Transcript from Episode 1 with Jeff Sikes. Jeff is an Army veteran of the 82nd Airborne. Join us as we discuss his traumatic brain injuries, suicide attempts, service animals, and the path to healing! Jeff has an amazing story and makes for one heck of a kick-off episode so strap in and enjoy the show.

Interview

Keith McKeever 0:02

All right, everybody. Welcome to the battle buddy podcast. I've got Jeff Sykes with me here. And we're gonna talk about a lot of interesting things today. So hold on. Welcome to the battle buddy podcast with Keith McKeever. All right. Like I said, I got Jeff Sykes on here. Jeff, I've known you for what, maybe two or three years since you went on our flight. And we got some awesome and interesting things to talk about here. So go ahead and introduce yourself. Who are you? Where are you from? Would you do in the military, things like that.

Jeff Sikes 0:32

My name is Jeff Sykes. I'm from originally I grew up in Green Valley, Illinois, little small farming town. I then work for eight and a half years. When the surge was called by President Bush, I felt it necessary to join, I joined and became a member of a second airborne. served in Iraq, I got Iraq metal with a campaign star. I've got a medal for going on over 150 combat missions. The archive got injured go. Second traumatic brain injury. The first medical injury was because of an Iraq incident. The second traumatic brain injury was due to a parachute injury. I got discharged from the army in September of 2010. Medically, I then got involved, kind of with the VA, but not really at that point. I, you know, was just going to once a year primary visits and that was it. I was not worried about getting my health better or anything. My wife at the time, she was a severe diabetic. She passed away in August of 2011. From diabetes, she went to a diabetic coma, and they couldn't pull

Keith McKeever 2:00

her out of it. Now I'm sorry here that I didn't know that

Jeff Sikes 2:03

I had. When I got discharged from the army medically, I got discharged with my first service dog Reese. So he was at my site when when I lost my wife and then due to losing my wife, I decided to move from North Carolina back to Central Illinois. I mean, race, found a place in Pekin and morale because of all the things that had happened in my life. I was a suicidal person. And my first suicide attempt, I tried to hang myself in my basement of my Pekin house that I found and reached, knowing that I was left side effect, it knew what side that he had to put his weight on to keep me from kicking the chair out from under me. And I ended up getting to the point to where I had my first contact with the crisis hotline at that point. Thanks to race, you know, being a stubborn little dog, and then, you know, but he went everywhere with me and went to church with me, he went, you know, everywhere. And, and it was during that time that I that I actually found Christ, you know, was I was going to church in Pekin, Illinois, Faith Baptist, and that's when, you know, Christ came into my life and became, you know, because he kept me around for a reason. But of course, you know, having a hard time dealing with everything that's going on in my life. I was drinking heavily at the time, and I thought it'd be wise to go ahead and try to kill myself again. So I ended up trying to kill myself again by I went and took a moped and knew where there was a T intersection to where I thought it you know, because I had it souped up to where I can get the moped up to 85 miles per hour. Yeah,

Keith McKeever 3:52

it's a different story right there.

Jeff Sikes 3:59

I knew where this T was gonna kill myself. I knew not to have my dog with me because he knows how to, you know, apparently saved my life. You know, I thought well, this would be a way and and that's what I ended up getting my third brain injury. Like I said, one from the war one from the parachute injury and then one from now, this moped thing I tried to do. And, you know, reach was still at my side, and he was a constant thing in my life. And well, because of my suicide attempts, the VA decided that I needed to be under my parent's care full time. And if not there to go to a nursing home. I had my choice. Being 42 years old, I knew that I didn't, I didn't want to be in a nursing home. I mean, no, no, nobody wants that.

Keith McKeever 4:42

No, no, that's not a bright, fun, exciting kind of place to be. It's pretty dark and dreary. I mean, I think it would make it worse, being kind of situation like that. So my

Jeff Sikes 4:55

parents took me and and you know, me being a complex person that I was because I had The brain injury and because I have the PTSD, you know, from all the combat missions, they, there was some problems and they were, we were on vacation up in Wisconsin and they put me on a bus because they're sending me to Danville to go get checked into the mental. Well, man race, we're in downtown Indianapolis because that's where the bus transferred from the Wisconsin bus down to Indianapolis and then over to the over to the Danville office. Yeah, you know, but we got off the bus and we realized that, you know, now's the time for us to make a change in our life. And, and we went and got a hotel room and got in touch with the Indianapolis VA, I got in touch with a very good psychologist there who was able to work with me to, you know, help me get through the, the stresses that I was having and helped me to gain my independence. Through that, therapist in Indianapolis, she wanted me to try horse therapy with reached out to, to see how I would do with horse therapy because, you know, we had done a lot of different types of therapies like exposure therapy and things like that.

Keith McKeever 6:10

I never heard a horse therapy that is interesting. Well, I actually

Jeff Sikes 6:13

they came along twice, so but in order for the hoarser, b2b bought, they had to have you had to be through Wounded Warrior Project. Well, it'd be a part of Road Warrior Project you have to be 50% or above combat injured veteran, and I was you know, 50% or 90%, you know, combat injured veteran. So I got to be a part of Wounded Warrior program. And they started me in this horse therapy over there in Indianapolis and, and I learned a lot from that because the horse reflects how you feel inside, not how you're trying to show everybody else but how you feel inside and so you have to learn how to calm yourself and and when you're around the horse. And that's what it's all about is just spending time with the horse to get to know the horse to you know, have something that you could still have control over but learn how to control yourself while having control over something else.

Keith McKeever 7:07

That's really interesting. I don't know a whole lot about horses I grew up west of here I'll buy Farmington so, that was the Farmington farmer. Yeah, I was in had classes and, and FFA and all that stuff growing up. So I'm understand horses a little bit, but I was never a horse rider. But it totally makes sense. When you stop and think about it. have, you know how they're gonna react to you. And I can see where there's a healing thing there. Yeah, you know, the trust and mutual trust, because they can be dangerous and horse can buck you off, kick you up in a lot of things, you got to build that trust. So that is really, really neat.

Jeff Sikes 7:42

So that's how I got involved with Wounded Warrior Project. Well, they have this other thing where it's called Project Odyssey where you know, it's supposed to help with PTSD and since that's what I was struggling with, at the time that I went to go try it out well, because of my disabilities. I wasn't able to participate fully with everything, you know, me and race had to sit around a lot, you know? Well, they recognize that because they're a wonderful program, and they developed a thing it's for combat injured veterans with either a brain injury or spinal cord injury, you get put into a program called the independent program. It's out of Wounded Warrior Project. And what they do is they they help you to reengage because that first year that I was in Indianapolis, the only time I left my apartment was to check the mail and take reach to the rooftop to go to the bathroom. And that was the only time I stepped foot on my bat out of my apartment.

Keith McKeever 8:37

Onto the rooftop and go to the bathroom.

Jeff Sikes 8:39

Yeah there was they had a dog park on the rooftop

Keith McKeever 8:44

All right. For me too. I was like

Jeff Sikes 8:47

it was down there on the canal and Indianapolis it was a dog park on the on the rooftop and a gourmet burger place down in the basement so I didn't know

Keith McKeever 8:57

that's interesting. I guess when you grow up in the Midwest here you know I mean when our biggest city is Peoria you don't really think about you know some of those unique things of living in a city I would have never never guessed that burger thing to burger restaurant basement doesn't surprise me too much but don't park on the roof does.

Jeff Sikes 9:15

But but when you know and unfortunately you know with with the horse therapy and all that I I got out a little bit more and I was doing good. I was taking reach to sporting events there in Indianapolis we were going to see you know the Colts versus the bears and different things that would happen you know the Pacers vs balls you know whatever the case would be where one of my teams was involved. You know, I made sure I was there. And and they also got me to the point to where I was actually a season ticket holder for even on the Cubs fan. You know, obviously my service dog now her name is Wrigley but you know, I love live baseball. I'm just that person that loves to watch live baseball so as a season ticket holder to the Indianapolis Indians which is a pirate minor league team, you know, but that was able to get out of my apartment and start To be a part of community again. And then unfortunately in November of 2016, and Rhys passed away due to cancer. So my immediate thing was to try to get a service dog. And, you know, with the help of the therapist that I described, the one that had really helped me a lot. She she got me in touch with, you know, I can which gave me my second service dog, which was Kojak. He was a golden lamb.

Keith McKeever 10:28

So when you had when you went on the Honor Flight,

Jeff Sikes 10:31

on the Honor Flight, and anyway, I, I felt really blessed. And I was asked to come back to Illinois to help with my son, he was going finishing up his last year of high school, and he was wanting, needing a place to stay. So could I come home and come back to Illinois and, and try to do that, and, well, I wanted to but the apartment that I lived in the apartment complex, I lived, it was furnished. So I mean, I had all their furniture was there, so I didn't have any furniture. So once again, when it was stepped up, and they got a hold up salute, Incorporated, and, you know, these are things that, you know, veterans can be, you know, vetted for, you know, if you're a veteran veteran, and you're a good veteran, you can go to these places and get the help you need well, so Luke, Incorporated, they got ahold of the Chicago Italian American charitable organization, Chaco. Natural heard of my problem, and they gave me $10,000 To buy me in my son's furniture for my, my apartment that I had over there at the, you know, grandparent, you know, apartments,

Keith McKeever 11:36

wow. $10,000,

Jeff Sikes 11:38

that $1,000 To buy to account for furniture, you know, so I was truly blessed to be able to have that.

Keith McKeever 11:46

I mean, I can go a long ways, depending on where you shop, you know, it's, I can I can furnish a lot.

Jeff Sikes 11:51

Yeah. Well, I was able to furnish both of us and we had really nice furniture, and it was a true blessing. You know, it's truly blessed. And, you know, and I started thinking about, you know, all these people, you know, given to me, it's time that I, you know, gave back so I was looking for a place to start volunteering. Well, in the meantime, I just get back to Illinois, and wounded warrior wants to send me on a project. Well, I mean, they want to send me to an event up in Wisconsin, so I have to go to the airport, get my plane and they pay for the whole thing. And they'd find me up there to go this event for it was for alternative sports. It was for people who had disabilities to learn if there's any other sport that they could play if they love sports. Okay, yeah, it was one of the events that they do that really helped, you know? So anyway, I took me in Kojak went up there to that, but on our way to the event, I was at the pure airport, I walk into the pure airport. And of course, I'm going to a wounded warrior event. So I have all my wounded warrior gear on and, you know, my army stuff on and you know, trying to represent and, and I get I get stopped by this lady. She's like, Oh, honey, you're way early. They won't be back till 10 o'clock tonight. And it was Phyllis from outer fight.

Keith McKeever 12:59

Okay. I was wondering how you know, all that happened? Yeah. I mean, I met you that day. I think the day that you flew with us for so many years ago, Jack and I don't I don't know where that all came from?

Jeff Sikes 13:09

Well, this is I'll get to that. That's this is a truly amazing thing. And so I told her that No, I was on my way to, and I'll, you know, to a wounded warrior event. I was like, but I wanted to get the information about her organization, because I was just thinking that I needed to start giving back. And then this lady shows up and says, you know, almost immediately, Oh, honey, you're way early. So yeah, I was like, I need to get information. So I started. I, you know, got vetted, because you got to be vetted to or, you know, to, to be one of the the people that help, you know, we because we want the best around our veterans. And so I got my first night of volunteering. I did that that the dinner before the June 5, okay. Yeah. And me and codec sat, and we signed everybody in, you know, to the ITU club and, you know, had them, you know, help them to their seat, you know, if needed, and we did what we could, you know, and that was my first night volunteering, and then, on the way home from that Phyllis calls me, and she says, What are you doing in the morning? And I said, Well, where do you mean me because I was thinking she needed somebody to volunteer, you know, to help with the send off or something, you know, so I wanted to be helpful. And she said, No, we need you to be on the plane. We want you in Kojak to come with us. So apparently, somebody wasn't able to make it to that flight. And so they gave me an Kojak that see.

Keith McKeever 14:32

Yeah, I haven't been involved with Phyllis in the checking stuff before. There's always almost every single flight, there's somebody who drops off where a medical issue comes up, or they can't make it for whatever reason, there's usually one or two vets that will drop off in the last few days. And so you know, sometimes it's paying for role playing. So we might as well get somebody in that seat. They can go enjoy it and help out and you know, and do something nice for him. So There's been a few people. So that's good that there was couple seats open for you guys.

Jeff Sikes 15:03

And it was amazing. And I, you know, got to get to go and see, you know, these veterans around the wars that they were in and I got to see the emotion and the care and the still love in their eyes for what they believe in. It was, it was just an amazing experience and a blessed experience for me to be a part of that, you know,

Keith McKeever 15:22

it is something else I've been, I think, five or six times. And it's the emotion that look when they they see each one. You don't think the Lincoln monuments as big as it is, you know, the World War Two was just so big. You know, I mean, so much when you look at all the gold stars, you know, each one of them's got their unique thing. You know, I won't lie to anybody who ever watches this in the future. I have shed a couple of tears the Vietnam wall, when you see 15,000 Plus names I've had,

Jeff Sikes 15:53

I've had, you know, family members in every war since you know, Korea that World War Two, you know, so, I mean, all those monuments, getting to see the different veterans react to them, I would just picture whether it was my dad's War, Vietnam or my grandfather's war, you know, career of World War Two, you know, I just didn't pictured them, of what they're, you know, and that's what that's what made it real for me.

Keith McKeever 16:15

Absolutely. That's what keeps you going as a volunteer to, you know, once you've seen it, because not all of our volunteers have ever had the chance to go, we get some of them, they go as guardians, or even some vets, they go in and they come back and they want to be volunteers. And the ones that have been have seen that, look, they've seen the emotion, you've seen the healing, the Vietnam vets get it the Vietnam wall. So it's a pretty powerful thing. You'll see it.

Jeff Sikes 16:41

So I get back from from the Honor Flight and, and I'm melawati. For two weeks, I decided to Okay, two weeks is long enough to get married because I have the brain injuries three of one. So I do act impulsively at times, I was married to this lady and I get a call from Wounded Warrior Project. Once again, this is about maybe six months into it. And they said we need you to pack a three day bag. We need to get you to a hotel room, we've already paid for it. Just go there. And we'll explain when you get there. Well, you know, of course it causes an argument when husband's packing and trying to leave for three days without explaining

Keith McKeever 17:22

Thank, you can't

Jeff Sikes 17:26

when I finally made it to the hotel, that's when they informed me that the lady I married had 10 different names for different birthdays and three different social security numbers. All tighter. So I knew that I had to get away from that. And, you know, the people with like our flight into the valid divided places that I belong to like the VFW and the Navy Marine Club, where you got to show who you are to belong. You know, they really took care of me during that time and, and really made me feel like I belong to something.

Keith McKeever 17:58

Good. Well, you do belong there that you've heard it just like everybody else is

Jeff Sikes 18:02

put on arguing with when I was arguing with the wife. You know, while I was packing, I accidentally smoked a cigarette in front of Kojak. And apparently they're due to the icon thing the contract that I signed is I would not smoke a cigarette in front of the service dog. And so Kojak got taken away. Well, I happen to be able to voice my concerns at the Veterans Affair committee with Representative Darin LaHood you know of what was going on and, and you know, I tried to get a service dog but because I had Wrigley who was a puppy and then the puppy that they were going to start me off with would also be three months and two three months, dogs at the same time trying to make one service dog one night just wasn't going to work. And they pointed that out. That was through freedom cos you know, there are chilla coffee in there. Good service dog organization. I'll get a bunch to them later. But okay, yeah, go going on with the story is what I did was, I got a hold of my case manager with Wounded Warrior Project because I'm in that independent program where they even hire a caregiver to come 15 hours a week to help me to make sure that I'm maintaining my life and doing what I'm supposed to do. You know that and I could take Wrigley to they came up with the idea of me taking regulate the training and just follow the training that freedom paws Did you know they do the three step training? Where's the basic, intermediate and advanced? You know, and that's how they they they process the go through, you know, some of their training. And so I just modeled my Wrigley's training after that, and I got it through the beginning class and the intermediate class. And you know, now I'm having to do task training and that's where she's at today. She's doing task training, but they wounded warrior said, Hey, let's just train regularly as your service dog but then after I started your training, and I explained, you know, during the Veterans Affairs Committee, what I was doing during EPA representative during the hood, put together or support a bill where we're Veterans can have their choice of their own service dogs as long as they follow the process and get them trained appropriately that we have the we have the right to do this, you know, but because I follow, you know, Freedom paws example I wanted to give back, you know, so me and regularly we are we were over with talking to Robert, the owner of courthouse here in the heights, and one night and we were talking about how, you know, it was kind of bad that, you know, Veterans Appreciation Day was canceled, you know, because of COVID You know, that we really thought we should try to do something for veterans and he's like any ideas and of course, having Wrigley you know, and going through data sets, and let's do something for them, you know, they, they don't know it, but they helped me train Wrigley and how I did it sneakily, but they they helped me do the right training for her that I needed to do. And so we started that, and then a friend who was a friend, you know, that, that knew me when I knew the wife who had the 10 different names for different birthdays and three different social security numbers, that, you know, he stopped and we finally got we, you know, we're veterans about it, and we had a beer and we talked and, and, and we came to realize that hey, we could still pull this off, we could still have Veterans Appreciation Day, you know, Scott croissant, he's ahead of the the Gold Star families now that like we're like, we should we should do some and because I wanted the dogs involved in freedom paws, it was already on its way. So October 11. From one to four, we're having an event out at the poorhouse with January performing. And it's a Sunday afternoon. And it's a dog event, but it's going for freedom Paws for the service dog agency out and chill coffee.

Keith McKeever 21:42

That's awesome. And I actually put out there on our on my social media Facebook page for this podcast. I shared it to share it to my Facebook that I was doing this and anybody have any suggestions. And I did have one person go to my website and suggest that I talked to them. And I thought that'd be interesting talking to you about having a service dog. But it'd be interesting to talk to people about the whole training aspect, just even obedience training, you know, how do you how do you properly train a dog? I'm not an animal person. So I don't know. The first thing about training a dog I don't even know how to get a dog to go outside to to go to the bathroom, let alone get it to be obedient or do things for you. So

Jeff Sikes 22:23

well I mean, it's it's it's been an amazing process, you know, half an hour doing on my own, you know, outside of that having a service dog agency work with me and you know, I've had the the brunt of all the expense of it, you know of what what it takes, you know, as far as your commitment with time, you know, to look to to be the one that has to reinforce what you learned in class, you know, to be the one that takes the time and it makes her learn how to walk next to you without pulling on your left hip, which is already bad anyway already been replaced once you know. So you know, you have to you have to train her and and she's come along famously and it just takes it takes commitment. You know, you have to be all about your dog for a little while. And, you know, after my recent scathed with love, I'm pretty good with just being all about my dog right now.

Keith McKeever 23:12

You got two dogs, right? Yeah, the

Jeff Sikes 23:15

other one No, yeah, I have a little one. Her her her name is Ivy you know obviously I'm a Cub fan so Wrigley Ivy is my is my guard dog. I call her my house guard dog. She's a little she's a red swallow. And she's she's very small. But she's she's my guard dog. He's totally my house guard dog. She protects owls, when men regularly go out to do

Keith McKeever 23:43

our dogs are pretty good at it. I can tell you, you know, being being a realtor by trade. The little dogs are pretty territorial about things like that big dogs usually don't care too much. They just kind of look at you and whatever. You know, but the little ones, they let you know they're there.

Jeff Sikes 23:59

Yeah, it's it's she she's been amazing. And I got her from pause, which is why I would when I was originally talking with Robbie was, hey, let's make it a dog thing. You know, let's make it about dogs for dogs. You know, so that's awesome. And then and then Veterans Appreciation Day decide to step aboard and we're all working together and we're making good things happen for those good people.

Keith McKeever 24:20

Yeah, this is a weird year. So you know, any good they can come for any kind of organization. It's worth a shot. You know? It's a tough year 2020 history books, right. So

Jeff Sikes 24:35

you're all around? Yeah, we'll

Keith McKeever 24:37

make the best of it. And that's all you can do is have a positive attitude and try and press on and and do the best with what you got. So um, so just kind of dive right into the service dog thing there. Wrigley. Where did you end up getting Wrigley at?

Jeff Sikes 24:52

I got regularly from a breeder down and central annoyed because my parents knew how much I depended on dogs the day after I lost Kojak, they were like you find the first available dog that you think you can do with and then we'll go get it because I know how I'm a dog person, you know, I depend on it, you know, with with my PTSD and and my TBI, I'm better off having a dog by my side. You know, I'm just that guy.

Keith McKeever 25:16

Was there certain breed you were looking for? Or is it just

Jeff Sikes 25:18

like, I was originally looking for labs. But the, the one that that I saw I called and I had to wait two weeks where I could have gotten wrinkly that day. And because I was fragile at that point, and I knew I needed a dog at my site, because there's a lot of big changes going on in my wife, you know, I needed the dog there. So I got ready because she was available that day. So that's how I ended up you

Keith McKeever 25:45

know, strange things happen like that. So. So you kind of talk about, yeah, absolutely. Everything happens for a reason. You talk a little bit about the training process and kind of doing it yourself. Once that kind of time demand Ben. And you know, the cost associated? Not just time, but what's it, what's the training costs been like up there at the dog place, if he if you don't mind sharing?

Jeff Sikes 26:08

Well, I mean, like, like weekly training, it usually cost me about 350 a month is what I'm paying for training. And then you know, you also like, because she's not, when you get a service dog for like a service dog agencies and stuff, they have their VA connected, if your VA connected,

Keith McKeever 26:28

then the VA is taking care of those costs in those cases. So it's

Jeff Sikes 26:32

in those cases, you know, for like the vet bills, the you know, different things that pop up that you need to take care of, you know, and

Keith McKeever 26:39

you take care of that like long term, as long as the dog is with you. They

Jeff Sikes 26:43

reach was covered and Kojak was both covered, they were both fully covered. Every time I took him to the vet, I didn't pay anything. I just signed that. I was mean, that was there. Yeah, wow. But we haven't gotten to that point with regularly, but we're hoping that, you know, soon we can get to that point. Because I know that, you know, a lot of people, you know, with don't have the money to spend on just a dog, they have a family, they have a wife, they have kids, you know, they have, they have stuff that they have to do, you know, and for me, I've been very fortunate and with the Lord willing, you know, I've been able to get a point, you know, through you know, affordable housing and, and everything and the only one in my life is Wrigley you know, and that's my main concern, I don't have, you know, a significant other or anything going on. So I got, I'm afforded this availability to explore this and see how much it's actually gonna cost. Right now, she's been in training since she's three months, and she won't be two years until November and I've spent 3500 All together and just training. Okay, so

Keith McKeever 27:47

it doesn't seem too bad for you to go through a couple rounds of training and

Jeff Sikes 27:51

you have to win with her because I have to be a special specialized dog to help with my left hand and everything to be to be my left hand, she has to do what they call task training. And that's not in the the basic or intermediate or advanced class, that's that's where you have to pay a private trainer to work with her for just that purpose. And that's what she's at now is learning her task training, she's learning how to open the doors with the rope.

Keith McKeever 28:16

Okay, I've seen some stuff like guns on YouTube and stuff where people will have like a rope tied to the fridge door, stuff like that, do something similar to that.

Jeff Sikes 28:25

Yes. That's what she's learning today. That's one of her.

Keith McKeever 28:29

It's really cool to kind of see that in person and see how you know how you command the dog to do it and how they react and stuff like that?

Jeff Sikes 28:37

Well because it's important to me to be involved as much as possible like like I had her where I dropped her off at school this month, where she went from 830 to 330 You know, on Fridays to go to school to learn learn these different tasks that I needed to do well next month it's going to be me and regularly and the trainer and we're all going to work together and it's only going to be an hour long but but I'm going to be in direct contact with it and that's how I'm like I said I'm I'm really out here just trying to explore things I'm trying to do what's best for Wrigley and best for me in the end.

Keith McKeever 29:09

Yeah, absolutely. So what have been some of the more difficult parts of dog training then for you? Well, me

Jeff Sikes 29:19

because my left side is weak. And that's the side that I need her to walk on. It was hard with the with the polling, you know, because of my hand it would cause a lot of tenderness, you know, do even walk through the park and everything is painful. But But I was able to get through it. You know, I think it's it's hard to understand when when people have a dog that's there for physical aid, you know, the first thing they want to do is, is oh, I want to pet that dog and then they try to run up and pet that dog. Well that distracts a dog and that dog might be on that person side for a reason like it is in my case, you know, Wrigley's on my left side for a reason because I can't have her pull around because that my left side is Tinder from all the abuse. I put through this one

Keith McKeever 30:01

there's there's like a keyword or phrase or something you say to the dog to kind of put them in and out of a work mode.

Jeff Sikes 30:07

Yeah. Actually with with Wrigley because I was able to train her from the beginning, you know, a lot of service dogs, they use the command, release. But because of Wrigley and I was in the beginning of with her training throughout the whole thing, her release command is at ease. So I'll say

Keith McKeever 30:24

it's expecting a baseball reference. I was really expecting a baseball reference, like home run or mom or something like that.

Jeff Sikes 30:33

But right now, it's at ease, you know, I was like, well, your service, you know, you're far better veteran. So let's make it clear that you know, you know, the veteran rules?

Keith McKeever 30:42

Absolutely. As a good one like that. So what advice would you give to somebody who's looking to go down that path? Who, who thinks that a service animal be the thing for them? But they don't really know? For sure they're on that on that edge? What kind of advice would you have for them?

Jeff Sikes 31:00

I would say that, you know, first of all service dogs have, have meant everything to me, you know, they've, they've been a part of my life since I've been out. And I've been truly blessed by me and all all three of them, you know, with readly being the third and, and it's worth the patience. And it's worth the time because right now, I take Wrigley out and, and I had a meeting with James core with the with the with the freedom pause because of this event that I tried to organize. And I had her next to his dogs and they were all at the same level. They both were, you know, pastor and intermediate class, you know, and regular did just fine right next to him and everything. So I knew I was on the right path.

Keith McKeever 31:41

Yeah. Awesome. So you kind of hit on the VA a little bit earlier with your, the first two dogs you had the VA was seemed like it was pretty supportive. How's the VA been in general, you know, with the service, dog things and the VA, I know the VA gets a really, really bad rap in the veteran community of, you know, bad care, can't get appointments, you know, not listening to your net cares and needs. But how's everything been for you? You know, medical, but the dog the dog was?

Jeff Sikes 32:13

The dog was it's been very well, I mean, you know, when I was in Indianapolis man race for accepted. And then of course, me and Kojak were accepted, you know, and when I came back to Peoria, you know, I didn't, they didn't get to meet regularly until she was almost I think it was eight months old, was when I could first start taking her out to different places other than, you know, the places that you're vetted that like, you know, I got the chance to train around people, and like the VFW and the marine club and church, you know, and, and places that I belong to places that Naomi allowed me to bring her to help me train her to be around people. And for those blast, you know,

Keith McKeever 32:49

did you have to reach out to those organizations and say, hey, I want to bring my dog around, see how she does or? Yeah,

Jeff Sikes 32:55

I mean, it started, you know, with the with the VFW and the marine club and church, you know, they, they were the ones that let me you know, bring Wrigley around and let me train around people and let me be redirecting or as often as I needed to, you know, and they really helped with that, you know, but, but these are organizations that knew me that knew who I was, and then they knew how important dogs work to me. And so they gave me kind of a curve a little bit, but, and, you know, but with freedom, pause, they were doing their, their training out at the VFW out until a coffee, so I thought, well, I have to take Wrigley to places where I'm bedded, you know, when, so I thought of my VFW over here in the heights, and then, you know, the naval marine club here in the high end, you know, and then my church, Faith Baptist and Pekin you know, we were all in agreement, hey, let's help get this dog trained. You know, and I'm sure that you know, if the veterans would ask around, they would find places that would allow them to, to come and expose their dogs to people if they're trying to get that service dog level.

Keith McKeever 33:55

We're sure it's kind of hard to for some people to figure out where to go where we're safe because, you know, I've seen some people out there with service dogs that I knew they were vets with a service dog and you know, I've gotten some weird that they don't know you know, just looking at me on the street that I'm a vet as well. And I remember one lady I saw one day and I was like hey, you got a really pretty dog knows it. I guess all I said it she just gave me sideways look like Get away from me. Don't talk to me out you know, I was just I just wanted to tell me she it was a like a cocker spaniel or something crazy looking like that. I'm like, I'm not a dog person. But I was it was really pretty dog. I was like, you know, it was weird, you know?

Jeff Sikes 34:32

And I understand you know, it gets annoying and you know and that's why I appreciate the Peoria Heights community for putting up with me because you know when I was first trying to train wreck Lee of getting hurt you know out to bigger places, which is how I came upon. The you know, poor brothers was because I was looking for a bigger place for Wrigley and I can be accepted where I could put around more people so I can get up to the point to where I can go to baseball games, you know if they ever reopen?

Keith McKeever 35:00

Actually,

Jeff Sikes 35:00

you know, it's so so it's a process and I need help with that. And Ford brothers, you know, they're dog friendly anyway. And they seen all the progress that she has made, you know, and so they they helped me raise her there. And then that's when me and Robbie were talking, you know, I let's do something for the dogs. You know, we all owe a lot. I do I owe a lot to my dogs in my life.

Keith McKeever 35:23

Yeah. Sounds like they've been. I mean, I knew they were in influential in your life, you know, they were really important to you. But I didn't know they were that important to you know, that dog literally. Stepping in there and saving. Yeah, that's incredible. But, uh, you know, speaking of being out in public with dogs, and I don't necessarily want the business names, but it has there been places that have have had issues have its people, and people made comments about having a dog in certain places.

Jeff Sikes 35:54

Well, I mean, you're gonna have that, especially if you're training. And that's one thing is that you have to be you know, you have to be forgiving. You have to you have to say, well, you know, maybe Ridley was having a bad night, the last time I saw them, you know, maybe that's why they're over there saying that dog is not trained, you know, or whatever. That was a long time ago, that was during the training.

Keith McKeever 36:13

Oh, sure. It's really bad in the beginning. Yeah. You know,

Jeff Sikes 36:17

it's to the point to where she just does what I say. I mean, everybody just is just amazed about how far she's come. And, you know, they've really, you know, given her a lot of good props for all this stuff that she knows how to do now. You know, so I couldn't be more blessed. I know now that Ridley was actually the one that was meant to be my service dog, not the one for three to four hours, I just had to, for them to learn how to train her.

Keith McKeever 36:41

You know, weird things happen in this world, you know, certain things just, you know, happen to you at the right time, just like Phyllis seeing an airport. And you know, other things like that. That's how I got involved with Honor Flight was I was just looking for a service organization to volunteer my time. Just get involved to some degree, figure out something and see what's going on in the veteran community. I'd been on military for just a couple of years. I got out 2011 And I watched the documentary, and Google Oh, my Oh, the great. There's a Peoria hub. That's cool. All right, well, flosses volunteer application, it was like six months later. Yeah, right after the last flight of a year. And it was like that next spring, and I got this email said, hey, you know, sign up for this sign up for that. And so I did, there was an event of some remarkable where to reenact what they do every year, I signed up for that and then the next day was the pre flight dinner. And then I did the morning check in and the return I'm like, I'll give this organization a shot because I thought the documentary was awesome. Let's see what it is I'll do four different events if I don't like it, I won't come back and how it's been five or six years and I'm the Guardian training team leader and been involved in the check in and fundraising and you name it and you know, it's a lot of work go into some of those events. And I might come home really really tired, physically my knees my back whatever, exhausted from it, but it really recharges my batteries to be out there and and just talk to some of the older vets and see what's going on and help them out and give them that last trip which is just amazing.

Jeff Sikes 38:16

And when they get that welcome home you know that's the big event you know, that's the that's the grant that's the grand finale and it's wonderful to see the look and expression on their face because a lot of them that when they when they when they originally went Yeah, welcome home

Keith McKeever 38:31

yes it's a it's amazing as much as the news plays it I hope I'm not well, I'm probably not to tip anybody off but I'm sure none of my listeners are going to be Korean War World War Two era guys but you know the news is always playing things about the welcome homes people know that there's a sizable crowd that's there and are still a look of shock in their eyes like well this or meet when you got the damn bats and the Legion riders and Marine Corps league out there and they all got their their motorcycles out front and their vests on the line of flags and and the thinking of the the drum guys the yeah the with the bagpipes bagpipe guys came from the Celtic group Celtic group or whatever. Yeah, there's still dislike looking amazement. Like they know most of them know something's going on. But they're, they're not prepared for it. And it doesn't mean something a little different. You know, there's what I always tell people the world war two guys, but we still if we can still find them, they haven't gone or unfortunately I'm past. It's their last trip of their life. We know it. This is the last time they're going anywhere other than maybe a couple hour road trip to see family. Korean War guys are right behind them. It's pretty much their last trip and they're considered forgotten more is their opportunity to realize it if what they did was not forgotten. With the Vietnam guys. I have seen so many guys break down. I've seen guys break out of that tunnel before coming out. I've seen massive amounts of crying enough Stories have come from like almost complete healing, just a weight that's been lifted off their chest, off their shoulders for the last 50 years. And that is a incredibly powerful thing that keeps us all going as volunteers.

Jeff Sikes 40:13

You know, I've been volunteering, you know, because of the exposure therapy that my therapist wanted me to do. She wanted me to do something where I was in the middle, so she'd had me did, where you're in the middle, and you're keeping the aisles clean, you know, no way, I would be forced to be out there in front of people. So that way I can get over. She's all about that exposure therapy, I don't know.

Keith McKeever 40:38

I tell you what, all these years I've been involved involved. I had never signed up for that. And it was a flight, maybe, oh, maybe a year and a half ago. Somebody had a family emergency, the person that normally has that bowl, a bullhorn and walks down there makes the announcements, she was gone. There was nobody else that was going to do it. You know, when you get far enough deep into an organization, all of a sudden, you become that guy. Somebody hands me the megaphone, they're like, We need you to go make the announcements, like what you need me to do what I don't do crowds, I'm never going to be in crowd person. My first deployment was in a prison camp. I don't like big groups of people around me too. Well, I don't deal with that. I can deal with it. But boy, that anxiety level reaches some is pretty high. And what luckily, one of the persons, like I'll walk with you, oh, my goodness, you keep the time you just tell me what to say. And I'm gonna get down this row, this row and back as quick as possible. And we're gonna make as few announcements as possible, and pushes you through your comfort zones, but holy cow, I help ease that pain. That's probably the most, most awkward one of the most awkward situations with our flight, but you know, it's all about the cause. It's about making the mission happen. So, you know, at the end of the day, I was like, it's over. I can call now. It's all good. You know, I will make sure that I'm not anywhere near that ever again, if ever needs to be somebody make that announcement. But Been there done that. So

Jeff Sikes 42:10

yeah, I won't be accepting the microphone. I'm not ever getting to that point.

Keith McKeever 42:16

Behind the scenes kind of guy, you know, let me just do my work kind of behind the scenes thing, even doing this podcast, just kind of putting myself out there in some ways. And, you know, but it's a bit, it's a passion, and it can be helpful for people. So

Jeff Sikes 42:33

when you said, you know, originally, it had been about service dogs, I thought, well, that's what I'm very passionate about. So yes, I have to do this.

Keith McKeever 42:40

Yeah. Well, I really appreciate it. You know, I guess I got one more question about the service dogs. And we talked earlier, about, you know, the commands to, you know, work and not work. How should somebody approach somebody that's got a service dog, about petting him or asking him questions or whatever, you know, what's the best way to approach go

Jeff Sikes 43:04

up to the person and if all possible, make sure that the person sees you approaching them? And you know, make eye contact and say, may I pet your your service dog? If they say no, except it and and, you know, they may release them later? Or in my case, at ease or later? Yeah, but that they may, you know, because I'll do that. You know, if I'm at a place for a little bit enough, people have asked, I'll release regularly and let her go say hi to everybody. And when I go to the dinners on on Monday morning with the other Honor Flight veterans and volunteers, I let Wrigley go around and say hi to everybody and greet everybody before I sit down. Oh, wait, those guys love that too. Oh, yeah. You know, you're and I mean, everybody just just absolutely loves to say hi, directly. I bet them not for sure. All of them know my name, but they treat dealer.

Keith McKeever 43:59

Yeah. It's your way of looking at, she might look at it like, way too, sometimes. So, um, as awesome. That's, I think that's some good advice of kind of seeing somebody because I know nobody wants to be kind of have somebody come up behind them. I knew you're probably gonna say that about, you know, asking the permission, but letting them see you. I think that's a good one. I think that is probably great advice for anybody looking to do that. Because I've seen it a few times where kids just want to run up and, and, you know, I know kids are different, but

Jeff Sikes 44:31

well, you know, with and that was why I was glad that one of my places to train regularly was church, you know, so that she got used to being around the church kids so that she knew what what her role was, you know, and that's where where that played a big role was for her to be around kids for basically her to be around anybody. She's going to be fine.

Keith McKeever 44:51

Good. Now, in my mind, I hope that more people start getting service animals because other law people out there that need it, and then hopefully As a whole society gets more comfortable with people out there with having dogs, I think it's something I've seen over maybe the last 10 years, you know, it used to not see too many service dogs out there. Now you see a little bit more. And hopefully, people start training their kids that you can't, dogs got a vest on, you can't just walk up and go pet it, you know, you can't pet every dog that's out there, approach, you know, this person's got it, this dog is working, they have a purpose. And, you know, can't just run up every dog,

Jeff Sikes 45:28

it has gotten better over the years, like I said, you know, I've had a service dog for, well, 1010 years now. So I haven't when they first when they first were having service dogs, I was part of that group, you know, so it's, and but it's gotten a lot better over the years, I just think it's important, you know, for people to just be courteous, you know, number one, nobody likes to be approached from behind, especially if they're disabled in a certain way, you know, maybe got some PTSD issues, you know, make sure that you always try to approach everybody, you know, where they can see you approaching them. You know, that's why that's always been an important goal of mine is to make sure that people know that, hey, he's approaching me, you know, and, and just, you know, it is getting better. I just think it's, it takes time, you know, and hopefully, you know, we can educate people through podcasts like this, you know, or like, events, you know, where I can have, you know, Freedom pause, actually talk about, you know, what, what it does for two people, when, when you try to do that kind of thing, you know, just, I think I think there's a chance for us to really push this forward.

Keith McKeever 46:33

Now, so because there's a lot of people that need it for whatever reason, whether it's PTSD, or traumatic brain injury, or I know people with certain medical issues, or have died, diabetics or that way, but I've seen things on videos where people start having an epileptic seizures and stuff, and the dogs are there to, you know, help them out, jump on them, or, you know, stressful environments, they lay on their lap. So there's a lot there, lot of need for it. So we'll move on to the next topic. Since you're sitting in your house, you got your house through a program, I'm not exactly certain which one, but what what program did you get your house bill through,

Jeff Sikes 47:10

it's a great Peoria Habitat for Humanity, once a year, they help a veteran, you know, help them get affordable housing, which is allowed me like I mentioned earlier, because of the Affordable Housing, I'm able to spend money on training regularly and doing what's right. In our case, you know, that's what gives me that freedom, it's because I was blessed to have this this house, it's not a gift, it's where they allow somebody the chance, you know, who's never owned a home before, to have low affordable housing, and really nice housing, you know, really, really well put together. I mean, it's just, it's just been a true true blessing. And they're, they're a wonderful Christian, you know, a non for profit, but that they are just amazing people.

Keith McKeever 48:00

Awesome. And when I think it was sometime in the last year, maybe I'm wrong, but when When did you finally get the keys and move in?

Jeff Sikes 48:08

I moved in last July, July 13. I've been a little bit over a year. And, and, and like I said, you know, it's been just a wonderful place. And that allowed me to, to being in this place allowed me to be able to go to the VFW over here, which is just a few blocks from my house and then the the marine Navy club these these clubs that I belong to, you know, that I've been vetted through that I got to go and bring Wrigley and they helped me to train her to be around people.

Keith McKeever 48:38

Awesome. So with the, with the house in the actual construction part, were you involved in any of the designing of the floor plan? Or what goes in? Things like that? Or is it just like a standard floor plan kind of thing that they build for you?

Jeff Sikes 48:52

Well, they had the floor plan, but together they told us what each of the rooms were going to be you know, that's you know, back when I was married to the the one person but they told us we know what kind of plan and then the only thing that we got to do was was pick the house like color, you know, and we had a choice between two different colors but they've been really good, you know, especially with my handicaps and stuff I got special two rails that they put in on on my front porch so that it's a lot easier for me to get up and down that that big step because I still have trouble with some of my mobility.

Keith McKeever 49:29

I would guess they probably do that for everybody look at each individual case maybe and what does this person need? You know, do they need you know, handicap accessible doors, they need wider hallways they need handles here in the bathroom or the hallway and things like that. Well like

Jeff Sikes 49:43

for my stairs downstairs I've got rails going on both sides because I only have you know proper use of my right hand so I gotta have something I can hold on the right hand of each side so they put rails on the side they did they take the time to really help the whoever they're they're doing the house for and it's just a trick through a truly wonderful Christian program, not for profit that just is out there to try to give, you know, people a little bit of a help up, you know, not not a hand handout to help a hand up.

Keith McKeever 50:14

I think that's what people need handouts. handouts are one thing, but a hand up as well, people need in all kinds of different aspects, you know, help help somebody, not just throw some stuff out, and let them figure it out, you know, help them get, you know, sustainable and on their own and doing their own thing versus just giving it to them. You know, yeah, give them give them the resources, I guess. So. So how long did that the whole process take, you know, from, from when you found out that this was going to happen for you, you know, the whole building process, whatever paperwork,

Jeff Sikes 50:48

process, and everything it was, originally we were going to have it at one point, but then, you know, everything kind of came to a halt, because during the divorce, we had to figure out, you know, I had to be protected from with my lawyer got me protection that keep the house and all that we had. So unfortunately, Habitat for Humanity chose me. And so we had to wait a little bit for everything to be cleared up, you know, to where I can have my house protected. And then, so it ended up being about six months longer than what I thought, but I still not even close to putting in all my sweat equity hours, that's something that you have to give back to help build, okay, or you get I have 500 hours that I have to donate and, and once again, had no habitat, they've been so quiet, that they know my disabilities that they let me just volunteer by going in and taking out the trash at the restore and, you know, doing small things that I'm able to do. And they know that it's going to take a long time for, for me to complete my hours, but they know that I just plan on just doing that. That's just one of the places I'm going to volunteer at as a way to pay back. You know, even when my hours are complete, I'll probably be still going. Yeah, they're gonna be in their trash.

Keith McKeever 51:59

I mean, on the surface 500 hours sounds like a lot. But when you you know, apply that over a few years. It'll be it'll go by a lot faster than what you think.

Jeff Sikes 52:09

Well, I'm, I'm actually I'm, I think I'm right at almost 275, something like that. So

Keith McKeever 52:17

yeah, that's good. Yes, he shouldn't take too long. It seems like an astronomically high number ephors, like 500 hours, like, but yeah, like you say, you know, but you get over there and take out trash and do a couple of things, you're, you know, you're probably there an hour and a half doing something. So,

Jeff Sikes 52:33

yeah, and they know that it's gonna take time, because there's some days where I still have trouble walking, you know, and I still have trouble, you know, standing for periods of time. And, and, you know, they work with me, they're, they're very caring and loving group, and I just adore what they do for people.

Keith McKeever 52:52

Awesome. That is good. So in through the whole process, you know, what are the what are some of the pros and cons of, you know, getting the house and all that?

Jeff Sikes 53:03

Well, one of the pros is definitely, I mean, I get it, I get a place to where I actually get to settle down, you know, I'm no longer in the military, where it's traveled here and travel there to go. You know, just and just live apartment to apartment, this gives me a chance to plant my roots, leave my legacy for my son, you know, and to have something that belongs to me. You know, this is a chance, you know, for a lot of a lot of positive things in my life.

Keith McKeever 53:31

So the dream of homeownership, but as a realtor, I promise I won't go on a big soapbox on that one. But it does, it builds a lot of equity. You know, if you live there for 20 or 30 years, and you pay it off, and you've got an asset that you can hand down to your son, you know, you've got something tangible rather than just, you know, spending money on rent in a place where you can't put nail holes in the wall. Or on a me here

Jeff Sikes 53:56

on the on the roof. But still, yeah, like I could build a little dog area for my dogs. You know, I can just get some fencing done. And you know, this could be my own little setup.

Keith McKeever 54:06

Yeah, just don't go down the rabbit hole too much when it comes to like, Pinterest ideas and stuff. you surf the internet too much for ideas. It's gonna get expensive, quick. I'll just forewarn there's a lot of ideas out there. I've done you know, COVID I've done some projects around my house and it's just like, oh, man, there's a ton of ideas. Oh, yeah. Not too far down the rabbit hole.

Jeff Sikes 54:29

You wouldn't believe all the ideas I have for this place. I mean, yeah, we're talking everything from a hot dog barked

Keith McKeever 54:36

to therapeutic so I don't blame you. There is you know, there's there's some benefits there. So but yeah, that's that's the joy and you know, kind of thinking of you mentioned military housing. I mean, I remember being in housing at Scott Air Force Base, my last assignment. We lived in base housing for like seven months or so right for until I got out. And we had painted Every room in that place, and they had very specific color that absolutely had to be, and it had to be freshly painted before you left. And it was just like, wait a minute, why did why did we paint this? You know, because they will probably because the color was hideous. But you know, you want to splash a color and make it your own. But then you're here you are six months later paint over again. So that's the joy of your own home, you can paint whatever color you want. And you don't have to repaint it in the next year or two when you when you leave. So So lastly, here, we kind of talked about Honor Flight already a little bit, how you gotten involved. You know, what would you say? I guess I got really one question, what would you say to any vet? Because I know you've been there and talked about to haven't gone? What do you say to them? When they look at you and say that? It's not for me? It's not my thing, let the older guys go, whatever? what's your what's your counter response to that?

Jeff Sikes 55:57

But my response is, is it you know, look at, look at what you've done, look what we've done for our country, you know, your memorials there. You know, and there's reason that that memorial is there, it was put there in your honor, that's what memorials are, you know, they're there to honor the people that you served with the people that lost their lives for you and with you and next to you. And you know, and, and it's time that you got honored for that, for that reason is because you you've you've survived my friend, you're with us, you're still here, you're still talking, you're still having breakfast, whatever the case may be, you're still here. And that means to have all the positive meaning in the world to know that you're still here, you're still you're still willing to, to try to be that that good veteran, you know, because that's not my goal is to get back to the fit the physio as a person the day that I sign the dotted line. That's, that's my eventual goal. I'll let you know how that goes. But that's yeah.

Keith McKeever 56:56

Yeah, I think it's, a lot of times when I when I hear that from, from guys try and sign them up. And they're like, Well, I didn't do anything. I was in a guard. I wasn't a reserve. I never left the states. I was in Fort Sill during Vietnam, or, you know, I was at Vandenberg Air Force Base during you know, I never went to Vietnam, or I never went to Korea, it's like, everybody serves you did your job. You did your job, stay side, so you can support the guy that is over there. But, again, go back to that.

Jeff Sikes 57:30

I mean, you know, I mean, you just you realize, you know, even even you know, being a combat soldier, you realize that it's the people that made the ammo that made sure that the animal got to you that you know, was able to save your life in this situation, you know, though, they're just as much responsible for this moment, as you are, you know, cuz you know, how much you depend on everything going the way that it should, you know, in those tense, tense moments?

Keith McKeever 57:54

Absolutely. I got a cousin who was in Marine Corps, and he gave me a hard time all time Bob being here force. And I looked at him and I was making joke back, you know, well, you are Department of the Navy. But, you know, my response always to him kind of seriously kind of half joking is Yeah, you were out there on the frontlines. You know, the Army and Marines that's what they do. You know, but they still support guys, but it's the navy and air force that are flying everything over to you get, you know, everything has come to the shipper or air. Yeah, and, you know, we work together. So, you know, together,

Jeff Sikes 58:29

like with me with being 82nd airborne, of course, we've got jokes specifically for the Air Force.

Keith McKeever 58:34

There's lots of

Jeff Sikes 58:36

odds are that from what I understand that most most crashes happen when you try to land so I'm trying to get out before that happens.

Keith McKeever 58:45

I know there's a security forces I when I signed up, it was either gonna be firefighters security forces, or aerial gunner, and security forces job came up, some kid broke his leg, so recruiters like, Hey, here's your shot, if you want to go to Basic and I'm like, sure to do it. I'll take this job. But I didn't do a whole lot of flying. I mean, I flew over from my two deployments and a couple, a couple trips here and there, but I was usually found myself on the rear end of the plane sitting in a pickup truck, freezing my butt off in the middle of winter, or sweating my butt off and in this on the scorching tarmac in the middle of summer, watching the plane sit there and do nothing. So that was usually my view on the front or the back of the plane or driving around them and just hoping you don't accidentally hit one of the multimillion dollar vehicles. Right? weapons of war there. That will not look good on your record. So yeah, there's a there's a lot of jokes, that's always my responses, you know, your water, your fuel, your vehicles, your equipment, your ammo, none of that gets to you without the Air Force and the Navy. And but we don't win the wars without the Marines and the Army so you know, it's a joint effort in luckily we're,

Jeff Sikes 59:52

everybody's involved. Wartime everybody's involved.

Keith McKeever 59:56

But hey, we still like the jokes back and forth. I mean,

Jeff Sikes 1:00:00

because, you know, yeah, that's a veteran could do that to another button. But

Keith McKeever 1:00:06

you don't even happens in the same in the same branches. I was gonna ask you because you were at second is there? Is there a beef between a 101st and 82nd? Or any other?

Jeff Sikes 1:00:15

No, we are. You know, we as a second all Americans have nothing but respect for the Fallen chickens.

Keith McKeever 1:00:24

My honor now? Yeah, I see I figured something there. I knew there had to be something there. That is awesome. Only chickens, I'm gonna remember that forever. So I really got like three more questions for you. And these are very generalized questions. So anybody who is currently serving in military now and looking at transitioning out of the military, for whatever reason, what pieces of advice would you have for them?

Jeff Sikes 1:00:52

Okay, I'll go ahead and you know, you're you're expecting a baseball analogy earlier, I'll go ahead and use it now. What you need to do is when you get out is you need to treat it like you would treat a curve, you wait on it. Because if you wait on it, it'll, you can hit it out of the park, you get involved with your VA, you take it slow, you take it easy, you don't try to rush into things you don't try to, you know, do be happily married and have your family and have your house all in one year you you be patient and you wait for the curve so that when when it gets to you, you can knock it out of the park.

Keith McKeever 1:01:28

You think people would be good at being patient? Right? Hurry up and wait. It's not everybody strong suit, you know, because,

Jeff Sikes 1:01:36

you know, once we get out, we're all like, all this came out, you know, while I was in, you know, cuz?

Keith McKeever 1:01:41

Yeah, well, it's, it's a very fast paced world, you know, the civilian world is, is different. And I think it caused a lot of people issues with transition. So I think that's really good advice, just take it slow, you know, get getting connected with those service organizations, definitely go to the VA and get yourself hooked up for care. And, you know, figure out what your resources are. And that's actually one of the reasons I want to make this podcast is tell people about the resources that are out there and preach this, especially to those that are in uniform, it's going to be different. There's no doubt about it, it's going to be a totally different world. But there's people out there that have been in your shoes, and we're here to support you. And just take it slow. Take it one step at a time find the right support networks, you got this. So that's a that's a good one base good baseball analogy there. So I'll flip the flip the script here, instead of people getting out, what's your advice to anybody looking to join the military today?

Jeff Sikes 1:02:37

Once again, you know, when you're when you're joining your eye, you have that excitement that that exciting day where you feel proud of what you're doing, you know, to get back to that point where you're truly proud to be signed on that dotted line and to serve your country, you know, especially at times when there's difficult going on in the world that you know, that your your country's involved in to for the safety of the people behind you. Because what you're doing is you're signing up near not because you may be mad at what's in front of you, you're signing up because you love what's behind you. And for that I have total respect for you.

Keith McKeever 1:03:13

Awesome, that's a good one. And this is a really good question for you. My last general question I do send this podcast up was to ask three questions of every guest here at the end of every veteran or military guests. So what veteran social groups or organizations do you highly recommend to people get involved with?

Jeff Sikes 1:03:33

Oh, I mean, there's so many good ones out there, there's, there's the Veterans Outreach down in the Red Cross, they help homeless veterans, you know, the veterans that are struggling due to homelessness, you know, for one reason or the other, it's not for us to judge, it's for us to help. And, you know, hand up and not a handout, you know, and, you know, there's, you know, Habitat for Humanity, you know, Honor Flight, there's, there's great organizations out there that you need to, to explore and find out which one fits you and find out, you know, where you're where you're best continued services, because as a veteran, you know, especially a disabled veteran, your only goal is to learn how to serve with your disabilities and with everything involved. And you know, I've been blessed in a way that I've been able to give back even with my disabilities, and even with everything involved. So just find where you fit in.

Keith McKeever 1:04:33

Absolutely. And but I think that's a challenge, though. It's take some soul searching to kind of figure out where you fit in, where you want to go in your life. I mean, everybody's gonna be different. If you've done 20 years in the military, you're probably in a different mindset than if you entered at 18 and got out at 22. You know, I had no clue when I joined at 21. So at 22 I definitely didn't know where my life was going.

Jeff Sikes 1:04:57

I joined at 33 I quit being a nurse You know, I was already an LPN, but I joined it 33 I joined I

Keith McKeever 1:05:04

waited a little later. But so you were the old guy in basic training? Oh, yeah,

Jeff Sikes 1:05:08

I was I was I was pops, Oh, man.

Keith McKeever 1:05:12

We didn't have anybody that was no, we had a couple guys that were older, I don't think you're over 30. But in my tech school security forces tech school, we had a couple of guys that, I mean, they had just missed the cut off by literally weeks, maybe a month, over the age limit was at that time, they were instantly in charge, those two completely in charge of all roughly 100 of us that were going through that training that that training team. And I was like, Man, I feel sorry for them. I feel old at 21 You know, having a I had an associate's degree already. And I was like, got my airman II three, Airman First Class strikes right after basic. And so I was automatically looked at kind of to that next tier of, well, you're older, you're more mature, you're not 18 You're 19. So with these guys in shape, you know, keep everything going. So interesting perspective, it would have been really interesting at 33.

Jeff Sikes 1:06:07

And then, of course, you know, me in basic, you know, the, the platoon sergeant comes to me, you know, and he says, hey, you know, your PT scores are high enough. What do you think about Airborne School? And, you know, me being at that point in my life of where I was, were wanting to just go fight this war? I was like, oh, Airborne School. Yeah, let's go do that. So at 33 I joined Airborne School after basic

Keith McKeever 1:06:31

C me would have been, that would have been really scary. I've I've always been conflicted. If I'd ever want to jump out of an airplane or not, I don't do rollercoasters won't do. I'm not much of a thrill seeker. You see them freak accidents that happen. And extra explain this to my wife all the time, because she loves roller coasters. I'm like, I'm not doing it. You know, those freak accidents you read about on on the news? Right? That's going to be this guy. I'm not doing it. But I would consider jumping out of an airplane. I mean, you know, if your chute doesn't deploy, well, that that would the results the results are pretty clear. I mean,

Jeff Sikes 1:07:06

second brain injury that the second of the three basic brain injuries would be the the shoot incident, I was jumping, and I just gotten back on you know, after the brain injury, I just got on the jump status and everything. And you know, I got my first jump was June 26 of 2010 and went on jump status. And so I was going out of the airplane and after my last TBI, you know what they said, Okay, you're free to jump again, while I deployed my shoot and everything, everything was going fine. But then somebody dropped their equipment into my shoot, because my shoot to collapse somebody above you. That's called Sky shark. So we call them airborne. But they sky shark my shoot and drop their equipment into my shoot causing that to collapse, causing, you know, my second brain injury and more damage to my left side, you know, so, wow.

Keith McKeever 1:07:57

So then you were able to get a reserve shoot up or

Jeff Sikes 1:08:01

no? Underground, they said that my shoot collapsed when I was they figured about 70 to 75 feet high.

Keith McKeever 1:08:09

Okay, any higher than that probably would have been drastically different.

Jeff Sikes 1:08:14

I mean, because I was already my website was crushed, you know, at that point, so, man, wow. Yeah, that didn't end well.

Keith McKeever 1:08:24

No, that didn't end well. No, but here you are today, you're still here. Still with us, you're still a valuable member of these organizations, and it's appreciated. And

Jeff Sikes 1:08:34

it's important for me to always keep that in mind, you know, with the suicide attempts and, you know, surviving what I've survived, you know, during my army days, you know, I need to realize that I'm here for a reason, and I just need to figure out where my place is. And I think I found it with the organizations that I'm involved with, and trying to help them out. You know, that's where I'm at right now. You know, I can, you know, find other organizations you know, it depends on where your heart lies. And that's why I suggested everybody just find out where they fit in is because it's important to not just want to volunteer just to volunteer but to volunteer for the organization's because you believe in what they're doing. And you and you truly love what they're doing. And you and you get to see the love on their face when when they get the welcome back when when they when they get the house you know, you know for from feeling of when you get your house, your own house, that's that's easy to afford, and you can do the things that you want to do in life.

Keith McKeever 1:09:30

Absolutely. Yeah, definitely, definitely all about finding your path. And it's gonna be different for everybody. You just got to be honest with who you are and what direction you want to go and just go do it ourselves. Pretty simple, but that's kind of my philosophy. Find out who you are, what you want to do, and go do it. And just try and be happy and grateful and have a vision and a path. So but let's that's all I had that I wanted to ask you about Jeff and I just want to say I really appreciate you coming on Being on here for this episode. I really hope that this has been informative, especially about the service animals. Because I know that there's some people out there that are probably on the fence right now, looking at, do I get one? Do I not get one? What's What's this whole going to look like? You know? What's the situation look like? What am I getting into? It's not just getting a pet, and figuring out how to keep them from pooping on the carpet is a lot more involved. So hopefully, hopefully, it helps somebody out. So

Jeff Sikes 1:10:27

and yeah, and that and, you know, that's why it's important to have the events like I'm trying to have, like, you know, October 11, you know, from one to four for brothers, you know, for freedom pauses so that people understand that these these these organizations are heard for a reason is because there is people who need to have that dog by their side. Mm hmm.

Keith McKeever 1:10:45

Absolutely. Well, I will have it on my schedule, and I will do my best to get there unless you know that COVID makes it way worse or something like that. And everything shuts down. Let's Let's cross our fingers hoping we're

Jeff Sikes 1:11:00

done. Yeah, I

Keith McKeever 1:11:01

hope Yeah, hopefully we get it done. Because, you know, who knows how all this pandemic global pandemic continues to play out for 2020. But anyway, you know, I'm there to support you, and I appreciate you being on.

Jeff Sikes 1:11:12

Thank you. Yep,

Transcribed by https://otter.ai