From Denied Commission to Naval Officer: Kevin Deese's 10-Year Fight | Beyond the Yard Podcast Ep. 1

USNA Class of 2014 grad Kevin Deese shares the untold story of how an HIV diagnosis weeks before graduation nearly ended his Navy career — and how he fought all the way to the Pentagon to change DoD policy forever.🎙️ ABOUT THIS EPISODEWhat would you do if the Navy told you that you couldn't commission — four years into a Naval Academy education, weeks before graduation?For USNA Class of 2014 graduate Kevin Deese, the answer was simple: fight. For ten years.In this episode of Beyond the Yard — the podcast for U.S. Naval Academy alumni, midshipmen, and military community members — Kevin sits down with hosts Darryl, Gage Trotter, and Brandon "Eaz" Carter for a raw, unfiltered conversation about resilience, identity, service, and what it truly means to answer the call.⚓ WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE✅ What it was like being a gay midshipman at USNA during Don't Ask, Don't Tell✅ How Kevin received an HIV diagnosis at Walter Reed just weeks before commissioning — and was told there was nothing he could do✅ What graduation day looks like when your diploma folio only has one side filled✅ How he navigated civilian life while never giving up on his Navy commission✅ The step-by-step legal and bureaucratic battle — from exception-to-policy requests to a federal lawsuit naming him as lead plaintiff✅ How a phone call the morning after the 2016 election changed everything✅ Finally commissioning as a U.S. Navy Reserve officer in 2024 — 10 years later✅ Why he may be the only person to have both graduated from USNA and completed Officer Development School (ODS)✅ His current run for New York State Assembly (149th District) and why local government matters✅ The 3 Naval Academy traits that carried him through: resilience, relationship-building, and being the man in the arena🔗 FOLLOW KEVIN DEESECampaign: https://www.kevindeese.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deeseforassembly/https://www.instagram.com/kevdeese/TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@deeseforassembly🎙️ ABOUT BEYOND THE YARDBeyond the Yard is a podcast by Naval Academy graduates, for the entire Navy and military community. We go beyond the ranks, the rates, and the résumés to talk about real life — the wins, the failures, and everything in between. New episodes dropping soon.🔗 BEYOND THE YARD PODCASTInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/beyondtheyardpodcastTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@beyondtheyardpodcastX / Twitterhttps://x.com/[email protected]🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode👍 Like this video if Kevin's story hit home💬 Comment below — what part of Kevin's journey resonated most with you?