February 13, 2025 • 18 mins
ROB WILLIAMS IS MY OWN PERSONAL VETERANS AFFAIRS OFFICE People send me emails quite often about themselves or other veterans they know who are having one struggle or another. When I get them the FIRST thing I do is reach out to my friend Rob, who many of you remember from his stints on Of the Day. He's a veteran himself, and he seems to know about a non-profit for EVERY situation and every issue. He's on today at 2:30 to talk about some of the non-profits doing great work that can help a veteran in need or give you a great cause to donate to. I will also beat him again in Of the Day, just for old time's sake.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Rob Williams is my guest, and you guys may remember
him from his long stint as of the Day Rob,
where he came in for a daily beating. Well, he
had a job that allowed him to do such. Now
he has like a real job and they're like, you
got to go to the office and you got to
do work and stuff.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
How are you going to talk trash on the blog
about how you're going to stop me into a mud
budtle today?
Speaker 1 (00:19):
No, I just might have mentioned that you will be
playing of the Day as well today and because you're
out of practice, it should be a massacre.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Really, you know, I love that you placed that gigantic
TV directly behind you to distract me too.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
So you know what, that was not my idea. Okay,
So I can't help the giant TV in the lobby
that you can't control yourself and not look at it.
You're like a moth to the flame of the TV.
Look at that. It's like there's boobs on there or something.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
It's Billie Eilish's jumping up and down, and now I
have to look out the windows.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Rob is actually my veterans resource and he is connected
and supports all of these different veterans nonprofits, and I
thought it would be fun to have him in because
one of the things we have in Colorado, I feel like,
and correct me if I'm wrong, there is a nonprofit
veterans organization for every situation.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
There very much.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
So across the nation there are forty four thousand veteran
based nonprofits aimed at the veteran community.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
It's kind of insane.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Actually, if you ask me about it, that's it would
be an astronomy.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
We can get some that have a similar mission to
join forces, do you know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (01:28):
And that's exactly so because of you, we were able
to establish about face Radio, which has now become about
face Media, all because of you and your huge support. Yeah,
for exactly that reason, and because of you it morphed.
We started off with just a simple radio station and
(01:50):
you know, it became you know, sixteen to twenty DJs.
Well that that has morphed and now they've we started
they started doing documentaries, writing books, all kinds of crazy stuff.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
So we had to change the name.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Yes, it's more than just a radio station now and
now it's become just such a beast. It's incredible the
things that people are creating in producers.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
All of these content creators are veterans.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Yep, every single one of them.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Yeah, as people are exiting the military or exiting their
job as a first responder, we hand them a laptop
and a microphone and say, hey, tell your story.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
And it's become an incredibly and beautiful thing.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
And yeah, and again, like we talked about, there are
forty four thousand veteran based nonprofits across the nation, which
is just incredible to me that and yet veterans suicide
continues to rise, which just blows my mind. So Seth
and I sat down at the beginning of the year
and kind of talked it through and clearly, what we
(02:47):
as a veteran community are doing, it's not fixing the problem.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
We're not doing it right. We're failing in our mission.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
And so we kind of talked it through and we're
going to take more of a leadership role in our community.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
And so we're being.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Very very deliberate in what we're doing for twenty twenty
five in the veteran community, and we're seeing we're taking
a role and where we had just a few weeks ago,
we had a lady on who was a beekeeper and
so now Seth and I we're going to get some
bees and we're you know, we're talking about veterans taking
(03:23):
over farms and ranches and things like that and doing ranching,
all kinds of stuff that basically taking leadership roles in
your community, picking up the ball and involving other veterans
and what it is that you're doing.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
And it's it's been pretty powerful.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
The response has been extremely, extremely powerful, and it's because
of your support and your leadership, and we sincerely appreciated
I have done.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
I just pushed the ball down the hill. I just
pushed the ball down the hill. And you guys have
just kept pushing and now you're miles away from where
you started. But let me ask you a question. Because
you're a veteran, you work with a lot of vetter
and some of them have struggled mightily through, you know,
through various issues in their lives. What do you think
is not connecting with the message that we have forty
(04:09):
four thousand veteran nonprofits that literally cover every interest you
could possibly have, that many of them their sole stated
purpose is to reduce veterans suicide. Why are we not
getting through to these men and women, that they matter,
that they're important, that they were put here by God
because God that they were important. Why is that message
(04:30):
somehow not getting to people because we talk about it
all the time, and yet to your point, veteran suicides
are still rising. We're not even cap the number yet.
What do you speculate?
Speaker 2 (04:41):
It's an amazing question. I wish I could I had
a good solid answer for you. And you know, we've
lost more service members now to suicide back home than
we have to combat.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
And it's just a catastrophic thing.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
And we've done everything we can as far as engaging
veterans by way of outdoor activities, from fly fishing to
hiking to skydiving or cycle riding with a motorcycle relief project,
everything you can possibly think of, and we're still losing
our peers. It's a it's a loss of identity because
(05:22):
if you think it through, when a lot of service
members join the military, they you know, for just myself,
for example, you know, I drop out of high school,
someone hands you a hat, says congratulations, you're a soldier now,
or a service member, airman, whatever it may be. A
couple of years later, four years later, eight years, twenty years,
whatever it may be. Somebody hands you a sheet of
(05:42):
paper and says, you know, hey, you're done. Now, You've
done your time. All you've done is delay something for
a couple of years. You really don't know what is
my identity now? You for a while there you had
an unidentity.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
What am I now? Where do I go with my
life now?
Speaker 2 (05:56):
And a lot of service members struggle when they exit
the military.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
They don't know where to go next? What am I now?
Speaker 2 (06:02):
And so that's why they, you know, they use their
GI bill and they go and get a degree or
something to that extent. And most service members, you know,
they get their first job and they leave their first
job because they think it's going to be the perfect
thing and they find out it's not the fit that
they hope that it was.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Combine that with, you know, they struggle on.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Their marriages because now that that loss of identity, they
don't know where to go with that.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
It creates tension in their marriages. They've lost camaraderie.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Camaraderie is the number one thing you lose that those friendships.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
It's a very very very real struggle.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
And it's sad to me that that all of these
members of the military still must feel wildly alone when
they're all having probably a very shared experience.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
And exactly right, And and we're not built to sit
on foldable chairs around cold coffee and have group therapy
and kind of hash it out together in the in
a circle and talk it through.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
That's just not how we're built. We're built for.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
We coalesce around group suffering, around group, you know, doing
things together. You bond with your squad and your peers
and your teammates around pt around you.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
Know, mutual suffering.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
When it sucks the most, that's when your team comes together.
And and and that's so you have to rediscover that in.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
Solid I'm gonna start.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
I'm going to start a nonprofit called When It Sucks
the Most. I mean, it's it's a great No, I'm
not gonna start. I've already been down that road. And
when you're a talk show host, people try to accuse
you of less.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
Than the most. There you go.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
But I mean, if we could just get the word
out that when it sucks the most, there's so much
help out there and support for you.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
I'd love to find the right answer. I mean, look
what the cat trag did. Look at what's happening over here?
It's a lot of everybody been alright, Nick Ferguson, And
I'm gonna let you introduce yourself, young man sett Rod
Smith over here.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
I love his voice, That's why I wanted him to do.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
It on mine. Yeah, get up right here at the
mic phone real quick.
Speaker 5 (08:15):
Rob. I don't know how familiar you are with the
Heroes thank You promotion that we run here. This is
the seventheen doing it, my sixth year doing it, and
it means a lot to me as a veteran and
you as a veteran. Normally, around this time we give
a check to somebody who needs it or needs some money,
veteran who needs some money around the hub.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
But this year was a little bit different.
Speaker 5 (08:31):
We got to give it somebody who deserves it for
their work with veterans this year. And I don't know
how familiar you are with this, but we solicit nomination
letters and Mandy's going to read your nomination letter right now.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
I might have written this myself. Rob spends so much
of his life helping other veterans by volunteering his time
at numerous veteran organizations, starting an internet radio station program,
by veterans and attending pretty much every veteran fundraiser and
event in town. I have no doubt he will donate
any money you give him to a veteran cause, though
I'm hoping he uses it to expand the internet radio station.
(09:03):
When I need to connect a veteran with a specific service,
he is the first person I call because he knows
about them all. He never stops trying to end veterans
suicide and make sure that all who serve get the
help they need somehow, some way.
Speaker 6 (09:18):
He is the.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
Veteran you never stop serving his brothers and sisters in uniform.
It is a fantastic human being to boot He truly
deserves to be recognized.
Speaker 5 (09:29):
That's my friend, rob Well, rob On behalf of our
partners here with common Spirit, Rod Smith, Nick Ferguson, former
Broncos and myself.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
We want to present you with this check for twenty.
Speaker 5 (09:39):
Five hundred dollars and if you don't mind the fellows,
I think they'd like to say a few words here.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Dude, you get a.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Giant cardboard check. How cool is that? Always wanted a.
Speaker 7 (09:47):
Cardboard check as an individual who My family has a
long standing tradition of being in the military. It is
great to be a part of this campaign, and I'm
thankful for what it is that you do and what
you to the community, because veterans are people too, and
they need an outlet.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
So thank you for providing that outlet. Sincerely, thank you.
Speaker 8 (10:08):
Yeah, no, I'm just looking at you. I'm looking at you.
And he completely called him off guard and you can
tell what he does. He does it from his heart, yep.
And that's all that really matters.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
Every word I.
Speaker 8 (10:20):
Was going to say, I'm changing it, I ain't gonna
say anything because I'm just watching you. That's what our
world should be about, people like you who are going
out there to make sure, like you say, that rate
for the veterans, the suicidalvaate or whatever you want to
call it, goes down dramatically and because the people like you,
it will.
Speaker 5 (10:37):
Sincerely thank you well as a better of myself, the
service that you provide for us, you know, and you
know how it as we come back. You're looking for purpose,
you're looking for things to do, and you provide people
with incentive and with reasons to wake up every day
and do the next thing. Spread that and alog and
so I'm thankful that this year, not just are we
giving it to people the need, but we're giving it
(10:58):
to people who deserve it, who can put this money
pard helping other people in needs.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
So thank you.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
You really set up a lot of veterans for success
with that. Thank you, sincerely, yep, very sincerely.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
I ha gotcha you. We're gonna have a word.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Totally, I totally.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
We will give you a real check.
Speaker 8 (11:17):
Please don't try to go to the bank within so
I'll tell everybody. Of course we all want that one,
but no, they'll give you a real check.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
I've always wanted a big cardboard check. I don't know why,
just like one for like thirty bucks would be great,
Just a big cardboard check. No, I mean Rob, here's
the thing. I brought Rob in here.
Speaker 6 (11:32):
Rod.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
It was easy because I said, Hey, you want to
come on the show on Thursday and talk about veteran stuff.
Literally that was my invite. And guess who's here to
talk about veteran stuff. And that's exactly why I nominated him.
Because his heart is bigger than his brain sometimes, but
it's definitely bigger than his wallet.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
So this is gonna be a.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
Big help to do something big and wonderful and do
we need to think our sponsors sincerely?
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Wow? Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 5 (11:58):
First of all, Common Spirit Health Edited getting it air
conditioning at Credit Union. They've been great this year and
helping us to continue this promotion and honestly my favorite
thing we get to do here at this radio station.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
So wow, you guys, I can't thank you enough you really?
Speaker 1 (12:14):
Yeah, So what do you want to talk about now?
Speaker 7 (12:15):
Rob?
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Now there's not enough tissues in this freaking desks. You
guys get this amazing revamp and there's no tissues in
the air.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
Really, I mean we're.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
Pretty macho station. I don't know if you about this.
Speaker 5 (12:26):
Yeah, I understand you may put some of that back
into the but you are under orders to go at yourself,
get yourself a steake dinner with some of that.
Speaker 8 (12:32):
Yeah, you know what, you do deserve to treat yourself
because sometimes when you know you have that thankless work,
because some people they can't thank you enough, so they
don't say anything, but just do something for you.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
Do please do a little something for.
Speaker 8 (12:47):
You and that'll refuel you to continue to do the
stuff that you're doing. We just appreciate it. Like I said,
Nick and I we've been doing the last couple of
years with him, and I was doing it like two
years before that. We would go to people's houses and
surprise them at their own home, and it was easy
getting you here.
Speaker 5 (13:03):
It sure beats the worry of having the police get
called as a bunch of us creep through the neighborhood
to somebody's doors.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
You need, you need the publisher's clearinghouse balloons that they
figure out that yeah they think.
Speaker 8 (13:18):
You know.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
Yeah, wow, guys, thank you so much for coming in
let me doing this on the show. It is a
Broncos Country Tonight promotion and they do such a great
job every year with this, so I'm just happy I
could glom on and thank you for a warning, Rob,
because I truly mean it. I meet so many people
and I'm I'm so blessed to meet a lot of veterans,
and a lot of them do something to give back,
but nobody does it like Rob does. Nobody does it
(13:40):
with the same level of passion and excitement every single day.
And that's why I wanted you to have some money.
Now I'm gonna whoop you out of the day. Anybody
else want to jump in for up? The Day's like
no I'm going Dan, you always do well on of
the day, so yeah, they're gonna take some pictures of
(14:01):
you getting the big check over here, and I will
I will remind you guys of a couple things that
happen on the show today. If you miss the very beginning,
you may want to go check out the podcast because
there was a there's a terrible story out of Jefferson
County Public Schools that I covered in the first hour,
especially if you live in jeff COO. What's happening in
the school district there is absolutely insane, and it involved
(14:23):
the school district essentially assisting a teacher in grooming a
student lying on a federal form so she could groom
her and move her out of state when she turned eighteen.
I mean, it's just it's like a Lifetime movie, only
it happened in Jeffco Public schools. You can find that
podcast right after the show today, so if you want
to hear that, I don't normally tell you guys to
go listen to the podcast, but that story needs to
(14:43):
be amplified. And I'm not gonna be here tomorrow. Take
it along four day weekend, so don't mess up Valentine's Day. Okay, kids,
don't mess up Valentine's Day. You don't need reservations at
Black Eyed Pea for Valentine's Day. I'm just letting you
know that not time yet. You gotta wait till Abrod
goes back in the studio over there. Yea, Arod's got
a participate, are you in?
Speaker 6 (15:04):
Ben?
Speaker 3 (15:05):
You shamed me?
Speaker 1 (15:06):
Well, that's how I get my best best competitors is
through shaming them at the uh at the outset. Because
now it's time for the most exciting segment on the
radio of It's kind Rob in the World of the day,
all right, you just don't put your back into it.
Speaker 5 (15:24):
Let's in the world of the day, and I'm of
the day and I am not emotionally prepared.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
You should probably listen to the show.
Speaker 4 (15:30):
Don't even give the dack prepared.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
So don't even give me that I'm too emotionally unprepared
for this. No, I'm gonna whoop you anyway, and I
want it to be a square deal win anyway. All right,
what is our word? Our dad joke of the day? Please?
Speaker 6 (15:42):
Did you hear about the archaeologist? I got fired?
Speaker 3 (15:46):
Okay, all just got fired?
Speaker 6 (15:48):
No, well, whether you heard of him or not, his
career is now in ruins. Today the day word of
the day is an interjection.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
Oh, will go?
Speaker 6 (16:03):
W I l C O will go?
Speaker 3 (16:05):
Is all signer? Will comply?
Speaker 1 (16:07):
That's what I was going to say. But is there
a different it's also a band. Is there a different
other than will come time?
Speaker 6 (16:13):
Is there?
Speaker 1 (16:14):
I don't know. I thought it was will comply?
Speaker 6 (16:16):
No, there is not indicates that a message just received
will be complied with.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
Okay, there we go.
Speaker 6 (16:21):
All right.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
Why do chef's hats have.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
Plats so you can hide your mouse?
Speaker 1 (16:27):
Why do chefs have I don't know, I mean.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Stand up, I don't know. I have no idea.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Oh oh, well, this is fancy. The story goes that
the pleats originated as a way to signify a chef's experience.
The more polats than the hat, the more experience the chefs.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
Well, that's like the habachi. The higher the hat, the
more rate.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
Yeah, we need to have a show like we should
go have the habachi one.
Speaker 6 (16:53):
Night air in here for a mobile unit.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
Can they do that?
Speaker 1 (16:57):
No, just fill the studio with smoke. We can't do
that all. What is our jeopardy category?
Speaker 6 (17:01):
By the way.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
I'm getting absolutely killed on Tournament of Champions repeats these days.
Not good, not good.
Speaker 6 (17:07):
Need to do our own Tournament of the of the
day here, okay, category today. That's some strong language and
they'll swear. Words are not the answer. Please, don't get
some strong language. Adjective for a great sized oak or
morphine power rangers?
Speaker 1 (17:21):
What is mighty?
Speaker 3 (17:22):
That is correct?
Speaker 6 (17:24):
It can describe the powerful effect of a drug, or
for us, certain.
Speaker 3 (17:28):
Potables and potent has that been to? Okay? Strong and urdy?
Speaker 6 (17:35):
Or a dark broom made from roasted mandy?
Speaker 1 (17:38):
What is stout?
Speaker 3 (17:40):
Correct?
Speaker 6 (17:41):
Rob?
Speaker 3 (17:42):
Rob's just going on. It's fine.
Speaker 6 (17:43):
He's got to.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
Get cardboard checks, so he's still winning.
Speaker 6 (17:48):
Right, Well, let's play Detective Boys. It means strong enough
to endure corrects.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
Love the hardy boys. It is three for Mandy, one
for Ben, zero for Rob.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
Nuts for Rob.
Speaker 6 (18:01):
Adjective for a muscular young man can also mean rob.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
What is rob? That's the whim? What is trapping?
Speaker 1 (18:14):
Scrapping scrapping young man? All right, okay, we got that
going for us. What are you guys doing on Broncos
Country tonight?
Speaker 3 (18:21):
I don't know?
Speaker 5 (18:22):
Grants Fille and informd N I'm on the Can't Wait Sportshow,
here with the fellows on.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
The sports show. Whatever they tell me to do. You're
just the You're just what are you the arm candy
of the show. I'm there to make jokes, the you know,
be the face.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
Just was the A team, I would be the face man.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
Oh, probably confidence, Ben, I'm probably Murdock if we're being on.
I like your confidence and being face on the A
Team
Rob Williams is my guest, and you guys may remember
him from his long stint as of the Day Rob,
where he came in for a daily beating. Well, he
had a job that allowed him to do such. Now
he has like a real job and they're like, you
got to go to the office and you got to
do work and stuff.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
How are you going to talk trash on the blog
about how you're going to stop me into a mud
budtle today?
Speaker 1 (00:19):
No, I just might have mentioned that you will be
playing of the Day as well today and because you're
out of practice, it should be a massacre.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Really, you know, I love that you placed that gigantic
TV directly behind you to distract me too.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
So you know what, that was not my idea. Okay,
So I can't help the giant TV in the lobby
that you can't control yourself and not look at it.
You're like a moth to the flame of the TV.
Look at that. It's like there's boobs on there or something.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
It's Billie Eilish's jumping up and down, and now I
have to look out the windows.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Rob is actually my veterans resource and he is connected
and supports all of these different veterans nonprofits, and I
thought it would be fun to have him in because
one of the things we have in Colorado, I feel like,
and correct me if I'm wrong, there is a nonprofit
veterans organization for every situation.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
There very much.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
So across the nation there are forty four thousand veteran
based nonprofits aimed at the veteran community.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
It's kind of insane.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Actually, if you ask me about it, that's it would
be an astronomy.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
We can get some that have a similar mission to
join forces, do you know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (01:28):
And that's exactly so because of you, we were able
to establish about face Radio, which has now become about
face Media, all because of you and your huge support. Yeah,
for exactly that reason, and because of you it morphed.
We started off with just a simple radio station and
(01:50):
you know, it became you know, sixteen to twenty DJs.
Well that that has morphed and now they've we started
they started doing documentaries, writing books, all kinds of crazy stuff.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
So we had to change the name.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Yes, it's more than just a radio station now and
now it's become just such a beast. It's incredible the
things that people are creating in producers.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
All of these content creators are veterans.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Yep, every single one of them.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Yeah, as people are exiting the military or exiting their
job as a first responder, we hand them a laptop
and a microphone and say, hey, tell your story.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
And it's become an incredibly and beautiful thing.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
And yeah, and again, like we talked about, there are
forty four thousand veteran based nonprofits across the nation, which
is just incredible to me that and yet veterans suicide
continues to rise, which just blows my mind. So Seth
and I sat down at the beginning of the year
and kind of talked it through and clearly, what we
(02:47):
as a veteran community are doing, it's not fixing the problem.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
We're not doing it right. We're failing in our mission.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
And so we kind of talked it through and we're
going to take more of a leadership role in our community.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
And so we're being.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Very very deliberate in what we're doing for twenty twenty
five in the veteran community, and we're seeing we're taking
a role and where we had just a few weeks ago,
we had a lady on who was a beekeeper and
so now Seth and I we're going to get some
bees and we're you know, we're talking about veterans taking
(03:23):
over farms and ranches and things like that and doing ranching,
all kinds of stuff that basically taking leadership roles in
your community, picking up the ball and involving other veterans
and what it is that you're doing.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
And it's it's been pretty powerful.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
The response has been extremely, extremely powerful, and it's because
of your support and your leadership, and we sincerely appreciated
I have done.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
I just pushed the ball down the hill. I just
pushed the ball down the hill. And you guys have
just kept pushing and now you're miles away from where
you started. But let me ask you a question. Because
you're a veteran, you work with a lot of vetter
and some of them have struggled mightily through, you know,
through various issues in their lives. What do you think
is not connecting with the message that we have forty
(04:09):
four thousand veteran nonprofits that literally cover every interest you
could possibly have, that many of them their sole stated
purpose is to reduce veterans suicide. Why are we not
getting through to these men and women, that they matter,
that they're important, that they were put here by God
because God that they were important. Why is that message
(04:30):
somehow not getting to people because we talk about it
all the time, and yet to your point, veteran suicides
are still rising. We're not even cap the number yet.
What do you speculate?
Speaker 2 (04:41):
It's an amazing question. I wish I could I had
a good solid answer for you. And you know, we've
lost more service members now to suicide back home than
we have to combat.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
And it's just a catastrophic thing.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
And we've done everything we can as far as engaging
veterans by way of outdoor activities, from fly fishing to
hiking to skydiving or cycle riding with a motorcycle relief project,
everything you can possibly think of, and we're still losing
our peers. It's a it's a loss of identity because
(05:22):
if you think it through, when a lot of service
members join the military, they you know, for just myself,
for example, you know, I drop out of high school,
someone hands you a hat, says congratulations, you're a soldier now,
or a service member, airman, whatever it may be. A
couple of years later, four years later, eight years, twenty years,
whatever it may be. Somebody hands you a sheet of
(05:42):
paper and says, you know, hey, you're done. Now, You've
done your time. All you've done is delay something for
a couple of years. You really don't know what is
my identity now? You for a while there you had
an unidentity.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
What am I now? Where do I go with my
life now?
Speaker 2 (05:56):
And a lot of service members struggle when they exit
the military.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
They don't know where to go next? What am I now?
Speaker 2 (06:02):
And so that's why they, you know, they use their
GI bill and they go and get a degree or
something to that extent. And most service members, you know,
they get their first job and they leave their first
job because they think it's going to be the perfect
thing and they find out it's not the fit that
they hope that it was.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Combine that with, you know, they struggle on.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Their marriages because now that that loss of identity, they
don't know where to go with that.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
It creates tension in their marriages. They've lost camaraderie.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Camaraderie is the number one thing you lose that those friendships.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
It's a very very very real struggle.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
And it's sad to me that that all of these
members of the military still must feel wildly alone when
they're all having probably a very shared experience.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
And exactly right, And and we're not built to sit
on foldable chairs around cold coffee and have group therapy
and kind of hash it out together in the in
a circle and talk it through.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
That's just not how we're built. We're built for.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
We coalesce around group suffering, around group, you know, doing
things together. You bond with your squad and your peers
and your teammates around pt around you.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
Know, mutual suffering.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
When it sucks the most, that's when your team comes together.
And and and that's so you have to rediscover that in.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
Solid I'm gonna start.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
I'm going to start a nonprofit called When It Sucks
the Most. I mean, it's it's a great No, I'm
not gonna start. I've already been down that road. And
when you're a talk show host, people try to accuse
you of less.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
Than the most. There you go.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
But I mean, if we could just get the word
out that when it sucks the most, there's so much
help out there and support for you.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
I'd love to find the right answer. I mean, look
what the cat trag did. Look at what's happening over here?
It's a lot of everybody been alright, Nick Ferguson, And
I'm gonna let you introduce yourself, young man sett Rod
Smith over here.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
I love his voice, That's why I wanted him to do.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
It on mine. Yeah, get up right here at the
mic phone real quick.
Speaker 5 (08:15):
Rob. I don't know how familiar you are with the
Heroes thank You promotion that we run here. This is
the seventheen doing it, my sixth year doing it, and
it means a lot to me as a veteran and
you as a veteran. Normally, around this time we give
a check to somebody who needs it or needs some money,
veteran who needs some money around the hub.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
But this year was a little bit different.
Speaker 5 (08:31):
We got to give it somebody who deserves it for
their work with veterans this year. And I don't know
how familiar you are with this, but we solicit nomination
letters and Mandy's going to read your nomination letter right now.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
I might have written this myself. Rob spends so much
of his life helping other veterans by volunteering his time
at numerous veteran organizations, starting an internet radio station program,
by veterans and attending pretty much every veteran fundraiser and
event in town. I have no doubt he will donate
any money you give him to a veteran cause, though
I'm hoping he uses it to expand the internet radio station.
(09:03):
When I need to connect a veteran with a specific service,
he is the first person I call because he knows
about them all. He never stops trying to end veterans
suicide and make sure that all who serve get the
help they need somehow, some way.
Speaker 6 (09:18):
He is the.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
Veteran you never stop serving his brothers and sisters in uniform.
It is a fantastic human being to boot He truly
deserves to be recognized.
Speaker 5 (09:29):
That's my friend, rob Well, rob On behalf of our
partners here with common Spirit, Rod Smith, Nick Ferguson, former
Broncos and myself.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
We want to present you with this check for twenty.
Speaker 5 (09:39):
Five hundred dollars and if you don't mind the fellows,
I think they'd like to say a few words here.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Dude, you get a.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Giant cardboard check. How cool is that? Always wanted a.
Speaker 7 (09:47):
Cardboard check as an individual who My family has a
long standing tradition of being in the military. It is
great to be a part of this campaign, and I'm
thankful for what it is that you do and what
you to the community, because veterans are people too, and
they need an outlet.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
So thank you for providing that outlet. Sincerely, thank you.
Speaker 8 (10:08):
Yeah, no, I'm just looking at you. I'm looking at you.
And he completely called him off guard and you can
tell what he does. He does it from his heart, yep.
And that's all that really matters.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
Every word I.
Speaker 8 (10:20):
Was going to say, I'm changing it, I ain't gonna
say anything because I'm just watching you. That's what our
world should be about, people like you who are going
out there to make sure, like you say, that rate
for the veterans, the suicidalvaate or whatever you want to
call it, goes down dramatically and because the people like you,
it will.
Speaker 5 (10:37):
Sincerely thank you well as a better of myself, the
service that you provide for us, you know, and you
know how it as we come back. You're looking for purpose,
you're looking for things to do, and you provide people
with incentive and with reasons to wake up every day
and do the next thing. Spread that and alog and
so I'm thankful that this year, not just are we
giving it to people the need, but we're giving it
(10:58):
to people who deserve it, who can put this money
pard helping other people in needs.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
So thank you.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
You really set up a lot of veterans for success
with that. Thank you, sincerely, yep, very sincerely.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
I ha gotcha you. We're gonna have a word.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Totally, I totally.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
We will give you a real check.
Speaker 8 (11:17):
Please don't try to go to the bank within so
I'll tell everybody. Of course we all want that one,
but no, they'll give you a real check.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
I've always wanted a big cardboard check. I don't know why,
just like one for like thirty bucks would be great,
Just a big cardboard check. No, I mean Rob, here's
the thing. I brought Rob in here.
Speaker 6 (11:32):
Rod.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
It was easy because I said, Hey, you want to
come on the show on Thursday and talk about veteran stuff.
Literally that was my invite. And guess who's here to
talk about veteran stuff. And that's exactly why I nominated him.
Because his heart is bigger than his brain sometimes, but
it's definitely bigger than his wallet.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
So this is gonna be a.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
Big help to do something big and wonderful and do
we need to think our sponsors sincerely?
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Wow? Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 5 (11:58):
First of all, Common Spirit Health Edited getting it air
conditioning at Credit Union. They've been great this year and
helping us to continue this promotion and honestly my favorite
thing we get to do here at this radio station.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
So wow, you guys, I can't thank you enough you really?
Speaker 1 (12:14):
Yeah, So what do you want to talk about now?
Speaker 7 (12:15):
Rob?
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Now there's not enough tissues in this freaking desks. You
guys get this amazing revamp and there's no tissues in
the air.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
Really, I mean we're.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
Pretty macho station. I don't know if you about this.
Speaker 5 (12:26):
Yeah, I understand you may put some of that back
into the but you are under orders to go at yourself,
get yourself a steake dinner with some of that.
Speaker 8 (12:32):
Yeah, you know what, you do deserve to treat yourself
because sometimes when you know you have that thankless work,
because some people they can't thank you enough, so they
don't say anything, but just do something for you.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
Do please do a little something for.
Speaker 8 (12:47):
You and that'll refuel you to continue to do the
stuff that you're doing. We just appreciate it. Like I said,
Nick and I we've been doing the last couple of
years with him, and I was doing it like two
years before that. We would go to people's houses and
surprise them at their own home, and it was easy
getting you here.
Speaker 5 (13:03):
It sure beats the worry of having the police get
called as a bunch of us creep through the neighborhood
to somebody's doors.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
You need, you need the publisher's clearinghouse balloons that they
figure out that yeah they think.
Speaker 8 (13:18):
You know.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
Yeah, wow, guys, thank you so much for coming in
let me doing this on the show. It is a
Broncos Country Tonight promotion and they do such a great
job every year with this, so I'm just happy I
could glom on and thank you for a warning, Rob,
because I truly mean it. I meet so many people
and I'm I'm so blessed to meet a lot of veterans,
and a lot of them do something to give back,
but nobody does it like Rob does. Nobody does it
(13:40):
with the same level of passion and excitement every single day.
And that's why I wanted you to have some money.
Now I'm gonna whoop you out of the day. Anybody
else want to jump in for up? The Day's like
no I'm going Dan, you always do well on of
the day, so yeah, they're gonna take some pictures of
(14:01):
you getting the big check over here, and I will
I will remind you guys of a couple things that
happen on the show today. If you miss the very beginning,
you may want to go check out the podcast because
there was a there's a terrible story out of Jefferson
County Public Schools that I covered in the first hour,
especially if you live in jeff COO. What's happening in
the school district there is absolutely insane, and it involved
(14:23):
the school district essentially assisting a teacher in grooming a
student lying on a federal form so she could groom
her and move her out of state when she turned eighteen.
I mean, it's just it's like a Lifetime movie, only
it happened in Jeffco Public schools. You can find that
podcast right after the show today, so if you want
to hear that, I don't normally tell you guys to
go listen to the podcast, but that story needs to
(14:43):
be amplified. And I'm not gonna be here tomorrow. Take
it along four day weekend, so don't mess up Valentine's Day. Okay, kids,
don't mess up Valentine's Day. You don't need reservations at
Black Eyed Pea for Valentine's Day. I'm just letting you
know that not time yet. You gotta wait till Abrod
goes back in the studio over there. Yea, Arod's got
a participate, are you in?
Speaker 6 (15:04):
Ben?
Speaker 3 (15:05):
You shamed me?
Speaker 1 (15:06):
Well, that's how I get my best best competitors is
through shaming them at the uh at the outset. Because
now it's time for the most exciting segment on the
radio of It's kind Rob in the World of the day,
all right, you just don't put your back into it.
Speaker 5 (15:24):
Let's in the world of the day, and I'm of
the day and I am not emotionally prepared.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
You should probably listen to the show.
Speaker 4 (15:30):
Don't even give the dack prepared.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
So don't even give me that I'm too emotionally unprepared
for this. No, I'm gonna whoop you anyway, and I
want it to be a square deal win anyway. All right,
what is our word? Our dad joke of the day? Please?
Speaker 6 (15:42):
Did you hear about the archaeologist? I got fired?
Speaker 3 (15:46):
Okay, all just got fired?
Speaker 6 (15:48):
No, well, whether you heard of him or not, his
career is now in ruins. Today the day word of
the day is an interjection.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
Oh, will go?
Speaker 6 (16:03):
W I l C O will go?
Speaker 3 (16:05):
Is all signer? Will comply?
Speaker 1 (16:07):
That's what I was going to say. But is there
a different it's also a band. Is there a different
other than will come time?
Speaker 6 (16:13):
Is there?
Speaker 1 (16:14):
I don't know. I thought it was will comply?
Speaker 6 (16:16):
No, there is not indicates that a message just received
will be complied with.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
Okay, there we go.
Speaker 6 (16:21):
All right.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
Why do chef's hats have.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
Plats so you can hide your mouse?
Speaker 1 (16:27):
Why do chefs have I don't know, I mean.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Stand up, I don't know. I have no idea.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Oh oh, well, this is fancy. The story goes that
the pleats originated as a way to signify a chef's experience.
The more polats than the hat, the more experience the chefs.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
Well, that's like the habachi. The higher the hat, the
more rate.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
Yeah, we need to have a show like we should
go have the habachi one.
Speaker 6 (16:53):
Night air in here for a mobile unit.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
Can they do that?
Speaker 1 (16:57):
No, just fill the studio with smoke. We can't do
that all. What is our jeopardy category?
Speaker 6 (17:01):
By the way.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
I'm getting absolutely killed on Tournament of Champions repeats these days.
Not good, not good.
Speaker 6 (17:07):
Need to do our own Tournament of the of the
day here, okay, category today. That's some strong language and
they'll swear. Words are not the answer. Please, don't get
some strong language. Adjective for a great sized oak or
morphine power rangers?
Speaker 1 (17:21):
What is mighty?
Speaker 3 (17:22):
That is correct?
Speaker 6 (17:24):
It can describe the powerful effect of a drug, or
for us, certain.
Speaker 3 (17:28):
Potables and potent has that been to? Okay? Strong and urdy?
Speaker 6 (17:35):
Or a dark broom made from roasted mandy?
Speaker 1 (17:38):
What is stout?
Speaker 3 (17:40):
Correct?
Speaker 6 (17:41):
Rob?
Speaker 3 (17:42):
Rob's just going on. It's fine.
Speaker 6 (17:43):
He's got to.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
Get cardboard checks, so he's still winning.
Speaker 6 (17:48):
Right, Well, let's play Detective Boys. It means strong enough
to endure corrects.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
Love the hardy boys. It is three for Mandy, one
for Ben, zero for Rob.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
Nuts for Rob.
Speaker 6 (18:01):
Adjective for a muscular young man can also mean rob.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
What is rob? That's the whim? What is trapping?
Speaker 1 (18:14):
Scrapping scrapping young man? All right, okay, we got that
going for us. What are you guys doing on Broncos
Country tonight?
Speaker 3 (18:21):
I don't know?
Speaker 5 (18:22):
Grants Fille and informd N I'm on the Can't Wait Sportshow,
here with the fellows on.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
The sports show. Whatever they tell me to do. You're
just the You're just what are you the arm candy
of the show. I'm there to make jokes, the you know,
be the face.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
Just was the A team, I would be the face man.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
Oh, probably confidence, Ben, I'm probably Murdock if we're being on.
I like your confidence and being face on the A
Team
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