Vault: This Man Is On A Mission To Find His Purpose In Life

Summary

The Bert Show: Vault — “This Man Is On A Mission To Find His Purpose In Life”

Air Date: February 18, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on John, a 37-year-old who makes the bold decision to leave behind a successful civilian life in pursuit of deeper meaning by joining the U.S. Army as an officer candidate. The Bert Show hosts, with their trademark humor and sincerity, explore John's motivations, the reactions of his loved ones, and the broader theme of seeking fulfillment and purpose. The conversation offers insight into late-life career changes, personal calling, and the courage to pursue dreams.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. John’s Story: From Suburbia to Army Boot Camp

(01:30–03:33)

• Background: John describes having a lucrative career, “the house in the suburbs, just bought the BMW,” but felt unfulfilled. Office life felt empty:

  “I felt like I was working for the paycheck and nothing else. It just wasn't satisfying to me. I wanted to do something where I felt like I was making a bigger contribution.” (02:13, John)

• Catalyst: Watching a documentary (“Carrier”) reignited his childhood dream of serving in the military, a goal previously thwarted when post–Cold War downsizing closed military doors to him in his early 20s.
• Army Application at 37: Rejected by the Air Force due to his age, John discovered the Army was more flexible and began the application process for Officer Candidate School, passing paperwork, physicals, and boards.

2. Reactions of Loved Ones

(03:56–04:56)

• John kept his decision from his family until after swearing in, expecting a negative reaction:

  “The night my mom found out, she said that she was about ready to crawl within a ball and cry.” (04:12, John)

• Despite his father’s Navy background, both parents were unsettled. Hosts and callers empathize, noting parental worry transcends age.

3. Lifelong Calling and The Search for Purpose

(05:00–06:49)

• Childhood Aspirations:

  “When I was about 10 years old, I wanted to be an Air Force pilot…and I was in [Civil Air Patrol] for six and a half years…earned the Capstone Award.” (05:00, John)

• The military dream, postponed by external circumstances (downsizing, age restrictions), never faded. John describes his urge as a “calling” and a desire “to give back to my country.”
• He considered the military again after 9/11, echoing broader post–9/11 sentiments, but was turned away due to age.

4. Fulfillment, Regret, and Relief

(06:49–07:19)

• Bert asks about John’s feelings after finally committing:

  “I don't even know if it was a sense of fulfillment. I think it was almost like a sense of relief…I’m finally to the point where…I’m going to be going. Now the journey begins.” (07:02, John)

5. Listener Connections and Shared Stories

(07:32–08:46)

• Caller Story: Laurie shares that her husband similarly left a successful corporate life for full-time Army service after 9/11, much to his mother’s chagrin.

  “He was working at IBM,…got his MBA, making great money…when September 11 happened, he was very compelled to go back into the army full time.” (07:36, Laurie)

• The show highlights that many people wrestle with parental worry regardless of age:

  “I still think mothers get a pass. I think that, you know, mothers…it’s their job to be worried no matter what.” (08:42, Co-host)

6. Dealing with Fear, Purpose, and Family Support

(08:48–09:24)

• Bert asks if John is scared:

  “Am I scared? No.” (08:50, John)

• John looked for resources to comfort his parents, only to find Army materials tailored for much younger recruits.

7. Supporting the Troops, Regardless of Politics

(09:24–09:33)

• Both John and Bert agree on the universal importance of supporting service members, regardless of opinions on the war:

  “If you don’t support the war, you have to at least support the troops.” (09:31, John)

8. Humor, Humanity, and Listener Engagement

(09:39–10:56)

• Pen Pal Exchange: A caller requests John’s contact info to support him during training. This leads to playful banter about military pen pals and “nudie pictures,” keeping the tone light and relatable.
• John’s Accessibility: John plans to keep in touch through Facebook via a friend, given lack of email access during initial training.

9. Resonance with the Audience

(10:56–11:13)

• A co-host praises John for acting on his dreams, noting,

  “A lot of people…maybe think in the back of their mind, they have that calling but don’t ever do anything about it. So I want to say kudos to you for actually taking action and making your dreams a reality.” (10:56, Co-host)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Pursuit of Meaning:

  “I had the material possessions, but they just really weren't satisfying to me. That was kind of what I think really just truly motivated me.” (06:21, John)

• On Family’s Reaction:

  “My mom was about ready to crawl within a ball and cry.” (04:12, John)
  “My dad is ex-Navy himself, so I was kind of surprised he took it as hard as he did.” (04:39, John)

• On Overcoming Age Barriers:

  “The army is the only branch of the service that will commission people up to age 40.” (03:45, John)

• On Universal Support:

  “If you don’t support the war, you have to at least support the troops.” (09:31, John)

• On Living With a Calling:

  “I felt like I was chasing the almighty dollar. I had the material possessions, but they just really weren’t satisfying to me.…I wanted to do something substantial.” (06:21, John)

• Playful Moment:

  “Ooh, nudie pictures.” (09:52, John, joking about pen pal mail)

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Important Timestamps

• 01:30 — John introduces himself and his journey.
• 02:07 — John explains feeling unfulfilled in corporate life.
• 03:33 — John completes Army application after initial Air Force rejection.
• 04:01 — John discusses telling his parents.
• 05:00 — John’s military dreams from a young age.
• 06:21 — John on the importance of purpose over possessions.
• 06:49 — Signing his Army papers: relief and anticipation.
• 07:34 — Laurie shares her husband’s similar story.
• 08:50 — John says he’s not scared.
• 09:31 — Support for troops, despite divided views on war.
• 09:52 — Lighthearted exchange about pen pals.
• 10:56 — Commendation for taking action on lifelong dreams.

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Tone & Atmosphere

The episode blends sincerity and humor—a hallmark of The Bert Show. John’s authenticity and the hosts’ approachable style make for a relatable and motivational listen, striking a balance between earnest career talk, family emotions, and playful radio banter.

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Summary

John’s decision to join the Army at 37 is a compelling narrative of listening to one’s inner calling, transcending social norms, and bravely seeking fulfillment. The episode’s supportive callers, honest examination of family dynamics, and frequent laughter demonstrate how pursuing purpose can both challenge and inspire—not only oneself, but everyone listening.

Transcript

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[John (Army Recruit)]

The bird show.

[Radio Host Bert]

So John here, 37 years old, I mean, he's got it made, dude. Things are going great. He just wasn't feeling fulfilled taking a look at his life and something's not right here. So he sort of felt like, you know what? I think I could find some fulfillment some more meaning if I join the military at 37 years old. Hey, John.

[John (Army Recruit)]

Hey. How you doing?

[Radio Host Bert]

Good.

[Rocket Money Advertiser]

How are you?

[Radio Show Caller/Guest]

Not bad.

[John (Army Recruit)]

I heard that comment about being almost 40. Who said that only people that.

[Radio Host Bert]

Are 40 say that people are in their mid-30s are almost 40?

[John (Army Recruit)]

I'm a young spry 37, I'll have you know.

[Radio Host Bert]

So tell us your story here, man, because, I mean, at least in your email it sounds like, I mean, you were. You were on easy street, dude.

[John (Army Recruit)]

Well, I was. I had a pretty good career. It was still up and coming. I started in the trenches and worked my way up to a pretty lucrative career. Had the house in the suburbs, just bought the BMW and just really wasn't feeling it. I mean, I was going and sitting in a cubicle all day long, doing my job and just feeling like I was working for the paycheck and nothing else. It just wasn't satisfying to me. I really wanted to do something where I felt like I was making a bigger contribution. So actually was watching a show on TV called Carrier, which is about the United States Navy, and was listening to all these people talk about what they do for their jobs. And I thought, hey, I've wanted to be in the military ever since I was a young child. But when I got to be about 22 years old and wanted to go in the Cold War ended, the military downsized, so there really weren't any opportunities. So I chose a civilian career instead. Well, this show made me start thinking, well, gee, maybe I should try one more time to get into the military. So I went to talk to the Air Force. The Air Force found out I was over 35, and they had no more interest in me. And they said, well, go talk to the Army. So I walked three doors down to the army recruiter and said, hey, I'm 37 years old. I want to come into the military and be an officer. And they started filling out the paperwork and took about two months to get the whole process done. There was paperwork, testing, physical. A physical fitness test, which I thought was going to kill me, an Officers Candidate Board, and since then, got through all of it and got my class dates, and Monday night, I ship out to Fort Benning.

[Radio Show Caller/Guest]

Wow. Congratulations.

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That's cool.

[Radio Show Co-host]

Thank you. That's neat.

[VRBO Representative]

That's huge.

[Radio Host Bert]

That is pretty impressive right there.

[Radio Show Caller/Guest]

So the army, when you walked in after the Air Force, said, no, you're too old. The army didn't have any reservations at your age?

[John (Army Recruit)]

No. The army is the only branch of the service that will commission people up to age 40.

[Radio Show Caller/Guest]

Okay.

[Radio Host Bert]

I didn't even know that.

[Radio Show Caller/Guest]

I didn't either have to get an.

[John (Army Recruit)]

Age waiver in most circumstances, but supposedly they're not hard to get.

[Radio Host Bert]

Okay, when you told your family and friends about this, what was their reaction initially?

[John (Army Recruit)]

Well, most of my friends knew that I was doing this while the process was going on. I actually did not tell my family till after I swore in because I knew my family would probably have a very negative reaction to it, and they did. The night that my mom found out, she said that she was about ready to crawl within a ball and cry.

[Radio Show Caller/Guest]

Yeah, well, I think any mother is a little nervous about their kid going.

[VRBO Representative]

Into the military, and that's it, no matter what age.

[Radio Show Caller/Guest]

Right.

[Radio Host Bert]

So how did you Comfort her. What did you say to her?

[John (Army Recruit)]

Well, I think my mom and dad are both concerned that, you know, I'm going to be killed by the Iraqis on my way to boot camp. I just try to allay their fears that, you know, it's not as dangerous a job as it seems. And, you know, if I wind up having to give my life in the service of my country, that's okay. And, you know, my dad is ex Navy himself, so I was kind of surprised that he took it as hard as he did because I thought he would be probably the more supportive of the two parents.

[Radio Show Caller/Guest]

Was that just competition because he was a Navy man?

[John (Army Recruit)]

It's possible. He's always wanted me to go in the Navy anyway, so it's possible.

[Radio Host Bert]

And you said you've always had, like, this little burning desire to be in the military?

[John (Army Recruit)]

Yeah. When I was about 10 years old, I wanted to be an Air Force pilot. And when I was 14, I joined the United States Air Force Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol because they had a cadet leadership program. And I was in that for six and a half years. Started at the bottom, worked my way all the way to the top. I was one of the few cadets that made it all the way through the program and earned the Capstone Award. And about the time that I earned that award, I was coming out of college and was looking to be an Air Force officer. And the Air Force downsized along with the other branches because of the Cold War ending. And that's when I kind of took a look at the situation, said, well, maybe there's a reason for this. And, you know, I pursued a civilian career instead. And even though I've been very successful in my civilian career, there's always been this burning desire to serve in the military and give back to my country. And I thought about it again right after September 11, like a lot of people who joined the military, but the Air Force still really wasn't too receptive to me going in. And then this last opportunity was like, you know, this is my last opportunity to go in the Air Force. Said they didn't want me because I was over 35. The army said, you know, welcome. Welcome to your family. And I was like, okay, well, if the only opportunity I have to serve my country is going to be in the army, then that's the route I'm going to go.

[Radio Show Caller/Guest]

So it's almost like a calling. You know, you hear that all the time about somebody that, you know, has a calling, and it just, you know, continued to pull at you until you did Something about it.

Was there one. Was there one thing that happened, John, that changed your mind? Like, what happened on the day you decided to walk into their office?

[John (Army Recruit)]

Um, I don't know. There's one thing that really changed my mind. Like I said, it was just really just. I felt like it was a calling I wanted to give back to my country. I wanted to do something substantial. And I really just didn't feel like in the civilian world that I was getting that opportunity. I felt like I was chasing the almighty dollar. I had the material possessions, but they just really weren't satisfying to me. That was kind of what I think really just truly motivated me.

[Radio Host Bert]

When you put your signature on that piece of paper and you committed, was there a tremendous sense of fulfillment, or was there a tremendous sense of, oh, damn, what did I just do?

[John (Army Recruit)]

I don't even know if it was a sense of fulfillment. I think it was almost like a sense of relief. Like, I finally got through the process. I'm finally to the point where I'm putting my name on the line and I'm signing in. I'm going to be going. That was kind of how I felt, was like, finally, it's over. I'm going to be going, you know, now. Now the journey begins.

[Radio Show Co-host]

Because no matter what it is that you're signing up for, you always want to be accepted. So, like, when he's signing, you know, he's signing his name to the thing, he's like, I made it. I still did it. I'm not almost 40. I'm younger than that, but I almost did.

[Radio Show Caller/Guest]

Did it.

[Rocket Money Advertiser]

Did it.

[Radio Host Bert]

Hey, Laurie, you're on Q100. Good morning.

[Radio Show Caller Laurie/Valerie]

Good morning. I just wanted to call and say thank you very much for what you're doing and relay to you that my husband did a very similar thing to what you're doing. He was working at IBM, had gotten an mba, making great money, and he actually got his undergraduate education by going through rotc. So he had already fulfilled his obligation to the army and was just doing the Guard on the weekend. And when September 11 happened, he was very compelled to go back into the army full time, which he did. And he was on military leave from IBM for six years, and he's just resigned from them. And he's the commander of the largest battalion in Georgia, and he's deploying again over to Afghanistan next year. And I just wanted to say thank you because my husband believes in what he does, and he's so passionate about it. And I. And the other thing that we have a similarity about is his mother does not support it at all and doesn't understand why he does it. And that's a little disappointing.

[Radio Show Caller/Guest]

Yeah, well, I think. I think. I still think mothers get a pass. I think that, you know, mothers, it's.

[Radio Show Co-host]

Their job to be worried no matter what.

[Radio Show Caller/Guest]

You come from a good place.

Yeah. They're just being protective. That's what they do.

[Radio Host Bert]

You scared at all?

[John (Army Recruit)]

Am I scared? No.

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No.

[John (Army Recruit)]

And what's really interesting is, you know, when my mom first reacted the way she did, you know, I went out to the army website, and there's a section on there called for parents, and I went out there to look to see what they have to tell parents as far as allaying their fears and explaining why it's a great thing that your son or daughter has gone into the Army. And unfortunately, it's geared toward parents who have younger children who are going in, like, 17, 18, 19 years old. There really was nothing there that I could give my parents, because I'm 37. I don't need the army to pay for college. I don't need the army to train me in a skill. So there was nothing there for me to give my parents, unfortunately.

[Radio Host Bert]

Right. Well, at one point or another, we should all thank you. I mean, it doesn't matter if you agree in this war or not, right? It doesn't matter.

[John (Army Recruit)]

Yeah. If you don't support the war, you have to at least support the troops.

[Radio Host Bert]

Absolutely.

[Radio Show Caller/Guest]

I think everybody does. So congratulations.

[John (Army Recruit)]

Well, thank you very much.

[Radio Show Caller/Guest]

Thank you so much.

[Radio Host Bert]

Before we let you go here. Good morning, Valerie. You're on Q100.

[Radio Show Caller Laurie/Valerie]

Hi, Bert. I was wondering if there was a chance to get some information on him so I could, you know, write him, be a pen pal, someone to encourage him as he goes through his trial.

[John (Army Recruit)]

Ooh, nudie pictures.

[Radio Host Bert]

Jeff.

[John (Army Recruit)]

My God, Jeff.

[Radio Show Co-host]

What?

[Radio Show Caller/Guest]

You make something so nice, so naughty.

[Radio Show Co-host]

Isn't that what happens when you. When you write to people in the military? Don't you gotta send them nudie pictures?

[Radio Host Bert]

Hey, John, will you do this for us? When you get there and they give you an email address, will you give it to us? Because I'm sure people are gonna want to keep in touch with you.

[John (Army Recruit)]

Well, I won't have access to a computer for about five months while I'm in training. Everything that you do would have to be via the US Mail. I actually have a Facebook site that I got a friend that's gonna maintain for me. I'm gonna mail her my information, and she's gonna put it online on Facebook. But what I can also do is I can also send the the address to the Burt show as well if you want to post it online.

[VRBO Representative]

Yeah, great.

[Radio Host Bert]

That'd be great. Some were calling asking if you have children.

[John (Army Recruit)]

No, I'm actually never married and have no children.

[Radio Show Caller/Guest]

Okay. All right.

[Radio Host Bert]

Well, hey, man, I really appreciate you sharing your story. We really do. And I want to thank you.

[Radio Show Co-host]

Pumping her fist in the air. Is Valerie never married?

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Yeah.

[Radio Show Caller/Guest]

No.

[Radio Host Bert]

Go get him, Valerie. She's taking the pictures right now. First article of clothing just came off.

[Radio Show Co-host]

She already has them. She took them when she was they were 21. She's been sending them out ever since.

[Radio Show Caller/Guest]

In serious though, John, I want to tell you that I think a lot of people go to work or go to their cubicles every day and feel the way you do or sort of maybe think in the back of their mind. They have that calling but don't ever do anything about it. So I want to say kudos to you for actually taking action and making your dreams a reality.

[John (Army Recruit)]

No problem. I'm glad to do it.

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