LIVING to Serve

Written by Katie Kilby, former City Impact Manager at The Mission Continues, for David

Few people find themselves in a professional environment that perfectly caters to some of their biggest personal passions. For four years, I had the privilege to work at the intersection of my love for cheering others on, empowering the military-connected community, and engaging in community centered impact work. During that time working for The Mission Continues, I got a front row seat as I watched veterans find new ways to lead on the home front even though their time in uniform may have come to a close.

Every veteran I met in Baltimore, DC, Nashville, Richmond, Hampton Roads, and other cities across the country led in different ways, but every single one still had a desire to inspire others to serve and pursue new ways to maximize their unique leadership capabilities.

But some of those veterans managed to weasel their way into an extra special part of my heart, and I continue to be grateful for the opportunity to have been able to coach, mentor, guide, and troubleshoot with so many men and women who wore a uniform and served in blue shirts nationally.

Lately, though, wow. One of those veterans in particular has been on my heart and mind almost constantly. And my first interactions with David almost make me a little bit surprised that that’s the case.

Because man, is he intense!

And in the words of a former coworker (now serendipitously David’s brand new son-in-law), our collective first impressions were that he was “a royal dick.”

In June 2019, I had the opportunity to host 90 veterans from 24 states and almost 1000 total community volunteers in my home city of Baltimore over the course of a week. Mass Deployment with The Mission Continues includes early mornings, late nights, inevitably a few cases of heat stroke, a whole lotta blood, sweat, and tears, but also all the camaraderie and shared purpose veterans miss from their time in uniform. That week includes some of my best and most vivid professional memories, and some of my most trying and strenuous.

The veterans we hosted here, though? Top notch. Every single one of them brought their A Game, leadership skills, tenacity, and grit to love on a city that wasn’t even their own for an entire humid week. They gave up vacation and family time to “embrace the suck” and see noticeable change in a city that had been frequently told it wasn’t worth the attention.

David was one of those Charm City Chargers.

And man did he come out of the gate strong. I remember marveling with a few coworkers when this brand new PL [platoon leader] from DC thought we’d allow him to have enough gas in his proverbial tank each day to catch extra workouts at the local CrossFit Gym. He asked for recommendations for a nearby Box in our private Facebook group. I remember thinking, “buddy, chill. If you actually get up for a 5:30am WOD before a service project day, we clearly weren’t working you hard enough…”

But then the week of OC3 (Charm City Charge) came, and this guy brought everything he had and then some. While he certainly wasn’t in the youngest group of veterans who served with us that week, he seemed to have a never-ending source of energy. I actually don’t remember if he ever made it to the CrossFit Box that week, but I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if he had. David didn’t always have the most glamorous crew/job assignments all week, but he shined as a leader, encourager on his team, and motivator with his “we’re not done until we’re done” attitude every second of every project.

Not long after, our East Coast staff team went through a restructure, and our Nation’s Capital moved to fall into my portfolio as a City Impact Manager.

My first thought? Oh no. I was still tired and recovering from Mass Deployment (let’s be real… that was 3.5 years ago and I think I’m STILL worn out from it), and now I was inheriting David and all of his intensity and big ideas. I grimaced, steeled myself, and then set up a call to get to know him better and align how we’d work together moving forward.

What I was mentally preparing myself for was managing a [perhaps sometimes overly] confident Platoon Leader who “wanted to do all the things,” didn’t know how to sit still, had a clear vision for exactly how he wanted to do those things, and was more knowledgeable and better connected than I could ever dream to be. My own secret sauce was challenging PLs to think more holistically, comprehensively, and strategically about their community based work. I thrived on asset mapping and relationship building, and this guy moved a mile a minute, was a shining star for Leadership, and absolutely didn’t need me.

What I quickly learned, though, is that yes - David comes out of the gate STRONG in absolutely everything he does. But he’s also as humble as he is driven. As thoughtful as he is stubborn. He’s as encouraging as he is willing to push big. He’s as team-oriented as he is willing to stand alone. He pivoted more intentionally than any other PL I can think of when the world shut down for COVID, and he fought hard to keep his Platoon together in the midst of some crazy unknowns.

And now, in the toughest assignment of his life as he navigates the inevitable outcome none of us want to acknowledge, he continues to lead in the only way David DuBois knows how with the passion, determination, vibrancy, positivity, humility, humor, intensity, and incomparable spirit that is unique to him alone.

We’ve Got Your 6, David, but we also know your work in inspiring the rest of us will never be done. So proud of you for LIVING a life in such a full way, and thank you for letting me be such a small, inconsequential part of your story.