Home Page Testimonials – P.O.W. San Diego

Earl Winston

pwsadmin — Fri, 01 Aug 2014 20:30:59 +0000

My name is Earl Winston. I was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and raised in San Diego, California. I joined the Army at 27 as a 12B/Combat Engineer and was deployed twice. The P.O.W. environment nurtures the camaraderie and support system that a service member develops during their time in the service. Now that I’m a civilian again my battle buddies are distant but still there. P.O.W. fills that void and offers new family to assist in my transition. That’s what I need and that’s what I’m getting.

Earl Winston
Army, 12B/Combat Engineer
Deployed to Afghanistan twice: 2011-2012, and Sept 2013-Jan 2013

Aaron Espinoza

pwsadmin — Fri, 01 Aug 2014 20:30:31 +0000

When I got out of the Marine Corp., adjusting to civilian life and finding out who I really was in general were challenges in themselves. I went straight to work in a prison and it was chaos every day. I did that for three years and just always knew I wanted more for myself.

I moved to San Diego and eventually connected with Todd Vance and started participating regularly with P.O.W. Things didn’t happen overnight. But I have learned and progressed so much over the three years that I have been in the program. During that time, I have encountered challenges with school, jobs, and very recently, the loss of my father. The love and support that I received from the P.O.W. crew felt great when I came back. Such a feeling is hard to come by; these people care about the well-being of others and have always been there for me. P.O.W. has helped me realize my potential as a person and as a whole, and be proud of who I am. It is way more than a group that just works out with each other a couple times a week. We invest in each other’s lives, we look after each other and we genuinely care about each and every member.

Aaron Espinoza
Marines, (7041) Aviation Operation Specialist
Deployments – Iraq twice

Turk Escalada

pwsadmin — Fri, 01 Aug 2014 20:29:48 +0000

When I came home I suffered from nightmares, anger fits, and lack of sleep. Drinking and gambling was my only escape. I was soon after diagnosed with PTSD and a year later I was diagnosed with arthritis in my feet. I couldn’t keep a job, gained a lot of weight and began to neglect myself and those I loved. In December of 2013 my wife and I moved to San Diego for a new start and she convinced me to start the P.O.W. program. I finally agreed and have been participating since May 2014. I’ve lost 30lbs and counting, I’ve learned how to control my anger, my feet and ankles are no longer stiff and painful, I have changed my eating habits, and I have been developing the confidence I needed to start taking better care of myself. I’ve also become more social, and have learned how to communicate without hiding behind my rage. I’ve become more responsible for my mental health and have become more open and accepting of my condition. I am an entirely new person today than I was 6 months ago, and I am eager to stay with the P.O.W. program and progress even further.

Turk Escalada
USMC, 1316 Welder
Deployed to Afghanistan 2009-2010