[00:00:00] Scott DeLuzio: Leaving the military can be a tough transition. You might be carrying physical pain, survivor’s guilt, and wondering where your skills fit now that you’re out. The question becomes: What’s next for me? Where do you belong, and how do you keep moving forward? Our guest today, Dwight Boddorf’s story, is one of finding that answer the hard way.

[00:00:19] He went from being homeless at 16 to joining the Marine Corps, surviving a roadside bomb in Iraq, and living with years of lasting physical pain. After his service, he spent nearly a decade helping other veterans navigate benefits before stepping into local government. Along the way, he discovered that the same skills used in combat can make a real difference in small-town leadership.

[00:00:40] That experience eventually led him to write The Municipal Battlefield, a guide shaped by the real challenges leaders face during late-night emergencies. This episode is about surviving injury, finding purpose again, and realizing that even when things feel uncertain after the military, you still have a place and a mission.

[00:00:59] Before we begin, I [00:01:00] want to take a moment to raise awareness for something deeply important to our community, the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation. This organization is working to build a permanent national memorial in Washington, D.C. to honor the service members, families, and civilians impacted by the global war on terrorism.

[00:01:19] This memorial will be both a tribute to those who served and a way to ensure their sacrifices are recognized and remembered for generations to come. If you want to learn more or find out how you can support the mission, visit GWOTmemorialfoundation.org.

[00:01:34]

[00:01:47] Scott DeLuzio: Hey, Dwight. Welcome to the show. Really glad to have you here

[00:01:50] Dwight Boddorf: Thank you for having me. I’m, I’m looking forward to talking with you

[00:01:53] Scott DeLuzio: Yeah, absolutely. ~Um, ~yeah, like we were talking a little bit before we started recording here and, ~um, ~you know, we have a lot to talk about, I’m sure, and we’ll, we’ll get [00:02:00] into, ~uh, ~the conversation in just a minute here. But before we do, could you, for the guests who… Or sorry, for the listeners who don’t know you and, and your background, ~uh, ~could you just give us a quick, quick, ~uh, ~rundown on, on who you are and, and who we’re talking to here?

[00:02:13] Dwight Boddorf: Yeah, I’d be happy to. ~Uh, ~my name is Dwight Boddorf So I live in the greater Pittsburgh area in Pennsylvania. I’m a Marine Corps veteran, served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. I was wounded pretty severely with a roadside bomb, so life didn’t quite pan out the way that I had planned. ~uh, ~pivoted from there, worked with veterans for a number of years, ~um, ~in government and non-government roles until it led me to my kinda current calling, which is municipal government. you know, I’ve lived in the Pennsylvania area most of my life except for when I was in the military, ~um, ~serving with 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance out of North Carolina. I am a Stanford Hoover veteran fellow, where I’m focusing on figuring out pathways for service members who are [00:03:00] transitioning out of the service to get into local government roles, and a recently published author of “The Municipal Battlefield.”

[00:03:05] Scott DeLuzio: So you got a, a lot of plates that you’re spinning, and it...