Steven Haft joins Michael J. Penney on this episode of Cigars and Sea Stories. Steven is a Marine veteran with experience operating as an advior to the Afghans. He started life in the Corps as an MP.

Steven enlisted out of Maryland, shortly after he was accepted into the Maryland state Troopers. Not wanting to do the “cop thing” and sit on a highway, writing tickets all day, he joined the military police. For those of us who know how unbelievably risky that is, he had less than a 50/50 shot at not doing the “cop thing” in the military.

Military police has two distinct functions, 1) PMO:Provost Marshal's Office, they are the guys who act just like your typical law enforcement agent, only about a billion times worse. Those bastards have an unbelievable amount of road authority and a quota that would make any cop wince. In general they’re a pain in the ass to deal with. 2) Field Side: where the MPs do infantry-type stuff. For those not seeking a police force power trip, the field side is right for you. Unfortunately it’s all just luck of the draw as to where you end up. Maybe some manipulating staff NCO or officer with pull strings to get you their way because your valuable...probably not. For those not fortunate enough to have a daddy warbucks looking out for ya, enjoy watching the coin toss decision that will be your next four years.

So steven lucked out and got to do infantry shit. He spent time working in areas throughout Helmand Province, operating alongside the Afghan counterparts he trained. Mike and Steven comisserate about the difficulties that come with working as an advisor. Turns out they were in-country at the same time. Enjoy listening through Steve’s sea stories. The guy has got a dry wit and a solid sense of humor.

Steven is part of HOCOA: Salt Lake City. HOCOA the home repair network is a simple concierge service for the homeowner. With one phone call you can have any kind of professional contractor at your door and working. If you’ve ever struggled to find a good contractor online, it’s near impossible. You never know what you are going to get until the person is standing in front of you. HOCOA eliminates that and provides klout to the homeowner. HOCOA vets each contractor with a face-to-face interview and keeps all records of license, insurance, and important information on file in hard copy.  Need emergency services? Call HOCOA, they offer 24/7 - 365 support. Anything that happens inside your lotline, call HOCOA. Lawn maintenance, HVAC, crawl space inspection, roofing, cleaning. They can move your piano, set it up, tune it, and teach you how to use it. If you are a homeowner and you need anything, call your friends at HOCOA. You will always get a human being with a pulse and an active brain that can help you out.

Don’t gamble with your home. When you want a professional to do it right the first time, call HOCOA.

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