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This podcast is about going to college after military service. The advantages and the challenges of pursuing higher education post military career.
0:00:00
(Speaker 2)
Hello, and welcome to the Rebel Vets podcast. This is a podcast that will be centered around the experience of going to college after military service. I'm your host, Derek, a former ammo troop in the US Air Force, and I served for 20 years. Let's start the show. With me today is a guest.
0:00:21
(Speaker 2)
He is Leroy Hudson. He served in the Air Force as a security forces. Right now he is going to UNLV and studying social work as a graduate student and he is the current Rebel Vets president. So Leroy, welcome to the show.
0:00:35
(Speaker 1)
Hey, glad to be here. Very excited.
0:00:37
(Speaker 2)
All right, so just go ahead and let's start the journey where it all began.
0:00:41
(Speaker 1)
Where are you from and why did you decide to join the Air Force? So I'm from Cleveland, Ohio, real small town, Sagamore Hills. Why I wanted to join the military, I'll be honest, I was 18 years old, kind of a wild kid. Football, I'm 5'10", 5'11 on a good day, wasn't making it. My arm blew it out, but still, I love playing baseball. But honestly... So you're really into sports in high school? Really into sports in high school? Really into sports. Okay. Really into sports. Track, basketball, baseball, football. Man, you did it all.
0:01:06
(Speaker 1)
Yeah, but I was bad. I'm bad at basketball. Basketball, they just threw me out there just to have fun.
0:01:12
(Speaker 2)
Should've joined the wrestling team. That was the only sport I did in high school.
0:01:17
(Speaker 1)
I'll be honest, bro, wrestling, not me, bro. No, when I saw y'all having to like run it and throw up. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah cutting weight. Oh, what a miserable experience
0:01:27
(Speaker 2)
I'm like, yeah, the basketball players and football players did not have to make weight for a weigh-in terrible
0:01:33
(Speaker 1)
But what got me into the Air Force was honestly, I needed direction But also I was young kid like I think 9-11 happened when I was in fifth grade and I saw it like in the school and I wanted to protect everybody. I wanted to protect my family, protect my friends. So I came to a hard choice. My mom basically said you are not doing the Marines. My dad said you're better than the Army. So it was either Navy or Air Force and Navy I didn't want to swim. I could swim. I'm a lifeguard. Air Force and I'll be honest it just it just opened up the swim. I can swim. I'm a lifeguard. Air Force, and I'll be honest, it just opened up the blue.
0:02:05
(Speaker 1)
I loved it.
0:02:06
(Speaker 2)
So... Awesome. So any family members serving the military or were they just kind of like, oh, you know what, maybe services, it will be good for you.
0:02:14
(Speaker 1)
I have a grandfather, oh, not grandfather. Actually, yeah, my grandfather was in the Air Force, and then Bubba, Captain Bubba, that's what we called him, but he was a cool guy. I think he got out as a colonel, and then his son, Bubba Jr., he was a captain. They all wanted me to be an officer and go fly, but that ain't for me. Oh, okay.
0:02:35
(Speaker 1)
Not my style. So yeah, I had a few,, though, to keep going on. Yeah. So you enlisted, and you ended up in security forces.
0:02:47
(Speaker 2)
What was that like?
0:02:48
(Speaker 1)
I'll be honest. Security forces, I was supposed to be a firefighter. That was the goal. But then a recruiter called me and says, hey, you can leave, what, three days after you graduate? My mom was like, yeah, I don't think
0:03:01
(Speaker 1)
he's going to stay the summer. If he stays the summer, he might be a little too wild. And then next thing I know, I graduated. Three days later, I'm on the plane. Security forces. They said, oh man, you'll be special forces. You get to carry guns.
0:03:12
(Speaker 1)
You get to do all the fun stuff. You'll be jumping out of planes.
0:03:15
(Speaker 2)
This is what the recruiter was telling you? Oh, recruiter had me just that's kind of how they made ammo sound they are like hey, you know munition system specialists These guys deal with explosives. They're really important. I mean not to discount my own job Munitions is definitely important to everybody and security forces included you guys need all the bullets for your small arms and the flight line
0:03:38
(Speaker 1)
But yeah, it's a lot of logistics work. Oh a a lot of logistics, I hear. Yeah. So, but yeah, no, joined, it was 2008, June 3rd, never forget that day. I'm on a plane. I remember seeing this one girl, her dad was like, hey, my daughter's joining, look out for her.
0:03:57
(Speaker 1)
Her name was Jasmine Quaitos. Yeah, Jasmine Quaitos. And we got on the plane, we ended up in Texas. Man, it's the first time I ever rode on a plane, and it was horrible. I'm not gonna lie to you, I was not in the mood.
0:04:11
(Speaker 1)
I was like, man, planes are not my thing. I'm just not it. So anyway, we land, we get there, and we're getting yelled at. Second we get off the plane. Like, they didn't even wait. I was like, oh man, at least I'm gonna go get some food from like the airport or something.
0:04:25
(Speaker 1)
Nah, man.
0:04:25
(Speaker 2)
It's line up over here.
0:04:27
(Speaker 1)
Line up over here. Get your bags, let's go. Did that, eight weeks later graduated. It was a fun time. I mean, it's boot camp, it is what it is. Just push through it.
0:04:36
(Speaker 1)
Work as a team, work asackland, security forces, good time. And then I got my first duty station, which was Vandenberg Air Force Base. Vandenberg was, it was fun. I'm not going to lie.
0:04:51
(Speaker 2)
So that's an interesting one. You don't hear a lot of troops getting stationed there because it's a launch base. They launch missiles out of Vandenberg, right? Correct. Yeah. So what I know about the place is that it's in California and they can launch missiles into polar orbit from that base. So it's like a really unique base to be stationed at.
0:05:08
(Speaker 1)
Yeah, it was unique. And I'll be honest, there's a shark out there people don't talk about.
0:05:12
(Speaker 2)
Off the coast?
0:05:13
(Speaker 1)
Off the coast, man.
0:05:14
(Speaker 5)
Does he have a name?
0:05:15
(Speaker 1)
I don't know, man. It looked like a deep blue sea and all them shark movies all in one. Oh, yeah. Yeah he got somebody when I was out there it was crazy. Holy moly. Yeah bit him and like took a bite out of him and just left him and we responded on beach and I couldn't believe that. I was like oh my gosh. It was like probably within my first six months of being there and I was like oh someone's gone. That's crazy. Yeah it was a little wild. But um. What did you like about Vandenberg I'll be honest up the people like to this day. I still talk to a good 20 people like we hit each other
0:05:46
(Speaker 1)
We're still in fantasy football. I'll hit me up be like hey, bro. How are you doing like actually that brotherhood like are you okay? What are you doing? Hey? I'm going to Vegas. I'll be out there. I want to sees. Man's a cool guy, not gonna lie. He looked out for me when I was getting out. Beyond that I went from Vandenberg, and then after that got married, got married young, and I ended up at Creech Air Force Base. And boy, that was a different lifestyle.
0:06:16
(Speaker 1)
Difference and change.
0:06:18
(Speaker 2)
So Creech is a little base just north of Vegas. It's, well, how far is the drive?
0:06:22
(Speaker 1)
It's a ways out there. I want to say it's like 40 minutes. Okay, so it's not too bad. Not too bad. But you have to live in Vegas and commute to Creech. Yeah, yeah, it was a drive. Those drives, man. I'll be honest, I was learning about leasing and I leased a car. Worst mistake of my life. Oh, no. Oh, I burned the miles really bad. I went way over on those miles. But anyway, so I got there, got the creech. Fun fact, got divorced. So hey, life happens.
0:06:52
(Speaker 1)
Young airman, again, no bad blood there. But I was given the opportunity, like, hey, Leroy, you can either get out. It was kind of during those force reshaping times.
0:07:02
(Speaker 2)
Oh, I can't remember that. The Hunger Games is what we used to call it. Yeah, the Hunger Games, boy. May the odds be ever in your favor.
0:07:09
(Speaker 1)
So Commander Kempis says, hey, look, you're a good airman, doing everything you need to do, winning awards, K9 cat, I'm pick. And I said, who's got a signing bonus? And they said, K9 has it. I guess I'll be canine. So you didn't initially, dog handler wasn't something that you wanted to pursue? No.
0:07:25
(Speaker 2)
Well, how did you end up, did you like it? Because a lot of the guys love their dogs.
0:07:32
(Speaker 1)
I love the dogs. I love it. Don't get me wrong, love dogs. I have dogs. It's just, it's a different animal. It's a different beast when you're, it's a canine dog. Okay, you wanna talk a little bit about the differences between patrol and then canine?
0:07:46
(Speaker 1)
Yeah, we can talk about that. So just a regular dog at your house, you know, let him be a dog, let him live. Let him lay on that couch. Yeah, let him be a dog, let him lick you in the face. But these dogs, not so much.
0:07:56
(Speaker 1)
Not these patrol dogs, no. I mean, the studio can't see, but I got scars up and down my arms. I learned the hard way with certain dogs. So when I went to canine school, I wasn't afraid of dogs, because I'm like, I grew up, hey, country kind of boy. It is what it is.
0:08:12
(Speaker 1)
I went out there, they say, hey, Leroy, we need to catch this dog. And sometimes, them dogs got some sharp teeth, that rap, it just happens. Oh my goodness, I didn't know that. They can bite through the dog suit?
0:08:26
(Speaker 2)
Or the protection that you're wearing?
0:08:27
(Speaker 1)
Yeah, they can bite through that. Some dogs, they just gotta bite. And then some dogs, they get razor, I'll call them like grills. They get like legit grills. I remember this dog named Blecky.
0:08:37
(Speaker 1)
Full out metal grill, looked dope, not gonna lie, but boy, he used to tag me. Holy cow. And the thing is that the pressure from him hitting on the rap, boy got me. But anyway, so K-9 school's cool, very good time, met a lot of good friends to this day I still talk to. But then I ended up over in Korea. I thought I was gonna stay at Creech.
0:08:57
(Speaker 1)
I met the love of my life, who I'm still married to to this day and no, we did not go to Korea together. She stayed here and I ended up over in Korea for a year. But anyway, while I'm in Korea, there was a dog named Century. And basically what I was told, since I was a brand new handler, no one's ever really taught me how to handle a dog.
0:09:16
(Speaker 1)
Like you learn from canine school, but you really don't learn the dog.
0:09:20
(Speaker 2)
There's some OJT.
0:09:22
(Speaker 1)
Oh, there's some OJT. Oh, there's a Moe JT. Yeah, and that dog gave me the OJT So I'll be honest man century. I think was like 120 pounds big boy. He's a Belgian Malinois I want to say yay five feet. He put his paws over you He he's towered me Wow, like he was just he was a beautiful dog though, but very misunderstood So anyway, I'm learning how to do stuff with this dog and like I look in the records in the train at the time Master Arnst Schumacher said hey don't even look at the record go out there just be you he's like we're gonna try something completely different everybody reads the
0:09:55
(Speaker 1)
records they get scared because they see attacked dog attacked handler dog attacked person dog bit handler when he turned his back so he he says, hey, just be honest with the dog, go out there and just show him who's boss. And honestly what I did, I took him out in the OB yard, which is like a, we'll say a 50 by 50 chain link fence, grass, we got a couple obstacles, and I gave him some steak.
0:10:20
(Speaker 1)
I gave him some steak and we just kicked it for a little bit. Let him lick on me, I felt like we built that rapport.
0:10:25
(Speaker 6)
Okay.
0:10:26
(Speaker 1)
Which I was like, man, this dog isn't bad.
0:10:28
(Speaker 2)
Your approach was let me be friends to you, Doug.
0:10:30
(Speaker 1)
Let me be friends. Let's see, because he ain't been out the cage for a good month and a half. We'll put it that way. So, because everybody was kind gonna do some gunfire. I said, gunfire? That's pretty quick.
0:10:47
(Speaker 1)
He's like, well, hey, gotta get thrown into it if not. So we're shooting. Boom, boom, boom. Dog looks at me, he gets a little upset. And then he starts foaming at the mouth. I'm like, wait a minute. looks a little wild. I go to fire off, he comes up leash for I don't know who was
0:11:05
(Speaker 1)
saving me, I don't know who had my... but I felt something say hey pull your leash up. I pulled him up, dog came up, he hit himself against the muzzle, kind of cut his eye a little bit, like not his eye but above it, and then after that the dog never messed with me. Wow. Never messed with me until, who until who there was just one morning He just wasn't doing too hot like I just tell like he was getting sick I was getting ready to take him to the hospital just cuz it happens man dogs get sick He uh he came up on leash on me not gonna lie. This is crazy war. I'll give you crazy funny war story
0:11:38
(Speaker 1)
This this is my canine war story. That's what we're here It's on one of my questions to ask hey I, I got you. You got a good war story? So this is my good one. So anyway, my dog's coming up leash, he's attacking me. Like I don't know what it was, I tried to calm him down, like hey Century, relax, relax. I didn't have no stake on me, I didn't have nothing. Didn't work. Oh no. Oh no. So he's coming up leash, and there was a gate guard to maybe like 50 feet away
0:12:06
(Speaker 1)
from us, cause like to get in our compound with the dogs. He's sitting there, and he's like, Sergeant Hudson, Sergeant Hudson, are you okay? And I'm like, no man, the dog's attacking me, I'm not cool. He's like, and I hear him rack around,
0:12:20
(Speaker 1)
and he points his gun at me. I said, do not shoot, do not shoot, I got this. He's like, I'm pulling Centrip off me, I'm getting him in like, there's blood dripping. He even tore up my uniform, he got me. Like there was nothing I could've done. I was like in a spider flight at that time.
0:12:37
(Speaker 1)
So young A1C comes by, are you sure you're okay? Because I can make the shot. I said, hey buddy, don't you do this. Because at first, I love this dog. Even though he's tagging me up a little bit, I love this dog. But my fear was, I'd never seen this A1C shoot, and I'm pretty sure this kid is gonna miss and hit me,
0:12:55
(Speaker 1)
and I just don't want to die that way. That was the worst. That's my funny career story. Such like a conundrum you on one hand you have a dog that you like that's hurting you and Causing you pain and on the other side is an a1c with a 16 pointed That is a hairy situation to be in it was hairy it was hairy so afterward You know my wife was already out there at the time. I'm in the ER
0:13:21
(Speaker 1)
You know they're shooting you up with like everything, so you gotta give me the rabies shots and I'm sitting here like, oh this is painful. Oh this is.
0:13:29
(Speaker 2)
That's not a fun day at the office.
0:13:30
(Speaker 1)
No, no it wasn't a fun day. So I got a couple days off for a little bit and then you know, back at it. Because as a canine handler, like you are that dog's only friend. If you don't take him out, no one takes him out. So hey, three days later, I'm back out there pulling him off. Hey buddy, he's cool at this point, he's just chilling.
0:13:49
(Speaker 1)
But never freaked out, just had to, hey buddy, relax, let's have fun. But then after Korea, met all the amazing people I did. My friend, actually, Rodriguez is actually the kennel master down at Nellis, which is kind of funny. So I laugh at that now, because he always said, nah, I'd never be a kennel master. So I see him and my boy Chase, he always talk about music and playing music, and now he helps run a church.
0:14:12
(Speaker 1)
Oh, wow. So yeah, I mean, like, hey, we all kind of spread out in the world now, me doing a little bit of politics, a little bit of policy, a little bit of helping out out the community. So we all kind of did different things. That's awesome. How did your Air Force career end and then your transition to veteran? So ended, Korea, went to Vandenberg again, then we stayed there for a little bit, went to Creech, got back to Creech, because you know, I'll be honest, I'll stem in from a
0:14:38
(Speaker 1)
little bit of PTSD from other fun war stories, we'll say. I don't want to get too in depth with it, but... Deployments? Deployments, yeah. Okay.
0:14:47
(Speaker 2)
One deployment got me...
0:14:48
(Speaker 1)
Yeah, whatever you're comfortable with. Oh, no, no, you're good. I have nothing to be ashamed about. Back in the day, probably young, young Leroy Hudson, I'd be like, hey, man, keep it quiet, keep it simple. about this stuff because you know what, everybody stems from issues and problems. And that's why I really like what I'm doing now is trying to help veterans get the help they need
0:15:10
(Speaker 1)
and get seen wherever they wanna be seen. So that's something I'm really big in pushing, especially with mental health.
0:15:16
(Speaker 3)
Absolutely.
0:15:17
(Speaker 1)
Yeah, so Creech, that was my last stop. I was actually getting seen for a little bit of medical issues. PTSD, found out PTSD was kind of crazy on me Wasn't being the best person I could have been at that time and I needed to get the help. So yeah, I was medically retired So did my time I made ten years and then after that we stayed in Vegas and uh
0:15:43
(Speaker 1)
Kind of took that gap year trying to figure out what I want to do. Like, oh hey, should I go work in the casino industry? Should I try to be security for, I don't know, casino, work at a pizza place? Like hey, just something simple.
0:15:56
(Speaker 1)
Do I want to coach the rest of my life? Like, I didn't know what I wanted to do. So I actually went to va.gov, put in education benefits, and I clicked in there, did a little test, and chapter 31, VOC, and they opened it up, and they said, hey, you'd be a great social worker.
0:16:12
(Speaker 3)
That's it.
0:16:12
(Speaker 1)
Or a truck driver. Truck driver or social worker.
0:16:15
(Speaker 2)
That's two disparate career fields. Very, very different from each other.
0:16:20
(Speaker 1)
Very, very different, very, very desperate. Yeah. Yeah. I ended up coming to UNLV, had some transfer credits because I did do college while I was active duty. Oh yeah, I was going to ask you, did you pursue your CCF while you were in? I did get my CCF. I got in criminal justice. So. Okay. So you had some credits coming into school. That's always a good place to start. Very good And so you enrolled here at UNLV? Correct. Enrolled at UNLV in 2020, right during COVID. Oh man, what a time to pick a- to go to school.
0:16:51
(Speaker 2)
Well, what are the odds, right? Nobody could have seen that coming.
0:16:54
(Speaker 1)
No one could have seen that coming. And like, and then I'm trying to take a math class and I have nothing. I haven't done math in like 12 years. And I'm sitting here like, oh Lord, the last time I was doing a math test, it was a rocket attack at Kandahar. I'm like, oh Jesus.
0:17:09
(Speaker 2)
Oh man.
0:17:10
(Speaker 1)
I'm like. So I'm just bringing back memories, but teacher was really, really cool. She helped me, she helped guide me. She kind of was like, hey man, think of it like this. the old school way. This is new math these kids are doing. Go back to the old school.
0:17:25
(Speaker 2)
I got lucky to take my college math class. I eventually got to it when I was stationed at Lake and Heath in 2017. I was like, alright, I'm only a few credits from my CCAF, and one of them was college math, of course. But I don't know how, but I got a really good professor there that, like you said, broke it all down to me in the old way that I could understand it and I created flashcards with all the algebraic formulas in a way that I could remember
0:17:53
(Speaker 2)
so I could solve the problems. And I was like, no other math teacher's been able to break it down like this for me.
0:17:59
(Speaker 5)
What the heck?
0:17:59
(Speaker 1)
Yeah, no, it helps.
0:18:01
(Speaker 3)
Oh yeah.
0:18:02
(Speaker 1)
So the first two years, was kind of to myself like worried about my family because I have four kids Now and um, you know, I love my kids love them to death, but I was trying to be a dad do school I'm trying to do everything. Yeah balance everything. Oh that balances. It's horrible. I'm not even gonna lie to you I I definitely know my wife like that is that is my crut, that is my rock, that is everything. She holds it down. So again, still dealing with issues in my life,
0:18:30
(Speaker 1)
trying to go to the VA, get what I need. Social work actually opened up a position for me to do practicum. So like when you become a social worker, you have to do two practicum sites. One with a AFI, which is your area field instructor, right there
0:18:47
(Speaker 1)
with you, and then one can be kind of like, you see once a week on like a computer. So when I opened up and I kind of saw, and this is what opened me up into the Vet Center with the PAVE team, with the military, with Ross and everything, I ended up taking a position with the PAVE team. And I didn't know what it would open up to I Truly didn't I was like hey y'all pay people to work over here. Okay. I'll do that one Yeah, like every other position was like you never got paid, but the way and he he saw me for who I am
0:19:18
(Speaker 1)
I remember this woman named Jace. She's like hey, I like that guy. I think he'll be something good. I said, okay cool. So again having drank the kool-aid I'm gonna say hey, I'm just gonna come do a job go see my kids do my study and keep my grades up Yeah, I need to keep that three five. That was my goal and then I started drinking the kool-aid a little bit Hey come to this event. Hey show up over here. Hey show up over here hey, let's help out these new vets that are coming to UNLV. And I said, oh man, I like this. It's like, I like helping people. I love showing people things that I know that have helped me.
0:19:51
(Speaker 1)
Because like, I didn't know what 100% veteran gets or what a 90% veteran gets. And like, kind of seeing like, hey y'all, do you understand you can take out student loans and they'll pay them off? And people didn't know that. Or for instance, people didn't know, hey, if you're 100%, your child gets to use Chapter 35
0:20:08
(Speaker 1)
and go to school for 36 months for free, basically.
0:20:11
(Speaker 2)
Yeah, that was one of the ones that was a surprise to me. I actually had somebody at the VA explain that to me. They were like, oh, hey, well, your rating came back. Did you know your kids could go to school? And I was like, no, I had no idea. No one ever told me this information. So it's always great that there's somebody there like you that can help break these down.
0:20:31
(Speaker 2)
And then I don't know if you've encountered this, but like Ross and Duane explained a little bit that now people that have transferred their educational benefit to their kids, their kids are now coming to school under that too. And so they're a little green to the hole.
0:20:45
(Speaker 2)
How does this work? And do you ever encounter any of those guys?
0:20:49
(Speaker 1)
Yes, actually I do. I do encounter them. Like last semester we had two kids that didn't understand the benefit. But one thing I'm trying to do and trying to, as the president of UNLV,
0:20:59
(Speaker 1)
try to open up to family members. Like let them understand, like hey hey, you are part of this. We are going to help you the best we can. And if I can't get the answer done, I'll go to Dwayne. If Dwayne can't get it, he's going to go to Ross. If Ross can't get it, well then we got a problem because this is a question that probably won't get answered right now.
0:21:17
(Speaker 1)
But definitely I like what it helps because I want to say like with me joining this PAVE team and being part of the MBSC it's opened up opportunities for me. Like for instance something very simple like I said we have events that we go to all the time that like I didn't think anything of it but um actually one of the people in the community which ends up being my job down the line Concerned Veterans for America was at a barbecue event and they were just looking around just talking to people nothing too crazy and I remember I was like hey Jace who's who's that America was at a barbecue event. And they were just looking around, just talking to people,
0:21:45
(Speaker 1)
nothing too crazy. And I remember I was like, hey Jace, who's that older gentleman over there? He looks kind of funny, he's got the ponytail on. And she's like, oh hey, that's Leo Garcia, let me introduce you.
0:21:55
(Speaker 1)
Introduce him, hey, my name's Leroy, I work on the paid team. How you doing? You can't talk to me, you're not scared. So yeah, I guess not. And then they had a NASCAR event. Showed up, nothing too crazy, put some tables up, showed up, got to go to NASCAR, watched a couple laps. I watched like two laps because it's too loud
0:22:13
(Speaker 4)
and I'm out of there.
0:22:13
(Speaker 1)
Oh wow. Yeah, NASCAR's not my thing, but I will go there to give kids opportunity because I love giving my children a chance to go do things that I couldn't do. And especially if someone else is paying for it, come on y'all. Why not?
0:22:27
(Speaker 1)
Why not? So really funny, I graduated and I kind of was lost. Like oh man, what do I do? What's kind of next? I guess I'll go for my master's. Kind of didn't think about graduating
0:22:38
(Speaker 1)
because it just came so fast. So again, with the opportunity of working with Dwayne, with Ross, with the veteran services, a lot of people in the community knew who I was. They said, hey, Leroy, we got a job knocking on doors, doing this over here, do you wanna come do it?
0:22:54
(Speaker 1)
Sure. Long and behold, a month or two later, Mr. Leo Garcia. He said, hey, I like what you're doing. A position opened up, Would you be interested? And I said, by all means, I will definitely take that job. And then that's what kind of walked me into this.
0:23:12
(Speaker 1)
And it was just me showing up with the rebel vets. And like, because like, I didn't take a position at the time, but like, just showing up to different events, you never know who you'll meet. And that's one thing I'm really trying to strive to people, especially me taking over as a president. And we have a really good team.
0:23:28
(Speaker 1)
We got Ron White, we got Jasmine Jazzy, Aria, Rayshan's our advisor. We're trying to help give things back to the community and doing little things. Like for instance, we're going to do the walking fourth of July parade. Go out there and go have fun. Down in Boulder, right? Yep, down in Boulder, which should be a fun time. So if anybody wants to come, please come on out.
0:23:49
(Speaker 1)
It'll be a good time. I like that we're trying to build something and just getting out there with the team. Like that's my biggest thing. And like you never know what opportunities open up from anything you do.
0:23:59
(Speaker 1)
So like I said, this school, I'm enjoying it. And then working with different entities in Las Vegas, Nevada, like I'll say Steve Thompson with houses, he works with the VA rep. Very very cool. When I say VA rep, I mean the VA rep, like the housing portion of that. Shoot, Lester Lombar, MVP, I don't know if you've met him yet, but good guy. Very very good guy in the community man
0:24:25
(Speaker 1)
Always helping out always doing something crazy
0:24:27
(Speaker 2)
So I mean just to clarify your position like you're are you actively doing social work? Are you just working at the veteran service center here at you and LV?
0:24:36
(Speaker 1)
So or a little bit of both I can do a little bit of both so I work in this in the office, I'm still on the PAVE team, I'm doing that, but I also work for Concerned Veterans for America, which is me being basically an activist in the community. I'm helping out, trying to change policy, give education to veterans to help them strive to be better. And giving them information, for instance, veterans access, it could be endless wars,
0:25:01
(Speaker 1)
it could be the TCJ, which is the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. What is this gonna do to help impact our community and make things better? And then, on the other note, I'm the UNLV president, so I'm always doing events with that, and with Ross and Duane, and helping out and seeing what we can do to make things better. And what I love is Rayshahawn and Dwayne and Ross,
0:25:25
(Speaker 1)
they're very much about coaching and giving us and teaching us like, hey, you should go this way, this way, and giving you a chance to be better. That's kind of what I take from it.
0:25:34
(Speaker 2)
So I've had a few interactions with the peer advisors. You guys just kind of like coach people, email people, be like, hey, how you doing, how your studies going? Are you struggling with anything? Just a little bit of what does the PAVE team actually do at the?
0:25:49
(Speaker 1)
So PAVE stands for Peer Advisor Veteran Education, which again, emails, sending out, checking up on people, but also we're that battle buddy for somebody. Because like your first semester in college, you're getting so many things thrown at you. And I think it's good that you have someone that you can lean on and be like, hey, Leroy,
0:26:11
(Speaker 1)
hey this class, I suck at math. Where are the math tutors at? Where are they located? Can you meet up with me at the student union? Because I know where the student union is, but I don't know where this tutor is in this random building on this random spot of campus. Oh yeah. Or, hey, I'm a brand new social worker.
0:26:26
(Speaker 1)
You've graduated. You've done this. What teachers? Who do I need to meet? And that's what we use our experiences from when we went to school because, again, I didn't know anything about anything four years ago.
0:26:38
(Speaker 1)
And now I have a pretty good idea of where things are. Still learning.
0:26:43
(Speaker 2)
Still learning, still learning. That always comes in handy when you can rely on somebody who's been there, done that, let me help you out. So what are your duties as president of the Rebel Vets?
0:26:52
(Speaker 1)
So as the duties of Rebel Vets, I'm kind of learning. OJT. So I literally just took the position two weeks ago, but basically I figure it's just being the president, helping run the team and manage the team. Seeing what people's strengths and what people's weaknesses are. For instance, we have a couple people who are doing the shifting of roles and we're
0:27:11
(Speaker 1)
trying to make sure everybody fits where they feel they're going to contribute the most. Contribute the most, yes sir. Thank you very much.
0:27:19
(Speaker 2)
Yeah, I saw you struggling.
0:27:20
(Speaker 3)
I was like, ugh, man.
0:27:22
(Speaker 1)
But no, contribute the most. And there are some people that like, hey, I love posting things. Can I be public affairs? Can I take over the Facebook page?
0:27:31
(Speaker 2)
Oh, yeah, that's so important these days, man. Get the word out on social media.
0:27:34
(Speaker 1)
That is a huge thing.
0:27:36
(Speaker 2)
And people, I've talked to people in this building right here in my journalism classes classes that are expert at magnifying all information through social media. I'm like, how did you learn how to do this? And I'm like, well, they're probably 15 years younger than me and it's been their whole life.
0:27:51
(Speaker 1)
Yeah, no, I'm telling you, media has taken a toll. I believe media is a good thing, especially it just gets you to show that you've done your work. Like even if you show up, just show up, take a picture, post like, hey, I was here, I was there. Like, after this conversation, I'm going to take a picture and be like, hey, y'all, episode seven, come on out. Yeah.
0:28:11
(Speaker 2)
Listen. Rebel Vets Podcast, check it out. Give it a download.
0:28:14
(Speaker 1)
Hey, give it a download. That's how it is.
0:28:16
(Speaker 2)
All right, Leroy. We've got a lot of good information already, but do you have any advice for those still serving active duty and for those transitioning to be a veteran, anybody that's considering going back to school after they get out?
0:28:31
(Speaker 1)
All right, so for anybody that's active duty, keep pushing through it, man. Just keep pushing through it, lighten the tunnel, go get that retirement.
0:28:39
(Speaker 2)
It does come. There's an end that does come for you eventually. You don't know how, but through retirement or, yeah.
0:28:47
(Speaker 1)
For anybody that's transitioning, everybody says have a plan. Sometimes that plan's not gonna work. And sometimes you may have to understand, like in life, things change. Families change.
0:29:00
(Speaker 1)
Your lifestyle changes. Healthcare changes. You never know what's going to happen. So just be ready to move and adapt. But also for the people that want to go to college, please go to college.
0:29:14
(Speaker 1)
We paid into the GI Bill, use your benefits. Like come on guys, like use your benefits. Even if you're going for basket weaving. Be the best basket weaver out there. I don't care. But I just want you guys to go use the benefits that you paid for with time, sacrifice, and
0:29:31
(Speaker 1)
obviously you put that $1,200 in there, so that's your money too. But just get out there and go to school, and especially UNLV. Very, very, very, very good to their veterans. And Ross and Dwayne, they make sure you're taken care of. So please, reach out to them. They're good people.
0:29:49
(Speaker 2)
Yeah, absolutely. That's great advice. Well, thank you so much for being on the podcast today.
0:29:53
(Speaker 1)
Cool. Hey, thank you guys.
0:29:55
(Speaker 2)
Thank you everyone for listening to this podcast. If you want more information about the show or the guest interview, please send an email to rebelvets at gmail.com. And to my veterans out there, thank you for your service and your sacrifice. thank you for your service and your sacrifice.
0:30:09
(Speaker 2)
Until Valhalla.