The Behavioral Corner 
Hi, and welcome. I'm Steve Martorano. And this is the Behavioral Corner; you're invited to hang with us, as we've discussed the ways we live today, the choices we make, the things we do, and how they affect our health and wellbeing. So you're on the corner, the Behavioral Corner, please hang around a while

Steve Martorano 
Hi, everybody, welcome to the Behavioral Corner. So me again, hanging about this is what I do, I get to hang on a corner and meet really interesting people, we think bring loads of valuable information to us. (The) Behavioral Corner is a podcast about everything because that's what behavioral health is. It's everything. Everything we do, the decisions, we make choices, how all of that impacts our behavioral health emotionally, psychologically, physically. We've touched upon the issue of veterans and their needs, many, many times over the years, primarily because it's an important topic, but because our partners and underwriters Retreat Behavioral Health are dedicated to providing treatment and help to our nation's veterans. We made a particular point of talking about this stuff as we approach Veterans Day, which is, of course, in a couple of days in November on November the 11th. We are a generation now that has been subjected to the United States at war. And that's gone with the withdrawal from Afghanistan, we are now after 20 some years, nowhere in large-scale combat, and that is, of course, a good thing. But there is a danger, at least in my mind, that the veterans will be pushed back their needs and their and their problems to a lesser status, which of course we cannot let to have let happen. So to that end, we have a guest and we're very honored to have him. Brigadier General Robert Dickson United States Army retired. I was telling general Dixon just a moment ago that I began reading his CV last night just finished this morning. I mean, it is it's it should be provided in installments. A thirty-four-year career in the United States military. The general has been a leader at every level, he's had an outstanding record, I will only touch upon a couple of the things that he did there. He graduated from the Armor Officer basic course, in 1987. And then went on to serve as a tank platoon leader, A Company, 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor 24th Infantry Division, and served as Executive Officer for A Company. And that included of course, in 34 years, more than a couple of tours in the Gulf Wars, Desert Shield and Desert Storm, at one point being deployed in Riyadh, in Saudi Arabia. It's an outstanding record. And he has not stopped his dedication to service. Having retired, he is deeply involved in motivational speaking to business leaders and young people as a mentor. And of course, he is a strong advocate for veterans and their needs. General Dix, thanks for joining us on the Corner.

Brig. Gen. Richard B. Dix 
You're more than welcome, Steve. Thanks for having me.

Steve Martorano 
Yeah, it should come as no surprise to anybody that you are the highest-ranking person ever to hang on the Corner with me. And I couldn't be more delighted. Let's begin with my concern, that as the wars go away, concerns about Veterans might also slip under the radar. Do you share that worry?

Brig. Gen. Richard B. Dix 
Yes, I do. And it's happened throughout the history of this great nation. After every major conflict we've had a period of peace, where it has ebbed and flowed, so to speak. As you stated earlier, you know, we've been at war for over 10-plus years. And it's been a constant conflict between Afghanistan and Iraq, in which I participated both. More so in Afghanistan, and then Iraq, but the support in the framework has got to be maintained. So we don't lose the visibility of these veterans, similar to what happened to the Vietnam era vet that came out that was shunned when they came back from Vietnam, and then kind of melted into the background and kind of got lost in the VA system. And we're trying to prevent that along with the VA and other senior leaders, both called active duty, retired, and those that are working in the department to try to prevent that from happening with today's generation. But the homeless situation you spoke of -- the majority of those individuals are Vietnam vets. But now at an alarming rate, we're seeing a lot of young people that participated in OEF (Operation Enduring Freedom), and OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom), in the early 2000s, right after 9/11. Now, those are the individuals that we're finding on the streets and have been displaced, come out with middle behavioral issues, that are related to PTSD. And your body goes through so much during combat, that we have some of the same problems that the general American population has, on the backside, you're dealing with that pain and operations, losing a limb, and having to take things for the pain. And those opioids that, you know, were mislabeled and miss-marketing. Now they've impacted that piece of the veteran population, we got to deal with the fallout from that episode.

Steve Martorano 
Yeah, you know, it's a cruel irony of post-combat situations, you can certainly understand the public's desire to stop thinking about something as horrific as men at war -- men and women at war. The irony comes in the fact that it's after a situation like that when our attention should be more focused on them because there are more casualties involved in that. So you know, this is a great opportunity for us to say, Okay, we're not fighting anywhere. And that's good. But there are still people who are in fact, casualties of this, in one form or another. You began with homelessness, and I certainly am aware, because we've done shows over the years about the problems of the Vietnam era, guys. And homelessness. Do we know how many former military people are actually homeless at this point?

Brig. Gen. Richard B. Dix 
Well, the numbers are varied, because some have lost touch with the VA, or lost confidence in the VA. And so, you know, they will plug into the system. But I'll tell you, before COVID, I was working on a project with the Georgia State Senate, and they projected a population of about 3,900 homeless vets throughout the state of Georgia. Now, it's come full circle past, the current situation with COVID. That population is more than doubled, somewhere upwards, around 9,000, across the state, you know, so we're working with Bars and Sons, a nonprofit, to provide the housing, not only for the state of Georgia, but for other states, and we want to plug into HUD and the VA, they have to provide that capability in the defense of these folks that need not only the home but the army, also in transitional training. And then given a second chance. Some of them need medical, behavioral science pieces to help them deal with PTSD.

Steve Martorano 
One of the things that make it difficult to address an issue, like homelessness among veterans, is, as I understand it, finding that because this is not a group that goes looking for help. Many of them have, as you point out some mental health issues to make it difficult for them to get help. But they're generally not coming in off the street saying " need help." How active is the VA, and even private organizations and really hitting, you got to...talk about boots on the ground, right? You've got to go out there and look for these people.

Brig. Gen. Richard B. Dix 
Absolutely. And one of the things that we've been advocating is the buddy wellness checks, and the buddy program, you know, we have those in the military, when you're on active duty, you take care of your buddy to the left and the right, and you make sure you do constant check to make sure their welfare is squared away, as you serve. We've got to get back to the same principle and the VA is beginning to touch on that. But it's gonna take a combination of the VA, the states, and the private organizations coming together, and we've got to mobilize another army to get out there and make contact and then give them the opportunity and the skill sets to lift themselves up. You know, and that's what a veteran asked for every day, not a handout, just the opportunity to make a better way, and to get him himself or herself and their family back on their feet. And that's an initiative that I'm taking into motivational speaking, working with the Birdwell Foundation, working with Bars and Sons, and high-tech build to go ahead and get these homes that are affordable into local areas and the rural areas, and make sure we make a true impact, have the transitional training for the vets so that they can change and adopt a new skill set, and then have them help the next veteran in the line. And this is the old "train the trainer" type concept for the military. And it's one buddy helping another buddy.

Steve Martorano 
Yeah, it's interesting, you talk like the one buddy helping another buddy. You don't have to have been in the military, to be familiar with movies and television with the credo that you always hear about people in combat situations. And that is that rule one, no one's left behind.

Brig. Gen. Richard B. Dix 
Amen.

Steve Martorano 
And, and that certainly applies to the streets of this country. That's so important. And for myself, I mean, my whole attitude over the years has changed when I see somebody behaving oddly, and maybe they're in worn-out fatigues and those green jackets. And, you know, I used to think, well, there's another poor guy, it's either high or drunk -- that changes it, and when you understand what's going on here. That's the soldier that's, that's been left behind and needs help.

Brig. Gen. Richard B. Dix 
This is affecting all first responders, you know, firemen, police EMTs, all of those folks that have been entrenched in defeating COVID, are facing some of the same things that military veterans face when they're in combat. COVID - they're just no bullets flying. But it's the same principle. And when you equate long hours to trauma, to high-stress environments, and no outlets, the first responders are having the same issues and the same problems. You know, they turn to painkillers, from, you know, lifting heavy objects or people to get them onto a gurney and get them to the hospital. Their backs give out. So they turn in those painkillers and, you know, sadly, they get hooked, just like military personal. And we've got to create safe spaces for all of our first responders and our veterans to come into that, we can say, "Hey, we got you. Take a deep breath. We're going to help you get back on your feet." And it's got to be a village concept where the government is leading the effort with the funding, and the other infrastructure items, and then the public sector in the States, because we owe it to these individuals. We asked so much of the military and the first responders, that it's a shame if we don't rise to the occasion, to make it better for them.

Steve Martorano 
Yeah. You know, we got, you know, it's been a long, long time since the draft went away. This is a volunteer army. If you expect people to continue to volunteer, you...you better offer them a decent deal. Otherwise, they're gonna find something else to do. You know, there's a lot of chatter, a lot of news, constant fact, about spending bills that, that the administration's trying to get passed. That's sort of a tradition in American politics. But you know, and that's, I'm not paying attention. I don't hear a lot of talk about money in there for veterans, do you?

Brig. Gen. Richard B. Dix 
No. I will tell you there...there was some legislation that was offered, you know, they couldn't get it through Congress. And it's kind of taken a backseat. That's one of the things that, you know, we vote the members of Congress into office, and they owe it to us. And that's one of the things that, you know, you touched on it perfectly, you know, it's an all-volunteer force across the board. In order to get quality volunteers, you've got to say, hey, we're gonna take care of you from day one, to when God calls you home. And inside of that window, you know, we will do everything possible, it makes sure that you have the opportunities and you're taken care of, and no politics comes into play. You know, we owe that opportunity to them and, you know, the taxation by the states on veterans, especially disabled veterans that have been designated and they're struggling. A veteran can't afford them sit on their retirement, and, you know, be taxed on the retirement and just get by on the disability.

Steve Martorano 
I believe that for the longest time, many, many people went into the military because they had fewer options. It was just, it was a smart move. I get a little education I'll afterward you know, I'll serve a certain amount of time. But it wasn't like I can't wait to be in the military. It was sort of a, well, I'll do this, it's the best shot I have. We've got to change that to where it really is a good idea. You know, I mean, unfortunately, you may put yourself in grave danger. But you got to make the trade-off worthwhile. Well, you're not, you're right, you're not going to get the right kind of people. And we're all going to suffer from that one. Let's talk about this idea about tax breaks, though, because I don't think I hear a lot of people talking about tax breaks for vets. How would that work?

Brig. Gen. Richard B. Dix 
Well, basically, you would encourage the youth to come and volunteer and join the forces. And then you would work on the backside to say, Hey, if you make it a career, and you know, you have disabilities, or you don't have disabilities, we're not going to tax your retirement pay. And, you know, there was a letter that was done a few years ago, where it started, there's a precedent had been set, probably in the early 60s, coming out of Vietnam, and early 70s were veterans that were 100%, disabled, got a tax break for three years, on their taxable income. And for three years, they didn't have to pay on that taxable income. So if you had the letter, and you're now disabled veteran 100%, then you could partition the IRS -- the precedent had already been set to that three-year break, you know. In my status, or senior officer or senior NCOs, we've got a little bit more letters. But you know, when you got seniors or, you know, let's say, an NCO that was hurt, and can no longer serve, or a specialist or a private that was hurt in combat, you know, now you're talking about a different kind of pay scale, an adjustment has to be made. So you know, the taxation should be in there for everybody. If you were 100%, disabled, due to combat or due to service and a service-related, then we shouldn't tax, your taxable income, you know. We have enough or we have other things that we can do to make adjustments for that loss of income. The state of Virginia has high taxation on all military veterans across the board that retire and live in the state of Virginia. You know, why are people flocking to Texas and Florida when they don't have a state tax, you know? When I want to live where my family is here in the state of Georgia, Georgia has a high tax rate on all military veterans, whether you're disabled or not.

Steve Martorano 
Where not enough has been said about That's outrageous. I mean, that is completely outrageous. After all, you know, we all know about taxes, nobody likes them, but they're the price we pay for civilization. And it's not like we don't know where the money is. We know where the money is. We got to go get it and relieve the burden on people who shouldn't be...first of all shouldn't be bearing it. Forget about what kind of shape they're in. They shouldn't be bearing an additional burden. They served their time. Tax breaks is a great, great idea. Not enough said about that. Let's discuss another horrible aftermath, both...in both cases, first responders and vets and that is suicide and suicide prevention. What is being done there to help people avoid that?

Brig. Gen. Richard B. Dix 
I'll tell you that, yeah, the VA is making a lot of effort. And that effort is starting to pay off because we're seeing a slight decrease in suicide across the military population. I'll tell you, people like Retreat Behavioral Health and the Birdwell Foundation, private organizations are doing a great job of reaching out and creating safe spaces. I speak around the country, and I recently did two sessions for The Centers of Disease Control, here in Atlanta. And it was fascinating to know that the CDC has a suicide issue. They have an issue that's related to PTSD in the workplace. You know, they have a lot of veterans that serve in their population. So some of that is bleeding over into the CDC. But, you know, those two sessions were well received. You know, we talked about a great book, Peaks and Valleys that I will suggest for any of your leaders...your listeners to get a copy of, you know, and if they want to reach out and you want to have conversations about Peaks and Valleys and start discussing how you do, what you're going through, and how that helps you relate to a current situation that can help you just shift just a little bit. If you were thinking about suicide, then we can have a different conversation. And I can show you based off on the principles of that book from Spencer Johnson, that says, hey, you know, I look at it this way, maybe it's not as bad as I thought it was. Let me start looking at it, principles of the book. And I have woven that into all of my conversations, whether it's all suicide, PTSD, or whether it's students that were talking about leadership and the five-year plan and how to put that into motion to help young folks stay focused, and have a plan to get them from point A to point B. It is critical, because you got to talk to the person, and they got to feel good about what they're doing. They're not motivated by money, status, a big house, a nice car, they want to feel that they made an impact, and they made a difference. And that's what this generation is dealing with. And the senior leaders that are above me, and the folks that are our age, we got to shift our thought process to be able to plug into the millennials, and to meet them where they are, and understand how they operate. Because they're the future of this country overall.

Steve Martorano 
I've never had the opportunity to suggest something to a retired general, but you speak with your hands so there must be some Italian in your family. And when you do, we can't see your face. So, that's all I'm saying. Let me ask you --, this just occurred to me hearing you talk about young people and the need to motivate them. Why don't we have -- or do you support the idea of universal service? Everybody reaches an age where they have two years doesn't have to be active military, but it can. Do we need that law, don't we?

Brig. Gen. Richard B. Dix 
Yes. And I would fully support that. There. There are countless senior leaders that I know will support them. And to the parents what I would say to them because that's where a lot of the drawback will come from, is that there are many jobs and skillsets throughout the military service that don't include kicking in doors, and blowing up things. You know, we've got everything from nuclear scientists that are on cutting edge, you know, the latest technology trends, cyberspace defense, a gambit of things that don't involve going into combat. And a two-year service would expose our young people and get them a job. But more importantly, it will allow the country to leverage the greatest asset that we have in our young people. So, you know, if we could get that through Congress, and get young people serving a mandatory two-year period, I think the country in the world would be a better place.

Steve Martorano 
It is so self evidently a good idea. Listen, in all candor, here, we're not talking about kind of remedial education, where they teach you to march and a snappy fashion or how to take your rifle apart, put it back together again, or how to climb over an obstacle course, we're talking about world-class, instructors, cutting edge education, and it's free, a couple of years of service. It's crazy not to utilize that. So and I have grandchildren, no one wants to see anybody's children have to go fight anywhere. But you know, universal service is not just as you say, kicking in doors and blowing stuff up. What was the impact in terms of preparedness to our military forces, because of COVID? Were we -- were we in trouble?

Brig. Gen. Richard B. Dix 
No. The military gets a...they get access to premier first-class, medical care. And, you know, with things like a worldwide pandemic hit, you know, we've got things that are in place inside of our standard operating procedures, that protective force, you know. You saw some impact. But you know, I'll tell you, Steve, when you got a young person that's in peak performance, and, you know, peak health, they engage something like this, they may have some minor impacts, like flu-like symptoms. If you serve, you know, you take inoculations, you know, I took so many shots over the year, including the mandatory flu shot, that, you know, I know that the greatest force that the world has ever seen is in good hands. And they are able to respond at a moment's notice anywhere in the world. And just look at the Chinese and the provocative steps that they've taken. And understand that the US and our allies were right there in lockstep, saying, "Hey, I wouldn't do that if I was you." And here's why, you know, it's called the US Pacific fleet. And the capability to strike anywhere throughout the Pacific is real, and it's a current and present danger, and the Chinese kind of stood right down. And, you know, they understand that the US military is a formidable foe, but more importantly, they understand the resolve of the American people. And that's what's gonna get us through COVID, we've got to stop the political polarization of this. We got to come together as a country, because great empires have fallen throughout history, when there's a fracture, or divide in the pockets. And once that fracture is there, they cease to no longer exist.

Steve Martorano 
Yeah, it should have been, along with many other things, an object lesson for people who are hesitant, or anti-vaccination, to notice that the organization's you just described, the United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Army and Air Force, there was no discussion about who's going to get it, who doesn't want to get it, everybody's going to get it. Everybody's going to get this occupation and that's the end of that. You certainly we think, given what's at stake, the military and the civilian leaders, you know, wouldn't subject the fighting force to something dangerous if they didn't think it was absolutely necessary. But of course, these are hard lessons for us to learn. General, thanks so much for your time, we'd love to have you back many, many times going forward over the course of your continued work. As I said, we're going to post the program, I guess, on the ninth of this month of November, and Veterans Day is the 11th. Veterans Day is sort of the day where we see bunting, political speeches, and a lot of people saying "Thanks for your service." Can you leave us with some of the other things they ought to be doing and saying, going forward? So our veterans know they're not alone?

Brig. Gen. Richard B. Dix 
Yes. The one thing I like to leave with the American public is to adopt the model one team one fight, just like everybody who's ever served, this country is done. Through the times of segregation. Through the times where you've got one unified force, no matter what, whatever this country was threatened, we came together as a population to defend this country. And if the US military is a direct reflection of the American public. The American public needs to take a page out of our book and become a direct reflection of the United States Military. You've got to come together to stop the forces that want to tear this country apart, and want to see this country dissolve into nothing. So they can sow chaos around the world. And for those parents, that would like some help with motivational speaking or some products that are out there free of charge, please go to DixPublicSpeaking.com and download the five-year plan for your students. And if anyone reaches out, I have no problem with mentoring those students to help them develop their five-year plan to get them to where they want to go.

Steve Martorano 
General, we will have links to both your site and the Birdwell Foundation, which we talked about a lot here on the program so that people can have access to the information we've just touched upon lately. Retired Brigadier General Dix, thanks so much. Appreciate your time, and your work, and your insight into this big problem. Let's do something about this stuff. Thanks so much.

Brig. Gen. Richard B. Dix 
Hey, thanks for having me on the Corner. I like to hang out with you again.

Steve Martorano 
Terrific. Thank you all for hanging as well. Look for us, you know, wherever they wherever you're finding those podcasts. We appreciate hearing back from you like us on Facebook. Follow us on there as well.

Retreat Behavioral Health 
At Retreat Behavioral Health, we believe in the power of connection and quality care. We offer comprehensive holistic and compassionate treatment from industry-leading experts. Call 855-802-6600 and begin your journey today.

Steve Martorano 
That's it for now. And make us a habit of hanging out at the Behavioral Corner and when we're not hanging follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter on the Behavioral Corner.