Alrighty, folks. Welcome back to our next episode of SDYT that a cast. Where values still hold value. We're talking about a few different topics with a few different guests and even some personalities about realistic perspectives.

 

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I'm Porter. I'm your host. And now in the month of March, we're covering our 3 core values of growth, confidence, and compassion. If you're new to the show, welcome. And if you're a continuing listener, welcome back.

 

As we went through January and February covering core values for the character of your character here in 20 22 coming through the month of March, this particular episode, We've got a special guest coming out of San Antonio, Texas Alejandro Muro, and we'll get with him in just a second.

 

We'll be covering topics about family, wounded Warrior program, being in the Marine Corps, being a civilian, transitioning, mental perspectives, and being able to empathize with people, and everything else in between So with that, guys, I appreciate you stopping by again on Porter.

 

I'm your host, and this is SD YT the podcast.

 

Alrighty folks. Welcome back to SD YT the podcast. I'm Porter. I'm your host, and again here with Alejandro Muro out of San Antonio, Texas. So let's dive into this. We're talking growth. Confidence and compassion.

 

Mural, what's up brother? How are you doing? I'm doing well. What are you? I'm good. I'm good. I think it's been somewhere around, I don't know, 5, 6 years maybe, since I've even seen you, let alone since we talked?

 

Yeah. It's been it's been a minute. Pretty good. A long time. I know you've you've been through into a lot. I've been through a lot, but I'm glad we can catch up.

 

Oh, me too. Me too. I'm not entirely sure how this even worked out, I guess, as far as schedules go, from what I understand, you've been pretty busy the last couple weeks, so I'm glad we could find some time.

 

Yeah. Yeah. Pretty busy. I honestly, I'm I'm always kinda busy. I'm always trying to run through things, do more than I can and and try to try to beat.

 

Be successful doing it. I guess that's kind of the point though. Right? As long as you can find ways to be better than you yesterday, you'd be alright.

 

Absolutely. A hundred percent. Yeah. Great. Well, so let's let's dive into you a little bit and give everybody listening a heads up who they're listening to, I guess.

 

Let's let's let's talk about you. We don't have to dive all the way back into the nineties early 2 thousands, but, you know, who who is who is Alejandro Muro?

 

What do you what do you what are you into? What's it like in San Antonio? What do you got, man? Take the floor. Thanks. First off, I appreciate having me on here. This great opportunity, and and I'm I'm I'm excited.

 

But other than that, yeah. No. I just I'm from San Antonio. I was actually born in Corpus. I moved to San Antonio, and I was a little boy, and and I grew up here after I graduated high school.

 

Tried to do a whole sports thing and all that good stuff. Trying to do the college thing. Cashing didn't work out. I went to the recruiter that was at my college at the time and told her, I was like, hey. I wanna be brief.

 

Right? Cool. The San Diego. So I I think I went and talked to recruiter on January, and then that spring, I enlisted and that summer I took off. Well, that's right. I went Yeah. Yeah. Very fast. They, I guess, they needed me.

 

Yes. So I went to the marine board. I'm kind of expecting the unexpected and and I did my 4 years. Was with American battalion, second battalion of marines, as you know -- Mhmm. -- for for the from 2014 to 2017.

 

I got out. I came back home. What wasn't liking it? I thought that maybe I needed to do something else in my life and are you going back to the recruiter was it, then I contacted prior service recruiter.

 

At that time, I was like, hey, do you have anything for me? And he said, yeah. Sure. How about Quantico, Virginia? And I said, no. I said, I I told them to say no.

 

You know what? I think I'm changing my mind here a little bit. I wanna stay home. I have my girls I at the time, I had I had 2 daughters that that I wanna stay near, and I already missed so much of their life.

 

And then say, okay. I understand that. And about, literally, 2 days later, you say, hey, I got a I got an opportunity for me here in San Antonio and I said, there's no way. He said, yeah. Here, check this out.

 

And he said, have you ever heard of the William Warrior program? I'm like, I've heard of the William Warrior project. Is that the same thing? He said, nope. It's totally different. Really? I said, okay. Well, what is it about?

 

Yeah. And I said, yeah. I asked them, is what is it about and where is it consistent? What what do I what am I doing? It's like, well, they need an NCO within your MOS to even if they're doing administrative stuff.

 

And I'm like, okay? Sure. Let's do it. You know, really no questions asked to be honest other than that because it not only was I'm gonna be in San Antonio for that.

 

I was gonna be in the uniform again and that's what I missed, and that's what I loved, and that's what I really, really grown to be is be a part of a team and be a part of that uniform and be a part of that community that -- Sure.

 

-- you know, we're always gonna be there for each other. And then hearing about the wounded warrior program that they have had they've had in the world for a while.

 

I thought that that would be a better opportunity because I got to learn some some other some other things other than the the infantry life that we all kinda when it's the Marine Corps 4.

 

Understood. Yeah. And so I did that for about 2 years. Unfortunately, they didn't need me anymore because of budget.

 

So stuff like that. It was kinda back when the whole government was shutting down their money and all those good stuff. So, like We can't afford yeah. I say, hey, we can't we can't afford to have you now.

 

I'm like, alright, that's fine. See if there's any other opportunity somewhere else. I literally went across the street, fourth week on those there. I knew I knew the admin sheet at the time.

 

And he say, hey. Yeah. We might have a decision for you. Let's see what we can do. Okay? Talk to Price serves recruiter. He signed me up. I was there for a couple of months, and I didn't like it.

 

It it was coming from active duty to go into the, you know, once a month, every month lifestyle and it wasn't for me. They're I I think to me they were kind of asking me a little bit too much.

 

And lucky for me it was a non applicating contract so I took the context and say I'm out. Yeah. And then that's what I did. I should tell them, man, I'm not doing this anymore. I'm sorry. Wasn't for me? Wasn't what I expected.

 

I know I know that people say, hey, stay in the reserves because of the retirement and the benefits and stuff like that, but I didn't think I I couldn't give up time that I might have been missing with my family every other weekend or once a week, we can get a month to to benefit my family is up here and that was down here.

 

And so Well, it kinda depends on your perspective what the benefit of the benefits actually is.

 

Yeah. Right. Yeah. Exactly. And for me, seeing my girls grow up when the on the weekends that I have was a lot more beneficial to me -- Sure.

 

-- to me and me only than what the reserve life could give me. And to me. I think I have no regrets. I made a great decision, I think.

 

Well, that's the thing because you yeah. I feel like First off, thanks for doing what you can or what you could with Wounded Warrior. That's a difficult place to be in for all sorts of reasons, but we'll get to more of that later.

 

I think it's interesting though because a lot of especially within like your first decade, a lot of the advice and a lot of the concepts, I guess, that you hear about getting out staying active and getting out going reserves and then getting out whichever.

 

About getting out of active duty contracts, though. Is that are you sure?

 

Like it's pretty good here now. You're gonna have a hard time finding a job. You know, you've got a steady income, you're on a salary, 30 days off per year plus health and dental, where you're gonna find that anywhere else.

 

Right? I don't wanna say fear mongering. I don't think it's quite to that extreme, maybe all the time everywhere, some places I'm sure it is, but But you get that sort of culture, I guess, not that it's forced, but that it exists.

 

And So it's it's interesting to hear you say that as a conscious decision, your perspective, especially included here, was that the benefits weren't really worth it.

 

The the tangible sort of an indirect compensation of benefits, not being worth it when you stack it up against your priorities being obviously family and and seeing your kids and things.

 

So that's not something, especially being on active duty that we really hear too often. So I'm curious to hear a bit more about your perspective there.

 

But I don't wanna deal with you too much. No. I really felt it. I felt I felt those warnings. You know, like you said, everybody tells me we'll be careful because you're leaving such a huge opportunity behind.

 

Mhmm. To go into a a different a different world that no 1 cares about you. Yeah. The the Marine Corps is set to build you, hold you, press you, and continue to do that until you retire.

 

Yeah. The real world is again, no 1 cares about no one's there to pick you up on the hand. No 1 is there to to tell you, hey, you're doing this wrong. Here's how to do it. And no 1 is telling you what the best option for you is.

 

So when everybody told me, and you make you might be making a wrong decision on getting out of the marine corps or, hey, how about you live move because, you know, the the benefits you're gonna get in long term is that it's an outweigh benefits if you already get out.

 

So for the first couple of months to 2 years after I got out, I honestly I felt that.

 

I felt those warning signs, and I felt I I heard those people in the background telling tell you I told you so. Yeah. But at the end of the day, I was able to have every weekend I can with my girls.

 

I was able to come home to my girls. I was able to be with them, enjoy birthdays with them, enjoy holidays with them, enjoy everything that I can and cannot do while if I was in the military, I was able to do that in the outside world.

 

And to me, that is greatly beneficial because my job as a parent is to help them grow and to help them learn.

 

And if I'm away, if I'm doing something that I am unable to do because someone is telling me to do that, why why am I why did I choose to be a father?

 

Why did I choose to have those girls on my wife? Well, there's that. I think there's there's parts where it's not to say that just by being active duty you don't get those opportunities.

 

Maybe fewer and farther between, but it's not to say that you don't get those opportunities even every day in some cases, depending on your job and specialty, right, for anybody listening, but Also, you do have to be willing to disassociate and and separate or sever that relationship to a degree because you gotta deploy.

 

And -- Right.

 

-- you can't not. And, you know, they tell they tell us all the time you know, oh, what about my family? What about them? Because I can't if if if if you were supposed to have a family, well, guess what? I'm sure you heard the same.

 

They're what it is. She can work to you. Yeah. Right? So I have a choice. Now, my my my situation is different than everybody else's. You know, I have a very unique situation because, you know, I was I was divorced.

 

Out from Texas. I was living in North Carolina. They moved back. The only way I could ever talk to him or see them is via FaceTime phone call, text message, so and so forth.

 

So when I had the opportunity to get out and go back home, I did that to be with my girls. I still missed a wrinkle. So I I tried to go back in. And I I for a brief moment, I was like, I'll I'll go anywhere.

 

And then they told me, hey, you wanna go to Virginia, in my head, I was like, damn, I'm gonna eat my gross again. I just got back. Mhmm. Like, they they're they're just not getting used to me again.

 

And I'm gonna leave them. I'm gonna do that to them. I said I said to break their heart. I'm gonna do that. And so I respect the blue card. And then 2 days later, I gave it. I said, hey, we got a position for you here in San Antonio.

 

I said to work out. Perfect. Yeah. Perfect. Perfect. Perfect. Perfect. Like like God gave me this, like, miracle of being able to do 2 things at once, being in the marine corps and staying with my family.

 

I was able to be home every other week or every weekend. I was able to come home at 05:00 in the day because it's not it we didn't deploy.

 

We didn't do any field training. We didn't we didn't do anything like that. It was a completely different 1. And I absolutely loved it. If I could still do it today, I would.

 

So what's up? Money. Oh, yeah. Money, and then Yeah. Mine money stopped me and they, you know, they said they couldn't afford me anymore. So they they got somebody from the active reserves to fill in Yeah.

 

That makes sense. They couldn't pay they couldn't pay for my contracts. My contracts were 1 year stints from fiscal year to fiscal year, and they said, hey, You just don't have the money to fund you anymore.

 

I'm sorry. And they let go of all of us that were in the same position because there's more than 1 of us. There's at least 5 or 6 plus. They replace us all with active reserve guys. I mean, that's how it goes sometimes too. Right?

 

Like, you can't always get the year in and year out. It's just a cycle of business, which I argue the DOD is as well. So Yeah. That's that's how it goes. It's unfortunate, but that's how it goes, I guess. Yeah. And don't get me wrong.

 

III tried. I stayed. Like I said, across the street, fourth regardless there. And I asked them, hey, you deserve to sit in there for me full time. And they're like, maybe maybe not. I don't know, but this is the best thing to do.

 

It's the best thing you want on the deserve side. And let's see if we can find you a position on the on the active reserves or the contract side. And see if we can get you a job there while on the record, I say, alright.

 

Cool. Let's do that. But I'm sure the people who are in the reserves are in the military general know that, hey, when the top of the month comes, you gotta you gotta be there.

 

And for me, I almost had to give up some of the weekends that I have with my girls because as all divorcees go through the standard possession opener with kids.

 

Every other, you know, their first third and Friday, I would get them 1 of those weekends landed on a journal weekend, and I had to be at the June weekend.

 

And I'd said, this is not what I signed up for. I mean, III signed up I signed up to, yes, being a record and and, hopefully, hopefully, be able to be home with my kids, but they told me, no.

 

You can't be with your kids. You gotta be here. And for me and and they they they told me, hey, this is a non propagated contract.

 

You can leave it whenever you watch. Let's know. I said, okay? Well Yeah. I see you. If if you can't work with me, I'm not gonna work with you. I'm gonna go take off.

 

I appreciate the time. You know, it's great being here, but sorry. Yeah. Well, that takes a certain amount of maturity. I don't know that III think maybe you would you say you 5 years ago would have made the same call if you could?

 

Obviously, circumstances being the same apples to apples here. Because because you strike me as almost a totally different person now. Compared to the last, I'm sorry. I think so.

 

No. I'm sorry. No. I don't think I would have made the same call. I think I I just got just 5 years ago, I was I was still working a lot, I think. Yeah. I probably won't have. Because I did try to reenlist. I did try to reenlist.

 

And and the so I guess that would my answer is, yes, I would. I wanna have made that decision. Yeah. You know, I I try and re list, unfortunately, for for for me, they they didn't the house wasn't selected as they said.

 

Sure. And I said, okay. Well, let me try something different. I went through a whole dealership at all during that time where I didn't trust them. I didn't trust any of your mothership at the time.

 

That makes it tough. And I what's that? I said that makes it tough. Yes. They weren't there for me. I I could I could go on and on. I have if you wanna do another show, I could do another show relationship.

 

Okay. The the leadership was a huge issue when I was trying to reenlist. And I I like I said, I tried to that move I was told I I couldn't go see any type of level options.

 

And so like 2 weeks prior to me getting out until my yes. Yes. By 2, 3 weeks prior. They sent me to the field 3 weeks of me taking off. Jeez.

 

They sent me to the field. And I bet it wasn't just for 1 night either. A whole week. Yeah. There you go. I was livid. I had so much going on. I had to get in and get out. And it was like they weren't letting me. They didn't want me.

 

Making decisions or or whatever. But how in the military, at least, in the conversation I had this past week. Our baseline for leadership is based on what's best for the organization, not what's best for the people within it.

 

And I think in a corporate environment or even private sector or anywhere outside of the military, it's almost reversed or opposite of that, where the general connotation and qualifier for leadership is, well, who's doing the best for the people and the employees but also taking into account balancing whatever the organization's, I don't know, values goals, missions are as opposed to the other way around.

 

So it was it was pretty interesting I think of a transition in my head when you just mentioned that that you had issues with your leadership because we're just talking about that.

 

Yeah. No. That's That's that's the that's a a great take on it.

 

Everyone thinks that leadership is just 1 road that you take, and then it's not. You know, you have different aspects of how you wanna take it. And I don't know what it takes to the right right path.

 

You know, in my case, my my senior leadership, you know, due to time of grade and time of service and all that, they're very young, and so I felt like maybe they're just they just don't know.

 

Mhmm. Maybe they don't know how to maybe they don't know how to do this or do that. But is it the point of leadership? Isn't it supposed to work all around, like leadership is not based on you, but it's based on others as well.

 

As a group, as a whole, like, if you were to take a group of 5 people, you know, take them them into battle and be able to just come back with all 5 with versus if you're your own leader and you think that just because you have rockers on your collar.

 

You're gonna be able to go and take them in as a specific leader.

 

You'll be 1 and only and then coming back with all 5, you have to kind of be able to know everybody's strengths and everybody's weaknesses and then mend them together so that way we can grow together. It's it's not a 1 man race.

 

This is more of A345678, legged man race. Right? We're all tied to the ankles to each other. The weakest link is gonna be on the back end. You you can't go any further than can go. So why not you step back and then progress together?

 

That con that concept was in. There at the time, I think. I think this I think this this specific leadership was about, I'm new. I'm gonna take charge and no one's in a home with that.

 

It's not I don't think that's supposed to happen that way. I feel like it should be wanting group, and that whole group should be a bunch of leaders and or followers depending on where you're at in that spectrum.

 

Show. Going. Yep. Yeah. And I think both positions are okay. Right? You can be a really, really good follower. That's fine. Especially if you're not comfortable or confident to lead a group of whoever's following you.

 

Right? That's being humble. Yeah. And that's true. Sometimes you can be an awesome leader, but your role that day is to follow. And then you get in to follow and do what you gotta do.

 

Yeah. Sure. Before we get a bit further down the road into that direction though, talking about people as people and they're not really just sources of labor, but they're people first.

 

And growing together. Let's take a quick break for a minute, and we'll come back.

 

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Alrighty, folks. Welcome back to SDYT the podcast. Again, on Porter, I'm your host, and we're talking growth confidence and compassion as our core values for March. This particular episode with Alejandro Muro out of San Antonio, Texas.

 

Compassion and how people that you work with, really in any kind of capacity, but in the military is what we were discussing, that the people that you always ask questions to are still people first, and then your sources of information second, the people that you give tasks to are still people first, and then sources of labor second.

 

Where in the military, you have to worry about mission accomplishment first, at least in the Marine Corps, that's the baseline, and then True Welfare comes second.

 

In some cases, I think you can argue that It does your troops or the service members, the marines, a better service to train them to a standard that's going to accomplish the mission because then they can protect themselves, protect each other, whatever you've got to do in detail, but I think this is a bit different where our conversation was going.

 

Like you explained, you had a rough time trying to get your priorities in alignment with the priorities of everybody who was in a leadership role when you had to get out initially.

 

And so I'm curious, how has that affected your your career choices, or did you stay working with the military and in what capacity?

 

Like you mentioned, wounded warrior before, How how is that sort of, I guess, compassion changed for you in that regard?

 

You know, after I got up the first time, I I kinda was trying to continue on doing what I was doing, you know, trying to find a job with some type of administrative HR type of background.

 

Sure. And then when I had this opportunity to come up with a new lawyer. I didn't realize I was meant to do something until I got there and started doing it.

 

Like helping other marines recover. What do you mean? That became a, like, a priority to me or a second nature to me because I'm I'm always told I had a big heart, and I don't ever realize for myself.

 

I don't think anybody ever realized themselves into somebody tells you. And being able to just help others brought my what brought me to be 1 called person again.

 

After being broke down and kind of tossed out the door. And then going back into some more, they absolutely needed me because if they have me I'm not saying me as a person but just that general that general role.

 

Yeah. You didn't have me there, they would they would fall apart And so when when I got to a new employer, I quickly realized that it wasn't about me either. It wasn't about me growing wasn't about me being successful.

 

It wasn't about me growing as a marine it was about the people who was going there for the the marines that were that we're getting injured, the rings that were cane or sick, and then not only them, but their families as well.

 

This is a whole different new a whole different new game that we're playing here. It sounds like where it's about the people, but your mission is being about the people.

 

Absolutely. Like, my my job was to do that. When I when I got there and I got introduced to everybody, the the the first week I got there, I'll give an example of having to help others versus to help myself.

 

My current sergeant at the time, it was the staff at COSC of the of the attachment. He said, hey, we're all coming with me. I gotta take someone.

 

Right. And on the way over, it's up to him going to the airport with no pickleballing, and we're gonna help him get into that. Into the ground ambulance and then head over here. Okay? Cool. So that did it sounded like our job.

 

Yeah. Easy enough. It's enough exactly. But when I got there, they radioed in, hey, inbound. Alright. Cool. I see the plane. I'm in small little aircraft. And I didn't know this they have this. I don't know if anybody else knows.

 

But they have air ambulances. I mean, they literally have an ambulance in the sky. It's like a trauma center with wings? Yeah. Exactly. It's an ambulance. Like, once you see on the street, in the end with winks, exactly.

 

It touched down, the guy comes out, and he's in a stretcher. He's stiff as a board. He has a trink, and and for the people who don't know what trink is, it's pretty much a way of of being able to eat through their neck.

 

They they put a tube down their neck down into the stomach, and that's how they're able to gain each chance and so on and so forth.

 

And as he he was pulling it up, he freaked out. As soon as he touched down, he freaked out. And my first instinct was get away. No. And we had to hold it down. And I'm like, how are you doing this?

 

And and and he he was pulling it out, and if you ever seen that happen, it's it's not a pretty sight. He's pulling it out of his neck. Very dangerous for him. And on top of that, he had a brain and neck injury.

 

So any sudden move can literally alter his life in an instant moment. Yeah. And so we are not only trying to hold him down, but also consider the the further injury that we could give him.

 

Sure. So what did you do? So finally we finally we calmed him down. Actually, they they shot him up or something to calm him down.

 

Put them in in the ambulance and then went home. I would go out to the to go out to the hospital. At that moment, I was like, What am I doing here? Why am I doing this? And am I cut out for it? Kind of thinking about that.

 

And tell myself, no. I have a faith up even and I told myself, hey, God, brought me here for a reason. And that reason I don't know yet. I'm gonna take on that challenge. I'll take it on. I'll take it on. And I don't regret it at all.

 

I absolutely love being there. I not only the the main the main job for the wounded warrior detachment there in San Antonio was to do 2 things. 1 of them kinda call they they kinda call inside together, but they go to different paths.

 

They're there to recover first of all. They need to get back. That was our mission. This were there that we get better. Second of all, we're either trying to get them better to go back into the marine corps, just the fleet, or go home.

 

Right. Other injuries are worse than than others. So you know, obviously, if their injuries are not as bad, they think that they're fit to go to work for back into the fleet. Or they're permanently totally disabled.

 

They can't they can't serve anymore. They gotta go back. I saw some resilient marines. I've never seen such such passion come out of some of these guys. 1 specific marine that I remember, he he got hit by an ID.

 

We came back is, hopefully, extra amputated. Mhmm. It was there for 10 years. From the time you got there as a lens quote, when you left there as a star staff sergeant, thanks to the fleet.

 

Brazil was part of they used part of the DOT warrior games. He went to the invictus games. He he showed what a lot of us are not able to do.

 

We're not designed to do that. We're not designed to get our laced blown off and go back out and compete. Yeah. And he did that. And so in my head, I'm like, man, if he could do that, I have all my limbs, I could do this.

 

Yeah. So that that kind of showed me as a person how much I can grow as a person and a marine to be able to do a lot of these things. And that's what I was there for.

 

You know, I learned that I learned that Everything that I was I I was there to do was for a purpose. And our purpose was to make sure these marines and their families recover together because it's not just about them.

 

These families came in thinking that their son or daughter may not make it. So you can imagine the emotions going through that building. Oh, sure. And when they when they came up to me because I'm I'm I I was like, no.

 

No. No. The first time Right? They come to the back and they they see me. And so they see me and they see the uniform, they automatically know I know everything about this under daughter.

 

They start asking me questions. And what am I supposed to say to them? I've had a question. I I've had somebody ask me, is my son gonna die? I still What am I supposed to tell?

 

Yeah. And I just had to kind of reassure them that we are just doing the best we possibly can. We are not the medical professionals. They are. The only thing I could tell you is that we are here no matter what.

 

And then I have to tell them, hey, we needed to talk about something a little bit more pressing at the moment. But in their head, if someone told you that your daughter and your son might die.

 

In your head, that's the more pressing issue. Sure. But in but to us, we had to make sure that the flight that you took care is covered, that you have a hotel stay at, they are getting compensated.

 

And to make sure that your son or daughter is also getting compensated because they get extra money. We have to make sure all the administrative work is done first before they can go see her kid.

 

There's their son or daughter in the hospital. That's tough. It's it's extremely tough. So we just try to be there for the marine and their family.

 

We're not used to doing that. Again, like I said earlier in the episode, if the marine corps was if the moot court was gonna give you a family they issued to you or if you were supposed to have a family, they issued 1 to you.

 

In this case, it's flipped. Yeah. In this case, it's your family and your friends first, knew for the mission and the the the mission to fight anyway. Yeah. Sure. The mission to fight for your for your country.

 

I mean, yes, you're fighting for your life, but you know, the mission critical. The the thing that the everyone thinks the Marine Corps is, that's a a general mission. But this time, it's a different.

 

I should it's it's a mission for your life, it's a mission for your family, it's a mission for everything that you stand for. So that way, you can get up and keep on running or keep on walking or We're just standing.

 

Rolling however you want Yeah. Sure. We're just standing. Yeah. Exactly. That's something interesting I never really thought of before, I guess. I don't wanna generalize it and say it's just collateral damage, I guess.

 

But there is sort of this resounding, resonating emotional trauma. Right? It's not just whoever gets injured. But like you said, everybody has to recover together.

 

And I guess I never really thought about how the military addresses that outside of the service member. But for their family, immediate or distant, but for their family, and then the logistics behind that as well.

 

That is that is pretty crazy. I never thought about it before. I really didn't even know that wounded warrior had a presence in that process either.

 

And and that was another 1 I was gonna give to you. I guarantee you, for whoever's listening, if you're part of the service, 1 knows that there is any type of new lawyer program for them.

 

I mean, do you how many how many people have you seen? Still in the fleet gone through a medical? Mhmm.

 

So many and they don't know that and during that time, they don't know that after wound the word detachment or wound the word battalion or whatsoever, that they have they have people there for you to help you go to that process and and after you go to that process.

 

When someone comes into the attachment, they they have to check-in so not only their admin and the the the 4 and 6, because we still have all that, you know.

 

Sure. You're still battalion. That purpose. Right. Yeah. We still have all that.

 

But they but they also have to check-in to a to a nurse that takes care of your medical files and takes care of you medically. So that way, you have a better transition medically you need to go wherever you need to go medically.

 

Yeah. I don't have the end of sleep. I I know I've known people who got med for it because of I don't know, back issues. Right? Sure. And that's it. They they don't they don't go through a bunch of different steps.

 

Those back issues you you could be came in in gung ho saying, I'm gonna be in Marine, and I'm gonna retire in Marie. And then 2 years later, you get in a situation where you hurt your back, and then you have to be forced out.

 

If you ever want to win the war or if you even knew about it, you could ask and see people there, and they are not only gonna help you get out but find you a job.

 

Make sure that there's nothing wrong with you mentally because mental health is huge.

 

Yeah. Being able to get you all the benefits that you deserve and and at whatever state you come from, because, obviously, Texas benefits are different than Oklahoma benefits or California events.

 

Yeah. Sure. Wherever and I I can't tell you if you did, you'll be able to tell them, hey, go see this person at this place, they might be able to do a lot more for you.

 

I think it's getting better. But, yeah, I agree. It's not as wide spread, I guess, or is forthcoming with that information either. And I think like we said earlier, that's sort of the goal.

 

Right? Retention. So why would I tell you there's resources to help you transition when there's resources here to help you stay in, and we can work through this together, but you stay active duty.

 

You know, like, the motivations are a bit different or a lot different. Yeah. Yeah. I said, like I said, there's a couple of rins that who came in severely injured, and they have a choice. They're given a choice, hey, doing it get out.

 

Where you wanna stay in. And there's 2 different paths medically to do those specific things. If you want to stay in, that we gotta make sure that all the functions in your fingers are up to code or up to par.

 

Make sure mentally you'll be able to go back in with the because some of these guys, they commence fans to corporal's, and it leaves sergeants.

 

Yeah. And they don't have the history to back up that rank on their caller. Oh, sure. So so we have to make sure that they're ready for that.

 

And that's another reason why we're there. As NCOs, we're there to not only help them grow as you know, grow medically, but immensely ready to go back into a boutique because they never had that experience as we were in the sale before.

 

Yeah. It's all about that. I remember I remember having to take a sergeant under my wing he was the last corporal when we got there and be able to tell him, hey, look, this is how it goes.

 

This is how it is. You need to make sure that once you get there, you're able to show that.

 

Is it not? Yeah. That's not something I considered either. I didn't make sense. Right? Like, nobody's gonna send you somewhere unprepared that at least give you a baseline to start from.

 

And so how long did you do that? About 2 years. 2 years. Yeah. Yeah. 2 years. Yep. What a crazy experience. And then to have all of those things happen within 2 years, I think, is even wilder.

 

Oh, yeah. Now we've had some great times as well. There's a lot of opportunity for people to do a lot of different things. I have the opportunity to go on a field trip, and then it's funny.

 

It was actually funded by the wounded Warrior Project. They took us for what's called, Soul DC, soldier ride. So it's for all service members who is able to Warrior Alumni speaking of.

 

If you're not able to Warrior Alumni, and if you have some type of disability, I highly suggest that you go sign up. I don't care. They don't care if you have a 5 percent or a hundred percent disability.

 

Sign up to be a world of horror alumni and you have a bunch of different opportunities. You have counselors. You have activities, not only for yourself or your fan, your family as well.

 

This is like a military 1 source type outlet. Great program. Now it's it's 1 word word question. Oh, it's all through Wounded Warrior Project. Yep. Mhmm. Oh, okay.

 

Alright. And you just got the line them online or what? Yeah. The the the ones who funded this trip that that that I went on. The soldier DC bridger was a great opportunity. I met so many people You ever watched the movie battleship?

 

Yeah. Okay. The the guy the guy that played the army, he was the his legs were amputated. Uh-huh. People tough guy. Right? Yeah. Yeah. 1 who punched that Punch him into the face. Yeah. He was there. I met him. I have pictures with him.

 

Oh, that'd be cool. Yeah. It was so cool. Getting into knowing like as a person. He was a I think he was a retired colonel out of the army. Great guy. Very different from the movie, obviously. It's a Yeah. Sure. It's a yeah.

 

But we got to ride bikes all across DC. Oh, wow. And then we had the also, we had the opportunity to at the time meet the president, which was Trump. I'd say president president Trump at the time. We got to meet him, talk guy, very big.

 

Didn't know that. Mhmm. Yeah. He's like 6 4 or something. Oh, he's tall. He's very tall. I think I have I have an issue somewhere on my phone. He's he is my address podium, and I'm sitting right behind him.

 

And I'm on a I'm on a, like, a, I guess, like a is it like a It's like a rig. Of some sort? Yeah. Like a I'm above him. But he's still taller than me. I'm, like, I'm I'm I'm an average of 57I might just think that way.

 

I'm an average 5 ever. Right? He's, like, an acoustic forward, jumping to my place is a big dude, but he's still towering over me. Yeah. But, yeah, the funny situation, but But like I said, I got some great guys, great great people.

 

And I got to do a lot of that stuff while there while I was there. There's also Marine Zoo who was able to get a private jet from San Antonio to Dallas, sit front row out of Dallas Mavericks skin.

 

And then afterwards or not before they came before they came, they went out to a 16 dollar balance and average 2 leaders at the time.

 

Oh, jeez. That's pretty much good. Yeah. Right? So bunch of different a bunch of difficult stuff that they that that they're able to do and be able to take these people take these marines on to help them.

 

Yeah. Because, mentally, that works. Yep. Right? Yep. Good. So III can't I can't tell you how how resilient some of these guys are because that's just by far great people. Great guys. I'm glad you brought that up too. Had space. Yeah.

 

I'm glad you brought that up too because there's not Well, there's not a whole lot publicized at least within the Marine Corps, 4 wounded warrior or just 4 recovery or the importance of mental health or sort of any of these attributions, it's not as widely disseminated as I think it could be or should be, but It's good to hear that when we're talking recovery, especially through a warrior, in this case, it's not just physical.

 

It's not just diagnostic, I guess. There's mental aspects and spiritual aspects, which again isn't just going to church. You know, it's finding ways to give people hope.

 

It's finding ways to give people the ability to help other people get through things or build resilience or whatever to to rebuild their human spirit. Before we get a bit further, let's take a break for a couple minutes.

 

We'll dive back into growth and confidence and compassion, and I wanna get a little bit more too into into your family and what that's become because like I said, the last time I saw you, you didn't really have 1.

 

It was it was you at La June. So so I'm curious about that as well. But In the meantime, yes, sit tight for a second button and we'll be right back on SDY 2 podcast.

 

Hey everybody. This is Porter with SD YT the podcast. When we're talking about spending time with your family and even remembering love, ones, maybe when you can't be there.

 

I'd like to pass to Mike for a second over to my buddy Dax, and he's gonna talk about the bee and the bear creations. That's BEE and the BEARB and the bear creations.

 

Dex? Hey everyone. It's Stack's here. I just wanted to take a moment and give a shout out to my wife, Julie. She is a artists of sorts, but she has a Facebook page called the bee and the Bear creations.

 

And what that page is for is basically if you wanted to do specialized item like a tumbler or a hat or a vinyl or a decal or a shirt, you can go there.

 

You can ask some questions, look through the WERE's, but then give a DM and try to sort it out.

 

And then work at adjust pricing, but If you're interested something like that, go ahead like her page. It's the bee and the bear creations on Facebook.

 

So Go enjoy it. Alrighty folks. Welcome back to SD YT, the podcast. Again, on Porter, I'm your host, and we're talking growth confidence and compassion with Alejandro Muro out of San Antonio, Texas.

 

Muro, last we touched on. We were talking about Wood to Warrior, alumni, and all these different opportunities that the program gave you. Initially, you said that it's important to treat people as people so you can grow together.

 

And then you said that as a sort of growth mindset, you have to be able to recover together as well, whatever happens to you as a service member, your family has to adjust to that.

 

Your community has to adjust to that. Potentially, schools have to adjust to that. Social scenes have to adjust whatever, but there's more than just you being affected by things that happen.

 

And so Even if it makes it seem more difficult or more uphill, the fact is you're still not going through it alone because it's always recovering together. But you may not always realize it.

 

And I think that brings up an interesting point where you may not always understand the purpose to the task you're given, or the reason that you sort of get set on certain pathways, so I'm curious, in your opinion, based on your experiences, your perspective, however you wanna frame this, But in your opinion, do you feel like everything happens for a reason?

 

I mean, you've seen a lot of stuff in your life. Is that is that applicable to you or do you got a different point of view? Hundred percent. Everything have a service there.

 

I'll I'll take you a little bit back on my job. My my so it's and it's this is personal to me. It's I I don't talk about it much, but my dad passed away when I was 13. After he passed away, like I said, I was a kid.

 

I was 13 years old. I I have no idea what where is it that they still middle school going into my history here. Mhmm. At that time, I still wanted to be a lawyer. Right? But everybody else wanted to be a lawyer cop firefighter.

 

Yeah. As for not the usual stuff. Yeah. Exactly. So at that time, I wanted to be a lawyer. Right? My mom always said I argued too much in the school where it kinda left me to that decision.

 

Yeah. And and so after like I said, after my dad passed away, I just started living life with that 1 for a bit until until my step back into the picture.

 

And if it wasn't for that happening, I I don't think I would be here today. I I will think I would be talking to because I I wouldn't ever mention. I wouldn't ever remember before.

 

I who knows? III might have been able to get my match master bachelor's, master's, doctor's degree. I I have no idea. Yeah. But I would not be here today if it wasn't for that specific thing that happened to me in the past.

 

And and and and and from that time till now, there's so many different opportunities given to me that if I didn't make the right choice, I'll probably want to be here.

 

So then I'm not saying I made the right every single time you said I did it.

 

Mhmm. I've I've gotten into some trouble. But those are choices that I made. It you know, the the the path that was given to me wasn't the right 1 at all times.

 

It was a choice of paths for me to take. And the reason why I say, if we have this sort of reasons, because it really does, life doesn't just happen. Good things in life doesn't that that doesn't just happen.

 

You make those right If you make the right choice, then the good things will come. I think sometimes it can happen where even if I guess comparably bad things, however you wanna qualify that happen.

 

You can still interpret them to have good benefits or good aspects. I think a lot of it just as cheesy as it sounds comes down to a mindset.

 

In some cases, how you how you respond too? Well, it's yeah. Like, exactly how you respond, how you adjust. Adjusting to different things in life really show how resilient 1 person's need.

 

Yeah. A lot of people who go down the road path. I I've heard of people just becoming a drug addict after their dad or their mom or if anybody that passed away.

 

Oh, sure. The but but those outcomes, I reached out to a friend of mine. I'm a huge done the advocate. Right? I had to sell 1 that I really don't know. Because it was my first bill.

 

I loved to death, I had for years, and I put a lot of money into it. He told me don't worry about it. I will crunch you the money. She just gave me back when you made a change. I started tearing up. It just meant a lot to me. Yeah.

 

Sure. That is who I'd consider family. He's not even blood related to me. Yeah. He is my family member. I love him of the deaf. Are doing it for him. And, obviously, he's doing it for me. He's willing to do this act for me is amazing.

 

And the point that I've given here is I I didn't even plan on on on asking them for any money reported or or necessary for trading team or whatever or or him letting me borrow the money to I should ask, hey.

 

Are you interested in buying, or do you know anybody else interested in buying? He just came out of the blue and said, hey, don't worry about it.

 

I'll front you the money. Whenever you have the money paid back, and then you'll meet with them back. I'm like, who else have done that? Yeah. I I don't, you know, not not everybody in the world would do that.

 

I I don't I don't date my own mom and and dad and step dad would have done that. Not because they don't love me. It can be because of financial he had the financial means and he gave it to him -- Sure.

 

-- at his family. But with that being said, anybody that needs the assistance, there's first off family, if if there's no 1 there, then the veterans partner local veteran service officer, they'll be able to find you assistance anywhere.

 

Look it up on the Internet. I'm just curious because we may have some listeners to this episode's who who may understand what you're saying, but don't even know where to start looking.

 

Right? Like, maybe maybe they've been dealing with issues for 50 years. And they're not as familiar with what do you well, where do I look it up? What does that even mean? Like, option overload.

 

Right? And it's overwhelming. So that's what I'm asking. So, like, just go to Google or whatever search engine, what are we talking about here? So Wounded Warrior Project, they they have a bunch of people we can talk to you.

 

You can always go on to the website, request assistance, somebody will reach out to you via email, phone call, however you prefer. Oh. And they'll ask what do you need?

 

What's going on, and they'll lead you to the right direction. Always go to your local, like, for me, other than San Antonio, so Bear County. Right? The Bear County has a military and veteran service center.

 

That I could go to, and they'll be able to support me any way they can. And it comes down for anywhere from helping me mentally, finding finding me maybe a a counselor that I could talk to -- Mhmm.

 

-- or finding me a job that I may need may not be a high paying job, but maybe it's a job. It's just something that -- Yeah. -- needs to pay. Yeah.

 

And at least get you in a direction and moving. Yeah. Right. And like I said, before it all comes down to choice. Are you gonna do it or you're not? Are you willing to find that help? Because you can't expect everything to come to.

 

Just can't. That's it's a it's a mentality thing. You have to be willing to find and accept the help. Because if you don't, those choices will have a consequence with, like, all other choices do. Oh, yeah.

 

Well and and it's interesting you say that because if you're willing to take and listen and learn to whatever advice is coming your way or whatever recommendations are coming your way or just offerings for help, I think a lot of the time it's easy to neglect coming from a spouse or somebody who you're really close with in that capacity.

 

You don't know. I gotta find somebody who knows what I'm going through, and it leads to arguments, or it leads to issues in a relationship. Maybe just because it's a misunderstanding and miscommunication, maybe it's more.

 

But but I think a lot of the time, trying to give advice and recommendations in that kind of capacity in relationship can be problematic too, but obviously you had situations over the last few years, you had to sort out.

 

But now, As I understand it, things are getting a lot better for you in your own relationship.

 

Right? You guys are Yep. Alright. You just got engaged, didn't you? Yeah. I did. Yeah, man. Congratulations. I got engaged. Well, thank you. I appreciate that.

 

Yeah. I just got engaged this last summer to a beautiful woman woman women singular? Carly, she she's amazing. She's definitely definitely brought on my good side of me. Not only her, but the the the package that comes along with her.

 

Yeah. She at the time, she had a daughter that was only 2 months old now getting to know her for the past 2 and a half years, that's week 3 this summer as well. And It's definitely a better argument in my world.

 

I'm not just damn per month. I have 2 other goals too. One's about to be 12 at the end of the year, and the other one's about to be 7. Damn is just covered by. And they just they are my life.

 

I I can't I can't imagine a life without them because if it weren't for them, I don't know again, I don't know where I'd be I don't know what I'd be doing. I don't know if I'd be living in the batch of life.

 

I I don't think that's for me, though. I'd I'd never really liked it. I have no idea or I'd be But if it wasn't for them and the drive that they give me, I won't be doing the things I'd be doing right now.

 

I wouldn't be fighting like hell and being able to provide a house to live in for a crew to put in the house or me having such a great job or having such a great support system.

 

Not only do I have my my family on my side, but I also have hers.

 

On her side. Mhmm. And I'll find out that they're there for me, and I know that they do they'll they'll drop whatever they have in their hand to do whatever it takes to to help me out in any type of situation.

 

I know that was bad. And I do the same thing with them. I don't understand. Well, it's like you said.

 

Right? Like, it's it's as a family, you grow together and recover together. But I think what's interesting that we didn't really on directly at least is that sometimes it's however you define your family that helps you grow and recover.

 

You know, it's totally imprompted. But but being able to be willing to to receive that or ask for it is is huge.

 

And I I think that basically actually brings us full circle now. As you as you go through these different choices throughout your life and grow with your family and recover with your family, I think it it only helps strengthen it.

 

You know, you can't you can't become weaker by growing together. It's it's not a thing.

 

So I think I think that willingness definitely makes a huge difference. But I I don't wanna keep you, especially where you got some time with your family before you gotta get back to work here later on in the week, especially.

 

So I think that's a good spot for us. Let me just say again, I appreciate you making some time to come in and talk and and being so open and willing to be open.

 

So I I appreciate it, man. Thank you. No. I appreciate being here is a great opportunity for me and and I'm excited if you ever need anything, you know, I'm only up, touched away by full support.

 

Yeah. I I appreciate it, dude. I appreciate it. And come what was it? April of next year. I'll have to get back up with you and see how the wedding went.

 

Yeah. Absolutely. Actually, I need to get your address like a single invitation. Yeah. We'll we'll take care of that off of here. I'm all about it. For sure. But but yeah. So I appreciate you coming in, man, and to all of our listeners.

 

For this episode, especially. I appreciate you guys coming out, sitting in and listening for a little bit, as we talk through growth, confidence, and compassion with Alejandro Muro.

 

And with that, that rounds us out. Folks on Porter. I'm your host. And that was SDYT the podcast.