I would love to hear this guy tell of the strange, dark, and mysterious delivered in story format. He should do something along those lines.

I came here for the strange dark and mysterious...... Anyone else?

this is the “I love Mr Ballen” _button._ respect to both men, they are selfless and amazing people. goodluck.

I wonder how he went from Navy Seal to Like Button Torturer

Yeah Mr Ballen!! Love his channel The first time I saw him without his cap on!LOL!

Allen ought to narrate every single audiobook in existence. Particularly the Missing 411.

Who knew less than two years after this interview John would be a wildly successful You Tuber with more than 1.5 million subscribers who can’t get enough of his addictive channel, with 80 videos watched by 1 million or more people. This remarkable guy is an American success story multiple times over. Great interview, I enjoyed learning more about him, thank you.

I did 16 years as Pararescueman. I had the exact same thought process about getting out. After 7 deployments from 1994 to 2010 and being gone 200-300 days a year, I was a little worn out. The final decision came when I was hanging 500 feet down a Yosemite cliff, conducting high angle rescue training, and thinking, this is not fun. My wife was 5 months pregnant, with our third kid, it took me a couple months to get the courage to get out, but I did. Shows like this are therapeutic; thanks.

Mr. Ballen!!!!!!!!! I love this guy. Hes the most genuine decent man and a total badass in every sense of the word.

This guy sounds like he'd be good at telling strange, dark, and mysterious stories online. Somebody should tell him

This guy seems to have such a good spirit. His mom sounds amazing too.

John really is a very handsome man! His wife is one lucky woman!

I found him via youtube recommendations, his youtube channel Mr.Ballen is amazing, he's the badass version of NaturesTemper, especially considering the genre he's involved in. you'd never suspect such a cool relaxed guy was a SEAL, yet he is, and he's an amazing youtuber. the more I learn about John Allen, the more my respect for him grows.

Mr. Ballen is the MOST humble man I’ve seen in a long time. Glad he is an example of positivity.

I'm strangely attached to Mr Ballen's KZfaq channel. Great storyteller.

I’m not military.. but when Mr.Allen said, “If you don’t convey to the world your value... literally people aren’t going to know about you... and that’s problematic when your looking for a job.” Couldn’t have summed it up any better. Everything he speaks about.. his storytelling, life lessons and current job is really fascinating to me. Great to hear his transition went so well. A big “thank you” to Mr. Allen for his service and to anyone past and present who is serving or served in our military. We are grateful!!

Mr. Ballen!!!

I was sure his name was MrBallen?! The most famous storyteller on KZfaq.

Two amazing men!!! MrBallen has changed my life!!! Still binge watching his KZfaq channel. Better than anything on Netflix by far!!!

At the end he says, "I might have some cool story about it" when talking about his life/career moving forward. Yes MrBallen, you'll have cool stories. It's still crazy that the guy that tells those stories is capable of swimming up to your house on the ocean dressed in black with a rebreather and a hk416 and is capable of completely destroying your existence. Dude is bad ass. Cheers, MrBallen!!! 🍻

There`s something about "Mr. Ballen" that is just incredibly likeable. He seems like the LAST person you would ever expect to deliver strange, dark and Mysterious stories.

I LOVE Mr. Ballen! This is one bad mother fer who is the most humble and always tells of his weakness and upholds others, this is a great man.

John is a beacon of hope in this troubled land. I hope he has lots of kids.

My dad was a Navy Seal back in Vietnam and he was whats known as a "frogger" Underwater demolition. I used to hear his stories of his time in Vietnam and I always thought he was embellishing his stories until I watched a documentary on how to become a Navy Seal, it made me see my father in a different light. I always loved and respected my daddy but now I not only loved & respected him I was really and truly proud of what he did for our country. He passed away last year and as the Navy men played the taps in honor of my father. I wished I had always believed him when he was alive....Rip daddy, Ronald James Hanson! I wish I could have told him how proud of him I really am.

Mr. Ballen is phenomenal. Great YT channel with an incredible story telling ability. Very respectful of the people who go missing in the 411 stories. Just a good guy, to say the least.

Love John B. I’ve binged all of his videos within just a few days after an accidental discovery. Thanks for this interview. I was aways curious about his personal life.

This guy❤️❤️❤️❤️ genuine ppl who can admit their faults without self pity and share their strengths without boasting are few and far between. Mr.Ballen is an excellent example of this rare breed. His ability to tell stories of the strange, dark and mysterious ain't that bad either😃

Little did they know the strange, dark, and mysterious delivered in story format would be his transition

😎Just goes to show you how taking one road and putting all your effort and commitment into It, can lead you to an entirely new path of success!!! 🙏 thank you for your service guys

I absolutely love the fact that John became those guys that he looked up to and respected, he is now the person that many other young men look at with respect and honor and they now try to emulate what he is. Mr. John Allen truly is a great role model and a genuinely great person that does a phenomenal job getting awareness out there for the missing that cannot speak for themselves.

A real great story about a former Navy seal that went from average to savage Navy seal fearless warrior

I knew Mr.Ballen from his YT channel and it's so cool to hear about his backstory. I always thought that he's a nice guy in his private life . This podcast proves that ! It was a pleasure to listen

Love John Allen! I look up to both of you guys as I prepare for BUD/S!

Boot camp, I can't imagine going thru seal training, my navy boot camp was nothing nothing, other than being yelled at all the time. Seal training is a world of next level, I can't imagine. You deserve all the respect in the universe!

Love how he has a natural connection with real life and people ❤💕

Not only is Mr Ballen a great story teller, he is an amazing and rare beautiful human being, proud of you John!

John is such a pure guy. Love him.

Mr. ballen is the man, genuine, well spoken, badass, postive dude! This comment section gives me hope...most are full of hate and judgement but I’m reading nothing but loving positive comments. It just goes to show you that if you’re a stand up guy...even in 2020...it shows and people take note. You’re a great role model for some of these younger fellas, thanks Jon B. Allen it’s much appreciated 🙏🏻

I have a negative opinion of men because of personal experiences. Watching and learning about you and your life has assisted me in changing my beliefs about men...Thank you!

Mr. Ballen without a hat!!! Be still my beating heart!💖😂

I can listen to Mr Ballen talk all day. Thank you Gentlemen for your service to this country, to this place I call home, because of men like yourself, we can live the beautiful life we do!

WOW! I really loved learning how you became the person you are today! It sure was difficult, military is no piece of cake. Your Mom was very good at heading you in the right career pathway. You will have so many awesome stories to tell your children. I almost didn't recognize you without your backwards baseball cap, the flannel like plaid shirts and the long hair!! You are a bright young man with so many more opportunities if you choose to make any changes in the future. I am very proud of you! 👏

Stew Smith is the OG “tactical prep” coach . Before Instagram and You Tube , his books were what you used .

The living legend that is MrBallen. Respect from England ✌️👍

Your call in life is this one , to tell of the strange , dark and mysterious , delivered in story format ; and doing that , you are simply the best .

I envy how well-spoken he is how humbly is. It's funny you wouldn't think this guy was ever a slacker the way he produces the channel Mr ballen it's so well done I'm sure you put so much more effort into being a Navy SEAL I'm glad to have people like this in our country who fight for us

This is from a mother’s point of view. I have so much respect for John. He has learned the value of hard work, self respect, self worth and the selflessness of the Team and is truly the role model and inspiration that he wants to be. All while being so humble. My daughter & son are both former US Marines, daughter 2 tours in Iraq OIF at 19 years old. She was in the original convoy to Baghdad with her M-16 (Buck) and her 50 cal for 30 days, got blown up when the base fuel farm was bombed (lesser extent of injuries than John) and has much the same demeanor as John. Cool, calm, but lethal if necessary. Im the one who says “this is my daughter, the Marine” while she shushes me. She struggled after her separation with the mental trauma from war and finding a good job since these peoples’ skills don’t easily translate to the regular job market. John’s point about self-promotion is so important; so many of the kids (vets) I meet don’t understand how it should be known that they have achieved something most never will. I laughed at John’s relating being in HD a week after being blown up by a grenade because HD really wanted to hire her as an expert. They do like vets. Most of the guys who asked her out were so intimidated by what she had accomplished that relationships were hard to maintain. EliteMeet is a wonderful idea and needs to have maybe a subsidiary for the not Special Ops & pilots but the veterans who also need a hand transitioning to life again, connections are the key but also having the comradeship of others who have similar experiences. She used her GI Bill and then some to become a Chemical Engineer so has made her way. My son would benefit from such a relationship as he is not a leader and needs motivation. It takes followers too, to have a good team. He did not deploy but was in the Pacific Forces Marine Corps Band, requalifying every year of his enlistment. He was proud to represent the Marine Corp; he taught MMA & was on the competition shooting team. He is an expert marksman ( as is the daughter) & is a wonderful and patient firearms instructor. Badass in a different way, lol. I wish he had exposure to success stories like John & Stew as he still struggles to find himself. Thank you both for your service and for what you do to help others. Stew I’m going to send my son your channel, he will enjoy your interviews & possibly your training. He also works at a gym & is very fit. Sorry this is long but I’m a mom and see such value in the mentoring programs for our veterans, the government is for sure not going to do anything for them. Easier to give them drugs than to help the people who, of their own free will, sign up to sacrifice everything for us. Oh yes, the daughter had committed but not yet signed when 9-11 happened. I asked how that affected her plans to enlist & she said it made her desire & commitment even stronger. Btw, she said Hell Week and the Crucible were a piece of cake! She was at Parris Island.

Thank you for this interview. It supported my perceptions about ‘Mr Ballen’. He is highly intelligent and a good human being who has lived a valuable life. I, for one, want him to write.

1. I love Mr Ballens videos any of them on any platform. 2. I respect the hell out of him for his personality and service to country. 3. He's foine as helllll

I recycled the Florida phase of Ranger School. As a consequence, I became the most capable patrol planner and, in terms of squad-level patrolling, the most competent intelligence officer in the 2d Infantry Division during our rotation in the DMZ. I then served most of the rest of my career in infantry and armor units. I'm not sure that would have happened if I had finished in just 58 days, because I valued that outcome more than I would have otherwise.

Love Mrballen!! Best story teller! Thank God for men like this! Thank you so much for your service to this great country and people.

What a genuinely good human. Very humble and respectful and modest as well. Very much we enjoy meeting him and shaking his hand.

Both of you guys are great former Navy Aviation and Marine Infantry Always Faithful God bless you both Thanks for your service!

This is great! It helps me believe that there may be hope for my teen. He doesn’t have a lot of faith in himself or his future. He’s very smart and he’s a gamer, but I believe he could be so much more, if he really wants to.

Guys like these give me hope for the future...

He is a story teller... A Navy Seal... A professional businessman... What else????? He is phenomenal!

This gave me an even bigger respect for Mr. Ballen...What a great story...and this is before the Mr. Ballen series. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

The best feeling of graduating boot camp was that it humbled me and I appreciated the little things much more after.

just wondering, but who in the heck are the 21 people that gave this a thumbs down...it is a guy and his experiences that like to help people, really???

Mr ballen ....appreciate that you live in this world. You are clear,fair,honest and awesome..love your channel. TY sir for the interview

It’s cool seeing younger guys and how they conduct themselves to, through, and after. Nothing wrong with the older generations, but there’s more blend between similarities I think for me.

How crazy is it that he never dreamt of being a seal yet he accomplished just that and he gets out without a exact direction to go and he ends up with a huge following online

Always listen to Mom!!! 💜

John Allen, the best story teller ever!!!

His dad and sister are Pulitzer Prize winners? No wonder he knows how to Ella a story it’s hereditary! The greatest storyteller on KZfaq! Mr. Ballen

Hey John thank you for your service from one veteran to another. Believe it or not my stepsons name is John C. Allen. Anyway GOD BLESS and thank you for what you do.

Also medically retired, I absolutely love this story and what Mr. Allen has done with his life. I wish I had developed his level of motivation after joining the military, and after. My transition to civilian life has had bumps over the course of the past 10 years, both in my interactions with the local VA services and turning off some of my military mannerisms and seriousness I developed while I was in. I had to relearn how to relax and not treat every day like "fight or flight", like each day had to go perfectly. I'm in a good spot now, and I'm thankful that John appears to be in a good spot as well. His KZfaq contributions have been one of the best additions to my own life. I enjoy the work he puts into his videos, as do millions of other fans, and hope that more people can take inspiration from his work ethic and his stories.

GREAT ... NICE TO KNOW HIS BACKGROUND. I ENJOY ALL OF HIS POSTS ON U-TUBE. THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE ... FROM A FORMER DLG SAILOR. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🦅

I didn’t expect to see him on a podcast … wow been waiting to hear his personal storyline

He looks so good without that mustache!! Love his videos I’m addicted he’s a great storyteller

I have tremendous respect for him. Incredible story, and now he tells incredible stories.

I would be entertained by Mr. Ballen reading a grocery list lmao

🧢 here is you hat MrBallen! Amazing what you have done in a year.

Great video. I've been out for 34 years now. Part of me wishes I had stayed, but then I look at all of the experiences that my children got to have growing up on a farm, Hunting Fishing, small-town friends... The transition out can be hard. I would say it took me at least 10 years to normalize a civilian life. However a major part of my life was definitely the time I spent overseas , and it remains that way today. I remember at 17 years of age thinking there must be something more out there than the farm I was growing up on. By 19 years of age I was over in Lebanon in the military. The second half of my hitch I ended up in nato in Europe. I met my first wife there , years later it ended up in divorce. People said God you must be bitter , and while I went through that yes, I am a grandfather today and so if I had not made that choice to go overseas I would not have this family here with me now. Just from one choice. Think about it before you leave the military and think about it before you go in. Your life can change for the rest of it. It is a very mature choice that takes good thought.

My 14 year old son got me hooked on Mr. Ballens channel. The guy really does an excellent job telling stories.

I can identify with wanting to shorten your career to be with your family. As a ranger, my first daughter had just been born and I was on a Chinook that crash landed pretty hard and a couple months later a c130 I was on caught fire as we landed. I re-evaluated my path and decided I wanted to be here for her. Missed out on going to war with my buddies, but I don't regret it.

I love Mr Ballen's channel!! I love his stories and how he tells the stories! Nice to hear his personal story. Thanks for this interview!!

I spent 6 years on fast attack subs. I was going nowhere with my life and my grandfather and father were both in the navy for WWII and Vietnam, respectively. I figured what the hell, I'm 22 and going absolutely nowhere, no plan, no nothing. It was exactly what I needed. I almost think it should be mandatory for everyone just to get that level of discipline. It really does carry you through your life.

MB.Allen is without doubt the GOAT in storytelling! And a few more things as well!😘

I love his channel, he's an excellent story teller. ✌🏻

It's true though. Thank goodness there are people willing to take the vocation of service to others so seriously.

This was a great interview,I've been so curious to how the whole seal deal went down with Mr .Allen.and it's great to hear him talk about his experience in the navy.

Guy inspired me to start my own I’m doing mil style stuff but mostly for the families and guys I deployed with. It’s extremely therapeutic for me. I love his stories !!!

If he only knew then he was gonna EXPLODE on social media and literally one of the most recognized channels on KZfaq.

I LOVE this interview. It is eye opening in simple terms regarding what the men and women do for our country.

Mr. Ballen is a solid dude.

He's a great storyteller but honestly it's pretty incredible he was a Navy SEAL before that. It's probably harder to get into the SEALs than it is to get into Harvard. I mean, maybe it's not I don't know but I know it's very, very difficult to get into. For a reason. They're up there with the most elite units we have.

I loved watching you talking about your past as a Navy Seal.

From mess to success, inspirational and very relateable!

Now he’s the greatest story teller on the internet

Awww l know about Mr. Ballen.... always the top tier of story tellers!! This is a great treat to see you as that former Navy Seal 🦭 turned MASTER STORY TELLER!!📖📚 Thanks to both of it was a privilege.⚡

I am glad I had the opportunity to hear some background information on our dark, mysterious podcaster

It’s good to hear about his life in more detail. ♥️

Enjoy listening to his KZfaq video stories. A salute to this humble man/ Navy Seal. Semper Fi 🇺🇸🙏🙏 to all military branches.

Wow! Just great reading about Mr JohnB Allen He certainly is a very humble guy ! And I love his Mr Ballen videos …. He certainly has lived a great life ! My husband spent 21+ yrs in Navy, he was an ET and we travelled around a lot ! He was on the USS Bowen when it bombed Beruit after they bombed the Marine Barracks there , that was closest to war he got, He joined up during Vietnam War and missed getting sent there but we had a feeling wouldn’t be long, then Nixon took the US out of there , I was relieved ! One thing good about our life was the fact we both got Military insurance when he retired, He was dx with Diabetes less than a month after he retired ! He had trouble with his weight yet no one gave him a full medical while in the Navy !! Made me mad ! When the dr asked him how long he had diabetes !!! Several medical problems for both of us went Undiagnosed as we never were anywhere where he got decent medical care !! It made me very bitter ! But now ? At least they are paying for the results of bad medical treatment during the years ! It was very difficult finding a job when he retired ! A lot said he was over qualified ! I told my underachieving son he had two choices when he graduated high school, get into college or join the navy ! He signed up for local college , then next day went and joined the Navy, believe me when I said he never signed any papers until his dad talked to his recruiter ! Bootcamp was miserable for him, he found a way to call me just about every day ! ( strictly not allowed ! But he managed it! Maybe only for a minute or two ! ) I kept telling him hey They cannot kill you ! You’ll get through this, he got a great career, after 7 yrs he got out , we told him to take every school he could when in there he made rank quick , but not much of a future in Military for him, he moved family back home got a good job and has been there ever since ! If nothing else it makes a man or woman out of these kids and I believe every kid should join military if not going to college ! Sorry about my ramble ! Mr Ballen I don’t know how old this interview was ? But didn’t get to the great Narration of videos you do! You are truly gifted telling these stories and I watch them all ! Even the spooky ones !

Phenomenal interview!! My Father achieved Captain in the Reserves during “Desert Shield/Storm” in NIS. Hearing this story, I am reminded of the sacrifices, AND, the glories he experienced( Many of which I learned about after declassification ). Thank you for this interview!!

I love his channel! I wait for everyone upload. Truly an awesome American hero.

Awesome podcast! I’ve been following John for a few months now and I was so happy to run across this. What an exceptional man. He’s kind, brave, humble and the best storyteller around!!

He survived a grenade blast and decided to JUST finish his contract... that's the spin I detect from the interviewer... give John some credit, he did a good job and now is alive and functional and raising his children. Nothing wrong with that, and we thank him for his service

Yeah you look like a Quincy dude ! No one’s perfect. You are the best storyteller I have even seen . Tommy Southie