Regular G.I. Joe

We had to restart the podcast, due to Izzy being unable to get his Wifi working. We covered different topics, but MegaCon is the biggest thing Izzy wanted to talk about. 

After some time off, the podcast is back. However, I've brought my good friend Izzy. He'll be my Co-Host going forward. This is just a conversation between two friends.  

Had the pleasure to talk with Kristen and Justin and talk about The Murph Challenge. Kristen has been gracious to allow us to host the 2021 Murph Challenge at CrossFit Lubbock. From day 1 Kristen has been super supportive and such an amazing host.  The Murph Challenge is a workout dedicated to LT. Michael P. Murphy, the workout consists of 1 Mile Run, 100 pullups, 200 Pushups, 300 Air Squats, and ended with a 1 Mile, all while in a 20lbs flack vest. Many modifications can be done to accomplish this workout, the true meaning of the workout is to remember America’s best and brightest men and women that have sacrificed their lives for this great country. Memorial Day is a holy day for the veteran community, as it represents the best of us. If Memorial Day sucks for you, I do not want you to be alone, I want you to be with your fellow veteran “embracing the suck”.

https://themurphchallenge.com/pages/about-the-event

Kristen – Has been involved in CrossFit since 2010, she was ranked 44th worldwide for the Women’s 40-44 age group.  She went to the CrossFit Games in 2015 as part of the CrossFit Lubbock Team and placed 35th overall. With all her CrossFit achievements, she has never mentioned it and only wanted to know how she could help veterans and spread the word about The Murph Challenge.

Justin – With over 23 years in the Army as Active Duty and Reservist, Justin has dedicated his life to the military and continues to serve. Justin talks about how CrossFit and fitness have helped shaped his life.

In this episode, I wanted to give my thoughts and how this podcast has started to change my perspective. I was really upset at the lack of conversations in our veteran community. People are transiting into civilian life and not having the heart-felt conversations needed for success. The person leaving the military is dramatically different from the person that entered into service. After hearing the issues my friends have endured to include myself, I wanted to do something about that. I believe that if we use the training that we’ve gained over the years, we could create whatever we wanted. However, it seems we vets are unable to move past the heartbreak of service. I wanted to create the much-needed conversations that we’re having issues adapting to civilian life. I truly didn’t think it would change my perspective as much as it has. I am not saying rainbows and sunshine are all around me, I’m just saying life isn’t as dark either. We have a lot of work to do, but we are trained and able to move the needle for veteran issues.

In this episode, I sit down with one of my oldest military friends. We were in tech school together, our first duty station, and our second duty station. At first glance we do not have a lot in common, we come from different states and different tastes in music. However, what we share in common has created a bond that still exists beyond the military. We both grew up without our fathers and join the military from a single mom household. This did create some setbacks for us, we did not have that much in common with the normal guy talk. As we’ve both aged and become fathers, we have used our experiences to shape our ideas of manhood and fatherhood. I am super proud of Gimp’s achievements and glad you get to his story.

In this episode, we changed up from transition stories to overall stories. I am joined by MSgt Brian Ogbonnaya, who is currently Active-Duty military. I met Obie in 2008 as I picked him up from the Airport in Okinawa Japan. He was an 18-year-old E1, brand new to the USAF and the real world. I have seen him transform from a young and dumb kid to a respectable and go-getter. After I got out of the Air Force, we work together again in 2016. I was able to witness the growth and professionalism this man embodies. I consider him a little brother and super proud of his achievements, but more importantly his growth and dedication to his family. We spent time talking about books, ego, therapy, and his battle with PTSD. I’m thankful he was vulnerable enough to talk about personal matters, this episode will truly help someone looking for help. We also talked about race in the military and the sometimes quiet talks between minorities have.

On today’s podcast, we have Paul Cuellar, the veteran coordinator for Refuge Services. Paul is a Marine Veteran that served from 2005 – 2009, with two tours to Iraq. After Paul’s enlistment ended, he found himself in a familiar place veterans find themselves after they transition to civilian life. Paul would have issues adjusting to civilian life but would find life beyond what he thought. He would find his wife and have children. Happy ever after did not exist as Paul found himself going from job to job and dealing with PTSD. Paul’s faith in God helped him heal and move to a full transition life. Paul’s current job is the veteran coordinator for Refuge Services that uses equine-assisted therapy to help veterans.

Podcast: Therapy and Horses

https://open.spotify.com/show/2G1kd4jkDoO3VrZEQGXFDh

Refuge Services FB Page:

https://www.facebook.com/refugeservices

Refuge Services Website and about me

http://www.refugeservices.org/

Refuge Services, Inc. is a non-profit organization that is community sponsored to provide services for the whole person: body, mind, and spirit. Refuge Services provides equine-assisted therapies to individuals of all ages. Refuge Services, Inc. offers hippotherapy, therapeutic riding, and equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) to children, adolescents, and adults in Lubbock and area communities in an accepting, supportive and Christian environment.

Nationwide, equine-assisted therapies continue to gain popularity as a legitimate form of treating many issues from disabilities to mental health and behavioral diagnoses. Refuge Services provides a therapeutic setting for physical, occupational, speech-language, or licensed mental health professionals to incorporate horses into their treatment plan. During the hour-long sessions the therapist concentrates on improving the clients physical, sensory, emotional, cognitive, and/or psychological deficiencies as diagnosed by a medical doctor. Communication, trust, and bonding between the client and the horse provide a unique opportunity for increased productivity that has not been previously experienced in a traditional therapy session. The counselors and therapists are able to transfer the relationship between the horse and individual to the implementation of therapeutic goals and objectives, capitalizing on the increased self-esteem, body awareness, stimulated senses and overall positive receptiveness of the individual.

Refuge Services, Inc. was established in Lubbock in September 1999.  Since the birth of Refuge Services, over 10,000 clients have participated in our Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP), which is an intensive therapy service incorporating horses into the therapy process.  Our support is world-wide, as the founders are leaders in the world in EAP and train others to do such services internationally.

In October 2006, Refuge Services purchased a 40-acre horse facility and expanded equine services to include hippotherapy and therapeutic riding.  Refuge Services currently is serving approximately 160 clients per week.  This expansion continues to open doors for much more growth and counseling opportunities.

On this podcast, I sit down and talk to my boy Izzy about his transition after retirement. Izzy and I first meet in 2010 with my deployment to Honduras. Ever since then, he has been a big brother to me, and still a dear friend. Izzy did 20 yrs in the Air Force (1998-2018), and goes over his transition from senior controller to collage student. We also get to talk about some real issues effecting the veteran community to include suicide, VA issues, and seeking out the support of our friends. 

MSgt Jeremy Powe (Ret.) served 20 years in the Air Force in the logistic career field. He recently retired on the last day of 2019. We talked about the his transition from retirement to contractor, providing support the Air Force. 

As the first episode, I wanted to give my story. My story is a story I've never given in full, but hopefully this can help someone struggling.