Multiple people in my family clean my father, are veterans.
Troops that have been to war and now they're back.
And think and be grateful for their service.
Sacrifice, love for their country, just unselfishness, all that they do for us.
There are some people in this country who take extraordinary steps to provide for the freedom and security.
We forget that those people exist.
We know them as the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard. They call themselves soldiers, seals, rangers, airmen, sailors, devil dogs.
And so much more.
We call them fathers, brothers, sons and husbands, mothers, daughters, sisters and wives. We call them friend and neighbor. These veterans answered the call. Now we answer Theirs are the best our country has to offer, and we love them. Today, we honor them and we serve this. David Malsby is your host, and he welcomes you to this community of veterans. As together we are building the road to hope.
And indeed we are glad to have you along. On a Sunday afternoon, those of you listening on the kPr C nine nine five O and the AM dial here in Houston, Texas, thank you for joining us as you drive endlessly around the loop or whichever big circle you choose to drive around. He said, thank you for joining us. Those of you listening through the magic of podcasts, thank you very much for not only listening but sharing. Wherever you listen to podcasts, just look forward Road to Hope
Radio and we appreciate you sharing that. I never know who might come in contact with us through that podcast and it could help absolutely save change of life. So everybody wants to be a part of that, and it costs you nothing. It's absolutely free. So wherever you listen to podcasts, if you will, just look for Road to
Hope Radio. Hit that subscribe button for us if you would, and when new shows are posted, you will get those and you can listen to share and share with everybody you know, half the people you don't know, and the whorst of the world will cover the world pretty quickly with a little bit of hope. So thank you for doing so big. Thank you to our show sponsors that allow us this time with you each and every week.
Are great friends Billy and Connie Stagner at a Corey Diamond and Designed and friends with two eight one four eight two forty seven fifty five two eight one four eight two forty seven fifty five for all those special moments in life. Need something a little unique, not something you picked up with them all a Cory ac Ori, a Corey diamond and designed in because well it happens to all of us. Oopsteam dot com two eight one
eight two two zero five six to one. We keep them on speed dial at our place Oops steam dot com. They'll clean what you would typically think of the flooring, but also upholstered furniture, drapes if anybody still has drapes. I don't know if that's still in the existence or not. But the tile grout you probably need that. You're probably ten years past needing that, so just go ahead and give them a call. Oops steam dot com. They can
take care of that for you. And then it's time for that dream home, that dream location Republic Grand ranch dot com. And maybe you're not quite ready to do the house, but you want to secure the spot, get it while you can. Three to five acres, beautiful, beautiful location on it's outside of the North side of Houston and great community, great people. Republic Grand ranch dot com. Glad to have a couple of a couple of combat vets with us today, one from our staff, one that's
currently in the program. George, want to reintroduce yourself to the world. It's been in a little bit since you've been here.
Has probably been since Thanksgiving last tight?
Oh really, it has been a while. That has been a while.
Yeah. I graduated from Campo about close to two years ago. I went in back in August first of twenty twenty two. My life basically came undone. Actually had a good friend that was still his staff there that brought me in and coming to Camp Hoe changed my life.
And you were Army Marines, Marine Corps, Yes, sir, and you deployed twice Iraq, two times direct because the first time wasn't enough. You just wanted a little more something like that.
Something like that.
That's where they sent you.
Guess what you're doing. Yay, what years did you boy? Yeah? What years did you deploy? Five and seven?
Okay, so not atypical. Your second appoint was those seven, So that means it was fifteen years after that, roughly before you got the camp.
Hope just the math is correct.
Yeah, somewhere in there.
I'm bad at math. Yeah, me too.
Uh yeah, numbers, they get in the way a thing of that. I don't understand them. Uh, but yeah, I took it a little while before you found your way to us.
Yeah. Good fifteen years like you said. But luckily one of my good friends who was a staff or still a staff member there, I heard of what was going on with me and next day had me on the phone with Camp Hope trying to get me into the program.
Glad you did. I'm glad you're still with us. Grateful for what you do. Thank you appreciated. I mentally all right, Derek, I want to introduce yourself to the world.
I'm Derek Jolly Army. Uh. I was born in love.
It and uh basically raised in Houston here Spring Branch area.
How old were you when you moved to Houston.
I guess around three or four.
Oh okay, so you don't remember at all. It's going to say that it's been cold here this past week.
Yeah and cold.
Yeah, it's gonna say with the wind it was well. I was not a fan leave It.
I didn't meet too many people that were, but love It can definitely do that on the regular.
Oh yeah, there's nothing, no trees. Yeah, that's wind.
Blocked the wind, Yes, sir, reminds me of my childhood Oklahoma City, like it would. It would get that way a few times every winter. Like I didn't like it then, I sure don't like it now.
People that lived there, they got to act like they like it, I believe.
Yeah, maybe I don't know. It's what you're used to, whatever you know, grow up in. It's just normal. It's whatever it is.
It is.
Yeah, I keep moving further south, Like I moved from Oklahoma City to Dallas, which is about three and a half four hours south of Oklahoma City, lived there ten years. Then I moved to Houston, another four hours south. Like I can't move any further south unless I buy a boat, and I don't want to buy a boat. I sure don't want to live in a boat in the middle of the Gulf of America or whatever you choose to call it. But uh hmm, yeah, too cold. All right,
we're gonna have to take a quick break. A reminder. Eight seven seven seven to one seven seventy eight seventy three is our combat trauma support line. Eight seven seven seven one seven seventy eight seventy three. What you must know about that number is this a combat that will answer the phone twenty four seven three sixty five eight seven seven seven one seven seventy eight seventy three, will be right back and were welcome back Road to Hope Radio.
David Malsby here got Derek that State's Army currently in our program at Camp Hope, Georgia, United States rings a veteran and a graduate of Camp Hope, current staff member at Camp Hope. All right, Derek, you mentioned you were from originally from Lovegood, grew up in the Houston area, right, correct, So what what caused you to join the army?
Just be that I saw myself joining the military early before I got out of high school.
Did you join right out of high school?
Shortly thereafter?
I worked at a local gas station everywhere back when you still pump gas.
Yeah, just dated yourself a little, yeah, an idees, I do remember those days. I remember anyway, go ahead.
Yeah, And.
Getting out of high school, I didn't really have any plans for college, even though to me that was what you're supposed to do. But that's not what I did. I joint went to talk to the army. If I had walked into the Marines, I probably would have been the Marine, but I walked into the Army place there and they took me in and I joined the Infantry
at my choice. What year was it, That was probably eighty six, and went to basic training and Benning Fort Benning, Georgia and stationed at Fort Ord, California, which was closed now they've closed it down after some time after I left.
Did you have any family in the military or just you were the first one.
I had an uncle on my mom's side there that was Air Force, and I want to say he was a lieutenant colonel or something like that, but he was high ranking. He was in Vietnam, but he stayed off the ground and in the air.
Gotcha, which could be good and could be not so good because the way you're flying.
Yes, sir, he was in a big bird, big plane, way high up there.
Got you okay?
So you joined eighty six ish, Yeah, and you deployed where it went to Panama eighty eight eighty nine, Noriega. If anybody remembers Daega, we were there trying to hunt him down on get him huge news at the time. He was huge news, it was, and we did back then. You didn't have the cameras you got these days where you got one on your helmet and everything. The only camera I had was one of those throw away cardboard Kodak cameras, and so there weren't many, no no media
with us, traveling with us or anything like that. But they did catch some of it somehow. I didn't never see how they did that. But yeah, it was short, luckily short lived, and we we we nabbed him and got the job done.
It was huge news.
That'll call that very vividly.
Yeah.
So that was eighty.
Eight, eighty eighty eight, No, yeah, eighty eight, eighty nine.
Yeah, somewhere in there. Yeah, okay, all right, what did you do when you came.
Home went back to training? How long did you.
Stay in the army?
Oh the eighty seven to ninety two.
When I got out, I.
Left out the gate and there was not much information, you believing about what's gonna lapping out on the other side. I couldn't believe I was driving out the gate. I figured they were going to be sent, you know, holding us back for Iraq and stuff. But luckily I got out the gate.
A lot of my.
Battle buddies, I guess we call them, and did get recalled and just basically went to Germany or Hawaii, which would have been nice, but they held down the fort while.
Everybody else was deployed to two Iraq. Yeah.
I never heard anybody complain about either in uh Hawaii or Germany. I've never heard any comments about either one of those stations.
And there were people stationed in Panama too, you know, yeah, yeah with the way, Yeah, but that's not a lot.
Of smiling faces about that one.
It's pretty down there.
Yeah, not been there, and I'm okay with that, completely fine with not having been there, nor planning ongoing there. It's not on my not on my bucket list right now.
You want to go back, I wouldn't mind visiting a lot safer place nowadays, absolutely, since we did what we did, I know it's become a popular place for Americans business wise, beach hotels and building their empire down there. Yeah, I wouldn't mind going back and following them footsteps to see how things have changed.
I think a lot of guys I've heard that a lot, and I know of some guys, for instance, a number of Vietnam Vets that take trips back, yeah, of decades literally decades later.
And it helps a lot of things to see what came out of something that was not typically very good at the time.
George, you ever have a desire to go back and revisit that, Nope, you know, Iraq and Afghanistan or definitely exceptions to that rule. I'm not sure anybody wants to go back to either one of those places. Yeah, remind me again where you said you were deployed those two times.
I'll come and I saw it, Okay.
Yeah, just the names enough for me, Like, Nope, not mine, not my place.
It does sound nice.
Yeah, when it's time to plan the family vacation, that is not on uh, that is not on the list, Like we're not going.
To go there.
Uh. Quick reminder for information about Camp Hope as well as our support groups for both combat veteran support groups as well as family support groups. And I'll also mention
and I'll get into a little bit of why. Also Law Enforcement First Responders PTSDUSA dot org is our website all the information about our programs, both the intern housing at Camp Hope support groups that happened across the state of Texas, a few different cities across the country, and then virtually so from virtually anywhere you can join those, but I do want to spend just a minute on
the law enforcement and first responders portion of that. The issue of PTSD is just as prevalent, if not more so, in law enforcement first responders in comparison to what's gone on in our veteran community. The need is great. It's pressed on my mind a little bit more this week. This past week, we had.
A number of.
Local law enforcement officials, constables, sheriffs from the surrounding Houston area out to Camp Hope and then we were able to spend actually a great deal of time. We spend about three hours together with them in total and talk a lot about not only what we do at Camp Hopes that they understand what happens there, but also our outreach program and just how critically important is for us
to have a good relationship with law enforcement. And we talked with them about a couple of issues that we've had one particular local agency. But these folks were just fantastic.
They loved hearing what we were doing, very supportive of what we're doing, looking forward to building on those relationships because at the end of the day, we all want the same thing, so they're encountering obviously a number of mental health issues as they go about their job with law enforcement first responders, for them to know that we're here and our outreach teams already and able and equipped to step in and help and go alongside them to
help in some of those issues. But we also one of the gentlemen was there was an FBI agent who had just the night before he'd been up. When he got to our place, he'd been up for thirty straight hours, and when he got to our place, he was one of the FBI agents that took down I think it was fourteen Bandido gang members and that he had just come from doing that, and you could tell it was it had been a rough, rough time after that's a culmination of a six year investigation. So you know, those
guys are absolutely exhausted. But just for you to know there is a place ptsdusa dot org. We will do everything we can to support our law enforcement first responder community, and everything we do is absolutely at zero cost to the veteran of their family. PTSDUSA dot org be right back with more Road to Hope Radio in just a moment, and we welcome you back Road to Hope Radio. Glad to have you along again the website for all things that we do at the PTSD Foundation of America's PTSD
post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSDUSA dot org. On social media also PTSD USA that's on X on Facebook, Instagram, it's PTSD Foundation of America. For show information, and we'll also comment. Sometimes we don't do this with the Foundation. Sometimes with the show's Facebook page, we'll sometimes share military related news, veteran related news, items that don't necessarily really make the major news. So follow us on Road to Hope Radio on our Facebook page and you can keep up with
some of the those things. We'll also post some of the events going on in support of the PTSD Foundation of America this weekend as we air this show this Saturday. There was a wonderful event in the Orlando, Florida area in support of the foundation in our chapter in Florida where we serve a little over two hundred veterans, just through that one chapter, and it's really just I believe four staff that are serving those two hundred plus veterans.
And that's that's the last number I heard. It may be much more than that by now, but the last number I heard it was a little over two hundred vets that we do support work with their in the Florida area. So big thanks to everybody who is a part of that event in support of that chapter and what we do in the Florida area. So thank you very much. And again, if you're following us on so social mediall seat those events coming up if you'd like to participate coming up you are March April May. We
have ours. We have two we call event seasons. The big one is from Labor Day through like the first week of December. That time is just one big blur in dealing with the fundraising events, speaking opportunities. That's number one. But number two is like now, so March one through about May the first, it's a very busy time. After that you kind of get into the whole graduation season's marriage or wedding ceremonies and all, you know, vacations. Everybody's
trying to get out of town. Kids at our school. But this is are entering that busy time. So there's a lot of events coming up in the Houston area as well as Dallas area. Those in the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex got a golf tournament coming on up up there. We have I think three golf tournaments in the next
just a few weeks here in the Houston area. So all those, all those events, information is shared with how you can participate those, whether it's just being there, whether it's volunteering to help thing running, or your business owner, small business owner, you'd like to be a sponsor. Lots of opportunities to be involved in fundraisers, and we don't talk about that a lot, but I will just tell you this is how we are able to do what
we do. So when a veteran calls that crisis line eight seven seven seven one seven seventy eight seventy three, we want to make sure that we are able to support them and whatever way that is. For some it is making their way to Camp Hope. So we will buy the airline ticket, we will take care of all those things. Won't cost them anything, won't cost their family anything. We take care of all that. Well, we don't have just you know, as my mom used to say, there's
no tree in the backyard that just grows cash. It is people who care, people who learn about what's going on in our veteran community and they care enough to do something about it. So for some that's just they don't have time, but they have money, so they'll just write a check. Some can't write a big check, but they can do something, and maybe it's participating in an event like a five K or something like that that's local to them. So there's multiple, multiple ways to get
involved in support what we do. But if you like hearing these stories that we share each and every week, there's always someone here from our interim housing program at Camp Hope. Just see your understanding. Just a real big picture, real fast. It's roughly one hundred and fifty dollars a day to take care of our veteran at Camp Hope. Now, if we have let's say the moment, I think it's somewhere around seventy living on campus. Some of you are better at math than I am, but that's seventy times
one hundred and fifty every single day. So you extrapolate that across the course for a year, it's a fair chunk of change. So the only way we're able to do that. I heard a story this past week as we were touring some folks through our campus. One of the vets had come to us from being incarcerated. When he arrived at camp, which George, this is your job. Right when they arrive at camp, you're one of, if not the first person that they see.
Yeah, first person that day come in and see.
So you're handling what we call the intake process. Yes, sir, Yeah, So this particular guy was telling us when he came in, and I forget where he had been incarcerat. I think it was somewhere in Georgia. When he came in, he had a bag like a think of a grocery bag when you go grocery, and this is what he had. He had two pair of jail issued underwear and I think two pair of socks and what he was wearing, that's what he had when he walked into our campus.
So obviously you think of well, we do PTSD, So there's counseling, there's the peer to peer, but there's everything else in the world that we have to help take care of. Yes, sir, when these guys come in, we want to make sure. He talked about how how comfortable, how safe it made him feel when he walked in. Nobody was laughing, nobody was joking like, hey man, what do you need? Goes into supply gets jeans, shoes, shirts, the basics. They need toiletries, you know, toothbrush, toothpastey, odor
and all those things. Just how welcoming it felt. And I think that's one of the key things about what you do, is just helping those guys, because they've got most of them. I would think it would have to be kind of scared out of their mind.
Usually they're pretty like, uh, in a shock and all that they're there. And like that case where the certain resident didn't have anything, just basically like, hey, man, don't really worry about possessions or anything. We'll get you taken care of. You don't have shoes, We'll get your shoes. If you need underwear, we got you. If you need hygiene, of course, we're not gonna let you run around here being smelly. We're gonna we're a big family here. We take care of our own.
We definitely do that. When they come in the.
In the bay, we take care.
We're welcoming to them. They're not alone.
They're in a place where other people have been in that same position or somewhere close to that, or even worse than that. But whenever they come into bay, everyone's saying welcome home. And a lot of times you don't know what kind of condition they're in, but they're in a good place where people know it already. They've been there and done it and have seen it.
And we feed them pretty well.
I'm getting I'm gaining weight.
We often call it the Camp Hope forty. Some of these guys have been have not been, you know, obviously taking care of themselves mental health and addictions, so whatever they're self medicating. Yeah, sometimes that's about all they're doing and can come in pretty rough shape. And can I remember one guy had been living out near the y off of two forty nine and Tomball, and I think he put on literally put on fifteen pounds in two weeks. I mean he was eating everything in sight because it
is the first time he'd eaten. And who knows how. I mean, he was still skinny as real. I mean, you wouldn't notice it except if you hadn't seen him come in. He was in such bad shape.
Yes, they're in a lot of them. Come in.
You're not gonna see him for a couple of days because there's yeah, they're worn out. Yeah, absolutely, come in, got to sleep. And everybody in the bay knows knows that. And crack the door open and see if they're doing okay, and there's always somebody the staff coming in and checking on them make sure they are not having any trouble in there.
But you referred to it, and to me, that's one of the beautiful things that happens when they walk into that bay for the first time. Not only have they received whatever, you know, we can supply them from our supply, but everybody in the bay is like, hey man.
Welcome home.
Yeah, we got you. Just relax, need something, tell us I got an extra pair of shoes.
You need some shoes. If you need help with something, let us know.
Yeah, and again all at zero costs to the veteran of their family and grateful for a wonderful community that helps make that happen. All right, we're gonna have to take a break again. Ptsd usa dot org for all of the information ptsd usa dot org and we're gonna take a quick break and be right back with more of Road to Hope radio.
Spek and we welcome you back a little to Hope.
Rado got Georgian and Estates Army that current staff member at Camp Hope, graduate of Camp Hope at Derek and in States Army. So you served five years, so eighty seven to ninety two, right, so that's been a while before you got to Camp Hope.
Yep.
When did you begin to realize something was going on?
I worked offshore, Okay, it was my saving grace because I worked a month on, month off. I could go detox basically Onrick and I had to you.
Yeah, you you.
I felt it when I got back to work, you know, two or three days, and then got laid off during COVID and I was on.
It was too readily of aailable for me. So I ended up coming to Camp Hope. I mean I was.
Let you hear about camp my ex wife actually really she did all the work. She did all the research, and she brought me the papers thinking I was going to be mad about it.
I wasn't.
I saw where I was going and filled out the paperwork, well, signed everything. And luckily I have a good ex wife that we still get along great even though we're divorced. She still does a lot for me, and so, you know, it's it's been a short time period since the divorce. But yeah, usually when I talk to guys at Camp Hope, it's not a good you know.
So you've been at camp long enough, you know that's that's a blessing in your life.
Yes.
Yes, most guys there's some few choice words, yes, when they go to talking about their ex wife.
Yeah, it can definitely be one of the stressors that leads to their need of a place like Camp Hope, which is one of the reasons why when you first come into the program. And I know, you know, some guys come and kicking and screaming over this, but the first thirty days you're blocked out from the world. I mean, there's just no communication. But that's one of the reasons why. It's not the only reason, but it's one of the reasons why.
Yeah.
And when I first came to Camp Hope, the first day, I drank something before I got there, and the first thing I did was.
Sit here blow.
I was going to say, did you own up to that or did you try to hide it?
I know, I blew in the and I ended up going to West for thirty days.
Yeah, which was all right. Yeah, it wasn't bad.
And and uh, that's why we have that relationship with it.
Yeah, it prepared me for Camp Hope a little bit too.
Yeah, because you gotta be your mind that they deal with Camp Hope. Yes, sir, it's an intensive program.
Yeah and lengthy. Yeah.
That's why I feel for some of those guys that come in. I know they're hurting and they're getting stuff that you know, they're something they may not be able to do because they've been out of it for so long. But they quickly turn around and everything starts coming back to them, you know, reading and writing about yourself and the talent that comes through there too. I'm surprised to hear people talk and the things they've been through and did in the army or even after after military service.
A lot of musicians, you know.
Sure, we've had guys work for Fortune five hundred companies coming to our program.
Yeah.
I mean there's a little bit of everything.
Yeah, there's some people that are scary smart.
Yes, I keep my mouth shut sometimes when I'm around them.
Like, how you doing. I'll just sit here and listen to you speak.
You got a brain that I've never I wish I had half that talent, But they too fall fall.
Down and have to get back up. Of course, Camp Hope is a.
Great place to uh heal and uh and learn about the Bible and.
Uh it's a faith based system.
And you don't have to I mean, you can talk to whatever higher power you have, and y'all make it very comfortable and nobody's going to be left out.
Just because you know. But yeah, I'm I'm definitely a believer in God and uh and.
I do need to learn more. I need to get more familiar with the phrases. The people can sit there and repeats, yeah whatever I'm trying to say. Scripture, and I definitely have not got that far yet, but I'm still I'm reading the Bible and it's not something that's easily understood. It slowly comes to you reading those uh those uh, the scriptures, and I find myself I got to read them several times sure before I get get the meaning of it and what I think it means.
What's when did you get diagnosed with PTSD.
Well, I'm in the process of getting diagnosed. This is the first program I've been through. And wonderful counselor that I'm seeing and uh, yeah, she's and it's been a while, I mean sure, and.
It's something I've lived with.
For well, it's been thirty exactly thirty years since I was in the military and that's like I said, working offshore was a saving grace because you're with a group of guys out there that you depend on.
You get hurt out there very quickly, and it was.
Good comp comp camaraderie is not the right word, but yeah, and a place to heal, just to get off the rig and come back home and start it all over again, right until I lost the job. And there it was in my face, and like I said, the wife that understood that has unfortunate, unfortunate fortunately you know, found me laying somewhere and telling me to just get get your bud in the bed because I got a seventeen.
Year old son.
Yeah too, And it was embarrassing to me. Of course, I was humiliated with myself and she she handled it well. She gave me a chance. So it was really all my fault. She gave me the chance, and I kept on messing up.
What's something you're learning or have learned in your time here that's helping you.
Self, compassion, I'm learning how to take care of myself instead of trying to take care of everybody else around me. I need to be able to take care of myself really before I can take care of somebody else and learned that I'm holding there's a more than just PTSD. It's it's always is something from child childhood. Did that you know they're with the counselor. I have that they get it out of me and they're very.
Good counselors, all of them.
And uh, yeah, I got there and the first time I talked to the counselor, there's things that I have never told anybody, not my wife, not my immediately there was nobody. I've been holding it inside, and uh, I felt very comfortable telling her what it was. And then I talked to after her, I talked to my mentor, which is a Jonesy.
And uh very nice. Yep, you got a good one.
And I talked to him and told him what had happened to me.
And uh, there's that safety that happened the camp Hope. Yeah, you can open up and be vulnerable and share. So he's one of the great things you get to see.
Yeah, even with a bunch of X out right.
Yeah, Well, because you know a lot of shared experience, there's a lot of that childhood trauma that is uh, you know comes to light. Well, guys are Camp Hope man. Thank you for sharing some of your story. Keep doing what you're doing at camp, keep learning and keep working. Your son deserves it, You deserve it. Take full advantage of what's going on there. George. Great to see you again again. Thank you very very much for what you're
doing to welcome these guys in. Often that very first impression is so critically important for the rest of what happens at Camp Hope. So thanks for doing what you do. Appreciate it, and thanks again to our sponsors A Corey Diamond in Design, a c O ri I two eight one four eight, two forty seven fifty five Oopsteam dot com and a great Friends Republic Grand Ranch dot com. We appreciate you. Wherever you listen to a podcasts, look for Road to Hope Radio, hits the subscriber button and share.
We thank you very much look forward to being with you again next week for more of Road to Hope Radio came