103. Reducing Veteran Suicide Rates with Bob Taylor

Hey there, Warriors Unmasked fans! Today's episode is an incredibly special one, as we sit down with Mr. Bob Taylor, a veteran, author, and founder of the Patriot Promise Foundation. Bob takes us on a journey from his senior year at Michigan State University to being deployed halfway around the world during Operation Desert Storm as a B-52 navigator in the United States Air Force. He shares his experience of flying 11 combat missions and receiving the Air Force's Air Medal, followed by serving as a KC-135 navigator, eventually rising to the rank of Major. After retiring from the Air Force, Bob held various positions in the medical device industry, eventually becoming CEO of Alliant Healthcare Products. His company helped sell over $110 million of high-tech medical products to the VA and military hospitals last year alone. Alliant is also a verified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, which was recognized by the Small Business Administration as the Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year for 2019. Bob's writing of From Service to Success is a cornerstone of the Patriot Promise Foundation, which he founded to help reduce the rate of suicides among veterans and provide a clear path forward as they transition into civilian life. The foundation is a non-profit organization that is establishing non-profit ventures run by veterans, offering them the ability to learn new skills in the workplace while enhancing their lives through a training program based on Bob's book. The foundation's first priority is to get 100,000 copies of From Service to Success into the hands of veterans through donations from the public. We hope you'll sit back, relax, and enjoy this episode of Warriors Unmasked as we take a deep dive into Bob's journey and how he is making a difference in the lives of our servicemen and women every single day. It's bound to be a fascinating and heart-warming conversation filled with understanding, love, and compassion. So, without further ado, hit play to meet Mr. Bob Taylor to the show! GUEST LINKS:   Patriotpromise.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-taylor-8b07887/ Facebook: The Patriot Promise LINKS: malarchuk.com/book  malarchuk.com  www.thecompassionateconnection.com www.warriorsunmasked.com  Follow us on Instagram Like us on Facebook Subscribe To Our YouTube My Community Contact   Episode Minute By Minute: 0:00 What's inside today's episode  1:40 Thank you to today's sponsors 3:02 Welcome and Introduction to Bob Taylor and the path from school to the Air Force 6:56 Some of the incredible things Bob's seen in the Air Force 13:24 What are your nerves and emotions like in combat situations? 19:40 What retiring from the military was like for Bob 27:48 Some coping skills that Bob still uses for depression and irritability  34:57 Struggling Veterans don't need to struggle alone and the Patriot Promise Foundation 43:35 A challenge from Chuck to the listeners and a message from Bob to veterans