you that's completely wrong?

Daniel Carlton (59:15)
⁓ man. ⁓

Yeah, then I don't know. Man, that's a hard question. Next question. I'll come back to that. I don't know if that's legal. I don't know if that's legal in the game, OK.

Dr. Spencer Baron (59:30)
All right. Well, there it, what's that? It is, it is. Cause I got to,

actually have a part B that you could answer. What is something that not many people know about you that is your hobby? And Dr. Terry mentioned it in the beginning of the show.

Daniel Carlton (59:40)
Okay.

Well, beekeeping, but you put a musical instrument in front of me, I will play it. There you go. It doesn't matter what it is. You put it front of me, I'll figure it out very quickly and then I love it.

Dr. Spencer Baron (59:50)
There you go.

For real? No kidding.

So beekeeping, which is so, I would have never pegged you for that, but of course, after watching that movie, The Beekeeper, I automatically think you're a badass. So that's great. And the fact that you, is there a favorite musical instrument?

Daniel Carlton (1:00:13)
Hahaha

⁓ The guitar or than anything, but yeah, that's my go-to

Dr. Spencer Baron (1:00:27)
good. That's the artistic side of your brain working. That's good. Question number three in a rook. Are you the motivator, the quiet grinder, or the guy cracking inappropriate jokes at mile 10?

Daniel Carlton (1:00:30)
Yes, sir.

See the quiet guy, you know? Yep. The grinder.

Dr. Spencer Baron (1:00:45)
Kidding? Grindr. Yeah.

Nice. What moment, question number four, what moment in your life, big or small, still hits you in the chest every time you think about it?

Daniel Carlton (1:00:59)
⁓ delivering my kids. So I delivered six of my kids. And being the first person to touch your own child, like man, that's such a moment. And I see my kids, I'm like, man, I think about that all the time. Especially when they kinda start talking back to me, like, I brought you into this world.

Dr. Spencer Baron (1:01:26)
take you out.

Daniel Carlton (1:01:26)
Watch where you're going with

this. It's a little thing, but I think about that. When I see my kids, I'm like, man, how special of a moment that was. ⁓ So, yeah.

Dr. Spencer Baron (1:01:39)
yeah, I remember it well. Cutting that umbilical cord. That's special moment that I'll never forget. Thank you for bringing that up. And the last question. All right, Daniel, you are a man who is a badass soldier. You are a leader, a motivator, but what, when it's all quiet, what do you want to be truly remembered for?

Daniel Carlton (1:02:05)
Being a good family man. Yeah, and to be honest with you, just a follower of Christ. You know what mean? Just being a good, that's it. everything else, you know, just, I just did stuff in my life. You know what I mean? So if I can, ⁓ yeah, that's it.

Dr. Spencer Baron (1:02:27)
good enough man yeah it is

Dr Terry (1:02:27)
I like you say that's it, but that's so powerful and I wish

so many people would be able to do that because that's more powerful than simple words coming out of your mouth.

Dr. Spencer Baron (1:02:39)
So good. Daniel, thanks because you are a truly a motivator. You lead by example. Everything that you've said today has extreme value on it for everyone listening. So thanks. Thank you so much for sharing.

Daniel Carlton (1:02:54)
Thanks for having me guys. Thank you very much.