EXPECT MORE…YOU DESERVE IT! ON NOVEMBER 7TH PLEASE ELECT Kevin JOHNSON, Supervisor Bob MUESEBECK, Council Patti HAYLES, Council Karen SWEETING, Clerk Tony PERRY, Justice Paid for by the Sweden Republican Committee
November 5, 2017
Issue No. 45
www.westsidenewsny.com
West Edition
Distributed to Bergen, Clarendon, Holley-Murray and Brockport-Sweden
A soldier’s story soldiers working and training together. At the end of Sean’s deployment in 2007 he returned to Rochester. His drinking Sean Smith spent his childhood growresumed shortly after coming home. After ing up in the 10th Ward in Rochester on Sean graduated from MCC, he continued on Lakeview Park. A year after graduating at The College at Brockport for a bachelor’s from high school he went onto college and degree. He stayed passionate working the spent a year at Oneonta. Sean drank alcoMilitary Honor Guard, taking pride in the hol like many college students do; after a position and up until now it had always year of the college lifestyle he felt a calling helped him be accountable with his drinkto do more with his life. ing. Soon his addiction began to take on His grandfather served as a Fighter Pia life of its own and it began to creep into lot in WW2 and his Dad served in Vietnam. the areas of his life he was always most Sean felt serving the country would give disciplined with. Sean recalls, “I was no him the purpose he was seeking. He hoped longer the fun loving drinker, drinking to join the Army and go right into Ranger became my full time job.” This downward School to become part of one of the world’s spiral did eventually cost Sean his job in most elite fighting forces. But at the age of the Honor Guard, loss of his relationship, 21, when Sean enlisted, he did not qualify and later the loss of his home. He was unfor Ranger school. A physical revealed employed and was sinking deeper into his that he had internal bleeding which made dark depression. him ineligible for Ranger School. He beSean’s family lieves the interand friends benal bleeding was came increasingcaused by heavy ly concerned with drinking. his drinking. DeSean joined the spite his relapse, Army for a four they were incredyear enlistment ibly supportive of (1999-2002) and helping him get spent most of his sober. His Dad time in an infanand some friends try unit serving held an intervenin Alaska. The tion. Sean willArmy was a good ingly agreed to fit for Sean. Imbe admitted into mediately after in-patient addichis four year tion treatment. enlistment, he After anothenlisted in the er relapse, the National Guard. turning point for He received proSean was that he motions and acwas finally adcolades such as “Post Soldier of Sean Smith competing in Best Ranger’s Competition mitted into the Bath VA Domithe Month.” He in Fort Benning, Georgia. Provided photo. ciliary program. also enrolled at They addressed MCC as a Hishis addiction and worked on his anxiety and tory Education major and took a position depression. Although this was not Sean’s in the Honor Guard to perform military last relapse or rehab stay, it was the turning burial services. point where Sean began to understand what About six months after returning home, caused his relapse and recognized the posiSean began to drink heavily. Despite his tive steps that would support his recovery. drinking, he continued performing well The recovery communities and Sean’s in the National Guard and maintained active lifestyle were critical to helping him an A average in college. After the 9/11 combat the depression, anxiety and the tragedy Sean was called up. He moved to alcoholism. the Syracuse base and spent almost two Sean had another Middle East deployyears there. He limited his partying to ment to Kuwait. He looked forward to it; he the weekends. missed the satisfaction and accountability He began to feel more depressed and his overseas deployments brought him. more anxious and his addiction to alcohol Sean went on to serve another tour. His continued to grow. In 2007 Sean was actisobriety again became derailed when he vated for deployment to Afghanistan. The returned home. This time after his rehab deployment forced Sean into a temporary stay he did not return to his family, he state of sobriety. During deployment he moved into the Richards House, a home became healthy and strong. “The opposite owned and operated by the Veterans Outof addiction is connection,” Sean said. He reach Center. found connection and comradery with his by Tami Raco
Sean with the veterans at the Richards House getting ready for Buddy Walk to the Vietnam Memorial. Provided photo. The Richards House serves male veterans profit organization and all programs are who are homeless or in a time of transition. free and open to anyone with 48 hours of “The Richards House was the best thing that continuous sobriety. At an age where most infantry soldiers ever happened to me,” Sean said. In the Richards House, Sean met a strong group begin to retire, Sean, who is 40, was invited of guys doing all the right things. They took to compete in the Army’s premier challenge: The 2017 Best Ranger Competition. him under their wing. Patrick Mullin, a veteran of the Air Force, Sean was one of 106 chosen in the world was someone Sean met and bonded quickly to participate in this ultimate challenge. to. After these connections, Sean recalls his The challenge is a 62 hour physically recovery moving from his head to his heart. and mentally grueling event testing the The Richard House transitioned Sean to Ranger graduates’ skills and endurance. the Colgate House and Sean began to learn Sean’s team finished and took 18th place to understand what it was like to live in in the challenge. Sean continues serving, he feels strongly recovery. As Sean became more rooted in his re- about helping veterans who are struggling covery, good things began to come back to and in transition. He actively works at his life. He began to use the experiences shattering the stigma of addiction by being from his journey to recovery to give back to a living example that you can overcome others. He went back to college to become addiction and be the best version of you. a Drug and Alcohol Counselor. He then be- “I want to show that life happens in recovcame employed by the Veterans Outreach ery,” he said. For more information on the Center to help find housing for veterans. Veterans Outreach Center or ROC-overy Sean continued working on his recovery, and Fitness, visit veteransoutreachcenter.org continued with his work and the National or rocoveryfitness.org. Guard. In 2014, Sean’s dream of being a Ranger came true. This is highly unusual, he was 37 years old. Sean continued giving back. He co-founded a program called Battle Buddys at the Veterans Outreach Center. The Battle Buddy program was set up to be a peer-to-peer mentoring effort combined with a social interaction component for veterans, service members and their families. Sean’s hard work and commitment was recognized at the 2016 Stars and Stripes Annual Gala. Sean and his fiancé Yana started an outdoor recovery activity group ROC-overy Fitness. ROC-overy Fitness Outreach Center is located at 1035 Dewey Sean with veterans hiking the tallest Adirondack peak, Avenue in Greece. It is a non Mt. Marcy. Provided photo.