Leadership During COVID
Transcript from Episode 4 with CSM Deondre Long. What does it take to lead troops today? With a generation of troops coming into service born after 9/11 and during a global pandemic figuring out how to engage your troops and foster relationships are tough. Join CSM Deondre Long and I as we discuss how he has taken the opportunity to build relationships and improve the skills of his troops during such a difficult time.
Keith McKeever 0:04
Welcome to the Battle Buddy podcast with Keith McKeever.
Welcome to the show. I'm your host, Keith McKeever. Today I've got Command Sergeant Major DeAndre Long. And he is going to talk to us about leadership, specifically leadership when it comes to leading younger troops today, and in 2021, and leadership during the COVID crisis. So, welcome to the show, DeAndre.
Deondre Long 0:27
Glad to be here.
Keith McKeever 0:29
Yeah, no problem. So go ahead and just tell us a little bit about yourself, you know, where you're from, you know, how you ended up in the military, what you've kind of done throughout your career where you catch us up to where you are today.
Deondre Long 0:40
Okay. Well, I'm in command, so I made the deal. 42 years in the Army. From the area of Dallas and Texas, specifically the market takes Austin County. I joined the Army because we'd always do our morning job. But my grades in high school wasn't what they should have been.
Keith McKeever 1:08
I could feel your student at best.
Deondre Long 1:12
Yeah, definitely. And so I lost my scholarship, my college scholarship, to go play ball. Because my grades and everything. I was more interested at play. I was a football football scholarships. Okay. Yeah. So I was I was more interested in around the school versus the work. So
Keith McKeever 1:38
deciding going to school every day. Yeah, I do a bunch of crap you don't want to do, but you know, it's a process you got to go through.
Deondre Long 1:45
Yeah, I miss my column. And I thought I should have been a comedian. But a young man another career.
Oh, yeah. What, uh, you know, military at the 19 Delta cavalry scout. What's a fort Tukey back in September 98.
My first duty station maybe reevaluate my life. Much of my time in the military station was for one right or left. So yeah,
Keith McKeever 2:22
I can understand why that would make you reevaluate some things. Sounds like a beautiful place to visit on a very short you know, short trip. Not right right from duty station. I got a buddy up there right now somewhere in Alaska. It looks absolutely miserable. Shout out to Caleb Cronin on that one. All that snow in your backyard.
Deondre Long 2:44
Well, yeah, mess I've had so in a driver in Fort Wainwright, Alaska. I left Alaska, reporting to four seven Garryowen in Korea. And because the governor my first well we call it a Chinggis Top Gun. First time right and top gun on the brand. And then I left Korea. I went to Germany. And I worked individually staff and I deployed to Iraq for the first time in 2005 as a staff so I left Germany got select the former recruiter did army recruiting pay for a short period. And I reported to Fort Knox to become a officer officers, Basic Officer Leader course instructor ticket officers before they come into. So I did that for the first class. And I reported to Fort Riley, Kansas, and became a patrol sign for fire for a cab. And I deployed again to Baghdad, Iraq for another year after Fort Riley, Kansas. I ended back up in Korea again. Back and forth seven. But I was promoted solid. And then after Korea it was like I spent three years in Korea. And they made me leave it. Yeah, I love it.
Keith McKeever 4:32
Really? Yeah. I've always heard kind of mixed emotions. I guess it just depends where you know where you're at and what you're doing, but it seems 5050 From what I've ever heard over the years. Close.
Deondre Long 4:45
Yeah. So I would go for two to three week trips. I will leave from South Korea. I go to the Philippines. I go to Malaysia, to Singapore. I go to China. I go to I did not come back to Korea.
Keith McKeever 5:04
You know, good for you, though, because when I was stationed in Japan, I was only there for two years. I to this day kick myself in the rear end. I'm like, "Man, why did I not just take a quick hop to Korea?" Why did I not, you know, save up some leave? And instead of coming home, sorry to my family, but why did I, you know, head down to Sydney, Australia or something like that, you know, you're already that close, like, but, you know, young and good for you, you know, having having the thought to, you know, make those trips of a lifetime. Right? Absolutely.
Deondre Long 5:33
So, so yeah. leaving Korea became a first saga forbidden. I was infantry. And then I became a tanker on offer basic training, to carry full circle to serve. That sought after I went PCs to catch the Mississippi and became an OC outfit training National Guard. From now selected for Sergeant Major. So I reported to Fort Bliss, Texas, with SAR majors, Catholics learn as far and after graduating as Operation Sergeant Major temperature, and deploy was exempt for one year, return from what returning from deployment became an instructor and a teacher at a military junior college, married military and Alabama. So, while I was there, teacher for two years, I'll select four commands to serve here in Germany arrived in Germany, September 2020.
Keith McKeever 6:56
Awesome, yeah, that gives you you know, talking about leadership today. There's there's parts there that I didn't know that, that really gives you a very unique perspective to have taught officers and been a recruiter, especially throughout different parts of your career to have seen totally, I will say different generations, because we're kind of the same generation in some ways. On some of us are millennials and you know, right, right, crossover generations there. But really, there's still big differences to somebody, you know, the servant today, versus, you know, like when I was in in the late 2000s. So what, what big difference, you know, do you see today in leading troops, that are just, you know, that, let's say 1819 20 years old now that have grown up with the world, you know, being involved in the world on terror, whereas we had the privilege, and we're lucky enough to, you know, had some peaceful times in our youth. Yeah.
Deondre Long 7:59
So, two things, one for us. Speaker for Army, the Army value, kind of, like our bedrock foundation has been, what has changed our approach to accomplishing the mission? So you were told to do something you didn't ask question.
You moved out to draw today, so why are they doing it? So today's army man, I don't mind doing to tell you to do but tell me why don't
You know, some people care or perform better when they have a purpose; telling me to do something just because you want me to do it. You may not be satisfied with the outcome. But maybe if you
Keith McKeever 9:03
get somebody to buy into the why, then you can
Deondre Long 9:07
determine the cause and effect. If you do this, this is the possible outcome. And this is outcome looking. But if you don't do this, then these are some possible outcomes and mental benefit you are in. So helping people is a common effect, and we do that without you do have a family with our friends, helping them understand the cause and effect, and I think that's important. So growing up in a daze that from 1998 to 2007 2008 It wasn't like that. But now I got
Keith McKeever 9:50
that a few times. Just shut up and do
Deondre Long 9:55
You know, you hear it all the time. Good job. You'll be paid that you get paid to do.
Keith McKeever 10:03
I know that that kind of makes me think back to my first day on shift. When I was in Japan, they handed me the keys to a patrol car. and I'm fresh out of tech school. And the tech sergeant just says, "You've got to get over to the other side of base." Yes, sir. All right. That's your patrols; oh, I didn't even have a ticket book. I didn't even know the call signs on the radio. I just threw me at it. I couldn't ask a single question. He's like, "Just get in the car. Go. I'm not answering any questions. Like, give me kid me. Any information, man, you know, so? Yeah, I'm sure it's totally different. Now. You know, you got to make sure people are qualified, I was totally unqualified for that. They just, you know, throw yet like, hey, we don't have the bodies, you know, we got people deployed, we got things going on, like, somebody's got to do it, you're up, right here, if it's your first day.
Deondre Long 10:51
So some people will
Keith McKeever 10:55
say sink or swim. Some people
Deondre Long 10:57
need to be thrown in challenge. You know, that's what we have to do as leaders today; it's always a challenge for our subordinates, because today you get bored easily. You know, instead of working out right and not be doing anything. So you have to challenge in what's what's wrong or not military is that we have a lot of soldiers, airmen, seamen, you name it, that that are not a beat. Or that are not no, we're not challenging our subordinates, we're not asking those requests. What are your strengths? Or your weaknesses? What do you like to do? We find somebody to have the strength to enjoy your somebody, and they can increase your product productivity as a human as Operation Leverage.
Keith McKeever 12:08
Absolutely never know when you've got a trick that's got some crazy skill or is going to be perfect for a job. And you got them over here in Job B, when A is really where they need to be. But if you don't have that conversation with them and you don't find out what their skills are, what their motive, because we're all motivated by something, Right? That motivated motivation is and use it to your advantage. I had troops that, I know, fell through the cracks back in the day because of that kind of, I guess I'll say, "old school" mentality of "just shut up and go to your job." Yeah, you went through the training; you know what to do. Like, it's a little different, a little bit of on the job training, but just go do it. Your job. And they kind of fell through the cracks, because nobody really asked like, "What are you in the military for?" What are you trying to get out of this?" So that's kind of a good thing. Actually, you know, that maybe there's more conversation? And I guess I'll say counseling, probably going on with troops today.
Deondre Long 12:59
Yeah, this is happening. But this happened on a broad spectrum, you know? So we asked him the questions that are that we triggered? not going further. with the conversation. We check in blocks. And okay, I did actually, I didn't ask you where you from. I didn't ask you what you liked to do. Okay, that's it. I asked you questions
that aren't so good. I really get to know you or not
Keith McKeever 13:36
scratch the surface at that point. Yeah. So he didn't know at that point what they liked to do in their off duty time? Are they going down to the bar? Or are they sitting there playing video games or, you know, surfing through Tinder? or whatever they do? You know?
Deondre Long 13:49
Yeah. You know, so it's, I mean, just, and I'm kind of going off topic right now. But prior to Germany, prior to coming into Germany, getting here to Germany, I learned through this COVID that a lot of people are not comfortable with themselves a lot. A lot of soldiers are not comfortable spending time alone. With themselves. Time Alone is difficult. For a lot of people, some people thrive on having meeting people around. And even people that are struggling even who thrive on being around minimum people or even struggling in environments, struggle with loneliness and struggling with individual problems and nothing to do no drive, no motivation, no purpose. and that's hurting our society right now.
Keith McKeever 15:00
Yeah, I will agree with that. I would consider myself an introvert. And even this has hurt me. Because I'm used to, you know, leaving for meetings and being around people, and my recharges being a home well, now on the home all the time—I've got my wife and my kids here, but we're in these four walls pretty much all the time—I'm not out to have conversations with people. And I actually get energised when I finally get to talk to somebody new or, you know, on a committee or a podcast or whatever, like, finally get some interaction get to talk to somebody else and hear somebody else's voice. And yeah, break from what has become the norm—you know, the daily schedule that we all inevitably fall into. So I can only imagine it being worse when you're younger. And you're virtually alone, in the barracks overseas or wherever deployed. That's got to be really hard when your only connection to the outside world is, you know, through your phone. We probably lost our minds back in the day. Yeah, you know, I didn't have a smartphone or anything like that, you know, so at least they've got some ways to connect to the world, but it's not an actual it's not a direct replacement for being around people. So
Deondre Long 16:18
We don't need anything that isn't their wants and needs, and we have what we consider our what does it mean for us? Our survival, take this attack, pursue it when you can't grab hold of that. It's like, man, what do people wonder? And you know, to your mind is a dangerous place to live? Yeah, so I mean, so we deal with what's what's been the strongest issue that I can say across across the board has been relationship, failed relationship has caused so many crosstables. Yeah,
Keith McKeever 17:13
speak speaking to COVID. You know, what was that impact? You know, as a leader trying to navigate through everything, when when all that started?
Deondre Long 17:22
Almost. So I'll take you back to what I'll teach you that. There were COVID kicked off back in March. So, so the soul, the frame rate, and the pandemic and temperature out. And they made a conscious decision not to bring students back. What because the resource and the information and it was no playbook at the time of how to deal with COVID Nobody knew. What's that one love 123 and information coming out?
Keith McKeever 18:08
Every is hitting a whole world basically, at one time at that point. And it's not like we could sit there and look at China as an example of what they were doing because we didn't really even know what was going on there. Right? You know what the real truth is? I don't know that we really still do but
Deondre Long 18:26
it's so you're doing your time, man. It was like we knew one thing. We knew we had a time mask. Dude, man, now everybody's got me. But think about March. Think about a think about when they say you couldn't go anywhere without a mask and people trying to find mask in the struggles and trials that came
Keith McKeever 18:53
on the hand sanitizer in the toilet paper. Hand Sanitizer. What will we do?
Good as the breach toilet toilet paper shortage. Yeah. of all time.
Deondre Long 19:06
Yeah, man. You know, when you start thinking about the time period, just going back to that mentality back then, we were just trying to figure it out. We try to do our normal life. Figure out where we fit in. And then find it burden a lot of people so, so no, take about all the names. Combine all the issues. You start shutting down restaurants, door sundown just just taken away people allowed me a routine that people knew that they felt they needed Five, their daily routine. Every morning, you say you don't come to my gym for the next 30 days? You just messed up? Oh,
Keith McKeever 20:11
it was a massive change. Yeah, actually, I want to I want to thank my military service for being able to just adapt to that, actually pretty quick. Because I'm like, "Okay, it is what it is, this is what we're told we need to do." Let's just hunker down and deal with it. Yeah, and, but I know not everybody has that skill or that mindset to have dealt with a lot of change in their life and just be able to kind of roll with it. Now it's getting old. But you know, at the time, it was like, "Okay, let's just hunker down, and it'll be gone in a couple of weeks." Right.
Deondre Long 20:39
Right. Right.
Keith McKeever 20:42
Yeah. So how was that? Like? I know that, you know, that was difficult as a leader, and the students weren't there. But, you know, how was that? You know, still impacting them? And they're learning and things like that. Were they just gone? Or did it turn to e-learning? You know, what, we're there for them. because I know that's tough for them to do.
Deondre Long 21:03
so bad, I will tell you, I will teach you a lot. I went to Blackboard changing like face to face, like looking at each other. That's how I looked them up. And I taught them, and they read their report in the paper; they did everything. and I was thinking three times. So I did they did their graduation every night. You know, we did the virtual. Recently, we did all of the above. With the stoners at home with the parents and a pop up on camera with a better and we had to adapt, we had to adapt quickly. And we learned so much about technology on another level. So did a lot of our awareness. It didn't help us develop a more diverse stream of learning. But it also brought us together closely, even though we were separated. So we had to figure out ways to come together as a community. This so that's what the pandemic, that's what it provided. It provided for no no platform to communicate more and often as a leader, because if I didn't care now I had you know, I had a college Jeopardy, which I've called a chapel you mentioned before, and a call to make your family call mentioned. You know, automation.
Keith McKeever 22:47
Yeah. Yeah, show up for a day or a couple of days or don't turn an assignment in what's up, you know, right, right. Mine's got automatically go to Oh, crap. One of these guys has COVID or something. But
Deondre Long 23:03
Yeah, there was no playbook. And it's still not a playbook today that you can open up and say, "When COVID happened, these were your steps." This is what you do. There's not a fire through. This is like reality a little bit right now. So. So when I think about the pandemic and how we react, it was like the first time that we went to war for our generators took off in 2003. We didn't know when we you know, and we stayed the course more. But we first will cost more than 2003. It will not know; the intelligent works across the board. Our availability to form on a battlefield, different escena will see you right who used to work. We have to rely on
Keith McKeever 24:03
short, a lot of learning and adapting in a very short period of time. Right. But you know, it helps you grow stronger, because I've been saying ever since this pandemic kicked off. This is when a tragedy hits, there's also opportunity on the backside of it, and an opportunity for school, you know, for for adjusting the way you do things for business for even the government on how they provide services and do things and you know, now you've got people who had never been on a zoom chat, or at any video chat. And now they're whizzes at it. They can get on there. They can chat with people, they can do business; they found their way to adapt, they're comfortable with it now. You know, drastically change how things are done. So
Deondre Long 24:43
It's two things there. It's been a lot personally, I can speak for hours. There's been a lot of good things personally for me. They came out in 10 months. But I can also speak to the phone. No, that's it testing. So upgrading the original i You see the time period, and it's been a roller coaster
Keith McKeever 25:11
It has probably been the biggest roller coaster ride of a year that I've ever had to endure my life. You know? Just, you know, emotionally, everything has gone on, you know, big picture, but it's a heck of a ride we're on. But yeah, so that was, you know, so how to daily life? You know, eventually things start settle down and you kind of start finding your groove. You know, either there or now it's your it's your duty assignment there in Germany, you know how his daily life changed for the average soldier?
Deondre Long 25:42
Oh, man, it's so I'll speak about Germany. It is aspirin. So since I've been in Germany, COVID, you know, took off to another level you know, the morale of the phone can only be so high. Now, you know, the phones can only drive 10 miles from that's it. Your contract? So two miles in one city, and in the city, you got more than you do in the city. So and then you got so there is not much for them. We can gather we can.
Keith McKeever 26:41
Yes, super dangerous place for a young young person to be in the barracks and board
Deondre Long 26:47
for video games.
Keith McKeever 26:50
Think we've all seen the videos?" I don't know if you watch that TV, but they've got this was something about in the barracks or something like that the videos that young troops are posting online. Just the dumb stuff they're doing is like, "God, cell phone cameras weren't around when I was younger." All right. new level now.
Deondre Long 27:12
Yeah. So man, I'll be honest, it has been truly challenging. Because I can't even bring like I can't even limited to the amount of money I can bring into any one room at any given time. like we take home a test every week. At least 10% 600 600 myself, we take COVID test. And so I've been testing least
Keith McKeever 27:51
I definitely make sense. I mean, I totally, I'm actually kind of surprised now to think about it, that they're not testing you even more, you know, just to just to keep a lid on what's going on. And you know, where possible spreads could happen. Right? It really wouldn't take much, especially when you're sometimes you have to work in such close quarters with people. And your jobs are so vitally important. I mean, it's national security; you know, it's protecting our interests abroad. And, you know, for all those troops and stuff stationed here, it's serious we got to protect them. No, it's got to be a monumental task as leaders, you know, across the service branches to to do that. I can't imagine having to make some of those calls. shutting them down the impact of morale. But
Deondre Long 28:42
Yeah, that's what's been my go to for two months, man. We can do any dance, but not to Christmas. No, and everything we are told as a family. So this was you as a leader as well, now we know the operation, you know, is COVID-19 environment, that environment we live in right now. COVID-19.
So we know the restriction with COVID-19. We know what Rama can do for us right now. But the question is, what can you do? So just tired of hearing about what's happening? As a leader, you've got to come to the table, Jeremy. What can I do? So and that's what leaders got to pay. They got to step up to the plate and acknowledge and brainstorm committee together around us. We understand this is an operation on the rock. But what can we need provide? We need to find a way to get them involved, and we will find a way to find out what they enjoy doing with the opportunities, but I'll say because if not, you bought a car, right?
Keith McKeever 30:16
You don't blame us not to see a bunch of dumb stuff in the barracks if you don't provide them something, so what kind of things you guys extracurricular maybe not work related or anything like that? Well, you know what kind of things you guys as a leadership team come up with to keep your troops engaged and keep their minds off, you know, as much as you can off of what's going on?
Deondre Long 30:39
Yeah, so luckily for us we trained for We do, yeah, so we always training we have battalion, we only offer battalion in Germany JMR. All the units on the stage, they come over here and they come train and they come up against the battalion and we go, we go. And we have we train our NATO coming out here and well, but to get back to you. So I put a team together. And I query so much fun. They like so now we do weekend. We're so discuss it is so quick. Did you want to learn about stocks and invest in stocks, have a two day seminar, Saturday and Sunday, you sign up about my soldiers who are very good in bed, a few they teach you to learn how to learn how to exhale, I got seminars on how to do PowerPoint in Excel, if you want to learn how to cut hair, I'm actually licensed. So what I do hair cut, you know, you know, all those type of things, I got a whole bunch of Ranger. So they do seminars, or even attack, you know, so we just do just fine and and have another POV maintaining, you know, how to change your race, you know, all that type of stuff. You know, never have never had nobody saw this in your life. You know, and it's, um, you're well, on this weekend. Sign up, and we will walk you through everything. You know. So that's what we're doing now, man, because we've got one challenge. That's a challenge I played on our team is that we got to leverage within our formations, I'm no longer looking for people to come in. I know I got 10 So now there's leverage in town, to make everybody else my desire to get better.
Keith McKeever 33:27
That's a really good decision, I think. Because especially with COVID. And when you're not that close to a lot of people that lets your your troops know who that subject matter expert is your let's say Microsoft Excel. And so maybe they go through that weekend thing and learn a little bit about it, but maybe they really, really enjoy it. Or maybe it's the automotive thing. And maybe they form a closer relationship with that person. And they, you know, when this is over, they continue to learn about it or they continue, they become the expert and teach somebody because I think that's a problem that that we've always had in the military as you bring people in most say 18 to 22 with minimal life skills, especially like budgeting and investing and you know, changing your own oil and things like that. You may very well during a pandemic a save lives, but be keep people out of trouble and see give them some life skills that they wouldn't in most other situations ever go get your animal for the rest of their life. So that's just that's huge. I think that's a genius move to do that and then use the resources that you've got, if you've got them, so I think it has been a pretty well received, and got a lot of troops that are taking advantage of that.
Deondre Long 34:49
100% Another thing I learned, I got a bunch of info within my formation. You got people that "Oh, just look up at that one." So,
hey, I'm going on the mouth. Everybody who look up that person and run that mouth.
So I've learned who those people are in formation. So I always put those nuggets in their ears. Hey man. You might want to build an education, Asana for class next semester, if you need some help around. You know? Okay, well, hey, I tell you what y'all need go down there. And we all go through. I show you the college. And I show the Peabody. And if I can help you out, And just Nuggets, let alone you can't. Because we've got a problem with this problem that we face right now, me telling, you know, evidence to show that I do.
Keith McKeever 36:16
I think we've all had leaders like that. you know that. On one hand, they want to say that they care about you, but they really don't do their actions. No, did you got the people that really do, like just flat out genuinely care? I know, I've got a list of guys that I served with that a lot fall through a brick wall, you know, they, they would have done anything to help me out, you know, treat your fair, you know, really cared. Like, you can tell when somebody comes up and asks how you're doing and and how or how your family is doing and when it's sincere or not, you know, and, and that's, that's a shame when you got somebody in a position that can't do that, you know, isn't sincere, Bata doesn't really care. And yet they've got to lead people people's lives are literally in their hands at certain points. Yeah, so that was quite a challenge for you to come into that unit just a few months ago, you know, and try and find out a 600 people who these key players are. I can't imagine, you know, stepping into an organization like that, you know, and try to figure that out kind of on the fly when people are got to be separated from each other. So how hard was that for you?
Deondre Long 37:26
Man, it was a good investment. So my very good mentality, I can't withdraw. So, my deposit into the viewer and man, up every weekend, Saturday, Sunday, all day. I was I was at the I was walking a barracks, I was been champion team. And then, just after the desk, I'll just talk to Southville. Dude, I said nothing else. I have five copies. and out of staff, for elsewhere, so I can get them every day. So that was my mentality, come in every weekend, I can get the most out of everything. Like legitimate beyond being seeing the soldiers doing the weekend in my headquarters, I can I know I can give you a weekend at a minimum. So I do that in September, just got engaged, engaged, no clarity. I've learned more about horses. And as to being there, Now six they're hanging out was people coming in bringing their food going their laundry, next day, you don't have fatigue.
And I'm just engaging. Lots of bought off and starving. But on food on the stove. So desperately, desperately wants me to coach this set for the battalion right now. So I'll continue. because I continue to be in a new job. So I got to continue to do it don't know get burned out.
Keith McKeever 39:33
And they'll care about you, you know, and they'll have your back and that, that feeling of respect, knowing that you genuinely care that just just like if you know if it was the exact opposite. It just finds its way through the whole unit. Just eventually, you know, everybody knows everybody's if they haven't met yet or haven't had that connection. They know two or three people that have so really she took the effort to make that because unfortunately there's crappy leaders out there that could could just came right into your your slot and not really cared. You know, they kind of they kind of hung out in their circles and did their thing and, and easily kind of just ignored everybody else in the unit and, you know, could could be a disaster. So that's great stuff, man. That's, that's comforting to know, you know, just your unit, but that there's, you know, leaders out there doing the right thing. Unfortunately, there's leaders that aren't, so maybe you can maybe they can watch this podcast or listen to it. Learn something, y'all nerds out there, and do what you need to be doing. Here, you know, so
Deondre Long 40:44
everyday you work in the recruiter, every day, you wake up your credibility. And I learned a valuable lesson. Back in 19. I met I met we vibed very well. Some things transpired that one of his friend, like two days later, we didn't have the same interests. We went back; we went so that we could we got ready to go hang out. And
and I needed a ride in Alaska, the guy who was cool. So when we met, we all met up was like no. No, the guy was defending. And so when I realized, "Man, you know, you've got to be you at all," Once you get out of character, where people say, "I'm sorry, I was having a bad day,"
I don't believe in it. Because you know, you can never take a day off. So what you what you prevent this from it will be displayed in somebody's body.
Unknown Speaker 42:23
So you got to learn to show often, but if you Yeah,
Deondre Long 42:27
yeah. You got to learn to self regulate times where certain things be certain attended a certain level certain more, maybe be enacted but But what I learned on the walk, basically was that what somebody else taught me what somebody else told me different things. But I created an opportunity for them to think that I presented myself how I carry myself and how you can jump as part of your character. So in your approach, is everything you're probing to open the door or to close the door? And that's what a lot of people do. That's what I try to impress on code, they lay back, your day you wake up, you working on your credibility, because your credit was good one day, but it might not be good next, based on your interaction with approach and how you speak. I say, "So be careful," because that's a difference maker. I've been remember best is 99. What I've learned separately because I knew I was better
Keith McKeever 43:49
That's an interesting situation, because it makes me think about a guy that I served with that we just never saw. And I we just did not get along. And I could never figure it out what happened or why, or what was said. But you just you just made it click in my head that it must have been something some way that I acted or something had to spark that. You know, for years, I maybe kind of thought that maybe it was just something like nothing, like we just didn't click we didn't like each other. We didn't get along. But you know, maybe it was something he did. Maybe something I did I don't know. But there had to be a cause of it. And I had been thinking—you know, I could never think of what that cause was, but there had to be something. Yeah, you know, in I think it was pretty decent guy. I mean, you know, he was a pretty decent leader to other troops, just him and I didn't get along. He actually went out of the way to help me, you know, get back in, you know, to running and try and get myself back in shape when I let myself go a little bit. and he didn't have to do that. especially for someone who didn't like me. It was pretty obvious. Yeah. There it was. You can cut the tension with a knife, so yeah, yeah, sure. leadership skills there on his part. So, but it's a bass vessel great stuff on leadership and looking at, and how troops you know what's going on today with COVID? and how things have changed. So, you know, when they go ahead and wrap some things up here, but I've always got, you know, three questions that I ask at the end of a show. What advice would you have for anyone looking to transition out of uniform today? Man,
Unknown Speaker 45:33
I will, a person to really sit down, figure out
Deondre Long 45:39
What do they enjoy? To do? Do you really want to invest in another career? Do you want to? Do you want to invest in something that you can be your own boss? You've been under for so long? Do you desire or do you have the talent and ability to step out on your own faith in yourself? Because believe it or not, the military prepared me all you need to survive in today's world used around if you if you want to military, you know exactly what your own army said, I speak to the army if you've been an army that you need to start in the army surrounds you. surrounds you with the section that your job caught. Yeah. That's admin, you got to deal with. You got to that helps you understand how to deal with security. Your job What does what do you got a security? Yes, three operations? The planning? Yes, for this? What's the net webinar? Yes, six. Your communication? Yes, 5g, what do you need to establish? So you have all the tools you need. You have a chain of command, you have a hierarchy, you've got to put people in the bathrooms global, you've got all the information, you need to step out on your own and run your business. So you have the mean, you have so many grants; we have so many loans and opportunities to step out on your own to meet a resource to get you to the next level. So I would ask you working for somebody else you want to do or do you have the courage. If you want to transition, I will tell you the SFL Tap is a great program. It's my program that prepares two years to go to the program it as much time as you possibly can, to help you write your resume, bow down exactly what you want and where you want to live. Because to live, like there's so much to go home that will prepare you for and the third thing as you transition, what type of surrounding do you need to still be in the military community? because that's important. Some people say when I get out of our way as possible, I will 100 acre of land a military base that some people experience but as some people need it some people still need to be somebody would have better had on the service and something but it's still needed. So
Keith McKeever 48:55
for a couple of years or whatever, until they PCs. Yeah, I mean, that supports whatever, you know, because it's different for everybody. Right? That's a really good point.
Deondre Long 49:05
Yeah, so, I mean, that's what we desire. Once we know that we can kind of tailor it a little better, but those are the kind of valuations I'll ask that person have first think about and be honest with you and your family
Keith McKeever 49:33
sorry about that. I had to slip a note on the door to my kid should know that I'm on a podcast right now recording. He was doing to the door. Anyway. That was to say, you know, you talked about the s functions there and I I never really even thought about that. You know, that's, that's a great way for getting get into entrepreneurship to really look at it. Write that down, write down what you know what path you're going to take and how each one of those You know, plays in, because more, you know, one or two might play play into what you're trying to do more than another, but write those down and start building your list from there. Yeah, kind of resources, you're gonna need this are going to try and find it. So here's the biggest thing on mother's roadmap.
Deondre Long 50:15
Yeah. So if the what most of us try to do get up or meditate, somebody is already doing. So all you got to do is research those you because what if you if you want to do some light, what you're trying to do and get out of the military, you already know who's already doing. Or you got some example. So it's going to you to leverage what you already know, is all user research is on you pull out the phone book is entered into when you go to business. And if you try to start a type of business, or you go walk into that same style of business, what do they have? What do I need this in mind? Can I Can I go with, you know, six bathrooms? And to? You know, do I need a two storey building? Can I have a love story? You can you can replay a feel for yourself?
Keith McKeever 51:21
Yeah, fine. I think find those mentors is just huge. Especially going into business, but find it connect with a mentor, find somebody who's doing it. I mean, I would be in real estate, I would gladly talk to somebody if they want to get out and go into real estate, I'd be glad to sit down and talk to somebody for an hour. You know, what is the difficulties of getting into the real estate industry? How expensive is it? You know, what to look forward to? You know, what does it actually like in the day to day industry? And then they can make a decision? Is that really for me or not? So
Deondre Long 51:53
real thinking about this movie right along? Ice Cube and Kevin Hart You know, thinking he wanted to be a cop that night? Maybe you want to be one? Maybe not least?
That's what I tell people. I do you really want this? Good. But if you really want to do it, nobody should have to tell you to go do that; that should be your mentality. Today, I'm gonna get up to speed I want to do I mean, how do you have you battle and then it's on you to go to you. Because you've got to look at the time if you don't have to wake up in the morning. When joy, probably some stress.
Keith McKeever 53:02
You're just gonna burn yourself out real quick. You're just going to be bored. And then you're going to be looking for option two, option three, option four, or whatever. And yeah, I mean, I can look back online at my experience. I didn't know what I was going to do. But I figured out I feel like I landed on my feet. But my neck could ended wrong that could occur so many ways. But but it is what it is. But yeah, having a having a plan is is good. And that taps programs; stuff like that mentors, and all that stuff is important. But flip the script a little bit here and talk about people that are looking to enlist today. So what kind of advice would you have for them?
Deondre Long 53:42
So I will say, "Well, come on, we need the 1%." So as you walk with your contract, I would tell those who want to come in now. Be good at math. Go get the math. Now. Get online take the test now. And when you get off the neck the job get out. You have credentials you have job experience. You have something that can be read in real world society; well, then you can step in and have a job. So that's what I would recommend is work. lifelong benefits from staying long enough. So we'll get started right away. Get your money at your door.
Keith McKeever 54:57
Get an education is a key key part their key You may end up in a job that you end up not really liking or not wanting to do on the outside. Because I was Air Force Security Forces. And I pretty much knew—you know, the crime rate on Air Force bases is pretty low. But yeah, I pretty much figured out that I don't want to chase people down dark alleys and stick my hands in pockets with dirty needles. I got out; I have people in my family; oh, you can become a cop? I'm like, hell no, I'm not gonna do that. Correct. Yeah, every, every day, everything you go do and you see is, is just sad. And it's tragic, man; I'm too happy a person. Now. I don't see all that negativity in my life. Now, it's off to those who will. Now I've got friends and family members that are men, and I love and support them. But that's just not for me; you know, learn realize that in five years, that is not me, man; I could probably hack on a low crime Air Force base. Man, get out; you're gonna end up getting hired by a big, big police department. And I'm like, Man, I don't want to deal with all that all that crap. But you know, but if I would have gotten my education, you know, I'm actually pursuing my bachelor's degree right now in Business Administration. Vitamin in long and done that I might have had my degree. And then, you know, I already had a plan when I got out or something like that. So for those I would add to it to get in, get a job that you think you're going to, like, you may not like it, but get that education, because you may end up using both, or just a degree or want one, you know, to, to continue on your career. Because no matter what you get out, you know, unless you're like a freakin four star general, or one of those were guys that make it to like 30 or 35 years, you know, you're gonna get out at like, 40 to 45 years old, retire at most. I mean, you've still got 20 to 30 years of your life to build another career. You know, get those skills when you're in. It's important. That's huge. So that's a good one. And the last question I got here, you know, give a shout out to you know, any kind of military or veteran organization group that that you got out there, did you think he's doing good things that you've heard about or that you've used yourself? So you know, anything we're like, give shout out for,
Deondre Long 57:13
I want to give a shout out to my own army. supporting our veterans out of Fort Benning, Georgia, my nonprofit organization are doing a pandemic 2020. And so August will be given first, a scholarship away to one students, three copies, I'm excited about
my website, you can go out looking for the camera. But a is better than it is. So support better than me. So that's my way I support better. And I'm excited about it at Gmail staff to help me run a nonprofit. And my hope is that
Having a community for veterans to get out of the military and having a sense of belonging, a majority of my staff, young, younger, and older, and they care about our community and also our youth, which is very important. They very impressed me. So, it's a lot going on—where are you fitting in? —and bullying and a lack of structure and education on top of it. I guess like Big Brothers Big Sisters. I was a big for my community. So
once I seen that program, this is beautiful, you know, but I say we got to do more.
And so that was one of the reasons I started to focus on another but not just the brand organization. wide outreach out of Columbus, Georgia. Command saw major retired veterans' operations out there. They do this with a lot of resiliency. He has a horse for
People deal with mental issues and stuff like that. So for them to come out the homeless and kind of do care care for because yeah, at this time
Keith McKeever 1:00:11
Horses are actually really great therapeutic animals, which, you know, kind of surprised me, but you really think about the character you need to put into it make sense?
Deondre Long 1:00:22
So it's a big deal, man, so I'm definitely working hard because, you know, warrior outreach helped me out a little bit, a friend's commands are major issues as well. I'm a I'm excited to be partnering together command some agents actually on my directors approve a lot approve or disapprove. but also their Columbia
Keith McKeever 1:00:55
Oh, awesome. Yeah, you have to you have to send over those, you know, the links and all that stuff on there. Because we definitely want to able to get that shared out. And then put that in the YouTube description—all that stuff. So, so people can find it when they when they watch this. So that's awesome. It's two things I haven't heard about. So always good to get more nonprofits and organizations out there doing things you know, to help get those resources out there. So there's there's a ton of them and it's hard to find them and it's hard to find the right fit. So the more we can highlight them, the more we can do. I appreciate. Good luck on good luck on all your endeavours on that and your friend out there doing his thing. You know, wish all the success in the world especially here 2021 knows what that's gonna look like. I know I'm involved in a couple of nonprofits and fundraising I know you know, fundraising events is kind of a difficult last year so adapt and overcome, right? Yeah, absolutely. Resiliency, you know, gotta be you should have on lockdown. Yeah, you got that?
Deondre Long 1:01:57
You've got to be the ball. You know?
Keith McKeever 1:02:01
Exactly. Anyway, it was a pleasure having you on here and talking about these things. There was definitely some deep stuff about leading so a great episode. I appreciate it. And you know, if you ever have anything else you want to talk about, I'd love to have you back on the show.
Deondre Long 1:02:18
Likewise, man.
Keith McKeever 1:02:20
