WEBVTT 1 00:00:05.360 --> 00:00:09.199 Multiple people in my family clean my father, are veterans. 2 00:00:09.039 --> 00:00:11.519 Troops that have been to war and now they're back. 3 00:00:11.279 --> 00:00:13.439 And think and be grateful for their. 4 00:00:13.240 --> 00:00:18.000 Service, sacrifice, love for their country, just unselfishness, all that 5 00:00:18.079 --> 00:00:19.079 they do for us. 6 00:00:19.199 --> 00:00:22.519 There are some people in this country who take extraordinary 7 00:00:22.559 --> 00:00:25.399 steps to provide for the freedom and security. 8 00:00:25.640 --> 00:00:27.079 We forget that those people exist. 9 00:00:27.800 --> 00:00:31.079 We know them as the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, 10 00:00:31.160 --> 00:00:39.119 and Coast Guard. They call themselves soldiers, seals, rangers, airmen, sailors, devil. 11 00:00:38.840 --> 00:00:40.840 Dogs, and so much more. 12 00:00:42.039 --> 00:00:47.520 We call them fathers, brothers, sons and husbands, mothers, daughters, 13 00:00:47.560 --> 00:00:52.960 sisters and wives. We call them friend and neighbor. These 14 00:00:53.039 --> 00:01:00.359 veterans answered the call. Now we answer theirs and today 15 00:01:00.759 --> 00:01:03.520 are the best our country has to offer. And we 16 00:01:03.600 --> 00:01:08.400 love them. Today, we honor them, and we serve this. 17 00:01:11.879 --> 00:01:15.840 David Malsby is your host, and he welcomes you to 18 00:01:15.920 --> 00:01:20.719 this community of veterans. As together we are building the 19 00:01:20.920 --> 00:01:24.280 road to hope, and. 20 00:01:24.200 --> 00:01:25.640 Indeed we are glad to have you along. 21 00:01:25.680 --> 00:01:28.280 On a Sunday afternoon, those of you listening through the 22 00:01:28.359 --> 00:01:30.599 kPr C the nine to five oh on the AM 23 00:01:30.640 --> 00:01:33.040 dialand Houston, Texas, thank you for joining us. Those of 24 00:01:33.079 --> 00:01:36.200 you who listen through the Magic Podcast, thank you so 25 00:01:36.280 --> 00:01:37.000 much for doing so. 26 00:01:37.040 --> 00:01:40.319 Wherever you get your podcast, just look for Road to 27 00:01:40.359 --> 00:01:40.879 Hope Radio. 28 00:01:40.920 --> 00:01:43.599 We truly do appreciate it when you hit that'll subscribe button, 29 00:01:44.239 --> 00:01:48.879 and especially when you share it with your friends, enemies, neighbors, 30 00:01:49.079 --> 00:01:52.480 former neighbors, whoever. Thank you for sharing it. We appreciate 31 00:01:52.560 --> 00:01:55.400 everyone you meet could use a little bit of hope today. 32 00:01:55.400 --> 00:01:58.480 So thank you so very very much. Great big thank 33 00:01:58.519 --> 00:02:00.719 you to our sponsors allow us the opportunity to spend 34 00:02:00.719 --> 00:02:02.840 a little time with you each and every week. A 35 00:02:02.959 --> 00:02:05.799 Corey Diamond and Design a c O ri I billion 36 00:02:05.879 --> 00:02:08.479 Connie Stagner two A one four A two forty seven 37 00:02:08.560 --> 00:02:11.680 fifty five had the privilege to spend a little time 38 00:02:11.719 --> 00:02:14.319 within this past week A cory a c ri I 39 00:02:14.520 --> 00:02:17.159 Corey Diamond and Design one. It's time to get that 40 00:02:18.080 --> 00:02:21.319 something special for someone special in your life. 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Awesome people, longtime supporters through Texas 52 00:03:03.319 --> 00:03:06.080 Grand Ranch and Republic Grand Ranch. They've been great supporters 53 00:03:06.080 --> 00:03:10.159 of all things Camp Hope. Truly wonderful people. So when 54 00:03:10.199 --> 00:03:11.919 you're ready to build that dream home, you want to 55 00:03:11.919 --> 00:03:16.039 have it in a right spot. That's Republic Grand Ranch 56 00:03:17.120 --> 00:03:21.840 dot Com. All right, we've got a couple of combat 57 00:03:21.919 --> 00:03:26.319 vet's with us here today, one on staff, one that's 58 00:03:26.319 --> 00:03:30.560 in our program at Camp Hope. Want to introduce yourself 59 00:03:30.599 --> 00:03:33.439 to the world again. It's been a minute. 60 00:03:34.719 --> 00:03:39.680 Hello everybody. Linnburgh Freeman, Yellow Face Mentor PTSD Foundation of 61 00:03:39.719 --> 00:03:41.159 America at Camp Hope. 62 00:03:41.719 --> 00:03:42.360 And where are you from? 63 00:03:42.400 --> 00:03:45.360 Originally born and raised in New York, New York. We've 64 00:03:45.360 --> 00:03:48.080 got a couple of New York guys here with us today, Branch. 65 00:03:48.159 --> 00:03:49.400 And where you're deployed. 66 00:03:49.879 --> 00:03:55.520 Army deployed to Iraq two thousand eleven, Operation New don okay, 67 00:03:56.680 --> 00:03:57.159 your turn. 68 00:03:57.319 --> 00:04:03.120 Hey, my name is Mike Faglice. I'm also from New York, Buffalo, 69 00:04:03.199 --> 00:04:06.800 New York. Though I was in the Army. I was 70 00:04:06.840 --> 00:04:13.520 a combat engineer. I served in Afghanistan. Did one tour 71 00:04:13.560 --> 00:04:14.039 over there. 72 00:04:15.080 --> 00:04:16.040 Okay, and when was that? 73 00:04:16.959 --> 00:04:17.680 I believe it. 74 00:04:17.639 --> 00:04:21.720 Was six to nine. I did seventeen. 75 00:04:21.279 --> 00:04:22.800 Months long deployment. 76 00:04:22.839 --> 00:04:25.879 It was a long deployment. Yeah, gotcha. All right, So 77 00:04:25.920 --> 00:04:28.680 you're from Buffalo. You a Bills fan? 78 00:04:29.800 --> 00:04:32.519 Not really not, you know, I used to follow when 79 00:04:32.519 --> 00:04:34.319 I was a kid, when I lived there, but it's 80 00:04:34.639 --> 00:04:40.560 too many letdowns. So yeah, all the Buffalonians back home 81 00:04:40.600 --> 00:04:43.399 would probably want to wring my neck. But for saying that. 82 00:04:43.439 --> 00:04:46.240 But I mean, you know, I didn't follow sports too 83 00:04:46.319 --> 00:04:49.600 much growing up. Okay, so I didn't even into my adulthood, 84 00:04:49.600 --> 00:04:52.680 I didn't follow sports too much. I I focused on 85 00:04:52.759 --> 00:04:53.319 other things. 86 00:04:53.600 --> 00:04:56.079 What were you into as a kid, getting. 87 00:04:55.800 --> 00:04:59.120 In trouble, running the streets with my friends, riding bikes, 88 00:04:59.199 --> 00:05:02.480 doing what kids do, right, you know, just running through 89 00:05:02.519 --> 00:05:07.519 the neighborhood, yelling at girls, throwing rocks at cars, being 90 00:05:07.560 --> 00:05:11.519 boys playing baseball. Never watched it, but I played a 91 00:05:11.560 --> 00:05:14.399 little bit of baseball of it. Yeah, just with your friends. 92 00:05:14.399 --> 00:05:18.879 Nothing crazy, okay, yeah, all right, plenburg you a baseball player. 93 00:05:19.360 --> 00:05:22.839 Oh yeah, that was the typical thing in growing up 94 00:05:22.839 --> 00:05:25.639 in New York, you know, playing all sports, any and 95 00:05:25.720 --> 00:05:27.720 every sport that we can figure out, you know, getting 96 00:05:27.720 --> 00:05:31.040 the whole neighborhood of kids together, whether it be street 97 00:05:31.040 --> 00:05:36.160 basketball at the park, finding the field for football. We 98 00:05:36.199 --> 00:05:38.519 had a couple of baseball diamonds in our neighborhood and 99 00:05:38.519 --> 00:05:42.120 we'd get together and playing teams. So yeah, yeah, I 100 00:05:42.120 --> 00:05:44.279 grew up doing pretty much the same thing. 101 00:05:44.480 --> 00:05:48.279 We're in New York. For you Long Island, ohfer County, Yeah. 102 00:05:48.120 --> 00:05:48.560 All right. 103 00:05:50.079 --> 00:05:53.959 We have a great fundraiser that takes place every year 104 00:05:53.959 --> 00:06:00.560 in New York. It wasn't purchase New York. I can't 105 00:06:00.560 --> 00:06:03.879 remember what town the courts the courses in now that 106 00:06:03.920 --> 00:06:05.720 they've played the last couple of years have moved to 107 00:06:05.759 --> 00:06:12.839 a different course, but absolutely stunningly beautiful, absolutely beautiful. So 108 00:06:12.959 --> 00:06:14.600 looking forward to getting back up there here in a 109 00:06:14.639 --> 00:06:17.720 couple more weeks to attend that event. It's always a 110 00:06:17.720 --> 00:06:21.279 lot of fun and great group of people. Why do 111 00:06:21.319 --> 00:06:23.079 you join the army? 112 00:06:23.120 --> 00:06:26.279 You know, it's funny story. I really I wanted to 113 00:06:26.319 --> 00:06:29.439 join the marine Corps. As a kid, the commercials you 114 00:06:29.480 --> 00:06:32.399 saw on the TV where he's fighting the dragon with 115 00:06:32.480 --> 00:06:35.319 the sword, that was what was impressive to me, and 116 00:06:35.519 --> 00:06:39.680 it made me a sense of pride, and I always 117 00:06:39.680 --> 00:06:41.519 wanted to do that. I wanted to wear the uniform. 118 00:06:41.959 --> 00:06:45.639 It was about pride for me and honor and country. 119 00:06:45.720 --> 00:06:48.639 And I joined the army instead. I don't know how 120 00:06:48.680 --> 00:06:51.920 that happened, but it happened, and I'm grateful for that. 121 00:06:52.199 --> 00:06:54.319 But it was all about duty and country, and I 122 00:06:54.399 --> 00:06:58.120 just wanted to serve my community and my country. It 123 00:06:58.199 --> 00:07:00.319 was something I felt was necessary. 124 00:07:00.959 --> 00:07:04.480 Slay any dragons, no, no, no dragons, how about you Land. 125 00:07:06.199 --> 00:07:10.319 I believe it was just I joined late, so I 126 00:07:10.360 --> 00:07:13.279 was twenty four years old. You know, I didn't I 127 00:07:13.319 --> 00:07:15.720 never finished high school, so I couldn't join like right 128 00:07:15.759 --> 00:07:16.519 after high school. 129 00:07:16.600 --> 00:07:19.240 But I was a parent early. I was a parent. 130 00:07:19.360 --> 00:07:22.279 I've been to parent since I was eighteen. My daughter 131 00:07:22.360 --> 00:07:25.680 now was twenty two. But back at that time, I 132 00:07:25.720 --> 00:07:28.279 wanted to do other things and I thought that athletics 133 00:07:28.319 --> 00:07:29.800 were the way for me to do it, and so 134 00:07:29.920 --> 00:07:33.360 I grew up. I was involved in the boxing community, 135 00:07:34.319 --> 00:07:39.120 had a long amateur stint, won everything in the state 136 00:07:39.120 --> 00:07:42.000 of New York except for the Golden Gloves. It's a 137 00:07:42.120 --> 00:07:45.920 long tournament's four months. Yeah, so you know, and then 138 00:07:45.959 --> 00:07:49.879 I turned a professional that didn't work out, but I 139 00:07:49.920 --> 00:07:53.240 had a buddy who was on the Marines team. We 140 00:07:53.319 --> 00:07:53.959 grew up together. 141 00:07:54.040 --> 00:07:55.600 We'll take a quick break and we'll come back to 142 00:07:55.639 --> 00:07:57.439 that here in a second. This is Road to Hoope, Ri, 143 00:07:57.480 --> 00:07:58.160 it'll be right back. 144 00:08:03.439 --> 00:08:06.839 Who jes the ground and play so baby, it's their 145 00:08:06.839 --> 00:08:07.600 god time. 146 00:08:07.519 --> 00:08:20.839 Man, and welcome back to Road to Hope. Ray, You're 147 00:08:20.839 --> 00:08:21.279 glad to have you. 148 00:08:21.360 --> 00:08:26.040 Long gout, Lynnburgh, United States Army VET. Currently, what's your 149 00:08:26.079 --> 00:08:27.079 role at Camp Hope right now? 150 00:08:27.120 --> 00:08:27.720 What do you do? 151 00:08:28.079 --> 00:08:28.240 Well? 152 00:08:28.399 --> 00:08:28.759 Right now? 153 00:08:28.759 --> 00:08:30.680 I'm a Yellow phase mentor. 154 00:08:33.039 --> 00:08:36.039 For those driving around sixteen right now? What does yellow 155 00:08:36.039 --> 00:08:36.519 phase mean? 156 00:08:37.320 --> 00:08:42.519 That is the stage before graduation for our residents. It's 157 00:08:42.600 --> 00:08:46.120 the final two months of the program at Camp Hope 158 00:08:46.559 --> 00:08:50.960 and they come into my Yellow phase block. I have 159 00:08:51.159 --> 00:08:55.080 them for two months and I help them complete the 160 00:08:55.080 --> 00:08:58.399 program and you know, do my best to set them 161 00:08:58.480 --> 00:09:00.960 up for success or when they leave Camp Hope. 162 00:09:01.519 --> 00:09:03.480 So what are the There's no such thing as a 163 00:09:03.519 --> 00:09:06.240 typical day. There's a Camp Hope. Every day is a 164 00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:10.159 new day around there. But what's what's kind of a 165 00:09:10.200 --> 00:09:13.120 norm for a yellow phase mentors? 166 00:09:13.159 --> 00:09:14.639 What are we doing in the course of the day. 167 00:09:15.360 --> 00:09:17.600 In the course of the day, I am there when 168 00:09:17.600 --> 00:09:21.360 their day starts. Uh, you know, do their checking in 169 00:09:21.399 --> 00:09:21.879 the morning. 170 00:09:22.200 --> 00:09:22.440 Uh. 171 00:09:22.559 --> 00:09:26.720 We will do a daily devotional after our check ins, 172 00:09:26.879 --> 00:09:30.440 and then uh we'll start the class day. Like I 173 00:09:30.559 --> 00:09:35.519 teach classes on my own, or we can have outside 174 00:09:35.559 --> 00:09:40.279 resources coming and provide them with classes, whether they depending 175 00:09:40.320 --> 00:09:42.519 on what the residents need. You know, they're trying to 176 00:09:42.519 --> 00:09:46.120 find jobs. We'll get them classes on how to complete resumes, 177 00:09:46.919 --> 00:09:51.679 how to build link LinkedIn profiles, UH, savings and budgeting, 178 00:09:52.200 --> 00:09:56.639 home owner ship, renting a home, and credit repair, things 179 00:09:56.639 --> 00:09:59.080 of that nature, you know, just to try to give 180 00:09:59.159 --> 00:10:03.879 them a basic set of tools and knowledge to take 181 00:10:03.919 --> 00:10:06.559 with them on the outside to know how to rebuild 182 00:10:06.559 --> 00:10:08.440 these things. 183 00:10:09.159 --> 00:10:12.840 Mike, you mentioned you deployed in six When did you 184 00:10:12.919 --> 00:10:15.919 join the army? 185 00:10:16.320 --> 00:10:18.200 It was after nine to eleven. 186 00:10:19.240 --> 00:10:21.399 I wanted is that kind of a prompter for you? 187 00:10:21.720 --> 00:10:26.919 It was I was. I was working in a palette factory, 188 00:10:26.960 --> 00:10:29.919 believe it or not, making palettes. I had left school early. 189 00:10:30.960 --> 00:10:32.000 I had a child that. 190 00:10:32.039 --> 00:10:32.639 Was just born. 191 00:10:33.720 --> 00:10:38.759 I think I was eighteen years old roughly and working 192 00:10:38.799 --> 00:10:41.320 at this palette factory. We had no idea what was 193 00:10:41.360 --> 00:10:44.720 going on. The Twin Towers had gotten hit and everyone 194 00:10:44.840 --> 00:10:48.159 kind of like was going crazy, and I just was 195 00:10:48.159 --> 00:10:53.960 at work building palettes and I just felt like that 196 00:10:53.960 --> 00:10:56.759 that's what I needed to do. I mean, I dropped 197 00:10:56.759 --> 00:10:59.000 out of high school because of my child, and I 198 00:10:59.120 --> 00:11:04.159 was working a day job and I've always still in Buffalo, 199 00:11:04.240 --> 00:11:06.399 and I just was like, I have to do something different. 200 00:11:06.480 --> 00:11:08.279 In the Twin Towers hit and I said, that's it, 201 00:11:08.320 --> 00:11:11.000 I'm going. I've always wanted to, I never had the 202 00:11:11.039 --> 00:11:13.759 courage to do it. I kept getting scared, and then 203 00:11:13.799 --> 00:11:16.440 finally I said, this, this is it. This is the 204 00:11:16.519 --> 00:11:20.720 reason I got to do my part and help defend 205 00:11:20.759 --> 00:11:23.279 our freedoms in our country and wrong the rights and 206 00:11:24.120 --> 00:11:24.840 be a better man. 207 00:11:25.879 --> 00:11:26.759 That's I joined. 208 00:11:28.440 --> 00:11:29.759 So you were in for a little while before you 209 00:11:29.799 --> 00:11:30.960 actually deployed. 210 00:11:31.440 --> 00:11:34.360 A little bit not It wasn't exactly at two thousand 211 00:11:34.360 --> 00:11:35.559 and two thousand and one when I went in. 212 00:11:35.639 --> 00:11:36.000 I was. 213 00:11:36.399 --> 00:11:38.519 It was a little bit after, but yeah, So I 214 00:11:38.559 --> 00:11:41.960 did my work up. I went to Fort leonard Wood, Missouri, 215 00:11:42.720 --> 00:11:46.879 and there did basic training there, did oh set. So 216 00:11:46.960 --> 00:11:48.960 I was back to back and then I did my 217 00:11:49.039 --> 00:11:54.480 combat engineer training there as well. But they kind of 218 00:11:54.519 --> 00:11:57.960 like teach you how to find landmines, identify stuff in 219 00:11:58.000 --> 00:12:02.559 the ground, and not anything close to what I did 220 00:12:02.639 --> 00:12:05.039 in the actual army, which is kind of funny. But 221 00:12:05.360 --> 00:12:10.600 I've worked with explosives but not land mines. I left 222 00:12:10.879 --> 00:12:14.919 Fort Leonardwood, I went to Fort Riley, Kansas. I was 223 00:12:14.960 --> 00:12:20.279 part of the seventieth Engineer Battalion. Did our work up there, 224 00:12:21.799 --> 00:12:26.480 went to NTC California, trained there, and then we deployed 225 00:12:26.480 --> 00:12:34.159 to Afghanistan, my entire battalion. Before before I got to Afghanistan, 226 00:12:34.200 --> 00:12:36.639 I was selected to go to a special school for 227 00:12:36.759 --> 00:12:44.440 route clearance. We basically learned how to identify IEDs. This 228 00:12:44.480 --> 00:12:46.399 is what an ID looks like, this is how you 229 00:12:46.440 --> 00:12:48.799 find them. These are some signs that this is what 230 00:12:48.879 --> 00:12:55.080 you see. Pretty crazy stuff, you know, when you learned. 231 00:12:55.279 --> 00:12:57.240 I mean, it's like I did never imagine that I 232 00:12:57.240 --> 00:12:59.279 would be doing that. I was told that I was 233 00:12:59.320 --> 00:13:01.679 going to build things and blow things up. That's what 234 00:13:01.720 --> 00:13:05.440 the recruiter told me, and I was excited for that. 235 00:13:06.600 --> 00:13:08.759 I did not know that I was going to be 236 00:13:08.759 --> 00:13:15.000 the one blowing up. Fast forward a little bit you know, 237 00:13:15.080 --> 00:13:20.519 we I did the school, I got certified. I had 238 00:13:20.720 --> 00:13:23.159 become one of the experts in my battalion on the 239 00:13:23.240 --> 00:13:26.200 route clearance equipment that we used, and I trained a 240 00:13:26.240 --> 00:13:29.360 lot of the soldiers in my battalion how to operate 241 00:13:29.360 --> 00:13:31.600 the equipment. I kind of took it and ran with it. 242 00:13:31.639 --> 00:13:31.840 You know. 243 00:13:31.879 --> 00:13:35.840 It was something I was passionate about, and I became 244 00:13:35.879 --> 00:13:38.720 really good at it. I found quite a number of 245 00:13:39.080 --> 00:13:44.320 IED's when I was over in Afghanistan. I was blown 246 00:13:44.399 --> 00:13:50.120 up three times in combat. Most of them are IED's, 247 00:13:50.200 --> 00:13:52.279 the two two of them are I d's. One of 248 00:13:52.360 --> 00:13:55.720 them was a rocket propel grenade RPG. The vehicle that 249 00:13:55.759 --> 00:14:00.600 I was driving was a mind detection vehicle. They were 250 00:14:00.600 --> 00:14:03.360 targeted quite a bit. We were used to find the 251 00:14:03.440 --> 00:14:06.399 roadside bombs, so they tried to eliminate that as much 252 00:14:06.399 --> 00:14:10.399 as possible to try to get to our our guys. 253 00:14:10.679 --> 00:14:13.600 So I took an RPG to the front of the 254 00:14:13.679 --> 00:14:17.799 vehicle one time. I got blown up by some landmines 255 00:14:18.039 --> 00:14:22.240 one time, and then the last one that kind of 256 00:14:22.240 --> 00:14:24.759 halted my career at the time was three anti tank 257 00:14:24.799 --> 00:14:27.480 mines that were stacked on top of each other, and 258 00:14:27.559 --> 00:14:29.159 I ran it over and was blown up. 259 00:14:30.879 --> 00:14:32.399 So that was quite an experience. 260 00:14:32.799 --> 00:14:36.320 Yeah, that would get your attention a little bit. Yeah, 261 00:14:36.679 --> 00:14:40.039 A quick reminder as we go through these stories and 262 00:14:40.120 --> 00:14:44.879 share the events of I guess really the source of 263 00:14:44.879 --> 00:14:47.159 the PTSD that some of you guys face, but also 264 00:14:47.399 --> 00:14:51.080 the returning home and the integration issues. We understand that 265 00:14:51.120 --> 00:14:54.159 these can cause triggers for some of those who were listening. 266 00:14:54.440 --> 00:14:56.759 So I'm want to give you a phone number. Please everyone, 267 00:14:56.799 --> 00:14:59.240 get your phone out, put your put this number in 268 00:14:59.279 --> 00:15:01.399 your phone. Even if you're not a vet. You don't 269 00:15:01.440 --> 00:15:04.919 think you'll ever need it, perhaps not, but you may 270 00:15:04.919 --> 00:15:08.720 come across someone that could really use the help. Eight 271 00:15:08.799 --> 00:15:12.039 seven seven seven one seven seventy eight seventy three is 272 00:15:12.080 --> 00:15:15.440 our Combat Trauma Crisis Line. It is answered twenty four 273 00:15:15.440 --> 00:15:18.759 to seven three sixty five by a combat veteran. And 274 00:15:18.879 --> 00:15:22.159 if you ever come across someone struggling, make sure you 275 00:15:22.720 --> 00:15:26.960 let them understand a combat veteran will answer the phone. 276 00:15:27.000 --> 00:15:30.879 That makes all the difference. Eight seven seven seven one 277 00:15:30.960 --> 00:15:36.840 seven seventy eight seventy three. UH and PTSD USA dot org. 278 00:15:36.879 --> 00:15:40.879 PTSD USA dot org for all things PTSD Foundation that 279 00:15:40.919 --> 00:15:44.960 includes Campope, where Mike is currently a resident Linberg is 280 00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:50.519 a graduate of the program and Yellow Phase mentor all 281 00:15:50.519 --> 00:15:54.000 that information. Ptsd USA dot org. Also on social media, 282 00:15:54.039 --> 00:16:02.120 PTSD USA, Facebook, X, and YouTube all are ptsd USA 283 00:16:02.279 --> 00:16:07.080 and on Instagram it is ptsd Foundation of America. Please 284 00:16:07.720 --> 00:16:13.600 follow us, retweet, share the stories there. You never know 285 00:16:13.639 --> 00:16:18.919 who may come across our organization that could use information 286 00:16:18.960 --> 00:16:19.519 about what we do. 287 00:16:19.679 --> 00:16:20.320 Costume nothing. 288 00:16:20.360 --> 00:16:23.320 It's absolutely free and it's easy to share, retweet whatever, 289 00:16:23.679 --> 00:16:28.000 So thank you for doing so. All right, So how 290 00:16:28.000 --> 00:16:29.720 long were you When did you get out of the army? 291 00:16:29.919 --> 00:16:31.720 You employed through eight? 292 00:16:32.759 --> 00:16:36.159 Yeah, so I got back. I think it was two 293 00:16:36.200 --> 00:16:38.440 thousand and nine, actually that I got back. I landed 294 00:16:38.799 --> 00:16:41.759 in the United States on my birthday, May twenty fourth. 295 00:16:42.240 --> 00:16:45.559 I think two thousand and nine is when I landed 296 00:16:45.559 --> 00:16:47.440 in the United States, and I was so excited. I 297 00:16:47.480 --> 00:16:49.120 remember that because I was like, it's my birthday, I 298 00:16:49.120 --> 00:16:51.360 can go out, I can have fun with my friends, 299 00:16:52.080 --> 00:16:55.799 and let's celebrate my birthday. US coming home. We survived 300 00:16:55.879 --> 00:16:59.679 the deployment. I didn't get to go out at all 301 00:16:59.679 --> 00:17:01.879 for my bay. By the time they released US, I 302 00:17:01.960 --> 00:17:06.279 was so exhausted from all of the turning in of weapons, 303 00:17:06.279 --> 00:17:10.519 turning in all the gear. I was just rained physically 304 00:17:10.559 --> 00:17:12.119 and mentally, and I just wanted to go home and 305 00:17:12.160 --> 00:17:15.240 go to bed. Yeah, So we didn't get released until 306 00:17:15.319 --> 00:17:19.200 like I think the twenty fifth, at like seventeen hundred hours. 307 00:17:20.079 --> 00:17:24.200 So it was not a birthday. It was a good 308 00:17:24.200 --> 00:17:25.480 birthday present because I got home. 309 00:17:25.839 --> 00:17:31.240 Sure back, Yeah, glad you're back, absolutely all right. Just 310 00:17:31.240 --> 00:17:35.640 a reminder PTSDUSA dot org. The Combat Trauma Crisis Line 311 00:17:35.640 --> 00:17:39.960 eight seven seven seven to one, seven seventy eight seventy three. 312 00:17:40.160 --> 00:17:43.160 Eight seven seven seven to one to seven seventy eight 313 00:17:43.240 --> 00:17:46.920 seventy three answered twenty four to seven by a combat 314 00:17:47.039 --> 00:17:50.880 veteran and that will mean the world to anyone who 315 00:17:51.279 --> 00:17:53.759 needs to make that call. Eight seven seven seven one 316 00:17:53.839 --> 00:17:57.200 seven seventy eight seventy three. We're going to take a 317 00:17:57.240 --> 00:17:59.359 quick news break for those of you on the nine 318 00:17:59.400 --> 00:18:03.960 to five OH use it on the listening to the podcast. 319 00:18:04.000 --> 00:18:04.920 We'll just here a little music. 320 00:18:04.960 --> 00:18:15.079 We'll be right back with more of Road to Hope Radio. 321 00:18:23.000 --> 00:18:24.720 And we welcome you back Road to Hope Radio. 322 00:18:25.680 --> 00:18:27.200 Glad to have you along as you listen on the 323 00:18:27.279 --> 00:18:30.240 nine to five OH the kPr C in Houston, Texas. 324 00:18:30.240 --> 00:18:32.480 Thank you for joining us, those of you listening through podcasts. 325 00:18:32.480 --> 00:18:34.799 Thank you for doing so. And again, wherever you listen 326 00:18:34.880 --> 00:18:37.640 to podcasts, just look for Road to Hope Radio and 327 00:18:37.680 --> 00:18:40.000 if you would hit that subscribe button, we would truly, 328 00:18:40.039 --> 00:18:44.279 truly appreciate that and share with your friends and all 329 00:18:44.680 --> 00:18:47.759 folks in your network. We have heard on a number 330 00:18:47.799 --> 00:18:52.559 of occasions people learned about our programs through these radio 331 00:18:52.599 --> 00:18:55.759 programs that we do more than eight years now of 332 00:18:55.960 --> 00:18:59.799 stories guys that have come through our program. Occasionally we'll 333 00:18:59.880 --> 00:19:02.880 hit on the news. I like to share some of 334 00:19:02.920 --> 00:19:07.000 the stories so that our guys or messages that our 335 00:19:07.039 --> 00:19:09.799 guy send to us that have been through our program 336 00:19:10.039 --> 00:19:13.160 several years ago and updating us on how their life 337 00:19:13.200 --> 00:19:15.960 is going forward. So we love to do that. You'll 338 00:19:15.960 --> 00:19:18.759 hear a lot of those. So if you just hit 339 00:19:18.799 --> 00:19:24.359 that subscribe button, it will automatically download to your devices 340 00:19:24.720 --> 00:19:27.640 every week when the news show drops on Sunday afternoon. 341 00:19:27.720 --> 00:19:31.079 So thank you very very much for doing so. All right, 342 00:19:31.160 --> 00:19:39.160 So home in nine on your birthday mentioned blowing up 343 00:19:39.200 --> 00:19:43.839 a few times during your deployments. When did you get 344 00:19:43.880 --> 00:19:44.640 to Camp Hope. 345 00:19:45.759 --> 00:19:51.279 So I arrived at Camp Hope about thirty days ago. 346 00:19:51.359 --> 00:19:54.000 I think it's a little bit over like thirty five days. 347 00:19:54.000 --> 00:19:57.720 Maybe it is when I came here, so I don't 348 00:19:57.720 --> 00:20:03.039 even know what today is either. Yeah, I've been here 349 00:20:03.039 --> 00:20:03.799 for about thirty days. 350 00:20:03.920 --> 00:20:09.119 Okay, so sixteen year span. What happened when you got 351 00:20:09.119 --> 00:20:13.680 home besides a long day once on the actual day. 352 00:20:14.000 --> 00:20:18.319 You know, I struggled a lot. I was married at 353 00:20:18.319 --> 00:20:23.359 the time, and my marriage kind of like was on 354 00:20:23.440 --> 00:20:23.920 the fritz. 355 00:20:24.000 --> 00:20:24.319 I was. 356 00:20:24.519 --> 00:20:28.039 I was angry a lot. I was struggling. I wasn't 357 00:20:28.079 --> 00:20:31.519 sure how to cope with what was going on. I 358 00:20:31.519 --> 00:20:33.400 didn't actually know what was going on. That was the 359 00:20:33.440 --> 00:20:36.599 crazy part I was. I thought everything was normal, and 360 00:20:38.400 --> 00:20:43.480 I wasn't aware, if you will, of my actions and 361 00:20:43.519 --> 00:20:48.079 how I was behaving because I didn't know my wife 362 00:20:48.680 --> 00:20:51.319 at the time. She ended up leaving, went back home, 363 00:20:52.079 --> 00:21:04.880 we separated, divorced, you know, got into more trouble with myself, 364 00:21:05.039 --> 00:21:07.079 not knowing how to deal with things, getting in and 365 00:21:07.160 --> 00:21:10.000 out of trouble. I was in and out of the 366 00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:15.480 hospital a few times because of my anger, a lot 367 00:21:15.519 --> 00:21:20.000 of outbursts, a lot of not knowing how to react 368 00:21:20.240 --> 00:21:24.960 to things I was. I was taught to react, and 369 00:21:24.960 --> 00:21:28.680 that's what I did. I reacted to things, whether it 370 00:21:28.720 --> 00:21:31.480 was right or wrong. I just reacted and then I 371 00:21:31.519 --> 00:21:34.839 dealt with the consequences later. I never really faced them 372 00:21:35.160 --> 00:21:40.279 head on and thought rationally that kind of happened for 373 00:21:40.319 --> 00:21:43.759 a long time. When I first got home, I started 374 00:21:43.759 --> 00:21:48.400 a business building custom motorcycles. 375 00:21:49.200 --> 00:21:50.880 I would I built sport bikes. 376 00:21:51.640 --> 00:21:53.319 I would take something somebody bring me in and I 377 00:21:53.359 --> 00:21:56.039 would customize it for them, and I would do all 378 00:21:56.119 --> 00:21:59.319 kinds of crazy fun things, from spinner wheels, nitrous tanks, 379 00:21:59.680 --> 00:22:04.000 drag bikes, big tire kits. I did that for probably 380 00:22:04.119 --> 00:22:07.680 six years, and then the economy kind of went downward 381 00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:10.960 for a while, and then I closed up that shop 382 00:22:11.000 --> 00:22:13.640 and went to work back again with my family doing 383 00:22:13.680 --> 00:22:17.440 masonry restoration work. Complete opposite, but it was there, it 384 00:22:17.440 --> 00:22:20.559 was steady, it was whatever I wanted. Did that for 385 00:22:20.599 --> 00:22:25.400 a few years, still struggling. I kind of developed some 386 00:22:25.680 --> 00:22:28.519 substance abuse problems during that time as well. I found 387 00:22:28.599 --> 00:22:30.559 that that was an easier way for me to cope 388 00:22:31.039 --> 00:22:32.799 with a lot of the issues that I was having, 389 00:22:35.160 --> 00:22:38.599 which in retrospect now I know was the wrong way 390 00:22:38.640 --> 00:22:42.440 to handle things. But I spun got out of control. 391 00:22:42.640 --> 00:22:45.000 I didn't know how to handle and I turned to 392 00:22:45.079 --> 00:22:46.759 that as a way to escape. 393 00:22:47.640 --> 00:22:52.119 So, now having been diagnosed with PTSD and you look back, 394 00:22:52.200 --> 00:22:55.359 what were some of the things you talked about some 395 00:22:55.400 --> 00:22:57.720 of the issues, But what were those issues for you? 396 00:22:58.200 --> 00:23:01.079 Was it high provisions of sleep. 397 00:23:01.279 --> 00:23:04.279 Yeah, yeah, both or all of them all. So I 398 00:23:04.319 --> 00:23:08.200 was always on edge. I was always watching where I was, 399 00:23:08.319 --> 00:23:11.400 what was the surrounding, what was going on. Loud noises 400 00:23:11.480 --> 00:23:16.599 was a big trigger for me. Crowds. I couldn't do 401 00:23:16.680 --> 00:23:20.599