David Staenberg: A Veteran's Story

Joining the military as a young man 17 years old, I went into delayed entry so I could get the original G.I. bill with all the benefits. I joined because my father and his brother both were in the military. They were both military police officers, so I wanted to follow in their footsteps.

I had no idea what or how it was going to be for me as a kid who had troubles reading when I took the test and I did it myself. I didn’t do as well as when the recruiter read the test to me, and I almost aced it.

As a person in the military, I had to learn how to adapt and overcome with my disability with my learning disability which now I know that I had three of them, dyslexia, creative writing, and a 4% comprehension

It was wonderful. I got in the best shape of my life some days. I wish I could look just like that without the hair ha ha,

I wish I could have known what I know today because I probably should have stayed in the military, but I was 21. They told me I was going to sit at a desk, the rest of my life. And that sound really boring and not who I was.

When you join the military, they tell you about traveling the world I went to Alabama for training Fort Wainwright, where I stood guard over a safe where people walked in and out of and did Cologuard.

Then I had an overseas tour Panama, which is very hot or Fairbanks Alaska, which was cold but beautiful I chose Alaska.

When you join the military, you don’t think of getting hurt things don’t really happen because growing up not a lot of that went on in my life when I was in Alaska I ended up with a traumatic brain injury, which now as a disabled that is a cracked sinus and I had three knee surgeries which over the time I’ve now had 23 knee surgeries on the same leg.

It’s always easier to look back and say if I would’ve done this or I would’ve done that it would’ve been different. I know for a fact that I was on a journey that led me to where I am today.

I learned how to adjust and work around my learning disabilities. I learned how to communicate with people; the military taught me concrete ways to live life you get up at a certain time you go to bed at a certain time you eat your three meals a day I learned how to drink as well in the military. I wasn’t a big drinker before then, but everyone did it including Alaska cause there’s not a lot to do at 40 below.

When was time to decide if I was going to stay in I was offered Sergeant and again I was told I’d sit at a desk so I got out thinking 21 life is easy and I went to university of Alaska in Fairbanks, which also means that you have to be able to read right and understand what is going on and I had a low reading level at that time so I was out of my realm of learning and within two semesters after being put on probation, I was kicked Out

The other thing is when you're in the military, you get a paycheck every month and when you go to college, there is no assistance when I was going to school and so I had to get a job which was OK. I was good at communication. I was an MP and so I became a bouncer in a nightclub worked all night went to school during the day. We know how that turned out.

Jumping forward 30 or more years, I met a person who noticed that I always looked like I was in pain. I was networking and he explained to me that from the information I gave him from the military that I could have a little disability

So, from there, I started down this road of trying to become and learning how to get the disability they say that I deserved.

I’ve had people say how lucky you are that you’re disabled you get a paycheck and I can tell you that I’d rather go back to the beginning not get hurt not have the knee surgeries and all the things they go with it because it’s not all that great I personally live in a pain level of 6 to 9 on a daily basis

What I did learn was that I could help people just like myself disabled veterans that are actively serving. I could help them with financial literacy because when I got out, I had no clue how to take care of a checkbook or what to do with a credit card it was baffling to me until my family taught me that you take care of your family first before you spend money on anything else you put money away for retirement as you work all those things that we take for granted someone has to teach you

Little did, I know that I would start a foundation helping veterans with financial literacy helping feed them, giving them a hand up instead of a handout helping dyslexic youth, which I am to go to college and helping homeless vets be able to have extra food during the month when they run out

It’s a blessing I’ve been able to partner with amazing other nonprofits that help with homelessness getting furniture for vets moving into apartments helping vets with the basic needs that they need and growing my nonprofit to help youth with dyslexia, we hand out blankets and quilts, and have partners with people who want to help our veterans dyslexic youth and the homeless all that started when I said, I do raised my right hand and joined the military. Overall, this whole journey has been one of the best experiences in my life because I get to work with so many amazing people every day.

I believe if you help others, they will help others, and we can keep passing this on to people in need which is a wonderful experience for me today. I’m 100% service-connected disabled. I’m proud that I served my country. I’m proud that I’ve learned how to be a person people can rely on and help people who are in need. It’s a great experience. My name is David Staenberg, and I run the David Staenberg family foundation which now helps veteran’s dyslexic youth, and we have community services which helps with people who are in need of many different things, but we were able to find those needs and help them on a daily basis.