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PAGE A4, KEIZERTIMES, MARCH 27, 2020 KeizerCommunity KEIZERTIMES.COM Keizer vet found new battlefi eld at home By LAUREN MURPHY Of the Keizertimes During the recession in 2008, 18-year-old RJ Navarro found himself short on hours, cash and options. He found relief in the National Guard. After scoring high on his Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) and his physical he went into the military to become a mechanic. “I worked on Humvees [and] anything with wheels pretty much,” Navarro said. Navarro said basic training was the most in- tense experience he had at the time. “They break you down mentally,” Navarro said, though he added that they take more pre- cautions during training now. After basic training, Navarro came home but still couldn’t fi nd a job. The mechanic training he received in the military wasn’t recognized by the civilian work force. “Local laws have changed since then, that make it easier to get a job,” Navarro said. Once again, Navarro found himself running because in the military they tell you when to out of time and options to make ends meet. sleep and when to wake up,” Navarro said. Navarro spent time in and out of prison for When the National Guard sent troops to Iraq, he volunteered to go. He was one of the 2,500 petty crime before fi nding a housing program National Guard members in the 41st brigade for students, Student Opportunity for Achiev- ing Results (SOAR). that was deployed in 2009. Navarro went to college for business Before deploying Navarro got married. management and was hired on as a vet- Because of security concerns, there were erans representative at Chemeketa Com- a lot of “off-limits” topics that Navarro munity College where he organized the and his wife could not talk about. Chemeketa Veterans Youth Challenge. “I think that was a real stressor on “A bunch of Chemeketa veterans our relationship to the point that it got together and we taught the youth kind of started to fall apart and we, the benefi ts of pursuing a higher edu- unfortunately, became a statistic,” cation,” he said. Navarro said. After leaving Chemeketa, he con- At the time of his deployment 50 tinued the program under the name percent of troops were expected to Oregon Veterans Youth Challenge. come back divorced. “There’s a lot of people that have this During Navarro’s deployment, stigma about criminal history,” Navarro he doubled as a mechanic and a said. He said being addicted to drugs at gunner. Though the military one point in your life does not make you prepared him throughly for go- a bad person forever. ing over seas, they did not pre- “I think most people want to re- pare him for coming home. cover, just give them the opportu- At home, Navarro entered three new battles with drugs, al- A Mile in their Boots nity,” he said. Navarro is currently working for cohol and homelessness. He got is a Keizertimes series focusing on the a non-profi t in Salem that trains vet- arrested for having a half ounce lives of veterans and erans to be peer support specialists. of marijuana, which was illegal active duty military “That’s kind of where my story is, at the time, and was in prison for personnel. or at least where it’s paused,” he said. two years. Navarro hopes to continue the For him, transitioning from the military to prison was easier than transitioning next chapter of his story as the representative of Oregon House District 25. His goal is to to civilian life. “It wasn’t really that hard of a transition advocate for veterans within the Legislature. Navarro a mile in ir e h boots t Elder Law & Estate Planning Wills & Trusts • Probate • Guardianship • Conservatorship Asset Protection • Medical Directives • Veterans Aid & Attendance Power of Attorney • Advance Directive • Medicaid He said veterans in Oregon uti- lize food stamps at a higher rate than in other states. Ore- gon also has the highest rate of veter- ans who die by suicide. The one thing that Navarro wishes civilians would understand is that ev- eryone deals with trauma differently. In the past, he dealt with his trauma by using drugs. Now, he spends time in nature by hiking or gardening. “We have six to eight months until the 41st Brigade comes back ... and I think that we need to address these issues beforehand so they don’t fall through the cracks,” Navarro said. ? t s e is t u c e h t how a bout the fun niest? Keizertimes, in partnership with Capitol Auto Group, will publish this special photo section in April, filled with your pets. photo contest presented by Member National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys 694 High St NE, Salem 503.371.9636 www.mcginty-belcher.com Rumors that use of ibuprofen might actu- ally worsen the symptoms of COVID-19 are unsubstantiated. The World Health Organization is advis- ing that, based on current information, there are no “reports of any negative effects of ibu- profen” when used to alleviate COVID-19 symptoms. Those susceptible to previously known side effects should use caution. Health offi cials recommend using acetaminophen to treat fe- vers because it acts on the area of the brain that controls body temperature. t e p r u o y Call Kathy Belcher or Christopher Hamilton for a FREE 1½ hour Appointment Phone & Video Conferences Available Ibuprofen use is safe during crisis 1 st , 2 nd and 3 rd place prizes will be awarded for both cutest pet photo and funniest pet photo. SUBMIT BY APRIL 30 email: kt@keizertimes.com mail or deliver: keizertimes, 142 chemawa rd n, keizer, or 97303 WorshipDirectory These Salem-Keizer houses of worship invite you to visit. Call to list your church in our Worship Directory: (503) 390-1051 KEIZER COMMUNITY CHURCH www.KeizerChristian.org 380 Churchdale Ave N (1 block West of Dutch Bros) 503 -393 - 0222 • KeizerCommunityChurch.com SUNDAY: 9:30 am Sunday School (all ages) 11:00 am Worship Service WEDNESDAY: 6:30 pm Awana; Youth Group; Adults
