Scott DeLuzio: [00:00:00] Thanks for tuning in to the Drive On Podcast where we are focused on giving hope and strength to the entire military community. Whether you’re a veteran, active duty, guard, reserve, or a family member, this podcast will share inspirational stories and resources that are useful to you. I’m your host, Scott DeLuzio, and now let’s get on with the show.

Hey, everyone. Welcome back to Drive On. I’m your host, Scott DeLuzio, and today my guest is Jack Daly. Jack is a retired U. S. Naval officer with over 20 years of service and now working as an emergency management specialist within the Department of Defense. He’s also the author of Laugh Out Loud, a guide on the therapeutic, benefits of laughter.

And today we’ll explore how laughter can be a powerful tool for stress management, depression relief, and overall wellbeing, especially for veterans and military families. So, uh, before we get started, [00:01:00] welcome to the show, Jack. I’m really glad to have you here.

Jack Daly: Thank you, Scott. Good to be with you.

Scott DeLuzio: Yeah, absolutely. So, um, let’s take it back just a little bit, talk a little bit about your military background.

Anyone who, who puts in 20 years or more with the military. I, I, I gotta take my hat off too, because that’s, it’s not an easy job, uh, you know, being in the military and, um, you know, so tell us, you know, any highlights from your career in the Navy and, uh, you know, how have the experiences that you had in the Navy, uh, maybe shaping your current work and what you’re doing now?

Jack Daly: Sure. Um, well, I enlisted in the Navy and went on active duty in April of 1983. Uh, I went in as a knee three or a seaman, uh, through boot camp. I was, uh, went through training to be a radio man or a communicator, um, especially shipboard [00:02:00] communications, uh, was the focus at the time. My first assignment, I served on the USS England CG 22 out of San Diego, California.

So that was, you know, that was a rough place to have to, uh, get assigned. I went to bootcamp there also. So, uh, it was, uh, it was a real. Uh, not a godsend, maybe, but a stroke of luck to go through boot camp and then get assigned to a ship out there.

Scott DeLuzio: I heard the weather is terrible out there.

Jack Daly: Oh, God, you know, uh, it’s, uh, it was, it was bizarre, though.

The entire time I was on board the England, uh, I remember standing a quarter deck watch one night. Uh, import and having to, uh, run home, get my long johns and my peacoat and my hat and my gloves because it was freezing cold for some strange reason and it’s just a bizarre weather pattern. Um, some of the other odd, uh, things that happen out there when it [00:03:00] rains.

People just go, you know, they go apoplectic. They don’t know what to do, especially the locals. They don’t know what the, how to drive in the rain. I’m from Philadelphia originally, so I was like, what is, what are you people doing? It’s drizzling, you know, what the heck?

Scott DeLuzio: Mm hmm.

Jack Daly: And traffic out there was never, um, never kind, uh, probably is the best way to put it.

The

Scott DeLuzio: Right.

Jack Daly: roadways were pretty crammed in my various assignments, whether...