1 00:00:17,239 --> 00:00:21,280 Speaker 1: If it doesn't work, you're just not using enough. You're 2 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 1: listening to Software Radio Special Operations, military news and straight 3 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 1: talk with the guys and the community. Hello and everyone, 4 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:45,159 Speaker 1: welcome back to Software Radio. Software Radio on time, on target. 5 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:47,960 Speaker 1: We bring you to the best of military affairs and 6 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:52,879 Speaker 1: current events, what's going on. We encourage all our listeners 7 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:55,680 Speaker 1: out there to check out all the great articles that's 8 00:00:55,840 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 1: uh up on our website and uh absolute lutely uh 9 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:04,319 Speaker 1: you know, check them all out because we're trying to 10 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:07,160 Speaker 1: do the best we can here in these trying times, 11 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:10,960 Speaker 1: and they have been trying. But uh, all that is 12 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:13,240 Speaker 1: behind us. Now. We have a great guest on the 13 00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:16,200 Speaker 1: line with us today and I think it's some somebody 14 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 1: in something that will be of pretty good interest to 15 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:24,319 Speaker 1: all of our listeners out there, especially those who are veterans. 16 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:27,360 Speaker 1: We have Christopher Goldsmith's and that spelled with a K. 17 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 1: And I made the mistake of email in the first 18 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:33,640 Speaker 1: time with the C so I apologize for that. But uh, 19 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:40,119 Speaker 1: Chris is on the line with us. I blame my parents. Well, 20 00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:42,600 Speaker 1: if you see my last name, it's like, hey, no 21 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:46,200 Speaker 1: one ever smells my last name, right, So Chris, welcome 22 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:49,720 Speaker 1: to Software Radio and thanks for joining us today. Chris 23 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 1: is the founder and president of High Grounds Veteran Advocacy, 24 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:56,480 Speaker 1: and we're gonna get into all of that, but first 25 00:01:56,560 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 1: we want to welcome Chris. Thanks for taking the time. 26 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:02,800 Speaker 1: Thank you, thanks for having me. Oh it's our pleasure. 27 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 1: So I see you from Pleasantville, New York. Is. Where's 28 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 1: that there? It's in Westchester County. Um, I can't tell 29 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:14,959 Speaker 1: you where in Westchester County it is because I moved 30 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:17,919 Speaker 1: here while I was in school. Last November is pretty 31 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 1: much lockdown doing finals, and then spring semester came in. 32 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:24,600 Speaker 1: The pandemic was here. So I've I've seen the inside 33 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 1: of my house in my yard and that's about it. Yeah, 34 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 1: because you know, it sounded almost like Superman, you know. Yeah, 35 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:36,800 Speaker 1: you know, I when my when my wife when we 36 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:39,680 Speaker 1: were doing the house hunting, my wife said Pleasantville, and 37 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:43,799 Speaker 1: I thought she was joking. Um yeah, because I was like, Okay, yeah, 38 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:48,519 Speaker 1: that's the real thing, you know. Uh, it looks like 39 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 1: what you might expect of a place named Pleasantville. Well, 40 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:56,959 Speaker 1: we're gonna get into uh High Ground Veteran's advocacy, but 41 00:02:57,080 --> 00:03:00,240 Speaker 1: first let's talk a little bit about you. Tell our 42 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 1: listeners about yourself and how you came to be where 43 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:08,440 Speaker 1: you're at. Sure so, um, so I'm an army that 44 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:14,240 Speaker 1: grew up in Long Island. We're actually recording on September eleven, 45 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:19,880 Speaker 1: significant day for I think everybody of this generation who served. Um, 46 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:22,360 Speaker 1: you know. I I think that a lot of little 47 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:30,079 Speaker 1: boys grow up with this real appreciation for men in uniform. 48 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:33,959 Speaker 1: I feel like at some point every little kid goes 49 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:35,960 Speaker 1: through this I want to be a firefighter, I want 50 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:37,400 Speaker 1: to be a cop, I want to be an army 51 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:41,800 Speaker 1: man phase. And you know, being a child of the 52 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:44,400 Speaker 1: eighties when the Cold War was still a thing, you know, 53 00:03:44,440 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 1: I grew up on stuff like g I, Joe and 54 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:50,280 Speaker 1: Rambo and all this stuff. Right. So uh, I never 55 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:54,160 Speaker 1: grew out of that phase and my entire life from 56 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 1: the time that I was like a toddler, I wanted 57 00:03:57,320 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 1: to serve in the military. And when Number eleventh happened, Um, 58 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:06,480 Speaker 1: it gave I think a bit of a different sense 59 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:10,280 Speaker 1: of urgency. Uh. And rather than you know, just look 60 00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:12,840 Speaker 1: at it as a license life of service, you know, 61 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:17,480 Speaker 1: kind of continuing the service of my grandparents generation fighting 62 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:21,400 Speaker 1: in World War Two. Um. You know, I joined with 63 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 1: with anger, right like I think that a lot of people, um, 64 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 1: you know who are in high school in my generation, 65 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:33,400 Speaker 1: uh joined the military just like that, you know, looking 66 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:37,920 Speaker 1: we want to get revenge. So yeah, and you know, 67 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:42,640 Speaker 1: it's amazing because you guys who joined right out of 68 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:47,360 Speaker 1: like say nine eleven. I mean, those guys, it's it 69 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:51,719 Speaker 1: seems like yesterday that all that happened. And yet the 70 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:56,360 Speaker 1: guys who joined are almost that retirement time now they've done. 71 00:04:56,800 --> 00:04:59,560 Speaker 1: It doesn't seem like it was that long ago. Well, 72 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:03,720 Speaker 1: the so we're deploying to Afghanistan today, We're not. We're 73 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:08,159 Speaker 1: not born or were let's see, yeah, okay, they could 74 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:10,840 Speaker 1: they could have been in Afghanistan for the last year 75 00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:17,039 Speaker 1: if they were born you know, um a year ago yesterday. 76 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:21,560 Speaker 1: So it's uh yeah, it's crazy to think how much 77 00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:24,920 Speaker 1: time has gone by, uh and how you know, nine 78 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:27,960 Speaker 1: eleven shape my life and the life of millions of 79 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:33,800 Speaker 1: other uh young Americans who have served overseas. And you know, 80 00:05:33,839 --> 00:05:36,279 Speaker 1: I look at what's going on today with the pandemic, 81 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:40,120 Speaker 1: and I think about how many, ah, how many kids 82 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:42,960 Speaker 1: today are going to have their entire lives shaped by this. 83 00:05:43,279 --> 00:05:46,280 Speaker 1: What I think, for especially the young ones, is a 84 00:05:46,360 --> 00:05:52,480 Speaker 1: traumatic experience. Absolutely, and uh, you know it's it's funny. 85 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:54,960 Speaker 1: Well everyone thinks about it, and as you mentioned, I 86 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:57,760 Speaker 1: was going to bring it up further along, but we 87 00:05:57,839 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 1: all remember where we were on nine eleven, and uh, 88 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:05,160 Speaker 1: it's just one of those things that it will shape 89 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:09,720 Speaker 1: a lot of our perception I guess you could say, 90 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:15,680 Speaker 1: of the world for a very long time. Yep. Absolutely so. 91 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:20,080 Speaker 1: Um So I was in high school during September eleventh. 92 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:24,560 Speaker 1: I didn't graduate until two thousand three. Uh. And then 93 00:06:24,560 --> 00:06:29,840 Speaker 1: I ended up joining the army as a forward observer. Um. I. 94 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:32,880 Speaker 1: It was one of those things where, like you know, 95 00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:35,800 Speaker 1: I was buying all these military books and reading all 96 00:06:35,839 --> 00:06:38,200 Speaker 1: the novels and stuff, so I knew what a forward 97 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:42,400 Speaker 1: observer was. Um and you know what cooler of a 98 00:06:42,520 --> 00:06:44,640 Speaker 1: job can you have when you're eighteen years old and 99 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:49,160 Speaker 1: to blow stuff up? Right? So? Uh So I went 100 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:54,000 Speaker 1: to basic training January of two thousand four. Um loved it, 101 00:06:54,200 --> 00:06:56,520 Speaker 1: loved every minute of it. I'm looking at my wall 102 00:06:56,600 --> 00:07:00,560 Speaker 1: here of me wearing my my bc US back when 103 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:04,479 Speaker 1: we had those green uniforms and black boots that we 104 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:07,120 Speaker 1: weren't supposed to shine because they were a new generation. 105 00:07:07,200 --> 00:07:12,480 Speaker 1: But we still did so our feet just swept like crazy. Um. Yeah. 106 00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:16,280 Speaker 1: And so a year after that, I was deployed to 107 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:20,760 Speaker 1: irrect So January through December of two thousand five, I 108 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:25,080 Speaker 1: was mostly in Solder City, Baghdad, and for the last 109 00:07:25,200 --> 00:07:29,400 Speaker 1: four months of my deployment UM was actually at Camp 110 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:35,600 Speaker 1: Liberty outside back then International Airport. UM. So, while I 111 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:41,040 Speaker 1: was in Solder City, extremely densely populated area that took 112 00:07:41,040 --> 00:07:45,200 Speaker 1: away my indirect assets. So no mortars, no artillery, no 113 00:07:45,280 --> 00:07:51,080 Speaker 1: attack aviation, no close air support. So they have this, uh, 114 00:07:51,480 --> 00:07:54,280 Speaker 1: you know, for people who might be civilians listening to 115 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:56,320 Speaker 1: the program and don't know what a forward observer is. 116 00:07:56,360 --> 00:08:00,120 Speaker 1: If you watch a movie like Forrest Gump, and you 117 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:02,480 Speaker 1: see a bunch of infantry guys, you know, walking along 118 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 1: and they get ambushed and everybody hits the ground, and 119 00:08:04,600 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 1: then you've got this nerdy guy with with glasses and uh, 120 00:08:09,880 --> 00:08:12,360 Speaker 1: what looks like a telephone in his hand, laying on 121 00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:15,600 Speaker 1: the ground, screaming into the telephone. I was the nerdy 122 00:08:15,640 --> 00:08:20,560 Speaker 1: guy with the glasses, UM, you know, the bcgs, the 123 00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:24,280 Speaker 1: birth control goggles. We used to call him. UM. So 124 00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:26,840 Speaker 1: you've got this nerdy guy with the glasses in an 125 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:29,080 Speaker 1: infantry platoon and you can't blow stuff up, so what 126 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:32,960 Speaker 1: do you do with So they made me on the 127 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:39,800 Speaker 1: ground intelligence reporter. So basically I was a glorified personal 128 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:44,720 Speaker 1: security detail from my platoon leader, the lieutenant UH and 129 00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:49,800 Speaker 1: the interpreter. So I went out on every single patrol 130 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:53,040 Speaker 1: much like the medic. They needed us on every mission, 131 00:08:53,120 --> 00:08:55,080 Speaker 1: so we didn't get rotated out like the rest of 132 00:08:55,080 --> 00:08:59,160 Speaker 1: the guys. Um. And you know, I went out with 133 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:01,200 Speaker 1: my full kid you know, my M four, all the 134 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:03,360 Speaker 1: ammo grenades and blah blah blah. But I also had 135 00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:06,880 Speaker 1: a GPS, a notepad and a pen and a camera. 136 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:12,120 Speaker 1: So my job was to gather intelligence UH and write 137 00:09:12,160 --> 00:09:15,319 Speaker 1: reports the end of every patrol to you know, send 138 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:18,400 Speaker 1: up the chain to see, you know, if if it 139 00:09:18,679 --> 00:09:23,080 Speaker 1: means anything in the bigger picture, um, which you know, 140 00:09:23,160 --> 00:09:26,360 Speaker 1: most of the time, I'm taking pictures of the local cleric, 141 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:30,640 Speaker 1: the sewage in the road, the trash in the road. Um. 142 00:09:30,679 --> 00:09:33,199 Speaker 1: You know, if we meet any Iraqi police who were 143 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:36,000 Speaker 1: suspicious of I'm getting photos of them and taking notes 144 00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:39,240 Speaker 1: on that type of thing. Um. But also at the 145 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:41,320 Speaker 1: age of nineteen, it was my job to be the 146 00:09:41,360 --> 00:09:46,240 Speaker 1: guy who takes the close up photos of bodies as 147 00:09:46,760 --> 00:09:51,600 Speaker 1: as they're being exhumed from mass graves. Um. And that 148 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:55,600 Speaker 1: is something that uh, you know, it wasn't really on 149 00:09:55,679 --> 00:09:59,360 Speaker 1: my mind when I wasn't listening. Uh. It's not something 150 00:09:59,400 --> 00:10:03,280 Speaker 1: that I was in any way mentally prepared for. And 151 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:08,359 Speaker 1: you know, I think a year of combat for anybody, um, 152 00:10:08,400 --> 00:10:10,160 Speaker 1: you know, even if you're not doing the house to 153 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:13,160 Speaker 1: house fighting. The hero stuff you see in the movie 154 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:16,640 Speaker 1: is just you know, going outside every day and sometimes 155 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:19,480 Speaker 1: things blow up and sometimes you hear a bullet whizz 156 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:23,600 Speaker 1: by your head. You know, that daily stress UM could 157 00:10:23,640 --> 00:10:26,840 Speaker 1: really you know, it changes your brain chemistry. At nineteen 158 00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:31,080 Speaker 1: years old, you're still growing. Uh. So you know, I 159 00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:35,040 Speaker 1: kind of became hardwired for this stress and the stress reaction. 160 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:37,679 Speaker 1: So when I came home from Iraq the end to 161 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:40,920 Speaker 1: two thousand five, it was pretty clear to everybody in 162 00:10:40,920 --> 00:10:44,280 Speaker 1: my personal life back home that something was off. You know, 163 00:10:44,280 --> 00:10:48,160 Speaker 1: I was a little more jumpy, a little more aggressive, um, 164 00:10:49,440 --> 00:10:53,160 Speaker 1: and I you know, was really uncomfortable and proud unless 165 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:59,440 Speaker 1: I was heavily sedated with alcohol. But to me, you know, 166 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:00,920 Speaker 1: I was just coming home and I was doing the 167 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:04,160 Speaker 1: same thing that everybody else was, Right, my perception of 168 00:11:04,240 --> 00:11:07,480 Speaker 1: normal was was just that, you know, you get off work, 169 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:11,480 Speaker 1: you drink your face off, have fun and uh. You know, 170 00:11:12,240 --> 00:11:15,200 Speaker 1: if Iraq tell teaches you one thing, it's that you 171 00:11:15,240 --> 00:11:17,840 Speaker 1: could be dead tomorrow. So you know, let's make the 172 00:11:17,840 --> 00:11:22,840 Speaker 1: most out of every day. Right. So, um, you know, 173 00:11:22,920 --> 00:11:27,280 Speaker 1: despite the internal struggles that I was facing, uh, and 174 00:11:27,320 --> 00:11:32,120 Speaker 1: I was kind of denial about any PTSD type stuff. UM, 175 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:36,840 Speaker 1: my career went really well. I was promoted to sergeant 176 00:11:37,120 --> 00:11:40,720 Speaker 1: just over two years of service. I was I was 177 00:11:40,760 --> 00:11:44,080 Speaker 1: well liked, you know, performed well on every test they 178 00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:45,800 Speaker 1: ever put in front of me, whether it was physical 179 00:11:45,920 --> 00:11:51,000 Speaker 1: or mental. Um. And uh, you know, I may not 180 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:55,120 Speaker 1: have enjoyed my experience in the army uh in an 181 00:11:55,280 --> 00:11:59,480 Speaker 1: after Iraq. Um, but I did my job, you know, 182 00:12:00,280 --> 00:12:04,640 Speaker 1: I was, I was good at it. That being said. Um, 183 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:08,760 Speaker 1: after my taste of Iraq, uh, you know, being motivated 184 00:12:08,800 --> 00:12:12,040 Speaker 1: to go get the Taliban and al Qaeda and ending 185 00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:16,000 Speaker 1: up in Iraq getting shot at by uh the Mahi 186 00:12:16,120 --> 00:12:20,360 Speaker 1: militia um, which had nothing to do with nine eleven. 187 00:12:20,720 --> 00:12:25,600 Speaker 1: You know, I was kind of um disillusioned with the 188 00:12:25,640 --> 00:12:28,080 Speaker 1: military experience. So I just wanted to get the hell out. 189 00:12:29,559 --> 00:12:34,080 Speaker 1: So my contract was due to be up in May 190 00:12:34,120 --> 00:12:37,559 Speaker 1: of two thousand and seven, and you know, I kind 191 00:12:37,559 --> 00:12:39,240 Speaker 1: of looked at that as the light at the end 192 00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:41,480 Speaker 1: of the tunnel. At this point, you know, again I 193 00:12:41,520 --> 00:12:43,719 Speaker 1: put on the uniform, I go to work, whether it's 194 00:12:43,760 --> 00:12:46,840 Speaker 1: peak or you know, hanging out in the motor pool 195 00:12:46,960 --> 00:12:49,360 Speaker 1: or you know, being a calm sergeant for the for 196 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:52,400 Speaker 1: the company. Uh. You know, I was performing. But as 197 00:12:52,400 --> 00:12:55,760 Speaker 1: soon as I took off my my uniform and went home, 198 00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:57,880 Speaker 1: and I was just getting trashed. And I was like 199 00:12:57,920 --> 00:13:01,640 Speaker 1: a totally different person getting in fights ours and frankly, 200 00:13:01,679 --> 00:13:05,559 Speaker 1: I'm I'm lucky I was never killed or arrested. And 201 00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:09,800 Speaker 1: in January of two thousand seven, so just about four 202 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:13,439 Speaker 1: months before I'm supposed to get out, President Bush announces 203 00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:17,280 Speaker 1: the troop Surgeon to Iraq. And what that did was 204 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:23,079 Speaker 1: it put stop loss orders for I think my entire division, 205 00:13:23,280 --> 00:13:28,360 Speaker 1: third Instrue Division out of Fort Stewart, Georgia. And instead 206 00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:31,560 Speaker 1: of get out of the army, as my contract was 207 00:13:32,679 --> 00:13:35,320 Speaker 1: originally said, I was going to deploy to Iraq for 208 00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:38,080 Speaker 1: I was expected to be a sixteen to eighteen month 209 00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:43,480 Speaker 1: deployment um and attack on the extra ninety days. Uh, 210 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:47,440 Speaker 1: stabilization post deployment, I'm looking at have my three and 211 00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:53,440 Speaker 1: a half year contract extended to about five and that 212 00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:57,600 Speaker 1: that was kind of a straw that broke the camel's back. Um. 213 00:13:57,640 --> 00:13:59,959 Speaker 1: You know, I had been suffering from nightmares, in person 214 00:14:00,200 --> 00:14:04,199 Speaker 1: relationships are a total mess, and drinking myself into oblivion. 215 00:14:05,440 --> 00:14:07,560 Speaker 1: But then finding out I'm going back to Iraq, I 216 00:14:07,640 --> 00:14:10,920 Speaker 1: just kind of lost it. And you know, what had 217 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:15,559 Speaker 1: already been some serious anxiety and depression and what I 218 00:14:15,600 --> 00:14:19,160 Speaker 1: would later find out is post traumatic stress disorder just 219 00:14:19,240 --> 00:14:23,680 Speaker 1: became completely overwhelming. So the night before what would have 220 00:14:23,720 --> 00:14:27,000 Speaker 1: been my second deployment, I went out onto a field 221 00:14:27,880 --> 00:14:31,560 Speaker 1: called Heroes Walk where they planted a tree for everyone 222 00:14:31,640 --> 00:14:34,880 Speaker 1: from the Third Idea who's died. And I chose that 223 00:14:34,920 --> 00:14:39,320 Speaker 1: place to try to take my life. And so he's 224 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:42,560 Speaker 1: felt like a cemetery to me. Um, you know, there's 225 00:14:42,560 --> 00:14:45,280 Speaker 1: a memorial for the guy from my battalion who is 226 00:14:45,560 --> 00:14:48,480 Speaker 1: the medic from my battalion who has killed uh, and 227 00:14:48,520 --> 00:14:52,040 Speaker 1: it felt like the appropriate place to go. I'm twenty 228 00:14:52,080 --> 00:14:57,320 Speaker 1: one at the time making these decisions to end my life. Thankfully, 229 00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:01,080 Speaker 1: my roommate at the time, a guy Steve Atchison, who 230 00:15:01,640 --> 00:15:05,040 Speaker 1: went to basic training with our whole career where you know, 231 00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:08,120 Speaker 1: kind of we're in the same battalion, so we was 232 00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:13,680 Speaker 1: stuck together. He recognized those those final signs and called 233 00:15:13,720 --> 00:15:16,240 Speaker 1: the cops and they found me, brought me to the 234 00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:22,720 Speaker 1: hospital and and you know, saved my life. So after that, 235 00:15:22,920 --> 00:15:24,560 Speaker 1: you know, I went from kind of being like the 236 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:30,000 Speaker 1: golden boy to treated like a criminal. Um. My suicide 237 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:37,480 Speaker 1: attempt was not viewed as a symptom of post traumatic 238 00:15:37,520 --> 00:15:42,400 Speaker 1: stress disorder. It was viewed as an excuse or a 239 00:15:42,440 --> 00:15:49,360 Speaker 1: betrayal of my unit. So within three months, I received 240 00:15:49,400 --> 00:15:53,640 Speaker 1: two counseling statements, one for malingering, which is a medical 241 00:15:53,640 --> 00:15:57,880 Speaker 1: diagnosis that staff sergeant with a high school education is 242 00:15:57,920 --> 00:16:02,400 Speaker 1: not qualified to diagnose one with. And the second article 243 00:16:02,840 --> 00:16:05,840 Speaker 1: wasn't even an article fifteen counseling statement was for missing movement, 244 00:16:05,880 --> 00:16:08,120 Speaker 1: meaning not getting on the plane. I didn't get on 245 00:16:08,200 --> 00:16:10,280 Speaker 1: the plane because I was handcuffed to a gurney having 246 00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:16,520 Speaker 1: charcoal shoved down my throat. So um. Three months later, 247 00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:20,480 Speaker 1: those two counseling statements were the only black marks on 248 00:16:20,520 --> 00:16:22,480 Speaker 1: my record. And that's all it took to get me 249 00:16:22,520 --> 00:16:24,960 Speaker 1: out of the army. And I went from being sergeant 250 00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:31,440 Speaker 1: Goldsmith to Chris uh living in my childhood bedroom, wondering 251 00:16:31,480 --> 00:16:32,720 Speaker 1: what the hell I'm going to do with the rest 252 00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:35,920 Speaker 1: of my life now. I received what's called the general discharge, 253 00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:40,320 Speaker 1: which is a step below fully honorable discharge. And a 254 00:16:40,320 --> 00:16:42,920 Speaker 1: lot of people think that there's honorable discharges and there's 255 00:16:43,040 --> 00:16:48,840 Speaker 1: dishonorable discharges. Well, there's actually six different categories. You can 256 00:16:48,880 --> 00:16:52,600 Speaker 1: only receive a dishonorable discharge or a bad conduct discharge 257 00:16:52,800 --> 00:16:55,960 Speaker 1: as a result of being found guilty at a court martial. 258 00:16:56,200 --> 00:16:59,760 Speaker 1: So you've got, you know, formal judicial proceedings where you 259 00:16:59,760 --> 00:17:04,560 Speaker 1: have to defense evidence and all this stuff. Right. Um. 260 00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:08,359 Speaker 1: The other four types of discharge are what we call 261 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:12,080 Speaker 1: administrative discharges. So it's basically like anything that your manager 262 00:17:12,119 --> 00:17:15,439 Speaker 1: at McDonald's could do to you in terms of like 263 00:17:15,560 --> 00:17:19,120 Speaker 1: getting you out of their employment is basically the way 264 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:22,560 Speaker 1: that these administrative discharges work, except the ones in the 265 00:17:22,600 --> 00:17:27,000 Speaker 1: military carry a lifetime of consequences. So the honorable discharge 266 00:17:27,040 --> 00:17:32,840 Speaker 1: is what you know, eighty five of veterans are getting. Um, 267 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:36,080 Speaker 1: then there's general discharges. That's what I got, and what 268 00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:38,080 Speaker 1: that does it strips you of your g I bill, 269 00:17:38,760 --> 00:17:43,840 Speaker 1: And below that is called the other than honorable or 270 00:17:43,880 --> 00:17:48,120 Speaker 1: O th H discharge, and that even takes away your 271 00:17:48,119 --> 00:17:51,399 Speaker 1: health care. Doesn't matter if you're uh, you know, if 272 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:55,200 Speaker 1: you've deployed twice, it doesn't matter if you know you 273 00:17:55,200 --> 00:18:00,679 Speaker 1: you had four or five years of honorable service. UH. 274 00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:03,920 Speaker 1: If you have a single infraction, that's enough to get 275 00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:06,600 Speaker 1: you kicked out, that's that's it. No more v A 276 00:18:06,760 --> 00:18:10,439 Speaker 1: for you, UM, at least under the old rules, and 277 00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:12,520 Speaker 1: we'll get to how those have changed in the last 278 00:18:12,560 --> 00:18:17,159 Speaker 1: couple of years. UM. And outside of that, there's the 279 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:20,359 Speaker 1: uncharacterized discharge, which is really only given to people who 280 00:18:20,359 --> 00:18:23,119 Speaker 1: are or typically only given to people who are washing 281 00:18:23,119 --> 00:18:27,480 Speaker 1: out of boot camp for basing training. So I ended 282 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:31,000 Speaker 1: up with the general discharge and the narrative of separation, 283 00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:36,840 Speaker 1: which said misconduct serious offense. So rather than get out 284 00:18:39,240 --> 00:18:41,919 Speaker 1: with a military history that I could use to find employment, 285 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:44,959 Speaker 1: I got out with the military history that looked like 286 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:48,639 Speaker 1: a criminal record. So, you know, should I apply for 287 00:18:48,680 --> 00:18:49,919 Speaker 1: a job and they want to know what I've been 288 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:52,600 Speaker 1: up to for the last four years, I've either got 289 00:18:52,600 --> 00:18:55,160 Speaker 1: a lie or if they want to see my records, 290 00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:58,400 Speaker 1: I've got to go right into during a job interview, 291 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:06,200 Speaker 1: explaining away suicide attempt. So the military, the Army UM 292 00:19:06,280 --> 00:19:10,680 Speaker 1: it basically imposed what amounted to a lifetime sentence on 293 00:19:10,760 --> 00:19:17,640 Speaker 1: me for UM as punishment for surviving my suicide attempt. 294 00:19:18,119 --> 00:19:25,280 Speaker 1: And this led me to feel absolutely alone and just devastated. 295 00:19:26,280 --> 00:19:31,200 Speaker 1: But luckily I did qualify for the v A and 296 00:19:31,359 --> 00:19:34,480 Speaker 1: I was able to get healthcare, and after about five 297 00:19:34,560 --> 00:19:38,440 Speaker 1: years of intensive therapy, I kind of started getting out 298 00:19:38,440 --> 00:19:41,439 Speaker 1: of that stuck feeling and moving forward with my life. 299 00:19:42,119 --> 00:19:46,480 Speaker 1: And I've come to learn that I'm not alone. In fact, 300 00:19:46,520 --> 00:19:50,760 Speaker 1: there are five five thousand veterans today who are living 301 00:19:50,800 --> 00:19:53,959 Speaker 1: with other than honorable discharges, so the level below my 302 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:59,159 Speaker 1: own UM where they're typically denied healthcare when they go 303 00:19:59,280 --> 00:20:05,000 Speaker 1: to the v A. AH. These general discharges, these administrative 304 00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:09,639 Speaker 1: discharges are increasingly popular. Back in World War Two, they 305 00:20:09,680 --> 00:20:13,240 Speaker 1: didn't really use them. Started using them during Vietnam. You 306 00:20:13,280 --> 00:20:15,440 Speaker 1: get you know, draftees, guys who don't want to be 307 00:20:15,440 --> 00:20:18,040 Speaker 1: in the military. It's a quick way to get them out, 308 00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:22,720 Speaker 1: you know, so they don't have what uh you know, 309 00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:25,320 Speaker 1: some officers in the military referred to as problem in 310 00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:29,960 Speaker 1: children um and for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, 311 00:20:29,960 --> 00:20:34,959 Speaker 1: they've become a really commonplace. Something like fifteen percent of 312 00:20:35,040 --> 00:20:37,800 Speaker 1: Marines who left the Core in the year of two 313 00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:42,159 Speaker 1: thousand eleven did so with bad paper. So what that 314 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:46,040 Speaker 1: says is, either we've got a terrible, terrible recruiting problem 315 00:20:46,200 --> 00:20:50,320 Speaker 1: and recruiters are just you know, or having a fifteen 316 00:20:50,359 --> 00:20:53,359 Speaker 1: percent failure rate and you know, putting people in the 317 00:20:53,400 --> 00:20:57,680 Speaker 1: Core who are just terrible human beings, or the military 318 00:20:57,800 --> 00:21:01,840 Speaker 1: is misusing these types of discharges and imposing life sentences 319 00:21:01,840 --> 00:21:06,520 Speaker 1: on folks who um Instead of treating them like criminals, 320 00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:12,080 Speaker 1: be more appropriate to treat them like patients and rehabilitate 321 00:21:12,119 --> 00:21:14,439 Speaker 1: them so that, you know, hopefully in a lot of 322 00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:17,119 Speaker 1: cases they can be retained, stay in the military, and 323 00:21:17,160 --> 00:21:23,880 Speaker 1: continue to serve their country. So how did you come 324 00:21:23,920 --> 00:21:31,479 Speaker 1: about creating this, you know, this advocacy program. So in 325 00:21:32,160 --> 00:21:36,520 Speaker 1: two thousand and twelve, UM I had I had finally 326 00:21:36,520 --> 00:21:40,439 Speaker 1: gotten a job and I was pretty happy with it. 327 00:21:40,520 --> 00:21:42,680 Speaker 1: Is like a blue collar thing, working with my hands. 328 00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:47,560 Speaker 1: And then Hurricane Sandy happened and wiped out the shop 329 00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:49,800 Speaker 1: that I was working in, all the tools, everything I 330 00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:54,360 Speaker 1: had built, So I got laid off. UM and that's 331 00:21:54,359 --> 00:21:58,399 Speaker 1: when I found out I qualified for vocational rehabilitation. So 332 00:21:59,119 --> 00:22:01,440 Speaker 1: it's not an educate Asian program, right, you don't you 333 00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:04,840 Speaker 1: don't get this from the v A and you're guaranteed 334 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:08,399 Speaker 1: to go to school. It's it is what you know 335 00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:14,480 Speaker 1: the name implies. It's uh intended to make you, to 336 00:22:14,640 --> 00:22:17,560 Speaker 1: help you move forward in life in a way that 337 00:22:17,800 --> 00:22:21,600 Speaker 1: you are going to be gainfully employed and satisfied. It's 338 00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:26,399 Speaker 1: going to rehabilitate you. So in addition to medical treatment, UM, 339 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:30,320 Speaker 1: I went to the v A, got a counselor, evoke 340 00:22:30,400 --> 00:22:34,280 Speaker 1: rehab counselor, and determined that it would be a good 341 00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:36,639 Speaker 1: path for me to you know, finally head off the school. 342 00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:40,160 Speaker 1: Now with a general discharge, I wouldn't get the same 343 00:22:40,160 --> 00:22:43,200 Speaker 1: benefits as the g I bill um so no living 344 00:22:43,240 --> 00:22:46,680 Speaker 1: stipends to you know, pay my bills with, but it 345 00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:51,800 Speaker 1: would pay tuition, which was a tremendous health and at 346 00:22:51,800 --> 00:22:56,560 Speaker 1: my community college, I went from being the guy who 347 00:22:57,280 --> 00:22:59,919 Speaker 1: you know, kind of sat down in class, hood up 348 00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:04,000 Speaker 1: earbuds in and like you know, you know, did my 349 00:23:04,040 --> 00:23:07,040 Speaker 1: work and got out of there to being elected as 350 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:10,280 Speaker 1: the president of my student Veterans Club, representing something like 351 00:23:10,280 --> 00:23:17,679 Speaker 1: two fifty vets on campus. And that being immersed in 352 00:23:17,760 --> 00:23:21,960 Speaker 1: this veteran community is something that I had been completely 353 00:23:22,080 --> 00:23:25,720 Speaker 1: lacking as a result of my bad paper district. Couldn't 354 00:23:25,800 --> 00:23:30,399 Speaker 1: join the American Legion or veterans and service Wars, veterans 355 00:23:30,440 --> 00:23:34,200 Speaker 1: of foreign wars or anything like that at the time. Um. 356 00:23:34,240 --> 00:23:36,800 Speaker 1: But once I got that sense of community back and 357 00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:41,520 Speaker 1: the leadership position, which is you know, that's what I 358 00:23:41,640 --> 00:23:45,320 Speaker 1: was as a sergeant, gave me a sense of purpose. 359 00:23:46,119 --> 00:23:53,280 Speaker 1: And there I I came across a lawyer, UM who 360 00:23:53,280 --> 00:23:55,679 Speaker 1: I told my story too, and he said, you know, 361 00:23:56,960 --> 00:23:59,560 Speaker 1: jokingly goes, there ought to be a law and good 362 00:23:59,560 --> 00:24:02,280 Speaker 1: thing is is um one of those guys who used 363 00:24:02,280 --> 00:24:07,040 Speaker 1: to write laws. So he was a staffer for then 364 00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:10,520 Speaker 1: Senator Carl Levin, who was at the time the chair 365 00:24:10,520 --> 00:24:16,800 Speaker 1: of the Armed Services Committee. So Sky, this lawyer, Chuck Cutolo, 366 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:22,200 Speaker 1: gave me a crash course in advocacy in Lammy taught 367 00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:26,560 Speaker 1: me how to um tell my story, come up with 368 00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:30,800 Speaker 1: legislative solutions, meaning like laming stuff that lawmakers can do 369 00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:36,119 Speaker 1: to improve the situation, and help me get a couple 370 00:24:36,119 --> 00:24:39,760 Speaker 1: of suits and head down to d C. Within my 371 00:24:39,880 --> 00:24:43,040 Speaker 1: first year, Within a year of my first trip of 372 00:24:43,119 --> 00:24:45,560 Speaker 1: going down to d C. I got my first bill pass. 373 00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:50,160 Speaker 1: It's called the Military Mental Health Review Board Improvement Act, 374 00:24:50,280 --> 00:24:55,360 Speaker 1: which is a mouthful. I didn't pick the name UM. 375 00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:57,439 Speaker 1: But what that did was it made sure that people 376 00:24:57,520 --> 00:25:01,560 Speaker 1: like me who apply to h to have their discharge upgraded. 377 00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:05,359 Speaker 1: If you're applying on the basis of PTSD or tb 378 00:25:05,560 --> 00:25:09,119 Speaker 1: I or military sexual trauma as a mitigating factor, that 379 00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:13,639 Speaker 1: there has to be qualified mental health professional who is 380 00:25:14,040 --> 00:25:19,080 Speaker 1: on that review board who can review your records. Now, 381 00:25:19,880 --> 00:25:23,560 Speaker 1: prior to getting into school, I had appealed my discharge. 382 00:25:24,119 --> 00:25:29,400 Speaker 1: I went down to UM Crystal City, right outside Washington, 383 00:25:29,480 --> 00:25:31,800 Speaker 1: d C. Where the Army has got their Army Review 384 00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:36,080 Speaker 1: Board agency, and I had an in person hearing, and 385 00:25:36,480 --> 00:25:38,800 Speaker 1: luckily I had a lawyer who was helping me out 386 00:25:38,840 --> 00:25:43,359 Speaker 1: pro bono, and that firm paid to fly in five 387 00:25:43,359 --> 00:25:46,960 Speaker 1: guys who I served with, including the captain who I've 388 00:25:47,160 --> 00:25:52,159 Speaker 1: directly reported to my fire support officer almost my entire career. 389 00:25:53,520 --> 00:25:56,400 Speaker 1: And you know, it ends up being six guys who 390 00:25:56,440 --> 00:26:00,320 Speaker 1: deployed together, you know, crying and sobbing about the ship 391 00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:03,639 Speaker 1: we went through together, and uh, you know, talking about 392 00:26:03,640 --> 00:26:05,919 Speaker 1: the changes that they saw in me and my and 393 00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:11,399 Speaker 1: themselves between pre and post deployment. UM. And at that 394 00:26:11,440 --> 00:26:14,400 Speaker 1: point I had had you know, four or five years 395 00:26:14,440 --> 00:26:18,280 Speaker 1: of mental health treatment records that I submitted as evidence 396 00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:23,680 Speaker 1: for PTSD. And the law was is that there needed 397 00:26:23,720 --> 00:26:27,920 Speaker 1: to be a doctor who reviewed any medical records for 398 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:31,959 Speaker 1: the distrudge review Board. UM. So the Army complied with 399 00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:34,879 Speaker 1: the law but not the intent and had a pediatrist, 400 00:26:35,160 --> 00:26:39,720 Speaker 1: the foot doctor, look at my PTSD records, and that 401 00:26:39,800 --> 00:26:44,199 Speaker 1: foot doctor determined that my head was in you know, 402 00:26:44,880 --> 00:26:49,280 Speaker 1: I guess find space and determined that my diagnosis of 403 00:26:49,359 --> 00:26:55,240 Speaker 1: PTSD could not be definitively attributed to my service in Iraq. UM. 404 00:26:55,240 --> 00:26:58,200 Speaker 1: This foot doctor even suggested, well, you can get PTSD 405 00:26:58,280 --> 00:27:00,159 Speaker 1: from other things, you know, maybe you were in a 406 00:27:00,160 --> 00:27:06,359 Speaker 1: car accident or maybe you got raped, um, which is insane. 407 00:27:06,480 --> 00:27:09,399 Speaker 1: So he's basically asking me to prove that I have 408 00:27:09,480 --> 00:27:14,000 Speaker 1: never been in a car accident or raped m completely 409 00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:18,480 Speaker 1: ignoring you know, hundreds of pages of documentation about my 410 00:27:19,119 --> 00:27:25,800 Speaker 1: treatment related to my service and Iraq. So it's um. 411 00:27:25,840 --> 00:27:30,200 Speaker 1: You know, what started high ground veteran's advocacy is getting 412 00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:34,160 Speaker 1: screwed over and seeing it happened to a lot of people. 413 00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:37,920 Speaker 1: So this wasn't something that you had ever planned on 414 00:27:37,960 --> 00:27:41,439 Speaker 1: doing or you know, after the military. This was just 415 00:27:41,520 --> 00:27:45,840 Speaker 1: kind of thrust on you exactly. Yeah. And when I 416 00:27:46,640 --> 00:27:49,200 Speaker 1: when I first started going to school, I had these ideas, 417 00:27:49,200 --> 00:27:53,640 Speaker 1: this idea of being a prosthetics engineer. Um, a good 418 00:27:53,640 --> 00:27:58,240 Speaker 1: body of mine, who is a power lifter, who's who's 419 00:27:59,359 --> 00:28:03,240 Speaker 1: escape plan from the army was too after his contract 420 00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:05,760 Speaker 1: was was to become an underwear model. And maybe he 421 00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:07,720 Speaker 1: could have done that, maybe not. But the guy was 422 00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:11,560 Speaker 1: basically like the Hulk, and he he lost one of 423 00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:17,480 Speaker 1: his hands. Um, and he you know, after being in 424 00:28:17,480 --> 00:28:21,960 Speaker 1: a hospital for a few months. He um, they basically 425 00:28:21,960 --> 00:28:23,919 Speaker 1: gave him a clamp to put on his arm and 426 00:28:23,960 --> 00:28:29,520 Speaker 1: he's still powerlifting. He's uh. I mean, the demand's a beast. Um. 427 00:28:30,240 --> 00:28:33,840 Speaker 1: But I thought, you know, after after this guy sacrificed 428 00:28:35,080 --> 00:28:39,240 Speaker 1: all this for his you know, his country, his entire 429 00:28:39,320 --> 00:28:42,480 Speaker 1: body is just scarred up, had holes all over him 430 00:28:43,400 --> 00:28:46,480 Speaker 1: in addition to losing his hand, like they're just gonna 431 00:28:46,480 --> 00:28:50,520 Speaker 1: give him a hook two to mess around with. Um. 432 00:28:51,320 --> 00:28:53,000 Speaker 1: So I started school thinking I'm going to be a 433 00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:57,120 Speaker 1: prosthetics engineer. I'm gonna work on, you know, building my 434 00:28:57,120 --> 00:29:01,840 Speaker 1: buddy a better hand, hopefully, Um, then I learned that 435 00:29:02,480 --> 00:29:07,160 Speaker 1: after I took chemistry and physics and pre COLC, I 436 00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:12,440 Speaker 1: hated all of that stuff. Um you know, I had 437 00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:15,000 Speaker 1: the grades, but I didn't enjoy it. But what I 438 00:29:15,040 --> 00:29:18,320 Speaker 1: did enjoy it was going down to d C and um, 439 00:29:19,680 --> 00:29:22,320 Speaker 1: you know, helping to shape a law that I hope 440 00:29:22,880 --> 00:29:28,480 Speaker 1: is improving people's lives. And I took that first experience 441 00:29:28,600 --> 00:29:32,760 Speaker 1: that taking these tips from this lawyer, and turned it 442 00:29:32,800 --> 00:29:36,440 Speaker 1: into a program where I could teach other veterans how 443 00:29:36,440 --> 00:29:40,720 Speaker 1: to tell their own stories. Um so in ways things 444 00:29:40,760 --> 00:29:44,600 Speaker 1: that they've experienced, not just in military, but as veterans 445 00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:50,120 Speaker 1: that are really a result of loopholes or oversights or 446 00:29:50,160 --> 00:29:56,120 Speaker 1: abuses that are correctible. And um, what High Ground Veterans 447 00:29:56,160 --> 00:30:00,000 Speaker 1: Advocacy has done is we create We've created a fellow 448 00:30:00,040 --> 00:30:03,959 Speaker 1: ship program where veterans apply by writing a two page 449 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:07,960 Speaker 1: policy paper basically trying to convince me that not only 450 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:11,200 Speaker 1: can they identify a problem, but also that they can 451 00:30:11,240 --> 00:30:16,040 Speaker 1: identify solutions. And I helped them with things like, um, 452 00:30:16,720 --> 00:30:20,560 Speaker 1: you know, literally telling their story verbally to an audience, 453 00:30:21,520 --> 00:30:28,400 Speaker 1: writing opinion pieces, um you know, even email etiquette basically 454 00:30:28,440 --> 00:30:33,240 Speaker 1: the way that Washington d C works and it's that 455 00:30:33,480 --> 00:30:36,480 Speaker 1: skill set is transferable to so many things. You know, 456 00:30:36,560 --> 00:30:40,600 Speaker 1: I've I've done a lot of work on bad paper discharges, 457 00:30:40,800 --> 00:30:43,960 Speaker 1: helping bets like me who were kicked out. Um, you know, 458 00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:46,600 Speaker 1: I said in the beginning, how that's with O, T 459 00:30:46,880 --> 00:30:49,280 Speaker 1: H S or you know, typically told to take a 460 00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:50,920 Speaker 1: hike if they go to the v A and their 461 00:30:50,960 --> 00:30:54,280 Speaker 1: denied medical benefits. Well, that's not the situation anymore. You know. 462 00:30:54,360 --> 00:30:57,560 Speaker 1: We got two years ago we passed the Honor Our 463 00:30:57,600 --> 00:31:01,880 Speaker 1: Commitment Act, which ensured that any VET who has served 464 00:31:01,920 --> 00:31:06,600 Speaker 1: in supportive combat who believes they have PTSD t b 465 00:31:06,800 --> 00:31:10,840 Speaker 1: I military sexual trauma related condition can walk into the 466 00:31:10,960 --> 00:31:16,520 Speaker 1: v A UH and get emergency treatment when necessary and 467 00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:20,960 Speaker 1: a diagnosis and hopefully, um, you know, if they get 468 00:31:20,960 --> 00:31:23,400 Speaker 1: a diagnosis, the v A will take care of it 469 00:31:23,640 --> 00:31:29,320 Speaker 1: because it's a service connection service connected disability. Now, now 470 00:31:29,920 --> 00:31:35,080 Speaker 1: with your program, are you having um some success making 471 00:31:35,120 --> 00:31:39,360 Speaker 1: inroads into because I know Congress can be just a 472 00:31:39,360 --> 00:31:43,040 Speaker 1: a nightmare trying to get anything past in there. Yeah, 473 00:31:43,200 --> 00:31:49,480 Speaker 1: it's so. Congress is a is a funny thing. It's 474 00:31:49,760 --> 00:31:55,040 Speaker 1: really difficult for an outsider to come into Washington, d C. 475 00:31:55,160 --> 00:31:59,480 Speaker 1: And make a difference our our in training. Portion of 476 00:31:59,520 --> 00:32:02,000 Speaker 1: our program them is only a week long, and they're 477 00:32:02,080 --> 00:32:05,760 Speaker 1: only face to face with members of Congress and staff 478 00:32:05,840 --> 00:32:09,080 Speaker 1: for three days and formal settings. We help them schedule 479 00:32:09,200 --> 00:32:12,280 Speaker 1: meetings and that kind of thing. But I tell all 480 00:32:12,320 --> 00:32:15,880 Speaker 1: my fellows that the most powerful thing in Washington is 481 00:32:15,960 --> 00:32:19,120 Speaker 1: the cup or the glass in your hand. All of 482 00:32:19,200 --> 00:32:23,040 Speaker 1: the good work that I've ever gotten done is over 483 00:32:23,080 --> 00:32:27,120 Speaker 1: a coffee or a beer. So not only are we 484 00:32:27,160 --> 00:32:31,320 Speaker 1: doing classroom instruction and and helping people schedule meetings and 485 00:32:31,360 --> 00:32:35,760 Speaker 1: coaching them through how to propose a policy idea and 486 00:32:35,800 --> 00:32:39,360 Speaker 1: convince someone that they should put their name on it too, 487 00:32:40,200 --> 00:32:44,680 Speaker 1: U we have you know what in the military we 488 00:32:44,760 --> 00:32:50,959 Speaker 1: called mandatory fund um where we uh, we set up 489 00:32:50,960 --> 00:32:55,120 Speaker 1: an open bar and we invite you know, all of 490 00:32:55,400 --> 00:32:58,680 Speaker 1: my friends in Washington and and their friends who work 491 00:32:58,800 --> 00:33:03,040 Speaker 1: on the hill and veterans service organizations who work, you know, 492 00:33:03,200 --> 00:33:06,600 Speaker 1: for congressional staff. Sometimes we're lucky enough to have a 493 00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:09,560 Speaker 1: member of Congress come. And the deal is is that, 494 00:33:09,720 --> 00:33:13,160 Speaker 1: you know, I give all my fellows raffle tickets. And 495 00:33:13,200 --> 00:33:14,920 Speaker 1: the only way you can drink is if you have 496 00:33:15,080 --> 00:33:17,160 Speaker 1: raffle tickets. The only way you can get a raffle 497 00:33:17,240 --> 00:33:20,200 Speaker 1: ticket all of our guests is if you talk to 498 00:33:20,280 --> 00:33:22,720 Speaker 1: our fellow and you trade a business card for the 499 00:33:22,800 --> 00:33:29,240 Speaker 1: raffle ticket. So our mandatory fund becomes a crash course 500 00:33:29,320 --> 00:33:34,120 Speaker 1: networking session where they're connecting with the people who actually 501 00:33:34,560 --> 00:33:37,240 Speaker 1: you know, who know how to get laws passed and 502 00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:41,440 Speaker 1: who you know, hopefully they find someone who's particularly interested 503 00:33:41,480 --> 00:33:46,240 Speaker 1: in their topic. You know, we've and we don't do 504 00:33:46,320 --> 00:33:48,280 Speaker 1: a lot of people, you know, see the website, see 505 00:33:48,280 --> 00:33:50,560 Speaker 1: my work and they think, oh, this is an organization 506 00:33:50,600 --> 00:33:53,720 Speaker 1: that just helps veterans of bad paper, And no, that's 507 00:33:53,760 --> 00:33:56,080 Speaker 1: that's my story. That's my narrative, and that's what I 508 00:33:56,200 --> 00:34:00,920 Speaker 1: used to teach veterans how to tell their stories. Um. 509 00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:05,600 Speaker 1: But my latest class, we had a woman who served 510 00:34:05,600 --> 00:34:09,400 Speaker 1: in the army in the eighties, uh and has since 511 00:34:09,440 --> 00:34:15,360 Speaker 1: become a midwife. Now, when I first met her, I 512 00:34:15,360 --> 00:34:17,800 Speaker 1: didn't know the difference between a midwife and a doula, 513 00:34:17,920 --> 00:34:20,520 Speaker 1: and I kind of thought this like it's this hippie thing, 514 00:34:20,640 --> 00:34:24,600 Speaker 1: like given birth and bathtubs type of thing. Um, but 515 00:34:25,040 --> 00:34:30,400 Speaker 1: mid midwiffery, it's not midwifeery. Midwiffery is a science, and 516 00:34:31,440 --> 00:34:38,320 Speaker 1: that science shows that midwives basically act as advocates for 517 00:34:38,960 --> 00:34:45,279 Speaker 1: expecting mothers and expectant mothers who have midwives coaching them 518 00:34:45,320 --> 00:34:50,520 Speaker 1: through the process of of pregnancy and giving birth achieved 519 00:34:50,560 --> 00:34:56,040 Speaker 1: better health outcomes than someone who, you know, someone who 520 00:34:56,120 --> 00:34:59,600 Speaker 1: just has relationship with an O. B. G Yan. So 521 00:35:00,400 --> 00:35:06,680 Speaker 1: her her idea was to increase access to midwives for 522 00:35:06,880 --> 00:35:11,359 Speaker 1: active duty troops and veterans. Um. You know. So we've 523 00:35:11,360 --> 00:35:14,640 Speaker 1: done everything from that to fix in loopholes in the 524 00:35:14,719 --> 00:35:20,239 Speaker 1: g I bill, UM to employment programs. UM. It's it's 525 00:35:20,239 --> 00:35:24,680 Speaker 1: been a deserved diverse set of of of fellows with 526 00:35:24,760 --> 00:35:30,560 Speaker 1: the diverse set of stories and policy ideas, and uh, 527 00:35:30,600 --> 00:35:32,520 Speaker 1: you know, I'm I'm proud to say that they've been 528 00:35:32,560 --> 00:35:37,120 Speaker 1: pretty damn effective. You know. It's I wanted to ask, 529 00:35:37,320 --> 00:35:40,120 Speaker 1: is it hard to get the guys to talk about themselves? 530 00:35:40,160 --> 00:35:43,760 Speaker 1: Because I know, like, if you give a military guy 531 00:35:44,040 --> 00:35:46,360 Speaker 1: a task, say okay, I need you to get in 532 00:35:46,360 --> 00:35:49,400 Speaker 1: front of five people and teach this. They'll get up 533 00:35:49,440 --> 00:35:52,120 Speaker 1: there and they'll rehearse it and they'll do a tremendous job. 534 00:35:52,400 --> 00:35:55,520 Speaker 1: You ask them to talk about themselves and they get 535 00:35:55,560 --> 00:35:59,640 Speaker 1: tongue tied. So is that something that you have to 536 00:35:59,680 --> 00:36:04,719 Speaker 1: work with each individual? Yeah? And you know, everybody's got 537 00:36:04,719 --> 00:36:09,400 Speaker 1: different levels of experience and different levels of of comfort 538 00:36:09,600 --> 00:36:14,760 Speaker 1: and confidence, and we, um, you know, try to build 539 00:36:14,760 --> 00:36:17,600 Speaker 1: a program. And we only do small classes, so it's 540 00:36:17,680 --> 00:36:21,640 Speaker 1: usually around three fellow poor fellows in a class at 541 00:36:21,640 --> 00:36:27,400 Speaker 1: a time for a week, and we dedicate um uh 542 00:36:27,440 --> 00:36:30,560 Speaker 1: you know, each each fellow is kind of getting their 543 00:36:30,560 --> 00:36:36,680 Speaker 1: own program, and we use them to coach one another. Uh. 544 00:36:36,719 --> 00:36:40,920 Speaker 1: You know, we're we assigned homework, right, so we the 545 00:36:40,960 --> 00:36:44,000 Speaker 1: first day is kind of this is how Washington works, 546 00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:47,560 Speaker 1: a crash course kind of thing. You know, let's let's 547 00:36:47,760 --> 00:36:50,120 Speaker 1: write out some ideas on how you can write a 548 00:36:50,160 --> 00:36:52,000 Speaker 1: policy paper. And at the end of the day, I'll say, 549 00:36:52,000 --> 00:36:54,879 Speaker 1: all right, well, by nine am tomorrow morning, you guys 550 00:36:54,880 --> 00:36:56,759 Speaker 1: have got to be back here and you all have 551 00:36:56,840 --> 00:36:59,719 Speaker 1: to have finished policy papers. So they go home and 552 00:36:59,719 --> 00:37:02,319 Speaker 1: they the study real quick and kind of figure out 553 00:37:02,320 --> 00:37:05,680 Speaker 1: how they're going to draft this one pager. Uh. And 554 00:37:05,880 --> 00:37:08,759 Speaker 1: you know, again the glasses come out, right. All good 555 00:37:08,840 --> 00:37:12,040 Speaker 1: work in Washington happens over a beer or coffee, so 556 00:37:12,360 --> 00:37:17,799 Speaker 1: they're neither caffeinating themselves or loosening up getting to know 557 00:37:17,960 --> 00:37:20,239 Speaker 1: one another. And then the next day, you know, you've 558 00:37:20,239 --> 00:37:23,439 Speaker 1: got that little bit of camaraderie. Um. You know, it's 559 00:37:23,560 --> 00:37:26,240 Speaker 1: it's nothing like you're going to get in basic training 560 00:37:26,239 --> 00:37:29,160 Speaker 1: of a few months of being being together, but having 561 00:37:29,200 --> 00:37:34,520 Speaker 1: a task that's difficult, that's out of your comfort zone. Um. 562 00:37:36,040 --> 00:37:38,200 Speaker 1: And and can be in a way painful for a 563 00:37:38,200 --> 00:37:40,600 Speaker 1: lot of people. Because a lot of people are describing 564 00:37:40,640 --> 00:37:45,240 Speaker 1: painful stories. You can draw people together really really quickly. 565 00:37:46,000 --> 00:37:49,480 Speaker 1: So are fellows or not just getting this network of 566 00:37:49,520 --> 00:37:52,200 Speaker 1: people who live and work in Washington work on policy, 567 00:37:52,239 --> 00:37:55,520 Speaker 1: but they're also connecting with other vets who are really 568 00:37:55,600 --> 00:38:01,280 Speaker 1: driven towards improving the lives of of their fellow vets. 569 00:38:01,840 --> 00:38:07,839 Speaker 1: Uh and service members and families. So very quickly they 570 00:38:07,840 --> 00:38:10,399 Speaker 1: get comfortable with one another. And after you know, we 571 00:38:11,800 --> 00:38:14,399 Speaker 1: teach them how to do their elevator pitch and we 572 00:38:14,560 --> 00:38:16,400 Speaker 1: you know, started two minutes and get it down a 573 00:38:16,480 --> 00:38:19,400 Speaker 1: fifteen seconds. By the time they've told their story sixty 574 00:38:19,440 --> 00:38:22,920 Speaker 1: times to one another, they can say it to anybody. 575 00:38:23,200 --> 00:38:29,040 Speaker 1: And Uh, it's it's really cool watching vets who otherwise 576 00:38:29,160 --> 00:38:33,080 Speaker 1: might have been clammed up about their personal experiences, UM, 577 00:38:34,120 --> 00:38:37,560 Speaker 1: learn how to use those personal experiences to improve other 578 00:38:37,640 --> 00:38:42,560 Speaker 1: people's lives. So you're getting like a bunch of different 579 00:38:42,640 --> 00:38:48,800 Speaker 1: vets who are passionate about a pluthora basically of different 580 00:38:49,719 --> 00:38:54,000 Speaker 1: you know, subjects. It's not just maybe one thing or another. 581 00:38:54,080 --> 00:38:57,359 Speaker 1: I mean, it's across the board. You're getting guys who 582 00:38:57,360 --> 00:39:02,040 Speaker 1: are interested in changing a lot of different things, sun't you. Yeah. Yeah, 583 00:39:02,080 --> 00:39:05,240 Speaker 1: And it's you know, it's not everything is Pentagon focused. 584 00:39:05,320 --> 00:39:09,960 Speaker 1: Not everything is v A focused. You know, in in 585 00:39:10,080 --> 00:39:13,680 Speaker 1: one class will we'll have someone who's focused on jobs 586 00:39:13,680 --> 00:39:18,080 Speaker 1: and employment. And like I said, midwiffery, which I didn't 587 00:39:18,080 --> 00:39:22,719 Speaker 1: even know how to pronounce until I don't neither. Yeah, 588 00:39:22,760 --> 00:39:26,719 Speaker 1: And it's funny. My son was born with a midwife. 589 00:39:27,360 --> 00:39:31,480 Speaker 1: When my wife went being pregnant, she had a midwife. 590 00:39:31,520 --> 00:39:35,399 Speaker 1: But until you said that, I always thought it was midwifery. 591 00:39:35,440 --> 00:39:38,839 Speaker 1: So now he's twenty two years old and I just 592 00:39:38,920 --> 00:39:42,080 Speaker 1: learned something new today. So well there you go. And 593 00:39:42,080 --> 00:39:46,239 Speaker 1: and that right there, so we get to know each 594 00:39:46,280 --> 00:39:50,360 Speaker 1: other really well this week in person training, and that 595 00:39:50,680 --> 00:39:57,080 Speaker 1: right there became her trip. So who's a registered nurse? 596 00:39:57,239 --> 00:40:01,319 Speaker 1: She's not you know, some kippy who you know has 597 00:40:01,360 --> 00:40:07,280 Speaker 1: people give birth and bathtubs. This woman babies but herself. 598 00:40:08,080 --> 00:40:10,400 Speaker 1: And then stop counting because she's like, what the fox's 599 00:40:10,440 --> 00:40:14,240 Speaker 1: the point after a while, so she hasn't even counted 600 00:40:14,280 --> 00:40:16,359 Speaker 1: for a few years. Right, So we would get into 601 00:40:16,400 --> 00:40:18,840 Speaker 1: a room and you know, you're sitting in front of 602 00:40:18,880 --> 00:40:22,560 Speaker 1: members of Congress who are very confident. They run for office, 603 00:40:22,600 --> 00:40:25,840 Speaker 1: they've won elections. You know, they think they know a 604 00:40:25,880 --> 00:40:29,600 Speaker 1: lot of stuff, and you know they've got Ivy League 605 00:40:29,600 --> 00:40:33,160 Speaker 1: degrees and all these Rhodes scholars and all those they're 606 00:40:33,360 --> 00:40:38,080 Speaker 1: very impressive. But when you get them to accidentally say 607 00:40:38,360 --> 00:40:46,600 Speaker 1: midwifery and this uh, this army vet who has dedicated 608 00:40:46,719 --> 00:40:50,160 Speaker 1: her life to midwiffery, you really knocked them down a 609 00:40:50,239 --> 00:40:53,520 Speaker 1: notch and you get them to realize very quickly that 610 00:40:53,600 --> 00:40:56,000 Speaker 1: they're not experts and everything, and it's time to listen 611 00:40:56,040 --> 00:40:59,959 Speaker 1: to this uh, this nice woman right here, because she's 612 00:41:00,040 --> 00:41:05,040 Speaker 1: going to teach you something. So yeah, so basically, you're 613 00:41:05,120 --> 00:41:08,080 Speaker 1: taking a very small group. Then I didn't realize how 614 00:41:08,120 --> 00:41:12,279 Speaker 1: small your groups are, and you're you're tailoring you know, 615 00:41:12,520 --> 00:41:18,200 Speaker 1: your class and the adversary goals around each individual person. 616 00:41:18,280 --> 00:41:21,960 Speaker 1: Then correct, Yeah, And what we do is we we 617 00:41:22,040 --> 00:41:25,400 Speaker 1: shape the experience so that every single thing from the 618 00:41:25,440 --> 00:41:29,560 Speaker 1: applications to the interview process, that the in person training 619 00:41:30,360 --> 00:41:33,399 Speaker 1: to the you know, the to do list on how 620 00:41:33,440 --> 00:41:37,200 Speaker 1: to get your idea to become a law. Everything is 621 00:41:37,480 --> 00:41:41,879 Speaker 1: individually tailored. Um I would I would love to have 622 00:41:42,000 --> 00:41:46,440 Speaker 1: classes of or thirty people doing this, you know, churning 623 00:41:46,440 --> 00:41:50,560 Speaker 1: out tons and tons and veterans each year to do this. 624 00:41:50,680 --> 00:41:57,080 Speaker 1: But um it's impossible. You know, we we are. Our 625 00:41:57,280 --> 00:42:01,400 Speaker 1: version of training is so hyper tailored the individual fellows 626 00:42:01,440 --> 00:42:03,960 Speaker 1: that it's it's really all about them, and I wouldn't 627 00:42:04,000 --> 00:42:07,319 Speaker 1: be able to divide my time and attention into that 628 00:42:07,360 --> 00:42:11,920 Speaker 1: many fellows. And now I started this nonprofit while as 629 00:42:11,920 --> 00:42:14,520 Speaker 1: a time student, while it was full time working for 630 00:42:14,600 --> 00:42:20,640 Speaker 1: Vietnam Veterans in America UM, a congressionally charged service organization. 631 00:42:21,840 --> 00:42:25,279 Speaker 1: Life has changed a lot for me in I unfortunately 632 00:42:25,280 --> 00:42:28,839 Speaker 1: got laid off due to COVID, but I also graduated. 633 00:42:29,680 --> 00:42:32,840 Speaker 1: So I'm at a point in my life where I 634 00:42:32,880 --> 00:42:39,920 Speaker 1: am hoping to to get the resources together two do 635 00:42:40,120 --> 00:42:47,560 Speaker 1: multiple classes per year. My goal is to basically be 636 00:42:48,000 --> 00:42:54,160 Speaker 1: the premier training program for veteran advocates in the country. 637 00:42:54,920 --> 00:42:57,520 Speaker 1: There's nothing quite like it. You know, there are veteran 638 00:42:57,560 --> 00:43:03,640 Speaker 1: service organizations that do UM do fellowships and do advocacy training, 639 00:43:03,719 --> 00:43:07,720 Speaker 1: but it's usually restricted to a certain number of things, 640 00:43:07,760 --> 00:43:12,400 Speaker 1: Like if you are doing the Student Veterans America and 641 00:43:12,560 --> 00:43:19,000 Speaker 1: vfw's Partnership training, Uh, it's really student veteran focused, right, 642 00:43:19,200 --> 00:43:23,840 Speaker 1: And uh, when you take the entire population of American 643 00:43:23,920 --> 00:43:28,080 Speaker 1: vets million, well then you cut it down to, you know, 644 00:43:28,160 --> 00:43:30,759 Speaker 1: people who have recently served. Well, now you're just talking 645 00:43:30,840 --> 00:43:34,560 Speaker 1: about you know, a few million, and then you cut 646 00:43:34,560 --> 00:43:37,560 Speaker 1: it down to those who have deployed overseas, because you 647 00:43:37,600 --> 00:43:40,120 Speaker 1: have to have deployed overseas to me and VFW, Well 648 00:43:40,200 --> 00:43:43,120 Speaker 1: you've cut that down, and then you have to be 649 00:43:43,760 --> 00:43:47,040 Speaker 1: not only a recent VET who's deployed overseas, but you 650 00:43:47,120 --> 00:43:49,200 Speaker 1: also have to be a student. Right. So now you've 651 00:43:49,239 --> 00:43:54,279 Speaker 1: only got this tiny population who are even avail eligible 652 00:43:54,840 --> 00:43:58,760 Speaker 1: for training. Right. And that's not to criticize their program, 653 00:43:59,040 --> 00:44:03,879 Speaker 1: but they're doing something very specific to help their organization's 654 00:44:04,040 --> 00:44:09,240 Speaker 1: mission drive forward, which is improving the lives of service members, 655 00:44:09,560 --> 00:44:14,120 Speaker 1: protecting and strengthening the g I Bill. But our mission 656 00:44:14,560 --> 00:44:18,440 Speaker 1: is more broad than that. It is strictly to train veterans. 657 00:44:18,920 --> 00:44:25,640 Speaker 1: So we're not limited by subject matter or era or 658 00:44:25,840 --> 00:44:31,880 Speaker 1: branch or whether or not you've deployed. And you know 659 00:44:32,200 --> 00:44:38,760 Speaker 1: you are you building are you building relationships with veteran 660 00:44:38,840 --> 00:44:45,160 Speaker 1: service organizations or military service organizations? And you know, because 661 00:44:45,600 --> 00:44:48,319 Speaker 1: I think you know these things could go hand in hand, 662 00:44:48,320 --> 00:44:52,560 Speaker 1: could they not? Absolutely? UM? So I used to work 663 00:44:52,640 --> 00:44:56,920 Speaker 1: at until this COVID layoff thing. I used to work 664 00:44:56,920 --> 00:45:00,520 Speaker 1: at a veteran service organization in DC on the policy 665 00:45:00,560 --> 00:45:03,680 Speaker 1: team for the last four years. And Vietnam Veterans America 666 00:45:03,760 --> 00:45:07,240 Speaker 1: has hosted our training it's it's been our training site 667 00:45:07,360 --> 00:45:10,759 Speaker 1: their office for the last few years. Some of my 668 00:45:10,880 --> 00:45:15,680 Speaker 1: fellows have gone on to UM like one Maureen Elias, 669 00:45:15,719 --> 00:45:18,439 Speaker 1: was in my first class. She's become a board member 670 00:45:18,480 --> 00:45:22,480 Speaker 1: of High Ground Veterans Advocacy and UH for a couple 671 00:45:22,480 --> 00:45:25,319 Speaker 1: of years was my colleague of Vietnam Veterans America and 672 00:45:25,360 --> 00:45:29,960 Speaker 1: now works for Paralyzed Veterans in America. UM. And we've got, 673 00:45:30,080 --> 00:45:33,239 Speaker 1: you know, fellows who have gone back to their their 674 00:45:33,280 --> 00:45:37,359 Speaker 1: home states and who have become local leaders in their 675 00:45:38,360 --> 00:45:43,359 Speaker 1: veterans organizations. UM. And you know that the mandatory fund 676 00:45:43,360 --> 00:45:46,879 Speaker 1: that I mentioned earlier, UM, you know that that keeps 677 00:45:46,920 --> 00:45:52,680 Speaker 1: your group of friends UH quite large. So UH you 678 00:45:52,680 --> 00:45:55,440 Speaker 1: know I bribed people to hang out with us. UM, 679 00:45:55,800 --> 00:45:58,760 Speaker 1: you know, to make sure that our fellows networks are 680 00:45:58,800 --> 00:46:02,600 Speaker 1: as as good as they possibly can be. Well, you know, 681 00:46:02,640 --> 00:46:06,560 Speaker 1: and I think this is uh, this is a really 682 00:46:07,080 --> 00:46:12,080 Speaker 1: different way of helping veterans and especially I would think, 683 00:46:12,800 --> 00:46:15,799 Speaker 1: and I'm no expert by any stretch of the imagination, 684 00:46:15,840 --> 00:46:18,719 Speaker 1: but just you know, reading a little bit about what 685 00:46:18,800 --> 00:46:22,080 Speaker 1: you guys do and talking to you, I think this, 686 00:46:22,320 --> 00:46:25,759 Speaker 1: you know, having something like this out there would really 687 00:46:25,760 --> 00:46:29,600 Speaker 1: help a lot of guys in that transition period, you know, 688 00:46:29,640 --> 00:46:33,160 Speaker 1: when they know that their time is getting short as well, 689 00:46:33,640 --> 00:46:36,799 Speaker 1: because that's the time when a lot of guys realize 690 00:46:37,520 --> 00:46:42,320 Speaker 1: that they have either an issue or a passion. You know. Um. 691 00:46:43,239 --> 00:46:53,000 Speaker 1: Uh is this something that you can get expanded upon? Yeah? So, um. 692 00:46:53,080 --> 00:46:56,839 Speaker 1: You know, the pandemic has made kind of a lot 693 00:46:56,960 --> 00:47:00,920 Speaker 1: for us, right. We can't do in person training. You know, 694 00:47:00,960 --> 00:47:03,120 Speaker 1: there's no way that we're flying people from around the 695 00:47:03,120 --> 00:47:06,360 Speaker 1: country to come to d C going to have chances 696 00:47:06,360 --> 00:47:09,560 Speaker 1: to shake hands with lawmakers and stuff. So we're in 697 00:47:09,680 --> 00:47:15,359 Speaker 1: kind of holding the pattern at the moment, but moving forward. Um, 698 00:47:15,400 --> 00:47:18,560 Speaker 1: you know, what I hope to do is give people 699 00:47:18,600 --> 00:47:22,200 Speaker 1: the same opportunity that I found when I met that 700 00:47:22,200 --> 00:47:26,840 Speaker 1: that lawyer at my community college. Um you know, take 701 00:47:26,960 --> 00:47:34,520 Speaker 1: the uh, the anger, that the depression, anxiety, and focus 702 00:47:34,560 --> 00:47:38,040 Speaker 1: it into a positive And that's what I've done with 703 00:47:38,160 --> 00:47:45,080 Speaker 1: my anibacy, um, you know, and how I was driven 704 00:47:45,160 --> 00:47:48,840 Speaker 1: to serve not just by a desire to know, serve 705 00:47:48,920 --> 00:47:52,320 Speaker 1: my country and uniform, but also you know, I wanted 706 00:47:52,400 --> 00:47:56,840 Speaker 1: vengeance for those New Yorkers who died on nine eleven 707 00:47:56,840 --> 00:48:02,080 Speaker 1: and for my friends who lost people on that day. Um. Well, 708 00:48:02,120 --> 00:48:06,640 Speaker 1: that anger, you know is uh, I think always going 709 00:48:06,680 --> 00:48:09,200 Speaker 1: to be a part of me in some way, and 710 00:48:09,200 --> 00:48:13,160 Speaker 1: in that anger, I've learned to channel it into all right, 711 00:48:13,200 --> 00:48:16,640 Speaker 1: well you know, the Pentagon, the Army, uh, you know, 712 00:48:16,719 --> 00:48:19,000 Speaker 1: kick me out and messed up my life for a 713 00:48:19,000 --> 00:48:20,680 Speaker 1: few years. Well now I'm going to be a pain 714 00:48:20,719 --> 00:48:23,440 Speaker 1: in the ass to the Pentagon for the rest of 715 00:48:23,480 --> 00:48:26,239 Speaker 1: my life. And that's what I've done. Um, you know, 716 00:48:26,960 --> 00:48:31,680 Speaker 1: rather than have a podiatrists looking over medical records, oh 717 00:48:32,000 --> 00:48:35,520 Speaker 1: you know, I'm a foot doctor. But your PTV, well, 718 00:48:35,640 --> 00:48:37,680 Speaker 1: now they have to comply with the law that I 719 00:48:37,800 --> 00:48:41,720 Speaker 1: helped to write. The Military Mental Health Review Board improvement 720 00:48:42,080 --> 00:48:44,600 Speaker 1: makes it so it has to be a psychiatrist, psychologist, 721 00:48:44,719 --> 00:48:49,799 Speaker 1: or someone with specific training and mental health. So, um, 722 00:48:49,840 --> 00:48:54,480 Speaker 1: you know it's it's uh, we are all about taking 723 00:48:54,520 --> 00:48:59,160 Speaker 1: those things that drive us as service members, as veterans, 724 00:49:00,280 --> 00:49:02,600 Speaker 1: you know, whether that's a desire to serve your country 725 00:49:02,960 --> 00:49:07,520 Speaker 1: or UM, you know, you wanna make some perceived bad 726 00:49:07,560 --> 00:49:10,400 Speaker 1: guys have a bad day, We'll figure out a way 727 00:49:10,560 --> 00:49:13,560 Speaker 1: to do it in a positive way. Uh, improving the 728 00:49:13,600 --> 00:49:18,000 Speaker 1: lives of service members, veterans and their families and you know, 729 00:49:18,520 --> 00:49:22,240 Speaker 1: protecting their benefits as well. And UH, I think that's 730 00:49:22,280 --> 00:49:25,880 Speaker 1: this is this is something I hadn't heard of until 731 00:49:26,280 --> 00:49:29,640 Speaker 1: we were introduced, and I think this is a great program. 732 00:49:29,640 --> 00:49:33,719 Speaker 1: How can people apply to this? So they can go 733 00:49:33,800 --> 00:49:38,319 Speaker 1: to high Ground Vets dot org and they can check 734 00:49:38,360 --> 00:49:40,600 Speaker 1: out our website. They can actually look through all of 735 00:49:40,640 --> 00:49:43,680 Speaker 1: our fellows UM, so they can see what each class 736 00:49:43,719 --> 00:49:46,040 Speaker 1: looked like and what kind of missions they picked up 737 00:49:46,120 --> 00:49:49,760 Speaker 1: and see you know that there's a very diverse crowd 738 00:49:49,800 --> 00:49:51,840 Speaker 1: in there. You know, we don't have a stereotype that 739 00:49:51,880 --> 00:49:56,080 Speaker 1: we're we're looking for UM and will will be opening 740 00:49:56,160 --> 00:50:00,799 Speaker 1: up applications when we feel it's safe to resume our 741 00:50:00,840 --> 00:50:04,880 Speaker 1: training in DC. So for now, the best thing that 742 00:50:04,920 --> 00:50:06,879 Speaker 1: people can do is go to high Ground Vets dot 743 00:50:07,000 --> 00:50:09,799 Speaker 1: org and sign up for our email list, and as 744 00:50:09,840 --> 00:50:12,280 Speaker 1: soon as we open up applications again, they'll be among 745 00:50:12,320 --> 00:50:16,359 Speaker 1: the first to know. That's awesome. Hey, Chris, I want 746 00:50:16,360 --> 00:50:22,200 Speaker 1: to thank you for joining us this afternoon. I really appreciate, uh, 747 00:50:22,360 --> 00:50:24,719 Speaker 1: you're taking the time and talking to us again. I 748 00:50:24,719 --> 00:50:27,680 Speaker 1: mean I I hadn't heard of your organization until we 749 00:50:27,680 --> 00:50:32,040 Speaker 1: were introduced. And you know, I think our listeners should 750 00:50:32,120 --> 00:50:35,840 Speaker 1: definitely and our readers as well check out high Ground 751 00:50:35,880 --> 00:50:40,200 Speaker 1: vets um check out the things that they're doing, because 752 00:50:40,280 --> 00:50:45,920 Speaker 1: there's different ways of you know, protecting and expanding our 753 00:50:45,960 --> 00:50:49,960 Speaker 1: benefits that we've all earned and sometimes we're not getting 754 00:50:50,000 --> 00:50:54,240 Speaker 1: and uh, Chris is living proof of that. So UM, 755 00:50:54,280 --> 00:50:57,400 Speaker 1: you know, sometimes we need we need advocates to talk 756 00:50:57,920 --> 00:51:00,680 Speaker 1: for us. I think I wish I had the advocate 757 00:51:00,960 --> 00:51:03,280 Speaker 1: when I went to the medical board and at Walter 758 00:51:03,320 --> 00:51:07,359 Speaker 1: Read after I got hurt own active duty. Um, things 759 00:51:07,480 --> 00:51:09,359 Speaker 1: might have turned out a little bit better for me. 760 00:51:09,719 --> 00:51:12,960 Speaker 1: But that's a story for another time. Chris, thank you 761 00:51:13,080 --> 00:51:16,879 Speaker 1: again for joining us. We really appreciate your time and 762 00:51:16,960 --> 00:51:19,920 Speaker 1: what you're doing for veterans all over the United States. 763 00:51:20,920 --> 00:51:23,520 Speaker 1: Thank you, brother, Thanks, thank you for helping to get 764 00:51:23,600 --> 00:51:26,200 Speaker 1: us out there. High Ground Vets is a you know, 765 00:51:26,239 --> 00:51:29,520 Speaker 1: a small organization. Um you know, we don't have an office, 766 00:51:30,560 --> 00:51:33,200 Speaker 1: basically runs out of wherever I am with my laptop. 767 00:51:35,160 --> 00:51:37,680 Speaker 1: So it's it's really cool to get this kind of exposure. 768 00:51:37,680 --> 00:51:40,480 Speaker 1: So we really appreciate you guys helping us. Let people 769 00:51:40,480 --> 00:51:43,239 Speaker 1: know to go to high ground Vets dot org sign 770 00:51:43,320 --> 00:51:45,200 Speaker 1: up for our email lists so that when we open 771 00:51:45,280 --> 00:51:51,680 Speaker 1: up applications, they can uh, you know, apply for the program. Awesome, 772 00:51:51,840 --> 00:51:55,439 Speaker 1: and especially on today in nine eleven, it's it makes 773 00:51:55,480 --> 00:51:57,520 Speaker 1: it even more important that we take care of our 774 00:51:57,520 --> 00:52:01,480 Speaker 1: own because there's so many people out there that need help. 775 00:52:01,719 --> 00:52:05,840 Speaker 1: So we want to thank everyone for listening today. Thanking 776 00:52:05,960 --> 00:52:10,879 Speaker 1: are obviously our guest Chris high Ground Vets obviously as 777 00:52:10,920 --> 00:52:16,080 Speaker 1: well on a software radio on time on target again, 778 00:52:16,680 --> 00:52:19,880 Speaker 1: check out the organization see if you can help. Maybe 779 00:52:20,120 --> 00:52:23,680 Speaker 1: it's something that one of our listeners is interested in 780 00:52:23,800 --> 00:52:28,640 Speaker 1: checking out and joining the program. We hope you know 781 00:52:28,840 --> 00:52:32,000 Speaker 1: you all do that and Chris, all the best to 782 00:52:32,040 --> 00:52:34,799 Speaker 1: you in the future. All right, thank you brother, have 783 00:52:34,840 --> 00:52:54,319 Speaker 1: a great day YouTube. Love been listening to self Repadia