The Battle After Service: David West’s Fight for Veterans

Summary

Podcast Summary: "The Battle After Service: David West’s Fight for Veterans"

Podcast: We're Out of Time
Host: Richard Taite
Guest: David West (Nevada County Veteran Services Officer, former Marine, veteran advocate)
Date: November 4, 2025

Episode Overview

In this powerful and heartfelt episode, Richard Taite sits down with David West, a Marine Corps veteran who once faced homelessness and now serves as the Nevada County Veteran Services Officer. The episode dives deep into what happens to America’s veterans after they return home, the systemic failures that leave many lost or homeless, the reality of transitioning into civilian life, and what needs to change to honor the nation’s promise to those who served. With raw honesty, David West shares his own journey from service, struggle, and survival to advocacy, exploring how to truly support veterans in reclaiming dignity and purpose.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Growing Up & Choosing the Marine Corps

• David’s Tough Upbringing: David grew up in a challenging household with little focus on education, motivated to earn money to support his family—sometimes through illegal means.
  “School wasn't really something that was preached in my house. I was really encouraged to go get money to help feed my mom, take care of the bills…” (02:26)
• Joining the Marines: Influenced by his grandfather and seeking structure, David joined the Marines, which brought the first positive male influences into his life and instilled a meritocratic sense of self-worth.
• Culture Shock in the Corps: The Marine Corps provided a level playing field and rewards based on merit, not favoritism.
  “It was the first time where the rules were the same for everybody.” (04:08)

2. Difficult Transition to Civilian Life

• Immediate Struggles: After discharge, David was unprepared for civilian life, facing confusion and alienation in his new job.
  “I went from being in the Marine Corps on a Friday to starting a job on a Monday… not having anything to identify with.” (04:58)
• Feeling Out of Place: The contrast between his sense of purpose in the Corps and his diminished status in civilian work was stark.
• Stigma & Self-Blame: The post-9/11 environment led to questions about re-enlisting, compounded by the stigma veterans feel about returning to service (“You couldn’t hack it on the outside” mindset). (06:07)

3. Old Habits and Personal Setbacks

• Slipping Back to Old Patterns: Lacking guidance, David returned to behaviors from his youth—selling drugs and partying, struggling for a sense of importance. “I went back to having fun… I sold pharmaceuticals. That was expected in my house to bring money home.” (08:03)
• Family Estrangement: David describes a painful ongoing estrangement from his mother, emphasizing the importance of breaking cycles for his children:
  “My job is to protect my family so my kids don’t know the life that I had.” (09:01)
• Reflection on Grief: Taite offers a poignant insight:
  “When your mother dies, you’re gonna… you’re mourning the mother that you always wanted, the mother that you never had.” (09:13)

4. Homelessness and Its Impact

• Personal Experience: David shares his time living out of his car, unable to find support, feeling deep shame and insecurity.
  “I slept in my car, best friend's couch. His mom let me stay there. Tools in my backseat, clothes in my trunk.” (12:43)
• Dehumanization: The sense of being invisible and mistrusted by police compounded his sense of isolation.
  “I didn’t want to let them know I was a Marine because sometimes they say negative things about my service.” (16:36)
• Empathy as an Advocate: His experience drives his current compassionate approach to helping homeless veterans:
  “You got to make sure you treat them with respect. Always look them in the eye.” (17:22)

5. Systemic Barriers and the VA

• Broken Promises: David highlights the three key “promises” made to service members: the GI Bill, the VA Home Loan, and the promise of care if they’re “broken.”
  “The process of working with the VA and filing claims has always been difficult...” (22:20)
• Complex Claims Process: Navigating VA benefits is likened to dealing with a legal bureaucracy, deterring many in need from seeking help.
• Unique Modern Challenges: Recent generations face invisible injuries like TBI (traumatic brain injury) and PTSD, making the claims process even more complex (23:14).

6. David’s Role as Veteran Services Officer

• Providing Access: David details how his office helps veterans access critical benefits—disability, health care, housing, and mental health care.
  “My regular daytime position… Nevada County Veteran Services Officer… we help them file their claim, build a good packet…” (24:06, 25:47)
• Mental Health Funding Shortfalls: Mental health funding is woefully insufficient—in his county, only $100,000 annually covers therapy for all veterans.
  “I get just under $100,000 a year… for the whole county.” (27:38)
• Slow VA Referrals: Wait times for VA mental health care can stretch three to four months. Local partnerships can provide 10 free sessions, but this is far from adequate.
  “Better than a poke in the nose.”
  “No, no, it’s not. I know it’s horseshit.” (28:45–28:48)

7. The Power of Community and Mentorship

• Thriving Through Connection: Veterans who recover flourish in community roles, coaching, and local leadership, but need family-friendly community spaces and activities.
  “They want to be places where the whole family can come together, where they can energize and do great things…” (31:53)
• Underutilized Talent: Veterans, once stabilized, are loyal, hardworking, and valuable employees—but only if employers provide the right support and mentorship.
  “You do your job, you do it to the best of your capability, great things are going to happen. They need to tap into that and give them coaching at work. That’s right, a mentorship program.” (35:41)

8. Healing and Leadership

• Personal Growth Through Support: David credits his own turnaround to therapy, strong mentorship, and leadership principles learned in the Corps and built upon in civilian roles.
  “It wasn’t until Nevada county invested in me… teaching me different leadership traits… and getting real coaching…” (36:32)
• Workplace Adaptations: Veterans benefit from guidance on professional norms and translating military leadership into civilian contexts.
• Lasting Resilience: The best way to help is to encircle veterans with community and care:
  “It takes a village to encircle a damaged human being… and gently move them through that process.” (38:19)

9. Prescription Drugs and the Mental Health Crisis

• Dangers of Overmedication: David recounts nearly becoming “a statistic”—struggling with prescribed benzodiazepines upon returning from a high-paying but stressful private sector job.
  “First time I ever got addicted to anything… that was the thing that’s with the doctor’s name on the bottle.” (40:09)
• Turning Point: Cold turkey withdrawal, moving his family for a fresh start, and finding purpose in serving veterans marked his recovery.
  “When you have positive people telling you you’re important, it means a lot.” (41:10)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Veteran Transition:
  “The transition for me was exceptionally difficult… not being able to fit in at work… not having anything to identify with.” — David West (04:58)

• On Family Estrangement:
  “There’s a woman that loves me that doesn’t know how to love… Like, she never protected me as a kid. So I can’t trust her to protect my kids.” — David West (10:11)

• On Homelessness:
  “I was more embarrassed I don’t have my tools, my clothes in my car than my tools… but I made the choice that this isn’t why I joined the Marine Corps.” — David West (12:43)

• On Empathy:
  “You got to make sure you treat them with respect. Always look them in the eye.” — David West (17:22)

• On Bureaucracy:
  “The process of working with the VA and filing claims has always been difficult…” — David West (22:20)

• On Systemic Failure:
  “It’s a really scary time right now… the process of working with the VA… is legal work, it’s codes of regulations…” — David West (22:20)

• On Mental Health Services:
  “It takes the VA about three to four months to see them for mental health. Through this program, I’m able to connect them with our local therapists… They get at least 10 sessions of free mental health services.” — David West (28:20)

• On Veterans as Employees:
  “People are taking on that have been taught a way of life… they need coaching at work, that’s right, a mentorship program.” — David West (35:41)

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Key Timestamps

• 02:26: David’s motivations for joining the Marines and family background
• 04:58: The jarring transition out of service and into civilian life
• 08:03: Returning to old behaviors and family dynamics
• 12:43: Firsthand account of homelessness and its psychological toll
• 16:36: Dehumanizing treatment by law enforcement and the public
• 22:20: The VA’s “three promises” and why the system falls short
• 24:06-25:47: David’s work as a Veterans Service Officer and what benefits he helps veterans access
• 27:38-28:48: Underfunded mental health services in the veterans' support system
• 31:53: What thriving veterans bring to their communities
• 35:41: Why mentorship and workplace support for veterans are critical
• 40:09: Personal struggles with prescription medication and recovery through purpose-driven work
• 41:53: Closing reflections: the national responsibility to our veterans

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Tone and Takeaway

The episode is raw, honest, and full of empathy—balancing tough truths about the system with hope and real-world solutions. Taite’s heartfelt, sometimes vulnerable interview style draws out David West’s humility and wisdom. Their message is urgent: America cannot continue to fail those who served. With community, mentorship, and real investment in mental health and transition support, veterans can thrive—and make every community better for it.

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Summary for New Listeners

If you haven’t heard this episode, expect an unvarnished look at the post-service struggles veterans face, from homelessness and broken promises to hard-won healing and hope. Packed with personal anecdotes, clear-eyed analysis of bureaucratic pitfalls, and actionable ways communities can step up, it’s a wake-up call and a testament to the resilience—and untapped potential—of America’s veterans.

Transcript

[David West]

When I see veterans that have gone from moment of despair to now thriving, a lot of times the community's better. They want to be places where the whole family can come together, where they can energize and do great things. They really want to help. They want to show off the best of their service, and they're always thankful.

[Podcast Host (Outro)]

We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our listeners because of your incredible support. We're out of Time has reached number one on Apple's mental health podcast chart, number two on the health and fitness chart, and number 26 overall. We couldn't have done this without you. Thank you for being part of this journey with us.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

If someone has a problem with substance use disorder, please call one call placement. That's 888-831-1581. And if we can't help you, we'll make a referral to someone who can. Please, we're out of time. Today we're talking about something that should never be controversial. If we send Americans to war, we owe them the dignity of bringing them home whole. If we break it, we bought it. Veterans should not be living in encampments. The truth is, too many of our heroes come home and find themselves lost in bureaucracy, cut off from benefits that they've earned, and in some cases, homeless. That's unacceptable. Our veterans aren't just survivors. They're some of the best employees, the best, the best leaders, and the strongest contributors to society. Once they get the right support, the challenge is making sure that support is there when they need it. David west has lived this story. A Marine veteran, once homeless himself, now working every day to connect veterans to the benefits and the hope they deserve. Today, we're going to dive in to what works, what doesn't, and what has to change if we're serious about keeping our promise to the men and women who serve this country. Hey, David.

[David West]

Hello. Thank you for having me here.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

No, man, the pleasure is all mine. It's an honor and a privilege for sure. Yes, sir. So I'm. We're going to get right into it, okay? Yes, sir. All right. Can you take us back to your time in the Marines? What shaped you most about your service?

[David West]

Well, when I go back to thinking about the Marines, it's the kid that they took that didn't have the best upbringing, didn't have the best outlook on opportunities for having a quality life. School wasn't really something that was preached in my house. I was really encouraged to go get money to help feed my mom, take care of the bills, and that wasn't always through legal jobs. Right. So during my senior year of high school, my grandfather was. Encouraged me to join all the different branches, bringing me stuff on ROTC for Army, Navy, Air Force. And after I graduated, I went in and told him I joined the Marine Corps. And I remember as he dropped the plate in the kitchen, he said, what the hell did you go and do something stupid like that for?

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Why did he say that?

[David West]

Well, exact words are, I told you to join the military, not the Marine Corps. The Marine Corps is going to change you. But it's just that was the branch.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

I don't understand that. Yeah, explain that to me for a layperson who.

[David West]

Well, for him, he had served in the Air. Army Air Corps during World War II. And the Marines had gained a reputation for being the hardest branch, the meanest people and expecting the most out of their. Out of their service members. And that was something. And when they got out there more forceful and the way they. They approach and Marines kind of have this around the world for being the toughest fighting branch in the world. Right. So he was like, oh, they're going to change you, son. And they.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Best thing in the world for you.

[David West]

Best thing in the world for me.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Yeah.

[David West]

It was the first time I had positive male influence in my life.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Right.

[David West]

It was the first time where the rules were the same for everybody.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Yeah.

[David West]

And I was in a position where I could thrive. And I got promoted fast. Picked up sergeant in three years. That's four promotions.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

That's great.

[David West]

It was great. I had fun. It was a blast.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Is that where you ended as sergeant?

[David West]

Yeah, I ended as a sergeant.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

That's great.

[David West]

It was great. I had a great time. And it was one of those things. You work hard, great things happen, you study, good things happen. And it's not. But who. Who likes you more? Who doesn't like you? It's, can you perform and can you be a. Be a good Marine?

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

I love that, man. I wish I would have done that. I would have given anything. My parents didn't preach any of that to me. What was the transition like when you came back home and what challenges did you personally face?

[David West]

The transition for me was exceptionally difficult. I got out of the Marine Corps pretty quick. I made it. I got a job, like, on paper, I did everything right. I had a job, I enrolled in college, but I wasn't prepared. I went from being in the Marine Corps on a Friday to starting a job on a Monday. My first day of work, they're at a copy machine and in the Marine Corps really simply have a red, red button for no and a green button for make copies. This thing looked like it was ready to send something that to the moon. You know, I'm standing there, I'm like, how do I do this? And this lady came up to me and she asked me what I was doing. I said, I'm trying to use the copier. You haven't been here long enough. I was like, oh, someone sat at my desk. I was like, what? And from there it was just not having anything to identify with. The planes hit nine, that the planes hit right at nine, 11, 15 days after I got out. So I was feeling this, like, should I go back in? But when you're in, the guys that get out and come back in the. It's. You kind of look at them differently. Like you couldn't hack it on the outside. Right. So. And that's my own fault. Well, that's stigma.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

I get it. That's. That's maybe a thing.

[David West]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

But it was 15 days after terrorists just flew into the building, so.

[David West]

Exactly right. And it was on my own head. And I can do this. I'm going to be great. I got a job. Everything's going to be fine. And really quickly, it wasn't why I just not being able to fit in at work. I got a job at a tech company and they're really far advanced for what my skills were as a Marine.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

What did they do? What were you supposed to do there?

[David West]

I was supposed to be fixing radios and handheld equipment.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

And did you know how to do it?

[David West]

I did know how to do it. I just wasn't the best at it. And I had gone from a spot and also I had moved back close to my mom. I joined to get away from problems and when I got out, I moved right back to where my problems were, which were. Which was my mom. Was. Was my mom financially taking a hold of me and dealing with that and to transition to being somebody important in the Marine Corps to the following Monday, not being so important, not being able to wrap my brain around the problems I was having. Like you're saying, not ever having anybody in my life other than it would. I always got tough love from growing up and the Marine Corps further, further did that for me. But this was a period of my life when I needed a mentor.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Right.

[David West]

Somebody to reach out to me and tell me, dude, this is part of life. You're going through it. Calm down. But what I did was I was having so many problems trying to identify with my, with who I am. In the civilian world, feeling I was being taken advantage over work. Not. Not understanding the hierarchy of things that I fell back into. Behaviors that I was taught before I joined. It just didn't start compounding all my problems again.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Would you like to share what those were?

[David West]

Well, I went back to having fun. My. You know, growing up. Growing up. It wasn't. That was growing up. I sold. Sold. Sold pharmaceuticals. Right. That was expected in my house. To bring money home. And when you get out and you're having. You're l. Las Vegas. And as a way to be. Make myself feel important again.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

I know.

[David West]

And is be the life of a party. Have fun. It's what I grew up doing is what's what. It's what made sense. Very quickly found out it wasn't making sense. And I was really hurting myself.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Right.

[David West]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

So is your mom alive today?

[David West]

She is. We. She is.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Do you guys have a relationship?

[David West]

No, we don't. The last time. Last time I talked to my mom, she's going through some problems. And she. She's. She's working through some problems. And she told me some. She said some things we cannot be forgiven. And my job is to protect my family.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

That's exactly right.

[David West]

So my kids don't know the life that I had.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Do they know their grandmother down on their mom's side?

[David West]

Yes.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

But you've never introduced her. No. Dude, I love you.

[David West]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

I love you. You want to know why? Okay. Because it's so hard. We're so hardwired to love our parents, and it's so heartbreaking. Can I tell you something? Honestly? And it's gonna probably make you emotional, but when your mother dies, you're gonna go insane. You're gonna cr. Hold on. You're gonna cry and you're gonna be really heartbroken. Let me tell you in advance, okay. Why you're going to be crying. Not because you lost your mother, because you're mourning the mother that you always wanted, the mother that you never had. So I just want you to know when it happens. Okay. You're not. You don't have to feel guilty about never seeing your mom or introducing her. You know, I don't know if you would, but.

[David West]

No, I. Like, honestly, it's some guilt that I feel every day.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

It is.

[David West]

Oh, every day. I know there's a woman that loves me that doesn't know how to love and protects. Like, she never protected me as a kid.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Right.

[David West]

Right. So I can't trust her to protect my kids.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

That's right.

[David West]

Stuff that I don't know that's exactly my role as their father. But as a. As a dad, knowing I always want to have contact with my kids, I always want my kids to have contact with me, hold on. And treat them the right way. And as a son, it feels bad knowing that there's a woman that's hurting, but she hurt me, and I can't allow her to hurt anybody else.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

That's exactly right.

[David West]

So exactly. That's a burden I gotta live with. And I do my best. Right? And I. To show my kids the most love as possible.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Huh? So you see what I'm talking about, right? You're gonna feel. You're gonna. It's all gonna come crashing down. You didn't do anything wrong. You did it all right? Your responsibility as a dad to your family. Okay? That's it. If she's unsafe, she's.

[David West]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Then you can't bring her into the fold. Right? That's your. That's. So when she dies, that's what's going to happen.

[David West]

Yeah, I know that's going to be coming. It's going to be a bad day.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

It's going to be a bad day, but not because of her, but because you're mourning. You're at a loss for what you never had. And you probably see your wife and the father that you are to your kids. Okay? And now you're like, wait a minute, I didn't get any of this. Right? I mean, do you know how much better off you would have been if you were your own father?

[David West]

Oh, I think it'd probably be the president. You know, I've. I've fought so hard just to have a seat at the table, and I can look at my own family and see. So my dad had different kids, different wives, and my brothers, my sister, they all got an opportunity to go to full. Right. You know, full colleges, real colleges. I got. I went to University of Phoenix, which is great. Right. But still always wanted to go to real college. And I will. I will one day. Right? That's. That's in the goal. But just seeing the different opportunities and knowing how I grew up compared to my siblings and I made it. I'm here. Right? And sometimes you can't let the bad parts be the reasons why you don't succeed.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Absolutely, Absolutely. So you've been open about a period of homelessness yourself. What does that experience teach you about veterans we see struggling on the streets today?

[David West]

Well, my experience, after about a little over a year in Vegas, everything falling apart, I moved home. Nobody in my family would Take me in. I was. My stepmom. I was a bad influence on my younger brother. I couldn't be there. I still don't understand that logic. So I slept in my car, best friend's couch. His mom let me stay there. Tools in my backseat, clothes in my trunk. For some reason I was more embarrassed. I don't have my tools, my clothes in my car than my tools.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

So you. So you put your clothes in the trunk and your tools in the backseat.

[David West]

Yeah, because that was.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

You didn't want to. You didn't care that they might get stolen, just so long as you didn't look homeless.

[David West]

Yeah. I love. That's the best in Carnegie Soda. One Carnegie soda burrito a day because it was cheap but also has a lot of protein in it. You know, enough to get through sitting there knowing. Knowing from my upbringing that I could take an easy way out and get out of my. But I made the choice that this isn't why I joined the Marine Corps. There's something that I got to live up to. To that and the path from being in that to being a laborer making $12 an hour for a construction company that didn't always pay their guys. And if they were running short, they're going to pay the top dollar guys. And usually the laborers are going to be the ones that are missing a paycheck because I'm easily replaceable and therefore I'm having a hard time feeding myself to going through. Through that circuit of learning just how people take advantage of low cost labor and how. And how it messes with your brain. Right. You're trying to feed, you're trying to eat, you're putting in good work and then somebody holds your paycheck.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

No, that's.

[David West]

Or you get a paycheck and everybody's got to run to the bank because if you're the last guy, it's not going to cash. And then you're stuck for the weekend learning from that experience. And, and while you're going through it, especially with, you know, has some problems from the Marine Corps. But the, the mental health part, like how do you get. How do you stay focused? How do you stay positive? How do you. How do you pursue a girl if you can't even take her out? Right? Like, how do you do these things when you're living paycheck to paycheck?

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

It's dehumanizing. It is. It's dehumanizing. You're going out, you're doing the work. O. How long ago was this? 20 years.

[David West]

Yeah. It was about 2000, 2004, 2005 time period.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Well, in 2004, I had my treatment center. I just opened it. And I paid the housekeepers, I think 15 or $16 an hour. But they all had insurance, every single one of them. And at the beginning, you don't have to. I think if you're under 50 employees, you don't have to. But I just, in my mind, I was like, wait a minute. These are the people that take care of me, I gotta take care of them. Right. Because people are all that matters in construction. It doesn't work that way.

[David West]

No. No health insurance. You can't. You don't want to get sick. If you get sick, you miss. You miss payment, you miss payment. You got to go to a doc in a box where they charge you outrageous fees. But having no insurance and you're behind.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

That's exact.

[David West]

So you don't go. So you're self medicating, doing all the things. And understand that my relationship now with cops is a lot different than when I was in. Sleeping in my car.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Sure.

[David West]

The way they show up, it's not always respectful. Right. Get out of here. Who are you? To a point where I didn't want to let them know I was a Marine because sometimes they say negative things about my service, all the great things.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

What do you mean?

[David West]

You know, you're sleeping in places and they come in and be like, what are you? And you tell them, sorry, I'm a marine. Oh, you're a Marine. Look at you and all these names. Shut up.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Nobody. They would say like that.

[David West]

Yeah. It was some negative, negative stuff in that experience. And you take that with you. You take that with. Sure.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Because you feel dehumanized. You feel like a failure in that moment.

[David West]

Yeah. So now when I'm helping veterans in that space and they're telling me that they've been. Not been treated right. Or dehuman. I can relate. I know that because I've been there. I know, I know what it's like. I know what it's like that people look at you or not look at you. That's when you're helping veterans, when you're helping anybody. And this low, that's. It's not, there's not House. You got to make sure you treat them with respect. Always look them in the eye.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Yeah.

[David West]

You know, show them that you care. Don't. Don't pass them off.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Yeah. You know, Dylan and I were in the car, right. And we're passing through the intersection and I lock eyes with this woman holding a sign. And I pull, I'm already through the intersection. So I pull over and I look in the rear view mirror and because we locked eyes, she's walking across the street. So I hand Dylan some money and I say, get out of the car and give this to the woman. And he goes, what woman? I said, dylan, get out of the car. Make a right, you'll see the woman. And he says, okay. And I'm watching this through the rear view mirror because I'm in a rush, okay? So I don't get out of the car, but she ain't leaving because she wants to say thank you. And so I know the drill, right? So I get out of the car and I open up my arms and I go, can I give you a hug? And she goes, see? And I whispered in her ear, I'm sorry you're struggling, okay? And we got in the car and I started crying. And he waited. Dylan waited a couple minutes because, you know, his boss is sitting there crying in a car, right? It's freaking the 22 year old kid out, you know. And he finally says to me, I bet that makes you. I bet that makes you feel good. And I said, it does not. And he said, why? And I said, because we left her there. Now we'll get into the leaving people there mark, because if you break it, you bought it. That's how I feel about it. But the point of that story is money's not enough. These are human beings. They want to be acknowledged, they want to be seen, they want to be heard. They want you to slow down and say, hey, I, I matter, right? Or I mean, they don't feel like they matter. So if you can stop and just give somebody a hug, it doesn't matter. Now, I did have a bad experience in New York when I was there to do some press stuff, okay? And I tell my guy to stop, I tell my driver to stop the car. And I've got my publicist to the left of me and I grab a bunch of money and I go out and there's this woman, she's like this tall, she's like 5ft tall and she's overweight. And she's got her, her, her. What do you call it, shopping cart, right, Full of all her stuff. And I approach her and I say, here, sweetheart. And she started screaming and I go, no, no, baby, it's okay. I just want to give you the money. And she was. So I freaked her out so hard, which means she's been raped, she's been Abused. She'd been like, she's afraid of every man. Okay. And I just ran and I tossed the money in her, in her thing and I got in the car. You know, it's so. Not everybody can handle the love, but you're going to go through those things if you, if you want to be a human being and, and make somebody feel like, you know, they're not invisible for the day.

[David West]

Yes.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Right.

[David West]

No. 100%. You have to take that extra moment and you know, sometimes the mental health, the mental illness from the trauma that you receive on the streets. Right. Knowing that most of our homeless women are sleeping during the day because they're scared to sleep at night for sure. Right. And you're seeing them like, so that they're up protecting themselves or understanding. It's really hard for a woman with kids to find housing in these situations. Right. Especially when they're, when they're escaping domestic violence. Right. Or that's like that, that's, that's a hard, that's a hard. How do you, how do you help overcome that?

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

You see that with the veterans?

[David West]

Yeah. We, we hope, yes. Because the American veterans are a perfect slice of Americana. We, we represent the whole US population, the good, the bad and a lot of the great.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

A lot of the great.

[David West]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

All right. If we break it, we bought it. I've always believed you can't send people to war, break them down and then let them live in an encampment. From your perspective, how well is our country living up to that responsibility?

[David West]

It's a really scary time right now when you, when you, when you. As a young 19 year old, David west, who was joining the Marine Corps, joined for two, two guaranteed benefits. I was going to get the GI Bill and I was going to get the VA Home loan. And the third was a promise. If they broke me, they would take care of me. The comp. The process of working with the VA and filing claims with the VA has, has always been difficult.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Right.

[David West]

It's not adversary in the fact that the VA wants to deny claims. It's not, it's not built against the veteran. It's, it's a, it's a claims process. It's legal, it's legal work. It's codes of regulations. You have to understand that. And as every time we've gone through wars, each war has its new problems. This one has a lot of visible invisible injuries. The tbi, the ptsd.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

What's tbi?

[David West]

Traumatic brain injury. Okay. A lot of invisible injuries that they didn't have in previous wars and our medicine's gotten a lot better. We've kept people alive that we previously weren't able to do.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

You said you had three promises.

[David West]

Three.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

The GI Bill, the VA Home loan. We already know that they didn't take care of you. Okay. Did you get the GI Bill?

[David West]

I got the GI Bill.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

And you get the VA Loan?

[David West]

I got the VA home. Wouldn't be, wouldn't be living. The house I lived in right now. It wasn't for the VA Home Loan. I was able to use my GI Bill. My path going to high, going to college was difficult. Right. But the fact when they break you, they're going to fix you. A lot of veterans right now are, even our lower income veterans that need help. They don't know where to go to get this help.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

What is your position and who do you work for? For the viewers?

[David West]

So my, my regular daytime position. I'm David west, the Nevada County Veteran Services Officer. Nevada county is Northern California, about an hour northeast of Sacramento. Covers the Truckee area. For those who don't know where Truckee is, just think about the Donner Party. That's where they ended up. No, the Donner Party from coming back out west.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Who's the Donner Party?

[David West]

They. They tried to travel out west. They tried to travel out west from the, from back east. Took a, took a shortcut that ended up being a shortcut and ended up freezing to death up in Truckee and had to do some, some weird eating habits to stay alive during the winter.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Shut up. They ate each other.

[David West]

Yes, they did. So. Yeah, the Donner party.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Yeah.

[David West]

But whenever I, Yeah. Whenever I try to tell people where little, little Nevada county is, they don't really understand until I bring up Truckee and the Donner party. Oh, that's.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

You know what's funny? I think Jeffrey Dahmer did the same thing. Don't look that up right now. Jeffrey Dahmer was Jeffrey Dmer eat people?

[David West]

Yes, he did.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Did he really?

[David West]

Yes, he did.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

So D and Dmer, both of them are, are.

[David West]

Well, Donner was a party. He was like in the. On the wagon trail.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Yeah. But you don't see this DMer and Donner.

[David West]

I see it. Yeah. And Dahmer was an army veteran.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Well, he knew how to survive. Clearly.

[David West]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

A lot of veterans don't even know what they're entitled to. Can you walk us through the key benefits you help veterans access? Disability claims, health care, housing, and how life changing they can be?

[David West]

Well, compensation is. Compensation is. For veterans. Is. And for injured. For veterans that Are hurt during. During their service. Injuries and diseases that can be contributed to their service. Such as our burn pits. Our current generation of veterans, the military burned everything they could. Everything. Whatever. Human waste, metals, parts, everything. Everything in the camp. Rubber tires.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

You burn it.

[David West]

They just burn it. They put jet fuel on it, and it was about. Some of the larger ones are 10 football fields wide by 10 football fields long. Just stuff. And they're burning and they got service members running around and breathing this stuff in. They're getting cancers. They're dealing with a lot of stuff. Right. So they come into our offices and a lot of.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Why do they burn it?

[David West]

Because it was cheaper than getting it out. It's cheaper than disposing it the proper way.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Well, it ain't cheaper than treating everyone with cancer.

[David West]

Exactly. Short term. Short term. Thought process on that one.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Oh, okay.

[David West]

So they come into our office and every generation. So I got to market to five, six generations. Generations of veterans, young all the way up to World War II, even though we don't have many of those still alive, but we still have surviving spouses from that generation that we got to take care of. So we help them. If they're a wartime veteran, they might be eligible for pension if they're low income, but we always try to focus on compensation. Injuries and diseases result of service. They come in, we help them. We help them file their claim, build a good packet, whether it be mental health, bad back, bad knees, diabetes, whatever it is, we. Okay, what about them?

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Therapy. Therapy is the most important thing because these people all have trauma. They're all suffering with nightmares and everything else.

[David West]

So in Nevada County, I get just under $100,000 a year through California's Prop 63 funding. We get. Get some from Calvin and County behavior.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

What?

[David West]

Yes.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

You have $100,000 a year to treat people psychologically in your whole county?

[David West]

In my whole. Yeah, dude.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

It cost me 50,000 bucks a year for my own therapist.

[David West]

Yes. So. So what we do. Veteran come. Every veteran we meet, we talk about mental health. We always talk about mental health. How are you? What's going on? At our local Auburn outpatient clinic in Auburn, California, it takes the VA about three to four months to see them for mental health.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Don't say Auburn around me. I can't take it. Roll tide.

[David West]

Right. So sorry.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

So.

[David West]

But it takes them about three to four months to see a veteran for mental health. Through this program, I'm able to connect them with our local therapists, where they're being. They get at least 10 sessions and they get 10 sessions of free mental health services where we take care of.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Them and 10 sessions of free mental health services.

[David West]

Better than a poke in the nose.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

And no, no, it's not.

[David West]

I know it's horseshit. But through that, the company we work with, Sierra Family Therapy Center, Sierra, Sarah Burton's, awesome. They're able to build medical Tri west, all the other insurances that we have. So the veterans, family and everybody can.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

We can do all Tri West, Champs, Va and TriCare, Tri west, they can.

[David West]

Do all that too. So they could, they can. See the problem is right now is they are on the VA's Community Care Network, meaning the VA will pay for veterans to be referred to them. It's just the federal referral process needs to be taken care of a little bit better.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Well, the President's doing a lot of stuff around that, right?

[David West]

Yes.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

What's he doing that's so good and beneficial right now for the veteran community?

[David West]

Well, the promise is that they were going to redirect some of this money to community care, so. And he's only six months into the job. Six, seven months.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Not even.

[David West]

Right, okay. Yeah, seven months into the job. So, so we're, we're waiting to see the impact and seeing that money being shifted and seeing these referral processes. But this is some of our work we're doing is communicating up and trying to use the right channels saying hey, we gotta, we got a therapist here on your network. We, we can have the records. How can we make this referral process easier? Especially considering this is what you want us to be doing? So how can we make this easier to see our veterans be seen quicker and then they can be continued treatment past 10 on the, on on the care of the VA as, as is the promise. Right. Because they're making a bunch of efforts through the Compact act and which, which means that veterans in crisis, they can go to any mental health doing.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

I mean look like, look, I know that the President shut the border, okay. I know that the President is dealing with the issue. So the President went ahead and allocated $400 million to deal with the West LA Veterans Campus, which I'm told is the biggest one was it's the hugest one in the country. Right. Do you know when I was there, there's a helicopter pad there. So when the President comes or, or a four star general comes, they have their own helicopter pad at the va.

[David West]

That's cool, I guess.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Yeah. What do you mean it's cool?

[David West]

I guess, I guess, yeah.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

What do you mean?

[David West]

I think.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Yeah, yeah, dude, the President's got to do.

[David West]

Okay.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

I mean, he ain't flying into the.

[David West]

I mean, he's not flying in lax.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Yeah, yeah. And if he is, he's. And he is. Okay. He's taking a helicopter from there. No, two.

[David West]

It's one. Yeah.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

I mean, it saves them an hour.

[David West]

It saves everybody. No, I think it's great.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

The guy's got things to do.

[David West]

Yes.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Okay. Plus, it's better for the community too.

[David West]

Because when you have the motorcades and all stuff and all the things.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Yeah, yeah. What's the moment you see most often when a veteran goes from despair to finally thriving? Once they get the right support?

[David West]

When I see somebody. When I see veterans that have gone from a moment of despair to now thriving, a lot of times they're. The community is better. Always community's better. They're, they're active. They want, they, they want to coach. Local high school. They want to coach. They want either be high school, their kids, they get more active in your road, your rotary, the Elks Lodge. Right. Veterans don't. Especially with our younger veterans, generation of veterans, they're not really flocking to the VFW and the American Legion and those traditional organizations and the way that they, they operate, they're looking, they're looking for more connection. Right. It's. Raising kids is different than it was even 20 years ago.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Right.

[David West]

And it takes a full family effort. So a lot of these traditional organizations, they will, they kind of separate the family and they want to be places where the whole family can come together, where, where they can, where they can energize and, and, and, and do great things. They really want to help. They don't. They want, they want to show off the best of their, of their service. A lot of times is, is where they come from and they're always thankful, Always thankful. They want to. And they bring, actually, they bring more veterans into my office for me to help, to tell you the truth. So the goal is to. The goal is help every veteran the best way I can so they can bring more into me.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

That's magnificent. All right. You said that once veterans stabilize, they often make phenomenal employees. Why do you think veterans are such an asset in the workforce? This is the part that I want people to understand, the part that, I mean, if I can get anybody to take anything away from this podcast, it would be these people are so talented, they're loyal, they're hard working, they're self motivated. Okay. But people struggle in the transition.

[David West]

They struggle in the transition and for, for the most Part I might be an outlier in how I say this, but we need to do a better job of showing ourselves off. There's somewhere along the line veterans getting compensation became like a badge of honor. Like it's a thing of what you need to do. And we talk about it in neighborhoods, we talk about it at work. I got PTSD. I'm getting 70%, I'm getting money. And that doesn't help you at the workforce, right? We, we can, we can reach out for help. We can do what we want to do. We can. There's certain, like for me being a Marine, right, there's certain aspects that I want to live up to in my civilian life and one of them is being able to get through. Right. So even though when I'm struggling mentally and having problems, me and my wife have a good rule. Don't let the outside world see the real you sometimes. So come back into the house. Whatever is triggering me, use my team, my resources, right? You're on my team, somebody I reach out to if I'm having a hard time. Absolutely. Help me get re centered. So that way the world's not seeing the worst part of it.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

This is never going to be fixed ever.

[David West]

It's never going to be fixed.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

It's not going to be fixed unless you have a program. You've got a mental health program with a therapist who is, who you're therapeutic aligned with. You have a therapeutic alliance with and you dig in to the trauma. TMS works great. DBT works great. Okay, all of it. There's, there's so many modalities, but you have to be put in the bosom of professionals that know how to deal with this. And you guys are getting the short end of the stick on this man.

[David West]

Well, I use it myself, like. So I was in corporate industry, right, and worked for a veteran friendly company. They're veteran friendly. However, I was required to work every veteran's day trying to get time off to go to a VA exam. You got to go to another exam and all the questions, okay, I guess my headaches aren't that bad. I guess I'll keep going through work. The problems that you're having, companies need to realize you're taking people on that have been taught a way of life. You do your job, you do it to the best of your capability, Great things are going to happen. They need to tap into that and give them coaching at work. That's right, a mentorship program. Somebody, somebody of success that understands how to bring this person along.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

When I take you by the hand and walk you through it so that they can show you the way.

[David West]

Right. We have a good internship program in Nevada county where we bring service members on and during the last six months of service. And one of the things I'm. Two things I tell them your emails are your job interview. Always know everybody's going to see an email before they ever see your face. So make sure you're writing a good professional email that doesn't have a bunch of. There's no need for emojis. There's no things. Always just be professional. And when you're in your boss's office and they're reading a book on leadership, read that book. Your bosses want somebody that's going to think like them and do the same. Same things. Read the book, know where they're going. The books. Everybody's reading the same books. Veterans, if you're not reading these books on leadership and doing these things, you're. You're a step behind. It wasn't until Nevada county invested in me and started me teaching me different leadership traits that I had fallen away from in the Marine Corps and getting real coaching and understanding how to be an inclusive leader and all these great things that I try to be on a daily basis. Having somebody actually teach me and show me that they care and they want to see me better. And having seen one of my meltdowns at work, right? And knowing. Knowing we got to take care of this guy. And over the last four years, since they've invested in me, I've just grown exponentially. And I can just from my experience, it's not that the therapy is important, right? Having somebody to talk to, but having a coach, somebody you can talk to. Like, how. How do I go into this meeting with my boss that is bothering me without it looking, you know, because there's. There's issues you can talk to with bosses and having. Having a format to go in there to make it look, to let them know you're on, you're in control of the situation, but you still want to talk about it with them to let them know what's going on. Just. Just the things that helped me grow as a leader.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Yeah, that's. It's. You know what, man? I got to tell you, I've treated so many veterans over the years, and I got to tell you, they're the easiest people to treat. They are. They just are. Because if you say soldier, it's muscle memory. Then you just give them a hug and you say, we don't do that here, man. Come on you throw a cigar in this pie hole and you go smoke a cigar and you relax for a half hour and he's a new person. I mean really, you know how. It's how the saying goes. It takes a village. Okay. I think you use that, didn't you? Okay. It takes a village to encircle a damaged human being. It doesn't matter who it is and gently move them through that process. And what happens is I've never seen and I know this isn't about drugs and alcohol even though there's a ton of abuse and self medication because they're depressed and lonely and unseen. But I've never seen anyone get sober or get mentally right and then not be 300 to 400% better than they've ever been. Right. So they're going to be the most loyal employee. They're going to be the best employee. They're going to be, you know, they're going to be the most conscientious. Right. They'll take a bullet for you essentially. Because I see how you talk about the people that gave you that support in Nevada county and you're the best employee there. You don't say it because you can't say it. You'd never say it. Okay. But I know it because of the gratitude.

[David West]

Yeah. They took me when I was broken. I became a veteran services officer after being in private industry in Bakersfield selling chemical in the oil patch. Made a lot of money. Was me and my wife were close to getting divorced. Really bad mentally coming home I almost became a statistic. VA over. Over prescribing me Xanax. Just turning me into a zombie. Getting first time I ever got addicted to anything. That was the thing that's with the doctor's name on the bottle and it's hard.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

It's tear off those dentists.

[David West]

And I did it. Did it cold turkey. That was terrible.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

It was terrible.

[David West]

It was terrible. One of the worst things I've ever been through.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

That's right. You're lucky you didn't die. I mean I don't know how much you were using but it was that horrible.

[David West]

It was bad. But moving and, and moving my family up to Sacramento without having a job. My wife was going to be moving back and forth while she's a nurse and I got offered the job on my birthday interview got offered on my birthday.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Happy birthday.

[David West]

Started September 10th and I was hungry and I wanted to prove that they hired. That they hired the right person and. And I just started. I just started going and steamrolling and you get. When you have positive people wanting you to do well and telling you you're important, it means a lot. And it goes back to the leadership traits you're taught in the Marine Corps. The best, the best leaders. You know, you show up on time, show up early, be present, look good, and eat last. If you're a leader, eat last. It's the simplest things. And as long as you continue to do it, you're gonna. You're gonna connect with the veterans in your. In your community.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

At the end of the day, this isn't complicated. Veterans keep their promise to us. Now it's on us to keep our promise to them. They don't need handouts. They need the benefits that they've earned, the housing that they deserve, and the chance to thrive again. When that happens, they prove over and over again that they are among the hardest working, most loyal and most valuable people in any community or company. That's a fact. We cannot accept a country where veterans live in tents while the rest of us look away. If we break it, we bought it. And until every veteran is treated with the dignity they earned, our job is not finished. The end. All right, let's go to the game.

[David West]

Thank you.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

See you next Tuesday.

[Podcast Host (Outro)]

We're out of time. Please subscribe on YouTube, click the thumbs up and leave a comment. Please subscribe on Apple podcast and Spotify and leave a rating and a review and share the we're out of time podcast with others you know who will get value out of it. See you next Tuesday.