03x04 - Valley of the Sun with Austin Amelio

[bunniefuu]

Arizona is complicated
and exciting.

The bells of metal.

It's serene and also dangerous.

It got me.

I'm here with my castmate
austin amelio.

You know this guy?

- Dwight.
- Yes.

Our goal... discovery.

Whoo-hoo!

We're trading in walkers
for cacti,

And we're gonna see
what happens.

Amc said I can play with
this saw, like, for real?

All right.

All right, hit it!

Here we go! Yeah, baby!

That was crazy!

In my mind,
arizona has always been.

An idyllic and untamed place,

A sprawling wilderness
where people fought to exist.

As a kid living
thousands of miles away,

It was irresistible
to my imagination.

My friends and I ran
through backyard deserts.

And fought bandits
in cardboard towns.

We rode tall as heroes,

Side-by-side
on our three-wheeled horses.

As an adult,
not much has changed.

Arizona appears
harsh and formidable,

A place that only
superheroes can conquer.

When I got an invite
to come meet.

The air force's pararescue men,

An elite arm of the m*llitary
based here in arizona.

Who go into the world's
most dangerous places,

I couldn't pass it up.

It's finally time
to discover arizona.

And meet the people
who make a home.

Where the land makes the rules.

After a quick stop in phoenix,

I'm riding deeper
into the sonoran desert,

And finally on to tucson and the
davis-monthan air force base.

What's up? Good mornin', man.
Yeah.

'Sup, dude?

You just wake up?
Good to see you, man.

I'm here with austin amelio.

Even though we have.

A complicated relationship
on-screen,

He's a talented actor and writer.

Who is always down
for some hazy plans.

And a little exploring.

He's the perfect partner
for this trip.

I think the first time we met,

I put a g*n to your head too hard.
Yeah.

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I got mad.

Didn't I poke you
in the eyeball with a Kn*fe?

You poked me in the eyeball
with a Kn*fe, too, yeah.

Yeah. Sorry.

Good relationship, dude.

But I'm glad that we're
doing this together...

- I am, too, man.
- So people think...

You know, people know that
we don't hate each other.

Yeah, we don't.

But today's gonna be dope, man.

I can't wait to go meet
rob halford.

- Yeah.
- Judas priest.

Best metal band ever, dude.

- Ever, yeah.
- That's amazing.

And then we're gonna
go meet the air force,

And they do this drill,
an operational drill,

Where they go in
and rescue people,

And we get to do
the drill with them.

- Really?
- Yeah.

You know in video games
when it's like,

Chick-hit the target.
Chick-hit the target.

- Right, right, right.
- I think it's like that...

Okay, okay... But these guys,
like, do it for real here.

So they're, like,
, times the badass?

They're way cooler than us.

Yeah, they're way... I mean,
that's gonna be amazing.

- Yeah, you ready?
- Yeah.

- Let's do this.
- Let's do it, man.

I love all the palm trees, man.

Yeah, it's got a california
vibe, arizona, doesn't it?

Yeah.

Have you been here before?

Never. Have you?

Never.

I like how even the city
is beige buildings...

- Yeah.
- Brown buildings.

They're definitely into khaki.

Yeah.

I think that most people
define arizona by the desert,

But I define arizona
by its vastness.

It could have complete
flatlands with grasses,

And then it could also get
really rocky and mountainous.

Arizona sunrises,
arizona sunsets...

You're not gonna see a more
prettier sight than that.

It seems really mellow here.

Doesn't it?

Yeah, quiet, and kind
of empty, you know?

Yeah, like, spacious.

- Yeah.
- Dude, this...

It totally seems like this.

Is where an underground
government building.

Would be, right?

Just outside the city,

The landscape looks
tough and unforgiving.

To live out here is a true
test of survival,

And no one knows that better.

Than the
native american tribes.

Whose reservations take up
nearly a quarter of the state.

We've live here in this desert
for thousands of years.

Modern day, we're all
on reservations,

But we try our best
to sustain our identity.

I like to live on
the native land.

Because you seem to come back
to where your roots are,

Where you were born,
where your tradition's at.

We're headed to
the pima-maricopa community.

To meet the red mountain riders,

A local biker group who
are gonna show us around.

There's some motorcycles.

- Hey.
- Hey, what's goin' on?

- How you doing?
- Leonard villanueva.

Nice to meet you, leonard.

How are you? James olson.

- How are you, man?
- Austin.

- How was the ride over here?
- Beautiful, man.

And is this your logo
right here?

- Yes.
- Yes.

You can see, like,
that's a perfect drawing.

Of the mountain right there.

- Yeah.
- You can hike up there, or...

Yes, community members only.

- Wow.
- It's very protected.

It's a very sacred mountain.

One of the stories that I heard
when I was young.

Was that the mountain was red.

Because of battles
that were fought.

There years and years ago...

Wow.

By our ancestors,
and that's always stuck with me.

- So...
- Love that.

It was kinda tough to get in.

With the indian
community government.

Because we look, just, rough.

Right, right.

So we gave back
to the community.

Right.

We usually help out a lot
at community events, volunteer.

- That's awesome.
- Like, we enjoy it.

That's great that
you guys do that.

- Yeah. Yeah.
- Yeah. That's so cool.

Should we hit it?
Yeah, let's do it.

- Yeah, take me to the mountain.
- Right on.

Yeah.

Man, I could ride around here
all day and just get lost.

- Yeah.
- It's beautiful, man.

This is, alfalfa,

And they also grow
a lot of cotton.

Right here.

Look, there's cotton
right there.

So now you get a nice view
of the red mountain.

Wow, yeah, I see it.

That's the last thing
we see on our way out.

And our first thing we see
when we're coming home.

- You guys look like badasses.
- Yeah!

People have some sort of stigma
attached to.

Dudes who ride motorcycles.

Or have leather vests on
and tattoos and the whole deal.

Exactly.

And normally, they're
the nicest people...

- Exactly.
- Yeah.

Way nicer than
people that don't.

Riding has always been a way
to break down the wall.

Between yourself
and the outside world.

- That's amazing.
- That's just...

And these guys have taken it
a step further...

Thank you guys for
everything, man. This is so...

Using their riding
to connect their community.

To the sacred land...

Everybody get in the mirror.

This sh*t's too good.

Making the vests they wear
and the bikes they ride.

A symbol of honor here.

It was fun. Thank you!

Those guys were cool?

Dude, they were so nice.

All right. Let's go
meet rob halford.

Everyone's covered in dust
like desert drifters.

There we go. Look at that view.

It looks like
"close encounters."

Heading back to the city,
I'm remembering a music video

I've seen a million times,
loud music.

And the grown-ups
who just don't get it,

Rob halford speeding away
in a getaway car.

Singing those familiar words.

Dude, how much did you listen
to judas priest as a kid?

Well, you're, like...
You're a lot older than me,

But I did listen...

- What...
- To judas priest.

The are you talking about?!

I love judas priest, dude.

What the?

I told my mom
we were meetin' him.

She was like,
"I'm a huge fan! What?"

You have a cool mom.

Yeah.

Dude, these are cool houses.

All the houses look like
fortresses, don't they?

Yeah.

Ding-dong, ding-dong,
ding-dong, ding-dong.

Ding-dong.

The bells of metal.

- Yeah.
- What's up, man?

Thanks for having us.

- Yes.
- Come on in.

Welcome to the home of metal.

To me, rob
has always loomed large,

A metal legend who
has helped pioneer a genre.

His music provided an outlet.

For all that
have that outlaw spirit,

So it's amazing to meet him.

It's great to meet you.

- It's a pleasure for me.
- It's an honor, man.

I'm trying to hold
the fanboy back.

I'd like to show you something.

No way.

Yes, this is a part
of the heavy metal culture.

That is awesome.

Yes. Double crossed horn look.

- Awesome.
- I love it.

Believe it or not, the vest
that you wear as daryl.

Was the inspiration
for that coat.

I might be crying
a little right now.

Tissue, please.

My guy that makes all the stuff
for me... I said, you know,

"there this great tv show, and
there's this great character,."

And he wears this item
of clothing.

That's become a really important
part of his personality...

So that was my inspiration,
my inspiration.

That just is the greatest
thing I've ever heard.

You put this on,
and you just feel power.

You know what I mean?

- Isn't that great?
- Yeah.

That's the whole thing about,
you know, these amazing outfits.

You know, you'd hear all these
really heavy riffs.

And drums and screaming vocals,

And then you'd look at yourself
in the mirror, and you go,

"the look doesn't
quite match to the sound,."

So that's where the adventure
with priest started up.

Wow. Are you influenced
by other music besides metal?

One of my all-time heroes
is pavarotti.

Wow.

Yeah, if you can close your eyes
and listen to this voice,

It's, like, from another
world, you know.

Right.

And then you see
this big giant of a man.

It's... it's
absolutely remarkable,

So I always tell anyone,
"listen to everything."

Right.

Meeting rob has me
realizing that the image.

Was just half the story.

Let's go and have a cuppa,
a cuppa tea.

He puts on his uniform,
gets up on a stage,

And is the icon we love.

He's been rocking out
for nearly years.

- Cheers, guys.
- Cheers.

Let us clink our mugs of tea.

But he's also
a quiet and kind guy.

Just living his dream
here in the desert.

This is beautiful up here.

It's a reminder that
the public persona.

Does not always make the man,

And the real thing is
a million times better.

This is like a little bit
of a shangri-la.

It just grabs hold of you,
this place. It's magical.

It's... yeah, it's
beautiful here.

Do you have coyotes
and stuff up here?

We have coyotes.
We have javelinas.

We have a bobcat
that comes down.

We've got gila monsters,
rattlesnakes.

Scorpions?

Yeah, a lot of scorpions.

You gotta check your shoes.

I like that your cactus,
too, is like...

He's got a heavy metal cactus.

Get the horns up.

It feels too soon
to say goodbye,

So we're doing the most
metal thing we could find.

What?

Where are you taking us?

- What is this?
- My god.

I'll take this one.

It's perfect.

Fore!

- No.
- What?

Hole in one on the first go?

Come on.

Be the ball, austin,
be the ball.

Come on, rob.

Keep the noise down,
please, in the stands.

Sorry. Shh, shh, shh.

Do you change personas
when you get on stage?

Yeah. When I start
putting all the...

The leather and the whips
and the chains.

And the studs on, yeah,
I become the metal god.

Is it hard to shake off
the metal god after the day?

No, and... and I-I'm
kinda grateful for that.

Because there are pitfalls
in what we do.

You know, once you start, "the
limo is the wrong temperature."

That's a red m&m. Take it out."

You know, you go into
that spinal tap world.

Right. Yeah, yeah.

You gotta try and find
some kinda balance and harmony.

It's gonna be hard to top today.

Come on, rob.

- Whoa!
- What?

But that's what tomorrow's for.

Dude, I don't even wanna leave.

- Come on.
- Be the ball.

- Ouch.
- Don't touch that.

I don't know what
we're headed for.

My god.

The team's gonna
receive a mission,

And we're gonna go execute it.

You've got minutes
to get them out.

Small room!

Hey, buddy!

I hope I don't get bit
by a rattlesnake.

Whoo! Good mornin'.

Yeah, good morning.

I feel like I'm gonna wake up.

And this will
never have happened.

Like, remember when
we played putt-putt.

With the lead singer
of judas priest?

No, what are you
talkin' about, bro?

- No, I don't remember that.
- What are you talking about?

Day two.
We're bussing out of here.

And heading miles south
to tucson and the air force.

With no cities in between,

I'm on the lookout
for some roadside treasures.

I love how rob was talking about
when he goes on stage and...

He becomes someone else, yeah.

But then, it's easy
for him to shed.

I feel like, for us,
it's a little different.

Don't you think?

I mean, if I'm a d*ck all day,
I come home a d*ck.

If I'm crying all day,
I come home kinda quiet.

Yeah.

Dude, did you watch
the radiohead documentary.

At south by southwest?

- No.
- Mind-blowing.

Dude, I love radiohead.

I was watching them,
and I was writing down notes.

About acting out
the next season...

Really?

Based on watching
thom yorke on stage.

He's so inspirational
to me, you know?

Wow.

Look at this place.

Rooster cogburn ostrich ranch.

Sometimes you see
something, and you think,

"this can't possibly be real."

That looks cool.

And that's when you know
it's worth stoppin' for.

I don't know what
we're heading for.

- My gosh.
- What's up?

- Hi.
- Hello.

How's it goin'?

Hi, guys. How're y'all doin'?

- Hi.
- What is this, ostrich food?

This is all kinds of food.

You guys wanna go have some fun?
Yeah, yeah.

- Yeah, let's do it.
- All right. So here.

We got animals from all
over the world here,

So you can do a whole
world tour in one spot.

This is our st. Croix sheep.

Twelve of the sheep in here
are clones of each other.

- Really?
- Yep.

Can you tell which ones
are clones?

The ones that look alike.

Are those deer?
You guys are so cute.

Ew, what is this?

What you do here, gentlemen, put a
little bit of feed in the deal,

And then you're gonna
crank it up there.

To those goats that
are waitin' for it up there.

- Okay.
- All right. Let's do it.

Let's race. Let's do this.

On your mark, get set, go!

Man, austin, you smoked us!

He won.

Did you guys make this game up?

My dad is a creative genius
when it comes to animal stuff.

He builds it, and then mother
and I have to figure out.

How to pay for it and run it.

Go!

I got it.

Psych. Psych...

- All right.
- Well, how fun is this place?

We wanted people to be able
to experience animals and stuff.

You can go to the zoo
and look at 'em,

But here, we want you
to get licked on,

Slobbered on,
kissed on, pooped on.

We want you to experience it.

That's what we're about here.

I would like to install this
in my living room.

All right.

Put it right in your lips
just like that.

What? Ooh!

His tongue is really long.

Come on, daryl.
Come on, reach on in there.

Yeah, these look
super dangerous.

- They...
- Ostriches, right?

- They are.
- No way.

Ostriches, their brain
is smaller than their eyeball.

They run about
to miles an hour,

And they can maintain that
for to minutes.

Really?

So they're stupid and fast, and
they can k*ll you with one kick.

Really?

- Not responsible for accidents.
- Hi, guys!

- Hey, how are ya?
- This is my dad.

- I'm rooster cogburn.
- Austin.

- Nice to meet you.
- Hey. Very nice.

When did you start
this whole thing?

We've been out here years.

- We started in oklahoma.
- Wow.

And but we moved to the desert.

This is the natural climate
for an ostrich.

Ostriches, they're naturally
native to south africa,

So we either had
to get out of ostriches,

Or we had to get
out of oklahoma,

So that's how we ended up here.

Here's how you kiss one.

Why you guys makin' out
with all your animals?

All right. Y'all want to go in
and meet 'em personally?

No, no, no.

You're good. Come on.

- Really?
- Yeah.

Really? I'm not gonna get...

You're all right.

Look how big their feet are.

So when they kick,
they bring that leg up.

They slice down with
that big front toenail.

- My god.
- They're really soft.

- You know?
- Yeah. Sweet.

Do you know all their
different personalities,

Like, some are angry
and some are, like, rowdy?

Yeah, I know that one
and that one.

That one's called ostrich,
and that one's named ostrich.

That one over there's
named ostrich, too.

- And this...
- Wow.

- These are fresh eggs.
- Whoa.

- It's heavy.
- My god.

- Yeah.
- Like, really heavy.

It's equal to about
two dozen chicken eggs,

And it has one big yolk.

Seems pretty strong, right?

- Yeah.
- All right.

I want you to put, put that
one foot up on there,

And then we're going to
rise up on that egg.

Really?

Yep. Are y'all ready?

- Yep.
- All right.

Wow.

That egg can take
over pounds...

- Really?
- Without breakin'.

Wow.

Lorikeets are
a brush-tongued parrot.

They're from australia.

Nyom!

These are awesome.

He's got me with
his little claw fingers.

Wow.

They're really pretty.

Yeah, I feel like dr. Dolittle.

Yeah.

Out here
in the middle of nowhere,

This family saw gold.

Where others saw
gaping wilderness.

I love it in here.

That's what this place
is about...

Forgetting the troubles of
the world for just a little bit.

They created an animal mirage
perfectly suited.

For this very spot.

Bye, guys.

It was nice to meet you,
all of you.

It's a totally weird
and unique experience...

Bye, thank you so much.
Thank you.

That even turned me
into a bird guy.

I think I want a bird now.

Just don't tell my cat.

- That was fun.
- Yeah.

I kissed, like, goats.

- Dude, I got a egg in my bag.
- I know.

What are you going to do
with that, dude?

I'm gonna make breakfast
for my kid.

And just see if he notices.

Notices eggs in one?

He'll probably not notice.

Yeah, he'll be like,
"this is good."

Won't even notice.

You guys ready to go do
some training?

That thing
will scare the bejesus.

Out of the guys on the ground.

Arizona,
with vast stretches of plain,

The true, wide-open spaces
where a man is seldom seen.

And with barren deserts.

That would hardly
support a jackrabbit.

- Wow, this is so nice, dude.
- So beautiful, man.

This doesn't even look real.

Yeah, it feels
like the wild west.

Look at this. Look to the left.

- Wow.
- It's like a forest of cactus.

I wanna take some photos
out here.

Halfway between phoenix and
tucson are the tucson mountains.

Part of the sonoran desert,
it's one of the hottest.

And driest regions
in north america.

Some of these cactus
look deadly.

Yeah, they look evil.

Everything out here
is out to get ya.

We've got different
species of rattlesnake.

That doesn't scare you enough,

Even the plants
will probably hurt ya.

I don't think
I've ever seen cactus.

This big in my entire life.

Yeah, I haven't either.

To describe a saguaro cactus...

Age, dense,

Tall, and a lot of spines.

This one time,
a guy sh*t a cactus.

So many times that the spiky arm
fell off and k*lled him.

This place is enticing,
but it's also deadly.

Dude, I gotta get my camera.

This is so nice.

Yeah, gonna grab mine, too.

It's very, like, "butch
cassidy sundance kid," you know?

Like, hiding up in the mountain.

- Pew-pew.
- Exactly.

- Ouch.
- Don't touch that.

Everything's spiky.

I wish we sh*t
"walking dead" here.

This is so pretty.

Desert walkers.
How cool would that be?

Out here, it feels like
it's us against the world,

The rocks beneath our feet,
the hot sun on our backs,

The critter that might
be lurking close by.

It's only austin and I
out here exploring,

And that's the great thing
about discovering.

New places with a friend.

How do we get back?

That way.

Is this right?

Yeah. This is the right way.

Look at this guy.

Wow.

It's almost like an instrument.

Like this.

- It got me.
- Did it?

Owie.

Dude, these cactuses
are everywhere.

I know. I love it, dude.

Don't you have a cactus tattoo?

I do, yeah.

Why do you have a cactus tattoo?

It's because I'm from texas

'cause it's just kind of
a symbol of the south.

Look at that cool corvette.

To the left, bro, for sale.

I know. I need
to get a car, man.

After you wrecked your car,
what'd you get after that?

Nothin'.

There was this old,
yellow ' chevelle.

That I wanted, and it got sold.

The week I was looking at it.

Dude, maybe you should
buy a car here.

Really?

There's no salt water here
to rust out anything. Right.

Like, you find a car here,
it's in pretty good shape.

I need somethin'.

A little bit artsy and
a little bit industrial...

This is a cool vibe here.

Yeah, I like this.

All covered with
a thin layer of dust.

We finally made it to tucson.

Wow, I like tucson.

I think tucson's like
the austin to dallas.

Yeah, definitely
a little more hip.

We're gonna do a little
exploring before we head.

To the air force base tomorrow.

Tucson is actually known
for its immigrants.

From all over the world.

Tucson's a very eclectic area,
lots to see and lots to learn.

And just open yourself up
and have a good time.

I see a pretty cool-looking
car right there.

- Wanna go check out this shop?
- Yeah, let's do it.

This looks awesome, dude.

This is where you're gonna
get your car, right here.

That's a cool yellow.

It's almost like
a creamsicle yellow.

I like that, man.
That's my favorite color.

- I like the truck.
- See this yellow?

Check the truck out, man.

- Wow, those are beautiful.
- What's up, guys?

Well, hi.

- Norman.
- Johnny.

Nice to meet you, johnny.

This is austin.
Nice to meet you.

- Wow.
- What's goin' on, man?

You have a lot
of cool toys here.

So you have car collectors
that come here.

And ask you to build
a certain car?

- Yeah, from all over.
- Wow.

- So we do sales.
- Right, right.

And then I do, you know,
full-on restorations.

Wow.

- What is this car right here?
- It's a ' ford speedstar.

I did all the artwork on that,
all the flames.

- Is it fast?
- Very fast.

Yeah, it looks fast.

Do you have someone
that specializes in,

Like, interior work,
engine work?

Paint work.

Yeah.

My dad has a collision shop
that's across the street,

And that's where I started off,

And that's how I got into cars
and doing all this artwork

'cause that's what
he was known for.

Was custom paint
and stuff like that,

So I just, you know,
took it to the next level.

- This is a cool shop.
- This is an awesome space, man.

- Really cool, yeah.
- He's lookin' for a car.

I got a whole bunch of 'em.
What do you need?

This is a chevelle, right?

Yeah. That's for sale.

- What year is it?
- ' .

Is that your car, like your
favorite car is the chevelle?

Yeah.

My dad built a chevelle,
like, from the ground up,

And for some reason,
it just stuck in my head.

They're fun, fast muscle cars.

Can I just get in that?

Get in it, yeah.

Dude, you look good in it.

- So nice.
- I say get it.

- Wow.
- How much does it cost?

You're probably
lookin' around grand.

For somethin' like that.

All right.

Go get it out of
your saddlebags,

And let's rock and roll.
It's cool.

Where can we get some food?
We're starvin'.

Hot dogs, there's some good
hot dogs down the street.

We'll do anything, yeah.

Let's get some dogs.

That's a mighty fine car
you got there, mister.

I couldn't pull that car off.

- No.
- Yeah.

Like, that dude's got it nailed.

Yeah.

You really...
You can taste the desert.

When you're riding around
on a bike, you know?

- How many?
- Three hot dogs.

- Everything.
- Everything, the works.

Sonoran hot dogs are
really popular here.

- One everything.
- Thank you.

Hot dog wrapped in bacon
with some avocado dressing.

Usually has some, sides
accompanying the top of it.

Mushrooms, a little bit
of the avocado, and the cheese.

And lots of onions and beans
and a whole variety.

Of yummy heart-att*ck goodness.

Best hot dog ever.

Tomorrow, we're doing
this air force base.

Right on.
I actually went out there.

My... my uncle was
in world w*r ii,

And he was in one
of the bombers.

He was actually the guy.

Unloading the bombs
on the deal, so...

Wow.

When you go out there,
you'll trip out

'cause those planes are just
so industrial and plain jane.

I mean, you know, it's aluminum
is what they were usin'.

- I'm psyched to see it.
- You'll go crazy.

- Hi.
- Hi.

I'm a big fan.

You watch the show? Wow.
Do you know this guy?

- Dwight.
- Yes.

I knew it. I knew it.

He kept saying the whole time...

What's up, dude?

"That's dwight." it's dwight.

Hey, what's up, man?

I'm reading the comic
books right now. Right.

I notice that
you're not in them.

I'm not in the comic book, no.

Nice to meet you, man.
What a pleasure.

- Nice meeting you.
- Yeah, man.

Come here. Come here.

Here a simple concept is
stripped down to its essence...

What do you like better,
us or hot dogs?

Hot dogs.

And then reimagined
with an influence of culture.

From both north
and south of the border.

It's distinctive yet familiar,
kinda what arizona is all about.

It's so pretty with the sun
goin' down like this, you know?

Yeah, I think this is my favorite
part of the day in arizona.

Yeah.

You get the sunset
and the mountains.

We saw about six individuals
run into these buildings.

I got somethin' really
cool for you guys.

You're gonna have
to peel an egg.

God. What do we do?

That's a hard-boiled egg.

However you think you need to
get in it, y'all just get in it.

You're supposed
to peel it, silly.

My...

. Whoa.

There you go.

Gee, I'm sorry. He won
the egg peeling contest here.

Come on.

Dude, it looks like
a mashed potato.

Ready?

Gosh.

Wait, I got slobbered with.
My god.

Could use a little
salt and pepper.

I wanna downsize my whole life
and live in a airstream.

Really?

You know, it's hard to play,
like, a dirty, homeless,

End-of-the-world redneck
and live at the four seasons.

It's just, like...
It's hard to do.

Morning, day three,
and we're on our way.

To davis-monthan air force base.

I get the appeal to arizona.

You're just, like,
in blissful solitude.

Yeah.

Before we meet
the pararescue men,

We're gonna check out
the air power reservoir.

Look at all the planes.

It's the largest
aircraft storage.

And preservation facility
in the world.

This place is so big.

In the moisture-free air
of the arizona desert.

Lies an air force in waiting.

These old planes are
gradually cannibalized.

Until only a skeleton remains.

Frequently, they are the only
source of spare parts.

For thousands of aircraft
throughout the world.

- Hello.
- Morning.

Good morning.

- Nice to meet you.
- Jen barnard.

- Norman.
- Hey, how are you?

- Austin.
- Nice to meet you.

Well, welcome to the th
aerospace maintenance.

And regeneration group.

We store nearly
, airplanes here.

Wow.

We'll modify some aircraft.

We'll overhaul some aircraft,

Or if that kind of airplane
is not flying in the dod,

We'll properly dispose
of everything.

Geez, that's... that's
a lot to take care of.

It is.

How come some of them are...
Are wrapped up?

We wrap, actually, all of them.
It's called spraylat,

To make sure that
it's... it's well preserved.

And doesn't deteriorate.

Gonna have to do that
to me sooner or later.

I've never been this close
to planes this big,

And it's, like,
really intimidating.

Yeah, they really are,
aren't they?

The soil here is
as hard as concrete,

So that's why
we're able to store.

All of these airplanes
on the ground,

Not have to have
, acres of concrete.

Do you have any alien
spaceships here?

We do not.

Show us around.

I love seeing the pieces
of beautiful things.

That are left behind,

And with thousands of airplanes
just waiting in the wings,

This is the ultimate
art installation.

We got our b- ,
our b- , our c- .

We got an f- over here
on the right.

- Wow.
- That's a big k*ller.

It took down a mig years ago
in the gulf w*r.

I think the f- s
are my favorite.

They look so slick, you know?

Is that a coyote? Wow.

- It is.
- Two of 'em.

When the enemy sees one
of these planes in particular,

Which one strikes the most fear?

I think it's the b- bomber.

Wow.

That thing will haul butt
and scare the bejesus.

Out of the guys on the ground.

You can see an a- takin' off.

They don't like that a-
comin' either.

The aircraft is actually
built around the g*n.

It's got a titanium bathtub
that the pilot sits in.

That airplane can survive
so much damage if it gets hit.

That's amazing.

There's so much heart.

If these airplanes could talk,
the stories they would tell.

I was just about to say

I feel like they're,
like, people.

I'm just blown away by how big
these planes are, man.

Yeah, these are just massive.

We actually just recently
received the last.

Of the c- a models,
so all the a models are here.

It takes up about acres.

The c- s, the front nose
will open up,

And the aircraft
will kinda kneel down.

So you can bring cargo
in the front or the back.

So, like, when I deployed
with the rescue unit,

We could fit three
of our helicopters in a c- .

- Wow.
- Mornin'.

Jeff clement here,
he is in charge of all the guys.

That park these airplanes
and care for these airplanes.

- Nice to meet you, sir. Norman.
- Good to meet you.

- How are you?
- Austin.

That was quite
the entrance right there.

- Good to meet you.
- Yeah.

You wanna take a look up inside?

- Yes, please.
- Let's go.

Wow.

You could throw a party in here.

Absolutely.

This is, by manufacture,
a cargo aircraft.

Okay.

Troop transport, vehicles,

Some of these have even been
known to deliver livestock.

Wow.

Does this whole thing come down
when you drop cargo out?

- It does.
- Wow.

- Yes.
- Yep.

This is one of those planes,
like, in a tom cruise movie.

You know?

When the back opens up, and it's
like, "hit the button."

- Yeah.
- Right?

Wow.

How long has this plane
been in existence?

Mid to late ' s,
it was developed.

The feeling of what
this must feel like.

To pull this monster
off the ground...

Dude, I was about to say.

Feelin' the power
of the engines, the wind.

- Yeah.
- Cleared for take off.

Hundred and twenty.

- Airborne.
- Airborne it is.

Sometimes I forget that we have
these powerful machines.

That carry us
in and out of conflict,

But being here
is a moving reminder.

Of the critical role
they've played in history.

Alongside our servicemen
and women.

I love that you ride around
on a harley out here.

You're such a badass.

- Yeah.
- I love it.

I asked what the speed limit
was when I got here.

They said, "whatever
you say it is, ma'am."

- Yeah!
- Whoo-hoo!

Yeah.

We're heading to the training
area for the pararescue men.

Also known as pjs,
these guys literally.

Jump into combat
and humanitarian zones.

To rescue people
who have no other way out.

They're the guys that'll jump in
in a moment's notice,

Pull you out and save your life,
and not even think twice.

I can't imagine what it's like
to do what they do,

So it's awesome to get
a chance to learn more.

How's it goin'? Hi. I'm norman.

Nice to meet you.
How you doin', norman? Scott.

Good to meet ya.

Thank you
for your service, man. Yeah.

You guys ready for some
fine air force dining?

- Yeah.
- Yeah. I'm starvin' right now.

Yeah.

So explain to me
what you guys do exactly.

I know you guys go in
and you rescue people.

That are behind
enemy lines, right?

Yeah. We are
the department of defense's.

Only personnel recovery,
so rescue, specialists.

We parachute,
but we're combat divers.

Pararescue men actually get
certified as emt paramedics,

And we are all sh**t,

So we're goin' in
armed to the teeth,

Doin' what we have to do
to execute a rescue.

- It's so badass.
- Yeah.

Like, it's really badass.

It's a really...
It's a really fun job.

And, like, the thing that
really pulls you in is,

Like, that guy next to you
is counting on you, you know.

- Right.
- You're part of that team.

If you don't do your job,
you know, that could affect.

The whole team to accomplish
that mission, so...

- Right. Yeah.
- We have a motto,

"these things we do
that others may live."

A lot of us have that
as a tattoo.

This is it for us.

This is our focus,
so we live and die.

For what we're doing here, so...

- That's so cool.
- Love that.

Yeah.

How intense is the training
to get into that?

Really physically intense,
a lot of water training,

Extended time underwater,

Doing different tasks,
trying to stay calm.

A lot of times,
guys will pass out,

And they used to call it
"meeting the wizard,".

And they find themselves
on the pool deck.

Being revived by
the instructor, and yeah.

Yeah.

It's a great way to see
how somebody handles stress.

Wake you up.
I feel like that, yeah...

Yeah.

And we do some
pow-type training.

The survival portion is about
a week out in the field.

Up in, washington state.

Spent six days in the woods,

And they start off
with the basics,

Learning how to read
a map and compass.

Then from there, we...
We build them up.

Into playing a high stakes
game of hide and seek.

Do you watch shows like
"naked and afraid".

And just laugh your ass off?

- Pretty much, yeah.
- Right?

All right. You guys ready
to go do some training?

- Yeah.
- Let's do it.

We're gonna kit you guys up
in uniform with body armor.

And a helmet and everything...
Wow.

And, a w*apon as well.

The team's gonna receive
a mission, and, -

And we're gonna go
execute it, so...

Geez, I'm... I'm
gonna fail miserably.

I got b*at up
by a cactus yesterday.

You know what I mean?

Like, this is me, right here.

Owie.

When I was first hired
to play daryl,

It wasn't until
I put on his clothes.

That I finally started
to feel like the character.

- Lookin' good, guys.
- I feel ready.

You look legit.

I could never stack up
to these guys,

But standing here
all kitted out,

I think I have a sense of what
it feels like to be one of them.

We're gonna show you all
the vehicle extrication tools.

This, right here,
is your quickie saw.

This will cut straight
through concrete.

This is the jaws of life, so you can
both lift and cut with this. Wow.

Telescopic sledge.

Hooligan tool.

These are all
"walking dead" tools.

- You know that, right?
- Yeah.

Just like a can opener.

On second thought, this is
just a whole nother level.

I'm so shocked you guys are
letting me play with this.

Amc said I can play with
this saw, like, for real?

All right.

Jaws of life.

If you ever, like,
lock your keys in your car,

I'll come over,
destroy your car for you.

All right, guys. We're gonna be
doing a training mission,

And we're gonna show you guys a
couple of the things that we do,

And so we got a casevac,
casualty evacuation,

Nine line request.

One vehicle was struck
by an ied near compound.

About . kilometers
east/southeast of here.

One person is trapped
in the vehicle.

They require extrication.

Possible enemy in the area.

We're gonna take four
mrzr vehicles and drive there.

Once we got on-scene,
we'll set up a perimeter,

Establish security,
and take care of the mission.

Let's do it.

Hop up front, cowboy.
That's all you.

Bust a right, and we'll take
this little dirt road.

Sweet.

All right.
This is where it gets fun.

Yeah.

I've waited
for this moment for days,

The chance to hand my fate
over to these guys,

And only they know
what comes next.

I'm hot on your tail right now,

Hot on your tail.

Come on! Let's do it!

Vehicles are pretty capable.

Somewhere like africa,
for instance,

We would push these out
of the back of a plane.

And then de-rig 'em
from the parachute.

And then go execute a mission.

That's crazy.

All right.
I have eyes on the vehicle.

Pull up about yards here,
and let's stop there.

Hey, what's up, buddy?
You the convoy commander?

Yeah. Hey, sir,
our vehicle took.

We got hit by an ied.
We got one guy trapped inside.

We saw about six individuals
run into these buildings.

Okay.

All right, guys. Check it out.
Here's what's goin' on.

We're gonna go clear out
and secure these two buildings,

Then we'll come back here, deal
with the extrication problem.

Any targets that you see
in this building are bad guys.

If you're gonna go into
a new space, don't go in alone.

Make sure you've got another guy
that's ready to go with you.

If the guy in front of you
goes left, you go right.

And just communicate.

- That's the basics.
- Okay.

All right. Minafee, lead it out.

Go.

Ready in the back.

All right, austin.

As I go up these stairs,
I want you to pop up.

- And get behind me, okay?
- Okay.

Hey.

All right. Building clear.

Let's go clear out
the second one.

There's a lot of
strange movement.

I think I d*ed, like,
four times during that one.

Yeah, I almost d*ed up there.

Thank god there wasn't anyone
in there, but I had no a*mo.

Of course, I mean,
we do this for training,

And it's fun and games
'cause we're just training,

But it'd be crazy if it was...
It's real.

I'd be my pants.

And the faster it moves and
the bigger the buildings are,

There's million places
somebody could hide.

Small room!

And you're mentally just, like,
super in hyperdrive.

Trying to process everything
and make decisions and...

- Right. Yeah.
- Clear!

- Clear!
- All clear!

What do we got here, man?

We still got him
trapped in here.

I see his arm pinned
in there, man.

All right, guys.

We got minutes
to get him out.

Yeah.

Arm is out!

All right. Then we
can pull him out, all right?

Get in there, all the way in.

Control his head.

- Litter.
- You guys litter? -Yeah, grab one.

All good.

This experience
has been thrilling...

You guys are superheroes.

It's amazing. Thank you.
Hats off.

- Man, that was...
- Yeah.

But also deeply humbling.

The pararescue men push
the limits of what humans can do.

All in the service
of saving lives.

They're the modern version.

Of everything I wanted to be
as a kid,

And it's truly an honor
to run alongside them,

Even if just for an afternoon.

We got team patches
for you guys.

- Wow.
- Aw, that's awesome.

Honorary pjs for life.

- Yeah.
- Yeah.

Love that, man.

- Thank you.
- Thank you for everything.

You guys are awesome.
It's our pleasure.

We all really enjoy what we do,

So probably pretty uncommon
these days to really love.

What you do and love the people
that you work with, so...

Yeah. And I don't even
like working with you at all.

Yeah, we don't like
working with each other.

Seriously, you guys are heroes.

In some ways over
the last few days,

I've found what I
imagined arizona to be.

It's a rich and vast landscape.

That tests anyone
who comes here,

But that's part of the draw.

Those challenges suck you in.

If you survive here,
that's the ultimate rush.

And the people
who live here flourish.

They're pushing boundaries
and are pioneering.

Beyond everything
that's come before.

- Thank you for doing this, dude.
- Dude, of course, man.

- Yeah.
- It was so much fun.

Rob halford made us tea...

And then we just did that.

Best three days, man.

- Yeah.
- That was so fun.

The only thing was
that one evil cactus.

Other than that, it was perfect.