1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:15,360 All across America and around the world, this is Veterans Radio. 2 00:00:15,360 --> 00:00:17,200 And welcome to Veterans Radio. 3 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:20,840 I am Jim Fossone with veteransradio.net. 4 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:26,360 We are recording today from the Legal Help for Veterans Studio in Northville, Michigan. 5 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:29,640 Legal Help for Veterans is a Veterans Disability Law Firm. 6 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:36,600 You can reach us at 800-693-4800. 7 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:44,080 We want to welcome to Veterans Radio today Ryan Pitts, an Army veteran. 8 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:46,880 After six years, he was a Staff Sergeant when he got out. 9 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:52,880 He's now working in the defense contractor industry and is talking to us from Southern 10 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:53,880 New Hampshire. 11 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:56,560 Ryan, welcome to Veterans Radio. 12 00:00:56,560 --> 00:00:58,840 Jim, thanks for having me on. 13 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:01,160 Well, it's a real pleasure to have you on. 14 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:06,560 You have quite a distinguished military career, which we will get to. 15 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:11,720 But we always like to start with when you got into the Army and why you got into the 16 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:12,720 Army. 17 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:14,720 Give us the basics there. 18 00:01:14,720 --> 00:01:20,360 Yeah, I joined in 2003 when I was 17 and listed in my senior year. 19 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:26,120 Came into that year not knowing what I wanted to do with myself, do I want to go to college, 20 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:28,400 but wasn't ready at that point. 21 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:33,360 And thought the military, the Army would be, it wouldn't be a waste of my time. 22 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:37,840 I'd get some valuable life experience, get some money for college, and get to serve my 23 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:38,840 country. 24 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:44,920 And did you have a family history that drove you in that direction, Ryan, or was this just 25 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:49,840 sort of after some soul searching and looking around the next step for you? 26 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:52,720 Yeah, so no family history. 27 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:58,440 Some of my friends in high school were looking and a couple of them signed up and I thought, 28 00:01:58,440 --> 00:01:59,600 you know, that's a pretty good idea. 29 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:04,560 They told me about it, went and saw the recruiter, and they obviously did a good job selling 30 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:07,840 it because I ended up doing it six years. 31 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:12,680 Well, it probably was a good six years mostly for you. 32 00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:18,960 And you attended basic training and moved on to some individual training in Fort Sill, 33 00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:24,120 Oklahoma, which is a long way from your native New Hampshire. 34 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:28,480 Tell us about your training in the military. 35 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:30,360 Yeah, it was good. 36 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:31,360 I mean, you're right. 37 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:33,920 I'd never been on a plane before going to basic training. 38 00:02:33,920 --> 00:02:40,640 So ended up in basic training in Oklahoma, did my individual training there. 39 00:02:40,640 --> 00:02:47,320 I went on to Airborne School in Georgia at Fort Benning and found my way over to the 173rd 40 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:52,480 Airborne Brigade in Italy and as anybody that served, that's when the real training started. 41 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:57,920 I spent a little over a year training up with those guys before shipping off to Afghanistan. 42 00:02:57,920 --> 00:03:02,880 And you actually deployed off to Afghanistan twice. 43 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:05,800 In what capacity were you over there, Ryan? 44 00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:06,800 What was your MOS? 45 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:12,280 Yeah, I was a forward observer and I served in an infantry battalion. 46 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:13,920 I was assigned to an infantry company. 47 00:03:13,920 --> 00:03:19,440 So now everything they did, everywhere they went, I was right there with them. 48 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:22,440 And tell us a little bit about your first deployment. 49 00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:29,560 Yeah, so our first deployment, we were down south, close to Kanahar in the Zabo province, 50 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:33,280 the town of Kalat. 51 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:39,800 At that point, the focus was on Iraq, so me being a young, naive, 19-year-old, I'm thinking 52 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:41,560 we weren't going to see much action. 53 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:46,520 And just in the first few months, we were in several major firefights and this is when 54 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:51,360 I guess the insurgency there started kind of ticking back up. 55 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:55,480 So it wasn't the hand-in-out blankets and beads like I thought it was going to be granted. 56 00:03:55,480 --> 00:04:00,880 We did a lot of humanitarian aid-type missions, but there was a fair amount of fighting on 57 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:03,280 that deployment. 58 00:04:03,280 --> 00:04:07,000 And then you rotated back to the states. 59 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:10,280 Tell us a little bit about that time before you end up back in Afghanistan. 60 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:19,120 So after that deployment from 05 to 06, I rotated back to Italy with the unit, stayed 61 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:20,960 there for about a year. 62 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:26,480 We had our R&R time go home after that, you know, pull off some steam and then head back 63 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:28,280 and get ready and get training again. 64 00:04:28,280 --> 00:04:32,560 I mean, at that point, it was everybody in the military, I think regardless of kind of 65 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:37,680 ranch, you're either deployed or you're getting ready to go again. 66 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:39,160 And that's exactly what we did. 67 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:41,840 And we were actually told we were going to Iraq. 68 00:04:41,840 --> 00:04:44,400 We spent most of that year training for that. 69 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:49,320 And when we were actually in Germany doing our kind of our last field exercises, our 70 00:04:49,320 --> 00:04:56,120 war games, getting ready to go, we got the change of orders to go to Afghanistan. 71 00:04:56,120 --> 00:05:01,960 And this second tour into Afghanistan for you lasted about 15 months, I believe. 72 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:08,400 And again, tell us a little bit about what the mission was and what your experiences 73 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:09,400 were. 74 00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:15,520 Yeah, I mean, the mission again there was to find and fix the enemy and, you know, help 75 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:20,400 transition for the Afghans to be able to govern and protect themselves. 76 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:24,000 We did a lot of missions with the Afghan National Army. 77 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:26,440 It was a different area of Afghanistan for me that time. 78 00:05:26,440 --> 00:05:33,760 We were up north in Kunar province, so northeast of Baghram Airfield. 79 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:41,280 It was just incredibly rugged terrain, just the foothills kind of didn't look like the 80 00:05:41,280 --> 00:05:45,000 foothills, but it was the foothills of the Hindu Kush there. 81 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:48,360 And you know, the fighting was fierce. 82 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:52,920 Our sister company, Battle Company, was in the Corungal Valley that became known from 83 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:57,560 Sebastian Younger's war on the documentary Restrepo. 84 00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:03,240 And it was, I thought we'd seen combat on my first deployment, but the second one was 85 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:05,600 just kind of a different fight altogether. 86 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:11,960 And I wanted to talk a little bit about that, Ryan, because the first time through your, 87 00:06:11,960 --> 00:06:17,080 you know, as you mentioned, a young, naive, 19-year-old kid, you've been through it a 88 00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:18,080 little bit more. 89 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:24,120 The second time through, how in your own mind did you sort of look at that difference in 90 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:28,320 whether it was experience or now you were one of the more seasoned guys? 91 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:34,280 Or talk to us a little bit about how that maybe changed your approach. 92 00:06:34,280 --> 00:06:39,560 Yeah, I mean, by that point when I deployed, I was a leader, so I had some soldiers that 93 00:06:39,560 --> 00:06:42,120 I was responsible for. 94 00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:46,840 You know, having been there, had a little bit to know what to expect in terms of the 95 00:06:46,840 --> 00:06:53,040 monotony of the day-to-day that happens when you're deployed, but also kind of the dynamic 96 00:06:53,040 --> 00:06:54,040 events that pop up. 97 00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:59,200 You know, another unit gets in contact and you have to be ready to go, you know, knowing 98 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:03,680 a little bit about, you know, what goes through your mind and how to react, you know, when 99 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:07,120 you do get in contact at first with the enemy. 100 00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:11,320 And so I think, you know, the first deployment, you know, being an individual contributor and 101 00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:16,400 almost, you know, I'm a junior soldier of, you know, okay, focus on your job, do what 102 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:20,520 you're told, look out for the people around you to, you know, when the second deployment, 103 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:24,400 you're in that leadership position that, you know, your job's not just to look out for 104 00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:28,280 yourself, you're looking out for the guys around you, but also your support that's, 105 00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:31,160 so that changed things, something. 106 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:32,960 You know, you're just learning more. 107 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:35,360 I mean, you're still, again, learning new things. 108 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:38,840 It's a different area, it's a different fight, learning the terrain, learning the local 109 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:39,840 population. 110 00:07:39,840 --> 00:07:44,960 You know, there were a lot of things that changed that I saw from my first deployment. 111 00:07:44,960 --> 00:07:48,640 We had done missions with the Afghan National Army on our first deployment, but a lot of 112 00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:53,200 what they would do is come in after a battle and do a lot of battle damage assessment to 113 00:07:53,200 --> 00:07:56,800 where on our second deployment, you know, there were times where they were the main 114 00:07:56,800 --> 00:08:02,520 effort and we were in support and trying to, you know, make sure that they were capable 115 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:09,960 and had the competency and the confidence to be able to execute missions on their own. 116 00:08:09,960 --> 00:08:14,760 And you mentioned that you didn't really come from a military family, but you had some buddies 117 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:17,960 from high school who joined up about the same time. 118 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:25,120 As you move from deployment to deployment, what sort of feedback were you getting from 119 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:26,120 back home? 120 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:32,880 How was the family handling this and how did they look at you in terms of the role you 121 00:08:32,880 --> 00:08:33,880 were undertaking? 122 00:08:33,880 --> 00:08:39,280 Yeah, I think, you know, from the get go, my family was obviously proud that I had chosen 123 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:44,960 to serve, but I think like any parent, they didn't want me to go to combat. 124 00:08:44,960 --> 00:08:49,960 My next family and friends were unbelievably supportive, you know, sending me care packages, 125 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:53,560 you know, talking to, you know, writing letters, emails. 126 00:08:53,560 --> 00:08:58,320 We talked, you know, periodically, but at the same time, I mean, it's one of those experiences 127 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:02,280 that you can't understand unless you've gone through it. 128 00:09:02,280 --> 00:09:07,040 You know, I really noticed that I think after my second deployment, after I was wounded in 129 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:13,280 particular and coming home and could kind of, you know, felt an uneasiness that I felt, 130 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:18,760 you know, that I perceived from my friends and family of, you know, not really knowing, 131 00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:22,080 I guess in a way of looking at me as like, is this guy broken? 132 00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:24,280 You know, is he, does he have PTSD? 133 00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:27,960 Because, you know, that was all over the news. 134 00:09:27,960 --> 00:09:31,200 And I think this uncertainty, I almost felt like they looked at me and, you know, is he 135 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:36,160 going to be bald all, you know, and I, it was very noticeable to me. 136 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:40,840 And it was kind of strange to be around these people that I had been around for so long 137 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:45,280 and known to kind of feel this discomfort. 138 00:09:45,280 --> 00:09:51,160 And I think a lot of veterans have that, you mentioned it as discomfort in the transition 139 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:52,400 phase. 140 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:57,520 And a lot of that's because so much of the country, our friends, our family can't relate 141 00:09:57,520 --> 00:10:03,880 to what folks are going to, because so few people are actually in the active military 142 00:10:03,880 --> 00:10:04,880 these days. 143 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:08,960 So it's interesting that you've comment on that. 144 00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:17,560 But let me get on to what you allude to, which is some sort of the battle, if you will, that 145 00:10:17,560 --> 00:10:24,200 you were involved in in Afghanistan on July 13th, 2008, and for which you were ultimately 146 00:10:24,200 --> 00:10:29,480 awarded and a recipient of the Medal of Honor. 147 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:34,560 Ryan, can you walk us through what happened that day? 148 00:10:34,560 --> 00:10:39,680 Yeah, I mean, we're in the 14th month of our 15-month deployment. 149 00:10:39,680 --> 00:10:43,160 We're a few weeks from going home. 150 00:10:43,160 --> 00:10:48,280 The unit that was going to be coming in to replace us had, was going to have lower manpower 151 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:51,400 than us, and they had less experience. 152 00:10:51,400 --> 00:10:55,440 And we had shut down some bases to the north of where our battalion headquarters had been. 153 00:10:55,440 --> 00:10:57,880 We had occupied them previously. 154 00:10:57,880 --> 00:10:59,800 The enemy was, they were remote. 155 00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:02,120 They had to be resupplied by helicopter. 156 00:11:02,120 --> 00:11:04,320 They couldn't be resupplied by the ground. 157 00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:08,800 They just was decided, we should really shut these down and move back to the population 158 00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:16,320 areas to really stay more effectively, execute our core mission. 159 00:11:16,320 --> 00:11:19,160 And so we had moved into the village of Winnat. 160 00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:24,200 We've been talking about moving up there for about a year, and our role was to establish 161 00:11:24,200 --> 00:11:28,800 security for the construction of a new base to hand over to the new unit. 162 00:11:28,800 --> 00:11:33,800 We wanted to position them for success, just as the units before us had. 163 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:36,280 Our mission's not over until we're done. 164 00:11:36,280 --> 00:11:42,720 So we moved out on the evening of July 8th, under cover of darkness, got up there, started 165 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:49,080 establishing our fighting positions, and started digging in to, to secure the area. 166 00:11:49,080 --> 00:11:54,920 And on the morning of July 13th, approximately 150 to 200-plus enemy fighters moved into 167 00:11:54,920 --> 00:11:58,960 the surrounding hills and, you know, into the village. 168 00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:07,160 And that morning, shortly after stand two, they initiated a large-scale complex assault. 169 00:12:07,160 --> 00:12:13,080 And, you know, it was, you know, it was terrible. 170 00:12:13,080 --> 00:12:16,320 We ended up losing nine guys. 171 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:23,840 Sergio Abad, Jonathan Ayers, Jason Bogar, Jonathan Brostrom, Israel Garcia, Jason Hovator, 172 00:12:23,840 --> 00:12:27,760 Matthew Phillips, Prueut Rainey, and Gunners Willing. 173 00:12:27,760 --> 00:12:32,720 And, you know, those guys are the reason, you know, the rest of us came home. 174 00:12:32,720 --> 00:12:39,360 But I may have been, you know, awarded for that day, but Valor was really everywhere. 175 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:41,200 It was a team effort. 176 00:12:41,200 --> 00:12:45,560 I know one person gave more than anybody else. 177 00:12:45,560 --> 00:12:50,360 There were guys like Jacob Sones and Dylan Meyer that were jumping up on the hoods of 178 00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:55,360 trucks completely exposed to enemy fire to reload our heavy weapons systems. 179 00:12:55,360 --> 00:13:00,040 Guys like Jason Hovator and Jonathan Brostrom, you know, made a mad dash over 100 yards open 180 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:04,720 ground, you know, right by enemy fighting positions that reinforced the observation post 181 00:13:04,720 --> 00:13:05,720 where I was at. 182 00:13:05,720 --> 00:13:11,000 You know, it was just, there were incredible acts everywhere. 183 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:17,080 In this start and off, really with sort of overwhelming numbers, I think there were about 184 00:13:17,080 --> 00:13:25,720 49 Americans at that, well, not patrol base at the start, and as you say, maybe as many 185 00:13:25,720 --> 00:13:33,960 as 200 anti-Afghan forces that stormed the location. 186 00:13:33,960 --> 00:13:36,160 I think those are the numbers I've seen. 187 00:13:36,160 --> 00:13:37,800 Yeah, yeah, that's correct. 188 00:13:37,800 --> 00:13:39,360 I mean, they moved in. 189 00:13:39,360 --> 00:13:40,360 They had the high ground. 190 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:41,360 They had the element of surprise. 191 00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:45,720 They had us completely surrounded, you know, from the onset. 192 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:50,120 I mean, they obviously had a plan. 193 00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:52,160 They targeted our heavy weapons systems. 194 00:13:52,160 --> 00:13:53,160 We had a tow missile truck. 195 00:13:53,160 --> 00:13:58,600 They targeted that from the outset with RPGs until they were able to destroy that. 196 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:01,400 It was a large fight. 197 00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:08,960 And I think at times the public doesn't hear about what you've just described as a well-organized 198 00:14:08,960 --> 00:14:15,400 plan, that the enemy knew exactly what they were doing and how they were approaching this 199 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:20,760 fight, and were utilizing the element of surprise. 200 00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:28,280 And that first wave of rocket propelled the grenades really caught the observation post 201 00:14:28,280 --> 00:14:32,000 you were at, I would say, by surprise, right? 202 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:33,000 Yeah, absolutely. 203 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:40,080 I mean, the opening volley, it started, you know, it initiated with the machine gun burst, 204 00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:42,240 and that was the signal to commence it. 205 00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:46,200 You know, the observation post was immediately rocked with rocket-repelled and agrenades. 206 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:52,160 You know, there was four of us, three or four of us right off the bat that were wounded 207 00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:54,480 within the first few opening minutes. 208 00:14:54,480 --> 00:14:58,400 Matthew Phillips and Gunners Willing had been killed. 209 00:14:58,400 --> 00:15:03,800 And you know, right there, there's four or five guys that are immediately, you know, 210 00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:08,600 seemingly out of the fight, and the rest of the junior guys stepped up like Pruitt Rainey 211 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:14,200 and Jonathan Ayers, Jason Bogart, and immediately took control. 212 00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:20,480 And just, you know, it was kind of amazing to me that this is, you know, in the near 213 00:15:20,480 --> 00:15:25,840 term this vacuum of leadership, and these guys just stepped up and did their jobs in 214 00:15:25,840 --> 00:15:34,160 this completely, you know, not normal situation, unnatural situation. 215 00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:39,960 And, you know, that's just always been something that has impressed me. 216 00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:44,720 Well, you were a knock down in that initial wave. 217 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:50,920 You were heavily wounded and bleeding from shrapnel in arms and legs. 218 00:15:50,920 --> 00:15:57,440 And really at that point, if I understand it right, a bit alone waiting for some assistance 219 00:15:57,440 --> 00:16:00,760 to get to your position. 220 00:16:00,760 --> 00:16:02,560 That was a little bit further on in the fight. 221 00:16:02,560 --> 00:16:05,840 Yeah, I was knocked down in the initial volley. 222 00:16:05,840 --> 00:16:10,120 I had never been in a fight where anybody had to fight wounded, but this one was unlike 223 00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:11,120 any other. 224 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:14,240 You know, nobody was going to be able to sit out if you could contribute. 225 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:17,840 You know, all the wounded guys, anybody that could was. 226 00:16:17,840 --> 00:16:23,480 It was probably, I think about 30 or 45 minutes into the fight where everybody at the observation 227 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:26,120 post, you know, I was the only one left alive. 228 00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:29,640 Everybody else was either casualties or had to fall back. 229 00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:37,080 And that was Israel Garcia, Mike Denton, Sean Samaroo, and Jacob Sones that made a push 230 00:16:37,080 --> 00:16:39,800 to the OP and those guys saved my life. 231 00:16:39,800 --> 00:16:42,440 And it cost Israel Garcia his. 232 00:16:42,440 --> 00:16:46,000 He traded his life for mine. 233 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:55,080 You find yourself in a situation where due to the injuries, you had some limited ability 234 00:16:55,080 --> 00:17:02,200 to fight, certainly you were able to utilize some grenades to hold your position. 235 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:08,520 Can you tell us a little bit about how you were able to contribute through this hellish 236 00:17:08,520 --> 00:17:16,720 fight as others came forward to help in your rescue? 237 00:17:16,720 --> 00:17:21,480 And like I said in that initial volley, I was wounded and I was pretty severely wounded. 238 00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:27,640 I took shrapnel to both my legs, my left arm, a little bit of my hip and I couldn't move 239 00:17:27,640 --> 00:17:32,320 my legs and I felt like I was, I took me a minute to just gain my bearings because I 240 00:17:32,320 --> 00:17:37,360 was kind of shell shocked by the concussions that had come in. 241 00:17:37,360 --> 00:17:41,120 And I crawled through our southern fighting position and Jason Bogar put a tourniquet on 242 00:17:41,120 --> 00:17:46,400 my right leg to prevent any catastrophic loss of blood. 243 00:17:46,400 --> 00:17:51,120 And I was sitting there thinking I was done and I'm looking around at all these guys fighting 244 00:17:51,120 --> 00:17:55,560 and hearing the amount of fire coming in and Stafford had crawled in and told me that they 245 00:17:55,560 --> 00:18:01,120 were throwing hand grenades and that Phillips had been killed and Zwilling had been killed. 246 00:18:01,120 --> 00:18:06,120 I just, you know, with everything, what everybody was doing around me, I just felt compelled 247 00:18:06,120 --> 00:18:07,120 to do my part. 248 00:18:07,120 --> 00:18:11,760 So I crawled back to that northern fighting position and, you know, if the enemy is within 249 00:18:11,760 --> 00:18:15,000 hand grenade, they're throwing hand grenades to us, they're within hand grenade range for 250 00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:16,000 us as well. 251 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:21,000 So I started throwing hand grenades at them and just kind of falling back on all the amazing 252 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:23,360 training that we had received. 253 00:18:23,360 --> 00:18:28,800 It was kind of, you know, lack of a better term, like a capstone experience of just, 254 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:32,520 you know, you just start drawing on and these are all the resources I have. 255 00:18:32,520 --> 00:18:33,520 Okay, I got a machine gun. 256 00:18:33,520 --> 00:18:34,520 I've been trained on that. 257 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:38,600 It wasn't my primary weapon system, but, you know, everybody was cross trained. 258 00:18:38,600 --> 00:18:41,120 Everybody knew how to do the jobs of the people around them. 259 00:18:41,120 --> 00:18:46,760 And so, you know, I got on that trying to contribute there. 260 00:18:46,760 --> 00:18:51,280 And John Brochram and Ovator initially showed up, you know, John Brochram was our lieutenant, 261 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:52,280 so he was able to take control. 262 00:18:52,280 --> 00:18:55,280 I handed off the machine gun to him, you know, was transitioned. 263 00:18:55,280 --> 00:19:00,160 Okay, try and make a difference on the radio, call him in fire mission. 264 00:19:00,160 --> 00:19:03,160 And it was really just, you know, everything I was doing was just trying to keep up with 265 00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:04,280 the guys around me. 266 00:19:04,280 --> 00:19:11,960 And you were trained as a radio operator and took over the radio to call in to the command 267 00:19:11,960 --> 00:19:16,600 post to call in fire positions. 268 00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:18,320 But the enemy was so close. 269 00:19:18,320 --> 00:19:26,680 Tell us a little bit about how that was able to be structured in that instance. 270 00:19:26,680 --> 00:19:29,760 We were right in the middle of the village. 271 00:19:29,760 --> 00:19:33,080 And so they had moved into buildings close to where our main vehicle patrol base was 272 00:19:33,080 --> 00:19:35,040 set up down in the middle of the village. 273 00:19:35,040 --> 00:19:40,040 They had moved into the mosque and there was a, you know, hotel structure there. 274 00:19:40,040 --> 00:19:44,680 They moved into buildings, you know, within as close as, you know, 20 to 50 meters of 275 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:47,200 our positions up at the OP. 276 00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:48,600 There was some dead space to the north. 277 00:19:48,600 --> 00:19:50,760 They had moved down through a riverbed. 278 00:19:50,760 --> 00:19:56,040 You know, and they were so close, you know, at the point in time where I was by myself 279 00:19:56,040 --> 00:19:59,120 when I was relaying my situation to our company commander. 280 00:19:59,120 --> 00:20:02,960 I mean, everybody with a radio could hear the enemy talking over my radio. 281 00:20:02,960 --> 00:20:08,120 You could hear them as I was relaying the situation. 282 00:20:08,120 --> 00:20:12,120 How long did this firefight last, Ryan? 283 00:20:12,120 --> 00:20:16,960 I was on the ground for about 90 minutes and before really our first platoon was able 284 00:20:16,960 --> 00:20:23,560 to convoy up from our main battalion headquarters to the south and Medevac's Apache started 285 00:20:23,560 --> 00:20:26,360 coming in, but it really, it went on, you know, all day. 286 00:20:26,360 --> 00:20:30,960 And really the days after is, you know, they continued to pursue them as the enemy was 287 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:31,960 ex-filling. 288 00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:33,520 There were other units that came in. 289 00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:35,840 Some of our sister companies came in to help secure the area. 290 00:20:35,840 --> 00:20:41,000 There were other units that engaged, you know, enemy encampments that were further, I believe, 291 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:43,080 east down the valley. 292 00:20:43,080 --> 00:20:47,160 So it, you know, the majority of the fighting took place probably through the first half 293 00:20:47,160 --> 00:20:54,040 of that day on July 13th, but, you know, the actions continued on for a couple of days. 294 00:20:54,040 --> 00:21:03,760 So in the Medal of Honor citation, and we're talking to Ryan Pitts, who was awarded the 295 00:21:03,760 --> 00:21:09,840 Medal of Honor by President Obama in July of 2014. 296 00:21:09,840 --> 00:21:16,280 What recognizes that with incredible toughness and resolve, he subsequently took control 297 00:21:16,280 --> 00:21:20,200 of the observation post and returned fire on the enemy. 298 00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:25,520 As the enemy drew nearer, Sergeant Pitts threw grenades, holding them all, holding them after 299 00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:30,920 the pin was pulled and the safety lever was released to allow a nearly immediate detonation 300 00:21:30,920 --> 00:21:33,400 on the hostile forces. 301 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:36,840 Unable to stand on his own and near death because of the severity of his wounds and blood 302 00:21:36,840 --> 00:21:45,520 loss, Sergeant Pitts continued to lay suppressive fire until a two-man reinforcement team arrived. 303 00:21:45,520 --> 00:21:47,640 There's no book for this, Ryan. 304 00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:51,840 There's no manual for this. 305 00:21:51,840 --> 00:22:00,720 As you're going to tell us sort of what brings you through this in that situation. 306 00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:05,680 I think, you know, we harp on training and it's almost to the point where it becomes 307 00:22:05,680 --> 00:22:09,280 cliche, but it's not. 308 00:22:09,280 --> 00:22:13,320 Everything every day, every minute you spend training counts. 309 00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:18,240 For instance, the cooking off of the grenades, pulling the pin and throwing them. 310 00:22:18,240 --> 00:22:21,800 I did that once in basic training with a dummy grenade when we're going through our grenade 311 00:22:21,800 --> 00:22:22,800 qualification. 312 00:22:22,800 --> 00:22:29,640 Pull the pin, let the fuse burn down, cook it off, and then clear a bunker. 313 00:22:29,640 --> 00:22:31,440 There were other things, using the machine gun. 314 00:22:31,440 --> 00:22:38,520 That was just cross-training that we did with other guys in our platoon. 315 00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:41,640 In those times, no, you can't train for that, but you can train for the things that you're 316 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:44,280 going to do there. 317 00:22:44,280 --> 00:22:46,160 Just as Bogart put the tourniquet on my leg. 318 00:22:46,160 --> 00:22:51,760 He wasn't a medic, but we were all trained on sticking IVs, applying tourniquets, doing 319 00:22:51,760 --> 00:22:55,160 needle chest decompression, treating suck and chest wounds. 320 00:22:55,160 --> 00:23:02,480 But no, you can't train realistically for that type of situation, but you learn the 321 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:06,640 little pieces, the fundamentals, operating the machine gun, throwing grenades, treating 322 00:23:06,640 --> 00:23:11,920 casualties that enable you to put it all together in those situations. 323 00:23:11,920 --> 00:23:16,760 The other part is our leadership made this training, all of our training as stressful 324 00:23:16,760 --> 00:23:17,760 as it could. 325 00:23:17,760 --> 00:23:21,640 We went through sleep deprivation, pushing ourselves physically to what we thought our 326 00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:22,640 limits. 327 00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:27,400 That is our leadership showing us, look, whatever you think you're capable of, you're capable 328 00:23:27,400 --> 00:23:28,400 of more. 329 00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:31,320 We're going to push you and we're going to show you that you can do it. 330 00:23:31,320 --> 00:23:35,400 I think that's what a lot of all of it comes back to. 331 00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:42,080 The other part that, I guess, comes from training and the bonds you make is just, when you're 332 00:23:42,080 --> 00:23:46,880 with those people and you develop those bonds, you kind of pick each other up. 333 00:23:46,880 --> 00:23:50,040 You're looking around and everybody's trying to push each other and they're doing everything 334 00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:55,760 they can, risking their lives for their brothers that, when they're doing that, you have to 335 00:23:55,760 --> 00:23:56,760 reciprocate. 336 00:23:56,760 --> 00:23:57,760 That's your obligation. 337 00:23:57,760 --> 00:24:01,240 I think our greatest duty is we're our brother's keepers. 338 00:24:01,240 --> 00:24:07,640 Our job, it doesn't matter whether you're a machine gunner, a medic, or a forward observer, 339 00:24:07,640 --> 00:24:13,400 your job is to do everything within your ability to help bring your brother's home. 340 00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:15,040 That's what everybody did that day. 341 00:24:15,040 --> 00:24:22,040 Well, I know the Army and your company and your regiment and brigade are all very proud 342 00:24:22,040 --> 00:24:25,400 of what you accomplished. 343 00:24:25,400 --> 00:24:31,400 Certainly the Medal of Honor that was bestowed upon you is recognition to all the efforts 344 00:24:31,400 --> 00:24:33,320 of all the guys that day. 345 00:24:33,320 --> 00:24:42,360 We're really glad that you can share with us some of your thoughts, Ryan Pitts. 346 00:24:42,360 --> 00:24:51,840 Let me turn now, if we can, to sort of the post situation where you have to. 347 00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:56,880 It's time to go through the healing process and the recovery process and ultimately the 348 00:24:56,880 --> 00:25:00,160 integration back into civilian life process. 349 00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:09,320 As you discharged from the Army in 2009 after about six years, give us a little sense of 350 00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:11,840 that recovery period. 351 00:25:11,840 --> 00:25:19,640 I immediately was evacuated about 90 minutes after the fight and made my way back to Walter 352 00:25:19,640 --> 00:25:20,640 Reed. 353 00:25:20,640 --> 00:25:28,480 I spent 30 days inpatient and then about a year at Walter Reed in D.C., doing various 354 00:25:28,480 --> 00:25:32,400 physical therapy and going through my med board process to go out. 355 00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:35,320 I think there were benefits to being there at Walter Reed. 356 00:25:35,320 --> 00:25:39,280 It was more relaxed than being in the infantry unit that I was accustomed to. 357 00:25:39,280 --> 00:25:46,200 There was a pre-transition there to mellow it out to civilian life. 358 00:25:46,200 --> 00:25:51,880 After I left Walter Reed and was ultimately discharged, I went back to college, returned 359 00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:55,080 home and went to college. 360 00:25:55,080 --> 00:25:56,920 Everything is kind of its own transition. 361 00:25:56,920 --> 00:26:01,240 It's a different phase of the operation. 362 00:26:01,240 --> 00:26:02,920 That wasn't without its challenges. 363 00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:07,760 I came from a different culture where if you're not 10 minutes early, you're late. 364 00:26:07,760 --> 00:26:10,920 Whoever is talking at the front of a room doesn't matter whether it's a private or 365 00:26:10,920 --> 00:26:11,920 a captain. 366 00:26:11,920 --> 00:26:15,640 If they're given a presentation, you're supposed to pay attention. 367 00:26:15,640 --> 00:26:20,960 Going to college had its challenges when sitting there and kids are rolling in 10, 15, 30 minutes 368 00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:22,360 later, skipping class. 369 00:26:22,360 --> 00:26:26,960 They're talking while a professor is talking and cruising Facebook. 370 00:26:26,960 --> 00:26:34,120 It was hard to let go of that military structure and that mindset of getting frustrated with 371 00:26:34,120 --> 00:26:37,960 that and just accepting it. 372 00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:42,480 Even after leaving college, I felt that I had navigated that transition and then it 373 00:26:42,480 --> 00:26:45,160 was going into the civilian workforce. 374 00:26:45,160 --> 00:26:47,840 That had its own challenges. 375 00:26:47,840 --> 00:26:49,480 Everything in the military is about training. 376 00:26:49,480 --> 00:26:52,400 Everybody's training the people below to move on up. 377 00:26:52,400 --> 00:26:57,640 A lot of the civilian workforce, it's OJT. 378 00:26:57,640 --> 00:27:02,040 You've got to be motivated to learn as much as you can on your own. 379 00:27:02,040 --> 00:27:06,360 Everybody's tapped doing everything they can to catch up. 380 00:27:06,360 --> 00:27:12,000 It's a family. 381 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:13,560 You become a family. 382 00:27:13,560 --> 00:27:15,960 Everybody looks out for each other. 383 00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:18,400 My buddies let me know when I was messing up. 384 00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:20,560 I think that was one of the great things. 385 00:27:20,560 --> 00:27:24,280 They were there to pick you up when you were down but also tell you, hey, you're making 386 00:27:24,280 --> 00:27:28,880 some mistakes here and this is how you can get better to go to what felt like the civilian 387 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:36,080 world and be ripped out of that family and just feel isolated on your own that they have 388 00:27:36,080 --> 00:27:38,680 their challenges. 389 00:27:38,680 --> 00:27:42,520 People will ask, how is your transition? 390 00:27:42,520 --> 00:27:44,200 I'll say, I'm still transitioning. 391 00:27:44,200 --> 00:27:49,120 I think everybody is through different phases of their life. 392 00:27:49,120 --> 00:27:53,840 I don't think there'll probably be a point where I'm fully transitioned and fully processed 393 00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:56,360 everything that I've been through. 394 00:27:56,360 --> 00:28:02,360 It's kind of a journey in just doing what I need to along the way to successfully reintegrate. 395 00:28:02,360 --> 00:28:06,840 I think that's a good piece of advice for our veteran radio listeners. 396 00:28:06,840 --> 00:28:14,160 We're talking to former Army Staff Sergeant Ryan Pitts who has also been awarded the Medal 397 00:28:14,160 --> 00:28:18,400 of Honor for his acts in Afghanistan. 398 00:28:18,400 --> 00:28:26,080 One of the roles you've taken on, Ryan, because of your status is as an ambassador for the 399 00:28:26,080 --> 00:28:35,320 Cone Veterans Network, it is a setup by Stephen A. Cone. 400 00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:42,360 He's set up a number of private Cone Military Family Clinics around the country. 401 00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:45,200 There are 10 of them now. 402 00:28:45,200 --> 00:28:48,440 Tell us a little bit about the Cone Veterans Network. 403 00:28:48,440 --> 00:28:56,320 Yeah, I mean, it's made possible through the very generous philanthropy of Stephen Cone, 404 00:28:56,320 --> 00:29:02,880 but they're locating these clinics in communities that they've identified a significant need 405 00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:07,440 where there's gaps with services that exist that maybe can't fulfill that need. 406 00:29:07,440 --> 00:29:13,320 They're locating themselves close to the population to make it as accessible as possible. 407 00:29:13,320 --> 00:29:14,800 It's low to no cost to people. 408 00:29:14,800 --> 00:29:17,240 They're treating the entire family. 409 00:29:17,240 --> 00:29:19,600 Their status doesn't matter. 410 00:29:19,600 --> 00:29:24,000 They're really finding incredible partners. 411 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:28,960 I do this along with a friend of mine, Kyle White, who's a fellow Medal of Honor recipient. 412 00:29:28,960 --> 00:29:30,840 We served in the same company. 413 00:29:30,840 --> 00:29:35,600 We've gotten the opportunity to go to these clinic openings, meet these staffs. 414 00:29:35,600 --> 00:29:40,880 The Cone organization, the CVN organization has done an incredible job of, when they identify 415 00:29:40,880 --> 00:29:45,440 a community in need, they identify community partners that have experience there and the 416 00:29:45,440 --> 00:29:54,800 abilities needed to treat, to provide treatment that our veterans and families deserve. 417 00:29:54,800 --> 00:30:00,160 So watching it over the past couple of years as they've grown from one clinic to ten really 418 00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:01,880 has been pretty incredible. 419 00:30:01,880 --> 00:30:07,120 Kyle and I had an opportunity this year to go out for their annual CVN meeting where 420 00:30:07,120 --> 00:30:11,280 they brought a bunch of the staff from all the clinics together to get to know each other, 421 00:30:11,280 --> 00:30:14,600 share best practices. 422 00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:18,120 That was incredible just to see these people have not lost their passion. 423 00:30:18,120 --> 00:30:20,080 They're incredibly passionate from day one. 424 00:30:20,080 --> 00:30:26,240 A lot of these clinics are staffed by veterans or family members of veterans, but also civilians 425 00:30:26,240 --> 00:30:33,160 that are very passionate about treating our veterans and families for the invisible wounds 426 00:30:33,160 --> 00:30:34,160 of war. 427 00:30:34,160 --> 00:30:43,960 Well, and I think back in 2000, maybe it was mid or late 2016 when I first spoke to representatives 428 00:30:43,960 --> 00:30:51,080 from Cone Veterans Network, the fact that they were trying to get out there and provide 429 00:30:51,080 --> 00:30:57,640 outpatient mental health care not only to veterans, but to military families. 430 00:30:57,640 --> 00:31:00,520 The VA doesn't treat family members. 431 00:31:00,520 --> 00:31:05,280 So this idea that they were going to get out there and fill this need and fill it through 432 00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:12,360 philanthropic efforts was really quite impressive to me, but at the time it was one clinic. 433 00:31:12,360 --> 00:31:20,880 Now they've got 10 and they range all over the country from Dallas, San Antonio, El Paso, 434 00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:28,760 Fayetteville, North Carolina, D.C., Philadelphia, New York, Denver, Clarkson, Tennessee. 435 00:31:28,760 --> 00:31:32,520 It's really a robust network at this point. 436 00:31:32,520 --> 00:31:39,320 Ryan, tell us what your sense of that robustness is going to be as it goes forward. 437 00:31:39,320 --> 00:31:45,560 Well, I mean, they've got 10, the goals to get to 25, they've got five more planned, 438 00:31:45,560 --> 00:31:47,920 they've identified where those are going to be. 439 00:31:47,920 --> 00:31:52,960 I mean, they had ambitious goals starting and I think they're meeting those. 440 00:31:52,960 --> 00:31:57,920 They've served since 2016 over 6,000 clients. 441 00:31:57,920 --> 00:32:00,520 One of their goals was to treat families. 442 00:32:00,520 --> 00:32:05,560 They've got a split of about 40, 60 between families and veterans. 443 00:32:05,560 --> 00:32:10,760 Even among the veterans, about 25% of the veteran population that they've served as 444 00:32:10,760 --> 00:32:18,680 clients has been female veterans, which is about twice the ratio of female veterans represented 445 00:32:18,680 --> 00:32:20,520 in the United States. 446 00:32:20,520 --> 00:32:26,600 And being in the clinics, I mean, they've got incredible rooms set up to make it accommodating 447 00:32:26,600 --> 00:32:32,200 for families with kids to make these kids feel like they're in a safe place. 448 00:32:32,200 --> 00:32:36,480 They do a lot of training to make sure that their staff are prepared for that. 449 00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:39,480 They've done a lot to break down barriers to accessibility. 450 00:32:39,480 --> 00:32:46,760 I mean, beyond just providing low to no cost treatment, they're aggressively exploring 451 00:32:46,760 --> 00:32:49,640 and leveraging telehealth where they can. 452 00:32:49,640 --> 00:32:56,560 Because sometimes even if you live in a city, it could take an hour or so to get across 453 00:32:56,560 --> 00:33:00,440 and take a time out of work or getting there can be a challenge. 454 00:33:00,440 --> 00:33:05,280 And they've, you know, they're rolling out telehealth to the best of their ability to 455 00:33:05,280 --> 00:33:09,800 make sure that, you know, veterans and families are getting the treatment that they deserve. 456 00:33:09,800 --> 00:33:15,920 And while I certainly think this is a great program and a great example of philanthropy 457 00:33:15,920 --> 00:33:20,320 here in the United States, this is not without critics. 458 00:33:20,320 --> 00:33:28,840 This is not a program or a set of clinics that at least some folks are critical of because 459 00:33:28,840 --> 00:33:38,640 it's taking patients, I suppose, away from the VA or maybe it's paving away towards the 460 00:33:38,640 --> 00:33:42,000 boogeyman of privatization of VA. 461 00:33:42,000 --> 00:33:47,600 Have you run into those kinds of concerns by people about, yeah, it's kind of good 462 00:33:47,600 --> 00:33:52,560 but and they want to talk mostly about the critical aspects? 463 00:33:52,560 --> 00:33:58,320 You know, I haven't personally, you know, but as you said, you know, it's out there. 464 00:33:58,320 --> 00:34:03,400 And I think it's also just a lack of information or awareness about how CVN approaches it. 465 00:34:03,400 --> 00:34:05,720 I mean, they're partnering with the VA. 466 00:34:05,720 --> 00:34:07,720 You know, they do training back and forth. 467 00:34:07,720 --> 00:34:12,400 The VA and a lot of these cities, they're invited to training with at the Cohen clinics 468 00:34:12,400 --> 00:34:17,360 and the Cohen clinics, their staff go and participate in that training. 469 00:34:17,360 --> 00:34:24,120 The VA is made available, their composite mental health treatment data that helps CVN 470 00:34:24,120 --> 00:34:28,800 determine these communities where there's a lack of resources. 471 00:34:28,800 --> 00:34:33,640 You know, some of these people, Cohen treats people that have, it doesn't matter what 472 00:34:33,640 --> 00:34:35,360 your discharge status is. 473 00:34:35,360 --> 00:34:38,600 So there are some people that wouldn't be eligible for treatment in the VA that are 474 00:34:38,600 --> 00:34:42,000 able to get it with the Cohen clinics. 475 00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:48,200 So you know, while I understand that there are those concerns, they're not concerns of 476 00:34:48,200 --> 00:34:49,200 mine. 477 00:34:49,200 --> 00:34:56,160 And I guess I'd sort of ask you to maybe give, you know, what would you say to a veteran 478 00:34:56,160 --> 00:35:01,440 out there or a veteran's family member who's maybe knows they've got to deal with something 479 00:35:01,440 --> 00:35:07,360 but has been reluctant to do it? 480 00:35:07,360 --> 00:35:12,360 Maybe there's a word of encouragement that you can pass along from your experiences and 481 00:35:12,360 --> 00:35:18,080 from your experiences with the Cohen's Veterans Network that would make a difference. 482 00:35:18,080 --> 00:35:19,560 What are your thoughts there? 483 00:35:19,560 --> 00:35:25,840 You know, when I think of it, I think of whether it's PTS or whatever other sort of transition 484 00:35:25,840 --> 00:35:31,840 challenges people are going through, you know, we've had some, I think their natural reactions 485 00:35:31,840 --> 00:35:37,920 to some very unnatural situations, some very unnatural experiences. 486 00:35:37,920 --> 00:35:43,080 And I think for a long time there's been, you know, this stigma around mental health 487 00:35:43,080 --> 00:35:47,000 that it's not, the invisible wounds aren't viewed the same way as the physical ones. 488 00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:50,440 You know, physical wounds tend to be revered, right? 489 00:35:50,440 --> 00:35:54,160 You know, that you've spilled blood for your country and I think it's been a mistake to 490 00:35:54,160 --> 00:35:58,400 look at the invisible wounds as being any different. 491 00:35:58,400 --> 00:36:01,520 You know, if I have a broken leg, I'm going to go see a doctor. 492 00:36:01,520 --> 00:36:03,800 I'm not going to try and walk around on that leg. 493 00:36:03,800 --> 00:36:05,840 The invisible wounds aren't any different. 494 00:36:05,840 --> 00:36:11,760 You know, I think it's about do what you have to to get healthy again, right? 495 00:36:11,760 --> 00:36:16,960 These families and veterans have sacrificed a lot and they deserve to lead, you know, 496 00:36:16,960 --> 00:36:21,400 healthy, happy lives and Cohen is helping them get back to that. 497 00:36:21,400 --> 00:36:27,360 And Ryan, do you, off the top of your head, remember the website if people want more information 498 00:36:27,360 --> 00:36:28,840 on the network? 499 00:36:28,840 --> 00:36:33,880 Yeah, Cohen's Veteran Network.org and of course there's always Google so you can always Google 500 00:36:33,880 --> 00:36:36,840 it and they have resources there. 501 00:36:36,840 --> 00:36:39,560 And you know, I encourage people to reach out, right? 502 00:36:39,560 --> 00:36:43,480 I mean, I'll say myself, there's times where I've had my struggles and I've reached out 503 00:36:43,480 --> 00:36:44,480 for help. 504 00:36:44,480 --> 00:36:49,480 There are Cohen's Network up here but I certainly would have reached out, you know, had that 505 00:36:49,480 --> 00:36:57,000 been an option, that just do what you have to to get back to the life that you've earned. 506 00:36:57,000 --> 00:36:59,480 And I mean, they're doing an incredible job of seeing people. 507 00:36:59,480 --> 00:37:05,200 You know, they get, if you call today, you book an appointment today and you know, almost 508 00:37:05,200 --> 00:37:09,640 all their clients are getting an appointment within a week of making that first call. 509 00:37:09,640 --> 00:37:14,840 So it's there, it's an incredible resource and people should take advantage of it. 510 00:37:14,840 --> 00:37:19,320 Well we want to thank you for taking some time, talking to the Veterans Radio today, 511 00:37:19,320 --> 00:37:25,640 Ryan Pitts and updating us on the status of the Cohen Veterans Network and telling us 512 00:37:25,640 --> 00:37:29,440 about your military career and inspiring us all. 513 00:37:29,440 --> 00:37:30,920 Thank you for your time today. 514 00:37:30,920 --> 00:37:34,440 Jim, thanks for having me. 515 00:37:34,440 --> 00:37:37,360 And I want to thank everybody for listening to Veterans Radio today. 516 00:37:37,360 --> 00:37:38,960 I am Jim Fawson. 517 00:37:38,960 --> 00:37:41,240 It's been a pleasure to be your host. 518 00:37:41,240 --> 00:37:46,000 I'm a Veterans Disability Lawyer at Legal Help for Veterans and you can reach us at 519 00:37:46,000 --> 00:37:53,560 800-6934800 or legalhelpforveterans.com on the web. 520 00:37:53,560 --> 00:37:58,440 You can follow Veterans Radio on Facebook and listen to its podcasts and internet radio 521 00:37:58,440 --> 00:38:02,520 shows by going to veteransradio.net. 522 00:38:02,520 --> 00:38:07,800 And until next time, you are dismissed. 523 00:38:07,800 --> 00:38:11,680 If you have a VA claim denied by the Board of Veterans Appeals, contact Legal Help for 524 00:38:11,680 --> 00:38:15,920 Veterans at 1-800-6934800. 525 00:38:15,920 --> 00:38:19,920 They're experts in handling cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. 526 00:38:19,920 --> 00:38:24,160 Their number again, 1-800-6934800. 527 00:38:24,160 --> 00:38:26,280 Think of all the sleep hacks you've ever heard. 528 00:38:26,280 --> 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