WEBVTT 00:00:05.160 --> 00:00:08.980 All across America and around the world, this 00:00:08.980 --> 00:00:15.140 is Veterans Radio. This is Veterans Radio. Good 00:00:15.140 --> 00:00:18.739 day. I'm Jim Fosson. I'm the Officer of the Deck 00:00:18.739 --> 00:00:21.179 today here on Veterans Radio and thanks for joining 00:00:21.179 --> 00:00:24.010 us. We've got some interesting stories for you. 00:00:24.329 --> 00:00:26.190 We always want to remind you, you can find more 00:00:26.190 --> 00:00:29.609 about Veterans Radio at its Facebook site or 00:00:29.609 --> 00:00:32.810 at the web, veteransradio .org, where we're on 00:00:32.810 --> 00:00:35.990 the web 24 -7. You can find a lot of our podcasts 00:00:35.990 --> 00:00:39.369 there as well. We post new ones every Tuesday, 00:00:39.530 --> 00:00:43.829 so you can get a new story, a new interview, 00:00:43.969 --> 00:00:46.799 something you didn't know before by going to 00:00:46.799 --> 00:00:49.700 VeteransRadio .org. And before we get started, 00:00:49.759 --> 00:00:53.159 we want to thank our sponsors. First up, we want 00:00:53.159 --> 00:00:55.899 to thank National Veteran Business Development 00:00:55.899 --> 00:01:02.600 Council, NVBDC .org. It was established to certify 00:01:02.600 --> 00:01:05.359 both service -disabled and veteran -owned businesses. 00:01:05.579 --> 00:01:07.560 You'll find out how they can help your business 00:01:07.560 --> 00:01:13.420 by going to NVBDC .org. We want to thank Legal 00:01:13.420 --> 00:01:17.359 Help for Veterans. Legal Help for Veterans fights 00:01:17.359 --> 00:01:20.219 for veterans disability rights all across the 00:01:20.219 --> 00:01:26.519 nation. You can reach them at 800 -693 -4800 00:01:26.519 --> 00:01:32.579 or on the web at legalhelpforveterans .com. And 00:01:32.579 --> 00:01:36.700 finally, PuroClean. PuroClean is the paramedics 00:01:36.700 --> 00:01:39.079 of property damage. It provides water damage 00:01:39.079 --> 00:01:42.480 remediation, flood water removal, fire and smoke 00:01:42.480 --> 00:01:46.200 damage remediation, mold removal, biohazard cleanup. 00:01:47.099 --> 00:01:51.480 It also has a focus on veteran franchisees. You 00:01:51.480 --> 00:01:54.340 can learn more about them by going to PuroClean 00:01:54.340 --> 00:01:59.939 .com. We want to welcome to Veterans Radio today 00:01:59.939 --> 00:02:03.120 Master Sergeant Earl Plumlee. We are very honored 00:02:03.120 --> 00:02:06.200 to have him on. He is a recipient of the Medal 00:02:06.200 --> 00:02:09.280 of Honor. Master Sergeant, welcome to Veterans 00:02:09.280 --> 00:02:12.919 Radio. It's great to be here and thank you for 00:02:12.919 --> 00:02:16.349 having me. Well, we're glad to tell your story 00:02:16.349 --> 00:02:19.370 and promote some of the things you're working 00:02:19.370 --> 00:02:22.509 on, but it's sort of let's go all the way back 00:02:22.509 --> 00:02:25.689 to the beginning. How did a nice kid like you 00:02:25.689 --> 00:02:32.710 from Oklahoma find himself in the military? I 00:02:32.710 --> 00:02:36.870 came from a military family, so I was always 00:02:36.870 --> 00:02:42.280 very interested in service and I was all, you 00:02:42.280 --> 00:02:45.319 know, whatever movie was out in Hollywood, glamorizing 00:02:45.319 --> 00:02:47.840 certain parts of it. That's, that's what I was 00:02:47.840 --> 00:02:50.060 going to do. And then, you know, I joined the 00:02:50.060 --> 00:02:53.360 National Guard in high school. It kind of lit 00:02:53.360 --> 00:02:55.240 the fire and then, you know, ended up in the 00:02:55.240 --> 00:02:57.939 Marine Corps. And, you know, I got the ADHD. 00:02:58.699 --> 00:03:01.840 And I can't stick at anything too long and decided 00:03:01.840 --> 00:03:05.069 to run my run myself through the Army and see 00:03:05.069 --> 00:03:07.889 how that was. Yeah, it's really a fascinating 00:03:07.889 --> 00:03:10.770 start here. It is what I wanted to talk about 00:03:10.770 --> 00:03:14.689 is you jump into the Oklahoma Army Guard. I think 00:03:14.689 --> 00:03:18.169 you're at 17 years old and after graduating high 00:03:18.169 --> 00:03:21.550 school move into the Marine Corps for eight years. 00:03:23.050 --> 00:03:28.569 What were you chasing? I was chasing an adventure 00:03:28.569 --> 00:03:31.889 and I was chasing a challenge. So the National 00:03:31.889 --> 00:03:34.509 Guard was kind of a great way to get me started 00:03:34.509 --> 00:03:39.189 and led me to validate my belief that I was destined 00:03:39.189 --> 00:03:43.770 to serve. But I was really looking for that deeper 00:03:43.770 --> 00:03:48.150 challenge and the adventure. The Oklahoma National 00:03:48.150 --> 00:03:50.810 Guard was neat, but as I got out of high school, 00:03:50.830 --> 00:03:54.590 I wanted to see other parts of the world. And 00:03:54.590 --> 00:03:57.370 the Marine Corps promised me that and delivered 00:03:57.370 --> 00:04:01.610 that. I think a lot of youth kind of wonder if 00:04:01.610 --> 00:04:05.250 they measure up and and you know do I measure 00:04:05.250 --> 00:04:08.389 up to what my father's generation or my grandfather's 00:04:08.389 --> 00:04:11.349 generation was was that a little bit of this 00:04:11.349 --> 00:04:15.409 is hey the National Guard's okay but do I measure 00:04:15.409 --> 00:04:18.629 up to the Marine Corps? Yeah definitely there 00:04:18.629 --> 00:04:21.870 was a piece of that. My father was a Marine and 00:04:21.870 --> 00:04:24.750 uh My grandfather beforehand was a Marine, and 00:04:24.750 --> 00:04:27.689 of course they both told me not to join. I took 00:04:27.689 --> 00:04:30.990 that as a personal insult. They don't think I'm 00:04:30.990 --> 00:04:33.569 tough enough. I'm definitely going to show them. 00:04:34.189 --> 00:04:36.790 Yeah, that's how that works, isn't it? Reverse 00:04:36.790 --> 00:04:39.470 psychology. You did the Marine Corps for eight 00:04:39.470 --> 00:04:43.509 years, and then in 2009 you joined the United 00:04:43.509 --> 00:04:47.069 States Army. But you joined the Army with something 00:04:47.069 --> 00:04:50.009 in mind, I suspect, right? Again, measuring up. 00:04:50.939 --> 00:04:55.019 So, yeah, I joined the Army as an 18 X -ray contract, 00:04:55.259 --> 00:04:58.060 which means you go straight to Special Forces 00:04:58.060 --> 00:05:02.339 selection. I was, you know, prepared for that. 00:05:02.360 --> 00:05:04.220 As a Forced Reconnaissance Marine, it was not 00:05:04.220 --> 00:05:07.740 super challenging to pass selection. The Q Corps 00:05:07.740 --> 00:05:10.560 caught me off guard, but yeah, I was a civilian 00:05:10.560 --> 00:05:14.199 for 12 hours the afternoon where I was released 00:05:14.199 --> 00:05:17.639 from the Marine Corps. That next morning, I joined 00:05:17.639 --> 00:05:22.579 the Army. It's an unusual and interesting and 00:05:22.579 --> 00:05:26.459 probably telling sequence of events that get 00:05:26.459 --> 00:05:30.000 you into the Army Special Forces. You have, I 00:05:30.000 --> 00:05:33.279 think, a total service record of about 24 years 00:05:33.279 --> 00:05:35.259 along the way of, let's say you got promoted 00:05:35.259 --> 00:05:39.509 to Master Sergeant in the US Army. But also along 00:05:39.509 --> 00:05:42.970 the way, we're moving into the 2000s, and we're 00:05:42.970 --> 00:05:47.269 going to find ourselves post 9 -11 with fighting 00:05:47.269 --> 00:05:50.149 in Iraq and Afghanistan. Tell us a little bit 00:05:50.149 --> 00:05:55.769 more about your career. So my very first deployment 00:05:55.769 --> 00:06:00.949 in the Marines, the nation transferred to war 00:06:00.949 --> 00:06:03.720 footing. you know I was having a cool adventure 00:06:03.720 --> 00:06:06.519 traveling around Asia and then you know woke 00:06:06.519 --> 00:06:09.519 up on the morning of September 11th 2001 and 00:06:09.519 --> 00:06:13.240 I was I was in the military at war and the rest 00:06:13.240 --> 00:06:17.240 of my the rest of my career you know nearly every 00:06:17.240 --> 00:06:19.800 point in my career was spent fighting the war 00:06:19.800 --> 00:06:24.620 on terror um which was uh you know it was it 00:06:24.620 --> 00:06:27.160 was unique uh gratifying I'm glad I got to serve 00:06:27.160 --> 00:06:30.259 my country and and heartbreaking I think every 00:06:30.620 --> 00:06:33.939 At least once a year, I buried a friend in service 00:06:33.939 --> 00:06:36.240 to the country. So that was, you know, also you 00:06:36.240 --> 00:06:40.180 spend a piece of yourself doing that. Well, your 00:06:40.180 --> 00:06:42.759 time in the Marines had you in, I believe, Iraq 00:06:42.759 --> 00:06:46.620 on Anbar province, if I've got the notes right 00:06:46.620 --> 00:06:51.819 here. Yeah, so I lived out of Al -Assad, both 00:06:51.819 --> 00:06:56.699 trips, and we had a direct action mission as 00:06:56.699 --> 00:06:59.120 a force reconnaissance Marine, attacking the 00:06:59.120 --> 00:07:04.670 mid -level. members of Al Qaeda, so it was very 00:07:04.670 --> 00:07:07.250 rewarding work. A lot of times you kind of have 00:07:07.250 --> 00:07:09.430 to be subjective about how valuable your service 00:07:09.430 --> 00:07:13.290 is. Both of those trips I did not have to really 00:07:13.290 --> 00:07:15.990 look around to see if it was valuable. Every 00:07:15.990 --> 00:07:20.110 night I did something that was profoundly valuable 00:07:20.110 --> 00:07:23.430 and rewarding. One of the things you've commented 00:07:23.430 --> 00:07:26.089 about and we're talking to Medal of Honor recipient 00:07:26.089 --> 00:07:29.819 Earl Plumlee You've talked about the diversity 00:07:29.819 --> 00:07:34.600 of people that you served with both in the Marines 00:07:34.600 --> 00:07:37.740 and in the Army. Talk a little bit about why 00:07:37.740 --> 00:07:42.839 that's important to you. Well, to me, as an American, 00:07:43.040 --> 00:07:49.000 I think that every citizen should get the chance 00:07:49.000 --> 00:07:50.860 to serve, even though it's not always possible, 00:07:51.379 --> 00:07:54.750 and should want to serve. And I always thought 00:07:54.750 --> 00:07:57.889 it was really neat to see the full cross spectrum 00:07:57.889 --> 00:08:00.689 of the United States. And what I always said 00:08:00.689 --> 00:08:03.389 is that after boot camp, the group of friends 00:08:03.389 --> 00:08:06.709 I had made there, when we put our civilian clothes 00:08:06.709 --> 00:08:10.610 to go out in town, it was a hilarious picture 00:08:10.610 --> 00:08:15.329 because we had cowboys out of Texas, farmers 00:08:15.329 --> 00:08:18.589 out of Kansas, surfers out of Southern California, 00:08:20.110 --> 00:08:23.939 and kids out of Boston and New York, and none 00:08:23.939 --> 00:08:27.100 of us dressed even remotely the same. And you 00:08:27.100 --> 00:08:30.519 thought yourself, I ain't in Oklahoma anymore. 00:08:31.199 --> 00:08:33.059 Yeah, I'm definitely not in Oklahoma anymore. 00:08:34.980 --> 00:08:39.639 You know, as you continue to serve and you were 00:08:39.639 --> 00:08:45.669 sent into Afghanistan, there's a particular battle 00:08:45.669 --> 00:08:51.009 in August of 2013 at Forward Operating Base, 00:08:51.470 --> 00:08:55.970 GANSI. Tell us what happened that day that sort 00:08:55.970 --> 00:09:01.110 of has certainly changed your life. Yeah, well 00:09:01.110 --> 00:09:07.929 it's definitely changed my life. The Taliban 00:09:07.929 --> 00:09:11.679 decided to make an example out of our camp. and 00:09:11.679 --> 00:09:14.100 do a spectacular attack. They're hoping to kill 00:09:14.100 --> 00:09:17.200 enough Americans that maybe we would decide to 00:09:17.200 --> 00:09:21.179 leave. Unluckily for them, you know, my unit 00:09:21.179 --> 00:09:23.820 was having a change of command. So we had, you 00:09:23.820 --> 00:09:25.879 know, triple the number of Green Berets that 00:09:25.879 --> 00:09:30.340 would normally be on installation. And they initiated 00:09:30.340 --> 00:09:34.559 the attack with a 4 ,000 pound truck bomb and 00:09:34.559 --> 00:09:37.980 15 members of their unit with suicide vests and 00:09:37.980 --> 00:09:41.629 brand new Chinese rifles, you know, stormed through 00:09:41.629 --> 00:09:45.690 the breach they'd made and unfortunately found 00:09:45.690 --> 00:09:48.009 me and my friends waiting for them on the other 00:09:48.009 --> 00:09:51.090 side of that wall. This is one of these things 00:09:51.090 --> 00:09:54.190 that I don't care how much you think about it. 00:09:54.710 --> 00:10:00.389 You can't practice this. It's reactive. And how 00:10:00.389 --> 00:10:04.629 did you and the other green braes of Special 00:10:04.629 --> 00:10:10.480 Forces soldiers react here? what we we knew we 00:10:10.480 --> 00:10:13.759 didn't know the nature of the attack and we knew 00:10:13.759 --> 00:10:17.080 with a bomb that size there was undoubtedly going 00:10:17.080 --> 00:10:20.139 to be injuries and possibly a fight so we grabbed 00:10:20.139 --> 00:10:24.139 our stuff and moved moved to the point of conflict 00:10:24.139 --> 00:10:28.620 and you know unfortunately the Taliban didn't 00:10:28.620 --> 00:10:31.000 tell us exactly what they were doing so we parked 00:10:31.000 --> 00:10:34.080 right in the middle of them Yeah, another one 00:10:34.080 --> 00:10:38.159 of those brilliant decisions by who's driving 00:10:38.159 --> 00:10:43.200 the vehicle, right? Stop here! Yeah, stop here. 00:10:43.200 --> 00:10:45.500 What are these guys doing? And then they all 00:10:45.500 --> 00:10:49.460 started shooting us up. Part of this was the 00:10:49.460 --> 00:10:51.820 insurgents were dressed in Afghan National Army 00:10:51.820 --> 00:10:56.000 uniforms, if I understand it. Yeah, so they had 00:10:56.000 --> 00:11:01.580 tried attacks like this several times and And 00:11:01.580 --> 00:11:03.879 they were always changing the techniques that 00:11:03.879 --> 00:11:08.460 they were using. And this one, they decided that 00:11:08.460 --> 00:11:12.100 they could never pass the American, but they 00:11:12.100 --> 00:11:14.980 definitely looked like Afghans, so they used 00:11:14.980 --> 00:11:18.259 that to get deep into the camp without being 00:11:18.259 --> 00:11:22.299 fired upon. And let me just read from the Military 00:11:22.299 --> 00:11:26.870 Times article. Quote, without regard for his 00:11:26.870 --> 00:11:29.830 own safety, Staff Sergeant Plumlee hopped out 00:11:29.830 --> 00:11:31.970 of the vehicle using his body to protect its 00:11:31.970 --> 00:11:34.850 driver while drawing his sidearm. He fought off 00:11:34.850 --> 00:11:38.049 two attackers, was wounded by a detonating suicide 00:11:38.049 --> 00:11:41.289 vest before he could get to adequate cover. He 00:11:41.289 --> 00:11:44.629 killed two insurgents in his field of fire, but 00:11:44.629 --> 00:11:46.909 at least eight were still firing on American 00:11:46.909 --> 00:11:50.120 forces. He left his position with only his pistol 00:11:50.120 --> 00:11:53.179 and advanced on the enemy alone, finally reaching 00:11:53.179 --> 00:11:58.779 a fellow soldier behind cover. After what must 00:11:58.779 --> 00:12:01.019 have seemed like hours under intense enemy fire, 00:12:01.080 --> 00:12:04.019 he and the other soldier no longer alone withdrew 00:12:04.019 --> 00:12:06.740 to join other American and coalition troops who 00:12:06.740 --> 00:12:10.039 were preparing a counterattack," end of quote. 00:12:10.759 --> 00:12:14.039 And both an American and a Polish soldier were 00:12:14.039 --> 00:12:18.940 killed in this insurgent attack, as it's reported. 00:12:20.299 --> 00:12:23.480 I'm not going to ask you to talk about this, 00:12:23.600 --> 00:12:28.960 Master Sergeant. It just sort of seems that I'll 00:12:28.960 --> 00:12:32.659 let the article and your actions speak for itself. 00:12:32.799 --> 00:12:36.620 But coming out of that incident, you were awarded 00:12:36.620 --> 00:12:42.539 the Silver Star. And subsequently, it was upgraded 00:12:42.539 --> 00:12:44.879 to the Medal of Honor and presented to you by 00:12:44.879 --> 00:12:50.320 President Joe Biden in December of 2021. Nobody 00:12:50.320 --> 00:12:53.500 goes into the military for the decorations, right? 00:12:55.159 --> 00:13:01.120 That was never a big part of my plan. I was chasing 00:13:01.120 --> 00:13:04.600 the stuff that makes your uniform look fancy, 00:13:05.340 --> 00:13:08.139 like jump wings and dive bubbles, going to all 00:13:08.139 --> 00:13:11.740 the cool schools. It was never my plan to get 00:13:11.740 --> 00:13:15.080 a Purple Heart or a Valor Award. Yeah, nobody 00:13:15.080 --> 00:13:18.139 should seek the Purple Heart. Yeah, if your plan 00:13:18.139 --> 00:13:20.919 is to get the Purple Heart, call me and let me 00:13:20.919 --> 00:13:24.419 talk you down. That is a terrible plan. As time 00:13:24.419 --> 00:13:26.620 moved on, and as I said, the battle occurred 00:13:26.620 --> 00:13:32.860 in 2013 and eight years later, the Silver Star 00:13:32.860 --> 00:13:36.200 gets upgraded to the Medal of Honor. This is, 00:13:36.200 --> 00:13:39.480 I think most people don't understand, is what 00:13:39.480 --> 00:13:45.320 a rigorous process. getting an upgrade or getting 00:13:45.320 --> 00:13:48.340 the Medal of Honor being awarded to you is, can 00:13:48.340 --> 00:13:50.720 you talk a little bit about that period of time 00:13:50.720 --> 00:13:53.559 where, hey, these other guys are talking about 00:13:53.559 --> 00:13:56.519 this should be upgraded and your reaction to 00:13:56.519 --> 00:14:04.039 all of that? At first there was a ton of interest 00:14:04.039 --> 00:14:07.159 and scrutiny and the award got downgraded to 00:14:07.159 --> 00:14:09.480 the Silver Star and I thought that would be the 00:14:09.480 --> 00:14:12.740 end of it. And especially as an E -6, I remember 00:14:12.740 --> 00:14:15.460 being profoundly relieved that it got downgraded. 00:14:15.460 --> 00:14:21.100 I was terrified for the eventuality of having 00:14:21.100 --> 00:14:25.480 to wear the Medal of Honor. And the members of 00:14:25.480 --> 00:14:28.120 the Pentagon and the upper levels of the Army 00:14:28.120 --> 00:14:31.799 would call me from time to time asking for clarification 00:14:31.799 --> 00:14:36.139 over the years. And I kind of got used to it. 00:14:36.720 --> 00:14:40.340 And it was, you know, About six months before 00:14:40.340 --> 00:14:43.100 I got the medal the phone calls, you know changed 00:14:43.100 --> 00:14:46.320 in nature and they quit asking me about the battle 00:14:46.320 --> 00:14:49.419 or asking me for access to people for for witness 00:14:49.419 --> 00:14:51.779 statements and they started asking me what I 00:14:51.779 --> 00:14:54.759 was doing and where I was gonna be and That's 00:14:54.759 --> 00:14:56.440 when I started to kind of think that something 00:14:56.440 --> 00:15:00.419 was up but you know, honestly, I was I remember, 00:15:00.580 --> 00:15:03.320 you know having pursuing my career as a Silver 00:15:03.320 --> 00:15:06.580 Star recipient and The incredible scrutiny of 00:15:06.580 --> 00:15:09.220 the Medal of Honor was off of me, and I was just 00:15:09.220 --> 00:15:11.559 really happy to get back to work as a Green Beret 00:15:11.559 --> 00:15:16.000 and have my career. I think that's what a lot 00:15:16.000 --> 00:15:19.980 of people don't understand, that the Medal of 00:15:19.980 --> 00:15:23.320 Honor is sort of thrusted upon you, isn't it? 00:15:25.600 --> 00:15:32.419 It is, and it's an incredibly humbling thing, 00:15:32.440 --> 00:15:36.279 and it's nerve -racking. you know the rest of 00:15:36.279 --> 00:15:41.200 the time that I spent in uniform until now you're 00:15:41.200 --> 00:15:45.580 scrutinized in a positive way but everyone is 00:15:45.580 --> 00:15:48.299 always going to remember what you said and emulate 00:15:48.299 --> 00:15:51.679 your behavior and and that could be you know 00:15:51.679 --> 00:15:55.259 that can be overwhelming. There is a Medal of 00:15:55.259 --> 00:15:59.480 Honor Award Process Review Board. The first kind 00:15:59.480 --> 00:16:01.960 of look at it, the board said, hey, the guy is 00:16:01.960 --> 00:16:06.379 just doing his job. And it didn't, under that 00:16:06.379 --> 00:16:08.899 review, reach the level of a Medal of Honor. 00:16:09.179 --> 00:16:12.019 It was subsequently looked at again and moved 00:16:12.019 --> 00:16:18.960 up, upgraded to the Medal of Honor. You at some 00:16:18.960 --> 00:16:22.440 point get a call telling you it's been upgraded. 00:16:23.879 --> 00:16:27.259 and let's start working on coordination to meet 00:16:27.259 --> 00:16:31.259 the president and receive the award. Very few 00:16:31.259 --> 00:16:33.500 men will ever get a chance to go through that 00:16:33.500 --> 00:16:36.179 month or two where that's going on. Tell us what's 00:16:36.179 --> 00:16:40.860 going on during that period. So I got a call 00:16:40.860 --> 00:16:44.639 from the president. He told me I was gonna be 00:16:44.639 --> 00:16:47.759 getting a Medal of Honor and spoke to me for 00:16:47.759 --> 00:16:51.179 kind of a long time. In my opinion, I don't know 00:16:51.179 --> 00:16:53.919 how long people usually get to talk to the president. 00:16:54.919 --> 00:16:59.960 But immediately after that, I talked to a woman 00:16:59.960 --> 00:17:03.399 from the Pentagon and she was like, hey, this 00:17:03.399 --> 00:17:06.900 is still a tightly held thing. We don't want 00:17:06.900 --> 00:17:09.500 to tell anybody, but we also don't want you getting 00:17:09.500 --> 00:17:13.000 deployed or sent into a training environment 00:17:13.000 --> 00:17:16.019 where you won't be able to get reached because 00:17:16.019 --> 00:17:18.240 the day was still not set after the president 00:17:18.240 --> 00:17:22.750 called me. And I told him, yep, that's fine. 00:17:23.150 --> 00:17:26.329 Don't worry about it. I got all that handled 00:17:26.329 --> 00:17:30.890 and hung up on her and then immediately deployed 00:17:30.890 --> 00:17:33.150 on what would be one of my last deployments. 00:17:35.670 --> 00:17:40.769 Well, the logistics always work out and there 00:17:40.769 --> 00:17:44.049 is a lot of logistics to get you, friends, family, 00:17:44.430 --> 00:17:47.490 members of the unit into Washington for this. 00:17:48.210 --> 00:17:51.869 Tell us a little bit about that. Yeah, so when 00:17:51.869 --> 00:17:57.230 we finally got warned, hey, you need to be at 00:17:57.230 --> 00:17:59.329 the White House on this day, we had about 10 00:17:59.329 --> 00:18:04.329 days, I think, to get it done. And the Army decided 00:18:04.329 --> 00:18:07.529 I needed to wear the new service uniform, the 00:18:07.529 --> 00:18:12.309 AGSU, and I didn't have it. And they had a piece 00:18:12.309 --> 00:18:15.890 of it that would fit me at somewhere at an O 00:18:15.890 --> 00:18:19.180 base. Almost completely across the United States 00:18:19.180 --> 00:18:21.859 and let me say you're not you're not a small. 00:18:21.880 --> 00:18:26.039 You're not a small guy I'm not a small guy. I 00:18:26.039 --> 00:18:29.279 got big feet apparently but they they put one 00:18:29.279 --> 00:18:33.240 together the my boots actually came in the evening 00:18:33.240 --> 00:18:39.000 before the ceremony and the Honor Guard from 00:18:39.000 --> 00:18:41.119 Arlington, they took turns polishing my boots 00:18:41.119 --> 00:18:44.019 for me so that I could sleep. But the first time 00:18:44.019 --> 00:18:46.339 I ever put that uniform on was about an hour 00:18:46.339 --> 00:18:48.779 before I went to the White House. Those are the 00:18:48.779 --> 00:18:51.220 little backroom things none of us see. But you 00:18:51.220 --> 00:18:54.059 do get to be in the backroom and talk to the 00:18:54.059 --> 00:18:56.819 president a little bit before they open those 00:18:56.819 --> 00:19:00.779 doors and all the lights are on and the nerves 00:19:00.779 --> 00:19:06.539 really run. How was meeting the president? You 00:19:06.539 --> 00:19:10.859 know, it was it's amazing um whether he's whether 00:19:10.859 --> 00:19:13.279 you voted for him or not if you're if you're 00:19:13.279 --> 00:19:15.640 meeting the president united states and you're 00:19:15.640 --> 00:19:19.740 not just odd um you know i challenge your how 00:19:19.740 --> 00:19:23.980 patriotic you are so uh it was really neat uh 00:19:23.980 --> 00:19:26.619 the president and the first lady were you know 00:19:26.619 --> 00:19:29.339 very gracious to us and treated my family like 00:19:29.339 --> 00:19:33.160 a million bucks and uh and you know he was late 00:19:33.160 --> 00:19:36.619 because of uh an engagement obviously the president 00:19:36.619 --> 00:19:39.279 was busy And so we got to just kind of wander 00:19:39.279 --> 00:19:41.220 around the White House unsupervised for a few 00:19:41.220 --> 00:19:44.880 hours, which my daughter took full advantage 00:19:44.880 --> 00:19:48.240 of. Yeah, she's got selfies and probably, you 00:19:48.240 --> 00:19:51.000 know, maybe a White House ashtray in her purse 00:19:51.000 --> 00:19:54.359 at that point. Yeah. This is a really neat sword. 00:19:54.700 --> 00:20:01.420 It's George Washington's sword. So I want to 00:20:01.420 --> 00:20:04.039 talk about, you used this word earlier, so I'm 00:20:04.039 --> 00:20:06.720 going to bring it back to you. And you said, 00:20:07.150 --> 00:20:10.089 Hey, I was terrified to wear the Medal of Honor. 00:20:11.630 --> 00:20:14.690 That continues to kind of roll around in your 00:20:14.690 --> 00:20:17.769 brain until it probably becomes a bigger deal, 00:20:17.789 --> 00:20:20.710 and when they finally put the medal on you, where 00:20:20.710 --> 00:20:24.450 were you in that process? Were you still terrified, 00:20:24.670 --> 00:20:28.069 asking yourself, do I measure up, just like you 00:20:28.069 --> 00:20:30.190 asked yourself when you jumped into the Marines? 00:20:31.630 --> 00:20:36.069 I mean, I still do. You know, there's a Medal 00:20:36.069 --> 00:20:40.150 of Honor Society. And we have a convention at 00:20:40.150 --> 00:20:43.470 least once a year. And every time I walk into 00:20:43.470 --> 00:20:47.170 that room with the other recipients, it's always 00:20:47.170 --> 00:20:49.710 stunning to me that I belong in there with them. 00:20:51.910 --> 00:20:54.309 I think the medal, it's definitely one of those 00:20:54.309 --> 00:21:01.210 things. My actions in 2013 got me nominated for 00:21:01.210 --> 00:21:04.740 it. You feel compelled to earn that thing every 00:21:04.740 --> 00:21:10.660 day. One of the things, once you have been bestowed 00:21:10.660 --> 00:21:12.839 this honor, it's sort of like a knighthood I 00:21:12.839 --> 00:21:16.640 think. Everybody looks at you differently and 00:21:16.640 --> 00:21:20.720 I know that you were a former student athlete 00:21:20.720 --> 00:21:25.059 in high school. You have an opportunity to talk 00:21:25.059 --> 00:21:29.299 to a lot of young men and women because of this 00:21:29.299 --> 00:21:34.099 honor. Tell us how you wear This responsibility 00:21:34.099 --> 00:21:40.039 on a daily basis So I always try to be I try 00:21:40.039 --> 00:21:43.299 to be a good steward of the profession the profession 00:21:43.299 --> 00:21:48.680 of arms I Served for you know 24 years 11 months 00:21:48.680 --> 00:21:52.200 and I was I was proud the day I put on the uniform 00:21:52.200 --> 00:21:54.680 and it was just as proud the day I took it off 00:21:54.680 --> 00:21:57.519 and And I think the country is worth fighting 00:21:57.519 --> 00:22:00.700 for it and worth sacrificing for and and the 00:22:00.700 --> 00:22:03.849 only thing I can do at this point serve as a 00:22:03.849 --> 00:22:07.009 role model for people to emulate that behavior 00:22:07.009 --> 00:22:11.690 and you know I like to educate that you build 00:22:11.690 --> 00:22:14.329 the country the country doesn't build you and 00:22:14.329 --> 00:22:17.130 and you don't need a uniform to serve the country 00:22:17.130 --> 00:22:19.890 so if something needs fixing don't look around 00:22:19.890 --> 00:22:23.009 for somebody else to do it you know roll your 00:22:23.009 --> 00:22:25.170 sleeves up get your hands dirty and solve the 00:22:25.170 --> 00:22:27.130 problem and make your country a better place 00:22:28.299 --> 00:22:31.500 Earl one of the things I've seen you say in the 00:22:31.500 --> 00:22:35.039 press before is about the importance of a positive 00:22:35.039 --> 00:22:38.680 mentor Can you can you elaborate on that both 00:22:38.680 --> 00:22:41.900 in your own life, but but as importantly for 00:22:41.900 --> 00:22:48.279 our younger generation Yeah, I mean a positive 00:22:48.279 --> 00:22:51.400 role model or mentor you find somebody that you 00:22:51.400 --> 00:22:54.160 want you want to emulate somebody you want to 00:22:54.160 --> 00:22:59.049 be and They've already made all the mistakes. 00:22:59.309 --> 00:23:04.109 They can explain how things work, what to expect, 00:23:04.250 --> 00:23:07.890 and how to do the job better. And a role model 00:23:07.890 --> 00:23:11.069 and a mentor, if they're genuine, should always 00:23:11.069 --> 00:23:15.450 want to see you surpass them. And once you get 00:23:15.450 --> 00:23:17.990 one, it's such a rewarding experience to be on 00:23:17.990 --> 00:23:25.559 either side of that relationship. I always feel 00:23:25.559 --> 00:23:28.400 sad for somebody that never had a mentor to kind 00:23:28.400 --> 00:23:30.640 of help them figure out the best way to get to 00:23:30.640 --> 00:23:32.960 where they're going. And then for also, you know, 00:23:33.059 --> 00:23:36.299 if you've mastered a profession and you really 00:23:36.299 --> 00:23:39.519 don't get to go hands -on with someone and make 00:23:39.519 --> 00:23:41.660 them the best person that they could be, that's 00:23:41.660 --> 00:23:44.240 its own reward that you're missing out on. You've 00:23:44.240 --> 00:23:47.319 also made, and we're talking to Master Sergeant 00:23:47.319 --> 00:23:50.359 Earl Plumlee, retired Medal of Honor recipient. 00:23:50.900 --> 00:23:54.079 You've also talked about the role the National 00:23:54.079 --> 00:23:57.660 Guard plays in bridging the gap between the military 00:23:57.660 --> 00:24:01.519 and civilian worlds, and in a time where patriotism 00:24:01.519 --> 00:24:05.420 seems to wane, recruiting seems to be down, talk 00:24:05.420 --> 00:24:08.059 to us about the importance of bridging that gap. 00:24:09.799 --> 00:24:14.279 So the National Guard is just such a great touch 00:24:14.279 --> 00:24:17.880 point for the federal government, the state government, 00:24:18.019 --> 00:24:22.480 and the civilian population. They truly are the 00:24:22.480 --> 00:24:27.200 bridge. When you see somebody in uniform, you 00:24:27.200 --> 00:24:30.039 kind of understand what they are. But a National 00:24:30.039 --> 00:24:33.039 Guardsman, that's somebody from your community 00:24:33.039 --> 00:24:36.220 that has chosen to take time out of their life 00:24:36.220 --> 00:24:40.539 to be there. And in Oklahoma, every time there's 00:24:40.539 --> 00:24:44.140 a national disaster, a tornado, one of the first 00:24:44.140 --> 00:24:46.779 things that happens is they activate the National 00:24:46.779 --> 00:24:49.839 Guard and get them out there to help those communities 00:24:49.839 --> 00:24:52.849 recover. And I think it's important. That's something 00:24:52.849 --> 00:24:55.150 that the country owes you, and that's something 00:24:55.150 --> 00:24:59.509 as a people we owe the country is to be that 00:24:59.509 --> 00:25:01.589 person that says, I know it's not safe yet, but 00:25:01.589 --> 00:25:03.269 I'm going to go out there and make it a little 00:25:03.269 --> 00:25:07.309 bit better. We want to thank Master Sergeant 00:25:07.309 --> 00:25:09.930 Earl Plumlee, retired from the United States 00:25:09.930 --> 00:25:13.569 Army, Medal of Honor recipient for taking some 00:25:13.569 --> 00:25:15.950 time to talk to Veterans Radio today. These are 00:25:15.950 --> 00:25:17.950 always interesting stories when you hear from 00:25:17.950 --> 00:25:20.940 Medal of Honor recipients. So we hope you're 00:25:20.940 --> 00:25:23.779 enjoying this as much as we are and talking to 00:25:23.779 --> 00:25:26.400 these gentlemen. We're gonna bring you another 00:25:26.400 --> 00:25:29.839 story right after some words from our sponsor. 00:25:30.559 --> 00:25:32.980 Military veterans touch everyone's life. I'm 00:25:32.980 --> 00:25:34.819 guessing right now you're thinking of a veteran, 00:25:35.420 --> 00:25:39.220 a close friend, relative. Maybe it's you. Even 00:25:39.220 --> 00:25:41.980 the toughest of us sometimes need help but don't 00:25:41.980 --> 00:25:44.259 know where to turn for support. You don't need 00:25:44.259 --> 00:25:46.119 special training to help a veteran in your life. 00:25:46.319 --> 00:25:48.380 We can all help someone going through a difficult 00:25:48.380 --> 00:25:51.200 time. Learn how you can be there for veterans. 00:25:51.759 --> 00:25:55.259 Visit veteranscrisisline .net. Veteranscrisisline 00:25:55.259 --> 00:25:58.000 .net. A message from the U .S. Department of 00:25:58.000 --> 00:26:01.740 Veterans Affairs. If you have a VA claim denied 00:26:01.740 --> 00:26:03.960 by the Board of Veterans Appeals, contact Legal 00:26:03.960 --> 00:26:08.619 Help for Veterans at 1 -800 -693 -4800. They're 00:26:08.619 --> 00:26:10.700 experts in handling cases before the U .S. Court 00:26:10.700 --> 00:26:12.700 of Appeals for Veterans Claims. Their number 00:26:12.700 --> 00:26:17.539 again, 1 -800 -693 -4800. Continuing the theme 00:26:17.539 --> 00:26:21.900 of the US Army and all that it does We're gonna 00:26:21.900 --> 00:26:25.099 follow up the Earl Plumlee Master Sergeant US 00:26:25.099 --> 00:26:28.839 Army Master Sergeant Earl Plumlee with an interview 00:26:28.839 --> 00:26:32.559 we did with Brigadier General Dick Miller retired 00:26:32.559 --> 00:26:37.660 talking though about a USA We want to welcome 00:26:37.660 --> 00:26:41.740 to veterans radio today Brigadier General Richard 00:26:41.740 --> 00:26:46.500 S Miller retired Dick Miller's of friend of Veterans 00:26:46.500 --> 00:26:49.720 Radio and has his multiple hats that he wears 00:26:49.720 --> 00:26:54.380 that bumps him into our orbit. He is the president 00:26:54.380 --> 00:27:00.299 of NVBDC, the nation's leader in certifying veteran 00:27:00.299 --> 00:27:03.559 -owned businesses. But we're having Dick on today 00:27:03.559 --> 00:27:05.660 to talk a little bit about his military career 00:27:05.660 --> 00:27:09.839 and his position as president of AUSA Region 00:27:09.839 --> 00:27:13.859 Two. Dick, welcome back to Veterans Radio. Well, 00:27:13.859 --> 00:27:16.400 thank you. Good morning. Well, let's start with 00:27:16.400 --> 00:27:20.420 this. How does a nice kid from Shelbyville, Indiana 00:27:20.420 --> 00:27:25.920 end up spending his career in the Army? And, 00:27:25.940 --> 00:27:28.700 you know, did you have to do this because a judge 00:27:28.700 --> 00:27:31.099 chased you into it or what? How'd this happen? 00:27:31.740 --> 00:27:33.240 You know, it's funny as you and I are both of 00:27:33.240 --> 00:27:35.720 the era where I know a guy actually that that 00:27:35.720 --> 00:27:38.859 happened to you. You got a choice, young man. 00:27:40.099 --> 00:27:44.549 But no, I end up I graduated from school in 1970 00:27:44.549 --> 00:27:48.769 and had no future. I mean, I was, I didn't have 00:27:48.769 --> 00:27:51.769 the grades to go to college. I didn't want to 00:27:51.769 --> 00:27:54.589 work in a factory and the army was a good option 00:27:54.589 --> 00:27:59.430 for me. And so I joined and which was rare back 00:27:59.430 --> 00:28:04.589 in 1970 and spent two years was actually stationed 00:28:04.589 --> 00:28:06.410 in Germany. Surprising. I didn't get to go to 00:28:06.410 --> 00:28:11.460 Vietnam, but got out, went to school, and then 00:28:11.460 --> 00:28:15.859 in 1980, I walked in an Army recruiter and said, 00:28:15.960 --> 00:28:19.200 I want to join, rejoin, and I'd like to go to 00:28:19.200 --> 00:28:25.319 OCS. And from Officer Ken at school to Brigadier 00:28:25.319 --> 00:28:28.849 General is quite a climb. uh... along the way 00:28:28.849 --> 00:28:31.430 you picked up uh... you were bachelor's degree 00:28:31.430 --> 00:28:33.869 from indiana university in a master's degree 00:28:33.869 --> 00:28:37.029 from u .s. war college uh... and you've had assignments 00:28:37.029 --> 00:28:41.569 all over the world uh... right uh... while germany 00:28:41.569 --> 00:28:43.990 was the first nice uh... country they sent you 00:28:43.990 --> 00:28:45.829 to they found a way to send you to the sandbox 00:28:45.829 --> 00:28:49.309 a couple of times as well to balance that out 00:28:49.309 --> 00:28:51.569 you know it's funny about that is every every 00:28:51.569 --> 00:28:53.910 assignment i had after that was not a very nice 00:28:53.910 --> 00:28:58.480 place You know from the jungles of South America 00:28:58.480 --> 00:29:03.460 to you know Anyway, I end up in Afghanistan. 00:29:03.460 --> 00:29:06.099 I commanded all of southern Afghanistan out of 00:29:06.099 --> 00:29:12.140 Kandahar and That was a nice place But anyway, 00:29:12.259 --> 00:29:15.180 yeah, I was very very lucky I was every assignment 00:29:15.180 --> 00:29:20.279 I had was a command assignment which helped develop 00:29:20.279 --> 00:29:27.210 me for the next assignment and After Afghanistan, 00:29:27.849 --> 00:29:33.470 I was a Deputy Chief of Staff for the 38th Infantry 00:29:33.470 --> 00:29:36.529 Division, and then ultimately became the Deputy 00:29:36.529 --> 00:29:40.490 Commanding General. And you spent, I think, your 00:29:40.490 --> 00:29:43.029 final tour, if you will, with the Indiana Army 00:29:43.029 --> 00:29:46.569 National Guard? That's correct. I was a Deputy 00:29:46.569 --> 00:29:49.190 Commanding General of the 38th Infantry Division. 00:29:50.470 --> 00:29:55.950 We had 14 ,000 14 ,100, roughly, in that area. 00:29:56.490 --> 00:29:58.990 Well, I might not have the math right, but it 00:29:58.990 --> 00:30:03.210 looks like you spent about, what, 34 years or 00:30:03.210 --> 00:30:05.849 something in one way or another in the Army? 00:30:06.750 --> 00:30:10.349 33. 33, okay, and along the way picked up all 00:30:10.349 --> 00:30:13.430 the sort of awards and decks that one might expect, 00:30:13.730 --> 00:30:16.789 from Combat Infantry Badge up to the Bronze Star, 00:30:17.329 --> 00:30:20.799 Meritorious Service Medal. campaign medals for 00:30:20.799 --> 00:30:24.940 Afghanistan, global war on terrorism, army accommodation 00:30:24.940 --> 00:30:29.160 medals. All of that's just to sort of set you 00:30:29.160 --> 00:30:32.160 up for, I don't know, are we on chapter three 00:30:32.160 --> 00:30:35.480 or four of post -retirement, military retirement 00:30:35.480 --> 00:30:38.539 here? And your wife is saying, I kicked them 00:30:38.539 --> 00:30:40.920 out of that kitchen to get. go do something. 00:30:41.099 --> 00:30:42.759 I didn't know it was going to end up like this. 00:30:43.200 --> 00:30:47.900 You spent a number of years working, I'm sure, 00:30:48.079 --> 00:30:52.619 in a volunteer position initially with AUSA. 00:30:53.160 --> 00:30:55.900 Tell us about AUSA, the Association of the United 00:30:55.900 --> 00:30:59.559 States Army. Well, much like my military career, 00:30:59.720 --> 00:31:01.839 I started off with the Association of the United 00:31:01.839 --> 00:31:05.660 States Army as a chapter president. And that 00:31:05.660 --> 00:31:08.480 was a chapter in Indiana, of all things. And 00:31:08.480 --> 00:31:13.099 it's a very, very large, there are 1 .8 million 00:31:13.099 --> 00:31:17.359 members of the association. And as a chapter, 00:31:17.380 --> 00:31:20.680 I think I had 256 people in the local chapter 00:31:20.680 --> 00:31:24.700 in Indianapolis. And then they had one in South 00:31:24.700 --> 00:31:27.799 Bend, Indiana. And then I was transferred to 00:31:27.799 --> 00:31:32.339 Michigan for a job change in 1984. And immediately 00:31:32.339 --> 00:31:35.299 was asked to join the chapter in Detroit. And 00:31:35.299 --> 00:31:38.079 that's kind of where I've been ever since. But 00:31:38.079 --> 00:31:43.039 just, this is an organization, just for those 00:31:43.039 --> 00:31:46.279 who are not aware, that lobbies on behalf of 00:31:46.279 --> 00:31:50.480 the United States Army. The Army themselves cannot 00:31:50.480 --> 00:31:53.480 lobby Congress for anything. It's against the 00:31:53.480 --> 00:31:57.559 law. But we have very, very strong bonds with 00:31:57.559 --> 00:32:01.480 Congress and the Senate. And that's what we do. 00:32:01.680 --> 00:32:04.650 Not me personally, but we all. within that organization. 00:32:05.170 --> 00:32:07.690 But it is a volunteer organization, primarily. 00:32:08.470 --> 00:32:11.309 And just like me, most of these folks that serve, 00:32:11.349 --> 00:32:13.170 they serve because they want to serve their country, 00:32:13.190 --> 00:32:16.029 and they want to serve their army. Well, it's 00:32:16.029 --> 00:32:19.250 a really inspiring story when you look at AUSA's 00:32:19.250 --> 00:32:21.970 history. And it's a nonprofit educational and 00:32:21.970 --> 00:32:24.769 professional development association that serves 00:32:24.769 --> 00:32:27.750 not only today's total army, active duty soldiers, 00:32:27.990 --> 00:32:30.309 reservists, National Guard, veterans, retirees, 00:32:30.430 --> 00:32:33.730 army civilians, and their families. It's that 00:32:33.730 --> 00:32:38.069 unique voice because of those 1 .8 million members 00:32:38.069 --> 00:32:42.250 who have affiliation with the US Army that you 00:32:42.250 --> 00:32:47.369 have sort of some clout on Lobbying or expressing 00:32:47.369 --> 00:32:50.150 hey, how do we help the troops and that's really 00:32:50.150 --> 00:32:53.089 the goal, isn't it? It is the soldiers and their 00:32:53.089 --> 00:32:56.930 families and You know and by the way the families 00:32:57.200 --> 00:32:59.559 have come into recognition the last 15 years 00:32:59.559 --> 00:33:02.119 or so. People understand that if the soldiers 00:33:02.119 --> 00:33:04.759 aren't happy and the families aren't happy, you 00:33:04.759 --> 00:33:09.079 know, it affects their performance. The region 00:33:09.079 --> 00:33:11.660 that I'm in, or the president of this second 00:33:11.660 --> 00:33:18.059 region, we have 415 ,000 members across Washington 00:33:18.059 --> 00:33:23.019 DC, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, 00:33:23.599 --> 00:33:27.210 Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. So when 00:33:27.210 --> 00:33:30.710 we go visit the Hill and we want to go see those 00:33:30.710 --> 00:33:33.910 congressmen and senators, when you have 415 ,000 00:33:33.910 --> 00:33:37.970 members, they tend to pay attention to you. And 00:33:37.970 --> 00:33:43.329 is this all on like national defense policy issues 00:33:43.329 --> 00:33:46.849 or is it troop pay or mental health? What issues 00:33:46.849 --> 00:33:51.789 does AUSA advocate for? It's all the above. And, 00:33:51.950 --> 00:33:53.890 you know, as a matter of fact, we were just now 00:33:53.890 --> 00:33:57.400 developing our 2025 focus areas. But if you look 00:33:57.400 --> 00:34:04.099 at it, it's readiness, it's training, it's National 00:34:04.099 --> 00:34:10.280 Guard state partnership programs, it's army families, 00:34:10.780 --> 00:34:16.019 civilians, survivors, caregivers. It's anything 00:34:16.019 --> 00:34:19.199 having to do with the soldier and their family. 00:34:20.639 --> 00:34:24.699 And housing is a big thing right now. there's 00:34:24.699 --> 00:34:27.280 a lot of criticisms some of the facility you 00:34:27.280 --> 00:34:33.000 know facilities are run down and uh personnel 00:34:33.000 --> 00:34:36.260 pay in benefits uh health care housing child 00:34:36.260 --> 00:34:41.099 care uh education army civilians which by the 00:34:41.099 --> 00:34:43.860 way there are thousands upon thousands of army 00:34:43.860 --> 00:34:47.300 civilians there you take detroit right that tarp 00:34:47.300 --> 00:34:50.099 tarnek up there the vast majority of the people 00:34:50.099 --> 00:34:54.010 on that base are civilians It's really interesting 00:34:54.010 --> 00:34:56.090 because a lot of these issues are things which 00:34:56.090 --> 00:34:58.630 the families or the troops might be reluctant 00:34:58.630 --> 00:35:03.329 to talk about Up the chain of command worrying 00:35:03.329 --> 00:35:08.329 about impacts maybe on careers But as a USA can 00:35:08.329 --> 00:35:11.940 say hey this base housing has mold, or these 00:35:11.940 --> 00:35:13.440 kind of problems, or you're not putting enough 00:35:13.440 --> 00:35:16.579 money into cleaning up environmental issues on 00:35:16.579 --> 00:35:21.159 base, or educational funding for the schools 00:35:21.159 --> 00:35:24.639 that the Army runs is slipping. We've got to 00:35:24.639 --> 00:35:28.679 pull those services up. So it gives people another 00:35:28.679 --> 00:35:31.480 way to advocate for, I guess I'd call them, sensitive 00:35:31.480 --> 00:35:35.960 issues? Yes. Some of it's just basic day -to 00:35:35.960 --> 00:35:37.619 -day kind of stuff. But the other part of it 00:35:37.619 --> 00:35:41.730 is just that. The soldier out there, just a normal 00:35:41.730 --> 00:35:45.210 soldier, is not likely going to be bringing that 00:35:45.210 --> 00:35:49.829 stuff up. Now, the AUSA, for example, Fort Knox 00:35:49.829 --> 00:35:53.150 is one of mine. I'll go down and meet with the 00:35:53.150 --> 00:35:57.929 commanding general at Fort Knox, and we'll discuss 00:35:57.929 --> 00:36:00.329 things. And by the way, not everything's contentious. 00:36:00.789 --> 00:36:06.380 Some of it's just basic stuff. Absolutely. What 00:36:06.380 --> 00:36:09.059 you're able to do at AUSA is be supportive of 00:36:09.059 --> 00:36:13.079 issues that the Army wants advanced. Yep. And 00:36:13.079 --> 00:36:15.360 then one of the big things right now, I miss 00:36:15.360 --> 00:36:19.519 in Fort Knox, is what you call food insecurity. 00:36:21.380 --> 00:36:24.059 You know, that's the big bullet item this year 00:36:24.059 --> 00:36:26.719 is food insecurity. There are a lot of these 00:36:26.719 --> 00:36:29.820 youngsters out there that, you know, the pay 00:36:29.820 --> 00:36:32.300 isn't that great. It's not bad, but it's not 00:36:32.300 --> 00:36:34.539 that great. And then all of a sudden, the guy's 00:36:34.539 --> 00:36:38.019 got a wife, couple kids, and can't barely make 00:36:38.019 --> 00:36:42.539 ends meet. And so we're putting together a really 00:36:42.539 --> 00:36:46.059 sophisticated program for food insecurity. You 00:36:46.059 --> 00:36:47.659 got to identify them first, because a lot of 00:36:47.659 --> 00:36:49.679 these folks are embarrassed. They don't want 00:36:49.679 --> 00:36:52.480 to talk about it. Certainly, yeah. But that's 00:36:52.480 --> 00:36:57.559 where, for example, at Fort Knox, we have a partnership 00:36:57.559 --> 00:37:03.750 with Denny's. Denny's is a restaurant chain. 00:37:04.650 --> 00:37:07.670 We worked with Denny's down at Fort Knox last 00:37:07.670 --> 00:37:12.449 November. They brought in their mobile kitchen 00:37:12.449 --> 00:37:20.070 and we fed 900 soldiers in a single day or actually 00:37:20.070 --> 00:37:24.309 single morning and then we gave 250 meals to 00:37:24.309 --> 00:37:27.650 the Red Cross on post. So those are some of the 00:37:27.650 --> 00:37:31.539 kind of things that the AUSA does. Well that 00:37:31.539 --> 00:37:33.719 again those are the sorts of things that I think 00:37:33.719 --> 00:37:36.059 people don't you know It all happens quietly 00:37:36.059 --> 00:37:38.239 in the background and the mobile kitchen shows 00:37:38.239 --> 00:37:40.159 up and nobody's paying attention to how that 00:37:40.159 --> 00:37:42.219 happened or why that happened So getting the 00:37:42.219 --> 00:37:45.940 word out like this is really important Tell us 00:37:45.940 --> 00:37:49.639 about your region to and you've told us the The 00:37:49.639 --> 00:37:52.420 states involved in region 2 for ASU how many 00:37:52.420 --> 00:37:55.440 regions are there and and what does being president 00:37:55.440 --> 00:38:00.880 of? region to deal with on a national basis Well, 00:38:01.059 --> 00:38:06.079 we have nine regions, and we have a Pacific region, 00:38:06.440 --> 00:38:10.880 that's Alaska, Guam, et cetera, and then European 00:38:10.880 --> 00:38:15.460 region, which is Africa, Canada, Europe, Middle 00:38:15.460 --> 00:38:19.599 East, and then we have a seventh, which is out 00:38:19.599 --> 00:38:25.320 west, Scotland, California is its own region, 00:38:26.099 --> 00:38:29.619 and then fifth region, Illinois, there's a lot 00:38:29.619 --> 00:38:32.960 of We're gonna be looking at realigning this 00:38:32.960 --> 00:38:34.900 stuff because some of these things just don't 00:38:34.900 --> 00:38:37.239 make any sense from a geographic standpoint But 00:38:37.239 --> 00:38:40.260 now do each do each of the region presidents 00:38:40.260 --> 00:38:42.579 then sit on a national board. Is there a national 00:38:42.579 --> 00:38:45.440 governing body? How does that work? Yes, each 00:38:45.440 --> 00:38:50.099 of the regions We have a seat on the board of 00:38:50.099 --> 00:38:54.119 directors at the national level and we attend 00:38:54.119 --> 00:38:59.099 meetings Virtually most most of time virtually 00:38:59.639 --> 00:39:03.039 And then once a year we have an in -person. But 00:39:03.039 --> 00:39:06.539 yeah, we all get together and we all talk about 00:39:06.539 --> 00:39:10.760 the major issues affecting our soldiers. And 00:39:10.760 --> 00:39:20.019 we actually do speaking engagements. We promote 00:39:20.019 --> 00:39:22.420 and enhance the associations, goals and objectives, 00:39:22.639 --> 00:39:26.320 all that sort of thing. I spoke at Western Michigan's 00:39:26.320 --> 00:39:31.150 ROTC program. a week ago Friday. Those are the 00:39:31.150 --> 00:39:34.329 kind of things that we try to support the overall 00:39:34.329 --> 00:39:38.469 Army. Well, part of this too is just to get the 00:39:38.469 --> 00:39:43.670 word out to members, families. Hey, there's somebody 00:39:43.670 --> 00:39:48.889 who's got your back. Tons of resources are available 00:39:48.889 --> 00:39:54.480 on the AUSA website. which is simply AUSA .org. 00:39:55.119 --> 00:39:58.199 Correct. And I noticed that like it has an annual 00:39:58.199 --> 00:40:01.280 meeting and the 2025 one is going to be October. 00:40:01.769 --> 00:40:05.949 in Washington DC of 2025. So lots of ways to 00:40:05.949 --> 00:40:09.469 get involved, a lot of professional development 00:40:09.469 --> 00:40:12.510 opportunities, which is really interesting. And 00:40:12.510 --> 00:40:16.010 I also found it interesting. Part of this is 00:40:16.010 --> 00:40:19.530 AUSAs focused on the total army. So there's no 00:40:19.530 --> 00:40:21.449 distinction here about, oh, you were National 00:40:21.449 --> 00:40:23.630 Guard, or you were a reservist, or you were active 00:40:23.630 --> 00:40:26.909 duty. And that cohesiveness is really important, 00:40:26.949 --> 00:40:30.739 isn't it? It is absolutely because you know the 00:40:30.739 --> 00:40:34.880 war on terror just brought the the units together 00:40:34.880 --> 00:40:38.460 all the app, you know throughout the National 00:40:38.460 --> 00:40:41.099 Guard Army Reserve everybody, you know when you 00:40:41.099 --> 00:40:44.739 when you're looking at the 38th Infantry Division 00:40:44.739 --> 00:40:50.099 100 % of our soldiers deployed during the war 00:40:50.099 --> 00:40:53.639 on terror many of them multiple times. Yeah, 00:40:53.760 --> 00:40:57.500 it really changed the way in which national defense 00:40:57.500 --> 00:41:00.559 is bolstered by the National Guard and Reserve. 00:41:01.019 --> 00:41:03.960 I don't think people fully appreciated that previously. 00:41:04.860 --> 00:41:10.119 At one point, the 38th Infantry Division, the 00:41:10.119 --> 00:41:13.659 only organization that had more combat infantry 00:41:13.659 --> 00:41:18.380 badges was the 101st Airborne. The 38th was second. 00:41:19.019 --> 00:41:23.880 Well, that talks about the number of tours that 00:41:23.880 --> 00:41:29.219 it had to endure during that period. I do notice 00:41:29.219 --> 00:41:33.380 that there is a area for military families to 00:41:33.380 --> 00:41:36.809 get information on how you see. helps in that 00:41:36.809 --> 00:41:39.469 regard, so I'd certainly direct people to that. 00:41:39.949 --> 00:41:43.389 And I also see that AUSA gives out scholarships, 00:41:43.510 --> 00:41:46.409 which is something that families are always interested 00:41:46.409 --> 00:41:48.690 in as they're trying to get kids maybe through 00:41:48.690 --> 00:41:52.670 college and possibly that's also through a trade 00:41:52.670 --> 00:41:55.289 school, that sort of thing. Tell us about those 00:41:55.289 --> 00:41:57.809 kind of hidden programs that AUSA does, Dick, 00:41:57.809 --> 00:42:01.769 that people might not know about. Well, as you 00:42:01.769 --> 00:42:05.349 said, the military families is a big one. and 00:42:05.349 --> 00:42:07.690 the military families with scholarships and all 00:42:07.690 --> 00:42:12.809 these sorts of things. They have a woman named 00:42:12.809 --> 00:42:17.289 Holly Daly that runs the family programs and 00:42:17.289 --> 00:42:21.389 they have stuff going on all the time. You know, 00:42:21.489 --> 00:42:24.710 training events, forums, events, family resources. 00:42:25.050 --> 00:42:28.250 They have, they'll, you know, if a local area 00:42:28.250 --> 00:42:30.230 wants her to come out with her team, they'll 00:42:30.230 --> 00:42:34.800 be happy to do it. Health and wellness. The big 00:42:34.800 --> 00:42:37.900 thing is military spouse career and employment. 00:42:38.559 --> 00:42:41.760 Helping a spouse become qualified to be able 00:42:41.760 --> 00:42:46.460 to, for example, help write a resume. Now, the 00:42:46.460 --> 00:42:49.659 other big thing for families is financial readiness. 00:42:51.099 --> 00:42:54.840 There's a lot of folks out there that are, especially 00:42:54.840 --> 00:42:57.480 the young ones, are shy about asking for help, 00:42:58.219 --> 00:43:00.980 and they may need somebody to help them. Matter 00:43:00.980 --> 00:43:02.440 of fact, I know for a fact it was one of the 00:43:02.440 --> 00:43:06.039 things helping a young lady balance a checkbook, 00:43:06.039 --> 00:43:13.539 if you will. The Child Education Coalition, there's 00:43:13.539 --> 00:43:17.420 a number of things that a soldier can reach out, 00:43:17.920 --> 00:43:20.619 and EUSA's got something for them. Yeah, the 00:43:20.619 --> 00:43:22.820 financial readiness seems so simple, but we've 00:43:22.820 --> 00:43:25.579 all been in service with somebody who, this is 00:43:25.579 --> 00:43:27.340 the first time in their life they got a paycheck 00:43:27.340 --> 00:43:30.699 with some money and they... Spend it like drunken 00:43:30.699 --> 00:43:36.519 sailors. Speaking of myself. And it's only later 00:43:36.519 --> 00:43:38.059 that you said, I should have put a little bit 00:43:38.059 --> 00:43:40.199 of that away because there's a time when this 00:43:40.199 --> 00:43:42.780 ends and I got to go do something else. But again, 00:43:43.099 --> 00:43:45.900 it can be as simple as I've never managed money 00:43:45.900 --> 00:43:48.380 before. I've never had a checkbook before. So 00:43:48.380 --> 00:43:51.579 those kind of programs are really helpful to 00:43:51.579 --> 00:43:54.900 the young army officer. Well, one of the other 00:43:54.900 --> 00:43:59.099 things that AUSA does well is they support children 00:43:59.099 --> 00:44:02.960 education. The military educational system is 00:44:02.960 --> 00:44:06.639 pretty good. For example, I was, again, Fort 00:44:06.639 --> 00:44:11.019 Knox, their high school is, by comparison, as 00:44:11.019 --> 00:44:15.099 good as any outside the military. And they take 00:44:15.099 --> 00:44:18.739 it serious. So there's a lot of stuff that the 00:44:18.739 --> 00:44:23.960 USA does. You mentioned our annual event is in 00:44:23.960 --> 00:44:27.829 October. For those who don't know, Every defense 00:44:27.829 --> 00:44:31.809 contractor worldwide comes to this thing. It's 00:44:31.809 --> 00:44:34.230 in the Convention Center downtown Detroit, or 00:44:34.230 --> 00:44:37.170 downtown Detroit, downtown Washington, D .C. 00:44:37.349 --> 00:44:42.090 On average, there's 30 ,000 people a day come 00:44:42.090 --> 00:44:44.789 through this thing. Holy cow. Yeah, it's huge. 00:44:46.550 --> 00:44:50.769 And we hold our annual meetings. We have a, you 00:44:50.769 --> 00:44:52.429 know, like the regions, we all get together, 00:44:52.469 --> 00:44:58.300 we meet and. If somebody's in one of these chapters 00:44:58.300 --> 00:45:00.679 or regions and again if you go to the website 00:45:00.679 --> 00:45:05.780 you can find a chapter near you Right How does 00:45:05.780 --> 00:45:08.340 one say hey, you know what I should be involved 00:45:08.340 --> 00:45:11.280 in this? How do I become a member of a USA and 00:45:11.280 --> 00:45:16.239 get involved? Well, you can go out to the for 00:45:16.239 --> 00:45:19.519 example like second region you can just go out 00:45:19.519 --> 00:45:23.079 to the second region Area or for example Detroit. 00:45:23.119 --> 00:45:27.659 There's the arsenal of democracy chapter and 00:45:27.659 --> 00:45:31.659 you can reach the chapters and Then just call 00:45:31.659 --> 00:45:34.380 them up and say or email text doesn't matter. 00:45:34.380 --> 00:45:37.099 So look I really want to become a member of this. 00:45:37.340 --> 00:45:38.960 What do I got to do? They're always looking for 00:45:38.960 --> 00:45:42.980 volunteers Well, it's like most of life right 00:45:42.980 --> 00:45:45.400 dick the more you put into it the more you get 00:45:45.400 --> 00:45:51.170 out of it, right is is you Move forward here. 00:45:51.170 --> 00:45:53.889 You're probably seeing the insides of the organization 00:45:53.889 --> 00:45:55.949 a little bit. We mentioned at the outset. It's 00:45:55.949 --> 00:46:02.929 a nonprofit So how does a USA get funded? Well, 00:46:02.929 --> 00:46:06.590 primarily corporate sponsors and That's what 00:46:06.590 --> 00:46:08.809 you'd expect a little bit probably comes from 00:46:08.809 --> 00:46:11.050 membership dues and signing up for events Correct 00:46:11.050 --> 00:46:13.070 and paying paying going to the annual meetings 00:46:13.070 --> 00:46:15.349 and those sorts of things But it's when you well 00:46:15.349 --> 00:46:16.690 as a matter of fact, the annual meeting is a 00:46:16.690 --> 00:46:20.829 big big opportunity to gain Uh, funding, but 00:46:20.829 --> 00:46:23.050 when you're looking at, uh, general dynamics, 00:46:23.230 --> 00:46:25.690 you're looking at, uh, McDonnell Douglas and, 00:46:26.230 --> 00:46:30.130 you know, these major corporations, it's there. 00:46:30.409 --> 00:46:32.789 Keep in mind, we're a lobbying organization for 00:46:32.789 --> 00:46:35.869 Congress. And so they want to make sure that 00:46:35.869 --> 00:46:38.869 we represent them as well. Oh, certainly. Yeah. 00:46:38.889 --> 00:46:40.769 That makes sense on weapons systems and things 00:46:40.769 --> 00:46:44.869 like that. Uh, and the, uh, uh, funding of programs. 00:46:45.449 --> 00:46:50.019 So We're talking to Dick Miller. He's the president 00:46:50.019 --> 00:46:53.320 of AUSA Region 2. He sits on the National Board 00:46:53.320 --> 00:46:57.420 and he's giving us some insights into what AUSA 00:46:57.420 --> 00:47:01.059 does and why it does it. Dick, any final comments 00:47:01.059 --> 00:47:03.039 here that you'd like to make to our veteran radio 00:47:03.039 --> 00:47:06.980 listeners? Well, like I said, the AUSA is an 00:47:06.980 --> 00:47:10.840 organization supporting our soldiers, their families, 00:47:11.659 --> 00:47:15.360 pay, you know, health care, all of those things. 00:47:15.480 --> 00:47:19.039 That support the United States Army very complex 00:47:19.039 --> 00:47:22.860 program professional development, I mean, you 00:47:22.860 --> 00:47:26.019 know meetings and events publications by the 00:47:26.019 --> 00:47:27.699 way, they put out a really nice magazine every 00:47:27.699 --> 00:47:34.619 month, but nope USA is a long -term Done a wonderful 00:47:34.619 --> 00:47:36.739 wonderful job supporting our soldiers and will 00:47:36.739 --> 00:47:40.019 hopefully continue So I'm gonna direct people 00:47:40.019 --> 00:47:45.309 to a USA org hit the about us Click on button 00:47:45.309 --> 00:47:47.630 there, it'll show you where you can jump over 00:47:47.630 --> 00:47:51.110 to join AUSA. I think you'd find it very beneficial 00:47:51.110 --> 00:47:53.969 if you want to continue your service to the country 00:47:53.969 --> 00:47:56.309 and service to the United States Army by being 00:47:56.309 --> 00:48:00.489 supportive. Dick, General Miller, we appreciate 00:48:00.489 --> 00:48:03.329 the time that you've made available for Veterans 00:48:03.329 --> 00:48:06.769 Radio today to talk about AUSA. Well, thank you 00:48:06.769 --> 00:48:09.449 again and look forward to working with you in 00:48:09.449 --> 00:48:17.570 the future. So for all our Army friends out there, 00:48:17.969 --> 00:48:22.769 take a look at AUSA .org, see if it's right for 00:48:22.769 --> 00:48:26.429 you to maybe be an organization that you support, 00:48:26.909 --> 00:48:30.639 both with time and resources. They do good work. 00:48:30.679 --> 00:48:34.000 They also keep you pretty well informed of what's 00:48:34.000 --> 00:48:36.659 going on. And he mentioned their magazine that 00:48:36.659 --> 00:48:39.440 they put out every month. It is very informative. 00:48:39.900 --> 00:48:43.280 So if you're just a curious person, you may want 00:48:43.280 --> 00:48:47.400 to look at that as well. On Veterans Radio, we 00:48:47.400 --> 00:48:50.500 really do try to bring you a wide range of stories 00:48:50.500 --> 00:48:54.139 that we think will be of interest. But if there's 00:48:54.139 --> 00:48:57.360 something we're not touching upon, and you want 00:48:57.360 --> 00:49:01.039 more information or you've got an idea of somebody 00:49:01.039 --> 00:49:04.780 we should talk to, let us know. We're more than 00:49:04.780 --> 00:49:08.840 glad to track down people. These are pretty turbulent 00:49:08.840 --> 00:49:12.079 times and it's been a challenge sometimes for 00:49:12.079 --> 00:49:15.079 us to find guests who are willing to talk about 00:49:15.079 --> 00:49:18.179 what's going on in the veterans world. They don't 00:49:18.179 --> 00:49:21.179 want to get crosswise with the administration 00:49:21.179 --> 00:49:24.079 or anything like that. So we're always looking 00:49:24.079 --> 00:49:28.199 for ideas and folks who are willing to step up 00:49:28.199 --> 00:49:31.860 and speak out about their own military experiences, 00:49:32.400 --> 00:49:35.739 maybe their experiences through transition. But 00:49:35.739 --> 00:49:40.280 just the general history and stories that veterans 00:49:40.280 --> 00:49:45.559 have to tell, there's always a lot of them. They 00:49:45.559 --> 00:49:48.880 don't have to be the war stories, they may be 00:49:48.880 --> 00:49:52.550 stories about business success. or failure, you'll 00:49:52.550 --> 00:49:54.869 earn sometimes more by your failures than you 00:49:54.869 --> 00:49:58.190 do by your successes. And so we bring those stories 00:49:58.190 --> 00:50:01.050 to you as well. And that's why we appreciate 00:50:01.050 --> 00:50:04.210 business sponsors like the National Veterans 00:50:04.210 --> 00:50:08.809 Business Development Council, nvbdc .org, and 00:50:08.809 --> 00:50:13.469 puroclean .com. puroclean is the paramedics of 00:50:13.469 --> 00:50:17.059 property damage. And they've got a lot of veterans 00:50:17.059 --> 00:50:20.260 in the business and veteran franchisees and we 00:50:20.260 --> 00:50:23.099 get a chance to talk to them on a fairly regular 00:50:23.099 --> 00:50:26.460 basis as well. So your story ideas are always 00:50:26.460 --> 00:50:30.119 important. I do want to thank some of our sponsors 00:50:30.119 --> 00:50:33.579 again, certainly the VA Ann Arbor Health Care 00:50:33.579 --> 00:50:37.059 System, the National Vietnam Veterans of America. 00:50:37.760 --> 00:50:42.840 the VVA Charles S. Kettles chapter, VFW Graf 00:50:42.840 --> 00:50:47.440 O 'Hara post, American Legion post 46, all three 00:50:47.440 --> 00:50:50.280 of those in Ann Arbor. They've been long -term 00:50:50.280 --> 00:50:52.619 supporters of the work that Dale and company 00:50:52.619 --> 00:50:56.800 have been doing. One of the new things we're 00:50:56.800 --> 00:51:00.099 doing here on Veterans Radio that I want to promote 00:51:00.099 --> 00:51:04.949 as we have a little time is to recognize that 00:51:04.949 --> 00:51:08.110 we're on a new platform along with putting our 00:51:08.110 --> 00:51:12.010 podcasts out on all the, you know, regular platforms 00:51:12.010 --> 00:51:18.469 through an RSS .com feed, but also to iTunes 00:51:18.469 --> 00:51:24.289 and YouTube podcasts, Stitcher, etc. We are now 00:51:24.289 --> 00:51:30.380 on Reeves Across America Radio and that platform 00:51:30.380 --> 00:51:34.300 is an aggregator of a lot of veteran type programming. 00:51:34.480 --> 00:51:37.579 So if you like this kind of programming, we encourage 00:51:37.579 --> 00:51:42.679 you to go to readsacrossedamerica .org. Go to 00:51:42.679 --> 00:51:45.639 their radio section. You may know of this organization. 00:51:45.800 --> 00:51:50.199 These are the folks who go ahead and collect 00:51:50.199 --> 00:51:53.400 donations and make arrangements to put Evergreen 00:51:53.400 --> 00:51:57.190 Reese. on graves started at Arlington National 00:51:57.190 --> 00:52:00.010 Cemetery, but really has spread out to most of 00:52:00.010 --> 00:52:02.889 the states at this point. They do that in the 00:52:02.889 --> 00:52:05.670 Christmas holiday season. And we're really proud 00:52:05.670 --> 00:52:10.130 to be on their programming now. So if you want 00:52:10.130 --> 00:52:14.489 to check them out, please do so. Our broadcasts 00:52:14.489 --> 00:52:19.269 are Thursday at 3 p .m. Eastern. and also on 00:52:19.269 --> 00:52:23.309 Friday night at 7 p .m. The podcasts go up there 00:52:23.309 --> 00:52:26.949 as well. So we get a little more expansion of 00:52:26.949 --> 00:52:30.150 our network here from Veterans Radio, being able 00:52:30.150 --> 00:52:33.010 to tell these stories to a wider audience. And 00:52:33.010 --> 00:52:37.030 that's just really an honor and a pleasure. I 00:52:37.030 --> 00:52:39.429 can't tell you how much Dale and I really appreciate 00:52:39.429 --> 00:52:44.389 that. So it's one of those places you can check 00:52:44.389 --> 00:52:48.489 this out at your leisure. It's not unlike the, 00:52:49.090 --> 00:52:51.329 if you just want to focus on Veterans Radio, 00:52:51.630 --> 00:52:55.409 and we certainly don't mind if you do that, you 00:52:55.409 --> 00:52:59.050 can go to veteransradio .org and check everything 00:52:59.050 --> 00:53:02.829 out, or enter Facebook page for Veterans Radio. 00:53:02.929 --> 00:53:06.570 A lot of information being posted there as well. 00:53:08.719 --> 00:53:12.039 We have one big fundraiser every year called 00:53:12.039 --> 00:53:14.820 Radio on the River. We've had it for a number 00:53:14.820 --> 00:53:17.340 of years at the same location. But we're going 00:53:17.340 --> 00:53:20.320 to try something new this year in the greater 00:53:20.320 --> 00:53:24.099 Ann Arbor area, a place called Freedom River 00:53:24.099 --> 00:53:27.599 up in Livingston County. We think it'll be a 00:53:27.599 --> 00:53:30.679 very interesting and different opportunity to 00:53:30.679 --> 00:53:34.630 gather and support Veterans Radio. If you're 00:53:34.630 --> 00:53:37.909 in the area, it's going to be Sunday, September 00:53:37.909 --> 00:53:43.909 28th, about noon. Keep tuned in for more information. 00:53:44.590 --> 00:53:46.449 But if you're not in the area and you want to 00:53:46.449 --> 00:53:48.829 support us, you could always buy tickets to that 00:53:48.829 --> 00:53:53.949 event or just go to veteransradio .org and click 00:53:53.949 --> 00:53:58.110 on the donate button and send us a little something. 00:53:58.510 --> 00:54:00.590 And if you're a corporate sponsor and you'd like 00:54:00.590 --> 00:54:04.739 to be spotlighted on Veterans Radio like we do 00:54:04.739 --> 00:54:09.320 for NVBDC or PuroClean. Reach out to Dale or 00:54:09.320 --> 00:54:13.079 myself, Jim Fossone. We'd be glad to talk to 00:54:13.079 --> 00:54:15.639 you and see if we can make some arrangement that 00:54:15.639 --> 00:54:19.960 is mutually beneficial. Many companies started 00:54:19.960 --> 00:54:24.099 by veterans and those that support veterans want 00:54:24.099 --> 00:54:26.739 to help get these stories out and we really do 00:54:26.739 --> 00:54:30.579 appreciate that kind of support. So looking ahead, 00:54:30.739 --> 00:54:36.059 as I said, September 28th, that's a Sunday, Radio 00:54:36.059 --> 00:54:40.500 on the River will continue as our main fundraiser. 00:54:40.840 --> 00:54:43.780 And if you're an organization out there that 00:54:43.780 --> 00:54:48.510 runs a golf outing or luncheons or galas and 00:54:48.510 --> 00:54:52.210 you are looking for organizations to support, 00:54:52.829 --> 00:54:55.730 think about Veterans Radio. We'd be glad to be 00:54:55.730 --> 00:55:00.650 in your rotation of veteran -centric groups that 00:55:00.650 --> 00:55:02.869 you support from your own independent fundraising. 00:55:03.510 --> 00:55:06.949 That'd be a fantastic opportunity for us and 00:55:06.949 --> 00:55:10.329 we'd be glad to talk to you about. How to structure 00:55:10.329 --> 00:55:13.369 that, how we can get you some information, how 00:55:13.369 --> 00:55:15.929 we can get the stories out in a little better 00:55:15.929 --> 00:55:19.610 fashion. As I said a little earlier, these are 00:55:19.610 --> 00:55:21.969 kind of interesting times because of the change 00:55:21.969 --> 00:55:25.210 in administrations and, you know, kind of how 00:55:25.210 --> 00:55:28.030 all that's going to work out for veterans, how 00:55:28.030 --> 00:55:30.329 all that's going to work out for the military. 00:55:32.190 --> 00:55:35.030 You really can't predict that stuff. You know, 00:55:35.090 --> 00:55:38.429 we don't have a crystal ball. We are talking 00:55:38.429 --> 00:55:42.929 to various experts in the field hoping that they 00:55:42.929 --> 00:55:45.789 can give us a little more clarity. There are 00:55:45.789 --> 00:55:49.389 organizations both very pro what's going on and 00:55:49.389 --> 00:55:52.010 organizations very concerned about what's going 00:55:52.010 --> 00:55:56.809 on. So there really isn't just one vision of 00:55:56.809 --> 00:55:59.610 how this will proceed. But the one thing everybody 00:55:59.610 --> 00:56:02.550 agrees on is Hey, our veterans have already paid 00:56:02.550 --> 00:56:06.289 the price. They already signed the blank check. 00:56:07.369 --> 00:56:11.610 We owe them and have to continue with our promise 00:56:11.610 --> 00:56:14.730 to them that those who have borne the battle 00:56:14.730 --> 00:56:18.869 will take care of as a nation. And that's a little 00:56:18.869 --> 00:56:21.329 bit of where we're at at the moment. So if you 00:56:21.329 --> 00:56:24.590 get a chance to run into your congressmen and 00:56:24.590 --> 00:56:27.570 women, kind of remind them, hey, there was a 00:56:27.570 --> 00:56:31.059 promise made. When these kids went overseas they 00:56:31.059 --> 00:56:35.119 left their families You know there was there 00:56:35.119 --> 00:56:41.000 was a lot of stress and challenges some got injured 00:56:41.000 --> 00:56:46.880 physically some mentally some really just Really 00:56:46.880 --> 00:56:49.619 gave a lot and we shouldn't turn our back on 00:56:49.619 --> 00:56:51.960 them So that's what we do here in veterans radio 00:56:51.960 --> 00:56:55.039 tell the story and we want you to come back and 00:56:55.039 --> 00:57:00.059 until next time on veterans radio You are dismissed.