WEBVTT 00:00.009 --> 00:02.470 I'm joined today by Major Dakota Smith , 00:02.680 --> 00:06.679 the RRO for the 86 IBCT and the S1 . I 00:06.679 --> 00:08.846 joined when I was 17 . I've been doing 00:08.846 --> 00:10.957 this longer than I haven't . Uh , the 00:10.957 --> 00:13.068 organization means everything to me . 00:13.068 --> 00:15.235 My whole family had moved from Vermont 00:15.235 --> 00:17.401 back to New Hampshire . I came back to 00:17.401 --> 00:19.623 nothing . I had to find a way , and the 00:19.623 --> 00:19.319 guard , they said , Here's a place to 00:19.319 --> 00:21.375 stay . Uh , they took care of me . I 00:21.375 --> 00:23.041 don't think they've stopped . 00:26.639 --> 00:28.639 Thank you for joining me on Kitchen 00:28.639 --> 00:30.695 Spoons and Combat Boots . I'm Jessie 00:30.695 --> 00:32.695 Smith and I'm being joined today by 00:32.695 --> 00:35.630 Major Dakota Smith , the RRO for the 86 00:35.630 --> 00:39.139 IBCT and the S1 . Dakota , why don't 00:39.139 --> 00:41.361 you tell me a little bit about yourself 00:41.361 --> 00:43.770 and your career ? Yeah , sure . Um , so 00:43.770 --> 00:46.200 I am currently the brigade S1 if I 00:46.200 --> 00:48.422 trace my history back to when I started 00:48.422 --> 00:51.090 with the guard , uh , I actually joined 00:51.090 --> 00:53.312 out of high school . Uh , I wasn't sure 00:53.312 --> 00:55.368 what I wanted to be when I grew up , 00:55.368 --> 00:57.970 like every other , uh , kid who didn't 00:57.970 --> 01:00.137 show up to all their classes or didn't 01:00.209 --> 01:02.376 have the highest GPA . I wasn't really 01:02.376 --> 01:04.542 sure what the next step would be . And 01:04.542 --> 01:08.050 uh so I , I joined the 131 Engineers , 01:08.440 --> 01:11.339 um , went to BASIC in the summer of 01:11.339 --> 01:15.330 2006 . And uh I , I 01:15.330 --> 01:18.529 got back to my unit 2007 as a newly , 01:18.730 --> 01:21.970 newly trained at the time 21 tango tech 01:21.970 --> 01:23.859 engineer , basically like a civil 01:23.859 --> 01:26.089 engineer and uh they were , they , they 01:26.089 --> 01:28.769 were in a restructure , you know , like 01:28.769 --> 01:32.169 the Vermont guard does , and we uh we 01:32.169 --> 01:34.410 decided that it was best that I , I 01:34.410 --> 01:36.730 don't become an 88 mic . So after 01:36.730 --> 01:38.897 completing my first training set , I , 01:38.970 --> 01:41.480 I decided that I was gonna go to HHC 01:41.480 --> 01:45.239 3rd of the 172 and become a , uh , 01:45.250 --> 01:47.769 13 Fox . I never made it to that 01:47.769 --> 01:50.089 training . Um , I actually picked up a 01:50.089 --> 01:52.256 job working in the J1 as a temp tech , 01:52.569 --> 01:55.629 um , where I ended up getting AGR , uh , 01:55.769 --> 01:59.010 in late 2008 , I think it was December 01:59.010 --> 02:01.121 of 2008 , I started , there was a lot 02:01.121 --> 02:03.399 of active duty ADOS work in there . Um , 02:03.399 --> 02:05.720 and then I maintained an AGR job as a 02:05.720 --> 02:09.630 42 Alpha from 2008 until 2012 02:09.960 --> 02:13.759 when I graduated OCS and became a 13 02:13.759 --> 02:15.770 Alpha . So I skipped the 13 Fox 02:15.770 --> 02:18.048 enlisted piece . Uh , I did do the job , 02:18.048 --> 02:20.214 I just never got school trained and uh 02:20.214 --> 02:22.159 I ended up as an artillery officer 02:22.159 --> 02:24.381 working as the brigade strength manager 02:24.381 --> 02:26.603 as my first AGR officer slot position . 02:26.603 --> 02:30.460 Um , once I moved on from . The 02:30.979 --> 02:34.220 strength manager position , I went over 02:34.220 --> 02:35.942 to recruiting and retention uh 02:35.942 --> 02:38.830 battalion to serve as their at the time , 02:38.949 --> 02:42.149 S1 , S2 , S3 , S4 , uh . 02:43.250 --> 02:45.570 Smarter minds prevailed . They erased 02:45.570 --> 02:48.130 essentially all those jobs and just 02:48.130 --> 02:50.074 made me the chief of staff for the 02:50.074 --> 02:51.852 battalion , which allowed me to 02:51.852 --> 02:53.908 integrate with marketing and and all 02:53.908 --> 02:55.963 the offices that I needed to without 02:55.963 --> 02:59.240 siloing each of them . Um . I spent , 02:59.360 --> 03:01.750 you know , a large chunk of time in R&R 03:01.750 --> 03:03.861 before moving over to what would be a 03:03.861 --> 03:05.861 short stint in the mountain warfare 03:05.861 --> 03:07.972 school , uh , before ending up in the 03:07.972 --> 03:10.028 cab , and the cab I served as the S1 03:10.028 --> 03:13.679 and S4 with some AS3 time in there , um , 03:13.759 --> 03:16.720 and then I migrated over to the brigade 03:16.720 --> 03:20.119 AS3 . I was the AS3 for the preparation 03:20.119 --> 03:22.230 for the last round of mobilizations , 03:22.240 --> 03:24.351 uh , and then during the mobilization 03:24.351 --> 03:26.462 of Kosovo , I was actually the , uh , 03:26.462 --> 03:30.350 UCRF liaison to K4 , um , at 03:30.559 --> 03:32.892 the four-star headquarters in Wiesbaden . 03:32.892 --> 03:35.479 Um , upon returning , I , I got the 03:35.479 --> 03:37.701 opportunity to go to , uh , Norwich and 03:37.701 --> 03:39.812 serve as their assistant professor of 03:39.812 --> 03:41.812 military science . I did 2 years on 03:41.812 --> 03:44.035 that and that's , that's what brings me 03:44.035 --> 03:45.868 to where I am today . I had some 03:45.868 --> 03:47.923 command stints in there , a couple , 03:47.923 --> 03:50.257 you know , I did all the KDPL positions , 03:50.257 --> 03:52.479 um , that I needed to FDO , etc . for , 03:52.479 --> 03:54.312 for field artillery , but that's 03:54.312 --> 03:56.646 essentially how I got to where I am now . 03:56.646 --> 03:58.479 Awesome . So with your different 03:58.479 --> 04:00.646 positions that you just listed between 04:00.646 --> 04:03.179 command time working in R&R strength 04:03.179 --> 04:04.860 manager , you've had a lot of 04:04.860 --> 04:07.082 experience working with the subjects of 04:07.082 --> 04:10.039 recruiting and retention . Yeah , I 04:10.039 --> 04:12.261 mean , in the Vermont Guard , every , I 04:12.261 --> 04:13.983 think everyone is a subject of 04:13.983 --> 04:16.261 recruiting and retention . I mean , we , 04:16.261 --> 04:20.119 we are the , um , we own the , the 04:20.119 --> 04:22.559 people , right ? People are what makes 04:22.559 --> 04:25.630 up our service , um , so I would say 04:25.630 --> 04:27.519 anyone who's doing any job in the 04:27.519 --> 04:29.574 military , whether it's the guard or 04:29.574 --> 04:31.463 active duty , owns a piece of the 04:31.463 --> 04:33.408 strength , the strength management 04:33.408 --> 04:35.074 aspect of what we do . Yeah , 04:35.074 --> 04:38.839 absolutely . Alright , so with that in 04:38.839 --> 04:41.920 mind , what are the three tenants of 04:41.920 --> 04:44.970 strength management ? That sounds like 04:44.970 --> 04:47.609 a jeopardy question . For 5 , 04:48.769 --> 04:51.130 so , so the 30s of strength management 04:51.130 --> 04:53.359 are attrition , attrition management , 04:53.410 --> 04:56.320 which is your losses , um , your 04:56.320 --> 04:58.160 retention , which is essentially 04:58.250 --> 05:00.417 maintaining personnel that you already 05:00.417 --> 05:02.417 have , and then , uh , recruiting , 05:02.417 --> 05:04.306 which is , you know , gaining and 05:04.306 --> 05:06.528 assessing people into your formations . 05:08.709 --> 05:10.630 So , when most people hear like 05:10.630 --> 05:12.700 strength mission , it can seem very 05:12.700 --> 05:16.029 daunting . So how do you make the idea 05:16.029 --> 05:18.709 of a strength mission digestible at a 05:18.709 --> 05:21.859 unit level ? Um , I think the way to 05:21.859 --> 05:24.220 make it digestible at a unit level is 05:24.220 --> 05:28.089 to essentially understand what 05:28.089 --> 05:30.160 you're asking people to do . I think 05:30.339 --> 05:32.561 one of the problems that we run into is 05:32.561 --> 05:34.820 we have in this , this pie in the sky 05:34.820 --> 05:37.130 idea that you need to have this many 05:37.130 --> 05:39.297 sessions and it correlates to this end 05:39.297 --> 05:41.130 strength number and this is your 05:41.130 --> 05:43.186 retention percent , this is how many 05:43.186 --> 05:45.297 people you need to maintain . Um , at 05:45.297 --> 05:47.130 the unit level , you're , you're 05:47.130 --> 05:49.352 running a business , essentially , um , 05:49.352 --> 05:51.352 you're responsible for operations , 05:51.352 --> 05:53.929 you're responsible for admin , pay , um , 05:54.329 --> 05:56.551 people are part of every aspect of what 05:56.551 --> 06:00.369 you do . Um , so , to , to really boil 06:00.369 --> 06:02.647 it down , you're taking care of people . 06:02.647 --> 06:05.690 Um , I can get into a little bit more 06:05.690 --> 06:08.250 details on uh what each of those 06:08.250 --> 06:10.417 components would mean at the , at that 06:10.417 --> 06:12.306 level or I don't know if you have 06:12.306 --> 06:15.250 additional questions later . I'm sure I 06:15.250 --> 06:19.000 do . Um , well , let 06:19.000 --> 06:21.111 me move on to the next one . My brain 06:21.111 --> 06:23.640 is still percolating a little bit , um . 06:24.619 --> 06:27.540 What do you think we can do to improve 06:27.540 --> 06:30.940 the organization other than focusing 06:30.940 --> 06:34.230 solely on strength ? Um , I think 06:34.230 --> 06:36.341 strength is a byproduct of everything 06:36.341 --> 06:40.049 that we do . Um , in order to be 06:40.579 --> 06:44.369 successful , we have . To maintain our 06:44.369 --> 06:46.425 current population , I mean , that's 06:46.425 --> 06:48.591 like the , the baseline for being able 06:48.591 --> 06:50.813 to do everything we do is having filled 06:50.813 --> 06:52.869 positions , um , that's the strength 06:52.869 --> 06:54.925 piece , right ? So what do you do to 06:54.925 --> 06:57.091 make sure those positions are filled ? 06:57.091 --> 06:59.147 Well , you already have some of them 06:59.147 --> 07:01.147 filled , so it's , it comes down to 07:01.147 --> 07:03.258 taking care of the people that you do 07:03.258 --> 07:05.091 have , um . When you think about 07:05.091 --> 07:07.036 selling a product , right , you're 07:07.036 --> 07:06.940 trying to get the product to the 07:06.940 --> 07:09.107 customer as fast as you possibly can . 07:09.107 --> 07:11.329 We already have the customers , they've 07:11.329 --> 07:13.551 already bought in to what we're , we're 07:13.551 --> 07:15.662 selling . So now it's our job to take 07:15.662 --> 07:17.829 care of them while they're here . So , 07:17.829 --> 07:17.380 you know , when they show up to drill , 07:17.459 --> 07:19.570 you make sure you pay them on time so 07:19.570 --> 07:21.792 that they get that paycheck and it it's 07:21.792 --> 07:23.959 it's a quick turnaround . Um , they're 07:23.959 --> 07:26.126 doing work , you're paying them . Um , 07:26.126 --> 07:28.619 when you look at career management , 07:28.790 --> 07:31.829 you have soldiers who are doing a job 07:31.829 --> 07:33.940 and being evaluated . Make sure those 07:33.940 --> 07:36.162 evaluations are done in a timely manner 07:36.162 --> 07:38.385 so that they can do things like compete 07:38.385 --> 07:40.551 for promotion and so they can . And be 07:40.551 --> 07:42.718 successful in their career . Like they 07:42.718 --> 07:44.996 didn't join the military to be stifled , 07:44.996 --> 07:46.829 right ? They joined the military 07:46.829 --> 07:48.940 because the military has a very clear 07:48.940 --> 07:51.589 path from the bottom to the top . And 07:51.589 --> 07:53.811 if you were given the right tools to do 07:53.811 --> 07:55.922 so , you can excel as far as you want 07:55.922 --> 07:58.269 to go . Um , so don't hold that process 07:58.269 --> 08:01.529 up . and then training , we 08:03.690 --> 08:06.529 We have an opportunity right now to 08:06.529 --> 08:10.320 promote soldiers almost without any , 08:10.399 --> 08:12.566 any obstacle in their way except their 08:12.566 --> 08:15.570 own personal time . Um , if you can go 08:15.570 --> 08:18.399 to schools , You can get promoted as 08:18.399 --> 08:20.399 long as you meet the time and grade 08:20.399 --> 08:22.510 requirements . There's very , there's 08:22.510 --> 08:24.677 very little that holds us up in the in 08:24.677 --> 08:28.230 that way . Um , But with that , 08:28.519 --> 08:30.686 there's also additional responsibility 08:30.686 --> 08:32.741 on the soldiers' part , right ? Um , 08:32.741 --> 08:34.908 and that's leaders at all levels own a 08:34.908 --> 08:38.080 piece of that , um , as , as you 08:38.080 --> 08:40.989 progress as a soldier , your authority 08:41.320 --> 08:43.098 increases , your responsibility 08:43.098 --> 08:45.098 increases , and then you also start 08:45.098 --> 08:47.320 taking care of those things for someone 08:47.320 --> 08:49.840 else , um , so . When you , when you 08:49.840 --> 08:52.280 look at what can we do , it's every 08:52.280 --> 08:54.239 leader at every level needs to be 08:54.239 --> 08:56.406 invested in their people , um , taking 08:56.406 --> 08:58.517 care of their careers and not looking 08:58.517 --> 09:00.517 up , up above them and saying , why 09:00.517 --> 09:02.850 isn't this happening ? It's like , well , 09:02.850 --> 09:02.640 you're a leader too . Make sure that 09:02.640 --> 09:04.807 you're doing everything you can within 09:04.807 --> 09:07.084 your , your sphere of influence . Yeah . 09:07.084 --> 09:09.307 So basically , to boil it down , you're 09:09.307 --> 09:12.000 saying that everybody can help strength 09:12.000 --> 09:14.489 without . Being like , oh , I'm , I'm 09:14.489 --> 09:16.545 having these people join the guard , 09:16.545 --> 09:18.489 you know , if you take care of the 09:18.489 --> 09:20.656 people around you and you know , those 09:20.656 --> 09:22.822 subordinates you might have , everyone 09:22.822 --> 09:25.045 is doing their part to make the guard a 09:25.045 --> 09:27.530 better place that will ultimately end 09:27.530 --> 09:31.289 up affecting our strength . Yeah , uh , 09:31.679 --> 09:33.679 as you said , boil , boil it down , 09:33.760 --> 09:36.000 take care of people . Continue to solve 09:36.000 --> 09:38.056 their problems . They joined because 09:38.056 --> 09:40.111 they had a problem that needed to be 09:40.111 --> 09:42.111 solved . You came with a solution . 09:42.111 --> 09:44.000 Don't create more problems . Um , 09:44.000 --> 09:46.222 continue to solve their problems . This 09:46.222 --> 09:48.333 is extra for almost everyone who does 09:48.333 --> 09:50.556 it . This is extra in their life . Um , 09:50.556 --> 09:52.611 so , so don't create more problems , 09:52.611 --> 09:52.159 solve the ones that they have . Make it , 09:52.320 --> 09:54.429 make it worthwhile to them to stay . 09:54.760 --> 09:57.510 Yeah , yeah , I think that's . That's 09:57.510 --> 09:59.732 definitely something that we need to do 09:59.732 --> 10:01.843 a little bit more of . I know that it 10:01.843 --> 10:03.954 doesn't always happen , but I think . 10:04.909 --> 10:07.020 emphasis definitely needs to be there 10:07.729 --> 10:09.780 for those who do want to help the 10:09.780 --> 10:12.520 strength mission by doing the part for , 10:12.609 --> 10:14.776 you know , recruiting , which I mean , 10:14.776 --> 10:16.998 huge benefit there's the Jeep program , 10:17.090 --> 10:19.929 you know , you get somebody to join if 10:19.929 --> 10:22.229 you've provided that lead . There's a 10:22.229 --> 10:24.396 good potential that there's gonna be a 10:24.396 --> 10:26.507 financial payout , so that's always a 10:26.507 --> 10:28.340 plus and people should be taking 10:28.340 --> 10:30.673 advantage of that . But for some people , 10:30.673 --> 10:34.219 the idea of generating those leads is 10:34.219 --> 10:37.940 hard , you know , so what advice do you 10:37.940 --> 10:41.219 have for soldiers who are trying to 10:41.219 --> 10:42.997 find these leads to hand off to 10:42.997 --> 10:46.299 recruiters ? Yeah , so , uh , if you , 10:46.340 --> 10:48.562 if you look specifically from the leads 10:48.562 --> 10:51.659 piece , um , one I would say , if 10:51.659 --> 10:53.826 you're , if you're awkward , if you're 10:53.826 --> 10:55.603 uncomfortable talking to people 10:55.603 --> 10:57.739 socially , whatever , uh , you 10:57.739 --> 10:59.961 specifically , uh , if you're awkward , 10:59.961 --> 11:03.190 um . There's other ways , uh , we have , 11:03.359 --> 11:06.580 we have both the benefit and , uh , you 11:06.580 --> 11:08.691 know , the unfortunate aspect of life 11:08.691 --> 11:10.909 which is social media that's created 11:10.909 --> 11:12.909 opportunity for a lot of people all 11:12.909 --> 11:15.900 across the world , um , specifically to 11:15.900 --> 11:18.280 us , it , it creates another avenue of 11:18.280 --> 11:21.359 presence , uh , for soldiers , I would 11:21.359 --> 11:23.190 say if you wanna really assist 11:23.190 --> 11:26.239 recruiting . What you can do is what's 11:26.239 --> 11:28.295 called warm outreach and that can be 11:28.295 --> 11:30.517 done in person through friends that you 11:30.517 --> 11:32.739 know , communities that you engage with 11:32.739 --> 11:34.739 just having conversations about the 11:34.739 --> 11:36.961 guard in a positive way and you know if 11:36.961 --> 11:39.072 you carry a recruiter's business card 11:39.072 --> 11:38.960 on you , what that does is it allows 11:38.960 --> 11:41.599 you to immediately convert that that 11:41.599 --> 11:44.080 conversation to a potential uh prospect . 11:45.000 --> 11:48.799 Uh , a lead to , to a recruiter . Um . 11:49.229 --> 11:51.340 If you're not comfortable , like as , 11:51.340 --> 11:53.507 as I stated before , uh , you have the 11:53.507 --> 11:55.507 same opportunity to do it with your 11:55.507 --> 11:57.869 social media . So as soldiers , you 11:57.869 --> 12:00.091 have something that the guard has given 12:00.091 --> 12:02.258 you , um , whether it's fulfillment in 12:02.258 --> 12:05.869 what you do , whether it's um a benefit 12:05.869 --> 12:08.147 of some kind , they're repaying a debt , 12:08.147 --> 12:10.258 medical care , uh , they've given you 12:10.258 --> 12:12.429 something . Share your story , share 12:12.429 --> 12:14.485 your story on the platforms that you 12:14.485 --> 12:16.707 already have a community in . You are a 12:16.707 --> 12:18.707 center of influence . So if you put 12:18.707 --> 12:20.596 that information out there . Um , 12:20.596 --> 12:20.320 people are gonna look at it and say , 12:20.400 --> 12:22.400 oh my God , like I didn't even know 12:22.400 --> 12:24.622 that was a thing . I think I was having 12:24.622 --> 12:26.789 a conversation with Lieutenant Colonel 12:26.789 --> 12:28.844 Paletti recently about the amount of 12:28.844 --> 12:31.011 people , the amount of kids graduating 12:31.011 --> 12:33.178 high school and not going to college , 12:33.178 --> 12:35.400 whether it's in state or out of state , 12:35.400 --> 12:37.567 um , it's in the thousands . So if you 12:37.567 --> 12:39.511 have thousands of kids who are not 12:39.511 --> 12:41.400 doing anything . They've gotta go 12:41.400 --> 12:43.456 somewhere . Someone is looking for a 12:43.456 --> 12:45.733 solution to the problem that they have , 12:45.733 --> 12:47.956 um , and we probably know some of those 12:47.956 --> 12:51.340 people . Yeah , absolutely . So I know , 12:51.549 --> 12:53.660 you know , generating leads for a lot 12:53.660 --> 12:55.827 of people , they're literally thinking 12:55.827 --> 12:55.750 they have to go up to people and be 12:55.750 --> 12:57.989 like , hey , you know , have you ever 12:57.989 --> 13:00.045 thought about the guard , you know , 13:00.045 --> 13:02.100 constantly , but I think it's really 13:02.100 --> 13:06.070 underestimated how literally just 13:06.070 --> 13:08.789 being involved in the community and 13:08.789 --> 13:10.989 showcasing what the National Guard can 13:10.989 --> 13:13.909 do and what our soldiers can do and 13:13.909 --> 13:17.469 just having that positive spin out 13:17.469 --> 13:19.580 there and making sure people know our 13:19.580 --> 13:22.859 story , you know . That really helps 13:22.859 --> 13:25.010 more than people realize that , you 13:25.010 --> 13:27.232 know , even just sharing the positivity 13:27.232 --> 13:29.890 about the guard , that in itself can be 13:29.890 --> 13:32.450 lead generating even if you personally 13:32.450 --> 13:34.506 don't know that that person may have 13:34.506 --> 13:36.561 joined because of something specific 13:36.561 --> 13:40.030 you said , right , um , so I'll , 13:40.530 --> 13:42.690 I'll kind of tag off on that a little 13:42.690 --> 13:46.390 bit , um , and say , On 13:46.390 --> 13:48.334 an economic tangent , right ? Uh , 13:48.334 --> 13:50.590 what's more valuable than money ? Um , 13:51.229 --> 13:53.549 network . If you have a network , if 13:53.549 --> 13:55.716 you spent , let's put it this way , if 13:55.716 --> 13:57.771 you spend money that you have , once 13:57.771 --> 13:59.882 you spend it , it's gone . But if you 13:59.882 --> 14:02.049 have a network , um , you can generate 14:02.049 --> 14:04.349 money because then comes the idea of 14:04.349 --> 14:07.219 like free flowing ideas . Um , the 14:07.219 --> 14:09.441 guard is an idea that we can share with 14:09.441 --> 14:12.619 the networks that we have , um , and by 14:12.619 --> 14:14.675 doing that we're creating more value 14:14.675 --> 14:16.730 than , like , yes , the G program is 14:16.730 --> 14:18.563 great , um , it will put cash in 14:18.563 --> 14:20.786 someone's pocket immediately , um , but 14:20.786 --> 14:22.786 that social aspect , that community 14:22.786 --> 14:24.675 engagement will , it'll be a long 14:24.675 --> 14:26.619 standing return on investment . It 14:26.619 --> 14:28.841 won't just be a one time thing . Yeah , 14:29.010 --> 14:32.489 for sure . So to kind of 14:32.489 --> 14:34.530 piggyback off the idea of good 14:34.530 --> 14:36.474 community relations and people who 14:36.474 --> 14:38.697 might be more awkward on their own with 14:38.697 --> 14:40.808 leads , you know , there's recruiting 14:40.808 --> 14:42.752 events , you know , all the time , 14:42.752 --> 14:45.690 whether put on by R&R or by the units 14:45.690 --> 14:48.320 themselves , um , and there's 14:48.320 --> 14:50.880 opportunities there for people to 14:50.880 --> 14:54.820 support those . And , you know , what 14:54.820 --> 14:57.099 do you think about that in general ? So 14:57.099 --> 14:59.859 I think part of uh the the key thing 14:59.859 --> 15:03.650 with that is explaining and defining 15:03.869 --> 15:06.580 what each of those events are . Um , a 15:06.580 --> 15:08.747 recruiting event is an event where you 15:08.747 --> 15:11.409 have prospects in mind . Uh , you are 15:11.700 --> 15:14.820 bringing people in order to finish a 15:14.820 --> 15:17.289 sale , right ? These people are already 15:17.289 --> 15:19.511 interested , they're already invested , 15:19.511 --> 15:21.733 you're , you're closing at that point , 15:21.733 --> 15:23.956 trying to make sure that they're like , 15:23.956 --> 15:25.956 I , I really want to do this . Um , 15:25.956 --> 15:28.011 that's a pretty definitive event . I 15:28.011 --> 15:27.820 think those are usually driven by 15:27.820 --> 15:29.987 recruiting and retention . Um , that's 15:29.987 --> 15:32.042 where they should come from , unless 15:32.042 --> 15:34.264 you have just a solid , uh , you know , 15:34.264 --> 15:36.542 lead provider in your unit , uh , that , 15:36.542 --> 15:38.709 that's working closely with recruiting 15:38.709 --> 15:41.289 and is trained . Um , the lead 15:41.289 --> 15:43.400 generation event is , is where you'll 15:43.400 --> 15:45.456 typically find units pushing to have 15:45.456 --> 15:47.289 whatever their , their idea is , 15:47.289 --> 15:49.345 they're putting it out in the public 15:49.345 --> 15:51.289 eye . They don't have a key , uh , 15:51.289 --> 15:53.233 person of influence or a center of 15:53.233 --> 15:55.345 influence in mind . They just have an 15:55.345 --> 15:57.511 idea , they want to share whether it's 15:57.511 --> 15:59.789 what they do . Or it's being part of a , 15:59.789 --> 16:01.789 you know , a way to engage with the 16:01.789 --> 16:03.789 community in a , in a sense that is 16:03.789 --> 16:03.734 we're showcasing something with the 16:03.734 --> 16:05.790 intent to have people walk up to our 16:05.790 --> 16:08.135 table , um , and communicate that they 16:08.135 --> 16:10.135 have interest in joining . That's a 16:10.135 --> 16:12.302 lead generation like , by definition , 16:12.302 --> 16:14.191 you're having , you're generating 16:14.191 --> 16:16.413 people that walk up and and have the uh 16:16.413 --> 16:18.135 interest in joining you , uh , 16:18.135 --> 16:20.302 community events . I think a community 16:20.302 --> 16:22.191 event is twofold , um , community 16:22.191 --> 16:24.302 events can be community engagement or 16:24.302 --> 16:26.635 it's like a feel good type , uh , event , 16:26.809 --> 16:28.753 but then you have community events 16:28.753 --> 16:30.920 where you have a designated key leader 16:30.920 --> 16:33.142 that you're trying to engage with , and 16:33.142 --> 16:35.309 the purpose behind engaging with a key 16:35.309 --> 16:37.198 leader is creating that center of 16:37.198 --> 16:39.365 influence . You're , you're activating 16:39.365 --> 16:41.365 a referral source that wants , uh , 16:41.365 --> 16:43.455 something from you and in return is 16:43.455 --> 16:45.215 gonna provide leads . Um , and 16:45.215 --> 16:47.437 sometimes the thing that they want from 16:47.437 --> 16:49.659 you is just the support you provide the 16:49.659 --> 16:52.364 nation , um , your organization . So , 16:52.895 --> 16:54.974 yeah , that kind of touches a little 16:54.974 --> 16:57.604 bit on like mutual support between , 16:57.734 --> 16:59.345 you know , the guard and the 16:59.345 --> 17:02.299 communities that we're in . Um , I know 17:02.299 --> 17:04.521 in Saint Albans in the cab , you know , 17:04.521 --> 17:07.099 the Rotary Club there , you know , they 17:07.430 --> 17:09.541 have done donations and stuff for the 17:09.541 --> 17:11.652 unit . They actually donated stuff to 17:11.652 --> 17:13.763 set up a nursing mother's room in the 17:13.763 --> 17:17.469 armory there for the soldiers and , um , 17:17.790 --> 17:20.109 and the unit has provided volunteers to 17:20.109 --> 17:22.165 help with parking and stuff at their 17:22.165 --> 17:24.165 various events stuff like that . So 17:24.165 --> 17:26.276 they have started this mutual support 17:26.276 --> 17:29.030 and , you know . There's great value 17:29.239 --> 17:33.069 and things like that . You , you bring 17:33.069 --> 17:35.380 up a good point . It's not always about 17:36.310 --> 17:38.366 lead generation , right ? You're not 17:38.366 --> 17:40.588 always looking for referrals from these 17:40.588 --> 17:42.810 organizations . Um , part of the reason 17:42.810 --> 17:45.790 why we struggle with success is 17:45.790 --> 17:48.910 awareness . Um , no one , no one can 17:48.910 --> 17:51.132 help you if they don't know you exist . 17:51.132 --> 17:53.188 I mean , I , I remember being in the 17:53.188 --> 17:55.299 Saint Alban's Armory and walking down 17:55.299 --> 17:57.354 the street and having a conversation 17:57.354 --> 17:59.243 with someone and they thought the 17:59.243 --> 18:01.188 building was condemned . Uh , they 18:01.188 --> 18:03.354 thought it was a museum , maybe , uh , 18:03.354 --> 18:03.239 they didn't know anyone actually worked 18:03.239 --> 18:05.920 there . Um , so that tells you a lot . 18:06.119 --> 18:08.119 And if you look at our social media 18:08.119 --> 18:10.119 presence , I think we struggle with 18:10.439 --> 18:13.040 really one having a social media 18:13.040 --> 18:16.189 presence , um , but that translates , 18:16.319 --> 18:18.430 how does the community see you if you 18:18.430 --> 18:21.209 can't see yourself ? If I was going to 18:21.459 --> 18:23.626 really try to like say , hey , this is 18:23.626 --> 18:25.792 important , it's get engaged with your 18:25.792 --> 18:27.848 community , don't expect that you're 18:27.848 --> 18:29.737 gonna get leads and referrals for 18:29.737 --> 18:31.959 everything that you do , but you're not 18:31.959 --> 18:31.660 gonna get any if they don't know you 18:31.660 --> 18:35.359 exist . Yeah , absolutely . So we 18:35.359 --> 18:37.479 talked a little bit about like how to 18:37.479 --> 18:39.535 keep people and you know how to keep 18:39.535 --> 18:41.312 those strength numbers up and . 18:43.810 --> 18:45.754 So I'm going to ask you a specific 18:45.754 --> 18:48.290 question , mainly because I am the 18:48.290 --> 18:50.650 state SFRG and this is something that's 18:50.650 --> 18:53.609 near and dear to my heart . How do you 18:53.609 --> 18:56.089 think soldier and family readiness 18:56.089 --> 18:58.589 groups and having healthy , you know , 18:58.810 --> 19:02.369 SFRGs impacts this ? 19:04.069 --> 19:06.125 So I , I think the key word that you 19:06.125 --> 19:09.199 said was healthy . Um , having , having 19:09.199 --> 19:12.000 an SFRG , uh , or a family readiness 19:12.000 --> 19:14.770 group in general doesn't , it , you're , 19:14.880 --> 19:17.047 if you're just checking a box , you're 19:17.047 --> 19:19.869 not doing anyone any favors , um . When 19:19.869 --> 19:23.030 I was in command at the CAV , um , I 19:23.030 --> 19:25.141 had the opportunity to bring families 19:25.141 --> 19:27.308 in a lot , probably more than I should 19:27.308 --> 19:29.910 have , uh , but I did it because there 19:29.910 --> 19:32.132 was a deployment coming up and I wanted 19:32.132 --> 19:34.188 families to understand the sacrifice 19:34.189 --> 19:37.109 that , let me let me rephrase that . I 19:37.109 --> 19:39.630 wanted the families uh to understand 19:39.630 --> 19:43.430 that I recognized the sacrifice of them 19:43.430 --> 19:46.140 having to give this person up , um , 19:46.430 --> 19:49.189 for what could be a year at a time . 19:50.219 --> 19:52.163 And it's not just the deployment , 19:52.163 --> 19:54.108 right ? It's every drill weekend , 19:54.108 --> 19:56.330 they're away from their children , away 19:56.330 --> 19:58.386 from their spouses , away from their 19:58.386 --> 20:00.609 employers , um , by making them feel 20:00.609 --> 20:03.209 and incorporating them into what you do , 20:03.619 --> 20:06.329 you , you create a family . 20:08.010 --> 20:10.288 Just by the nature of having a company , 20:10.288 --> 20:13.750 right ? Um , so when you treat people 20:13.969 --> 20:16.136 as if they are part of the team , even 20:16.136 --> 20:18.358 if they're not putting on the uniform , 20:18.358 --> 20:20.580 um , there's a greater appreciation for 20:20.580 --> 20:23.640 what They do , right , as spouses , 20:23.689 --> 20:25.800 taking care of everything back home , 20:25.800 --> 20:27.967 but there's also a better appreciation 20:27.967 --> 20:30.189 for knowing how hard their soldiers are 20:30.189 --> 20:33.410 working . Um . And that what they're 20:33.410 --> 20:36.020 doing is meaningful . Yeah , no , I 20:36.020 --> 20:38.209 think that's , that's a great answer . 20:38.380 --> 20:41.890 Thank you . So with all the community 20:41.900 --> 20:44.349 engagement . You're going to have 20:44.349 --> 20:47.750 people come up to you who want nothing 20:47.750 --> 20:49.972 more than to serve their country and to 20:49.972 --> 20:51.917 be a part of something bigger than 20:51.917 --> 20:53.806 themselves , but maybe they don't 20:53.806 --> 20:56.550 qualify , they might be too old , maybe 20:56.550 --> 20:58.772 physically they just can't , you know , 20:58.869 --> 21:01.540 how would you deal with that situation ? 21:02.369 --> 21:04.591 Uh , so I will , I will tell you that , 21:04.680 --> 21:06.680 um , a strong relationship with the 21:06.680 --> 21:08.624 recruiting recension battalion has 21:08.624 --> 21:10.680 helped me be able to translate these 21:10.680 --> 21:12.847 things a little bit more effectively . 21:12.847 --> 21:15.013 Um , again , conversation with Colonel 21:15.013 --> 21:17.180 Paletti , uh , she doesn't want you to 21:17.180 --> 21:19.359 filter anyone out , right ? She , if , 21:19.469 --> 21:21.709 if you are getting any sort of lead , 21:21.930 --> 21:24.209 don't disqualify them before , before 21:24.209 --> 21:26.376 they get to the recruiting battalion . 21:26.376 --> 21:29.969 Um , now , if it's a clear like they 21:29.969 --> 21:32.025 cannot join because they're 90 years 21:32.025 --> 21:34.025 old , that might be it , you know , 21:34.025 --> 21:35.969 you're also not trying to to waste 21:35.969 --> 21:38.136 their time , um , but don't disqualify 21:38.136 --> 21:40.358 anyone . Let , let recruiting battalion 21:40.358 --> 21:42.525 do that with because they have the the 21:42.525 --> 21:44.747 people that are trained to do it . Um , 21:44.747 --> 21:46.636 what I will say is , anyone who's 21:46.636 --> 21:46.459 willing to engage with you , whether 21:46.459 --> 21:50.420 through the community or through , um , 21:51.209 --> 21:55.040 Social media , I think is value added . 21:55.290 --> 21:57.401 It may not be because they can join , 21:57.689 --> 22:00.239 but there's a good chance just like you , 22:00.660 --> 22:02.660 being warm outreach , they have the 22:02.660 --> 22:04.660 ability to conduct warm outreach on 22:04.660 --> 22:06.771 your behalf . Um , so try to leverage 22:06.771 --> 22:08.882 that skill , and I would say the same 22:08.882 --> 22:10.993 thing about people who walk up to you 22:10.993 --> 22:13.160 and say thank you for your service . A 22:13.160 --> 22:15.327 lot of people are like put off by it . 22:15.327 --> 22:17.493 Uh , sometimes they don't know what to 22:17.493 --> 22:19.604 do . Maybe they get imposter syndrome 22:19.604 --> 22:21.882 if they haven't deployed before , like , 22:21.882 --> 22:23.938 whatever the reason is , um , that's 22:23.938 --> 22:25.993 someone who's willing to engage with 22:25.993 --> 22:28.049 the military . They're walking up to 22:28.049 --> 22:30.104 you . So , say , hey , thank you for 22:30.104 --> 22:33.089 your support . Um , you know , I , I 22:33.089 --> 22:35.311 appreciate you coming up and talking to 22:35.311 --> 22:37.478 me . Here's , you know , and then then 22:37.478 --> 22:39.478 you provide your pitch , you know , 22:39.478 --> 22:41.533 this is , this is an opportunity for 22:41.533 --> 22:43.756 you to say things like , hey , you know 22:43.756 --> 22:45.978 what would really help is , uh , people 22:45.978 --> 22:45.369 standing , you know , to my left and 22:45.369 --> 22:47.569 right , uh , willing to compete with 22:47.569 --> 22:49.791 this , you know , in this challenge for 22:49.791 --> 22:52.013 me , um , obviously practice your pitch 22:52.013 --> 22:53.969 before you go into it , um , but I 22:53.969 --> 22:56.849 think it's important that . That's a , 22:56.890 --> 22:59.112 that's a moment almost every soldier is 22:59.112 --> 23:01.112 gonna be presented with . So having 23:01.112 --> 23:03.112 something prepared so that they can 23:03.112 --> 23:05.112 provide that direct feedback , give 23:05.112 --> 23:06.946 that lead opportunity , um , and 23:06.946 --> 23:09.223 potentially connect a referral , right ? 23:09.660 --> 23:11.771 If you have your recruiter's business 23:11.771 --> 23:14.920 card on you . You know , if you have 23:14.920 --> 23:17.031 your recruiter's business card on you 23:17.031 --> 23:19.198 or some way to get the message to them 23:19.198 --> 23:21.309 on who they can talk to , um , that's 23:21.309 --> 23:23.142 only gonna make , make them more 23:23.142 --> 23:25.150 valuable to you and , uh , show the 23:25.150 --> 23:26.983 importance of what having a full 23:26.983 --> 23:29.206 military is . Yeah , and sometimes it's 23:29.206 --> 23:31.719 not just , you know , the person in the 23:31.719 --> 23:33.941 age range that you're looking for , you 23:33.941 --> 23:36.052 know , there's parents , grandparents 23:36.052 --> 23:37.997 who You know , are looking to make 23:37.997 --> 23:40.219 suggestions to , you know , the younger 23:40.219 --> 23:42.386 generations and , you know , with each 23:42.386 --> 23:44.489 circle of influence that you reach , 23:45.060 --> 23:47.180 each person has their own circle of 23:47.180 --> 23:49.402 influence , so it's really like ripples 23:49.402 --> 23:51.939 in a pond . Yeah , and , uh , to all 23:51.939 --> 23:54.089 those people who would say , I'm too 23:54.089 --> 23:56.979 old , I don't have any friends or you 23:56.979 --> 23:58.868 know , I don't do anything , uh , 23:58.979 --> 24:01.859 everyone has potential , uh , to talk 24:01.859 --> 24:03.970 to somebody , uh , even if they don't 24:03.970 --> 24:06.026 think they do . And the reason I say 24:06.026 --> 24:08.359 that is about a week and a half ago now , 24:08.359 --> 24:10.415 I , I did an enlistment ceremony . I 24:10.415 --> 24:12.637 did the oath for someone I went to high 24:12.637 --> 24:14.800 school with . So me looking at my 24:14.800 --> 24:16.967 career being almost on the tail end of 24:16.967 --> 24:18.911 20 years of service , like I could 24:18.911 --> 24:20.911 retire in a , in a , in a couple of 24:20.911 --> 24:23.133 years from the AGR side , um , I've got 24:23.133 --> 24:25.400 someone who is my age just starting 24:25.400 --> 24:28.000 their journey . So don't think that the 24:28.000 --> 24:30.550 people that you know are beyond uh 24:30.959 --> 24:33.237 needing what the military has to offer . 24:33.237 --> 24:35.770 I think . You are disqualifying them 24:35.770 --> 24:37.881 before giving them the opportunity to 24:37.881 --> 24:41.609 respond . Yeah . So I'm going to . 24:42.900 --> 24:44.511 sidestep a little bit in the 24:44.511 --> 24:48.010 questioning . So on our last podcast 24:48.010 --> 24:50.177 interview with General Knight , we did 24:50.177 --> 24:52.449 something new where I had asked him . 24:53.520 --> 24:56.280 To give me a question to ask the next 24:56.280 --> 24:59.560 interview subject . OK . So his 24:59.560 --> 25:02.280 question , oh , he says hi , by the way , 25:02.439 --> 25:04.550 that was , that was an instruction to 25:04.550 --> 25:07.150 tell whoever was next , he says hi . um , 25:07.750 --> 25:10.199 and his question is what drives you to 25:10.199 --> 25:12.199 serve and where do you see yourself 25:12.199 --> 25:14.849 going next ? Um , 25:16.839 --> 25:19.119 I think this , there's never been an 25:20.030 --> 25:22.369 absolute answer to this question for me . 25:22.810 --> 25:25.439 Uh , the reason why I decided to serve 25:25.439 --> 25:27.661 when I was younger was obviously like , 25:27.661 --> 25:29.828 you know , all the signs were up and I 25:29.828 --> 25:32.189 just went down one of the roads . Um , 25:32.560 --> 25:35.839 I think at every opportunity to either 25:35.839 --> 25:38.280 reenlist or commission or , you know , 25:38.400 --> 25:41.369 name , name the event . I've had 25:41.369 --> 25:43.959 different ideas of why I do what I do 25:43.959 --> 25:46.329 and why I continue , um . 25:48.109 --> 25:50.430 Honestly , I think the military has 25:50.430 --> 25:53.939 always provided me with goals . And as 25:53.939 --> 25:56.272 I hit those goals , it made me question , 25:56.619 --> 25:58.730 you know , what , what I was doing in 25:58.730 --> 26:00.841 general like , OK , I hit that goal , 26:01.020 --> 26:03.969 what's next ? And I , and I think that 26:04.099 --> 26:06.321 if I had to define it in one way , that 26:06.321 --> 26:08.432 would be the , the drive , the reason 26:08.432 --> 26:11.459 why , right ? Um , I serve because I 26:11.459 --> 26:13.900 wanna know what's next , um , and the 26:13.900 --> 26:15.956 military has always provided a great 26:15.956 --> 26:19.689 path for that . And what is next ? Uh 26:20.670 --> 26:24.569 So , uh , honestly , I , I keep every 26:24.569 --> 26:28.369 door that I can open , um . In 26:28.369 --> 26:30.480 in regard to the military , in regard 26:30.480 --> 26:33.709 to civilian education , um . We have 26:33.709 --> 26:35.765 benefits , why not take advantage of 26:35.765 --> 26:37.653 them . Um , when I look at career 26:37.653 --> 26:39.765 progression , I try to make sure that 26:39.765 --> 26:42.109 every , every door is open , um , so 26:42.109 --> 26:44.430 that I can serve in whatever capacity 26:44.430 --> 26:47.069 the military wants me to serve in . Um . 26:47.839 --> 26:49.839 Obviously my goal this year is very 26:49.839 --> 26:53.119 focused on um NCOERs and 26:53.119 --> 26:55.920 OERs . Yeah , I , well , soldier care 26:55.920 --> 26:59.780 in general , um . But , uh , but 26:59.780 --> 27:03.180 yes , as a , as a S1 , as an RO , um , 27:03.469 --> 27:05.358 making sure the organization is a 27:05.358 --> 27:07.790 better place , um , so that the people 27:07.790 --> 27:10.270 that follow me aren't running into the 27:10.270 --> 27:12.699 same problems that I have . Yeah . 27:14.589 --> 27:17.510 So , what does the organization mean to 27:17.510 --> 27:21.250 you ? Uh , so like I said , 27:21.380 --> 27:23.547 I've , I've been doing this almost , I 27:23.547 --> 27:26.699 mean , more , more life . Then I 27:26.699 --> 27:28.699 haven't , I guess , you know , like 27:28.699 --> 27:32.209 I've , I joined when I was 17 , um , so 27:32.209 --> 27:35.770 I'm older than 17 now , uh , you know , 27:36.569 --> 27:40.140 clearly I graduated 20 years ago . Uh , 27:40.449 --> 27:42.560 so I've been doing this longer than I 27:42.560 --> 27:44.671 haven't . Uh , the organization means 27:44.671 --> 27:47.270 everything to me . Um , every , every 27:47.270 --> 27:49.214 time I fell , the organization was 27:49.214 --> 27:51.437 there to pick me up . Uh , every time I 27:51.437 --> 27:53.150 needed somewhere to be , the 27:53.150 --> 27:55.094 organization provided me with that 27:55.094 --> 27:57.317 location , um , and every time I wanted 27:57.317 --> 27:59.469 to be a better person , the 27:59.469 --> 28:02.739 organization showed me how . So , uh , 28:02.750 --> 28:04.917 whether it was through good leadership 28:04.917 --> 28:06.972 or bad leadership , the organization 28:06.972 --> 28:09.194 has always given me the mold and I have 28:09.194 --> 28:11.417 either chosen to or , uh , to fit it or 28:11.417 --> 28:13.410 to adjust it as needed . Yeah . 28:15.239 --> 28:18.849 So my last question for you . is a 28:19.810 --> 28:23.270 little heavy . OK . How did the 28:23.270 --> 28:25.270 decision to join the National Guard 28:25.729 --> 28:29.689 impact your life ? Um , at the time . 28:30.849 --> 28:34.849 It was , it wasn't a hard decision . Um , 28:35.219 --> 28:37.386 again , it was almost like I did it by 28:37.386 --> 28:39.497 accident , uh , and it's just kind of 28:39.497 --> 28:42.930 worked out , but , uh . What happened 28:42.930 --> 28:45.097 when I joined the guard was I went , I 28:45.097 --> 28:47.152 went to basic training , I came back 28:47.152 --> 28:50.369 and my whole family had moved from 28:50.369 --> 28:52.930 Vermont back to New Hampshire , uh , so 28:52.930 --> 28:55.770 I , I came back to nothing , uh , and I 28:55.770 --> 28:57.969 had to find a way and the guard picked 28:57.969 --> 29:00.080 me up , they said , here's a place to 29:00.080 --> 29:02.599 stay , uh , they took care of me and , 29:02.650 --> 29:04.706 uh , I don't think they've stopped , 29:04.706 --> 29:07.180 honestly . That's great . 29:08.119 --> 29:11.079 So , the one additional question that I 29:11.079 --> 29:13.650 just thought of , because I hear this 29:14.010 --> 29:17.920 question all the time . Would you let 29:17.920 --> 29:19.642 your children join the guard ? 29:22.430 --> 29:24.949 Uh , I would encourage my children to 29:24.949 --> 29:27.910 join any military service , I think , I 29:27.910 --> 29:30.099 think military service in general is . 29:30.930 --> 29:33.920 The best thing someone can do civil 29:33.920 --> 29:35.959 service , military service . I want 29:35.959 --> 29:38.070 them to be a part of something bigger 29:38.070 --> 29:39.903 than themselves . I want them to 29:39.903 --> 29:41.737 understand how small they are in 29:41.737 --> 29:43.848 comparison to the rest of the world , 29:43.848 --> 29:46.070 um , and how much it matters to see the 29:46.070 --> 29:48.237 bigger picture . Um , it'll affect who 29:48.237 --> 29:51.050 they are , what values they have , um , 29:51.439 --> 29:53.328 the guard isn't for everybody and 29:53.328 --> 29:56.000 that's fine , um , but I think being a 29:56.000 --> 29:58.167 part of something bigger than you is . 29:58.810 --> 30:00.977 If you're looking for more information 30:00.977 --> 30:02.754 on how you can join the Vermont 30:02.754 --> 30:04.754 National Guard , you can shoot us a 30:04.754 --> 30:06.754 message here and we can get you the 30:06.754 --> 30:08.366 appropriate point of contact 30:08.366 --> 30:10.477 information . The R&R team is looking 30:10.477 --> 30:12.643 forward to speaking with you . You can 30:12.643 --> 30:14.643 stop in and pick up some info for a 30:14.643 --> 30:16.866 friend who might be considering joining 30:16.866 --> 30:19.088 and learning about how the Vermont Army 30:19.088 --> 30:21.310 National Guard can benefit you too . So 30:21.310 --> 30:23.532 I shared General Knight's question with 30:23.532 --> 30:25.477 you . So I'm going to give you the 30:25.477 --> 30:27.310 opportunity now to pose your own 30:27.310 --> 30:29.532 question for our next interview subject 30:29.532 --> 30:33.380 to answer . OK . Uh , having , having 30:33.380 --> 30:35.491 known this was coming , I , I kind of 30:35.491 --> 30:37.699 prepared a question , uh , but it's a 30:37.699 --> 30:39.588 two-part question . So , uh , for 30:39.588 --> 30:42.900 whoever the next person is , um , what 30:43.180 --> 30:45.339 is the last time that you stepped out 30:45.339 --> 30:47.450 of your comfort zone and what did you 30:47.450 --> 30:50.160 learn ? Excellent question . 30:51.890 --> 30:54.369 Thank you for joining me . Thank you 30:54.369 --> 30:55.369 for having me . 30:59.750 --> 31:01.917 If you have any topics that you'd like 31:01.917 --> 31:04.083 covered or there are people that you'd 31:04.083 --> 31:06.306 like us to talk to , please let us know 31:06.306 --> 31:08.417 in the comments or by reaching out by 31:08.417 --> 31:10.583 sending a message . Kitchen spoons and 31:10.583 --> 31:12.472 combat boots is always evolving , 31:12.472 --> 31:14.639 always trying to meet the needs of our 31:14.639 --> 31:16.806 viewers . So over the next year you'll 31:16.806 --> 31:18.917 see some more changes in the way that 31:18.917 --> 31:20.917 we get the information out to you . 31:27.329 --> 31:29.218 For more information or support , 31:29.218 --> 31:30.996 please reach out to the Vermont 31:30.996 --> 31:32.829 Military Family Support Center's 31:32.829 --> 31:36.410 toll-free number 888-607-8773 . 31:40.949 --> 31:42.671 The preceding content does not 31:42.671 --> 31:44.338 constitute endorsement by the 31:44.338 --> 31:46.282 Department of the US Army , US Air 31:46.282 --> 31:48.282 Force , Vermont National Guard , or 31:48.282 --> 31:50.393 Vermont Military family programs with 31:50.393 --> 31:52.171 the organization's products and 31:52.171 --> 31:54.338 services contained therein . Further , 31:54.338 --> 31:56.393 the Vermont Military Family Programs 31:56.393 --> 31:58.393 assumes no responsibility for the . 31:58.393 --> 32:00.560 Consequences of using the products and 32:00.560 --> 32:02.727 services provided by the organizations 32:02.727 --> 32:04.893 or resources listed . Vermont Military 32:04.893 --> 32:07.005 Family Programs makes every effort to 32:07.005 --> 32:06.650 present our clients with reputable 32:06.650 --> 32:08.790 resources . We cannot guarantee the 32:08.790 --> 32:11.109 validity of said resources and the use 32:11.109 --> 32:13.030 of such resources is voluntary .