Pitbull 214 Podcast | Ep. 4, Gil Esparza, Warriors on Wheels

In this episode of the Pitbull214 Podcast, host Rick “Pitbull” Perales sits down with veteran advocate Gil Esparza to discuss his lifelong commitment to serving fellow veterans both inside and outside the military.

Gil shares his personal journey of service and how that experience led him to become deeply involved in supporting veterans who find themselves navigating challenges after leaving the uniform behind. The conversation explores his work with Veteran Treatment Court, a program designed to help veterans address legal issues while receiving the support, accountability, and resources they need to move forward.

Rick and Gil also discuss the meaning behind Gil’s “Life Behind Bars” message, the importance of mentorship, and why second chances can make a life-changing difference for veterans struggling to find direction, purpose, or stability. Through lived experience and honest conversation, Gil explains how compassion, responsibility, and community partnerships can help veterans rebuild their lives and reconnect with their potential.

This episode highlights the power of service beyond the military, reminding us that some of the most important missions happen after the uniform comes off.

Thank you for listening to the Pitbull214 Podcast, where veterans, service, resilience, and real conversations come first.

If this episode helped you, inspired you, or made you think differently, please share it with another veteran, friend, or family member.

Follow, rate, and review the podcast to help us reach more people who need these stories and resources.

Website: https://www.pitbull214.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Pitbull214podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rckprls/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pitbull214/

Thank you for listening to the Pitbull214 Podcast, where veterans, service, resilience, and real conversations come first.

If this episode helped you, inspired you, or made you think differently, please share it with another veteran, friend, or family member.

Follow, rate, and review the podcast to help us reach more people who need these stories and resources.

Website: https://www.pitbull214.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Pitbull214podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rckprls/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pitbull214/

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:11

Well, good day, and welcome to Pitbull Two Fourteen Podcast. A podcast for veterans, their families and friends, and really anyone who cares about our vets. I am retired Air Force vet Rick Perales, and I am your host for this program. I want to welcome everyone to the podcast and especially the first-time viewers. I'd like you to listen to it, watch it. If you like what you see, please go to my YouTube page and like it, subscribe to it, share it, and put some nice comments on it. This is our fourth episode, so we're going to start getting a little momentum, and I need to get the word out so that we can touch as many veterans and their family members as possible. So, what is a Pitbull 214 podcast? It's a podcast designed to help the veterans. And through family members and friends is a very influential way to help the veterans. I will bring on subject matter experts on all kinds of programs for vets, services for vets, organizations that are dedicated to vets, resources, anything out there. And believe me, in my time as a commander in the military and politics, I saw so many programs out there with people trying to help vets. The issue becomes that the vets don't know they're out there. What we're trying to do here is to put these programs in front of the vets or their family members so that they can see that, hey, I might like that. That might help me. And it's going to take all of us pushing this out. And when you see somebody that could be could benefit, a veteran that could benefit from running one of these programs, whether it's a family member, a neighbor, a friend, please ask them to view it. And I'll always have the contact information and website. So try to make it as easy as possible for the vets to get to it. You know, I hope everyone had a great holiday season, but we know for a fact there are many vets, tens of thousands of vets that didn't. And whether it's um physical, mental issues, uh housing issues, jobs, relationship, it doesn't matter. They did so much for us, they put their lives out there for us, and the least we can do is try to help them recover and have a normal life, normal relations, whatever that may be. So I hope that you enjoy this and and that you really share in my passion for helping our vets. I think this could be a worthwhile endeavor, but it's gonna take just getting the word out. So as you do that, I ask that you provide me with suggestions, comments. I've gotten so many already. You'll see now at the end of the program I'll have takeaways with some of the main points that the guest and there had shared with us about their program. I I I'm new at this, so I'm taking all the suggestions, criticisms I can to make it a better, more efficient program that gets out to the most people. So any comments you have, I've got the YouTube page, please go there. You'll see below the uh address to get there. I just started a Facebook page, and I'm working with people just to get out there as much as possible. So anything you can do to help with that endeavor is greatly appreciated. I will tell you that um if you were with me uh for the last episode, you saw it was about POSFOR ability. Great program, really enjoyed it. They not only help vets, but they help others in our society that require the assistance of a service dog. Anyways, they asked me to come back and speak at their graduation this Friday. So I'm gonna go out there and I'll speak to them and uh I'll try to get a little video of that that I can share with you afterwards. Again, that was episode three, and if you want to see that, please go back to the YouTube channel and pick it out and watch it. It was a good one. In the um intent of getting the word out, I was asked to be a guest on a program, a podcast, here in the Miami Valley called Living Well Together. A very positive upbeat program by two dear friends of mine, and they get people that are well known in in the community, uh politicians, uh educators, commanders at the base, people starting up restaurants or new shops, just community stuff and very uplifting. And they asked me to be on that, and I was uh a couple weeks ago. And I will put the uh link on the bottom of the screen so you can get there and and watch that. It's a great program, and they were uh very kind and very interested in what I was doing with Pitbull 214 podcasts. With that, I've got a few other programs in the queue. I think uh people and programs that you'll really enjoy. As vets have told me, and kind of my theme here, if I can help one vet, two vets, to get to a better spot by what I provide here, the people that come on, boy, it's well worth it. So please share it as best you can, and we're gonna go away for a break. We'll be right back with Gil Esparza and Warriors on Wheels.

unknown 5:45

Mr.

SPEAKER_01 5:46

World Wheel with the iconic job.

SPEAKER_03 5:57

Well, welcome back to Pitbull 214 Podcast. Um, a podcast that is developed to help veterans, their family, friends, neighbors, and and really anyone that cares about our veterans. I am so delighted to be with my dear friend and veteran advocate as my guest today, Gil Esparza. Gil, good to see you.

SPEAKER_00 6:19

Hey Rick, it's a pleasure to be here with Pitbull 214.

SPEAKER_03 6:22

An additional surprise you'll see is Gil brought me a nice shirt. So you'll see right here is the emblem. And why don't you turn around and show them the back, Gil?

SPEAKER_00 6:31

Yeah, this is our 2026 uh shirt that's out this year. It's called Life Behind Bars.

SPEAKER_03 6:37

And he'll explain what that means. So Gil and I met each other probably four or five, six years ago. He was working at the county uh with Judge Woolliver, who was going to be my guest soon and talk about the veteran treatment court, which Gil was also involved with. And he was helping there, and I was a county commissioner, and we hooked up. We had a common interest, of course, that was the veterans, and uh then we just became dear friends. And if he needed anything for his programs, he knew it'd come to me, and vice versa. So he was one of the first people I thought about when I was thinking about what programs are out there that really could be life-changing for vets. That uh vets that uh have come back from war or their service different than when they entered. And Gil has a great story about how he started, how he got out of the military, and I'm gonna turn it over to him here soon. So, Gil, why don't you start with the beginning? How you started?

SPEAKER_00 7:39

My name's Gil, uh U.S. Navy veteran. I served uh 15 years active duty service. I was a young kid in San Antonio, Texas, number nine of 14 kids, and uh had really no direction in life until I decided that I was going to join the U.S. Navy and follow in the footsteps of my brother, Johnny, uh, who was a Vietnam veteran. And uh unfortunately we lost him to the effects of Agent Orange exposure, uh, which is a whole uh monster that our warfighters are going through this battle today. I went in 15 years expecting to do a career of service and was injured during the Gulf War. And as a result, I was put on a two-year medical hold and uh fought to try to stay in, and eventually went before a medical review board, like many of our men and women uh have done in uh not too far uh through OEF and OIF. And uh I found myself at a crossroad, not knowing what to do, after being released of something that I only knew, which was my life as a sailor in the U.S. Navy. Uh, after 15 years of service, it's pretty much all you know. And then you're transitioning to the civilian community, and you have no idea what to do because you've been disconnected from the civilian uh world for so long. So I I suffered this really uh severe disconnect with combat trauma, physical trauma, mental health trauma, and uh ended into spiraling into a life of uh isolation, uh substance abuse, uh self-medication, alcoholism, and uh just found myself at a crossroad.

SPEAKER_03 9:15

Your low point.

SPEAKER_00 9:16

Yeah, that was the low point in my life. It was pretty bad. A friend one day invited me to church I had met in the city of Erlanger, Kentucky. And uh I wasn't much of a church-going guy. I was just kind of bouncing off the walls, uh living in the back of my truck, as a matter of fact, and trying to find, uh, secure some kind of a work, some kind of job, uh, which was what ended up being a monster in itself. I decided to go to this church and uh sat there afterwards in this little library they had. And uh driving home that day, I was uh immediately taken by a yard sale for no reason. I don't even go to yard sales uh at that particular time, didn't really have an interest in it, and I only had probably about $15 on me. But some reason I decided to stop and I stopped and uh walked around for a bit. And this bicycle was sitting there, this just old beat-up bike with flat tires. And that blight, I just kept looking at that bike, and the bike kept looking at me, and I'd walk away, and this bike just kept drawing me to it. And uh I paid $10 for the bike, took it home, fixed it up, and uh that was the uh the connection to the beginning of the change of my life. Oh god, we've been inseparable ever since, and that was uh in 1995. So it's been me and the bikes since then that's taking me on this crazy life that's just uh life-changing.

SPEAKER_03 10:41

So then, Gil, you uh had bottomed out and you started coming back up slowly, but surely. Yeah and and now you're you're understanding the Lord and his presence, and life's starting to change for you. Talk a little bit about the without a doubt.

SPEAKER_00 10:56

I could feel that it was a God thing, and and uh I had strayed from from uh by relationship with God, and and uh this bike just kind of brought me back to it. The bike the bike became the catalyst for the beginning of changing uh my life, my mental my mental life, my physical life, my spiritual life, and uh and it just started with this beat-up bike. Uh I picked up a temporary job at a manufacturing company just a few miles from where I was staying, and I started riding the bike to work, and I'd ride it back and forth, back and forth, five days a week, and it became this addiction, me and this bike. And it was a pretty cool addiction because it caused me to stop taking my medication. I didn't need it any longer. I was meeting uh other cyclists, and they were inviting me on bike rides, and I'm like, uh, I got this really beat up bike, and you guys these fancy bikes. But I ended up saving my money and buying a better bike each time, and and then I started doing some competitive rides, and as a result, my whole outlook on life just started to change. I decided to use my GI Bill to go back to school and use the Volk Rehab bill, and uh went to Northern Kentucky University and started with a major in criminal justice.

SPEAKER_03 12:10

And you got your degree.

SPEAKER_00 12:11

And I got my degree, and yeah. Good for you, God bless you. So that so that was kind of everything started changing, but it just became me and this bike, and and uh and I became actually known as the guy on the bike in my neighborhood, which was a small community. Hey, there goes that guy on the bike, and I'd be waving because I wore a little backpack and rode it basically everywhere I went. But uh this this uh relationship with this bicycle just uh uh started changing my life, Rick. And it's really brought us full circle to where we are today.

SPEAKER_03 12:40

And this is where you enter Green County, right? Talk a little bit about how you got there.

SPEAKER_00 12:45

Yeah, with my first language being Spanish, and uh I decided to get my certification as an interpreter for the state. And one of the big one of the cases I had was as an interpreter in the Green County Common Police Court in Zine, Ohio. Well, I had no idea where Zigny, Ohio was because I was coming from Florence, Kentucky. But I had this big case that was going to last about a week, and my job was to go and interpret for the Common Police Court. And at this time, this was under the direction of Stephen Woolliver. Yeah, good friend. This guy comes into my life in and out throughout the next last next 20 years of my life. So uh I'm leaving the courthouse, and this lady stops me as I was leaving the steps and she says, Hey, can I talk to you? And I said, Yeah. She goes, Hey, are you looking for a job? I'm like, uh, not really. She says, uh, what's your background? And uh told her I was a student in criminal justice at NKU, and uh she said, Here's my card. If you're interested in a job, give me a call. We really could use somebody with your language experience and your background. So I went home and chewed on this for a while, and ends up that I call and I get an interview, and then another interview, and another interview. Next thing you know, I'm hired as the new probation officer for the Green County Common Police Court. And uh that was the beginning of my life as uh moving from Florence, Kentucky to uh Zenia, Ohio uh to serve as a probation officer under Steve Woolliver.

SPEAKER_03 14:11

And again, Steve will be a guest on our show very soon. So now uh there's two aspects of that because now the bikes enter back into your life.

SPEAKER_00 14:21

Yeah, I'm still a cyclist, and I brought my bike with me, and I was excited to see that uh Green County and the greater uh region there had over 500 miles of bicycle trails, and as a result, I could ride my bike through all these trails. So the cool thing is, is uh I start seeing the uh the men and women that are on probation and they're missing their appointments and getting in trouble, and I'm thinking, these people don't have vehicles. So I got this idea that I could buy these bikes, fix them up like they fixed me, and maybe I could give it to them and they could get to their appointments and not get in trouble. And I took it to Judge Woolworth.

SPEAKER_03 14:58

Not only that, but maybe it can be therapeutic like it was for you.

SPEAKER_00 15:02

Exactly. It would change their whole mindset because when you think about it, if you do 30 minutes on a bicycle, you're releasing some endorphins in your body that's just that feel-good stuff. I mean, you start seeing things, feeling things, smiling for no reason at all. And uh it it really was a change agent for me. And I asked Judge Woollifer for a bike rack, and he said, you know, you might have something there, as Judge would do. That looks like it. And and uh and next thing you knew, I had a bike rack out in front of the courthouse, and I started providing bikes for these men and women, but they had a caveat. They had to commit themselves to ride with me for a year, and they did. On any given day, you'd see three, four bikes in front of the courthouse locked up because we would give them a bike, a padlock, and a bicycle helmet. And they had to ride with me at least a couple of times a month, and they did. And it ended up where even Judge Woolliver became part of our riding team, and we have pictures of us and the judge and all the probationers riding together.

SPEAKER_03 16:00

Oh, by the way, we're gonna have uh pictures floating back and forth that Gil provided for us. I think one's even got me and my brother in there when we joined them for a ride. And we're gonna have Gil's contact information. As I said earlier, you may want to get a hold of them to join, but you also may want to get a hold of them to say, How do I start a program like this, you know, in Missouri? Gil's ready and willing to help anybody that wants to do that. He believes so strongly in this program.

SPEAKER_00 16:29

Yeah, absolutely, Rick. And uh what ended up happening that OEF and OIF was over, was just ending, and uh I started seeing our men and women, our warfighters, in our county jails. And that really troubled me because these were, when I started meeting them, since I had access to the jails, I was noticing these were honorably discharged veterans with bronze stars, purple heart recipients that had gotten stuck when they were released during their transition for pro from post-traumatic stress, uh, the invisible wounds, and the physical wounds that you could see. And uh, these were good people that had just fallen by the wayside and were ending up in our courts. And it was at that time that the specialty courts, veterans treatment court program started coming into play. And Judge Woolver uh E.J. Griffin uh had uh asked me, hey, let's get together and see if we can get this program off and let's submit a request to the Supreme Court. Uh, we were denied twice, and on the third time it was a charm, and we were granted uh uh VTC status. And uh I incorporated the cycling program into Veterans Treatment Court. And now I serve on that court after retiring as a probation officer uh uh as a mentor to the men and women that served this court under the direction of now Judge Torniccio. Doing a great job.

SPEAKER_03 17:47

And and I would also add, you said um the ailments that um hindered our veterans coming back. One thing you didn't say was many of them were injured and were on drugs, legal drugs by the VA, and then they were cut off, and that's not a call out of the VA.

SPEAKER_00 18:05

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 18:05

There's got to be a time they're cut off. But they weren't ready in many cases, and they went and got illegal drugs. And when they couldn't get the illegal drugs, they'd have to maybe steal some money or something in order to get the money to get the drugs to so you know uh all of that uh comes back to us. They served for us, and now they couldn't find their way because of some things that might have happened when they were in uniform and this program and others are helping them to get on the right side and be productive and happy members of society.

SPEAKER_00 18:39

Exactly. Yeah, our VA right now is doing a tremendous job because the cool thing about the Veterans Treatment Court and the work that we're doing through Warriors on Wheel Cycling is the VA provides a VJO, which is a Veterans Justice outreach team member for each one of our men and women that are in this program, and they provide a full resource for them, which is a complete wraparound service that our VA does. That's amazing. Uh, lucky for me, I'm a mentor now, so I'm on the outside, but I get to come alongside these men and women, and that's the difference now because our Wars on Wheel Cycling Group is now their new tribe because they lost their tribe when they left service and they value connection because that's how we operate to the right, to the left. Amen. So now it's become this beautiful uh uh organization that is just coming together where the bike being the change agent, but most importantly, the connection between these warfighters that have something in common.

SPEAKER_03 19:39

So that is a perfect long way around how you came back, you fought your way back, you found something that was important and helped you, and then you you're working now with Beth. So let's talk about the program. Yeah. Let's go to the program. What is it? How does it work? And again, we'll have your website up there, and uh and tell us some of the impacts you've seen.

SPEAKER_00 20:04

Yeah, well, the cool thing about Warriors on Wheels Cycling, I incorporated uh in uh 2012. Actually, it was the brain idea was in 2012, and I called it Wheels of Victory. I remember and uh I got when the veterans started getting involved with it, I I ended up changing it to Warriors on Wheels Cycling. And the important thing about Warriors on Wheels, it's it's because you know, we're having 200,000 veterans uh leave the military annually, and the transition for our men and women is so difficult because they're used to operating at a level that's up here. You become a civilian, and civilians don't really understand MOSs, they don't speak the language, so to say. So we feel this disconnect. We've lost our tribe, our platoon, our team, and and this is what's missing. So, what Wars on Wheel Cycling does is we provide the connection because we know that your uh service doesn't end when you leave uniform status. And uh so we come together with you with our ambassadors, we create a uh, we have a meeting with you. If you have an interest for a bike, you fill out an application, our ambassadors get together, we take you out to lunch or dinner, we get to know a little bit about you, what your physical need is, why you want to get into cycling. Do you want a road bike? Do you want a mountain bike? Do you require an adaptive bike? Do you need a hand bike? Uh, whatever the need is, and we try to see where you best fit. And one of our ambassadors will come alongside you as a mentor, and we create rides monthly, uh weekly, from low, moderate, to high impact rides, long distance rides.

SPEAKER_03 21:42

And your connection, collaboration with Green Bucks, you talked about disabled. Uh, and I think we're gonna have a picture of some of those uh bicycles so they can service all vets pretty much with this.

SPEAKER_00 21:54

Yeah, Green Bucks is doing a good job. They actually asked us to uh be one of their veterans' representative because. They felt the need to reach out to the veteran community with their uh adaptive bikes, which were just trikes. So we said yes immediately. And as a result, many of our men and women have resulted in getting trikes through the Green Buck Organization that we are so thankful for. And we're just the catalyst. I mean, we're just uh to the right, to the left, is what it's about. And uh so they've been instrumental in helping us a lot. But then again, we have our number one uh partners, which is the KG cycle company out of Zenia and Kettering with uh uh uh Kyle and Brian and Justin from the offices that they have, and they've been behind us from the get-go, and they they're they're one of our biggest partners in uh helping prepare our bikes for the men and women that we serve.

SPEAKER_03 22:45

Gail, I can't tell you how much I appreciate this program, how much I appreciate you, how impressed I am with what you've done. So, if somebody wants to get involved and they're somewhat local, they go to your website, yeah, you'll meet with them or one of your ambassadors will and you go from there.

SPEAKER_00 23:01

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 23:02

If they are disabled in any manner, they can still talk to you and we'll hook them up with. And I'll try to get um Green Bucks contact information on here too. We'll put it there for anyone interested in that. I will say that um my brother, who I've talked about before, is um is he's disabled, both physically and mentally. And Gil was kind enough to take us on a ride. It was only five miles, I think. It was beautiful. It was a beautiful Saturday morning.

SPEAKER_00 23:30

He got on that thing and was gone.

SPEAKER_03 23:32

Yeah, he loved it. As a matter of fact, he took the wrong turn and we had to track him down.

SPEAKER_00 23:35

We found him though.

SPEAKER_03 23:36

We did indeed. Gil, um, is there anything else that you would like to share um uh with my viewers? All the contact stuff's out there so they can get a hold of you. Uh go ahead, it's your time.

SPEAKER_00 23:49

Yeah, we just want uh the the public to know that we're a nonprofit located here in uh our office is in Fairborne, Ohio. We cover the entire uh region from Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Cleveland, Texas. We we've uh we get a lot of requests from out of state. The logistics is a little harder, out of state, but uh locally uh we're averaging uh each year 25 to 27 bikes a year that we're presenting. This year we included four adaptive trikes. Uh in 2025, we uh were able to provide 27 bikes. But uh you get on our website, send us an email, we'll respond to you right away, we'll ask for your contact information so we can have a discussion with you. Then we'll set up a time when you can meet and greet our team, our ambassadors, we'll take you out to lunch. We just want to get to know you, and you'll be surprised uh how much we'll have in common, particularly because of our uh of our military service. And uh therein lies the connection. And then we'll uh we'll see what your need is. If you need a mountain bike, a hybrid bike, a road bike. If you want to join our mountain bike racing team, this year we've started a mountain bike racing team that is unbelievable, super competitive, and uh we also have a uh time trial racing team. So if you want to get into time trials, you can do that. Uh, we sponsor a lot of events throughout the year. So we're excited to uh to partner up with you guys. Just check us out on our website.

SPEAKER_03 25:18

Two things I want to add as we um bring this to a conclusion is um when I was out there, one thing that I noticed, and it was um uh uh very positive was there were spouses out there. Yeah. You know, a happy vet, a vet that's found his way or her way, means a happier family. And uh they were very supportive. So I I thought that was tremendous. The wives the wives and husbands of the vets are involved, even in writing. Um I thought that was good. But the other connection they're making there is uh a vet's writing with another vet, and they said, Boy, my plumbing is went up. Uh, you know, uh I got a flood in the house. Yeah. These people know each other, they know people in the community, and they may be able to help. Hey, um, you know, I gotta get my daughter a pair of glasses, but I can't afford it. You know, well, let's talk to the veteran service. There's a lot of connections like that. So it's not just feeling good, it's helpful.

SPEAKER_00 26:14

And the the beauty about warriors on wheel cycling is uh we're finding purpose between each other. And man, when you find purpose, uh there's nothing to stop you. That's what life so and it's a beautiful thing. I'm excited to be part of it. I'm so thankful for the ambassadors that uh have been with me from the beginning, like Sam, Zach, Jay, John. Uh these men are dedicated. Greta, she's dedicated to being part of this, and uh we're just excited for them because I can't do it by myself. And uh our goal is to get it out there for everybody. We've recently uh connected with Wounded Warrior, and uh we're gonna be doing their warrior ride in July. We're now on their database, so you can contact Wounded Warrior and find us there and reach out to us through their organization as well.

SPEAKER_03 27:02

Which I'm gonna close here. They can use support. Um, so they they get bikes for the new veterans, uh, that all costs money. So if you like this program, but you're not a rider and you want to help on the website, there's a way to contribute as well. Gil, I can't tell you how much I appreciate you coming on. And I hope that my program, Pitbull 214, grows and expands as much as yours. Because I know that yours is just blowing up.

SPEAKER_00 27:28

Yeah, I'm excited to be part of you, Pitbull. It's just amazing. Uh, just what it's all about, the resources, man. Each one, it's the right to the left. It's our it's our creed, man. You know how it is. Amen, brother. Leave no better behind. God bless you. Thank you. We love you, brother. Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 27:43

So we'll be right back to Pitbull for our conclusion. Thank you, Gil.

SPEAKER_00 27:46

It's a pleasure.

SPEAKER_01 27:47

With the iconic over here. It's not well, welcome back.

SPEAKER_03 28:00

Um, let me say I can't thank Gil Esparza enough for being on. He has been a good friend. He is uh about as strong a veteran advocate as there is out there, and his program just taken off. So give him a call, check out his website. If you're local, uh join us sometime. I I will. And if you're not local, maybe think about starting up your own Warriors on Wheels. Uh Gil's right there to help you. He's gone through everything, even made it a nonprofit, which, if you haven't done that, takes a lot of work. Again, great program. Well, more great programs ago. But first, I wanted to give a shout out to the Beaver Creek Chamber of Commerce. That's where we are doing the video today, or taping. Uh Wendy Rogers and Chris work there and they help set this up for us. And uh, although I'm a chamber member and this doesn't cost me, if you are interested in do a uh doing a podcast, they have all the equipment and they do charge outsiders, or it's probably if you do a few of them, uh, more effective and efficient to just join the chamber and do it. Uh they're right there ready to help. Uh, they gave us some on-job training here uh for this one, uh, Brennan and myself, so we can operate uh independently in the future. A couple things that I want to uh also note uh events coming up that are special, and uh Brennan will make sure and put the flyers uh of the activities there. First off, is uh you'll recall uh episode number two was a colonel slash doctor Cassie Barlow, and she talked about transition. She'll be back on in about a month, and we're gonna talk about the Veterans Resource Fair. I think it's the fifth annual event. It's at the Nutter Center in uh Fairborne, Ohio, and there are tables and tables and tables of vendors that support vets uh from schools, banks, um, uh training, opportunities, uh, social engagements. Uh I can't even begin to do it justice. Just I'd say uh between 75 and 100 people there that are there to offer their services to vets. It's one-stop shopping. If you're local and you're having trouble get there, they even have uh tokens for the bus. It's great, and like I said, we're gonna have Cassie on probably in a month or so to talk a little bit more about what they do there. That's gonna be on May 20th at the Nutter Center in Fairborne, Ohio, from 3 to 7. Another event that I've been a part of for many years is the Ohio Department of Veteran Services. They have their veteran convention. It's um August 8th, 2026. We'll talk about that more as we get closer, but just put that on your long-term calendar. Um I think that's um all the the announcements I had. Now I get to talk about our next guest. Uh the neck the guest on, I think that would be episode five. Episode five, is retired Colonel Herman Cole. Uh Herman's gonna talk a little bit, he goes under the category of uh war stories. He's gonna talk about his career and really focusing on his time in Vietnam. I must admit, a full disclosure, that Herman is my mentor. He uh he helped me along as a second lieutenant, got me to Space Division, and got me to Saudi Arabia. He's been there for me. I feel like one of his sons. Great family, uh, and he just turned 80. They just had his birthday party. I can't wait. Uh, he's got a lot to share in. This guy is a storyteller for sure. So I think with that, it was a successful uh edition with uh Warriors on Wheels, and I look forward to the next one very soon, a couple weeks out, with Herman Cole. I'd like to say, God bless you all out there. Thank you for your service. God bless our country and Pip the let.