In this episode of the Engage Your Destiny Podcast, host Ben Peterson sits down with Army veteran Sylvester Jenkins III—a soldier who survived five combat tours, broken family cycles, and the brink of suicide.
From sleeping in a car as a child and joining a gang at 13… to failing grades, addiction, and military demotions… to the night he sat in his living room with a loaded gun ready to end it all—Sylvester’s story is one of brokenness turned to redemption.

What changed everything? A moment of hearing God’s voice that pulled him back from the edge and launched him into a new mission as a husband, father, pastor, and leader helping others find hope.

Sylvester’s story is raw, real, and life-giving—shedding light on the silent battles of mental health, trauma, suicide, and addiction that so many service members face. And it proves that even in the darkest places, faith can ignite a new beginning.

WATCH UNTIL THE END - this story could change how you see pain, purpose and the power of redemption. Engage Your Destiny (EYD) is a 501(c)3 on a mission to help combat the deadly epidemic of military suicide with faith.

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⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 – Welcome & Introduction
02:00 – Meet Sylvester
07:00 – Childhood poverty, gangs & broken family cycles
19:00 – Failing school & searching for identity
26:00 – Military career begins, early failures & demotion
44:00 – Five combat tours in Iraq & Afghanistan
55:00 – Losing a close friend to an IED
59:00 – Divorce, addiction & empty house
1:00:00 – Near-suicide & hearing God’s voice
1:08:00 – Faith, family, and rebuilding a new life
1:14:00 – Becoming an author, speaker, and pastor
1:18:00 – Impact of Engage Your Destiny on soldiers
1:21:00 – Closing reflections & prayer