Jevon Wooden

But that really, when I look back into my story, my journey and all the changes that I've experienced, that coin was the biggest change I ever made because I didn't know what being a leader was myself. And I had to tap deep into and say, you know what? Somebody believed in me. The army believed that I could do this.

But that really, when I look back into my story, my journey and all the changes that I've experienced, that coin was the biggest change I ever made because I didn't know what being a leader was myself. And I had to tap deep into and say, you know what? Somebody believed in me. The army believed that I could do this.

So I had to really step into that role and change the fact that that value that I talked about earlier, I was valuable because I can connect with people I can empower people. I can uplift people. I can motivate people. I can do all these things that are intangibles that we call soft skills that are really foundational. I did it very well.

So I had to really step into that role and change the fact that that value that I talked about earlier, I was valuable because I can connect with people I can empower people. I can uplift people. I can motivate people. I can do all these things that are intangibles that we call soft skills that are really foundational. I did it very well.

And that was the biggest change that led me to where I am now.

And that was the biggest change that led me to where I am now.

Yep. I was in there for 12 years. And my last deployment was probably not probably is the hardest thing because, and this is one of the reasons why I knew like my body couldn't handle it, my mentally and emotionally, and I just couldn't do it. So I was in Afghanistan in 2016, 2017, and there was a suicide bombing that happened where I was stationed on Bagram Fairfield.

Yep. I was in there for 12 years. And my last deployment was probably not probably is the hardest thing because, and this is one of the reasons why I knew like my body couldn't handle it, my mentally and emotionally, and I just couldn't do it. So I was in Afghanistan in 2016, 2017, and there was a suicide bombing that happened where I was stationed on Bagram Fairfield.

And the suicide bombing was on Veterans Day. So Veterans Day traditionally has been a very hard time since then. We lost, I think we lost six or seven people and then 18 others at least got injured, got injured physically. But of course, mentally and emotionally, those of us who survived or who wasn't hurt physically, that hurt. That plays a toll on you.

And the suicide bombing was on Veterans Day. So Veterans Day traditionally has been a very hard time since then. We lost, I think we lost six or seven people and then 18 others at least got injured, got injured physically. But of course, mentally and emotionally, those of us who survived or who wasn't hurt physically, that hurt. That plays a toll on you.

And then I was a part of the remains cleanup team where that's what mentally really hit me hard because I'm like, I'm treating the bomber with the same respect that my friends and my comrades and my colleagues that he killed. And that was another inflection point for me because when I got home from that deployment in 2017, I just was not the same. And it hit me like six months later.

And then I was a part of the remains cleanup team where that's what mentally really hit me hard because I'm like, I'm treating the bomber with the same respect that my friends and my comrades and my colleagues that he killed. And that was another inflection point for me because when I got home from that deployment in 2017, I just was not the same. And it hit me like six months later.

Here I am, like after that, I took some time to just like travel and get back into the space of civilian life. And it just didn't work. Six months later, I had struggled severely with depression and PTSD. Kept having the same nightmare over and over again, Vince. And at the end of that nightmare, it was a red flash. I just remember the red flash. It was the detonation from the bomb.

Here I am, like after that, I took some time to just like travel and get back into the space of civilian life. And it just didn't work. Six months later, I had struggled severely with depression and PTSD. Kept having the same nightmare over and over again, Vince. And at the end of that nightmare, it was a red flash. I just remember the red flash. It was the detonation from the bomb.

And I had to go to therapy and the therapist once asked me, she said, what happens at the end? I said, I don't know. It doesn't end. Once the flash happens, I wake up. And she was like, I want you to see that as something that's saying that there's something unfinished in your life. So she gave me this whole exercise to find what was unfinished.

And I had to go to therapy and the therapist once asked me, she said, what happens at the end? I said, I don't know. It doesn't end. Once the flash happens, I wake up. And she was like, I want you to see that as something that's saying that there's something unfinished in your life. So she gave me this whole exercise to find what was unfinished.

And this ties back into my childhood because what was unfinished was my relationship with my father. And then I hadn't been in touch with him. He actually got arrested while I was with him. So that was when I established a relationship. SWAT team jumps out while we're at the gas station and they put me down on the ground. I thought it was something I did, but it wasn't. So it was him.

And this ties back into my childhood because what was unfinished was my relationship with my father. And then I hadn't been in touch with him. He actually got arrested while I was with him. So that was when I established a relationship. SWAT team jumps out while we're at the gas station and they put me down on the ground. I thought it was something I did, but it wasn't. So it was him.

So fast forward, I had to reestablish that relationship with my father and that nightmare stopped. since then. And what is another change? My daughter was born on Veterans Day. So it went from the worst day to the best day. And that's just how things happen, right? That's serendipitous moments that I really leaned into now with all the change and adversity that has gone through throughout my life.

So fast forward, I had to reestablish that relationship with my father and that nightmare stopped. since then. And what is another change? My daughter was born on Veterans Day. So it went from the worst day to the best day. And that's just how things happen, right? That's serendipitous moments that I really leaned into now with all the change and adversity that has gone through throughout my life.