His dad left when he was young, his mother struggled financially and began using; by the age of 13 he was addicted to alcohol.  He became an emancipated minor and joined the military shortly after turning 17.  He hit more obstacles, being pushed out of the military and looking at probable jail time when he got into trouble as a bartender.  He rejoined the military a short time after and about to be thrown out a 2nd time his life hit a turning point.  September 11, 2001 hit hard and forced him to reevaluate.  He started wanting to help others, he wanted to start making an impact.  He set out to do just that and he has.