Scott DeLuzio: 00:00:03 Thanks for tuning in to the Drive On Podcast, where we talk about issues affecting Veterans after they get out of the military. Before we get started, I’d like to ask a favor if you haven’t done so already, please rate and review the show on Apple podcast. If you’ve already done that, thank you. These ratings help the show get discovered so it can reach a wider audience. And while you’re there click the Subscribe button so that you get notified of new episodes as soon as they come out. If you don’t use Apple podcasts, you can visit Drive On Podcast.com/subscribe to find other ways of subscribing, including our email list. I’m your host, Scott DeLuzio. And now let’s get on with the show. Hi, everyone today my guest is Robert Dabney, Jr. Robert runs an organization called Vet Park, and he’s here to talk about his military background, and what Vet Park is all about and what it does to help out Veterans. So welcome to the show. Robert, why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself and your military background.
Robert Dabney Jr.: 00:01:05 Hey, Scott thank you for first of all, just inviting me and allowing me to be here and to share a little bit of my story and what I hope to do for our community and what I hope our efforts will do.
Scott DeLuzio: Of course.
Robert Dabney Jr.: I’m Robert. I grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. I joined the Army at 18, two weeks after high school I was in basic training, one of those stories. I came in the recruiter offered me a really good job. I wanted to join the military. They didn’t have a hard job with me. I wanted to join the military. I wanted to do something outside of the neighborhood I was in and he offered me or he told me I could become some kind of internet, computer specialist or something.
Robert Dabney Jr.: 00:01:51 This was in ‘98. It wasn’t internet, but it was computer technician or something very nice. And I was like, yes, I want that one. And he knew that I wanted to leave though. I didn’t want to stay around the summer and ended up getting in trouble or something. So, he told me that it wouldn’t be available until maybe six months or nine months in the future, but if I want to leave early and he knew I did, he had some jobs for me. And so, he went through the jobs and I wasn’t as easy as he thought I would be. And finally, he got to becoming a medic and it piqued my interest a little bit. And so I asked him about it and I remember his promise to me. He said that you would be working in the hospital and air condition full of females. And I was like, this is what you can sign me up for. I want it. I want to do that. Yes. Thank you.
Scott DeLuzio: 00:02:46 I’m not sure if there’s any 18-year-old guy that would turn that job down.
Robert Dabney Jr.: 00:02:51 No, not at all. I was like, of course, yes. Why would you even ask me? We should’ve started there. I never worked in a hospital. I was always in the field with the grunts and with the tankers and with the infantry. And so, I got to live vicariously through a few battle buddies of mine as far as hospital life goes, but that’s how I ended up as a medic in the Army, but it was actually very good for me because during that time that I was in the service, I realized that I actually had a desire to care for people or desire to take care and protect or help. And so, becoming a medic came quite naturally to me. I wanted to be the one they called on when they needed help.
Robert Dabney Jr.: 00:03:36 That’s always been the type of person I saw mysel...
