<description>&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Aaron Quinonez, better known as Sgt. Q, is the Founder of &lt;a href="https://www.qmissions.org"&gt;Q Missions&lt;/a&gt;, an award-winning non-profit organization that helps veterans overcome the effects of war and recover from trauma. He leads the development of the &lt;a href="http://operationpopsmoke.com/"&gt;Operation Pop Smoke&lt;/a&gt; app. Operation Pop Smoke is designed to be a platform used by veterans and those closest to them to help prevent suicide. Sgt. Q is also the owner of &lt;a href="http://rccjanitorial.com/"&gt;Reliable Commercial Cleaning&lt;/a&gt;, a veteran-owned janitorial service company in the Puget Sound area.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sgt. Q joins me today to explain how Operation Pop Smoke works and how it can help curb the suicide statistics among veterans. He describes what inspired him to develop the app and the core philosophy it runs on. He also explains why it’s unlikely for men to call the suicide hotline and how the app can make it easier for veterans to find the help they need during a moment of crisis.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align="center"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align="center"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“It puts the power to save a life in the hands of the person closest to the veteran.” - Sgt. Q&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align="center"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align="center"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align="center"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align="center"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In This Episode of Surviving Me:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Connect with Sgt. Q:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align="center"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Help Military Veterans Share Their Story&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align="center"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Thanks for tuning into the Surviving Me Podcast, the show for military veterans find the support they need to survive the battle within. If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts to subscribe to the show and leave a review. For more stories and resources for our brothers-in-arms, be sure to follow us on Facebook and &lt;a href="http://www.survivingme.com"&gt;visit our website&lt;/a&gt;. Don’t forget to share your favorite episode to help us raise awareness for our brothers-in-arms.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And remember - you are not alone. There is support. There is help. There is a purpose in life after the military.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;DISCLAIMER: This content is created purely to help veterans tell their story and bring awareness to post combat-related disorders including, but not limited to, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. The Surviving Me hosts are not, nor claim to be, medical doctors, psychologists, or psychiatrists and should not be held responsible for any claims, medical advice, or therapy/treatment recommendations mentioned on this podcast. Any advice shared by the hosts or their guests is strictly for purposes of bringing awareness to the veteran community and the services available. Please speak with your doctor or medical professional before taking any advice or starting any therapy or treatment program discussed or shared on this podcast.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Surviving Me

Don Costa

Operation Pop Smoke with Sgt Q

OCT 15, 201926 MIN
Surviving Me

Operation Pop Smoke with Sgt Q

OCT 15, 201926 MIN

Description

<p>&nbsp;</p><p> </p><p>Aaron Quinonez, better known as Sgt. Q, is the Founder of <a href="https://www.qmissions.org">Q Missions</a>, an award-winning non-profit organization that helps veterans overcome the effects of war and recover from trauma. He leads the development of the <a href="http://operationpopsmoke.com/">Operation Pop Smoke</a> app. Operation Pop Smoke is designed to be a platform used by veterans and those closest to them to help prevent suicide. Sgt. Q is also the owner of <a href="http://rccjanitorial.com/">Reliable Commercial Cleaning</a>, a veteran-owned janitorial service company in the Puget Sound area.</p><p> </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p> </p><p>Sgt. Q joins me today to explain how Operation Pop Smoke works and how it can help curb the suicide statistics among veterans. He describes what inspired him to develop the app and the core philosophy it runs on. He also explains why it’s unlikely for men to call the suicide hotline and how the app can make it easier for veterans to find the help they need during a moment of crisis.</p><p> </p><p><em>&nbsp;</em></p><p> </p><p align="center"><em>&nbsp;</em></p><p> </p><p align="center"><em>&nbsp;</em></p><p> </p><p>“It puts the power to save a life in the hands of the person closest to the veteran.” - Sgt. Q</p><p> </p><p align="center">&nbsp;</p><p> </p><p align="center">&nbsp;</p><p> </p><p align="center">&nbsp;</p><p> </p><p align="center">&nbsp;</p><p> </p><p>In This Episode of Surviving Me:</p><p> </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p> </p><p><br></p><p> </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p> </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p> </p><p>Connect with Sgt. Q:</p><p> </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p> </p><p><br></p><p> </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p> </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p> </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p> </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p> </p><p align="center"><em>Help Military Veterans Share Their Story</em></p><p> </p><p align="center">&nbsp;</p><p> </p><p>Thanks for tuning into the Surviving Me Podcast, the show for military veterans find the support they need to survive the battle within. If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts to subscribe to the show and leave a review. For more stories and resources for our brothers-in-arms, be sure to follow us on Facebook and <a href="http://www.survivingme.com">visit our website</a>. Don’t forget to share your favorite episode to help us raise awareness for our brothers-in-arms.</p><p> </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p> </p><p>And remember - you are not alone. There is support. There is help. There is a purpose in life after the military.</p><p> </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p> </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p> </p><p>DISCLAIMER: This content is created purely to help veterans tell their story and bring awareness to post combat-related disorders including, but not limited to, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. The Surviving Me hosts are not, nor claim to be, medical doctors, psychologists, or psychiatrists and should not be held responsible for any claims, medical advice, or therapy/treatment recommendations mentioned on this podcast. Any advice shared by the hosts or their guests is strictly for purposes of bringing awareness to the veteran community and the services available. Please speak with your doctor or medical professional before taking any advice or starting any therapy or treatment program discussed or shared on this podcast.</p>