Veterans Archives: Preserving the Stories of our Nations Heroes
In a world where storytelling has been our link to the past since the days of cave drawings, there exists a timeless tradition. It's the art of passing down knowledge, and for Military Veterans, it's a crucial piece of their legacy. Join us on the Veterans Archives Podcast, where we dive deep into the heartwarming and awe-inspiring stories of those who served, no matter when or where.
Here, Veterans get the chance to be the authors of their own narratives. Through guided interviews in a relaxed and safe environment, they paint their experiences with their own words and unique voices. The result? A memory card in a presentation box, a precious gift they can share however they please.
But that's not all. These stories find a secure home in our archive, a treasure chest of experiences for future generations to explore. The best part? It's all a gift to the Veteran – our way of saying thank you for their service.
Tune in to the Veterans Archives Podcast, where history, heroism, and heartwarming tales come to life.
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Veterans Archives: Preserving the Stories of our Nations Heroes
Brennan Lally's Odyssey: From Military Service to Civilian Success
What does it take to move from the shifting sands of childhood to the structured rigor of military life, and then back again to civilian normalcy? In this episode, we bring you the compelling story of Brennan Lally, who vividly recounts his formative years in Jackson, Michigan. Growing up with frequent moves and a deep-seated love for sports, Brennan reflects on his family dynamics and the significant figures in his life. From his dedicated mother and supportive grandparents to the stability offered by his stepfather, we get an intimate look at the values and experiences that shaped him.
Brennan doesn't hold back as he takes us through his journey into the military, from the gut-wrenching decision to join to the whirlwind experience of basic training at Fort Jackson. Get ready for a mix of humor and grit as Brennan navigates the peculiarities of military life, including the infamous DLAB test and the shock of transitioning from the rigid environment of basic training to the more relaxed Advanced Individual Training. We also touch on his deployment to Joint Base Lewis-McChord and the surreal readiness training exercises that prepared him for the real deal in Iraq.
Once deployed, Brennan's narrative turns raw and gripping as he recounts life in a combat zone, the intense daily routines, and the historical backdrop of Iraq. He shares the emotional and psychological toll of reintegration into civilian life, the challenges of adjusting to a world that now seemed foreign, and the joys of newfound fatherhood. From his struggle with alcohol consumption in Naples, Italy, to finding love and purpose back home, Brennan's story is one of resilience, growth, and the unwavering pursuit of stability and happiness. Join us for an episode filled with poignant insights, personal victories, and the ever-present journey of self-awareness.
Today is Wednesday, August 31st 2024. I am talking with Brennan Lally, who served in the United States Army. So, Brennan, as my kids would say, we're going to make this Barney simple. We'll just start out with when and where were you born.
Speaker 2:I was born in Jackson, michigan, february 5th 1991.
Speaker 1:Okay, 91, eight years after I graduated high school, no kidding. Yeah, that sucks, that sucks man. So what was it like growing up, brennan in Jackson, michigan? What are some of your earliest memories as a kid Earliest?
Speaker 2:memories. I was moving around a lot, not really a stable housing thing, I don't know why, because the family was awesome. We were always puzzle pieces together. That was really it. Really, I was just moved around a lot. Very athletic family. It's always doing sports something somewhere. If it was a season, we had a sport to go to, whether it be soccer, baseball, football, uh, bowling during the winter, what have you kept.
Speaker 2:You're pretty busy oh yeah, I was very busy when I was younger. I was going to three or four practices a week for other sports and then everything was on Saturday. So I was exhausted by Saturday evening.
Speaker 1:Maybe that was the plan. Yeah, I mean, hey, maybe that was the plan.
Speaker 2:It could have been.
Speaker 1:So tell me about your parents, your mom and your dad.
Speaker 2:Well, I have a biological father who was in the Navy. He was a Navy SEAL, retired, didn't really have much to do with me. After he found out, I was around, kind of out of the picture, and then my mom was basically my person who really did all the sacrifices and stuff, basically my person who really did all the sacrifices and stuff. Um, and a nutshell, she basically did what she had to do to make sure there was some sort of something coming somewhere. Um, along with my grandparents who were my biological father's parents. They kind of stepped into that role also. So I kind of had like a group family type thing. Um, cause I was always at my grandparents house, always at my you, always at my, you know, hanging out with them. That that's where I lived, basically okay, um, my stepdad came into the picture about when I was like three or four, I think I don't remember exactly. But he really stepped up and wanted to be the dad and I really appreciate him for that. He, he's a cool dude.
Speaker 1:Sounds like a good man. Now were you an only child for a little while.
Speaker 2:Uh, I, biological dad, had two more kids. Um, I call them my brothers and sisters anyway. Um, they're a little bit closer to my age. Um, and then I have my two brothers, my brother and sister, who are twins from my mother, who I grew up with. Um, they're cool.
Speaker 1:It's almost the. You need one more kid for the Brady bunch.
Speaker 2:No kidding Right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh, hang on. Stop one second, If you can. If you can, try not to tap the table like if you, if you want to hold your hand? I'm fidgety.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:You want me to get you something to fidget with? No, I'm good, okay Cause I'm fidgety too, and it takes everything out of me not to do this.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, I just.
Speaker 1:I sit on my hands, okay.
Speaker 2:All right.
Speaker 1:Hopefully that doesn't impact our conversation, so that will be good. All right, so we'll just pick one of your favorite memories of your mom growing up when I was uh in middle school we were playing football.
Speaker 2:You know, at that point it's like peewee football doesn't really matter. But we were playing uh Parkside, which is a school down in uh Jackson that we were playing and for some strange reason they don't have stands, so it's literally fence football field and they're doing a kickoff return or whatever. We they were kicking to us or whatever. And I remember hearing my mom screaming at the top of her lungs after I laid out this kid just plastered him like I don't think he played football after that type of hit was it physical or mental at that?
Speaker 2:point. I don't't know. To be honest with you, I think it was a little bit of both. Yeah, yeah. So then I went ahead and did it to another kid and she's just over there flailing her arms around like one of those wacky, waveable, inflatable tube men and just going. Ah, it was great.
Speaker 1:So was she encouraging you or discouraging you from doing this to other children? I think it was encouraging because, she understands that.
Speaker 2:You know, when I'm playing football I'm a different person. And when I'm doing my sports and athletics, I'm a different person than what I am. It's intensity all the way up to 11.
Speaker 1:Well, and it's funny because anyone like I haven't known you that long, but you seem like a pretty mellow guy.
Speaker 2:Oh, I'm chill.
Speaker 1:The fact that you knocked the crap out of two people on a football field sort of surprises me but I can see it.
Speaker 2:I'm an extremely competitive individual and I like hitting things.
Speaker 1:Awesome. Well, tell me a little bit about your stepdad. You said that he kind of stepped in in that role and you really like and respect him. What are some of the reasons behind that? Because that stepfather role can go one way or the other.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a difficult track to go down or a difficult trail. He was kind of the stability like this, like the structure, if I can say that, yeah, he, he provided the regiment like hey, wake up, do this, this, this, and you know that's what it is and mom's the fun one, you know, typically. But with him being able to do that and just step into that role and he was learning to at the time, cause you know he was walking, he was walking into being a dad and you know he didn't have his own kids at that point. So I mean that could be rather difficult. Um, I just really appreciative of it.
Speaker 1:Well, and that's good. So tell me like one thing about him that when you think about your stepdad, what, what comes to mind?
Speaker 2:wow, uh, one thing that comes to mind about my dad he's always willing to want to help. You know it took him a minute to understand it, but he always he. You know I'm his son. You know he wants to help me and my kids and my family and my brothers and sisters and all that. You know and you can't find people like that anymore. It's hard to find.
Speaker 1:Right, Right, and I and I um, it wasn't lost on me that I keep calling him your stepdad, but you call him your dad.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's okay.
Speaker 1:It's all good. Yeah, so I get it. Talk a little bit about your brothers and sisters. What's the age difference? What are the names? What was it like growing up with them?
Speaker 2:You're asking me numbers. Well, whatever you can remember. Okay, so the next closest to age is my oldest sister, who's like three, four years younger than me. Her name is Jasmine. She was in the Air Force and still is in the Air Force, I think, right now, as National Guard, Air Guard, whatever they call it Air Guard.
Speaker 2:Yeah, something like that. She kind of does the military life moving and all this, that and the other. She has a little girl named Amelia. Met her the first time last year. She is absolutely amazing, amazing. Oh my gosh, I met uncle. It was so cool. Um, and that's kind of it there in a nutshell with jasmine don't really talk to her as much as I should, but you know, um, and the next is my little brother, trevor.
Speaker 2:um, he's the next one in or in line. There mean hard to live in Big Brother's shadow, I guess, right, and he kind of went off and done his own thing. Don't really talk to him much either. The twins, the two that I see the most and actually have a tattoo that matches them with.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's pretty awesome, that is pretty cool.
Speaker 2:We came up with that on our spring break this past year. So this is, yeah, that's pretty pretty awesome and it's pretty cool. Um, we came up with that on our spring break this past year. So this is, yeah, that's cool. Um, basically one there. I just they're my brother and sister. I love them to death and they're just fun to be around and that's about it really.
Speaker 2:I mean one one I helped coach and soccer a lot. The other one, I just let her be who she wants to be and try to support her as much as possible. And I mean, and when I was in the service I kind of didn't grow up with them as much because as soon as I left they just, you know, went and did their own thing. So right but they're here, and they're here in michigan, so I see them a lot oh, that's good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's good now, other than sports, because it sounds like that really consumed a lot of your. That's good. That's good Now, other than sports, cause it sounds like that really consumed a lot of your life growing up. Um, what are some of the things that you remember about school and and and kind of uh growing up in? That way outside of sports. What do you, what do you remember about friendships?
Speaker 2:A lot of the friendships I had were kind of like around sports. I was really sports driven. Um, we did a lot of after-school clubs but that turned into hey, let's go play soccer.
Speaker 2:Hey, let's go right but um did a lot of the homecoming things, like everyone, like you know typical school stuff, you know like, oh, let's go build this float for homecoming, or let's go do this for winter formal, or let's go do this, um, or hey, let's just let's just. At the time, you know, there was a new restaurant down the street. I'm pretty sure you're familiar with it Claiborne's.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, I am in Claiborne's. They're not a sponsor, but they're not.
Speaker 2:But I go there every chance. Oh yeah, they're great, great food, great food. But at that time they were still the new restaurant just down the street from my high school. I'm like, hey, let's go to Clayton's get a sliced pizza or something. So it was always something.
Speaker 1:So if I asked you, I'm going to. If I asked you like what's one memory from that time in high school that kind of stays with you, that that's a good memory for you that we can talk about on the radio? Oh, my goodness.
Speaker 2:Oh, my goodness, let's see here, um, just the freeness of just, you know, having that trust built with your parents and like, hey, we know you're not going to do anything stupid and you just go do stuff and just be with your friends. Just the, the, the carelessness and freeness, I guess, is what I would remember, like going to those events, going to those things, going to people's houses and bonfires, going to dances, going to the, you know the Friday night football games and all that stuff. So yeah, just that, just that as a collective.
Speaker 1:So, as you were graduating, did you get the timeless speech about how this is the best time of your life? And if you were me, you didn't believe it. So did you not believe it when they said it? And then, looking back, you're like, oh, maybe it was.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm like the one time, like man, one time the educator is right.
Speaker 1:Exactly. This is the easiest time. This is the best time. You're never going to have these feelings again. You might as well put them in your memory bank.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, again, you might. You might as well put them in your memory bank. Oh yeah, I put those right there in the old fire stick and just locked it away. Um, it was, yeah, it was a great time I enjoyed it.
Speaker 1:So you uh make it through school. Um, you knock some people out. You have a good time play some sports uh, what happens after high school?
Speaker 2:uh, literally the summer after high school, I uh enlist in the us army.
Speaker 1:Okay and why. Like to be honest with you. What was the catalyst for?
Speaker 2:all the catalyst. For high school, I enlisted in the US Army. Okay, why, to be honest with you, what was the catalyst for all that? The catalyst for that was at the beginning of my senior year. It was kind of a weird time for my mom because she just got through a divorce, this, that and the other, and she's like I can't send you to college. So one of two things have to happen you have to go do the college thing yourself, or you have to promise me to go into the service. I felt like at that time I wasn't ready for school. I'm like, oh, I just got done doing all this school. Why would I go do more? So literally, it's my mindset at that point. So I'm like I'll just go down to the recruiter and we'll see what we can do.
Speaker 1:So you just spin a dial and say Army, or was there a reason why Army?
Speaker 2:To be honest with you, I actually kind of liked the ACU uniform. I thought it was cool. A lot of people are going to hate me for that, but I don't care. I thought it was cool.
Speaker 1:Beret or no, beret Both you like the beret. I thought the beret was cool. Wow, you are not going to be popular, I don't care.
Speaker 2:I thought it was cool at the time. I like the beret too.
Speaker 1:I still have mine.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, mine too. I got one in my office, yeah.
Speaker 1:I don't have mine in my office. It's in a box at my house.
Speaker 2:It's hanging on my coin rack in my office.
Speaker 1:Well, I'm taking a picture of it for sure.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's great have your parade stuff. So this was my parade, beret.
Speaker 1:Right you have your working beret and your parade beret. Yeah, that's right. So the uniform was cool and you're like I'm gonna go join the army. So what was that experience like? Going to that recruiting office and figuring out what you're gonna do?
Speaker 2:I mean, to be honest with you, it was pretty straightforward, nothing too crazy. Um, the original job that I was going to try and do was, uh, what, what was it? It was 37 Fox, which was a psychological operations. Okay, um, I really wanted to do that. Sounded awesome, sounded cool. Get to jump out of airplanes and all that stuff Do their whole. You know, be all you can, be type thing or whatever or army of one stuff or whatever.
Speaker 1:If you're going to do it, you might as well be all in. Yeah, you might as well.
Speaker 2:Just dive in head first and learn how to swim later. Um, so went through there, um, and then I almost got qualified for it. It was learning the second language that got me okay. Oh my gosh, that the d lab.
Speaker 1:That is ridiculous and anyone who has gone through that knows what you're talking about my gosh, yeah, that was so silly, it was all made up language, right exactly how fast can you learn a language?
Speaker 2:I'm like, uh what? And they're reading rules and it just keeps piling rules on rules, on rules, on rules on rules. And it's just all of a sudden I'm just sitting here and just and I'm like what?
Speaker 1:oh, so the d lab got you, oh yeah that.
Speaker 2:And I mean they would have looked over my color blindness if I did well on the d lab. But d lab got me right in the right in the kidney, yeah, yeah. So what'd you end up?
Speaker 1:what'd you end up picking?
Speaker 2:uh ended up picking uh 36. Bravo was a financial technician and service member or whatnot. Whatever it was at the time um previously known as 44 charlie um paymaster okay um, because that was. It, was that, or go be a janitor right and I'm like yeah, not gonna be a janitor, no no, no, no, no.
Speaker 1:And what was so? What was the flash to bang from signing up to actually going to basic? How long did you have? About three months, Okay.
Speaker 2:So I had my summer hung out, had fun, did a few things I wasn't supposed to right, you know last hurrah type things, um. And then when it really hit that I wasn't coming back for a while was when you're at meps and they walk you out the door. That's when I was like, oh shit, yeah that's what we call the oh shit moment. That right there that was the old man.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, so you, uh, you get. You leave Michigan. Where'd you go? To basic?
Speaker 2:I went to Fort Jackson they call it relaxing Jackson but I apparently they didn't get the memo I'm going to ask me what's the deal with the army?
Speaker 1:Because I feel like they go and find the crappiest piece of property with the most mosquitoes that they can and then pretty with the most mosquitoes that they can, and then they go. Oh, is it 800 degrees and 9 000 humidity?
Speaker 2:we're gonna put a base here. Oh yeah, right. Oh yeah, that's for jackson. Oh yeah, definitely that. And a lot of sand, yes, and sand fleas, and it's just not a pleasant experience, I feel like the weirder the bug, the better like they're going.
Speaker 1:What kind of weird animals you have yeah, we need a base here.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, you guys got grizzly bears here yet. No, all right, we won't put it here.
Speaker 1:We'll find a place that has those. So you get to basic training. What was that? Initial introduction, great introduction. Yes, yeah, I was trying to say it. That's a good word. I like that one.
Speaker 2:Great introduction. I like that. Um, so the welcome to the army moment was it was one o'clock in the morning. I'm tired, been traveling all day. Went from Chicago to Dulles, which is, I think, in Washington DC, right.
Speaker 1:It's in DC.
Speaker 2:Sat there for 10 hours to go to another small janky airport, to go to Columbia, which is where the airport is for that. And it's 1 o'clock in the morning and this big old I won't even say drill sergeant because he wasn't, I will say the cadre just waltzes in and he's like this is what's going to happen. You're going to get off the bus. Males on the left, females on the right. You have five seconds Go. I'm like oh okay, Wow, Wow, like oh, okay wow, yeah, wow, it was.
Speaker 2:It was, uh, because you know you've seen the movies and they're like god, they get in your face and all that. But no, that that that that happened at a later date okay, so they lull you into a false sense of security oh, yeah, yeah and then they pull the pin.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah yeah, yeah, it was great. So it's and you know all that stuff you just described like I learned this way later in life. Like none of that's by accident. No, it's, and you know all that stuff you just described. I like I learned this way later in life, like none of that's by accident. No, it's not. Like they book you the worst flights, they make you stay up as long as possible and you always arrive at bootcamp when it's dark. Yep.
Speaker 1:One o'clock in the morning Well actually we were not even at bootcamp, we were is reception. So when I went, when I joined the Navy, I went to Navy bootcamp. Yeah, there wasn't like it wasn't. When I hear about army reception like I'm like, navy, when you got there it wasn't anything like that. They immediately started yelling at you and pushing you around and that kind of stuff. It sounds like army reception. People get there and they're like oh, this isn't too bad, oh no.
Speaker 2:people get there and they're like oh, this isn't too bad, oh no it wasn't that. It was a different type of torture. Right, it was. Uh, it's one o'clock in the morning. I'm an nco that's getting ready to get out. Let's just do what we need to do and leave for the day. Basically is what they were doing and they just will save all that for the drill sergeants when they, when you get introduced to your drill sergeants and we're like oh great, well, how long were you in reception then? About a week.
Speaker 1:Okay, this is a really crappy week. So you so you leave reception and you get your true introduction yeah so let's talk about that yeah what was that like for you there, brother?
Speaker 2:well, uh, they don't do it anymore, which makes me very upset. Uh, it's called the the shark attack. I don't do it anymore, which makes me very upset. Uh, it's called the uh, the shark attack.
Speaker 1:I don't know if you're familiar I am, and for anyone out there that's not familiar, go out to YouTube because there's about myself. I'm like all right, cool all right, all right, you got those acus.
Speaker 2:You were looking, yep, yep acus, all that looking nice, looking sharp. I'm like, okay, cool. And then, um, we meet our drill sergeants. I will I forget her name, but she was terrifying, this short little filipino woman. I forget her name because all I remember her is drill surgeon. I don't remember, that's why. And she's like you guys have 10 seconds to get on the bus, or you're gonna get off the bus, I'm gonna smoke the living hell out of you and then we're gonna do it again and I'm like, oh geez there's always that one guy that doesn't know how to count to 10, right?
Speaker 2:no, no, no, you're like no well, I'm like what are you doing? Get on the bus. So we get on the bus. After three tries, uh-huh, dripping in sweat, tired. I'm like, oh my goodness, what did I do? And then they're like put your face in your bag because you had your front bags and packs all front loaded. So we sat in our bags front loaded so you didn't know or couldn't orient where you were, you know for reasons. And then that's when we met the rest of our drill surgeons. That's when you get the everyone get off my mother bus now, just start going off.
Speaker 2:And, oh my goodness, you gotta stand there and hold your bag too yeah hold your bag in front and then they're like put your bag over your head. No, put your bag in front and oh my goodness yeah and then push-ups, lots of push-ups, more push-ups how long did that entertaining physical fitness? To be honest, with you I I don't remember. There were some people that were saying oh god. And then there was one drill sergeant not missing a beat. He was like God can't help you here.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because he's probably heard people say, oh God lots and lots of times.
Speaker 2:Exactly. It was hilarious and I was just like wow this guy is awesome. Yeah, yeah, just hilarious.
Speaker 1:So what was?
Speaker 2:the rest of that experience, like that whole basic training for you, to be honest with you, um, with my athletic background and whatnot, the pt and all that stuff was not that not really it was difficult because you gotta, you know, get used to it and it's working different muscles and whatnot, but it's just, you know, just get through it. Yeah, um, but the psychological is where it kind of got me a couple times. Um, the drill sergeants were just, you know, in your face, like you have no personal space whatsoever and with me being a little bit taller than some of my drill sergeants they were, they were, uh, not so nice about it they weren't intimidated, were they?
Speaker 1:no, they were, and they let you know it oh yeah, he.
Speaker 2:There was one drill sergeant. I remember his name too. He was crazy Short little stocky pit bull guy. His name was Drill Sergeant Torres Frickin' after leaving basic. The guy's a frickin' genius, but at the time you know, he doesn't look up to privates, right? So he's looking straight into my chest, drilling his hat into my chest, like what do you think you're better than me, private, because you're taller than me? I'm like what, I don't even know who you are. Who told?
Speaker 1:you that? No, that's not how I roll, at all right but yeah, this is yeah just some fun A lot of great lessons learned in basic training.
Speaker 2:Yeah, keep your head down and don't say shit, right.
Speaker 1:And don't volunteer.
Speaker 2:Don't volunteer For anything.
Speaker 1:In fact, I learned later on, navy actually stands for never again volunteer yourself, no. No no no, no.
Speaker 1:That's what I heard. So did they ever sweat the walls when you were in basic training? Are you familiar with that term? Uh well, when it's no, I'm not really familiar with that term what would can you so sweat the walls is you? They put you in your barracks and they close all the windows and all the doors and they actually turn the heat on, even though it's summer, and then they make you do physical exercise until the walls are sweating no, they did not, because with us being in South Carolina, they were really concerned about heat casualties and heat categories, right.
Speaker 2:So, with that being a thing, they didn't want people to like pass out or whatnot, because, believe it or not, when we were at reception not doing anything, they had to send like eight or nine recruits to the hospital because of dehydration, right, and it's just people being stupid.
Speaker 1:Right, right, well, and a lot of people when they get there are not in shape.
Speaker 2:They don't understand Well not only that, it's just you know a lot of the folks and recruits and whatnot aren't you know from the South, so they're not accustomed to it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, fortunately for you, you had your athleticism to kind of compensate for being from michigan. Yeah, no kidding. So you, uh, you obviously made it through basic training. Was you see your ait? Was it co-located?
Speaker 2:or not it was co-located.
Speaker 1:Yeah, literally on the other side of the hill where I was at basic boot camp phase two right, yeah, exactly that's really what it was, pretty much so talk me through. What was your ait like? What are some of the things you remember about that?
Speaker 2:well, first time going to ait it was a little bit of a culture shock because it was a little bit more relaxed. What? This is crazy. And then we get regular cadre, regular NCOs, educators. At that point, to teach the individual skill set needed. And so I'm just there, just like what I went through all this, just to what?
Speaker 1:Did you? Did you find yourself like still on kind of high alert? Oh yeah, Right, Like any minute. Now this is just going to crumble.
Speaker 2:Something's going to go. It's going to go to shit real quick, right, like something silly is going to happen. And I was just on high alert for like two weeks and I'm like nothing crazy happened yet. Let's give it another week, see what happens. Nothing. And I'm like wow, okay. And then they started telling me that it's student-led.
Speaker 2:I'm like, so it's, we're the ones you know, doing and they're like yeah, you're the guys, you're the ones that are, you know, doing all this, this and this within our guidelines. We are making sure you understand this, this and this. And I'm like, oh, okay, so, and then if something stupid happens, we, we all, get smoked anyway. But besides the point, right.
Speaker 1:So how long was your ait, do you remember?
Speaker 2:oh, it was about one, two, three, about two and a half months, okay, two and a half months, three, yeah, two and a half months, three months, yeah so when you got done with ait, did you go home or did you go home between basic and ait?
Speaker 1:did you come?
Speaker 2:I didn't get the opportunity to do the, the go home, because it was literally you're going to ait next week and it's right there. And then they just pointed at the building and they're like it's right there. I. And I'm like.
Speaker 1:Oh okay, pick up your bags and head over. Yeah, just walk over Just walk over. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So you get, so you get done with AIT, and then, so what happens from there?
Speaker 2:Uh, I get a little bit of leave. So I come home for the first time. Uh, it was winter, um, there was snow on the ground and I was really cold Because you hadn't been in the cold for a little while, like six, seven months. Yeah Right, it was crazy, but you got to wear that cool uniform home, right? Oh, hell, yeah, through the plane. Thank you for your service. I'm like, oh, thanks, I haven't really done anything yet, but okay, well, you survived. Basic training in AIT.
Speaker 1:Yeah, good, what was it like? So what was it like coming home, other than it was cold, was it? Uh, was it nice seeing the family again? I mean, did you have friends that hadn't really gone anywhere, other friends that had done stuff? What was that like?
Speaker 2:A lot of my friends decided they wanted to go to college. Yeah and uh, they were doing that bit, they were going through that bit. Um, family, I mean it's family they're like oh. Hey B, what's going on? I'm like, oh hey, where are you? They're like where you been? I was literally in South Carolina for six months.
Speaker 1:And you weren't on vacation? No, I was not on vacation.
Speaker 2:Part of me want to say Myrtle Beach hanging out.
Speaker 1:Right? No, Not at all, Not at all. So you take your leave. You come back After AIT. What was your first duty?
Speaker 2:station Joint Base Lewis-McChord Okay Out in Washington State, about as furthest away as I could be from home.
Speaker 1:So did you like it out there? I loved Washington State. I went to Fort Lewis At Fort Lewis, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, love Fort Lewis. Oh, I love it. I fell in love with that place as soon as I landed. It was a little rainy, but you know Seattle, but the first sunny day we had saw Mount Rainier and I'm like, oh my gosh, it was so gorgeous, beautiful People were nice for the most part. Um was part of the ninth financial company out of uh, fort Lewis there and it was fun learning how to do things with them and whatnot.
Speaker 1:So your job was basically making sure people got paid and making sure other things got paid.
Speaker 2:Yep and uh um, deducted as well. Don't forget the deductions part. Oh yes, that's the least favorite part of my job. Well, you know those deductions got forgotten once in a while and every all of a sudden your paycheck was half of what it should be. So no kidding. So you definitely want to do your job. Oh yeah, I was on the everyone's love list when it was payday and everyone's shit list when they did something weren't supposed to right, it's a love hate relationship yeah, that's the true definition?
Speaker 1:definitely. So you now did you deploy from from that base. Yep, I did literally three months after I arrived wow, wow and, and so some people everyone has their reasons for joining right, and sometimes, when deployments come up, people like oh wait a minute, that's not what I signed on for is that how you felt?
Speaker 2:or, to be honest with you, uh, when I was in basic training, they're like everyone here is going to be deployed. You are part of the force that is going to start replenishing, the force that is overseas, so they already got it into my brain that I was going to be there. Wow, way to set the expectation that's you know, really good.
Speaker 2:I'm um, and I was very thankful for that and that's why I said drill serge. You know, torres, absolutely absolute genius, right. So he had me pretty much well numb to it. So I was like, okay, that's fine.
Speaker 1:Yeah, at this point you don't have a girlfriend or a wife or a fiance or none of that. Right, you're just literally 18.
Speaker 2:You're just single Brennan, getting ready to go do so. Don't get me started about single Brennan.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I bet there's some stories there too. We'll talk offline about that. Alright, We'll keep this PG-13 for the audience here. So you get your orders and you're going to deploy. Where are you set to deploy to?
Speaker 2:A little base called oh my goodness Fob Adder, just south of Fallujah. Okay. Big airstrip in the middle of the desert, next to a big old building that's called the Ziggurat Crazy Wow.
Speaker 1:When you got the orders and you're ready to go, what were your thoughts about deploying to Iraq?
Speaker 2:To be honest with you, it was kind of like, well, I guess it's just my turn to go. I'm going to get ready for this. I just have my family that's in Michigan they're not going to be able to go with me and I have my family that I'm going to go with with my detachment that's going. So there's only about 26 of us going and we're going to support over 20,000 troops that were there at the time. I think that's a lot. Yeah, that's a lot. I was a very busy bee when I got there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, do the math on that.
Speaker 2:You had a lot of people you were responsible for, yeah, and some of the detachment that we were with were senior NCOs officers, so the pie got even bigger for us lower enlisted folks to take care of.
Speaker 1:Right, right, but very important job oh, yeah, definitely well, so did you. Uh, did you do a train?
Speaker 2:up prior to going. Yeah, we did a train up immediately as soon as I got there. Okay, um, I got in processed with everything, which was surprisingly fast for the army. Well, no, just in general, because when? In general, because when you go to a new station or whatnot and you're trying to go to brigade battalion company, I literally got one done after the other. It was crazy how fast that happened. I think it was because I was getting ready to deploy, right right.
Speaker 1:I might have put a little emphasis on getting this done right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no kidding Now.
Speaker 1:did you go to NTC for train up? Nope.
Speaker 2:We have out on the West Coast also a small little place called Yakima, yakima Training Center Really cool. So we just got to drive around in Humvees that we didn't use, which was great yeah that we didn't use which was great.
Speaker 1:Yeah Right, uh, yeah, that's the interesting thing about train up prior to deployment is that, as I recall, almost everything that they talked about was not how it was. It did not happen, so the information was so yesterday Exactly, you know. I mean, thank goodness they got us at least somewhat prepared, but it was. It was nothing like.
Speaker 2:Oh no, nothing at all. You're basically like oh, so this is what could happen, and what they're reading the pamphlet out of is like from like desert storm. You're like, oh, okay, but um, great experience. Out at yakima we were just driving humvees around shooting blanks at things. I mean, I was on top of the humvee looking out at this beautiful landscape and I'm like this is cool, it's freaking awesome yeah, they do like ied drills rollover drills, all of that stuff right oh, yeah, rollover, rollover, rollover did you so?
Speaker 1:so, yeah, did you get the? I'm trying to remember when this came out. Did they have, like, the rollover trainer?
Speaker 2:yeah, it was um the humvee yeah that you're like strapped in or whatnot, and then you got a yellow rollover. As it's rolling over, right, yeah, it's. Yeah, I actually got certified on that. That was pretty fun. It's like it's like a circus ride. Oh, it's ridiculous. And what the best thing about it was is it's completely unrealistic oh I'm not gonna go down that rabbit hole, but yeah, yes, it is you're just sitting there going at like half a mile an hour as you're rotating, either which way.
Speaker 2:Yeah, oh, it's uh ridiculous I feel like they should put a crank on the front of it and just start going, yeah, like, yeah, yeah, this is how it's really gonna feel, this is how it's gonna happen yeah, well, they do their best, I guess, and you? Got mres and rippets just floating everywhere in there to make you know you gotta keep it real oh, yeah, yeah yeah, a friend of mine she was.
Speaker 1:She was in a car wreck and her car rolled over, oh no, and she was telling me that like, everything inside of her car was like suspended in slow motion. It was very weird, yeah, cause like her computer case and all her purse and all that other stuff she said it was a very weird experience.
Speaker 2:So it was kind of like like in the movies that are like in slow-mo and you're all like right. So that's how she felt, like oh, my goodness, yeah, until the car hit, and then it like, and then everything kind of just came back to normal.
Speaker 1:Okay, I think the movie's captured pretty well. Now, I was never involved in a rollover in a Humvee but, I've got to imagine it's got to be pretty close to that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I would imagine, only more terrifying. Oh yeah, because you know extremely more weight and you have all these lovely tools that we have.
Speaker 1:Yeah all the stuff that we use when we're. You get through the training at Yakima. You are ready to go now. So what was that experience like? Like leaving the States knowing that you're headed for the desert.
Speaker 2:To be honest with you, back to drill Sartorius. I was just numb to it. I'm like, okay, this is what it feels like, cool, let's go. I was kind of getting in the mindset of it's time to go do stuff and let's you know, go get. You know it's my turn to carry the load for a bit.
Speaker 1:Did you end up? Did you go to like Kuwait first? For like what, was it 14 days for acclimation, or whatever?
Speaker 2:It was about two, two ish weeks yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, were you at Beering there or were you at someplace else?
Speaker 2:Yeah, Beering, I think.
Speaker 1:I think it probably had 50 different names. Yeah, it was Beering.
Speaker 2:Just a little thing in the middle of the desert, yeah.
Speaker 1:Talk a little bit about Kuwait, because I know what it was like for me, but I want to hear what it was like for you. I want to hear your experience getting to Kuwait.
Speaker 2:So Kuwait was quite the experience. So we're traveling from the West coast. So we're thinking, okay, cool, so we're going to go West. No we go East. Oh so we go from Washington state to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, to Detroit, to Atlanta, Georgia, from Atlanta Georgia to Ireland, Shannon Ireland, right yeah, Everyone goes to Shannon Ireland.
Speaker 1:I got a picture of me there to atlanta, georgia, from atlanta georgia to ireland shannon ireland right, yeah, everyone goes to shannon ireland. Yes, I got a picture of me there. I'll show it to you.
Speaker 2:That's awesome but at that time it's like we're just exhausted from traveling. So then from there to um their port in kuwait, and it's just that's when it kind of hit me a little bit. They're like oh, by the way, we don't have baggage service here, so all E four and belows get off the plane. So it's like 102 degrees outside and it's four o'clock in the morning. Yeah.
Speaker 2:And I'm like this is ridiculous. Yeah, and we just start chucking bags into the back of this big old semi and it wasn't just us there was there, the plane was full right, it was another. We were going, we were with another transportation company out of fort sill, so that's probably why we went to fort sill. Now that I think about it, yeah, that makes sense. So, yeah, then we're just sitting there chucking bags and off the plane into the. Oh man, that heat was ridiculous. That was the first time I actually had like oh, that's bad.
Speaker 1:So what's your reaction when people say this phrase oh it's a dry heat, oh it's still hot. You kind of have to resist, your just punch them in the throat right, yeah, throat punch and then continual stomp into the dirt. Yeah. Right because, it's hot. Yeah, and so what was your acclimation time like in Kuwait? What kinds of things did you do?
Speaker 2:To be honest with you, we got there at 6-ish and we just basically got our stuff together and we just went to our you know, transient area wherever transitional area and we just slept. We were, we were exhausted because you've been traveling literally for two days. Oh yeah, I was like, yeah, I'm going to go crash. And then they're like, yeah, go ahead, go crash. And then, um, the officers and senior enlisted went and did what they needed to do and then they came back. Oh, hey guys, this is what's going on. We're going to stay here, go to the gym, do this, this that I mean they were keeping it light because you know why, not right?
Speaker 1:Well, I think part of it too is I remember having to resist the urge to sleep during the day. Oh it was rough.
Speaker 2:It was so, so hard. Oh yeah, because you're sitting there, because you're trying to get acclimated for the time difference, because that's like an eight to ten hour difference. Yeah, and it's even more so because we're from the west coast oh so add another three hours I had not considered that, but you're right, yeah, it's like a whole day.
Speaker 2:So we're, it was, it was a struggle, but, um, yeah, it was it, it was rough. So we finally got acclimated and we're like, okay, cool. And then they're like so half of you are going here, half of you are going here. So I'm like, oh, so I have to. I have even more stuff to do now, cause I was under the impression that we were going to go from Kuwait with our whole crew to this one location. No, no, no, no. Half of us go one, half of us go to another and we still have to do 20,000 each, or 20-plus thousand each. It's crazy.
Speaker 1:Wow. So, yeah, you get through all of that and now you head to your FOB, Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2:And kind of walk me through what that experience was like. Well, we were uh leaving Kuwait on the big old C one, 30. I'm like, oh, this is cool. You know big old crates in the middle and this, that and the other. There's like get in where you fit in, type deal Right. And uh we land, and uh they had the plane super chilled. It was like really cold in there. So I'm like, okay, this is awesome, this is great. And as soon as they opened the door, it's like opening an oven door, you know when you first open it the first time or whatever. Right.
Speaker 2:And I'm like couldn't even keep my eyes open because the heat that was coming and you could see the heat radiating and I was like, oh my goodness, what have I gotten myself into? What the hell is this?
Speaker 1:Right, I want to walk back though a little bit. So I don't know if you guys did this or not, but the first time I flew a C-130 heading into Mosul right, it was a great flight. It was as good as it could be. On one of those, I had never heard the term combat landing before. Oh, you just drop. Yeah, so did you experience that? Yeah, so let's talk about that. What was that like? So they?
Speaker 2:didn't even give us the brief that that was going to happen. Yeah, because you know everyone just assumes why would you?
Speaker 2:um, so apparently on that particular airstrip they get mortared a lot, so it's considered combat landing. So you're sitting there up in the clouds just chilling and then, for whatever reason, the airmen start getting strapped in and I'm like, so what's going on? And then all of a sudden you know it's like the cartoon movies you just drop and you're like still floating in the air and you're like and until you drop, look down, and then you fall right that that sums it up huh, basically all right, yeah, I didn't want to miss that experience.
Speaker 1:I that was.
Speaker 2:I didn't think it was only and then combat um takeoff is the same, except you know, going up obviously right, right, whole whole thing's terrifying oh, I don't care who you are, it's just ridiculous.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so fun, we had no one. So you, you get there, you step out into the easy bake oven oh yeah and then. Um, so do you start your left seat, right seat, and, and how was that?
Speaker 2:uh, we get in processed, obviously with that, with the whatever, like hey, this is who's here, this is who's here, this is what we have for you know, inspectable items or tracking items or whatever. And the left seat, right seat, I mean we were replacing a reserve unit, so it was all sorts of eight of. It was bad, that's not good to hear I know I feel bad saying that, but you know they were out of New York, so yeah, literally New York City. Yeah, Crazy. They were out of New York, so literally New.
Speaker 1:York City. It was crazy. I think it's fair to say that there's 8-Up units across the board.
Speaker 2:It's not just a reserve thing.
Speaker 1:So I want to make sure that we make that distinction.
Speaker 2:No, no, no, it's not a reserve thing, it's just. This happened to be a reserve unit. It just happened by circumstance.
Speaker 1:But I digress Anyway so you get there now, you, you're in process, you're doing your thing. Well, what was a typical day there, like for you?
Speaker 2:Uh, wake up at five o'clock in the morning because that would be the coolest time to go actually outside and do some sort of fitness Right, um, and, by the way, the coolest time outside is what like 90 yeah 89, and that felt cool, didn't it? Oh, it felt great, yeah, I was like yes, sweet, it's only 87 degrees outside, perfect, I can wear shorts and a sweater so you get up at five o'clock in the morning, you're doing your pt or whatever and then um go get cleaned up typical day there.
Speaker 2:Um report to the office so we can do the activities and all that stuff.
Speaker 2:Typical office hours were like nine to six um handle every issue that comes in, make sure folks have money for a fees and internet and stuff like that basically. And that's basically how it went for the first two to two to three months until we got proficient at that Um and then they started doing um inquiries from the outlying units. Like hey, when's finance going to come out and see us, cause we have X Y Z that needs to be done. So they started sending me out to go with other units to go to our outlying combat outposts.
Speaker 1:And so I think that people have the misconception that if you're in finance, you're sitting on a fob somewhere and you're perfectly safe.
Speaker 2:Oh no, Even if you're on a fob, you're not perfectly safe.
Speaker 1:No, but there's that misconception, oh, no, no.
Speaker 2:There's definitely that experience. No, that was not my experience. My experience was I basically volunteered to do it because I didn't want to be that fobbit that they called said. So I went out and I'm like, I went to the units in the outliers. I went, did all the other special pay missions, like, literally, I was in Fallujah. We ended up doing like a Blackhawk thing from Fallujah to the border of Iraq and Iran Wicked, entirely different. Then from there to another base in between the Tigris and the Euphrates Completely different environment, environment and then from there to baghdad and did the same thing back right, crazy, um, but yeah, I did convoys from those to other outlying things. It's yeah, I wanted to not be the the fobbit right, right.
Speaker 1:Well, and you know in all honesty, I mean, if you're there you might as well see the place right, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:That's how I ran iran's, entirely different than iraq.
Speaker 1:It's crazy well, and when you travel iraq too, right, it's entirely different, right? Just like, just like the united states like if I go to arkansas it's different than I go to michigan, and I think people like lump it all in it's iraq. So here's how it.
Speaker 2:Well, and then I kind of look at it like a little bit differently. It's like this is where history was, this is where, you know, ancient civilizations were cradled. This is the. You know, you have the tigers and the uh, the, the Euphrates.
Speaker 1:Yeah, euphrates yeah.
Speaker 2:So that's, it's where a lot of civilizations you know got their ideas babylon and all you know, mesopotamia, that type of stuff. So I just looked at it that way and it's like whoa crazy yeah well, I mean think about the gates of dunawa exactly right where I was at exactly just north yeah, totally, totally got it.
Speaker 1:Anything happened on any of those missions?
Speaker 2:oh yeah, let's talk about that a little bit one of the times when it was one of those rare opportunities where it was me and one of my senior ncos when we were returning from a mission, it was just us and the flight crew on a blackhawk or whatever, because they were just doing a right routine supply run. Or they're like, hey, you guys heading here and we're like, yeah, there's top on, we'll go. We got shot at a little bit. It was fun, uh, doing acrobatic things and a black hawk uh wasn't ready for it and just all of a sudden you start doing combat maneuvers and things to get out of the way of things and it was awesome. Yeah, poop my pants a little bit, but it's all right yeah, it's, it's okay to it's okay to be a little scared oh yeah it was a little terrifying.
Speaker 2:I was like, well, let's go I used to.
Speaker 1:I used to work for a guy who said uh, a little bit of fear is a good thing, because it keeps you from doing stupid shit oh yeah, definitely, and it keeps you on edge because it gives you that, that heightened awareness right, right, um.
Speaker 2:And then another one where we were at another larger base I forget what it forgot, I forget the base name, but we had to convoy to this police station that they converted into like an outpost or whatnot, and we've done it a couple of times, but this time it was pushed back because there was a riot in the town and I'm like, oh no. I'm like oh no, so we're sitting there waiting. I'm like, okay, that's fine. So we're sitting there waiting. It's nighttime and they're like, okay, we're going to go.
Speaker 2:I'm like, okay, fine. So we get to the city and it's people everywhere and I'm like it's kind of late at night for everyone to be out. But okay, that's fine. We get there and do our do, what we need to do. Uh, help load up stuff, help take care of stuff, take stuff to. You know, the soldiers that are there pay stuff and whatnot. Uh, return and we get loaded up to leave and we go to um the road that we were exiting out of and whatnot. No one was there, nobody.
Speaker 1:That's a bad sign.
Speaker 2:That's a very bad sign. And I'm sitting there looking around I'm like, oh no, cause. There was literally hundreds of people here Not an hour ago, right? And then, um, that's when it happened. We got hit with an IED. And how was that? It was not a pleasant experience. No, it was one of those shape charges type things. That was one of the newer ones at the time.
Speaker 1:The EFP.
Speaker 2:The projectile one. Yeah. The explosive projectile where it shoots like the molten copper.
Speaker 1:Yep, straight out of Iran, by the way. Yeah, that's where they come from. Yeah, so you got hit with that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we did, luckily it. So you got hit with that and we did, uh, luckily it wasn't angled right properly, so I'm assuming it might have fell and it only took out the wheels, so nobody got you know, didn't blow it in half, didn't no it just
Speaker 2:it was just a smaller one, it was like a pipe bomb type size. Yeah, it took out, um, all the wheels, yeah, of the mrap and I was like, oh my goodness, after the ringing, stopped, right right and I checked myself. I'm like, okay, we good, look at everyone else, we're good okay no one's bleeding.
Speaker 1:All my limbs are here limbs are here.
Speaker 2:Let me check, make sure. Okay, I didn't pee, so we're good. Did it? Did it surprise?
Speaker 1:you how you got used to things.
Speaker 2:It's scary, yeah, like as a whole, like I think that's when you kind of fall back on the training that you've had and the stuff that you've had drilled into you, like I just reacted, I didn't really think about it, like we got out of the truck, did what we needed to do, you know, and if anything went crazy, I don't think I would have thought I would have just reacted because at this point it's my safety, everyone else's safety, and you know, that's kind of the way I look at it, right, and it's kind of scary how you think back about, well, what if this would have happened? What if this would have happened?
Speaker 2:You know there's so many variables that that could have been way worse than what it was. Oh, oh, absolutely, and that could have turned into something else. And I mean, there was literally hundreds of people there an hour ago. So where'd they go? Yeah, did go. So where'd they go? Yeah, did they go home to go?
Speaker 1:get their weapons, or did?
Speaker 2:they do what, what, what do they know that? I don't know exactly like I was, like after the fact, after the adrenaline kind of I was like, oh no, that could have been a black hawk down episode. That would have been bad right.
Speaker 1:So you find that that it's right. When you're in the moment, like you just do what you got to do, yeah, you don't even think about, and sometimes you laugh. You do kind of weird things. But then, like later on, when you're alone with your thoughts and the logic takes over and you start processing it that's when you're like oh, holy crap yeah, that could have been, bad yeah, and then you compound that with a year-long deployment um, where you're doing that every day when you get home it's different oh yeah, and we'll talk.
Speaker 1:We'll talk a little bit about that. So so that was.
Speaker 2:I mean that whole situation is almost textbook, right, like oh yeah, if the marketplace is empty, don't go to the marketplace well, I mean, unfortunately that was the only way in or out to get to that spot, so we were kind of you know, know, you were stuck, exactly.
Speaker 1:But you, you knew like, oh, something's going to happen.
Speaker 2:Exactly. I'm like there's so many people here and it's late at night, what the hell's going on? And then there was nobody and I'm like we were only gone an hour. Crazy Right. I mean it was pretty straightforward. The rest of it, I mean we got mortared every once in a while and we had a running joke where, like oh, it must have been payday we're getting hit by Mazuls or Abib's stuff Ridiculous.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:So stupid.
Speaker 1:They paid on the first and 15th.
Speaker 2:Exactly. Basically, that's when we got mortared. It was terrible. Funny story about getting mortared, though it was funny, Well, not funny, kind of terrifying, but funny at the same time. That's funny now, right.
Speaker 1:Oh it's hilarious now.
Speaker 2:So I'm sitting there on the toilet doing number two, dropping a deuce, and tell me why. A mortar dropped and mine dropped at the same time and I thought I broke the toilet. You were dropping mortars, they were dropping more exactly and it was terrible. Like as soon as I walked out and like behind the barrier or whatnot, there's this big crater. I'm like that wasn't there before, right crazy did I have something to do with that? Yeah, what did I do?
Speaker 1:yeah crazy well, and you think about how many times like I don't know if it's divine intervention or what it is, but how many times that could have been me. But all it could have been right, yeah it could have been.
Speaker 2:I mean, they could have just done one click less, one click more. The mortar itself could have been lighter, it could have been heavier, right they could have counted wrong, who knows? Yeah what it is.
Speaker 1:We're here today, though, oh yeah yeah, so you, uh, you go through the rest of this, so it was a 12 month deployment correct.
Speaker 2:Yep, it was the uh. We were the last ones to do the last um 12 month deployment and then, after that it was nine months, so we were kind of a little salty about that, but that's okay, lucky you.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, that's great, lucky, lucky you. We'll talk. Talk a little bit about uh, prepping to come home. And then what was it like?
Speaker 2:to be honest with you, prepping to come home was a lot easier than I thought it would be. Yeah, um, we had to get our connexes everyone knows what connexes are for the most part, uh, shipping containers um together. So I'm like, hey, I'll volunteer, I'll go. So, me and my squad leader at the time, we went to kuwait and hung out for about two, three weeks waiting for our connexes to get here so that they can get on the ship to go. So we were just chilling in kuwait, just eating mcdonald's, doing your thing, just hanging out wasn't, it wasn't't it.
Speaker 1:So was it kind of strange, like after deployment you're still there but like yeah, you're eating a big Mac.
Speaker 2:Like yeah, it wasn't a big Mac. There's something off about it, like, but it was so good. Right. And I'm like, okay, this is good, I love it, this is awesome. Been wanting this for a very long time. This is great. But probably wasn't beef. It probably wasn't. It was probably camel, um, but back to it.
Speaker 1:Um, just something about that interaction brought it kind of back, you know starts, you know regressing you down a little bit right, that normalcy, that yeah, you used to know yeah, yeah, because there's a new normal while you're there, oh yeah yeah, yeah, you get on a plane, you fly back oh yeah did you have to do like the hopscotch? Oh, we hopscotched yeah aggressively.
Speaker 2:We didn't skip no rocks either. We just from kuwait to ireland to atlanta, from atlanta to Ireland to Atlanta, from Atlanta to Washington. That was a oh, I slept so hard.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, were you one of those people that had to like drink NyQuil, or did you just?
Speaker 2:sleep, I just slept, I just. I was just tired from all the things that we did and it was just, it was relaxing to just know, hey, back in America, it's just. It was relaxing to just know, hey, back in america, it's just chill.
Speaker 1:You know, don't got to be on high guard anymore and you're like, you're only what like, maybe two years into your enlistment. At this point, because you like, basically half yeah, basic it duty station you're out of there exactly yeah, so you still have a little ways to go. When you got, when you got back to the States, then did you take?
Speaker 2:some time. I did. I took some time. I went home, hung out, um kind of got reacquainted with everybody. Um, at this point my little brother, who I left was at my belly button height, was now over me, literally shot up four feet. And I'm looking up at him, I'm like wow. And he's thinking he's hot shit now, Cause you know he's what 15 at the time.
Speaker 1:Well, that's the age where you know everything. Oh, exactly, Everyone else is stupid, Exactly.
Speaker 2:And I I am a friendly reminder, I'm like, just cause you're taller than me does not mean anything. I still outweigh you by like a hundred pounds.
Speaker 1:You sound like drill sergeant, yeah yeah, I was wondering if we're going to get that conversation. Yeah. Yeah, you're not better than me just cause you're taller. Exactly, I can still take in, don't forget it. Oh yeah, how different were you when you got, when you got home that first time from deployment, like, like for me, I always thought everyone else had changed. But it wasn't everybody else it was me.
Speaker 2:So how different was that for you? To be honest with you, I couldn't walk on grass yeah yeah, could not do it. I still can't do it it's really difficult.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's a hard thing to break.
Speaker 2:It gives me anxiety, oh my gosh. Like when I see mike walking on grass, I'm like oh my gosh, what are you doing right? And I'm like, oh, it's his grass, you can walk on this grass. But besides the point, um, it was, uh, I was very regimented, like to the T. I didn't sleep in, I got up early, I did my, everything that I did, because, you know, it's what I did for a year plus, year plus. Went for a run weight lift, all the normal, what I thought was normal, yeah.
Speaker 1:Nothing crazy. Yeah, did you find yourself being a little judgy of?
Speaker 2:other people. Oh, hell, yeah, I'm like you're walking out of the house looking like that. Why?
Speaker 1:right, how dare you sleep until 7, 30, what's wrong with you?
Speaker 2:it's 6 15. Why aren't you awake?
Speaker 1:right. So now you have to adjust a little bit to a hey, we're not, you know that was an adjustment. Right, um, yeah, yeah, did any of that once you got back. I mean, you're just on leave right now, so you haven't been back a long time. Um, did that stuff start to catch up with you a little bit?
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, almost immediately.
Speaker 1:How was?
Speaker 2:that when I was home, there was a thunderstorm. Yeah.
Speaker 2:And I thought we were getting mortared. So I went back to you know what's the word I'm looking for? We'll call it survival mode. I guess Fight or flight, that one the fight, because the flight switch don't work on this guy, right? Um, yeah, it's just the fight. And then I was literally looking for my, my weapon, my pistol, my whatever that I could defend what needs to be defended, and at that time I was out on the couch just chilling because my mom, at my mom, didn't have really a bed for me.
Speaker 2:So I just crashed on the couch. She woke up. She's like, what's going on? She didn't recognize me. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Terrifying. How many times this is kind of funny. How many times when you first got back, you're sitting at the dinner table and all of a sudden you panic because you don't have your rifle. You're like, oh my God, I left my rifle somewhere. And then you realize, oh, I'm at home eating dinner. It's uncountable, yeah.
Speaker 2:There's still some days now today that I think that yeah. And I've been out for a while.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's like a recurring nightmare.
Speaker 2:Oh, it's terrible.
Speaker 1:It's so scary, it is Probably one of the most terrifying things ever, I think. Anyway, I guess we'll, we'll find out, and so you come home, you're on leave, then you go back to your, your duty station, um kind of do the reintegration thing right.
Speaker 2:Um, yeah, they kind of start doing the reintegration thing. Um, they have us on half days. They kind of just start it, get us reintegrated, which I thought was cool. Um, at that time I have a new company commander, um new platoon or detachment leadership as well. Um, my leadership is getting ready to rotate out to go do other things. Um, a lot of moving parts. And then at that time, about a week or two later, we get a new battalion commander, battalion sergeant, major, just just every. It's just you know what the army and navy, everybody does it. You know, everyone rotates at the same time, basically. But, um, just went through that and then it kind of turned into you know, okay, we're now on a you know duty station time where we get to do the normal things that we do. Um, at that time I was appointed or assigned or told I don't remember which, but it's all kind of the same thing that, um, I'm going to be working doing deductions and debt collections and I'm like, oh no, I'm going to be that guy.
Speaker 1:Why You'll be the most loved guy in finance Exactly, yeah, yeah, so much fun. Right, right. At the same time I've got to ask were you dealing with any of the residual effects from your deployment and and how was that for you?
Speaker 2:to be honest with you, it was a little bit easier having people I went with with me, yeah, so they kind of could relate. Um, I'm not gonna lie, I was really beat up mentally going through all that. Um, you know I'm what? 20 at this time right so I'm just, you know, still processing it. But you get through it eventually and then or you just bury it with copious amounts of alcohol right, did you?
Speaker 1:did you do a little bit of that? Uh, yeah yeah, how that worked, how that worked out for you. I felt great. I wish you could see this guy's face right now. Cause I'm pretty sure he didn't feel great Sarcasm. Yeah, it's not lost on me. No, not at all. No, no, no, no, yeah, did you? Did you fall into that trap or did you recognize it Like?
Speaker 2:to be honest with you, I kind a while. Yeah, I can't, I can't remember.
Speaker 1:What brought you out of it?
Speaker 2:If you don't mind my asking Uh well, we'll go, we'll, we'll go down this one first to get to this. So it's kind of a looping thing here. Yeah. So turn 21, legally start drinking, start going to a bar, met a girl, fell in love with said girl. Quote, quote. Girl's parents said he's had a beer at breakfast, he's had a beer at lunch, he's had a beer now. He had a shot just now. Is he okay?
Speaker 1:Right, these are all red flags.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. So I'm sitting there, I'm like it's, and I'm sitting there. I'm like it's just a beer. Two, three hours later, another beer right you know, and then I'm like that's just, you know, I'm 21, it's what we do you're thinking this is completely normal, yeah, yeah well, and that you know every you know department. You know army, navy marines they all have their, their shtick right.
Speaker 2:You know, us with the army is we drank a lot, because that's just what we do it's socially acceptable, you know, and at the time I was still living in the barracks, so I was partying basically every night, right, right. So yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so her parents are concerned, oh yeah, and what happens with that?
Speaker 2:Um kind of sweeping under the rug type thing. Um, I mean, she's like well, I'm a bartender and I know how much he drinks, because you know that's how we met. Right.
Speaker 1:So, so she's not too concerned about this, yeah, yeah. So then what happens? Like, at what point do you get out of this pool that you're in?
Speaker 2:To be honest with you, it was probably a few years later oh, okay, all right um a while later, yeah, um I know these are hard questions.
Speaker 1:Oh, it's hard. It's hard anyway. No, you're fine, I'll answer them the best I can.
Speaker 2:yeah, that's fine, doesn't hurt my feelings none, um, because we ended up getting married and then I came down on orders to go work with NATO in Naples, italy. Oh. So you know I had to reenlist to do it. So I reenlist for like three years or whatever. Right, just kind of adjust my contract a little bit.
Speaker 1:So how long was your first hitch then? Was that like a three year?
Speaker 2:It was a four year active and four year reserve, okay-year. It was a four-year active and four-year reserve, okay, and I, I was at the four-year active. I was kind of at the end of that and then I was like, hey, can we just go ahead and reword it a little bit so that I can do this and then kind of come back and that type of thing, yeah. But, um, so we went ahead, reworked it, did that. So we ended up going out to Naples, italy, and you know, working with NATO, kind of doing the whole let's go travel the world type thing. Um, but if you know anything about Europe, there's a lot of places that have a lot of great alcohol. Yes, yes.
Speaker 1:Germany, yes, there are Italy, France some of the best 500-year-old wine you'll find, oh no kidding.
Speaker 2:Or if you go to Eastern Europe, there's a beer that's brewed by monks. That's even better, yeah.
Speaker 1:So there's no reason to not drink? No, no reason, no, no reason. So you're married, yep, you head to Naples. Yep, you're drinking in hindsight, probably more than you should have been. A lot more, yeah. So how was that tour? It was?
Speaker 2:a great tour. Oh yeah, I enjoyed it. It was great we were there for about three-ish years. Three, three and a half Saw the world. At this point I'm like 26, 27, something like that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, does it feel just a little bit shocking that at 26 you've lived that much life?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I look back at it every once in a while to kind of like process it and I'm like I've really done that much and I'm like wow. And then I kind of look at back when I where I was like in high school and I'm like wow. And then I kind of look at back when I where I was like in high school and I'm like if you had told me at 26, which is like seven ish years after you know, seven, eight, nine years after me graduating, right, that I would have been seeing, I would have gone to war, gone to you know the West coast and love it, go to europe and just see everything and then go, you know met a girl, married her yeah met a girl married her, yeah
Speaker 1:okay what else I got to do now, what else? What what's left? So you do your Naples thing. It sounds like that was pretty amazing. What's one of your best memories of being in Naples? Not necessarily Naples itself, but just that tour.
Speaker 2:Oh, the whole tour. There's actually several. One of my favorite things was actually one of the recreational centers that we had. There was inside a dormant volcano, that's crazy right that sounds pretty sweet. They had a nine hole golf course in there and they had uh three softball diamonds and a camping ground inside a dormant volcano crazy, right oh man isn't that crazy that is yeah, I'll have to show you sometime but yeah, I see these pictures.
Speaker 2:That's, that's crazy, but um, that was pretty cool, um, going up and down the amalfi coast on like a day cruise or whatever you're like it's a poster card, you know, postcard beautiful, it's gorgeous. And then seeing all these towns that you've seen in movies and Rome, my favorite part, actually my most, most, most favorite part was actually in Eastern Europe, where the Iron Curtain or whatever they call it I forget what was that, that's the Iron Curtain, the Iron Curtain, I think I think it is yeah where Russia was being stupid and all Eastern Europe and whatnot.
Speaker 2:Yeah, where Russia was being stupid, and all Eastern Europe or whatnot. Yeah, so, um, see all those monuments and all, it's just absolutely amazing. It's a rich history. Oh, there's so much. It's like hundreds of years ago, even further back, like the Coliseum.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Right, this is where the lions ate. The Christians are right here.
Speaker 2:Right here, right here, right here, um. And then there's uh the christmas markets that have been there all this. So much history.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I just uh, so much, just kind of soak it in.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, go over as a dry sponge and come back as a soaked sponge. It's one way to put it yeah, no, I like that.
Speaker 1:And you do this tour and your tour is coming to an end. What's happening?
Speaker 2:Uh, we start, and I'm starting to transition out cause at this point, the unit that I was with at that time, uh, not the greatest. Um, when you're in a human resources battalion, where everyone is human resources, they tend to cannibalize each other yeah, in the military police we said they eat their young. Oh yeah it's, it's, uh the same thing in the, uh, the 42 alpha realm wow, I'm glad we weren't the only ones.
Speaker 2:No, yeah, uh, it was just me and my staff sergeant as the only 236 Bravo supporting the entire battalion. So we were supporting this battalion, which was basically all 42 alphas, making sure all their in-processing was done and the other was done, and then we were supporting on the other side, where the NATO side was, was another signal battalion which was another two, three hundred people and it was just me doing all the processing and then senior NCO, he was doing all the upper echelon stuff. But oh my gosh, it was crazy. I was busy all the time.
Speaker 1:Were you kind of glad to be done with that? Oh, I was ready.
Speaker 2:I'm like, yeah, we're done. Yeah, I don't want to do this anymore. So did you come back stateside to process, to out process them?
Speaker 2:no we actually did all our out processing in italy. So what happened was I did what I had to do clearing naples, right and then they shipped me up to an army base up in northern italy called vitenza. I don't know why they didn't send us there. It was absolutely beautiful, like up by the Alps, wow, gorgeous, yeah, um. So that's where I did all my ETSing and all that type of stuff and turning stuff in and blah, blah, blah and yeah, so you were done with the army active duty army active duty army.
Speaker 1:When you were out out, conus right yeah, outside the country. Oh yeah, yeah, that was a uh interesting be weird to be a civilian after being a military guy there that whole time. Oh, it was weird. It's a whole different experience.
Speaker 2:It was entirely different experience. But you know, just did that and then the next night or whatnot, I just got my dd 214 and I kind of cried a little bit. I'm like, wow, this is really it it's a sobering experience right like that.
Speaker 1:You, I talk to people all the time and like it doesn't hit till you've got the 214 in your hand and you're looking at it, you're like, yeah, you're done wow, right did I do the right thing?
Speaker 2:oh, don't know.
Speaker 1:Oh no, I knew I did the right thing yeah, so how long did you stay there before you came back to stateside?
Speaker 2:um, I was there maybe because when I was doing the out processing and clearing and whatnot, shipped the wife and the dog back right because I had a dog at the time. Um, they came, they came back home and they were kind of just waiting for me to get back because I had to do my stuff as well. Um, I was there maybe another week, got on the tons of plane and flew home okay, and home would have been washington state no it was actually, I came back to michigan.
Speaker 1:Oh, you came back. So she came to michigan and you came back here and what happens now be honest with you.
Speaker 2:I still still trying to figure it out to this day. You came to Michigan and you came back here. And what happens now? Be honest with you, I still still trying to figure it out to this day?
Speaker 1:Yes, I believe that. Did you do any act like active reserve time?
Speaker 2:So I did a little bit of like a drilling weekends, but that that's a that I don't want to bash other units and whatnot, cause that was a terrible experience.
Speaker 1:I think it's hard coming off active duty and then going into the oh it's it's almost impossible feat.
Speaker 2:I feel like um, because I'll say this that when you're coming from active duty and you're going to a reserve where everyone I feel like knows everybody offline and they're kind of like all family at that point, because where I was at there were several families that were in the same unit and I'm like that, that doesn't sit well with me. And then some of the leadership, you know, kind of pick and choose when to be leadership, if I can say that, yeah, because, um, my, my story and then we'll just make this short and sweet Then my story with that particular unit was I was told when I transitioned out of active service, I have to report to my unit 30 days after I return. I do that and they tell me come back because we weren't ready for you. I'm like that's perfectly fine. The next month I do the same thing. You know, because I got a report. I don't want to go to jail. Right.
Speaker 2:Cause duh, who wants to go to jail? It's not a fun place. So from there, I'm like you know what? Just call me, Shoot me an email, Call me, Do something when you want me to come up. They don't do that for six months. And then the following year, after said six months, they shoot me an email saying hey, where are you? And I'm like I've been waiting for you to get in contact with me for six months. I've been trying to turn into a normal person trying to turn into a normal person, right?
Speaker 2:none of us are normal, by the way. Well, you know.
Speaker 1:So good luck with that.
Speaker 2:Some, some sense of it, I guess, right, right, yeah, so now they're mad at you because you're not there, but you tried to be there yeah, I tried to be there twice and I name dropped the nco, who was no longer there, and they're like, oh, he dropped the ball bad. And I'm like, yeah, you guys left me flapping in the breeze, yeah.
Speaker 1:Sounds like they got it all worked out, though.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they did. And then I ended up transitioning out of that and I'm like, yeah, no, this isn't for me, sorry guys, yeah.
Speaker 1:I don't blame you.
Speaker 2:I gave it a try. I tried it for a couple of months and I'm like okay, yeah't, this isn't for me.
Speaker 1:So I'm going to go, I'm going to go back cause I'm I got to ask this question. Yeah, please, I think we're kind of hanging here. So you, um, we talked a little bit about, uh, your, your time spent with your friend alcohol there Um, at what point did you stop? I don't say stop drinking, but stop drinking in excess, cause it sounded like you were drinking to excess based on our conversations.
Speaker 2:Yeah, were drinking to excess based on our conversations.
Speaker 3:Yeah, at what point did that stop? I'm just curious. When I was at naples?
Speaker 2:uh-huh, and I was getting up in the morning and I poured myself a shot of jack daniels to go to work, yeah that's when it kind of hit me.
Speaker 1:So you came to this realization. Yeah, like I don't know, I think that's probably the best way.
Speaker 2:I mean it is, but I mean to realize it, as you're getting ready to go to work at five o'clock in the morning. So what'd? You do Like. I cried and I broke a few things on my way out to the door.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and then did you like seek help, did you just quit cold, I mean I kind of slowed down.
Speaker 2:I didn't really quit right, I slowed down. I it kind of turned into a you know, let's, let's, let's slow down and do this only socially, like let's not come home and then open up a beer bottle or this, that and the other right, right.
Speaker 1:So you sort of self-regulated.
Speaker 2:Self-regulated down a little bit yeah.
Speaker 1:And you're okay now.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, I'm great.
Speaker 1:Okay, All right, so you're back home. You got your wife and your dog. And now what? Because I think you're probably asking yourself that like now what?
Speaker 2:Yeah now what To be honest with you at that time, the misses at the time and whatnot we kind of ended up going our separate ways. There were some conversations that we had while we were in Italy that we decided this wasn't the best fit. Yeah, so we ended up going through that. And then I'm like you know what? I kind of need a job, right. So I kind of applied at Menards over here in Michigan and worked there for a while to kind of get reacquainted with civilians Very difficult to do, by the way.
Speaker 1:They don't think like we do, Brendan. They don't appreciate our sense of humor.
Speaker 2:They don't Apparently they don't like dark humor at all. No. I got talked to by HR quite a bit. Yeah. As you could probably tell, I hear you.
Speaker 1:I mean, it's still that way at Thanksgiving. My son's an Army veteran as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So sometimes the Thanksgiving conversations are uncomfortable for everybody but the two of us, oh yeah, we're sitting, sitting there yucking it up, and everyone's just sitting there with the sheer look of terror on their face.
Speaker 1:Like you can't say that or you can't think that way, or whatever you have anyway. So, menards, sounds like almost kind of like a safety net for you, kind of a good transition kind of ish um.
Speaker 2:I. I started working um in menards with the floor, kind of like sales and this, that and the other, and I'm like you know what I? I need more to do. So I kind of went down the let's try and be a manager route and went that way and um, they ended up transitioning me to a manager role out to the ann arbor store. So I I was commuting Uh, at this point I was with my now wife. We were starting, you know, dating this, that and the other, um, found out.
Speaker 1:How did you meet? Don't mean to interrupt you. Oh, how did we meet? Yeah, how'd you meet your?
Speaker 2:wife oh it's, it's, it's an amazing story. Let me tell you.
Speaker 2:Oh, I want to hear it. Uh, she, she tells us this story to our daughters all the time. It's great. She's like just remember, whenever you're in Menards and you need something, go to the oil aisle. So at this point the oil aisle is where we met, because she was looking to help a guest or customer or whatever the heck you want to call them, and I was just, you know, walking by with a ladder. She's like, hey, can you help this person? I'm like, yeah, sure. And with a ladder, and she's like, hey, can you help this person? I'm like, yeah, sure, and we kind of just hit it off from there and then, strangely, later that day she was asking me to help her with something. I'm like, man, you've been following me around a lot today. Do you like me? Do you want to go on a date or something. Just being completely sarcastic and blunt, wow. And I'm like, you know no meaning by it. And she's like, actually, yeah, and I, cool. And then we kind of just headed it off.
Speaker 1:So coworkers, yeah, coworkers.
Speaker 2:Coworkers for the longest time.
Speaker 1:I love that story. Like that's something out of a movie.
Speaker 2:Straight out of how I Met your Mother, type thing, right You're following me around.
Speaker 1:You want to go on a date, or what Exactly? Hey, that could have gone the other way.
Speaker 2:You know what? I was entirely guessing it to go the other way. Yeah, that's where I was thinking it was going to go.
Speaker 1:You're a lucky man.
Speaker 2:Oh, you know, sometimes better to be lucky than good, that's true 100%, 100% yeah.
Speaker 1:So you're kind of Menards, was kind of good for getting back, and now you're like maybe this isn't for me, yeah me yep, um.
Speaker 2:and then, after working with menards, you know, after the management thing, and um was like you know what you guys aren't giving I need, I need to get paid more, I need you to pay me more because you know I have a, I have a daughter now because my firstborn is, you know, one at this time, right? So I'm like I, I need to be a department manager. Oh, we'll make you a department manager. This, that and the other, you know, kept kept pushing it off, pushing it off, pushing it off. And I'm like okay, guys, come on, there's a slot open over here, let me interview for it. And they're like, yeah, we actually gave it to this person. I'm like, okay, fine, I'm going back to Jackson.
Speaker 1:Right, right, you have to do what you have to do.
Speaker 2:Exactly. So I go back to Jackson and, you know, just start working in the back with the lumber and all that stuff. Kind of got tired of that after we had a record low winter of the negative 40.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, was that during? What do they call that?
Speaker 3:thing, the winter, the siberian blast or winter blast or whatever it was, I remember that was?
Speaker 2:yeah, it was ridiculous, like they still expected us to be outside. I'm like dude. The propane is like liquefying because of how cold it is and it's not supposed to do that right.
Speaker 1:Folks are freezing to the sidewalk exactly about this yeah.
Speaker 2:So, um, after that, that's what I'm like. You know what? I'm gonna start looking for a big kid job on the inside. So, um, at that point I kind of started looking. Um, I knew someone in the banking industry and I'm like, well, you know, I have a finance background with the army, you know customer service, I know how to tell people they suck without telling them they suck. Yeah.
Speaker 1:You know it's called tact right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, tactfully yeah, and kind of a way of rounding it off to be like, oh, they came up with the idea, type thing. So, uh, I interviewed and ended up getting a job over at Huntington. Uh, great place, great place to work. Um, um, did that for about five years and uh was kind of stagnant because I was actively looking for promotion.
Speaker 1:Right again. You know, right, there's like in, in all fairness to any company you work for, there's only so much movement that goes on, right, exactly, and so you, at some point, you have to make that choice.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, I love it here, but there's I want more yeah, I, I've actively trying to, you know, provide, because at this point now I have two kids right and a mortgage, so I gotta you are the nuclear family oh, yeah, two 2.5 kids or 2.3 kids white picket fence dog cat.
Speaker 2:Yeah, all I'm missing is a bird. Maybe we can help you with that. No, that's okay, but um, no, and then, um, just one day I had enough at work and I just like, here's my keys, I'm done, bye, I'm walked out because I'm like I've been here for five years and you're basically not giving me any opportunity, so I just walked away, right well, and sometimes it like that, like that girl you dated in high school, right Like you just realize that this is not the, this is not the fit for me, and it's time to go.
Speaker 1:Exactly, and that's fair to you, and that's fair to whoever you work for Exactly.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So then that started the the hunt and then, luckily, behold, um, I was literally that day. I put out my resume like 30 different places, Right, Like I'm going to attack this and we're going to go after this. You know places and things that I want to do. Had a couple interviews weren't really good fits. When you have more experience than the person that's interviewing you, that kind of gets intimidating. And then I had the opportunity to come here to the VFW national home, met Sue Maris. That just kismet, it was.
Speaker 1:Let's not gloss over this, though, because you had an interesting thing happen, right? You interviewed for a job and somebody else got it Exactly yeah, so let's talk about that. We were so full disclosure Brent and I were talking yesterday, and he shared this story with me. I'm like holy crap, like that never happens.
Speaker 2:No, it never does. I'm extremely lucky to have that. So I come to interview for the alumni engagement and management type thing. I'm like officer you know, type deal management you know.
Speaker 2:I'm like, oh, that's cool, I get to interact with people. I'm really good talking with people. You know, I know how to talk to people from the bank. You know, at customer service, building relationships, that's literally what I've been doing the past five years, right, um, and everything went well, went great. I think they were pleasantly surprised how well the interview went. I I feel like now thinking about it. And then, um, did they?
Speaker 1:it didn't go well enough for them. It didn't go well?
Speaker 2:no, because they already had a candidate in mind, and I mean, I'm no, no offense to whom got it that he's absolutely perfect for the job.
Speaker 1:Oh, absolutely, yeah, we both work with him and he is. He's perfect for it, right?
Speaker 2:so yeah, I'm not mad at that at all, no, no.
Speaker 1:So you don't get the job. But what happens?
Speaker 2:But the they talk to our individual who got the job and they're like, hey, we have this guy that they that we interviewed. We absolutely love him. He has a finance background. Do you think we should bring him in as well? And he's like, absolutely, think we should bring him in as well. And he's like, absolutely, you know. And then they just create this position for me because everything just fit and I'm just, I'm so grateful for it and I literally cried when I got home when they offered me the job. I'm like, oh my gosh, this is a huge thing for me, right?
Speaker 2:so so here you are, here I am now, yeah, having this lovely conversation with you, my friend well in in uh, just so everyone kind of gets the big picture here too.
Speaker 1:This wasn't a mercy hire, because you've done, since you've gotten here just a few short months ago, you've done some amazing things, um, connecting with, uh different partners in community, getting some pavilions built, getting some dollars brought in, because we are, you know, not the VFW, national homes and nonprofit. So you have, uh lived up to what they needed when they said we're going to take a chance and create this position. Um, you haven't disappointed them, so I just don't. I don't want that to get lost in this conversation.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's, uh, it's still growing. There's some growing pains that are going with this position. Um, I was challenged with the fact of earning my salary for the year and I've already surpassed that in three months. Um, but it's just. You know, the tenacity and the you know I feel like I, this is, this role is, I feel like it was, it's, it's a perfect fit. I feel like that's very lucky and very happy to have it. What more could you ask for? I mean not much.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so I mean so, uh, professionally things are going well for you. Oh yes, we kind of glossed over a little bit that you're married and you've got kids. Do you mind talking about your family a little bit.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we can talk about the family. What do we want to?
Speaker 1:know so, other than your wife aggressively pursued you at work. Oh yeah, Almost stalker, Stalkerish yeah. Almost like protection of her kind of thing going on there. What can you tell me about?
Speaker 2:her, about her. Uh, she's an absolutely amazing person. She makes me want to be better every day. There are some opportunities for us to you know, get at each other. You know, because everyone does you know, that's what it is. You know um, she's a medical assistant, uh, down in jackson. She absolutely loves that job. Um, one of our passions together is we thoroughly enjoy watching wrestling, like it's just, it's. It's. I know it sounds corny, but it's, it's just something that we enjoy.
Speaker 2:You know, it's just fun watching. You know the stories, the athleticism, the, the you know, it's just entertaining. Yeah, let me see what else make. My goodness, she just keeps me on my toes every day.
Speaker 1:Sounds like she's your person. Oh, she's my person.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so you have two kids. I have two beautiful daughters.
Speaker 1:My two daughters are grown up, so if you need some help or advice, you can see me, yeah.
Speaker 2:I know where you work.
Speaker 1:I know where you stay, so you have two daughters. I didn't mean to interrupt you.
Speaker 2:No, no, no, yep, I have two daughters, six and two going on, 17 and 15. Yes, this is very familiar. Exactly, the two-year-old is the devil's child. She's very aggressive, the polar opposite of my six year old. My six year old is the sweetest little girl you'll ever meet. Very disappointed, I haven't introduced you yet, but we'll make that happen. Um, I mean, what more could I say about my kids? They're my kids. I adore the hell out of them, they're awesome.
Speaker 2:They make me want to be a better person even more. It's crazy which one of them's most like your wife. I plead the fifth.
Speaker 1:Okay, I thought I was going to trick you into saying the two-year-old but but I'm, I wouldn't do that to you. How'd you know? Well, this has been an amazing conversation. It's been great getting to know you. I know that the people who listen to this will definitely really enjoy this conversation. I hope so, will definitely really enjoy this conversation.
Speaker 2:I hope so.
Speaker 1:But I ask everyone one thing before we, before we leave in. That is, you know, years from now, when people are listening to these stories, what do you want them to take away from this conversation we're having today?
Speaker 2:No matter how insignificant your role is or how you feel, it's still one of the most important things to keep moving forward with. So me, being a financial pay guy, you think, oh, he's not going to do this, this and this you do. It's just you have to do that and make sure everyone else is taken care of. You put other people first instead of yourself.
