Always Looking Forward

We welcom back Kasey and welcome in Kevin. On this episode Kevin breaks down some of the highs and lows throughout his 17 year career with the Army and life after. 

Episode Transcript

(00:06):
Multiple people in my family clean myfather, are veterans, troops that have
been to war and now they're backand think and be grateful for their service,
sacrifice, love for their country,just unselfishness, all that they do
for us. There are some peoplein this country who take extraordinary steps to
provide for the freedom and security.We forget that those people exist. We

(00:28):
know them as the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast
Guard. They call themselves soldiers,seals, rangers, airmen, sailors,
devil dogs, and so much more. We call them fathers, brothers,
sons and husbands, mothers, daughters, sisters and wives. We call them

(00:51):
friend and neighbor. These veterans answeredthe call, now we answer theirs.
They are the best our country hasto offer, and we love them.
Today, we honor them and weserve them. David Malsby is your host,

(01:15):
and he welcomes you to this communityof veterans, as together we are
building the road to hope, andindeed we are glad to have you along.
On a Sunday, Those you listeningto the KPRC, the nine to
five, oh, and the amd'llthank you for joining us. Those of
you listening through the Magic Podcast.Thank you again for listening. We especially

(01:38):
appreciate it when after you enjoy theshow that you share it with others.
You never know who you might comeinto contact with that could be life changing.
So wherever you find your podcast,look for Road to Hope Radio and
there we are big things to iHeartRadio. Great folks at KPRC here and Houston,
grateful for all that they do forus and our sponsors allows this opportunity

(02:00):
to spend a little time with you. The wonderful people at Jimmy Change's Fresh
Mechs Fun all across the Houston area. Stop in, grab some kso the
plotl Sodado denotions made to the PTSDFoundation. When you do so, and
you're going to have a great timeand some great food Jimmy Chong gets Fresh
Mechs Fun. Then are wonderful friendsBilly and Connie Stagner at a Corey Diamond

(02:22):
and Design ac O ri A CoreyDiamond and Design two eight one four two
forty seven to fifty five down onfriends would when it's time to get to
something special for someone's special life,give them a call two eight one forty
eight two forty seven to fifty fiveand oops steam dot com because it's well
oops happens, so oopsteam dot comtwo eight one eight two two zero five

(02:46):
six' one. I hope youhad a great fourth as we look back
on it, A big day aroundthe foundation. Some wonderful fundraisers. Uh.
The location here in the Houston gottwo locations called the Stick. They
had big events at both of thoselocations on the fourth got to experience one
of those myself, and then anevent with our friends at the Sugarland Space

(03:12):
Cowboys, the baseball team here insugar Land and our friends at ubs doing
a great thing supporting our Veterans SuitDrive and providing some important things for our
residents at Camp Hope. So bigthank you to everyone who helped be a
part of that. If you wouldlike to be a part of some of
the events that go on and supportof the foundation, whether volunteering or attending

(03:37):
and enjoying, go to our websiteptsdusa dot org. Also on social media,
Facebook, X and YouTube, justlook for ptsd USA. We have
channels on all three of those ptsdUSA, Facebook X, and YouTube.
Keep up with all the things comeup. On the twentieth of July Houston

(03:58):
Diesel's Beach Pass a lot of fundown in Crystal Beach. It's free to
attend. There's a lot of thingsyou can do that helps be a part
of raising some funds for our organization, Houston Diesel's Beach Bash. Again,
look for our Facebook page X orYouTube and just look for PTSD USA and
you'll find all those information there.Also for the radio show, the podcast,

(04:20):
look for Road to Hope Radio onFacebook. We keep all those things
listed there as well. So beforewe get into meeting some of the folks
from Camp Hope, I want towalk you through at least one scenario maybe
two, that we deal with ona regular basis that might some of you

(04:40):
might find helpful. I had lunchwith some friends this past week and they
were saying, hey, we're We'vegot a friend who has a son marine
says he has PTSD. Obviously theydidn't know if he did or not,
but they did know, as theydescribed, his life was completely off the

(05:00):
more than likely self medicating, hadgone to a VA, stating he was
going to check himself in to getsome help and got a prescription. Tour
around left and that just happens.But as they were telling this. They
were just saying, how fearful thatmom and dad is of that marine.

(05:21):
They're scared for him, they're scaredof him. He's made some threats,
said some things, And again,a lot of that is more than likely.
I don't know the individual, butmore than likely is the scenario that
we see quite often that individual selfmedicating. So sometimes I might say some

(05:41):
things, do some things that canbring a lot of concern and a lot
of fear. And I deal witha lot of parents in this kind of
mode. They are just well,they're just they're scared. They're scared that
they're going to get a phone callthat their son, their daughter is going

(06:01):
to become a statistic And I justwant to speak to that parent, that
family member. Maybe you know someonethat's in a situation like that and they're
out there just at wits end.They don't know what to do. They
want to help, but they don'twant to hurt, so they don't want
to say the wrong thing, dothe wrong thing. They feel like anything
they do or fail to do isgoing to be met with some extreme response.

(06:28):
And I wouldn't first of all encourageyou. Just give us a call
and maybe we can help and maybewe can't. But if we can't help,
we will connect you with somebody whocan. I'm going to give you
our what we call our Combat TraumaCrisis Line, and even if it's not
combat related, call us anyway.We would love to help you in your
family, even if it is connectingyou with someone else who can help them.

(06:50):
But that number, please put thisin your phone. Eight seven seven
seven one seven seventy eight seventy threeeight seven seven seven seventy eight seventy three.
Several years ago, it's probably twelvethirteen, well fourteen years ago now,
actually was working with someone and therewas a mother and a daughter.

(07:11):
Both of them were attending grief counseling. Now the son husband or son brother
had not done anything yet. Theywere convinced it wasn't if he would.
They were just concerned about when itwould be. So they were actually going
to grief counseling. That's how scaredthey were on behalf of their veteran eight.

(07:35):
We understand that fear and we canhelp you work through it. Eight
seven seven seven one seven seventy eightseventy three. We'll be right back with
more of a roe Dehobrik Romance.Need the cover of Thomas Skies. Get
all the leaves on trees are bollingto that sound of the breed that blade.

(07:59):
Yeah, please must read and Ihave to take time about that sack
outside game. And we welcome backto Road to Hope Radio. Remind where

(08:24):
have you listen to podcasts? Wetruly appreciate it when you not only listen
but share. Yougured a little whileback. If you share it with everybody
you know and half the people youdon't know, we can cover the world
pretty quick time. And hey,there's nobody out there that couldn't use some
hope and nobody, So we reallydo appreciate when you share Road to Hope
Radio. It was just came throughPTSD Awareness Month and you probably heard nothing

(08:46):
about it unless you listen to theshow. Not a whole lot said in
the media about about it. Toomany other things going on in the world,
and they all love to say thatveterans matter, and they just they
just just don't do anything. Anyway. I had another conversation recently. Someone

(09:07):
was asking me, Hey, cansomeone can someone be in the military and
have PTSD and it not have combatrelated to it. Of course, anybody
that's lived for a minute can andprobably has experienced trauma at least once,
if not multiple times in their life. And that's certainly not saying that everyone

(09:31):
has experienced trauma has PTSD, notby any stretch. But anyone who has
experienced trauma could experience PTSD. It'snot the norm, it's not the majority
of the time or the majority ofthe people. But it does happen from
any kind of trauma. Childhood trauma, abuse, sexual trauma, accidents,

(09:56):
storms, tsunamis anything that you thinkbut is a traumatic event can result in
PTSD in somebody's life. Now,at the PTSD Foundation at Camp Hope,
we deal specifically with combat related topost traumatic stress. However, we are
always building and sharing our network ofcare. So, just as in the

(10:20):
scenario I described a few moments ago, where someone's reaching out for a veteran,
they're scared, they're they're afraid ofand frayed for that veteran, same
thing. Give us a call eightseven seven seven one seven seventy eight seventy
three. We will do everything inour power to help that individual, whether
it's something that we can do,or if we can introduce you to someone

(10:43):
who is better suited to support youand your issue. So again, PTSDUSA
dot org is the website. Onthat website you will find not only information
about Camp Hope, which is theinterim program interm housing program the PTSD Foundation
of America. We bring veterans infrom every era of war, every part

(11:05):
of the country. They live withus six months to eight months, sometimes
a year, sometimes up to twoyears. It just depends on what's going
on with them. Multiple diagnosis,legal issues, physical, other health issues
going on. It can be amuch lengthier time. But that is the

(11:26):
interm housing program. We bring veteransin from all across the country, but
we also do support groups not onlyin and around Houston and across the state
of Texas, but also in othercities across the country as well as through
zoom technology, so you can beliterally anywhere. If you can get on
the internet, you can join someof our support groups. All of that
information is available at our website PTSDUSA dot org and that's available not only

(11:54):
to the veteran, but also tothe families of the veteran. We want
to help veteran obviously, but totruly help the veteran, you need to
help the family members the friends toalso understand what's happened to their loved one,
what's happened to the friend, andhow they can be helpful and not
hinder in someone's progress hope and healingso ptsd USA dot org. All right,

(12:18):
let's jump into We got a coupleof our guys with us today.
Good to see you, Good tohave you back, Casey, our resident
marine. It's always good to behere. Yeah, you have fun on
the drive over today, you know. Yeah, Houston traffick can be fun
sometimes. Yeah. And it wasalready you know, coming off of the
Fourth of July weekend, it wasalready stressful anyway, sure of course,

(12:39):
you know. So did you blowup stuff? I did always blow up
stuff fourth of July. The goodthing about it was I did it with
no alcohol, and you did itlegally. I'm hopeful I did it legally
and I didn't get arrested. Soyou know, no one was harmed,
nobody lost the finger or yeah,didn't lose your hair and everything like that.
My girlfriend watched me very closely.I didn't. It's none of my

(13:00):
beer or my hair. Very nicealso with us as one of the guys
that's currently in our program at CampHope. You want to give the world
the grand introduction, sir, Yes, sir, I'm Kevin Kevin Dawst Army
veteran, recently retired. Did dida lot of deployments that I've got seven

(13:22):
deployments over the last seventeen years,so I've been around the block. Where
are you from? Originally, I'mborn and raised in Wichita Falls, Texas,
Your Texas. Yeah, I haven'tbeen back to the Great State,
and in twenty some years after Ijoined the Army, I currently call a

(13:43):
Florida home, Cocoa Beach, Florida. So I'm glad to be here though.
All right, four is not theworst place to be from. I
mean, it's not Texas, butit's not the worst place to be from.
The place is not a Yankee,So you got to give him the
credit credits. Thankful we don't haveanother Yankee. You know. We stay
run our place all the time,celebrate every victory, no matter how small

(14:05):
ours and all this may be asmall victory, it's still still at least
he's not only from the other sideof the Mason Dixon thank god. Yeah,
So there you go. All right, So you were witch tall falls.
Did you go into army right afterhigh school or no, sir,
No, sir. I worked aroundall over the southeast eye jobs here and
there. Actually did a little rodeotime up and really, okay, what

(14:28):
do we do in the rodeo?Yeah, yeah, I'm saddle bronc.
Yeah. Oh, come on,I was a bull rider. I was
a bull rider. Yeah yeah,like the Electronic Pine where I run in
Texas Junior Rodeo. So I'm notsure. I many to see some proof
and evidence there any video evidence ofthat? There is? So they miniature?

(14:52):
Well, there was a time wheneverI was younger that they were smaller
bulls. Yes, thanks pass,I had to ask. I mean,
you know, you never know toyou, I feel like that's a jab
against my mind. No, no, I would never No, No,
I don't know what you're talking about. Are you six four? Sure?

(15:13):
In my mind? Okay, Soyou did some odds and in jobs,
worked rodeo for a while. Yeahwhat what? What? What transpired?
Decided you know what? I wantto join the military? Yeah, I
was. I met my at thetime, my wife and I'm recently divorced.
By the way, I met herseventeen years of the Army. Yeah,

(15:39):
yeah, yeah, so not everybodygets it, but I think most
people get it. It's not areal family friendly job. Yes, your
career path, but anyway, yes, yes, or like I was saying,
with the with the deployments and thetraining that goes along with that,
and and the jobs I had withthe Army, I was, I was
gone a lot, I was awaya lot. But but I met her

(16:02):
when I was about eighteen. Wegot married at twenty one, you know,
working a little bit, and intwo thousand and three decided it was
my opportunity to join and serve.So I went from there, and I
wanted you to choose the Army hadwalked right in. I was ready to
serve. No no family history.We were Marines and Navy. Actually I

(16:23):
was first Army. So they tookcare of me and offered me computer jobs.
So I was really interested in that. Took care of me and had
learned a lot, had a goodcareer, So no complaints there. Like
him a little better because he saidhe's got a family history in the Marine
corps well, and he has somecomputer training, which I'm sure the local

(16:45):
marine who could probably use some helpwith that from time to time. We
can get through the yellow I meanI can't. I can't. I can
either confirm or deny that you're amarine. I'm pretty sure. I'm pretty
sure. If it doesn't have crayons, I know what, Why doesn't this
keyword? Well, there's three colorsof crayon melted in there that might have
something to do with why when youpush that little button right there, it

(17:07):
doesn't do anything. And you gethim to help me with the GPS and
on the way over here. Yeah, I'm shocked again before we run into
this needs to break. For thoseyou listen on the KPRC nine five ozero
websites PTSDUSA dot org and the CombatTrauma Crisis Line eight seven seven seven seven

(17:30):
seventy eight seventy three. Everything wedo for you, for the veteran,
for the family member, the friend, all at no charge. And by
the way, that's because of agreat community. So if you're interested in
being a part of that, partof saving lives, seeing lives completely radically
transformed, you can also support usthrough the website PTSDUSA dot org. We'll
be right back with more Road toHope radio. So do you like barbecue

(18:19):
or anything like? On the fourthor are you just like no? So
I used to, but I don'thave a smoker anymore, okay, and
I don't have a place for asmoker right now. Okay, So what
do you usually do on the fourth? So what I used to do for
food? It used to be brisketribs. I would ask, but there's

(18:40):
no point in asking because no one'shonest. Everybody's the best brisket. No,
Look, my mind is not thatgreat, but there's one honest Okay,
we work an honest program. That'strue. Doesn't mean everybody answers these
kind of questions. Honestly, Iappreciate the honest. I think that it's
good. In other words, Idon't want to. My grandmother likes it,
and that's all that matters. Ishould eat someone else's if I've give

(19:03):
them the opportunity, let's try it. I'm not afraid to try. Okay.
Yeah, uh, you know,Kevin, I don't know about you,
but I learned a long time ago. If someone else is cooking it,
they are delicious. At that pointin time, they are the best,
especially like brisket, where it's likeeight ten hours whatever it is to

(19:27):
do, and it takes me aboutit takes me less than that. Actually,
that's question no, no, becausethe reason that I the reason that
it does is because I use oakwood. So I smoke in in oak
wood and then I cook it inoak wood, so the oak burns hotter,
so it cooks best, right,which is brings between me to my
point, my grandmother. My grandmotherloves my barbecue. So that's all that

(19:49):
might well for that, I'm completelyfor that now it but it's tender.
The way that I do it,it doesn't take me as long. But
so what I do is I smokeit with the oak wood open, and
then I wrap it up in fullwith water and barbecue sauce in it.
One of those guys, yeah,yeah, okay, I'm sure it's edible.

(20:11):
It is. Yeah. Hey,look the ribs fall off the bone.
They might be just screaming to getaway, but they're falling off the
bone. Kevin, are you areyou a cook? I'm a basic.
I'm very basic. Hamburgers and hotdollars, my man, and just get
get get right down to business andenjoy. I don't have the I mean,

(20:34):
I've never tried brisket and I neverwill. I just I do not
have the patience for that. Andif I'm gonna spend twelve hours on something
and it comes out so so,I'm just gonna be mad and want to
throw it at something. So Ifigured for my own mental health, it's
probably best for me to just leavethat. That probably is better for your
mental health. Yeah, just leavethat to somebody else now. But if

(20:55):
you can grill it in fifteen totwenty minutes, I'm done. Well,
it ain't fifteen no, no,like you know, stay you know,
I'm not doing the twelve hours.My My only problem is that I didn't
recognize how much time had passed becauseI used to drink all the time.
I think most smokers would say theexact same thing if they were honest.

(21:18):
But I don't drink anymore. Yeah, so yeah, that's why you're it's
where you brisk is nothing good?Thanks, there's problem. Did not get
the memo that it was messed with? Casey Dave? Oh what day you
love you? Casey? All right, Kevin, So you're married recently two
thousand and three you said it was, it was actually two nineteen ninety nine.

(21:42):
You joined it in two thousand Yeah, yeah, joining there you go,
that's there you go. And Okay, so you joined the army and
you said you deployed how many times? Seven times? Three times to Iraq,
two to Afghanistan, one to theHorn of Africa, and and just
countless. I think I tried tocount eighty seven t D wide trips over

(22:06):
the years. Was your role?I'm communications with a with an aviation unit
for pretty uh pretty famous unit.Uh the one sixtieth Night Stalkers. Anybody
from A with black Hawk down probablyresonates with the listeners. So yeah,
so yeah, we had some excitingmission sets, lots and lots of combat.

(22:32):
So so yeah, yeah, afterafter stopping, after so many years
of being on the go, itkind of hit me real hard looking back,
and that's where a lot of myPTSD comes from. So I'm unpacking
a lot of things right now.It goes to I had the alcohol pretty

(22:52):
hard. I'm trying to mask someof that physical land and mental pain.
So I'm hearing cases right now.Yeah yeah, it's pretty common. Yeah
yeah, but speaking of common ties, it's uh, it's just great being
here at Camp Hope and knowing thatI'm not alone and how many similarities that
are that are out there. Soso yeah, unpacking it and the uh,

(23:17):
everybody's to take going at my ownpace, and uh, everybody's so
supportive. So I'm I'm blessed tobe here, blessed to be here.
Well, I think I'm probably hearinga couple of things. One is,
like you said, you were runningif you had that many deployments and that
many uh stints, Uh, andthen you just it's it goes from one

(23:41):
hundred and ten miles an hour tozero. Yes, the're hitting. That
was one thing, but that muchcombat. I'm sure I'm probably hearing something
we don't talk about on the radioa whole lot, but something we do
talk about a camp hope, whichis moral injury. Uh Are you hearing
that? Yeah, definitely, becauseit's it's a lot of like me and
I had those same things. Therewas that moral injury and everything else.

(24:04):
Have you had much conversation with eitherpeer or in class or the therapist.
It's it's interesting you bring that upjust just just yesterday, the day before,
we were actually going over topics likethat, and to be honest with
you, it made sense. It'slike, holy cow, I didn't realize

(24:26):
that that's that's me, that's that'sexactly what I was going through. So
between the classes that we do andthe counselors that are my counselor that is
assigning me, I'm unpacking that anddealing with that, not realizing what it
was at the time, and andnow just getting under there and uh and
saying, hey man, there's noreason to drink about it. We're gonna

(24:49):
unpack it and deal with it.Speaking of which I'm I'm next week,
I'll be ninety days sober, nocongress, So that's awesome. Yeah,
I'm really excited for Simon and inmy adult life. So yeah, we're
really happy and proud about that.So and you should be. And I
say, I mentioned referred to thewil Ago not knowing that was coming.

(25:10):
But I'm a big believer when youjoking about a while ago. But it's
true. Celebrate every victory. Soevery now and then on Sunday, I'll
ask guys, can you want anybodywant to share a number? What's your
Where are you at today? Iam at two and a half years?
Okay, So what I like tosay, Kevin, when something like that,
whether it's ninety days or two anda half years, it's like,
let's take Casey for instance, Casey, let's go back to so two and

(25:37):
a half years were so that's roughlyh January twenty two, roughly roughly,
Yeah, I got I got tocamp December of twenty one. Okay,
I had already start. I hadtwo weeks prior to Okay, so let's
go that was December December whenever Igot Okay, So let's go back to
November of twenty twenty one, whenyou're still full blown alcoholic. Yeah,

(26:03):
if someone had said to you intwo and a half years, you're gonna
say, I'm two and a halfyears of clean and sober, what would
you have said to them at thattime in November of twenty one? I
would have laughed in their face,told them there's no way. I mean,
the longest that I had ever beensober as an adult was eight months,

(26:23):
seven to eight months. And that'sjust because that's how long a deployment
was. Yeah, that's it,right, Which unfortunate because a lot of
times when I hear that answers becausethey were in jail, Yes, some
reason they have. I've been veryfortunate that I did not go to jail
drunk tank a few times. ButI think The longest that I did in
jail was I was in Brizoria CountyJail for like four months. Yeah,

(26:45):
assault, George. So for you, Kevin, we would go back if
it's ninety days this coming week.If you go back one hundred days,
I'm similar to Casey. I wouldlaugh that that I didn't see that being
possible, not because I didn't wantto, because I was physically unable to
to go on or to manage mylife. I was unmanageable, so that

(27:10):
these are huge hurdles for me.So I'm very happy about the small things.
Sure, So you just got abouta minut or so and we'll go
to the next segment. But justreal quick, even though you're a resident
at Camp Hope and limited on whatyour options are. Right that being said,

(27:32):
we're not selling alcohol, we're notbringing it onto the campus. We're
not taking you to the bar.However, if you wanted to, when
he takes you back, yes campand opens up that vendor, you could
walk, yes sir, Yes,sir, go anywhere you want to do

(27:52):
anything you want. I do havefree will, yes, sir. Yeah,
how do you think you're ninety dayssober? Now? What are you
credit there? Ye, well justthat just the big thing is the camaraderie
and and and uh and uh recognizinghow how how being healthy and I can
do this without it. That's athat's it's just huge for me. And

(28:15):
and I'm here for my brothers asmuch as their camp. Hope is here
for me. So learning a lotand hanging in there, hanging in there
one day at a time. Canyou see somebody like this two and a
half years sobersk gotta be inspired,inspirational yep, if you took my word,
it's great looking up to the uh, even the senior guys in the
class with me. I look atit one step at a time. Man,

(28:37):
I'm gonna get there. Period ofpeer's the power of this. I
will die on that hill. Itworks far. Not that there aren't other
things that shouldn't be involved, counselorsand all that. Nothing beats peer to
peer. All right, we'll beright back with more of Road to Hope
in just a moment. Spok andwe welcome back Road to Hope. Very

(29:26):
Away just opened the show talking aboutone scenario of a veteran or family reaching
out on behalf a veteran, justout of fear both for the veteran,
for what the veteran might do tothem or somebody else. Uh So there's
that scenario. Uh, I guessi'd always also mention one other scenario we

(29:48):
had not too long ago. Givea lot of specifics here, because this
is this is a I'll just generalizethe story because the story happens rather frequently.
Someone's reaching out on behalf of aveteran and they desperately want to help
them because they've seen what Camp Hopecan do and they want it to happen
to this veteran, whether it's afamily member or a friend or even just

(30:10):
an acquaintance. So recently with somebodywas just it was just in a they
just happened to know of them,They didn't really know them, and they
were reaching out to us, andI mean every thirty minutes, trying to
get some sort of an update,what's going on, what's going And at
one point I had to tell them, look, I know this is uncomfortable
to hear. I know it is, but sometimes when we're reaching out on

(30:40):
someone else's behalf, we want themto get help more than they want to
get help. And so in thisparticular instance, you know, they were
getting frustrated, not with anyone,just frustrated with this isn't happening as fast
as I want it to happen,right. And I had to explain to

(31:02):
them when someone you know, whenyou want help from them, great,
but they have to make a call, they have to do something, so
some initiative that they care about themselvesenough to even at least admit the situation
they're in. Whether it's you know, I want to do something about it
or not, that's a whole notherdeal, but at least show some effort.

(31:23):
And I know that can be reallyfrustrating for folks at times because they
want it so bad they can seeit right. It's like the individual that
quote unquote curative cancer. They triedsome alternative medication or whatever, and then
they think everybody's supposed to do itright and it could be a completely different
kind of cancer and it may nottouch it. But and then they get

(31:45):
frustrated with people because they won't dowhat they did the way they did it.
And I see that sometimes in ourworld, someone's reaching out on behalf
of a veteran and it just can'thappen fast enough for and they get so
frustrated. I just tell you,look, we're in this for the long
hall. It took you a littlewhile, and that's not a joke.
It's no, it just did,and that's okay. There's not a thing

(32:07):
wrong with that. Just the factthat you finally made the beginning and then
went through the process and even thoughthere were setbacks and frustrating. I know
it has to be frustrating, butyou finished, and man, now your
life is completely different and unrecognizable fromwhat it was before. Ain't no joke,

(32:27):
it was. It wasn't easy,like I said, but getting getting
into it was very difficult because Ididn't want to admit that I had any
type of vision none of us do. And then hitting some of those roadblocks,
I didn't want to admit to noneof that stuff. But admitting to
it and sticking with that program itwas hard, but it was definitely worth

(32:49):
it in the end. Kevin,you mentioned you were recently divorced. I
presume that was somewhat of the motivationfor you to do something. Yes,
yes, sir, it was.Had you gone to the VA or no,
No, not for any anything likethat. The VIA has always been

(33:09):
good to be medically sure, butmentally. No, yes, yes,
you know, after twenty years ofmarriage, you know, and putting up
going through the struggles with me,through all those trips away from home,
you know. She she encouraged meto seek help and I did not for

(33:31):
the change in attitude, the PTSDsneaking into our relationship and uh, and
the alcohol that and the related problemsthat come with that. So yeah,
that's that's how we separated. Itwas it was just just not a healthy

(33:52):
relationship of I've got two children fourteenand eight and both adopted, so it
was very awkward. And and thePTSD, the divorce, I'm sorry,
the retirement, the divorce all atthe same time just hit me like a
ton of bricks. How did youhear about camp Hope? A friend?

(34:12):
Just just a friend over in Florida, Like I said, I'm in Cocoa
Beach And it's actually an older ladythat lives in the apartment cot of the
condo association with me. And shesaid, she said, I've got something
for you. And and she actuallyhooked me up with Nick Eckerley and in
the state of Florida doing great stuff. Yeah, and I called him,

(34:32):
and boy, they jumped all overme and got me here as quick as
possible. And I very much appreciatethat. I didn't have much time to
uh, to second guess my mydecision. God, God put it on
my heart to get help, andand I jumped right on it. Uh,
you're sitting a few feet away fromit. I don't have my glasses
on, but I see you have. So you brought something with you,

(34:54):
Yes, sir, I carry theKing James version of the Bible large when
well, I don't know anybody besidesme had something like I've got a couple
of those have been given me tome through the year. To be honest.
There it is a large print.Okay, that's what you need.
But yeah, I go. Igo to God with everything. I was

(35:16):
going to say if he brought upwith you to the radio station. I'm
guessing it's important to you, sir. I'm very nervous being here, but
I appreciate the opportunity with friends.Man, I was just reading about Moses
and Exodus. I'm not a goodspeaker, but I've got I got to
put the word in your heart.Yeah. Moses was a stu yep,
and gave every excuse in the worldto not fulfill the That sounds familiar.

(35:42):
Yeah, so Claire, that's importantto you. What else has have been
important to you? You mentioned camaraderiea while ago, but what else has
been hopeful to you this far intoyour program? I tell you what.
Sometimes I do get overwhelmed attack andattacking these two issues at the same time.

(36:07):
Alcohol recovery is getting really easy.Uh. And again I am in
a bubble, so I can justfocus on myself. Just the the classes
are are are amazing. It's it'severything that comes up I I do relate
to. So it's the it's therelatability in in the uh, and just
the stories of the other fellas andand seeing how they've come and grown.

(36:32):
Man, I'm getting it from allangles. So if I don't like something,
it's okay. You know, nexthour we're gonna be talking about something
different. Uh. The the treatmentis amazing. And physically to taking care
of ourselves physically. I just hada fun day and we got out and
played sports all day and didn't thinkabout, Uh, did we have to

(36:53):
call an ambulance? No, nobodywent so. Yeah, everybody want us
to be Joe Montshall and like you'renot. You're not seventeen. I don't
know anybody I can't that thinks thatway. We're all We're all there.
I was the best in high school. I was the best time ago and
almost every time we're calling nine oneone, tell you take care of a

(37:17):
knee or an ankle or a ribor something. Yeah, we actually got
lucky this time. Nobody got hurtas far as I know. Yeah.
Well, uh, you're just alittle ways in. But I just want
to encourage, man, keep doingthe work you're doing. Yes, eating
you well, I put on somepounds and it's not Casey's barbecue, by
the way. Oh shots there,get it's a long walk back, and

(37:45):
you don't have a phone. I'lltell you what. Well, seriously,
keep doing the work, man,keep for you in touch with any families,
any family supportive? Oh yes,sir, thanks for asking. Yeah,
yeah, my mom and they gotmy back, got me back.
That's awesome, man, fantastic.Keep doing the work. Yes again.
PTSDUSA dot org is the website forall the information about all the programming and

(38:08):
everything that we have available. Eightseven seven seven one seven seventy eight seventy
three is the crisis line. It'smanned twenty four hours a day, seven
days a week, three hundred andsixty five days a year by a combat
at eight seven seven seven one,seven seventy eight seventy three. Wherever you
listen to podcasts, look for Roadto Hope Radio. Listen, share,

(38:29):
give it away. It's free,can be absolutely life changing. Big thanks
again to Jimmy chongas Fresh Makes Funare Awesome friends at a Corey ac ri
I, Corey Diamond and Design andoopsteam dot Com for all the oops moments
in your life. All right,We look forward to being with you again
next week with more of Road toHope Radio tea