Corps Commander Awarded a Vehicle For Military & Volunteering Service

On November 8th our 3rd Corps Commander @Typicalveteran- was awarded a Car for his service to the Military (15years) and his volunteer service to his local Veteran Community.

The full article can be found here:
https://www.cleveland19.com/2019/11/08/northeast-ohio-veterans-awarded-cars-recognition-their-military-service/

Along with our interview:

So whats this all about?

It wasn't too long ago. Actually, on Thursday I was  given  a  free  car  by  a program called Keys To Progress. They gave me a new  Chevy Equinox.  And  Progressive Insurance  sponsored  it  along with a bunch  of other people who donated all  the money to make it  happen, but they  gave me and two other veterans  in Ohio  cars.  Just as kind  of  thank you for our service.  So  the news did  a big  article on  me. We filmed a commercial that  I'm still upset about that still hasn't  aired. I  even said because my  commercials  not  on TV yet. Have to  be  little diva acting me. 

What is Progressive Insurance (for those that aren't in the US)

They  ensure cars here in the  United States.  They do  homeowners insurance,  car insurance,  boat  rental insurance.
They  host a  charity event  once a year called the Keys To Progress event  where basically they  partner  with mechanics  and  auto body repair people and share their charity with veterans organizations. And what they  do is they basically they put  out a letter to  these  veterans Charities and say " hey we are  looking  for  a  veteran  that  could use a car right now.  Somebody who's  gone  for  above  and beyond their  service  and  is  active and Volunteers in the community".
 

How did this happen?

So  what they do  is these  these veterans  organizations they put out applications and  I  put  out an  application and  I have  lots of volunteer hours. I  volunteer with  a  charity called the Sam Center  and I  had  I  think  360  hours  uh  of  volunteer work last year.

Its just  community  service, which is where you know, we help  homeless veterans and  Veterans who are addicted to drugs or alcoholics  or  you know  people who just need help getting  on their feet. So I put in an  application and  I got a call  from  Progressive Insurance. They were like, hey,  we  want  to give  a car and  put you on TV.  And  we want  to thank you for everything  you've done.  Another  couple of things that I do.
My wife all  was  also volunteers.  She volunteers  at the   family  Readiness group  leader,  and  I am the  family Readiness  group  military  liaison  for  the  state of Ohio.  So  these are things that we do  we  connect military families  with  you know,  services and things like that.  

All right. So,  you know, my wife  does a lot of volunteering  and I  do a  lot  of volunteering  I do a lot of charity work honestly,  so  long story short we got  to the event  and Progressive  gave me  several  thousands  of dollars  in  gift cards and  Pep Boys gave me which  is another  Next Shop  gave me a couple  hundred dollars in gift cards  Enterprise Rent-A-Car  paid for  my  three-year  vehicle warranty  and Progressive also donated  a  year of  free car insurance for  me. So  yeah,  not  only did they give  me  a new  phone car.

About the event

I stood up there. I said Thank you to everybody obviously was  an incredible experience to meet those  other guys that  done so  much for  their Community.  Mr. Butsgo  is  the  vice president  of the VFW  in his area the  other guy  even  in these are guys  that don't have  two nickels to rub together, but still  find time to volunteer.  So that to me  is even more  incredible when you  don't  when you don't have time to volunteer  for anything,  but you  still find time, you know to get  done  what  needs to get  done for your community,  especially  the vets  because I mean in Sergeant Butsgo days Vietnam veterans were  not treated as well  as Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are today

when those  guys came  home  early.  They were  spit  on and  called baby killers and  didn't get  half of  the benefits  that we get now  so  really  the only reason that America  treats their  veterans  like they  do  today is because  somebody finally  said  enough is enough. We've got to treat these guys with respect this  can 'thappen  with our  Vietnam veterans anymore, you know, regardless of how you are politically, you can't you  can't sit there and treat people  like that they stood on the  dotted line and put their life on the line for  you. 

So  guys  like Sergeant butsgo really  motivate me  to keep doing what I'm doing because if it wasn't for them, wouldn't  have it  so good.
 

How does Veteran balance all his work?

I'll  give you a personal story  about me   when I  came home  from my  deployment. I  really  had  a big  problem  with  dead  time.  I couldn't  stand  how there was so much dead space and doing  nothing.  Everything just seemed to move  slower  than what  I was used to. So  I've got to keep myself  busy. You  know,  I  have  got to stay  busy.  So,  you  know,  I've  got four kids  now,   you know, my  wife gets treated pretty well. I  think at least you know, I volunteer a  lot on the weekends  because I  just  I can't stand sitting still.  I've got to be busy.  I've got be doing something productive and it's nice to be  able to help  people  with your spare time.

So  what made you join the military?

Well,  I hate to say that this is  an excuse  but I  didn't really have  anywhere else to go.  I  wanted to  believe it or  not  thit this goes back to that competitive thing. I wanted to out do my dad.  So my dad's a  pretty major influence with me. My dad was a 20-year  policeman and also  20 years in the military. So he's been retired twice  and I  was like man  I want to be with that guy is you know,  that guy's got it made. Yeah, you know nowadays there's  what's  my dad doing this. He's sitting in Florida  golf and all day. So I want to do  everything my  dad  did  with  the exception of no golfing

When did you join? 

I joined the  military in 2005. That gives how old is 14 years?  November  this month actually this marks  the  start of my 15th  year.

I'm almost done.  

What do you do in military at the moment ?

I fly Helicopters as part of the Army, CH-47) (chinnok)
 

Are you going to move up?

I am currently 3rd rank Warrant Officer
 

Thank You TypicalVeteran for sharing this story with me and TG!,  you do so much good for so many!  keep it up and enjoy your new set of wheels