At just 18 years old, Robert H. chose to follow in the footsteps of his stepfather, a Navy Captain, and enlisted in the U.S. Navy. At the time, Robert was struggling with alcohol and getting into trouble, so joining the military offered him a chance to start fresh. What followed was an 11-year career filled with both achievement and turbulence.

While stationed in the Western Pacific, Robert studied advanced electronics, rose to the rank of E6 Staff Sergeant (First Class Petty Officer), and served during the 1983 Grenada crisis. His career showed promise, but personal struggles soon began to take their toll.

Robert’s first marriage, to a Filipina woman, ended painfully when it was declared null and void due to deception on her part. Heartbroken, he turned to drugs—using and selling LSD. His choices led to a devastating consequence: he was caught selling to Naval Intelligence, sentenced to two years in the Stockade, and dishonorably discharged from the Navy.

Civilian life brought new opportunities but also new challenges. Robert remarried and found success working for Teledyne and TRW, where he applied his expertise in electronics, pressure tension, torque, and calibration. Yet alcohol remained a constant battle. He accumulated four misdemeanor DUIs during this time, and eventually his substance use escalated to cocaine, leading to a felony DUI.

For a time, Robert turned things around. He achieved 14 years of sobriety, remarried, and built a more stable life. But tragedy struck again. He discovered his wife was secretly using drugs, and not long after, the couple lost their son, who had served as an Army Combat Medic. Overwhelmed by grief, Robert relapsed. His struggles culminated in a fatal hit-and-run accident—unrelated to drugs or alcohol—that resulted in a four-year prison sentence.

Despite these hardships, Robert has dedicated himself to growth and recovery while incarcerated. He has participated in numerous programs, including:

· Wellness & Recovery

· Recovery Group Peer Facilitator

· Outpatient Therapy

· Men in Recovery

· DUI Program

· Changing Offender Behavior

· Reentry Development (RED)

· Changing the Odds (for gambling addiction)

· Pima College Plumbing Courses

Robert now serves as a Recovery Support Specialist (RSS) for the Unit’s DUI Program Coordinator, helping maintain communication between the Arizona Correctional Facility and the Arizona Department of Health Services. His commitment extends beyond his official role—he also chairs Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and was recently recognized for three years of dedicated service to the program.

Looking ahead, Robert plans to continue working part-time as an RSS after his release. Living with a bipolar diagnosis and being 100% disabled, he has found strength in his faith, his recovery work, and his personal reflections. Through Bible study and intensive programming, Robert has come to a powerful realization: “I don’t have an alcohol and drug problem, I have a Bob problem.”

He acknowledges that he cannot go back and rescue the lost 15-year-old boy he once was, but he is determined to be the best version of himself moving forward. His words of wisdom capture the heart of his journey: “Serve yourself before you can serve anyone else.”