This week we are raising money for Warrior Foundation Freedom Station, as we have for the last several years. It is an unbelievable organization, as you're about to hear, that intercedes and does whatever it takes. When our service members are at their most vulnerable, whether from an injury and battle or training, traumatic brain injury PTSD, h illness and UH they're at risk of being one of those sad, sad stories about a VET on the streets or worse, a suicide. UM.
They do miraculous work with incredible efficiency. They really really care, and so we decided part of you know, to help you understand what they do and how they do it, to talk to warriors who have actually benefited from Warrior Foundation Freedom Station. We're talking to David Scott, who has been both a resident of Freedom Station too and uh gent who's taken advantage of some of the Mennership programs.
David is a United States Marine combat veteran of twelve years five deployments, including combat duty in both Afghanistan and Iraq. David a real pleasure to talk. How are you. I really appreciate this opportunity. I'm doing well this morning, actually been busy, but doing very well. So you're the classic story for what Warrior Foundation Freedom Station can do to my mind. I mean, I've got a brother who served in war zones. I know what it was like for
him to come back to regular civilian life. You, with five deployments, including combat duty in Afghanistan and Iraq, struggled to acclimate the civilian life and what way, well, what what was hard? What was different about coming back to
the real world as we know it? I think the biggest struggle coming back as a combat veteran after being acclimatized the military mindset, you know, and coming back after those five deployments, and even realizing after the first and second one that you already had a little bit of UH dramas going on, but you still push through, you know, in order to fight for those that are left and
right of you. However, commatation in the adaptation and transition was super difficult back in the civilian world because, you know, as a combat veteran, you're pushing, you know, to finish the objective. You're getting the firefights, you're you're finding roadside bombs, you know, the whole plethora of what combat is UH and then coming and finding yourself worth. That's the hardest part, I think as a combat veteran, just finding yourself worth.
I mean, you feel like your adrenaline has been peeked up to the highest point, you know, clearing doors, you know, and going through combat operations, but then coming back here to find out that it's not always so simple and the transition back into civilian life isn't so smooth as you would like it. You know. Some of the problems that we go through is fighting ourselves as men or women and even being a better dad or being close to our kids, and we kind of isolate ourselves and
that's still an entire transition process as well. So, um, that particularly first off, right off hand is probably the most difficult thing is getting that self worth back in in motivation to do something, uh, into the community and find actual friends outside of the military and thinks that nature. Yeah, So so it was rough getting back home and trying to deal with civilian life, which can be frustrating and idiotic even without you know, the experiences you had and
that that brotherhood that you're talking about. Um, how did Warrior Foundation Freedom Station factor in? Uh? What was their role in helping you get you know, to a better place. So I was actually not aware of this until uh
about six months ago in my life. UM. I was at a veteran surf therapy UM group UM called One More Wave, and one of the presidents had said, Hey, I know Greg Martin, who's the president at the time of Freedom Station to one and two that works side by side with Sandy, and He's like, I think that you would be a really good fit over there at
the Freedom Station. So then I started inquiring with Greg about what the Freedom Station has to offer, what they could potentially benefit uh and how they could help me get my feet back on the ground and just stabilizing myself UM in general. And that's when I inquired with Greg and they interviewed me, and then that's when things kind of took off from there. What took off in? What way? How is it helping? Okay? So right now I struggled to kind of be financially secure UM and
that was a big, big asset to me. They offered me uh subsidized rant and at a lower rate because they have that opportunity. They've been working with the community in the in the veteran resources, and they offer one bedroom cottage that actually can also house my UM children at the time that they are with me for visitations, and so it's really opportunity to be local. I'm next
to a golf course, which is another therapy for me. UM. They are guiding me in all the right directions as far as getting a gainful employment or even right now, it's been great working side by side with the marketing director because my passion is surf photography right now and I'm trying to make that a career within multimedia marketing, and so they're kind of job like, kind of job job shadow, but the mentoring me in order to pursue my passions because that's the self worth that I'm fighting
with internally. And so right now, Freedom Station has been such a good asset and uh partaking in in the interest of my own Well, Hey David, hanging there, man, You've got a hell of a lot of people rooting for you. Sincerely, um and and glad they can help indirectly through supporting Warrior found Asian Freedom Station, but we're suiting certainly rooting for you like crazy too. So thanks a million for the time and uh and and go
get him all right, Absolutely appreciate your time. Thank you so much for this opportunity,