Brian Gibson is the CEO of Project Diehard which is a faith based organization with the mission of ending veteran suicide and assist veterans with coping skills to succeed in life. Their latest project Forward Operating Base Rush, is named in the honor of USAF SSgt. Courtney Rush who lost her battle with demons in 2012. This mission will have a major impact on veterans lives in numerous ways. Please consider donating to help make this mission a reality!

Guest Links:

https://www.facebook.com/projectdiehard22/

https://projectdiehard.org/

Transcript from Episode 12 with Brian Gibson, CEO of ProjectDiehard:

Keith McKeever 0:13

Welcome, everybody to another episode of the battle buddy podcast. Got a really, really good one for you, as you know, a lot of veterans struggle, and they struggle with a lot of different things PTSD, substance abuse, transition, all kinds of things. There's a lot of programs out there that address a lot of different things. But the guy you're going to hear from tonight, is got the plan to create a facility that can house veterans for up to a year to get them the help they need. So it doesn't just put a bandaid on the issue. It actually addresses the issue with counseling and therapy and a bunch of different things. I'll let him tell the story. But this this project has excited me from the day I very first heard of it. And so without further ado, roll into the intro and we'll bring Brian Gibson for Project diehard it Welcome to the battle buddy podcast with Keith McKeever. All right, Brian well podcast excited to hear so

Brian Gibson 1:10

thank you, dude, I gotta say that's the shortest interval I have been on in months. Back here. But Hey, Dad,

Keith McKeever 1:21

I'll try to keep it short. Because I know I'm a talker sometimes.

Brian Gibson 1:24

Okay, cool.

Keith McKeever 1:26

If you love me, I'll just keep on rolling.

Brian Gibson 1:29

Thanks for having me. This is a this is an honor to be on your podcast. I've been on a bunch of man. But I've been looking forward to this one.

Keith McKeever 1:38

So if I like I said in the intro, from the moment I first started hearing and reading about what you were doing, I was really excited because like I said in the intro a second ago, a lot of and I even told you before we started it. Some organizations just put a bandaid on the problem not saying that they're doing anything wrong. But sometimes it's just kind of a bandaid and a fix or something to push it down the road and and I think what you're going to do here really provides the skill set and the ability to transition smoothly or whatever the picture looks like for every individual it's gonna be different. But anyway, let's get into your your story. What's What's your background? How did you get in the military? What you do and what got you to the point you're at today?

Brian Gibson 2:18

Well, I come from a military family, actually seven generations of Navy. But I joined the Army in 1985. Everybody knows you're a traitor. No, I just can't swim. Okay, just how it is. Did 26 years total it took a little break in service in there was a medic. So I was I've been attached to engineers, MPs, infantry, artillery tanks. As a medic, you go everywhere. My last tour I took a hit from an IED got some hardware putting my spine but I got pretty well hooked up with a SAR major mine. He took care of me and threw me over to recruiting. You know where you can be on a dead man profile. So I can finish out my time, Tom. So yeah, 26 years for almost 13 days. Boot Camps?

Keith McKeever 3:27

Well, I was in for five years, seven months to 20 days. So I guess there's two of us that count doesn't hurt it it actually, you know, says it on our DD 214. So I guess we don't have to count. We can just read. I just proved one thing.

Brian Gibson 3:41

What would you read?

Keith McKeever 3:42

Well,

Brian Gibson 3:43

I gotta say the army didn't we have a read man? I know how to suture and how to start IVs but that reading thing? Yeah.

Keith McKeever 3:51

Maybe? I don't know. I don't think I learned in public school but ask for the podcast. Yeah. Podcast. So use your with Project diehard. So go ahead and give us you know, what is project diehard and why?

Brian Gibson 4:09

Well, let's start out a little bit more about me, because I want to tell you you can see right here it goes over the grace of God, I wouldn't be here. Okay. When my my son served and when he came home as a wounded warrior, my whole life just collapsed. I self medicate with alcohol up into the point where I had a 45 in my mouth. And then I get a phone call from another veteran buddy of mine who was going through some stuff. And I guess it was the medic in me. I answered the phone. Right? He goes hey, you got it. Where's Remar? I said no. Cuz I didn't And he took me down to the free spirit biker church in Paducah, Kentucky. Great Church, great pastor. In I give it all the credit to God that I'm still here. So what led to project diehard? Ah, late 2017, I get a call. One of my best buddies, pals three tours together, right? When I say a brother from another mother, I'm not joking. And when they, if they were making a GI Joe doll, he's gonna be the model of it. I mean, he's, you know, he was just that guy. When his wife called and said, You sang in the garage. That was it. I've lost more my brothers and sisters, that I actually went down ring to it to suicide, and I lost in combat. Something had to change

Keith McKeever 6:18

that it does, and I know. Thankfully, my experience has not been that way. But I know your experience is not unique to you know, a lot of people walking around today that have lost more since then. Since serving or being downrange.

Brian Gibson 6:34

Yeah, it's changed. It is it is. So part of my therapy as I was building a motorcycle, and I had a couple of army buddies, when a cert was stopped by right? Not one buddy goes, Hey, man, would it be great if your shop was bigger? Well, of course, you know, shop, Kid gin key, you know? And then my other buddy goes, Oh, man, if I just hung out here for 30 days, we can get this thing knocked out. I was like, did the whole you got to check with household six back there. Because last time we hung out there was bail money involved. Yeah, know, he, and we're that type of people. I don't know if he's about Blue influence, or I was but whenever we get together,

Keith McKeever 7:35

maybe should ask the decision maker. Who shall tell you?

Brian Gibson 7:40

Yeah. Because collectively him and I have no common sense. Yeah. You know, we take the hold my beer and watch this to a whole new level.

Keith McKeever 7:49

Yeah, we know those are good moments until something goes horribly wrong. Yeah.

Brian Gibson 7:55

Yeah. I still, I still don't think I can get to go to Annapolis. We'll see.

Keith McKeever 8:04

Just in case err on the side of caution and don't try.

Brian Gibson 8:09

But then it was okay. A place where a veteran can come and spend some time and work on a motorcycle or car or learn to trade or

do something to get back. A place where a veteran can be safe and secure. Where they don't got to worry about where the next meal is coming from. The electric bill the water bill, this bill that Bill and where there's like minded brothers and sisters around them that have been there done it and can talk about it. In a non judgmental non. It's hard to explain, but you can understand cuz you're back. Yeah,

Keith McKeever 9:09

no, absolutely. I mean, you can do it. It's easy to talk to somebody who served in. I was Air Force, you were army. Our differences are huge. But we share so many commonalities that it's easy to tell stories, you know, it's easy to put yourself in those shoes, because you've maybe been close you know, whatever, but you can't talk to civilians about certain things. It's almost impossible. You really can't understand and the stories when they come out of your mouth just sound terrible. Terrible.

Brian Gibson 9:43

Okay. Like we're a little roll cookie.

Keith McKeever 9:47

Yeah. So something's not right in your head, you know, but we experienced.

Brian Gibson 9:51

Yeah, I mean, like, buddy and I were having a discussion about one apartment we were in. We were laughing about it. Hey, because we survive it right but just how would it now we're sitting there going remember that dude he was and I swear the civilian was like nuts because hey, you know what you weren't there you you didn't see the you know everything that was going on within a barber pray time. Slow. You know it's it Yeah, it's like that but yeah, this is what our vision of the mission is we started in 2018 with the goal of raising funds to purchase 114 acres in Western Kentucky and build Fort hope that place we got rolling 2019 was great, right? We're starting to get some traction 2020 yet that's about that 2020

Keith McKeever 11:12

We don't use anymore. Yeah,

Brian Gibson 11:15

it's back there. We're moving forward. Well, during that year, have you a sci fi person because I like Star Trek Voyager.

Keith McKeever 11:28

Not not too big.

Brian Gibson 11:29

Yeah, but you know, I'm a sci fi dude. It's the Year of hell really went through and you know, it that was it. But we almost had to close down because I'm only a certain first class retired. I don't have a big pension. But it it was we got a blessing from the Mount Juliet Baptist Church in Tennessee. Not a huge one, but just kept us going. So we can continue getting the word out, spreading the mission. Right. And that led to the Veterans of Foreign Wars still serving campaign to pick us up and do a story on the mission. Which led to a WSI, LTV three here in Marion, Illinois. To do a story on us which led to a haven of love nonprofit organization they ran a Christian daycare if you can't tell by the paper

Keith McKeever 12:43

walk wallpapers awesome. Yeah.

Brian Gibson 12:47

calling us and saying hey, can you come up here and tell us about your mission? Well of course I'll go anywhere to talk about permission because it's that important took me around all 20 acres through this building and basically asked Hey, can you use this well of course we can. Right? But there's no way we can afford it you know what I mean? So

Keith McKeever 13:21

we we get 40 acres and a building and rehab costs and all that that's

Brian Gibson 13:26

where you're gonna afford this and he goes well, that's good because we're donating to you there's not a lot in this world that surprises me anymore. Okay 26 years then roll the roll a few times done a few things that did

Keith McKeever 13:49

but they hit you right it just I hear you get some tears going

Brian Gibson 13:54

yeah brother it was thank you because prayers work man I'm not gonna lie prayers work you pray it may not work right away but they work sometimes it might be a no because he knows I don't

so that our next board meeting because we are a nonprofit if have a one c three with a board of directors the whole nine yards we all voted hey all right go we're gonna do this and then my my board member when he can we afford to do this and then when? Nope. Not at all. Then he goes, Why are we doing it? That's it because I'm not gonna take a blessing like that and push it off to the side.

Keith McKeever 14:57

He'll look a gift horse in the mouth or whatever. The old saying was Yeah.

Brian Gibson 15:04

So that was August Oh, we oh, he now owns 20 acres in a very large building. Yeah.

When maybe rollback Forward Operating Base rush, because that's what we need this facility? Why? Forward Operating Base, right? Well, we all know what affording operating bases right? To the civilians. Let me explain this. You got the big forks and then you got little ports. That's about the best explanation I can give. About a body

Keith McKeever 15:52

pretty close. Yeah. Little force with less infrastructure. Now, the main forte, yeah.

Brian Gibson 16:00

Ah, this facility is named after certain Courtney rush from the United States Air Force. She lost her fights, to the demons, October 3 2012. By a self inflicted gunshot wound to the head this is how we're going to name all these because we're putting one of these in every state. We're not going to let people forget that the war still continues. When we come home. Okay. Took a lot of flack overnight naming it that you should have named it after somebody had the Medal of Honor. Or a bronze star or this or that. Solid points and I respect that. But nobody wants to talk about the elephant in the room.

Keith McKeever 17:11

It really humanizes attaching a story to it. Yeah. When you know somebody, I mean, we all know that 22 a day, whatever the numbers is, it's a good way to put a name or face, he

Brian Gibson 17:23

came out and it's anywhere from 17 to 74. Man a day, we you know, we haven't gotten the latest numbers because they're saying, well, due to COVID, whatever about ever, our staffing is low. And no, you owe us numbers. Because I want to see what 2020 did to our numbers,

Keith McKeever 17:45

even if it's a little on the low end of an estimate. Even

Brian Gibson 17:50

love it. But I can pretty much guarantee it's not. Because I know personally for a fact, through the network that we have built here in our region. From May 2019 to May 2020 67 of our brothers and sisters lost their life to the demons. 67. And that's within 100 miles of where I'm sitting right now. So yeah. Wow. So when we get this building, updated, and back to code and all the things fixed in it, that need fixed and all that we are going to be able to have those 12 single veterans and two veterans, with their families for up to a year. Amazing.

Keith McKeever 19:06

That's unheard of, you know, that should be repeated, that you're putting two families in there as well as people can stay there for up to a year. And I know the first time I heard a story I was like, well, that's that's your whole idea is new. But the idea of putting families there, because the families need to support to it's not just the service member, the spouse, the children, they need to support they need to structure they need to learn that the mommy or daddy has got some issues, whether they're physical or mental or whatever. They've got some issues to work through and they need some counseling. They need some extra help with whatever that picture looks like.

Brian Gibson 19:45

Yeah, yeah, I mean, people said I'm crazy. I'm crazy. Well, no, this happened to the zoo. Late 2017 I get a call from a veteran out in California are you guys real? Well yeah we're real no is Fort hope real? And I wouldn't brother I'm sorry. But we're not there yet long the short of it is chase that rabbit down the hole right? And we got them help. I want to put that out there just because we didn't do it doesn't mean we didn't take care of this veteran.

Keith McKeever 20:36

Okay. There's a lot of nonprofits a lot of people out there willing to help and that's it. I think network

Brian Gibson 20:42

that's part of us is building that network of hey, working together we can do more. But long story short of it is here is a veteran. Air Force mind you. As 80% disabled living in a minivan car or whatever, you know, with a wife and three kids Hmm. veteran suicide, living in a car row what the next day's gonna bring one thing goes wrong, their car breaks down something like that. That could push that veteran over the edge.

Keith McKeever 21:28

Right? Totally sitting there on that teeter totter. I mean, you're you're just you're just waiting nothing's gonna happen.

Brian Gibson 21:34

Yeah. So I come back to my board and I go hey, guess what? We're gonna do families and they all it but nobody does families said yeah, I understand. But there's a need to we're gonna do families. I understand the insurance cost is going to go up. I understand there. There's a whole nother world when you involve kids especially. But it's got to be done. It's got to be done.

Keith McKeever 22:20

as well. I mean, I wish I knew the statistics. I mean, a lot is going to be a high percentage of veterans get out and have a family. I mean, how many are actually get out and are single still? I have no idea. You know, I'm sure it's closer to 5050 than it is 7030

Brian Gibson 22:42

That number I don't draft. All I know is I got a phone call from a veteran that could do it. No. Okay. Well, we're doing families. And yeah, there's a big cost and all this involved in it in Yeah, but now we're gonna help families man, I can't I've been having meetings the past two weeks a lot of you guys have same question. Because it has to be done. Well, you're You're crazy. You're stupid. Your insurance costs alone well. I don't care. It has to be done. And this is where people like you help us because we've been talking for what a year ago here back and forth, back and forth keeping you updated on you know where we're moving and all this. But we need some help. Yeah.

Okay. So Forward Operating Base rush. We just partner with Cassidy's cause to bring equine therapy here

we are. We've been networking for three years on skill training, whether it be working on cars, motorcycles, welding, electrical, plumbing, whatever, I reached out to a couple other veteran people that are black students. I built the Forge they'll come give the class. Okay, cool.

Keith McKeever 24:33

That's easy enough, right. Easy enough. Should they go on?

Brian Gibson 24:37

Yeah. Okay. That's that's our thing. We're here to give a veteran a safe, secure place for up to a year and to give other organizations to come in, bring their specialty to our brothers and sisters. Whether it be fishing hunting our or vigilant Valkyries is are one of our newer sister charities. They deal strictly with female veterans.

Keith McKeever 25:22

Okay, another underserved veteran community right there.

Brian Gibson 25:26

Right there, right. Their thing is they like doing retreats with female veterans, you know, I call the guys go hunting and fishing, whether that's there's so in the back 20 Here, we're gonna put in weekend candidates, to where a veterans organization such as hers can come. And there you go, use it.

Keith McKeever 25:50

Have fun, hang out, come on up the hill for winter rose to then you go do your thing. Do your thing.

Brian Gibson 25:57

Do you see what you can be in volved with us? Or you can not that's you know, but that saves them a cost because we're not going to charge them for it.

Keith McKeever 26:11

Yeah, hotel rentals and spaces and stuff like that. Yeah.

Brian Gibson 26:15

Yeah. And that invitation goes for every facility we build. We're going to, this is the first but we're going to build one in every state, possibly more. And that's working together. That's our that's where we're going. That's what project I heard is we're going to be that. Hey, whether a veteran needs a day, a weekend? A week, a month, up to a year. So they can get the help they need. Or just come in take a breath ah, I cannot pronounce that name.

Keith McKeever 27:04

No, your face got a comment to me.

Brian Gibson 27:06

Yeah, we are located in Western Kentucky in Southern Illinois. Makanda. Illinois, is where fort Operating Base Rush is located.

Keith McKeever 27:19

Frank by the way, he goes by Frank. He's the founder of cranes ready to eat actually. Yeah.

Brian Gibson 27:26

Yeah. Yeah, dude, I want some of those. So we're gonna get Marines in here I can go here's some frank.

Keith McKeever 27:33

I think everybody wants some cranes ready now. Every time I think about it, I get hungry. Because I've been eating healthy lately. But anyway. So what's the day to day life? What's your vision for that day to day life? You know, for everybody there.

Brian Gibson 27:50

Okay, so we get the building down everybody comes in, right? We're gonna have a gym so they can workout. So the physical aspect, right? We've partnered with emerald counseling here and work with any other counseling that wants to provide counseling for whether group counseling individual counseling it's a veteran on a day to day gets to get up and either go workout in the gym, go to the equine therapy. Go to a class on how to rebuild a motorcycle engine or go down to the blacksmith thing and just find that thing that helps them get calm, cool, and collect now intermitted in that right if you're coming here and you want to help I got it right. Got it. We're not charging you. So all that disability pay and all that stuff you get come in and you get to throw the bank but you are gonna have to go talk to these people that do all that financial planning just to make sure that's all set when you leave.

Keith McKeever 29:19

Yeah, you better have a good plan for that if you're going to save all that money for up to a year and then have that sit there don't wanna Yes, it might blow your money and find yourself homeless two months later.

Brian Gibson 29:31

And then you go on one was again Well, I'm sorry. So we took your bed because we already have a waiting list man.

Keith McKeever 29:42

Well, I'm not surprised. No one as much as I do about what you're doing. It's I'm sure it's growing quickly.

Brian Gibson 29:49

I get more calls for help me than I get for will help you not gonna work.

Keith McKeever 29:57

And that's why that's why need support? We got to get this got to get this up and running.

Brian Gibson 30:03

Yeah, it's Oh, I see. So the proverbial project i heard.org. Right? Is our website.

Keith McKeever 30:18

Yep, I got that scroll down to the bottom of screen for anybody who happens to be watching. Okay,

Brian Gibson 30:23

become that monthly patron. We ask for $22 a month in remembrance of the 22 a day. If you need a t shirt, you can order one through our website. But I don't take a salary. None of my board takes a salary.

The IRS says, As a nonprofit, I only have to put we only have to put 10% of what we bring in to our actual mission. The rest can go to administrative fees. I don't agree with that.

Keith McKeever 31:09

That's that's a big percentage.

Brian Gibson 31:10

That's a huge percentage. I just don't agree with it.

Keith McKeever 31:16

organizations that do that. And not not saying that they're not doing something good with the with.

Brian Gibson 31:25

Could they do better? Yeah, but the organizations that want to do what we're saying is 90% of what we bring in right are usually what they call the hand to mouth missions. Which is great. I love those guys. We bring it in we buy food we take it to the giant keep it up.

Okay, that I want them to do that, but we're doing something bigger. Okay, and I can't give out free T shirts or else whenever we get the new roof put on.

Keith McKeever 32:11

Point. Yep. You know, we're getting insurance paid for the roof put on utility bills paid. We're gonna do that.

Brian Gibson 32:17

How about the gas for the lawn mowers to mow the grass?

Keith McKeever 32:21

Well, you're getting horses, right? She gets goats to your goats can take care of that problem for you, Brian.

Brian Gibson 32:28

Goats in horses require fencing.

Keith McKeever 32:31

Okay, good point. Yeah.

Brian Gibson 32:33

Yeah, look, brother. There was a lot that people don't understand about running a nonprofit in doing this. In whether you get $22 A month or 22,000 a month, you're still a patron. Every patron has the right to come to any facility and see where your funding is going. Okay. But I have to put a caveat to that. When you come to see where your money's going bring muck boots and work gloves because there's going to be something to do

Keith McKeever 33:21

well, you know, you can count on me once once you get to that point. I'm not that far from you.

Brian Gibson 33:27

But yeah, people don't see the the back in there. Yeah, yeah. You can get goats but goats require fencing. What are the most goats get out? Venla. Right. Yeah. Whereas gastrin lawnmower, the weed whackers. I've been up here for this past week just cleaning up tree limbs out of the yard, so we can't mow it.

Keith McKeever 33:59

I'm not sure the winner winner is played. It's a pardon. Dropping all those on you. A lot of trees out there.

Brian Gibson 34:08

Tones. But again, we did not have our volunteers here. Until we cover the insurance. January 1, we started a Patreon drive 100 people giving $22 a month covers the utilities in the insurance at Forward Operating Base rush. That's it. That's what that covers. We have to cover that first before we can move on to the next step.

Keith McKeever 34:55

In this demo, right, this demo that's the fun part.

Brian Gibson 34:59

You Yes, but believe it or not demo cost more than building.

Keith McKeever 35:07

Yes, big dumpsters very cheap, you know.

Brian Gibson 35:10

But again, if the labor cost of demo, right, the demo cost of demoing something to fix something, is, that's what that's the big cost will be new remodel. It's not the new material. It's now that's there's grants for that, that we already qualified for. I know right now, I can make a phone call and probably get a semi truck full of drywall. Where do we put it? You know,

Keith McKeever 35:45

yeah, yeah. You gotta have a nice place to put it. Don't want that to get wet. Yeah, that'll ruiner. Real quick.

Brian Gibson 35:52

We're not ready for the drywall yet. That's what a lot of people don't understand the back end of this. That's where our volunteers come in. Your

Keith McKeever 36:04

muscles when you bring your muscles because there's gonna be a lot of Holland to do.

Brian Gibson 36:09

There's a lot of home to do. Yes. But there's also volunteers that have skill set that I have that can lead part of the remodel, you know what I mean? Yeah, we're gonna have a licensed electrician license, right? Everybody's gonna be licensed. This is going to be the code, this is going to be I spent this morning in a meeting with fire suppression systems. That's fine. That has to be in this building. Because we're bringing it in families. You know, go. So my job is make sure we get the best equipment we can get at the lowest price we can get.

Keith McKeever 37:06

You found local donors that are willing to not only put up some of labor, but some of the materials there. Yeah, awesome.

Brian Gibson 37:15

It is great. But we're not there yet. We got to get the users to get the demo down so we can move on to the next exactly

Keith McKeever 37:24

why we're here not only to shed light on it, but seriously. anybody? Anybody who's listening, you know, consider consider a donation. Even if you can't do $22 a month, just go number.org and donate something to help help get the mission.

Brian Gibson 37:40

Every month. I got one victory. That I know personally. That gives $10 a month. Right? In every month, I want to give him that $10 back. Because I know his situation with him and his family. That $10 Now he's got a house. He's got it right. You say there's but just that that's in dollars could go better serving Him. And we get an argument at least two three times a year, brother here. No. Me and the wife talked we can afford $10 a month for the mission. I will never ask another brother and sister to donate. But if you find it in your heart, I'm not going to say no. I had a meeting. So what are you going to charge the veterans when they come here for the year? I went nothing to go. Well, you're stupid. are you how are you going to make money? I said, we're not here to make money.

Keith McKeever 38:53

We're here to change laws. We're here to keep that guy.

Brian Gibson 38:57

That guy. Yeah, yeah, we're here to make money. I think and I guess that's where people have lost what a nonprofit is. I'm not against people getting a paycheck. I'm really not.

Keith McKeever 39:21

Oh, yeah. Valuable. Yeah. But,

Brian Gibson 39:25

but when you sit by me, yeah, I'm the founder and president cool, whatever. I don't take one. But yet some of my counterparts make $720,000 a year. I can't comfort him that why? $720,000 a year.

Keith McKeever 39:57

That's Everybody's got to put food on their own table and take care of your family. And

Brian Gibson 40:05

I'm not against that. But if you're here to help, help, that's what a nonprofit is for to help those in need. I

Keith McKeever 40:22

would have very hard time myself taking a salary that large, knowing that I'm helping veterans and living that lavish lifestyle. I just, you know, I know personally, I think we're on the same brainwave, you know, not trying to personally attack any of those people. But I just morally couldn't do that.

Brian Gibson 40:42

I'm not either. And what Google Camera

Keith McKeever 40:48

teaches, oh, we all have anything, it's all titled tool, you have the right.

Brian Gibson 40:55

Arrow. If you've seen our website, you've seen my info packet. Anybody can Google this information? I just happen to put it where people can find it a lot easier. Because we all have our own opinions. But when you're wrong, you're wrong. I'm just a guy that's gonna say, Hi. Please explain this. We lost the $500,000 grant, because we don't have any paid employees.

Keith McKeever 41:37

Now, you've told me that before and it's just kind of it's mind boggling. You

Brian Gibson 41:42

know, the mind boggling thing is people coming to you, whoa, look, man, you just take a salary for $1 a year. And you're a paid employee. That's called lying. That's called defrauding the people that give the grant to the organization. You're checking up like this line. And that's why everybody says it's in, you know about because everybody's done this and

Keith McKeever 42:18

don't care what everybody else has done, right? At the end of the day. You're old and on your deathbed. You got to live with yourself, and you got to make peace with the decisions you made in life. Yeah. So I look at it

Brian Gibson 42:30

in I look at it, too. But again, this is what the big paradigm shift is. Is yeah, there's bad people out there that want to take advantage of this system and want to do this. Let's take that couple on that marine that made up the fabrication that got millions of dollars in right and then found out wasn't true. Okay, wait a minute, you know, got it. There's bad people out there. But not all of us are bad.

Keith McKeever 43:07

at all, it takes one name one person one press release of somebody doing something wrong, real legal to ruin it for all of us. Yes, I mean, there's probably millions of nonprofits out there for for veterans. A lot of them are doing things you know, small things here and there and and run them great. doing wonderful things. One one bad apple ruins a whole bunch. Yeah.

Brian Gibson 43:31

I mean, or just your charity, picking them soldiers or takes a month in patient. Right. That's how they do it. They raise money, they take a moment of vision. The benefit to us to working with them is I call Jeremy Anga. Hey, buddy, I got some questions want to go Fisher? What do you got? And they take them because I know they trust them to take them and do what they're going to do and they bring them back. Cool. That's working together. That means we don't have to do it. I don't got to wait. I don't I don't obviously at least I don't have to make all those contacts of hunting and fishing and this and that. Because I got Jeremy who's already done all that legwork is doing an excellent job at it.

Keith McKeever 44:31

Yeah, stay in your lane. Right. Do you do what you do?

Brian Gibson 44:36

Excellent job at it.

Keith McKeever 44:42

Yeah, especially, you know, I, you know, if you're not if you're not into something like, you know, if you're not into pottery, you know, you wouldn't be the best person to have a pottery class or painting. Or if you're not a hunter or fisherman, you're probably not the best person to, you know, to try and run that at your facility. So partner with people that can

Brian Gibson 45:02

yeah that's it it save them money

Keith McKeever 45:08

thank goodness you've got those those connections though because I do think sometimes go down the rabbit hole here with some of the nonprofit's I think sometimes there's a, a resistance to working together with, you know, with other nonprofits for some reason, I don't know why not in all cases, but in some or something, if you build those relationships,

Brian Gibson 45:28

further, I totally understand why. That pool of people that help nonprofits is small and I'm not gonna lie. Okay. And we all need funding. Got it. But people will give to our mission because that's where their heart is. That's why we don't have supporters, we have patrons. There's a difference. Michelangelo, died penniless. But he painted the Sistine Chapel, because he had a patron who loved to paint but couldn't. Alright, I'm willing to give you this apartment and give you all this food and all the paint and all that and I want you to paint this. That's a patron Okay, everybody's gonna have their own little mission. I'm not here to take anything from any other nonprofit, every other nonprofit we work with. We do not take any funds from we've been offered here dude says no,

Keith McKeever 46:49

no, save for your own mission. Right? You gotta get a partner together. That's it. We partners together less than more fishing poles. Because I'm going to have some guys for you. Right? Yeah.

Brian Gibson 47:01

That's it. Or painting supplies or pottery cuz I even got those people lined up to come and teach classes. You're right. I don't do pottery. I don't paint. I know. Somebody asked me once. What do I want to get out of project I heard? And I started with the answer. Everyone helped my brother and they go, no, what do you want out of project? I'm going to tell everybody upfront. My goal out of this is to be able to go to any one of our facilities and slip into a blacksmithing class or a welding class or turn a wrench or sit around the fire pit. And none of my brothers and sisters know who or what I I'm just doc Brian. I'm just that dude that this is another one of them.

Keith McKeever 48:16

Yeah, seeing this guy pop in is like the third time he's been here this year. who this guy is but yeah,

Brian Gibson 48:24

I don't I don't want to be rich. I don't want to be famous.

Keith McKeever 48:30

It's gonna be hard to get rich and rich with the window salary.

Brian Gibson 48:36

I don't need it, I guess

Keith McKeever 48:37

defines how you how you consider rich. Yeah, rich in money or rich in your heart knowing that that you're doing something good for somebody.

Brian Gibson 48:45

And again, I have nothing against veterans that go into business and want to make millions and millions of dollars I have nothing against those guys. I love getting in. But I want them to come and teach the the brothers and sisters that will be staying going hey, you know what? I did this, you can do it too. Let me show you how to do that.

Keith McKeever 49:18

So exactly. One of the things I'm trying to kind of do with this podcast, you know, a highlight nonprofits like you but for some of my other guests to let people know that they've got a battle buddy, that somebody who's been through it, somebody has gone through those paths. They're not alone. They're not the they're not the trailblazer. And you know, there's there's at least one other person that's gone down a similar path that they have and that there's a way to achieve and get better whether that's a gun out of their mouth or needle out of their arm access, get off the streets, whatever, whatever it looks like you know,

Brian Gibson 49:53

again, that's it. Again, or your your arm or your reinvent the wheel This year to polish it up and make it run a little bit more efficiently. 3069 day programs are great. I'm not gonna knock them. All right. But does it really fix the problem?

Keith McKeever 50:17

Yeah, for some, you know, for a percentage it could fix depends what the issues are, but it's not going to be for everybody.

Brian Gibson 50:25

And that's how we decided on a year because all the research we did shows that if you give somebody a purpose, a focus a place a right. For a year, that's where serious change can happen.

Keith McKeever 50:46

Yeah, it takes a long time. Because when you see when you stop and think about it, we all put the uniform on. And whether, you know, I'm gonna, I'm gonna date myself a little bit here. Not that I'm too old, but I went to boot camp Air Force, basic training, but it was only six and a half weeks. It's now eight and a half. But, you know, either went through, you know, six weeks up to what is Marine Corps, I think, like 13 weeks. And so you got heavy indoctrination into life and military. And that, but what did you do after that you went to your AI, T, your tech school, whatever it's called, then you went on to your career. So you, you developed and refined those skills over time. And I think those in my opinion, those 3060 90 day programs are like a boot camp. Yeah, you can get some of the skills, but have you really refined it to be a smooth operator?

Brian Gibson 51:39

Yeah. Again, that's how we figured out that year, that your day. And then again, we're gonna roll back to that family thing his family's important. If it wasn't for my wife putting up with me, me personally. You know, God knows where I'd be.

Keith McKeever 52:09

I feel you on that one. I owe my wife a lot, too.

Brian Gibson 52:12

Yeah, she would. I think all of our spouses deserve to be saints.

Keith McKeever 52:20

Probably should we're, we're all different breed. Yeah. Interesting people. But there's, there's there's nobody quite like, my fellow that sometimes.

Brian Gibson 52:31

We're more, or we're having a conversation with when we go sit across the restaurant or something we don't we talk civilians look at us, like the loony bin let people out.

Keith McKeever 52:45

Yeah, they did. They also gave us a piece paper called a DD 214. Yeah.

Brian Gibson 52:51

You know, again, we, we know how to talk to one another. You know, and I like to estimate that old adage like the Air Force army, Frank over there with this Marine Corps, he got it. Right. We can all sit there and rub on one another. Right? Every branch can. That's great. And, but the first time that civilian pops her head in that conversation, things are just gonna go south, because

Keith McKeever 53:27

a bunch of rabid dogs, you know, hey, yeah.

Brian Gibson 53:32

Who are you? And what do you have to put into this conversation? Well, you're giving him a hard turn. Yeah, he's a Marine. What do you expect?

Keith McKeever 53:43

He can take it? If you can't say he get out of the kitchen.

Brian Gibson 53:47

Yeah. Yeah. You know, it's it. But civilians don't get that. Next, the same thing, two of our volunteers, I got, I got to be able to never put on a uniform volunteer. Right. So we get to teach them a just because you see this they're not crazy. Go meet them, you'll realize he's a he's a great dude. Or she's a great lady. You know, go meet him.

Keith McKeever 54:19

We need to do more of that is the veteran community break down those walls between us and civilians? Not that we need to let them have a seat at the campfire and tell us you know, crazy when we're when we're telling tell stories, but I was just in clubhouse the other day, and it was a civilian in there. And she's like, Look, I'm a civilian and I have no military, my family. And she's like, you know, she's like, you guys mind if I ask you some questions. And so I mean, I can't remember exactly where questions were, but they weren't. They weren't like telling me war stories type questions, but just like a general understanding of military. She was i Thanks for kind of telling me these things. You know, we all realize we finally broke down one wall, one person kind of understood us a little bit better. You know, in that's what it takes sometimes for the civilians, that were not approachable. Come talk to us. Just just don't give us a hard time about her hazing each other.

Brian Gibson 55:19

You just come up to me out of nowhere. If you can't tell I'm a bottom line up front person. But what do we

Keith McKeever 55:32

get? You, you know, don't don't sugarcoat things just be real and authentic.

Brian Gibson 55:37

But once you get to know me, you realize, okay, he's not that much of a Hard Eight, a, you know, it's, he knows he has. But every veteran puts on that, that shield of No, you're not going to mess with my emotions again, you know. But once you get inside, you realize that we're human. We have feelings. We just don't show it as well as some people. There.

Keith McKeever 56:16

Yeah, everybody kind of, I think one or two things, in my opinion by non mental health opinion. I think we do one or two things as some people were those emotions and everything. Way to outwardly, and and lash out and have problems. Or you have other people who, you know, for years have a hard time talking about their experiences, they just put up a wall and you just be the right person to have the key, you know, a fellow veteran to unlock that door and peek in behind and see what's really going on. Because I can tell you my business as a realtor. Nobody I work with really knows that much about me and my experiences of war. Unless they happen to be watching. No, yeah, but

Brian Gibson 56:58

but again that was part of my issue was I brought all that inside there all that pain and stuff that I use the alcohol to try to kill the pain that led to the giving up that almost ended my life. Okay, got it. There's, we're human. I know my brothers and sisters are out there. And I gotta tell them look, stay strong. Talk. Even if you don't have to go to the wall and talk. Talk it out.

Keith McKeever 57:50

It helps you find your thing. Yeah, whatever the hell it is. As long as it's constructive and safe.

Brian Gibson 57:58

And safe. It doesn't get you barred from Annapolis, Maryland. I really don't remember the weekend but apparently I'm never allowed back in there. So

Keith McKeever 58:17

I confirm or deny if I've had nights like that in my life where I don't remember anything. Maybe a few of them. Yeah, on more fingers than I have that I can count I think

so what is your you know, with with this fob, that's that's really your your first domino. I know, you got bigger plans than that. So what's the next step after that? Once you have everything set up, and you got people in there and things are rolling. What's the second step was plan B, plan C, Plan D, you know, after

Brian Gibson 58:59

that's already set up, ma'am. It's once we get this up and rolling, right? Then we go build the next one. Then we go build the next one. And then we go build the next one. Until every state has one, including Alaska and Hawaii. And if you want the directorship for Hawaii, you better prove yourself beyond measure. Okay. We have people Hey, I'll be the director for the ye basilica when you build it. Okay. Help build the other 49 first before we go over water again.

Keith McKeever 59:44

Yeah, yeah, that would be that'd be an interesting one. But you fill those seats pretty quick. Just saying. Yeah,

Brian Gibson 59:52

yeah. Hawaii, I think I can staff pretty easy.

Keith McKeever 59:56

And no offense to like New Hampshire and Maine and Vermont. aren't in Montana, but I'm sure Hawaii will fill up faster.

Brian Gibson 1:00:05

Yeah. But yeah, but no, that's, that's next. That's it. That's, that's the driving force. It keeps me going, I'm not gonna lie. This, this is kind of my therapy.

I asked God for a mission. I gotta warn people when you ask him for something, he doesn't do anything small. Okay? Just I'm just gotta warn people.

Keith McKeever 1:00:42

I am not a religious person to people that know me would know that. But I would agree, you know, the same kind of thing kind of happened to me. And I tell you what, I didn't even realize it. Until this last year, that, you know, I've been involved with the auto flight program, taking veterans to DC for for a number of years now for five, six years, whatever it's been. And I guess I knew in the back of my mind, there was a lot of therapy involved to being around fellow vets and having a mission doing something. It's in the veteran community. And then, you know, unfortunately, with COVID, no flights happened last year. And I didn't realize until this year, how much I missed it. And this podcast honestly, is the fill some of the void, but it doesn't feel all. I'm I am so beyond ready to get back and have a mission and be at the airport and send 75 Guys on an airplane to DC again. I can't wait.

Brian Gibson 1:01:41

It look. Got it. Got it in. That's it. It's yeah. I love that honor flight. In fact, we had a I had a question the other day. So what if a veteran goes you from Oregon? And then you get all the way to Illinois? Where you got placed for that? I said nothing. Yeah, wait, what do you mean? So we haven't happened yet. But we'll figure it out.

Keith McKeever 1:02:17

You can't plan for a bunch of crazy, you know, things that you a million things could happen. Come up with a plan when you got to when you got a problem?

Brian Gibson 1:02:25

No, no, we'll figure it out before that. But, hey, let's get the utilities and the insurance covered personally and get the demo done. So we can get the building back to code so we can get the veterans in here. And then we can have a place when they call to figure out how to get him here. Yeah, that $22 a month come in or the $10 a month or yet they did the math yesterday. If anybody's got 15,000 laying around that will cover utilities and insurance for a year. It then you got to

Keith McKeever 1:03:05

insert military class put stop right there. Yeah. 15,000 rounds. You got a buddy who does whatever. Yeah, yeah.

Brian Gibson 1:03:13

Again, project during her tweet to on Facebook as our Facebook page sheroes Lycos, that's how we're gonna get known you, your brother, your brother helping us get known. I will never authorize $10 million for a Superbowl ad.

Keith McKeever 1:03:37

I just can't. Yeah, yeah, that's, uh, money can be used in many other ways, a lot better.

Brian Gibson 1:03:45

But, again, if you see an ad on TV for nonprofit, you might want to think about why you're giving them money. Because if they can spend money to do ads, what are they really doing?

Keith McKeever 1:04:06

Target Point,

Brian Gibson 1:04:07

I'm just, I'm just putting it out there that

Keith McKeever 1:04:10

those ads aren't cheap, new, I mean, I can tell you, you know, personally, just putting an ad on Facebook is you know, while it's a lot cheaper than a billboard, or a TV commercial, it's still not necessarily cheap, if you're doing a handful of them, and you want to reach anybody. Yeah. It's very much a grassroots effort, you know, trying to do any fundraising. And honestly, you know, I'm always sitting here thinking you know, it's kind of tough when you can't get out and really be around a whole lot of people you know, but I'm trying to think of you know, creative ways up here. You know, how we can try and do some fundraising up here and off some sort of event for you where I'm at and you know, even if it raises like we always say any honor flight, you know, if we have an event we we get a $20 bill dropped off and that's it. It's 20 bucks more than we had. Yeah, you know, everything we can do so I'm think I'm constantly thinking about Brian.

Brian Gibson 1:05:03

Oh, hey, check this out. Check this out. We just We do an annual fill the cam challenge, right with the ammo can and no place of business between Memorial Day and the Fourth of July the business that raises the most in that camp gets a trophy with their name on little brass plaque that they get to display in their place of business. Until the next one. Right it's pretty killer trophy. Witten got back humanized again today. Right. And barbershop is our first 2021 Fill the game challenge for just a bit you know,

Keith McKeever 1:06:03

God, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Well, that really helps.

Brian Gibson 1:06:07

That's our annual fundraiser. That's our big annual fundraiser. We do a social media blitz at the time, the whole line. And that's not for our $20 month patrons. That is strictly for Hey, you got to know if you want to put it in to build again, you can tell us because we put out who's entered. And if you make a donation to us, and you say I wanted to go to this game, right, this business, that's where it goes. So you can support your business from anywhere, you know, if you grew up around this area, and then you know, J Mac barbecue, because they were a participant last year, they're probably gonna do it again this year. And they got great barbecue. But if you miss if you want to help J Mac barbecue because used to eat there every Saturday, you're going to have that opportunity.

Between Memorial Day and July 4. That's our annual fundraiser. And you're right, anything we get is going to help. We always do fundraisers is just getting creative.

Keith McKeever 1:07:28

That's that's definitely the trick. You got to find out what works. You know, it's gonna be different from

Brian Gibson 1:07:33

what you can do nowadays. Because you're right, you can't have 200 people. I don't know, man. You could, but some somebody is gonna have an issue with it.

Keith McKeever 1:07:45

You're gonna get some bad PR probably. Yeah. Not all bad, I guess. Yes. So

Brian Gibson 1:07:54

again, if you want to come to our event, we're going to be we are going to start doing events again. If you want to come come you want to wear a mask? wear a mask if you don't, you know, I don't I'm a simple man. Man.

Keith McKeever 1:08:17

So yeah. That's really all questions. I

Brian Gibson 1:08:22

have anything to talk about. You have questions at the end, you want to ask?

Keith McKeever 1:08:28

Yes. Yeah, that's a questions I asked everybody. And so it's always interesting to hear everybody's opinion on these. So first question is what advice would you give to somebody who's looking to transition out of out of uniform today,

Brian Gibson 1:08:44

on a uniform today, you get ready to leave the service. Take advantage of every trade transition program, you can do not be in a hurry. To get the stamp to clear the base. You're entitled to this transitioning programs that Congress told the DoD you must put in place. Use them, make your command use them, you have that your right as you're leaving the service, transitioning out you have your timeframes to go and get the how to build a resume class how to do this class how to do that quick. Go and take them and take them seriously. It's not a check the block

Keith McKeever 1:09:40

it's not not like all the other tasks you have to take, you know, yeah, somebody's signature medical and the dental unit and all that stuff. You know, it's it's good, good advice.

Brian Gibson 1:09:50

Yeah. Take take what yours when you leave the service automatically file with the veterans and ministration whether you have an issue or you don't have an issue file, because the longest part of getting benefits if you if you're dealing with them is getting to that point or saying yes or no. So once you file it, you're in the system. Okay, you're in the system as important.

Keith McKeever 1:10:33

The longer you wait to read the last argument.

Brian Gibson 1:10:40

Well, St. Louis magically has fires and computers go glitch magically about every 10 years to the VA. So yeah, make a copy of everything you do with the with with. I mean, if you were not told when you joined the military that when that bridge gives you a piece of paper, you copy it before it goes anywhere else it used to get in your folder.

Keith McKeever 1:11:08

At least a paper copy. If not digital copy. That's not a bad idea to Yeah,

Brian Gibson 1:11:12

but copy copy. You have a copy of it.

Keith McKeever 1:11:16

Yep. I've known a few people have gotten stuck in at St. Louis fire situation over the years. Yeah, yes. Records. Yes. Yeah, I guess I guess things happen. So what's, uh, what would be your advice for somebody who's looking to join a military today?

Brian Gibson 1:11:37

Be sure your reason to join? Okay, whether it's the job security, whether it's the skill training, or service to country, wherever your motivation to join the military. In whether you do one tour, or you do 26. Get out of it, what you can get out of it. Somebody asked me once, oh, we should bring back the draft new. No.

Keith McKeever 1:12:21

Terrible idea.

Brian Gibson 1:12:22

I am a perfect pet. What I did for 26 years. I was a soldier and that was my profession. less than 1% of it, do it. But now that's our profession.

So when you go in there, it's going to be tough, it's going to be hard. But understand why you join Keep telling yourself I joined because of getting this money to pay off this or I'm getting the GI bill or whatever you do. Keep that in your mind as you're going through all the training and all the tech schools and all that and when you get your first duty station and everybody makes fun of you and all that Ubu but do the best you can.

Keith McKeever 1:13:06

So great advice. So the last question, Brian, this one This one always really intrigues me. Because sometimes I use new resources sometimes I don't. So what what organizations or other nonprofits that are out there doing some good things that you'd like to give a shout out to for what they're doing.

Brian Gibson 1:13:28

Pick it out on soldier's heart. tankful love hugs project. Cassidy's cause vigilant Valkyries I can't announce that last one because we just had that meeting yesterday. These are these are our sister charities. I will always give them a shout out man. I will always go to our website you can see them

Keith McKeever 1:13:55

you can go down right there towards the bottom of the page, aren't they? If I remember it?

Brian Gibson 1:13:58

Yeah, you can click on them and they'll take it right to their thing. Okay, because only together are we going to win this war and veteran suicide and only together okay,

Keith McKeever 1:14:16

there's like, that's it? Yeah, you don't you don't normally I mean, you could get help or get through things. You're your own self. If you're struggling with something but most of the time most people need somebody with them. And just like you know, the organization's also need somebody with them to partner. And, you know, it's

Brian Gibson 1:14:40

and again, we're, this is what we're gonna do. We're if you have an organization, and you're one of our sister charities, when you call when Jeremy calls me

and says Amen, I got this. I get this. Keith do Did needs replace?

Who do you think? You don't I mean it and call it whatever you want. I don't I'm gonna get some flack for this. I know I am.

But when one of my sister charity calls and says, I found a veteran that needs your services, right? Guess who goes to the top of the list? Why? Because I know my sister Jerry's. And I don't have to go through the vetting process.

Keith McKeever 1:15:44

I thought that's really Yeah. I mean, you've already done some checks. And they've already done

Brian Gibson 1:15:48

all that. You know what I mean?

Keith McKeever 1:15:53

Yeah, no, I mean, do what you got to do. And if they've already helped you out and giving some of that process, it makes sense. Well, again, you know, I mean, it's your organization or, you know, you run it, how you want to run it. Regardless what anybody says, you make

Brian Gibson 1:16:11

this when you come to one of our facilities, I'm not going to judge you, man. But I'm going to tell you, you have up to a year, you're not going to come here and not participate and not flew forward. Because there's a brother or sister sitting behind you that wants the help. And needs the help. Call it tough love. But we have a finite number of resources. Even with all of us working together. We don't have time for people that just want to milk the system.

Keith McKeever 1:16:58

That means you're gonna be sweeping and mopping floors and doing KP duty and all that stuff. Right? Yeah.

Brian Gibson 1:17:05

You know what I mean? It's, yeah, if you come here, you're going to be given back. There's a front people noticed, if you're living here for a year free, you're going to give some hours back every week to the building do the mission. What that entails I don't know yet. But you're going to be given some time back.

Keith McKeever 1:17:30

KP duty and gi parties and no. Night?

Brian Gibson 1:17:41

Dance. Yeah. Yeah. It won't be called Kiki, I guarantee. You know, but yeah, there's going to be a myriad of ways that the our residents can help.

Keith McKeever 1:17:57

I think that's really helps with that process to work with other people, having other people around you. Playing your part, playing in that little microcosm of society,

Brian Gibson 1:18:12

playing your part and learning that now that you are better.

Go help your brother or your sister get better. That's something I'm going to instill in our recipe there.

Keith McKeever 1:18:27

Yo, pay it forward, right? Always. Yep. Awesome. Well, Brian, it's been awesome to have you on here and, and spread the word about what you're doing and, and hopefully turn us into a couple of donors for you. It's been on Facebook and YouTube when we had frank and a few other people tuning in. So we get out there and share the heck out of your message. You know, both the audio and the video and keep on line next time. I'll talk to you hopefully, hopefully, you're under 45. You know, make it zero next time.

Brian Gibson 1:19:01

Dude, I would love that. You know, we do that Friday at Pride mission of me. Now. I

Keith McKeever 1:19:09

was gonna say that. Yeah, I look forward to when I can catch it. If not, I tell you. I do watch it later that night. I look forward to that every week now.

Brian Gibson 1:19:17

Yeah, we do that mission update. And you never know who what guest I'm gonna have because I got some strict criteria who I'm gonna bring on. Right? Just because it's the mission and

Keith McKeever 1:19:34

don't want any bumbling idiots

Brian Gibson 1:19:39

that is a surgeon my brother, I'm really babynames but our next week guest he just posted today. He's going to New York City to be in the Wheelchair Games. Praise but he's My next guest he's he's the guest this Friday. Because here's this dude that went from losing legs. Right? To teaching sports in the care, to getting a team together to go to New York City and compete this year.

Keith McKeever 1:20:29

Dude had the right mindset for sure. Awesome.

Brian Gibson 1:20:36

Totally. Yeah. But that's this Friday apart. We do one every Friday at five.

Keith McKeever 1:20:43

Central Standard Time, right, five Central Standard Time. schedules a page

Brian Gibson 1:20:47

on our Facebook page. You know, it's a lot of people have been asking, you got to do this. You got to do this. Look, I don't want to I'm not that dude. You've seen him? I'm sure three to the boy.

Keith McKeever 1:21:06

Hey, it's all good. I think that's a trade a lot of us end up having after the military. Give me the facts. Give me the information later on.

Brian Gibson 1:21:13

Yeah. I just I just said that from over to one of my board. One of my volunteers calls on the veteran and he was like, give me ABC. I don't need to know everything. What's the issue? So we've already figured out a plan how to help them. Are you a video on that? No, I don't. We're helping them.

Keith McKeever 1:21:42

Yeah, I'm gonna do a video. Let's do a video after you help them right. You know,

Brian Gibson 1:21:46

if that wants to do the video exactly.

Keith McKeever 1:21:48

Yeah, absolutely.

Brian Gibson 1:21:51

I will never use my brothers and sisters to give me no, I won't do it. Call me. I don't care. If that veteran wants to do a video, we'll figure it out. But I'm not gonna bug them for it.

Keith McKeever 1:22:09

I've got no doubt though, that you'll have a few that will volunteer to share their story. Just know the impact that you'll have.

Brian Gibson 1:22:16

Oh, we'll get there. All right. I'll

Keith McKeever 1:22:20

get to it anyway. So once again, thanks, Brian, for being here. Project. diehard.org is where you can go out, find more information and make that make a step to being a patron. And so once again, Brian, thanks for thanks for tuning in. We're dropping into back here and play a play little final message.

Brian Gibson 1:22:36

Alright, have a good one.

Keith McKeever 1:22:39

And that is it, folks. Thanks for tuning into the episode today. We really appreciate you taking a listen or watch. Please remember, we have a website www battle buddy. podcast.net. We're always trying to add more resources there. So please go check it out. And if you have ideas for extra resources, please reach out to us and let us know what you think we can add to the website. Don't forget, you can listen to this podcast places such as Spotify, Apple Music, Google podcast, anchor and many more. And don't forget, hit the like and subscribe button on any of our social media channels. And finally, if you're feeling like you're at the end of your rope, and you need some extra help, please reach out to a battle buddy. Or you can call the National Suicide Hotline at 800-273-8255 No matter what you do brothers and sisters, get the help you need. Because we want you here tomorrow

Transcribed by https://otter.ai